Robert Rohrbaugh took a big step towards salvaging his season, Phillipe Aumont took a big step in his development, the DIAMOND JAXX stepped towards victory, and the Mavs stepped in more dung.
On to the wrap-up!
VENEZUELA~! The VSLMs had today off.
Day late Dominican results to go up tomorrow.A: Wisconsin 4, Peoria 2
WIS: 23-30... PEO: 24-33
Phillipe Aumont: 7 IP, 6 H, 1 ER, 6 K, wild pitch, hit batter
Ryan Moorer: 1 IP, 1 H, 1 ER
Keith Meyer: 1 IP, 2 K
Maximo Mendez: 2-4, K
Juan Diaz: 3-4, double, R
Edilio Colina: 1-4, R, 2 RBI
Ronald Garth: 1-3, RBI, K
Joe Dunigan: 1-3, double, R
Phillipe Aumont took a big step forward today, throwing 7 strong innings and keep the T-Rats in the game long enough to seize a 4-1 lead with a tiebreaking 3 run 6th. There were a couple moments where it looked like the Chiefs may crack him, but no dice.
Groundballs: 11 (plus 1 bunt)
Flyballs: 3
Line Drives: 5
Walks: 0 (but 1 hit batter)
Strikeouts: 6
A+: Modesto 9, High Desert 5
Mavs: 26-33... Nuts: 28-31
Keith Renaud: 5 IP, 8 H, 3 ER, 2 walks, 2 K, wild pitch (11 GS +1, 6.18 ERA, 59.2 IP, 7 HR, 42/31 BB/K)
Julio Santiago: 1.2 IP, 1 H, 1 ER (HR) (17 app, 2.52 ERA, 25 IP, 1 HR, 14/23 BB/K)
Aaron Cotter: 1 IP, 3 H, 2 ER, walk (23 app, 3.86 ERA, 28 IP, 3 HR, 7/24 BB/K)
Michael Wagner: one out, 5 H, 3 ER (22 app, 4.62 ERA, 25.1 IP, 5/20 BB/K)
Erick Monzon: 1-4, double, R (171/227/195)
Carlos Peguero: 1-4, RBI, 2 K (283/305/438)
Gerardo Avila: 2-4, triple, 2 run HR, 2 R
Down 1-0 to DEEZ NUTS in the 2nd, Jose Yepez singled with one out and Gerardo Avila, recently activated from the DL and promoted to High A because why not, send a ball over the RF fence for his first Mavs homer to give High Desert the 2-1 lead.
Modesto tied the ballgame in the bottom 2nd as Travis Becktel, i.e. this guy:
... singled in the tying run with two outs. But in the top 3rd, Erick Monzon led off with a double, Triunfel walked like a typical teen- WHAT. WALK? He did that a night or two ago too! What is this patience you speak of and why does Phenom suddenly have it?
Chris Minaker sac bunted, and pitcher Keith Weiser muffed it, everybody safe, bases loaded, nobody out.
And Greg Halman, like a true MARINER IN THE MAKING, grounded into a 6-3 double play. He did get a run in, though, and Carlos Peguero singled to drive in Phenom, but there they go turning what easily could have been a 4-5 run inning and turned it into a 2 run inning. Still, can't complain about a 4-2 lead.
... unless your bullpen gags up 5 runs in the 8th. Aaron Cotter and Michael Wagner make it three days in a row that I get to hand out a Cibney Bello Memorial [COATHANGER] Award, for their nuketacular performance. Way to sabre-rattle with the hitters, guys.
