ZEBULON — The Fayetteville Woodpeckers (35-44, 5-8 second half) bounced into a pair of critical double plays over the final two innings of Friday night’s game, thwarting the chance at a comeback in a 6-5 loss to the Carolina Mudcats (39-37, 5-8 second half) at Five County Stadium.
Trailing 6-3 in the bottom of the eighth, Fayetteville loaded the bases with Will Childers (W, 2-1) setting up Sando Gaston to deliver a two-run double to right field that cut the deficit to 6-5. With Jackson Loftin at third and Gaston at second, Carolina called on Yerlin Rodriguez (SV, 1) from the bullpen. Rodriguez got pinch-hitter Dauri Lorenzo to ground out, then intentionally walked Zach Cole to load the bases again.
Luis Encarnacion followed with a roller to second base that led to Jadher Areinamo tagging out Cole in the baseline and throwing to first to end the inning with the twin-killer.
Carlos Espinosa pitched the final four innings of the game in relief for Fayetteville and gave the lineup one more chance to level the 6-5 game after working around a double in a scoreless eighth inning.
Tyler Whitaker led the top of the ninth with a single into center field, but double-play trouble struck once again. Ricardo Balogh bounced his first pitch back to the mound and Rodriguez made a tremendous behind-the-back snare that started a 1-6-3 double play. Garrett McGowan followed in the next at bat with a grounder to shortstop that ended the game.
Fayetteville never led in the contest but did manage to tie the game 2-2 in the fourth inning. Amilcar Chirinos (L, 0-3) allowed a run in the first and the second, falling behind early 2-0. He was pulled back into the game on an RBI single by Frank Perez in the third and a throwing error on a back-pick attempt in the fourth that scored Balogh for the 2-2 tie.
A big three-run bottom of the fourth was critical for Carolina to grab the win, capped by a two-run double from Blayberg Diaz.
The series continues Saturday night with the first pitch scheduled for 5 p.m.
Fayetteville is projected to start right-hander Manuel Urias (3-0, 5.04 ERA); the Mudcats will counter with right-hander Logan Henderson (1-2, 3.23 ERA).
The radio broadcast of the game can be heard at milb.com/fayetteville/fans/audio-listen-live.
Box score: milb.com/gameday/728313
