Minor League Recaps

Friday's Results

Tri-City ValleyCats 2, Vermont Lake Monsters 7

Tri-City tried to make a late eighth inning rally Friday after being shutout the entire game and fell a run short of tying the game.  Joe Bircher (3-3) started the game for the ValleyCats and over 6 innings allowed just 2 runs on 6 hits with 5 Ks and 2 walks.  Dan Gulbransen (1X4) led off the 8th inning with a homer to center field; this was Gulbransen's fourth dinger of the year.  Preston Tucker and Jesse Wierzbicki both had multi-hit games, going 2 for 4 at the plate.  Tucker also had a run scored.

Rome Braves 4, Lexington Legends 2 (7)

This was the first game of a doubleheader for Lexington on Friday and they fell behind 2 runs in the third frame and never caught up.  Matt Duffy was hard at work in the game, hitting 2 for 3 with a first inning RBI.  Justin Gominsky (0X3) hit in the other run of the game with a ground out in the 4th that scored Zach Johnson (0X2) who was on base after drawing a walk to lead off the inning.  David Rollins (1-3) took the loss in this game, throwing the first 5 frames and allowing 3 runs on 7 hits,  Rollins also had 2 strikeouts and 4 walks.

Lexington Legends 2, Rome Braves 3

In the second game Friday, Lexington played as the visiting team because it was the makeup for a rained out game from August.  The Legends got off to a strong start, scoring 2 in the first, but then allowed a run in each of the third, fourth and fifth innings without scoring again. Kyle Hallock started the game on the mound for Lexington and threw 3 innings.  Hallock gave up just a run on 1 hit with 1 walk and 3 Ks.  Thomas Shirley (2-4), who pitched the next inning and two thirds, took the loss after allowing 2 runs (1ER) on 5 hits, walking 2 and K-ing a pair.  Zach Johnson was the big man at the plate for the Legends in this game, going 2 for 3 with a run scored and his 38th double of the season.

Lancaster JetHawks 11, High Desert Mavericks 1

Lancaster had a really big 4th inning to get ahead in this game on Friday, but then topped it with 2 HRs and 6 runs total in the eighth inning.  This very decisive win clinched a playoff spot for the JetHawks and home field advantage in the South Division mini-series.  Nicholas Tropeano (6-3) had a stellar night on the mound, throwing 6 frames and allowing 1 run on 4 hits while walking 2 and striking out 7.  Tropeano now has 166 Ks in 158 innings pitched this year for Lexington and Lancaster combined. Chia-Jen Lo and Pat Urckfitz came on to pitch after him and each gave up just a hit; Chia-Jen Lo struck out 1.  Delino Deshields (1X6) didn't steal any bases in the game, but he did hit a 2-run tater in the eighth inning.  Domingo Santana stole the show Friday, hitting 4 for 5 with 3 runs scored and a 2-run shot of his own in the eighth inning. 

Here's the box with everyone else that contributed offensively in the game, it's staggering:

Corpus Christi Hooks 3, Frisco RoughRiders 4

Corpus was blanked until the seventh inning on Friday when they began mounting a comeback and they fell just a run shy of tying the game in ninth inning.  Paul Clemens had a good start, lasting 5 innings and allowing 2 runs on 6 hits with 4 Ks.  Jake Buchanan (5-9) came on for the next 2 frames and took the loss, allowing another 2 runs on 4 hits and striking out 1.  No Hooks pitcher gave out a walk in the game.  Offensively Jonathan Singleton had a strong showing, hitting 1 for 2 and drawing 2 walks.  Singleton's 1 hit was a solo homer in the ninth to left field.  Jake Goebbert went 2 for 4 with a run scored in the DH spot.  Outside of Singleton's HR, no Hooks player had an extra-base hit all game.

Round Rock Express 5, Oklahoma City RedHawks 11

The RedHawks opened the game with 5 runs in the bottom of the first and never looked back.  They would go on to score another 5 runs in the fourth inning as well.  Rudy Owens (2-3) had plenty of room to work and took the win, allowing just 1 run on 4 hits while striking out 3 in 6 innings on the bump.  Aneury Rodriguez pitched the eighth inning and gave up 4 runs on 5 hits, but was still safe behind a 6-run buffer.  J.D. Martinez (2X3, 2R, RBI, 2BB), Brian Bixler (2X4, 2R, RBI, BB) and J.B. Shuck (2X4, R, 2RBI) all had multi-hit games.  Both of Shuck's hits were 2-baggers.  Mike Hessman went 1 for 3 at the plate with a walk and hit a 2-run longball in the fourth inning, his 34th of the season.

Player of the Day:  Domingo Santana gets the nod (and probably a little ice too) after absolutely tearing it up at the plate on Friday.  Domingo Santana is just a regular guy from the Dominican Republic, but I'm beginning to suspect he might be part monster as well.

Pitcher of the Day:  Nicholas Tropeano takes the crown today for a commanding performance on the mound yesterday.  Dropping seven Ks in 6 innings and giving up just a run on 4 hits is the baseball version of playing hide-and-go-seek with your little cousin and leaving the neighborhood in your car when it's your turn to hide.  [NOTE from Jayne: Buca may not be comfortable with saying this but I needed to add that Nick is not only the Pitcher of the Day, he is also, with apologies to Mike Foltynewicz, the Stud Muffin of the Day.]