So, Dayton is not Memphis, but what are you going to do? Sue me? The farm affiliates went 2-3.
Scranton Wilkes-Barre 6 @ Syracuse 3
Chief starter Jeremy Cummings was touched for 5 runs in the second inning, and Syracuse's comeback effort fell short. Ryan Roberts hit a solo homer in the first inning to put the Chiefs ahead briefly before the Cummings implosion. Jordan DeJong came on to finish the second inning and threw 2.1 innings, allowing a run. Game Over Gronk threw 4 perfect innings, striking out 4, to give the offence a chance, and Wayne Lydon put in a good show with 2 hits and 2 runs scored, as well as a baserunner kill, but it was not enough. Adam Lind went 0-3 with a walk.
New Hampshire 1 @ Connecticut 8
The Defenders scored single runs in the first, second, third, fifth and sixth innings off Kyle Yates and coasted to an easy victory. The Fisher Cats scored in the top of the 7th on a Ryan Patterson RBI single, before a 3 run homer off Aaron Tressler in the bottom of the frame put the game away. Yates allowed 5 earned runs on 8 hits and 1 walk, with 3 strikeouts. Manny Mayorson had 3 hits and Patterson 2.
Dunedin 3 @ Clearwater 7
The D-Jays took a different approach to losing from the Cats and Chiefs. Aaron Wideman threw 5 very effective innings, allowing an unearned run on 3 hits and 3 walks with 2 strikeouts. Wideman picked off one runner, Brian Jeroloman threw out another, and the Jay inner defence turned a helpful double play. Dunedin led 3-1 after 5 innings on RBI singles from Kyle Phillips and Jacob Butler in the first inning, and a bases loaded double play in the fourth inning with Phillips and Butler on base with singles. Chad Blackwell came on in the 6th inning and served up a solo homer and a 2 run shot to the Threshers. Orlando Trias and Paul Phillips followed and also gave up homers, and the Jay offense did not reply in kind.
Lansing 4 @ Dayton 3, 10 inn.
That was an ugly baby, wasn't it? The Lugnuts rested on their playoff laurels, drawing 14 walks and leaving 16 runners on base, but still triumphed in extras. Julio Pinto started for the Luggies and threw 5 innings of shutout ball, allowing 2 hits and walking nobody while striking out six. It was 1-1 after 7 innings. The 'Nuts scored 2 runs in the top of the eighth on a bases loaded HBP, followed by a walk, but Edward Rodriguez coughed up the lead in less frustrating fashion in the bottom of the inning. It stayed that way until the 10th inning when Jonathan Diaz tripled and scored on a wild pitch. Zach Dials came on for the save in the bottom of the inning. Travis Snider went 2-4 with 2 walks and 2 strikeouts, and had a walk-off baserunner kill in the bottom of the 10th.
State College 10 @ Auburn 11, 10 inn.
Another game that was more Jackson Pollock than Matisse, as C.J. Ebarb completed an excellent evening with the GWRBI single in the 10th inning. The Doubledays broke out to a 7-0 lead after 3 innings. In the first, the D-Days scored two as Ben Zeskind walked and Darin Mastroianni singled and came around to score on a balk and a Brad Emaus single. C.J. Ebarb hit a solo homer in the second and then Auburn erupted for four runs in the third inning on a Darin Mastroianni walk, a Manny Rodriguez single, a 2 out RBI single from Ebarb, followed by a double from Victor Santana and a 2 run single from Luis Sanchez. Starter Ryan Walter and reliever Javier Nieves blew the lead over the next 3 innings. Auburn broke ahead with single runs in the sixth and seventh innings, but 2 runs off Cody Crowell and Robert Leffler (making his NYPL debut) in the top of the eighth tied it up. The Doubledays replied with a run in the bottom of the eighth on a Mastroianni single and stolen base and an Ebarb RBI single but Matt Barbara coughed up the lead giving up 3 hits and 2 walks and the tying run in the top of the ninth. Barbara escaped further damage when Adam Calderone threw out the go-ahead run at the plate to set the stage for Ebarb's heroics. Mastroianni went 2-4 with 2 walks and scored 4 runs, while Ebarb went 4-5 with a walk, and scored 3 and drove in 4. Incidentally, Spikes shortstop Smelin Perez wins the award for "worst first name if you went to an English-speaking school, but were fortunate not to".
