May 17, 2012
Baseball players may be the most superstitious of all athletes.
Take Josh Hodges of the Greensboro Grasshoppers. On his way out to the mound, the 6-foot-8 pitcher doesn’t just step across the foul line, he jumps across it.
“That’s an old ritual that I’ve done ever since middle school,” he said. “I want to keep that bad mojo from working against me.”
When he finishes an inning, Hodges doesn’t care if he steps on the line or not. But what he does is take off his glove and his cap in one motion.
“I’ve done that since middle school, too,” he said, “but I don’t have a reason for it. I take off my glove and hook my thumb under the hat.”
Those habits certainly worked in Hodges’ favor Thursday night. But what really helped him was a new arm slot that enabled him to pitch seven innings as the Hoppers beat Lakewood 4-1. It was their 15th straight win at NewBridge Bank Park and 19th in 21 games here this season. Overall, the Hoppers are 29-10.
Hodges improved his record to 3-1 with the win, his first since April 18. He had scuffled in three of his last four outings, which led to the change in his delivery.
“I’ve been working on a new arm slot,” he said, “dropping down to three-quarters. What I wanted to do tonight was go out and just fill up the (strike) zone. If they hit it, they hit it.”
He gave up five hits but also walked six batters, so he was pitching with runners aboard all night. Still, he kept working out of trouble and surrendered only one run.
His biggest challenge came in the fourth, when he gave up a hit and back-to-back walks to load the bases. After a visit from pitching coach Blake McGinley, Hodges retired Harold Martinez on a force out to end the inning.
“McGinley told me Martinez would try to ambush the first pitch,” Hodges said. “I had been starting them off with first-pitch fastballs, but I threw him a slider and trusted the defense. Every pitcher (on the staff) has confidence because even if you slip up, the defense will make the play.”
The defense sparkled with several nice plays by third baseman Josh Adams, who on one occasion leaped high to snag a hot line drive, and shortstop Ryan Goetz.
“They’re playing well,” said manager David Berg. “You can’t ask for anything better.”
Hodges teamed up on a nice play in the third inning when a pitch popped away from catcher Tony Caldwell. Caldwell pounced on it quickly and threw to Hodges, who covered home and applied the tag to the runner attempting to score from third.
McGinley said Hodges had good life on his fastball, mixed his pitches well and pitched with a good tempo, which always benefits the defense.
James Nygren pitched the seventh and eight innings, allowing one hit, to earn his seventh save.
“He’s getting his confidence back,” McGinley said. “He was putting a lot of pressure on himself early in the season.”
Offensively, the Hoppers collected 11 hits, giving them 58 in the last four games. Adams, Caldwell, Matt Smith and Brent Keys picked up RBIs.
Keys had his streak of four straight games with three hits stopped but he picked up a hit and essentially manufactured a run by himself in the seventh inning. He pushed a bunt past the mound toward second base where nobody had a play. Taking his lead off first, he drew a wild pickoff throw that enabled him to advance to third base. He scored on Caldwell’s deep sacrifice fly to center field.
The series continues tonight at 7 o’clock with Charlie Lowell pitching for the Hoppers.
