Games of June 5

Yohan Pino and Stephen Gonsalves were both dominant for five innings.  A suspended game for Fort Myers.  The DSL Twins get their first win of the season.

SCRANTON/WILKES-BARRE 6, ROCHESTER 3 IN ROCHESTER

The Red Wings scored single runs in the first and third to take a 2-0.  In the sixth, however, Gleyber Torres hit a three-run homer to give the RailRiders the lead and they added three more in the seventh (two on Torres' two-run single) to take control of the game.  Rochester got one back in the bottom of the seventh but never brought the tying run up to bat, as their last eight batters were retired.

Yohan Pino was dominant for five innings, but faltered in the sixth.  His line is seven strikeouts in 5.1 innings, but three runs on three hits and two walks.  Alan Busenitz pitched a scoreless inning to make his ERA 2.22.  J. B. Shuck and Matt Hague were each 2-for-4.  Zack Granite was 2-for-5.  It was Granite's fourth consecutive two-hit game, raising his average from .237 to .272.

CHATTANOOGA 4, JACKSON 2 IN CHATTANOOGA

The Lookouts scored three in the first inning and led all the way.  They had only one hit in the first inning, taking advantage of three walks, an error, and a passed ball.  The Generals got two in the eighth on a triple by Daniel Lugo and had the tying run on base with two out, but their last four batters were retired.

Stephen Gonsalves struck out eight in five shutout innings, giving up two hits and three walks.  He threw 96 pitches.  His ERA is now 2.45 and his WHIP is 0.82 with 26 strikeouts and 5 walks in 22 innings.  Jake Reed pitched two shutout innings.  John Curtiss struck out three in 1.1 scoreless innings to keep his ERA at zero through 20 innings (18 appearances).  He has 29 strikeouts and a WHIP of 1.00.  Chattanooga had only four hits, with no batter getting more than one.

FORT MYERS AT PALM BEACH (SUSPENDED AFTER 3 1/2 INNINGS)

This game is scheduled to be complete today as part of a doubleheader.  The Cardinals scored their two runs in the second.  Both of them were unearned.  The Miracle has only one hit so far, a leadoff single by Max Murphy.

DSL TWINS 5, DSL ANGELS 2 AT ANGELS

The Angels scored two in the first, but the Twins took the lead with one in the fifth and two in the sixth.  Wander Valdez doubled home the tying run and the go-ahead run scored on an Alberoni Nunez sacrifice fly.  The Twins got some insurance in the seventh when Agustin Marte hit a two-run double.

Starter Luis Gil struck out five in three innings, giving up two unearned runs on a hit and a walk.  Jesus Toledo pitched two shutout innings of relief and was followed by Cristian Castro, who pitched four shutout innings.  Ruben Santana was 2-for-4 for the Twins.

TODAY'S TILTS

9:30  DSL Twins at DSL Mets1
3:00  Fort Myers at Palm Beach--completion of suspended game
Game 2  Fort Myers (Brady Anderson, 2-1, 4.01) at Palm Beach (Derian Gonzalez, 3-5, 4.32)
6:05  Scranton/Wilkes-Barre (Chance Adams, 3-1, 1.57) at Rochester
6:15  Jackson (Joel Payamps, 0-1, 6.55) at Chattanooga (Matt Tracy, 3-4, 3.98)
6:30  Cedar Rapids (Tyler Wells, 2-0, 2.37) at Clinton (Nick Wells, 1-5, 6.70)

Games of June 4

Zach Granite delivers the key hit for the Red Wings.  Ryan Walker delivers a walkoff hit for the Lookouts.  The Miracle are struggling to get any hits.  The Kernels hit a pair of two-run homers to assure a victory.

ROCHESTER 2, NORFOLK 1 IN NORFOLK

Norfolk led 1-0 through six.  In the seventh, two singles and a sacrifice fly tied the score and Zach Granite delivered a two-out RBI triple to put the Red Wings ahead.  The Tides did not get a hit after the sixth inning.

Adam Wilk made his first start and pitched four innings, giving up one run on six hits and no walks with one strikeout.  Ryan Eades struck out four in three shutout innings, making his ERA 1.13.  Ryan Pressly made his season debut for Rochester and pitched two shutout innings.  J. B. Shuck was 2-for-3 with a double.  Tommy Field was 2-for-3 with a walk.  Zach Granite was 2-for-4 with a triple.

