Buffalo and the FCL Jays both scored three runs in their last at-bat for two walk off wins. Dunedin won both ends of a doubleheader. Vancouver ran up the score on Spokane as they push for a first half title. New Hampshire were the only duds on the night.
Vancouver are currently in first place with a 1.5 game lead as of early Friday night. They have won eight straight games. The first half ends next Thursday, five games remain.
Columbus 5 Buffalo 6
New Hampshire 1 Reading 11
Spokane 0 Vancouver 15
Fort Myers 2 Dunedin 3 - game one
Fort Myers 0 Dunedin 1 - game two
FCL Yankees 4 FCL Blue Jays 5
Three Stars
Third Star - Will Wagner
Second Star - Victor Arias
First Star - Riley Tirotta
NOTES
Max Scherzer was the Buffalo starter. He went 4.1 innings and was charged with two runs. Anders Tolhurst pitched in relief.
The Bisons scored three runs in the bottom of the ninth for a walk off win. Will Wanger was back from rehab and he doubled in the tying run. Riley Tirotta singled in the winning run with an infield high chopper. Five Bisons had two hits. Wagner, Tirotta, Michael Stefanic, Joey Loperfido and Phil Clarke who hit his first AAA HR of the season. It was his first appearance in a week. Orelvis was 0-2 to continue his hitless streak.
Grant Rogers started for NH. He got the first two outs but then the Phils had five straight hits, the last one being a home run, and the Cats were down 5-0. Grant Rogers hung in for four innings.
NH had six hits. Their own run came from a Robert Brooks home run.
Vancouver are pushing for a first half division win and a guaranteed payoff spot. The first half ends mid next week. Their 15-0 win certainly helped. Every starter had a hit and six of them had a multi hit game. Arjun Nimmala, who has been struggling, went 2-4 with two walks. Victor Arias led the way with three hits while professional hitter Jackson Hornung had two. I could see Hornung getting a promotion once the first half ends.
Chris McElvain, coming back from injury, pitched four shutout innings.
The first Dunedin game was a continuation of yesterdays game that was rained out in the first inning. Both teams had just four hits in the seven inning game. Tucker Toman had two hits and an RBI. Alexis Hernandez drove in two with a single. Kendry Rojas was limited to one inning yesterday, Austin Cates threw four innings today with one run conceded.
Landen Maroudis started game two, his first appearance at this level after his surgery. He went four hitless, shutout innings, two walks and three K's. Maroudis and Gilberto Batista combined on a two hitter. The Jays only run came when Manuel Beltre singled in Sam Shaw. Beltre and Shaw had two hits each, four total out of the Jays five hits.
The FCL Jays scored three in the bottom of the seventh for a walk off win. They did it without a hit, a lead off walk was followed by three Yankee errors. Brandon Barriera started but had trouble throwing strikes.
