Games of May 30

Jason Wheeler had another fine start.  It's well past time for Randy LeBlanc to move up.  Twins affiliates "sweep", although half their teams didn't play.

ROCHESTER 7, INDIANAPOLIS 0 IN INDIANAPOLIS

Wilfredo Tovar's two-run triple capped a four-run seventh that took the score from 3-0 to 7-0.  Jason Wheeler continued his excellent pitching since being called up from Chattanooga, throwing eight shutout innings while giving up just five hits and no walks with five strikeouts.  His ERA drops to 1.54 and his WHIP to 0.96 with 34 strikeouts in 38.2 innings (6 starts).  Jorge Polanco was 3-for-5 with a double and is now batting .316.  Max Kepler returned to the lineup and was 2-for-4 with a walk.  Byron Buxton was 1-for-2 before leaving the game due to his callup to Minnesota and leaves Rochester batting .336/.403/.603.  Hopefully he improved his bunting.  Eddie Rosario was 1-for-5 and is now batting .319.

CHATTANOOGA LOOKOUTS

No game scheduled.

FORT MYERS MIRACLE

No game scheduled.

CEDAR RAPIDS 3, WISCONSIN 2 IN CEDAR RAPID

Monte Harrison hit a two-run homer in the top of the ninth to tie it 2-2.  In the bottom of the ninth, Sean Miller led off with a single and was wild pitched to second.  Following a walk, Miller stole third and came home on another wild pitch to win the game.  Randy LeBlanc pitched eight shutout innings, giving up six hits and no walks with six strikeouts.  His ERA is now 0.74 and his WHIP is 0.82 in 69 innings (9 starts).   He had a fine year at Cedar Rapids last year, too, so it's a complete mystery what the Twins think they need to see before the move him to a higher level.  Also, he's twenty-four years old, so it's not like he's a kid who needs more experience.  Miller led the offense, going 2-for-4 and scoring two of the three runs.  Luis Arraez was 1-for-4 and is now batting .340.  LaMonte Wade was 1-for-2 with a walk and is batting .325.  Nelson Molina was 0-for-3 with a walk and is batting .333.

TODAY'S TILTS

6:05  Rochester (Jose Berrios, 3-1, 1.16) at Indianapolis (Chad Kuhl, 4-1, 1.03)
6:05  St. Lucie (Jose Prevost, 3-5, 4.69) at Fort Myers (Tyler Jay, 3-4, 2.89)
6:30  Cedar Rapids (Sam Clay. 3-2, 2.47) at Beloit (TBA)
7:05  Chattanooga (D. J. Baxendale, 4-5, 3.06) at Birmingham (Tyler Danish, 3-5, 4.08)

Games of May 29

Eddie Rosario stays hot.  So does Luis Arraez.  J. T. Chargois stays unscored upon in AAA.

ROCHESTER 5, CHARLOTTE 3 IN ROCHESTER

RBI singles by Jorge Polanco and Kennys Vargas in the fifth inning put the Red Wings up 4-2 and they never led by less than two the rest of the game.  Andrew Albers struck out five in five innings, giving up two runs on eight hits and two walks.  J. T. Chargois pitched a scoreless inning.  He is now unscored upon in 8.1 AAA innings (8 games), giving up four hits and three walks with sixteen strikeouts.  Eddie Rosario was 3-for-4.  He is 12-for-21 in his last five games, raising his average from .095 to .333.  James Beresford was 3-for-4 and is now batting .306.  Byron Buxton was 0-for-4 with a walk, snapping a seven-game hitting streak (13-for-27), dropping his average to .333, and clearly showing that he needs to stay in Rochester for a couple more months.

TENNESSEE 5, CHATTANOOGA 1 IN CHATTANOOGA

Bijan Rademacher homered in the second to give the Smokies a 1-0 lead and they led the rest of the way.  Mark Zagunis' two-run single in the ninth made it 5-1 and punctuated the win.  Omar Bencomo pitched six innings, allowing three runs on eight hits and one walk with one strikeout.  The Lookouts had only four hits, all singles.  Ryan Walker was 1-for-4 with a walk and is now batting .339.

CHARLOTTE 5, FORT MYERS 1 IN CHARLOTTE

The Stone Crabs scored two in the third to go up 3-0 and were never in danger of losing the lead.  Kohl Stewart pitched six innings, allowing five runs (three earned--the Miracle made three errors) on eight hits and no walks with three strikeouts.  Tanner Witt was 2-for-4 with a double.  Nick Gordon did not play.

