Games of August 30

The Red Wings and GCL Twins keep their playoff hopes alive.  If games were eight innings, we'd have had two more wins.

ROCHESTER 5, SYRACUSE 1 IN ROCHESTER

John Ryan Murphy broke a scoreless tie with a two-run homer in the fifth and the Red Wings led the rest of the way.  Starter David Hurlbut pitched two shutout innings but then left the game due to injury.  Omar Bencomo came in and struck out seven in 4.2 innings, giving up one run on three hits and a walk.  Daniel Palka was 2-for-4 with a home run, his thirteenth.  James Beresford was 2-for-4.  Murphy's homer was his third.  Adam Brett Walker II hit a home run, his twenty-seventh.  Byron Buxton was 0-for-4 and is batting .309.  Mitch Garver was 0-for-2 with a walk and is batting .306.  Rochester remains 3.5 games out of the wild card spot.  Their elimination number is four.

MISSISSIPPI 6, CHATTANOOGA 3 IN CHATTANOOGA

Zach Granite singled in a run in the seventh to put the Lookouts up 3-2, but Ozzie Albies tied it with a home run leading off the ninth and the Braves went on to score three more times in the ninth to win the game.  Ryan Eades struck out seven in six innings, giving up two runs on seven hits and two walks.  Tanner Witt was 3-for-4 with a double.  Granite was 2-for-4 and is batting .303.  Edgar Corcino was also 2-for-4.  Montgomery continues to lead Jackson by a half game, with Chattanooga three games back.  If Jackson would overtake Montgomery, the Lookouts would be only one game behind the Biscuits in the overall standings.

FORT MYERS AT PALM BEACH

Rained out.  Will be made up as part of a doubleheader today.  The Miracle is three games behind St.  Lucie and their elimination number is four.

CEDAR RAPIDS KERNELS

No game scheduled.  The Kernels have clinched a playoff spot and are three games behind Clinton in the division.

GREENEVILLE 10, ELIZABETHTON 8 IN ELIZABETHTON

The Astros led 2-1 after seven.  The Twins scored three in the eighth to go up 4-2, the Astros scored seven in the ninth to take a 10-4 lead, and the Twins got four in the bottom of the ninth and had the tying run up to bat before falling.  Alex Schick struck out five in 5.2 innings, giving up two runs on four hits and no walks.  Patrick McGuff, who had allowed only four earned runs all season, gave up four in two-thirds of an inning.  Caleb Hamilton was 2-for-5 with a grand slam, his second homer.  Lewin Diaz was 0-for-5 and is batting .310.  Elizabethton has clinched a playoff spot and is two games behind Johnson City in the division race.

GCL TWINS 7, GCL RAYS 4 AT TWINS

The Twins went up 4-0 in the second, had their lead cut to 4-3, but scored three more in the seventh to secure the win.  Bo Hellquist struck out six in 5.1 innings, allowing three runs on five hits and no walks.  Kidany Salva was 3-for-5.  Lean Marrero was 2-for-4 with a double.  Gorge Munoz was 2-for-5 with a home run, his second.  Justin Hazard was also 2-for-5 with a home run.  Aaron Whitefield was 2-for-5 and is batting .311.  The win moved the Twins into a tie with the Red Sox with two games to play.  GCL playoff procedures say that, if there's a tie for first, "The two teams will meet in a one game sudden death playoff to determine the division winner. A coin toss will decide the home team."  We assume "one game sudden death playoff" does not mean that the first team to score wins, although that would be kind of cool and would certainly negate home field advantage.

TODAY'S TILTS

11:00  GCL Rays at GCL Twins
1:15  Mississippi (Lucas Sims, 4-4, 2.52) at Chattanooga (Felix Jorge, 2-4, 4.17)
4:00  Fort Myers (Miles Nordgren, 1-4, 5.08) at Palm Beach (Sandy Alcantara, 0-3, 4.26)
Game 2  Fort Myers at Palm Beach
6:00  Greeneville (Juan Robles, 0-0, 0.00) at Elizabethton (Domenick Carlini, 1-6, 4.37)
6:05  Syracuse (Austin Voth, 7-8, 3.37) at Rochester (Jose Berrios, 10-5, 2.44)
7:05  Cedar Rapids (Sean Poppen, 0-0, 1.00) at Wisconsin (Conor Harber, 3-3, 3.31)

Games of August 29

Tyler Duffey throws six no-hit innings.  Randy LeBlanc goes seven shutout innings.  The Kernels clinch a playoff spot!

ROCHESTER 6, SCRANTON/WILKES-BARRE 2 IN ROCHESTER

The Red Wings built a 6-0 lead by scoring two in the second and four in the third.  Tyler Duffey pitched six no-hit innings before weakening in the seventh.  His line was seven innings, two runs, two hits, three walks, and five strikeouts.  Buddy Boshers and Jake Reed each pitched a scoreless inning.  Their ERAs are 1.11 and 1.13, respectively.  James Beresford was 4-for-4 with a walk.  John Ryan Murphy and Heiker Meneses was 2-for-4.  Mitch Garver was 0-for-3 and is batting .317.  Byron Buxton was 0-for-4 with a walk and is batting .315.  Rochester is 3.5 games out of the wild card spot and their elimination number is five.

CHATTANOOGA 13, MISSISSIPPI 0 IN CHATTANOOGA

The Lookouts got five in the first, four in the seventh, and four in the eighth.  Randy LeBlanc made a strong AA debut, pitching seven shutout innings while giving up just five hits and two walks with five strikeouts.  Randy Rosario bounced back from a terrible AA debut to strike out three in two perfect innings.  Niko Goodrum was 4-for-5 with a home run (his fifth) and a double.  D. J. Hicks was 2-for-4 with a walk.  T. J. White was 2-for-4 with a double.  Zach Granite was 1-for-5 and is batting .302.  The Lookouts playoff position, however, has changed for the worse.  It had looked like Jackson would win both halves, in which case the second playoff spot would go to the team with the best overall record.  Now, however, Montgomery has taken a half-game lead over Jackson in the second half, with Chattanooga two games back.  They are tied in overall record, but if Montgomery remains in first place in the second half, the Lookouts will be out, looking.

PALM BEACH 5, FORT MYERS 3 IN PALM BEACH

The Miracle led 3-2 after five, but the Cardinals scored three in the sixth to go ahead to stay.  Fort Myers went with a bullpen game, with Luke Westphal going three innings in his first start of the season.  He allowed two runs on four hits and two walks and two strikeouts.  Nick Gordon had half of the Miracle hits, going 5-for-5 with a triple, but it wasn't enough.  The loss drops Fort Myers to three games back and their elimination number is four.

CEDAR RAPIDS 6, CLINTON 1 IN CLINTON

The Kernels scored three in the first and never trailed as they picked up their eighth straight win and clinched a playoff spot.  Eduardo Del Rosario gave up a run in the first but no more, striking out seven in 5.2 innings while allowing three hits and three walks.  Jaylin Davis was 2-for-4 with a home run, his eighth.  Brandon Lopez was 2-for-5 with a double.  Luis Arraez was 1-for-5 and is batting .346.  Travis Blankenhorn was 1-for-5 and is batting .320.  Nelson Molina was 0-for-3 with two walks and is batting .308.  Who Cedar Rapids will play in the first round of the playoffs has not yet been determined.  There is also still a slight chance that the Kernels could win their division, as they are three games behind Clinton.

GREENEVILLE 2, ELIZABETHTON 1 IN GREENEVILLE

Jonathan Matute's RBI single in the fifth broke a 1-1 tie.  Clark Beeker pitched well, striking out six in 6.1 innings while giving up two runs on four hits and a walk.  The Twins drew seven walks but could not take advantage of them because they had only two hits, both singles.  Elizabethton has clinched a playoff spot and trails Johnson City by two games for first place in the division.

