BlueClaws clobber Hoppers with one big inning

Yoyner Fajardo goes 3-for-5, but Greensboro loses for sixth time in last eight games.

Greensboro Grasshoppers' lead-off hitter Yoyner Fajardo. (Derrick Brady/bcookmedia)

By Jeff Mills

August 10, 2022

GREENSBORO ― Kendall Simmons went 2-for-5 with a three-run home run and three runs scored, and the Jersey Shore BlueClaws scored 13 runs in the decisive third inning en route to a 14-3 victory over the Greensboro Grasshoppers at First National Bank Field on Tuesday night. Andrick Nava went 3-for-4

GREENSBORO ― Kendall Simmons went 2-for-5 with a three-run home run and three runs scored, and the Jersey Shore BlueClaws scored 13 runs in the decisive third inning en route to a 14-3 victory over the Greensboro Grasshoppers at First National Bank Field on Tuesday night.

Andrick Nava went 3-for-4 with a sacrifice fly and two RBIs for the Blue Claws, who took advantage of four Greensboro errors in the game.

Yoyner Fajardo went 3-for-5, and Francisco Acuña doubled twice, scored twice and drove in a run to lead the Hoppers.

Greensboro has lost six of its last eight games, and the Hoppers (44-57 overall) slipped to 17-19 in the second half, four games behind first-place Hudson Valley in the South Atlantic League’s North Division standings.

Ricky DeVito (3-4) started and took the loss. He worked two scoreless innings, but couldn’t get out of the third, allowing six runs. Right-hander Wandi Montout and lefty Denny Roman combined to give up seven more runs in the inning.

Right-hander Adrian Florencio struck out five in four solid innings of relief, but the damage was already done.

NOTES

Endy Rodriguez, the South Atlantic League player of the month for July, was promoted to Class-AA Altoona on Monday night. Rodriguez had a 30-game on-base streak snapped Saturday in Bowling Green. He batted .302 with 16 home runs, 23 doubles and 55 RBIs in 88 games for the Hoppers. His .936 OPS ranks second in the Sally League among players with enough plate appearances to qualify. … Rodriguez, a 22-year-old catcher/second baseman/left fielder, is rated by MLB Pipeline as the No. 5 prospect in Pittsburgh’s farm system.
Center fielder Jase Bowen, the Florida State League’s player of the month for July, was promoted to Greensboro to take Rodriguez’s roster spot and went 0-for-4 in his debut. The 21-year-old was Pittsburgh’s 11th-round pick in the 2019 draft. Bowen led the FSL with 66 RBIs and 60 runs scored. In 98 games with Bradenton, he batted .278 with 102 hits, 17 doubles, 14 home runs and 20 stolen bases.
Big right-hander Matt Eckelman closed Tuesday’s game with two scoreless innings, striking out three. Eckelman, 28, is working on a developing knuckleball thrown in the 68-73 mph range to complement a fastball that tops out at 91-92 mph. He’s allowed six runs in nine innings over five appearances with the Hoppers.

In his career at the News & Record, journalist Jeff Mills won 10 national and 12 state writing awards from the Associated Press Sports Editors, the Society for Features Journalism, and the N.C. Press Association.