Appalachian League Playoffs: Day Two

DANVILLE 9, ELIZABETHTON 2 IN ELIZABETHTON

A big fourth inning did in the Twins last night, as Danville evened the series at a game apiece.

Max Kepler hit a solo homer in the first to give Elizabethton the early lead.  In the second, Adam Walker singled, took second on a passed ball, went to third on a fly to right, and scored on a wild pitch to make the score 2-0.

Meanwhile, Brett Lee had been perfect through three innings, including striking out the side in the third, and appeared to be cruising.  The fourth, though, told a different tale.  Lee retired the first batter, but then gave up a single to Ronald Luna.  The next batter grounded out, and it appeared no harm would be done.  Then, however, back-to-back walks loaded the bases and a Felix Marte single tied the game.  Blake Brown singled to put Danville ahead, and another walk re-loaded the bases.  Lee was replaced by Chris Mazza, but it didn’t help.  Logan Robbins cleared the bases with a double, went to third on an error, and scored on a wild pitch.  When the smoke cleared, Danville lead 7-2 and the Twins never threatened to get back into the game.

Danville walked nine batters, but the Twins could not capitalize.  They only got five hits, went 0-for-11 with runners in scoring position, and stranded ten runners.

There were twenty-four strikeouts in the game.  Danville pitchers fanned eleven and Twins pitchers fanned thirteen.

The deciding game will be played tonight in Elizabethton.  Hudson Boyd goes for the Twins.

BURLINGTON 4, JOHNSON CITY 2 IN BURLINGTON

The Royals evened their series behind 5.2 scoreless innings of relief pitching.

Terrance Gore broke a 2-2 tie with a home run to lead off the fifth inning.  Bubba Starling led off the seventh with a homer to give Burlington an insurance run.

Johnson City did not get a runner past first base after the fourth inning.  Daniel Stumpf went 3.2 scoreless innings, striking out four.  John Walter struck out three in two shutout innngs.

The deciding game will be played tonight in Burlington.

Games of August 30

BUFFALO 10, ROCHESTER 3 IN ROCHESTER

Batting stars:  Ray Chang was 2-for-4 with a double.  Tsuyoshi Nishioka was 2-for-3 with a walk.

Pitching stars:  None.

Opposition stars:  Mike Nickeas was 3-for-3 with a double.  Josh Satin hit a three-run homer.  Jeurys Familia struck out nine in seven innings, giving up three runs on eight hits and a walk.

Key inning:  The ninth.  The Bisons led 5-3, but scored five more to put the game away.  Three singles, a sacrifice fly, and Satin’s three-run homer produced the runs.

Other:  The Red Wings were apparently not inspired by Trevor Plouffe bobblehead night…Ex-Twin C. J. Nitkowski, who last pitched in the majors in 2005, worked a perfect inning of relief for Buffalo, striking out two.

NEW BRITAIN 5, TRENTON 3 IN TRENTON

Batting star:  Oswaldo Arcia was 2-for-4 with a walk.  Aaron Hicks hit a home run, his thirteenth.

Pitching stars:  Dakota Watts struck out two in 1.2 scoreless innings, allowing a hit and a walk.  Blake Martin struck out two and walked one in 1.1 scoreless innings.

Opposition stars:  Kevin Mahoney was 2-for-4 with two doubles.  Lee Hyde struck out two in two perfect innings.

Key inning:  The fifth.  The Thunder had just cut a 4-0 lead to 4-3.  Arcia led off with a single, two walks loaded the bases with one out, and a ground out produced an insurance run for the Rock Cats.

FORT MYERS 8, CHARLOTTE 7 IN FORT MYERS (10 INNINGS)

Batting stars:  Daniel Ortiz was 2-for-3 with two walks and three runs scored.  Daniel “Danny” Rams hit a two-run homer, his sixth.  Daniel Santana hit a home run, his seventh.

Pitching star:  Nelvin Fuentes allowed just one hit in four shutout innings.

Opposition stars:  Cody Rogers was 3-for-4.  Philip Wunderlich passed another test, going 2-for-4 with a double and a home run.  He drove in three.  George Jensen gave up one run on three hits in four innings.

Key inning:  The tenth.  The score was tied at seven.  Ortiz singled, went to third on a pair of passed balls, and scored on Kyle Knudson’s game-ending single.

Other:  Most of the scoring was done in the first inning.  The Stone Crabs opened with five in the top of the first, and the Miracle came back with four in the bottom of the first.

BELOIT 9, WISCONSIN 2 IN WISCONSIN

Batting stars:  Eddie Rosario was 3-for-5 with two doubles.  Tyler Grimes was 2-for-4 with a double and a home run, his sixth.  Adam Pettersen was 2-for-3 with a walk.

Pitching stars:  Taylor Rogers struck out six in 2.2 scoreless innings, allowing three hits and a walk.  Mason Melotakis struck out two in a perfect inning.

Opposition stars:  Yadiel Rivera was 3-for-4.  Cameron Garfield was 2-for-4 with a double.

Key inning:  The eighth.  The Snappers had led 4-2 since the fourth.  With runners on first and second and one out Pettersen singled, and when the ball was missed in the outfield both runners scored.  Pettersen went all the way to third on the play and then scored on a wild pitch, increasing the lead to 7-2.

PENNANT RACE UPDATE

Rochester has been eliminated from playoff contention.

New Britain is three games behind Reading for the last playoff spot.  The Rock Cats’ elimination number is two.

Appalachian League Playoffs: Day One

ELIZABETHTON 4, DANVILLE 0 IN DANVILLE

The stellar pitching of Jose Berrios led the Twins to victory in the first game of their best-of-three playoff series with Danville.

There was no scoring in the first, but in the second, D. J. Hicks led off with a double immediately followed by an Adam Walker home run to put the Twins up 2-0.  Berrios got himself into trouble in the bottom of the inning by opening the frame with a walk and a hit batsman, but a double play and a strikeout ended the threat.

The Twins added an insurance run in the third.  Jorge Polanco led off with a single, took second on a wild pitch, went to third on Candido Pimentel’s single, and scored on a ground out.  The scored again in the sixth, as Walker doubled with one out and scored on a single by Byron Buxton.