CEDAR RAPIDS 9, WISCONSIN 8 IN CEDAR RAPIDS

The Timber Rattlers led by 6-0 and 7-5, but a four-run sixth got the Kernels back in the game and a three-run eighth gave them their first lead at 8-7.  Mitch Ghelfi doubled home a run in the top of the ninth to tie it 8-8, but the Kernels won it in the bottom of the ninth on a single, a walk, and an error.  Luis Arraez stayed hot, going 3-for-4 with a double and a walk to raise his average to .343.  He is batting .419 (18-for-43) in his last ten games.  Kevin Garcia made his Cedar Rapids debut and went 2-for-4 with a double.  Zander Weil hit a three-run homer, his third, in the eighth to give the Kernels a momentary lead.  LaMonte Wade was 1-for-5 and is now batting .323.

TODAY'S TILTS

2:05  Wisconsin (Jake Drossner, 1-5, 5.63) at Cedar Rapids (Randy LeBlanc, 6-2, 0.85)
5:05  Rochester (TBA) at Indianapolis (Frank Duncan, 1-1, 2.65)
Chattanooga Lookouts--No game scheduled.
Fort Myers Miracle--No game scheduled.

Games of May 28

Byron Buxton continues to hit well.  Tommy Milone continues to pitch well.

CHARLOTTE 4, ROCHESTER 3 IN ROCHESTER

Jason Coates' two-run single in the ninth lifted the Knights over the Red Wings.  Tommy Milone again pitched well, striking out seven in 7.2 innings while giving up two runs on four hits and no walks.  Eddie Rosario was 4-for-5 with a double and is 9-for-17 over his last four games, raising his average from .095 to .289.  You have to love small sample sizes.  Byron Buxton was 2-for-4 with a double and is now batting .345.  He did not have a bunt.  James Beresford was 0-for-3 with a walk to drop his average to .296.

CHATTANOOGA 3, TENNESSEE 2 IN CHATTANOOGA

Travis Harrison's two-run double in the eighth turned a 2-1 deficit into a 3-2 lead and an eventual win.  Aaron Slegers has bounced back from a couple of bad outings with a couple of good ones, striking out six in six innings while giving up two runs on five hits and two walks.  Harrison was 2-for-3 with a double and had all three RBIs.  D. J. Hicks was 2-for-3 with a double and a walk.  Ryan Walker was 2-for-3 with a walk and is now batting .345.

CHARLOTTE 9, FORT MYERS 2 IN CHARLOTTE

It was close for seven innings.  Homers by Tanner Witt and Brian Navaretto leading off the fifth cut the Stone Crabs to 3-2 and it stayed there until the eighth, when Charlotte scored six to put the game out of reach.  A Grant Kay three-run homer put the exclamation point on the inning.  Stephen Gonsalves didn't have his best game but still struck out seven in six innings, allowing three runs (two earned) on nine hits and one walk.  His ERA is now 2.01 with a WHIP of 0.99 and he has 50 strikeouts in 53.2 innings.  Alex Real was 2-for-3 and Logan Wade was 2-for-4 with a triple.  Nick Gordon was 0-for-5, dropping his average to .290.  Over his last ten games, he is 7-for-40.

WISCONSIN 2, CEDAR RAPIDS 1 IN CEDAR RAPIDS (11 INNINGS)

With men on first and third and none out, a sacrifice fly double play brought home the go-ahead and eventual winning run for the Timber Rattlers.  The Kernels had scored on an ordinary sacrifice fly in the ninth to tie it 1-1.  Miles Nordgren struck out twelve in seven shutout innings, giving up one run on four hits and no walks.  J. J. Fernandez was 2-for-4 with a triple and a double.  Luis Arraez was 2-for-4 with a walk and is now batting .331.  LaMonte Wade was 1-for-4 with a walk and is now batting .327.

Games of May 27

A complete game shutout for Logan Darnell.  A big day for Zach Granite.  The Miracle loses on a walkoff passed ball.  A big inning sinks the Kernels.

ROCHESTER 5, CHARLOTTE 0 IN ROCHESTER

The Red Wings scored single runs in the second and fifth, then had three doubles in a three-run sixth that put the game out of reach.  Logan Darnell pitched a complete game shutout, allowing five hits and one walk with four strikeouts.  He threw 109 pitches.  Wilfredo Tovar was the only Rochester player with more than one hit, going 2-for-4.  Byron Buxton was 1-for-3 with a double and a walk and is now batting .340.  James Beresford was 1-for-3 with a walk and got his average back over .300 at .301.

