Seven Games, Thirteen Runs

Saturday, August 04 2007 @ 12:34 PM EDT

Contributed by: Thomas

It wasn’t a good evening for hitters down on the farm, as the affiliates played seven games thanks to a Dunedin doubleheader and managed to score only thirteen runs between them. Syracuse and the GCL Blue Jays, the highest and lowest affiliates, were each shutout, while three other games had the Jays farm teams scoring 1, 2 and 2 runs. When the high point is a pair of four run performances, the result is a forgettable 1-6 record on the evening.

Syracuse 0 @ Ottawa 5 - Boxscore

Not much to report here. The combination of J.A. Happ, Mike Zagurski and Yoel Hernandez limited the Chiefs to three hits in the game. If you just asked, “Who, who and who?” you’re not alone. Happ was the star of the evening with 6.2 innings of one hit ball. He struck out eight and walked one batter. Two of the Jays three hits were by Robinzon Diaz.

Mike MacDonald started for Syracuse and went 6.2 innings, as well. He gave up 4 runs on twice as many hits. MacDonald had his control last night with five strikeouts and no walks. He was hurt by 3 2-out RBI by Ottawa batters. Ryan Houston pitched the rest of the game in relief and allowed an unearned run to count. Ryan Roberts played 1B and took a walk along with an 0-2 performance. He’s played every infield position for Syracuse and although he’s only hitting .238, which is a career low, his OBP sits at .360.

New Hampshire 4 @ Altoona 3 (10) - Boxscore

Yusaku Iriki made the start for New Hampshire and gave up all three runs over 7 innings. He gave up six hits and struck out six. One of the runs was unearned thanks to Chip Cannon’s error at first base. Sean Stidfole struck out three over 1.1 innings of relief and Jesse Carlson pitched the rest of the ninth and the tenth inning and improved his record to 8-1 on the year. Top prospects Andrew McCutchen and Neil Walker were 0-3 and 0-5 on the evening, respectively, as the offence was powered by shortstop/left fielder Brandon Chaves who was 3-4.

Former third overall pick Dewon Brazelton made the start for Altoona and gave up two runs, one earned, over seven innings. He turned the lead over to the bullpen, but Matt Peterson, who came over to the Pirates in the Kris Benson deal, blew the save in the top of the ninth inning. His ERA is still only 1.55 on the year. Venezuelan Romulo Sanchez took the loss in the tenth.

Ryan Klosterman went 3-3 with a double and home run for the Fisher Cats in the ninth spot in the lineup. Manny Mayorson got two hits in the leadoff spot, but didn’t manage to score a run. Meanwhile, Ryan Patterson and Aaron Mathews, the second and third hitters, each went hitless on the evening. Dustin Majewski went 1-4 with a run. The run in the ninth was scored on a solo homer by Rob Cosby to leadoff the inning, while Klosterman hit his homer in the tenth to give New Hampshire a lead it wouldn’t relinquish.

Dunedin 1 @ Sarasota 2 (7 – 1st game) - Boxscore

Dunedin 4 @ Sarasota 5 (7 – 2nd game) - Boxscore

In the first game AJ Wideman went the distance with a six inning complete game. He gave up four hits, including a solo homer, a walk and five strikeouts. Unfortunately, aside from one of those four hits being a solo homer by Cody Strait, two of the others were a consecutive double and single in the fourth inning. Interestingly, Jacob Butler got to the single quickly enough to prevent the runner on second from scoring on the play, which left runners on first and third with one out. The next batter up grounded to first baseman Kyle Phillips, who threw to second to start the double play, but the infield was unable to complete the play and the ultimately decisive run came home to count. That run tied the game and Strait would give Sarasota the lead in the next inning.

This may have been one of those games Dunedin felt they ultimately should have won, as they outhit Sarasota 7-4 and outwalked them 2-1. In fact, in the top of the first Anthony Hatch began the game with a triple and Chris Gutierrez followed him with a double. Cory Patton then singled and Gutierrez advanced to third. However, cleanup hitter Eric Nielsen lined into a bad-luck double play to the first baseman and Patton was doubled off and the next batter was retired. Dunedin would go on to strand a runner on base in every inning but the seventh. Hatch had two hits on the afternoon, as did Patton, while Phillips was 1-1 with a double and two walks.

