Allentown, PA - The Herd rumbled out to a 2-0 lead in the first inning when Dan Johnson knocked one out of the park. They didn't score again until the sixth when Jack Murphy had an RBI double and Anthony Gose had an RBI single to restore their two-run cushion. Jared Goedert brought home two more runs with a two-out single in the seventh. Chris Getz worked a two-out bases loaded walk in the eighth for the Bisons final run. Goedert was perfect at the dish by going 4-for-4 with a walk. Johnson and Juan Francisco had two-hit games and Francisco scored three times. Gose singled and walked twice. On the opposite end of the spectrum, Kevin Pillar was 0-for-6 and kicked one around in right field.Sean Nolin (1-0) lasted 5.2 innings, yielding just a pair of runs on four hits and a walk. He served up a homer to Cameron Rupp but struck out seven and split his 10 outs in play evenly on the ground and in the air. Nolin threw 68% of his 85 pitches for strikes. Lefty Rob Rasmussen stranded a runner for Nolin by striking out the only batter he faced. The Liam Hendriks Experience covered the seventh and eighth innings, pitching a one-hitter with two K's. Ryan Tepera struck out one in a perfect ninth.
Reading 6 New Hampshire 5
Reading, PA - Aaron Sanchez had an okay outing in his second start of the season, yielding a pair of runs in five innings. The Phillies affiliate scored both of their runs in the second inning, including a solo homer by Tommy Joseph. Sanchez gave up five hits, walked a pair and plunked one. He threw just 56% of his pitches for strikes (47 of 84) but he struck out three and racked up seven ground ball outs. Sanchez picked off a runner at first base in the fourth inning and was part of a 2-3-6-1 pick-off to erase another base runner to end the frame. His only 1-2-3 inning came in the fifth.
Casey Lawrence took over for Sanchez and struck out two but was nicked for a run in two frames. Lefty Tyler Ybarra gave up the tying run in the eighth on two wild pitches that scored a runner from second. He also walked a pair but managed to limit the damage to one run. Scott Gracey (0-1) could not protect a second lead provided by the offence as he was charged with two runs on three hits and two walks (one on purpose) while getting just one out in the ninth.
One swing of the bat by Kenny Wilson gave the Fisher Cats their first lead of the night as he connected for a three-run dinger in the third to erase Reading's 2-0 advantage. Brad Glenn tripled home a Jon Berti single in the sixth to make it 4-2. A Mike Crouse sacrifice fly in the ninth put the Fishers ahead before the bullpen meltdown a half-inning later. Berti and Jonathan Jones had two-hit nights with Berti doing his best Billy Hamilton impersonation by stealing three bases. Kevin Nolan singled and walked and Andy Burns was 1-for-4.
Dunedin @ Daytona - Rained out. The two teams will play a doubleheader today instead.
Lansing 5 Quad Cities 4
Lansing, MI - Tom Robson received a rough introduction to the Midwest League, courtesy of the Cardinals affiliate. The Ladner, BC native was roughed up for three runs over 2.2 innings on three hits and four walks while uncorking two wild pitches. Lefthander Alonzo Gonzalez could only strand one of Robson's two runners but he supplied 3.1 innings of shutout relief. Roberto Espinosa was charged with two runs in 1.2 innings and Jimmy Cordero (1-0) saw an inherited runner score on his watch that tied the game in the ninth.The Lugnuts offence didn't get rolling until the sixth when D.J. Davis led off the frame with a home run. Matt Dean singled home another run and Santiago Nessy capped off the four-run rally with a two-run single. Lansing won it in the ninth when Dickie Joe Thon singled home a leadoff walk by Derrick Loveless. Dean had a three-hit performance while Davis and Dawel Lugo chipped in with two hits apiece. Nessy added two walks to reach base three times. Mitch Nay had a base on balls in four plate appearances.
Scores in a box!
*** 3 Stars!!! ***
3. Matt Dean, Lansing - Batting average and OBP are an identical .368.
2. Sean Nolin, Buffalo - A 1.54 ERA in 3 career starts at Triple-A.
1. Jared Goedert, Buffalo - Quintupled his on-base output from Opening Day and has reached base six times in nine plate appearances.
Today's Schedule & Probable Pitchers...
Dunedin @ Daytona (DH), 5:05 pm ET (DH) - LHP Matt Boyd (1-0, 0.00) & RHP Taylor Cole (0-0, 1.50).
Buffalo @ Lehigh Valley, 5:35 pm ET (DH) - LHP Ricky Romero (NR) & RHP Marcus Stroman (0-0, 4.50).
New Hampshire @ Reading, 6:35 pm ET - RHP Deck McGuire (1-0, 0.00).
Quad Cities @ Lansing, 7:05 pm - RHP Alberto Tirado (0-0, 2.25).