Meanwhile, Berrios got on a roll.  After the hit batsman in the second, he did not allow another runner to reach base.  He closed his portion of the game by retiring fourteen in a row, six of them by strikeout.  For the game, he allowed only one hit (a first-inning double by Carlos Franco) and struck out seven.

The Twins’ relief pitching was none too shabby, either.  Tyler Duffey worked two perfect innings, striking out four of the six batters he faced.  J. T. Chargois allowed a single, Danville’s second hit of the game, in the ninth, but pitched a scoreless inning to close out the game.

Walker went 3-for-4 to lead the Twins’ batters.  Polanco was 2-for-4 and Niko Goodrum was 2-for-5.

The series shifts to Elizabethton tonight.  Brett Lee will be pitching for the Twins.

Games of August 29

The Appalachian League playoffs will be covered separately.

NEW BRITAIN 3, TRENTON 1 IN TRENTON

Batting stars:  Deibinson Romero was 3-for-4 with two doubles.  Nathan Hanson was 2-for-4 with a double.

Pitching stars:  Logan Darnell worked six shutout innings, giving up three hits and two walks.  Bruce Pugh struck out three in two perfect innings.

Opposition star:  Mikey O’Brien allowed two runs on nine hits, walking none in six innings.

Key inning:  The seventh.  The Rock Cats led 2-0.  Aaron Hicks led off the top of the inning with a triple and scored on a wild pitch to make it 3-0.  In the bottom of the inning, a single and two walks loaded the bases with none out.  Adonis Garcia singled, making it 3-1 with the bases still loaded with none out.  A force out at home and two strikeouts put out the fire.  The Thunder did not get another baserunner.

BRADENTON 9, FORT MYERS 8 IN BRADENTON

Batting stars:  Levi Michael was 3-for-5 with three doubles, scoring three times and driving in three.  Daniel Ortiz was 3-for-5 with a double and a home run, his eighth.  Angel Morales was 3-for-3 with two walks and a double.

Pitching stars:  Ryan O’Rourke worked two shutout innings, giving up one hit and striking out three.  Michael Tonkin struck out three while allowing one hit in one scoreless inning.

Opposition stars:  Mel Rojas was 4-for-5 with a triple and a home run, scoring three times and driving in three.  Alex Dickerson was 2-for-5 with a home run.  Justin Howard was 2-for-4 with a double.

Key inning:  The sixth.  The Miracle trailed 7-3.  A single, an error, and an RBI double by Morales made it 7-4.  A hit batsman loaded the bases and Michael doubled in two to cut the lead to one.  Daniel Ortiz followed with a three-run homer to make the score 9-7.  In the bottom of the inning, Andy Vasquez doubled in a run to cut the lead to 9-8 and put the tying run on second with one out, but a strikeout and a ground out ended the threat.

BELOIT 6, WISCONSIN 5 IN WISCONSIN (12 INNINGS)

Batting stars:  Wang-wei Lin was 2-for-4 with a double and a walk.  JaDamion Williams was 2-for-4 with a walk.  Adam Pettersen was 2-for-5 with a walk.

Pitching star:  Steven Gruver worked two perfect innings.

Opposition stars:  Ben McMahan was 3-for-5 with a home run.  Chad Thompson gave up one run on five hits and two walks in six innings.

Key inning:  The twelfth.  The score was tied at five.  Stephen Wickens led off with a walk and took second on a ground out.  He was still at second with two out when Pettersen delivered an RBI single to give the Snappers a lead they would never relinquish.

Other:  There were seven errors in the game, four by Beloit.

PENNANT RACE UPDATE

Rochester is tied for fourth in the wild card standings, 5.5 games behind Pawtucket.  Their elimination number is one.

New Britain is three games behind Trenton for the last playoff spot.  Their elimination number is three.

Games of August 28

ROCHESTER 10, BUFFALO 4 IN BUFFALO

Batting stars:  Tsuyoshi Nishioka was 3-for-4 with a double, driving in three.  Rene Rivera was 2-for-3 with two walks, a double, and a home run, his ninth.  He also drove in three.  Clete Thomas was 2-for-4 with a walk and a double.

Pitching star:  Shairon Martis gave up two runs on six hits and three walks in six innings.  Luis Perdomo worked 1.1 scoreless innings, allowing a hit and a walk.

Opposition stars:  Matt Tuiasosopo was 2-for-4 with a home run.  Fred Lewis was 2-for-5 with a home run.

Key inning:  The eighth.  The Red Wings led 3-2.  Thomas led off with a double, took third on a bunt, and scored when Eduardo Escobar reached on a fielder’s choice.  Rivera then doubled to score Escobar and put Rochester ahead 5-2.

Other:  Each team doubled its score in the ninth inning.

TRENTON 7, NEW BRITAIN 4 IN TRENTON

Batting stars:  Josmil Pinto was 3-for-4 with a double.  Nathan Hanson was 2-for-4.  Deibinson Romero hit a home run, his nineteenth.

Pitching star:  Edgar Ibarra was able to pitch 2.1 scoreless innings despite giving up three hits and two walks.

Opposition stars:  Adonis Garcia was 2-for-5 with two home runs, driving in three.  David Adams was 2-for-3 with two walks, a double, and a home run.  Vidal Nuno allowed one run on six hits and no walks in six innings.

Key inning:  The second.  Leading 1-0, the Thunder lived up to its name by scoring five times.  Trenton hit two homers, two doubles, two singles, and drew two walks.  Addison Maruszak drove in the first run with a homer.  Rob Segedin doubled in a run.  Garcia hit a two-run homer.  Zoilo Almonte delivered an RBI single.  The Rock Cats never really got back into the game.

BRADENTON 11, FORT MYERS 10 IN BRADENTON (GAME 1—SCHEDULED 7 INNINGS)

Batting stars:  Daniel Santana was 2-for-4 with a walk and a double.  Angel Morales was 1-for-3 with a walk and a grand slam, his seventh homer of the season.  He drove in five.  Steven Liddle was 1-for-3 with a home run, his third.  He drove in three.

Pitching star:  Ricky Bowen gave up three hits in 1.2 scoreless innings.

Opposition stars:  Carlos Paulino was 3-for-4 and scored three times.  Dan Grovatt was 2-for-2 with a double and a home run, driving in three.  Andy Vasquez was 2-for-3 with a walk, a double, and a triple, driving in four.