Mississippi product Jeremy Zick made his second start for Dunedin in the second game and was victimized somewhat by poor defence. He gave up four runs over 3.1 innings, but only one was earned because of fielding errors by Hatch and Luke Hetherington and a David Corrente passed ball. It was still a disappointing start for Zick, as he walked three batters and struck out only one and gave up four hits. Billy Carnline gave up a run in 1.2 innings of relief, but he also allowed both of Zick’s inherited runners to score.

Dunedin also managed to take advantage of sloppy defence, as only one of their four runs was earned. The team had seven hits on the evening, but the only one that went for extra bases was a Cory Patton double. Gutierrez was 2-4 with two runs scored, while Hetherington was 2-3 with a walk and 2 RBI. Josh Kreuzer and Phillips each had one base hit and an RBI. Cory Patton was 1-2 with a run and a pair of walks.

With the bases loaded and two out in the ninth inning of the game, Hetherington came through with a 2-run single to make the score 5-4. That left Hetherington at first and Kreuzer at second, in scoring position, for Carlo Cota. Unfortunately, Cota grounded out to first base and Dunedin was unable to complete the comeback.

Peoria 6 @ Lansing 2 - Boxscore

Nathan Starner gave up five runs for the first time since June 26. He only lasted five innings, gave up seven hits and struck out three. He was also victimized by Lansing’s defence, as Matt Lane made an error, as did Travis Snider, who committed his thirteenth error of the year and Scott Campbell also reached double figures with his tenth of the year. However, the defence wasn’t all bad as Starner picked off a runner and Snider got an outfield assist at second.

Lansing managed just two hits off Peoria’s five pitchers. Jonathan Baksh had a double and Jonathan Diaz a single. The Lugnuts received ten walks yesterday and four Lugnuts each had two, including Diaz, Sean Shoffitt, Jonathan and Yuber Rodrgiuez. Baksh and Diaz each had one of Lansing's two RBI.

State College 6 @ Auburn 2 - Boxscore

Auburn was almost the third affiliate shutout Friday night, but the Doubledays were saved by a Sean Scobee two-run homer in the bottom of the ninth inning off Dionis Rodriguez. Rodriguez was in his fourth inning of relief of Moises Robles. Robles gave up one hit, but four walks, over five shutout innings. The Doubledays had only six hits on the evening, with JP Arencibia going 2-3. Ben Zeskind and Adam Calderone each went 0-2 with two bases on balls.

Auburn starter Luis Perez was one walk away from putting up a line of 5 5’s. He went 5 innings, surrendered five hits, allowed five runs (all earned) and struck out five Spikes. However, he only walked four State College batters, running his attempt to score a Yahtzee of fives. Cody Crowell allowed another run and then John Tritz pitched three two-hit innings to finish the game for Auburn.

GCL Blue Jays 0 @ GCL Tigers 3 (7) - Boxscore

Joel Carreno gave up 3 runs in 5 innings on 7 hits, a walk and a two-run homer. Tim Collins pitched a scoreless bottom of the sixth. For the GCL Tigers, Aaron Fuhrman pitched a two-hit shutout, walking nobody and striking out six. Yohermyn Chavez and John Tolisano both had doubles for the Blue Jays, but neither came around to count. Chavez doubled to leadoff the fifth inning, but Kevin Ahrens grounded out and then Jonathan Del Campo and Kevin Denis-Fortier both struck out.

3 star selection

3rd star – AJ Wideman, 6 IP, 4 H, 2 R, 2 ER, 1 BB, 3 K, CG

2nd star – Yusaku Iriki, 7 IP, 6 H, 3 R, 2 ER, 0 BB, 6 K

1st star – Ryan Klosterman, 3-3, 2 R, 2B, GWHR, RBI, 7 TB

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