Batter's Box Interactive Magazine Batter's Box Interactive Magazine Batter's Box Interactive Magazine
It wasn’t quite an episode of Too Many Molinas, but Las Vegas played host to a game that featured relatives facing each other and one of them delivering the game-changing hit. New Hampshire won big off a top Canadian prospect and a former Blue Jay. Fine relief in Florida prevented Dunedin from nearly blowing a sizeable lead and Lansing saw an impressive pitching performance that nearly gave the outfielders an entire evening off.

Iowa 6 @ Las Vegas 1Boxscore

Lance Broadway started for the 51s, but was outduelled by Chicago Cubs prospect Andrew Cashner. Broadway had a respectable start, surrendering four runs over 6 innings with four strikeouts. In a game that featured distant cousins on opposing teams, Micah Hoffpauir won the battle within the battle, hitting a three-run homer off Broadway in the sixth inning. Sean Henn pitched two scoreless innings of relief and then Steven Register allowed two runs in the ninth, one of which was unearned on a Chris Aguila error.

Agulila drove in Brett Wallace for Las Vegas’s only run. Aguila had the team’s only extra-base hit in the game with a double and Luis Figueroa was the only 51 to have a multi-hit game. Jarrett Hoffpauir went 0-for-3 with a walk, which didn’t match up to Micah’s two-hit, 3 RBI game.

New Hampshire 10 @ Reading 3 - Boxscore

New Hampshire defeated Reading behind two four-run innings and won convincingly, despite the fact both teams only had seven hits on the afternoon. Much of the damage came off two pitchers whose names should be familiar to Jays fans: Phillipe Aumont and Ty Taubenheim. Darin Mastroianni continues to look like a useful ballplayer, with a 1-for-4 game that included a walk, a run, 2 RBI and two stolen bases. Adam Calderone was held hitless with a walk and Eric Thames had a triple, but also struck out three times. Shawn Bowman was also held hitless, but walked three times and scored twice. David Cooper only had one hit in 5 at-bats, but it was the biggest one of the game: a three-run homer off Taubenheim with two-out in the fifth. Manny Mayorson had two hits, a double and a run and Adam Loewen was 0-for-3 with three strikeouts and a walk. Jonathan Diaz added a hit and 2 RBI and Brian Jeroloman looked good with a double, a run and two walks.

Zach Stewart’s struggles continued yesterday, as he only lasted 3 innings. Stewart allowed two runs on four hits and three walks. He struck out two, but was out of the game after 16 batters faced. Bubbie Buzachero came on in relief and picked up the victory. He improved to 3-0 and lowered his ERA to 8.10 with 4 innings of one-run ball. BJ LaMura and Vincent Bongiovanni each had a scoreless inning to secure the victory.

Dunedin 7 @ Palm Beach 6Boxscore

It was 6-6 after 4 innings and then the game had to wait until the 8th inning to see the deadlock broken as Dunedin scored a go-ahead run that turned out to be the winner. Andrew Liebel started and gave up all six runs over 3+ innings. Liebel allowed six hits and three walks, but he did strike out five. Dunedin’s relievers came to Liebel’s rescue. Dumas Garcia allowed one hit over 3 innings with three strikeouts. He was spelled by Frank Gailey, who pitched a scoreless inning and wound up with the win. Alan Farina struck out the side in his inning and Matt Daly also struck out three to pick up the save.

Tyler Pastornicky, Michael McDade and Wellinton Ramirez led the offence with three hits apiece. Ramirez hit the decisive blow with a solo homer in the eighth with two outs. Pastornicky had an RBI and a run and McDade scored two runs. Brian Van Kirk had two hits and an RBI and John Tolisano had two hits and a run, although he made a fielding error. Jon Talley walked and scored and Yan Gomes had a single, a run and RBI.

West Michigan 1 @ Lansing 7Boxscore

Evan Crawford was masterful for Lansing. He went 8 strong innings and allowed one run to West Michigan. Crawford allowed four hits and a walk and struck out four. However, the dominance of his performance can be seen in the fact that, of the 18 batters retired from balls in play, Crawford induced 17 groundouts. West Michigan spent all afternoon pounding the ball into the ground. Or, at least did so until Dave Sever entered the game, as he had a 1-2-3 ninth inning that included two fly balls.