CHATTANOOGA 6, TENNESSEE 5 IN CHATTANOOGA (11 INNINGS)

The Lookouts lost leads of 4-1 and 5-4, but Travis Harrison delivered a two-out RBI single to give Chattanooga the victory.  David Hurlbut continues to struggle, going only five innings and giving up four runs on nine hits and two walks with one strikeout.  Trevor Hildenberger pitched a perfect inning, dropping his ERA to 1.29 and his WHIP to 0.86 in 14 AA innings (10 games).  Luke Westphal struck out five in two shutout innings.  He now has 18 strikeouts in 12 AA innings (8 games).  Zach Granite was 4-for-6.  Mitch Garver was 3-for-5 with a double.  Daniel Palka hit a grand slam, his seventh homer of the season.

CHARLOTTE 3, FORT MYERS 2 IN CHARLOTTE

Fort Myers took a 2-0 lead in the second but could do no more and lost in the bottom of the ninth on a walkoff passed ball.  A walk, a single, and an error preceded the passed ball.  Kyle Gibson made his second rehab start and struck out six in five innings while allowing one run on six hits and no walks.  Edgar Corcino and Alex Real each went 2-for-4.  Max Murphy had a double in his only at-bat, raising his average to .309, but then was replaced, presumably due to injury.  Nick Gordon was 0-for-4 and saw his average drop below .300 to .299.

WISCONSIN 8, CEDAR RAPIDS 3 IN CEDAR RAPIDS

The Timber Rattlers took a 7-0 lead with a six-run fourth and the game was not close after that.  Four of the six runs scored after two were out.  Dereck Rodriguez did what he always does, pitch well until hitting a wall.  He went 3.2 innings and allowed seven runs on six hits and three walks with five strikeouts.  We don't claim scouting expertise, but he certainly looks like someone who ought to be pitching out of the bullpen.  Sean Miller was 2-for-4 with a double.  Luis Arraez was 2-for-5 with a triple and is now batting .326.  Nelson Molina was 1-for-3 with a double and is now batting .356.  LaMonte Wade was 0-for-4 and saw his average fall to .329.

TODAY'S TILTS

5:05  Fort Myers (Randy Rosario, 2-4, 3.53) at Charlotte (Chris Pike, 1-5, 3.71)
6:05  Charlotte (TBA) at Rochester (Tommy Milone, 2-0, 2.18)
6:15  Tennessee (Tyler Skulina, 2-2, 4.14) at Chattanooga (Aaron Slegers, 2-4, 4.21)
6:35  Wisconsin (Jordan Yamamoto, 1-2, 2.87) at Cedar Rapids (Miles Nordgren, 2-1, 2.87)

Games of May 26

Byron Buxton continues to dominate at Rochester.  A Lookouts comeback falls short.  A big inning carries Fort Myers.  The Kernels cruise to an easy win.

INDIANAPOLIS 5, ROCHESTER 2 IN ROCHESTER

The Indians scored two in the first, aided by two errors, and never trailed on their way to victory.  Jose Berrios apparently did not have his best stuff, as he pitched six innings and gave up four runs (two earned) on seven hits and two walks with one strikeout.  His ERA ballooned to 1.61.  Byron Buxton was 2-for-4 with a home run (his sixth) and a triple, raising his average to .340.  He apparently did not attempt any bunts.  Eddie Rosario was 2-for-4 with a double.  James Beresford did not play.

TENNESSEE 7, CHATTANOOGA 6 IN CHATTANOOGA

The Lookouts led 2-0, fell behind 5-2 and 7-4, then had a ninth inning comeback fall just short.  They scored two in the ninth and had the tying run on base with two out, but the game ended with Leonardo Reginatto caught trying to steal second.  He's not really a base stealer--51 steals in a minor league career that spans more than seven years--so the strategy there is somewhat unclear.  Reginatto was 3-for-5 with a double to lead the offense.  Daniel Palka and Mitch Garver each went 3-for-5 as well.  Ryan Walker was 0-for-4 with a walk and is now batting .327.  Zach Granite was 1-for-5 with a home run.  Nick Greenwood got through six innings but gave up five runs on twelve hits and a walk with two strikeouts.

FORT MYERS 6, PALM BEACH 2 IN FORT MYERS

The Miracle scored on a double play in the second and that was all the scoring until the eighth, when Fort Myers scored five times to put the game out of reach.  The Miracle opened the eighth with three walks and followed with four singles.  Felix Jorge pitched well again, going seven shutout innings while allowing five hits and two walks with five strikeouts.  His ERA drops to 1.73 with a WHIP of 0.96 in 52 innings (8 starts).  Edgar Corcino was 2-for-3 with a double and a walk.  Max Murphy was 2-for-4 to raise his average to .301.  Nick Gordon was 1-for-3 with a double and two walks and is now batting .307.

