Games of May 30

Tommy Milone has a bad game, giving up two runs.  The Lookouts keep fighting but come up short.  A walkoff sinks the Miracle.  A big seventh carries the Kernels.  The DSL Twins still have no record.

BUFFALO 3, ROCHESTER 2 IN BUFFALO

Batting stars:  Jose Martinez was 2-for-3 with an RBI.  Josmil Pinto was 1-for-3 with a walk and a run.

Pitching star:  Tommy Milone pitched seven innings, giving up two runs on five hits and a walk with six strikeouts.

Opposition stars:  Brad Glenn was 2-for-3 with a home run (his fifth) and a walk.  Dioner Navarro was 2-for-4 with a two-run homer.  Felix Doubront pitched seven innings, allowing two runs on six hits and two walks with five strikeouts.

The game:  Navarro hit a two-run homer in the first inning.  Martinez singled in a run as part of a two-run second to tie the score 2-2.  And there things stood until the ninth.  The first two Bisons were retired, but Glenn hit a home run to end the game.

Of note:  Argenis Diaz was 0-for-3 with a walk.  Oswaldo Arcia was 0-for-3 with a walk.  Kennys Vargas was 1-for-4 with a run.  Danny Ortiz was 0-for-4.

BILOXI 11, CHATTANOOGA 8 IN CHATTANOOGA

Batting stars:  Jorge Polanco was 3-for-5 with a double, scoring once and driving in two.  Travis Harrison was 1-for-4 with a grand slam, his third homer.  Max Kepler was 2-for-4 with a triple and a run.

Pitching star:  Nick Burdi struck out three in two shutout innings, giving up two hits and a walk.

Opposition stars:  Michael Reed was 4-for-6 with a home run (his fourth) and a triple, scoring twice and driving in four.  Orlando Arcia was 3-for-6 with two doubles, scoring three times and driving in one.  Nathan Orf was 2-for-4 with two doubles and a walk, scoring twice and driving in one.

The game:  Reed hit a three-run homer in a four-run third that put the Shuckers up 7-0.  Harrison hit a grand slam in the bottom of the third that got the Lookouts back in the game at 7-4.  Orf's RBI double in the sixth made it 10-4 and it was 11-5 going to the bottom of the ninth.  The Lookouts battled back for three in the ninth and actually got the tying run up to bat before a popup ended the game.

Of note:  Byron Buxton was 0-for-3 with two walks, scoring once and driving in one.  Miguel Sano was 2-for-5 with a run and an RBI.  Adam Brett Walker II was 0-for-3 with a run.  D. J. Baxendale pitched only two innings, giving up six runs on seven hits and a walk with two strikeouts.

ST. LUCIE 4, FORT MYERS 2 IN ST. LUCIE (11 INNINGS)

Batting stars:  Bryan Haar was 3-for-5 with a home run.  Ryan Walker was 1-for-4 with a walk and a run.  Niko Goodrum was 1-for-4 with a walk and an RBI.

Pitching stars:  Chih-Wei Hu pitched six innings, giving up two runs (one earned) on five hits and no walks with four strikeouts.  Tood Van Steensel pitched two shutout innings, giving up a hit and a walk with one strikeout.  Brandon Peterson struck out four in two shutout innings, giving up a walk.

Opposition stars:  Matt Oberste was 2-for-5 with a home run (his third) and two runs.  Dominic Smith was 1-for-5 with a two-run homer.  John Gant struck out eight in six innings, allowing one run on three hits and three walks.

The game:  Haar homered in the second.  In the bottom of the second, Oberste homered and a run scored on a balk to give the Mets a 2-1 lead.  It stayed 2-1 until the eighth, when Goodrum singled in the tying run.  In the eleventh, Smith hit a two-run homer to end the game.

Of note:  Zach Granite was 0-for-4 with a walk.  Alex Swim was 0-for-5.

