Today is opening day for the Auburn Doubledays with the GCL Jays starting next week. The Jays have not signed their top six picks so the Auburn roster will likely change a lot over the next week or two as those players sign. Usually the Jays are prompt in signing their number one pick, this year they appear to be slower.
Down on the farm the full-season teams went 2-2 with the top two teams victorious. Marc Rzepczynski had a good start in what could be his final AA start. He is rumoured to be headed to AAA to replace Cecil or Mills.
Kyle Ginley, Alan Farina and Marty McLeary were each activated and Ginley and Farina pitched.
Las Vegas trailed 3-1 in the sixth but scored single runs in each of the sixth, seventh and eight to seal the win. In the sixth Brett Harper singled in Randy Ruiz who had doubled. In the seventh Russ Adams was hit by a pitch and later scored on a Ruiz single, in the eighth Harper doubled and scored on an error. Meanwhile the bullpen did a great job in relief of Davis Romero. Bill Murphy got his mojo back and pitched 2.1 innings of one hit relief and Jonah Bayliss pitched the last two hitless innings. Harper was 4-4 and Ruiz 3-4 to lead the offense.
The Fisher Cats finally beat Akron with a run in the bottom of the ninth. With the score tied at one, Brian Dopirak doubled and moved to third on a passed ball. Nick Gorneault then singled through the infield to score the winning run. It was Gorneault's third hit of the night. Dopirak had earlier homered for the other Fisher Cat run.
Marc Rzepczynski gave up a run on two doubles in the first but then settled down and held Akron off the board through seven innings. He gave up five hits and dropped his ERA to 2.93. Danny Farquhar pitched two innings of relief and gave up one walk. His ERA is 0.77.
Kenny Rodriguez gave up two runs in six innings and left the game in a 2-2 tie. Kyle Ginley made his season debut and gave up a run in an inning. Alan Farina made his first appearance since April and gave up three runs in an inning.
Dunedin got on the board in the first with a Darin Mastroianni special, a single, a steal, an error and a ground out. Matt Liuzza homered in the second but that was it for the Jays.
No Jay had two hits.
Josh Wells gave up five runs in three innings and Lansing were never in the game after that. Justin McClanahan singled and scored Lansing's only run in the fourth but two errors by the Loons allowed the run to score. Lansing had five hits and hit into five double plays as the Loons faced three hitters over the minimum.
McClanahan had two hits and has bumped his average to .287.
Three Stars
3rd star - Marc Rzepczynski
2nd star - Brian Dopirak
1st star - Brett Harper
