The affiliates went 2-2 on the evening, in what I believe to be the most successful Monday Minor League Update so far this year.
Las Vegas 2 at Fresno 10
It wasn't quite as ugly in Fresno as the score would have you believe. Entering the bottom of the 8th, it was still a 4-2 game, but the Grizzlies put up a 6-spot against Bryan Bullington (who had already pitched 2 mostly effective innings) and Davis Romero.
Prior to the 8th, Wade Miller kept the 51s in the game with 5 innings of component-symmetrical ball: 5-3-3-3-5 (H-R-ER-BB-SO). Unfortunately, Ryan Sadowski and the Grizzlies' bullpen were better, holding Las Vegas to 2 runs on 9 hits. The 51s scored their runs on an RBI double by Brett Harper in the 1st and an infield single by Buck Coats in the 2nd. Howie Clark had a good day at the dish, going 1-2 with 2 walks, and Kyle Phillips continued to hit well, going 2-3 with a walk. Scott Campbell was 1-3 while J.P. Arencibia was 0-4.
New Hampshire 8 at New Britain 3
Marc Rzepczynski started and was excellent for the Fisher Cats, going 7 2/3 innings while allowing 2 runs (1 earned) on 5 hits and a walk, and striking out 6. He also induced 11 ground outs to only 6 fly outs, a nearly 2:1 ratio. David Shinskie wasn't particularly good in pitching the remaining inning and a third, but he didn't need to be, as the F-Cats offense put up 8 runs, plenty of support for Zip.
Brad Emaus was the offensive star for New Hampshire, going 4-6 with 3 singles and a long ball, but everyone chipped in. New Hampshire totaled 19 hits on the evening including 4 from David Cooper and at least one from every starter except Brian Dopirak.
Dunedin 8 at Lakeland 9
The D-Jays brought out the lumber on Monday night, smacking 3 homers off Lakeland pitching. The three homermigos were John Tolisano, who also singled and walked, Eric Thames, who added a single, and Chris Emanuele, who also also singled. Unfortunately, it wasn't enough, as the Dunedin pitching staff was roughed up for 9 runs. Starter Ryan Page only lasted 2 innings, allowing 4 runs, and is now 0-5 with an 8.18 ERA, and Chris Michalak allowed 3 runs in his inning of work. Cody Crowell and Dumas Garcia each pitched 2 decent innings, but each allowed a run and that was just enough for the Flying Tigers.
Other notes: Darin Mastroianni went 0-4 but managed to steal his 19th base on the year. Adam Loewen went 0-4 with 2 Ks.
Lansing 6 at Wisconsin 4
The Lugnuts got off to a good start with 3 runs in the top of the first. Kenny Wilson singled, Tyler Pastornicky reached on an error, then those two guys were cashed in on consecutive singles by Mark Sobolewski and Johermyn Chavez, all before the first out was recorded. After Michael McDade struck out, Jon Del Campo reached on another error by the sloppy Wisconsin infield, which also allowed a run to score.
After the Rattlers scored a run of their own on a couple singles and a groundout in the bottom of the first, Londoner (that's England, not Ontario) Josh Wells settled down and kept the game at 3-1 through the 4th inning. He ran into some trouble in the 5th when the Rattlers played some good old fashioned cliche baseball - 2 bloops and a blast made this game 4-3 for Wisconsin. But Lansing charged back with 2 runs in the next half inning on a bunch of singles, the big hit being a 2 run single by Kenny Wilson. Lansing added on a 6th run in the 7th on an RBI double by Michael McDade, but it was more than enough as Jared Potts, Frank Gailey and Matthew Daly combined for 4 scoreless innings out of the pen.
Three Stars!
3. John Tolisano - 2-3, HR, BB
2. Brad Emaus - 4-6, HR
1. Marc Rzepczynski - 7 2/3, 5H, 1BB, 1ER, 6K
https://www.battersbox.ca/article.php?story=20090505010021821