Spinners drop series opener to Vermont 4-0

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Spinners drop series opener to Vermont 4-0

After a 4-2 road trip, and a bunch of roster moves that followed, the Lowell Spinners returned to LaLacheur Park to begin a three-game series vs their Stedler Division rivals the Vermont Lake Monsters.

Vermont (25-24), took advantage of four Spinners (25-24) errors, aggressive baserunning, and timely hitting to take game one of the set 4-0.

The shutout was Vermont’s fourth of the season, a combined effort by four Lake Monster pitchers. That is not to say that the Spinners did not have chances. They had three good ones in this ballgame, but they could not cash in.

Lowell’s Manager Cory Wimberly said as much after the ballgame and also pointed out that his team needs “to play better at home” where the team is now two games under .500 at 10-12. The game was in reach for the Spinners despite the four runs by the Lake Monsters. They were 2-for-16 with runners in scoring position. Lowell’s hurlers got themselves into trouble all night, and except for a couple of innings, got out of it.

One of those innings they did not was the very first. Thaddeus Wade got the start for the Spinners. Vermont leadoff man, Joseph Pena, led the game off with a single to center field. He would steal second base (one of two stolen bases in that inning), and then came around to score on a fielding error by Spinners second baseman Andre Colon on a ground ball off the bat of Marcus Brito. 1-0 Vermont.

They would add a second run when Brito stole second and advanced on a throwing error by Lowell’s catcher Alan Marrero. After a walk to Alfonso Rivas put runners at the corners with no one out, Ward induced Jeremy Eierman to hit into a 4-6-3 twin killing. Brito scored and Vermont had a 2-0 lead.

Vermont sent Chase Cohen to the mound to face Lowell. He was good for the three innings he was in the game but got into a little trouble in the third. After one man was retired, back to back singles by Grant Williams and Dylan Hardy had runners at the corners. Cohen escaped by getting consecutive strikeouts of Lane Mulligan and Ramfis Berroa to end the threat.

Lowell drops series opener but tonight's Right Key Mortgage Key Player of the Game is Trey Ganns!

Ganns was 2-for-3 with a pair of singles and a walk.

RECAP: https://t.co/eJXVKbfweR pic.twitter.com/ebI2UE7JYb

— Lowell Spinners (@LowellSpinners) August 6, 2018

The Spinners threatened again in the fourth, this time against Lake Monster relief pitcher Oscar Tovar. Base hits by Tyler Deaden and Trey Ganns had Lowell in business with first and second with no one out. A fielder choice groundout by Colon erased one runner, then a double-play ball by Marrero ended the threat.

Hunter Haworth replaced Ward on the hill for Lowell. His four innings of work were again solid. He did give up Vermont’s third run of the night in the seventh inning. A double to left field by Nick Osborne got it started. Haworth would get two thirds out of trouble until Pena singled to center field. It scored Osborne and gave Vermont a 3-0 advantage.

Lowell’s best opportunity to get back into this game came in the seventh. Facing Vermont’s third pitcher of the night, Jefferson Mejia, Lowell would load the bases with two down and Hardy at the plate. Hardy would work the count full before Mejia would get him to strike out and end the inning.

Vermont fourth run came on a sac-fly by Jonah Bride in the eighth off of Danny Bethea. The final score was Vermont four Lowell zero. The win goes to Tovar now 3-1, and the loss to Ward now 0-1. Game two is Monday night with first pitch at 6:30 pm.