The farm affiliates went 3-1 on Friday night, with the big bats in Syracuse leading the way. Yes, Pierre, there are big bats in Syracuse. Read on.
Norfolk 3 @ Syracuse 17
The Chiefs blew away the Tides in a 4 and 1/2 inning rain-shortened game. I can't recall a team having 20 hits in 4 innings, but the Chiefs did it last night. Everybody got in on the act. Russ Adams led off and played second and went 2-2 with 2 walks. Kevin Barker had 2 doubles and a homer and drove in 4, while Sergio Santos and Jason Phillips also had 3 hits each. Wayne Lydon homered, singled and walked in 3 plate trips. Dustin McGowan started and went 4.2 innings. McGowan surrendered 6 hits, including 2 solo homers, walked 3 and struck out 6. Ben Weber came on to retire the Tide (sorry) with a strikeout in the fifth.
Harrisburg 4 @ New Hampshire 5
The Fisher Cats trailed 4-1 at the seventh inning stretch, but were obviously invigorated by the exercise as they scored 2 in the bottom of the seventh on a 2 run double by Adam Lind. They tied the game in the eighth in an unusual series of events. Chip Cannon singled and took third on an infield single to short. He was replaced for pinch-runner David Smith, who came in to score on Vito Chiaravallotti's sacrifice fly. Manny Mayorson was thrown out on the play, but after Smith had crossed the plate. Lind started the winning rally in the 10th inning with another double. Smith walked, and Maikel Jova's infield single loaded the bases with one out. Lind then trotted home with the winning run on a wild pitch. Kyle Yates gave the Cats 7 decent innings in his return to double A, as he allowed 4 runs on 5 hits and 3 walks with 7 strikeouts. Tracy Thorpe was solid in 2.2 shutout innings of relief, and like Weber in Syracuse, Jim Bullard struck out the only batter hae faced for the win.
Edgardo Alfonzo came on to pinch-run for Carlo Cota late in the game, but ended up coming to the plate twice and went 0-2 including a line-out.
Daytona 6 @ Dunedin 4
The D'Jays made 5 errors, 3 by third baseman Robinson Diaz, which led to 4 unearned runs in a tough loss. Ryan Patterson was the bright spot, stroking a 3 run homer and drawing a walk in 4 plate appearances while also throwing out a Daytona speedster at the plate. Juan Peralta pitched in with a single and a double. Eric Fowler started and went 5 serviceable innings, allowing 5 hits and 2 walks with 3 punchouts. Josh Sowers followed that up with 3 workmanlike innings of his own, and T.J. Gornati mopped up in the 9th.
Lansing 5 @ Fort Wayne 3
The Lugnuts scored 4 in the 1st inning and held on for the victory. Luke Hetherington walked and Anthony Hatch followed with a line drive homer over the 4 foot high fence in right field. Cory Patton then singled, and after Big City Metropolous struck out, David Hicks doubled him home with a drive off the top of the right-centerfield wall and Anthony Garibaldi singled him home. Luke Hetherington added a solo homer in the 7th to put the game on ice. Chi-hung Cheng gave up 2 runs in the first, and struggling for his control, lasted only 3 innings. Sean Stidfole picked him up with 3 solid innings of long relief, surrendering a run. After a scoreless seventh from Joey McLaughlin Jr., Paul Phillips came on and shut the door completely with 2 perfect innings and 2 punchouts.
3-star selection
3rd star- Russ Adams
2nd star- Adam Lind
1st star- Kevin Barker
Norfolk 3 @ Syracuse 17
The Chiefs blew away the Tides in a 4 and 1/2 inning rain-shortened game. I can't recall a team having 20 hits in 4 innings, but the Chiefs did it last night. Everybody got in on the act. Russ Adams led off and played second and went 2-2 with 2 walks. Kevin Barker had 2 doubles and a homer and drove in 4, while Sergio Santos and Jason Phillips also had 3 hits each. Wayne Lydon homered, singled and walked in 3 plate trips. Dustin McGowan started and went 4.2 innings. McGowan surrendered 6 hits, including 2 solo homers, walked 3 and struck out 6. Ben Weber came on to retire the Tide (sorry) with a strikeout in the fifth.
Harrisburg 4 @ New Hampshire 5
The Fisher Cats trailed 4-1 at the seventh inning stretch, but were obviously invigorated by the exercise as they scored 2 in the bottom of the seventh on a 2 run double by Adam Lind. They tied the game in the eighth in an unusual series of events. Chip Cannon singled and took third on an infield single to short. He was replaced for pinch-runner David Smith, who came in to score on Vito Chiaravallotti's sacrifice fly. Manny Mayorson was thrown out on the play, but after Smith had crossed the plate. Lind started the winning rally in the 10th inning with another double. Smith walked, and Maikel Jova's infield single loaded the bases with one out. Lind then trotted home with the winning run on a wild pitch. Kyle Yates gave the Cats 7 decent innings in his return to double A, as he allowed 4 runs on 5 hits and 3 walks with 7 strikeouts. Tracy Thorpe was solid in 2.2 shutout innings of relief, and like Weber in Syracuse, Jim Bullard struck out the only batter hae faced for the win.
Edgardo Alfonzo came on to pinch-run for Carlo Cota late in the game, but ended up coming to the plate twice and went 0-2 including a line-out.
Daytona 6 @ Dunedin 4
The D'Jays made 5 errors, 3 by third baseman Robinson Diaz, which led to 4 unearned runs in a tough loss. Ryan Patterson was the bright spot, stroking a 3 run homer and drawing a walk in 4 plate appearances while also throwing out a Daytona speedster at the plate. Juan Peralta pitched in with a single and a double. Eric Fowler started and went 5 serviceable innings, allowing 5 hits and 2 walks with 3 punchouts. Josh Sowers followed that up with 3 workmanlike innings of his own, and T.J. Gornati mopped up in the 9th.
Lansing 5 @ Fort Wayne 3
The Lugnuts scored 4 in the 1st inning and held on for the victory. Luke Hetherington walked and Anthony Hatch followed with a line drive homer over the 4 foot high fence in right field. Cory Patton then singled, and after Big City Metropolous struck out, David Hicks doubled him home with a drive off the top of the right-centerfield wall and Anthony Garibaldi singled him home. Luke Hetherington added a solo homer in the 7th to put the game on ice. Chi-hung Cheng gave up 2 runs in the first, and struggling for his control, lasted only 3 innings. Sean Stidfole picked him up with 3 solid innings of long relief, surrendering a run. After a scoreless seventh from Joey McLaughlin Jr., Paul Phillips came on and shut the door completely with 2 perfect innings and 2 punchouts.
3-star selection
3rd star- Russ Adams
2nd star- Adam Lind
1st star- Kevin Barker
