Matt Gorski's HR lifts Hoppers in series finale

Gorski, Endy Rodriguez and Dariel Lopez all hit home runs as Hoppers snap losing streak

Greensboro outfielder Matt Gorski. (Jak Kerley/Greensboro Grasshoppers)

By Jeff Mills

May 1, 2022

ROME, Ga. ― Matt Gorski's solo home run to center field in the eighth inning broke a tie score and lifted Greensboro to a 7-6 victory over the Rome Braves, as the Grasshoppers salvaged the final game of the series Sunday afternoon at AdventHealth Stadiium. Gorski's home run was the

ROME, Ga. ― Matt Gorski's solo home run to center field in the eighth inning broke a tie score and lifted Greensboro to a 7-6 victory over the Rome Braves, as the Grasshoppers salvaged the final game of the series Sunday afternoon at AdventHealth Stadiium.

Gorski's home run was the third of the game for the Grasshoppers (8-13), who snapped a three-game losing streak against Rome (13-8).

Endy Rodriguez went 3-for-5 with a two-run homer for the Hoppers, and Dariel Lopez also hit a two-run shot.

Jack Herman doubled twice for Greensboro, and Hudson Head hit went 2-for-5 with a double and a run scored. Ernny Ordoñez finished with two hits and two RBIs for the Hoppers, who went 4-for-9 with runners in scoring position.

Right-hander Cameron Junker (1-0) picked up the win in relief, despite giving up three unearned runs in the seventh inning. Tyler Samaniego pitched a scoreless eighth inning to back up Gorski's go-ahead homer, and Jack Carey retired all three batters he faced in the ninth to notch his first save.

Vaughn Grissom and Landon Stephens hit home runs in the loss for Rome, driving in five of the six Braves runs.

Grissom went 8-for-24 (.333) with two home runs and 11 RBIs in the series against Greensboro. Grissom, a shortstop rated by MLB Pipeline as the No. 7 prospect in Atlanta's farm system, is the son for former big-league center fielder Marquis Grissom.

NOTES

Matt Gorski leads the Hoppers in home runs (6), RBIs (15), runs (18) and stolen bases (8). He's been on base in 18 of 20 games played.
Henry Davis, the No. 1 overall pick in last year's amateur draft, got the day off. Davis has hits in 14 of the 18 games he's played. He has seven multi-hit games, ranks 10th in the Sally League with a .323 batting average, and ranks fourth with a .444 on-base percentage. Davis has reached base in 12 consecutive games, and 17 of 18 games played.
Pirates prospect Endy Rodriguez ― a versatile player who has played first base, second base, left field and catcher ― has seven multi-hit games in 19 starts. The 21-year-old is rated by MLB Pipeline as the No. 7 prospect in Pittsburgh's farm system.
Outfielder Jack Herman has hit safely in eight of his last 10 games.
The Hoppers improved to 4-5 in one-run games so far this season.

In his career at the News & Record, journalist Jeff Mills won 10 national and 12 state writing awards from the Associated Press Sports Editors, the Society for Features Journalism, and the N.C. Press Association.