Yesterday saw two newly-promoted pitchers give very strong efforts in their first starts at their new levels. It also saw a couple of strong efforts out of the bullpen, which also included one reliever, recently demoted, return to dominating his old level. Las Vegas exploded for 17 hits, including three by the streaking David Cooper, but the bats were nearly absent in New Hampshire and Dunedin.
Las Vegas 10 @ Tucson 0 – Boxscore
Rey Gonzalez made his first start at Triple-A and didn’t allow a run. Gonzalez only went 5 innings and didn’t record a strikeout, but he only surrendered four hits and two walks. Willie Collazzo didn’t allow a hit over 3 innings and Rommie Lewis struck out two while pitching a scoreless ninth. The Triple-A affiliate for the Padres has several recognizable names, such as the recently-demoted Cameron Maybin, Kyle Blanks, Aaron Cunningham and former Jay Jarrett Hoffpauir.
Las Vegas collected 17 hits on the night, as the 51’s scored 10 runs and ran away with the game. Dan Perales, who has been playing CF since the release of DeWayne Wise, was the only Las Vegas batter held hitless. The other two batters in the lower-third of the lineup, Brian Jeroloman and Manny Mayorson, had identical offensive lines with 2-for-4 evenings with a run scored. Cleanup hitter Adam Loewen was 1-for-5, but his hit was a big three-run homer. Eric Thames went 1-for-4 with a run scored and an RBI, while Chris Woodward went 2-for-5 with a double and triple. The first three hitters in the lineup, Craig Stansberry, Travis Snider and David Cooper, each had three hits. Stansberry had two doubles and a single, 2 RBI and three runs scored. Snider had two singles, a double, two runs and an RBI. Meanwhile, hot-hitting Cooper had three singles, a run and an RBI.
Richmond 2 @ New Hampshire 0 – Boxscore
Chad Jenkins did well in his first exposure to Double-A baseball. Jenkins went 7 innings aginst the Richmond Flying Squirrels. He allowed seven hits and three walks, striking out six. A two-out double in the seventh scored both of Richmond’s runs. Jenkins induced eight grounders to three fly balls. B.J. LaMura pitched 2 innings and walked a pair. He also gave up a hit, but kept Richmond off the scoreboard and struck out two.
The Fisher Cats only got seven hits off the Richmond staff, as Daryl Maday went 5 innings and Henry Sosa, who seems like he’s been around for a long time, threw the last 4 frames. Mike McDade and Ricardo Nanita each had a pair of singles. The other hits were collected by Darin Mastroianni, Travis d’Arnaud and Calix Crabbe. Nanita, Mastroianni and Crabbe all stole bases. Moises Sierra drew a walk, but Anthony Gose and Adeiny Hechavarria were held off the basepaths.
Tampa 4 @ Dunedin 2 – Boxscore
Ryan Tepera took the loss in an error-filled contest from Dunedin’s perspective. Although it didn’t come back to hurt them too badly, the D-Jays made four errors: two by Kevin Nolan, one by Kevin Ahrens and one by Tepera. Tepera went 4.2 innings and allowed four runs, three earned. Tepera surrendered four hits and two walks, but struck out seven. Frank Gailey, who was demoted from Double-A after four games and 6.1 innings, went right back to showing that he’s passed the test at Dunedin with 3.1 hitless innings with four strikeouts and stranded both of his inherited runners. For those keeping track, Gailey now has 121.1 career innings thrown for Dunedin and has allowed 29 earned runs (and only 31 runs) for a 2.15 ERA over that stretch with 126 strikeouts. Scott Gracey pitched a scoreless ninth.
Dunedin only had five hits, all but one singles. Nolan, Ahrens, Bradley Glenn and A.J. Jimenez all notched singles and Brian Van Kirk hit his second home run of the year, scoring Jimenez. Every Dunedin hitter struck out at least once and Justin Jackson, Jon Talley, Glenn and Van Kirk each had two K’s. Dunedin manager Clayton McCullough was ejected by home plate umpire Ramon DeJesus in the ninth.
Lansing 8 @ Grand Rapids 7 – Boxscore
The Lugnuts were losing 5-1 after 3 innings, but struck back with 3 runs in both the fourth and fifth to take a 7-6 lead. Grand Rapids tied the game in the bottom of the fifth and then the contest remained scoreless through the sixth, seventh and eighth inning. In the fourth inning, Jake Marisnick singled and then advanced to third on two wild pitches. Marcus Knecht and K.C. Hobson each drew walks. A wild pitch scored Marisnick and then Carlos Perez grounded out, scoring Knecht. A Michael Crouse doubled scored Hobson, but then a pick-off erased him from the bases and Bryson Namba struck out.
In the fifth, consecutive walks to Marcus Brisker and Matt Nuzzo and then a single by Marisnick loaded the bases with one out. A sacrifice fly by Knecht scored Brisker and then, after Hobson walked again, Perez singled home Nuzzo and Marisnick, but Hobson was retired trying to advance to third.
Lansing loaded the bases again in the ninth, as Brisker walked in his third consecutive at-bat, Nuzzo singled and Knecht walked. That brought Hobson to the plate with one out and he lifted a fly ball deep enough to count Brisker. Perez had 4 RBI in the game, as he went 2-for-5 with a solo homer. The Lugnuts displayed some good patience, with Brisker and Hobson each drawing three walks and Knecht working a pair. Jake Marisnick had three singles and a walk.
Houston native Sam Strickland started for Lansing, but only lasted 3 innings. He allowed five runs, four earned, on six hits. He didn’t walk a batter and struck out three. The big damage came on a three-run homer in the third. Marcus Walden gave up two runs, one earned, over 3 innings. Walden struck out two and surrendered five hits. With the game tied at 7, Dayton Martze pitched two hitless innings, striking out three. After Lansing took the lead in the top of the ninth, Ross Turnbull struck out two to pick up his 15th save of the year.
Three Stars:
3rd Star – Frank Gailey, 3.1 IP, 0 H, 0 ER, 0 BB, 4 K and Willie Collazzo, 3 IP, 0 H, 0 ER, 0 BB, 0 K
2nd Star – Rey Gonzalez, 5 IP, 4 H, 0 ER, 2 BB, 0 K
1st Star – Chad Jenkins, 7 IP, 7 H, 2 ER, 3 BB, 6 K
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