Here We Go Again

I'll be gone a couple of days, so there will be no more posts until Saturday, and it'll probably be sometime next week before I'm caught up.  I don't like doing that, but work and family have to take priority over this.  Thanks for understanding.

Games of July 28

Jose Berrios and Danny Ortiz carry the Red Wings.  Shannon Wilkerson has a big game for the Lookouts.  Garver and Granite drive in key runs for the Miracle.  An extra-inning win for the Kernels.  A late rally falls short for the E-Twins.  The GCL Twins sweep a doubleheader.  A strong performance by Jadison Jimenez leads the DSL Twins.

ROCHESTER 13, TOLEDO 2 IN ROCHESTER

Batting stars:  Danny Ortiz was 3-for-5 with three doubles, scoring three times and driving in three.  Doug Bernier was 2-for-4 with a two-run homer (his second) and a double, scoring twice.  Carlos Paulino was 3-for-5 with a triple, scoring twice and driving in one.

Pitching stars:  Jose Berrios struck out eight in six innings, giving up one run on five hits and three walks.  Michael Tonkin pitched two perfect innings with one strikeout.

Opposition stars:  Marc Krauss was 2-for-4 with a triple and a double, scoring twice.  Trayvon Robinson was 1-for-3 with a double and a walk, driving in one.  Corey Jones was 1-for-2 with two walks.

The game:  There was no score through five.  The first two Red Wings went out in the sixth, followed by two walks, a two-run triple by Reynaldo Rodriguez, an Ortiz double, and an Argenis Diaz single, making the score 4-0.  The Mud Hens got one back in the bottom of the sixth, but Ortiz hit a two-run double in a four-run seventh that put the game out of reach.

Of note:  Xavier Avery was 1-for-5 with a run and an RBI.  James Beresford was 3-for-5 with a double and a walk, scoring once.  Oswaldo Arcia was 0-for-3 with two walks and a run.  Rodriguez was 1-for-5 with a triple, scoring twice and driving in three.

CHATTANOOGA 8, PENSACOLA 3 IN CHATTANOOGA

Batting stars:  Shannon Wilkerson was 3-for-4 with two walks and a double, scoring once and driving in two.  Stuart Turner was 3-for-4 with a double and a walk, scoring once and driving in one.  Levi Michael was 2-for-4 with a triple, scoring once and driving in one.

Pitching stars:  Jake Reed pitched two shutout innings, giving up a hit and a walk with one strikeout.  D. J. Johnson pitched a scoreless inning, giving up two hits.  J. T. Chargois pitched a perfect inning with one strikeout.

Opposition stars:  Seth Mejias-Brean was 2-for-4 with a double, scoring once and driving in two.  Juan Duran was 2-for-4 with a run.  Wandy Peralta pitched three innings, allowing one run on four hits and two walks with two strikeouts.

The game:  Mejias-Brean had a two-run double in a three-run second that put the Blue Wahoos up 3-0.  The Lookouts came back with a seven-run fourth that put them in control of the game.  Six of the runs scored after two were out.  The Lookouts had a triple, a double, four singles, and two walks.  The Blue Wahoos loaded the bases in the fifth and put two on in the seventh and eighth but could not score again.

Of note:  Max Kepler was 1-for-4 with a walk, scoring once and driving in one.  Adam Brett Walker II was 0-for-3 with two walks and a run.  Kennys Vargas was 2-for-5 with a run and two RBIs.  Brett Lee pitched five innings, giving up three runs (two earned) on three hits and three walks with one strikeout.

FORT MYERS 4, LAKELAND 3 IN FORT MYERS

Batting stars:  Mitch Garver was 2-for-4 with a two-run homer, his second.  Jason Kanzler was 2-for-4 with a triple and a run.  Zach Granite was 2-for-4 with an RBI.

Pitching stars:  Ryan Eades pitched six innings, giving up two runs on four hits and four walks with three strikeouts.  Nick Burdi struck out two in two shutout innings, giving up two hits.

Opposition stars:  Jiwan James was 2-for-4 with a triple and two RBIs.  Grayson Greiner was 1-for-3 with a walk and a run.