CEDAR RAPIDS 5, CLINTON 1 IN CEDAR RAPIDS

Batting stars:  Brett Doe was 2-for-4 with a double, scoring once and driving in two.  Edgar Corcino was 2-for-3 with a run and an RBI.  Nick Gordon was 2-for-4 with an RBI.

Pitching stars:  Zach Tillery pitched four innings, giving up an unearned run on five hits and two walks with two strikeouts.  Jose Velez struck out three in two shutout innings, giving up two hits and a walk.  Luke Bard struck out three in two shutout innings, giving up one hit.

Opposition stars:  Arby Fields was 1-for-3 with two walks and a run.  Chantz Mack was 2-for-3 with a walk.  Lukas Schiraldi pitched six innings, allowing one run on three hits and three walks with three strikeouts.

The game:  Each team scored once in the first and that was it through six.  In the seventh, Doe doubled in two and Corcino and Gordon each had an RBI single to put the Kernels up 5-1.  The LumberKings did not threaten to get back into the game after that.

Of note:  Tanner English was 0-for-2 with a walk and a run.  Zack Larson was 1-for-4 with a run.  Max Murphy was 0-for-3 with a walk.

DSL TWINS AT DSL GIANTS

The game was suspended after eight and a half innings with the Twins leading 3-1.  The Twins scored all their runs in the ninth on only one hit, getting two walks, a passed ball, and an error.

TODAY'S TILTS

12:00  Fort Myers (Aaron Slegers, 3-2, 2.59) at St. Lucie (Miller Diaz, 2-3, 3.32)
12:05  Rochester (Jason Wheeler, 1-3, 6.02) at Buffalo (TBA)
1:15    Biloxi (Hobbs Johnson, 3-1, 2.81) at Chattanooga (David Hurlbut, 0-1, 21.00)
2:05    Clinton (Zack Littell, 1-0, 2.87) at Cedar Rapids (Sam Gibbons, no record)

Dominican Summer League Preview

The Dominican Summer League gets underway today!

There are thirty-eight teams in the Dominican Summer League.  Obviously, some major league teams have more than one affiliate there.  Generally, those teams are distinguished by a number, e. g., Rangers1, Rangers2.  The exception to this is the Astros, who distinguish their teams by color:  Astros Orange and Astros Blue.  As you can see, teams take the names of their major league affiliates.

The teams are spread across five divisions, with no attempt made to equalize the number of teams per division.  Thus, the Boca Chica North has eleven teams, the Boca Chica south has ten, the Boca Chica Northwest has six, the Boca Chica Baseball City has six, and the San Pedro de Macoris has five.  There have only been four divisions in the past, and I was not able to quickly discover what they playoff procedures will be.  My assumption is that there will be five division winners and three wild cards in the playoffs, but that may not be correct.

The teams play a seventy-two game schedule.  Play begins today and ends August 22.  All DSL Twins games, and for all I know all games, begin at 9:30 a.m. Central Time.  Teams generally play six games a week, with Sundays off.  Each team has a thirty-five-man roster.  No player may have four or more years of prior Minor League Service.  No draft-eligible player from the U.S. or Canada (not including players from Puerto Rico) may participate in the DSL.

The DSL Twins are managed by Jimmy Alvarez, with coaches Manny Santana and Ramon Nivar.  Below are some players who were on the DSL Twins last year and who are still on the roster, so that possibly you will remember their names:

Pitchers:  Carlos Aponte, Erick Balbuena, Robener Cabrera, Jadison Jimenez, Sebastian Perez, Daulin Ramirez, Jose Ramirez.

Batters:  Emmanuel Morel, Jorge Parra, Gabriel A Ynfante, Jet Hernandez, Edgar Herrera, Antonio Tovar.

The DSL Twins play in the Boca Chica Baseball City division.  Other teams in their division are the Diamondbacks, the Orioles1, the Padres, the Reds, and the White Sox.  Go DSL Twins!

Games of May 29

One inning per game is all that's needed as the Red Wings split.  Miguel Sano has been sitting and I don't know why.  Singles night doesn't go well for the Miracle.  Keaton Steele and a wild sixth inning carry the Kernels.  And check out the ERAs of today's starters!

