Syracuse, NY - The Bisons took out their frustrations on just missing out on the playoffs by unleashing a 20-hit attack on the Nationals affiliate. Matt Hague started the scoring with an RBI single in the first inning. Darin Mastroianni singled home a run and Brett Wallace doubled home two more in the second. Wallace singled home another run in the fourth to go along with a Cole Gillespie sacrifice fly. A Jonathan Diaz double and another Mastroianni single in the fifth gave the Herd their final two runs of the season. Wallace, Mastroianni and Dalton Pompey shared the hitting lead with four hits apiece and Mastroianni was also hit by a pitch. Hague had three hits while Diaz and Gillespie had two each. Mike Nickeas had the other hit.Scott Copeland (3-1) surrendered just one run on three hits and a walk while striking out five and getting 10 groundball outs. Brandon Morrow allowed a run on a hit and struck out one in 1.1 innings. Steve Delabar allowed Morrow's run to come home and gave up two hits but he got the final two outs with two K's.
New Britain 4 New Hampshire 3 (13 Innings)
New Britain, CT - So much for getting away quickly on getaway day! The Fisher Cats had a 3-2 lead in the eighth but Richard Bleier could not hold the lead by giving up the tying run in the bottom of the eighth. Bleier gave up the run in two-thirds of an inning on two singles. The run was unearned because of a passed ball by Jack Murphy. Randy Boone stranded a runner for Bleier and pitched 1.1 perfect innings with one strikeout. Blake McFarland worked three shutout frames of two-hit ball and struck out three. Justin Jackson (0-1) got just one out and was walked off by the Twins affiliate for the winning run on two hits. That spoiled seven strong innings from Casey Lawrence, who coughed up just two runs on two five hits. He only struck out a pair but he got 14 ground ball outs.
The Fisher Cats clawed their way back from a two-run deficit thanks to a Sean Ochinko two-run home run in the fourth inning. They took a 3-2 lead in the eighth on a Kevin Nolan RBI single. Ochinko, Nolan, K.C. Hobson and Matt Newman put two dents apiece in the hit column with Hobson getting a double and Nolan stealing a base. Andy Burns had a hit and a walk. Jon Berti and Brad Glenn were both 1-for-6.
South Bend 5 Lansing 4
Lansing, MI - Mother Nature decided not to allow nine innings on the final day, cutting this one short after 5-1/2. Starlyn Suriel (2-4) was stung by the Diamondbacks farm club for three runs over 4.1 innings. He surrendered nine hits and a walk and struck out four. Jimmy Cordero allowed a Suriel runner to score and gave up two more runs on a hit and two walks in 1.1 innings. He did strike out a batter.
Jason Leblebijian singled home the first run of the game in the first and knocked home another run with a base hit in the fifth. Rowdy Tellez capped off the three-run rally with a two-run homer to score Leblebijian. Tellez was 3-for-3 while Leblebijian and Dawel Lugo finished up with two-hit efforts. Dickie Joe Thon had a double while Chaz Frank and David Harris had base hits. Daniel Klein was plunked by a pitch.
Vancouver 4 Spokane 1
Vancouver, BC - The C's went with their B-team and still pulled off the sweep of Spokane to end the regular season with a franchise-tying 46th win of the season, matching their 2012 mark. Jonathan Davis helped bring in three runs without a hit. Davis delivered the first run of the game with a groundout in the second inning and got his second RBI with a sac fly in the fourth. On that fly ball, another run scored on an error. Davis also had a stolen base. Ryan Metzler singled home the final run of the frame as part of a two-hit afternoon. Michael De La Cruz was 1-for-2 with two walks and two runs scored. Seth Conner had a hit and a walk while Trent Miller and Christian Vazquez had base hits. Brenden Kalfus walked, was hit by a pitch and scored a run. Of the regulars, Ryan McBroom was 0-for-1 as the designated hitter before giving way to Boomer Collins. Among those getting the day off were Franklin Barreto, Roemon Fields, Tim Locastro and Chris Carlson.
Zak Wasilewski - pitching against Everett earlier this season - got the victory with three shutout innings against Spokane Monday afternoon.
Daniel Lietz had trouble finding the plate after issuing six walks and yielding three hits over four innings but limited the Rangers affiliate to one run. Lietz struck out three and was bailed out by two double plays, one of them an unassisted liner to third base to double off a runner. He did touch 93 MPH on the radar gun. Zak Wasilewski (2-4) gave up a hit and hit two Spokane batters over three scoreless frames but needed a spectacular Ryan Metzler over the shoulder catch at third base to help get out of the seventh inning. Adaric Kelly pitched two innings of one-hit ball and struck out two to get the save. One of the strikeouts was too good as the batter reached on a wild pitch. He threw pitches in the 77-91 MPH range.
Monday's Linescores
*** 3 Stars!!! ***
3. Rowdy Tellez, Lansing - Finished up his 12-game stint in Michigan with a .949 OPS.
2. Dalton Pompey, Buffalo - An .846 OPS and 6-for-6 in stolen bases with the Bisons.
1. Darin Mastroianni, Buffalo - Compiled a .349 OBP and 20 stolen bases with the Herd.
3 Stars images from MiLB.com.
Tuesday's Schedule & Probable Starters
Dunedin @ Daytona (Game 1), 7:05 pm ET - Matt Boyd (5-3, 1.39) vs. Edmonton, Alberta native Rob Zastryzny (4-6, 4.66).
Spokane @ Vancouver (Game 1), 10:05 pm ET - Ryan Borucki (1-1, 1.90).
Extra Innings
The National Post catches up with some players who have ridden the Buffalo to Toronto shuttle.
The Lansing State Journal has a feature on pitcher Brad Allen.
The Vancouver Province has a video interview with Canadians manager John Schneider as well as a feature on lefthander Matthew Smoral.