All Hands on Deck: Greensboro Grasshoppers keep crushing it

The Greensboro Grasshoppers continue to shine as the Pirates’ farm won three of four games on the night.

Triple-A

Indianapolis (24-18) won 4-3 in 10 innings at Louisville (18-27)

It was a familiar story, as Indy let 3-2 into the bottom of the ninth but Richard Rodriguez served up a game tying home run to Brian O’Grady, his 11th of the year and second of the game.

Alex McRae (4-2, 5.18) has his longest stint of the year, allowing two runs (both on homers) in seven innings, allowing seven hits and no walks while striking out eight.

Despite blowing the save, Rodriguez got the win when the Indians rallied in the 10th. With a fake runner at second to start the inning, J.B. Shuck walked and Jason martin dropped down a bunt single to load the bases with nobody out. Ke’Bryan Hayes grounded into a 4-6-3 double play, but the lead run crossed the plate.

Will Craig (260/343/507) had three hits, Martin (239/301/478) two and SS Kevin Kramer (2587/379/478) two.

Double-A

Altoona (22-22) continues to struggle at the plate as they fell 2-1 at New Hampshire (21-22)

Cam Vieaux (2-3, 2.86) pitched a nice game, allowing the two runs in six innings while issuing no walks and fanning ten batters, but it was for naught as his teammates could only muster five hits.

1B Jerrick Suiter (257/309/319) had two of those hits, including his first home of the year. C Arden Pabst (207/230/317) also had a pair of hits.

High-A

Bradenton (25-20) scored a pair in the bottom of the seventh to hold on for a 2-1 win over visiting Fort Myers (26-19).

21 year old right-hander Max Kranick (2-5 , 4.79) had his best start of the season, allowing only one run on one hit, a homer.

The Marauders cored their runs when Daniel Amaral and Dylan Busby both walked to open the seventh and were bunted over by Randolph Gassaway. Chase Lambert lifted a fly to right to score Amaral, then Busby continued around to score on the right fielder’s throwing error.

Bradenton only had four hits, one by SS Robbie Glendinning. Travis Swaggery and Cal Mitchell did not play.

Low-A

The Greensboro juggernaut continues as they rolled 17-7 at Charleston, West Virginia.

The Grasshoppers opened and closed the game with big innings, scoring six in the first, starting with LF Fabricio Macias’ (238/293/392) sixth homer, a solo shot, and then seven in the ninth, capped by SS Rodolfo Castro’s (275/322/595) three-run homer, his 12th.

With the team collecting 16 hits, every player in the lineup collected at least one, with Macias, Castro, CF Lolo Sanchez (323/404/510), 1B Mason Martin (242/344/516), C Grant Koch (207/267/351), RF Justin Harrer and 2B Kyle Mottice with two each.

Starter Alex Manasa (4-0, 3.55) allowed three runs in six innings, with no walks and six strikeouts.