Twins affiliates split.  Scott Diamond pitches really well until he doesn't.  Tim Shibuya strikes out eleven.

BUFFALO 8, ROCHESTER 2 IN BUFFALO

Batting star:  Joe Benson was 1-for-4 with a triple and scored once.

Pitching star:  None.

Opposition stars:  Bobby Scales and Vinny Rottino were each 3-for-5 with two doubles.  Dylan Owen struck out seven in seven innings, giving up one run on four hits and no walks.

Key inning:  The fourth.  Scott Diamond had retired the first ten Bisons.  A double and three singles then brought in two runs.  The Bisons scored two more in the fifth and the Red Wings were never in the game after that.

NEW BRITAIN 5, RICHMOND 2 IN RICHMOND

Batting stars:  Chris Herrmann was 2-for-3 with a walk, scoring three times.  Nathan Hanson was 2-for-4 with a double and drove in two.

Pitching stars:  Logan Darnell struck out eight in 6.2 innings, allowing two runs on seven hits and a walk.  Daniel Turpen worked 2.1 perfect innings, striking out two.

Opposition star:  Juan Perez was 2-for-4.

Key inning:  The sixth.  In a 2-2 tie, Herrmann and Aaron Hicks opened the inning with consecutive singles.  Herrmann scored on a sacrifice fly and Hanson doubled in Hicks to give New Britain a 4-2 lead.

ST. LUCIE 6, FORT MYERS 1 IN FORT MYERS

Batting stars:  Daniel Santana and Levi Michael were each 2-for-4.

Pitching star:  Ricky Bowen gave up one run on four hits and a walk in four innings of relief.  Bruce Pugh pitched two shutout innings, giving up three hits.

Opposition stars:  Juan Torres was 2-for-4 with a home run.  Gonzalez Germen struck out seven in seven innings, giving up one run on five hits and no walks.

Key inning:  The third.  Leading 1-0, the Mets opened the inning with a walk, a double, a hit batsman, and another walk.  A sacrifice fly plated a second run and a single scored a third.  All the runs came off spot starter Juan Gonzalez, who is normally a reliever.  He pitched well for two innings before things fell apart in the third.

BELOIT 4, DAYTON 3 IN BELOIT

Batting stars:  Daniel Ortiz was 2-for-4 with a double and a homer, driving in three.  Jonathan Goncalves and Adam Pettersen were each 2-for-3 with a double and a walk.

Pitching stars:  Tim Shibuya struck out eleven in 6.1 innings, giving up three runs on five hits.  Michael Tonkin worked 1.2 scoreless innings, giving up three hits and a walk while striking out two.

Opposition stars:  Juan Silva and Nick O’Shea each went 2-for-4.

Key inning:  The seventh.  Trailing 3-0, the Dragons scored three times and had runners on first and third with one out.  Tonkin retired Theo Bowe and Ryan Wright to keep the score tied.  The Snappers went on to win in the bottom of the ninth.

TODAY’S TILTS

11:00  Dayton at Beloit                        Stalin Gerson v. Jason Wheeler
5:05    Rochester at Buffalo                Cole DeVries v. Garrett Olson
6:00    New Britain at Harrisburg         TBA v. Daniel Rosenbaum
6:05    St. Lucie at Fort Myers             TBA v. Adrian Salcedo

Seriously, who names their kid “Stalin”?  I mean, Mr. and Mrs. Gerson, apparently, but why do that to your kid?