Power chills the Hoppers with big inning
(from Bill Hass with Bill on Baseball(Greensboro Grasshoppers) at www.gsohoppers.com)
The Hoppers run a promotion called “Christmas In July” but not one called “Winter In April.”
Yet those were the teeth-chattering conditions at NewBridge Bank Park Saturday night. Blankets, gloves and winter coats with hoods were the order of the evening when the weather was more suited for a northern state. Sure enough, one fan who was obviously no stranger to the cold and wind sported a Green Bay Packers jacket.
Nevertheless, there was a baseball game to be played, and the Hoppers and West Virginia Power battled through it the best they could. It was 42 degrees when the game started at 7 o’clock, 40 by the second inning, 38 in the fourth inning and 37 when things ended.
A scoreless pitchers’ duel for six innings, the game came apart for the Hoppers in the top of the eighth when the Power scored seven runs and went on to win 8-2.
“You just have to deal with it,” manager Kevin Randel said of conditions in which no one was eager to play. “It was just for one night. Things will get warmer and the next thing you know it will be summer.”
Although the Hoppers are 1-2 to open the season, Randel said the bright spot has been the starting pitching. Gabriel Castellanos continued the string of strong starts with five shutout innings, allowing two hits and striking out four. He, Justin Jacome and Cody Poteet have thrown 15 innings (starters are limited to five innings early in the season) and allowed only two runs.
Pitching coach Brendan Sagara said pitchers not used to cold weather can lose their feel for the baseball. It can feel slick, causing trouble with breaking balls in particular. But that was no problem for Castellanos, a native of the Dominican Republic. He set a good tempo, attacked hitters and retired the last nine batters he faced.
“He was completely in control,” Sagara said of the left-hander. “He can be really tough when he throws pitches where he wants to.”
Scott Squier was the second pitcher in and kept things going by setting down the first five batters he faced before yielding a solo home run in the seventh inning. He got the first out in the eighth and should have had a second out. But right fielder Isael Soto broke back on a high fly and then came in on it but let the ball drop for a two-base error.
“It was a lack of focus,” Randel said. “You have to overcome a silly mistake like that.”
Instead, Squier walked the next batter, gave up an RBI double and issued another walk to load the bases. C.J. Robinson, a reliable reliever in 2015, entered the game and surrendered two singles and a three-run homer that put the game out of reach.
“Squier lost control of his emotions after the error,” Sagara said. “His stuff is good and he has good fastball command. He needs to keep himself under control.
“We wanted to test C.J. with runners on base in the later innings. For him it’s about controlling the moment. You saw what he can do in the ninth inning (when he retired the side in order).”
On offense, after getting just six hits in the first two games, the Hoppers pounded out nine Saturday. Anfernee Seymour had three of them, including an RBI single in the seventh that drove in both runs. Rony Cabrera added two more hits.
But the Hoppers wasted some scoring opportunities and were just 2-for-12 with runners in scoring position.
The season-opening series wraps up at 4 p.m. Sunday with a forecast of 61 degrees and much lighter wind. Kevin Guzman will start for Greensboro.