Games of July 9

BUFFALO 6, ROCHESTER 2 IN ROCHESTER

Batting stars:  Deibinson Romero was 2-for-4 with a double, scoring once and driving in one.  Dan Rohlfing was 2-for-3 with a double and a run.

Pitching star:  Aaron Thompson pitched a scoreless inning, giving up one hit with one strikeout.

Opposition stars:  Kevin Pillar was 4-for-5 with a home run (his third) and a double, driving in three.  Jared Goeddert was 3-for-4 with a home run, his tenth.  Liam Hendriks proved that he still has nothing to learn in Rochester, pitching eight innings and allowing two runs on six hits and a walk with four strikeouts.

The game:  This one was settled early, as Buffalo scored five runs in the first two innings.  In the first, Pillar hit a solo homer and Brad Glenn hit a two-run shot.  In the second, Pillar drove in two with a double.  Rochester got on the board on an RBI triple by Wilkin Ramirez in the fourth, but was never closer than four runs.

Of note:  Doug Bernier was 0-for-3 with a walk.  Ramirez was 1-for-4 with a triple and an RBI.  Josmil Pinto was 0-for-4.  Starter Logan Darnell pitched well after the second inning, but his line reads eight innings, six runs, eleven hits, two walks, and five strikeouts.

NEW HAMPSHIRE 7, NEW BRITAIN 1 IN NEW HAMPSHIRE

Batting star:  Mike Kvasnicka was 3-for-4 with a double.

Pitching star:  Ryan O'Rourke struck out three in a scoreless inning, giving up a hit and a walk.

Opposition stars:  Michael Crouse was 2-for-2 with a two-run homer (his sixth) and two walks, scoring three times.  Dalton Pompey was 2-for-4 with a home run and three RBIs.  Casey Lawrence pitched 7.2 innings, allowing an unearned run on eight hits and two walks with five strikeouts.

The game:  Eddie Rosario circled the bases on a triple-plus-error in the first to put New Britain on the board.  That was as good as it would get.  Jose Berrios pitched two perfect innings, but opened the third with two walks.  Following a bunt, Pompey singled in two.  Crouse hit a two-run homer following a walk in the fourth to make it 4-1.  Pompey homered leading off the fifth to make it 5-1 and a two-run sixth closed out the scoring.  The Rock Cats had two on in the third, fifth, seventh, and eighth, but could not score after the first.

Of note:  Rosario was 1-for-4 with a triple and a run.  Reynaldo Rodriguez was 1-for-4.  Starter Berrios pitched well at times, but was hurt by walks and home runs.  He went five innings, giving up five runs on three hits and three walks with four strikeouts.  Two of the three hits were homers.

PALM BEACH 3, FORT MYERS 2 IN PALM BEACH (GAME 1--7 INNINGS)

Batting stars:  Dalton Hicks was 2-for-3 with a home run (his fifth) and two RBIs.  Nate Roberts was 1-for-3 with a double and a run.

Pitching star:  Tim Shibuya pitched a complete game, going 6.2 innings and giving up three runs on seven hits and a walk with two strikeouts.

Opposition stars:  Nick Martini was 2-for-3 with a two-run homer (his second) and two runs.  Silfredo Garcia pitched a complete game, striking out seven in seven innings while allowing two runs on four hits with one walk.

The game:  With two out in the first, Roberts doubled and Hicks singled to put Fort Myers up 1-0.  Hicks homered in the fourth to make it 2-0.  Martini stirred things up with a two-run homer in the bottom of the fourth to tie it at two.  Shibuya was not shaken by Martini's blast, as he blanked Palm Beach in the fifth and sixth.  In the seventh, however, the Cardinals got two singles and a walk, loading the bases with two down.  Gerwuins Velazco then singled to bring home the winning run.

Of note:  Byron Buxton was 0-for-2 with a walk.  Jorge Polanco was 0-for-3.  Adam Brett Walker II was 1-for-3.  Max Kepler was 0-for-3.

PALM BEACH 4, FORT MYERS 1 IN PALM BEACH (GAME 2--7 INNINGS)

Batting stars:  Niko Goodrum was 1-for-3 with a run.  Dalton Hicks was 1-for-3 with an RBI.

Pitching star:  Todd Van Steensel struck out two in a scoreless inning, giving up only a walk.

Opposition stars:  Jimmy Reed pitched a complete game, allowing one run on four hits and no walks with six strikeouts.  Bruce Caldwell was 2-for-2 with three RBIs.  Charlie Tilson was 1-for-2 with a walk and two runs.

The game:  Caldwell singled in a Tilson with the first run of the game in the first inning.  A two-run sacrifice fly (!) by Caldwell made it 3-0 after three.  In the fourth, Goodrum singled, stole second, and came in on a Hicks single to make it 3-1, but Palm Beach got the run back in the sixth when Dante Rosenberg homered.  Fort Myers had two on with two out in the sixth, but the last four Miracle batters were retired.

