Minor League Recaps

Saturday's Results

Tri-City ValleyCats 0, Vermont Lake Monsters 2

Vermont not only shutout, but no hit Tri-City on Saturday, using 3 different pitchers in the process.  The pitching was strong for the ValleyCats too, but starter Juri Perez (2-2) just couldn't compete with the complete halt to his offense and took the loss.  Perez went 7 innings and allowed just 2 runs on 6 hits with 6 Ks—a very nice outing.  Jeremiah Meiners came on to pitch the eighth frame and with 1 hit and a strikeout.  Neither ValleyCats pitcher allowed a walk in the game.

Rome Braves 0, Lexington Legends 10

When the pitchers' box looks like this you know something special happened: 

It did on Friday for Lexington and Chris Devenski (8-7).  Devenski threw a complete game no-hitter and was just 1 walk away from a perfecto.  Through 9 innings Devenski also struck out 16 batters and his complete game no-hitter is the first of its kind in Lexington's 12-season history.  On the other side of the coin was the Legends' offense, which was on fire.  Matt Duffy led the charge, hitting 3 for 5 with 2 homers (worth 4 runs) and a double that scored a run, leaving him with 5 RBIs for the game.  Ruben Sosa hit 3 for 4 with a walk and scored a run.  Jobduan Morales got in on the action too, batting 2 for 5 with a RBI.

Lancaster JetHawks 23, High Desert Mavericks 12

Delino Deshields set the tone early Saturday, literally on the first pitch he saw, with a solo homer and the JetHawks were off to the races.  Lancaster would hit 7 more homers in the game, score 11 runs in the fifth inning, draw 9 walks, and get 21 hits total.  Needless to say (but I'll say it anyway because it's fun), every JetHawks starter got a hit and all but 2 had multi-hit performances. Even more impressive, every starter got at least 1 RBI too.  Rafael Valenzuela had 8 RBIs, partially because, amidst all the offensive chaos, he hit a fifth inning, 2-out grand slam.  Colton Cain (2-2) threw the first 5 frames and took the win, allowing 5 runs (3ER) on 6 hits with 3 walks and 3 strikeouts.  Andrew Robinson came on for the final 3 outs with a 17 run buffer and faced 10 batters in the inning.  Robinson gave up 6 runs on 5 hits, walked 1 and struck out 2.

Here is Saturday's box with all the madness that was this game:

Corpus Christi Hooks 11, San Antonio Missions 1

Corpus Christi got off to a slow start, but scored 9 runs after the start of the sixth inning. Erick Abreu (10-4) was the second in a line of 5 pitchers for the Hooks on Saturday that combined to log 10 Ks total and allowed 1 run all game.  Abreu took the win after coming in 1 out into the fourth inning and sticking around for two more frames.  Abreu left with after giving out just a hit and striking out 3 in that time.  Ross Seaton started the game on the mound and through his 3 and a third gave up 1 run on 4 hits, walked 1 and struck out 4.  Jake Goebbert was in command at the plate, hitting 3 for 5 with a RBI and 2 doubles.  Jair Fernandez went 4 for 5 with 4 runs scored. Ben Orloff had a productive showing too, hitting 2 for 4 with a double, run scored and 4 RBI.  Orloff was also hit by a pitch in the in the sixth inning, scoring Jair Fernandez.

Round Rock Express 6, Oklahoma City RedHawks 3

Oklahoma City had a 2 run lead almost the entire game until a 5 run rally in the ninth put them behind for the loss.  Jarred Cosart started the game on the bump and through 6 innings gave up 1 unearned run on 4 hits while walking 3 and striking out the same.  Chuckie Fick (2-2) took the loss after coming on to start the ninth and not recording a single out.  Fick was charged with 4 runs on 2 hits, walked 1 and hit another with a pitch.  J.D. Martinez and Angel Sanchez both went 2 for 4 with a double and a run scored Saturday.  Jose Martinez went 1 for 3 with a walk and had 2 RBIs. 

Player of the Day:  Two words: Rafael Valenzuela.  Valenzuela hit 2 homers and a double, one homer was a grand slam and he collected 8 RBIs in one 9 inning game.  He claims he is from Nogales, Arizona, but I'm thinking Nogales by way of Roswell, New Mexico—after his people crash landed from the planet Krypton.

Pitcher of the Day:  You just can't say enough good things about a 21-year-old kid like Devenski who has a game like he did last night.  Mowing down 16 batters? Facing just 1 over the minimum?  Of course he's getting the WTHB honor today, but, even better, his name is going down in the books for Lexington as the first individual pitcher to ever throw a no-hitter for them.  That's special.  Great job, Devenski.