Today's star was South Bend's Blayne Weller, who threw no-hit baseball on national TV, his game in Dayton being the MiLB Game of the Week, televised on the CBS Sports Network. Weller had a long journey to get here: he was originally a Twins prospect, but he was cut by them and spent 2012 in indy ball. We signed him out of the Frontier League in Spring 2013, and last year, he pitched mostly for Hillsboro. Here's a good piece from during the season on Weller's career to that point. Tonight was only the second time this year he had recorded an out past the sixth inning.
Snake Stars
3 Stars: Blayne Weller, South Bend 9 IP, 0 H, 1 R, 0 ER, 2 BB, 12 K, W (5-4)
2 Stars: Kevin Cron, Missoula 2 for 5, 2 R, 2 HR (4), 5 RBI
1 Star: Steve Nyisztor, Hillsboro 5 for 5, 3 R, TPL, 2 RBI
0 Stars: Evan Marzilli, Mobile, 0 for 5, 4 K
Triple-A: Reno 4, Las Vegas 9. Did you know there's actually a trophy for the 51s-Aces series? Tonight's game was the decider, and Brandon Allen (who still holds Reno's all-time HR record) helped give it to Las Vegas, driving in five runs and going a triple short of the cycle. For the Aces, Mark Trumbo didn't homer. But he didn't play, either. Maybe he's on the way to SF to rejoin the team? RF Alfredo Marte reached base four times, on two hits and two walks, with LF Danny Dorn and 2B Garrett Weber getting two hits apiece. Bo Schultz took the loss, lasting 4.2 innings and being charged with seven runs (five earned) on nine hits and a walk, with one K.
Double-A: Mobile 2 @ Mississippi 3 (12). The teams traded two-spots in the fifth inning, the Bay Bears taking advantage of a fourth out on an error, and a wild pitch. But that was all the scoring either side managed until the bottom of the 12th when the Braves got a walk and two hits, all with two outs off Willy Paredes. Mobile starter A.J. Schugel allowed two runs in eight innings, with one walk and eight strikeouts. 1B Tom Belza had three of the visitors' six hits, including their only extra-base hit, and 3B Jake Lamb walked three times, but the BayBears struck out 17 times in total.
High-A: Visalia 3, High Desert 2. DH Rudy Flores's 13th homer of the year, leading off the ninth inning, tied the score at two and after the Rawhide loaded the bases without a hit, SS Raul Navarro's fielder's choice allowed them to walk off winners. The late surge took Brandon Sinnery off the hook for an undeserved loss, as he threw six innings of two-run ball, on five hits and two walks, with four strikeouts. 1B Steve McQuail had a pair of hits, including a triple, and Navarro drew two walks. Kyle Schepel retired all six batters faced in relief. By coincidence, he was the last D-back prospect to throw a solo no-hitter, for Hillsboro in his final game last August.
Class A: South Bend 7 @ Dayton 1. Silver Hawks Blaine Weller pitched a no-hitter and faced only two batters over the minimum, walking two and striking out 12. However, he didn't get the shutout, the Dragons scoring in the second on a walk, stolen-base and throwing error. But South Bend took full advantage of their eight walks, 2B James Westbrook driving in a run with a pair of two-baggers, and 3B Ryan Gebhardt also had two doubles, driving in and scoring two. SS Andrew Velazquez reached base four times, on a hit and three walks, and stole his 38th base, but made his 21st error.
Short A: Hillsboro 9, Boise 3. The Hops' offense was on fire, with 19 hits and five stolen-bases this evening. Leading the way was RF Steve Nyisztor, who went 5-for-5 with a triple and three runs, while CF Jordan Parr got three hits and stole a base, and DH Jake Meyers had a pair of doubles. Ryan Doran wobbled his way through six innings, scattering 11 hits but walking none, and holding the Hawks to three runs. The bullpen then held Boise hitless over the final three frames, albeit with four walks.
Rookie: Missoula 11 @ Grand Junction 5. The Osprey took full advantage of six Rockies errors before the first out of the fifth, scoring 10 runs by that point. 1B Kevin Cron led the charge, with a two-run homer in the first, then a three-run shot in the fourth, giving him four for the season. SS Fernery Osuna had four singles and scored four times, with LF Justin Williams getting three hits, scoring three and driving in two. Carlos Hernandez took the five and dive for the W, allowing three runs on six hits and three walks, with four K's.
AZL: D-backs 3, Rangers 2. Anfernee Benitez worked six innings of two-hit ball, allowing two runs, one earned, and struck out four in relief of Cody Reed, and the D-backs did all their damage in a three-run fifh. 2B Henry Castillo had the big blow, a two-run triple as one of his three hits on the night. RF Gerard Hernandez tripled and singled. Cody Clark worked the ninth for his second save.