Up-to-date, But Just for the Moment

We're caught up, but I've been unexpectedly called out of town, so we'll probably fall behind again.  We'll get caught up (again) as soon as we can.  Thank you for your patience.

Games of May 21

A rainout and a suspended game help us get caught up.  Brett Lee has a standout game.  Felix Jorge pitches pretty well, too.

ROCHESTER AT NORFOLK

Rained out.  Will be made up as part of a doubleheader today.

CHATTANOOGA AT MOBILE

The game was suspended with the Lookouts leading 2-0 and still batting in the top of the third.  It will be completed today.

FORT MYERS 1, BREVARD COUNTY 0 IN BREVARD COUNTY

Batting stars:  Zach Granite was 2-for-4 with an RBI.  Tanner Vavra was 1-for-3 with a double and a run.

Pitching stars:  Brett Lee pitched eight shutout innings, giving up six hits and a walk with seven strikeouts.  Brandon Peterson had a perfect perfect inning, striking out all three batters in the ninth.

Opposition stars:  Chris McFarland was 2-for-4 with two doubles.  Clint Coulter was 1-for-3 with a double and a walk.  Brandon Woodruff pitched seven shutout innings, allowing four hits and a walk with two strikeouts.

The game:  It was quite a pitchers' duel.  Through seven, only one man had reached third base.  In the eighth, Vavra reached third on a leadoff double-plus-error and scored on Granite's RBI single.  The last six Manatees struck out.

Of note:  Alex Swim was 1-for-4 with a double.  Chad Christensen was 0-for-2 with a walk.

CEDAR RAPIDS 3, PEORIA 2 IN PEORIA

Batting stars:  T. J. White was 1-for-3 with a triple and a walk, driving in two.  Tanner English was 1-for-3 with a walk and a run.

Pitching stars:  Felix Jorge pitched six innings, giving up two runs on three hits and two walks with two strikeouts.  Trevor Hildenberger struck out three in two shutout innings, giving up no hits and no walks.  Cameron Booser pitched a scoreless inning, giving up a walk with one strikeout.

Opposition stars:  Alex De Leon was 1-for-3 with a home run, his second.  Kender Villegas struck out three in 2.1 scoreless innings, allowing one hit.

The game:  Three walks, a sacrifice fly, and White's two-run triple gave the Kernels a 3-0 lead in the first and they made it hold up.  The Chiefs scored single runs in the second and fourth and got the tying run to second in the fifth, sixth, and seventh, but could never advance him further.

Of note:  Trey Vavra was 0-for-4.  Max Murphy was 0-for-3 with a walk and a run.  Zack Larson was 0-for-2 with a walk and an RBI.

TODAY'S TILTS

4:05  Rochester (Pat Dean, 3-3, 2.44) at Norfolk (Bud Norris, no record)
Game 2  Rochester (Taylor Rogers, 3-2, 3.31) at Norfolk (Michael Bowden, 2-1, 2.36)
5:05  Chattanooga at Mobile (completion of suspended game)
Game 2  Chattanooga (David Hurlbut, no record) at Mobile (Aaron Blair, 2-2, 2.58)
6:05  Brevard County (Javier Salas, 2-3, 2.83) at Fort Myers (Luke Westphal, 2-2, 4.37)
6:30  Cedar Rapids (Jared Wilson, 4-0, 2.43) at Beloit (Brett Graves, 3-0, 5.36)

Games of May 20

As we continue to play catch-up:  Kennys Vargas shows there's nothing wrong with his batting stroke.  Sano, Buxton, and Kepler lead the Lookouts, which is as it should be.  Errors lead to a Miracle win.  Stephen Gonsalves has another exceptional game for the Kernels.

ROCHESTER 8, DURHAM 7 IN ROCHESTER (10 INNINGS)

Batting stars:  Argenis Diaz was 3-for-4 with a double and a walk, scoring once and driving in two.  Danny Ortiz was 2-for-4 with a double, scoring twice and driving in two.  Kennys Vargas was 3-for-4 with a walk and two runs.

