Everything A-OK But Not AA/AAA-OK!

Wednesday, April 29 2009 @ 02:22 AM EDT

Las Vegas and New Hampshire couldn't buy a key hit but Dunedin and Lansing had no such problems in a .500 night on the farm.

Sacramento 3 Las Vegas 2

Sacramento, CA - This game began at 11:30 a.m. PDT and the 51's tried to get an early jump by having the leadoff man on and a runner in scoring position in the first three innings but they couldn't get the key base hit when they needed it.  Lefty Brett Cecil pitched two perfect innings but was torched for three runs in the third thanks to a two-run single by Chris Denorfia and a steal of home by Eric Patterson when catcher Kyle Phillips threw to second to nab Denorfia on the double steal.

Las Vegas got their first run of the game in the fourth when Scott Campbell singled home a Phillips double off Gio Gonzalez.  The 51's added another run in the fifth when a wild pitch allowed Howie Clark to scamper home.  They eventually had runners on the corners but they couldn't bring home the tying run.  The 51's also threatened in the sixth with runners at second and third with one out and had runners on the corners with two outs in the seventh but they couldn't cash any runners in.  They went down in order in the last two innings.   

Cecil overcame his a rough third inning by retiring 10 of the next 11 hitters over the next three frames.  He yielded just three runs on four hits and a walk while striking out five but fell to 0-3 on the year.  Jonah Bayliss took over and kept the Oakland affiliate off the board with two shutout frames, walking two but striking out three. 

The 51's had 10 hits and three walks in the game but were an ugly 2-for-15 with runners in scoring position while stranding nine.  Phillips had a 3-for-4 day including two doubles while Campbell was 2-for-4 and Randy Ruiz was 2-for-5 with a double each.  Buck Coats had a hit, two walks and stole a base.

New Britain 6 New Hampshire 4 (10 Innings)

Manchester, NH - Brian Dopirak gave the Fisher Cats a quick three-spot in the first by launching one over the wall in right against Twins prospect Jay Rainville.  The Rock Cats responded top of the second when Brian Dinkelman took Randy Boone deep for a three run shot to tie the game at 3-3. 

Boone gave up the go-ahead run in the fourth with a double but Nick Gorneault, Brad Emaus and Brian Jeroloman made sure another run would not cross the plate as a 9-4-2 putout ended the frame.  Boone did finish with a flourish with two perfect innings in the fifth and sixth by getting three groundouts and three strikeouts.  His K/BB mark over six was 5-3.  He was taken off the hook for a loss when Luis Sanchez doubled home the tying run in the seventh.

Edgar Estanga delivered two shutout innings in the seventh and eighth but left the bases loaded with two outs in the ninth.  Zach Dials was able to bail out Estanga with a groundball out but he loaded the bases in the tenth on a single and two walks.  That's when Juan Portes came up with a two-out single to put New Britain up by a pair.  The F-Cats had the first two men on in the home half of the tenth but Gorneault grounded into a double play and Adam Calderone struck out to end the game.

Despite 11 hits and six walks, the F-Cats went 1-for-10 with runners in scoring position.  Dopirak had a three-hit game and Sanchez got aboard three times with a hit and two walks.  Jeroloman, Emaus and Jonathan Diaz had two hits apiece.  Diaz was 2-for-2 after coming into the game to replace Chris Gutierrez at third.  Dopirak and Jeroloman are batting .324 and .323 respectively.  Jeroloman also made an error thanks to a catcher's interfence call.  However, he did draw a walk so the BJBB meter is at six.

Dunedin 11 Clearwater 7

Dunedin, FL - Hey, some offence!  Clearwater got on the board first against D-Jays starter Marcus Walden but Dunedin laid five on Clearwater in the second and fourth innings.   John Tolisano unloaded with a two-run poke over the right field wall to cap off the five run rally in the second.  The Phillies affiliate chipped away with single runs in the third and fourth off Walden but the Dunedin offence erupted again.  Jonathan Jaspe went deep for a two-run shot to score an Adam Loewen single to start that five run uprising.   Loewen drove in the final run of the night in the seventh with an RBI double.

Dunedin got 11 hits and three walks and every batter got on base at least once.  Tolisano, Loewen, Manny Rodriguez and Eric Thames enjoyed two hit nights as Dunedin batted .500 (6-for-12) in the RISP category.

It was a great night for the batters but not the pitchers, who allowed 15 hits and seven walks.  Walden only lasted four innings and gave up three runs with a WHIP of nearly three.  Kenny Rodriguez earned the win with a shutout fifth inning, giving up a hit while striking out two.  Scott "Say Good Night" Gracey allowed three runs in two innings and lefty Cody Crowell gave up a run in his one innning of work.  Danny Farquhar worked a scoreless ninth but not without surrendering a hit and a walk.  It's a minor miracle Dunedin won this game!

Lansing 5 West Michigan 2

Comstock Park, MI - Yes, John Anderson and the Lugnuts found a way in this one.  The Lugnuts lefty was victimized by back to back doubles by the Tigers affiliate in the first but Michael McDade hit a three-run homer and Kenneth Wilson added an RBI single to give Lansing a four-run second inning.  The Lugnuts added one more in the sixth on a run-scoring single by Balbino Fuenmayor.

Anderson scattered seven hits and a walk over four innings but did get seven groundouts and struck out a pair.  He gave the ball to fellow lefty and winning pitcher Frank Gailey, who allowed a hit and a walk over two scoreless frames.  Michael Barbara gave up a run over two innings while Matthew Daly finished up with a scoreless ninth.

Tyler Pastornicky had a two-hit game while McDade had a homer and a walk.  Every Lansing starter save Brian Van Kirk got on base at least once.  The Lugnuts had nine hits and two walks while going 3-for-6 with RISP.  Mark Sobolewski and Wilson each had a stolen base but Wilson was also caught once.

*** 3 Stars!!! ***

3.  Brett Cecil, Las Vegas

2.  Michael McDade, Lansing

1.  Brian Dopirak, New Hampshire

Standings/Streaks/Last 10............

Las Vegas 5-14, 4th place - PCL Pacific South, 6.5 GB, 3-7 Last 10, L4.

New Hampshire 11-7, 1st place - EL North, 1.0 GA, 6-4 Last 10, L2.

Dunedin 7-11, 4th place (tie) - FSL North, 5.0 GB, 3-7 Last 10, W2.

Lansing 4-13, 5th place - MWL East, 9.5 GB, 3-7 Last 10, W1.

Bonus Material........

The Las Vegas Review-Journal has features on Scott Campbell, Brett Harper and Jason Lane.

The New Hampshire Union Leader's Kevin Gray has a chat with farm director Dick Scott.

Dunedin's Justin Jackson makes a Baseball America list and it's not a good one.

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