The game:  T. J. White singled in a run in the first.  It stayed 1-0 until the fifth, when James' two-run triple made it 2-1 Flying Tigers.  The Miracle got the lead back in the sixth on Garver's two-run homer.  Two walks and two wild pitches allowed the Flying Tigers to even the score in the seventh.  In the ninth, Granite delivered an RBI single to win the game.

Of note:  Engelb Vielma was 0-for-4.  D. J. Hicks was 1-for-4.

CEDAR RAPIDS 4, CLINTON 3 IN CLINTON (10 INNINGS)

Batting stars:  Brian Navaretto was 1-for-3 with a double and a walk, scoring twice and driving in one.  Rafael P. Valera was 2-for-5 with a run.  Edgar Corcino was 0-for-2 with three walks.

Pitching stars:  Keaton Steele pitched 4.2 scoreless innings, giving up three hits and three walks with one strikeout.  Cameron Booser struck out two in a scoreless inning, giving up a walk.

Opposition stars:  Gianfranco Wawoe was 2-for-2 with a double and two walks, scoring once and driving in two.  Arby Fields was 3-for-5 with a double.  Osmer Morales struck out four in four shutout innings, allowing only a walk.

The game:  The Kernels got on the board without a hit in the third inning.  The made it 3-0 after four on a run-scoring double by Navaretto and an RBI single by Pat Kelly.  It stayed 3-0 until the seventh, when a sacrifice fly scored the first LumberKings run.  Wawoe's two-run double in the eighth tied it 3-3.  Zack Larson delivered a run-scoring double in the tenth to give the Kernels a 4-3 lead.  The LumberKings got a leadoff walk in the bottom of the tenth but could do nothing with it.

Of note:  Tanner English was 0-for-2 with two walks and a run.  Nick Gordon was 0-for-3 with a walk and an RBI.  Larson was 1-for-5 with a double and an RBI.

JOHNSON CITY 8, ELIZABETHTON 4 IN ELIZABETHTON

Batting stars:  Kamran Young was 2-for-4 with a double and a walk, driving in one.  Travis Blankenhorn was 2-for-4 with a walk and an RBI.  Manuel Guzman was 2-for-4 with a run.

Pitching star:  Miles Nordgren pitched six innings, giving up three runs (two earned) on five hits and one walk with five strikeouts.

Opposition stars:  Chris Rivera was 1-for-2 with a two-run homer (his fourth) and two walks, scoring twice.  Eliezer Alvarez was 1-for-4 with a double and four RBIs.  Edmundo Sosa was 3-for-5 with two runs.

The game:  The Twins had leads of 1-0 and 2-1 and it was still tied 3-3 after six.  From there, though, it was almost all Cardinals.  Rivera hit a two-run homer in the seventh to make it 5-3, Allen Staton homered and Luke Doyle had an RBI double in the eighth to make it 7-3, and they added one more in the ninth.  The Twins scored one in the ninth and loaded the bases with two out, bringing the tying run to the plate, but a fly out ended the game.

Of note:  Daniel Kihle was 0-for-3 with two walks.  LaMonte Wade was 2-for-5 with a walk.  Chris Paul was 1-for-5.

GCL TWINS 4, GCL RAYS 1 AT TWINS (GAME 1--7 INNINGS)

Batting stars:  Jermaine Palacios was 2-for-3 with a home run and a double, driving in three.  Lewin Diaz was 1-for-2 with a double, scoring twice and driving in one.  Brian Olson was 2-for-2 with a walk and a run.

Pitching star:  Lachlan Wells struck out six in five shutout innings of relief, giving up two hits and no walks.

Opposition stars:  Juan Carlos Arias was 1-for-3 with a double and a run.  Joseph Astacio was 2-for-3.

The game:  RBI doubles by Diaz and Palacios put the Twins ahead 2-0 in the first.  The Rays got one back in the second and it stayed 2-1 through five.  In the sixth Palacios hit a two-run homer to put the Twins in control of the game.  The last seven Rays and fifteen of the last sixteen were retired.