3 stars
3rd star- Darin Mastroianni
2nd star- Julio Pinto
1st star- C.J. Ebarb
Scranton Wilkes-Barre 6 @ Syracuse 3
Chief starter Jeremy Cummings was touched for 5 runs in the second inning, and Syracuse's comeback effort fell short. Ryan Roberts hit a solo homer in the first inning to put the Chiefs ahead briefly before the Cummings implosion. Jordan DeJong came on to finish the second inning and threw 2.1 innings, allowing a run. Game Over Gronk threw 4 perfect innings, striking out 4, to give the offence a chance, and Wayne Lydon put in a good show with 2 hits and 2 runs scored, as well as a baserunner kill, but it was not enough. Adam Lind went 0-3 with a walk.
New Hampshire 1 @ Connecticut 8
The Defenders scored single runs in the first, second, third, fifth and sixth innings off Kyle Yates and coasted to an easy victory. The Fisher Cats scored in the top of the 7th on a Ryan Patterson RBI single, before a 3 run homer off Aaron Tressler in the bottom of the frame put the game away. Yates allowed 5 earned runs on 8 hits and 1 walk, with 3 strikeouts. Manny Mayorson had 3 hits and Patterson 2.
Dunedin 3 @ Clearwater 7
The D-Jays took a different approach to losing from the Cats and Chiefs. Aaron Wideman threw 5 very effective innings, allowing an unearned run on 3 hits and 3 walks with 2 strikeouts. Wideman picked off one runner, Brian Jeroloman threw out another, and the Jay inner defence turned a helpful double play. Dunedin led 3-1 after 5 innings on RBI singles from Kyle Phillips and Jacob Butler in the first inning, and a bases loaded double play in the fourth inning with Phillips and Butler on base with singles. Chad Blackwell came on in the 6th inning and served up a solo homer and a 2 run shot to the Threshers. Orlando Trias and Paul Phillips followed and also gave up homers, and the Jay offense did not reply in kind.
Lansing 4 @ Dayton 3, 10 inn.
That was an ugly baby, wasn't it? The Lugnuts rested on their playoff laurels, drawing 14 walks and leaving 16 runners on base, but still triumphed in extras. Julio Pinto started for the Luggies and threw 5 innings of shutout ball, allowing 2 hits and walking nobody while striking out six. It was 1-1 after 7 innings. The 'Nuts scored 2 runs in the top of the eighth on a bases loaded HBP, followed by a walk, but Edward Rodriguez coughed up the lead in less frustrating fashion in the bottom of the inning. It stayed that way until the 10th inning when Jonathan Diaz tripled and scored on a wild pitch. Zach Dials came on for the save in the bottom of the inning. Travis Snider went 2-4 with 2 walks and 2 strikeouts, and had a walk-off baserunner kill in the bottom of the 10th.
State College 10 @ Auburn 11, 10 inn.
Another game that was more Jackson Pollock than Matisse, as C.J. Ebarb completed an excellent evening with the GWRBI single in the 10th inning. The Doubledays broke out to a 7-0 lead after 3 innings. In the first, the D-Days scored two as Ben Zeskind walked and Darin Mastroianni singled and came around to score on a balk and a Brad Emaus single. C.J. Ebarb hit a solo homer in the second and then Auburn erupted for four runs in the third inning on a Darin Mastroianni walk, a Manny Rodriguez single, a 2 out RBI single from Ebarb, followed by a double from Victor Santana and a 2 run single from Luis Sanchez. Starter Ryan Walter and reliever Javier Nieves blew the lead over the next 3 innings. Auburn broke ahead with single runs in the sixth and seventh innings, but 2 runs off Cody Crowell and Robert Leffler (making his NYPL debut) in the top of the eighth tied it up. The Doubledays replied with a run in the bottom of the eighth on a Mastroianni single and stolen base and an Ebarb RBI single but Matt Barbara coughed up the lead giving up 3 hits and 2 walks and the tying run in the top of the ninth. Barbara escaped further damage when Adam Calderone threw out the go-ahead run at the plate to set the stage for Ebarb's heroics. Mastroianni went 2-4 with 2 walks and scored 4 runs, while Ebarb went 4-5 with a walk, and scored 3 and drove in 4. Incidentally, Spikes shortstop Smelin Perez wins the award for "worst first name if you went to an English-speaking school, but were fortunate not to".
3 stars
3rd star- Darin Mastroianni
2nd star- Julio Pinto
1st star- C.J. Ebarb
