Two Canadian lefties had 11-1/3 shutout innings between them but only one found the win column as the other lost a no-hit bid and the game in the span of three batters. The other highlight involved a former first-round pick having an electrifying game at the plate and on the basepaths. In total, the affiliates picked up a split of their six games on Tuesday that included wins in the back-end of two doubleheaders.
Pawtucket 1 Buffalo 0 (Game 1 - 7 Innings)
Pawtucket, RI — Bisons starter Andrew Albers (1-2) had a no-hitter going after six innings, walking just two batters. Travis Shaw ended the no-hit bid with a double to start the seventh and scored on a Matt Spring single one out later to give the PawSox the walk-off victory. Albers struck out four and had eight outs on the ground to give him a Game Score of 67.
Unfortunately for Albers, Sox starter Brian Johnson was a little bit better against the Buffalo bats as he held them to two hits and a walk in a complete game effort. Sean Ochinko and Jonathan Diaz had the base hits and Munenori Kawasaki heard ball four. Ochinko was thrown out at the plate in the second on an 8-6-2 putout after trying to score from first base. Ezequiel Carrera, Andy Burns, Matt Hague, Chris Colabello and Andy Wilkins were a combined 0-for-15 at the top of the order.
Buffalo 3 Pawtucket 1 (Game 2 - 7 Innings)
The Bisons offence finally broke through with three runs in the fifth inning, highlighted by RBI singles from Chris Dickerson and Andy Wilkins. Munenori Kawasaki started the rally with a single and a stolen base. Dickerson and Matt Hague had three hits apiece with Hague drawing a walk for a perfect day at the dish.
Scott Copeland (2-0) was nicked for a one run on four hits while walking just one over six innings. His strikeout and groundout totals were six apiece and his Game Score was 65. Bo "The Hammer" Schultz nailed things down with a one-two-three seventh for his third save.
Trenton 4 New Hampshire 3
Trenton, NH — Taylor Cole (0-1) was given a two-run lead before he threw a pitch but he gave it right back on a two-run homer by Eric Jagielo. That was among the four runs and 10 hits the Yankees affiliate picked up against Cole in 5-2/3 innings. On the positive side, he struck out five, walked nobody and got seven outs on the ground. Greg Burke stranded a runner and struck out a batter with only a hit by pitch to blemish his 1-1/3 innings of scoreless relief. Blake McFarland worked a one-hit eighth.
The Fisher Cats got their runs early and late with Melky Mesa mashing a two-run double in the first inning and Jack Murphy got the other run in on a fielder's choice in the ninth. Ryan Schimpf popped up to short with runners at first and second to end the game. Mesa, Dwight Smith Jr. and Kevin Nolan had two-hit games.
Daytona 3 Dunedin 0 (Game 1 - 7 Innings)
Daytona, FL — The first game between the newly-named and affiliated Daytona Tortugas was one to forget for the visiting Dunediners. The Reds affiliate got to Jays starter Brad Allen (0-2) for three runs on four hits and three walks over five innings. Allen struck out six but he allowed a home run and had trouble shutting down the running game with batterymate Jorge Saez as the Tortugas were 3-for-3 against that tandem. Chad Girodo overcame a hit and a stolen base by striking out two in a scoreless sixth.
Dunedin had their chances to score in the first two innings. Roemon Fields singled and stole third base after being balked to second base in the first. Derrick Loveless singled, moved to second on a Saez walk but was thrown out at the plate trying to score on a Michael Saunders single. Matt Dean had the other hit for the D-Jays. Saez and Mitch Nay both had walks.
Dunedin 6 Daytona 1 (Game 2 - 7 Innings)
Like their Triple-A counterparts, the Dunedin offence broke their goose egg in the back end of the doubleheader. Mitch Nay's two-run single got things rolling in the first inning and it turned out to be all the D-Jays would need. Sacrifice flies by Romeon Fields and Dawel Lugo, a Derrick Loveless groundout and a wild pitch produced the other runs. Matt Dean had two hits and Fields had the other as Dunedin got good mileage out of their four hits in total.
