APPALACHIAN LEAGUE: Casey closes out latest BriSox victory

BRISTOL, Va. – The Bristol White Sox have accomplished a lot in their young Appalachian League season.

They’ve already run off a five-game winning streak.

They’ve had a streak of six straight games with at least 10 hits.

They’ve dished out one of the biggest beatdowns in team history, a 21-0 shellacking of Greeneville back on July 1.

But until Wednesday night, the BriSox hadn’t yet had a chance to show their mettle in the pressure cooker of a one-run game.

Bristol (9-7) proved up to the task as Jarrett Casey pitched two scoreless innings to earn his third save, helping the BriSox hold on for a 3-2 win over the Kingsport Mets.

“It builds character for your team,” said BriSox manager Ryan Newman about prevailing in close games. “It’s a good test for us early in the season and any time you can get one-run ballgames under your
belt it’s a plus for your team.”

The crucial showdown of the game came in the top of the eighth when Mets right fielder Javier Rodriguez faced off against Casey with two outs and ZeErika McQueen representing the tying run at first
base after he reached on an error.

Rodriguez fouled off laser after laser down the lines, first a few to the right, then to the left, then back to the right, before Casey finally got him to whiff.

“I really never thought that he was in control,” Casey said. “I always try to keep control myself and all I can do is just keep throwing strikes and try not to walk him. He fouled a good amount of balls off
and that was a good at-bat by him, but I ended up getting him out with an off-speed pitch.”

Newman said he was impressed by Casey’s mental fortitude through the long struggle.

“It says a lot about his character and his ability for him to just keep battling and keep throwing strikes and have confidence in his stuff that he can beat this guy,” Newman said.

A night after the BriSox bullpen hurled five innings of shutout ball, allowing only two hits, to lead Bristol to a 4-2 victory and series win over the Pulaski Mariners, Casey and Richard Marshall combined to
allow only one run and two hits in four innings of work in relief of starter Ryan Buch.

“These guys have been doing an outstanding job all year,” Newman said. “Every single guy we throw out there on the mound we have confidence in right now.”

“Our bullpen is probably the best in the league,” Casey added.

Casey, a 32-round draft pick out of Northern Kentucky, is certainly showing he can handle professional hitters as he lowered his ERA to 1.86 with his outing Wednesday while running his streak of
scoreless innings to seven over his past three appearances.

Casey, Marshall and Buch were all helped by another stout performance by the BriSox defense, led by shortstop Tyler Saladino who scooped up everything in his vicinity as he recorded five assists.

Saladino’s best play came in the fourth when he barehanded a slow roller and slung a rocket to first to beat Mets designated hitter Brandon Brown by a step.

Another key play by Saladino in the field came in the sixth after Javier Rodriguez tripled to drive in Aderlin Rodriguez and pull the Mets within one. With the infield in, Saladino snagged a sharp chopper and easily cut down Javier Rodriguez with a strong throw to the plate to keep the BriSox in the lead.

“This whole season we’ve had great, great defense,” Casey said. “Our fielders are spectacular. They’ve made a number of outstanding plays that a lot of teams wouldn’t have made. It feels good to have that behind you when you’re on the mound.”

Despite recording only six hits, the BriSox got all the offense they needed in the fourth with Rangel Ravelo hit a gapper to right-center field to score two after Daniel Black got Bristol on the board with a solo shot over the right-field wall as the second batter in the inning.

“When you don’t get 15 hits every night it’s the little things that help you out,” Newman said.

After a 2-6 start to the season, Bristol has now won seven of eight.

“I feel like as a team, even off the field, we’ve come together a lot more and just have a lot more camaraderie,” Casey said.

nhubbard@bristolnews.com | Twitter: @Hubbard_BHCSprt | (276) 645-2543