CHATTANOOGA 6, JACKSON 5 IN CHATTANOOGA

The Lookouts led 3-0 and 4-3, but they trailed 5-4 going to the bottom of the ninth.  LaMonte Wade and Travis Harrison led off the inning with back-to-back doubles to tie the score.  With one out, Ryan Walker doubled to give Chattanooga the win.

Fernando Romero struck out eight in seven innings, giving up five runs (two earned) on eight hits and no walks.  Luke Bard and Mason Melotakis each pitched a scoreless inning, with Melotakis lowering his ERA to 2.57.  Harrison was 3-for-4 with a double.  Dan Gamache was 2-for-3 with two walks.  Levi Michael was 2-for-5.

PALM BEACH 5, FORT MYERS 0 IN PALM BEACH

The Miracle were shut out for the second time in five games, and in none of those five games have they scored more than two runs.  They scored seventeen runs on May 26 but have scored only eleven in the eight games since.  In this game, Randy Arozarena hit a three-run homer in the first and the Cardinals led all the way.  The Miracle only got a man to second in one inning and at one point had fourteen consecutive batters retired.  Randal Grichuk, in Palm Beach on a rehab assignment, went 1-for-3.

Lachlan Wells pitched five innings and gave up five runs (four earned) on five hits and two walks with three strikeouts.  Tom Hackimer struck out two in two shutout innings to make his ERA 2.25.  Sam Clay pitched a scoreless inning and has an ERA of 2.40.  Fort Myers had only three hits.  Trey Vavra was 1-for-3 with a double, raising his average to triple digits at .107.

CEDAR RAPIDS 11, BURLINGTON 6 IN BURLINGTON

The Bees scored two runs in the first, but the Kernels came back with five in the second and led the rest of the way.  Brandon Lopez had a two-run triple, Travis Blankenhorn had a two-run single, and Jermaine Palacios delivered an RBI double.  Burlington closed to 7-6 after seven innings, but Cedar Rapids scored four in the eighth to put the game out of reach.  Caleb Hamilton and Blankenhorn each hit a two-run homer in the eighth.

Eduardo Del Rosario pitched five innings and allowed four runs on eight hits and two walks with one strikeout.  Ryan Mason pitched two shutout innings to make his ERA 2.84.  Blankenhorn was 3-for-5 with four RBIs.  Lopez was 2-for-5 with a triple.  Palacios was 2-for-5 with a double and is batting .320.  Mitchell Kranson was 2-for-5.

TODAY'S TILTS

9:30  DSL Twins at DSL Angels
5:30  Fort Myers (Lewis Thorpe, 0-2, 1.38) at Palm Beach (Junior Fernandez, 3-1, 2.37)
6:05  Scranton/Wilkes-Barre (Bryan Mitchell, 0-1, 4.00) at Rochester
6:15  Jackson (Alex Young, 3-3, 4.64) at Chattanooga (Stephen Gonsalves, 0-2, 3.18)
Cedar Rapids Kernels--no game scheduled.

Games of June 3

Comebacks fall short for Rochester and Chattanooga.  No comeback in sight for Fort Myers.  Clark Beeker pitched well in a Cedar Rapids loss.

NORFOLK 8, ROCHESTER 7 IN NORFOLK

Trailing 5-1 through five, the Red Wings scored six in the sixth to not only get back into the game but take the lead.  Tommy Field had a three-run double in the inning.  Unfortunately, in the bottom of the sixth the Tides turned, as Chris Dickerson hit a three-run homer to put Norfolk ahead 8-7.  Rochester loaded the bases in the seventh and put two on in the eighth, but could not tie the score.

Aaron Slegers had his first bad start in nearly a month, lasting only five innings and giving up five runs on twelve hits and a walk with three strikeouts.  Kevin Chapman and Trevor Hildenberger each pitched a scoreless inning, with Hildenberger lowering his ERA to 2.01.  Kennys Vargas was 2-for-4 with a home run (his third) and a walk.  Field was 2-for-5 with a double and three RBIs.  Zack Granite was 2-for-4.

