A perfect night on the farm for the three affiliates in action. New Hampshire had the day off.
Las Vegas 5 New Orleans 3 (11 Innings)
Metairie, LA - New Orleans had a bountiful first inning with three runs but the offence for the Marlins affiliate was suspended the rest of the way. The 51s forced extra innings with the tying run in the ninth before winning it in double OT.
Hitting - Chris Woodward plated the 51s first run with an RBI double in the second, Travis d'Arnaud put one over the center field fence in the sixth for his fourth big fly of the campaign. He then scored the tying run in the ninth on a Moises Sierra single. Ruben Gotay and Mike McCoy drew back to back walks with the bases loaded against former Jay Robert Ray to bring in the winning and insurance runs. David Cooper, d'Arnaud and Sierra each had a pair of hits, Gotay had a hit and two bases on balls and Yan Gomes had a single. Anthony Gose was 0-for-4 with a walk and Adeiny Hechavarria had nothing to show for his six trips to the dish. Travis Snider was 0-for-1 in a pinch-hit appearance for Woodward but was intentionally walked to load the bases in the 11th.
Running - Ricardo Nanita pinch-ran for Cooper in the 11th and scored the winning run. Gotay stole second for his third bag of 2012.
Pitching - Andrew Carpenter overcame a rough first inning to last 3 1/3 innings in which he allowed three runs on eight hits. He walked three and struck out three. Robert Coello lasted one out longer than Carpenter and was perfect by striking out four and getting four groundball outs in 3 2/3 innings. Ryota Igarashi only issued a walk and struck out a pair over two scoreless frames. Jerry Gil (3-0) received the 'W' by pitching a one-hit 10th and Chad Beck allowed a hit in the 11th to bring the tying run to the plate but whiffed a batter for his sixth save of the year.
Fielding - McCoy gunned down a runner at second from left field and Gotay started a 4-6-3 double play with Hechavarria and Gomes.
New Hampshire - Scheduled day off.
Dunedin 4 Clearwater 3 (11 Innings)
Dunedin, FL - The two teams traded runs in the first and fourth innings in a back and forth affair but Dunedin pulled it out in double overtime over the Phillies affiliate.
Hitting - Kevin Nolan put the D-Jays in flight with an RBI single in the first to score a Ryan Schimpf double and Jon Talley singled Schimpf home after getting on base with a walk. Kevin Ahrens doubled home a run in the fourth and had the walk-off single in the 11th. Sean Ochinko paced the Dunedin attack with a double, two singles and a walk. Schimpf had two knocks and a walk and Marcus Knecht collected a single and two BBs. Nolan had a hit and a walk while Gabe Jacobo drew a walk and scored the winning run. Jake Marisnick went 0-for-5 and Kenen Bailli went 0-for-4. Dunedin hit into four double plays.
Running - Ochinko was doubled off first after an Ahrens flyball to right.
Pitching - Lefty Sean Nolin met the quality start definition with three runs over six innings. He gave up two homers among his five hits and he plunked a batter but his K/BB total was 8-0 and his GO/FO was 5-4. Dayton Marze supplied a pair of scoreless innings by allowing just one hit while whiffing one. Scott Gracey said good night by punching out four of the six batters he faced over two perfect frames. Dustin Antolin (3-0) survived a hit and a walk over one inning and got the victory.
Fielding - Nolan booted one at short and Ahrens threw one away from third. The Threshers were successful on their only running attempt against the Nolin-Ochinko battery but Nolin did pick off a runner at first.
Dayton, OH - Lansing got the early jump with a two-run first and added singles in the fourth and sixth before the Reds affiliate responded with a pair in the seventh.
Hitting - Kenny Wilson hit his third homer of the season after Jonathon Berti drew a leadoff walk. Berti doubled home a run for the Lugnuts in the fourth and a wild pitch in the sixth accounted for the other run. Wilson had two hits and a walk while Berti also got aboard three times with a double and two free passes. Shane Opitz was also a member of the three times on base club with a single, a walk and a hit by pitch. Kellen Sweeney had the fifth and final Lansing hit. Chris Hawkins had two walks and Kevin Patterson walked and scampered home on the wild pitch. K.C. Hobson came up empty in his four turns at bat. Lansing could have put this one away early. Kevin Pillar and Carlos Perez drew walks along with Hawkins in the first to load up the bases right after Wilson's home run but the offence could not capitalize with nobody out.
Running - Berti stole a base but was also caught once so he is 15-for-18 on the season.
Pitching - Marcus Walden (3-1) supplied six scintillating shutout innings by only surrendering two hits and two walks. He struck out two and racked up 12 groundball outs. Aleson Escalante could not keep the shutout intact as he was burned for two runs on three hits over one inning. Brandon Berl pitched a scoreless eight, giving up one hit, and Ajay Meyer did likewise in the ninth while adding a strikeout for his 13th save.
Fielding - Like Dunedin, the left side of the infield was not exactly airtight as Sweeney and Opitz kicked around at third and short, respectively. Perez did throw out a runner trying to steal second with Walden on the hill. And of passing interest, Perez also started a 2-4-3 triple play. With runners on first and second as the result of the Opitz error and a walk, Perez caught a popped up bunt attempt and fired the ball to Berti at second, who in turn made the throw to Hobson at first for the triple play. Bob Davidson was not umpiring in this one, making it all possible.
*** 3 Stars!!! ***
3. Sean Nolin, Dunedin
2. Kenny Wilson, Lansing
1. Marcus Walden, Lansing
Extra Innings...
- The Toronto Star looks at the trials and tribulations of Travis Snider in Sin City. Meantime, Snider could enter one Hall of Fame in his career.
- MLive.com details a visit to Lansing from Jays general manager Alex Anthopoulos and profiles outfielder Chris Hawkins.
- The Vancouver Province provides a preview of the 2012 season for the Canadians.
- MiLB.com put together a recent feature on Drew Hutchison.
