Hounds Edge Blue Ghosts to Level Series

Box Score

CORPUS CHRISTI - A fourth-inning wild pitch proved to be the difference as Midland managed a 5-4 win over Corpus Christi on Friday night at Whataburger Field.

The RockHounds batted around for a four-run first inning against Adrian Chaidez.

The Hooks, playing as the Corpus Christi Blue Ghosts, got two back in the home half following a double by Kenedy Corona and an opposite-field home run off the bat of Joey Loperfido.

Loperfido has seven homers and 30 RBIs in 37 games between Asheville and Corpus Christi. He is now tied with Shay Whitcomb and J.J. Matijevic for first in the Astros system in RBIs.

Ryan Cusick blanked the Hooks in the second and third before allowing a run in the fourth on a Zach Dezenzo single and three walks.

Dezenzo, making his Double-A debut, went 1-for-3 with a free pass.

Shay Whitcomb made it a one-run affair in the eighth with his 10th home run, which leads all Astros minor leaguers.

Chaidez bounced back from the rocky start by retiring 10 of the final 11 men he faced.

Colton Gordon scattered four hits and struck out six without issuing a walk over five shutout innings of relief. Gordon has gone at least five innings in five of his last 6 outings, going 2-1 with a 2.40 ERA & 1.00 WHIP. The left-hander from Bradenton, FL has struck out 30 against eight walks in 25 innings during this span.