CHARLESTON, SC - Up for the middle portion of the game, the Delmarva Shorebirds ceded control late and the Charleston RiverDogs took game one of a four-game series 5-3 at Joseph P. Riley, Jr. Park on Friday.Down 3-2 in the bottom of the sixth, the RiverDogs (14-15) got a leadoff
CHARLESTON, SC - Up for the middle portion of the game, the Delmarva Shorebirds ceded control late and the Charleston RiverDogs took game one of a four-game series 5-3 at Joseph P. Riley, Jr. Park on Friday.
Down 3-2 in the bottom of the sixth, the RiverDogs (14-15) got a leadoff baserunner on a Diego Castillo single. After a popout, Isiah Gilliam lashed a double into the left field bullpen. Cole Billingsley had a hard time handling it, so Castillo tried to score all the way from first, but Billingsley recovered in time to nail him at the plate for a clutch second out. Gilliam moved up to third on the throw, though, and scored one batter later on a Carlos Vidal single to tie the game at 3-3.
Estevan Florial singled to lead off the bottom of the seventh for the home side, then after a lineout, Hoy Jun Park bounced a hit-and-run single through the right side hole, sending Florial to third. Donny Sands hit a tough groundball to the left side, and Irving Ortega's jump throw to try for a force at second sailed wide of the bag. Florial scored on contact to make it 4-3 and Park went to third on the error. Blake Rutherford then lifted a deep flyball to left to plate Park, giving the game its final margin.
The Shorebirds (13-15) had their chance in the top of the eighth as Preston Palmeiro walked and Daniel Fajardo singled with one out. Charleston closer Anyelo Gómez, who was in for a two-inning save attempt, buckled down right after that, striking out Irving Ortega and Ryan McKenna to get out of the inning. The Shorebirds then went down 1-2-3 in the ninth.
Phillip Diehl (4-0) earned the win with four scoreless innings in relief for the RiverDogs. He allowed two hits, walked two, and struck out seven on 77 pitches. Kory Groves (1-2) took the loss for Delmarva after allowing three runs (two earned) on six hits in two innings. Gomez's save was his sixth of the season and third three team wins over the Shorebirds.
Charleston opened the scoring in the bottom of the second as Rutherford led off with a double. After he was thrown out at third on a Castillo groundball, Castillo moved up to second on a passed ball and eventually stole third. Gilliam singled to left to bring home the run and make it 1-0.
The Shorebirds countered with three of their own in the top of the third. After loading the bases with nobody out, Jake Ring struck out, and lead runner Fajardo came in to score on a wild pitch with Chris Clare at the plate. Clare fanned, but Collin Woody followed with a liner to left, bringing home two runs on a two-out single to make it 3-1 Delmarva.
The RiverDogs got one back in the bottom of the fourth when Vidal grounded into a bases-loaded force play at second. That would be the only run Charleston scored in the inning as Shorebird starter Zach Muckenhirn induced a double play groundball from Florial to get out of it.
Muckenhirn allowed two runs on seven hits in a five-inning no-decision. His counterpart Nick Nelson didn't factor into the decision either, surrendering three runs on four hits in three innings in his first start back from the DL.
McKenna paced the Shorebird attack with a 3-for-5 day; his run scored gives him a league-high 27 on the year. Woody went 1-for-5 with two RBIs.
Vidal went 3-for-4 with two key RBIs, while Park, Castillo, and Gilliam each had two of Charleston's 14 hits.
Delmarva is now 0-5 this season in the first games of road series.
The Shorebirds try to get back on track on Saturday night in a matchup of right-hander Matthias Dietz (0-2, 7.40) and righty Nick Green (2-3, 4.18). First pitch is 6:05 p.m., and pregame coverage on Fox Sports AM 960 and the MiLB First Pitch app begins at 5:50 p.m. with Will DeBoer on the call.