ROCHESTER 2, BUFFALO 1 IN BUFFALO (GAME 1--7 INNINGS)

Batting stars:  Ryan Wheeler was 1-for-3 with a two-run homer.  Eric Farris was 1-for-2 with a walk.  Doug Bernier was 1-for-3 with a double.

Pitching star:  Pat Dean pitched 6.1 innings, giving up one run on six hits and two walks with two strikeouts.

Opposition stars:  Jonathan Diaz was 2-for-2 with a double and a walk.  Andy Burns was 1-for-3 with a home run, his second.  Scott Copeland struck out three in 3.2 scoreless innings, allowing four hits and a walk.

The game:  All the runs were scored in the second inning, with Wheeler hitting a two-run homer and Burns a solo shot.  The Bisons got a man to second in the third and fourth but did not get a hit after the fourth inning.

Of note:  James Beresford was 0-for-3 with a walk.  Oswaldo Arcia was 0-for-3.  Kennys Vargas was 1-for-3.  Danny Ortiz was 0-for-2 with a walk and a run.  Josmil Pinto was 0-for-3.

BUFFALO 4, ROCHESTER 2 IN BUFFALO

Batting stars:  Danny Ortiz was 2-for-4 with a double and two RBIs.  Josmil Pinto had a pinch-hit double.

Pitching star:  Logan Darnell pitched a scoreless inning, giving up one walk with one strikeout.

Opposition stars:  Matt Hague was 2-for-2 with a double and a walk, driving in two.  Dioner Navarro was 1-for-3 with an RBI.  Chad Jenkins pitched two perfect innings with one strikeout.

The game:  This time all the runs were scored in the third inning.  Ortiz delivered a two-out two-run single to give the Red Wings a 2-0 lead.  Three singles, an error, and two more singles produced four runs and gave the Bisons a 4-2 advantage.  The Red Wings had men on second and third with one out in the seventh, but a ground out and a fly out ended the game.

Of note:  Argenis Diaz was 1-for-3 with a run.  Reynaldo Rodriguez was 1-for-4.  Kennys Vargas was 0-for-2 with a walk.  Tyler Duffey pitched 4.2 innings, giving up four runs (three earned) on seven hits and two walks with three strikeouts.

BILOXI 3, CHATTANOOGA 2 IN CHATTANOOGA

Batting stars:  Byron Buxton was 1-for-4 with a walk and a run.  Stephen Wickens was 2-for-4.

Pitching stars:  Greg Peavey pitched six innings, giving up two runs on three hits and three walks with two strikeouts.  D. J. Johnson struck out two in a scoreless inning, giving up one hit.

Opposition stars:  Nathan Orf was 2-for-3 with a run and two RBIs.  Mike Strong struck out two in two shutout innings, allowing a walk.

The game:  Orf's two-out two-run single in the second put the Shuckers up 2-0.  It stayed 2-0 until the fifth, when Jorge Polanco delivered a two-run single-plus-error to tie it 2-2.  In the eighth, Orf singled and scored on a Tyrone Taylor double to give the Shuckers a 3-2 lead.  In the ninth Buxton walked with two out and stole second, but was stranded.

Of note:  Polanco was 1-for-5 with an RBI.  Max Kepler was 0-for-3 with a walk.  Travis Harrison was 0-for-2 with two walks.  Adam Brett Walker II was 0-for-2 with two walks.  Miguel Sano has played only one game since Sunday.  I don't know why.

CLEARWATER 7, FORT MYERS 6 IN CLEARWATER

Batting stars:  Zach Granite was 3-for-5 with a double and a run.  Ryan Walker was 2-for-5 with two runs.  Alex Swim was 2-for-5 with a run and an RBI.

Pitching stars:  Brian Gilbert pitched two perfect innings with one strikeout.  Matt Summers pitched a perfect inning with one strikeout.

