The affiliates split their games last night behind a trio of solid starting pitching performances and an abbreviated outing from Chad Jenkins, who was returning from injury and on a pitch count.
Las Vegas 7 @ Tucson 4 – Boxscore
Travis d’Arnaud let the offensive attack with three hits, including a double, a run and an RBI. Batting in front of him, Adam Lind was 2-for-4 with a double, a sac fly, a run and an RBI. The other new 51, Eric Thames, batted behind d’Arnaud and was also 2-for-4 with a solo homer, two runs scored and a walk. Yan Gomes added a double and 2 RBI. Danny Perales and Chris Woodward each notched doubles and Jonathan Diaz and Anthony Gose each added singles. Gose stole his 24th base. Moises Sierra was the only player in the lineup held hitless.
Andrew Carpenter continued to prove himself a solid addition to the Las Vegas rotation. He went 5 innings and allowed two runs on six hits. Both of the runs scored on solo homers. Carpenter didn’t walk a batter and struck out nine. Jim Hoey pitched a scoreless inning of relief and then Evan Crawford allowed two runs, one earned, over four hits in 1.2 innings. Jerry Gil retired the only batter he faced and then Chad Beck picked up his eighth save.
New Britain 7 @ New Hampshire 2 – Boxscore
Unheralded BJ Hermesen came one out short of pitching a complete game and kept the Fisher Cats bats at bay, allowing two runs on seven hits and no walks. Brian Bocock went 2-for-4 and was the only Fisher Cat to have a multi-hit game. Bocock, Mark Sobolewski and Brian Van Kirk all notched doubles. The latter two scored New Hampshire’s runs and Van Kirk and Mike McDade picked up the RBIs. Five Fisher Cats in yesterday’s starting lineup – Bocock, McDade, Ryan Goins, Kevin Howard and Sean Ochinko – are all hitting over .300.
Chad Jenkins fell to 2-4 by allowing two runs over 4 innings. He gave up three hits and a walk and didn’t strike out a batter. The bullpen didn’t fare any better and experienced uniform struggles with their control. Scott Gracey gave up two runs on two hits and four walks in 2 innings of relief. Danny Farquhar reversed that by walking two and surrendering four hits, along with three runs, over 1.1 innings. He only threw 21 of 40 pitches for strikes, which is just a slightly better percentage than Matt Wright, who followed him and threw 14 of 29 pitchers across the plate.
Lakeland 4 @ Dunedin 3 – Boxscore
Casey Lawrence continues to have a very strong under-the-radar season for Dunedin. He lowered his ERA to 2.85 by throwing 7.1 innings of one-run ball. Lawrence allowed four hits and didn’t walk a batter. He struck out four and retired 11 of 15 batters on balls in play on groundouts. However, Boomer Potts faced three batters, retired only one, and allowed a run. Dustin Antolin got out of the inning. Still, Dunedin held a 3-2 lead and turned the ball over to trusted closer Danny Barnes. Barnes allowed a single to top prospect Nick Castellanos and then retired the next two batters. Unfortunately, Barnes then allowed a two-run homer to James Robbins and Lakeland took the lead.
First baseman Gabe Jacobo was handed the leadoff spot and responded with a 2-for-4 evening that included an RBI. Jon Talley and Ryan Schmipf were each 2-for-4 with a double. Vladimir Guerrero was 1-for-5 with a single and Kevin Nolan was 1-for-5 with a homer. Jack Murphy added a triple and Marcus Knecht was held hitless, but drew two walks. The D-Jays were 1-for-11 with runners in scoring position.
Lansing 6 @ Bowling Green 4 (10 innings) – Boxscore
Marcus Walden continued his record of strong Wednesday performances by turning in another quality start for the Lugnuts. Walden went 6 innings and allowed two runs. He gave up four hits and two walks, but struck out four and retired all 12 batters on balls in play on ground balls. Javier Avendano struck out one over 2 hitless innings of relief.
Meanwhile, Lansing had a great opportunity to score in the 3rd inning by getting Markus Brisker to third base with none out before Shane Optiz walked. Bowling Green almost got out of it as Kevin Pillar lined out and nearly turned a double play at third, but the catch was missed and, while Brisker held, Optiz advanced to second. However, Carlos Perez struck out and the opportunity almost fell by the wayside before Chris Hawkins singled home both runners with two out.
The Lugnuts didn’t get another runner to second until the 8th inning, when Hawkins doubled with two out and was promptly stranded. In the top of the ninth, Kevin Patterson was hit by pitch with one out and Kenny Wilson came in to pinch run. Wilson advanced to third on a passed ball and then Gustavo Pierre and Brisker both walked to load the bases. Optiz lined out and then Pillar was hit by a pitch, to give Lansing the lead. Then something happened – and I’m not sure exactly what – but it resulted in Brisker being thrown out at home 7-2-3-6, after Pierre scored, and Carlos Perez still at bat. As long as it had taken the Lugnuts to work that lead, it was gone in a couple of minutes when Ajay Meyer gave up back-to-back solo homers to begin the bottom of the ninth and tie the game.
In the top of the 10th, Perez and Hawkins were retired and it looked as if the Lugnuts may need to play multiple extra innings to win the game. Then Andy Burns doubled and Bowling Green decided to walk KC Hobson to face Wilson. With the weight on his shoulders, Wilson made them pay by tripling in both Burns and Hobson. Pierre was retired, but the two-run lead was restored and Blake McFarland preserved it with an infield pop fly and two strikeouts.
Three Stars:
3rd Star – Andrew Carpenter, 5 IP, 6 H, 2 ER, 0 BB, 9 K
2nd Star – Marcus Walden, 6 IP, 4 H, 2 ER, 2 BB, 4 K
1st Star – Casey Lawrence, 7.1 IP, 4 H, 1 ER, 0 BB, 4 K
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