The affiliates split things right down the middle last night. Syracuse got an encouraging performance from a recently demoted starter and came away with a walk-off win, New Hampshire battled back from an early deficit only to suffer a walk-off loss, Dunedin held on in a nail-biter, Lansing's offence didn't show up against the first place team in their division and the Gulf Coast Jays split a doubleheader against the team they're chasing for first. Auburn had the night off.
Syracuse, NY - The Chiefs booted an early field goal in the first inning as Russ Adams went downtown with a three-run homer off former Jay Tomo Ohka to score a Wayne Lydon walk and a Buck Coats single. The recently demoted Jesse Litsch made like King Arthur, chopping up the first 11 Knights in order. Other than two singles in the fourth, Litsch was perfect. In the sixth, he surrendered a leadoff homer to Javier Colina and three more singles to put the White Sox affiliate to within a run. Litsch loaded up the bases in the seventh on a walk, single and hit batter but Russ Adams threw out a runner at the plate from second base to help Litsch put up another zero on the scoreboard.
In the eighth, Mike Gosling relieved Litsch and the lefty retired the lone batter he faced before giving way to Jordan De Jong. De Jong got the next two outs but not before yielding a solo crank to Royce Huffman to tie the game at 3-3. De Jong would redeem himself with a three-up, three down ninth. The Chiefs left the bases loaded in the eighth and they loaded up the bases again in the ninth. Just when it looked like the game was heading into overtime, Danny Sandoval drew a two-out walk against former Jay farmhamd Scott Sauerbeck to bring home a Brian Jeroloman base on balls to literally give the Chiefs a walk-off win.
Boxscore Notes - Jesse Litsch gave up seven hits, walked a man and plunked another over seven strong innings while whiffing four. He also had a dozen groundball outs........Buck Coats had three of the Chiefs eight hits on 6the night, Wayne Lydon had a double and two walks while Russ Adams had a homer and a walk......Adam Calderone drew a walk and stole a base but is still looking for his first hit at the AAA level.
New Britain, CT - The Fisher Cats tried to be ``King of the Britains`` but their quest came up short. The Rock Cats abused former Padre and Pirate Marty McCleary with three doubles, a walk and a J.P. Arencibia passed ball to take a 3-0 lead in the first inning. The F-Cats responded in the third on a Chris Gutierrez RBI single. After working a one-hit second and striking out the side in the third, McCleary might`ve wished he stayed in the Korean League as the 33 year-old hurler gave up three walks, a double and a single that led to three runs in the fourth. 37 year-old Jo Matumoto finally got the last out of the frame. J.P. Arencibia did throw out a runner at second so the damage could have been worse.
Chris Gutierrez drove in his second run of the night with a sac fly in the fifth, J.P. Arencibia belted a solo shot in the sixth and Kyle Phillips drove home a Travis Snider double to cut New Britain`s lead to 6-4. Ryan Patterson also went deep to lead off the seventh and Jacob Butler tied the game at 6-6 in the eighth by tripling home pinch runner Ryan Klosterman.
Seth Overbey bailed out Jo Matumoto with two out and two on in the sixth and Daryl Harang bailed out Overbey after a bases-loaded jam in the seventh. The defence bailed out Harang in the eighth when left fielder David Smith started a 7-2-4-2-5-3 play to cut down a runner trying to score from second. Harang`s luck ran out when he gave up a bases-loaded, run-scoring single to hand the F-Cats a walk-off loss.
Boxscore Notes - Ryan Patterson had three hits while J.P. Arencibia, Travis Snider and Kyle Phillips had two each as part of the F-Cats 13-hit attack........The four New Hampshire hurlers were torched for 17 hits and 8 walks while striking out just 6.
Dunedin, FL - Three two-out singles in the first didn`t produce a run as Brad Emaus was cut down at the plate but Matt Liuzza put the D-Jays on the board in the second with a solo homer. Brian Dopirak doubled the Dunedin lead with a two-bagger to score a Chris Emanuele single in the third while a Matt Liuzza bases-loaded walk and Sean Shoffit RBI single in the fifth lifted Dunedin to a 4-1 lead.