Pitching star:  Caleb Thielbar struck out three in 2.2 scoreless innings, giving up two hits and three walks.

Opposition stars:  Curt Casali was 3-for-4 with a home run (his second), a double, and a walk, scoring twice and driving in two.  Jake Elmore was 3-for-5 with a double and a walk, scoring twice.  Luke Maile was 2-for-4 with a double and a walk, driving in one.

The game:  The Bulls led 5-0 after two and a half, but the Red Wings came back.  Eric Fryer's two-run single in the fourth cut the lead to 5-3.  In the fifth, Ortiz had a two-run single and Diaz had a two-run double to put the Red Wings up 7-5.  Casali homered in the sixth and back-to-back doubles in the seventh tied the score 7-7.  In the tenth, two singles and a walk loaded the bases with none out and Eric Farris singled home the winning run.

Of note:  Farris was 1-for-6 with an RBI.  James Beresford was 2-for-5 with a run.  Josmil Pinto was 0-for-4 with a walk and a run.  Jason Wheeler struck out seven in six innings but gave up six runs on nine hits and two walks.

CHATTANOOGA 11, MONTGOMERY 5 IN CHATTANOOGA

Batting stars:  Miguel Sano was 3-for-5 with two doubles, scoring once and driving in two.  Max Kepler was 2-for-4 with a two-run homer (his second) and a double.  Byron Buxton was 2-for-4 with two triples and a walk, scoring twice.

Pitching star:  Jake Reed pitched two shutout innings, giving up a hit with one strikeout.

Opposition stars:  Johnny Field was 2-for-4 with a home run (his sixth) and three RBIs.  Leonardo Reginatto was 3-for-4 with a double.  Tyler Goeddel was 2-for-4 with a triple and a run.

The game:  Heiker Meneses hit a two-run single in the second to put the Lookouts up 3-2, but Field homered in the third to tie it and the Biscuits scored once in the sixth to go up 4-3.  In the seventh, Kepler hit a two-run homer and Meneses had a two-run double to give the Lookouts a 7-3 lead.  They added four more in the eighth on Sano's two-run double and a two-run homer by Adam Brett Walker II to put the game out of reach.

Of note:  Jorge Polanco was 1-for-4 with a walk, scoring once and driving in one.  Travis Harrison was 1-for-4 with a walk and a run.  Walker II was 1-for-5 with a two-run homer, his tenth.  D. J. Baxendale pitched six innings, giving up four runs on seven hits and two walks with four strikeouts.

FORT MYERS 7, BRADENTON 2 IN FORT MYERS

Batting stars:  Niko Goodrum was 1-for-3 with a double and two walks, scoring twice and driving in one.  Jason Kanzler was 3-for-5 with a walk, scoring once and driving in one.  Bryan Haar was 3-for-4 with a double and a walk.

Pitching stars:  Ryan Eades pitched seven innings, giving up an unearned run on three hits and a walk with three strikeouts.  Alex Muren pitched a perfect inning.

Opposition stars:  Reese McGuire was 1-for-3 with a walk and an RBI.  Isaac Sanchez struck out four in two shutout innings, allowing two hits and a walk.

The game:  Two errors led to three Miracle runs in the third and a 5-0 Miracle lead.  Another error helped the Miracle score two more in the fourth to make it 7-0.  The Marauders scored single runs in the sixth and ninth but did not threaten to get back into the game.

Of note:  Zach Granite was 1-for-4 with a run and an RBI.  Chad Christensen was 1-for-4 with a double and a walk, scoring once.

CEDAR RAPIDS 8, PEORIA 0 IN PEORIA

Batting stars:  Blake Schmit was 2-for-4 with a double and a walk, scoring once and driving in two.  Brett Doe was 3-for-5 with a double and an RBI.  Zack Larson was 2-for-5 with a double and two RBIs.

