Media releases from the Rome Emperors, written by Gavin Booker:
With over 3,400 in attendance Wednesday, the now-second-place Emperors failed to produce a run against a trio of Greenville arms in 6-0 loss.
Pitchers Juan Valera, Zach Fogell, and Issac Stebens scattered six hits total and struck out a dozen Emperors. Valera’s 5.2 scoreless innings marked a career-high for the young man from Sabana Grande de Palenque, Dominican Republic. His eight strikeouts tied a career high as well (8/30/24 @ Delmarva). Fogell came on in relief to get the last out of the sixth and did so on three pitches. Fogell remained in the game for both the seventh and eighth innings before handing the ninth over to Stebens who wiggled free from a pair of walks to preserve Greenville’s third shutout of 2025.
Rome has now been shut out a league-high six times in 29 games. Only two other professional baseball clubs can say the same: the Binghamton Rumble Ponies (Mets Double-A) and the Pittsburgh Pirates.
The Emperors failed to record an extra-base hit in Wednesday’s loss to Greenville, and their six singles came in six different innings. Ambioris Tavarez’s two out walk in the ninth inning put multiple Emperors on the base paths for the first time all game. Patrick Clohisy and Lizandro Espinoza both left game two with multi-hit efforts in tow. The only other swinging penguins to record hits were: Tavarez and Will Verdung.
Adam Maier takes the ball for the Emperors in game three. Thursday’s game is scheduled for 7:00PM ET.