Of note:  Luis Arraez was 0-for-3 with a walk.  Jose Martinez struck out three in two innings, giving up one run on two hits and a walk.

GCL TWINS 2, GCL RAYS 0 AT TWINS (GAME 2--7 INNINGS)

Batting stars:  Rowan Ebersohn was 2-for-3 with a double and an RBI.  Trey Cabbage was 1-for-2 with a double and a walk, scoring once.  Luis Arraez was 2-for-3 with a run.

Pitching stars:  Eduardo Del Rosario struck out nine in four shutout innings, giving up a hit and a walk.  John Curtiss struck out three in two perfect innings.  Johan Quezada pitched a perfect inning with one strikeout.

Opposition stars:  Miguel Hernandez was 1-for-3 with a double.  Orlando Romero pitched 3.2 innings, allowing one run on six hits and two walks with four strikeouts.

The game:  Ebersohn's double in the fourth put the Twins ahead 1-0.  Bryant Hayman singled in a run in the fifth.  That was all the Twins needed.  The Rays got leadoff double in the second but stranded him on third and did not get a hit after that.

Of note:  Luis Martinez was 0-for-3.  Hayman was 1-for-2 with a walk and an RBI.  Jermaine Palacios was 1-for-3.

DSL TWINS 5, DSL ORIOLES2 2 AT TWINS

Batting stars:  Jose Bermudez was 1-for-3 with a two-run homer, his second.  Jorge Parra was 2-for-4 with a double and an RBI.  Jean Carlos Arias was 2-for-4 with a run.

Pitching stars:  Jadison Jimenez struck out ten in six innings, giving up two runs on five hits and one walk.  Andriu Marin struck out six in three perfect innings.

Opposition stars:  Carlos Jean was 1-for-3 with a walk, scoring once and driving in one.  Pedro Flores was 1-for-4 with a triple and a run.  Jose Diaz pitched five innings, allowing two runs on five hits and no walks with three strikeouts.

The game:  Flores tripled and scored in the first, but the Twins took the lead in the third on Bermudez' two-run homer.  The Orioles2 tied it in the fourth, but the Twins took the lead to stay in the sixth on a bases-loaded walk and added two in the eighth to take control of the game.

Of note:  Yeltsin Encarnacion was 0-for-4.  Junior Amarante was 1-for-3 with a run.  Antonio Tovar was 2-for-3.

TODAY'S TILTS

9:30  DSL Twins at DSL Dodgers
11:00  GCL Twins at GCL Rays
11:00  Rochester (Michael Bowden, no record) at Toledo (Mike Belfiore, 4-9, 5.45)
6:00  Johnson City (Ramon Santos, 0-3, 9.78) at Elizabethton (Andro Cutura, 1-1, 0.96)
6:05  Lakeland (Trent Szkutnik, 0-4, 6.75) at Fort Myers (Mat Batts, 4-2, 1.96)
6:15  Pensacola (Timothy Adleman, 6-8, 2.41) at Chattanooga (D. J. Baxendale, 4-2, 3.79)
6:30  Cedar Rapids (Felix Jorge, 5-3, 2.10) at Clinton (Zack Littell, 2-6, 3.88)

Games of July 27

Pat Dean pitches well in a losing effort.  Aaron Slegers has another good game in a Miracle split.  Alex Perez has a good day in an E-Twins split.  Junior Amarante does well in a DSL Twins loss.

TOLEDO 2, ROCHESTER 1 IN TOLEDO

Batting stars:  Reynaldo Rodriguez was 2-for-4 with a home run, his eleventh.  Eric Farris was 2-for-4.

Pitching star:  Pat Dean pitched an eight-inning complete game, giving up two runs on nine hits and two walks with one strikeout.

Opposition stars:  Dixon Machado was 3-for-4 with a double and a run.  Trayvon Robinson was 2-for-3 with a run.  Josh Zeid struck out four in four innings, allowing one run on two hits and three walks.

The game:  The Mud Hens scored on a double play in the first, but Rodriguez tied it with a home run in the second.  In the fourth, Dean Green doubled home a run to make it 2-1 Mud Hens.  That's where it stayed.  The only real threat the Red Wings put together came in the eighth, when they put men on first and second with one out only to have the threat ended on a double play.

