Will Dustin McGowan ever start another game in Double-A?
Will the Charleston Alley Cats ever lose again?
The answer to both of those questions could be, "NO"!
Scranton-WB 3, Syracuse 0 (7 innings)
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With a pair of seven-inning games on the bill yesterday in Scranton, the SkyChiefs aimed at regaining last week's upward momentum. At the end of the day though, they had played only one seven-inning tilt (the other being postponed) and had found themselves in the midst of a five-game skid. Jason Arnold, coming off a big win in his previous start (7 IP, 5 H, 0 ER, 1 BB, 1 SO), gave up 3 earned runs, on 6 hits (1 BB, 3 SO, 0 HR) to take the loss. It was just another so-so performance for Arnold, who is still working out some mechanical adjustments with pitching coach Brad Arnsberg. In the bottom of the first inning, Arnold gave up a triple to leadoff hitter, Mark Budzinski, who scored moments later on a 1-4-3 put-out. The Red Barons were quiet from them on, until emerging in the fifth, with Budzinski once again the catalyst, tripling in a run, and scoring on a groundout. Dave Maurer relieved Arnold of his duties and pitched a scoreless sixth.
The SkyChief batters were 0-6 with runners in scoring position, unable to capitalize on the few runners Josh Hancock and Geoff Geary allowed for Scranton. With one out, and runners on first and second in the first inning, Simon Pond and Glenn Williams both struck out swinging. With a runner on second in the third inning with one out, Alex Rios flied out and Pond grounded out to second base. The top of the sixth brought the same result, making the Chiefs look (for a day, at least) eerily similar to their major league bretheren. Russ Adams would reach base in the seventh and final frame with a walk, but Rios flied out right field, handing the Barons a mini-shutout. Rios (2-4, 0 BB, 0 K) was the only Chief with two hits, raising his batting average to .291 on the season. The teams will try again for a double-dip tomorrow.
Akron 3, New Hampshire 1
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Fisher Cat faithful and Eastern League fans might have caught one of their last live glimpses of Dustin McGowan yesterday. In his final April start (at 10:35 am), the Jays' #1 pitching prospect was almost perfect again, striking out a season-high nine batters, scattering three hits, and walking only one Aero through six innings (while also uncorking two wild pitches). The one run allowed came via a looping double on a 3-2 pitch in the sixth, scoring Akron's Zach Sorenson. Deserving a better fate perhaps, McGowan left with the game tied 1-1, turning the ball over to Brandon League to start the seventh inning. The Honolulan might have been affected by the weather -- light rain turned to hailstorm rather quickly in Akron yesterday -- but the net result for League was 8 pitches, 8 balls, a quick exit, and a mid-inning bullpen-call to righty Jordan DeJong. League's two walks would come into score, as unearned runs, when Matt Logan's throw to first on a sac bunt ended up in right field, and was followed by an RBI-groundout by Rodney Choy Foo. Down by two runs, the Fisher Cats could not muster a rally behind their ace, marking it as the first time -- in his 18 Eastern League starts -- Dustin McGowan's team had lost.
The Cats' only run was manufactured from an Akron miscue in the third inning. Danny Solano reached on an error and moved to second on Tyrell Godwin's single. Dominic Rich sacrificed the two men over, before Aaron Hill (0-2, 2 BB; 11 BB, 52 AB) drove in the run with a groundout to short. Matt Logan, who had half of New Hampshire's hits on the day, singled and doubled in four at-bats, while DeJong and Mississaugan John Ogiltree combined for two innings of one-hit shutout relief over the last two frames.
Dunedin 3, Jupiter 2:
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Neomar Flores made a firm statement that he deserves to stay in the rotation when the organization decides to promote an arm (or three) from Charleston. The 22-year-old Venezuelan pitched shutout ball until giving up a solo home run in the fifth inning. He left after striking out the first batter he faced in the sixth inning, having put together an impressive pitching line: 5.1 IP, 6 H, 1 ER, 0 BB, 7 SO, 1 HR. Dunedin opened the scoring in the bottom of the second as Miguel Negron singled with one out, moved to second on a wild pitch, made it to third on a Scott Dragicevich single, and scored on a sac fly by Jason Waugh. Flores' shutout bid was lost in the bottom of the fifth, as he gave up a one-out solo homer to Hammerhead second baseman Christopher Bass. Jupiter waited until the 8th to break the tie, scoring a run off Tracy Thorpe. With the score 2-1, the D-Jays rallied for a pair of runs in the bottom of the 8th, capped by a two-run Ron Davenport triple that scored Jayce Tingler and Brad Hassey, who had both reached base with walks.
