Wow, this might have been the most promising start of this week’s Greensboro Grasshoppers versus Winston-Salem Dash six-game series, but in the end, the Dash were there to dash the Hoppers’ hopes, once again…
The Hoppers took an early 1-0 lead in the bottom of the first inning on the solo home run to right field, by the Hoppers’ leadoff batter, Matt Frazier…The Hoppers added two more runs in the bottom of the third inning, on Aaron Shackleford’s eighth home run of the 2021 season…And you look up and the Greensboro Grasshoppers have what might seem to be a comfortable 3-0 lead, over the Winston-Salem Dash…
Michael Burrows, the Grasshoppers’ starting pitcher was playing out his part almost perfectly, as Burrows gave up no runs, and no hits, through the first 4 2/3’s innings of the Thursday night baseball game…For the first 4 2/3’s innings of the contest, Burrows faced 16 batters and he only allowed two of them to reach base, and those two Dash batters drew walks…For Burrows the toll went three-up/three-down in the first and second innings, and then he walked one man each in the third and fourth innigs..
Burrows was mowing the Dash batters down until he got into the fifth inning, and even then he got the first two outs, and then he gave up a walk and an RBI double…After the double, Burrows came out of the game, and the Hoppers’ Alex Manasa entered the game to pitch for the Hoppers, but on this night, Manasa and the Hoppers’ bullpen, was not on their game…
The Hoppers ended up giving up four runs in the top of the fifth inning, and they fell behind 4-3, but as fate would have it, the Grasshoppers were able to earn a tie in the game, in the bottom of the fifth inning, and things were all locked up 4-4 headed to the sixth inning…Then it was goodbye WS Dash, as the Dash got back on their home run tear, as the Dash connected for a two-run homer in the sixth inning to go up 6-4, and then the Dash got back-to-back solo home runs from Alex Destino and Luis Carbelo to move ahead 8-4 over the Hoppers, and from that point on in the seventh inning, the Hoppers added one run in the eighth and one more run in the ninth inning, to close the gap to 8-6 Dash, and that is how the game would end up on Thursday night:WS Dash 8, Greensboro Grasshoppers 6…..
The Grasshopper bullpen blew up on Thursday night, with the exception of ninth-inning finisher Oliver Garcia…The Hoppers Matt Frazier had a very solid night at the plate, going 3-4, with two home runs and a BB…Frazier left the game now batting .300 for the season…
We saw the Hoppers take that early 3-0 lead, and after they let the Dash get back into the game, even though the final score of 8-6 Dash, was just a two-run difference, it did not seem like the Hoppers were in this game, after the fifth inning…The Hoppers loaded the bases late in the game(7th inning), and then had two men on base(the tying runs) with one out in the ninth inning, but a double-play ball to second base ended the game…
The Hoppers were getting men on, and in scoring position, but you just didn’t get the feeling that they would be able to pull this game out…The Grasshoppers are going to have make believers out of us again…Down 3-0 in the series to the Dash, the next three games, are very important, but all-in-all, things are looking a bit bleak….
Got to get that win on Friday night, without the win on Friday, there is no way to salvage a split in the Best-of-Six Series, with the Dash…
I would have to say Burrows and Frazier were really on their games on Thursday for the Grasshoppers, and Shackleford came up that key HR, early in the contest…
Thursday night Game Particulars:
Winston-Salem Dash 8, Greensboro Grasshoppers 6
WP:Wilber Perez(2-0)
LP:Colin Selby(0-1)
SV:Lane Ramsey(3)
Hoppers(12-15)/Dash(15-12)
Dash' line: 8- 9-0 Hoppers' line:6-10-1
Hoppers’ hitters:Matt Frazier 3-4/BB/2 HR’s/2 Runs/2 RBI…Liover Peguero 1-5/RBI…Aaron Shackleford 1-4/HR/2 RBI…LoLo Sanchez 1-4/Run…Jared Triolo 1-3/BB/RBI…Jesus Valdez 1-3…Grant Koch 1-4/Double/Run…Will Matthiessen 1-4/Run….
Dash’ hitters: Ian Dawkins 1-5/HR/2 RBI…Lenyn Sosa 2-5/Run…Alex Destino 2-4/BB/HR/Triple/Run/2 RBI…Luis Curbelo 1-3/2 BB/HR…Xavier Fernandez 1-4/BB/Run…Duke Ellis 1-3/HBP/Reached on Catcher’s Interference/HR/2 RBI…Johan Cruz 0-3/2 BB’s/Run…Lazaro Leal 1-4/Double/Run/RBI
Attendance:3,370
Time of Game/TOG-3:25
Game Four with WS Dash-Greensboro Grasshoppers coming up on Friday night at 6:30pm, at First National Bank Field…RHP Tahnaj Thomas ready to go for GSO and RHP Johan Dominguez on the way for the Dash…
https://www.milb.com/greensboro/fans/audio-listen-live and listen LIVE to the game on Friday night….Pregame gets going at 6:10pm….