Of note:  Xavier Avery was 0-for-3 with a walk.  James Beresford was 1-for-4.  Jorge Polanco was 0-for-2 with two walks.  Oswaldo Arcia was 0-for-3 with a walk.

CHATTANOOGA LOOKOUTS

No game scheduled.

FORT MYERS 5, LAKELAND 1 IN FORT MYERS (GAME 1--7 INNINGS)

Batting stars:  D. J. Hicks was 2-for-2 with a double and a walk, scoring once and driving in one.  Engelb Vielma was 2-for-4 with a double, scoring once and driving in one.  T. J White was 2-for-4 with a run.

Pitching star:  Aaron Slegers pitched a complete game, giving up one run on five hits and two walks with four strikeouts.

Opposition stars:  Ben Verlander was 2-for-3.  Francisco Martinez was 1-for-3 with an RBI.  Javier Betancourt was 1-for-3 with a run.

The game:  Each team scored once in the first.  The Miracle took a 2-1 lead in the third.  Vielma doubled home a run in the fourth to make it 3-1 and Michael Quesada had a two-run single in the fifth to make it 5-1.  The Flying Tigers had only three hits after the first inning, all singles.

Of note:  Mitch Garver was 1-for-3.

LAKELAND 6, FORT MYERS 1 IN FORT MYERS (GAME 2--7 INNINGS)

Batting stars:  Engelb Vielma was 1-for-2 with a walk.  Michael Quesada was 1-for-3 with a run.  Logan Wade was 1-for-3 with an RBI.

Pitching star:  Brian Gilbert pitched 1.1 scoreless innings, giving up one hit.

Opposition stars:  Jiwan James was 2-for-4 with a home run (his fourth) and two runs.  Tyler Hanover was 2-for-3 with a double and a walk, scoring once and driving in one.  Jonathan Maciel pitched six innings, allowing one run on five hits and two walks with two strikeouts.

The game:  James led off the game with a home run.  The Miracle tied it in the second on Wade's RBI single.  In the third, though, the Flying Tigers scored three times, with Ben Verlander delivering a bases-loaded double to score the runs.  The Flying Tigers added single runs in the fourth and fifth.  The Miracle had only three hits after the second inning, all singles.

Of note:  Zach Granite was 0-for-4.  Mitch Garver was 0-for-2 with a walk.  D. J. Hicks was 1-for-3.  Chih-Wei Hu struck out six in 4.2 innings, giving up six runs (five earned) on ten hits and a walk.

CEDAR RAPIDS KERNELS

No game scheduled.

JOHNSON CITY 4, ELIZABETHTON 0 IN ELIZABETHTON (GAME 1--7 INNINGS)

Batting stars:  Chris Paul was 1-for-2 with a double and a walk.  Alex Perez was 1-for-2 with a walk.

Pitching star:  Tyler Stirewalt pitched 1.1 scoreless innings, giving up three hits with one strikeout.

Opposition stars:  Chris Rivera was 2-for-3 with a home run (his third) and two RBIs.  Luke Doyle was 1-for-3 with a home run (his second) and a walk, scoring twice.  Ryan Helsley struck out five in four shutout innings, allowing two hits and a walk.

The game:  Doyle opened the game with a home run and the Cardinals never lost the lead, scoring single runs in the first, second, fourth, and fifth.  The Twins got a man to third base in the third, fourth, and sixth, but could not advance him the final ninety feet.  The Twins were 0-for-12 with men in scoring position.

Of note:  Manuel Guzman was 0-for-2 with two walks.  LaMonte Wade was 0-for-4.  Alexis Tapia struck out nine in 5.2 innings, giving up four runs (three earned) on six hits and three walks.

ELIZABETHTON 4, JOHNSON CITY 1 IN ELIZABETHTON (GAME 2--7 INNINGS)

Batting stars:  LaMonte Wade was 2-for-3 with a double, scoring once and driving in two.  Alex Perez was 1-for-2 with a double and a walk, scoring twice and driving in one.  Daniel Kihle was 0-for-1 with two walks and a run.