Key inning:  The fifth.  The Miracle trailed 5-4 when two walks, a wild pitch, and a sacrifice fly tied the score.  In the bottom of the inning, the Maruaders scored five to take the lead.  Justin Howard hit a two-run homer, Benji Gonzalez hit an RBI single.  Vasquez hit a two-run double to put Bradenton up 10-5.

Other:  Catcher Daniel “Danny” Rams had three passed balls in the fifth inning.

FORT MYERS 4, BRADENTON 2 IN BRADENTON (GAME 2—SCHEDULED 7 INNINGS)

Batting stars:  Daniel Ortiz was 2-for-3 with a double.  Steven Liddle hit a two-run homer, his fourth.

Pitching stars:  Pat Dean allowed two runs on seven hits and a walk while striking out five in five innings.  A. J. Achter gave up two hits and struck out two in two shutout innings.

Opposition stars:  Justin Howard was 2-for-3 with a triple.  Kirk Singer was 2-for-3.

Key inning:  The sixth.  The score was tied at two.  Lance Ray was hit by a pitch and scored on a homer by Liddle to give the Miracle a 4-2 lead.

Other:  Bradenton out-hit Fort Myers 9-6.  Daniel Santana was ejected in the fifth inning after being called out for batter’s interference.

CEDAR RAPIDS 5, BELOIT 0 IN CEDAR RAPIDS

Batting star:  Jairo Rodriguez was 2-for-3.

Pitching star:  Tim Atherton pitched a scoreless inning despite two walks.

Opposition stars:  Ryan Crowley worked seven innings, allowing seven hits and a walk.  Juan Carlin struck out four in two perfect innings.  Andy Workman was 2-for-4 with a home run.

Key inning:  The first.  In a scoreless tie, the Kernels scored three times.  Zachary Borenstein hit an RBI double and scored on an error.  Zach Wright also hit an RBI double.

ELIZABETHTON 6, PRINCETON 4 IN ELIZABETHTON

Batting stars:  Niko Goodrum was 2-for-4 with a walk, a double, and a triple.  Max Kepler was 2-for-5 with a home run, his tenth.  Byron Buxton was 2-for-4 with a walk.

Pitching stars:  Tyler Herr struck out three in 2.1 scoreless innings, giving up two hits and two walks.  Joshua Burris struck out two and allowed one hit in two shutout innings.

Key inning:  The eighth.  The score was tied at four.  Kepler hit an RBI single to break the tie.  With Kepler on first and Byron Buxton on third, the two pulled off a double steal of second and home to score an insurance run.

Other:  This was the end of the regular season.  Elizabethton opens its best-of-three playoff series in Danville tonight.  No word on whether Phineas and Ferb will be at the game.

PENNANT RACE UPDATE

Rochester is fourth in the wild card race, five games behind Pawtucket.  A Pawtucket win and a Red Wings loss would eliminate Rochester.

New Britain is four games behind Reading for the last playoff spot.

Games of August 27

ROCHESTER 6, BUFFALO 1 IN BUFFALO

Batting stars:  Wilkin Ramirez was 2-for-4 with a triple and a home run, his thirteenth.  He drove in four.  Matt Carson was 1-for-2 and walked twice.

Pitching star:  Nick Blackburn worked six strong innings, giving up one run on seven hits and two walks.  Jeff Manship pitched two shutout innings despite allowing three hits and two walks.

Opposition star:  Zach Lutz was 3-for-4 with two doubles.

Key inning:  The third.  It was a scoreless tie.  A walk, a Rene Rivera double, and another walk loaded the bases with one out.  Carson walked to force in a run and Ramirez hit a bases-clearing triple to make it 4-0.

Other:  The Bisons out-hit the Red Wings 10-6.

NEW BRITAIN 8, TRENTON 1 IN TRENTON

Batting stars:  Oswaldo Arcia was 2-for-4 with a walk and a double.  Chris Colabello was 2-for-4 with a walk.  Nathan Hanson hit a three-run homer.

Pitching star:  Luke French threw a complete game, giving up one run on three hits and two walks.

Opposition star:  Josh Romanski pitched 2.2 scoreless innings, allowing two hits and a walk while striking out two.

Key inning:  The first.  The Rock Cats scored six times before the Thunder came to bat.  Arcia had an RBI single, Rene Tosoni drove in two with a single, and Hanson hit a three-run homer.  New Britain had four singles, a homer, and two walks in the inning.

Other:  Trenton did not have an at-bat with a runner in scoring position.

FORT MYERS AT BRADENTON

Rained out.  The game will be made up as part of a doubleheader tonight.

BELOIT 11, CEDAR RAPIDS 8 IN CEDAR RAPIDS

Batting stars:  Drew Leachman was 4-for-5 with a double and a home run, his fifth.  Adam Pettersen was 4-for-5 with a double.  Eddie Rosario was 3-for-5 with a triple and a home run, his twelfth.  He drove in four.  Kennys Vargas was 3-for-5 with a double.  Wang-wei Lin walked three times, hit a three-run homer, and scored four times.

Pitching stars:  None.

Opposition stars:  Alex Yarbrough was 2-for-4 with a triple and scored three times.  Andy Workman hit a three-run homer and had four RBIs for the game.

Key inning:  The sixth.  The score was tied at seven.  Wang-wei Lin walked and Rosario hit a two-run homer to give the Snappers a lead they would not relinquish.

Other:  Beloit had relinquished leads of 3-0 and 7-5 before the sixth inning.

PRINCETON 4, ELIZABETHTON 3 IN ELIZABETHTON

Batting stars:  Romy Jimenez was 1-for-3 with a walk and a double.

Pitching stars:  None.

Opposition star:  The bats became surplus equipment in the two innings Nick Sawyer pitched.  He faced eight batters, striking out six and walking two.

Key inning:  The ninth.  Tied 3-3, an error and a John Alexander double plated what turned out to be the winning run.

Other:  The Twins are finishing the regular season not with a bang but with a whimper, losing three straight.  Since August 16, they are 5-7.  Tonight is the last game of the regular season.  The playoffs start Wednesday with a best-of-three series against Danville.

PENNANT RACE UPDATE

Rochester is fourth in the wild-card race, 5.5 games behind Pawtucket.