GCL RAYS 3, GCL TWINS 2 AT TWINS

Joey Roach's RBI single in the seventh put the Rays up 3-2.  Tyler Fox pitched six innings, giving up one run on five hits and no walks with four strikeouts.  The Twins did not get a hit until the fifth, when they scored both of their runs.  Aaron Whitefield was 1-for-4 and is batting .309.  The GCL Twins remain a game behind the Red Sox.  Their elimination number is three.

TODAY'S TILTS

11:00  GCL Twins at GCL Rays
5:30  Fort Myers (Miles Nordgren, 1-4, 5.08) at Palm Beach (Sandy Alcantara, 0-3, 4.26)
6:00  Greeneville (Cristian Javier, 1-1, 1.74) at Elizabethton (Alex Schick, 5-2, 5.53)
6:05  Syracuse (Paolo Espino, 7-11, 3.48) at Rochester (David Hurlbut, 0-1, 2.70)
6:15  Mississippi (Max Povse, 4-0, 2.47) at Chattanooga (Ryan Eades, 6-5, 4.44)

Games of August 27-28

The E-Twins are in the playoffs!

GAMES OF AUGUST 27

ROCHESTER 5, SCRANTON/WILKES-BARRE 4 IN SCRANTON (11 INNINGS)

The Red Wings lost a 4-0 lead but pulled it out in the eleventh on a walk, a single, a wild pitch, an intentional walk, and an accidental walk.  Nick Greenwood had a no-hitter for 6.2 innings before giving up a double and a two-run homer.  His line is seven innings, two runs, two hits, two walks, and four strikeouts.  Jake Reed pitched two shutout innings to drop his ERA to 1.29.  Adam Brett Walker II was 2-for-4.  Byron Buxton was 2-for-6 with a home run (his eleventh) and is batting .324.  Mitch Garver was 1-for-5 with a home run and is batting .333.  Rochester remains 3.5 games out of the wild card spot with nine games to play.  Their elimination number is seven.

CHATTANOOGA 3, MISSISSIPPI 1 IN CHATTANOOGA

Edgar Corcino's two-run triple in the fourth gave the Lookouts all the runs they would need.  Stephen Gonsalves pitched 5.2 scoreless innings before being removed due to pitch count.  He gave up five hits and two walks with six strikeouts.  Over his last five starts (32.2 innings) he has allowed one earned run on thirteen hits and eleven walks with thirty-six strikeouts.  For the season in Chattanooga his ERA is 1.64 with a 1.04 WHIP and 84 strikeouts in 71.1 innings.  One wonders why he's still in AA.  Zach Granite was 0-for-4 and is now batting .300.  The Lookouts now lead Montgomery by one game for the last playoff spot.

JUPITER 3, FORT MYERS 0 IN JUPITER

The Hammerheads scored single runs in the first, second, and fifth.  All three runs came off Sam Clay, who struck out six but allowed seven hits and three walks.  Brad Hartong was 2-for-3.  The Miracle had only five hits, all singles.  Fort Myers dropped to three games back and their elimination number is six.

CEDAR RAPIDS 7, CLINTON 2 IN CLINTON

Luis Arraez had a two-run double and later scored to make it 4-0 in the second.  The Kernels cruised from there.  Sam Gibbons pitched six innings, giving up two runs on nine hits and no walks with two strikeouts.  Arraez was 3-for-4 with two doubles and a walk.  He is batting .351, and one wonders why he has been in low A all year.  Brandon Lopez was also 3-for-4 with two doubles.  Travis Blankenhorn was 3-for-5 with a triple and is batting .348.  Zander Weil was 2-for-5.  Nelson Molina was 0-for-5 and is batting .305.  Cedar Rapids now leads Burlington by five games and has a magic number of four.

ELIZABETHTON 1, GREENEVILLE 0 IN GREENEVILLE

A walk, two singles, and a sacrifice fly plated the game's only run in the fifth.  Tyler Wells pitched six shutout innings, giving up two hits and two walks with three strikeouts.  In his last three starts, Wells has pitched 18.1 innings and given up no runs on seven hits and five walks with twenty-three strikeouts.  His ERA has dropped by over two runs to 3.23.  Colton Davis pitched two shutout innings and has an ERA of 1.89 with a WHIP of 0.89 and 22 strikeouts in 19 innings.  Patrick McGuff pitched a perfect inning and has an ERA of 1.42 with 33 strikeouts in 25.1 innings.  Alex Kirilloff was 0-for-3 with a walk and is batting .310.  The Twins had only four hits, all singles.  Elizabethton leads Greeneville by five games and has a magic number of one.

GCL RED SOX 4, GCL TWINS 1 AT RED SOX

The Red Sox scored three in the first and never lost the lead.  Taylor Clemensia pitched just 1.2 innings, giving up three unearned runs on four hits and two walks with one strikeout.  Moises Gomez pitched 6.1 innings of relief and gave up one run on four hits and no walks with two strikeouts.  His ERA is now 0.83 in 32.2 innings.  Aaron Whitefield was 2-for-2 and is batting .310, but he left the game in the third inning due to an injury.  The GCL Twins are a game back and have an elimination number of four.

DSL TWINS 4, DSL ORIOLES 2 0 AT TWINS

The Twins got one in the fifth, two in the sixth, and one in the seventh.  Four pitchers combined on the shutout, with Melvi Acosta going four innings and giving up three hits and no walks with two strikeouts and Carlos Suniaga going three innings and giving up one hit and no walks with two strikeouts.  Jorge Parra was 2-for-3 with a double.  Juan Martinez was 2-for-4 with a double.  Yeltsin Encarnacion and Yeremi De La Cruz were each 2-for-4.  The DSL Twins close out their season 36-34, fifth in the DSL South, 11.5 games behind the DSL Mariners1.

GAMES OF AUGUST 28

SCRANTON/WILKES-BARRE 3, ROCHESTER 1 IN ROCHESTER

A two-run sixth put the RailRiders up 3-1 and that's where the score stayed.  Ex-Twin Chris Parmelee homered and drove in the go-ahead run with a single.  Jason Wheeler pitched seven innings, giving up three runs on six hits and two walks with three strikeouts.  D. J. Baxendale pitched two shutout innings and now has an ERA of 1.19, a WHIP of 1.09, and 34 strikeouts with 8 walks in 30.1 AAA innings.  John Ryan Murphy was 3-for-4.  Adam Brett Walker II was 2-for-4 with two doubles.  Byron Buxton was 1-for-5 and is batting .320.  The loss drops the Red Wings to 4.5 games out of first.  Their elimination number is five.

MISSISSIPPI 5, CHATTANOOGA 4 IN CHATTANOOGA

The Lookouts had led 4-0 after five, but the Braves closed to 4-3 after eight and Ozzie Albies hit a two-run triple with two out in the ninth to put them up 5-4.  Zach Granite led off the bottom of the ninth with a single, but he was caught stealing second and the next two batters went out, which was, in the words of Lookouts broadcaster Larry Ward, "a pretty anti-frickin'-climactic way for the game to end".  Aaron Slegers pitched seven innings, giving up two runs on six hits and a walk with six strikeouts.  Zach Granite was 3-for-5 with a double and is batting .303.  Chattanooga leads Montgomery by a half game for the last playoff spot.

FORT MYERS 5, JUPITER 1 IN JUPITER

Leading 2-1, the Miracle put together a three-run eighth to take control of the game.  Keaton Steele pitched six innings, giving up an unearned run on five hits and a walk with four strikeouts.  Trey Vavra and Brad Hartong were each 2-for-4.  Tanner English was 2-for-5.  Fort Myers pulled back to within two games of Jupiter.  Their elimination number is six.

CEDAR RAPIDS 4, CLINTON 1 IN CLINTON

The Kernels scored single runs in the second, fifth, seventh, and eighth and never trailed.  Brady Anderson pitched six shutout innings, giving up four hits and no walks with four strikeouts.  His ERA is now 1.24 with a 1.07 WHIP in 29 innings.  Nelson Molina was 3-for-4 with a home run (his second) and a double and is batting .311.  Jaylin Davis was 2-for-4 with a home run, his seventh.  Luis Arraez was 0-for-4 and is batting .348.  Travis Blankenhorn was 0-for-4 and is batting .329.  Cedar Rapids leads Burlington by 5.5 games for the last playoff spot and their magic number is three.

