Brian Dopirak had a big day at the plate for Las Vegas and Aaron Mathews had a couple of key hits as Las Vegas squeaked by Salt Lake. New Britain dropped both games of a doubleheader. There were also victories by Dunedin, Lansing and the GCL Blue Jays, as Auburn lost again.
Salt Lake 7 @ Las Vegas 8 – Boxscore
Randy Ruiz had a rare off-day at the plate, with an 0-5, but his year-to-date is still deserving of a promotion based on on-field performance alone and ignoring other factors. Not to worry though as Brian Dopirak picked up the slack with a 3-4 night. One of Dopirak’s three hits was a 2-run 2-out homer in the bottom of the seventh that scored Travis Snider and broke up a 5-5 tie. Dopirak’s homer gave Las Vegas a lead they would not relinquish, but three consecutive singles by JP Arencibia, Kevin Howard and Aaron Mathews gave Las Vegas an insurance that would turn out to be very important when Salt Lake scored two in the top of the eighth. Snider was 2-3 with a double, a homer, 2 runs, 2 RBI and a walk. Howard and Mathews each had two hits, as did Howie Clark and Angel Sanchez. Mathews had 4 RBI, with a 3-run homer in the fourth to go along with the key single in the seventh.
Fabio Castro started for the 51s and had another serviceable, but not outstanding, start. He surrendered 9 hits and three walks over 7 innings. Salt Lake touched him for five runs, four earned, as Castro struck out five. Brian Wolfe allowed a run to score over 0.2 innings and left two runners on base for Sean Stidfole. Stidfole escaped the inning after allowing one of the two runners to reach home. Bubbie Buzachero struck out two of the three batters he faced as he picked up his fifth save.
New Hampshire 2 @ Connecticut 3 (7 innings, Game 1) – Boxscore
The Fisher Cats lost a pair of 3-2 games to the Connecticut Defenders during a Saturday doubleheader. Troy Cate made his first appearance for the Fisher Cats and went 5.1 innings. Cate struck out three and allowed two runs on four hits and a walk. Cate took a 2-1 lead into the bottom of the sixth and after retiring the first batter allowed Eddy Martinez-Esteve to reach on a walk. Danny Farquhar came in to preserve the lead, but after getting another out he was touched for consecutive doubles that scored two runs and gave Connecticut a 3-2 lead.
New Hampshire had six hits during the game. Brad Emaus and Brian Jeroloman were each 1-for-3 with a run scored. Jonathan Diaz and Todd Donovan were each 1-for-2. Donovan had New Hampshire’s only RBI – the other run scored on a wild pitch – and he also threw out a runner at home plate. David Cooper had two hits, but also had two errors at first base.
New Hampshire 2 @ Connecticut 3 (7 innings, Game 2) – Boxscore
If you thought the first loss was painful then you probably won’t want to read any further. New Hampshire took a 2-1 lead into the bottom of the seventh only to see Connecticut score twice in the bottom of the last inning to win the game. The Fisher Cats scored twice off Madison Bumgarner in the fifth inning. For the second time in the day New Hampshire had the same number of hits as Connecticut, but in this game it was eight. Todd Donovan and Brad Emaus each had a pair of hits. Emaus had the key hit off Bumgarner with a 2-run 2-out homer that scored Donovan. Emaus also drew a walk. David Cooper had a double and Adam Calderone, Al Quintanta and Darin Mastroianni each had singles. Mastroianni and Donovan each stole two bases.
Nathan Starner went 3 innings and gave up a lone run. Starner surrendered four hits, two walks and also hit a batter. Leon Boyd threw 2 scoreless innings and then new Fisher Cat Sean Smith also had a scoreless frame. Edgar Estanga gave up a single to begin the bottom of the seventh and then turned the ball over to Zach Dials. The next batter reached on a bunt single and then the next one grounded to Dials, who threw the runner out at third on what I assume was a failed bunt attempt. However, a walk loaded the bases and a second walk forced in a run to tie the game. Dials then allowed a walkoff single that doomed the Fisher Cats to drop the twin bill.