New Britain trails Reading by three games for the last playoff spot.

Games of August 26

BUFFALO 1, ROCHESTER 0 IN BUFFALO (GAME 1—SCHEDULED 7 INNINGS)

Batting star:  Matt Carson was 2-for-3 with two doubles.

Pitching star:  Esmerling Vasquez took a complete game loss, giving up one run on six hits and three walks while striking out seven in six innings.

Opposition star:  Zach Wheeler also pitched a complete game, allowing three hits and two walks while striking out seven.

Key inning:  The fourth.  It was a scoreless tie.  Carson led off the top of the inning with a double, but was picked off.  In the bottom of the inning, a walk, a single, and a sacrifice fly brought home the only run of the game.

Other:  Brian Dozier was ejected in the fifth inning after being called out on strikes.

ROCHESTER 11, BUFFALO 9 IN BUFFALO (GAME 2—SCHEDULED 7 INNINGS)

Batting stars:  Brian Dozier was 3-for-3 with a double and a walk, scoring four times.  Chris Parmelee was 2-for-3 with a triple and two walks.  Matt Carson was 2-for-4 with two doubles and three RBIs.

Pitching star:  Anthony Slama worked 1.2 scoreless innings, giving up two hits.

Opposition stars:  Matt Tuiasosopo was 2-for-4 with a home run.  Fred Lewis was 2-for-5 with a home run.

Key inning:  The fourth.  The Red Wings had come back from a 4-0 deficit to trail 5-3.  Singles by Dozier and Parmelee and a walk to Carson loaded the bases.  Wilkin Ramirez hit a three-run double to put Rochester ahead.

Other:  In 30.1 innings, Anthony Slama has an ERA of 0.59.  The Twins don’t seem to like him, but could he really be worse than Jeff Gray?

NEW HAMPSHIRE 8, NEW BRITAIN 7 IN NEW HAMPSHIRE

Batting stars:  Aaron Hicks was 3-for-4 with a walk.  Chris Colabello was 2-for-5 with a three-run homer, his nineteenth.  Oswaldo Arcia hit a grand slam for his eighth homer of the season.

Pitching stars:  None.

Opposition stars:  Gabe Jacobo was 4-for-4 with a walk, a double, and a home run, scoring three times.  Ryan Schimpf was 2-for-4 with a walk and a home run.  Jake Marisnick was 2-for-3 with a double.

Key inning:  The ninth.  The Rock Cats trailed 7-3 when they scored four times to tie the game.  Singles by Shawn Roof, Hicks, and Josmil Pinto preceded a game-tying grand slam by Arcia.  In the bottom of the inning, a double and a pair of walks (one intentional) loaded the bases with two out, and Jacobo delivered a game-ending single for the Fisher Cats.

PALM BEACH AT FORT MYERS

Cancelled due to impending hurricane.

CEDAR RAPIDS 9, BELOIT 8 IN CEDAR RAPIDS (13 INNINGS)

Batting stars:  Miguel Sano was 4-for-6 with a walk, two doubles, and a home run (his twenty-seventh), driving in three.  Wang-wei Lin was 3-for-5 with a double.  Stephen Wickens was 2-for-6 with a home run, his second.  He scored three times and drove in three.

Pitching stars:  Taylor Rogers struck out three and walked one in 2.1 scoreless innings.  Mason Melotakis struck out three in 1.2 perfect innings.

Opposition stars:  Alex Yarbrough was 4-for-7 with a double, scoring three times.  Zachary Borenstein was 2-for-6 with a double and drove in four.  Zach Wright was 2-for-4 with two walks.

Other:  Beloit managed to score eight runs despite going 0-for-13 with runners in scoring position.

PRINCETON 8, ELIZABETHTON 6 IN ELIZABETHTON (10 INNINGS)

Batting stars:  D. J. Hicks hit a pinch-hit two-run homer, his fourth.  Jorge Polanco walked and hit a home run, his fifth.

Pitching star:  Tyler Duffey struck out three in two shutout innings, allowing one hit.

Opposition stars:  John Alexander was 3-for-5.  Brandon Martin was 2-for-5 with a double.  Reid Redman was 2-for-4 with a walk.

Key inning:  The tenth.  The Twins had scored four in the ninth to tie the score.  The Rays took the victory with two in the tenth.  A strikeout/passed ball, a single, and a bunt put runners on second and third with one out.  Oscar Hernandez delivered a two-run single to put Princeton ahead to stay.

PENNANT RACE UPDATE

Rochester is tied for fourth in the wild card race, 5.5 games behind Pawtucket.

New Britain is three games behind Reading for the last spot in the playoffs.

Games of August 25

BUFFALO 5, ROCHESTER 3 IN BUFFALO

Batting star: Wilkin Ramirez was 3-for-4 with a double. Matt Carson was 2-for-4 with a double. Brian Dinkelman was 2-for-4.
Pitching star: Deolis Guerra struck out four in three shutout innings, giving up three hits.
Opposition stars: Zach Lutz was 2-for-4 with a double. Mike Nickeas was 2-for-2.
Key inning: The third. Leading 1-0, the Red Wings scored two in the top of the inning on RBI singles by Chris Parmelee and Carson. In the bottom of the inning, the Bisons came back with four runs to take the lead. Two singles, RBI doubles by Fred Lewis and Lutz, and an RBI single by Matt Tuiasosopo produced the runs.
Other: Starter Kyle Gibson surrendered four runs on six hits in three innings. He did strike out five.

NEW HAMPSHIRE 4, NEW BRITAIN 2 IN NEW HAMPSHIRE

Batting stars: Daniel Rohlfing was 2-for-4 with a triple. Deibinson Romero was 2-for-3 with a walk.
Pitching stars: Aaron Thompson worked a perfect inning. Dakota Watts walked one in a scoreless inning.
Opposition stars: Adam Lind was 2-for-2 with a walk and a home run. Sean Nolin allowed an unearned run on three hits and three walks in four innings.
Key inning: The fifth. Leading 2-1, the Fisher Cats scored twice. A double, a walk, an RBI single by Jake Marisnick, and a sacrifice fly made it 4-1.
Other: New Britain out-hit New Hampshire 8-6. The Rock Cats stranded nine runners and were 1-for-12 with runners in scoring position.