ELIZABETHTON 8, GREENEVILLE 7 IN GREENEVILLE

The E-Twins clinched a playoff spot by scoring two runs in the ninth.  The Twins had trailed 2-0 and 3-1, led 4-3 and 6-4, and then trailed 7-6 going to the ninth.  Ryan Mason pitched just 4.1 innings, allowing four runs on four hits and two walks with one strikeout.  Quin Grogan struck out five in three shutout innings.  Amaurys Minier was 2-for-5 with a home run, his tenth.  Ariel Montesino was 2-for-5 with a triple.  Mitchell Kranson was 2-for-5.  Alex Kirilloff was 0-for-4 and is batting .306.  Over his last ten games, Kirilloff is batting .125 (4-for-32).  The Twins are one game behind Johnson City for first place in the division.

TODAY'S TILTS

11:00  GCL Rays at GCL Twins
5:30  Fort Myers (Luke Westphal, 2-0, 2.79) at Palm Beach (Derian Gonzalez, 0-2, 1.00)
6:00  Elizabethton (Clark Beeker, 0-0, 1.80) at Greeneville (Guadalupe Chavez, 0-0, 0.00)
6:05  Scranton/Wilkes-Barre (Brady Lail, 6-5, 4.79) at Rochester (Tyler Duffey, 0-0, 1.72)
6:15  Mississippi (Michael Mader, 0-2, 0.90) at Chattanooga (TBA)
6:30  Cedar Rapids (Eduardo Del Rosario, 5-2, 3.81) at Clinton (Nick Wells, 1-7, 5.30)

Games of August 26

Byron Buxton is getting hot.  Mitchell Kranson delivers a walkoff.  The GCL Twins move back into a tie for first.

ROCHESTER 7, SCRANTON/WILKES-BARRE 1 IN SCRANTON

Byron Buxton hit a three-run homer (his tenth) in a five-run fourth that put the Red Wings up 6-0.  Adalberto Mejia pitched seven innings, giving up one run on seven hits and no walks with five strikeouts.  Wilfredo Tovar was 3-for-4.  Leonardo Reginatto was 2-for-4 with a double.  Mitch Garver was 2-for-4 and is batting .346.  Buxton was 2-for-5 and is batting .324.  After a slow start upon his return to AAA he is now 10-for-27 in his last six games.  Adam Brett Walker II was 2-for-5.  Rochester is now 3.5 games behind Lehigh Valley with ten games to play and their elimination number remains eight.

CHATTANOOGA 4, JACKSONVILLE 2 IN JACKSONVILLE

A walk and three hit batsmen led to a three-run seventh that broke a 1-1 tie and gave the Lookouts as many runs as they would need.  Felix Jorge pitched seven innings, giving up two runs on six hits and no walks with three strikeouts.  Zack Jones pitched a scoreless inning to drop his ERA to 1.80.  He has a 1.10 WHIP and has struck out 43 in 30 innings.  Stuart Turner was 2-for-4.  Niko Goodrum was 2-for-5 with a double.  Zach Granite was 1-for-4 and is batting .302.  Chattanooga remains tied with Montgomery for the last playoff spot.

JUPITER 4, FORT MYERS 3 IN JUPITER

Trailing 4-1, the Miracle scored two in the seventh and had the tying run on third with one out in the seventh and with none out in the eighth, but could not get the last ninety feet.  Dereck Rodriguez pitched seven innings, giving up four runs (three earned) on nine hits and no walks with one strikeout.  Tanner English was 3-for-4 with a triple.  Fort Myers is two games behind Jupiter and their elimination number is eight.

CEDAR RAPIDS 9, CLINTON 5 IN CLINTON

The Kernels scored in six of the nine innings to take the win.  Tyler Beardsley pitched six innings, giving up two runs on four hits and no walks with three strikeouts.  Jaylin Davis was 3-for-4 with a home run, his sixth.  Zander Weil was 3-for-5 with a home run, his fifteenth.  Travis Blankenhorn was 3-for-5 with a double and is batting .328.  J. J. Fernandez was 2-for-5 with a double.  Luis Arraez was 1-for-5 and is batting .348.  Nelson Molina was 1-for-5 and is batting .310.  Cedar Rapids leads Burlington by five games and their magic number is five.

ELIZABETHTON 7, BURLINGTON 6 IN ELIZABETHTON

The Twins trailed 5-2, took the lead 6-5, were tied 6-6, and finally got a home run by Mitchell Kranson (his fourth) in the bottom of the ninth to win.  MIguel De Jesus pitched four innings, giving up two runs (one earned) on six hits and two walks with three strikeouts.  Alex Kirilloff was 2-for-4 with a home run (his seventh) and a triple and is batting .314.  Shane Carrier was 2-for-4.  Elizabethton now leads Greeneville by four games and their magic number is three.

GCL TWINS 5, GCL RED SOX 4 AT TWINS

Trailing 4-0, the Twins got a walk, a single, two more walks, and a grand slam by Lean Marrero to take a 5-4 lead which turned into a 5-4 win.  Jordan Balazovic pitched five innings, giving up an unearned run on four hits and a walk with one strikeout.  He has an ERA of 1.88 and a WHIP of 0.91 in 28.2 innings.  Zach Featherstone was 2-for-3 with a double.  Gorge Munoz was also 2-for-3.  Marrero's grand slam was his second homer of the season.  Justin Hazard was 0-for-4 and is batting .311.  Aaron Whitefield was 0-for-3 with a walk and is batting .302.  The win moved the Twins into a tie for first with the Red Sox.

DSL TWINS 3, DSL ORIOLES2 0 AT ORIOLES2

The Twins scored single runs in the fourth, fifth, and eighth and three Twins pitchers combined on a shutout.  Edwar Colina struck out four in four innings, giving up two hits and no walks.  Juan Mojica struck out seven in three innings, giving up two hits and no walks.  Frandy Torres gave up a hit and a walk in two innings.  Antonio Tovar was 2-for-3.  Edgar Herrera was 0-for-1 as a pinch-hitter and is batting .314.  Victor Tademo was 1-for-2 with two walks and is batting .309.

TODAY'S TILTS

9:00  GCL Twins at GCL Red Sox
9:30  DSL Orioles 2 at DSL Twins (last game of the season)
4:30  Fort Myers (Sam Clay, 1-1, 5.55) at Jupiter (Jorgan Cavanerio, 7-11, 4.71)
5:00  Elizabethton (TBA) at Greeneville (Patrick Sandoval, 2-2, 5.66)
6:05  Rochester (Nick Greenwood, 5-3, 3.17) at Scranton/Wilkes-Barre (Phil Coke, 4-3, 3.20)
6:15  Mississippi (Patrick Weigel, 0-1, 3.38) at Chattanooga (Stephen Gonsalves, 7-1, 1.78)
6:30  Cedar Rapids (Sam Gibbons, 6-5, 4.88) at Clinton (Nick Neidert, 7-2, 2.42)

Games of August 25

The top four teams win, the next two teams lose, the DSL Twins get rained out.

ROCHESTER 6, NORFOLK 2 IN NORFOLK

Tommy Field hit a two-run homer in the third to put the Red Wings up 3-1 and they never trailed.  Omar Bencomo had his third good start out of four, going 6.2 innings and giving up two runs (one earned) on six hits and a walk with four strikeouts.  D. J. Baxendale struck out three in 1.1 scoreless innings, giving him an ERA of 1.27 with 32 strikeouts in 28.2 innings.  Byron Buxton was 2-for-3 with a home run (his ninth) and is batting .321.  Field and Daniel Palka were each 2-for-4 with a home run.  Field's homer was his tenth and Palka's was his twelfth.  Adam Brett Walker II also hit a home run, his twenty-sixth.  Mitch Garver was 0-for-4 and is batting .333.  The win kept the Red Wings 4.5 games behind Lehigh Valley in the wild card race with eleven games remaining.  Their elimination number is eight.

