Games of July 30

ROCHESTER 7, COLUMBUS 2 AT COLUMBUS

Batting stars:  Pedro Florimon and Chris Parmelee were each 3-for-5.  Rene Rivera walked and hit a grand slam, his eighth homer of the season.

Pitching stars:  Esmerling Vasquez struck out six in six innings, giving up two runs on four hits and a walk.  Kyle Waldrop worked three perfect innings of relief, striking out two.

Opposition stars:  J. C. Romero retired all four batters he faced.

Key inning:  The fourth.  The Red Wings led 2-1.  Eduardo Escobar led off the inning with an infield single.  Wilkin Ramirez walked and Brian Dinkelman got a bunt single, loading the bases with none out.  Rivera followed with a grand slam and put the game out of reach early.

Other:  Rivera’s slam was the only one of the fourteen Rochester hits that went for extra bases.

DAYTONA 8, FORT MYERS 4 IN DAYTONA

Batting stars:  Levi Michael was 2-for-4.  Anderson Hidalgo was 1-for-3 with a double and a walk, driving in three.

Pitching stars:  Miguel Munoz struck out four in three shutout innings, allowing two hits and a walk.

Opposition stars:  Rubi Silva was 3-for-5.  John Andreoli was 2-for-3 with two walks.  P. J. Francescon struck out six in six shutout innings, giving up three hits and a walk.

Key inning:  The first.  The Cubs jumped out to a 3-0 lead.  A single, a stolen base, and an error scored the first run.  With two out, three consecutive singles plated two more runs.

BELOIT 5, PEORIA 3 AT PEORIA

Batting stars:  Adam Pettersen was 2-for-3 with a double.  Miguel Sano was 2-for-4.  Stephen Wickens walked and hit a home run, his first.

Pitching stars:  Jason Wheeler allowed one run in five innings on six hits and two walks.  Corey Williams struck out two in two shutout innings, giving up one hit.

Opposition stars:  Pin-Chieh Chen was 4-for-5.  Mike DeVoss was 2-for-4 with a home run.  Austin Reed worked two shutout innings.

Key inning:  The eighth.  The Snappers trailed 3-2.  Pettersen led off with a double.  Nate Roberts reached on a sacrifice bunt, and an error tied the game.  Sano singled to drive in the go-ahead run.  Following a bunt, Matthew Koch brought in an insurance run with a sacrifice fly.

ELIZABETHTON 5, BRISTOL 3 IN BRISTOL

Batting stars:  Jorge Polanco was 3-for-4 with a home run, his first.  Candido Pimentel was 2-for-5 with a double.

Pitching star:  Corey Kimes pitched five shutout innings, allowing three hits and a walk.

Opposition star:  Zach Stoner was 3-for-4 with a double.  Eric Grabe hit a three-run homer.

Key inning:  The eighth.  The score was tied at three.  Travis Harrison doubled, went to third on a fly ball, and scored on a wild pitch to give the Twins the lead.  In the bottom of the inning, the White Sox put runners on first and third with two out, but Luke Bard struck out Jose Barraza to end the inning.

GCL TWINS 3, RAYS 1 AT TWINS

Batting stars:  Zach Larson was 2-for-3.  Byron Buxton was 1-for-3 with a double and a walk.

Pitching stars:  Starter Yorman Landa struck out three in four shutout innings, allowing three hits and a walk.  Kuo Hua Lo struck out four in 3.2 innings, giving up one run on five hits.  Melciades De La Cruz retired all four batters he faced, striking out two.

Opposition stars:  Leopoldo Correa was 3-for-4 with two doubles.  Armando Araiza was 2-for-4.  Geisel De La Cruz allowed two runs on four hits and a walk in five innings.

Key inning:  The eighth.  The Twins led 2-1.  The Rays got a leadoff double, but could not tie the score.  In the bottom of the inning, Buxton hit a leadoff double, took third on a bunt, and scored on a ground out to give the Twins an insurance run.

Other:  Buxton is hitting .300 (9-for-30) with three doubles, a triple, and three home runs in his last ten games.  He has finally pushed his season average over the Mendoza line at .203.

DSL TWINS 6, REDS 4 AT REDS

Batting stars:  Ernesto Ciprian was 2-for-3 with a triple.  Adonis Pacheco was 2-for-5 with a triple.

Pitching star:  Edgar Martinez struck out three in two shutout innings, allowing three hits.

Opposition stars:  Ronald Bueno was 3-for-5.  Rusbel Farinez was 2-for-3.

Key inning:  The ninth.  The Twins trailed 4-3.  Luis Gonzalez, Joel Polanco, and Jorge Andrade all singled to tie the score.  Two errors then led to two more runs and a lead the Twins would not relinquish.

Other:  Each team made four errors.  The Reds were 1-for-16 with runners in scoring position.

Games of July 29

ROCHESTER 8, COLUMBUS 5 IN COLUMBUS

Batting stars:  Matt Carson was 3-for-5 with a home run, his eleventh.  Wilkin Ramirez was 3-for-5 with a home run, his ninth.  Evan Bigley was 3-for-5 with a double.

Pitching star:  Lester Oliveros worked a perfect ninth inning.

Opposition stars:  Tim Fedroff was 2-for-4 with a home run.  Gregorio Petit was 2-for-4.  Jason Donald was 2-for-5.

Key inning:  The fifth.  The score was tied at two.  Rene Rivera followed a walk to Brian Dinkelman with a two-run homer to put the Red Wings ahead.  An error, a single, a walk, and another error produced a third run to give Rochester a 5-2 lead.

READING 8, NEW BRITAIN 3 IN READING

Batting stars:  Daniel Rohlfing was 3-for-5 with a double.  Deibinson Romero was 2-for-5 with a double.  Aaron Hicks was 1-for-3 with a double and two walks.

Pitching star:  Dakota Watts worked 2.1 scoreless innings, giving up two hits and a walk.

Opposition stars:  Darin Ruf was 2-for-4 with two doubles.  Miguel Abreu and Cesar Hernandez were each 2-for-4 with a double.

Key inning:  The fourth.  The Phillies led 3-0.  With two on and two out, a two-base error scored two Rock Cats to cut the lead to 3-2.  Reading came back to score three in the bottom of the inning.  D’Arby Myers led off the inning with a home run.  Later, with two on and two out, Ruf delivered a two-run double to put Reading ahead 6-2.