PALM BEACH 4, FORT MYERS 2 IN FORT MYERS

Batting stars: Levi Michael was 2-for-3 with a walk. Lance Ray was 1-for-2 with a double and three walks. Steven Liddle hit a home run, his second.
Pitching stars: Nelvin Fuentes struck out three in two shutout innings, giving up a hit and a walk. Ricky Bowen also struck out three in two shutout innings, allowing three hits and a walk.
Opposition stars: Starlin Rodriguez and Geoffrey Klein were each 3-for-5 with a home run. Luis De La Cruz was 2-for-3 with a double and a walk.
Key inning: The ninth. Leading 3-2, Klein hit a home run for the Cardinals to give them an insurance run.
Other: Neither team scored more than one run in an inning. The Miracle stranded eleven runners.

BELOIT 13, CEDAR RAPIDS 2 IN CEDAR RAPIDS

Batting stars: JaDamion Williams was 2-for-5 with a three-run homer, his sixth. Drew Leachman was 2-for-5 with a home run, his fourth. Nate Roberts was 3-for-6.
Pitching stars: Cole Johnson gave up two runs on seven hits in five innings. Corey Williams struck out three and walked one in three shutout innings.
Opposition stars: Andy Workman was 2-for-3 with a triple and a walk. Eric Stamets was 2-for-5 with a double.
Key inning: The fourth. The Snappers led 2-1. A single, a hit batsman, and a walk loaded the bases with one out. Roberts singled in two and Williams hit a three-run homer to put the game out of reach at 7-1.
Other: Kernels pitchers walked 12 Beloit batters.

PULASKI 4, ELIZABETHTON 1 IN PULASKI

Batting star: Travis Harrison was 2-for-3 with a home run, his fifth.
Pitching star: Tyler Herr pitched two shutout innings, allowing two hits and two walks.
Opposition star: Rigoberto Garcia struck out eight in six innings, giving up one run on three hits and no walks.
Key inning: The third. Leading 1-0, the Mariners scored two. A walk, three singles, and a double play produced the runs.
Other: Byron Buxton was removed from the game in the bottom of the second inning. No reason was apparent.

GCL RED SOX 4, TWINS 1 AT RED SOX

Batting stars: Aderlin Mejia was 2-for-3 with a walk and two doubles. Bryan Haar was 2-for-3.
Pitching star: Kuo Hua Lo walked two in two shutout innings.
Opposition stars: Mike Meyers was 3-for-4 with a double. Mario Alcantara went five shutout innings, allowing four hits and two walks.
Key inning: The fourth. Leading 1-0, the Red Sox tallied twice. A pair of singles and a Deiner Lopez double made the score 3-0.
Other: The victory gave the Red Sox the division title.

DSL TWINS AT ORIOLES

Hurricaned out.

PENNANT RACE UPDATE

Rochester is fifth in the wild card race, 5.5 games behind Lehigh Valley.
New Britain is three games out of the last playoff spot.
The GCL Twins did not make the playoffs, finishing one game behind the Red Sox.

Games of August 24

LEHIGH VALLEY 8, ROCHESTER 1 IN ROCHESTER

Batting star:  Chris Parmelee was 1-for-3 with a walk.

Pitching star:  Jeff Manship threw three shutout innings, giving up two hits.

Opposition stars:  Cesar Hernandez was 3-for-5 with a double and a triple.  Jason Pridie was 3-for-5.  Tyson Brummett worked five shutout innings, allowing one hit and one walk.

Key inning:  The second.  In a scoreless tie, the IronPigs scored six times.  A single, a double, and a two-run single by Code Overbeck put Lehigh Valley on the board.  With two out, a single and a two-run triple by Hernandez made it 4-0.  Derrick Mitchell delivered an RBI single, advanced to second on a walk, and scored on a Jason Pridie single to make it 6-0.

Other:  It was a rough rehab start for P. J. Walters.  After a perfect first, he gave up all six second-inning runs.  For the game, he went three innings, giving up seven runs on ten hits and a walk.

NEW HAMPSHIRE 5, NEW BRITAIN 2 IN NEW HAMPSHIRE

Batting stars:  Josmil Pinto was 2-for-4 with a home run, his second.  Aaron Hicks was 2-for-4 with a walk.

Pitching star:  Jose Gonzalez pitched two shutout innings, walking two.

Opposition stars:  Brian Van Kirk was 4-for-4 with a home run, driving in three.  Koby Clemens was 2-for-4 with a home run.  Yohan Pino went seven innings, giving up two runs on nine hits and a walk.

Key inning:  The third.  Already up 1-0, the Fisher Cats scored three.  Two one-out singles and a three-run homer by Van Kirk did the damage.  The Rock Cats never really got back into the game.

Other:  Each team had eleven hits.  The Rock Cats stranded nine and went 0-for-7 with runners in scoring position.

FORT MYERS 8, PALM BEACH 1 IN FORT MYERS

Batting stars:  Daniel Ortiz was 4-for-4 with a walk and a double.  Angel Morales was 3-for-3 with a walk.  Daniel Santana was 2-for-5 with a triple, driving in three.

Pitching star:  Madison Boer went seven strong innings, allowing one run on four hits and no walks while striking out five.

Opposition star:  Alan Ahmady hit a home run.

Key inning:  The seventh.  The Miracle led 2-0, but Ahmady’s homer in the top of the inning made it 2-1.  Fort Myers opened the bottom of the inning with two walks.  With one out, Kyle Knudson and Jonathan Goncalves delivered RBI singles.  With two out, a walk loaded the bases, Morales singled in a run, and Santana tripled to score three and put the Miracle ahead 8-1.

BELOIT 8, PEORIA 2 IN BELOIT

Batting stars:  Eddie Rosario was 4-for-5 with two doubles and a home run, his eleventh.  He had three RBIs.  Nate Roberts was 2-for-3 with a double, a triple, and a walk, scoring three times.  Stephen Wickens was 1-for-2 with two walks and a double.

Pitching star:  Corey Kimes threw three shutout innings, striking out three while giving up one hit and walking two.

Opposition stars:  Dustin Geiger was 2-for-3 with a walk and a home run.  Chadd Krist was 2-for-4 with a double.