Opposition stars:  Andrew Pullin was 3-for-5 with a triple, scoring once and driving in two.  Dylan Cozens was 2-for-5 with a run and an RBI.  Chase Harris was 2-for-4 with two runs.

The game:  The Threshers put together five singles in the first inning, leading to four runs.  Pullin tripled in two in the fourth to give the Threshers a 6-0 lead.  The Miracle came back, as a double and six singles led to a five-run sixth and Niko Goodrum singled in a run in the seventh to tie it 6-6.  The Miracle could not pull off a miracle comeback, though, as four singles in the ninth produced the winning run for the Threshers.

Of note:  Marcus Knecht was 1-for-5 with a run and an RBI.  Kohl Stewart pitched four innings, giving up six runs (five earned) on ten hits and no walks with one strikeout.

CEDAR RAPIDS 6, CLINTON 1 IN CEDAR RAPIDS

Batting stars:  Pat Kelly was 3-for-4 with a triple, scoring once and driving in one.  Brett Doe was 3-for-4 with a double and two RBIs.  Zack Larson was 1-for-3 with a double and a walk, scoring once and driving in one.

Pitching stars:  Keaton Steele pitched seven innings, giving up one run on five hits and three walks with six strikeouts.  Randy LeBlanc pitched two shutout innings, giving up two hits with one strikeout.

Opposition stars:  Nelson Ward was 2-for-5 with two doubles and an RBI.  Chantz Mack was 2-for-4.  Luiz Gohara pitched five shutout innings, allowing four hits and a walk with one strikeout.

The game:  The LumberKings opened the game with two singles and a double to take a 1-0 lead.  It held until the sixth, when an error, a triple, a double, two wild pitches, a hit batsman, another wild pitch, and a single plated four runs and gave the Kernels a 4-1 advantage.  The Kernels added two in the eighth to put the game out of reach.

Of note:  Blake Schmit was 1-for-4 with a run.  Max Murphy was 0-for-3 with a run.

TODAY'S TILTS

9:30  DSL Twins at DSL Giants
4:05  Rochester (Tommy Milone, 4-0, 0.28) at Buffalo (Felix Doubront, 0-0, 0.00)
5:30  Fort Myers (Chih-Wei Hu, 4-0, 1.03) at St. Lucie (Robert Gsellman, 6-0, 1.76)
6:15  Biloxi (Hiram Burgos, 1-0, 3.97) at Chattanooga (D. J. Baxendale, 3-0, 2.47)
6:35  Clinton (Lukas Schiraldi, 4-3, 3.97) at Cedar Rapids (Zach Tillery, 3-1, 2.15)

Prospect Watch: Through Games of May 28, 2015

A look at how some of the Twins minor leaguers are doing.

BATTERS

ROCHESTER

Kennys Vargas is hitting .367/.424/.733 in 30 at-bats.
James Beresford is hitting .336/.368/.399 in 143 at-bats.
Danny Ortiz is hitting .277/.328/.503 in 159 at-bats.
Josmil Pinto is hitting .250/.327/.399 in 148 at-bats.
Oswaldo Arcia is hitting .000/.000/.000 in 5 at-bats.

CHATTANOOGA

Max Kepler is hitting .336/.373/.538 in 119 at-bats.
Jorge Polanco is hitting .318/.353/.432 in 176 at-bats.
Dalton Hicks is on the disabled list.
Byron Buxton is hitting .266/.324/.516 in 184 at-bats.
Adam Brett Walker II is hitting .256/.300/.548 in 168 at-bats.
Miguel Sano is hitting .242/.344/.490 in 157 at-bats.

FORT MYERS

Alex Swim is hitting .337/.367/.361 in 169 at-bats.
Zach Granite is hitting .283/.353/.349 in 106 at-bats.
Chad Christensen is hitting .283/.345/.388 in 152 at-bats.

CEDAR RAPIDS

Trey Vavra is hitting .346/.406/.538 in 156 at-bats.
Max Murphy is hitting .251/.325/.394 in 175 at-bats.
Zack Larson is hitting .244/.328/.308 in 156 at-bats.
Nick Gordon is hitting .224/.298/.276 in 170 at-bats.