FORT MYERS 11, BREVARD COUNTY 3 IN FORT MYERS

Batting stars:  Josmil Pinto was 3-for-4 with a home run, his ninth.  Levi Michael was 3-for-5.  Michael Gonzales hit a grand slam, his sixth homer of the season.

Pitching star:  Matthew Summers gave up only one run in five innings despite allowing six hits and three walks.

Opposition stars:  Reggie Keen was 3-for-5.  John Dishon was 2-for-4.  Seth Harvey struck out four in two perfect innings.

Key inning:  The fifth.  The Miracle already led 4-1.  Three walks loaded the bases with two out.  Michael singled in one and Gonzales hit a grand slam to put the game out of reach.

PEORIA 10, BELOIT 6 IN PEORIA

Batting stars:  Jairo Rodriguez was 2-for-4.  Kennys Vargas hit a home run, his fifth.

Pitching star:  Steven Gruver pitched four shutout innings of relief, allowing two hits and two walks.

Opposition stars:  Pin-Chieh Chen was 3-for-3 with two walks.  Dustin Geiger was 2-for-4 with a double and a home run, driving in four.  Wes Darvill was 2-for-5.

Key inning:  The first.  The first four Chiefs reached base, leading to a 4-0 Peoria lead.  Javier Baez hit an RBI single, Geiger drove in one with a double, a run scored on a ground out, and Darvill singled in a run.

Other:  The Snappers made six errors in the game, leading to three unearned runs.  Two of them were by Miguel Sano, who has now made thirty-five errors this season.  Beloit pitchers also walked six.

ELIZABETHTON 12, BRISTOL 6 IN BRISTOL

Batting stars:  Adam Walker was 3-for-5 with a home run, his eighth, and had four RBIs.  Rory Rhodes was 2-for-4 with a double and a triple.  Candido Pimentel was 2-for-4 with two walks and a home run, his first, scoring three times.

Pitching star:  Chris Mazza retired all five batters he faced with two strikeouts.

Opposition stars:  Kale Kiser and Nicholas Basto were each 2-for-4.  Jake Brown was 2-for-5.

Key inning:  The fifth.  The Twins led 4-3.  Pimentel led off the inning with a home run.  Two errors and two singles produced two more runs in the inning.  Joshua Hendricks and Walker each delivered RBI singles.

Games of July 28

COLUMBUS 8, ROCHESTER 5 IN COLUMBUS

Batting stars: Matt Carson was 3-for-5 with two home runs, his ninth and tenth, and drove in four. Sean Burroughs was 2-for-5 with two doubles. Brian Dinkelman was 2-for-4 with a double.
Pitching star: Caleb Thielbar worked 1.2 scoreless innings, striking out three while giving up a hit and a walk.
Opposition stars: Gregorio Petit was 3-for-4 with a double. Ezequiel Carrera was 3-for-5 with a double, driving in three. Jared Goedert was 2-for-5 with a home run.
Key inning: The fifth. Trailing 6-3, Carson hit a two-run homer to cut the margin to 6-5. In the bottom of the inning, the Clippers had two out and none on, but a walk and two singles produced an insurance run.

READING 5, NEW BRITAIN 4 IN READING (GAME 1—SCHEDULED 7 INNINGS)

Batting stars: Chris Colabello was 2-for-3 with a walk and a home run, his fourteenth. Joe Benson was 2-for-3 with a walk and a double. Oswaldo Arcia was 2-for-4.
Pitching stars: None.
Opposition stars: Darin Ruf was 2-for-3 with a double and a home run. Tug Hulett was 2-for-3. Jiwan James was 2-for-4.
Key inning: The ninth. The Rock Cats trailed 5-2. With two out and none on, they put together four singles to cut the lead to 5-4. Benson and Deibinson Romero each drove in a run. With the tying run on second, Rene Tosoni struck out to end the game.

READING 6, NEW BRITAIN 0 IN READING (GAME 2—SCHEDULED 7 INNINGS)

Batting star: Shawn Roof was 2-for-3.
Pitching stars: None.
Opposition stars: Cesar Hernandez was 2-for-3 with a double and a triple. Julio Rodriguez struck out eight in six innings, allowing three hits and four walks.
Key inning: The sixth. The Phillies led 2-0 and scored four more times to put the game out of reach. Big hits included a triple by Hernandez, a home run by Leonardo Castro, and a double by Tug Hulett.

BREVARD COUNTY 3, FORT MYERS 0 IN FORT MYERS

Batting star: Daniel Ortiz was 1-for-3 with a double.
Pitching star: Ricky Bowen gave up one hit in three shutout innings.
Opposition stars: Parker Berberet was 2-for-4. Andy Moye worked seven innings, giving up just one hit and one walk.
Key inning: The fourth. In a scoreless tie, the Manatees tallied twice. A single, a walk, a double steal, a ground out, and a Jason Rogers single produced the runs.

BELOIT 10, PEORIA 4 IN PEORIA

Batting stars: Kennys Vargas was 2-for-4 with a triple and a home run, his fourth. He scored three times and drove in four. Wang-wei Lin was 2-for-5 with a double.
Pitching star: Tim Atherton worked 1.2 scoreless innings, allowing no hits and one walk.
Opposition stars: Sergio Burruel was 2-for-4. Jeffry Antigua was 2-for-4 in two perfect innings.
Key inning: The ninth. The Snappers led 5-4. A walk, a single, and a bunt put runners on second and third. Jairo Rodriguez singled in a run. Following a walk, Nate Roberts singled in one, Lin doubled home another, and Miguel Sano singled in two.

ELIZABETHTON 5, GREENEVILLE 0 IN ELIZABETHTON

Batting stars: Candido Pimentel was 3-for-4 with a double and a triple. Joshua Hendricks was 2-for-4 with a double.
Pitching star: Angel Mata struck out eight in five innings, allowing two hits and no walks. Kaleb Merck struck out two and gave up two hits in two innings. J. T. Chargois threw two perfect innings.
Opposition stars: None.
Key inning: The fifth. The Twins led 1-0. An error and a walk put two on with two out. Pimentel delivered a two-run triple to give Elizabethton a three-run lead.

GCL TWINS 4, RED SOX 1 AT RED SOX

Batting stars: Eddie Rosario was 3-for-5 with three doubles. Joel Licon was 2-for-5.
Pitching stars: Starter Jose Berrios struck out six in four shutout innings, allowing two hits. Austin Malinowski struck out six in 3.2 innings, giving up one run on three hits and a walk.
Opposition stars: Jeremias Pineda was 3-for-4 with a double. Ellis Jimenez allowed an unearned run in 3.2 innings, giving up three hits and three walks.
Key inning: The fourth. In a scoreless tie, Rosario doubled and scored on an error. A wild pitch, another error, and a sacrifice fly gave the Twins a 2-0 lead, which turned out to be all the runs they needed.

