New Hampshire found their bats and scored early and often to reverse their lack of hitting in the previous two games. Dunedin won behind good pitching by Chuck Huggins and a home run from John Tolisano. Auburn also won in a group effort. GCL Jays lost a squeeker but Las Vegas and Lansing were easy losers.
Omaha led 2-1 after five but then TJ Beam, who had started, hit a wall, and Brian Wolfe threw gas on the fire, and Omaha scored six runs to lead 8-1. Beam gave up five runs and Wolfe three. Angel Sanchez hit a three run home run in the ninth to make the score more respectible. Gil Meche started for Omaha and pitched five innings for the win.
Aaron Mathews had three hits, Travis Snider was 1-2 with 2 walks.
The Fisher Cats had been no-hit through six innings in their last two games but they solved that with five runs in the third inning. They did have some help though, the first run was walked in, the third walk of the inning. The second run scored on a sac fly by David Cooper then Nick Gorneault doubled in two and Darin Mastroianni singled home Gorneault.
New Blue Jay Sean Smith, just arrived from Pittsburgh, started and pitched three shutout innings. He was replaced by Edgar Estanga who had a smooth fourth but walked the first three hitters of the fifth and then gave up a grand slam. New Hampshire tacked on five more runs in the fifth, the first came on a wild pitch, Mastroianni singled in run two, Jon Diaz doubled in the third run and Brad Emaus doubled in runs four and five.
Leon Boyd hit the lead off hitter in the sixth and he came around to score. Zach Dials walked the lead off hitter in the seventh and he too scored, lowering the lead to 10-6. But Danny Farquhar came on to pitch the ninth and seal the win.
Darin Mastroianni was the offensive star going 4-4, Brad Emaus drove in three runs.
John Tolisano gave Dunedin the lead with a two run home run in the third inning. Chuck Huggins continued a run of better starts after a tough time when he was promoted. Huggins has not allowed more than two earned runs in his last five starts and has given up just nine earned runs in his last seven starts. On this night Huggins pitched six innings and gave up one run on six hits. Dunedin added an insurance run in the seventh, Sean Shoffit doubled in Adam Loewen who had walked.
Both teams had seven hits, no Dunedin hitter had more than one hit.
Daytona scored six in the first inning, off Chase Lirette, and six more in the sixth, off Ryan Koch, on their way to a 21 hit, 18 run night. Justin McClanahan, normally a second baseman pitched a scoreless ninth.
Offensively Tyler Pastornicky was 1-2 with 2 RBI's and three walks. Chris Emanuele had two hits and Kenny Wilson had a double and scored two runs.
Both teams had seven hits but Auburn made the most of them. Wellinton Ramirez has been hot recently, he is hitting over .400 in his last ten games and hit .336 in July and is hitting .375 for August. Ramirez is 22 in high A, the same age as many of the college kids, so he needs to start to move based on this years performance if he is to be a rated prospect. Ramirez doesn't walk much, just 8 in almost 200 Ab's but he does have some pop. Ramirez was 3-4 with 2 RBI's in this game, Brad Glenn hit a solo home run and Marcus Brisker also drove in two runs.
Auburn used four pitchers, Brian Justice was the best, three perfect innings with seven K's.
GCL Blue Jays 2 GCL Phillies 3
The Phillies scored three runs of the first, only one earned due to a Gustavo Pierre error on the first hitter of the game. Scott Strickland was the unlucky starter, he went five innings. Nestor Molina pitched three shutout innings in relief, lowering his ERA to 1.65. The Jays scored their two runs in the sixth, Michael Crouse led off with a walk and Pierre doubled him to third. One run scored on a ground out and the second run on a single by John (JD) Roberts. In the ninth inning the Jays had the tying run on third with one out but they were unable to bring the run in.
Three Stars
3rd star - Wellinton Ramirez
2nd star - Chuck Huggins
1st star - Darin Mastroianni
Standings
Las Vegas - 57-58, last place, 13.5 GB
New Hampshire - 51-62, 5th place, 14 GB
Dunedin - 21-19, 3rd place, 8.5 GB
Lansing - 16-25, last place, 14.5 GB
Auburn 19-31, last place, 13 GB
GCL Jays 19-21, third place (tie), 4 GB
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