CHATTANOOGA 7, JACKSONVILLE 6 IN JACKSONVILLE

The Lookouts led 5-0, were tied 5-5, went up 7-5 in the top of the ninth, and had to throw the tying run out at home in the bottom of the ninth to hang on to the win.  Ryan Eades pitched 6.2 innings, allowing four runs on eight hits and a walk with two strikeouts.  Zach Granite was 3-for-5 with a double and is batting .303.  Edgar Corcino was 2-for-4 with a double.  Niko Goodrum was 2-for-4.  Chattanooga remains tied with Montgomery for the last playoff spot.

FORT MYERS 1, PALM BEACH 0 IN FORT MYERS

Christian Ibarra singled in a run in the seventh and the Miracle won their second straight 1-0 game.  Fernando Romero had his third straight start without giving up an earned run, going seven shutout innings and giving up just two hits and no walks with nine strikeouts.  Over his last three starts, he has pitched 20.1 innings and given up just eleven hits and two walks with twenty-eight strikeouts.  Joe Maloney was 2-for-3 with a double.  Fort Myers remains third, a game behind St. Lucie and Jupiter.

CEDAR RAPIDS 12, QUAD CITIES 2 IN CEDAR RAPIDS

Already leading 4-0, the Kernels scored five in the fourth to put the game out of reach early.  Lachlan Wells pitched six shutout innings, giving up one hit and four walks with five strikeouts.  In his last three starts, he has pitched 17.2 innings and given up no earned runs on ten hits and seven walks with fifteen strikeouts.  His ERA is now 1.94 and his WHIP is 1.08.  Luis Arraez was 2-for-4 and is batting .349.  Christian Cavaness was also 2-for-4.  Nelson Molina was 2-for-5 and is batting .312.  Travis Blankenhorn was 1-for-5 with a triple and is batting .304.  Cedar Rapids leads Burlington by four games for the last playoff spot.  Their magic number is seven.

BURLINGTON 11, ELIZABETHTON 0 IN ELIZABETHTON

The Royals scored in seven of the nine innings.  Jose Martinez pitched four innings and surrendered eight runs (six earned) on eight hits and two walks with one strikeout.  The Twins had six hits, all singles.  Alex Kirilloff was 0-for-2 with two walks and is batting .311.  He is 2-for-22 in his last seven games.  Ariel Montesino was 1-for-4 and is batting .303.  Elizabethton continues to lead Greeneville by four games for the last playoff spot and their magic number is four.

GCL ORIOLES 9, GCL TWINS 2 AT TWINS

The Twins were blown out by the Orioles for the second consecutive day.  Huascar Ynoa, who has pitched well most of the season, yielded six runs (five earned) on four hits and two walks in just 2.2 innings.  He did strike out five.  Justin Hazard was 1-for-4 and is batting .329.  Aaron Whitefield was 1-for-3 with two walks and is batting .307.  The Twins fall to second place, a game behind the GCL Red Sox.  Their elimination number is six.

DSL TWINS AT DSL DODGERS1

Apparently they're getting a lot of rain in the Dominican Republic, as the DSL Twins were rained out for the second consecutive day.

TODAY'S TILTS

9:30  DSL Twins at DSL Dodgers2
11:00  GCL Red Sox at GCL Twins
5:30  Fort Myers (Dereck Rodriguez, 1-1, 1.83) at Jupiter (Scott Squier, 4-0, 3.42)
6:00  Burlington (Ofreidy Gomez, 5-3, 5.40) at Elizabethton (Miguel De Jesus, 0-2, 3.21)
6:05  Chattanooga (Felix Jorge, 1-4, 4.38) at Jacksonville (Matt Tracy, 2-5, 5.12)
6:05  Rochester (Adalberto Mejia, 1-2, 4.66) at Scranton/Wilkes-Barre (Richard Bleier, 2-2, 2.98)
6:30  Cedar Rapids (Tyler Beardsley, 0-2, 3.60) at Clinton (Luis Gohara, 4-1, 1.61)

Games of August 24

Shutouts for Fort Myers and Cedar Rapids.  A big day for Stuart Turner.

NORFOLK 3, ROCHESTER 2 IN NORFOLK (13 INNINGS)

The Tides scored two in the sixth to tie it 2-2 and that's where it stayed until Michael Almanzar's RBI single in the thirteenth.  David Hurlbut pitched seven innings, giving up two runs (one earned) on eight hits and a walk with four strikeouts.  Alan Busenitz pitched two shutout innings and is unscored upon in his three innings for the Red Wings.  Rochester had only four hits.  Mitch Garver was 1-for-5 and is batting .364.  Byron Buxton hit a home run (his eighth) and is batting .315.  The loss kept the Red Wings 4.5 games behind Lehigh Valley with twelve games to play.  Their elimination number is nine.

CHATTANOOGA 9, JACKSONVILLE 3 IN JACKSONVILLE

A five-run seventh, capped by a four-run triple-plus-error by Edgar Corcino, put the Lookouts up 8-3.  Kohl Stewart pitched six innings, giving up three runs on seven hits and five walks with two strikeouts.  Stuart Turner was 4-for-5 with a home run (his sixth) and a double.  Zach Granite was 3-for-5 and is batting .300.  Levi Michael was 2-for-4 with a home run, his second.  Corcino was 2-for-5.  The win leaves Chattanooga tied with Montgomery for the last playoff spot.

FORT MYERS 1, PALM BEACH 0 IN FORT MYERS

The lone run came on A. J. Murray's RBI single in the third.  Miles Nordgren pitched six shutout innings, giving up just one hit and one walk with two strikeouts.  He threw only fifty-nine pitches, so he does not appear to have been removed for a pitch count.  Murray had half the Miracle hits, going 2-for-4 with a double.  The win moved Fort Myers into third place a game behind St. Lucie and Jupiter.

CEDAR RAPIDS 3, QUAD CITIES 0 IN CEDAR RAPIDS

It was scoreless until the sixth, when run-scoring singles by Brandon Lopez and Zander Weil gave the Kernels the lead to stay.  Sean Poppen struck out five in four shutout innings, giving up one hit and three walks.  Michael Cederoth struck out five in three shutout innings, giving up one hit and three walks.  Rainis Silva was 2-for-3 with a double.  Luis Arraez was 1-for-4 and is batting .348.  Travis Blankenhorn was 1-for-3 with a double and is batting .314.  Nelson Molina was 0-for-4 and is batting .310.  The win leaves Cedar Rapids three games ahead of Burlington for the last playoff spot.  Their magic number is nine.

BURLINGTON 8, ELIZABETHTON 3 IN ELIZABETHTON

The Royals led 4-3, then scored four in the sixth to put the game out of reach.  Alex Schick pitched five innings, allowing six runs (five earned) on five hits and four walks with five strikeouts.  Ben Rortvedt was 3-for-3 with a walk.  Shane Carrier was 2-for-4 with a triple and a double.  Alex Kirilloff was 0-for-4 and is batting .314.  Ariel Montesino was 1-for-4 with a double and a walk and is batting .304.  The loss leaves the Twins five games ahead of Greeneville for the last playoff spot.  Their magic number is four.

GCL ORIOLES 14, GCL TWINS 1 AT ORIOLES

It was 2-1 through five, but the Orioles scored eight in the sixth and that took care of the game.  Bo Hellquist pitched five innings, giving up two runs (one earned) on three hits and two walks with six strikeouts.  Most of the damage came off Daniel Martinez, who was charged with eight runs in just a third of an inning.  Matt Jones didn't do much better, allowing four runs in two-thirds of an inning.  Gorge Munoz was 2-for-2 with two doubles.  Lean Marrero was 2-for-3 and is batting .311.  Justin Hazard was 0-for-3 and is batting .333.  Aaron Whitefield was 0-for-3 and is batting .307.  The loss kept the Twins tied for first place with the GCL Red Sox.

