The Will call from Hoppers-RiverDogs on Wednesday

from Will Cornelius Hoppers’ media:

Charleston’s Arbiso Shuts Down Hoppers In Opener

GREENSBORO, NC — Charleston starter Cory Arbiso (3-6) was dominant on the hill against the Greensboro Grasshoppers Wednesday night, as the righty tossed eight innings of no-hit baseball to give the RiverDogs an 8-2 win in the series opener.

After retiring the side 1-2-3 in the first inning, Arbiso issued back-to-back free passes in the second but worked past the jam thanks to a nice defensive play by third basemen Corban Joseph.

Joseph also contributed at the plate in the RiverDogs next at-bat, slicing a line single into left field to plate Chase Weems, who had reached on a single of his own to begin the frame.

Arbiso settled in nicely after his offense provided the one-run cushion, allowing just one runner on an error in the infield, but quickly erased the defensive miscue with the help of a 5-4-3 double play ball.

Three singles in the RiverDogs’ following at-bat padded their one-run lead with two additional runs, thanks in large part to the speedy Abraham Almonte, who scored a run after a leadoff single and two stolen bases.

Melky Mesa added to the lead with his 19th home run of the season in the seventh, a wowing blast over the hill beyond the left field fence. A four-run ninth topped off the Charleston offensive, highlighted by the speedster Almonte’s leadoff triple and Neall French’s two-RBI single with two outs in the inning.

But tonight’s show went to Arbiso, who tossed six hitless frames after his wild second, and picked up the win after making just his third start in 23 appearances this season.

Arbiso toed the rubber in the eighth inning eyeing the Sally League’s first no-hitter since July 23rd of a season ago.

He retired the Hoppers’ in order again in the eighth, sitting down the Hoppers in succession for the third straight inning, and the sixth time over the eight-inning span.

Arbiso left the ballgame after the conclusion of his perfect eighth, but left the no-hit, eight-run lead for reliever Charles Nolte. The right-hander would close the door on the win for Arbiso, but surrendered the Hoppers’ first hit to the leadoff man in the ninth.

Daniel Pertusati, who ended Arbiso’s chances of the no-no, broke the ice with a chopper in the hole to deep short. The Hoppers’ second-basemen beat the throw from the short stop, and gave the Grasshoppers their first base runner since Kyle Skipworth reached on an error in the third.

A walk in the next at-bat coupled with two straight wild pitches helped the Hoppers avoid the shutout, but ultimately fell to Charleston 8-2.

The Grasshoppers (44-51) have now lost a season-high five straight games, and have opened their current home stand with their first loss against Charleston this season. The series will continue tomorrow evening, when the Hoppers host Charleston for game two.

First pitch is scheduled for 7:05 p.m.

Will Cornelius
Media Relations, Intern
Greensboro Grasshoppers Baseball

3 thoughts on “The Will call from Hoppers-RiverDogs on Wednesday

  1. He(Arbiso) may have reached his pitch-count. He had only started 2 games before last night’s start even though he came in with a (2-6) record for the RiverDogs. Most of his work(22 games overall) was from the bullpen before last night.

  2. More on Arbiso and last night from mlb.com:

    Cory Arbiso made the most of two days’ notice and an 80-pitch limit Wednesday.
    Arbiso, a spot starter who was given the nod to start for just the third time this season a couple days ago, fired eight hitless innings for his third victory as Charleston combined to one-hit Greensboro, 8-2, on Wednesday night.

    “My bullpen sessions going into the game were good. My pitches were down in the zone, I felt good,” said Arbiso. “My changeup was working really well for me.”

    Arbiso (3-6) struck out four in his best effort of the season en route to his first win since July 1. He walked two batters, the first free passes he’s issued all season between Class A Charleston and short-season Staten Island.

    “I just knew I had to keep the ball down, mix up my pitches,” the righty said. “I was throwing my changeups to right-handers, and with that short porch in right, you’ve got to keep the ball down.

    The Cal State-Fullerton product has been working mainly out of the bullpen, but he found out Sunday that he’d be making the spot start against the Grasshoppers. Charleston’s coaching staff gave the California native about 80 pitches to work with, regardless of the situation.

    No one could have predicted the versatile 23-year-old would wind up three outs away from a no-hitter.

    “[The coaches said] ‘Great job, but we’ve gotta go with the bullpen,'” Arbiso said.

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