Round Rock pitcher Troy Patton started on the road last night. He has struggled on the road this year. I wouldn’t call his 6 innings of work struggling but it wasn’t his best work either. He gave up 4 runs in the six innings off 7 hits and two walks. He struck out 4. He left the game down 3-2 but the offense picked up the pace from there. The Express plated 2 in the 7th, 5 in the 8th and an insurance run in the 9th for a 10-4 win. Ransom, Conrad & Saccomanno all had solo homers. The hero of the game was Brian Gordan came on in relief of Patton in the 7th. He got the win and had a 3 run triple in the 8th.
Corpus Christi had the night off.
Salem starter Sergio Perez gave up 3 runs in the first, including two home runs. He settled down to pitch 7 innings and didn’t give up any additional runs. However, the hole was too deep for the offense. Cesar Quintero stretched his hitting streak to 7 games with a two run homer in the 5th. The Avs got runners on 1 & 2nd in the 9th but Chris Johnson grounded into a game ending double play. The final was a 3-2 loss.
Lexington starter David Qualban picked of his 28th runner this year but he also had an error on an attempted pick off which played a part in a 3 run 3rd for the Sand Gnats. All the runs were unearned. He also uncorked a wild pitched that allowed the decisive run to score. Over all he went 7 innings, giving up 9 hits, two earned runs, with no walks and two strike outs. The final was Sand Gnats 5, Legends 4.
Despite losing 12 of their last 16, the Legends appear to be improving at the plate:
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Eric Taylor, who singled twice, has reached safely in 31 of his last 33 games, with hits in eight of his last 10 contests. … Jhon Florentino, who singled, has hits in 11 of his last 12 games. … Greg Buchanan, who reached on a single, walk and when he was hit by a pitch, has hits in 10 of his last 12 games.
Tri Cities will host the 2008 NYPL All Star game. General Manager Vic Christopher quipped:
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“The All-Star announcement is the shot in the arm we need with the team struggling this year,” Christopher said. “I would be disappointed if we did not break our attendance record for that game.”
They might want to forget the 2007 version. The ValleyCat reps went 1-6 at the plate and took the loss on the mound.
Greeneville knocked out 3 doubles and two home runs out of 10 hits, while their pitchers held Johnson City to 4 hits in a 6-1 victory bouncing back from the spanking Elizabethton gave them. Antonio Noguera, a 19 year old lefty, held Johnson City scoreless through 6 innings. He was relieved by Jordan Powell with one out in the 7th after an RBI double. Powell stranded the runner at second and went on for one of his strongest outings of the season. He allowed only 1 hit and 1 walk and struck out 5 in 2 2/3 innings. Powell now has 34 Ks in 33 1/3 innings of work. He struggled with his command early in the season give up 8 walks in his first 9 2/3 innings. Since then he has only given up 6 in 23 2/3. His walk last night was his first in 11 innings. Andrew Darnell hit his 4th HR of the season. Travis Sweet, who had struggled at the plate since arriving in Greeneville from Tri Cities, entered the game with only one hit in 14 at bats. He had a double and a homerun. He also walked for the 4th consecutive game.