In celebration of an almost-sweep for the farm affiliates, who won 6 of 7, it's time for our Sunday minor league link-o-rama.
Syracuse 8 @ Buffalo 6
Ryan Roberts drove in 3 runs, including the game-winner in the ninth with a bases loaded walk, as the Sky Chiefs vanquished the Bisons. Josh Towers started and the results were very familiar- 7 innings, 6 earned runs, 0 walks, 8 strikeouts, 3 homers and 3 doubles. Jason Frasor struck out the side in the eighth, sandwiched around a walk and a game-tying single, for the win. Lee Gronkiewicz made it a nervous ninth with 2 hits allowed, but no runs. Rob Cosby homered and doubled, while Kevin Barker reached base 3 times. Dustin McGowan gets the start for the Chiefs today in Buffalo. With the trade deadline approaching, he is being closely watched.
Trenton 5 @ New Hampshire 9
Manny Mayorson's 7th inning sacrifice fly broke a 4-4 tie, and Ryan Klosterman followed with a 3 run rip to salt the game away for the Fisher Cats. David Purcey started and went 6.1 innings, allowing 4 earned runs on 9 hits and 2 walks with 3 punchouts. Danny Hill allowed an inherited runner from Purcey to score in the 7th inning and vultured the win. Tim Olson also homered for the Fishers, while Chip Cannon singled and walked in 4 plate trips, and Ryan Patterson doubled and drove in a run among his 5 appearances. Curtis Thigpen and Adam Lind were both out of the lineup. Manager Doug Davis hopes to have Lind back in the lineup today; Lind was out with a concussion sustained while diving for a liner.
Dunedin 3 @ Daytona 1
The D'Jays scored 2 in the top of the ninth to break a 1-1 tie. Josh Kreuzer doubled, moved up on a David Corrente productive out and scored on a wild pitch for the first run and Aaron Mathews' 2 out run-scoring double plated an insurance marker. Corrente drove in Dunedin's first run with a sacrifice fly. Kurt Isenberg started and threw 6 solid innings, allowing a run on 5 hits and no walks, with 4 strikeouts. Danny Core struck out the side in the 7th, and Paul Phillips retired the D-Cubs in order in the eighth to set the stage for the Dunedin rally. Connor Falkenbach made it a nervous ninth by permitting 3 Cub baserunners, but emerged unscathed.
Peoria 1 @ Lansing 3
Aaron Tressler threw 8 innings of 3 hit-ball with 9 strikeouts for the win. He walked one. Sean Stidfole moved back to the pen, and pitched a 1-2-3 ninth with 2 strikeouts mixed in. Josh Bell homered and doubled and drove in 2 runs to lead the Lugnut offence, while Anthony Hatch doubled in the other run. The Lugs trailed 1-0 after 5 innings, but single runs in the 6th, 7th and 8th innings brought them back. A. J. Wideman is scheduled to re-join the Lugnut rotation on Monday, after Chi-Hung Cheng's start today.
Staten Island 3 @ Auburn 4
Scott Campbell's 10th inning RBI single was the game-winner for the Doubledays. Shane Benson started and went six fine innings, allowing one earned run on 3 hits and 1 walk with 4 strikeouts. After Brian Bull struggled, Dennis Bigley came on to right the ship and shut down the Yankees in the 9th and 10th and struck out 2. He has now thrown 7.2 innings in Auburn with 1 walk and 12 strikeouts, and has not been scored upon. Luke Hopkins hit his 3rd homer of the season, a 2 run shot in the first, to put Auburn on the board. Here's an Auburn Citizen story on him.
Pulaski 7 @ Elizabethton 2, 1st game
Pulaksi 6 @ Elizabethon 7, 2nd game
In the opener, Travis Snider's 3 run 1st inning homer was all that Matt Barbara and the P-Jays needed, but they got much more. Wes Stone had 3 hits, while Snider, Jonathan Jaspe and Baron Frost chipped in with 2 apiece. Barbara conceded 2 solo homers, and not much else in 6 innings of work- 5 hits, no walks and 6 strikeouts. Nathan Melek pitched a perfect final inning.
Pulaski scored 5 in the top of the first of the nightcap, but starter Joe Wice did not have it, and the lead was gone after 3 innings. The teams traded runs in the 5th, and the game went to extras. The E-Twins scored a run off Aaron Stidfole in the bottom of the ninth for the victory. Catcher Roger Ebarb's 3 run homer in the first was the big blow for the P-Jays. Centerfielder and leadoff hitter Chris Emanuele went 3-5, while Travis Snider doubled and scored.
3 stars!
