The Jays did get the upper hand on the Yankees on the minor league side of things Tuesday night. That's the biggest highlight of a 3-3 night on the farm that saw two games washed out by rain and another one cut short because of precipitation.
Las Vegas, NV - The 51's grabbed a 3-2 lead with a three-run fourth but the Padres affiliate responded with a three-run seventh to take the lead for good.
Batting - Mike McCoy and Jason Lane had two hits apiece with McCoy getting an RBI and an HBP. Brad Emaus had a run-scoring double for Las Vegas' lone extra-base hit and drew a walk while Dan Perales followed with a two-run single in the third. Mike Jacobs, Aaron Matthews, Chris Lubanski and Raul Chavez drew a walk apiece. Jarrett Hoffpauir wore an ugly 0-for-5 collar while J.P. Arencibia went 0-for-4.
Running - McCoy stole his 17th base of the season. Manny Mayorson pinch-ran for Chavez in the ninth but did not score.
Pitching - Lefty Luis Perez lasted seven innings but gave up six runs (three earned) on eight hits and five walks while also plunking a batter. He did strike out five and he induced 11 groundball outs. Josh Roenicke gave up a hit during a scoreless eighth and Jeremy Accardo only walked a man while ringing up two K's in a shutout ninth.
Defence - McCoy botched one at short. Chavez picked off Josh Barfield at third from behind the plate.
New Hampshire 10 Trenton 5 (11 Innings)
Trenton, NJ - The Fisher Cats blew a 5-2 lead in the eighth before erupting for five runs in the eleventh against the Yankees affiliate. New Hampshire is now 1 1/2 games behind Trenton in the race for first place in the Eastern League's North Division.
Batting - Jonathan Diaz and Darin Mastroianni were the on-base leaders from the bottom and top of the lineup by getting aboard four times each. Diaz had a double, two singles and a walk while Mastroianni drew ball four four times. The big swings belonged to Matt Liuzza who homered twice and drove in three runs. His second blast in the eleventh was the difference. Adam Loewen doubled, singled, walked and drove in a run while Adeiny Hechavarria doubled, walked twice and also knocked home a run. David Cooper doubled, singled and picked up an RBI while Eric Thames had two base knocks and a run knocked in. Adam Calderone had a double and an RBI. Callix Crabbe was 1-for-2 and knocked in a run after replacing Shawn Bowman at third. Bowman was the only Fisher Cat not to get on base. The down side to this one was 14 strikeouts as every New Hampshire batter struck out at least once. Thames was the leader with a hat trick. However, the F-Cats collected 14 hits, drew eight walks and were 5-for-14 with runners in scoring position.
Running - Mastroianni was caught trying to steal third.
Pitching - Zach Stewart gave up just one run in five innings on two hits and three walks. He struck out one but did record eight groundball outs. Vincent Bongiovanni got a hold despite giving up a run on a hit and a walk in one inning. B.J. LaMura also earned a hold by striking out two men in his inning of work. Trystan Magnuson blew the save as he was charged for three runs (two earned) on four hits in one inning. He also uncorked a wild pitch. Ronald Uviedo picked up the victory by scattering two hits and two walks (one intentional) over two shutout frames while striking out four. Alan Farina gave up a hit but struck a batter out in his one inning appearance to finish the game.
Defence - Hechavarria threw one away at short for his 10th clank of the year. Liuzza was 0-for-2 in trying to nail base stealers with Stewart and Bongiovanni on the mound. On the plus side, Mastroianni threw out a runner at first from center field to double off a runner. That was among three double plays that were turned.
Dunedin vs. Lakeland - Postponed due to rain. The game will be made up as part of a doubleheader today.
Fort Wayne, IN - The Lugnuts put up a trio of runs in the first and third innings and that proved to be just enough against the Padres affiliate. They also tacked on single runs in the seventh and ninth.
Batting - Justin Jackson led off the Lugnuts attack with three hits while Brad Glenn had two base hits and a walk. Sean Ochinko had two doubles and four RBI. Kevin Nolan contributed a double and a single. Kevin Ahrens and Brad McElroy had a single and a run driven in. Michael Crouse belted a homer in the ninth. Jake Marisnick and K.C. Hobson were each 0-for-4.
Running - Ahrens was thrown out at home from left field.
Pitching - Dave Sever came up an out short of a quality start but he earned the win after giving up three runs on five hits, including a homer, and issuing a walk against two strikeouts. Daniel Barnes stranded a runner and struck out a batter in two-thirds of a scoreless inning but also gave up two hits and a walk. Nestor Molina wound up stranding all of Barnes' runners but was eventually nicked for two runs on three hits and a walk in 1 2/3 innings. Barnes and Molina got the holds and Chad Beck got the save by striking out the side in a one-hit ninth.
Defence - Jackson did make a throwing error at short but he helped turn a 4-6-3 double play.
Auburn, NY - The Doubledays jammed Jamestown's grapes with a run in the first and another in the fourth for the victory over the Marlins affiliate.
Batting - Auburn only managed four hits but three were of the extra-base variety. Marcus Knecht had a double and belted a homer and Carlos Perez had an RBI double to open the scoring. Jonathan Fernandez had a base hit, Oliver Dominguez had a walk and Jonathan Jones took one for the team. Andy Fermin, Yeico Aponte, Lance Durham and Jack Murphy were all 0-for-3. Perez, Aponte and Durham each struck out twice to account for most of Auburn's eight K's as they went 0-for-7 with runners in scoring position.
Running - Aponte and Dominguez pulled off successful steal attempts. Fernandez did not.
Pitching - Jesse Hernandez allowed just three hits over five shutout frames. He managed six strikeouts and six groundouts and did not walk anyone to get the victory. Brandon Berl was just as impressive as he yielded only one hit over three scoreless innings while striking out five. Dayton Marze plunked a couple of hitters to make things interesting but pitched a scoreless inning to pick up the save.
Defence - No errors were committed by the D-Days.
GCL Tigers 2 GCL Blue Jays 0 (5 Innings)
Lakeland, FL - Two runs in the second was all the Tigers needed to win this rain-shortened affair.
Batting - Shane Opitz had the two lone Jays hits in this one with a triple and a single. Kellen Sweeney drew the lone walk but struck out to strand Opitz's triple in the third. Ronald Melendez reached base on an error at third to start the game but was promptly thrown out at second by the left fielder. Moises Sierra, Art Charles, Pierce Rankin, Chris Hawkins, Bryson Namba and Daniel Arcila were all 0-for-2 and they each contributed to a nine-strikeout performance.
Running - Opitz stole second while Melendez, as mentioned, was thrown out trying to stretch a one-base error into two.
Pitching - Aaron Sanchez took the loss as he allowed two unearned runs on five hits over three innings while posting a 4-0 K-BB mark. Sean Shoffit walked two and struck out two over two scoreless frames. Three of his outs were on the ground.
Defence - Charles dropped one at first and Sierra misfired one from right. Rankin was charged with a passed ball but he did pick off a runner at second and also threw another runner out trying to steal.
GCL Tigers vs. GCL Blue Jays - Game 2 - Cancelled.
*** 3 Stars!!! ***
3. Jesse Hernandez, Auburn
2. Jonathan Diaz, New Hampshire
1. Matt Liuzza, New Hampshire
Extra Innings.....
This blast from the past had a nice night in Buffalo this week.
