The New Hampshire Fisher Cats were one pitch away from being no-hit for the first time in franchise history, Dunedin continues to own Tampa during a certain reporter's minor league updates, and Lansing was a big winner on the road as the affiliates went 2-and-3.
Syracuse - Scheduled Day Off
Manchester, NH - It was a start to remember for Portland's Justin Masterson and one to forget for F-Cats lefty Kurt Isenberg. Isenberg did get around a couple of singles by striking out a pair of Sea Dogs in the 1st but the Red Sox affiliates got all the offence they would need in the 2nd inning. A single, walk, and a wild pitch put a pair runners in scoring position and they came in to score on a fielding error by 3rd baseman Rob Cosby and a groundout. Portland would hit Isenberg much harder in the next frame, using a double, triple, and single to score 2 more runs to go up 4-0. Isenberg surrendered another extra base hit but did strike out another pair of batters before giving way to Sean Stidfole. He gave up a run on a couple of singles and double, giving up 5 hits and issuing a walk in his 2 1/3 innings of work. Seth Overbey surrendered a pair of hits in 2 scoreless innings and Jo Matumoto pitched a clean 9th.
Fortunately, the F-Cats had "the other" Overbay in their line-up as the rehabbing Lyle Overbay worked a pair of walks against Justin Masterson, who pitched no-hit ball in 6 2/3 innings in his double-A debut. The only other baserunner he allowed came on his own throwing error on a Rob Cosby comebacker to the mound. Masterson had reached his pitch count so it was up to Hunter Smith to keep the no-hit bid going. He was one strike away from immortality before Overbay crushed the hopes and dreams of Red Sox Nation with a single up the middle. However, Smith rebounded to strike out Sergio Santos to end the ball game as the Sea Dogs settled for a 1 hitter.
Call me crazy but I have a hunch that Lyle Stefan Overbay and his OPS of .922 with the F-Cats clearly shows he's mastered Double A. The New Hampshire Union Leader seems to agree.
Tampa, FL - Robert Ray drew a tough starting assignment in this one as he went up against the rehabbing Phil Hughes. However, the D-Jays managed to scratch out a run against Hughes, who struggled with his control early by walking a pair of batters. Carlo Cota, who reached on a fielder's choice, stole 2nd and came around to score on an error by the Tampa 3rd baseman Marcos Vecchionacci. The damn Yankees waste little time to respond as they scored twice on a single, double, single to take the lead at 2-1. Despite giving up 5 hits, Ray escaped a bases loaded jam to end the inning. Phil Hughes set down the D-Jays in order and he called it a day after that. Ray matched that goose egg in the bottom of the 2nd despite giving up a single and a walk.
Anthony Hatch would draw Dunedin even by greeting Tampa reliever George Kontos with his 9th homer of the season. The D-Jays tried to grab the lead but Yankee prospect Jose Tabata started a 9-4-2 putout to gun down Josh Kreuzer, who tried to chug home from 1st on an Eric Nielsen single. However, Kreuzer would make amends with the hickory later.
Meantime, Robert Ray continued to live dangerously as he yielded 2 more singles and a walk but a double play ball helped him keep the T-Yanks off the board. It was not a pretty line for Ray, who gave up 8 hits and 2 walks in 3 innings of work but only allowed 2 runs. Ray gave way to Scott Sauerbeck and he pitched an effective 2 innings of relief, notching a strikeout and recorded 4 groundball outs.
That inspired the D-Jays to a 4 run frame in the 6th, led by Josh Kreuzer's 14th poke over the wall to put Dunedin ahead 3-2. Brian Jeroloman added a 2 run single and Chris Gutierrez grounded into a double play to score another run to make it 6-2. Orlando Trias kept the game at 6-2 by overcoming a leadoff walk in the 6th and a pair of leadoff singles in the 7th. Paul Phillips wasn't so lucky in the 8th as he got smacked around by giving up a triple and a homer to the first two batters he faced. He got the next pair of hitters but he gave up another long ball by Austin Jackson and it was a one-run ball game. Connor Falkenbach was called in to put out the fire but the flames were getting higher as he gave up 2 singles to put runners on the corners. However, Falkenbach wiggled out of the mess by getting a groundball out. He wouldn't screw around in the 9th, as he wound up striking out the side swinging to nail down his 17th save and preserve the D-Jays one run victory.
