The New Hampshire offence exploded against the New Britain pitching staff to ensure that Brandon Magee would get his first win of the year, no matter how poorly he pitched. New Hampshire performance was the highlight of a 1-4 night for the affiliates, as three of the Jays farm teams were doubled-up by their opponents and the fourth just missed being double-up by one run. Two days ago I gave all three stars to pitchers, but yesterday was a day for the hitters to shine and collect all three stars.
Toledo 10 @ Syracuse 5 – Boxscore
David Purcey left this game after two innings, having surrendered three hits and two walks but no runs. He had thrown 67 pitches, 39 of them for strikes. BulletJayFan reports that it doesn’t seem to be an injury issue, but rather a case of Purcey racking up a high pitch count through two innings. Still, one would figure that he had at least another inning in him, so it’s a bit of a curious move to pull him that early. Sean Stidfole relieve Purcey and gave three runs on two hits and two walks, including a homer by Timo Perez. He struck out five in his 2.2 innings. Jordan de Jong came in and gave up five runs on four his and two walks, including a three-run homer to Fernando Seguignol with two out. De Jong struck out two. New Skychief and former Royal Chris George (whose addition was reported by peiscooter) gave up three hits, a walk and two runs in his debut for Syracuse. The SkyChief pitches continued to struggle, but at least Mike Gosling avoided giving up a run after allowing two hits and a walk. Perhaps because of this Erik Kratz was called upon to pitch the ninth and he pitched a perfect inning.
Wayne Lydon went 3-5 with a run and an RBI, while Pedro Lopez went 2-4 with a walk and a run, as the first two batters in the lineup got on base six times. Matt Watson, Kevin Mench and Kevin Melillo all went 1-4 with a double, with Watson driving in a pair and Melillo picking up an RBI of his own. Hector Luna went 3-4 with a run and an RBI, while Buck Coats, David Smith and Erik Kratz went hitless, as did Curtis Thigpen in one at-bat after relieving Kratz behind the plate.
New Hampshire 13 @ New Britain 6 – Boxscore
Scott Campbell celebrated being named the 2008 Futures Game by collecting four hits in the afternoon game, but he only finished tied for fourth on the team in total bases in the game, as the Fisher Cats had an 18-hit afternoon. Campbell went 4-5 with a walk and three runs scored in his usual leadoff spot in the batting order. He was followed by Aaron Mathews, who went 2-5 with a double, a homer, two runs and 4 RBI. Travis Snider was 3-6 with a homer, three runs and 3 RBI. Jacob Butler, the cleanup hitter, was 2-4 with three runs, a homer, an RBI and a walk.
The rest of the lineup didn’t want to be left out of the offensive explosion and Brian Jeroloman went 2-3 himself, with two doubles, two walks and 2 RBI. Eric Nielsen was 1-2 with a run, an RBI and two walks, whle Kyle Phillips was 2-5 with a double and 2 RBI. Anthony Hatch and Ryan Klosterman were the underperformers, as each went 1-5 to give every Fisher Cat at least one hit in the game, which was one that Minnesota prospect Anthony Swarzak would like to forget.
Just as big a story may have been that Brandon Magee may have finally gotten the monkey off his back, as he got his first victory of the season, despite not pitching particularly well. Magee went 6 innings and allowed five runs on nine hits with two strikeouts. The day after his brother started in the Rogers Centre, Daryl Harang came into the game in relief and gave up a run on three hits. Seth Overbey and Jo Matumoto finished the game with a combined 2.1 innings of one-hit shutout ball with three strikeouts.
Jupiter 8 @ Dunedin 4 – Boxscore
AJ Wideman’s 2008 struggles continued. Wideman allowed six runs on nine hits and a pair of walks in 4.2 innings. The Mississauga native isn’t faring much better in Dunedin than he did in New Hampshire, having giving up 24 hits in 13.2 innings for D-Jays. Celson Polanco went 2.1 innings and surrendered one hit with two strikeouts, while Nathan Starner gave up a couple of base knocks in his one inning. Recently promoted Cody Crowell had a rough first outing for Dunedin, allowing a pair of runs on a pair of hits.
Bradley Emaus and Brian Dopirak were the only Dunedin players to have a 2-hit game and each also picked up a pair of RBI. Dopirak hit a 2-RBI triple in the first to drive in Emaus and Cory Patton, while Emaus singled with two out in the seventh to drive home Marcos Cabral and Adam Calderone. Patton, Jesus Gonzalez, Cabral and Calderone each had one hit in the game.
