Nats Kearns Hitless in Suns Loss to Shorebirds
HAGERSTOWN, MD – Washington Nationals outfielder Austin Kearns wore Suns home white on Thursday as the Hagerstown Suns (5-3) (39-38) hosted the Delmarva Shorebirds (5-3) (43-34) for the first game of a two game series.
Kearns made a rehab start for the Suns as he recovers from elbow surgery. Kearns walked and scored a run as the designated hitter in his first game back on the diamond.
Suns starter Josh Smoker (0-4) lost his fourth game of the season as he was shelled by Delmarva early. Matt Angle led off the game with a home run to right field, his second on the season.
Smoker found more trouble in the second as two runs came across and exited the game in the fifth after he gave up a grand slam to Joe Nowicki.
Delmarva starter Sean Gleason (5-1) went five and two thirds innings and gave up three runs off six hits.
In the second inning, Aaron Seuss scored on a RBI double by Stephen King and later King scored from a wild pitch by Gleason.
Gleason left in the sixth but not before he allowed a walk to Kearns who later scored on a RBI single by Sean Rooney.
Delmarva took an 11-3 lead in the eighth as Angle scored on a RBI single by Adams.
Jake Rogers cracked a two run home run in the ninth but Delmarva shut down the Suns to win 11-5.