PITCHERS

ROCHESTER

Taylor Rogers is 4-3, 3.34, 1.32 WHIP with 20 walks and 47 strikeouts in 62 innings (10 starts).
Pat Dean is 4-3, 2.47, 1.12 WHIP with 10 walks and 31 strikeouts in 54.2 innings (8 starts).
Alex Meyer is 2-3, 6.92, 1.86 WHIP with 24 walks and 43 strikeouts in 40.1 innings (9 games, 8 starts).
Tommy Milone is 4-0, 0.28, 0.69 WHIP with 2 walks and 41 strikeouts in 31.2 innings (4 starts).
Caleb Thielbar is 2-2, 1.98, 1.90 WHIP with 11 walks and 8 strikeouts in 13.2 innings (12 games).
Lester Oliveros is 1-0, 1.99, 1.01 WHIP with 8 walks and 34 strikeouts in 22.2 innings (15 games, 1 start).
Tyler Duffey is 0-1, 2.57, 0.86 WHIP with 0 walks and 6 strikeouts in 7 innings (1 start).

CHATTANOOGA

Jose Berrios is 6-2, 2.84, 1.17 WHIP with 17 walks and 70 strikeouts in 63.1 innings (10 starts).
D.  J. Baxendale is 3-0, 2.47, 1.27 WHIP with 15 walks and 40 strikeouts in 47.1 innings (8 starts).
Alex Wimmers is 2-0, 5.54, 1.44 WHIP with 15 walks and 38 strikeouts in 39 innings (8 starts).
Adrian Salcedo is 0-0, 1.38, 1.08 WHIP with 5 walks and 10 strikeouts in 13 innings (5 games, 1 start).
Zack Jones was 3-1, 7 saves, 1.56, 0.92 WHIP with 5 walks and 22 strikeouts in 17.1 innings (16 games).

FORT MYERS

Aaron Slegers is 3-2, 2.59, 0.97 WHIP with 8 walks and 31 strikeouts in 48.2 innings (8 starts).
Ryan Eades is 4-1, 3.04, 1.25 WHIP with 16 walks and 28 strikeouts in 47.1 innings (8 starts).
Brett Lee is 1-3, 3.29, 1.36 WHIP with 12 walks and 20 strikeouts in 38.1 innings (6 starts).
Chih-Wei Hu is 4-0, 1.03, 0.83 WHIP with 6 walks and 36 strikeouts in 35 innings (6 starts).
Kohl Stewart is 1-3, 2.60, 1.21 WHIP with 11 walks and 18 strikeouts in 34.2 innings (6 starts).
Mat Batts is 0-0, 1.29, 1.00 WHIP with 1 walk and 3 strikeouts in 7 innings (1 start).
Brandon Peterson is 1-0, 2 saves, 1.08, 1.08 WHIP with 14 walks and 35 strikeouts in 25 innings (17 games).

CEDAR RAPIDS

Felix Jorge is 3-2, 2.42, 0.93 WHIP with 9 walks and 44 strikeouts in 48.1 innings (8 starts).
Jared Wilson is 4-1, 3.12, 1.52 WHIP with 22 walks and 26 strikeouts in 43.1 innings (9 games, 8 starts).
Stephen Gonsalves is 5-1, 1.31, 0.79 WHIP with 11 walks and 66 strikeouts in 48 innings (8 starts).
Trevor Hildenberger is 1-1, 5 saves, 0.34, 0.49 WHIP with 3 walks and 33 strikeouts in 26.2 innings (13 games).
Cameron Booser is 1-0, 5 saves, 0.81, 0.99 WHIP with 13 walks and 35 strikeouts in 22.1 innings (14 games).
Michael Theofanopoulos is 1-1, 1.82, 1.34 WHIP with 11 walks and 23 strikeouts in 24.2 innings (13 games).

Games of May 28

Jose Berrios and Adam Brett Walker II lead the Lookouts to victory.  Zach Granite and Ryan Eades lead the Miracle to a split.  No offense for the Kernels.