BIRMINGHAM 7, CHATTANOOGA 6 IN BIRMINGHAM

Another comeback fell short.  Trailing 6-0, the Lookouts scored six runs in the eighth to tie the score.  Dan Gamache hit a two-run double in the inning.  It was tied until the ninth, when the Barons put men on first and second with one out.  The next batter popped up, but with two down Mason Robbins singled to center to end the game.

Randy LeBlanc, who had dominated high-A, continues to struggle in AA.  He pitched five innings and allowed six runs on eleven hits and two walks with three strikeouts.  Nick Anderson made his AA debut, striking out two in two shutout innings.  T. J. White was 2-for-4.  Nick Gordon was 1-for-5 and is batting .301.

PALM BEACH 8, FORT MYERS 1 IN PALM BEACH

The Cardinals scored five in the second to put this one out of reach early.  They hit three doubles in the inning.  There would be no comeback in this game.  The lone Miracle run scored in the fifth on a wild pitch.

David Fischer had made three consecutive solid starts, but he faltered in this one, going four innings and allowing six runs (five earned) on six hits and no walks with four strikeouts.  Andrew Vasquez made a successful high-A debut, striking out four in 2.2 scoreless innings.  Max Murphy and Zander Weil were each 2-for-4.  Trey Vavra was 1-for-4 to raise his average to .097.

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

The Bees led 1-0, 2-1, and 3-2, but each time the Kernels came back to tie the score.  A Christian Cavaness triple tied it in the ninth at 3-3.  Burlington scored in the bottom of the tenth, however, and there was no chance for Cedar Rapids to tie it again.  With men on first and second and one out, Keith Grieshaber doubled to bring home the winning run.

Clark Beeker again pitched well, going seven innings and giving up two runs on five hits and no walks with four strikeouts.  His ERA is now 2.51 and his WHIP is 0.96.  Cavaness was 3-for-4 and had a double as well as the triple.  Brandon Lopez was 2-for-4.

DSL ANGELS 1, DSL TWINS 0 AT TWINS

The game's lone run scored in the sixth, when Oliver Carmona hit a two-out single and scored on an Oscateri Castillo triple.  The Twins threatened in the ninth, putting men on first and second with one out and moving them to second and third with two out, but a fly out ended the game.

Michael Montero struck out five in four shutout innings, giving up a hit and a walk.  Fredderi Soto pitched three innings, giving up one run on four hits and no walks with one strikeout.  Fernando Sanchez struck out two in two shutout innings.  The Twins had four hits, all singles, and no one had more than one.

TODAY'S TILTS

12:00  Fort Myers (Lachlan Wells, 2-7, 4.14) at Palm Beach (Jake Woodford, 2-3, 3.40)
12:05  Rochester (Adam Wilk, 0-0, 7.71) at Norfolk (Jayson Aquino, 1-4, 5.01)
2:00  Cedar Rapids (Eduardo Del Rosario, 4-3, 5.12) at Burlington (Travis Herrin, 2-4, 3.61)
4:15  Jackson (Brad Keller, 3-3, 4.60) at Chattanooga

Dominican Summer League Preview

The Dominican Summer League opens its season tonight.  So, here's a little information about the Dominican Summer League.

There are five divisions:  North, South, Northwest, San Pedro, and Baseball City.  Each division has eight teams.  If you do the math, that means there are more teams in the DSL than there are in the major leagues.   That, in turn, means that there are some major league teams that have more than one team in the league.

The teams take on the name of their parent club (the DSL Twins, the DSL Indians, the DSL White Sox, etc.).  For the most part, these differences are noted by numbers, such as the DSL Dodgers1 and the DSL Dodgers2.  There are exceptions to this.  A couple of teams differentiate their teams by colors:  the DSL Phillies Red and the DSL Phillies White; the DSL Astros Orange and the DSL Astros Blue.  The Reds designate their teams the DSL Reds and the DSL Rojos.  There is also one composite team, the DSL Indians/Brewers.

I'm not sure about this, but looking quickly at the schedule, it appears that the teams only play games within their division.  It's a seventy-two game schedule, playing every day except Sunday and the day before the all-star game.  The Twins, who only have one team, play in the South division.  Other teams in that division are the Angels, the Cardinals, the Mets1, the Nationals, the Phillies Red, the Rockies, and the Yankees.