Dunedin 9 @ Palm Beach 3 – Boxscore
Vincent Bongiovanni gave up a pair of runs over 6 innings. He didn’t walk a batter and struck out three as Palm Beach got six hits off Bongiovanni. Daniel DeLucia raised his low ERA as he gave up a run over 2 innings and increased it to 0.98. DeLucia did not have a good outing as he allowed three hits and three walks and Palm Beach left five runners on base over his two frames. Dumas Garcia threw a scoreless bottom of the ninth.
There were plenty of similar lines across Dunedin’s lineup, so it makes it easy to quickly run over what most of the batters did. Raul Barron and Kevin Ahrens were each 0-4 with a walk. Jesus Gonzalez and Luis Sanchez were each 1-4 with a walk. Gonzalez had a double and RBI while Sanchez scored a run. Jonathan Jaspe was 1-5 with a 3-run home run. Brad McElroy, Moises Sierra and Matt Liuzza each had a single and a double. Liuzza walked twice, drove in two runs and scored twice. McElroy had a walk, 2 RBI and a run scored and Sierra had two runs scored and a walk. Adam Loewen was 2-5 with a double, a home run and a pair of runs scored.
Kane County 3 @ Lansing 8 – Boxscore
Henderson Alvarez went 5 innings and only gave up a run. Alvarez allowed eight hits but didn’t surrender a run and struck out seven. Yorman Mayora pitched 3 innings of 3-hit ball, allowing two runs, one earned. Frank Gailey pitched a scoreless ninth.
Some of the usually dormant bats for Lansing came alive yesterday in a display at the plate that must have pleased Lansing fans. Every starter but Mark Sobolewski reached base. Johermyn Chavez and Michael McDade each went 1-4 with a single, which paled in comparison to some of their other teammates. Antonio Jiminez only had one hit, but he made his count with a solo homer. Jon Talley had a hit, a walk and two runs scored while Balbino Fuenmayor was 2-4 with a pair of triples, a pair of runs and a pair of RBI. Tyler Pastornicky didn’t have a hit, but he walked three times. Kenny Wilson was 2-4 as the leadoff hitter and Brian Van Kirk was 2-4 with a double, a home run and 4 RBI.
Auburn 5 @ State College 8 – Boxscore
Scott Gracey pitched 4.2 innings and gave up five runs, four earned, on seven hits. Gracey settled down a bit after giving up three runs before he retired a single batter. Unfortunately, Auburn was down 4-0 after 2 innings and would never really get back in the game. Willy Mendez gave up two runs in his inning and David Slovak was touchd for another run in 1.1 frames. Only Steven Turnball escaped untouched, striking out two batters in a scoreless inning.
Ryan Goins had a double and a run scored, while Ryan Schimpf was held hitless but drew a walk. Sean Ochinko and Wellinton Ramirez were each 2-5 with a double. Ramirez scored twice and Ochinko scored and had an RBI. The best night at the plate belonged to Lance Durham, who was 2-4 with a double, a home run, a walk, a run and 3 RBI. Bradley Glenn and Marcus Brisker added hits, while Eric Eiland went 0-4 and saw his average drop to .203.
GCL Tigers 2 @ GCL Blue Jays 4 – Boxscore
A three-run bottom of the eighth propelled the GCL Blue Jays to a 4-2 victory over the GCL Tigers. Yudelmis Hernandez singled and Jonathan Fernandez came in to run for him. A sacrifice bunt by Oliver Dominguez advanced him to second and he went to third on Michael Crouse’s single. A sac fly by Gustavo Pierre tied the game and Crouse smartly went to second on the throw home. Carlos Perez doubled him home and he came around to score on a John Roberts single. The GCL Jays had nine hits, nearly half of which came from Perez who had a 4-4 game.
Sam Strickland only allowed one hit over 6.1 innings. Unfortunately, that one hit was a solo homer and Strickland allowed another run in large part due to three walks. Nestor Molina pitched 2.2 scoreless innings to pick up the victory and bring the GCL Blue Jays within one game of a .500 record.
Three Stars:
3rd Star – Carlos Perez, 4-4, R, 2 2B, 2 RBI, 6 TB
2nd Star – Brian Van Kirk, 2-4, R, 2B, HR, 4 RBI, 6 TB
1st Star – Brian Dopirak, 3-4, R, HR, 2 RBI, 6 TB
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