Jayson Aquino (1-1) had just an unearned run on his ledger over 5-2/3 innings. The lefty scattered five hits and two walks while striking out a pair. Eight of his 12 outs in play were on the ground. Wil Browning stranded a couple of runners and struck out three in 1-1/3 scoreless innings for his fourth save.
Lansing 8 Fort Wayne 1
Lansing, MI — It was just a 1-0 Lansing lead after five innings before the Lugnuts ratcheted things up with seven runs in the next two innings. D.J. Davis drove in four runs with an RBI double and a three-run triple but he was cut down at the plate in his attempt for an inside-the-park grand slam. Davis was also hit by a pitch and stole a base. Rowdy Tellez had a two-run double, Danny Jansen plated home another with a single and Dickie Joe Thon grounded home the first run of the game in the first. Tim Locastro was 3-for-4 with a stolen base and Anthony Alford had two hits and a walk. Thon, Richard Urena and Justin Atkinson had a hit and a walk apiece.
Shane Dawson (1-1) spun a one-hitter through five innings, striking out seven with no walks and a Game Score of 72. The Alberta lefty also got six of his eight outs in play on the grass. Starlyn Suriel surrendered the only run in his 3-1/3 innings of work, scattering three hits and striking out one. Five of his six outs put into play did not escape the infield. Phil Kish wrapped things up by retiring the final two hitters of the game, both on ground balls.
Tuesday's Linescores
*** 3 Stars!!! ***
3. D.J. Davis, Lansing
2. Scott Copeland, Buffalo
1. Shane Dawson, Lansing
Wednesday's Schedule & Probable Starters
New Hampshire @ Trenton, 10:35 am ET — Casey Lawrence (0-2, 4.38)
Buffalo @ Pawtucket, 12:05pm ET — Randy Wolf (2-0, 0.90)
Dunedin @ Daytona, 7:05 pm ET — Luis Santos (0-1, 6.30)
Fort Wayne @ Lansing, 7:05 pm ET — Chase Mallard (0-0, 3.27)
Pawtucket 1 Buffalo 0 (Game 1 - 7 Innings)
Pawtucket, RI — Bisons starter Andrew Albers (1-2) had a no-hitter going after six innings, walking just two batters. Travis Shaw ended the no-hit bid with a double to start the seventh and scored on a Matt Spring single one out later to give the PawSox the walk-off victory. Albers struck out four and had eight outs on the ground to give him a Game Score of 67.
Unfortunately for Albers, Sox starter Brian Johnson was a little bit better against the Buffalo bats as he held them to two hits and a walk in a complete game effort. Sean Ochinko and Jonathan Diaz had the base hits and Munenori Kawasaki heard ball four. Ochinko was thrown out at the plate in the second on an 8-6-2 putout after trying to score from first base. Ezequiel Carrera, Andy Burns, Matt Hague, Chris Colabello and Andy Wilkins were a combined 0-for-15 at the top of the order.
Buffalo 3 Pawtucket 1 (Game 2 - 7 Innings)
The Bisons offence finally broke through with three runs in the fifth inning, highlighted by RBI singles from Chris Dickerson and Andy Wilkins. Munenori Kawasaki started the rally with a single and a stolen base. Dickerson and Matt Hague had three hits apiece with Hague drawing a walk for a perfect day at the dish.
Scott Copeland (2-0) was nicked for a one run on four hits while walking just one over six innings. His strikeout and groundout totals were six apiece and his Game Score was 65. Bo "The Hammer" Schultz nailed things down with a one-two-three seventh for his third save.
Trenton 4 New Hampshire 3
Trenton, NH — Taylor Cole (0-1) was given a two-run lead before he threw a pitch but he gave it right back on a two-run homer by Eric Jagielo. That was among the four runs and 10 hits the Yankees affiliate picked up against Cole in 5-2/3 innings. On the positive side, he struck out five, walked nobody and got seven outs on the ground. Greg Burke stranded a runner and struck out a batter with only a hit by pitch to blemish his 1-1/3 innings of scoreless relief. Blake McFarland worked a one-hit eighth.
