Farm system anti-sweep!
Sacramento edged Tacoma, 2-1. This was one of those games where you feel really, really bad for the starting pitcher. Not because he went totally Bello on your team, but because he was nearly flawless and came away with nothing to show for it. Cesar Jimenez had a excellent game going six shutout innings allowing only five hit and a couple walks while striking out five. After a Bryan LaHair RBI single in the sixth put the Rainiers up 1-0, Aaron Looper and Sean Green both surrendered runs to give the River Cats the lead and the game.
Notables:
Cesar Jimenez: 6.0 IP, 5 H, 0 ER, 2 BB, 5 K.
Shin-soo Choo: 1-5, 1 2B.
Chris Snelling: 1-4.
Bryan LaHair: 2-4, 1 RBI.
Asdrubal Cabrera: 1-4.
Midland got by San Antonio, 9-7. If baseball had mulligans, I'm pretty sure Travis Blackley would have taken his after this performance. Blackley was smoked for four runs in the first inning and ended up somehow lasting five having given up six runs on nine hits (2 homers) while walking one and not recording a strikeout. San Antonio got all seven of their runs in ONE INNING:
Sebastien Boucher walks. Kevin Reynolds to 2nd.
Jason Bourgeois singles on a line drive to left fielder Travis Buck. Kevin Reynolds scores. Sebastien Boucher to 2nd.
Jesus Guzman singles on a line drive to left fielder Travis Buck. Sebastien Boucher scores. Jason Bourgeois to 2nd.
Wladimir Balentien singles on a fly ball to right fielder Brian Stavisky. Jason Bourgeois to 3rd. Jesus Guzman to 2nd.
Erick Monzon strikes out swinging.
Gary Harris doubles (6) on a fly ball to right fielder Brian Stavisky. Jason Bourgeois scores. Jesus Guzman scores. Wladimir Balentien to 3rd.
Justin Ruchti singles on a line drive to center fielder Lloyd Turner. Wladimir Balentien scores. Gary Harris scores.
Andrew Hargrove singles on a line drive to center fielder Lloyd Turner. Justin Ruchti to 2nd.
Kevin Reynolds doubles (3) on a line drive to right fielder Brian Stavisky. Justin Ruchti scores. Andrew Hargrove to 3rd.
Pitcher Change: Anthony Rawson replaces Michael Madsen.
Sebastien Boucher grounds out, shortstop Ronnie MerrillJr. to first baseman Vasili Spanos.
Jason Bourgeois called out on strikes.
Hey, Grover's kid managed a single. Way to go, Andy -- now that we've given your dad his favor, can we release you?
Notables:
Travis Blackley: 5.0 IP, 9 H, 6 ER, 1 BB, 0 K, 2 HR.
Sebastien Boucher: 1-3, 2 BB.
Jesus Guzman: 2-5, 1 RBI.
Kevin Reynolds: 3-4, 1 2B, 1 RBI.
Gary Harris: 1-4, 1 2B, 2 RBI.
Visalia handled Inland Empire, 8-5. This game hurts. It hurts to have a two run lead until the seventh and then give up a five-spot. It hurts even more to battle back and tie it only for something like this to happen in the bottom of the ninth:
Reid Brignac? Yeah, he's slugging .540 and such, but giving up a walkoff homer to a guy named Reid Brignac is up there with getting shot in the nuts with a potato gun loaded with BB's and rabid squirrels. Shawn Nottingham gave up a couple earned runs over 6.2 innings, but it was Ryan Rowland-Smith (remember him?) who gave up the bomb. Yung Chi Chen, Mike Wilson and Marshall Hubbard all went multi-hit on the offensive side.
Notables:
Shawn Nottingham: 6.2 IP, 4 H, 5 R, 2 ER, 2 BB, 4 K.
Yung Chi Chen: 2-4, 1 2B, 1 HR, 1 BB, 1 RBI.
Marshall Hubbard: 2-4, 2 2B, 1 RBI.
Mike Wilson: 2-4, 1 RBI.
Matt Tuiasosopo: 1-4, 1 2B, 1 RBI.
Quad Cities smoked Wisconsin, 7-1. Despite four errors on the evening, all seven runs were earned, so while you can blame the defense for some of this debacle, you can't lay it all on them. Marwin Vega continues to suck at pitching as he went only 2.1 innings and gave up three runs on five hits while walking three and fanning three. Despite eight hits and a walk, the T-Rats failed to do anything while runners were on and, as mentioned before, were ridiculous looking in the field. Not a good night for the A level club.
Notables:
Marwin Vega: 2.1 IP, 5 H, 3 ER, 3 BB, 3 K.
Luis Valbuena: 2-4.
Jeff Flaig: 1-4, 1 2B, 1 RBI.
Jairo Hernandez: 2-3, 1 2B.