DSL TWINS 5, WHITE SOX 3 AT WHITE SOX

Batting stars: Joel Polanco was 3-for-4 with two doubles. Ernesto Ciprian was 2-for-4.
Pitching star: Junior Subero struck out five in six innings, allowing one run on four hits, walking none.
Opposition stars: Maurizo Buda was 3-for-4. Ivan Vargas worked 2.1 scoreless innings. Wilce Nieves threw two shutout innings.
Key inning: The third. The score was tied at one. With two on and two out, Polanco delivered a two-run double to put the Twins in the lead. Ciprian followed with an RBI single to make the score 4-1.

Games of July 27

SYRACUSE 2, ROCHESTER 1 IN ROCHESTER

Batting star:  Chris Parmelee hit a home run, his seventh.

Pitching stars:  Jeff Manship gave up two runs on six hits and four walks while striking out five in six innings.  Lester Oliveros struck out six and walked none in three shutout innings, allowing one hit.

Opposition stars:  Yunesky Maya worked eight innings, allowing one run on one hit and no walks.  Eury Perez was 2-for-4 with a double.  Carlos Maldonado was 2-for-3 with a walk.

Key inning:  The seventh.  Maya had retired the first twenty Red Wings.  Parmelee hit a two-out homer to break up the perfect game.  He was the only base-runner allowed by the Chiefs.

READING 10, NEW BRITAIN 9 IN READING

Batting stars:  Joe Benson was 2-for-4 with a walk and a home run (his second), driving in three.  Chris Herrmann was 2-for-4 with a double and drove in three.

Pitching star:  David Bromberg pitched a scoreless inning, giving up a hit and a walk.

Opposition stars:  Sebastian Valle was 3-for-4 with a double.  Cesar Hernandez was 2-for-3 with two walks and a home run, driving in three.  Jiwan James was 2-for-4.

Key inning:  The ninth.  The Rock Cats trailed 10-7.  Benson hit a two-run homer to cut the lead to 10-9 with none out.  Rene Tosoni drew a one-out walk and took second on a two-out single by James Beresford.  Aaron Hicks then grounded out to end the game.

FORT MYERS 6, BREVARD COUNTY 3 IN FORT MYERS

Batting stars:  Steven Liddle was 4-for-5 with a double.  Lance Ray was 3-for-4 with a home run, his eleventh.  Daniel Santana was 3-for-5.

Pitching stars:  Clint Dempster threw two shutout innings, striking out three and walking one while allowing no hits.  A. J. Achter struck out two in a perfect inning.

Opposition stars:  Mike Walker was 2-for-4 with two home runs.  Tommy Toledo worked 2.1 scoreless innings.  Eric Arnett struck out three in two shutout innings.

Key inning:  The fourth.  The Miracle lead 3-2.  Santana singled and scored on Liddle’s double.  Ray then hit a two-run homer to make the score 6-2.

BURLINGTON 7, BELOIT 2 IN BURLINGTON

Batting star:  Wang-wei Lin was 1-for-2 with two walks.

Pitching stars:  Cole Johnson struck out four in two hitless innings, walking one.  Dallas Gallant struck out three in a hitless inning, walking one.

Opposition stars:  Douglas Landaeta was 2-for-3 with a double and two walks, scoring three times.  Aaron Shipman was 2-for-4.  Raul Alcantara struck out three in two perfect innings.

Key inning:  The second.  The Bees opened the scoring with a three-run inning, which turned out to be all the runs they needed.  A walk, a double, an error, a pair of singles, and another walk scored the runs.

GREENEVILLE 12, ELIZABETHTON 9 IN ELIZABETHTON

Batting stars:  Candido Pimentel was 3-for-4 with a double.  Adam Walker was 2-for-4 with a double and a home run (his seventh), scoring three times.

Pitching stars:  None.

Opposition stars:  Ricky Gingras was 3-for-5 and drove in two.  Jean Batista was 2-for-5 with a home run, driving in four.  Ariel Ovando was 2-for-5 with a home run.

Key inning:  The ninth.  The Twins had just scored five times to come within 11-9.  Two singles and a wild pitch gave the Astros an insurance run.  The Twins did not threaten the lead again.

GCL TWINS 12, RED SOX 3 AT TWINS

Batting stars:  Jose Ramirez was 3-for-4.  Joel Licon was 3-for-5 with a double.  Eddie Rosario was 2-for-4 with a three-run homer, his first.

Pitching stars:  Kyle Gibson struck out both batters he faced.  Alexander Muren walked three but allowed no hits while striking out two in two shutout innings.

Opposition stars:  Nick Moore was 2-for-3 with two walks and scored three times.  Jose Colorado was 2-for-4 with a double.  Jeremias Pineda was 1-for-2 with three walks.

Key inning:  The second.  Leading 1-0, the Twins scored six times.  John Murphy tripled and scored on a Licon single.  With two out, a walk, a single, and a walk resulted in two more runs.  Rosario then killed the rally with a three-run homer that put the Twins ahead 7-0.

Other:  Byron Buxton hit his second home run in two days and his third of the season.

DSL TWINS 4, WHITE SOX 1 AT TWINS

Batting star:  Jhonatan Ynojoso was 2-for-4 with a triple.

Pitching star:  Jose Abreu gave up a run on four hits and no walks in five innings.

Opposition star:  Carlos Gonzalez was 2-for-3 with a walk.

Key inning:  The sixth.  The Twins led 2-1.  Ynojoso tripled and scored on an error to give the Twins an insurance run.

Games of July 26

SYRACUSE 17, ROCHESTER 9 IN ROCHESTER

Batting stars:  Chris Parmelee was 3-for-4 with a walk and two home runs (his fifth and sixth).  Brian Dinkelman was 2-for-5 with a double, scoring three times.

Pitching stars:  None.

Opposition stars:  Carlos Rivero was 4-for-6 with a double and a home run, driving in three.  Jesus Valdez was 4-for-6 with a home run, scoring three times and driving in four.  Eury Perez was 4-for-6 with two doubles.

Key inning:  The eighth.  The Chiefs led 10-9.  With two out and none on, Syracuse scored six times.  There was a double, two singles, a two-run homer by Brett Carroll, a single, and a two-run homer by Seth Bynum.  All but the last home run came off Kyle Waldrop.