The Fisher Cats got their runs early and late with Melky Mesa mashing a two-run double in the first inning and Jack Murphy got the other run in on a fielder's choice in the ninth. Ryan Schimpf popped up to short with runners at first and second to end the game. Mesa, Dwight Smith Jr. and Kevin Nolan had two-hit games.
Daytona 3 Dunedin 0 (Game 1 - 7 Innings)
Daytona, FL — The first game between the newly-named and affiliated Daytona Tortugas was one to forget for the visiting Dunediners. The Reds affiliate got to Jays starter Brad Allen (0-2) for three runs on four hits and three walks over five innings. Allen struck out six but he allowed a home run and had trouble shutting down the running game with batterymate Jorge Saez as the Tortugas were 3-for-3 against that tandem. Chad Girodo overcame a hit and a stolen base by striking out two in a scoreless sixth.
Dunedin had their chances to score in the first two innings. Roemon Fields singled and stole third base after being balked to second base in the first. Derrick Loveless singled, moved to second on a Saez walk but was thrown out at the plate trying to score on a Michael Saunders single. Matt Dean had the other hit for the D-Jays. Saez and Mitch Nay both had walks.
Dunedin 6 Daytona 1 (Game 2 - 7 Innings)
Like their Triple-A counterparts, the Dunedin offence broke their goose egg in the back end of the doubleheader. Mitch Nay's two-run single got things rolling in the first inning and it turned out to be all the D-Jays would need. Sacrifice flies by Romeon Fields and Dawel Lugo, a Derrick Loveless groundout and a wild pitch produced the other runs. Matt Dean had two hits and Fields had the other as Dunedin got good mileage out of their four hits in total.
Jayson Aquino (1-1) had just an unearned run on his ledger over 5-2/3 innings. The lefty scattered five hits and two walks while striking out a pair. Eight of his 12 outs in play were on the ground. Wil Browning stranded a couple of runners and struck out three in 1-1/3 scoreless innings for his fourth save.
Lansing 8 Fort Wayne 1
Lansing, MI — It was just a 1-0 Lansing lead after five innings before the Lugnuts ratcheted things up with seven runs in the next two innings. D.J. Davis drove in four runs with an RBI double and a three-run triple but he was cut down at the plate in his attempt for an inside-the-park grand slam. Davis was also hit by a pitch and stole a base. Rowdy Tellez had a two-run double, Danny Jansen plated home another with a single and Dickie Joe Thon grounded home the first run of the game in the first. Tim Locastro was 3-for-4 with a stolen base and Anthony Alford had two hits and a walk. Thon, Richard Urena and Justin Atkinson had a hit and a walk apiece.
Shane Dawson (1-1) spun a one-hitter through five innings, striking out seven with no walks and a Game Score of 72. The Alberta lefty also got six of his eight outs in play on the grass. Starlyn Suriel surrendered the only run in his 3-1/3 innings of work, scattering three hits and striking out one. Five of his six outs put into play did not escape the infield. Phil Kish wrapped things up by retiring the final two hitters of the game, both on ground balls.
Tuesday's Linescores
*** 3 Stars!!! ***
3. D.J. Davis, Lansing
2. Scott Copeland, Buffalo
1. Shane Dawson, Lansing
Wednesday's Schedule & Probable Starters
New Hampshire @ Trenton, 10:35 am ET — Casey Lawrence (0-2, 4.38)
Buffalo @ Pawtucket, 12:05pm ET — Randy Wolf (2-0, 0.90)
Dunedin @ Daytona, 7:05 pm ET — Luis Santos (0-1, 6.30)
Fort Wayne @ Lansing, 7:05 pm ET — Chase Mallard (0-0, 3.27)