CEDAR RAPIDS 12, BURLINGTON 2 IN BURLINGTON

The Kernels scored four in the second and four more in the third on their way to an easy win.  Daniel Kihle was 3-for-5 with a double.  Jermaine Palacios was 2-for-6 with a home run and a double.  LaMonte Wade was 1-for-3 with three walks and is now batting .338.  Luis Arraez was 2-for-5 and is batting .323.  Fernando Romero again pitched well, striking out five in five innings while allowing one run on two hits and two walks.

TODAY'S TILTS

5:35  Fort Myers (Kyle Gibson, 0-0, 0.00) at Charlotte (TBA)
6:05  Charlotte (TBA) at Rochester (Logan Darnell, 4-4, 4.47)
6:15  Tennessee (Paul Blackburn, 3-1, 0.96) at Chattanooga (David Hurlbut, 2-3, 4.66)
6:35  Wisconsin (David Burkhalter, 2-2, 2.04) at Cedar Rapids (Dereck Rodriguez, 1-5, 5.59)

Games of May 25

The Red Wings hold on as Byron Buxton continues to dominate at AAA.  Three triples lead the Lookouts to a win.  A wild finish dooms the Miracle.  A rare bad game for Sam Clay.

ROCHESTER 9, INDIANAPOLIS 8 IN ROCHESTER

The Red Wings scored five in the first, led 7-0 after two, and were still ahead 9-3 after eight before withstanding a five-run Indians ninth.  Indianapolis had the tying run on third and the go-ahead run on first when J. T. Chargois got Gift Ngoepe to ground out to end the game.  Byron Buxton was 3-for-4 with a home run (his fifth), a double, and a walk to raise his average to .333.  No word on how his bunting is coming along.  Tommy Field was 2-for-3 with a home run (his third) and Adam Brett Walker II was 1-for-4 with a home run, his tenth.  James Beresford was 1-for-5 and is now batting .301.  Jason Wheeler had another solid game, going six innings and giving up two runs on five his and a walk with three strikeouts.  His ERA is now 1.86 with a WHIP of 0.96.  He has 56 strikeouts in 62.2 innings (10 starts).  Max Kepler is, indeed, on the disabled list with a strained left groin.

CHATTANOOGA 6, TENNESSEE 2 IN CHATTANOOGA

Back-to-back triples led to a three-run third and another triple capped a two-run sixth to carry the Lookouts to victory.  T. J. White and Zach Granite had the third-inning triples and Daniel Palka had the one in the sixth.  Ryan Walker was 2-for-4 and is now batting .353.  D. J. Baxendale pitched 6.2 innings, allowing two runs on four hits and no walks with one strikeout.  Trevor Hildenberger struck out three in two shutout innings of relief.  He now has an ERA of 1.38 and a WHIP of 0.85 with 14 strikeouts in 13 innings (9 games) since joining Chattanooga.

PALM BEACH 10, FORT MYERS 4 IN FORT MYERS (10 INNINGS)

It was 2-2 after eight.  A walk and two doubles put the Cardinals up 4-2 in the top of the ninth, but Nick Gordon had an RBI triple and scored on a Max Murphy single to tie it 4-4 after nine.  Palm Beach then scored six times in the tenth, helped by three walks and an error.  Keaton Steele pitched five innings, giving up one run on six hits and four walks with four strikeouts.  He threw 106 pitches in those five innings.  Murphy and Brian Navaretto each went 3-for-5.  Edgar Corcino was 2-for-5 with a home run, his fourth.  Gordon was 1-for-3 with two walks and is batting .307.

BURLINGTON 7, CEDAR RAPIDS 6 IN BURLINGTON

The Bees scored five in the second to take a 6-1 lead and held on to win.  A two-run Kernels sixth made it 7-6 but they never got a man past first after that.  Sam Clay had his first bad game of the season, lasting only 2.2 innings and allowing seven runs on six hits and five walks with one strikeout.  Kuo Hua Lo struck out six in 3.1 scoreless innings of relief, lowering his ERA to 1.00 with 18 strikeouts (and 16 walks) in 18 innings (9 games).  Williams Ramirez pitched two perfect innings and is now unscored upon in 5.2 innings (3 games), giving up no hits and two walks.  LaMonte Wade led the offense, going 3-for-5 with a home run (his fourth) to raise his average to .338.  Brad Hartong was 2-for-4 with a triple.

