(4-6, 4th–PCL American South)
Game Notes:
The Express are on the losing end of a pitchers’ duel as they fall to Iowa 3-1.
Top Cubs lefty pitching prospect Rich Hill kept the Express shut down with 7 innings of 1-run ball. Former Giants #1 draft pick David Aardsma then came on and retired all six RR hitters he faced.
Philip Barzilla, like Aardsma a former Rice closer, takes the loss despite a nice performance (6.2 IP 4 H 3 R 1 ER 4 W 6 K).
CF Charlton Jimerson had half of the 4 Round Rock hits, including an RBI triple.
The two veterans on the left side of the Express infield, 3B Joe McEwing and SS Cody Ransom, committed their 3rd and 4th errors of the season respectively.
Other News and Notes:
(1) RHP Aaron Williams has been promoted from CC. He quickly saw action as he came on in the 9th inning of Saturday’s game and was very effective, retiring three of the four I-Cubs he faced (including 2 by strikeout). (2) CF Mike Rodriguez injured himself in Friday’s game and left in the 3rd inning. And from the way manager Jackie Moore is talking (or not talking since he wouldn’t disclose the nature of the injury), he’s going to be out awhile. It’s unclear whether he’s been put on the DL or not, thus creating the roster vacancy filled by Williams.
(5-4, T1st–Texas League South)
Game Notes:
All of the Hooks’ runs came in the 5th inning (their highest scoring inning of the year) as they blank the Frisco RoughRiders 6-0.
Starting pitcher Chance Douglass does a 180 from his first start as he completely shuts down the wannabe Rangers (7 IP 3 H 0 R 0 ER 1 W 5 K). The sinkerballer induced ten groundouts, including 2 DP balls.
Rice-ex Jon Skaggs has a bit of traffic (2 hits, a walk) in his 2 relief innings but 3 strikeouts keep the visiting club off the scoreboard.
LF John Fagan had the big blow in the 5th: a 3-run shot (#2). He also singled and reached on a walk.
C J.R. House reached on a HBP and had an RBI single to give him a 9-game hitting streak. The former Pirate prospect also nailed a runner at 2B on a pitchout.
SS Ben Zobrist was 1-4 with an RBI single and scored a run. On the fielding side, though, he made a bad throw to 1B for his 4th miscue of the season.
(4-5, 3rd–Carolina League Southern)
Game Notes:
The Avalanche out-hits Wilmington 10-8, but with 9 of those base hits being singles there’s not much traffic at home plate and the Blue Rocks prevail by a 6-2 count.
The only multi-hit games were by 2B Drew Sutton (now in the leadoff slot) and CF Ervin Alcantara. Baylor-ex Sutton had a walk, two knocks, and an RBI. Alcantara went 3-4 and had a SB.
DH Neil Sellers had a walk and a single and swiped a couple of bases (just his first two of the year and only the 11th and 12th in his 2+ seasons as a professional).
C Lou Santangelo had the only extra-base hit (a double) and also reached on a free pass.
Starter Felipe Paulino again has problems with the long ball, giving up 2 of ’em along with 5 runs in his 4+ innings.
(8-2, 1st–SAL Northern)
Game Notes:
It’s two road games, two road wins for the the Legends as they again pound the Power. West Virginia falls to Lexington by a 9-4 margin.
3B Koby Clemens hit his 1st A-ball home run, a 3-run job in the 3rd inning. He’s again tied with OF Mitch Einertson for the club lead in RBIs with 8 despite having just 4 hits on the season.
It was a night of “2”s for RF Eli Iorg: 2 hits, 2 RBIs and 2 SBs.
1B Ole Sheldon was 3-5 with a double.
Josh Flores, in the DH spot, had a couple of base hits and scored twice. He picked up his 3rd swipe of the year.
Backup catcher Eric Cavers was 2-4 with an RBI double.
Starting pitcher Brian Bogusevic allowed a crapload of baserunners (7 hits, 1 walk) in his 3 innings of work, but somehow manages to allow just one earned run. Inducing a couple of DP balls certainly helped the situation.
Sammy Gervacio (2 IP) and Brandon Stricklen (1 IP) nailed down the end of the game with scoreless work.
Other News and Notes:
(1) 1B Mark Ori left the game with an injured foot in the 1st inning. He was replaced by Sheldon.