Minor League Recaps

Saturday's Recaps

DSL Astros DSL Mariners

-Cancelled

GCL Nationals 2 GCL Astros 5

The Astros opened this one up in the fourth frame with a 4 run inning.  The Astros didn't draw a walk all game, but still had a strong showing at the plate with everyone except Luis De La Rosa getting a hit.  Yoel Silfa went 2 for 3 with a pair of runs scored and Juan Santana went 2 for 4 with 2 RBIs.  Raul Rivera (2-1) picked up the win after throwing the first 6 innings, charged with 2 runs (0 ER) on 4 hits and striking out 5.

Greeneville Astros 0 Danville Braves 6

Lance McCullers (0-3) was charged with 5 runs (4 ER) on 4 hits through 4 innings in this shutout game for the Astros.  McCullers also walked 3 and K-ed 6.  Among the 3 hits Greeneville had in the game was a Carlos Correa (1X4) double that was his 14th all year, third since joining Greeneville and the teams' 120th all season, breaking the Astros' season record.

Vermont Lake Monsters 2 Tri-City ValleyCats 9

Tri-City got on the board first Saturday, but didn't really scoot out ahead until cranking out a 5 run sixth inning.  The slow start ended up costing Joe Bircher the win, when their opponents scored 2 runs in the fifth inning.  Bircher finished with 2 runs (0 ER) on 4 hits, 3 walks and 3 strikeouts through his 5 frames of work.  Every ValleyCat who came to the plate in the game collected at least a hit, 6 had multi-hit games and the team finished with 16 total.  Catfish Elkins and Jarrod McKinney both hit solo homers in the game.  McKinney's homer started off the sixth inning and later in that same inning Preston Tucker clubbed a 2 out grand slam to left field.  Jeremiah Meiners (4-2), who came on top pitch 3 innings after Bircher left, picked up the W, allowing only a hit in that time while striking out 2 and walking 1.

Here's the box from milb.com, so you can see all that ValleyCat offense:

Charleston RiverDogs 1 Lexington Legends 0 (10)

This game was the epitome of a pitchers' duel.  Both teams collected only 6 hits combined and the game was decided by a single run in extra innings.  Lexington starting pitcher David Rollins went 7 and 2 thirds, allowing only 3 hits and striking out 10 in that time.  Dayan Diaz, (4-4) threw the final 6 outs and took the loss, allowing a run on 2 hits.  Chan Moon had the only hit of the game for the Legends, his 12th double of the year in the bottom of the first.

Lake Elsinore Storm 11 Lancaster JetHawks 3

Lancaster didn't score until the seventh inning when they tallied 3 runs, but by that time they were already down 8.  Starter Tyson Perez (L, 9-5) and Jorge De Leon had back-to-back 4 run innings in the fourth and fifth.  Perez left the game with 4 runs (3 ER) on 8 hits, a walk and 4 Ks.  De Leon pitched for just the fifth inning and left with his 4 runs (3 ER) and a walk.  Erik Castro went 2 for 4 at the plate and collected RBI number 101.  Delino DeShields was hitless again Saturday, but collected a pair of walks and had a RBI.

San Antonio Mission 2 Corpus Christi Hooks 5

Corpus Christi clinched a playoff spot Saturday night at home with this win.  Paul Clemens (3-2) got another notch in his win column too, pitching 6 innings and giving up 1 run (0 ER) on 3 hits, walking a pair and striking out 5.  Jason Stoffel threw the last 4 outs of the game and collected his 26th save of the season, striking out 1.  At the plate, Jake Goebbert (2X4) got the offense started in the first inning with a 2 out, 2 run homer.  Austin Wates went 2 for 2 in the game after coming in the 6th inning and hit a solo homer in the 8th inning. Wates' other hit was a double, his 16th of the season.  Kiké Hernandez also went 2 for 4 at the plate Saturday with a double of his own, his 27th of the year and second for Corpus Christi.

Oklahoma City RedHawks 1 Iowa Cubs 4

Oklahoma City scored just a run in the seventh inning Saturday and was limited to just 4 hits and 2 walks.  Brett Oberholtzer (5-7) took the loss but still had a good start.  Oberholtzer went 6 and 2 thirds innings giving up just a pair of runs on 7 hits with 2 walks and 7 Ks, earning his fourth quality start in a row.  Jimmy Paredes hit 2 for 4 in the game and Mike Hessman hit 1 for 3 with an RBI double.  That is Hessman's 70th RBI of the season. 

Player of the Day:  If you haven't figured this out by now, here's how it works: you hit a grand slam and you get to be player of the day, no questions asked.  That said, Preston Tucker takes the honor today.  Tucker not only clubbed a grand salami yesterday, he did it with 2 outs in the inning, because he leaves no man behind.

Pitcher of the Day:  There were a few really nice pitching performances Saturday (Oberholtzer, Clemens, Stoffel, I'm looking at you), but Lexington's David Rollins stands atop the pedestal today.  Rollins may have "technically" lost, but after a guy goes 7 and 2 thirds on the mound and strikes out 10, the last thing he's going to hear while icing down after the game is the word "loser."  Great job, Rollins.