DSL DODGERS1 AT DSL TWINS

Rained out.

TODAY'S TILTS

9:30  DSL Twins at DSL Dodgers1
11:00  GCL Orioles at GCL Twins
11:05  Rochester (Omar Bencomo, 1-1, 5.73) at Norfolk (Joe Gunkel, 8-9, 3.56)
6:00  Burlington (Garrett Davila, 5-0, 3.40) at Elizabethton (Jose Martinez, 1-4, 7.36)
6:05  Chattanooga (Ryan Eades, 6-5, 4.38) at Jacksonville (Patrick Johnson, 6-7, 3.54)
6:05  Palm Beach (Sandy Alcantara, 0-2, 5.30) at Fort Myers (Dereck Rodriguez, 1-1, 1.83)
6:35  Quad Cities (Hector Perez, 2-0, 4.01) at Cedar Rapids (Lachlan Wells, 5-3, 2.14)

Games of August 23

Better late than never.  Now with pennant race updates!

ROCHESTER 6, NORFOLK 0 IN NORFOLK

Kennys Vargas hit a three-run homer in the first inning and Jason Wheeler took it from there.  Wheeler struck out eight in eight innings, giving up just two hits and a walk.  D. J. Baxendale pitched a scoreless ninth, dropping his ERA to 1.38 with a 1.11 WHIP and 29 strikeouts in 27 innings.  Mitch Garver was 4-for-4 with a double and is batting .385.  Leonardo Reginatto was 3-for-4.  Vargas was 2-for-4 with a walk and the home run was his fifteenth.  Byron Buxton was 1-for-5 with a double and is batting .318.  Lehigh Valley won as well, so the Red Wings remain 4.5 games out of the wild card spot with thirteen games to play.

JACKSONVILLE 3, CHATTANOOGA 2 IN JACKSONVILLE

The Suns scored the winning run in the ninth on four walks (one intentional).  Zack Jones issued the walks in his third inning of work.  Aaron Slegers went 6.1 innings, giving up two runs on seven hits and two walks with three strikeouts.  Travis Harrison was 2-for-3 with a walk.  Engelb Vielma was 2-for-4.  The loss dropped the Lookouts into a tie with Montgomery for the last playoff spot.

FORT MYERS 2, PALM BEACH 1 IN FORT MYERS

The Miracle scored single runs in the sixth and eighth to take a 2-0 lead.  The Cardinals scored one in the ninth and put men on first and second with one out, but a strikeout and a ground out ended the game.  Randy LeBlanc had his best outing in some time, pitching seven shutout innings while giving up just three hits and a walk with six strikeouts.  Tanner English was 2-for-4 with a walk.  The Miracle remain in a tie for third, but are only one game out of first.

CEDAR RAPIDS 2, QUAD CITIES 1 IN CEDAR RAPIDS

Nelson Molina's RBI single put the Kernels up 2-1 in the seventh.  Eduardo Del Rosario struck out six in six innings, giving up one run on six hits and a walk.  Williams Ramirez struck out three in two shutout innings, dropping his ERA to 1.99.   He has a WHIP of 0.97 and has struck out 59 in 49.2 innings.  Luis Arraez was 2-for-3 with a walk and is batting .349.  Molina was 1-for-3 with a walk and is batting .315.  Travis Blankenhorn was 0-for-1 as a pinch-hitter and is batting .313.  Cedar Rapids is three games up on Burlington and their magic number is ten.

BRISTOL 1, ELIZABETHTON 0 IN BRISTOL (GAME 1--7 INNINGS)

The game's lone run scored in the fourth on Adrian Valerio's RBI single.  Domenick Carlini pitched a six-inning complete game, giving up one run on seven hits and a walk with five strikeouts.  The Twins had only two hits.  One of them was by Lewin Diaz, who was 1-for-3 and is now batting .315.  Alex Kirilloff was 0-for-3 and is batting .327.  Ariel Montesino was 0-for-3 and is batting .312.

ELIZABETHTON 4, BRISTOL 2 IN BRISTOL (GAME 2--9 INNINGS--SCHEDULED 7 INNINGS)

The Pirates scored one in the seventh to send the game to extra innings, but the Twins scored two in the ninth on just one hit for the win.  Clark Beeker struck out six in five innings, giving up one run on three hits and a walk in his Appalachian League debut.  Lewin Diaz was 2-for-4 with a home run, his ninth, and is batting .319.  Alex Kirilloff was 0-for-4 and is batting .320.  Ariel Montesino was 0-for-3 with a walk and is batting .306.  Elizabethton leads Greeneville by five games for the last playoff spot and their magic number is five.

GCL TWINS 3, GCL ORIOLES 2 AT TWINS

Justin Hazard's RBI double in the seventh put the Twins up 3-2 and that's where it stayed.  Tyler Fox gave up two unearned runs on four hits and three walks with three strikeouts.  Garrett Kelly pitched three shutout innings of relief.  Hazard was 3-for-4 and is now batting .349.  Akil Baddoo was 2-for-4 with a triple.  Lean Marrero was 2-for-4 with a double.  Jose Miranda was 2-for-4.  Aaron Whitefield was 1-for-4 and is batting .313.  Kolton Kendrick was 0-for-3 with a walk and is now batting .075 (3-for-40).  The Twins remain tied for first place with the GCL Red Sox.

DSL DIAMONDBACKS2 2, DSL TWINS 1 AT TWINS (COMPLETION OF SUSPENDED GAME)

Jonathan Bueno's RBI single put the Diamondbacks2 ahead in the ninth inning.  Melvi Acosta pitched six innings, giving up one run on ten hits and no walks with four strikeouts.  Humberto Maldonado was 2-for-4.  Edgar Herrera was 0-for-4 and is batting .315.  Victor Tademo was 0-for-3 with a walk and is batting .306.

DSL TWINS 7, DSL DIAMONDBACKS2 0 AT DIAMONDBACKS2 (SCHEDULED GAME--7 INNINGS)

The Twins led 3-0 after two and put the game out of reach with a four-run seventh.  Pedro Garcia struck out eight in five shutout innings, giving up three hits and no walks.  Moris Duran was 2-for-3 with a double.  Humberto Maldonado was 2-for-4 with two doubles.

TODAY'S TILTS

9:00  GCL Twins at GCL Orioles
9:30  DSL Dodgers1 at DSL Twins
6:00  Burlington (TBA) at Elizabethton (Alex Schick, 5-1, 5.06)
6:05  Chattanooga (Kohl Stewart, 7-6, 3.04) at Jacksonville (Matt Tomshaw, 3-3, 3.71)
6:05  Palm Beach (Sandy Alcantara, 0-2, 5.30) at Fort Myers (Miles Nordgren, 0-4, 6.18)
6:05  Rochester (David Hurlbut, 0-1, 3.46) at Norfolk (Tyler Wilson, 2-0, 4.11)
6:35  Quad Cities (Framber Valdez, 1-1, 3.18) at Cedar Rapids (Sean Poppen, 0-0, 1.80)

Games of August 22

Steven Gonsalves was excellent.  Tyler Wells was excellenter.  Brady Anderson wasn't half bad either.

ROCHESTER 5, GWINNETT 3 IN GWINNETT

A three-run sixth, aided by two walks and a hit batsman, put the Red Wings up 4-2 and helped keep their slim playoff hopes alive.  Andrew Albers struck out seven in 5.2 innings but gave up three runs on eight hits and a walk.  Jake Reed pitched 1.1 scoreless innings, extending his scoreless string to 4.2 innings since being promoted to Rochester.  Byron Buxton led the offense with a 3-for-5 day, raising his average to .322.  Tommy Field hit a home run, his ninth.

