Early this season, if the Charleston RiverDogs were leading in the late innings, the victory was a lock, but for the second time in a week, the RiverDogs gave up a late lead, this time giving up four-runs to the Delmarva Shorebirds in the ninth to fall 4-3. The loss spoiled an absolutely brilliant performance by Nick Green, who tossed eight shutout innings, but saw the bullpen squander the lead.

Both Green and Shorebirds’ starter Matthias Dietz were incredible early on. The game was a scoreless tie through the first three-innings as Dietz flirted with danger in the first two innings, giving up two-singles in each, but kept the RiverDogs off the scoreboard.

Meanwhile, Green was absolutely on fire from the start, as he retired the first eight batters of the game, before yielding a single with two outs in the third. Little did anyone know at the time that would be the only hit he would allow through his eight-innings of work.

Following the single, Green retired the next 16 batters he faced as Delmarva had no answers. It was an absolutely brilliant start that saw Nick Green go 8-innings, allowing the lone hit while striking out 9. Of his 83-pitches, 59 went for strikes.

Dietz was pitching well, but he was unable to match Green. In the fourth, Charleston grabbed the lead. Hoy Jun Park singled to start the frame and then stole second and third, giving him six stolen bases on the season. Two batters later, Brandon Wagner singled to center to score Park and it was 1-0.

In the sixth, Charleston extended their lead. Blake Rutherford singled to start the frame and moved to third when Park followed with a double to right field. A ground out by Donny Sands scored Rutherford and Park scored on a ground out by Wagner.

It was 3-0 Charleston, and that lead looked totally insurmountable as Nick Green was completely dominant. However, he came out of the game to start the ninth, and the Shorebirds capitalized right away.

With Garrett Mundell on the hill, Frank Crinella doubled to start the inning, the first hit that Delmarva had recorded since the third. Alejandro Juvier then drew Delmarva’s first walk of the game, and Ryan McKenna followed with a single that scored Crinella to make it 3-1. A wild pitch moved both runners into scoring position and Jake Ring followed with a double that scored both runners to tie the score. A ground out moved Ring to third and ended the day for Mundell.

Trevor Lane relieved and was greeted with a single by Collin Woody to give Delmarva the lead. Lane would strike out the final two batters of the inning, but the damage was done.

Jake Bray came on in the ninth and, after giving up a two out double, got the final out on a pop out to end the game. That was Bray’s fourth save of the season. Cody Dube (1-0) earned the victory with two perfect innings of relief.

Nick Green was not the only one who saw his performance go for naught. Hoy Jun Park was 3-4 with 2-runs and a double. That raised his average to .360. It also gives Park 7-hits in his last 11-at-bats.

These two teams will go at it again tomorrow. Delmarva will send Travis Seabrooke (1-1, 2.91) to the hill. He will be opposed by Adonis Rosa (0-0, 2.61). Game time is 5:05.

Boxscore

By Robert Pannier