Ottawa 2 Syracuse 3
Zach Jackson started for the Chiefs trying to build on his good start in Buffalo on Tuesday night. In that game Zach threw the ball well but consistently fell behind the hitters, so he had to use his fastball and cutter more than he would like. Yesterday Jackson was more economical, pitching into the eighth. Jackson helped himself in the first and second inning, twice picking runners off at first base. Thanks to the pick-offs Zack faced one over the minimum through four innings but the first four hitters of the fifth inning singled, scoring a run and leaving the bases loaded. Jackson induced a double play ball, scoring a second run, but escaped the inning with a 3-2 lead. Syracuse had taken the lead in the second when Gabe Gross singled in a run. Kevin Barker homered to make it 2-0 in the third, and Gross doubled in a third run in the fourth. Gronkiewicz and Whiteside did their usual eighth and ninth inning routine to hold the lead. Jackson's line was 7.1 8 2 2 0 4. Gross, Barker and Matos had 2 hits each.
Box ScoreNew Hampshire 2 Portland 5
New Hampshire ran their losing streak against Portland to 14 games yesterday, a very frustrating matchup for 2005, one that could cost the Fisher Cats a playoff spot. David Purcey had one of his "wild" starts yesterday. In the first inning he loaded the bases on two hits and a walk but escaped unscathed. But in the second Portland batted around scoring three runs on two hits, three walks, a hit batter and two wild pitches. Manager Basso had enough, although Purcey might have thrown 90 pitches to the 15 hitters he faced. The Fisher Cats had little going against Red Sox prospect Anibel Sanchez and appeared to catch a break when Sanchez had to leave the game with an arm injury in the fourth, but they could do no better against the bullpen. Ron Davenport doubled in Ryan Roberts in the fifth, and Davenport doubled again and scored on a sac fly in the eighth. Davenport, Roberts, and Chip Cannon had two hits each. Ron Davenport has been hitting well since his stay on the DL, he was hitting .220/.242/.307 before being injured. Since coming back he is at .299/.344/.480. Look for some Purcey commentary from Jays minor league pitching instructor, Dane Johnson tomorrow.
Box ScoreDunedin - scheduled day off
SW Michigan 4 Lansing 2
Lansing were not in this game until the ninth inning. Through 8 Lansing had 2 hits and only one runner had reached second base. Meanwhile Michigan built a 4-0 lead, three off them of starter AJ Wideman who went 6 innings allowing the 3 runs on 5 hits and a walk. In the ninth a single, a walk, and a hit batter loaded the bases for Lansing with one out. David Hicks struck out, Ryan Klosterman walked to drive in the first run and Juan Peralta, back in the lineup, singled to make it 4-2 with the bases still loaded, but Jason Armstrong flied out to tend the game.
Box ScoreAuburn 9 Mahoning Valley 8
This was a real back and forth contest, one in which Jacob Butler made his Auburn debut. Auburn scored 4 in the first on 5 hits, including an RBI single by Butler. MV got a couple back off Orlando Trias before Ryan Patterson homered in the fifth to make it 5-2 Auburn. MV scored four in the seventh and one in the eighth to give them a 7-5 lead heading for the ninth. Cory Patton hit a two run home run to tie the game and Butler later doubled home two more. Paul Phillips gave up a home run in the ninth but registered the save. Ryan Patterson, Sean Shoffit and Nick Thomas each had 3 hits, Joey Metropoulos and Butler had two each.
Box ScorePulaski 9 Greeneville 6
Pulaski had the 123 attack working early, one run in the first, two in the second and three in the third. Jorge Sandes hit a 2 run home run in the second. Anthony Hatch singled in the run in the first, and doubled in a run and scored as part of the three runs in the third. Greeneville fought back with five runs in the first four innings and Pulaski led 6-5 from the fourth until the eighth, when Jonathan Jaspe hit a three run home run. Hatch, Jaspe and Jesus Gonzalez had three hits. Jesus Gonzalez has been incredibly hot recently. At the end of July his OPS was .668. Today it is .847. For August Gonzalez is hitting .337, with an OBP of .375 and a SLG of .602. Gonzalez turned 21 years old in July.
Box ScoreYour Three Star Selection
Third star - Jonathan Jaspe 3-5, HR. 3 runs, four ribbies
Second Star - Jacob Butler, 2-5, 3 ribbies in his Auburn debut
First Star - Ryan Patterson, 3-5, HR, 3 runs, 2 ribbies
Standings Update
Just over one week left in the season, two teams, Dunedin and Auburn are strong contenders for a playoff spot. New Hamsphire had a tough week and are relying on Trenton to collpase. Syracuse, Lansing and Pulaski will not make it.
Syracuse record is 68-68. The Chiefs are in fourth place, eight games back of Buffalo with eight game left.
The Fisher Cats are 66-69, and are in fourth place, eight games back of Portland with seven to play. Trenton's magic number vs. New Hampshire is four for the last playoff spot.
Dunedin are 36-27, and are tied for first place with Lakeland. Lakeland were the first half champions, and if Lakeland win the second half then the team with the next best overall record gets the second spot. Dunedin currently are ahead by approx. 4 games in that race.
The Lugnuts are 28-34, and are in fourth place, eleven games back of South Bend.
Auburn are 36-29, in first place, five games ahead of Mahoning Valley.
Pulaski are 34-31, in third place, twelve games behind Danville.
