Greensboro Grasshoppers 9, Greenville Drive 5, 11 Inns. (BOX)
The Greenville Drive fought back late in their season opener before ultimately falling in extras to the Greensboro Grasshoppers, 9-5 in 11 innings on Thursday.
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The Drive had been shut out through eight innings before Freili Encarnacion delivered a two-out, three-run home run in the bottom of the ninth inning to tie the game 3-3. It was an oppo blast, and Freili was deservedly fired up.
Each team scored in the tenth, with Greenville tying the game once again due to a balk, before the Grasshoppers opened things up with five runs in the eleventh.
Spring training helium lefty Juan Valera got the start and struck out seven batters in 3 1/3 innings, allowing two runs on two hits. Reliever Joey Gartrell relieved Valera, pitching 2 1/3 shutout innings. The loss went to Jay Allmer, who allowed four runs (two earned) in the tenth and eleventh innings. Third baseman Jack Winnay had the lone multi-hit effort for the Drive.
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Kyson Witherspoon will make his debut tonight at 6:45 ET, toeing the rubber for the Drive.
Salem RidgeYaks 5, Delmarva Shorebirds 4 (BOX)
Minor league franchises are meant to have outrageous, multisyllabic, and often fictitious nicknames. The Salem Red Sox did not qualify. The RidgeYaks sound badass. And they won in their first game of the rebrand.
Dylan Brown was the Red Sox’ eighth-round pick in 2025 out of Old Dominion, and in his first minor league start, he threw a beauty. Brown struck out six in five shutout innings, allowing only two baserunners. He threw a tidy 52 pitches, which got him through five to qualify for the Win.
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On the offensive side for the RidgeYaks, Skylar King had two doubles, which knocked in a total of three runs on the day. Starlyn Nunez and D’Angelo Ortiz each had two hits, with Nunez stealing a base and Ortiz stealing two.
On Friday at 6:35 ET, Madinson Frias will make his first outing of the season.
Worcester Red Sox at St. Paul Saints (ppd.)
Thursday’s game in St. Paul was rained out. The teams will try again tonight at 7:37 ET with Worcester’s starter TBD.
The Portland Sea Dogs will kick things off this evening at 6:35 ET as Blake Wehunt takes the hill.
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