There are some special rules.  Each team can have thirty-five players active and in uniform.  No player on the active list may have four or more years of prior minor league service. In addition, no draft-eligible player from the U.S. or Canada (not including players from Puerto Rico) may participate in the Dominican Summer League.  I seem to recall an age limit at one time, but if so that rule has now been eliminated.  They have playoffs, but I could not quickly find out how many teams qualify or what the procedures are.

The roster at milb.com does not list a manager.  I don't know if that's a mistake at milb.com or if they're going with a "college of coaches" approach or something.  And no, this does not seem to be a common approach in the DSL, as all the other teams in the Twins' division list a manager.  The roster does list a pitching coach and four (!) batting coaches.  The pitching coach is Manny Santana.  The batting coaches are Jimmy Alvarez, Leury Bonilla, Ed Estrada, and Jairo Rodriguez.

I've never actually seen a DSL game, but judging from the box scores the quality of play is not that good.  The players are all young and athletic, but very raw.  It's generally a speed game rather than a power game.  There are plenty of walks and plenty of errors.  It's a league that's much more about player development than about wins and losses.  Still, it's baseball, and it's fun, so we'll cover it.  Hope you enjoy the season.

Games of June 2

All four teams were on the road, and all four teams won.  There was good pitching in each game.  Sweep!

ROCHESTER 6, NORFOLK 2 IN NORFOLK

Trailing 2-1, the Red Wings put together a four-run rally in the third to take control of the game.  Matt Hague and Niko Goodrum each had a two-run single in the inning.  The Tides never threatened after that.

David Hurlbut pitched very well after allowing two runs in the first.  His line is six innings, two runs, six hits, no walks, and two strikeouts.  Drew Rucinski pitched two shutout innings to lower his ERA to 2.66.  Michael Tonkin pitched a perfect inning to make his ERA 2.08.  Hague was 2-for-3 with a double and a walk.  Zack Granite was 2-for-4 with a triple, a double, and a walk, scoring three times.  Tommy Field was 2-for-4.

CHATTANOOGA 3, BIRMINGHAM 2 IN BIRMINGHAM

The Lookouts led 2-0 after six.  In the seventh, however, a Cameron Seitzer solo homer was followed by a single and three walks to tie the score 2-2.  In the eighth, however, Edgar Corcino led off with a single, Travis Harrison drew a one-out walk, and Dan Gamache followed with an RBI double to put Chattanooga up 3-2.  The Barons got the tying run to third with two out in the bottom of the eighth, but their last four batters were retired.

Felix Jorge pitched well again, striking out six in 6.2 innings while giving up two runs on four hits and a walk.  Jake Reed made his 2017 debut and issued the three walks that tied the game.  Raul Fernandez and John Curtiss each pitched a scoreless inning.  Curtiss kept his ERA at zero in 18.2 innings.  He has 26 strikeouts and 10 walks.  Corcino went 2-for-4 to make his average .301.  Nick Gordon was 1-for-5 and is batting .303.

FORT MYERS 2, BRADENTON 0 IN BRADENTON

All the runs came in the second inning on Daniel Kihle's two-run homer.  The Marauders had only three hits, all singles, and only twice advanced a man as far as second base.

Dereck Rodriguez had what may have been his best game of the season, striking out six in six innings while giving up just three hits and a walk.  His ERA is 2.66 and his WHIP is 1.07.  Williams Ramirez struck out two in two shutout innings, lowering his ERA to 2.22.  He has 31 strikeouts in 28.1 innings.  Alex Muren pitched a perfect inning to make his ERA 2.03.  Kihle's home run was his fourth.  Trey Vavra was 0-for-4 and is now batting .088.

CEDAR RAPIDS 3, BURLINGTON 0 IN BURLINGTON

A sacrifice fly scored the first run of the game in the third inning.  Aaron Whitefield singled in a run in a two-run fifth.  That was more than enough, as Domenick Carlini and three relievers kept the Bees off the board.  Burlington had chances.  They had a man thrown out trying to score from second on a single in the first inning, left men on second and third in the sixth, loaded the bases in the seventh, and left men on first and third in the eighth.

