Tough night for the farm, as it looks like a career minor leaguer might end up with the first star. Only one win on the night; a good effort from the starter in Lansing prevents a SkyChief Star Sweep. And can you guess what Travis Snider did last night? Without looking, I'm going with two hits, one of which was for extra bases.
Ottawa 2 @ Syracuse 5
Some things you don't expect to see were on display in the 'Cuse. Luis Figueroa with four hits and the catch "of the game - and maybe the season"? Josh Banks giving up just one homer to 23 batters? However, the night was not without expected outcomes once Davis Romero entered the game, stranded a runner, then struck out three of the five batters he faced (and got the other two to ground out). Add a couple of doubles and a single for Adam Lind and you've got yourself a pretty good Friday night for the SkyChiefs.
Trenton 3 @ New Hampshire 2
No runs were scored after the top of the second in this game, as the F-Cats were able to muster but one two-run homer from Chip Cannon. Three hits of offensive support was not enough for Mike MacDonald, who gave up just one earned run over seven innings but still ended up on the wrong side of this one.
Justin Pope got the save for the Trenton Thunder -- after this game, he has 43.2 innings with the Thunder, with 45 strikeouts, 15 walks and just one homer. This might be impressive if he wasn't on his third trip through the Eastern League at age 26.
Dunedin 3 @ Clearwater 6
In what can hardly be described as an away game for the D-Jays, Aaron Mathews brought Dunedin back within three with a two-run homer in the eighth. However, the game was pretty much done by then, as Clearwater scored in five different innings off Russell Savickas and T.J. Gornati. Whoever Kyle Kendrick is, he kept Dunedin at bay through seven.
Lansing 2 @ South Bend 3
The Lugnuts would have been happy if this turned out like the AA game and no runs were scored after the second. Up 2-1 in the third and through until the eighth, it was probably quite unfortunate when the bottom of the ninth unfolded as follows: single-single-sac bunt-intentional walk. Well, that's not so bad so far...but a two-run single followed and a three-hits-in-six innings effort from Adrian Martin was wasted. Notable hitters for Lansing? The empty set.
Auburn 2 @ Batavia 6
Only five hits from the D-Days last night -- little-to-no-offence was the theme of the day, I guess. Scott Campbell managed two hits, and Shawn Scobee had an RBI double, but that's really all she wrote here.
Johnson City 7 @ Pulaski 3
If it wasn't for the ninth, this would be a shutout. The P-Jays scored all their runs in the final inning, with Travis Snider grounding out to end it. Snider, in the rest of the game, reached on a single and a walk but did not figure in the scoring.
I smell a rain delay in this one, as both starters lasted just two innings each. The best part of the game was Wilfrido Pujols, who was batting an un-Pujols .189/.228/.216 before last night.
Three Star Selection:
3. Adrian Martin
2. Adam Lind
1. Luis Figueroa
https://www.battersbox.ca/article.php?story=20060812014041597