The highlights - a rain-out and a scheduled day off.
Colorado Springs 11 Las Vegas 6
Las Vegas, NV - If it's Tuesday, it's a 51's loss. You can bet everything you have and set your watch to it. The Vegas win total during my MLU's remains stuck at one. Lefty Fabio Castro got the start and he did not live up to the first three letters of his first name. He gave up two runs in the first when Eric Young Jr. singled and Matt Miller homered. The 51's stormed back to take a 3-2 lead in their half of the first when Joe Inglett doubled home "Uncle" Buck Coats and Randy Ruiz followed with a two-run bomb to plate "Mighty Joe".
The lead didn't last as the Rockies affiliate racked up two singles and two doubles in the second to score three times for a 5-3 advantage. Las Vegas bounced back in the third thanks to the bat of Ruiz as he clubbed his second homer of the game to score an Inglett single to tie the game at 5-5.
After issuing only a walk in the third, Castro appeared to be settling down. That illusion was shattered quickly in the fourth when Chris Frey homered to give the SkySox the lead for good. Two more singles and a run scoring ground ball later in the inning led to another run for the visitors. In the fifth, Castro was outranked by Christian Colonel who led off with a home run and he gave up two more singles that resulted in another run. Colonel disciplined Castro again in the sixth with another solo bomb. Lefty Rommie Lewis relieved Castro and pitched a clean seventh but he gave up a run by allowing a walk, two singles and a stolen base.
The 51's matched that run with four straight one-out singles as Inglett knocked home Aaron Matthews but Ruiz hit into an inning-ending double play. In a box score oddity, outfielder Jason Lane pulled a Frank Menechino by pitching in the ninth inning and he turned out to be the best Vegas hurler of the night. He set down the side in order and struck out Jonathan Herrera to end the inning. The 51's had three singles in the ninth but they couldn't score. That's because Brian Dopirak was doubled off first after J.P. Arencibia lined out into a 4-3 twin-killing.
As the cool kids say, Castro's final pitching line was fugly. He allowed 16 baserunners (13 hits and three walks) that resulted in 10 runs over six innings. He struck out three but he allowed four long balls. At the plate, every Vegas starter had at least one safety with Inglett leading the charge with three hits. Coats, Ruiz, Lane and Kevin Howard had two hits apiece with Ruiz and Lane also drawing a walk.
Manchester, NH - The rehabbing Shaun Marcum got the call in this one. His first two innings were fine as he allowed just one single but things went horribly awry in the third. A triple and single resulted in the game's first run but the inning would have ended had Luis Sanchez not made the second of his three error in the game. He mishandled a ground ball by former Jay farmhand Noah Hall and Trenton took advantage of the extra out with another run-scoring single and a three-run homer to go up 5-0.
Adrian Martin relieved Marcum in the fourth and he didn't fare a whole lot better as he gave up two singles and a double that resulted in a 6-0 Trenton lead.
The Fisher Cats finally got on the board when Al Quintana, Brian Jeroloman and Jonathan Diaz each drew a walk to start the fifth. However, Sanchez's struggles carried over at the plate as he rapped into a double play to score Quintana. That's all New Hampshire could manage in the frame. Martin kept the Thunder at a safe distance by going three more innings and retiring the last 11 hitters he faced.
New Hampshire made it a 6-2 game by loading up the bases in the eighth but they could only manage a single run as Diaz drew a walk to bring home David Cooper. Lefty Nate Starner worked a one-hit eighth but gave up three runs in the ninth on three singles and a double.
Marcum gave up five runs in three earned only one of the runs was earned. He struck out four, didn't walk anyone and his ERA is 1.17 for you Double-A poolies out there.
Fort Myers, FL - The D-Jays impersonated the big club last night. Andrew Liebel got through the first inning without incident but gave up three runs in the second with a double, single, a wild pitch and two walks factoring in. Liebel scattered a walk, a single and a hit batter over the next two innings against the Twins affiliate and the D-Jays fought back with a three-run top of the fifth to tie the game. Manny Rodriguez singled home a Raul Barron double and Jesus Gonzalez found salvation with a two-run knock to score Man-Rod and Moises Sierra, who drew a walk.