Carlini had his best game of the season, going six shutout innings and giving up three hits and two walks with two strikeouts.  Max Cordy pitched 1.2 scoreless innings.  Hector Lujan pitched a scoreless inning to lower his ERA to 2.01 and make his WHIP 0.99.  Jaylin Davis was 2-for-4.  Whitefield was 1-for-2 with a walk and is batting .301.

TODAY'S TILTS

9:30  DSL Angels at DSL Twins
4:30  Fort Myers (David Fischer, 3-3, 3.35) at Palm Beach (Connor Jones, 3-3, 4.23)
6:05  Rochester (Aaron Slegers, 4-3, 3.81) at Norfolk (Chris Lee, 2-3, 6.86)
6:30  Cedar Rapids (Clark Beeker, 5-2, 2.50) at Burlington (Andrew Vinson, 3-5, 6.11)
6:30  Chattanooga at Birmingham

Games of June 1

A late rally falls short for the Red Wings.  Matt Tracy pitches well in a Lookout loss. Lots of hits, but only one run for the Miracle.  Another good game for Sean Poppen.

DURHAM 6, ROCHESTER 3 IN DURHAM

The Bulls scored three in the first and never trailed.  They opened the inning with two singles and a walk.  The next two batters went out, but a hit batsman and a two-run single made it 3-0.  None of the singles was hit very hard, but that's how it goes sometimes.  It was 6-0 until the Red Wings finally broke through with three in the eighth.  They brought the tying run up to bat in that inning, but ByungHo Park struck out and Rochester never got as close again.

Nik Turley probably pitched better than his numbers indicate.  He struck out seven in 6.1 innings, but allowed five runs on eight hits and a walk.  Niko Goodrum was 3-for-4 with a double.  Leonardo Reginatto was 2-for-3 with a double and a walk.

BIRMINGHAM 3, CHATTANOOGA 1 IN BIRMINGHAM

Nick Basto homered in the first and Alfredo Gonzalez homered in the second to give the Barons a 2-0 lead.  It stayed 2-0 until the seventh, when the Lookouts opened the frame with back-to-back doubles by Ryan Strausborger and Dan Gamache to make it 2-1.  Chattanooga could do no more, though, and Basto doubled home an insurance run in the eighth.  The Lookouts went 1-for-11 with men in scoring position.

Matt Tracy pitched well in defeat, going seven innings and giving up two runs on five hits and a walk with four strikeouts.  Strausborger was 2-for-3 with a double.

BRADENTON 5, FORT MYERS 1 IN BRADENTON

Will Craig hit a two-run homer in the first and the Marauders got two more in the second to take control of the game.  The Miracle got their lone run in the ninth on two singles, a walk, and a hit batsman.  They actually had the tying run up to bat with two out in the ninth, but Sean Miller struck out to end the game.

Brady Anderson pitched well after the second inning, but his line reads five innings, four runs, nine hits, two walks, and three strikeouts.  Michael Theofanopoulos struck out three in a scoreless inning.  Max Murphy and Nelson Molina were each 3-for-5.  Daniel Kihle was 2-for-3 with a double.  Zander Weil was 2-for-4.  Trey Vavra was 0-for-4 to drop his average to .094.  The top three men in the Fort Myers batting order went a combined 8-for-14 with a walk, but got only one run and no RBIs.  The Miracle stranded thirteen baserunners.

CEDAR RAPIDS 11, QUAD CITIES 1 IN CEDAR RAPIDS

Leading 3-0, the Kernels scored five in the fourth to put the game out of reach.  Travis Blankenhorn hit a two-run triple in the inning.  The River Bandits scored their lone run in the seventh.

Sean Poppen pitched 6.1 innings, giving up an unearned run on five hits and no walks with five strikeouts, making his ERA 2.12.  Logan Lombana retired all seven batters he faced, striking out five.  Jermaine Palacios was 3-for-4 with a walk to make his average .318.  Blankenhorn was 2-for-4 and hit a home run (his fifth) as well as the triple.  Aaron Whitefield was 2-for-4 with a home run, his sixth.  Jaylin Davis was 2-for-4 with a triple and a walk.  Mitchell Kranson was 2-for-4 with a walk.

