LEXINGTON, KY – The Charleston Dirty Birds put on an offensive clinic in Lexington, overwhelming the Lexington Legends with a 13-5 victory. It was a night where everything clicked for Charleston, as they capitalized on Lexington’s pitching struggles and defensive lapses.
Charleston set the tone early with a five-run second inning, followed by two more in the third. Lexington’s starter, Cristofer Mezquita, couldn't find his rhythm, issuing nine walks and allowing seven earned runs in just 2.1 innings. The Dirty Birds continued to pile on, scoring four more in the fifth to put the game well out of reach.
Phillip Ervin led the charge for Charleston, going 3-for-4 with four RBIs, including a two-run double in the second inning that opened the floodgates. Clint Frazier and Rusber Estrada also contributed with multi-RBI performances, highlighting a balanced attack that saw the Dirty Birds rack up 10 hits and 13 runs.
Lexington’s bullpen struggled to stem the tide, with Jose Acuna and Alex MacKinnon combining to give up six runs over the next 2.2 innings. Despite solid performances from relievers Joe Joe Rodriguez and Osiris German, who held Charleston scoreless in the final four innings, the damage was already done. On the night, the Legends walked 18 total batters – second most ever in Atlantic League history.
The Legends attempted to rally in the later innings. Pedro Gonzalez drove in two runs with a double in the sixth, while Osmy Gregorio added another RBI single. However, these efforts were not enough to overcome the early deficit, as Charleston’s pitching staff, led by starter Adrian Almeida, kept Lexington in check for most of the game.
The Legends return tomorrow to host game 2 of the series with Charleston, with first pitch at 6:45 PM.