Pitching stars:  Onesimo Hernandez pitched five innings, giving up one run on three hits and a walk with four strikeouts.  C. K. Irby struck out two in two shutout innings, giving up two hits.

Opposition stars:  Allen Staton was 1-for-3 with a home run, his third.  Eliezer Alvarez was 2-for-3.  Chris Chinea was 1-for-2 with a walk.

The game:  Staton homered with one out in the first to give the Cardinals a 1-0 lead.  The Twins bounced right back with two in the bottom of the first, getting a two-run double-plus-error by Wade.  It stayed 2-1 until the fifth, when an RBI double by Perez and a run-scoring single by Wade.  The Cardinals got a man to third in the second inning but did not do so again.

Of note:  Chris Paul was 1-for-3 with a double.  Travis Blankenhorn was 1-for-3.  Brad Hartong was 1-for-2.

GCL TWINS AT GCL RAYS (GAME 1)

The game was suspended in the top of the third with the Twins leading 2-1.

GCL RAYS AT GCL TWINS (GAME 2)

Rained out.

DSL ORIOLES2 5, DSL TWINS 4 AT ORIOLES2

Batting stars:  Junior Amarante was 3-for-4 with a run.  Emmanuel Morel was 0-for-3 with two walks and two RBIs.  Yeltsin Encarnacion was 2-for-3 with a walk.

Pitching stars:  None.

Opposition stars:  Ivan Mora was 3-for-3 with a triple and a double, scoring three times.  Carlos Jean was 3-for-4 with two RBIs.  Miguel Gonzalez was pitched 4.2 innings, allowing one run on five hits and three walks with two strikeouts.

The game:  The Twins fell behind 2-0 and 3-1, but tied it 3-3 in the sixth on two singles, a ground out, and an error.  Mora tripled and scored in the seventh to make it 4-3 Orioles2, but the Twins tied it again in the ninth on a walk, a single, and a ground out.  In the bottom of the ninth, however, Manuel De Los Santos doubled and scored on Pedro Flores' single to win the game for the Orioles2.

Of note:  Edgar Herrera was 0-for-3.  Jean Carlos Arias was 1-for-4.  Antonio Tovar was 1-for-4 with a run.  Danny Feliz struck out four in four innings, giving up two runs on five hits and no walks.

TODAY'S TILTS

9:00  GCL Twins at GCL Rays
Game 2  GCL Rays at GCL Twins
9:30  DSL Orioles2 at DSL Twins
6:00  Johnson City (Juan Bautista, 1-1, 2.92) at Elizabethton (TBA)
6:00  Rochester (Jose Berrios, 1-0, 4.01) at Toledo (TBA)
6:05  Lakeland (TBA) at Fort Myers (Ryan Eades, 6-3, 3.42)
6:15  Pensacola (Daniel Wright, 7-7, 4.32) at Chattanooga (Brett Lee, 0-4, 4.33)
6:30  Cedar Rapids (Keaton Steele, 2-3, 4.30) at Clinton (Lukas Schiraldi, 4-8, 4.55)

Players of the Week: July 20-26, 2015

Our weekly honors, on time this week.  Don't get used to it.

ROCHESTER

Batter:  Reynaldo Rodriguez was 10-for-25 with two home runs, two doubles, and three walks.  For the season he is hitting .257/.306/.425 in 362 at-bats.

Pitcher:  Jose Berrios made one start, pitching seven innings.  He gave up no runs on four hits and two walks with one strikeout.  For the season he is 1-0, 4.01, 1.14 WHIP with 7 walks and 22 strikeouts in 24.2 innings (4 starts).

CHATTANOOGA

Batter:  Adam Brett Walker II was 7-for-24 with a home run, a triple, two doubles, four walks, and three stolen bases.  For the season he is hitting .265/.323/.566 and is 8-for-10 in stolen bases in 365 at-bats.