AA: West Tenn 10, Tennessee 9, 11 innings
WTN: 35-24... TEN: 25-34
Justin Thomas: 5 IP, 8 H, (5 R) 2 ER, 5 walks, 4 K, hit batter (10 GS +1, 5.16 ERA, 61 IP, 7 HR, 31/58 BB/K)
Jason Mackintosh: 1.2 IP, 1 H, 1 ER, walk (21 app, 3.96 ERA, 25 IP, 1 HR, 6/13 BB/K)
Craig James: 2 IP, 2 H, (2 R) 0 ER, walk, 3 K (19 app, 4.35 ERA, 20.2 IP, 1 HR, 9/26 BB/K)
Roman Martinez: 2.1 IP, 3 H, 1 ER, 2 (intentional) walks, K, wild pitch (16 app, 5.59 ERA, 19.1 IP, 1 HR, 10/17 BB/K)
Brent Johnson: 2-6, double, solo HR, 2 R (262/308/492)
Michael Saunders: 2-4, solo HR, 2 run HR, 3 R, 2 walks, K (296/373/505)
Mark Kiger: 2-5, R, walk, K (207/345/293)
Mike Wilson: 1-5, 2 RBI (247/329/493)
Matt Mangini: 2-5, 2 RBI, K
Luis Valbuena: 1-4, solo HR, 2 R, walk, K (305/384/483)
Justin Thomas gets hit a lot, and the Smokies blew him up for 4 runs in the 2nd and 3rd. However, the DIAMOND JAXX came roaring back. Brent Johnson hit a solo bomb with one out, Michael Saunders walked, then Mark Kiger singled, Smokies catcher Welington Castillo passed a ball to move them over, and Adam Moore walked to load the bases. Mike Wilson lined a single to center to cash in two, but got greedy and got thrown out at 2nd. Luis Oliveros got plunked, then Matt Mangini singled to center to cash in Moore, but Oliveros got greedy, and got thrown out at 3rd. Greed kills... and probably cost the DIAMOND JAXX a couple runs there. But still, tie ballgame at 4!
Back and forth we go: Saunders homered in the 5th, 5-4 JAXX. Two baserunners to start the 6th chase Justin Thomas, and after loading the bases, Tyler Colvin's sac fly ties it at 5... though the Smokies strand the rest. The Smokies take the lead in the 7th after a double steal of 3rd and 2nd leads to a score on a groundout to make it 6-5. In the bottom 7th, Brent Johnson's double sets up Saunders' two run blast, his 2nd of the game, to make it 7-6 JAXX. In the top 8th, Doug Deeds doubles home a run with two out to make it 7-7: the runner that scored, Matt Camp, had reached on a Mark Kiger throwing error at SS. The Smokies took the lead in the top 9th on a two out Joe Simokaitis single. But with one out in the bottom 9th, Luis Valbuena crapped all over a Greg Reinhard suck pitch to TIE THE BALLGAME, and we headed to extras.
In the top 10th, Jake Fox singled home a go-ahead run to make it 9-8, and the Smokies loaded the bases on Roman Martinez, but Mangini at 1B turned a grounder into an out at home, and Welington Castillo struck out to end that threat. There were so many missed opportunities in an already high scoring game.
In the bottom 10th, Adam Moore singled with one out and got lifted for the Human Temp Agency, Kevin Reynolds (that was all you, marc). Reynolds swiped 2nd with two out, Luis Oliveros drew a two out walk, and Mangini saved the game again with an RBI single to cash in Reynolds and knot it back up. And Ronnie Prettyman struck out but you knew that.
The Smokies finally went quietly in the 11th, and Reinhard lost Valbuena on ball four. Reinhard uncorked a wild pithc to move him to 2nd, and after Valbuena took 3rd on a Brent Johnson groundout, Reinhard intentionally walked both Michael Saunders and Mark Kiger to put the force at any base. Dumas Garcia came in to pitch as Jeff Dominguez came in to pinch hit for Roman Martinez (Steinmann gave up the DH to swap out Reynolds for Oliveros)... and Dominguez flew out to left, allowing Valbuena to tag up and score the winning run.
AAA: Tacoma 6, Salt Lake 2
TAC: 28-30... SLK: 38-19
Robert Rohrbaugh: 7.1 IP, 7 H, 2 ER, 8 K (11 GS, 5.61 ERA, 59.1 IP, 2 HR, 21/45 BB/K)
Roy Corcoran: two outs, wild pitch, hit batter (13 app, 5.11 ERA, 12.1 IP, 13/11 BB/K)
Jared "Baek Bait" Wells: 1 IP, 2 K (22 app, 5.09 ERA, 23 IP, 1 HR, 12/19 BB/K)
Tug Hulett: 2-4, double, 2 R (268/350/406)
Yung Chi Chen: 2-4, double, 3 RBI (243/307/319)
Jeff Clement: 1-4, RBI, 2 K (369/488/738)
Victor Diaz: 0-3, sac fly RBI, K (289/386/491)
Prentice Redman: 1-4, solo HR (308/386/359)
Oswaldo Navarro: 2-3, 2 R (272/357/361)
The Rainiers blew up Nick Green (no, not THAT Nick Green) for 4 runs in the 3rd, and with Rohrbaugh pitching easily his best game of the season, this game was in the bag.