One win, a bunch of losses, one truly ugliriffic pitching line, the welcome return of some familiar names, and the 2004 debut of your Auburn Doubledays: all this and more in your minor-league update.
Norfolk 3 Syracuse 1
• Box score
• Game story
Home runs accounted for all the scoring last night; unfortunately for the Skychiefs, only Jorge Sequea, with his first of the season, went yard for the good guys. Glenn Williams and Paul Chiafreddo each walked and doubled in 4 trips to the dish, but that was pretty much all the offence Syracuse could muster. Josue Matos deserved a much better fate after 7 brilliant innings of shutout ball (5 H, 0 BB, 5 K). But reliever Talley Haines allowed all 3 solo shots to the Tides, including 2 with 2 out in the top of the 9th. A tough loss for Syracuse.
New Hampshire 5 Trenton 4
• Box score
• Game story
If there’s an unexpected good-news story on the Fisher Cats roster this year, it’s journeyman pitcher Todd Ozias. Signed as a minor-league free agent, Ozias has been New Hampshire’s most reliable starter, posting better numbers (6-3, 3.05, 12 GS, 62 IP, 57 H, 18 BB, 52 K, 4 HR) than even Cam Reimers. It’s unlikely that Ozias, who allowed 3 runs in 5 innings on 6 H, 1 BB and 5 K last night, would be able to help the Blue Jays this season, but he could certainly lend a hand in Syracuse if needed. The bullpen was solid in relief of Ozias: Brandon League threw a wild 2 innings (1 R, 1 H, 2 BB, 2 K, 2 WP), Jordan DeJong struck out one batter in a scoreless 8th, and Adam Peterson struck out the side in the 9th for his 15th save. His 2004 line: 2-2, 2.54, 28 IP, 20 H, 10 BB, 38 K. Someone get this young man a train ticket to upstate New York.
Offensively, Aaron Hill singled twice with an RBI to boost his average to .287, while first baseman Mike Snyder, back from a six-week stay on the disabled list, delivered a 2-run double for the Fisher Cats’ only extra-base hit of the night. An 0-for-3 evening dropped John-Ford Griffin’s average to .210.
Bonus feature: Here’s a nice article by Kevin Gray on Tyrell Godwin.
Fort Myers 4 Dunedin 3
• Box score
• Game story
Division championships count just as much if you back into them, so the D-Jays were celebrating last night even after a tough loss to Fort Myers. A loss earlier in the evening by the Tampa Yankees clinched the first-half western division Crown for Dunedin, guaranteeing its second consecutive playoff appearance. But on the field, the D-Jays squandered an early 3-run lead that was produced through a Jayce Tingler sacrifice fly, a Ron Davenport RBI double, and a Raul Tablado run-scoring single. Tablado and catcher Jose Yepez each had two hits; Big Vito went 0-for-3 with a walk.
On the mound, Vince Perkins made a wobbly but generally successful return to active duty: he scattered 5 hits and 3 walks over 4 2/3 innings, but allowed only 1 unearned run (on a Tablado error at shortstop), and struck out 4. Santo Valdez allowed the Miracle to tie the game in his 1 1/3 innings of relief, and Tommi Ozuna took the loss by surrendering the go-ahead run in the 8th inning. Dunedin’s first half finishes on Sunday.
Lexington 14-4 Charleston 6-0
• Box score 1
• Box score 2
• Game story
The Alley-Cats could have done some clinching of their own last night, as the first-half schedule draws to a close and the South Atlantic League division championships were up for grabs. Had Charleston swept Lexington in a pair of 7-inning games and the magnificently named Hickory Crawdads had lost, the Alley-Cats could have popped the champagne. Hickory did its part, but the Alley-Cats were swept aside and only managed to clinch a tie for the division lead. They’ll try again today.
In Game One – well, you think you had a bad day yesterday? Check out Ramon Mora’s line: 2 IP, 13 H, 12 R, 10 ER, 0 BB, 1 K, 1 HR. That’s one of those boxscore results that leaves you groping for positives like, “At least he didn’t walk anyone.” With the game effectively over after the top of the 2nd (12-0), the Alley-Cats had to content themselves with yet another fine game from 2B Ryan Roberts (double-single-walk-RBI) and Robinzon Diaz’s single and 2 walks. In Game Two, Davis Romero made a rare spot start, something I’ve been hoping he’d be allowed to do more often. So of course, Romero has one of his worst nights of the season, giving up 4 runs (3 earned) in 4 innings on 6 hits and 1 walk, striking out 2. The official boxscore has an odd sight: shortstop Juan Peralta is listed as having pitched 3 perfect innings, whiffing 3, but team officials confirm that that’s a misprint and the sterling relief line actually belongs to Jordy Templet, recently activated from extended spring training and doing more than fine as an Alley-Cat. Lexington pitchers struck out 9 Charleston batters in the 3-hit shutout, issuing no walks.
Mahoning Valley 3 Auburn 2
• Box score
• Game story
• Doubledays home page
Opening night for the 2004 Auburn Doubledays was not as successful as was most of the 2003 season, as the D-Days dropped a close 3-2 decision to Mahoning Valley. 2003 draft choice Jeremy Harper started and pitched well, throwing 3 shutout innings on 4 hits and a walk, striking out no one. The damage came against strapping 2002 draftee John Wesley, who gave up all 3 runs on 4 hits and a walk in 3 innings, whiffing 2. On offence, 2-hit nights from second baseman Jermy Acey (who scored both runs) and 3B Vinny Esposito accounted for most of the Auburn offence, and no Doubledays batter recorded an extra-base hit. 2004 draftees Chip Cannon and Aaron Matthews each recorded a single in their pro debut, while Matthews made at least one spectacular catch in centerfield.
Bonus feature: This excellent item by Lindsay Kramer of the Syracuse Post-Standard points out that the Auburn roster will see a lot of shuffling over the first few weeks as the organization figures who will play where. Don’t be surprised to see a whole lot of roster moves this month and next.
Your Three-Star Selection: It starts getting a little tougher now, with 5 teams to choose from (make it 6 when Pulaski gets underway next week), so here are my best shots:
The Third Star: Ryan Roberts, Charleston, who reached base another three times in Charleston’s loss
The Second Star: Todd Ozias, who pitched the Fisher Cats to victory with 5 strong innings
The First Star: Josue Matos, who was dazzling for the Skychiefs for 7 shutout innings, but without a win to show for it.
https://www.battersbox.ca/article.php?story=20040619094926999