Only one club lost Thursday and it was the baby, baby Jays in the Gulf Coast League. Regardless, there were a lot of positives on the night.
Syracuse 6 Richmond 1
Kane Davis allowed just one run over six innings. He allowed five hits and four walks but struck out four as well. Recent pick-up Jonah Bayliss pitched a scoreless inning. Brandon League and Jordan DeJong also pitched scoreless innings. Hector Luna was 3-for-5 with a run scored and a double. Adam Lind was 1-for-3 with a two-run homer. Danny Sandoval was 2-for-4 with a homer. Matt Watson was 1-for-2 with a double, two runs scored and two walks. Wayne Lydon stole two bases and now has 27 on the year.
New Hampshire 6 Connecticut 1
Robert Ray allowed 10 hits in seven innings but kept all but one runner from crossing the plate. He also walked two and struck out just one. Jared Gothreaux and Daryl Harang each pitched a scoreless inning. Kyle Phillips was 3-for-4 with two solo homers. Travis Snider was 2-for-4 with two doubles and two RBI (and no strikeouts!). Scott Campbell went 2-for-4. J.P. Arencibia was 0-for-4 with a strikeout.
Dunedin 12 Clearwater 6
Rehabbing Major Leaguer Kris Benson may never want to see Dunedin again. He was torched for five runs in his first inning back from shoulder surgery. On the other side, Ray Gonzalez pitched 5.2 innings and allowed just two runs on eight hits and one walk. He struck out four batters. Celson Polanco allowed three runs in two-thirds of an innings and Brian Pettway worked 1.2 scoreless innings. Sean Shoffit and Luis Sanchez each went 2-for-5. David Corrente, who missed the first half of the season with an elbow injury, hit his second and third homers (in his third game of the year). Cory Patton went 2-for-5 with a homer. Brian Dopirak went 1-for-5 with a homer and three strikeouts. Marcos Cabral was 1-for-3 with three runs scored.
Lansing 4 Fort Wayne 0
There may be no hotter pitcher in the system than southpaw Luis Perez. After a terrible start where he struggled mightily with his command, Perez has been nearly untouchable for the last month or so. Tonight, he allowed four hits and one walk over seven innings and struck out nine batters. His ERA lowered to 3.56, which is impressive considering it was 8.20 at the end of April. Perez did balk twice and hit two batters, so he's still a little rough around the edges. Tim Collins continued his dominance of A-ball with another two scoreless innings and four strikeouts. Catcher Matt Liuzza was 2-for-3 with a double, triple and and RBI. Moises Sierra was 2-for-4 with a double. Every starter had a hit but lead-off man Eric Eiland, who was 0-for-3.
Auburn 7 Batavia 0
2008 draftee and southpaw Evan Crawford received the start and did not allow a run over 2.2 innings. He allowed just one hit but walked three, threw a wild pitch and hit a batter. He also struck out four. Robert (Scott) Leffler pitched 2.1 scoreless innings for the win. Jimmy Dougher threw two innings and struck out four. Frank Gailey and Matt Daly each worked a scoreless inning. Chris Demons (pronounced Deh-Mahns) is now 0-for-5 with five walks after two games. David Cooper and Adam Amar each went 2-for-5 and Amar slugged a solo homer. Jonathan Del Campo was 2-for-2 with a triple, two RBI and two walks. Joel Collins was 2-for-3 with an RBI and has been playing outstanding defence behind the plate. Every player who started the game had at least one hit except Mr. Demons.
Gulf Coast Phillies 5 Gulf Coast Jays 2
Henderson Alvarez, an 18-year-old Venezuelan got the start for the Jays and struggled. He allowed three runs on six hits over 4.1 innings. Alvarez did not walk a batter and struck out two. Scott Gracey, a two-way player in college who is focusing on pitching, did not allow a run or hit over 1.2 innings. He struck out one batter. Yorman Mayora, making his North American debut, allowed two runs on three hits and a walk over two innings. Offensively, 2008 second rounder Kenny Wilson went 1-for-4 with a stolen base. Fellow speedster Markus Brisker went 1-for-3 and also stole a base. Gulf Coast repeater Kevin Denis-Fortier went 2-for-4 with a double and a solo homer. Justin McClanahan also hit a homer. Balbino Fuenmayor was 0-for-4 with two strikeouts. Henry Rodriguez started behind the plate in his North American debut and went 1-for-3 with a double.