Of note:  Jorge Polanco was 0-for-3.  Travis Harrison was 1-for-3.  Adam Brett Walker II was 0-for-3.  Max Kepler was 0-for-3.  Starter Matt Tomshaw pitched five innings, giving up four runs on seven hits and a walk with three strikeouts.

WISCONSIN 5, CEDAR RAPIDS 2 IN CEDAR RAPIDS

Batting stars:  Chad Christensen was 3-for-5 with a run and an RBI.  Mitch Garver was 2-for-4.  Ryan Walker was 2-for-5.

Pitching stars:  Chris Mazza struck out two in two shutout innings, giving up two hits.  Jared Wilson struck out two in two perfect innings.

Opposition stars:  Angel Ortega was 1-for-4 with a home run (his third) and four RBIs.  Rafael Neda was 2-for-4 with a run.  Clint Terry struck out seven in 5.1 innings, allowing one run on seven hits and two walks.

The game:  It was scoreless until the fourth, when Ortega hit a three-run  inside-the-park home run.  The Timber Rattlers added two more in the sixth.  Cedar Rapids scored single runs in the sixth and seventh.  They brought the tying run up to bat with two out in the ninth, but a strikeout ended the game.

Of note:  Jon Murphy was 1-for-4 with a walk.  Alex Swim was 1-for-4 with an RBI.  Starter Ryan Eades struck out nine in five innings, but gave up five runs on six hits and a walk.

ELIZABETHTON 5, KINGSPORT 2 IN ELIZABETHTON

Batting stars:  Jonatan Hinojosa was 2-for-3 with a double, scoring once and driving in two.  Dutch Deol was 1-for-2 with a double and a walk, scoring once.

Pitching stars:  Sam Gibbons struck out six in five innings, giving up two runs on seven hits and two walks.  C. K. Irby struck out three in two shutout innings, giving up one hit.  Cameron Booser struck out two in two shutout innings, giving up a hit and a walk.

Opposition stars:  Pedro Perez was 3-for-4 with two doubles and a run.  Luis Ortega was 2-for-4 with a double and a run.  Jean Rodriguez was 2-for-3 with a walk.

The game:  Kingsport scored on a pair of productive outs in the second to take a 2-0 lead.  In the fourth, Max Murphy doubled and scored on a Trey Vavra single.  A Deol double put men on second and third, and Hinojosa then circled the bases on a double-plus-error-plus-error, giving the Twins a 4-2 advantage.  Tyler Kuresa added an insurance run in the sixth with a leadoff home run.  The second inning was the only time the Mets had more than one man on base.

Of note:  Jeremias Pineda was 1-for-4 with a double.  Nick Gordon was 0-for-4.  Murphy was 1-for-4 with a double and a run.  Kuresa was 1-for-4 with a home run.  Vavra was 1-for-3 with a walk, scoring once and driving in one.  Jorge Fernandez was 0-for-3.

GCL TWINS 1, GCL ORIOLES 0 AT TWINS

Batting star:  Frank Encarnacion was 1-for-3 with a double and a run.

Pitching stars:  Brandon Easton pitched five innings, giving up one hit and two walks with four strikeouts.  Miles Nordgren pitched two perfect innings.  Reyson Zoquiel pitched a perfect inning.

Opposition star:  Jonatan Isenia struck out five in five innings, allowing one run on three hits and two walks.

The game:  The lone run came in the fourth.  With two out, Encarnacion doubled, took third on a wild pitch, and scored on a single by Rafael P. Valera.  The lone Orioles hit came in the fifth when Ronarsy Ledesma hit a two-out double.  The closest the Orioles came to scoring was the third, when a hit batsman, a pickoff error, and a throw to first following a missed third strike put a man on third with two out.  A walk made it first and third, but a ground out ended the threat.

Of note:  Dubal Baez was 1-for-4.  Amaurys Minier was 0-for-3.  Jarrard Poteete was 0-for-1 with two walks.

DSL TWINS 1, DSL WHITE SOX 0

Batting star:  Luis Arraez was 2-for-3 with a double and a walk, scoring once.

Pitching stars:  Jose Martinez pitched seven innings, giving up one hit and no walks with six strikeouts.  Randolph Perez pitched two innings, giving up one hit with one strikeout.

Opposition stars:  Nelson Acosta pitched four innings, allowing one run on two hits and three walks with two strikeouts.  Luis Arteaga pitched four shutout innings, allowing three hits and a walk with two strikeouts.

The game:  The run scored in the first, when Arraez led off with a double, took third on a bunt, and scored on a sacrifice fly.  The White Sox best scoring chance came in the third, when Hanleth Otano got their first hit, a leadoff double.  However, he was instantly erased when he tried to go to third on a ground ball to the shortstop.  The only other White Sox hit was a single in the seventh.

Of note:  Junior Amarante was 0-for-2 with a walk.  Jermaine Palacios was 0-for-1 with a walk and a hit-by-pitch, driving in one.  Lewin Diaz was 0-for-3 with a walk.  Jorge Parra was 0-for-3.