TODAY'S TILTS

10:05  Indianapolis (Chad Kuhl, 3-1, 0.99) at Rochester (Jose Berrios, 3-0, 1.23)
6:05  Palm Beach (Austin Gomber, 4-2, 2.64) at Fort Myers (Felix Jorge, 2-3, 2.00)
6:15  Tennessee (Duane Underwood, Jr., 0-1, 4.91) at Chattanooga (Nick Greenwood, 2-0, 3.60)
6:30  Cedar Rapids (Fernando Romero, 1-0, 0.00) at Burlington (Ronnie Glenn, 1-3, 4.50)

Games of May 24

Again the only good news is from Cedar Rapids.  Sean Burnett makes a successful debut in the Twins organization.  Randy LeBlanc continues to dominate the Midwest League.

INDIANAPOLIS 4, ROCHESTER 3 IN ROCHESTER

A two-run fourth put the Indians ahead 3-1.  It was 4-2 going into the ninth when Kennys Vargas homered and Buck Britton had a two-out double, but Adam Brett Walker II popped up to end the game.  Andrew Albers pitched 5.1 innings, giving up three runs on four hits and three walks with three strikeouts.  New acquisition Sean Burnett pitched two shutout innings of relief.  James Beresford went 2-for-4 to get his average over .300 at .304.  Vargas went 1-for-2 with two walks in addition the home run, which was his seventh.  Byron Buxton was 1-for-3 with a home run (his fourth) and a walk and is now batting .316.  Max Kepler did not play--we saw a report that he went on the disabled list with a left groin strain, but this has not appeared on the International League's transactions list at this writing.

CHATTANOOGA LOOKOUTS

No game scheduled.

PALM BEACH 3, FORT MYERS 1 IN FORT MYERS

The Miracle again scored all their runs in the first inning, but this time it was only one.  The Cardinals scored two in the fourth to take a lead they would not lose.  The Miracle had eight hits but stranded eleven and went 0-for-9 with men in scoring position.  Tyler Jay pitched well, striking out eight in five innings while allowing two runs on six hits and a walk.  He did throw 96 pitches in those five innings.  Chris Paul was 3-for-5.  Nick Gordon was 1-for-4 and is now batting .306.

CEDAR RAPIDS 4, BURLINGTON 1 IN BURLINGTON

The Kernels had three doubles and a triple in a three-run second and Randy LeBlanc took it from there.  LeBlanc allowed a run, the first time in over a month that he had done that, but it was only one on three hits and a walk with three strikeouts in seven innings.  He is now 6-2 with an ERA of 0.85 and a WHIP of 0.83 in 53 innings (8 starts)--one wonders how much more domination the Twins need to see.  Nelson Molina was 2-for-3 with a double and a walk and is now batting .357.  Brian Olson was 2-for-4 with a double and is batting .350, although in just twenty at-bats.  Luis Arraez was 1-for-5 with a double and is batting .320.  LaMonte Wade did not play.

TODAY'S TILTS

6:05  Indianapolis (Kyle Lobstein, 0-0, 0.00) at Rochester (Jason Wheeler, 2-1, 1.65)
6:05  Palm Beach (Ian McKinney, 3-3, 2.94) at Fort Myers (Keaton Steele, 1-4, 4.31)
6:15  Tennessee (Stephen Perakslis, 0-0, 9.00) at Chattanooga (D. J. Baxendale, 3-5, 3.11)
6:30  Cedar Rapids (Sam Clay, 3-1, 1.10) at Burlington (Jared Ruxer, 2-1, 0.74)

Games of May 23

The Lookouts don't score at all.  The Miracle doesn't score after the first inning.  Zander Weil comes through with a walkoff for Cedar Rapids.

ROCHESTER RED WINGS

No game scheduled.

JACKSON 7, CHATTANOOGA 0 IN JACKSON

Already leading 2-0, the Generals scored five in the sixth to put the game out of reach.  Omar Bencomo, who began the season as a starter, went to the bullpen, and now was put back into a starting role, struck out six in four innings, giving up two runs on four hits and a walk.  The big inning came off Corey Williams and Luke Bard.  Zach Granite was 2-for-4.  The Lookouts had only six hits, all singles, and had only three at-bats with men in scoring position, going 0-for-3.

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

The Miracle scored five in the first on four hits and two walks.  They had three hits and one walk the rest of the game while the Yankees came back to win.  Jake Skole's homer leading off the tenth provided the go-ahead run.  Kohl Stewart had a rare bad game, walking six in five innings while giving up four runs and four hits with four strikeouts.  Kevin Garcia was 2-for-2 with a walk.  Alex Real was 2-for-4.  Nick Gordon was 1-for-5 and is now batting .308.

