Rochester, NY — In a morning affair, the Twins affiliate got on the board first with a first inning home run by Clete Thomas. However, Dave Bush (3-1) put up zeroes after that. Though he had at least one baserunner to deal with over his six innings, he scattered six hits and hit a batter while compiling a K-BB total of 5-0 and a GO-FO ratio of 7-4. Ramon Ortiz missed a three-inning save by one out as he was charged with a run on two hits, two walks and an HBP. Neil Wagner came in with the bases loaded and allowed a run-scoring base hit before getting the final out for his seventh save.Josh Thole gave the Bisons the lead for good after belting a two-run homer in the fourth inning off North Battleford, Saskatchewan native Andrew Albers. The Herd added the eventual winning runs in the ninth on a Ryan Goins RBI single; a throwing error by the catcher after Goins stole second and a sacrifice bunt by Anthony Gose. Thole was 4-for-4 at the plate while Goins and Luis Jimenez had two hits apiece. Mike McCoy, Mauro Gomez and Lance Zawadzki also had base hits. Gomez also swiped a base. Gose and Andy LaRoche were both 0-for-4.
Trenton 6 New Hampshire 4 (Game 1 — 7 Innings)
Trenton, NJ — Kevin Pillar began the game with a bang in the form of a leadoff home run against the Yankees affiliate. Clint Robinson followed suit with a leadoff homer in the second inning. Ricardo Nanita connected for a two-run shot in the fifth to give the Fisher Cats a 4-3 lead. Nanita was 3-for-3 and had the only multi-hit effort for New Hampshire. Ryan Schimpf, Brad Glenn, and John Tolisano all had singles and Jack Murphy hit a double in the ninth to bring the potential tying run to the plate. Adam Loewen was 0-for-2 but drew a walk, leaving Kevin Nolan the only Fisher Cat not to reach base as he went 0-for-3.
Ryan Tepera (3-1) had a chance for the win but took the loss instead after he left. His WHIP over four-plus innings was 2.50 after four hits, four walks and two hit batters. That resulted in five runs with one of them being unearned after a Tolisano error at second — one of three he was charged with in the game. He did strike out five and four of his six outs in play were on the grass. Lefty Matt Wright let both Tepera runners score after he served up a three-run homer to Slade Heathcott. Wright also issued two walks and struck out two over 1 2/3 innings. Trystan Magnuson needed just one pitch to strand both of Wright's runners to end the sixth.
Trenton 2 New Hampshire 1 (Game 2 — 8 Innings)
Trenton, NJ — Kevin Pillar got to round the bases again to lead off the game but he did not put the ball over the fence this time around. He singled, stole second, advanced to third on a groundout and scampered home on a wild pitch. Pillar accounted for half of New Hampshire's four hits and also drew a walk. Clint Robinson and Adam Loewen had the other base hits. Ryan Schmipf managed to get on base twice via the base on balls. John Tolisano, Ricardo Nanita and Sean Ochinko all heard ball four once. Kevin Ahrens was 0-for-2 but did lay down a sacrifice bunt. Amadeo Zazueta wore the collar, size 0-for-3.
Austin Bibens-Dirkx was victimized for an unearned run, courtesy of Tolisano's fourth error of the doubleheader, in the second inning. Bibens-Dirkx pitched four frames, yielding two hits and two walks. He struck out four and posted an impressive GO/FO mark of 8-0. Chorye Spoone walked one and struck out one in a scoreless fifth inning. Chad Beck kept the Yankees affiliate off the board despite two hits and two walks over two frames, thanks in part to a pair of K's. Trystan Magnuson (1-1) — perhaps gassed after his one-pitch appearance in Game 1 — had an outing that lasted five times as long without recording an out. A ground-rule double, a bunt single and another single gave the Thunder a walk-off win and a doubleheader sweep.
Jupiter 5 Dunedin 4
Jupiter, FL — Dunedin broke a scoreless tie with three runs in the fifth inning against the Marlins affiliate. A two-run double by Jon Berti and an RBI single by Peter Mooney put the Jays in flight. Dunedin did not score again until the 13th when Andy Burns lifted a sacrifice fly. Berti, Mooney, K.C. Hobson and Matt Newman had two hits each with Hobson getting a double. Newman added a walk to reach base three times. Burns had a hit, a walk and a stolen base. Jason Leblebijian and Nick Baligod were 1-for-5. Marcus Knecht was 0-for-6 while Pierce Rankin went 0-for-5.
Jesse Hernandez delivered 5 2/3 innings of scoreless baseball by giving up just two hits and three walks. He struck out three and five of his eight outs in play did not leave the infield. Lefty Tony Davis stranded a Hernandez runner but was charged with a run on one hit over 2/3 of an inning. Scott Gracey allowed Davis' runner to score and gave up two of his own on three hits over 2/3 of an inning to blow the save. Dustin Antolin permitted just two hits and struck out a pair over three shutout innings. Marco Grifantini overcame two walks to pitch two scoreless frames. Blake McFarland (0-1) got one out in the bottom of the 13th but gave up two runs on three hits to blow the save and take the loss.
Cedar Rapids 5 Lansing 4
Cedar Rapids, IA — Roberto Osuna (1-2) allowed just three hits over four innings to the Twins affiliate but two of those hits were two-run homers, one by Byron Buxton. Both homers were preceded by errors with Jorge Flores throwing one away at short while Chris Hawkins booted one in left field. Three of Osuna's four runs were earned but his K-BB ratio was 5-1 and his groundout/flyout rate was 5-2. Arik Sikula pitched two scoreless frames with a walk as his only blemish. Catcher Aaron Munoz erased that runner on a steal attempt at second. Ian Kadish struck out two batters in his perfect frame but Tucker Donahue was nicked for a run on two hits while striking out one in his inning of work.
The Lugnuts offence did not get on the board until the seventh inning. Munoz lifted a sacrifice fly to plate the first run before Dalton Pompey singled home another but Lansing left runners at second and third. The other two runs came in the ninth on a throwing error by the third baseman but the potential tying run was stranded at second base. The Lugnuts also blew a bases-loaded, nobody out situation with a strikeout and double play in the fourth inning. Christian Lopes — who lined out to right to end the game — had a pair of base hits along with Hawkins and Shane Opitz, who also drew a walk. Munoz and Kellen Sweeney reached base twice with a walk and a knock. Pompey and Carlos Ramirez had the other base hits. Flores was 0-for-5 and Gustavo Pierre went 0-for-4.
Boxscores
*** 3 Stars!!! ***
3. Kevin Pillar, New Hampshire — A .983 OPS over his last 10 games and is 9-for-12 in stolen bases.
2. Dave Bush, Buffalo — Now sporting a 1.61 ERA and a K-BB ratio of 17-4 over 22 1/3 innings.
1. Josh Thole, Buffalo — His OPS is now up to 1.006, including a .569 slugging percentage.
Wednesday's Probable Starters...
Dunedin — Aaron Sanchez (1-1, 3.16) @ Jupiter, 6:35 p.m. ET.
New Hampshire — Marcus Walden (1-3, 3.29) @ Trenton, 7:05 p.m. ET.
Exhibition
Lansing — TBA vs. Michigan State, 7:05 p.m. ET.