Betances Closes Out Drive in Style

ASHEVILLE- The Asheville Tourists won their fourth straight game on Wednesday night in thrilling fashion. Asheville defeated the Greenville Drive 4-3 and needed to escape a bases-loaded, no-outs jam in the ninth inning to do so.

Jose Betances entered in the top of the ninth with the Tourists leading by one. Betances, making his Asheville debut, walked the bases loaded with the first three batters he faced. The reliever settled down and struck out the next two Drive hitters. Betances then forced Gilberto Jimenez to hit a ground ball that was fielded by the Tourists second baseman, Deury Carrasco. A jump throw and a great stretch at first base was enough to end the game.

Asheville built a 3-0 lead with some early offense. Carrasco tripled home the first run of the game and later scored on a balk. JC Correa’s Sacrifice Fly in the fourth made it 3-0 after Will Wagner and Zach Daniels each recorded hits earlier in the inning.

Diosmerky Taveras pitched four shutout innings with a season-high eight strikeouts. Aaron Brown ended up earning the win despite the Drive rallying back to tie the game with solo runs in the fifth, sixth, and seventh innings. Brown made a spectacular defensive play to end the top of the seventh to keep the game tied.

In the bottom of the seventh, Nerio Rodriguez blasted his sixth Home Run of the season; a solo shot to straight-away centerfield. Rodriguez’s shot proved to be the difference.

Asheville and Greenville are back in action on Thursday night with the first pitch slated for 6:35pm ET.