CEDAR RAPIDS 5, QUAD CITIES 4 IN CEDAR RAPIDS

The Kernels also lost a big lead, going from 4-0 after four to 4-4 after six, but Zander Weil homered with two out in ninth for a walkoff win.  Cody Stashak struck out seven in five innings, allowing two runs on seven hits and no walks.  Nick Anderson struck out two in two perfect innings of relief and is 4-0 out of the bullpen with a 0.90 ERA, a 0.45 WHIP, and 28 strikeouts in 20 innings (12 games).  Weil was 3-for-5 and also had a double; the home run was his second.  LaMonte Wade was 1-for-2 with a home run (his third) and three walks, raising his average to .328.  Luis Arraez is right behind him, going 1-for-4 to make his average .325.

TODAY'S TILTS

6:05  Indianapolis (Frank Duncan, 0-1, 2.38 at Rochester (TBA)
6:05  Palm Beach (Matt Pearce, 4-1, 2.18) at Fort Myers (Tyler Jay, 3-3, 2.79)
6:30  Cedar Rapids (Randy LeBlanc, 5-2, 0.78) at Burlington (Jaime Barria, 4-2, 3.55)
Chattanooga Lookouts--No game scheduled.

Games of May 22

The Red Wings have a Field day.  The eleventh inning is unkind to the Lookouts and the Miracle.  Kyle Gibson looks good in his first rehab start.  An easy win for the Kernels.

ROCHESTER 3, DURHAM 2 IN DURHAM

The Red Wings scored two in the ninth, with Tommy Field's RBI single driving in the winning run, to overcome a 2-1 deficit.  Tommy Milone struck out eight in eight innings, allowing two runs on six hits and no walks.  Byron Buxton was 2-for-5 with a double and is now batting .315.  Field was also 2-for-4.

JACKSON 4, CHATTANOOGA 3 IN JACKSON (11 INNINGS)

Tim Lopes delivered a one-out RBI single to drive in the winning run.  The Lookouts got all three runs in the first inning.  Aaron Slegers struck out eight in six innings, giving up three runs (two earned) on five hits and four walks.  Jake Reed struck out five in three shutout innings of relief.  D. J. Hicks was 2-for-4 with two doubles.  Ryan Walker was 2-for-4 and is now batting .340.

TAMPA 4, FORT MYERS 2 IN FORT MYERS (11 INNINGS)

The Yankees put together four singles, three with two out, to score twice in the eleventh and get the win.  The Miracle had put the winning run on second with no one out in the tenth and eventually loaded the bases, but could not score.  Kyle Gibson looked good in his first rehab start, going 4.1 scoreless innings and giving up three hits and a walk with two strikeouts.  He threw fifty-six pitches.  Edgar Corcino was 3-for-4 with a home run, his third.  Eduardo Escobar, on a rehab assignment, was 0-for-3 with a walk and is 4-for-11 in Fort Myers.  Max Murphy was 1-for-5 and is now batting .303.  Nick Gordon came in as a pinch-hitter in the ninth and went 1-for-2, raising his average to .312.

CEDAR RAPIDS 8, QUAD CITIES 1 IN CEDAR RAPIDS

The Kernels took a 2-1 lead in the first and never looked back.  They never scored more than two in an inning, but they had three two-run innings and two one-run innings.  Miles Nordgren had his longest outing of the season, going seven innings and giving up one run on eight hits and one walk with four strikeouts.  MIchael Theofanopoulos pitched two perfect innings of relief.  Nelson Molina was 3-for-4 and is now batting .320 in fifty at-bats.  Zander Weil was 2-for-4 with a home run and a double.  Luis Arraez was 2-for-5 with a double to raise his average to .328.  LaMonte Wade was 0-for-4 with a walk and is now batting .326.  The win, combined with a Clinton loss, moved the Kernels into first place by a game in the Midwest League Western Division.

TODAY'S TILTS

9:35  Tampa (Ian Clarkin, 3-4, 3.43) at Fort Myers (Kohl Stewart, 3-1, 1.77)
12:05  Quad Cities (Chris Murphy, 3-3, 3.62) at Cedar Rapids (Cody Stashak, 2-3, 2.41)
7:05  Chattanooga (Ryan Eades, 2-2, 4.93) at Jackson (TBA)
Rochester Red Wings--no game scheduled

Games of May 21

Three home runs for Adam Brett Walker II!  A Miracle comeback for Fort Myers!  A big day for Eduardo Escobar on a rehab assignment!

ROCHESTER 12, DURHAM 2 IN DURHAM

Adam Brett Walker II hit a two-run homer in a four-run fourth that put the Red Wings up 7-1.  It was the second of three home runs for Walker II, which he hit in his first three at-bats.  He went 3-for-5 and now has nine home runs.  Jose Berrios struck out eight but walked five in five innings, allowing one run on three hits and throwing 104 pitches.  Byron Buxton returned to the lineup and went 2-for-5 with a walk, making his average .307.  James Beresford went 1-for-5 and is now batting .300.

