The teams traded single runs back and forth with Las Vegas taking the lead in the 1st and 5th and inter-state rival Reno tieing it up in the 3rd and 6th. Las Vegas was paced by the strong start of Robert Ray, who went 6 and allowed the first two Reno runs, both earned. He allowed but 3 hits and 2 walks, and struck out 8 batters. Josh Roenicke did not fare as well, however, as he allowed single runs in the 8th and 9th to pick up the L. Roenicke went 3 in relief, giving up 4 hits and the 2 runs, walking and striking out none. The 51s offense didn't do much of anything, mustering only 5 hits. JP Arencibia walked and doubled, and Jarret Hoffpauir and Chris Lubanski walked twice, with Lubanski also singling. Aaron Matthews also hit a solo home run. Brad Emaus walked and stole a base as well.
New Hampshire, locked in a tight battle for first place, looked in danged of falling off the pace before a late rally saw them plate 4 runs and win convincingly over Porland (Maine.) Down 3-2 in the 8th, the Cats first four hitters reached to tie the game and load the bases before Jonathan Jaspe grounded into a double play, home to first. With two outs and a base open Adam Loewen was intentionally walked, before Jonathan Diaz drew a second walk to put the Cats ahead and Luis Sanchez singled to put the game out of reach.
Scott Richmond started and pitched well for the Fisher Cats, equaling Robert Ray's 8 strikeouts and 2 runs allowed in only 5 innings, walking none and allowing 6 hits. An also rehabbing David Purcey pitched an inning and allowed a 2-out solo home run, striking out two, while Danny Farquhar pitched three hitless innings to pick up the W in relief. On the offensive side of the ledger made the most of their 6 walks and 8 hits, only 3 of which went for extra bases. David Cooper singled and homered, Sanchez singled and doubled, and Adam Calderone had 2 singles. Callix Crabbe also drew 2 walks and hit a double, while Diaz walked twice. Adeiny didn't start but pinch ran.
More to the point, Trenton lost and New Hampshire pulled within 1.5 of the league leaders; New Hampshire will guarantee themselves a playoff birth with another win but still have a good shot at catching the AA Yankees.
Lakeland 2 at Dunedin 3 (8 Innings)
Lakeland 4 at Dunedin 0 (7 Innings)
Dunedin won the first game in thrilling fashion, as Yan Gomes hit a 1-out home run to tie things in the bottom of the 8th before the D-Jays won things in extra innings after a Kenny Wilson leadoff walk came around to score on a sac fly. Dunedin could only manage 6 hits in the two games combined, and believe it or not 4 of those came in the game they were shut out. Anthony Gose walked, stole second and was singled in in the first of the first game, and Dunedin would not record another hit until the Gomes home run. Ryan Shopshire started for the D-Jays and had the 3rd fine pitching performance on the evening for the affiliates, allowing 2 runs through 6 on 5 hits and a walk while striking out 9. The second game featured yet another good pitching performance as Frank Gailey, making his first start of the year, went 4 and allowed 1 run on just 2 hits and a walk, striking out 7. Gailey has put up phenomenal numbers on the year, with a 93/10 K/BB ratio in 85.2 innings, but he is a 25 year old in high A ball, albeit a lefthanded one.
Brian van Kirk walked twice in the first game and singled in the second, while Gose stole his 44th base but went 0-6 combined with a walk. Kenny Wilson walked and stole a base to set up the winning run in the first game, and walked and doubled in the second game, while Justin McClanahan had singles in both games.
Lansing 6 at Western Michigan 10
The Lugnuts took a devastatingly loss to a team they are battling for the final Midwest League playoff spot, in the process falling two games behind them. Things were going well for Lansing through 6 as they held a 5-3 lead, but Western Michigan struck for 6 in the bottom of the 7th off Brian Slover and Kevin Gracey to put the nail in the coffin, so to speak. Casey Lawrence was adequate for the Lugnuts, allowing 3 runs in his 5 innings, with 8 hits and a strikeout. Lansing managed 13 hits, with Sean Ochinko and Jon Del Campo both picking up 3 (Ochinko had a 2B.) Justin Jackson, Kevin Nolan and Brad Glenn all managed 2 hits, with Nolan's both being doubles, while Michael Crouse had the final hit, also a double, and walked.
Misaul Diaz, making his third Rookie Ball start after being called up from the GCL, no-hit Jamestown through 4 before being lifted in what I am assuming was a pitch count decision. He walked 2 but struck out 6, bringing his 2 league line up to 10/48 BB/K in 49.2 innings. The Auburn offense was more than enough for the team to get the win, as Lance Durham, Andy Fermin and Jack Murphy all had 2 hits while Oliver Dominguez and Stephen McQuail had a hit and a walk.
GCL Jays 6 at GCL Yankees 5 (11 Innings)
GCL Yankees 2 at GCL Jays 7 (7 Innings)
The GCL Jays struck early and finished late in beating the hated (GCL) Yankees in the first game, and cruised by them in the second. In round one Ronald Melendez had 3 of the Jays 7 hits while Art Charles chipped in for 2 more. Despite getting outhit by 3, the Jays secured victory thanks to drawing 12 walks (!) Kellen Sweeney, Ryan's brother, had 3 of them, while Pierce Rankin and Moises Sierra had 2 apiece. In the second matchup the Jays again had 7 hits but managed only 1 walk, they were helped by a timely error and some clutch hitting. Moises Sierra had 2 hits in this one and scored twice, while Kellen Sweeney hit a pinch hit two-run home run.
Jose Vargas handed out a couple of walks in 4 innings in the first game, also managing 4 strikeouts but allowing 4 runs on 5 hits. In the second game Deivy Estrada got the start and gave up 2 runs on 2 hits in his 4 innings, with 4 walks and 7 K's.
3 Stars!
5 way tie!
Robert Ray - 6 IP 3 H 2 ER 2 BB 8 K
Scott Richmond - 5 IP 6 H 2 ER 0 BB 8 K
Ryan Shopshire - 6 IP 5 H 2 ER 1 BB 9 K
Frank Gailey - 4 IP 2 H 1 ER 1 BB 7 K
Misaul Diaz - 4 IP 0 H 0 ER 2 BB 6 K