Pitching stars:  Stephen Gonsalves struck out seven in six shutout innings, giving up one hit and three walks.  Michael Cederoth struck out three in two perfect innings.  Zach Tillery pitched a perfect inning with one strikeout.

Opposition stars:  None.  The Chiefs had only one hit in the game.

The game:  The Kernels scored single runs in the second, fourth, fifth, and sixth to go up 4-0.  Four singles, two errors, and a walk led to a four-run eighth that put the game out of reach.  Collin Radack's first-inning single was the only Chiefs hit.

Of note:  Tanner English was 1-for-5 with a walk and a run.  Nick Gordon was 0-for-4 with a walk.  Trey Vavra was 2-for-4 with a walk and two runs.  Max Murphy was 0-for-5.

Games of May 19

As we start trying to get caught up:  An awesome start by Chih-Wei Hu!  Byron Buxton was grand!  John Curtiss pitched well until he didn't.

ROCHESTER 4, DURHAM 3 IN ROCHESTER (GAME 1)

Batting stars:  Brock Peterson was 1-for-4 with a two-run homer, his fifth.  James Beresford was 2-for-2 with a walk and an RBI.  Danny Ortiz was 2-for-4 with a run.

Pitching stars:  Chih-Wei Hu struck out six in six innings, giving up one run on two hits and four walks.  Caleb Thielbar pitched a scoreless inning, giving up a walk.

Opposition stars:  Hak-Ju Lee was 2-for-3 with a home run, a double, and a walk.  Alexi Casilla was 1-for-3 with a double and two walks, scoring once.  Jim Miller struck out two in 2.2 scoreless innings, giving up only a walk.

The game:  Beresford singled in a run in the second and Peterson hit a two-run homer in the fourth to give the Red Wings a 3-0 lead.  Each team scored once in the fifth, making the score 4-1.  It was still 4-1 after seven, but the Bulls got a run in the eighth and loaded the bases with two out.  In the ninth, Lee hit a leadoff homer but the Bulls went down in order after that.

Of note:  Eric Farris was 1-for-4 with a run.  Eric Fryer was 0-for-4.  Reynaldo Rodriguez was 0-for-2.

DURHAM 4, ROCHESTER 2 IN ROCHESTER (GAME 2)

Batting star:  Eric Farris was 2-for-4 with a walk and a run.

Pitching stars:  Lester Oliveros struck out five in two shutout innings, giving up a hit and two walks.  Ryan O'Rourke pitched 1.2 scoreless innings, giving up a walk.  Logan Darnell struck out two in a perfect inning.

Opposition stars:  Eugenio Velez was 3-for-4 with a double, scoring twice and driving in one.  Jake Elmore was 1-for-3 with two walks and two runs.  Enny Romero pitched four shutout innings, giving up two hits and a walk with three strikeouts.

The game:  The Bulls scored two in the first and two in the third to go up 4-0.  It was still 4-0 through seven.  The Red Wings finally got on the board in the eighth, scoring twice on a single, a double, a single, and an error.  The tying run was on base, but the next two batters struck out.  The Red Wings got a man to second with one out in the ninth, but again the last two batters of the inning were retired.

Of note:  Josmil Pinto was 1-for-4 with a double, scoring once and driving in one.  Danny Ortiz was 1-for-3 with a walk.  Alex Meyer struck out seven in 4.2 innings but gave up four runs on seven hits and three walks.

CHATTANOOGA 10, MONTGOMERY 3 IN CHATTANOOGA

Batting stars:  Byron Buxton was 2-for-5 with a grand slam (his fifth homer) and two runs.  Mike Gonzales was 3-for-4 with two runs and an RBI.  Stuart Turner was 1-for-4 with a home run (his second) and three RBIs.

Pitching star:  Greg Peavey pitched seven innings, giving up two runs on seven hits and no walks with six strikeouts.