The Miracle regained the lead when Chris Parmalee took Liebel deep for a solo homer. Liebel gave up a double in the sixth and the runner got to third on a Sierra error in right. However, he was able to strand that runner to end his outing on a positive note. Lefty Daniel DeLucia took care of Fort Myers with two perfect innings or relief and it appears he was going to be the beneficiary of a "W" as his teammates scored three times in the eighth. Brad McElroy singled home a run and Raul Barron put Dunedin ahead 6-4 with a two-run double.
It was up to Dumas Garcia to close things out but a peek of the score above would tell you he didn't. He plunked a man with one out, gave up a single and then made a throwing error trying to force the runner at second. That led to one run coming home. Garcia got the second out on a line out to second but Gonzalez dropped a throw from Barron in an attempt to double off a runner. Two singles later, Bob's your uncle and the Miracle get a walk-off win. Thanks for playing. No parting gifts backstage. Please drive home safely.
Liebel gave up four runs over six innings on five hits and three walks while whiffing four. Garcia's three runs were all unearned but his error was among four made by Dunedin.
Lansing - Scheduled Day Off
Auburn @ Tri-City - Postponed Due To Rain. Doubleheader to be played today at 5:30 p.m. EDT.
Gulf Coast League Tigers 5 Gulf Coast League Blue Jays 4
Lakeland, FL - Still reading? Why? Well, this game threw a loop at the G-Jays. You'll get this joke later on. Trust me - comedy gold, platinum if you will! Actually, the punch line is really quite sad. Things looked promising in the first when Gustavo Pierre led off the game with a home run. John "J.D." Roberts also wanted to get in on the leadoff home run action which he did to start the fourth and it was 2-0 for the visitors. They were poised to add to their lead in the fifth when Carlos Perez and Michael Crouse drew back to back walks with one out. However, Perez was picked off at second by the catcher and the poop rolled downhill from there.
Matt Fields did a hell of a job keeping the Tigers off the board by pitching four shutout innings, allowing only a second inning double while striking out five. In came Aaron Loup for the fifth (there's the loop reference for those of you scoring at home!) and the Tigers clawed back and then some with a five-run outburst. A double, three singles and a walk resulted in a pair of runs and Loop's exit with just one out. Dennis Tepera came in and got a infield pop up with the bases loaded but they would be emptied thanks to a three-run double to put the Tigers ahead 5-2. Tepera would mow down the next seven men he faced with four K's and three GO's but left after a leadoff single in the eighth. Evan Teague did allow a walk and threw a wild pitch but he stranded a pair of runners in scoring position.
The G-Jays inched closer on Roberts' second leadoff homer in an inning as he connected in the sixth and they added one more run in the ninth. Pierre managed to reach on an error at second, moved up into scoring position on a passed ball and advanced the other 180 feet on two wild pitches. Carlos Perez had walked in the meantime and also jumped two spaces on the diamond on the wild throws. However, Perez was left at third when Michael Crouse struck out and Jack Murphy grounded out to end a turd-riffic day on the farm.
Roberts had half of the G-Jays six hits while Perez and Crouse drew a whopping three walks apiece.
*** 3 Stars!!! ***
3. Joe Inglett, Las Vegas
2. Randy Ruiz, Las Vegas
1. John Roberts, GCL Blue Jays
Honourable Mentions....
Jason Lane, Matt Fields, David Cooper.
Extra Innings.....
* The Las Vegas Review-Journal talks to Brian Dopirak, Angel Sanchez, Fabio Castro, hitting coach Ken Joyce, manager Mike Basso. The team will also be playing more Sunday night games at Cashman Field.
* The New Hampshire Union Leader has articles on "The Fugitive" and David Cooper.
* The Auburn Citizen reports 2009 fourth round pick Ryan "Howzit" Goins will make his Doubledays debut today. They also spoke with LSU College World Series champion Sean Ochinko. Isn't that a game on the Price Is Right?
https://www.battersbox.ca/article.php?story=20090722091251674