Key inning:  The second.  The Snappers led 2-0.  Drew Leachman singled and scored on a double by Wickens.  An error and a walk loaded the bases.  Roberts doubled to drive in two.  Following a double play, Rosario doubled home the fourth run of the inning to make the score 6-0.

ELIZABETHTON 7, PULASKI 5 IN PULASKI

Batting star:  Max Kepler was 3-for-5 with two doubles and a home run, his ninth.  He drove in three.  Byron Buxton was 2-for-5 with a home run, his first.  Jorge Polanco was 2-for-3 with a walk and a double.

Pitching star:  Luis Nunez worked 2.1 scoreless innings, allowing one hit while walking two and striking out two.

Opposition stars:  Jordy Lara was 3-for-4 with two doubles.  Tyler Marlette was 2-for-4 with a double.

Key inning:  The eighth.  The Twins had overcome an early 5-1 deficit to tie the score at five.  Romy Jimenez hit a one-out homer to put Elizabethton in front.  Travis Harrison singled, went to third on a Polanco double, and scored on a wild pitch for an insurance run.

GCL TWINS 4, RED SOX 1 AT TWINS

Batting stars:  John Murphy was 3-for-4 with a home run (his second), driving in three.  Jeremias Pineda hit a home run, his first.

Pitching stars:  Gonzalo Sanudo started and went four innings, giving up one run on five hits and a walk.  Melciades De La Cruz struck out four in 2.2 scoreless innings, allowing two hits.  Josue Martinez gave up only one hit in 2.1 scoreless innings.

Opposition stars:  Kevin Mager was 3-for-4.  Francellis Montas struck out five in five innings, giving up an unearned run on three hits and no walks.

Key inning:  The sixth.  The score was tied at one.  Jose Ramirez led off the inning with a double and Murphy hit a one-out, two-run homer to give the Twins a 3-1 lead.

DSL TWINS AT ORIOLES

Hurricaned out.

PENNANT RACE UPDATES

Rochester is fifth in the wild card race, 4.5 games behind Lehigh Valley.

New Britain is two games behind Reading for the last playoff spot.

The GCL Twins are tied for first with the Red Sox with one game to play.  They play each other, so there’s no chance of a tie.  Today’s game is for all the Tostitos.

Games of August 23

ROCHESTER 5, LEHIGH VALLEY 3 IN ROCHESTER

Batting stars:  Chris Parmelee was 2-for-4 with a home run (his seventeenth), driving in three.  Wilkin Ramirez was 1-for-3 with a walk and a home run, his twelfth.

Pitching star:  Shairon Martis worked 7.1 innings, giving up two runs (one earned) on six hits and a walk.

Opposition star:  Derrick Mitchell was 2-for-3.

Key inning:  The eighth.  The Red Wings had scored three in the seventh to take a 3-1 lead.  The IronPigs came back with two in the top of the eighth, with Pete Orr hitting a home run to tie the score.  In the bottom of the inning, a walk, an error and RBI singles by Clete Thomas and Parmelee put Rochester back on top.

Other:  Pedro Hernandez was placed on the disabled list with a left latissimus dorsi strain.  Spell-check does not recognize “latissimus dorsi”, leading one to believe this may be a made-up injury.

NEW HAMPSHIRE 9, NEW BRITAIN 6 IN NEW HAMPSHIRE

Batting stars:  Chris Herrmann was 2-for-5 with a three-run homer, his tenth.  Nathan Hanson was 2-for-4 with a double.  James Beresford was 2-for-5 with a double.

Pitching stars:  None.

Opposition stars:  Ryan Schimpf was 3-for-4 with a home run.  Jose Bautista was 2-for-4 with a walk, two home runs, and five RBIs.  Brad Glenn was 2-for-4 with a home run.

Key inning:  The fifth.  The Fisher Cats had scored four in the fourth to take a 5-4 lead.  In the top of the fifth, The Rock Cats tied the score on a single, a ground out, and an error.  In the bottom of the inning, New Hampshire took the lead back on back-to-back-to-back homers by Glenn, Ryan Goins, and Schimpf.

Other:  The Fisher Cats hit five home runs in the game.

FORT MYERS 7, BRADENTON 3 IN FORT MYERS

Batting stars:  Daniel Santana was 3-for-4 with a double.  Levi Michael was 3-for-3 with a walk.  Daniel Ortiz was 2-for-4 with a double.

Pitching stars:  Ryan O’Rourke struck out three in two shutout innings, allowing one hit.  Clint Dempster gave up two hits in two shutout innings.

Opposition star:  Kirk Singer was 3-for-4.

Key inning:  The fourth.  The Marauders trailed 3-1, but tied the score in the top of the inning on three singles followed by two bases-loaded walks.  In the bottom of the inning, Andy Leer beat out a bunt single with one out.  Angel Morales then singled and Leer came around to score on an error.  Santana doubled in Morales to restore the two-run lead for the Miracle.

Other:  Denny McLain was in Fort Myers to sign autographs before the game.

PEORIA 6, BELOIT 1 IN BELOIT

Batting star:  Wang-wei Lin tripled and scored the only Snapper run.

Pitching star:  Mason Melotakis struck out three in 1.2 scoreless innings, allowing one hit.

Opposition stars:  Zeke DeVoss was 3-for-4 with a home run.  Michael Jensen gave up just one run on two hits in six innings.  Justin Berg allowed two hits and a walk in 2.1 scoreless innings.

Key inning:  The sixth.  The score had been 2-1 Chiefs since the third.  Two singles and a double by Jorge Soler plated an insurance run for Peoria.

Other:  Nate Roberts was ejected in the eighth inning by the first base umpire following a ground out.

ELIZABETHTON 6, PULASKI 4 IN PULASKI

Batting stars:  Max Kepler was 3-for-5 with a triple.  Adam Walker was 2-for-5 with a triple.  D. J. Hicks was 1-for-3 with a double and two walks.

Pitching stars:  Jose Berrios gave up two runs on five hits and no walks while striking out six in five innings.  Tyler Duffey struck out two in two shutout innings, allowing two hits.

Opposition stars:  Jabari Henry was 3-for-4 with a double and a home run, driving in three.  Mario Pizzano was 3-for-4 with a double.

Key inning:  The fifth.  The Twins trailed 2-1.  Candido Pimentel singled with one out and scored on Kepler’s triple.  With two out, Walker tripled to put the Twins in front.