Call me crazy again but isn't Josh Kreuzer deserving of a call-up to New Hampshire? He's batting .320 and his OPS is just shy of 1.000 at .991. With a 2-for-3 perfomance and a walk, Brian Jeroloman continues his Zen, er Zaun-like approach at the plate with a .440 OBP. However, his SLG is over 80 points lower. Hopefully, the power will develop soon.
Fort Wayne, IN - Lugnuts stater Zach Dials was rung up for a 2 run homer in the first but the 'Nuts bats would erase that deficit in the top of the 2nd. A 2 run single by Jonathan Diaz and a 2 run triple by Scott Campbell, both with 2 out, helped Lansing grab a 4-2 lead over the Padres affiliates. A dropped foul ball by the Wizards also helped prolong the inning.
The Lugnuts poured it on in the 3rd as a pair of RBI groundouts by DH Sean Shoffit and Matthew Lane and an RBI single by Josh Bell increased their lead to 7-2. The Wizards would match the Lugnuts with a 3 run inning in the bottom of the third, also on a pair of fielder's choices and an RBI base knock off Zach Dials.
The 'Nuts would respond with a single run in the 4th but it could've been more. Travis Snider walked to lead off the frame but was thrown out trying to steal 2nd. God bless his bat but stealing bases is clearly not his forte as he is now 3-for-9 in that department. However, Sean Shoffit tripled and Yuber Rodriguez followed with a 3 bagger of his own to make the score 8-5 Lansing. A Chris Emanuele bases loaded walk highlighted a 2 run 6th inning for the Lugnuts and a Yuber Rodriguez RBI single in the 9th capped off the scoring. The Lugnuts collected 13 hits on the night, including 2 doubles from Jonathan Jaspe and a pinch hit single by Jonathan Baksh in the 9th.
Lefty Benjamin Harrison settled things down for the Lugnuts by conjuring up 3 scoreless innings against the Wizards, surrendering a hit and a walk while striking out 2 to get the win. Po-Hsuan Keng managed to pick up his 2nd save in this blowout thanks to Ted Serro's inability to throw strikes. He wound up walking 5 batters in 1 2/3 innings but Keng bailed him out of a bases loaded jam to end the 8th before pitching a scoreless 9th. He got the save because the potential tying run was on deck at the time. He racked up 2 K's against 1 walk.
Auburn, NY - It was lefties night at Falcon Park as the Doubledays gave the ball to Kyle Walter to start the game. To say Walter had trouble finding the strike zone would be an understatement. He walked the leadoff man and advanced him another 180 feet with a couple of wild pitches. A groundout would later score the run to give Aberdeen the 1-0 lead. A leadoff walk would also lead to the D-Days first run of the night in the bottom of the 1st. Darin Mastroianni drew the leadoff pass, stole 2nd, advanced to 3rd on a groundout, and was then brought home on a J.P. Arencibia single.
However, the Orioles affiliates would retake the lead in the top of the 2nd as they got to Kyle Walter for a pair of leadoff singles. Walter would plunk the next batter to load up the bases but he induced a 6-4-3 double play ball, which led to the go-ahead run crossing the plate. He issued another walk but that was all Aberdeen would manage in the inning. Walter would get another double play ball to face the minimum 3 batters in the 3rd but he was nicked for another Ironbirds run in the 4th as a leadoff walk would come around to score after a pair of singles to make the score 3-1 for the visitors. Southpaw Cody Crowell picked up Walter in the 6th and contributed 2 scoreless innings by striking out 3 and walking 1 while the third Auburn lefty, Ronald Lowe, also put 2 scoreless, hitless frames.
The D-Days had their opportunities in this one but Luis Sanchez, despite a 2-for-4 night, did not know when to say when on the basepaths. He was thrown out at 2nd trying to stretch a single into a double in the 3rd inning and then committed the cardinal sin by being the 1st out at 3rd by trying to extend a leadoff double into a three-bagger. Auburn did draw closer in the 9th as Adam Calderone belted a solo shot for his 2nd of the year to make it 3-2. Wesley Stone followed with a walk but pinch runner Carlos Vasquez would be left on the basepaths as Luis Sanchez went down swinging to end the ballgame.
J.P. Arencibia was 1-for-1 with an HBP and RBI before being replaced. Adam Calderone was 2-for-4 with a homer to raise his average to .300. Darin Mastroianni was 0-for-1 officially but got aboard 3 times by drawing 2 walks and taking one for the team. He added a stolen base but was also caught stealing. Leance Soto was 0-for-2 with a whiff and his average plummets to .155.
