The teams that mustered more than four runs were winners Tuesday night. One of them came close to nailing an impersonation of the big league club's come from ahead loss.
Las Vegas, NV - The Posse, er, the 51's trailed 8-3 before tying the game in the second but were behind 10-8 after half-time. However, the 51's rallied with three runs in the fifth, three in the sixth and one in the seventh for a second half rally against the Giants affiliate.
Pitching - Jesse Litsch gave up 10 runs (six earned) on 11 hits, three walks and hit a batter over 4 2/3 innings. He gave up a homer, threw two pitches that got away from Raul Chavez but struck out four. Litsch's final line would have been worse had Steven Register not stranded the bases loaded in the fifth. He scattered a hit and a walk while striking out three in two shutout innings. Lefty Jesse Carlson picked up Register by stranding two runners as he retired the lone man he faced. Merkin Valdez gave up three hits but managed to pitch a scoreless inning and Jeremy Accardo allowed a hit and a walk but posted a goose egg in the ninth.
Defence - Luis Figueroa kicked one away at second for his 10th error of the year. Eugenio Velez was successful in stealing second against the Litsch-Chavez battery but Velez was thrown out at third by Jorge Padilla in center on the same play to end the first. Padilla pegged Velez again at the plate to end the eighth.
Batting - Padilla's contributions weren't limited to his glove. The 51's leadoff man had one homer and two doubles among his four hits and drove in a pair. The number two hitter, Figueroa, reached base five times by going 3-for-3 with two walks and an RBI. Brian Dopirak and "The Dude" Chris Lubanski were each 3-for-4 with a walk and three runs batted in. Dopirak had two doubles while "El Duderino", if you're not into the whole brevity thing, had a triple. Brad Emaus clubbed his first Triple-A homer and Adam Calderone went deep as well to drive in three runs. Chavez had a hit while Brett Wallace and Jonathan Diaz got on base once with a walk apiece.
Running - Someone peed on Lubanski's carpet by throwing him out at the plate. At least it's better than having your head shoved in the toilet or having a marmot attack you in the bathtub.
Reading, PA - Each club scored in five different innings but the difference was the Fisher Cats big inning was a six-run second while the R-Phils best single inning total was a four-run third.
Pitching - Despite giving up 19 hits and issuing four walks, the Fisher Cats still managed to win this one. Starter Randy Boone got the first man out but gave up two singles before leaving the game with a sore ankle. Bubbie Buzachero replaced Boone and was rocked for five runs on nine hits, including two homers, in 2 2/3 innings. One of the homers was from Domonic Brown. Buzachero struck one out and walked none. B.J. LaMura gave up two runs on four hits that included a homer while posting a K-BB ratio of 1:1. Lefty Boomer Potts showed the art of pitching wasn't totally lost as he gave up one hit and struck out four in two scoreless innings. Lefty Tim Collins was burned for two runs on three hits and three walks but struck out three in 1 2/3 innings. Vancouver's Trystan Magnuson stranded a pair of runners and got the final out to collect the save and preserve Potts' first Double-A victory.
Defence - Brian Jeroloman was 1-for-2 in throwing out runners trying to steal. Buzachero was the pitcher in both instances.
Batting - New Westminster's Shawn Bowman toted the twig in this one with three hits, including a homer, a walk and four runs batted in. Manny Mayorson also had a three-hit game and an RBI. Darin Mastroianni had a leadoff homer among his two hits but he would leave the game with an injured shoulder. Jonathan Jaspe had a double and a single and Brian Jeroloman homered and walked (yes!! BJBBM is now 31!). He drove in a pair but also struck out three times. Adam Loewen doubled, drove in a run and walked twice while David Cooper had a single, a walk and an RBI. Callix Crabbe doubled and added a sac fly.
Running - Cooper was doubled off second base after a Mastroianni lineout to center to end the third.
Fort Myers, FL - The Twins affiliate scored once in the first and overcame a Dunedin two-run second with two-run frames in the fourth and fifth with another run for good measure. Dunedin could only muster single markers in the eighth and ninth.
Pitching - Henderson Alvarez was torched for five runs (four earned) in four innings on nine hits. He struck out four, walked no one but threw a pitch to the backstop. Dumas Garcia gave up two hits and hit a batter but delivered two scoreless frames. Ross Buckwalter gave up a run on one hit in the seventh. Shawn Griffiths struck out two in a scoreless eighth.
Defence - John Tolisano made a throwing error for his 10th clank of the year and that led to an unearned Miracle run in the first. Fort Myers stole a base against the battery of Alvarez and Travis d'Arnaud. The D-Jays did manage one double play of the 6-3 variety started by Adeiny Hechavarria and completed by Michael McDade.
Batting - Welinton Ramirez had a homer and a double and McDade reached twice with a hit and a walk. Justin McClanahan tripled home two runs and Brian Van Kirk singled home the other Dunedin run. Tolisano had a double and Yan Gomes had a base knock. The top of the order (Hechavarria, Tyler Pastornicky and d'Arnaud) were a combined 0-for-12.
Lansing, MI - Two runs in the second and one in the third got the Angels affiliate rolling and they tacked on two more in the eighth. Lansing responded with one in the third and three in the ninth to come up a day late and a dollar short as the late, great Tom Cheek would say.
Pitching - Ryan Tepera's undoing was the long ball as he gave up two homers, including one to the Angels 2009 first round pick Mike Trout, in seven otherwise solid innings. He allowed three runs (two earned) on five hits and two walks while striking out a pair. His most impressive statistic was 11 groundball outs. Aaron Loup gave up two runs on three hits and a walk in the eighth inning. Chad Beck's control was not up to snuff in the ninth as he walked a pair and threw one to the backstop but he was able to stem the tide against the Rapids. Get it? Frickin' funny follies for a Wednesday!
Defense - A passed ball by A.J. Jimenez helped lead to an unearned run in the second. Jimenez was 0-for-2 trying to throw out Trout on the basepaths but was 2-for-2 against everyone else, including Justin Bass. Jimenez can reel in Bass but not Trout, got it? Good! The Lugnuts did convert a couple of twin killings involving the middle infield.
Batting - Eric Eiland had two hits and two walks and Kenny Wilson also had a two-hit game. Sean Ochinko had a homer and a walk, Brad McElroy had a hit and a walk and Oliver Dominguez drew two walks in two plate appearances. Ryan Goins had a bases-clearing double and Mark Sobolewski had a hit. Ryan Schimpf and Balbino Fuenmayor wore the collar with a combined 0-for-8.
Running - Avert your eyes! Eiland was caught stealing twice, Wilson was caught stealing and picked off at first while Jimenez was also nailed on the basepaths. Only Dominguez managed to pilfer a base successfully.
The DSL-Jays nearly matched the big club's version of blowing a big lead and snatching defeat from the jaws of victory.
*** 3 Stars!!! ***
3. Brian Dopirak, Las Vegas
2. Shawn Bowman, New Hampshire
1. Jorge Padilla, Las Vegas
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