Drive pitching trio of lefties tosses franchise’s fifth combined no-hitter in 10-0 win over Rome

The three lefties of Dalton Rogers, Jeremy Wu-Yelland, and Zach Fogell combined for the Greenville Drive’s fifth combined no-hitter in franchise history Thursday at AdventHealth Stadium as the Drive downed the Rome Emperors, 10-0.

Rogers spun four innings, allowing three walks while ringing up five, while Wu-Yelland worked two innings with a walk and three strikeouts. Fogell tossed the seventh and final frame, striking out two including the final batter on a tipped third strike that catcher Ronald Rosario hung on to.

Fogell and Rosario hugged after the final out as members of the Drive poured out of the dugout and the bullpen, giving special attention to the three pitchers throughout the handshake line celebration.

Wu-Yelland, ironically, was a part of the Drive’s last no-hitter on September 3, 2021, his Greenville Drive debut at Fluor Field as the Drive took down the Asheville Tourists, 6-0. Wu-Yelland suffered an injury in late 2021 requireding Tommy John surgery which kept him from pitching except for a few rehab outings in the Red Sox system last season.

The no-hitter overshadowed an explosive day at the plate for the Drive (10-7, 36-47). The Drive stung the Emperors’ (5-12, 41-40) for 14 hits on the day, half of those going down as extra base hits. Greenville slapped together three doubles, one apiece from Mikey Romero, Cutter Coffey, and Rosario. Miguel Bleis and Jhostynxon Garcia picked up a homer each while Allan Castro knocked two big flies on the day as each batter in the Drive line up recorded a hit on the day.

Garcia opened the scoring in the first with his three-run homer with two outs. Bleis made it 4-0 in the third with his solo shot, his second homer of the season. Castro followed up two batters later with a two-run shot to make it 6-0.

Luis Ravelo chipped in an RBI single in the fifth, Coffey added an RBI-double in the sixth before Castro added his second homer later in the inning to boost the lead to 10-0.

Rogers, whose previous start lasted just 1 ⅓ innings in which he gave up seven runs, bounced back with a dominating four innings. His only questionable frame came in the third as he walked three straight batters with two outs before he induced a ground ball out to escape the frame unharmed.

Wu-Yelland nearly lost the no-hitter in the sixth as Adam Zebrowski nearly drove a fly ball over the left field wall, but Juan Chacon made the running catch on the warning track as he softly collided with the left field wall. Wu-Yelland fanned Bryson Worrell to put the Drive three outs away from the no-hitter.

Fogell needed just 15 pitches in the bottom of the seventh, picking up a line out to Coffey and strikeouts of Nick Ward and Nick Clarno to give the Drive their second straight win and fifth no-hitter in franchise history.

The Drive hold a 2-0 series lead on the week with game two of Thursday’s doubleheader on tap.