GCL TWINS 4, ORIOLES 0 AT TWINS

Batting stars:  Aderlin Mejia was 1-for-3 with a walk and a home run, his first.  John Murphy hit a two-run homer, his first.

Pitching stars:  Randy Rosario struck out nine in seven innings and gave up only one hit.  Justin Malinowski struck out three in two innings, allowing a hit and a walk.

Opposition star:  Janser Severino struck out two in two shutout innings.

Key inning:  The first.  Jeremias Pineda led off with a single, followed by back-to-back homers by Murphy and Mejia, giving the Twins a 3-0 lead after one.

DSL TWINS 8, PADRES 7 AT PADRES

Batting stars:  Luis Gonzalez was 4-for-5 with a double and three RBIs.  Adonis Pacheco was 2-for-4 with a walk and a double, scoring four times.

Pitching star:  Sebastian Perez gave up two hits in two shutout innings.

Opposition stars:  Ricardo Valenzuela was 3-for-5 with a double.  Jose Ruiz was 2-for-4 with a double.  Derwin Pomare was 2-for-3 with a double and walk.

Key inning:  The ninth.  Leading 7-2, the Twins got a run on two singles and a double play.  They needed it, because the Padres scored five times in the bottom of the ninth.  A pair of doubles, a single, and a sacrifice fly plated the first two runs.  A single and a Jose Urena double scored two more.  With two out, Yorky Diaz hit an RBI single with two out.  Another single moved the tying run into scoring position before a ground out ended the game.

Other:  The Padres out-hit the Twins 13-9 but made nine errors, leading to four unearned runs.

Games of August 22

LEHIGH VALLEY 1, ROCHESTER 0 IN ROCHESTER

Batting star:  Evan Bigley was 2-for-3.

Pitching stars:  Nick Blackburn gave up one run on seven hits and two walks in seven strong innings.  Anthony Slama struck out three in two shutout innings, allowing a hit and a walk.

Opposition stars:  Kyle Hudson was 3-for-4.  Tom Cochran worked seven innings, giving up two hits and two walks.

Key inning:  The first.  Hudson led off the game with a single, took second on a bunt, went to third on a ground out, and scored on a Hector Luna single for the only run of the game.

Other:  The closest the Red Wings came to scoring was the ninth, when a walk and a single put runners on first and second with one out.  Two strikeouts ended the threat.  The teams combined for twelve hits, all singles.

PORTLAND 7, NEW BRITAIN 2 IN NEW BRITAIN

Batting star:  Josmil Pinto, in his first game at AA, was 1-for-2 with a walk and a home run.  Oswaldo Arcia was 1-for-3 with a walk and a double.

Pitching star:  Aaron Thompson threw two shutout innings, allowing three hits.

Opposition stars:  Bryce Brentz was 4-for-5 with a double and two home runs.  He scored three times and drove in four.  Ryan Dent was 4-for-5.  Jeremy Hazelbaker was 2-for-5 with a double.

Key inning:  The seventh.  The Sea Dogs already led 4-2, but scored three times to put the game away.  Hazelbaker hit an RBI double and Brentz hit a two-run homer.

Other:  It was announced that New Britain will host the 2013 Eastern League all-star game.

BRADENTON 2, FORT MYERS 1 IN FORT MYERS

Batting stars:  Daniel Ortiz was 2-for-3 with a double.  Daniel Santana was 2-for-4.

Pitching star:  Tom Stuifbergen took a complete game loss, giving up two unearned runs on six hits and no walks.

Opposition star:  Kyle Kaminska worked seven innings, allowing one run on six hits and no walks while striking out six.

Key inning:  The sixth.  Trailing 1-0, the Marauders scored twice.  With two out and none on, Alex Dickerson singled and Justin Howard doubled to put runners on second and third.  The next batter grounded to Stuifbergen, who threw the ball away allowing Dickerson to score.  The first baseman threw to third, where Anderson Hidalgo missed the ball, allowing Howard to score.  The two runs were all Bradenton needed.

Other:  The complete game was the first for Fort Myers this season.  There were no walks in the game.  Fort Myers made three errors.

PEORIA 9, BELOIT 6 IN BELOIT (12 INNINGS)

Batting stars:  JaDamion Williams was 2-for-5 with a walk.  Wang-wei Lin was 2-for-7.

Pitching star:  Taylor Rogers struck out two in 2.2 scoreless innings, giving up two hits.

Opposition stars:  Timothy Saunders was 4-for-6 with a double, scoring three times.  Sheldon McDonald struck out four in two shutout innings.  Pete Levitt struck out four in 2.2 scoreless innings.

Key inning:  The twelfth.  In a 6-6 tie, the Chiefs scored three times.  They had two out and none on, but a walk, two singles, and three more walks did the Snappers in.  Saunders had an RBI single, one run scored on a wild pitch, and the other scored on a bases-loaded walk.

Other:  Beloit lost leads of 3-0 and 6-5.

GREENEVILLE 4, ELIZABETHTON 3 IN ELIZABETHTON

Batting stars:  Byron Buxton was 3-for-5 with a triple.  Romy Jimenez hit a home run, his seventh.

Pitching stars:  Joshua Burris struck out five in 2.2 scoreless innings, giving up one hit.  Tyler Herr struck out three in two shutout innings, walking one.

Opposition stars:  Luis Alvarez was 2-for-3 with a walk and two home runs.  Tanner Bushue worked 2.1 scoreless innings.

Key inning:  The fifth.  In a 2-2 tie, the Astros scored twice.  Alvarez led off the inning with a home run.  Marc Wilk then walked, went to second on a fly out, took third on a wild pitch, and scored on a sacrifice fly.  In the bottom of the inning, Max Kepler hit a two-out double and scored on a D. J. Hicks single, but that was the last run the Twins scored.

Other:  Elizabethton out-hit Greeneville 8-4.

GCL TWINS 2, ORIOLES 0 AT ORIOLES

Batting star:  Joel Licon hit a two-run homer, his second.

Pitching stars:  Starter Andre Martinez struck out five in four innings, allowing three hits and a walk.  Sam Gibbons worked four innings, giving up a hit and a walk.

Opposition star:  Adrian Marin was 2-for-3 with a double.

