A big day for Niko Goodrum. We catch up with ex-Twin Adam Brett Walker II. A rough day for Fernando Romero. Clark Beeker makes his high-A debut as Brent Rooker keeps hitting. Travis Blankenhorn provides all the offense for the Kernels. Akil Baddoo keeps hitting. Lachlan Wells and Tyler Jay make rehab appearances in the GCL. Rain robs the DSL Twins.
ROCHESTER 10, LOUISVILLE 5 IN LOUISVILLE
Sebastian Elizalde had a two-run single in the first and Adam Brett Walker II (remember him?) had a two-run triple in a three-run third that put the Bats ahead 5-0. The Red Wings came back with one in the fourth and three in the fifth to cut the margin to 5-4. They were still down 5-4 after seven. In the eighth, Niko Goodrum delivered a two-run single and later came around to score to give Rochester a 7-5 advantage. Goodrum then put the game out of reach with a three-run homer in the ninth.
If you're wondering (or even if you're not, I suppose), Walker II started the season in the Atlanta organization, went to the Baltimore organization, and is now with Cincinnati. He spent some time in AA. In AAA, his numbers are .138/,167/.283 with 4 home runs in 145 at-bats. He has struck out 58 times. I was really hoping he would make it, but it sure doesn't look good.
Chris Heston pitched five innings, allowing five runs on ten hits and a walk with one strikeout. Alex Wimmers struck out three in two perfect innings to drop his ERA to 2.57 with a WHIP of 0.83 and 44 strikeouts in 42 innings. Jake Reed struck out three in 1.1 scoreless innings to lower his ERA to 2.19. Goodrum was 3-for-5 with a home run (his twelfth) and six RBIs. Daniel Palka was 3-for-5. Leonardo Reginatto was 2-for-4 with a double. Tommy Field was 2-for-5 with a double. Kennys Vargas was 2-for-4 with a walk. Matt Hague was 2-for-5 with a walk. Carlos Paulino was 1-for-3 with a walk in his Rochester debut.
TENNESSEE 6, CHATTANOOGA 4 IN TENNESSEE
The Smokies scored single runs in the second, third, and fourth to take a 3-0 lead. T. J. White homered in the fifth to put the Lookouts on the board, but Tennessee scored three in the sixth to take a 6-1 advantage. Chattanooga got back in it with one in the eighth and two in the ninth. They had the tying run up to bat with two out, but a pop up ended the game.
Fernando Romero pitched 4.1 innings, allowing six runs on eight hits and four walks with two strikeouts. D. J. Baxendale struck out four in 3.2 scoreless innings to make his ERA 1.17. Andy Wilkins was 2-for-4. Jonathan Rodriguez was 0-for-2 with two walks and is batting .307. Edgar Corcino was 1-for-4 and is batting .303.
FORT MYERS 8, TAMPA 3 IN TAMPA
Zander Weil hit a three-run homer in the first and the Miracle scored two in the second to go ahead 5-0. The Yankees got to within three at 5-2 and 6-3, but Brent Rooker singled home two in the seventh to put the game out of reach.
Clark Beeker made his high-A debut and pitched six innings, giving up three runs on eight hits and two walks with three strikeouts. Michael Theofanopoulos pitched two shutout innings. Williams Ramirez pitched a scoreless inning. Jermaine Palacios was 2-for-4 with a double and is batting .300. Rooker was 2-for-5 with a home run (his eighth) and three RBIs. Brandon Lopez was 2-for-5. Chris Paul was 1-for-5 and is batting .345.
CEDAR RAPIDS 1, BELOIT 0 IN BELOIT
The game's lone run came in the fourth when Travis Blankenhorn hit a leadoff home run. The Snappers had only two hits, a one-out single in the second and a leadoff single in the seventh.
Charlie Barnes pitched five shutout innings, giving up one hit and two walks with four strikeouts. Logan Lombana pitched two shutout innings to make his ERA 2.78. Eduardo Del Rosario pitched a perfect inning. Hector Lujan pitched a scoreless inning to drop his ERA to 1.47 with a WHIP of 0.90 and 50 walks in 49 innings. Christian Cavaness was 2-for-3 with a triple. Blankenhorn's home run was his ninth. Royce Lewis was 0-for-3 and is batting .345.
ELIZABETHTON 6, BRISTOL 2 IN BRISTOL (12 INNINGS)
Jose Miranda hit a two-run homer in the sixth to put the Twins ahead 2-1. It stayed there until two out in the ninth, when Nick Valaika homered to tie it 2-2. In the twelfth two singles, a double, and two more singles plated four runs to put the Twins in control of the game. Gorge Munoz brought home the go-ahead run with a single.
Ryley Widell struck out seven in five innings, giving up one run on two hits and three walks. His ERA is 2.08 with 27 strikeouts in 21.2 innings. Moises Gomez struck out six in five innings of relief, giving up one run on four hits and no walks. Jose Martinez struck out two in two shutout innings to lower his ERA to 2.15 with a WHIP of 0.99. Akil Baddoo was 2-for-4 with a double and two walks and is batting .373. Matt Albanese was 2-for-5. Miranda was 2-for-6 and the home run was his ninth. T. J. Dixon was 2-for-6.
GCL TWINS 8, GCL RED SOX 2 AT TWINS
The Twins scored four in the fourth, helped by two errors, to take a 4-1 lead. The Red Sox got one back in the top of the fifth, but the Twins scored three in the bottom of the fifth, highlighted by Shane Kennedy's RBI triple, to go up 7-2. Jean Carlos Arias homered in the eighth to round out the scoring.
Lachlan Wells made his first rehab appearance, striking out six in four innings and giving up one run on two hits and no walks. Tyler Jay, also on a rehab assignment, struck out four in 1.2 innings, giving up an unearned run on two hits and a walk. Blayne Enlow struck out four in 3.1 scoreless innings, lowering his ERA to 1.04 with a WHIP of 0.58 and 18 strikeouts in 17.1 innings. Arias was 4-for-5 with a home run and scored three times. He is batting .302. Emmanuel Morel was 3-for-4 with a double and is batting .306. Victor Tademo was 2-for-4. Alex Robles was 0-for-3 with a walk and is batting .310.
DSL ROCKIES 5, DSL TWINS 4 AT ROCKIES (SIX-PLUS INNINGS--RAIN)
Franklin Garcia hit a two-run double in a three-run third that put the Rockies ahead 3-1. Yeltsin Encarnacion doubled home a run in the fifth to make it 3-2, but the Rockies got two in the fifth to go up 5-2. Felix Reyes doubled home a run in the sixth and Mariano Calcano singled one in in the seventh to cut the lead to 5-4. The Twins had a man on first with two out in the seventh when the game was called.
Osiris German struck out three in three innings, giving up three runs on three hits. Cristian Castro pitched a scoreless inning. Francisco Martinez was 3-for-3 with a double. Calcano was 2-for-3 with a walk. Encarnacion was 1-for-2 with a double and a walk and is batting .323. Darling Cuesto was 1-for-2 with a walk and is batting .318. Estamy Urena was 0-for-3 with a walk and is batting .310.
PLAYOFF PICTURE
Rochester leads Lehigh Valley by three games in the wild card race.
Chattanooga qualified for the playoffs by winning the first half and leads Montgomery by six games in the second half.
Fort Myers leads Charlotte by six games in the second half.
Cedar Rapids qualified for the playoffs by finishing second in the first half.
Elizabethton leads Johnson City by 3.5 games.
The GCL Twins lead the GCL Orioles by three games.
The DSL Twins lead the DSL Mets1 by six games and have a magic number of two.