Worcester: W, 9-6 (BOX SCORE)
Whenever you start seeing “6” in the box scores under “at-bats” like Nate Eaton had Friday night, you usually have an idea that a team had a pretty good night at the plate. Funny enough, Friday night’s game against the Tides (Orioles AAA) was a nail-biter until it really wasn’t. Sure, Franklin Arias started things off in an explosive fashion, hitting a leadoff home run for the second time this week. But in a bullpen game, the likes of Osvaldo Berrios, Noah Song, Tyler Uberstine, Sam McWilliams and
Angel Bastardo held their own in the trenches, forcing a 10th inning in a 3-3 tie. The WooSox then notched five consecutive two-out singles to make this one 9-3, and even though the Tides got to Olds on a home run, it was still easy to shut the door with the lead they had built in the top of the frame. Arias, though, had an incredible night less than a week after a slow start after the promotion. He finished a triple short of the cycle, reached on a walk, and batted in four.
Portland: L, 6-9 (BOX SCORE)
Despite striking ten Senators (Nationals AA) out, this was the most Anthony Eyannson has had to grind at the Double-A level. He struck out ten but ran into a jam in the fifth, and at 78 pitches, the decision was made to move the bullpen. This did not prove to be a good move, as Jesse Wu-Yelland walked five and the lead was never recaptured. At first, they didn’t have the run support. But they got it after a while off of Brooks Brannon’s three-hit night, Jack Winnay, Abrham Liendo and Nelly Taylor all having multiple knocks, and eight walks being issued, but the runs Portland didn’t score ended up being the story Friday, as they stranded 15 and went 1-for-13 with runners in scoring position.
Greenville: W, 8-4 (BOX SCORE)
Blake Futrelle dealt in Asheville (Astros High-A) in what has become sort of a norm as of late for the 6’5” lefty. Futrell struck out eight, went six scoreless despite running into sort of a jam, and, most importantly (though the eight k’s is pretty cool, too…) he kept the ball in the park. This is notable because each of Greenville’s two long balls came with two outs in the sixth inning, turning a close game into a very winnable one for the Drive.
Salem, Game 1: W, 7-2 (BOX SCORE)
Sadbiel Delzine did not notch quite as many strikeouts against Kannapolis (White Sox A) as he did in his first start, but looked pretty unhittable through 4 1/3 innings, giving up just two and one run and rolling through the outs, getting sat after just 61 pitches (he’s only 18, so this had to have been a case of load management.) The bullpen did no real favors following Adonys Guzman’s solo shot in the fifth, and even though Guzman would get another RBI in the seventh, it wasn’t enough to come close to conjuring a win up on Friday.