Key inning:  The fourth.  It was a scoreless tie.  With a runner on first and one out, Licon hit a home run to bring in the only runs of the game.

Other:  Each team had four hits.

DSL TWINS 5, PADRES 2 AT PADRES

Batting stars:  Gabriel A. Ynfante was 1-for-1 with two walks.  Eddy Concepcion was 1-for-2 with two walks.

Pitching stars:  Edgar Martinez struck out three in two perfect innings.  Elias Villasana threw two shutout innings, striking out two and walking three.

Opposition stars:  Moises Lendor was 2-for-4 with two doubles.  Franchy Cordero was 1-for-1 with three walks.

Key inning:  The third.  In a scoreless tie, Lendor doubled, took third on a ground out, and scored on a sacrifice fly to put the Padres up 1-0.  In the bottom of the inning, Dubal Baez hit a two-run double and scored on an Adonis Pacheco single.  A single advanced Pacheco to second, he stole third, and then he scored on a wild pitch to make the score 4-1.

Games of August 21

PAWTUCKET 3, ROCHESTER 0 IN PAWTUCKET

Batting stars:  Eduardo Escobar had the lone Red Wings hit, a single.  Wilkin Ramirez was 0-for-2 with two walks.

Pitching star:  Caleb Thielbar worked two shutout innings, giving up one hit.

Opposition stars:  Daisuke Matsuzaka worked seven innings, allowing one hit and four walks while striking out seven.  Josh Fields struck out four in two innings, walking one.  Nate Spears walked and hit a home run.

Key inning:  The fifth.  Leading 1-0, the Red Sox scored two.  With a runner on first and one out, Ronald Bermudez hit an RBI triple and came home on an error.

Other:  The lone Rochester hit came when Escobar led off the game with a single.

PORTLAND 4, NEW BRITAIN 2 IN NEW BRITAIN (15 INNINGS)

Batting stars:  Oswaldo Arcia was 2-for-5 with a double and a walk.  James Beresford was 2-for-5 with a walk.  Aaron Hicks was 2-for-5.

Pitching stars:  Dakota Watts struck out four in two shutout innings, giving up one hit.  Bruce Pugh struck out two and walked one in two shutout innings.  David Bromberg struck out four in 1.2 innings, allowing a hit and a walk.

Opposition stars:  Marquez Smith was 3-for-6 with two doubles and a home run.  Ryan Pressly and Brock Huntzinger each struck out three in three shutout innings, with Pressly giving up three hits and Huntzinger allowing two walks.

Key inning:  The fifteenth.  In a 2-2 tie, Smith hit a two-run homer to give the Sea Dogs the runs that turned out to be the difference in the game.

Other:  The Rock Cats did not score after the third inning.  They stranded 12 and were 1-for-13 with runners in scoring position.

FORT MYERS 3, BRADENTON 2 IN FORT MYERS

Batting stars:  Jonathan Goncalves was 3-for-4.  Daniel Ortiz was 2-for-4 with a double.

Pitching stars:  Nelvin Fuentes struck out two in two shutout innings, giving up three hits.  Michael Tonkin retired all four batters he faced, striking out two.

Opposition stars:  Alex Dickerson was 2-for-3 with a double and a walk.  Casey Saddler pitched five innings, allowing one run on three hits and a walk.

Key inning:  The eighth.  The score was tied at two.  With one out, the Miracle got consecutive singles by Goncalves, Lance Ray, and Josmil Pinto to score a run and take a 3-2 lead.

BELOIT 11, QUAD CITIES 0 IN QUAD CITIES

Batting stars:  Stephen Wickens was 4-for-4 with a walk and a double.  Nate Roberts was 3-for-6 with a double.  Eddie Rosario was 3-for-6 and drove in two.

Pitching star:  Jason Wheeler went eight innings, giving up six hits and a walk.

Opposition star:  Nicholas Longmire was 2-for-4 with a double.

Key inning:  The sixth.  The Snappers led 2-0.  A pair of walks and a sacrifice put runners on second and third with one out.  Adam Pettersen singled both runners home and scored on a Nate Roberts double.  Rosario then singled in the fourth run of the inning to make the score 6-0.

ELIZABETHTON 7, GREENEVILLE 5 IN ELIZABETHTON

Batting stars:  Rory Rhodes was 2-for-5 with a home run, his sixth.  Travis Harrison was 2-for-3 with a walk and a double.  Byron Buxton was 2-for-5.

Pitching star:  J. T. Chargois struck out five in 1.2 innings, allowing one hit.

Opposition star:  Terrell Joyce was 2-for-3 with two walks and a home run.

Key inning:  The seventh.  The Twins trailed 5-4.  With two out and none on, Rhodes singled and Romy Jimenez walked.  Harrison then delivered a two-run double to put Elizabethton ahead.

GCL TWINS 5, RAYS 2 AT RAYS

Batting stars:  Joel Licon was 2-for-4 with a double and a home run, his first.  Dereck Rodriguez hit a home run, his third.

Pitching stars:  Yorman Landa struck out six in five innings, allowing two unearned runs on four hits and no walks.  Josue Montanez struck out five in three shutout innings, giving up two hits and a walk.

Opposition stars:  Johnny Eierman was 2-for-4 with a double.  Damian Carroll struck out five in four innings, allowing an unearned run on one hit.

Key inning:  The sixth.  The Twins trailed 2-1.  Jeremias Pineda led off the inning with a triple and scored on a sacrifice fly to tie the score.  Rodriguez then hit a two-run homer to put the Twins ahead.

Other:  The Rays out-hit the Twins 7-4.

DSL DIAMONDBACKS 8, TWINS 5 AT TWINS (6 ½ INNINGS—RAIN)

Batting stars:  Carlos Martinez was 2-for-3 with a walk and a double.  Francis Mateo was 2-for-3 with a walk.  Jorge Andrade was 2-for-4.

Pitching stars:  None.

Opposition stars:  Raul Garcia was 2-for-4 with a double and a home run, driving in three.  Jency Solis walked two in two shutout innings.

Key inning:  The sixth.  Leading 6-5, the Diamondbacks scored twice.  A two-run homer by Garcia scored the runs.

Other:  The Twins out-hit the Diamondbacks 9-8, but made four errors.  Each team issued six walks.