TODAY'S TILTS

5:30  Fort Myers (Dereck Rodriguez, 3-2, 2.95) at Bradenton
6:05  Rochester (David Hurlbut, 2-3, 3.41) at Norfolk (Jordan Kipper, 2-0, 2.45)
6:30  Cedar Rapids (Domenick Carlini, 2-3, 5.65) at Burlington (Nate Bertness, 2-3, 6.39)
7:05  Chattanooga (Felix Jorge, 5-1, 3.48) at Birmingham

Games of May 31

Yohan Pino and Adam Wilk make their 2017 Rochester debuts.  Stephen Gonsalves and Lewis Thorpe both pitch well in losses.  Tyler Wells makes a triumphant return in Cedar Rapids.  The Twins affiliates amassed a total of fifteen hits, less than four hits per team.

DURHAM 5, ROCHESTER 1 IN DURHAM

Shane Peterson hit a two-run homer in the second to give the Bulls a 2-0 lead.  A sacrifice fly in the fourth cut the lead to 2-1, but the Red Wings missed a chance to tie or take the lead when J. B. Shuck struck out with men on second and third.  Rochester would not threaten like that again and Durham gradually extended its lead, scoring one in the fifth and two in the seventh.

Yohan Pino made his 2017 Rochester debut and struck out eight in 5.2 innings, giving up three runs on six hits and no walks.  Adam Wilk apparently cleared waivers and made his Rochester debut as well, going 2.1 innings and allowing two runs on four hits and two walks.  The Red Wings had only five hits, with no player getting more than one.

BIRMINGHAM 2, CHATTANOOGA 1 IN BIRMINGHAM

Nick Gordon's RBI single in the third gave the Lookouts a 1-0 lead.  In the fourth, however, Nick Basto homered to tie it and Mason Robbins delivered an RBI single later in the inning to put the Barons ahead 2-1.  Chattanooga only once got a man as far as second base after the third inning.

Stephen Gonsalves pitched well again, striking out eight in six innings while giving up two runs on three hits and a walk.  Luke Bard struck out three in two shutout innings.  Gordon was 1-for-3 with a walk and is batting .306.

BRADENTON 1, FORT MYERS 0 IN BRADENTON

The game's lone run came in the fourth.  Cole Taylor walked, went to second on a pickoff error, and scored on a Ke'Bryan Hayes single.  The Miracle had just two hits.

Lewis Thorpe continues to pitch well, striking out seven in five innings.  He gave up an unearned run on one hit and two walks.  He has an ERA of 1.38 and a WHIP of 0.77 with 16 strikeouts in 13 innings.  Sam Clay struck out four in two shutout innings to make his ERA 2.48.  He has 32 strikeouts in 29 innings.  Nick Anderson pitched a perfect inning to make his ERA 0.89.  Chris Paul, who is batting .351, went on the disabled list with an injured wrist.

CEDAR RAPIDS 3, QUAD CITIES 0 IN CEDAR RAPIDS

It was scoreless until the sixth, when a Lewin Diaz sacrifice fly plated the first run.  The Kernels added two in the eighth when Diaz delivered an RBI double and later scored on a wild pitch.

Cedar Rapids had only four hits, but five pitchers limited the River Bandits to only three.  Tyler Wells made his first start in three weeks and showed he was ready, striking out ten in four innings while giving up just one hit and two walks.  His ERA is 2.37 and he has 55 strikeouts in 38 innings.  Colton Davis pitched two shutout innings to make his ERA 1.88.  Alex Robinson, Andrew Vasquez, and Hector Lujan each struck out two in a scoreless inning.  Their ERAs are 2.86, 1.61, and 2.11, respectively.  Jermaine Palacios was 0-for-2 with a walk and is batting .310.

TODAY'S TILTS

5:30  Fort Myers at Bradenton (Bret Helton, 2-0, 4.78)
6:05  Rochester (Nik Turley, 0-1, 3.38) at Durham (Jacob Faria, 5-1, 3.48)
6:35  Quad Cities at Cedar Rapids (Sean Poppen, 3-1, 2.35)
7:05  Chattanooga (Matt Tracy, 3-3, 4.18) at Birmingham (Jordan Guerrero, 0-7, 5.01)