Opposition stars:  Patrick Leonard was 2-for-4 with two doubles, scoring once and driving in one.  Tyler Goeddel was 3-for-4 with a run and an RBI.  Daniel Robertson was 2-for-4 with a triple and a double, scoring once.

The game:  Turner hit a two-run homer in a three-run second that put the Lookouts up 4-0.  Leonard's double keyed a two-run fourth that cut the lead to 4-2, but Buxton hit a grand slam in the bottom of the fourth that put the game out of reach.

Of note:  Jorge Polanco was 1-for-5.  Miguel Sano was 1-for-4 with a run and an RBI.  Travis Harrison was 0-for-3 with a walk and a run.  Max Kepler was 2-for-3 with a walk, scoring once and driving in one.  Adam Brett Walker II was 1-for-4.

BRADENTON 6, FORT MYERS 1 IN FORT MYERS

Batting stars:  Mitch Garver was 1-for-3 with a run.  Logan Wade was 1-for-3 with an RBI.

Pitching stars:  Brian Gilbert struck out two in two shutout innings, giving up one hit.  Luke Westphal pitched 1.2 scoreless innings, giving up two hits with one strikeout.  Brandon Peterson struck out two in 1.1 scoreless innings, giving up one hit.

Opposition stars:  Austin Meadows was 3-for-5 with a home run (his second) and two runs.  JaCoby Jones was 3-for-4 with a double, scoring twice and driving in one.  Steven Brault struck out six in six innings, allowing one run on five hits and two walks.

The game:  Jose Osuna hit a three-run homer in the first inning and the Marauders never looked back, building the lead to 6-0 after four.  The lone Miracle run came on three singles in the fifth.

Of note:  Zach Granite was 0-for-4.  Niko Goodrum was 1-for-4.  Chad Christensen was 1-for-4.  Mitch Garver was 1-for-3 with a run.  Ethan Mildren pitched four innings, giving up six runs on ten hits and a walk with no strikeouts.

PEORIA 7, CEDAR RAPIDS 5 IN CEDAR RAPIDS

Batting stars:  Trey Vavra was 2-for-4 with a three-run homer, his sixth.  Pat Kelly was 2-for-4 with two runs.  Zack Larson was 1-for-3 with a double and a walk, scoring once.

Pitching star:  Yorman Landa pitched a perfect inning with one strikeout.

Opposition stars:  Steve Bean was 2-for-3 with a grand slam (his second homer), a double, and a walk.  Collin Radack was 2-for-4 with a triple, scoring twice and driving in one.  Justin Ringo was 1-for-3 with a double and a walk, scoring twice.

The game:  The Kernels trailed 2-1 after two but Vavra hit a three-run homer in the third to put them ahead 4-2.  The lead held up until the sixth, when a single, a walk, and another single loaded the bases with none out and Bean unloaded them with a grand slam.  An error allowed the Kernels to get one back in the seventh, but they left the tying run on second and would never get him there again.  Radack tripled and scored in the eighth to provide a Chief insurance run.  The last seven Kernels were retired, four striking out.

Of note:  Tanner English was 1-for-3 with a walk.  Nick Gordon was 0-for-4 with a run.  Max Murphy was 0-for-4.  John Curtiss pitched six innings, giving up six runs on six hits and two walks with four strikeouts.

We Interrupt This Blog

I'll be out of range of the internet Wednesday and have a busy Thursday coming up.  I'll get things caught up as soon as I can, but it may be Friday before I have time to do it.  Sorry about that, but sometimes life gets in the way of baseball.  I hate it when that happens.

Games of May 18

A tremendous complete-game shutout for Tommy Milone leads the Red Wings to victory.  Jose Berrios isn't terrible, but isn't good enough for the Lookouts.  Three three-run innings carry the Miracle.  The Kernels win the completion of the suspended game but waste the pitching of Mat Batts in the scheduled game.