Pitcher:  David Hurlbut made two starts, pitching thirteen innings.  He gave up no runs on nine hits and five walks with seven strikeouts.  For the season he is 7-4, 3.77, 1.37 WHIP with 23 walks and 34 strikeouts in 62 innings (11 starts).

FORT MYERS

Batter:  Logan Wade was 6-for-16 with a double and a walk.  For the season he is hitting .226/.272/.316 in 212 at-bats.

Pitcher:  Chih-Wei Hu made one start, pitching 6.1 innings.  He gave up an unearned run on four hits and three walks with two strikeouts.  For the season, he is 5-2, 2.03, 1.09 WHIP with 18 walks and 67 strikeouts in 80 innings (14 starts).

CEDAR RAPIDS

Batter:  Tanner English was 9-for-27 with three home runs, a triple three walks, and a stolen base.  For the season he is hitting .249/.344/.380 and is 29-for-35 in stolen bases in 321 at-bats.

Pitcher:  Sam Gibbons made one start, pitching six innings.  He gave up no runs on four hits and four walks with four strikeouts.  For the season he is 4-2, 3.72, 1.37 WHIP with 16 walks and 32 strikeouts in 48.1 innings (9 starts).

ELIZABETHTON

Batter:  Travis Blankenhorn was 8-for-24 with two home runs, two walks, and a stolen base.  For the season he is hitting.300/.349/.475 in 40 at-bats.

Pitcher:  Dereck Rodriguez made two starts, pitching eleven innings.  He gave up four runs (one earned) on nine hits and one walk with four strikeouts.  For the season he is 3-1, 1.35, 1.02 WHIP with 5 walks and 23 strikeouts in 33.1 innings (6 starts).

GCL TWINS

Batter:  Jermaine Palacios was 5-for-13 .  For the season he is hitting .414/.464/.540 in 87 at-bats.

Pitcher:  Williams Ramirez made one start, pitching five innings.  He gave up no runs on one hit and two walks with seven strikeouts.  For the season he is 3-0, 0.34, 0.68 WHIP with 11 walks and 33 strikeouts in 26.1 innings (5 starts, 1 relief appearance).

DSL TWINS

Batter:  Jean Carlos Arias was 10-for-19 with a home run, four triples, two doubles, and a walk.  For the season he is hitting .301/.377/.545 in 143 at-bats.

Pitcher:  Juan Herrera made two starts, pitching eleven innings.  He gave up one run on  four hits and three walks with six strikeouts.  For the season he is 2-1, 3.47, 1.09 WHIP with 19 walks and 39 strikeouts in 49.1 innings (10 starts, 1 relief appearance).

Games of July 26

Xavier Avery makes a successful debut with the Red Wings.  Wimmers is a winner for Chattanooga.  Tyler Kuresa drives in some key runs for the Kernels.  Errors sink the E-Twins.

COLUMBUS 5, ROCHESTER 4 IN COLUMBUS

Batting stars:  Reynaldo Rodriguez was 1-for-3 with a home run (his tenth) and a walk.  Xavier Avery, making his debut in the Twins organization, was 2-for-5 with a run and an RBI.  Jorge Polanco was 2-for-4 with a double.

Pitching star:  Aaron Thompson pitched a perfect inning with one strikeout.

Opposition stars:  Michael Martinez was 3-for-3 with two doubles, scoring three times and driving in one.  Tyler Holt was 1-for-3 with two RBIs.  Audy Ciriaco was 1-for-3 with a run and an RBI.

The game:  The Clippers scored two in the third to take a 2-0 lead and never lost the lead.  Rodriguez homered in the fifth to cut the lead to 2-1 and Danny Ortiz had an RBI single in the seventh to cut it to 4-3.  Avery singled in a run in the ninth to make it 5-4 with the tying run on third with two out, but a strikeout ended the game.

Of note:  James Beresford was 2-for-5.  Oswaldo Arcia was 0-for-3 with a run.  Tyler Duffey pitched 6.2 innings, giving up five runs on nine hits and no walks with three strikeouts.

