‘Hoppers outlast Drive, 8-7 in extras
Kyle Teel seemingly did everything but win the game for the Greenville Drive (18-21, 54-51) as plated three runs, accounted for a run and caught a runner stealing. But his efforts weren’t enough to propel the Drive past the Greensboro Grasshoppers (19-19, 55-47), as the ‘Hoppers outlasted the Drive in
Kyle Teel seemingly did everything but win the game for the Greenville Drive (18-21, 54-51) as plated three runs, accounted for a run and caught a runner stealing. But his efforts weren’t enough to propel the Drive past the Greensboro Grasshoppers (19-19, 55-47), as the ‘Hoppers outlasted the Drive in the back-and-forth affair, 8-7 in extras.
For the first time in this series the Drive drew first blood, though it would come in unconventional fashion. Grasshoppers starter Bubba Chandler struggled early. After Kyle Teel ripped a double, Chandler picked up the second out of the inning and appeared to be on his way to a third when he had Tyler Miller on 0-2 count. But Miller battled for a walk, putting two on. Eddinson Paulino and Eduardo Lopez followed suit bringing in Teel to make it a 1-0 game. A pitch later it’d be 2-0, as Chandler’s pitch sailed out of reach of his catcher, bringing in Miller.
The ‘Hoppers and Drive traded runs in the third as Jase Bowen sent a solo shot over the left field wall to cut the lead in half but Teel added his first RBI of the night on a center field line Drive to bring home Karson Simas and make it 3-1.
But again the ‘Hoppers would answer the call and continue their long-ball ways, adding two two-run homers, one in the third and one in the fourth, off Drive starter Juan Daniel Encarnacion, giving them the 5-3 advantage.
In true back-and-forth action, the Drive responded with three runs of their own in the bottom of the fourth, sparked again by Teel as he slapped a single down the third base line to bring in two runs and knot the game at 5-5. After an Allan Castro single, Tyler Miller followed up with grounder into a force out at second but the ensuing throw to try and complete the double play would bounce past the first baseman, allowing Teel to score and put the Drive in front, 6-5.
Encarnacion gave way to Graham Hoffman in the fifth, but the sixth inning would see the ‘Hoppers knot the game off Hoffman thanks to a Shawn Ross solo homer. And the eighth would see the ‘Hoppers take the lead thanks to a Josiah Sightler sacrifice-fly off Dan Altavilla making it 7-6.
Nick Decker and Cutter Coffey made sure the lead wouldn’t last too long as Decker laced a triple into the right field corner in the bottom of the eighth, before Coffey sent a towering sac-fly to center field to bring in Decker, knotting the game at 7-7.
Neither team could muster a ninth inning run sending the game to extra where the ‘Hoppers would scratch across their ghost runner to take the lead in their half of the tenth. The Drive would get ghost runner Alex Erro to third base in the bottom half with no outs, but three straight batters would go down for the Drive, giving Greensboro the 8-7 victory.
The Greenville Drive (Boston Red Sox) return to action Thursday, August 11 at 7:05 p.m. for game four of the six-game series with the Greensboro Grasshoppers (Pittsburgh Pirates). Greensboro currently leads the series, 2-1.