ROCHESTER RED WINGS

No game scheduled.

CHATTANOOGA 3, BILOXI 2 IN CHATTANOOGA

Batting stars:  Adam Brett Walker II was 1-for-4 with a two-run homer, his twelfth.  Heiker Meneses was 2-for-4 with a double and a run.  Jorge Polanco was 2-for-4 with an RBI.

Pitching stars:  Jose Berrios struck out seven in 7.1 innings, giving up two runs on nine hits and no walks.  Zack Jones pitched 1.2 scoreless innings, giving up a walk.

Opposition stars:  Orlando Arcia was 2-for-4 with two doubles and an RBI.  Kyle Wren was 2-for-4 with a run.  Brooks Hall struck out five in five innings, allowing three runs (two earned) on five hits and no walks.

The game:  Polanco singled in a run in the third and Walker II hit a two-run homer in the fourth to give the Lookouts a 3-0 lead.  Berrios pitched seven shutout innings before allowing  a double and two singles in the eighth, leading to two runs and cutting the lead to 3-2.  Jones came in to retire the last five Shuckers and preserve the victory.

Of note:  Byron Buxton was 0-for-3 with a walk.  Travis Harrison was 0-for-4.  Max Kepler was 0-for-4 with a run.

FORT MYERS 2, CLEARWATER 1 IN CLEARWATER (GAME 1--7 INNINGS)

Batting star:  Zach Granite was 2-for-3 with a double and a run.

Pitching stars:  Ryan Eades struck out six in five innings, giving up one run on three hits and two walks.  Luke Westphal pitched a perfect inning.  Brandon Peterson pitched a scoreless inning, giving up a hit.

Opposition stars:  Aaron Brown was 1-for-3 with a double and an RBI.  Mark Leiter pitched a seven-inning complete game, allowing two runs on five hits and no walks with five strikeouts.

The game:  The Miracle scored on a wild pitch in the first and Brown doubled in a run in the second to tie it 1-1.  Marcus Knecht delivered an RBI single in the fourth to give the Miracle a 2-1 lead.  The Threshers only once got the tying run in scoring position, on a two-out double by J. P. Crawford in the fifth.

Of note:  Alex Swim was 1-for-3 with a run.  Chad Christensen was 0-for-3.

CLEARWATER 6, FORT MYERS 3 IN CLEARWATER (GAME 2--7 INNINGS)

Batting stars:  Tanner Vavra was 2-for-3 with two RBIs.  Marcus Knecht was 1-for-3 with a triple and a walk, scoring once.

Pitching star:  Dallas Gallant pitched 1.1 scoreless innings, giving up two hits.

Opposition stars:  Dylan Cozens was 2-for-3 with a triple and a double, scoring twice and driving in two.  Andrew Knapp was 1-for-2 with a double and two walks, scoring once and driving in one.  J. P. Crawford was 2-for-3 with a walk and two runs.

The game:  Vavra delivered a two-out single in the second and did so again in the fourth to put the Miracle up 3-1.  The Threshers cut it to 3-2 in the bottom of the fourth and took control with a four-run fifth.  Cozens had a two-run triple to put the Threshers in the lead.  The Miracle did not get a hit after the fourth and their last seven batters were retired.

Of note:  Zach Granite was 1-for-4 with a double and a run.  Alex Swim was 0-for-4.  Chad Christensen was 0-for-3.  Brett Lee pitched 4.2 innings, giving up six runs on six hits and four walks with one strikeout.

WISCONSIN 6, CEDAR RAPIDS 0 IN CEDAR RAPIDS

Batting star:  Zack Larson was 2-for-4.

Pitching stars:  Michael Theofanopoulos pitched three innings, giving up one run on two hits and two walks with two strikeouts.  Trevor Hildenberger struck out two in a perfect inning.

