Dash pitchers hold Hoppers offense to 4 hits

WINSTON-SALEM ― Winning pitcher Jeremiah Burke allowed one hit in five shutout innings, and Alex Destino hit a two-run home run, leading the Winston-Salem Dash to a 4-2 victory over the Greensboro Grasshoppers at Truist Stadium on Saturday night.

Burke (1-1, 2.57 ERA) and three relievers combined to hold the Hoppers to just four hits, as the Dash took a 6-5 lead in the renewed rivalry called the Battle of I-40.

Burke pitched to contact, facing just one batter over the minimum. He walked none and struck out two, allowing only one hit on Liover Peguero's one-out triple in the first inning.

Peguero ― a shortstop rated by MLB Pipeline as the No. 4 prospect in Pittsburgh's farm system ― was thrown out at the plate trying to score on Aaron Shackelford's grounder to shortstop Lenyn Sosa. Burke retired the next 13 batters in a row.

Right hander Carmen Mlodzinski (1-2, 1.78 ERA) took the loss. Mlodzinski, the Pirates' No. 10 prospect according to MLB Pipeline, allowed three earned runs on six hits in four innings of work, striking out six.

Destino's two-run homer in the bottom of the first put the Dash ahead for good. Sosa, rated by MLB Pipeline as the White Sox's No. 23 prospect, went 2-for-3 with an RBI double. Evan Skoug hit an RBI double in the fourth inning to close out the scoring for the Dash.

The Hoppers scored both their runs in the top of the seventh off reliever Wilber Perez.

Peguero led off with a double, took third on a wild pitch and scored on Shackelford's RBI sacrifice fly. Fabricio Macias followed with a solo home run ― his fourth of the season ― over the center field fence.

Shackelford and Macias share the team lead with 29 RBIs apiece this season, which is tied for fifth in the High-A East league.

Hoppers third baseman Jared Triolo went 1-for-3 with a two-out double in the seventh inning to account for the Hoppers' fourth and final hit.

Winston reliever Brian Glowicki struck out two in a scoreless ninth inning for his second save.

The Hoppers and Dash have played 11 times so far this summer, with 13 more head-to-head games scheduled, including 2 p.m. Sunday at Truist Stadium. It's the first season teams from Greensboro and Winston-Salem have played in the same league since 1968.