Media release from the Rome Emperors, written by Gavin Booker:
For the second time in his last three starts, Adam Maier recorded 21 outs while allowing two or fewer runs in Rome’s 7-2 win over the Greenville Drive.
It was a turbulent takeoff for Maier who saw the leadoff batter reach base in each of the first two innings. Franklin Arias doubled in the first and scored on Zach Ehrhard sacrifice fly to center field. Then, in the second, Antonio Anderson’s first High-A base hit led to their second run in as many innings when yet another sacrifice fly, this time to right field, brought home the Atlanta native Anderson.
Maier went on to retire 15 of the next 18 Greenville Drive batters, allowing just one hit and a pair of walks over his final five innings of work. Since his April 19th start against Asheville, Maier’s ERA has fallen well over 3.5 points (7.71 to 3.98) in just three starts. Over those three qualities starts Maier is 2-1 with a 1.80 ERA and opponents are hitting a meager .149.
Rome was glad to see Greenville’s game-three starting pitcher, Noah Dean, exit the game in the fifth. Dean tied his career-high with nine strikeouts in just 4.2 innings. E.J. Exposito’s single in the second and Ambioris Tavarez’s leadoff single in the fifth were his only two mistakes.
His catcher, Brooks Brannon, was the subject of an unfortunate error following the Tavarez single in the fourth, when, in the subsequent at-bat, Brannon asked for a new baseball and was not granted time. Brannon proceeded to toss the live ball towards the home dugout and Tavarez advanced on what was ruled an E2 on the miscommunication between catcher and umpire. Two walks, two wild pitches, and a balk later, Rome had scored three times to take a one run advantage.
Back-to-back singles from Tavarez and Dylan Shockley to open the bottom of the seventh inning again put Greenville’s reliever, Darvin Garcia, in a bind. Bases loaded singles from Dumitru and Verdung brought three runs home in the four-run seventh and effectively ended the Drive’s chances of a comeback in the eighth and ninth.
Friday’s first pitch is set for 7:00PM ET and Herick Hernandez (0-1, 5.89 ERA) figures to make his sixth start of the season.
Rome’s series versus Greenville will continue through Sunday. For tickets and more information, visit www.goemperors.com.