Starter Kenny Rodriguez survived a pair of singles in the first and a triple in the second before setting down the side in order in the third and fourth but two singles, a passed ball, a walk and a hit batter in the fifth led to the Reds first run. Rodriguez lasted two outs into the sixth but not before giving up another run on a walk and two singles. Chad Blackwell struck out the lone man he faced to end the inning. The rehabbing Jeremy Accardo came on in the seventh and he yielded a solo gopher ball to cut Dunedin`s lead to 4-3. Celson Polanco worked a one-hit eighth and Connor Falkenbach plunked a hitter and gave up a single to make things exciting before getting the save.
Boxscore Notes - Anthony Hatch had a perfect night with three hits and a walk while Brian Dopirak also contributed three hits. Chris Emanuele had two safeties......The rehabbing Shannon Stewart was 0-for-3 with a walk while patrolling left field.....Jeremy Accardo gave up a homer and a single to go along with two groundouts and a flyout in his one inning of work.
South Bend, IN - The D-Backs affiliate got the only run they needed in the second inning with back to back doubles against Lugnuts lefty Chi-Hung Cheng. Despite giving up eight hits and two walks, that would be the only run Cheng would give up thanks in large part to Manny Rodriguez. He started an unconventional 3-2-3 double play to save Cheng`s hide in the fifth. Cheng was gone after a leadoff walk in the sixth but lefty Edgar Estanga kept the Silver Hawks off the board. However, Estanga gave up back to back to back doubles that led to a two-run seventh for South Bend. Michael Barbara retired the final four men he faced but it didn`t matter as the Lugnuts got all of four hits on the evening.
Boxscore Notes - Chi-Hung Cheng had a WHIP of two in his five innings but he did strike out four and got a half-dozen groundouts.......Yohermyn Chavez had two singles while Kevin Ahrens and Justin Jackson had one each. David Cooper drew the team`s only walk against eight strikeouts.
Auburn - Scheduled Day Off.
Game 1 - GCL Blue Jays 9 GCL Phillies 6 (7 Innings)
Clearwater, FL - Kyle Gilligan`s two-run double got the G-Jays off on the right foot in the second. Markus Brisker and Tyler Pastornicky followed with run-scoring base knocks of their own and it was 4-0 for the visitors. The fightin` Phils fought back with a five-spot in their home half of the second against Scott Gracey, saying good night to the righthander after he hit two batters, uncorked two wild pitches, gave up a two-run double, a run scoring single and two walks. One of the walks was a run-scoring passed ball and another Antonio Jimenez passed ball capped off the five-run frame. Lefty Jared Potts mercifully came in to end the bleeding.
The G-Jays matched that outburst with a five-run inning of their own in the fourth. Balbino Fuenmayor had an RBI double, Antonio Jimenez delivered an RBI single, Tyler Pastornicky had a sac fly and Welinton ``being Welinton`` Ramirez singled home another run to make it 9-4 Jays. Jared Potts survived a bases loaded scare in the fourth with a double play ball while getting another DP turned behind him in the fifth. He gave up a two-out double in the sixth and Dustin Antolin allowed the run to score on a triple. Antolin gave up a walk, double and single before finishing things off.
Boxscore Notes - Welinton Ramirez and Markus Brisker each had a hat trick in the hit column. Brisker added a stolen base but was caught stealing as well. Ramirez, Kyle Gilligan and Tyler Pastornicky had two RBI apiece.
Game 2 - GCL Phillies 3 GCL Blue Jays 2 (9 Innings)
Dunedin, FL - Ryan Koch scattered three hits over three shutout frames for the G-Jays but the Phils got to Yorman Mayora in the fourth with a leadoff homer. The Jays tied it on a two-out double by Balbino Fuenmayor that cashed in a Luis Fernandez single. They took the lead in the sixth on a leadoff triple by Justin McClanahan and a run-scoring single by Welinton Ramirez. The lead disappeared in the seventh when Willi Mendez, who relieved Yorman Mayora, uncorked a wild pitch with the bases loaded to give the Phils the tying run.
