(Story courtesy Augusta GreenJackets)
CHARLESTON, S.C. – The Augusta GreenJackets (33-27, 68-58) showed great fight on Tuesday, scoring five runs in the eighth inning, but could not erase an early deficit as they dropped the final series opener of the year 8-5 to the playoff-bound Charleston RiverDogs (33-28, 70-57) on the road.
The prospect-heavy lineup of the RiverDogs got off to a roaring start, scoring one run in each of the game’s first four innings against Derek Vartanian to garner a sizeable early lead. All nine starters for Charleston reached at least once in the game, and the Dogs put up nine hits off of Vartanian in five innings to hang the reliable righty the loss in his final start of the year.
It was a start full of miscues for the Jackets, who were unable to shake off a handful of unforced errors early. The defense committed a pair of early errors to extend innings, and also had a passed ball and a couple miscommunications. On the bases, Augusta was picked off at second base twice and also caught stealing, continuing a growing trend in the year’s final month.
RiverDog starter Aidan Haugh took the ball against the Jackets for the fifth time this year, and familiarity bred success, as Haugh carved through Augusta’s order to the tune of six scoreless innings. Haugh allowed just two hits, and retired 10 straight men at one point, to collect his team-leading ninth win of the year.
Charleston appeared to put the game out of reach in the bottom of the 6th, scoring three runs against Cristobal Abreu via just one hit. Abreu walked three men and hit another, and the lapse in control led to a series of free bases that pushed the RiverDogs’ lead to seven with just nine outs to get.
Augusta’s big rally came in the eighth, as they attempted to resurrect the magic from Sunday that saw them score nine runs in the 8th inning and overcome a seven-run deficit against the Myrtle Beach Pelicans. Nick Montgomery opened the frame with a sole homer off of embattled reliever Dylan Lesko, who then gave up four straight free passes before a two-run single from Caleb Klein made it a 7-4 game and brought the tying run to the plate.
Unfortunately for Augusta, the Dogs pulled the plug on the comeback as they brought in Yereny Teus, who has been one of the most dominant relievers in the league this year. Teus allowed one inherited run to score, but did not give up another hit, and neutralized the Jackets as he recorded a six-out save to bail out Charleston from what would have been a catastrophic collapse.
There are just five games left in the regular season, all of which will be played here in Charleston against the RiverDogs. On Wednesday, Yander Pinero takes the ball for the Jackets tomorrow evening, as Augusta looks to rebound on the road against Miguel Toscano in his first Single-A start.
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