Great Lakes 4 @ Lansing 2– Boxscore
Each of the first two hitters in the lineup got on base half the time they came to the plate and they each accounted for one of Lansing’s two runs. Eric Eiland was 2-4, whereas Jonathan Baksh was 1-3 with a walk. They both reached base in the first and were driven in by a Manny Rodriguez double, which would account for all of Lansing’s runs during the game. Only two other Lugnuts had hits, with Yohermyn Chavez going 2-4 as he tries to get his average back over .200, while Kevin Ahrens was 1-4.
Chi-Hung Cheng went 4.2 innings and gave up three runs on six hits and two walks. Cheng struck out five, but suffered his fourth loss of the season. Joe Wice went 2 innings and gave up a pair of hits, while notching a pair of strikeouts. Ross Buckwalter allowed an unearned run on a Jonathan Jaspe error in his 1.1 innings, before Michael Barbara finished off the game with a scoreless inning. The pitching staff had three pickoffs in the game: a pair by Cheng and one by Wice.
State College 9 @ Auburn 5 – Boxscore
State College scored their nine runs in only three innings, putting up three in the first, sixth and eighth. Castillo Perez got the start for Auburn and struck out five in 4 innings. However, the first two batters of the game reached base on a walk and a hit-by-pitch and both would come around to score after a pair of hits later in the inning. Those were the only hits Perez surrendered and he only allowed one more walk over his next three innings. Daniel O’Brien was next and he gave up his three runs over five hits and a walk. All but one of those batters reached base during State College’s three-run sixth. Robet Leffler allowed three hits and an intentional walk over his two innings, all of them coming during the three-run eighth inning. Leffler struck out five over 2 innings. Matthew Daly pitched a scoreless ninth.
Kyle McPherson started for the Spikes and gave up one run over 6 innings, with most of the Auburn offence coming against reliever William Kelly. It was a gave of few stranded runners, as Auburn only had five hits and State College only had ten. Leance Soto was the only Doubleday to touch McPherson for a run, with a solo homer in the fifth. Australia’s Chris House was 2-3 with a run and a walk in the nine-hole. The other two hitters were a double by first baseman Adam Amar and David Cooper’s second professional homer, a two-run shot in the eighth inning. Chris Demons, Bartolo Nicolas, Brian Van Kirk and Bryan Kervin all went hitless, but drew walks.
GCL Blue Jays 5 @ GCL Yankees 5 (Suspended in the 9th)
I’m unsure if the rest of this game will be made up, but if it is someone else will have the details.
Three Stars:
3rd Star – Scott Campbell, 4-5, 3 R, BB, 4 TB
2nd Star – Aaron Mathews, 2-5, 2 R, 2B, HR, 4 RBI, 6 TB
1st Star – Travis Snider, 3-6, 3 R, HR, 3 RBI, 6 TB
Toledo 10 @ Syracuse 5 – Boxscore
David Purcey left this game after two innings, having surrendered three hits and two walks but no runs. He had thrown 67 pitches, 39 of them for strikes. BulletJayFan reports that it doesn’t seem to be an injury issue, but rather a case of Purcey racking up a high pitch count through two innings. Still, one would figure that he had at least another inning in him, so it’s a bit of a curious move to pull him that early. Sean Stidfole relieve Purcey and gave three runs on two hits and two walks, including a homer by Timo Perez. He struck out five in his 2.2 innings. Jordan de Jong came in and gave up five runs on four his and two walks, including a three-run homer to Fernando Seguignol with two out. De Jong struck out two. New Skychief and former Royal Chris George (whose addition was reported by peiscooter) gave up three hits, a walk and two runs in his debut for Syracuse. The SkyChief pitches continued to struggle, but at least Mike Gosling avoided giving up a run after allowing two hits and a walk. Perhaps because of this Erik Kratz was called upon to pitch the ninth and he pitched a perfect inning.
Wayne Lydon went 3-5 with a run and an RBI, while Pedro Lopez went 2-4 with a walk and a run, as the first two batters in the lineup got on base six times. Matt Watson, Kevin Mench and Kevin Melillo all went 1-4 with a double, with Watson driving in a pair and Melillo picking up an RBI of his own. Hector Luna went 3-4 with a run and an RBI, while Buck Coats, David Smith and Erik Kratz went hitless, as did Curtis Thigpen in one at-bat after relieving Kratz behind the plate.
New Hampshire 13 @ New Britain 6 – Boxscore
Scott Campbell celebrated being named the 2008 Futures Game by collecting four hits in the afternoon game, but he only finished tied for fourth on the team in total bases in the game, as the Fisher Cats had an 18-hit afternoon. Campbell went 4-5 with a walk and three runs scored in his usual leadoff spot in the batting order. He was followed by Aaron Mathews, who went 2-5 with a double, a homer, two runs and 4 RBI. Travis Snider was 3-6 with a homer, three runs and 3 RBI. Jacob Butler, the cleanup hitter, was 2-4 with three runs, a homer, an RBI and a walk.