Chris Hopkins provided offence from the ninth spot in the lineup, going 3-for-4 with 2 RBI and a run. Both RBIs came from driving home Balbino Fuenmayor, who reached base on two walks. He may have had another RBI or two if the eighth hitter, Eric Eiland, hadn’t gone 0-for-4 with 4 K’s. Ryan Goins and Mark Sobolewski each had two hits and an RBI. Ryan Schimpf had a double and a run and AJ Jimenez had two hits, an RBI and two runs. Sean Ochinko had a hit and Kenny Wilson had an 0-fer with a walk.

Three Stars:

3rd Star – Dumas Garcia, 3 IP, 1 H, 0 ER, 1 BB, 3 K

2nd Star – Wellinton Ramirez, 3-3, R, HR, 3 RBI, BB, 6 TB

1st Star – Evan Crawford, 8 IP, 4 H, 1 ER, 1 BB, 4 K

A Pair of Hoffpauirs | 6 comments | Create New Account
The following comments are owned by whomever posted them. This site is not responsible for what they say.
Mike Green - Thursday, May 13 2010 @ 09:34 AM EDT (#215012) #
I'd be curious to know if any of our Fisher Cat fans have any thoughts on Jeroloman's years in New Hampshire?  He hit well, albeit with limited power, in 2008, struggled mightily in 2009 and now has started 2010 on fire and with added pop.  Did injury play a role?  Has he changed his swing in some way?  Pulling the ball more?

He still seems to be overmatched against LHP, and if he makes it, it will almost surely be in a platoon role.

FisherCat - Thursday, May 13 2010 @ 11:55 AM EDT (#215019) #

My $0.02 W/R/T Jeroloman, he never really impressed me offensively over the 2+ seasons I've seen of him.  I know he dealt with injury issues off & on last season and that the Jays have let it be known they'd like his approach at the plate to be a little more aggressive than his OBP history in the lower minors.  This along with the fact of knowing that you're real close to being 3rd or even 4th in the pecking order of catching prospects in the organization has to wear on you a bit.

I think it might be at a point in his development to just say 'Hey get up there and don't think, just get good at-bats'.

Mike Green - Thursday, May 13 2010 @ 11:58 AM EDT (#215020) #
Dunedin has a morning tilt with Palm Beach and leads 4-0 in the 4th inning.  Huggins is pitching and Wellinton Ramirez has doubled twice. 
mamboon - Thursday, May 13 2010 @ 03:50 PM EDT (#215027) #
When I was young, I got an autograph from old time Tiger 1st baseman Norm Cash the year he hit .365.  I asked him if he had any tips on hitting for a kid like me.  He said, "Stay stupid kiddo, just hit the damn ball."
mamboon - Thursday, May 13 2010 @ 04:23 PM EDT (#215030) #

I did a little research.  That's probably dangerous.  Just thinking... that's even more dangerous.

New Hampshire certainly has turned it around this year.  The hitting talent is performing well this year. But Manager Rivera is certainly making the most of it.  Hats off to the new Fisher Cats manager.  He's designed a batting order that has produced an interesting  and productive stat that I think contributes to their League leading winning percentage of .636 so far.

This is no way diminshes Thames contribution of 7 HR and 26 RBI or Jeroloman's .455 OBP.

Here are the 5 guys regularly or frequently in the batting order who are batting .300 or above with runners in scoring position:

Diaz                  .423

Mayorson          .333

Eamus              .321

Mastroianni       .306

Calderone         .300

 

Individual stats are great individually.  But getting the talent to the plate at the right time with runners in scoring positon is really paying off for Rivera.

 

 

mamboon - Thursday, May 13 2010 @ 04:28 PM EDT (#215032) #
God please forgive me.  In the list above, I left off the man with the best name ever in baseboall... Callix Crabbe is batting .300 with runners in scoring position.  That make 6 players in that category.
A Pair of Hoffpauirs | 6 comments | Create New Account
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