The Lugnuts went nuts on the basepaths to key a doubleheader sweep. That represents all of the wins on the farm for a Saturday night.
Las Vegas, NV - The A's affiliate scored the first five runs of the game and withstood a four-run rally in the eighth for the win.
Batting - Moises Sierra (2/3) clubbed his first Triple-A homer to go along with a double and three runs scored. Yan Gomes (2/4) had three runs batted in. David Cooper (1/3) walked and drove in a run, Ricardo Nanita (1/4) doubled and knocked home a run, Anthony Gose (1/4) drew a base on balls and Adeiny Hechavarria (1/5) rounded out the hit parade. Mike McCoy (0/3) walked but Travis d'Arnaud (0/4) and Chris Woodward (0/1) had nights to forget.
Running - Gose was caught stealing.
Pitching - It was "Kill Bill Night" at Cashman Field as lefty Bill Murphy was whacked for five runs (four earned) over 3 2/3 innings. He gave up a homer to former Jays farmhand Michael Taylor among his seven hits and also issued two walks. He struck out three and four of his six outs in play were on the ground.
Lefty Clint Everts also surrendered seven hits, including a homer to Derek "Chuck" Norris, but only got four outs. He gave up three runs and his strikeout-walk total was 2-1. Bobby Korecky was touched up for two runs over two innings on two hits and a walk. The best 51s pitchers were Jerry Gil, who worked a scoreless eighth despite allowing a hit and a walk and Robert Coello, who struck out the side in the ninth.
Defence - Sierra and Gomes each threw one away from right field and third base respectively and d'Arnaud had a passed ball. A 4-6-3 double play was converted by McCoy, Hechavarria and Cooper. Gose threw out a runner at second from center field.
Trenton, NJ - The Yankees affiliate failed to score runs in the sixth and eighth innings while the Fisher Cats only scored in the first and third.
Batting - Brad Glenn (1/2) walked twice and drove in a run. He was joined in the hit column by Mike McDade (1/3), Kevin Howard (1/4) and Koby Clemens (1/4). Brian Van Kirk (0/3) and Brian Jeroloman (0/3) each drew a walk. Put one on the board for the BJBBM! Ryan Goins and Brad McElroy each went 0-for-4. Jonathan Diaz went 0-for-3 but he did take one for the team.
Running - Diaz stole his third base of the season and Glenn pilfered his first.
Pitching - William McGuire was thunderstruck by five homers and decked for eight runs in total on 11 hits and two walks over five innings. He struck out a half-dozen and five of his six outs in play were on the ground. Unfortunately, McGuire did not do a good enough job keeping the ball down as he had to deal with a 20 mile per hour wind blowing out to center field.
Ryan Tepera gave up two bombs among his four hits while allowing three runs in two innings. He did not walk anybody but he did not strike out anyone either. Ex-Yankee farmhand Fernando Hernandez came back to "haunt his former mates" with a scoreless frame, allowing just one hit.
Defence - Diaz, Goins and Clemens teamed up for a pair of 6-4-3 twin killings.
Clearwater 8 Dunedin 7 (11 Innings)
Clearwater, FL - The D-Jays overcame 6-2 and 7-3 deficits only to lose in extra time.
Batting - The good news was Dunedin batters drew 11 walks, the bad news was they struck out 13 times. Jake Marisnick (2/4) had two doubles, a walk, was hit by a pitch and drove in two runs. Ryan Schimpf (2/3) also reached base four times thanks to a pair of walks and Kevin Nolan (2/6) knocked home a pair of runs. Jack Murphy (1/3) and Michael Crouse (1/4) walked twice each. Marcus Knecht (0/4) had the most interesting line on the night with a golden sombrero and two walks. Jon Talley, Jonathan Jones and Kevin Ahrens all had an 0-for-5 night in common. Both Talley and Jones drew a walk but Talley struck out three times.
Running - Crouse stole a base but was also caught stealing once. Ivan Contreras was picked off at first during a pinch-running appearance for Schimpf in the 10th inning.
Pitching - Asher Wojociechowski was grounded to dust by yielding seven runs over four-plus innings. All but one of the runs were earned on nine hits and a walk. Wojo struck out a pair but just five of his 11 outs in play were on the grass.
The bullpen was able to hold down the fort. Though lefty Matt Wright allowed an inherited runner to score, he tossed two blank frames despite two hits but he did whiff a pair. Dayton Marze got the next four outs, including three worm killers, despite a hit and two walks. Lefty Boomer Potts got two outs while walking one and striking out one. Danny Barnes gave up one hit and struck a batter out during his one frame while Scott Gracey contributed a scoreless tenth. However, he gave up the winning run in the eleventh. In total, he allowed three hits and a walk but did pick up a couple of Ks.
Defense - Crouse mishandled one in right field and Talley did likewise at first.
Lansing 4 Great Lakes 2 - Game 1 (7 Innings)
Lansing, MI - The Lugnuts broke a 2-2 tie against the Dodgers affiliate with a run in the fourth before adding an insurance marker in the sixth.
Batting - Two hits apiece for the two Kevins. Kevin Patterson (2/3) doubled and knocked home the winning to score Kevin Pillar (2/3), who had an RBI single. Andrew Burns (1/2) plated the other two runs with a single and a sacrifice fly. Chris Hawkins (1/3) doubled and Markus Brisker (1/3) contributed to the 'H' column. Jonathon Berti (0/1) walked and was hit by a pitch and Kenny Wilson (0/2) heard ball four once. Kellen Sweeney and Carlos Perez wore 0-for-3 collars.
Running - Pillar and Brisker stole two bases each with Brisker snatching third once. Wilson also snagged a base.
Pitching - Lefty David Rollins lasted four innings and gave up two runs on five hits and two walks while striking out five. "Cosmo" Kramer Champlin was the winning pitcher thanks to two shutout frames in which he allowed just one hit and plunked a man. Ajay Meyer nailed it down for the save by working a one-hit seventh.
Defence - Rollins started a 1-4 double play with Berti, who also started a 4-6-3 double play with Burns and Patterson.
Lansing 4 Great Lakes 3 - Game 2 (8 Innings)
Lansing, MI - The Lugnuts blew a 3-1 lead before the extra inning walk-off win.
Batting - Ryan Sweeney (2/3) and Bryson Namba (2/3) carried the offence with Sweeney doubling and collecting three RBI. Namba knocked home the winning run in the eighth. Jonathon Berti (1/2) and Kevin Pillar (0/2) were the on-base leaders with Berti drawing two walks while Pillar walked twice and was plunked once. Pierce Rankin (1/3) and Markus Brisker (0/2) drew one walk apiece. Kenny Wilson went 0-for-4 while Chris Hawkins and Jorge Vega-Rosado could not manage a hit in their combined six plate appearances.
Running - Berti stole two bases and Pillar swiped one.
Pitching - Marcus Walden put himself in line for the win with five innings of two-run ball. He gave up three hits and three walks but did punch our four. Walden uncorked two wild pitches but his groundout-flyout ratio was an outstanding 9:1. Javier Avendano blew the save by giving up an unearned run in the sixth. He surrendered two hits over three innings while whiffing a pair to earn the victory.
Defence - Namba dropped a foul ball at first base that led to the tying run but he totally redeemed himself with his walk-off single.
*** 3 Stars!!! ***
3. Marcus Walden, Lansing
2. Jake Marisnick, Dunedin
1. Kevin Pillar, Lansing