The rest of the lineup didn’t want to be left out of the offensive explosion and Brian Jeroloman went 2-3 himself, with two doubles, two walks and 2 RBI. Eric Nielsen was 1-2 with a run, an RBI and two walks, whle Kyle Phillips was 2-5 with a double and 2 RBI. Anthony Hatch and Ryan Klosterman were the underperformers, as each went 1-5 to give every Fisher Cat at least one hit in the game, which was one that Minnesota prospect Anthony Swarzak would like to forget.
Just as big a story may have been that Brandon Magee may have finally gotten the monkey off his back, as he got his first victory of the season, despite not pitching particularly well. Magee went 6 innings and allowed five runs on nine hits with two strikeouts. The day after his brother started in the Rogers Centre, Daryl Harang came into the game in relief and gave up a run on three hits. Seth Overbey and Jo Matumoto finished the game with a combined 2.1 innings of one-hit shutout ball with three strikeouts.
Jupiter 8 @ Dunedin 4 – Boxscore
AJ Wideman’s 2008 struggles continued. Wideman allowed six runs on nine hits and a pair of walks in 4.2 innings. The Mississauga native isn’t faring much better in Dunedin than he did in New Hampshire, having giving up 24 hits in 13.2 innings for D-Jays. Celson Polanco went 2.1 innings and surrendered one hit with two strikeouts, while Nathan Starner gave up a couple of base knocks in his one inning. Recently promoted Cody Crowell had a rough first outing for Dunedin, allowing a pair of runs on a pair of hits.
Bradley Emaus and Brian Dopirak were the only Dunedin players to have a 2-hit game and each also picked up a pair of RBI. Dopirak hit a 2-RBI triple in the first to drive in Emaus and Cory Patton, while Emaus singled with two out in the seventh to drive home Marcos Cabral and Adam Calderone. Patton, Jesus Gonzalez, Cabral and Calderone each had one hit in the game.
Great Lakes 4 @ Lansing 2– Boxscore
Each of the first two hitters in the lineup got on base half the time they came to the plate and they each accounted for one of Lansing’s two runs. Eric Eiland was 2-4, whereas Jonathan Baksh was 1-3 with a walk. They both reached base in the first and were driven in by a Manny Rodriguez double, which would account for all of Lansing’s runs during the game. Only two other Lugnuts had hits, with Yohermyn Chavez going 2-4 as he tries to get his average back over .200, while Kevin Ahrens was 1-4.
Chi-Hung Cheng went 4.2 innings and gave up three runs on six hits and two walks. Cheng struck out five, but suffered his fourth loss of the season. Joe Wice went 2 innings and gave up a pair of hits, while notching a pair of strikeouts. Ross Buckwalter allowed an unearned run on a Jonathan Jaspe error in his 1.1 innings, before Michael Barbara finished off the game with a scoreless inning. The pitching staff had three pickoffs in the game: a pair by Cheng and one by Wice.
State College 9 @ Auburn 5 – Boxscore
State College scored their nine runs in only three innings, putting up three in the first, sixth and eighth. Castillo Perez got the start for Auburn and struck out five in 4 innings. However, the first two batters of the game reached base on a walk and a hit-by-pitch and both would come around to score after a pair of hits later in the inning. Those were the only hits Perez surrendered and he only allowed one more walk over his next three innings. Daniel O’Brien was next and he gave up his three runs over five hits and a walk. All but one of those batters reached base during State College’s three-run sixth. Robet Leffler allowed three hits and an intentional walk over his two innings, all of them coming during the three-run eighth inning. Leffler struck out five over 2 innings. Matthew Daly pitched a scoreless ninth.
Kyle McPherson started for the Spikes and gave up one run over 6 innings, with most of the Auburn offence coming against reliever William Kelly. It was a gave of few stranded runners, as Auburn only had five hits and State College only had ten. Leance Soto was the only Doubleday to touch McPherson for a run, with a solo homer in the fifth. Australia’s Chris House was 2-3 with a run and a walk in the nine-hole. The other two hitters were a double by first baseman Adam Amar and David Cooper’s second professional homer, a two-run shot in the eighth inning. Chris Demons, Bartolo Nicolas, Brian Van Kirk and Bryan Kervin all went hitless, but drew walks.
GCL Blue Jays 5 @ GCL Yankees 5 (Suspended in the 9th)
I’m unsure if the rest of this game will be made up, but if it is someone else will have the details.
Three Stars:
3rd Star – Scott Campbell, 4-5, 3 R, BB, 4 TB
2nd Star – Aaron Mathews, 2-5, 2 R, 2B, HR, 4 RBI, 6 TB
1st Star – Travis Snider, 3-6, 3 R, HR, 3 RBI, 6 TB