3rd star- Shane Benson
2nd star- Ryan Klosterman
1st star- Aaron Tressler
Syracuse 8 @ Buffalo 6
Ryan Roberts drove in 3 runs, including the game-winner in the ninth with a bases loaded walk, as the Sky Chiefs vanquished the Bisons. Josh Towers started and the results were very familiar- 7 innings, 6 earned runs, 0 walks, 8 strikeouts, 3 homers and 3 doubles. Jason Frasor struck out the side in the eighth, sandwiched around a walk and a game-tying single, for the win. Lee Gronkiewicz made it a nervous ninth with 2 hits allowed, but no runs. Rob Cosby homered and doubled, while Kevin Barker reached base 3 times. Dustin McGowan gets the start for the Chiefs today in Buffalo. With the trade deadline approaching, he is being closely watched.
Trenton 5 @ New Hampshire 9
Manny Mayorson's 7th inning sacrifice fly broke a 4-4 tie, and Ryan Klosterman followed with a 3 run rip to salt the game away for the Fisher Cats. David Purcey started and went 6.1 innings, allowing 4 earned runs on 9 hits and 2 walks with 3 punchouts. Danny Hill allowed an inherited runner from Purcey to score in the 7th inning and vultured the win. Tim Olson also homered for the Fishers, while Chip Cannon singled and walked in 4 plate trips, and Ryan Patterson doubled and drove in a run among his 5 appearances. Curtis Thigpen and Adam Lind were both out of the lineup. Manager Doug Davis hopes to have Lind back in the lineup today; Lind was out with a concussion sustained while diving for a liner.
Dunedin 3 @ Daytona 1
The D'Jays scored 2 in the top of the ninth to break a 1-1 tie. Josh Kreuzer doubled, moved up on a David Corrente productive out and scored on a wild pitch for the first run and Aaron Mathews' 2 out run-scoring double plated an insurance marker. Corrente drove in Dunedin's first run with a sacrifice fly. Kurt Isenberg started and threw 6 solid innings, allowing a run on 5 hits and no walks, with 4 strikeouts. Danny Core struck out the side in the 7th, and Paul Phillips retired the D-Cubs in order in the eighth to set the stage for the Dunedin rally. Connor Falkenbach made it a nervous ninth by permitting 3 Cub baserunners, but emerged unscathed.
Peoria 1 @ Lansing 3
Aaron Tressler threw 8 innings of 3 hit-ball with 9 strikeouts for the win. He walked one. Sean Stidfole moved back to the pen, and pitched a 1-2-3 ninth with 2 strikeouts mixed in. Josh Bell homered and doubled and drove in 2 runs to lead the Lugnut offence, while Anthony Hatch doubled in the other run. The Lugs trailed 1-0 after 5 innings, but single runs in the 6th, 7th and 8th innings brought them back. A. J. Wideman is scheduled to re-join the Lugnut rotation on Monday, after Chi-Hung Cheng's start today.
Staten Island 3 @ Auburn 4
Scott Campbell's 10th inning RBI single was the game-winner for the Doubledays. Shane Benson started and went six fine innings, allowing one earned run on 3 hits and 1 walk with 4 strikeouts. After Brian Bull struggled, Dennis Bigley came on to right the ship and shut down the Yankees in the 9th and 10th and struck out 2. He has now thrown 7.2 innings in Auburn with 1 walk and 12 strikeouts, and has not been scored upon. Luke Hopkins hit his 3rd homer of the season, a 2 run shot in the first, to put Auburn on the board. Here's an Auburn Citizen story on him.
Pulaski 7 @ Elizabethton 2, 1st game
Pulaksi 6 @ Elizabethon 7, 2nd game
In the opener, Travis Snider's 3 run 1st inning homer was all that Matt Barbara and the P-Jays needed, but they got much more. Wes Stone had 3 hits, while Snider, Jonathan Jaspe and Baron Frost chipped in with 2 apiece. Barbara conceded 2 solo homers, and not much else in 6 innings of work- 5 hits, no walks and 6 strikeouts. Nathan Melek pitched a perfect final inning.
Pulaski scored 5 in the top of the first of the nightcap, but starter Joe Wice did not have it, and the lead was gone after 3 innings. The teams traded runs in the 5th, and the game went to extras. The E-Twins scored a run off Aaron Stidfole in the bottom of the ninth for the victory. Catcher Roger Ebarb's 3 run homer in the first was the big blow for the P-Jays. Centerfielder and leadoff hitter Chris Emanuele went 3-5, while Travis Snider doubled and scored.
3 stars!
3rd star- Shane Benson
2nd star- Ryan Klosterman
1st star- Aaron Tressler