Opposition stars:  Francisco Castillo was 3-for-4 with a home run and a walk, scoring twice.  Brandon Diaz was 2-for-3 with a home run (his third) and a walk, driving in three.  Kodi Medeiros pitched seven shutout innings, allowing two hits and a walk with five strikeouts.

The game:  The Timber Rattlers did not have a big inning but kept adding on, getting one in the second, one in the third, two in the fourth, one in the fifth, and one in the seventh.  The only real Kernel threat came in the fourth, when they opened the inning with a hit batsman and a single, but a double play and a ground out quickly extinguished the threat.

Of note:  Tanner English was 1-for-4.  Nick Gordon was 0-for-3.  Max Murphy was 1-for-4.  Jared Wilson pitched five innings, giving up five runs (four earned) on eight hits and two walks with two strikeouts.  "Theofanopoulos" and "Hildenberger" have to be close to the record for most letters in the last name of two pitchers for the seame team in the same game.

Where They Stand: Through Games of May 27, 2015

Good news all through the organization!

Minnesota is 28-18, tied for first in the American League Central with Kansas City.  The Twins have won five consecutive games and are 8-2 in their last ten games.

Rochester is 26-21, first in the International League North, 1.5 games ahead of Scranton/Wilkes-Barre.  The Red Wings won their most recent game and are 5-5 in their last ten games.

Chattanooga is 28-17, first in the Southern League North, 3.5 games ahead of Tennessee.  The Lookouts lost their most recent game and are 6-4 in their last ten games.

Fort Myers is 23-22, second in the Florida State League South, 8.5 games behind Charlotte.  The Miracle has won three consecutive games and are 7-3 in their last ten games.

Cedar Rapids is 30-17, second in the Midwest League Western, four games behind Quad Cities.  The Kernels have won four consecutive games and are 7-3 in their last ten games.

Games of May 27

A fine game for Taylor Rogers.  Byron Buxton goes deep for the Lookouts.  Mat Batts makes a really good high-A debut.  Max Murphy leads the Kernels to victory.

ROCHESTER 8, DURHAM 2 IN DURHAM

Batting stars:  Jose Martinez was 3-for-4 with a double, scoring once and driving in one.  Kennys Vargas was 2-for-4 with a double and a walk, scoring once and driving in one.  Reynaldo Rodriguez was 2-for-5 with two doubles, scoring once and driving in one.

Pitching stars:  Taylor Rogers pitched seven innings, giving up two runs on seven hits and two walks with three strikeouts.  Casey Fien struck out two in a perfect inning.  A. J. Achter struck out two in a scoreless inning, giving up one hit.

Opposition stars:  J. P. Arencibia was 3-for-4 with a double and an RBI.  Ryan Brett was 1-for-3 with a double and a walk.  Andrew Belatti struck out three in 3.2 innings, allowing one run on two hits and a walk.

The game:  First inning doubles by Rodriguez and Vargas gave the Red Wings a 2-0 lead.  Doug Bernier had a two-run double in the fourth, one of four doubles the Red Wings had in a four-run inning that put them up 6-0.  The Bulls got two in the fourth to make it 6-2 but would come no closer.

Of note:  Argenis Diaz was 1-for-3 with two walks and a run.  Oswaldo Arcia was 0-for-2 with an RBI.  Josmil Pinto was 1-for-5 with a two-run homer, his fifth.  Danny Ortiz was 1-for-4 with a double and a run.

BILOXI 8, CHATTANOOGA 6 IN CHATTANOOGA (10 INNINGS)

Batting stars:  Byron Buxton was 2-for-5 with a home run (his sixth) and a double, scoring twice.  Stuart Turner was 2-for-4 with a home run, his third.  Travis Harrison was 3-for-5 with an RBI.

Pitching stars:  Alex Wimmers pitched five innings, giving up two runs on six hits and a walk with four strikeouts.  Jake Reed pitched a perfect inning with one strikeout.  J. T. Chargois pitched a scoreless inning, giving up three hits with one strikeout.