Cody Crowell has an ERA of 2.70 thanks to his 2 scoreless innings and has a 15-6 K/BB ratio in 13 1/3 innings. Ronald Lowe lowered his ERA to 2.19 and his K/BB ratio is 10-2 after 12 1/3 innings.
Dunedin, FL - The G-Jays fell behind early in this one as the Tribe got to James Dougher for a pair of runs in the 1st. The Indians picked up 2 singles in their first 3 at-bats but Moises Sierra, after booting the ball around in right field, recovered by cutting down the first runner trying to cross the plate on a 9-4-2 putout. However, the Indians broke through with a double and 2 singles to grab a 2-0 advantage.
After leaving 5 runners on the base in the 2nd and 3rd innings, including a bases loaded situation in the 3rd, the G-Jays got on the board in the 4th. Michael McDade singled home a Kevin Ahrens walk and Eric Eiland doubled home McDade to tie the ballgame. Lefty Frank Gailey set down the Indians in order in the 5th in relief of James Dougher, who allowed 8 baserunners with 7 hits and a plunk but he did not walk a batter and struck out 4. Hailing from Syracuse, Dougher may be more excited than most to get to Triple-A with this organization, provided they remain affiliated with them.
The Jays would grab their first lead of the game as Balbino Fuenmayor, who rapped into an inning-ending double play with the bases drunk in the 3rd, would triple home John Tolisano to put them ahead 3-2. However, Fuenmayor would be stranded as Yohermyn Chavez struck out and Kevin Ahrens grounded out to kill the rally. That would prove costly as the Indians responded with a 3 run frame in the 6th, including a 2 run homer by Robert Alcombrack off Frank Gailey, to make the score 5-3. Jason Monti got the final out of the inning for Gailey and pitched a 3 up-3 down 7th, However, Monti was victimized by Robert Alcombrack, who connected for his 2nd two-run homer of the game to give the Tribe a 7-3 advantage in the 8th. Jacob Cook tried to get out of the inning but he surrendered a walk, a single, and 2 stolen bases before retiring the last batter he faced. Ryan Bird picked him up by striking out the final batter of the frame. A Justin Jackson RBI groundout was all the G-Jays could muster in the 9th as they suffered the 3 run loss.
Kevin Ahrens and Eric Eiland were the only G-Jays to get aboard twice as they went 1-for-3 with a walk. Eiland also added a pair of stolen bases. Balbino Fuenmayor had the only extra base hit with a triple but is only hitting .237.
On the mound, Ryan Bird sports an ERA of 1.23 after his 1 1/3 innings of scoreless relief. In 7 1/3 innings so far, he's given up 7 hits and his K/BB ratio is an outstanding 9 to 1.
*** 3 Stars! ***
3. Scott Sauerbeck, Dunedin - 2IP 0R 0ER 0BB 1K - 4 groundball outs and the W
2. Benjamin Harrison, Lansing - 3 IP 1H 0R 0ER 1BB 2K - gets the W
1. Josh Kreuzer, Dunedin - 2/5, HR - 14 dingers on the season
Honourable Mentions...........
New Hampshire - Lyle Overbay, Seth Overbey, Jo Matumoto
Dunedin - Brian Jeroloman, Anthony Hatch, Eric Nielsen, Cory Patton, Jacob Butler, Orlando Trias, Connor Falkenbach
Lansing - Sean Shoffit, Jonathan Jaspe, Scott Campbell, Travis Snider, Yuber Rodriguez, Josh Bell, Jonathan Diaz, Po-Hsuan Keng
Auburn - Darin Mastroianni, J.P. Arencibia, Adam Calderone, Cody Crowell, Ronald Lowe
GCL - Eric Eiland, Kevin Ahrens, Balbino Fuenmayor, John Tolisano, Ryan Bird
Today's Schedule
GCL Blue Jays @ GCL Tigers, 10:00 a.m.
Bonus Material
A New Hampshire Fisher Cat receives mention on Baseball America's Prospect Hot Sheet
Condos at MerchantsAuto.com Stadium? No "con do" according to the New Hampshire Union Leader
A Syracuse Chief keeps the faith according to the Syracuse Post-Standard
And finally........
My thanks to Mike Green for filling in for me on last Tuesday's minor league update as I made the drive from Cobourg, Ontario to my new home in Edmonton, Alberta.