CHATTANOOGA 8, TENNESSEE 0 IN TENNESSEE

Batting stars:  Stuart Turner was 3-for-4 with a two-run homer (his fourth) and a walk, scoring twice.  Adam Brett Walker II was 1-for-3 with a triple and two walks, scoring once.  Shannon Wilkerson was 1-for-4 with a walk, scoring once and driving in one.

Pitching stars:  Alex Wimmers pitched 6.2 scoreless innings, giving up six hits and one walks with three strikeouts.  Tim Shibuya pitched 1.1 scoreless innings, giving up a hit and a walk.  Matt Summers pitched a scoreless inning, giving up one hit.

Opposition stars:  Jacob Rogers was 2-for-4 with a double.  Jeimer Candelario was 2-for-4 with a double.

The game:  Turner hit a two-run homer in the second and Travis Harrison had a two-run single-plus-error in the third to put the Lookouts ahead 4-0.  They scored two more in the sixth on two walks, a single, and two more walks.  They also got single runs in the seventh and eighth.  The Smokies put a man on third in each of the first two innings but did not do so again until the ninth.

Of note:  Kennys Vargas was 0-for-3 with two walks, scoring once and driving in one.

LAKELAND AT FORT MYERS

Rained out.

CEDAR RAPIDS 5, BELOIT 4 IN CEDAR RAPIDS

Batting stars:  Tyler Kuresa was 3-for-4 with a double and a walk, driving in two.  Zack Larson was 1-for-2 with three walks and three runs.  Rafael P. Valera was 2-for-4 with a triple and two RBIs.

Pitching stars:  Luke Westphal struck out five in five innings, giving up two runs on six hits and two walks.  Ethan Mildren pitched three shutout innings, giving up five hits and no walks with one strikeout.

Opposition stars:  Iolana Akau was 3-for-4 with an RBI.  Joe Bennie was 3-for-5.  Max Kuhn was 2-for-5 with a double.

The game:  The Kernels scored single runs in the second and third to go up 2-0, but the Snappers got two in the fourth to tie it 2-2.  Valera tripled in a run in the fourth and Kuresa doubled one home in the sixth to make it 4-2, but three singles, a walk, and a hit batsman plated two Snappers in the ninth to tie it 4-4.  The Kernels opened the bottom of the ninth with two singles, a bunt moved them to second and third, and a walk loaded the bases.  Kuresa then singled to center to win the game.

Of note:  Tanner English was 3-for-5 with a run.  Nick Gordon was 1-for-4 with an RBI.  Edgar Corcino was 0-for-4.

KINGSPORT 8, ELIZABETHTON 4 IN KINGSPORT

Batting stars:  Brad Hartong was 3-for-4 with a triple and an RBI.  Amaurys Minier was 1-for-2 with two walks, scoring once and driving in one.  LaMonte Wade was 1-for-4 with a walk, scoring once and driving in one.

Pitching star:  Josh Guyer struck out two in two innings, giving up an unearned run on one hit.

Opposition stars:  Patrick Mazeika was 2-for-4 with a double, scoring three times and driving in one.  Gregory Valencia was 2-for-4 with a run and three RBIs.  Nabil Crismatt struck out five in five innings, allowing one run on five hits and two walks.

The game:  The Mets scored four in the third and the Twins never got the lead before three after that.  The four-run inning was aided by two wild pitches and an error.

Of note:  Daniel Kihle was 0-for-3 with a walk and two runs.  Chris Paul was 0-for-4.  Dereck Rodriguez pitched four innings, giving up four runs (one earned) on seven hits and a walk with one strikeout.

GCL TWINS

No game scheduled.

DSL TWINS

No game scheduled

TODAY'S TILTS

9:30  DSL Twins at DSL Orioles2
10:00  GCL Twins at GCL Rays
Game 2  GCL Rays at GCL Twins
5:05  Lakeland (Locke St. John, 2-9, 4.85) at Fort Myers (Aaron Slegers, 7-5, 2.88)
Game 2  Lakeland at Fort Myers
6:00  Johnson City at Elizabethton
6:00  Rochester (Pat Dean, 7-8, 3.19) at Toledo (TBA)
Chattanooga--No game scheduled.
Fort Myers--No game scheduled.