Lefty Tyler Kelsey relieved Mendez in the ninth and got the first two runs before giving up a single. Kyle Gilligan relieved Kelsey but gave up a run scoring single to hand the Phils the lead. The Jays had their chances to at least tie it if not win it when Tyler Pastonicky led off with a single but he was erased on a pickoff. They proceeded to loaded the bases with two singles and a hit batter but Justin McClanahan popped up and Welinton Ramirez grounded out to end the game.
Boxscore Notes - Luis Fernandez had a three-hit night and added a stolen base while Balbino Fuenmayor had a 2-for-4 night with an RBI........The G-Jays had two pinch-hits off the bats of Bradley McElroy and Tyler Pastornicky......Ryan Koch struck out three without walking a batter in his three innings to lower his ERA to 0.60.
*** 3 Stars!!! ***
3. Russ Adams, Syracuse - 1-for-3, HR, 3 RBI, BB, Threw out runner at plate.
2. Ryan Patterson, New Hampshire - 3-for-4, 3R, 2B, HR, RBI.
1. Jesse Litsch, Syracuse - 7IP, 8H, 2R, 2ER, 1BB, 4K, HBP, 12 GO.
Honourable Mentions.........
Syracuse - Buck Coats, Wayne Lydon, Danny Sandoval, Brian Jeroloman, Mike Gosling, Jordan De Jong.
New Hampshire - J.P. Arencibia, Travis Snider, Kyle Phillips, Jacob Butler.
Dunedin - Anthony Hatch, Matt Liuzza, Brian Dopirak, Chris Emanuele, Kenny Rodriguez, Chad Blackwell, Celson Polanco, Connor Falkenbach.
Lansing - Yohermyn Chavez, Michael Barbara.
GCL Blue Jays - Kyle Gilligan, Markus Brisker, Welinton Ramirez, Tyler Pastornicky, Balbino Fuenmayor, Luis Fernandez, Justin McClanahan, Ryan Koch.
Standings-Streaks............
Syracuse - 55-60, 3rd place - IL North (15.5 GB of Scranton-WB), 4-6 Last 10, W1.
New Hampshire - 50-67, 5th place - EL North (20.5 GB of Trenton), 7-3 Last 10, L1.
Dunedin - 29-13, 1st place - FSL West (6.5 GA of Lakeland), 7-3 Last 10, W4.
Lansing - 24-20, 3rd place - MWL East (4.0 GB of South Bend), 4-6 Last 10, L1.
Auburn - 27-18, 2nd place (tied w. Batavia) - NYP Pinckney (1.0 GB of Jamestown), 7-3 Last 10, W3.
GCL Blue Jays - 19-19, 2nd place (tied w GCL Braves & Indians) - GCL North (4.5 GB of GCL Phillies), 5-5 Last 10, L1.
Today`s Schedule-Probable Starters............
Charlotte @ Syracuse, 7:00 p.m. EDT - RHP Jack Egbert, CHA (3-9, 4.62) vs. LHP Brett Cecil, SYR (0-1, 19.29).
Sarasota @ Dunedin, 7:00 p.m. EDT - TBA vs. TBA.
Lansing @ South Bend, 7:00 p.m. EDT - TBA vs. TBA.
New Hampshire @ New Britain, 7:05 p.m. EDT - RHP Jean Machi, NH (1-4, 4.81) vs LHP Kyle Aselton, NB (4-5, 4.42).
Game 1 - Auburn @ Batavia, 5:05 p.m. EDT - Completion of Suspended Game from July 20th. Auburn led 1-0 w/ 2 outs, Top 1st.
Game 2 - Auburn @ Batavia, 7:05 p.m. EDT - TBA vs. TBA.
GCL Phillies @ GCL Blue Jays, 12:00 p.m. EDT - TBA vs. TBA.
Bonus Material........
The Lansing State Journal profiles Lugnut reliever Tim Collins. They call him......Tim?
https://www.battersbox.ca/article.php?story=20080805114743534