Game #110 Preview
Game #110 — Home Game #52
Hagerstown Suns (49–60, 19–20) vs Rome Braves (50–59, 20–20)
Friday, August 2–7:05 p.m.
Municipal Stadium (Hagerstown, MD)
SUNS WINNING STREAK SNAPPED
The Suns were unable to get the offense going late as their seven-game winning streak was snapped in a 5–3 loss to the Rome Braves at Municipal Stadium Thursday. Hagerstown (49–60, 19–20) trailed 4–3 after five innings, and the Rome (50–59, 20–20) bullpen was able to lock down that lead. Jose Montilla was the first out of the pen for the Braves, and he retired all five batters he faced between the sixth and seventh innings. Victor Vodnik (S, 2) took over in the eighth and finished off the Rome victory. The righty tossed two scoreless frames and allowed only one hit. With the loss, the Suns seven-game winning streak ends as their longest such streak of the season. It is the longest winning stretch for Hagerstown since the team won eight consecutive games June 23–30, 2017.
PITCHING MATCH-UP:
Hagerstown sends RHP Joan Adon (9–3, 4.27 ERA) to the hill, while Rome counters with RHP William Woods (0–3, 3.81 ERA).
Adon will make his third start of the season against Rome. The righty has allowed four earned runs over 10.2 innings in the previous two appearances. Woods is making only his second start of the season, but has already appeared against Hagerstown three times out of the bullpen. He allowed one run over four innings in that span.
Suns Starters:
Jackson Cluff-SS
Justin Connell-LF
Drew Mendoza-DH
Jacob Rhinesmith-RF
Israel Pineda-C
Nic Perkins-1B
Cole Daily-2B
Trey Vickers-3B
Armond Upshaw-CF
Joan Adon-RHP
GAME NOTES:
ALL I DO IS WIN-WIN: Joan Adon won his team-leading ninth game last night. The last Suns player to have 10 or more wins in a single season while donning a Suns uniform was McKenzie Mills, who accomplished the feat in 2017. Adon has now earned a win in three consecutive starts for the first time this season. The righty is tied with Rome’s Alan Rangel for the second-most wins in the South Atlantic League this season, trailing just Osvaldo Bido , who has 11 for the Greensboro Grasshoppers.
MIGHTY MENDOZA: Infielder Drew Mendoza has been on a tear to start his South Atlantic League career. The Nationals 7th-ranked prospect according to MLB.com has reached safely in 22 of his first 26 games as a member of the Hagerstown Suns. Wednesday night the Florida State-product earned his first four-hit performance of the season, the eighth for the 2019 Hagerstown team. He capped it off with a walk-off single to right in the ninth. Funny enough, the last Sun to have a four-hit game, Armond Upshaw, who did so July 21, also earned his fourth hit of the game with a walk-off single. Mendoza has a .317 batting average to go along with a .415 on-base percentage that has been guided by a gaudy 15 walks in 101 at-bats this season.
BRING IN THE TROOPS: Last night, Alex Troop spun 4.2 two hit innings while fanning five batters and allowing no walks. After a less-than-ideal start where the lefty gave up four runs in his first 7.1 innings pitched, he has allowed just one run in his last 7.2 innings.
IRKING IRVIN: Jake Irvin’s stellar second half continued last night. The Oklahaoma-product produced his fourth quality start in five appearances in the second half. His second half ERA is 3.40, compared to a 5.11 ERA in the first half of the season. He has dazzled in his last two outings against Rome, fanning 13 batters in 12 innings and allowing just three runs in the span.
IN THE VANN, AWAY FROM HOME: This season, Christian Vann has inherited 14 runners in 12 games. The 25th-round draftee has stranded all, but one of them (93%) on the basepaths. On average, Suns relievers strand 66% of inherited runners, the next-closest mark to Vann came from Aaron Fletcher, who stranded five of six inherited runners. Earlier this week, Fletcher, another lefty, made his Eastern-League debut with the Harrisburg Senators.
SUN SPOTS: Hagerstown closes out their season series with Rome tonight. The Suns have won eight of 13 vs Rome.
ON THE AIR: Suns home games and select road games can be heard at bit.ly/SunsRadio where John Kocsis Jr. and Connor Newcomb bring you the call, beginning with the Suns pre-game show at 6:50 p.m.
