Hoppers lose pitchers' duel to BlueClaws 4-1

Domingo Gonzalez strikes out five in a scoreless relief effort

Greensboro Grasshoppers right-hander Domingo Gonzalez. (Kaylen Ayres/contributed photo)

By Jeff Mills

August 11, 2022

GREENSBORO ― Baron Radcliff struck out in his first plate appearance, winning everyone at First National Bank Field coupons for a free biscuit at Biscuitville. But from then on, Radcliff stopped playing nice. Jersey Shore’s left fielder went 2-for-4 with a home run and three RBIs, leading the BlueClaws to

GREENSBORO ― Baron Radcliff struck out in his first plate appearance, winning everyone at First National Bank Field coupons for a free biscuit at Biscuitville.

But from then on, Radcliff stopped playing nice. Jersey Shore’s left fielder went 2-for-4 with a home run and three RBIs, leading the BlueClaws to a 4-1 victory over the Greensboro Grasshoppers on Wednesday afternoon.

The Hoppers have lost seven of their last nine games. They’re 17-20 in the second half of the South Atlantic League season and trail North Division leader Hudson Valley by 5 games in the standings.

Jersey Shore left-hander Rafael Marcano (1-3) pitched five scoreless innings, and he combined with three relievers to strike out 10 and allow just one run.

Jared Jones (5-6) pitched well but took the loss. He struck out five in 4⅓ innings and left trailing 3-0.

Right-hander Domingo Gonzalez was brilliant in relief. He allowed no hits and a walk in 3⅔ scoreless innings, mixing a mid-90s mph fastball with a good breaking ball to strike out five.

Abrahan Gutierrez hit a long solo home run in the sixth inning to account for Greensboro’s run.

Hudson Headand Claudio Finol both hit doubles for the Hoppers, who managed just five hits in the game.

NOTES

Greensboro hitters went 0-for-8 with runners in scoring position.
Right-hander Jared Jones, a 20-year-old rated by MLB Pipeline as the No. 10 prospect in Pittsburgh’s farm system, is 5-6 with a 5.08 ERA in 21 starts. Jones ranks third in the South Atlantic League with 120 strikeouts in 101 innings.
Right fielder Jase Bowen made two fine defensive plays in the outfield, but he is 0-for-8 with five strikeouts since his promotion to Greensboro on Monday. Bowen, the Florida State League’s player of the month for July, took Endy Rodriguez’s roster spot when Rodriguez was sent to Class-AA Altoona. The 21-year-old Bowen was Pittsburgh’s 11th-round pick in the 2019 draft. He 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.

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.