Strong Jared Jones starts sets the tone in Greensboro victory
Sunday afternoon saw High-A Greensboro pick up a 5-3 victory over the Greenville Drive. With the win, the Grasshoppers are now 53-64 on the season.
Greensboro had to thwart a 9th inning rally attempt by Greenville to secure the victory. With Domingo Gonzalez on the mound for the Grasshoppers, the Drive got a single and a two-run home run to start the bottom of the 9th inning. Following a one-out throwing error by Claudio Finol that brought the tying run to the plate, Gonzalez got the final two outs of the game to end the Drive’s rally attempt. Gonzalez allowed those 2 runs, while striking out a pair and allowing three hits in 4.1 innings pitched.
Gonzalez’s work came after Jared Jones pitched the first 4.2 innings of the game. Jones allowed three hits, walked a pair and struck out five. The only run he allowed in his 4.2 innings pitched was unearned.
Jones has made 24 starts this season, pitching 114.2 innings. Jones owns a 4.63 ERA in these 24 starts, but he has racked up 132 strikeouts. The biggest thing that Jones needs to work on moving forward is his control. Jones has the pure stuff to be a very good major league starting pitcher one day, but he needs to harness it better. Even with some struggles this season, Jones has flashed his potential at times and should still be viewed as a top 10 organizational prospect for the Pittsburgh Pirates.
Left fielder Ernny Ordonez led the way for the Grasshopper offense. Ordonez was 2-for-4 with two home runs, giving him 14 on the season. Third baseman Mike Jarvis was 1-for-3 with a two-run home run, and catcher Abrahan Gutierrez was 1-for-4 with his 19th double of the season.