Always look on the bright side, right? Well, the title is the bright side. The whole bright side. Otherwise, it was an altogether rotten night for the Blue Jay farm as they dropped 4 of 5 matches.
Syracuse – All-Star Break
New Hampshire came into the double-header one game ahead of Portland for first place, but could only score 1 run on 5 hits for the night, leaving them a game behind the Sea Dogs. Josh Banks put up 5 shutout innings in the opener before allowing 2 in the 6th. He came out to surrender a double to the leadoff hitter in the seventh, and watched as that runner scored off Jordan De Jong. De Jong did manage to record all three outs by strikeout. Maikel Jova had the only hit and Erik Kratz the only walk as Jon Lester pitched a 13-strikeout gem.
The Fisher Cat hitters really stepped it up in the second game, scoring an unearned run on 4 hits and striking out just 5 times. Sarcasm. That’s sarcasm. David Pauley did the honours for Portland in this one, making it back-to-back complete games for the Portland staff. Ismael Ramirez kept the Dogs to 3 runs on their 10 hits in his 5 innings, striking out 3 and walking 1. Steve Andrade, back from the infirmary, finished up with 2 innings of 1-unearned-run ball. Rob Cosby managed 2 hits in this contest, and Maikel Jova nailed down the title of Best Fisher Hitter for the night by smacking a double. There’s that nasty sarcasm again.
The surest sign that the stars were directly aligned against the Fisher Cats this night: Chip Cannon went 0-for-6 with 5 whiffs.
Things went better in Dunedin, where Vito Chiaravalloti put aside any ill feelings at being demoted to hit a homer as part of a 3-hit 1-walk night in his 2005 Dunedin debut. Carlo Cota joined him in driving in three, Cota on the strength of two doubles. Robinzon Diaz, Mike Snyder, and Manny Mayorson also had 2-hit nights.
Kyle Yates went 6 innings for the win, 3 runs (2 earned) on 7 hits, 3 whiffs without a walk. Justin James and Brian Reed (2 runs on 5 hits) finished up.
Po-Hsuan Keng was roughed up for 6 runs in just 3 innings as the Cougars defeated the Lugnuts. Jordan Timm (3 innings), Aaron Tressler (1) and Joey McLuaghlin (2) shut things down from there, but the offence could only plate 3. Luke Hetherington and David Hicks each slapped two singles, while Curtis Thigpen had a double and Ryan Klosterman two bases on balls.
Paul Phillips pitched a scoreless 1-hit inning. From there, it gets ugly. Rob Ray (3 runs, 1 earned, on 3 hits in 3 innings), Eric Fowler (2 runs in 3-1/3 on 3 hits) and Eddie Rodriguez (3 runs on 5 hits in 2/3) were all left Spinning by Lowell. The Doubleday attack consisted of doubles from Cory Patton and Jermy Acey, and a single by Joey Metropoulos. End of story.
Sometimes you’re the Louisville Slugger baby, sometimes you’re the ball. Last Tuesday 3 very deserving players didn’t make the Three-Stars. This Tuesday… not so much.
The Third Star: Kyle Yates , Dunedin, 2 earned over 6 innings.
The Second Star: Jordan Timm , Lansing, 3 shutout innings of relief.
The First Star: Vito Chiaravalloti , Dunedin, 6 bases and a walk.
https://www.battersbox.ca/article.php?story=20050712083229513