BRISTOL -- The Bristol Sox rallied from behind with three runs
in the fifth inning and went on to edge the Greeneville Astros 4-3 in Appalachian League play here
Wednesday night.
The rubber game of the three-game series to open the
season is tonight at 7:00. Greeneville's home opener is Friday night against Danville, also at
7:00.
The Astros struck for two runs in the first inning, and the lead
held up until the Sox came up with the three runs in the fifth off Greeneville starter Carlos
Quevedo.
Greeneville got its two runs in the first off a two-run double
by Bubby Williams, scoring Jose Altuve, who had reached on a fielder's choice, and Nathan Metroka,
who had singled.
Bristol closed to 2-1 in the bottom of the fourth when
Misael Tavarez stroked a solo homer over the left field fence.
Then in
the decisive fifth frame, the Sox produced three straight hit-and-run base hits for RBIs, by Daniel
Wagner, Daniel Black and Brady Shoemaker. Yuri Perez came on to replace Quevedo and got the Astros
out of an even bigger hole, but the damage had been done and the Sox were up
4-2.
Greeneville got a run in the top of the sixth, thanks to a double by
Nathan Metroka and a throwing error by catcher Miquel Gonzalez on a pickoff attempt toward second
base.
Steven Upchurch worked six innings to get the win, then the Sox got
good relief pitching from the bullpen as three relievers did not give up a base hit the rest of the
way. Brent DeFoor pitched the ninth to earn the save.
Metroka led the
Astros with two hits, including a double. The Sox got three hits, including a double, from Gonzalez
and two hits from Black.
For more information and stories, see today's edition of The Greeneville Sun.
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