CHATTANOOGA 9, JACKSONVILLE 6 IN JACKSONVILLE

Edgar Corcino hit a three-run triple in a five-run third.  The Lookouts led 6-1 through six, but the Suns closed to 6-5 and 7-6 before Chattanooga got two in the ninth to put the game out of reach.  Stephen Gonsalves had another excellent game, striking out six in six innings while giving up one run on two hits and three walks.  In eleven starts (65.2 innings), his ERA is 1.78, his WHIP is 1.02, and he has struck out 78.  Randy Rosario had a rough first AA appearance, allowing four runs on two hits and two walks and retiring none of the four batters he faced.  Corcino was 3-for-5.  T. J. White was also 3-for-5 with a triple and D. J. Hicks was 3-for-5 with a double.  Zach Granite and Engelb Vielma were each 2-for-4.  The win kept the Lookouts a game ahead of Montgomery.

FORT MYERS MIRACLE

No game scheduled.

CEDAR RAPIDS 4, QUAD CITIES 1 IN CEDAR RAPIDS

The Kernels scored single runs in each of innings two through five to get the win.  Brady Anderson pitched six innings, giving up an unearned run on five hits and no walks with five strikeouts.  Luis Arraez was 2-for-5 and is batting .347.  Travis Blankenhorn was 1-for-3 with a walk and is batting .319.  Nelson Molina was 1-for-4 with a walk and is batting .314.  The win keeps Cedar Rapids three games ahead of Burlington.

ELIZABETHTON 3, BRISTOL 0 IN ELIZABETHTON (GAME 1--7 INNINGS)

The Twins scored two in the first and it was all they would need.  Tyler Wells was brilliant, striking out fourteen in a seven-inning complete game while giving up no runs on one hit and two walks.  Ariel Montesino was 3-for-4 and is batting .322.  Lewin Diaz was 2-for-3 and is batting .312.  Alex Kirilloff was 0-for-3 with a walk and is batting .332.

ELIZABETHTON 3, BRISTOL 2 IN ELIZABETHTON (GAME 2--7 INNINGS)

The Twins scored three in the second and again it was all they would need.  Ryan Mason pitched five shutout innings before weakening in the sixth.  He struck out eight in six innings, giving up two runs on six hits and a walk.  Patrick McGuff pitched a scoreless inning, lowering his ERA to 0.87 with a 1.06 WHIP with 29 strikeouts and 20.2 innings.  Mitchell Kranson was 2-for-3.  Alex Kirilloff was 1-for-3 and is batting .322.  Ariel Montesino was 0-for-2 with a walk and is batting .318.  Lewin Diaz was 1-for-2 with a walk and is batting .314.  The doubleheader sweep put Elizabethton 4.5 games ahead of Greeneville.

GCL ORIOLES 6, GCL TWINS 4 AT ORIOLES

The Orioles got two in the third and three in the fourth to go up 5-1 and take control of the game.  Tyler Clemensia lasted only 3.1 innings, allowing five runs (three earned) on four hits and a walk with three strikeouts.  Moises Gomez gave up an unearned run in 2.2 innings.  His ERA is 0.68.  Callan Pearce pitched two shutout innings.  His ERA is 1.78.  Dane Hutcheon was 3-for-4 with a double.  Aaron Whitefield was 3-for-5 with a double and is batting .314.  Isaiah Aluko made his professional debut and went 2-for-4 with a home run.  Lean Marrero was 2-for-5.  Dominic Blanco was 0-for-3 with a walk and is batting .300.  The loss dropped the Twins into a tie for first place with the Red Sox.

DSL DIAMONDBACKS2 1, DSL TWINS 1 AT TWINS (5 1/2 INNINGS--SUSPENDED)

The Diamondbacks2 scored in the second and the Twins scored in the fifth.  Melvi Acosta pitched six innings and somehow scattered ten hits, allowing just the one run.

TODAY'S TILTS

9:30  DSL Twins at DSL Diamondbacks2
11:00  GCL Orioles at GCL Twins
6:00  Elizabethton at Bristol
6:05  Chattanooga (Aaron Slegers, 9-7, 3.67) at Jacksonville (Matt Tomshaw, 3-3, 3.71)
6:05  Palm Beach (Derian Gonzalez, 0-1, 0.82) at Fort Myers (TBA)
6:05  Rochester (Jason Wheeler, 10-4, 3.39) at Norfolk (Joe Gunkel, 8-9, 3.56)
6:35  Quad Cities (Matt Bower, 4-2, 4.43) at Cedar Rapids (Eduardo Del Rosario, 4-2, 4.00)

Where They Stand: Through Games of August 21

About two weeks left in most minor league seasons.  Here's where our teams stand in regard to the playoffs.

Rochester is 71-58, second in the wild card race, but 5.5 games behind Lehigh Valley.  Their elimination number is eleven.

Chattanooga is 29-26 in the second half, which puts them third in their division, 6.5 games behind Jackson.  However, Jackson also won the first half and with a 5.5 game lead on second place Montgomery figures to win the second half, so the other divisional playoff spot will go to the team with the second best overall record.  The Lookouts lead the Biscuits by one game in that race.

Fort Myers is 29-28 in the second half, tied for third in their division, but only two games behind St. Lucie and Jupiter, who are tied for first.  Their elimination number is twelve.

Cedar Rapids is 32-24 in the second half, second in their division.  That would qualify them for a playoff spot. They lead third-place Burlington by three games.  Their magic number is twelve.

Elizabethton is 30-25, second in their division.  They lead Greeneville by three games for a playoff spot.  Their magic number is ten.

The GCL Twins are 28-22, first in their division.  They lead the GCL Red Sox by one game.  Their magic number is ten.

The DSL Twins are 33-33, fifth in their division, eleven games behind the DSL Mariners1.  They have been eliminated from the playoffs.

So, we have four teams in playoff position, one more with a decent chance, one with a slim chance, and only one actually eliminated.  The DSL season ends August 27.  The Appalachian League and Gulf Coast League seasons end September 1.  The Florida State League season ends September 4.  The International League, Southern League, and Midwest League seasons end September 5.

Games of August 20-21

It's a beautiful day.  Let's recap two (days)!

GAMES OF AUGUST 20

GWINNETT 5, ROCHESTER 1 IN GWINNETT (6 1/2 INNINGS--RAIN)

With the Braves already leading 2-0, Rio Ruiz hit a three-run homer in the fifth to put the game out of reach.  Omar Bencomo, who had pitched well in two previous starts, went 5.1 innings and allowed five runs on nine hits and a walk with four strikeouts.  Mitch Garver was 1-for-3 and is batting .323.

CHATTANOOGA 3, MONTGOMERY 1 IN CHATTANOOGA

Ryan Eades pitched six shutout innings, giving up just one hit and one walk, to lead the Lookouts.  It was Eades' first start in over a month.  The Lookouts scored one in the second and two in the fourth.  T. J. White was 3-for-4 with a triple and a double.  Stuart Turner was 2-for-4 with a double.

FORT MYERS 7, JUPITER 4 IN FORT MYERS

The Hammerheads scored four in the first, but the Miracle cut it to 4-3 through three and then scored four in the fourth on six singles to take the lead to stay.  Sam Clay pitched well after the first inning, going 4.2 innings and giving up four runs on two hits and six walks with four strikeouts.  Cam Booser pitched two perfect innings and struck out five of the six batters he faced.  Trey Vavra was 2-for-3 with a walk.  Joe Maloney was 2-for-4 with a home run, his fourth.  Tanner English was 2-for-5 with a home run, his fourth.  Christian Ibarra was 2-for-5 with a double.

CEDAR RAPIDS 7, BURLINGTON 3 IN CEDAR RAPIDS

A three-run seventh which featured three walks and two hit batsmen put the Kernels in the lead 4-2 and they never trailed again.  Tyler Beardsley pitched five innings, giving up two runs on four hits and a walk with two strikeouts.  J. J. Fernandez was 2-for-3 with a double.  Casey Scoggins was 2-for-4 with a walk.  Travis Blankenhorn was 2-for-4 and is batting .317.  Luis Arraez was 1-for-5 and is batting .347.  Nelson Molina was 1-for-4 with a double and is batting .314.