JACKSON 5, CHATTANOOGA 2 IN JACKSON

The Jackson 5 was not a good sound for the Lookouts, as a five-run seventh for the Generals overcame Chattanooga's 2-0 lead.  Jackson had two doubles and three singles in the inning, which also featured a costly error.  David Hurlbut had thrown six shutout innings, but his final line is six innings, four runs (one earned), ten hits, one walk, and four strikeouts.  Travis Harrison was 2-for-4 to lead the offense.

FORT MYERS 9, TAMPA 8 IN FORT MYERS

An RBI single by Logan Wade with two out in the ninth capped a four-run inning that gave Fort Myers a Miracle win.  They had two walks and four singles in the inning.  Stephen Gonsalves struck out five in five innings but allowed four runs on four hits and three walks (the Fort Myers announcer indicated that the plate umpire was squeezing him).  Eduardo Escobar went 3-for-5 in the second game of his rehab assignment.  Chris Paul was 3-for-5.  Alex Real was 2-for-4 with a home run (his fifth), a double, and a walk.  Max Murphy was 2-for-5 and is batting .310.  Nick Gordon was 0-for-5 and is batting .309.

QUAD CITIES 10, CEDAR RAPIDS 4 IN CEDAR RAPIDS

Pat Porter's three-run homer was the key blow in a six-run sixth that overcame the Kernels' 2-0 lead.  Dereck Rodriguez once again had a game in which he was pitching very well early and then suddenly lost it--one wonders if he wouldn't be better suited for the bullpen.  He had thrown five shutout innings, but his line is 5.1 innings, six runs (four earned), eight hits, two walks, and six strikeouts.  Williams Ramirez pitched 1.2 scoreless innings and remains unscored upon since joining the Kernels (3.2 innings).  Sean Miller was 4-for-4 with a double to lead the batters.  LaMonte Wade was 2-for-3 with two walks, raising his average to .336.  Luis Arraez was 1-for-4 with a walk and is batting .324.  Daniel Kihle was 1-for-5 to make his average .304.

TODAY'S TILTS

2:05  Chattanooga (Aaron Slegers, 2-4, 4.37) at Jackson (Sam Gaviglio, 2-2, 4.68)
2:05  Quad Cities (Yoanys Quiala, 0-0, 5.63) at Cedar Rapids (Miles Nordgren, 1-1, 3.33)
3:05  Tampa (Vicente Campos, 4-2, 4.11) at Fort Myers (Kyle Gibson, no record)
4:05  Rochester (Tommy Milone, 1-0, 2.13) at Durham (Austin Pruitt, 3-2, 2.68)

Games of May 20

Fernando Romero is perfect in his 2016 debut.  A second good game for Nick Greenwood.  A big day for Daniel Kihle.

DURHAM 4, ROCHESTER 1 IN DURHAM

The Bulls broke a scoreless tie with two in the fifth and two in the sixth.  The Red Wings did not get on the board until the ninth and did not bring the tying run up to bat.  Logan Darnell pitched well for four innings but ended with a line of 5.1 innings, four runs, ten hits, no walks, and two strikeouts.  Kennys Vargas was 1-for-4 with a double and now has a seven-game hitting streak.  James Beresford was 1-for-3 with a walk and is batting .303.

CHATTANOOGA 3, JACKSON 2 IN JACKSON

The Lookouts took a 3-0 lead in the sixth and held on for the win.  The Generals got two in the bottom of the sixth and put two on in the seventh but did not get a hit after that.  Nick Greenwood had his second straight good game, going seven innings and giving up two runs on six hits and a walk with three strikeouts.  D. J. Hicks was 2-for-4 with a home run, his fourth.  Zach Granite was 2-for-4.  Ryan Walker was 0-for-3 and is now batting .326.

TAMPA 8, FORT MYERS 2 IN FORT MYERS

A five-run fifth gave the Yankees a 6-0 lead and it was not close after that.  Four of the runs were unearned.  Randy Rosario pitched 4.2 innings, allowing six runs (two earned) on seven hits and four walks with four strikeouts.  John Curtiss pitched 2.1 perfect innings of relief.  Max Murphy led the offense, going 2-for-3 with a walk to raise his average to .303.  Nick Gordon was 0-for-4 and is now batting .321.  Eduardo Escobar, on a rehab assignment, was 1-for-3 with a triple.

