Drive down Hot Rods 6-1; keep playoff hopes alive
The Drive offense finally showed up for its stellar pitching Sunday, after five nights of being stifled by the Hot Rods. Greenville’s (34-26, 60-66) Yordanny Monegro spun another dominating performance on the mound holding Bowling Green (38-19, 74-49) to one run on two hits with a pair of walks and
The Drive offense finally showed up for its stellar pitching Sunday, after five nights of being stifled by the Hot Rods. Greenville’s (34-26, 60-66) Yordanny Monegro spun another dominating performance on the mound holding Bowling Green (38-19, 74-49) to one run on two hits with a pair of walks and five strikeouts while Bryan Gonzalez led the way offensively a 2-for-4 day at the plate with two RBI.
The Drive, which had fallen to 6.5 games back of the first place Hot Rods, kept their playoff hopes alive with the victory as they sit 5.5 games back of first with six games left in the season.
The task will be monumental however as the Hot Rods still hold the commanding lead on the playoff race and the Drive will have to win out while receiving help from the Greensboro Grasshoppers who take on the Hot Rods starting Tuesday.
Monegro’s performance added another marker to his domination of late, having allowed just two runs in his last eight starts which spans 39 innings. Both of those runs were unearned in that span meaning you’d have to go back to two outs in the second inning of July 2nd’s matchup with the Asheville Tourists for the last time Monegro allowed an earned run. His streak of allowing no earned runs sits at 41 ⅓ innings.
The lone run in this outing came on a fielding error by Juan Montero, allowing Brock Jones to score from second in the second inning to give Bowling Green the 1-0 lead.
Drive bats finally awoke in the fourth as Will Turner and Gonzalez chipped in singles prior to a Zach Ehrhard walk to load the bases for the Drive. A passed ball allowed Turner to score and a Miguel Ugueto sac-fly scored Gonzalez to put the Drive ahead 2-1.
Luis Ravelo rapped a single one pitch later to bring in Ehrhard for the 3-1 lead.
After quiet middle innings, the Drive added insurance in the eighth as Justin Riemer reached after being hit by a pitch and Nelly Taylor singled to put runners on the corners. Riemer scored on a fielding error before Gonzalez notched his RBI-single to bring in Taylor and Turner to extend the lead to 6-1.
A trio of Drive relievers shut down the last four innings on the mound as Jeremy Wu-Yelland spun a perfect sixth on just five pitches with a strikeout; Cooper Adams spun two innings allowing a hit and two walks with three strikeouts, while Max Carlson closed out the afternoon in the ninth inning, allowing two hits and a strikeout, keeping the Hot Rods from mounting a comeback.
The Drive return to action on Tuesday, September 3 at Fluor Field for the final homestand of the 2024 season to face the Winston-Salem Dash, affiliate of the Chicago White Sox. The Drive are 5.5 games back of the final playoff spot in the South Atlantic League South Division. First pitch on Tuesday is schedule for 7:05 p.m.