ROCHESTER 3, DURHAM 0 IN DURHAM

Batting stars:  Eric Farris was 2-for-3 with a walk and two runs.  Josmil Pinto was 1-for-4 with a two-run homer, his fourth.

Pitching star:  Tommy Milone struck out thirteen in a complete-game shutout, giving up six hits and no walks.

Opposition stars:  Ex-Twin Alexi Casilla was 2-for-4 with a double.  Jake Elmore was 2-for-4.  Matt Buschman pitched seven innings, allowing three runs on five hits and no walks with six strikeouts.

The game:  James Beresford doubled in a run in the third and Pinto hit a two-run homer in the sixth.  The only time the Bulls got a man to third base was in the fourth.  Their last eleven batters were retired.

Of note:  Reynaldo Rodriguez was 0-for-4.  Danny Ortiz was 0-for-3.

MONTGOMERY 4, CHATTANOOGA 2 IN CHATTANOOGA

Batting stars:  Max Kepler was 1-for-3 with a two-run homer.  Jorge Polanco was 2-for-4.

Pitching stars:  Nick Burdi struck out three in two shutout innings, giving up no hits and no walks.  Zack Jones pitched a perfect perfect inning, striking out all three batters he faced.  D. J. Johnson pitched a perfect inning.

Opposition stars:  Patrick Leonard was 2-for-4 with a home run (his second) and two runs.  Daniel Robertson was 2-for-4 with a double and a run.  Blake Snell struck out six in six shutout innings, allowing two hits and three walks.  Snell has now pitched forty-six minor league innings (21 high-A, 25 AA) and has not given up a run.

The game:  Leonard homered in the second and Justin O'Connor hit a two-run double in the fourth to put the Biscuits up 3-0.  Kepler hit a two-run homer in the seventh to get the Lookouts back into the game at 3-2, but their last eight batters were retired.  Johnny Field singled in an insurance run in the eighth for the Biscuits.

Of note:  Byron Buxton was 0-for-4.  Miguel Sano was 0-for-4.  Travis Harrison was 0-for-4.  Adam Brett Walker II was 0-for-2 with two walks.  Jose Berrios struck out five in five innings, giving up three runs on five hits and a walk.

FORT MYERS 11, BRADENTON 5 IN BRADENTON

Batting stars:  Jason Kanzler was 2-for-5 with a home run (his fourth) a double, and a walk, scoring three times and driving in three.  Chad Christensen was 4-for-5 with two doubles, scoring once and driving in one.  Engelb Vielma was 2-for-5 with a double, scoring twice and driving in one.

Pitching stars:  Aaron Slegers pitched five innings, giving up two unearned runs on four hits and two walks with two strikeouts.  Alex Muren pitched two perfect innings with one strikeout.

Opposition stars:  Jose Osuna was 2-for-5 with a home run (his third) and three RBIs.  Jin-De Jhang was 3-for-4 with a run.

The game:  The Marauders led 1-0 after two, but three singles, a walk, and a couple of productive outs produced three fourth-inning runs to put the Miracle up 3-1.  It was 3-2 after four, but Kanzler hit a two-run homer in a three-run fifth to give the Miracle a commanding lead.  It was 11-2 after seven and a half before the Marauders scored a few meaningless late runs.

Of note:  Zach Granite was 1-for-6 with a run.  Niko Goodrum was 1-for-5 with two runs and an RBI.  Mitch Garver was 1-for-2 with a walk, scoring once and driving in one.

CEDAR RAPIDS 7, PEORIA 3 IN CEDAR RAPIDS (COMPLETION OF SUSPENDED GAME)

Batting stars:  Trey Vavra was 2-for-4 with a three-run homer (his fourth) and a double.  Tanner English was 2-for-3 with a triple and a walk, scoring once and driving in one.  Rainis Silva was 1-for-2 with a double and two walks, scoring twice.

Pitching star:  Keaton Steele pitched five innings, giving up one run on three hits and a walk with two strikeouts.

