Fun fact: I never write the MLWU in my home. Call me weird, call me lazy, call me stubborn... or just call me Gomez. But if I'm not at work, I'm writing it at a coffeehouse or somewhere with wi-fi.
So yesterday, I threw up line scores at home with a pledge to write the recaps later. Except I never got around to those recaps. WHOOPS.
In the meantime, I figured that this morning was as good a time as any to cut the crap and write it in full in the comfort of my own home for a change. Besides, when I woke up and saw it was already 10 am, I realized that this was the only way today's wrap-up was getting posted before 3 pm.
Uh... on with the wrap-up!
VENEZUELA~! VSL Phillies 7, VSL Mariners 1
VSLM's: 35-17.. VSL Phils: 27-23
Danny Cruz Ayala: 4 IP, 2 H, (4 R) 3 ER, 4 walks (1 intentional), 6 K, 2 wild pitches, hit batter
Edlando Seco: 3 IP, 1 H, K
Yoervis Medina: 1 IP, 4 H, (3 R) 2 ER, 2 K
Roberto Velasquez: 1-2, double (.257/.339/.319)
rest of VSLM's lineup: 5-28, R, walk, 4 K
The VSLM's fell flat as they put a lot of balls in play but could not get anything going. Danny Cruz Ayala finally cracked in the 4th, allowing 3 runs to give the Phils a 4-1 lead. The Phils piled on in the 8th with 3 more off Yoervis Medina to seal the deal.
Dominican: Mariners 9, AthleticsDos 1
DSLM's: 20-12... DSLA's2: 6-29
Michael Pineda: 5 IP, 4 H, 4 K
Angel Echavarria: 2 IP, 2 K
Francisco Garcia: 1 IP, 1 H, 1 ER, 2 walks, K
Juan Franco: 1 IP, 1 H, 2 K
George Soto: 1-3, R, RBI, walk (.255/.333/.412)
Joel Mendez: 3-5, double, 2 R, 2 RBI, K (.340/.397/.434)
Hector Mercedes: 1-5, R, RBI, K (.185/.274/.246)
McyQuin Lora: 1-3, R, RBI, 2 walks
Augusto Marte: 1-2, double, R, RBI
Luis Peguero: 1-4, R, RBI, K (.280/.381/.360)
AthleticDos are a bad, bad team, so to have whipped up on them was somewhat expected.
Arizona: Rangers 4, Mariners 1
AZLM's: 13-6... Rangers: 8-11
Richard Ortiz: 4 IP, 3 H, (1 R) 0 ER, 4 K, wild pitch, balk
Michael Renfree: 2 IP, 2 H, K
Tom Ellis: 2 IP, 2 H, (3 R) 1 ER, 3 walks (1 intentional), K
Maximo Mendez: 0-4, 4 K: The Golden Sombrero (.266/.356/.453... 30 Ks in 64 ABs)
Brandon Fromm: 1-4, RBI (.260/.328/.460)
James Davenport: 1-3, triple
rest of AZLM's lineup: 3-21, R, 2 walks, 7 K
The AZLM's managed a 1st inning run, but that was all they managed, as the Rangers slowly chipped away in the later innings off Tom Ellis, eventually taking the lead for good with a 2 run 7th to make it 3-1, then adding another run in the 8th.
a: Everett 2, Salem-Keizer 0
EVE: 12-13... S-K: 20-5
Nolan Gallagher: 7 IP, 4 H, 4 K, wild pitch, hit batter
Bryan Harris: 0.2 IP, 1 H, walk, K
Aaron Brown: 1.1 IP, 1 H, 3 K, wild pitch
Manelik Pimentel: 3-4, 2 doubles, K (.288/.338/.542)
Craig Hurba: 1-4, double, RBI, 3 K
Wellington Dotel: 1-3, double, K
rest of Aquasox lineup: 1-20, 2 R, walk, 8 K
Good thing Nolan Gallagher The Lost Oasis Brother was on his game, because Everett's offense didn't have much to offer. They got their first run when Craig Hurba (basically a roving backup catcher for the M's org that has now landed in Everett for the haul) doubled in Joe Dunigan in the 7th, and Greg Halman, who had pinch run for Manelik Pimentel after Manny doubled to lead off the top 9th... stole 3rd, watched the throw go YIKES AND AWAY and scampered home to make it 2-0. Aaron Brown held the fort and the Aquasox got a badly needed win. Gallagher:
Flyballs: 4
Groundballs: 11
Line Drives: 3
Pop Ups: 2
Walks: 0 (but 1 hit batter)
Strikeouts: 4
A: Lansing 4, Wisconsin 3
WIS: 8-13... LAN: 13-9
Nathan Adcock: 5 IP, 4 H, (1 R) 0 ER, 4 walks, 4 K
Kyle Parker: 2.1 IP, 2 H, 3 ER (HR), 4 walks, 4 K
Michael Wagner: 0.2 IP, 1 H
Ronald Garth: 2-5, double, R, K
Alex Liddi: 1-4, RBI, walk, K (.228/.314/.394)
Reed Eastley: 1-5, double, R, K (.276/.385/.414)
Leury Bonilla: 2-3, R (.242/.267/.335)
James McOwen: 2-3, RBI, walk (.291/.316/.309)
Jair Fernandez: 2-4, double, RBI, K (.271/.331/.421)
Nathan Adcock had some shaky but effective innings, getting good fortune on flyballs and line drives finding fielders... even if said fielders botched a couple: none resulted in any serious damage. 4 walks in 5 innings isn't encouraging but he escaped with only 1 unearned run. Adcock left with a 2-1 lead.