Other:  Eric Hurley had a memorable debut for Rochester for the wrong reason, giving up seven runs on seven hits and a walk in 2.2 innings.

NEW BRITAIN AT READING

Rained out.

FORT MYERS 4, BREVARD COUNTY 3 IN FORT MYERS

Batting star:  Josmil Pinto hit a home run, his eighth.

Pitching star:  Tom Stuifbergen struck out seven in 7.1 innings, allowing two runs on five hits and a walk.

Opposition stars:  Josh Dishon was 2-for-3.  Seth Harvey struck out two in two shutout innings, giving up no hits an no walks.

Key inning:  The second.  It was a scoreless tie.  With one out, Pinto homered to ignite a rally.  Steven Liddle walked, stole second, took third on an error, and scored on a sacrifice fly.  Daniel Rams walked, Jonathan Goncalves singled, and Daniel Santana hit a two-run triple to put the Miracle up 4-0.

BURLINGTON 4, BELOIT 1 IN BURLINGTON

Batting star:  Stephen Wickens was 2-for-4.

Pitching star:  D. J. Baxendale struck out two in a perfect inning.

Opposition stars:  Sean Jamieson was 3-for-4.  Douglas Landaeta was 2-for-4.  Jose Macias struck out two in 2.1 scoreless innings, allowing a hit and a walk.

Key inning:  The fourth.  In a scoreless tie, Kennys Vargas doubled home Drew Leachman to give the Snappers a 1-0 lead.  The Bees came back with three in the bottom of the inning.  Michael Fabiaschi contributed an RBI double and Jamieson drove in one with a single.

ELIZABETHTON 10, GREENEVILLE 2 IN ELIZABETHTON

Batting stars:  Rory Rhodes was 3-for-5 with a double.  Adam Walker was 2-for-5 with two home runs (his fifth and sixth), driving in three.  Joshua Hendricks was 2-for-5.

Pitching stars:  Brett Lee worked 2.1 scoreless innings, giving up one hit.  Luis Nunez struck out three in two perfect innings.

Opposition stars:  D’Andre Toney was 2-for-4.  Terrell Joyce hit a home run.

Key inning:  The first.  A single, a double, and a hit batsman loaded the bases with none out.  A ground out scored one and Hendricks singled in another.  Following a wild pitch, Travis Harrison delivered a two-run single to put the Twins ahead 4-0.

Other:  Max Kepler hit another home run, his sixth.

GCL TWINS 7, RAYS 2 AT TWINS

Batting stars:  Bryan Haar was 3-for-4 with a double.  Brian Compton was 2-for-4.  Byron Buxton hit a three-run homer, his second.

Pitching stars:  Sam Gibbons worked five shutout innings, allowing two hits and walking none.  Hung Yi Chen gave up one hit and no walks in 2.2 scoreless innings.

Opposition stars:  None.

Key inning:  The fifth.  There was no score.  A hit batsman, a single, and a walk loaded the bases with none out.  Will Hurt (batting .089) walked to force in a run.  A passed ball plated another run, and Buxton hit a three-run homer.  With one out, the rally continued as Joel Licon singled, Haar doubled, and an error scored a sixth run to give the Twins a comfortable lead.

DSL CUBS1 24, TWINS 6 AT CUBS1

Batting stars:  Ernesto Ciprian was 2-for-3 with a walk.  Gabriel A. Ynfante was 1-for-2 with two walks.

Pitching stars:  None.

Opposition stars:  Roney Alcala was 5-for-6 with two doubles and a triple.  Leonardo Gonzalez was 2-for-3 with two doubles and a walk.  Jeffrey Baez was 2-for-7 with a home run.

Key inning:  The eighth.  Already leading 12-6, the Cubs1 put the game away with a twelve-run explosion.  They sent seventeen men to the plate.  They got only six hits, five singles.  The inning featured six walks, a hit batsman, two errors, four wild pitches, and three passed balls.

Other:  The Twins made eight errors in the game.  Even for the DSL, that’s a lot.  The errors were made by seven different players.

A Brief Hiatus

There will be no report published tomorrow, as life gets in the way.  I hope to be back on Saturday.  Thank you for understanding.

Games of July 25

ROCHESTER 5, SYRACUSE 3 IN ROCHESTER

Batting stars: Danny Valencia and Evan Bigley were each 2-for-4 with a double.
Pitching star: Luis Perdomo worked 3.2 scoreless innings, giving up two hits and a walk.
Opposition stars: Mark Teahen was 3-for-4 with a home run. Carlos Rivero was 2-for-4.
Key inning: The fourth. The Red Wings trailed 1-0. They opened the inning with singles by Tsuyoshi Nishioka, Chris Parmelee, Valencia, Wilkin Ramirez, and Bigley. The five singles produced only one run, as Nishioka was thrown out at home plate. A force out scored a run, however, and Ray Chang singled in another run. An error plated one more, putting Rochester ahead 4-1.

NEW BRITAIN 11, BINGHAMTON 2 IN NEW BRITAIN

Batting stars: Aaron Hicks was 5-for-6 with two doubles and a home run, his tenth. He scored five times. Deibinson Romero was 4-for-4 with a walk and a double. Oswaldo Arcia was 2-for-4 with a double.
Pitching star: B. J. Hermsen struck out eight in seven innings, allowing two runs on four hits and three walks.
Opposition stars: Dustin Martin and Jefry Marte were each 1-for-3 with a walk. Bradley Holt worked 1.1 scoreless innings.
Key inning: The fourth. The Rock Cats led 4-0. The Mets used RBI singles by Martin and Marte to cut the lead to 4-2. New Britain came back with two of their own in the bottom of the fourth. Hicks singled and Chris Herrmann reached on catcher’s interference. Chris Colabello singled in one and the other scored on a ground out.
Other: The Rock Cats scored exactly two runs in five separate innings.

FORT MYERS 12, CHARLOTTE 4 IN CHARLOTTE

Batting stars: Josmil Pinto was 2-for-4 with a double and a home run, his seventh. He scored three times. Steven Liddle was 2-for-4 with a home run, his first. He drove in four. Anderson Hidalgo was 2-for-5 with a double and drove in three.
Pitching star: Matthew Hauser worked seven shutout innings, giving up two hits and four walks.
Opposition stars: Derek Dietrich was 3-for-4 with a triple. George Jensen threw two shutout innings.
Key inning: The third. Leading 3-0, the Miracle used three walks and a couple of big hits to score five times. With two on and two out, Hidalgo’s RBI double scored one. A second scored on a wild pitch. Liddle then hit a three-run homer to put Fort Myers up 8-0.