Opposition stars:  Orlando Arcia was 3-for-6 with a home run (his third) and a double, driving in two.  Kyle Wren was 2-for-5 with a walk, scoring once and driving in one.  Taylor Green was 2-for-3 with a walk, scoring once and driving in one.

The game:  Buxton doubled and scored in the third to put the Lookouts ahead 2-1.  The Lookouts then scored four in the fourth, an inning in which both Turner and Buxton homered, to make it 6-1.  Th Shuckers then scored one in the fifth, three in the sixth, and one in the seventh to tie it at 6-6.  They then got two in the tenth on two walks and a two-run double by Tyrone Taylor.  The Lookouts got a one-out double in the bottom of the tenth, but no more.

Of note:  Jorge Polanco was 2-for-5 with a run.  Miguel Sano was 0-for-4 with a walk and an RBI.  Max Kepler was 2-for-5 with a double and a run.  Adam Brett Walker II was 1-for-5 with a double, scoring once and driving in one.

FORT MYERS 6, CLEARWATER 5 IN CLEARWATER (10 INNINGS)

Batting stars:  Chad Christensen was 2-for-5 with a home run (his second) and two runs.  Alex Swim was 2-for-3 with two walks and a run.  Niko Goodrum was 2-for-5 with two RBIs.

Pitching star:  Mat Batts pitched seven innings, giving up one run on six hits and a walk with three strikeouts.

Opposition stars:  Andrew Knapp was 2-for-5 with a double, scoring once and driving in two.  J. P. Crawford was 2-for-4 with two walks and a run.  Victor Arano pitched five innings, allowing two runs on two hits and three walks with three strikeouts.

The game:  Zach Granite doubled in a run and later came around to score in the third to put the Miracle up 2-0.  They led 4-1 after seven, but the Threshers scored two in the eighth and Knapp singled in a run in the ninth to tie it 4-4.  The first to Miracle batters were retired in the tenth, but a single and a single-plus-error put men on second and third and Goodrum singled to drive them both home.  In the bottom of the tenth, a single-plus-error and a squeeze bunt cut the lead to one and a single put the tying run on with two out, but that was it.

Of note:  Granite was 1-for-5 with a double, scoring once and driving in one.  Mitch Garver was 0-for-3 with a walk.

CEDAR RAPIDS 7, WISCONSIN 3 IN CEDAR RAPIDS

Batting stars:  Max Murphy was 2-for-3 with a double and a walk, scoring twice and driving in three.  Nick Gordon was 1-for-3 with a double and two walks, scoring twice.  T. J. White was 1-for-3 with a walk and a run.

Pitching stars:  Felix Jorge pitched six innings, giving up three runs on five hits and no walks with five strikeouts.  Jose Velez struck out two in two shutout innings, giving up one hit.  Luke Bard pitched a scoreless inning, giving up a hit and a walk with one strikeout.

Opposition stars:  Sthervin Matos was 1-for-4 with a two-run homer, his third.  Gregory McCall was 3-for-4 with a run.  Dustin DeMuth was 1-for-4 with a home run, his third.

The game:  Matos hit a two-run homer in the second to give the Timber Rattlers a 2-0 lead.  A walk and three singles tied it 2-2 after four and the Kernels took the lead in the fifth on Murphy's two-run single.  Each team scored once in the sixth.  The Kernels put the game out of reach in the seventh on RBI doubles by Murphy and Jorge Fernandez.

Of note:  Tanner English was 1-for-4 with a double.

TODAY'S TILTS

4:00  Fort Myers (Ryan Eades, 3-1, 3.19) at Clearwater (Mark Leiter, 3-0, 1.30)
Game 2  Fort Myers (Brett Lee, 1-2, 2.14) at Clearwater (David Whitehead, 2-6, 3.83)
6:15  Biloxi (Brooks Hall, 4-2, 3.92) at Chattanooga (David Hurlbut, 0-1, 21.00)
6:35  Wisconsin (Kodi Medeiros, 1-2, 5.03) at Cedar Rapids (Jared Wilson, 4-0, 2.58)
Rochester Red Wings--no game scheduled.