(Story courtesy Noah Adcock-Howeth, Augusta GreenJackets)
NORTH AUGUSTA – Adel Dilone allowed just one hit across four innings in his first start of 2024, and late offense from the GreenJackets was more than enough to knock off the Charleston RiverDogs 3-1 in a Tuesday evening affair.
Dilone had made 13 appearances out of the bullpen this year, but was thrust into the rotation for the first time this evening as part of a flurry of changes in process to the GreenJackets’ rotation. Dilone walked the first man he faced, but then retired 11 straight hitters, recording a career high eight strikeouts as he twirled four masterful frames.
Charleston’s pitching spot featured another relative newcomer to the rotation, as Engert Garcia made just his third stateside start for the RiverDogs after throwing very well in each of his previous two. Garcia worked easily through the first two innings of action, but ran into trouble in the third. The GreenJackets would use a walk and two singles to load the bases with no outs. Garcia, however, held his ground well, inducing a double play from Will Verdung that did put the GreenJackets on the board, but limited the offensive potential and kept the deficit at one after three.
While Augusta was unable to mount much offense against opener Luis Rujano or Sam Thoreson, the dam cracked just enough to put the Jackets on the board fifth inning against Mason McGwire. After four scoreless innings to start with just one hit for Augusta, McGwire lost his command in his second inning of work as a hit by pitch and two walks loaded the bases with two outs. McGwire got two early strikes on Will Verdung, but spiked a curveball into the dirt, skipping it to the backstop and allowing Harry Owen to sprint home for the first run of the game.
After Dilone was pulled following four strong innings, LJ McDonough entered the game out of the bullpen and picked up the slack immediately. McDonough walked the first two batters he faced, but used a double play and strikeout to go scoreless through the 5thbefore retiring the side in order in the sixth.
The GreenJackets loaded the bases again in the fifth to chase Garcia, but reliever Luis Hernandez punched out Jeremy Celedonio and Cam Magee in succession to strand three runners. The ‘Jackets would double their lead the next inning however, as Jacob Godman crushed a two-out, two-strike fastball deep over the wall in left center field for his first home run of the season. That run would prove crucial, as Charleston got on the board immediately after as Jhon Diaz clobbered the first pitch of the seventh over the left field fence for his second homer of the year. McDonough would walk two more in the inning, but once again tight-roped out of danger with the lead intact.
Augusta would add some insurance in the bottom of the seventh, with Luis Sanchez scoring on a Will Stevens wild pitch to bring the lead back to two. From there, Charleston had no further fight as Beau Philip came on and worked two hitless innings for his first professional save. The 3-1 victory was the second in a row for Augusta, and gave LJ McDonough his second win of the year. Jeremy Reyes makes his SRP Park debut Wednesday against Drew Dowd as Augusta tries to snap its streak of five straight losses against left-handed starting pitchers.
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