BELOIT 4, BURLINGTON 1 IN BURLINGTON

Batting stars: Matthew Koch was 2-for-4 with a double and a home run, his seventh. Nate Roberts was 2-for-4. Miguel Sano was 1-for-1 with three walks.
Pitching stars: Jason Wheeler pitched six shutout innings, allowing four hits and two walks. Mason Melotakis struck out three in 2.1 scoreless innings, giving up two hits.
Opposition stars: Sean Jamieson was 2-for-4 with a double. Maxwell Muncy was 2-for-4. Drew Tyson struck out three in two shutout innings.
Key inning: The fourth. The Snappers led 1-0. With one out, Koch homered, Jairo Rodriguez walked, and JaDamion Williams homered to give Beloit a 4-0 advantage.

GCL RAYS 2, TWINS 1 AT RAYS

Batting star: Bryan Haar was 2-for-4.
Pitching stars: Starter Felix Jorge struck out five in four shutout innings, giving up two hits and a walk. Melciades De La Cruz threw three shutout innings, allowing three hits and a walk.
Opposition stars: Leopoldo Correa was 3-for-3 with a walk. Luis Cabrera gave up a run on five hits and no walks in six innings. Isaac Gil threw three shutout innings.
Key inning: The fifth. Trailing 1-0, the Rays scored twice. Two walks, a bunt, an RBI single, and a sacrifice fly produced the runs.

DSL TWINS 6, CUBS1 1 AT TWINS

Batting star: Ernesto Ciprian was 2-for-4.
Pitching stars: Starter Damian Defrank allowed a run on four hits and a walk in four innings. Jadison Jimenez went three shutout innings, giving up one hit.
Opposition stars: Starter Jose Paulino struck out five in five hitless innings, walking two.
Key inning: The sixth. The Twins trailed 1-0. With two out and none on, Ciprian singled and Eddy Concepcion walked. An error tied the score. A single by Rafael P. Valera put the Twins ahead. A walk loaded the bases and Junior Amarante’s two-run double gave the Twins a 4-1 edge.
Other: The Cubs1 made six errors. All six Twins runs were unearned.

Games of July 24

SYRACUSE 6, ROCHESTER 1 IN ROCHESTER

Batting star:  Brian Dinkelman was 2-for-3 with a double, a home run (his third), and a walk.

Pitching stars:  None.

Opposition stars:  Carlos Maldonado was 2-for-4.  Tanner Roark struck out nine in seven innings, giving up one run on four hits and two walks.

Key inning:  The fifth.  In a 1-1 tie, Josh Johnson delivered a two-out, two-run double to put the Chiefs in front for good.

Other:  Brendan Wise was placed on the disabled list.  Recently signed free agent Eric Hurley will replace him on the roster.

BINGHAMTON 4, NEW BRITAIN 3 IN NEW BRITAIN

Batting stars:  Aaron Hicks and Deibinson Romero were each 1-for-3 with a double and a walk.

Pitching star:  Marty Popham struck out two in 1.1 scoreless innings, allowing a hit and a walk.

Opposition stars:  Eric Campbell was 2-for-3 with a home run and a walk.

Key inning:  The eighth.  Leading 3-1, Campbell’s homer put the Mets up 4-1.  In the bottom of the inning, Shawn Roof singled, Hicks doubled, and Joe Benson delivered a two-run double to cut the lead to 4-3 with one out.  Oswaldo Arcia followed with another double, but Benson only advanced to third.  A strikeout and a fly out ended the threat.

Other:  Binghamton starter Mark Cohoon gave up only one hit through the first six innings.

CHARLOTTE 6, FORT MYERS 5 IN FORT MYERS (11 INNINGS)

Batting stars:  Kyle Knudson was 2-for-4 with a double.  Lance Ray was 2-for-4.  Anderson Hidalgo was 2-for-5.

Pitching star:  Nelvin Fuentes allowed a run on a hit and two walks in 2.2 innings, striking out two.

Opposition stars:  Lucas Bailey was 2-for-4 with two doubles.  Alex Koronis threw two scoreless innings.

Key inning:  The eleventh.  It was a 5-5 tie.  With one out, Cody Rogers reached on an error and scored on a double by Bailey to end the game.

Other:  According to the game report, Rogers fell down twice between third and home and still was able to score from first on the double.

ELIZABETHTON 12, KINGSPORT 5 IN KINGSPORT

Batting stars:  D. J. Hicks was 3-for-5 with a double and a home run (his third), scoring three times.  Jorge Polanco was 3-for-4 with a double.  Max Kepler hit a three-run homer, his fifth.

Pitching star:  Starter Corey Kimes worked three shutout innings, giving up two hits and a walk.

Opposition stars:  Tomas Nido was 2-for-4.  Miller Diaz struck out six and walked none in four innings, allowing a run on two hits.

Key inning:  The first.  Candido Pimentel led off the game with a walk and stole second.  With two out, he was still on second.  Rory Rhodes walked and Hicks followed with a three-run homer to give the Twins an early lead.

Other:  The Twins scored ten runs in the first three innings, leading 10-0.

GCL TWINS 5, ORIOLES 4 AT TWINS (GAME 1—SCHEDULED 7 INNINGS)

Batting stars:  Kelvin Ortiz was 3-for-3.  Bryan Haar and Javier Pimentel each hit their first homer of the season.

Pitching stars:  None.

Opposition stars:  Derrick Bleeker was 2-for-3 with a triple.  Adrian Marin was 2-for-3.

Key inning:  The fifth.  The score was tied at three.  With two out and none on, Haar walked and Pimentel hit a two-run homer to give the Twins the lead.

Other:  The Orioles got the tying run into scoring position with two out in the seventh before the threat was extinguished.

GCL TWINS 6, ORIOLES 1 AT ORIOLES (GAME 2—SCHEDULED 7 INNINGS)

Batting stars:  Zach Larson was 2-for-3 with a triple.  Joel Licon was 2-for-4.

Pitching stars:  Kyle Gibson worked two perfect innings, striking out two.  Hung Yi Chen gave up two hits in two shutout innings, striking out two.

Opposition stars:  Tommy Richards was 2-for-3 with a double.  Duke Porter threw three shutout innings, allowing only two walks.