Opposition stars:  Danny Diekroeger was 2-for-4 with two doubles and a run.  Blake McKnight pitched four innings, allowing one run on one hit and two walks with two strikeouts.

The game:  Each team scored twice in the first.  In the second, Vavra's three-run homer capped a four-run inning that put the Kernels up 6-2.  The Chiefs got within three in the fifth but did not threaten to tie the game.

Of note:  Nick Gordon was 1-for-4 with two runs and an RBI.  Max Murphy was 0-for-4.  Zack Larson was 0-for-3 with an RBI.  Stephen Gonsalves had struck out four in four innings before the game was suspended, giving up two runs on four hits and no walks.

PEORIA 1, CEDAR RAPIDS 0 IN PEORIA (7 INNINGS--SCHEDULED GAME)

Batting star:   Zack Larson was 1-for-3, which was the only Kernels hit.

Pitching star:  Mat Batts struck out twelve in a six-inning complete game, giving up one run on five hits and a walk.

Opposition stars:  Casey Turgeon was 1-for-2 with a double and an RBI.  Oscar Mercado was 2-for-3.  Austin Gomber pitched a seven-inning complete game shutout, allowing one hit and no walks with four strikeouts.

The game:  Turgeon delivered an RBI double with one out in the third for the game's only run.  Larson had the only hit, a one-out single in the second.  The game took one hour and twenty-four minutes.

Of note:  Tanner English was 0-for-3.  Trey Vavra was 0-for-3.  Max Murphy was 0-for-3.

TODAY'S TILTS

10:05  Durham (Scott Diamond, 3-1, 3.58 at Rochester (Chih-Wei Hu, no record)
11:00  Cedar Rapids (John Curtiss, 2-2, 5.06) at Peoria (Daniel Poncedeleon, 3-0, 1.35)
6:05    Durham (TBA) at Rochester (Alex Meyer, 2-2, 7.01)
6:05    Bradenton (TBA) at Fort Myers (TBA)
6:15    Montgomery (Jared Mortensen, 2-2, 2.45) at Chattanooga (Greg Peavey, 3-1, 7.34)

Players of the Week: May 11-17, 2015

Our weekly honors.

ROCHESTER

Batter:  Wilkin Ramirez was 6-for-22 with two doubles and a triple.  For the season he is hitting .276/.281/.414 in 29 at-bats.

Pitcher:  Tommy Milone made one start, pitching eight shutout innings.  He struck out twelve, giving up three hits and no walks.  For the season, he is 2-0, 0.00, 0.70 WHIP with 20 strikeouts in 14.1 innings.

CHATTANOOGA

Batter:  Max Kepler was 12-for-29 with five doubles, two walks, and two stolen bases.  For the season he is hitting .325/.364/.470 and is 5-for-6 in stolen basesd in 83 at-bats.

Pitcher:  Tyler Duffey made two starts, pitching fourteen innings.  He gave up three runs on twelve hits and four walks with seventeen strikeouts.  For the season he is 2-2, 2.56, 1.10 WHIP with 54 strikeouts in 52.2 innings (8 starts).

FORT MYERS

Batter:  Zach Granite was 8-for-22 with a double, eight walks, and two stolen bases.  For the season he is hitting .328/.429/.391 and is 5-for-8 in stolen bases in 64 at-bats.

Pitcher:  David Hurlbut made on start and one six-inning relief appearance.  He pitched twelve innings, giving up four unearned runs on six hits and three walks with nine strikeouts.

CEDAR RAPIDS

Batter:  Trey Vavra was 12-for-27 with two doubles and a home run.  For the season he is hitting .347/.409/.529 in 121 at-bats.

Pitcher:  Felix Jorge made one start, pitching 6.1 innings.  He gave up one run on five hits and a walk with three strikeouts.  For the season he is 1-2, 1.98, 0.96 WHIP with 37 strikeouts in 36.1 innings.