BURLINGTON 4, ELIZABETHTON 2 IN BURLINGTON

Jose Sanchez' two-run single in the second put the Royals up 3-0 and they stayed in the lead.  Miguel De Jesus struck out six in five innings, but allowed three runs on three hits and four walks.  Alex Kirilloff was 1-for-3 with a walk and is batting .337.  Ariel Montesino was 0-for-5 and is batting .310.  Lewin Diaz was 1-for-3 with a double and a walk and is batting .305.

GCL TWINS 3, GCL RED SOX 1 AT TWINS

Doubles by Justin Hazard and Jose Miranda keyed a two-run fourth that put the Twins in the lead to stay.  Jordan Balazovic pitched six shutout innings, giving up five hits and no walks with two strikeouts.  Miranda was 2-for-3 with a double.  Lean Marrero was 2-for-4.  Hazard was 1-for-3 and is batting .322.  Aaron Whitefield was 1-for-4 and is batting .305.  Kolton Kendrick was 0-for-3 and is now batting .081 (3-for-37).

DSL TWINS 5, DSL CUBS2 4 AT TWINS (11 INNINGS)

The Cubs2 took the lead with a run in the top of the eleventh, but Humberto Maldonado hit a two-run homer in the bottom of the eleventh for the walkoff Twins win.  Edwar Colina struck out five in five innings, giving up two runs on four hits and two walks.  Yeltsin Encarnacion was 3-for-5.  Maldonado was 2-for-5.  Darling Cuesto and Yeison Perez was each 2-for-5.  Victor Tademo was 0-for-5 and is batting .312.

GAMES OF AUGUST 21

ROCHESTER 3, GWINNETT 2 IN GWINNETT

The Red Wings took a 3-0 lead after two and held it.  Nick Greenwood pitched eight innings, giving up two runs (both on solo homers) on five hits and no walks with four strikeouts.  Alan Busenitz pitched a scoreless inning in his Rochester debut.  Logan Schafer was 2-for-4 with a double.  Mitch Garver was 1-for-4 and is batting .314.  Byron Buxton was 1-for-4 with a triple and is batting .313.

MONTGOMERY 2, CHATTANOOGA 0 IN CHATTANOOGA

The Biscuits scored single runs in the second and fourth.  Felix Jorge pitched eight innings, giving up two runs on ten hits and a walk with just one strikeout.  The Lookouts had only two hits.

JUPITER 3, FORT MYERS 1 IN FORT MYERS

The Hammerheads scored a run on a double play in the sixth to take a 2-1 lead and they led the rest of the way.  Keaton Steele pitched eight innings, giving up three runs (two earned) on six hits and no walks with four strikeouts.  Max Murphy was 2-for-3 with a double and a walk.  Nick Gordon was 2-for-4.

BURLINGTON 9, CEDAR RAPIDS 0 IN CEDAR RAPIDS

There was no score through four, but the Bees got three in the fifth, two in the sixth, and four in the ninth.  Sam Gibbons pitched 7.2 innings, allowing five runs (two earned) on four hits and four walks with two strikeouts.  The Kernels had just five hits, all singles.  Luis Arraez was 1-for-4 and is batting .346.  Travis Blankenhorn was 1-for-3 with a walk and is batting .318.  Nelson Molina was 1-for-2 with a walk and is batting .315.

BRISTOL AT ELIZABETHTON

Rained out.

TODAY'S TILTS

9:30  DSL Diamondbacks2 at DSL Twins
11:00  GCL Twins at GCL Orioles
5:00  Bristol at Elizabethton
Game 2 Bristol at Elizabethton
6:05  Chattanooga at Jacksonville (Chris Mazza, 5-4, 3.74)
6:05  Rochester (Andrew Albers, 9-6, 3.64) at Gwinnett (Chris Ellis, 4-4, 6.27)
6:35  Quad Cities (Franklin Perez, 3-2, 2.83) at Cedar Rapids (Brady Anderson, 1-0, 2.12)

Games of August 18-19

GAMES OF AUGUST 18

ROCHESTER 6, BUFFALO 3 IN ROCHESTER

Reynaldo Rodriguez hit a three-run homer in the third to give the Red Wings a 4-3 lead.  They added two in the sixth to secure the victory.  Jason Wheeler gave up three in the second but pitched well otherwise.  He struck out six in six innings, giving up three runs on five hits and no walks.  Mitch Garver was 2-for-4 and is batting .333.  The home run was Rodriguez’ fourth.

MONTGOMERY 6, CHATTANOOGA 2 IN CHATTANOOGA

Kean Wong’s two-run double in the fourth put the Biscuits up 4-1 and they controlled the game from there.  Aaron Slegers pitched 5.1 innings but allowed six runs (five earned) on five hits and four walks with three strikeouts.  Tanner Witt was 1-for-3 in his AA debut.  The Lookouts had six hits, all singles.

FORT MYERS 1, ST. LUCIE 0 IN ST. LUCIE

Fernando Romero and two relievers blanked the Mets.  Romero struck out eight in 6.1 scoreless innings, giving up three hits and two walks.  The game’s lone run came in the fifth on a single, a walk, a hit batsman, and another walk.  Daniel Kihle and Christian Ibarra were each 2-for-3 with a walk.

PEORIA 3, CEDAR RAPIDS 2 IN PEORIA

The Kernels led 2-1 going to the bottom of the ninth, but two walks followed by two singles gave the win to the Chiefs.  Sean Poppen struck out five in five innings, giving up one run on four hits and three walks in his Class A debut.  Casey Scoggins was 2-for-3 with a walk.  Nelson Molina was 2-for-4 and is batting .305.  Luis Arraez was 1-for-4 and is batting .346.

ELIZABETHTON 6, BURLINGTON 3 IN BURLINGTON

Amaurys Minier hit a three-run homer in the sixth to break a 1-1 tie.  Alex Schick struck out seven in 5.2 innings, giving up one run on two hits and two walks.  Patrick McGuff pitched 1.1 scoreless innings to lower his ERA to 0.96.  Alex Kirilloff was 2-for-4 and is batting .337.  Lewin Diaz was 2-for-4 and is batting .306.  Minier’s home run was his ninth.  Ariel Montesino was 0-for-4 with a walk and is batting .311.

GCL TWINS 6, GCL RAYS 3 AT TWINS (GAME 1—7 INNINGS)

The Rays took a 3-0 lead in the second, but the Twins got two in the fourth and four in the sixth.  Three of the four runs in the sixth scored on a three-base error with the bases loaded.  Tyler Fox struck out four in four innings, giving up three runs on five hits and no walks.  Moises Gomez followed with three shutout innings, striking out three, to lower his ERA to 0.76.  The Twins had only four hits, all singles.  Dominic Blanco was 1-for-3 and is batting .353.

GCL RAYS 2, GCL TWINS 0 AT TWINS

Both Rays runs scored in the fourth inning.  Bo Hellquist pitched 4.2 innings, giving up two runs on five hits and two strikeouts, making his ERA 1.94.  Justin Hazard was 1-for-3 and is batting .321.  Aaron Whitefield was 1-for-3 and is batting .310.  The Twins again had only four hits, and again they were all singles.

DSL ROJOS 5, DSL TWINS 2 AT ROJOS

It was scoreless until the sixth, when the Rojos plated four runs.  The Twins did not score until the ninth.  Juan Mojica struck out seven in five shutout innings, giving up three hits and two walks.  Darling Cuesto was 2-for-3 with a double and a walk.  Juan Martinez was 2-for-3.  Edgar Herrera was 1-for-4 and is batting .322.

GAMES OF AUGUST 19

ROCHESTER 4, BUFFALO 2 IN ROCHESTER (10 INNINGS)

Mitch Garver singled in the tying run in the ninth and Daniel Palka hit a walkoff two-run homer in the tenth.  David Hurlbut pitched seven innings, giving up one run on seven hits and no walks with three strikeouts in his second AAA start.  Jake Reed pitched a scoreless inning and remains unscored upon in 3.1 AAA innings.  Adam Brett Walker II was 2-for-3 with a double and a walk.  Palka’s home run was his eleventh.  Heiker Meneses was 0-for-3 with a walk and is batting .085 (4-for-47).