Thorpe (2 IP, 1 H, 1 ER, 1 BB, 1 SO) gave way to the dependable Andy Torres (1.2 IP, 2 H, 0 ER, 0 BB, 2 SO), who pitched another effective relief stint for Dunedin, and became the D-Jays winningest pitcher, at 3-0 . Negron (2-3, K), continuing his revelationary 2004 campaign, was the only D-Jay with two hits. Meanwhile, Tingler went hitless, but walked twice in the leadoff spot. Big Vito, cooling off after a torrid start in the FSL, went 0-4 (2 K) in the cleanup spot.
Charleston 4, Asheville 2:
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Another come-from-behind win (technically) for the A-Cats. The difference between last night's version, and Charleston's vintage come-from-behind variety, lay in the timing. Trailing 2-0, after Shaun Marcum had given up a home run in the top of the second to Tourist Trey George, the Cats started to mount the comeback. In the bottom of the second, David Smith, who had singled and advanced to third on a passed ball and a groundout, scored on a Morrin Davis groundout. The next inning, Charleston evened the score at two, manufacturing another unearned run. Willie Rivera singled and advanced to third on an error charged to the pitcher. With the next two batters unable to plate the run, Rivera awaited a two-out error by Asheville to tie the game. Charleston would take the lead for good in the bottom of the fourth, when Mike Galloway blasted a two-run homer to left center. Galloway's homer capped the scoring, leaving Alley Cat pitching to tell the rest of the story.
Marcum wasn't nearly as efficient as he was in racking up a complete game shutout in his last start. Nevertheless, the pitching line (7 IP, 3 H, 2 ER, 0 BB, 7 SO) shows that, aside from the mistake to George, Marcum was in control throughout. With the victory, Marcum's record went to 3-0. The healthy competition among Charleston's pitchers seems to be bringing out the best in each "ace," day after day. Mark Sopko and Brian Reed, who pitched shutout eighth and ninth innings, respectively, seem to be overmatching Sally League hitters as much as Marcum and Co. are in the Alley Cat rotation. It was a rare off-night for Charleston's hottest hitter, second baseman Ryan Roberts, who didn't reach base in four at bats. David Smith (2-2, BB) was the only multi-hitting Cat, while Galloway was certainly the most productive (1-3, HR, 2 RBI). The win was the Cats' twelvth in a row, and drew them closer to the 48-year league record of 25 games in a row. They're idle today and open up a four-game set in Delmarva tomorrow.
Links Of The Day:
1. Rick Ryan, Charleston Gazette, has the Alley Cate game story.
2. The Union Leader has the story on the Fisher Cats' game in Akron yesterday morning.
3. Ed Gonser, Post-Standard has the Chiefs game story from Moosic, PA.
4. Josh Banks made it to #11 on Kevin Goldstein's latest Prospect Pulse (Baseball America)
Today's Games:
Syracuse (Chris Baker, Game #1) at Scranton-WB (PHI), 6:00 pm (doubleadher)
New Hampshire (Gustavo Chacin) at Akron (CLE), 10:35 am
Jupiter (FLO) at Dunedin (Josh Banks), 7:00 pm
Three-Star Selection!
Our Third Star: Michael Galloway, Dunedin (Game-deciding home run in the fourth inning; brought average to .327)
Our Second Star: Neomar Flores, Dunedin (5.1 IP, 1 ER, 0 BB, 7 SO; Flores will need a few more games like yesterday's to make his way onto the prospect radar screen)
Our First Star: Dustin McGowan, New Hampshire (6 IP, 3 H, 1 ER, 1 BB, 9 SO; He doesn't have any more to learn in the Eastern League. Speculation on the exact date for his promotion to AAA Syracuse should end within days!)
https://www.battersbox.ca/article.php?story=20040428085442999