Key inning:  The fourth.  The Twins led 2-0.  Logan Wade scored on Larson’s triple.  A sacrifice fly made it 4-0.  Byron Buxton then doubled, followed by singles by Aderlin Mejia and Licon which put the Twins in front 6-0.

DSL ORIOLES 8, TWINS 4 AT ORIOLES

Batting stars:  Rafael P. Valera and Luis Gonzalez were each 2-for-4.

Pitching star:  Argenis Silva threw three shutout innings despite giving up four hits and three walks.

Opposition stars:  Victor Medina was 2-for-4 with two doubles.  Ronarsy Ledesma was 2-for-4 with a double and a triple.  Rafael Moreno struck out seven in six innings, allowing two runs (one earned) on four hits and no walks.

Key inning:  The fourth.  Trailing 2-1, the Orioles put up a six-spot.  The runs were all charged to Reudis Reyes, who was brought in to start the inning.  The inning featured two hit batsmen, three walks, a wild pitch, three singles, a double, and a triple.

Games of July 23

DURHAM 4, ROCHESTER 0 IN DURHAM

Batting star:  Ray Chang was 2-for-3 with a walk.

Pitching star:  Liam Hendriks struck out six in six innings, giving up two runs on four hits and three walks.

Opposition stars:  Tim Beckham was 2-for-4 with a double.  Nevin Ashley hit a two-run homer.  Josh Lueke struck out four in three innings, allowing one hit.

Key inning:  The seventh.  With the Bulls leading 2-0, Ashley followed a Beckham single with his home run, putting Durham comfortably ahead.

Other:  This was a bullpen game for the Bulls, with three pitchers working two innings and one going three innings.  None of the pitchers gave up more than two hits…Jim Kaat will make an appearance in Rochester tonight.

BINGHAMTON 8, NEW BRITAIN 1 IN NEW BRITAIN

Batting star:  Oswaldo Arcia was 2-for-4.

Pitching star:  Dakota Watts pitched 1.2 innings, allowing an unearned run on no hits and one walk.

Opposition stars:  Allan Dykstra was 2-for-4 with two home runs, scoring three times.  Sean Kazmar was 2-for-4 with a home run.  Gregory Peavey gave up an unearned run on three hits and three walks in seven innings.

Key inning:  The second.  In a scoreless tie, the Mets scored three times.  Dykstra opened the inning with a home run, igniting the rally.  Three singles, an error, and another single later, Binghamton led 3-0, which was more than enough runs for the Mets.

Other:  In the “He’s still around?” file, C. J. Nitkowski struck out three in a scoreless inning for Binghamton.

CHARLOTTE 5, FORT MYERS 4 IN FORT MYERS

Batting stars:  Anderson Hidalgo was 3-for-4 with a double and a home run, his third.  Jonathan Goncalves was 3-for-4.

Pitching star:  A. J. Achter threw two shutout innings, giving up two hits.

Opposition stars:  Hector Guevera was 4-for-5 with a home run.  Philip Wunderlich and Kevin Kiermaier were each 2-for-4 with a double.

Key inning:  The ninth.  The score was tied at four.  Goncalves opened the inning with a single, took second on a bunt, went to third on a ground out, and scored on a passed ball.

BELOIT 3, GREAT LAKES 0 IN BELOIT

Batting stars:  Nate Roberts was 2-for-4 with a triple.  Kennys Vargas hit a home run, his third.  Tyler Grimes hit a home run, his fourth.

Pitching stars:  Matt Tomshaw struck out six in four innings, allowing two hits.  Cole Johnson gave up three hits in three innings.  Zachary Jones struck out four in two innings, giving up two hits.

Opposition star:  Pratt Maynard was 2-for-3 with two doubles.

Key inning:  The first.  Roberts led off with a single, stole second, took third on a ground out, and scored on a Drew Leachman single to give the Snappers the early lead.

Other:  In two games for the Snappers, Vargas is 3-for-7 with three home runs and two walks, giving him a line of .429/.556/1.714…Snappers pitchers did not allow a walk.

ELIZABETHTON 3, KINGSPORT 0 IN KINGSPORT

Batting star:  Travis Harrison was 2-for-3 with a walk.

Pitching stars:  Angel Mata struck out nine in five innings, giving up two hits and a walk.  Christian Powell struck out three in two innings, allowing three hits.

Opposition stars:  Tomas Nido was 2-for-3.  Chris Flexen struck out six in five shutout innings, giving up three hits while walking four.

Key inning:  The seventh.  It was a scoreless tie.  Jhonatan Arias led off the inning with a double.  An error and a walk loaded the bases.  An error scored two runs and a sacrifice fly brought in a third.

Other:  The teams combined for seven errors, four by Kingsport.

GCL ORIOLES 4, TWINS 1 AT TWINS (GAME 1—SCHEDULED 7 INNINGS)

Batting star:  Byron Buxton was 1-for-2 with a triple and a walk.

Pitching star:  Kuo Hua Lo worked 4.1 scoreless innings of relief, allowing one hit an no walks.

Opposition stars:  Byron Capellan was 2-for-3.  Josh Hader struck out five in 2.1 scoreless innings.

Key inning:  The first.  The Orioles opened the game with a triple, three singles, and a walk, scoring three times before an out was recorded.

Other:  The first inning damage was done against Alex Wimmers, making his first appearance since he was injured.  After the above, the next batter hit into a fly ball double play and Wimmers was then removed from the game.

GCL ORIOLES 2, TWINS 0 AT ORIOLES (GAME 2—SCHEDULED 7 INNINGS)

Batting star:  Logan Wade was 1-for-2 with a walk.

Pitching star:  Yorman Landa worked five shutout innings, giving up two hits and walking two.

Opposition stars:  Alexander Santana struck out eight in four innings, allowing a hit and walking one.  Dioni Dominguez struck out two in two innings, walking one.

Key inning:  The sixth.  In a scoreless tie, the Orioles struck for both of their runs.  A walk, a bunt single, and another walk loaded the bases.  Nikolas Balog singled in one, and a hit batsman brought home the other.

Other:  Wade’s single was the only Twins hit.

DSL ORIOLES 4, TWINS 1 AT ORIOLES

Batting star:  Adonis Pacheco was 2-for-4.

Pitching star:  Junior Subero gave up only an unearned run in six innings, allowing six hits and a walk.

Opposition stars:  Alexander Mercedes was 2-for-4 with a walk.  Oscar Vasquez was 2-for-4.  Wendell Floranus struck out seven in six shutout innings, giving up three hits and walking one.