Flyballs: 3
Groundballs: 9
Line Drives: 4
Walks: 4
Strikeouts: 4
The Lugnuts struck against the shaky T-Rats bullpen in the bottom 7th off reliever Kyle Parker (!)when Jon Baksh singled in Sean Shoffit.
The T-Rats struck back in the top 8th. Leury Bonilla led off with a single, then took 2nd on a bad pickoff throw, moved to 3rd on a James McOwen groundout (and seriously, James McOwen has been really disappointing so far) and scored when Jair Fernandez doubled to give the T-Rats the 3-2 lead!
Kyle Parker has relieved Adcock back in the 6th, and came out for the 8th. Parker walked Jonathan Diaz, then got blasted by Scott Campbell for a two run bomb that gave the Lugnuts a 4-3 lead. Parker walked the next batter and was pulled for Michael Wagner, who allowed another hit but got a DP ball to get out of it.
There would be no comeback.
A+: Lake Elsinore 14, High Desert 3
Mavs: 7-16... Lake: 13-10
Jose Escalona: 0.2 IP, 6 H, 5 ER (2 HR)
Nick Allen: 4.1 IP, 5 H, (5 R) 4 ER (2 HR), 2 K, hit batter
Aaron Cotter: 3 IP, 7 H, (3 R) 1 ER, walk, 5 K
Paul Fagan: 1 IP, 1 H, 1 ER (HR)
Michael Saunders: 2-5, RBI, K (.294/.392/.475)
Carlos Triunfel: 1-5, RBI
Adam Moore: 1-4, double (.294/.373/.574)
Hargrove's kid: 1-4, solo HR, 2 K (.186/.290/.305)
Jeff Dominguez: 2-3, double, R (.256/.311/.351)
Yesterday just wasn't a good day in the low minors for the Mariners org. Jose Escalona got rocked AGAIN, failing to finish the 1st inning, and Nick Allen only fared better in that he was able to complete multiple innings while giving up his runs. When he took a seat before the 6th, it was already 10-2.
AA: Carolina 12, West Tenn 4
WTN: 8-16... CAR: 11-13
Joe Woerman: 3 IP, 5 H, 7 ER (2 HR), 4 walks, 3 K, hit batter
Aaron Troila: 3 IP, 4 H, 4 ER (2 HR), walk, 5 K, wild pitch
David Asher: 3 IP, 3 H, 1 ER
Casey Craig: 1-4, double, 2 RBI, walk (.212/.325/.258)
Erick Monzon: 0-3, sac fly RBI, K (.220/.287/.341)
Matt Tuiasosopo: 0-3, walk, R (.270/.383/.417)
rest of DIAMOND JAXX lineup: 3-21, 3 R, 3 walks, 7 K
Rene Rivera: DNP
Leading 2-1, Carolina scored 9 runs in the 4th, knocking out Joe Woerman and beating up on Aaron Troila as well. Yep.
AAA: Fresno 5, Tacoma 4
TAC: 41-53... FRE: 47-47
Ryan Feierabend: 8 IP, 6 H, 3 ER (2 HR), walk, 2 K
Kam Mickolio: 1 IP, 2 H, 2 ER, 3 walks, K, wild pitch
Adam Jones: 0-4, R, K (.303/.370/.581)
Bryan LaHair: 1-4, double, RBI (.262/.309/.386)
WLAD: 0-2, R, 2 walks, K (.324/.395/.584)
Jeff Clement: 1-4, 2 run HR, 2 K (.269/.360/.519)
Brant Ust: 2-3, walk (.267/.325/.381)
Gookie Dawkins: 1-3, RBI, walk, K (.253/.290/.347)
So Ryan Feierabend got excommunicated back to Tacoma to take Jake Woods' spot in the rotation, and being on schedule for his next start and all anyway, went and threw a decent ballgame, granted one where he gave up several line drives and coughed up 2 home runs (one to Justin Leone!), but neither did huge damage, and he left with a 4-3 lead in the 9th after Bryan LaHair had doubled home the go-ahead run in the bottom 8th.
Flyballs: 10
Groundballs: 9 (plus 1 bunt)
Line Drives: 5
Pop Ups: 2
Walks: 1
Strikeouts: 2
Kam Mickolio appears to have wrestled the closer job from Wife Vulture, as he came out for the 9th. He got a groundout but Justin fricking Leone lined a double. Nate Schierholtz struck out for two outs... then Brian Horwitz walked. Clay Timpner smoked a grounder into left to bring in Leone and TIE THE BALLGAME. D'OH.
Pinch hitter Justin Knoedler came in, and drew a walk to load the bases... for William Bergolla.
Kam received a coaching visit and misinterpreted his instructions as 'throw a wild pitch', because he uncorked one past Rob Johnson to bring in Horwitz and give Fresno the 5-4 lead... then walked Bergolla. Luis Figueroa flew out to center, but the damage was done. What an implosion... this is very unlike Kam Mickolio.
Brant Ust drew a one out walk in the bottom 9th, and speedy Sebastien Boucher would pinch run for him... but Gookie Dawkins and Nick Green would produce nothing and that was that.