CHATTANOOGA 2, MONTGOMERY 1 IN CHATTANOOGA

Travis Harrison’s two-out two-run single in the eighth turned a 1-0 deficit into a 2-1 lead and eventual win.  Kohl Stewart pitched eight innings, giving up one run on five hits and two walks with five strikeouts.  Zach Granite was 3-for-4.

JUPITER 4, FORT MYERS 3 IN FORT MYERS

The Miracle led 3-0 after three, but it was 3-3 after five and Jeremias Pineda’s RBI single in the eight put the Hammerheads on top to stay.  Jupiter out-hit Fort Myers 14-5.  Dereck Rodriguez pitched six innings, giving up three runs (one earned) on ten hits and no walks with one strikeout.  In three high-A starts, his ERA is 1.83 and his WHIP is 0.86.  Tanner English was 2-for-3.  Sean Miller was 2-for-4 with a double.

CEDAR RAPIDS 3, BURLINGTON 0 IN CEDAR RAPIDS

Nelson Molina’s two-run single in the third gave the Kernels the lead and the pitching took it from there.  Lachlan Wells struck out five in 5.2 scoreless innings, giving up five hits and one walk.  Molina was 4-for-4 with a double and is batting .315.  Luis Arraez was 2-for-3 with a walk and is batting .349.  Travis Blankenhorn was 2-for-4.

ELIZABETHTON 5, BURLINGTON 4 IN BURLINGTON

The Royals led 4-2 after three, but Mitchell Kranson homered in the fifth to tie it and Shane Carrier singled home the go-ahead run in the ninth.  Jose Martinez pitched four innings, giving up four runs on six hits and a walk with two strikeouts.  Alex Robinson struck out four in three shutout innings.  Patrick McGuff pitched a scoreless inning, dropping his ERA to 0.92.  He has 28 strikeouts in 19.2 innings.  Kranson was 3-for-5 with a home run, his third.  Carrier was 3-for-5 with a double.  Ariel Montesino was 3-for-5 and is batting .321.  Lewin Diaz was 1-for-4 with a walk and is batting .305.

GCL RED SOX 5, GCL TWINS 4 AT RED SOX

The Twins led 4-3 going to the bottom of the ninth, but the Red Sox scored two to take the win, with the winning run scoring on a wild pitch.  Huascar Ynoa pitched six innings, giving up three runs on five hits and a walk with two strikeouts.  Jose Miranda was 2-for-3 with a triple and two walks.  Lean Marrero was 2-for-4 with a double.  Jhon Alvarez was 2-for-4.  Aaron Whitefield was 1-for-5 and is batting .306.

DSL TWINS 4, DSL CUBS2 1 AT CUBS2

The Twins scored two in the fourth to go up 3-0 and were in control the rest of the way.  Carlos Suniaga pitched six shutout innings, giving up just one hit and no walks with five strikeouts.  Jorge Parra was 2-for-4.  Agustin Marte was 2-for-5.  Victor Tademo was 1-for-4 and is batting .321.

TODAY’S TILTS

9:00  GCL Red Sox at GCL Twins

9:30  DSL Cubs2 at DSL Twins

5:05  Jupiter (Jordan Cavanerio, 7-10, 4.32) at Fort Myers (Sam Clay, 1-1, 5.23)

6:00  Elizabethton (Miguel De Jesus, 0-1, 2.00) at Burlington (David McKay, 2-2, 3.06)
6:05  Rochester (Adalberto Mejia, 1-2, 4.66) at Gwinnett (TBA)

6:15  Montgomery (Chris Kirsch, 6-6, 3.49) at Chattanooga (Ryan Eades, 5-5, 4.67)

6:35  Burlington (Jamie Barria, 6-5, 3.91) at Cedar Rapids (Tyler Beardsley, 0-2, 3.60)

Games of August 17

Stephen Gonsalves pitches six no-hit innings.  Eduardo Del Rosario pitches six shutout innings.  Pedro Garcia pitches six shutout innings.  Andrew Albers pitches six innings.

BUFFALO 4, ROCHESTER 3 AT BUFFALO

The Bisons scored two runs in the fourth on four consecutive singles to take a 4-3 lead.  The Red Wings got only one hit after that.  Andrew Albers pitched six innings, allowing four runs on eleven hits and a walk with five strikeouts.  Jake Reed retired all four batters he faced, giving him 2.1 scoreless innings since his promotion to Rochester.  James Beresford was 2-for-4.  Adam Brett Walker II hit a two-run homer, his twenty-fifth.  Daniel Palka hit a home run, his tenth.

CHATTANOOGA 6, MONTGOMERY 3 IN CHATTANOOGA

The Lookouts scored two in the first and Stephen Gonsalves took it from there.  He threw six no-hit innings, walking two and striking out nine, before being removed due to pitch count (105).  Gonsalves lowered his ERA to 1.84.  His WHIP is 1.04 and he has 72 strikeouts in 59.2 innings (ten starts).  It was 5-0 when he came out.  The Biscuits scored three in the seventh to get back into it but did not get a hit the rest of the game.  Ryan Walker and T. J. White were each 2-for-3 with a double and a walk.

ST. LUCIE 6, FORT MYERS 3 IN ST. LUCIE

Already leading 3-1, the Mets put together three consecutive doubles in a three-run fifth to take control of the game.  Miles Nordgren struck out five in 5.2 innings but allowed six runs (four earned) on nine hits and two walks.  Daniel Kihle was 2-for-3.  Tanner English was 2-for-4 with a home run (his third) and a triple.  Nick Gordon was 0-for-3 and is batting .300.

CEDAR RAPIDS 4, PEORIA 1 IN PEORIA

A three-run third put the Kernels up 4-0.  Eduardo Del Rosario took care of things after that, striking out six in six shutout innings and giving up just four hits and a walk.  Kevin Garcia was 2-for-4 with a double.  Luis Arraez was 2-for-4 and is batting .347.  He's nineteen, but that's no reason to hold him in low-A all year when he's clearly too good for that league.  Nelson Molina was 1-for-5 with a double and is batting .302.

ELIZABETHTON TWINS

No game scheduled.

GCL RAYS 4, GCL TWINS 2 AT RAYS

The Rays scored two in the seventh on just one hit to take a 4-2 lead.  Starter Taylor Clemensia pitched 3.1 innings, giving up two runs (one earned) on two hits and three walks with three strikeouts.  Zach Featherstone was 2-for-3 to lead the offense.  Justin Hazard was 1-for-4 and is batting .321.  Aaron Whitefield was 0-for-4 and is batting .309.  Kolton Kendrick was 0-for-2 and is now 3-for-34 (.088).

DSL TWINS 5, DSL ROJOS 4 AT TWINS

The Twins led 5-0 after eight, but the Rojos scored four in the ninth and had the tying run on second with none out.  A fly out, a strikeout, and another fly out ended the game.  Pedro Garcia struck out nine in six shutout innings, giving up just two hits and a walk.  Edgar Herrera was 3-for-4 with a triple and is batting .324.  Juan Martinez was 2-for-2 with a double and two walks.  Ruben Santana was 2-for-4 with a double.  Victor Tademo was 2-for-4 and is batting .323.

TODAY'S TILTS

9:00  GCL Rays at GCL Twins
Game 2  GCL Rays at GCL Twins
9:30  DSL Twins at DSL Rojos
5:30  Fort Myers (Fernando Romero, 3-2, 2.39) at St. Lucie (Andrew Barbosa, 0-0, 0.00)
6:00  Elizabethton (TBA) at Burlington (TBA)
6:05  Buffalo (Jason Berken, 0-0, 4.91) at Rochester (Jason Wheeler, 9-4, 3.34)
6:15  Montgomery (Chih-Wei Hu, 5-8, 2.79) at Chattanooga (Aaron Slegers, 9-6, 3.46)
7:00  Cedar Rapids (Sean Poppen, no record) at Peoria (Jorge L. Rodriguez, 2-1, 2.47)