Key inning:  The eighth.  Leading 1-0, the Orioles scored three to put the game out of reach.  Two singles, a wild pitch, a sacrifice fly, another wild pitch, and another sacrifice fly produced the runs.

Minor League Team Leaders

Through games of July 22.  Qualifications for rate stats are arbitrary.  Remember, a really good player may have been promoted, and so not be a "team leader" for either team.

ROCHESTER

Average:  Sean Burroughs, .284; Matt Carson, .279; Ray Chang, .260
OBP:  Carson, .352; Burroughs, .339; Chang, .324
Slugging:  Clete Thomas, .466; Carson, .423; Danny Valencia, .399
OPS:  Carson, .776; Thomas, .760; Brian Dinkelman, .711
Homers:  Thomas, 10; Wilkin Ramirez, 8; Carson, 8
RBI:  Valencia, 36; Carson, 36; Thomas, 28
Steals:  Darin Mastroianni, 10; Carson, 7; 3 tied at 6

*Chris Parmelee is hitting .302/.446/.510 in 96 at-bats.

ERA:  Liam Hendriks, 1.74; Sam Deduno, 2.14; Jeff Manship, 2.29
WHIP:  Hendriks, 0.85; Casey Fien, 1.15; Deduno, 1.17
Strikeouts:  Esmerling Vasquez, 54; Hendriks, 54; Cole DeVries, 50
Wins:  Hendriks, 7; Manship, 6; two tied at 4
Innings:  DeVries, 70; Hendriks, 67.1; Luke French, 66.1
Games:  Tyler Robertson, 33; Fien, 33; Brendan Wise, 29

NEW BRITAIN

Average:  Aaron Hicks, .276; Chris Colabello, .276; Nathan Hanson, .275
OBP:  Hicks, .372; Chris Herrmann, .344; Deibinson Romero, .340
Slugging:  Colabello, .480; Evan Bigley, .444; Hicks, .436
OPS:  Colabello, .818; Hicks, .808; Romero, .773
Homers:  Romero, 14; Colabello, 13; Bigley, 12
RBI:  Colabello, 70; Bigley, 66; Romero, 55
Steals:  Hicks, 22; Estarlin De Los Santos, 8; Pedro Florimon, 7

*Oswaldo Arcia is hitting .319/.381/.540 in 113 at-bats

ERA:  Steven Hirschfeld, 2.90; David Bromberg, 3.23; B. J. Hermsen, 3.44
WHIP:  Hermsen, 1.19; Hirschfeld, 1.27; Andrew Albers, 1.27
Strikeouts:  Logan Darnell, 79; Hirschfeld, 62; Daniel Turpen, 57
Wins:  Darnell, 8; Shairon Martis, 7; Hirschfeld, 7
Innings:  Darnell, 114.2; Hermsen, 89; Hirschfeld, 83.2
Games:  Turpen, 32; Blake Martin, 29; Luis Perdomo, 26

FORT MYERS

Average:  Daniel Santana, .288; Josmil Pinto, .278; Jairo Perez, .265
OBP:  Perez, .350; Michael Gonzales, .346; Pinto, .334
Slugging:  Daniel Ortiz, .425; Pinto, .417; Santana, .405
OPS:  Perez, .754; Pinto, .752; Ortiz, .732
Homers:  Lance Ray, 10; Oswaldo Arcia, 7; three tied at 6
RBI:  Ray, 46; Santana, 43; Pinto, 36
Steals:  Santana, 12; Angel Morales, 6; four tied at 4

ERA:  Matthew Hauser, 3.18; Nelvin Fuentes, 3.35; Ricky Bowen, 3.47
WHIP:  Jose Gonzalez, 1.13; Hauser, 1.26; Pat Dean, 1.34;
Strikeouts:  Dean, 57; Hauser, 54; three tied at 51
Wins:  Dean, 6; Cole Nelson, 5; two tied at 4
Innings:  Dean, 113.1; Madison Boer, 74.2; Marty Popham, 69.2
Games:  Bowen, 35; Hauser, 30; Gonzalez, 25

BELOIT

Average:  Eddie Rosario, .293; Drew Leachman, .282; Jonathan Goncalves, .278
OBP:  Goncalves, .370; Matthew Koch, .366; Rosario, .362
Slugging:  Miguel Sano, .497; Rosario, .473; Koch, .430
OPS:  Sano, .859; Rosario, .834; Koch, .796
Homers:  Sano, 20; Rosario, 7; Koch, 6
RBI:  Sano, 69; Rosario, 40; Adam Bryant, 32
Steals:  Goncalves, 14; JaDamion Williams, 14; Nate Roberts, 13

ERA:  David Hurlbut, 2.41; A. J. Achter, 2.48; Matthew Summers, 3.55
WHIP:  A. J. Achter, 1.13; Hurlbut, 1.23; Summers, 1.26
Strikeouts:  Jason Wheeler, 78; Summers, 71; three tied at 56
Wins:  Wheeler, 11; Summers, 9; Steven Gruver, 5
Innings:  Summers, 109; Wheeler, 107.2; Gruver, 87.2
Games:  Corey Williams, 35; Clint Dempster, 30; Ryan O’Rourke, 29

ELIZABETHTON

Average:  Romy Jimenez, .374; Candido Pimentel, .366; Jhonatan Arias, .340
OBP:  Jimenez, .453; Max Kepler, .438; Pimentel, 413
Slugging:  Jimenez, .703; Niko Goodrum, .541; Rory Rhodes, .495
OPS:  Jimenez, 1.156; Goodrum, .947; Kepler, .919
Homers:  Jimenez, 6; Rhodes, 4; Adam Walker, 4
RBI:  Jimenez, 33; Goodrum, 24; Kepler, 24
Steals:  Pimentel, 7; three tied at 3

ERA:  Joshua Burris, 0.90; Brett Lee, 0.98; Hudson Boyd, 1.32
WHIP:  Taylor Rogers, 0.83; Boyd, 1.12; Burris, 1.20
Strikeouts:  Rogers, 39; Ricardo Arevalo, 31; Boyd, 24
Wins:  Burris, 4; Tyler Herr, 3; Corey Kimes, 3
Innings:  Boyd, 34; Rogers, 30; Arevalo, 25.2
Games:  Herr, 11; Burris, 9; Lee, 9