Third Star: Kyle Phillips for going 3-for-4 with two homers
Second Star: David Corrente for two homers and being from Ontario
First Star: Luis Perez for seven dominating innings
Syracuse 6 Richmond 1
Kane Davis allowed just one run over six innings. He allowed five hits and four walks but struck out four as well. Recent pick-up Jonah Bayliss pitched a scoreless inning. Brandon League and Jordan DeJong also pitched scoreless innings. Hector Luna was 3-for-5 with a run scored and a double. Adam Lind was 1-for-3 with a two-run homer. Danny Sandoval was 2-for-4 with a homer. Matt Watson was 1-for-2 with a double, two runs scored and two walks. Wayne Lydon stole two bases and now has 27 on the year.
New Hampshire 6 Connecticut 1
Robert Ray allowed 10 hits in seven innings but kept all but one runner from crossing the plate. He also walked two and struck out just one. Jared Gothreaux and Daryl Harang each pitched a scoreless inning. Kyle Phillips was 3-for-4 with two solo homers. Travis Snider was 2-for-4 with two doubles and two RBI (and no strikeouts!). Scott Campbell went 2-for-4. J.P. Arencibia was 0-for-4 with a strikeout.
Dunedin 12 Clearwater 6
Rehabbing Major Leaguer Kris Benson may never want to see Dunedin again. He was torched for five runs in his first inning back from shoulder surgery. On the other side, Ray Gonzalez pitched 5.2 innings and allowed just two runs on eight hits and one walk. He struck out four batters. Celson Polanco allowed three runs in two-thirds of an innings and Brian Pettway worked 1.2 scoreless innings. Sean Shoffit and Luis Sanchez each went 2-for-5. David Corrente, who missed the first half of the season with an elbow injury, hit his second and third homers (in his third game of the year). Cory Patton went 2-for-5 with a homer. Brian Dopirak went 1-for-5 with a homer and three strikeouts. Marcos Cabral was 1-for-3 with three runs scored.
Lansing 4 Fort Wayne 0
There may be no hotter pitcher in the system than southpaw Luis Perez. After a terrible start where he struggled mightily with his command, Perez has been nearly untouchable for the last month or so. Tonight, he allowed four hits and one walk over seven innings and struck out nine batters. His ERA lowered to 3.56, which is impressive considering it was 8.20 at the end of April. Perez did balk twice and hit two batters, so he's still a little rough around the edges. Tim Collins continued his dominance of A-ball with another two scoreless innings and four strikeouts. Catcher Matt Liuzza was 2-for-3 with a double, triple and and RBI. Moises Sierra was 2-for-4 with a double. Every starter had a hit but lead-off man Eric Eiland, who was 0-for-3.
Auburn 7 Batavia 0
2008 draftee and southpaw Evan Crawford received the start and did not allow a run over 2.2 innings. He allowed just one hit but walked three, threw a wild pitch and hit a batter. He also struck out four. Robert (Scott) Leffler pitched 2.1 scoreless innings for the win. Jimmy Dougher threw two innings and struck out four. Frank Gailey and Matt Daly each worked a scoreless inning. Chris Demons (pronounced Deh-Mahns) is now 0-for-5 with five walks after two games. David Cooper and Adam Amar each went 2-for-5 and Amar slugged a solo homer. Jonathan Del Campo was 2-for-2 with a triple, two RBI and two walks. Joel Collins was 2-for-3 with an RBI and has been playing outstanding defence behind the plate. Every player who started the game had at least one hit except Mr. Demons.
Gulf Coast Phillies 5 Gulf Coast Jays 2
Henderson Alvarez, an 18-year-old Venezuelan got the start for the Jays and struggled. He allowed three runs on six hits over 4.1 innings. Alvarez did not walk a batter and struck out two. Scott Gracey, a two-way player in college who is focusing on pitching, did not allow a run or hit over 1.2 innings. He struck out one batter. Yorman Mayora, making his North American debut, allowed two runs on three hits and a walk over two innings. Offensively, 2008 second rounder Kenny Wilson went 1-for-4 with a stolen base. Fellow speedster Markus Brisker went 1-for-3 and also stole a base. Gulf Coast repeater Kevin Denis-Fortier went 2-for-4 with a double and a solo homer. Justin McClanahan also hit a homer. Balbino Fuenmayor was 0-for-4 with two strikeouts. Henry Rodriguez started behind the plate in his North American debut and went 1-for-3 with a double.
Third Star: Kyle Phillips for going 3-for-4 with two homers
Second Star: David Corrente for two homers and being from Ontario
First Star: Luis Perez for seven dominating innings
