One Run is All It Takes

Friday, July 27 2007 @ 01:18 AM EDT

Contributed by: Thomas

Mike Green’s minor league report will run tomorrow. In the meantime, prepare to be enthralled with the accounts of four one-run games and 5 victories on the farm.

Syracuse 2 @ Rochester 3 - Boxscore

Jim Crowell gave up three singles and a double in the bottom of the first and spotted Rochester a 2-0 lead. The second run was scored by Darnell McDonald, recently spotted getting a hit in Toronto earlier this week, which was his first in the majors since 2004. Crowell pitched 3.2 innings and didn’t allow another run. He turned the ball over to Justin James who threw 3.1 innings of one hit relief. North Carolina’s Brian Bass started for Rochester and only gave up 3 hits in 7 innings.

It was still 2-0 to begin the top of the ninth and Bobby Korecky came on to get the save for Rochester. Robinzon Diaz singled to begin the inning, but he was replaced on a Rey Olmedo fielder’s choice. Russ Adams then went into the double digits with his 10th homer of the year. Syracuse wasn’t able to muster up any more offence despite a Kevin Barker single. In the bottom of the inning Mike Venafro induced a ground out, but then allowed a double to left field. Ryan Houston came on to pitch and gave up a single to right and John Ford-Griffin was unable to throw out the runner. Rochester’s walk-off win was the only defeat Toronto’s farm system would suffer on the night.

New Britain 3 @ New Hampshire 4 - Boxscore

Southpaw Eric Fowler improved to 3-3 on the year with a strong performance against the New Britain Rock Cats. Fowler went 6.2 innings and gave up 3 runs, one unearned on a Chip Cannon error, on 7 hits. Fowler struck out three and didn’t allow a run. Seth Overbey continued his rapid ascent through the Toronto system with a scoreless relief inning. After beginning the year in Lansing he now has a 2.61 ERA in 31 innings at New Hampshire and a 1.37 ERA in 65.2 minor league innings on the year. Jesse Carlson recorded his fourth save of the year.

Offensively, it was the David Smith show. Aaron Matthews walked to leadoff the bottom of the second. After Rob Cosby popped up Cannon singled, bringing up Smith. With one swing of the bat he drove home 3 runs and gave New Hampshire a 3-1 lead. In the fourth inning he hit his second homer in as many at-bats and that fourth run would turn out to be the winning run. The only other hits on the evening were by Erik Kratz and Sergio Santos.

Lakeland 3 @ Dunedin 4 - Boxscore

With one out in the bottom of the first Carlo Cota was hit by a pitch, but then Cory Patton struck out looking. Then, with the inning not looking particularly promising, Dunedin strung together 3 singles with Josh Kreuzer and Kyle Phillips each knocking in a run. With two on and two out Jacob Buter walked to load the bases and then Brian “The Eye” Jeroloman drove in the third run of the inning by taking a walk. With the bases loaded Chris Gutierrez failed to deliver the knockout blow and flew out to right.

Lakeland tied the game up in the top of the seventh with a 2-run seventh. In the bottom of the inning Dunedin manufactured a run on an Anthony Hatch singled. Hatch stole second and advanced to third on a throwing error by the catcher. Carlo Cota drove him in with a sacrifice fly. In the top of the eighth Paul Phillips relieved Brandon Magee and promptly retired two batters, but then he walked the next two batters. With Phillips struggling with his control Connor Falkenbach came in to pitch. The two Lakeland runners executed a double steal, putting runners on second and third, but Falkenbach induced a grounder and escaped the jam. He pitched the ninth and picked up his 23rd save of the year. Magee, the starter, went 7 innings and gave up 3 runs, on two solo homers and an RBI single.

Lansing 8 @ Clinton 3 - Boxscore

Kyle Ginley gave up two runs, one earned, over 5 innings. He struck out 6 and allowed 2 walks. Benjamin Harrison pitched 3 innings of relief, striking out 4. The one hit he allowed was a solo homer. Lansing had eight hits on the night, with half of them coming from the 8 and 9 hitters. Jonathan Jaspe and Jonathan Diaz each had two hits on the night. Diaz went 2-4 with a walk and a RBI. Jaspe went 2-4 with a walk, 2 runs and 4 RBI. Sean Shoffit went 1-1 with 3 runs and 4 walks. Travis Snider went hitless, but threw out a runner at home plate.

Auburn 10 @ Tri-City 3 - Boxscore

Twenty year-old Alan Farina pitched 3 scoreless innings to begin the game and then turned things over to Marc Rzepczynski, who pitched 4 innings in relief and allowed a single run. As Auburn pitchers limited Tri-City batters to one run over 7 innings, the Auburn

offence gave them a four run lead and then doubled it in the top of the eighth.

JP Arencibia had a double and a sacrifice fly, but was otherwise a quiet 1-5. Adam Calderone went 3-4 with a walk, a home run, 2 runs and 3 RBI. Ben Zeskind also had 3 hits. Zeskind had a double, a home run, 2 runs and 2 RBI. Manny Rodriguez hit his sixth home run, while Victor Santana went 1-3 with 2 walks.

GCL Blue Jays 1 @ GCL Braves 0 - Boxscore

James Dougher is quietly putting together a fine run for the GCL Blue Jays. On Thursday he threw 5 innings of one-hit ball against the GCL Braves and lowered his ERA to 1.04 on the season. The Syracuse native has a 1.83 GB/FB ratio and a 4.6 K/BB ratio, although it was an even 1 last night. Jacob Cook then took over and struck out four batters in his 2 innings and he was relieved by Ryan Bird, who also threw a scoreless frame. Eric Barrett, the Braves starter, struck out 9 Blue Jays over his 6 innings.

Justin Jackson went 1-2 with 2 walks batting leadoff for the Blue Jays. While he displayed the eye of a leadoff hitter, he didn’t display a leadoff hitter’s baserunning skills as he was both caught stealing and picked off during the game. The Blue Jays rapped out 8 hits on the night with every starter save Michael McDade getting one. Going into the top of the ninth the game was tied 0-0. Balbino Fuenmayor, who to that point had the only extra-base hit of the game, struck out to begin the inning, but then Joel Collins doubled. Yohermyn Chavez singled him home and stole second. The next two batters weren’t able to get hits, but the damage was done and the Blue Jays led 1-0. Robert Leffler came in to pitch the ninth for the Blue Jays and, despite allowing two baserunners, picked up the save.

3 star selection

3rd star – Ben Zeskind, 3-5, 2 R, 2B, HR, 2 RBI, SH, 7 TB

2nd star – Adam Calderone, 3-4, 2 R, HR, 3 RBI, BB, 6 TB

1st star – David Smith, 2-3, 2 R, 2 HR, 4 RBI, 8 TB

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