GCL TWINS

Average:  Dereck Rodriguez, .390; Jorge Fernandez, .362; Aderlin Mejia, .320
OBP:  Rodriguez, .490; Kelvin Ortiz, .392; Fernandez, .375
Slugging:  Rodriguez, .634; Ortiz, .516; Logan Wade, .426
OPS:  Rodriguez, 1.124; Ortiz, .908; Mejia, .775
Homers:  Rodriguez, 2; Ortiz, 2; two tied at 1
RBI:  Mejia, 11; Javier Pimentel, 10; two tied at 9
Steals:  John Murphy, 10; Mejia, 7; Kelvin Ortiz, 5

ERA:  Chris Mazza, 0.60; Josue Montanez, 0.60; Jose Berrios, 0.90
WHIP:  Berrios, 0.40; Kuo Hua Lo, 0.80; Randy Rosario, 0.83
Strikeouts:  Rosario, 19; Melciades De La Cruz, 16; Lo, 16
Wins:  Gerardo Ramirez, 3; four tied at 2
Innings:  Lo, 20; Yorman Landa, 19; two tied at 18
Games:  De La Cruz, 9; Gonzalo Sanudo, 9; Mazza, 9

DSL TWINS

Average:  Adonis Pacheco, .353; Dubal Baez, .295; Engelb Vielma, .282
OBP:  Pacheco, .446; Gabriel A. Ynfante, .403; Baez, .394
Slugging:  Pacheco, .617; Jorge Andrade, .404; Ernesto Ciprian, .394
OPS:  Pacheco, 1.062; Andrade, .760; Ciprian, .758
Homers:  Pacheco, 3; three tied at 2
RBI:  Pacheco, 27; Joel Polanco, 13; Ciprian, 13
Steals:  Pacheco, 10; Vielma, 8; two tied at 6

ERA:  Fernando Romero, 1.47; Miguel Gonzalez, 1.52; Jadison Jimenez, 1.71
WHIP:  Javier Vargas, 0.89; Junior Subero, 0.94; Jose Abreu, 1.14
Strikeouts:  Elias Villasana, 25; Argenis Silva, 25; Subero, 24
Wins:  Jimenez, 6; Silva, 5; Subero, 4
Innings:  Abreu, 32.1; Subero, 32; Vargas, 31.1
Games:  Reudis Reyes, 14; Silva, 13; Villasana, 13

Games of July 22

ROCHESTER 5, DURHAM 1 IN DURHAM (GAME 1—SCHEDULED 7 INNINGS)

Batting stars:  Sean Burroughs was 2-for-3.  Clete Thomas was 1-for-2 with a walk and a home run, his tenth.

Pitching star:  Jeff Manship gave up a run on three hits and two walks in six innings.

Opposition star:  Stephen Vogt was 2-for-3 with a double and a home run.

Key inning:  The fifth.  The Red Wings led 2-1.  Pedro Florimon hit a ground-rule double and scored on a single by Matt Carson.  Thomas then hit a two-run homer to make the score 5-1.

DURHAM 4, ROCHESTER 3 IN DURHAM (GAME 2—SCHEDULED 7 INNINGS)

Batting stars:  Tsuyoshi Nishioka and Sean Burroughs each went 2-for-3.

Pitching star:  Daniel Sattler retired all four batters he faced, striking out two of them.

Opposition stars:  Cole Figueroa was 2-for-3.  Henry Wrigley was 2-for-4.  Leslie Anderson hit a three-run homer.

Key inning:  The seventh.  In a 3-3 tie, Rich Thompson led off with a bunt single and stole second.  Following an intentional walk, Wrigley singled to end the game.

NEW BRITAIN 8, HARRISBURG 4 IN HARRISBURG

Batting stars:  Nathan Hanson was 3-for-4 with a home run (his third), driving in four.  Deibinson Romero was 2-for-4 with a home run (his fourteenth), driving in three.  Chris Colabello was 2-for-4 with a double.

Pitching star:  Bruce Pugh retired all four batters he faced.

Opposition stars:  Justin Bloxom was 2-for-3 with a double and a walk.  Devin Ivany was 2-for-4.  Chris Rahl hit a three-run homer.

Key inning:  The eighth.  The Rock Cats led 5-4.  Colabello doubled and Romero walked.  Hanson and Daniel Rohlfing each delivered RBI singles to give New Britain a pair of insurance runs.

LAKELAND 4, FORT MYERS 2 IN LAKELAND

Batting stars:  Josmil Pinto was 3-for-4.  Jonathan Goncalves was 2-for-3.  Daniel Santana hit a two-run homer, his fifth.

Pitching star:  Madison Boer struck out six in six innings, allowing two runs (one earned) on five hits and a walk.

Opposition stars:  Daniel Fields and Dixon Machado were each 2-for-4.  Starter Warwick Saupold gave up two hits in three shutout innings.

Key inning:  The seventh.  The Flying Tigers led 2-0.  A pair of bunt singles and a pop-fly single loaded the bases, a run was walked in, and another run was forced in by a hit batsman, putting Lakeland ahead 4-0.

GREAT LAKES 10, BELOIT 7 IN GREAT LAKES

Batting stars:  Nate Roberts was 4-for-4 with a double and a home run, his fourth.  Kennys Vargas was 2-for-4 with two home runs (his first and second), driving in three.  Wang-wei Lin was 1-for-2 with a home run (his second) and two walks.

Pitching star:  Ryan O’Rourke struck out three in three shutout innings, allowing a hit and a walk.

Opposition stars:  Joseph Winker was 3-for-4 with a double, scoring three times.  O’Koyea Dickson was 2-for-5 with a double and a home run, driving in three.  Gabriel Suarez was 2-for-3 with a walk.

Key inning:  The eighth.  The score was tied at seven.  Scott Shebler reached on an error, took second on a ground out, and scored the go-ahead run on a single by Pedro Guerrero. In the bottom of the inning, the Snappers put runners on first and second with one out, but did not score.

KINGSPORT 6, ELIZABETHTON 5 IN KINGSPORT

Batting stars:  Max Kepler was 2-for-4 with a double and a home run, his fourth.  Bo Altobelli was 2-for-3 with a double and a walk.

Pitching star:  Luis Nunez threw two shutout innings, allowing only a walk.

Opposition stars:  Tomas Nido was 2-for-4 with a double.  Jeffrey Diehl hit a home run.  Corey Oswalt gave up two runs on five hits and no walks in five innings.

Key inning:  The sixth.  Kepler homered to cut the lead to 4-3.  Nido opened the bottom of the inning and scored on an RBI single by Anthony Chavez.  A sacrifice fly later in the inning opened up a 6-3 lead for the Mets.