The affiliates were in line for a perfect Tuesday but Vancouver could not close the deal.
Buffalo 1 Columbus 0
The Bisons had just six hits but had the only one that counted as Cullen Large hit a home run in the fifth to sink the Guardians affiliate. Large was the only one with two hits for the Herd as he also doubled. Cavan Biggio was aboard twice with a knock and a walk. Chavez Young had a hit and a stolen base in his Triple-A debut. Samad Taylor and Logan Warmoth had the other hits but they were both caught stealing. Gabriel Moreno was 0-for-4 and Otto Lopez was 0-for-3.
Casey Lawrence scattered three hits and two walks and struck out four over 5-2/3 innings to get the win. Brandon Eisert struck out the only man he faced to end the sixth. Kyle Johnston, Trent Thornton and Matt Gage closed it out with a scoreless frame apiece.
Akron 9 New Hampshire 2
The Guardians affiliate ran over the Fisher Cats in their series opener in Ohio. Nick Fraze was torched for a two-run home run and a three-run shot among his seven runs allowed in 4-1/3 innings. He struck out three and did not walk anyone. Six of his nine outs in play were on the ground. Jake Elliott walked a batter but stranded a runner for Fraze and struck out a pair. Sean Mellen gave up the other two runs in two innings. Gabriel Ponce worked around a hit and a walk by striking out two in the eighth.
Tanner Morris had two hits and a walk at the top of the order and scored on a Spencer Horwitz sacrifice fly in the third. Morris is hitting .319 with a .953 OPS. Luis De Los Santos clubbed a solo shot in the eighth for his second of the year. Orelvis Martinez went 1-for-2 with a pair of walks. Phil Clarke and John Aiello had base hits and all nine Fisher Cat batter reached base safely.
Hillsboro 3 Vancouver 2
The Canadians were walked off by the Diamondbacks affiliate who scored all three of their runs in the ninth. Jimmy Burnette struck out a batter but walked two and hit another before giving up a bases-clearing double. That ruined eight shutout innings from Sem Robberse and Abdiel Mendoza with Robberse supplying seven of them on just two singles while striking out four. Robberse did not walk a batter and got seven outs on the ground.
The C's had built a 2-0 lead on a Cameron Eden sacrifice fly in the third and a Miguel Hiraldo RBI single in the fifth. Hiraldo had a stolen base and Eden took one for the team. Davis Schneider had two of the four hits. Andrés Sosa had the other. P.K. Morris, Zach Britton and Steward Berroa each had a base on balls. Berroa stole a base but was also caught twice. Addison Barger was 0-for-4.
Dunedin 6 St. Lucie 2
A two-run single by Rainer Nuñez in the fifth put the Jays ahead for good in their win over the Mets. The first two runs came on a double play ball and an error. Gabriel Martinez had an RBI single in the seventh before Damiano Palmegiani went deep for a solo swat in the eighth. Nuñez had three of Dunedin's eight hits while Martinez had two knocks and a walk. Adrian Pinto singled and walked and Roque Salinas got into the hit column while getting an assist from center. Estiven Machado was 0-for-4 with three strikeouts.
Matt Svanson surrendered just an unearned run on seven hits over five innings, striking out six with no walks. He also helped his cause with two pickoffs. Trent Wallace was charged with a run on two hits but had a K/BB total of 4-0 to earn the four-inning save.
*** 3 Stars!!! ***
3. Rainer Nuñez, Buffalo
2. Cullen Large, Buffalo
1. Sem Robberse, Vancouver
Buffalo 1 Columbus 0
The Bisons had just six hits but had the only one that counted as Cullen Large hit a home run in the fifth to sink the Guardians affiliate. Large was the only one with two hits for the Herd as he also doubled. Cavan Biggio was aboard twice with a knock and a walk. Chavez Young had a hit and a stolen base in his Triple-A debut. Samad Taylor and Logan Warmoth had the other hits but they were both caught stealing. Gabriel Moreno was 0-for-4 and Otto Lopez was 0-for-3.
Casey Lawrence scattered three hits and two walks and struck out four over 5-2/3 innings to get the win. Brandon Eisert struck out the only man he faced to end the sixth. Kyle Johnston, Trent Thornton and Matt Gage closed it out with a scoreless frame apiece.
Akron 9 New Hampshire 2
The Guardians affiliate ran over the Fisher Cats in their series opener in Ohio. Nick Fraze was torched for a two-run home run and a three-run shot among his seven runs allowed in 4-1/3 innings. He struck out three and did not walk anyone. Six of his nine outs in play were on the ground. Jake Elliott walked a batter but stranded a runner for Fraze and struck out a pair. Sean Mellen gave up the other two runs in two innings. Gabriel Ponce worked around a hit and a walk by striking out two in the eighth.
Tanner Morris had two hits and a walk at the top of the order and scored on a Spencer Horwitz sacrifice fly in the third. Morris is hitting .319 with a .953 OPS. Luis De Los Santos clubbed a solo shot in the eighth for his second of the year. Orelvis Martinez went 1-for-2 with a pair of walks. Phil Clarke and John Aiello had base hits and all nine Fisher Cat batter reached base safely.
Hillsboro 3 Vancouver 2
The Canadians were walked off by the Diamondbacks affiliate who scored all three of their runs in the ninth. Jimmy Burnette struck out a batter but walked two and hit another before giving up a bases-clearing double. That ruined eight shutout innings from Sem Robberse and Abdiel Mendoza with Robberse supplying seven of them on just two singles while striking out four. Robberse did not walk a batter and got seven outs on the ground.
The C's had built a 2-0 lead on a Cameron Eden sacrifice fly in the third and a Miguel Hiraldo RBI single in the fifth. Hiraldo had a stolen base and Eden took one for the team. Davis Schneider had two of the four hits. Andrés Sosa had the other. P.K. Morris, Zach Britton and Steward Berroa each had a base on balls. Berroa stole a base but was also caught twice. Addison Barger was 0-for-4.
Dunedin 6 St. Lucie 2
A two-run single by Rainer Nuñez in the fifth put the Jays ahead for good in their win over the Mets. The first two runs came on a double play ball and an error. Gabriel Martinez had an RBI single in the seventh before Damiano Palmegiani went deep for a solo swat in the eighth. Nuñez had three of Dunedin's eight hits while Martinez had two knocks and a walk. Adrian Pinto singled and walked and Roque Salinas got into the hit column while getting an assist from center. Estiven Machado was 0-for-4 with three strikeouts.
Matt Svanson surrendered just an unearned run on seven hits over five innings, striking out six with no walks. He also helped his cause with two pickoffs. Trent Wallace was charged with a run on two hits but had a K/BB total of 4-0 to earn the four-inning save.
*** 3 Stars!!! ***
3. Rainer Nuñez, Buffalo
2. Cullen Large, Buffalo
1. Sem Robberse, Vancouver