Buffalo and New Hampshire won. Vancouver is on the brink of elimination. Dunedin won its first playoff game.
Buffalo 15 Syracuse 8
A two-run double by Rafael Lantigua and a two-run single by Nathan Lukes got the Herd rolling in the first against the Mets. That was followed by an RBI knock by Yoshi Tsutsugo. The Bisons retook the lead in the fifth when L.J. Talley doubled home two more runs and Lukes singled home another. They got three more runs in the sixth that included Davis Schneider and Talley RBI singles Cullen Large homered and Schneider doubled home another run before Talley singled home two more in the seventh. Lukes and Talley each had three hits and a walk. Schneider and Tsutsugo were aboard three times with two hits and a walk. Otto Lopez had a pair of hits.
José De León allowed three runs (two earned) on four hits and a walk while striking out two in the opening inning. Adrian Hernandez coughed up two unearned runs, including a homer, in the second. Parker Caracci, Nate Pearson and Brandon Eisert all pitched a shutout inning with Pearson giving up a hit and striking out one. Thomas Hatch served up a three-run homer over two frames. Hayden Juenger put up a zero in the eighth and Matt Gage did likewise in the ninth.
New Hampshire is 7 Harrisburg 4
Luis De Los Santos and Zac Cook opened the fifth with RBI singles before scoring on a three-run home run by Robert Robertis, his second homer in Double-A. Orelvis Martinez hit his 29th dinger, a two-run shot in the fifth to plate a Cam Eden walk. Martinez and Cook had two hits with Cook getting a double. Phil Clarke had a single and a walk. Eden stoloe two bases to give him 30 on the year.
Adam Kloffenstein got the win by allowing just three hits and two walks over six shutout innings. He struck out six and got 10 of his 12 outs in play on the ground. Andrew Bash struck out three over two perfect frames. Juan Nuñez gave up a two-run homer in the ninth.
Eugene 6 Vancouver 5 (Game 2 - Northwest League Final)
The Giants affiliate scored five times in the sixth to erase a 3-1 deficit to upend the C's. An Alex De Jesus RBI double and a Garrett Spain sacrifice fly gave Vancouver a 2-0 lead in the second. Andrés Sosa homered in the fourth and Dasan Brown went deep for a two-run shot in the seventh. The C's had chances to tie it in the eighth and ninth. Sosa walked and was wiild pitched to third. Michael Turconi walked and stole second but De Jesus flied out. Spain had an infield single to the mound and Brown bunted his way aboard but Damiano Palmegiani, P.K. Morris and Rainer Nuñez all struck out swinging. Brown and Spain had two hits apiece. Sosa walked twice to go along with his homer. Turconi singled and walked. Gabby Martinez had a hit. Morris walked and was hit by a pitch and Palmegiani walked once but Nuñez was 0-for-5.
Michael Dominguez only gave up one run despite three hits and five walks thanks to nine punchouts. Matt Svanson surrendered five runs in two-thirds of an inning, giving up a three-run homer. Naswell Paulino stranded a runner for Svanson and pitched a shutout frame. Troy Watson got the final four outs and stranded a runner for Paulino.
Dunedin 6 Fort Myers 4 (Game 1 - Florida State League Division Series)
The D-Jays rattled off four runs in the first inning against the Twins affiliate. Cade Doughty had an infield RBI single to third and a throwing error at first on the play produced two runs. A balk and an Estiven Machado sacrifice fly brought home the other two. Devonte Brown singled home a run in the third and another in the sixth. Peyton Williams had three hits and Alan Roden had two hits, a walk and scored three runs. Brown and Doughty had two hits apiece. Machado, Josh Kasevich, Manuel Beltre and Roque Salinaas also had base hits. Salinas threw out a runner at third from left field on Fort Myers' RBI single by starting a 7-5-4 putout.
Rafael Sanchez surrendered a run in the first inning and fifth inning on seven hits and two walks. He struck out three and induced five outs on the ground. Eliander Alcalde served up a homer to the first hitter he faced but retired the next six men he faced with one punchouts. Conor Larkin had a 1-2-3 inning with a punchout. Ben Baggett gave up a solo homer and a single to the first two batters he faced but got the next three hitters to get the save.
*** 3 Stars!!! ***
3. Alan Roden, Dunedin
2. L.J. Talley, Buffalo
1. Adam Kloffenstein, New Hampshire
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