GREENSBORO, NC - The Greensboro Grasshoppers scored five runs in the bottom of the ninth, capped by Micah Brown's walk-off bases-loaded single, to come back and stun the Delmarva Shorebirds 12-11 on Tuesday night at First National Bank Field.With the Shorebirds (22-28, 51-67) up 11-7 in the bottom of the
GREENSBORO, NC - The Greensboro Grasshoppers scored five runs in the bottom of the ninth, capped by Micah Brown's walk-off bases-loaded single, to come back and stun the Delmarva Shorebirds 12-11 on Tuesday night at First National Bank Field.
With the Shorebirds (22-28, 51-67) up 11-7 in the bottom of the ninth, J.C. Millan, Jhonny Santos, and Luis Pintor rattled off three straight leadoff singles off Delmarva pitcher Jake Bray. Pintor's base hit drove in Millan to make it 11-8. Brian Miller then followed with with his fourth double of the game, scoring Santos and moving Pintor up to third. Aaron Knapp struck out to follow, bringing up Eric Gutierrez. Gutierrez hit a liner that deflected off Bray's glove and trickled past second and into right field. Both Pintor and Miller came in to tie the game at 11-11.
Tyler Erwin came in from the bullpen and hit Trenton Hill across the shoulderblades. Jarett Rindflesich followed with a grounder to short, but Milton Ramos bobbled the ball and never got a throw off, and everyone was safe. Brown came up next and squared up on the first pitch he saw, lining it into center to plate pinch-runner Walker Olis with the winning run and sending the Grasshoppers (27-22, 64-53) into a frenzy.
Evan Beal (2-0) picked up the win in relief for the Grasshoppers despite giving up two runs on three hits in the top of the ninth. Bray (2-5) took the loss after allowing five runs in just a third of an inning.
The Greensboro rally spoiled a historic night at the plate for Collin Woody. Woody became the first Shorebird to hit three home runs in a game since Yermin Mercedes on July 23, 2016. He went 4-for-5 with the three round-trippers and an RBI triple, driving in five runs in the process. Woody finished one shy of the SAL single-game total bases record with 15.
Woody's big night started in the top of the second with a solo home run that snuck over the left center wall. In the third, Jake Ring notched a two-out RBI double to score Stuart Levy. Preston Palmeiro belted the next pitch out onto North Eugene Street beyond the right center wall for his 13th home run of the year. Woody slammed the very next pitch to the top of the picnic grass in left center. It was the second time the Shorebirds cracked back-to-back homers this season and it put Delmarva up 5-0.
Greensboro began its comeback in the bottom of the fourth. Miller led off with a double and scored two batters later on a Gutierrez single. Rindfleisch belted a two-run homer two batters later to make it 5-3.
Delmarva busted out for four in the top of the fifth to seize momentum back. Cole Billingsley led off with a single and Ryan McKenna reached on an error at third base. After a strikeout, Palmeiro roped a double to the wall in right center, scoring both runners. Woody came up next and tagged a line drive over the right center wall for his third home run of the game, making it 9-3.
The Grasshoppers got most of those runs back in the bottom of the fifth. Santos reached on an error at short, then a single and an error put Santos at third and Pintor at second. Miller shot a grounder into the left field corner for a two-run double, and Gutierrez plated Miller two batters later with a single to get the 'Hoppers back within 9-6.
Pintor and Miller dropped back-to-back doubles in the seventh to make it a two-run game. In the top of the ninth, Delmarva got two runs on another double from Palmeiro and a triple from Woody, making it 11-7 and setting up Greensboro's heroics in the bottom of the ninth.
Woody and Palmeiro both drove in five runs in the game. Palmeiro finished 3-for-5 with two doubles, a home run, three runs, and five RBIs. His 71 RBIs make him the third SAL hitter to cross the 70 threshold this season.
Ring went 3-for-5 with his league-leading 33rd double of the year, two runs, and an RBI.
Miller led the way for Greensboro, going 4-for-4 with four doubles, three runs, and four RBIs. Pintor went 3-for-4 with a double, RBI, and three runs, while Gutierrez had three hits and drove in four runs.
Neither starting pitcher factored into the decision. Delmarva's Jhon Peluffo exited after three scoreless innings, walking one and facing the minimum. Greensboro's Brandon Miller continued to struggle in his fourth start for his new organization, surrendering nine runs (eight earned) on eight hits, including four home runs, in 4.1 innings.
The 11-run outburst is the most for the Shorebirds since they scored 13 against Greensboro on April 18.
The Shorebirds will try and bounce back on Wednesday night behind ace Alex Wells (10-5, 2.42), who squares off against the Grasshoppers' Ethan Clark (2-1, 2.32). First pitch is 7:00 p.m., and pregame coverage on Fox Sports AM 960 and the MiLB First Pitch App begins at 6:45 with Will DeBoer on the call.