CEDAR RAPIDS 9, QUAD CITIES 0 IN CEDAR RAPIDS

The Kernels scored five runs in the first two innings and the pitching took it from there.  Fernando Romero made his 2016 debut after missing all of 2015 and he made the most of it, throwing five perfect innings with four strikeouts.  Anthony McIver came in and kept the perfect game going through 6.1, but an Osvaldo Duarte single broke it in the seventh.  McIver pitched three shutout innings of relief, giving up two hits.  Zander Weil went 3-for-5.  LaMonte Wade was 2-for-5 and is batting .328.  Luis Arraez is right behind him, going 2-for-3 with a double and two walks to raise his average to .327.  Daniel Kihle was 2-for-4 with two home runs and six RBIs and is now batting .317.

TODAY'S TILTS

5:05  Tampa (Will Carter, 0-0, 6.23) at Fort Myers (Stephen Gonsalves, 5-1, 1.27)
5:35  Rochester (Jose Berrios, 2-0, 1.06) at Durham (Jaime Schultz, 3-1, 2.44)
6:05  Chattanooga (David Hurlbut, 2-2, 5.10) at Jackson (Jordan Pries, 1-2, 11.48)
6:35  Quad Cities (Jose Hernandez, 0-2, 5.00) at Cedar Rapids (Dereck Rodriguez, 1-4, 5.74)

Games of May 19

Jason Wheeler and Max Kepler lead the Red Wings to victory.  Trey Vavra homers in the twelfth to provide a Miracle win.  A walkoff wild pitch makes the difference for the Kernels as Sam Clay continues to pitch well.

ROCHESTER 6, DURHAM 3 IN DURHAM

Max Kepler had an RBI single and scored on a Kennys Vargas single, putting the Red Wings up 2-0 and giving them a lead they would not lose.  They eventually went up 6-0 before giving up three in the eighth.  Jason Wheeler continues to pitch well, going 6.2 scoreless innings while giving up four hits and a walk with six strikeouts.  He now has a 1.65 ERA and a 0.95 WHIP with 31 strikeouts in 32.2 AAA innings (5 starts).  J. T. Chargois pitched 1.1 scoreless innings and is now unscored upon in four AAA appearances (5.2 innings).  Kepler was a single short of a cycle, going 3-for-5 with a home run, a triple, and a double.  Adam Brett Walker II was 2-for-4 with two home runs, his fifth and sixth.  James Beresford was 0-for-4 with a walk and is now batting .303.  Byron Buxton remains out of the lineup with back issues.

JACKSON 3, CHATTANOOGA 2 IN JACKSON

Tyler O'Neill's two-run double capped a three-run fifth that put Jackson up 3-2.  The Lookouts got only one baserunner after that, as their last eleven batters were retired.  D. J. Baxendale had been in control for four innings, but his line is five innings, three runs, six hits, and two walks with three strikeouts.  D. J. Hicks was 2-for-4.  Ryan Walker was 1-for-4 and is now batting .350 in 40 AA at-bats.

FORT MYERS 5, DUNEDIN 4 IN DUNEDIN (12 INNINGS)

Alex Real homered in the eighth to tie it 4-4 and Trey Vavra homered leading off the twelfth to give the Miracle a victory.  Felix Jorge had his worst outing of the year, but it wasn't all that bad:  five innings, four runs (two earned), eight hits, one walk, four strikeouts.  Four relievers combined to throw seven shutout innings.  Chris Paul was 3-for-4 with two doubles and two walks.  Nick Gordon was 2-for-5 with a walk and is now batting .331.  Real's homer was his third and Vavra's was his fifth.

CEDAR RAPIDS 2, BELOIT 1 IN CEDAR RAPIDS (11 INNINGS)

A walkoff wild pitch gave the Kernels the win.  The winning run had gotten on base with a walk, took second on an error, and went to third on a ground out.  Sam Clay had another fine game, striking out seven in seven innings and giving up one run on three hits and three walks.  His ERA is 1.10, his WHIP is 1.17, and he has 46 strikeouts (with 18 walks) in 41 innings.  Luis Arraez went 2-for-4 to raise his average to .317.  LaMonte Wade was 1-for-5 and is now batting .325.

TODAY'S TILTS

6:05  Rochester (Logan Darnell, 4-3, 4.17) at Durham (Blake Snell, 1-3, 3.86)
6:05  Tampa (Josh Rogers, 0-2, 5.63) at Fort Myers (Randy Rosario, 2-3, 3.48)
6:35  Quad Cities (Albert Abreu, 0-4, 4.94) at Cedar Rapids (TBA)
7:05  Chattanooga (Nick Greenwood, 1-0, 4.15) at Jackson (Dylan Unsworth, 3-0, 1.08)