Morning start times across the board, and a 1-2 record for the affiliates. It's certainly an odd feeling when the Minor League Update is done at 3:16 PM the day before publication. I believe that's a new record.
Toledo 4, Syracuse 2
Box score, game stories one and two
It was the second straight Wednesday game where Toledo scored four runs in defeating the SkyChiefs, all thanks to Brandon League, who went five innings while allowing all the runs, raising his ERA to an even 6. Three of those runs came in the first inning, when League gave up two homeruns sandwiched around a walk. Some interesting thoughts on League can be found in yesterday's Minor League Update thread.
Anton French tripled and scored in the seventh after former Blue Jay and SkyChief Sean Douglass left the game. Douglass, incidentally, struck out 8 in 6 innings against six baserunners. Not bad. John-Ford Griffin walked twice, while Gabe Gross singled and walked. Not much to talk about regarding the Syracuse "offense" yesterday.
The beauty of the Toledo Mud Hens' streaming broadcast allowed me to watch the last inning of this game. Julius Matos grounded out, then promptly pushed away the camera following him into the dugout. Eric Crozier looked all kinds of overmatched on a strikeout -- his third of the night -- then Justin Singleton confused me into thinking he was Gross. Crozier also made two errors yesterday morning or afternoon, not quite sure of the timing.
Trenton 8, New Hampshire 7 (13)
Box score, game story
I tell you, this one took long enough to end. Tony LaRussa was in attendance. Maybe that's why the Thunder's Charlie Manning faced just two batters in the sixth.
The Fishers jumped out to a 6-0 lead in the third, but Trenton got 5 later on, and it was 7-7 going to extra frames. Trenton twice left the winning run on third, both times on leadoff doubles, but they did not bring either person home. Jordan De Jong kept going and going, with three scoreless innings (10th, 11th, 12th). Detailed play-by-play of the 13th and final inning can be found here and here. Short version: F-Cats lose on the most exciting play in baseball, the bases-loaded HBP.
Vito Chiaravalloti (almost had it right on the first try, but I had two T's and one L) hit a grand slam in the second inning. He didn't do anything else in the game, but Raul Tablado sure did. Six total bases for Tablado -- HR, single, single -- and he scored all three times he reached base.
New Hampshire still has only one player slugging above .400 -- by comparison, the punchless Oakland Athletics have two. It's not a good sign when the best hitter has a .254 GPA...and he's four years older than any other hitter on the team save for Jose Umbria.
Dunedin 11, Jupiter 1
Box score
Eleven runs? Without a homerun by the D-Jays? Impressive. Jupiter's offense has been more like Leda than Ganymede, with only nine runs in the last five games.
David Smith collected 3 RBI on 3 hits -- a single and 2-run double with a non-run-scoring triple thrown in for good measure. He came up in the 7th with a chance at the cycle, but lined out. In the top of the ninth, same deal -- a groundout. Good effort nonetheless, and we can't forget Sweet Tim Whittaker, Eric Arnold or Scott Dragicevich, all with two hits.
With eleven runs of support, Kurt Isenberg must have felt relaxed. He didn't get too relaxed, though, as he struck out 8 batters, walked nobody, and only allowed six hits in seven strong innings. It's not Gaudin-like, but I'll take it.
Yesson Berroa came on for the ninth in a far-from-a-save situation and loaded the bases. A scary situation, as Jupiter had the tying run standing in line just five spots behind the man on deck, but the crisis was averted when Patrick Arlis struck out. Robert Wuhl was not among the 4358 in attendance, if you're wondering.
Lansing did not play yesterday morning at 10:30, or anytime on May 18, 2005 for that matter.
Your Three-Star Selection:
3. Jordan De Jong
2. Raul Tablado
1. Kurt Isenberg
Today’s Games:
Syracuse (Matos) @ Toledo (Good), 10:30 AM ET. Live video of this game is available here.
New Hampshire (Marcum) @ Trenton, 7:05 ET.
Dunedin (Janssen) vs St. Lucie, 7:00 ET.
Lansing (Perez) @ Southwest Michigan Devil Rays of Battle Creek, 6:35 (DH).
One last note: The Dunedin Web site informs me that "Robert Jensson [sic] starts for the Jays" tonight. I can overlook the "Robert" part -- Casey is actually his middle name -- but spelling it "Jensson" is just lazy. Although that same page did have the following line, which made me laugh: "Weather: Hot."
https://www.battersbox.ca/article.php?story=20050518144658906