Only two games on Wednesday night thanks to the rain. But the two teams that did play both featured starts by pitchers who began the year in the Blue Jays rotation. One was great while the other struggled with command.
Las Vegas 4 Memphis 3
Believe it or not, this one was scoreless headed into extras. David Purcey got the start for the 51s and meant business. Purcey has seen himself fall from third on the Jays starting pitcher depth chart to somewhere around eighth so it's no understatement to say this was his biggest start of the year. He certainly didn't disappoint in going eight scoreless and allowing just three hits and two walks to go with seven strikeouts. He threw 102 pitches and allowed 6 flyouts against ten on the ground. Nice.
Jason Lane clubbed a three-run homer in the tenth to presumably provide all the offense the 51s would need. Not so, said Jeremy Accardo who proceeded to knot the score at 3-3 by allowing five singles in his inning of work. He did vulture a win, though as Kyle Phillips smacked a homer to lead off the 11th and Jonah Bayliss finished Memphis off for the save.
Howie Clark had three hits for Vegas while DH JP Arencibia was 0-for-3 but with, get this, two walks! Buck Coats was happy to see this game over with as he went 0-for-6 with 5 strikeouts.
Binghamton 4 New Hampshire 5
The Fisher Cats scored a walk-off victory on Wednesday as Brian Dopirak doubled home a lead-off Brad Emaus walk. Emaus has himself a nice night going 2-for-2 with three walks and a run scored. David Cooper went 1-for-3 with a walk of his own to raise his season line to 274/343/395.
Ricky Romero started this one for New Hampshire and was alright, I guess. Romero went 5.1 and allowed two runs (one earned) on three hits and five walks to go against four strikeouts. If you're an optimist, you'd say Romero's just a tad rusty. A pessimist would argue that this is the Romero we're used to. I'm going to try to play the optimist on this one.
Bubbie Buzachero blew the save and then picked up the win in this one after he relieved Randy Boone in the 8th.
Lakeland @ Dunedin (Cancelled: Rain)
It doesn't even say 'postponed'. Just 'cancelled'. And that's not going to sit well with Kevin Ahrens who slugged his first homer of the year in the bottom of the second. Ahrens's sluggling percentange would look a bit nicer than the current .182 if this one had managed to last three more innings. Dunedin starter Vincent Bongiovanni will also wonder what may have been as he was perfect through two.
Lansing @ South Bend (Postponed: Rain)
Three Stars:
3rd Star: Jason Lane; 1-for-5; HR, 3 RBI
2nd Star: Brad Emaus; 2-for-2, R, 3 BB
1st Star: David Purcey; 8 IP, 3 H, 0 ER, 2 BB, 7 K
https://www.battersbox.ca/article.php?story=2009051411373562