Stephen Drew helped blow open a close game in another Reno win with a 3-run blast in the 5th inning. According to a Kevin Towers interview on KTAR today, this will be Drew's last game for Reno. He is heading to Florida due to a death in the family, and then will stop in Mobile for a couple of games this weekend before being activated on Tuesday next week. Reno pitcher Joe Martinez had another great (not good) outing with 7 shutout innings. Yakima broke out the bats again for their second consecutive easy victory, and the Missoula bullpen imploded in the 8th to snatch defeat from the jaws of victory. Mobile, Visalia and South Bend were off again and all will return to action on Friday.
Snake Stars
3 Stars: Joe Martinez, Reno 7 IP, 6 H, 2 BB, 6 K, 0 ER
2 Stars: Shaun Cooper, Yakima 3 for 4, 1 BB, 2 R, 2 DBL, 1 RBI
1 Star: Andrew Barbosa, Missoula 4 IP, 0 H, 3 BB, 6 K, 0 ER
0 Stars: Cody Geyer, Missoula 1/3 IP, 2 H, 2 BB, 1 HR, 4 ER
Game summaries after the jump.
Triple A: Reno 9 @ Tacoma 0. The combination of another fantastic start from Joe Martinez and the usual crash of the Reno bats made for an easy 9-0 victory. Martinez seems to have found something with his second consecutive stellar start, throwing 7 shutout innings, the same as his last start. Stephen Drew, in his final Reno start, hit a 3-run homer in the 5th. He went 1 for 4 with a walk and 2 runs. Ryan Wheeler hit his 10th homer of the year right behind Drew's shot in his 2 for 5 night to continue his hitting tear. Adam Eaton and Cole Gillespie each had a pair of hits with a double. And Geoff Blum got another rehab start going 2 for 5 with a double and 2 RBI.
High Rookie: Yakima 8 Salem-Keizer 2. Yakima cruised to another easy victory by racking up 14 hits and getting a solid outing from Alex Capaul. Shaun Cooper was the hitting star again (I'm telling you, watch out for this guy) going 3 for 4 with 2 doubles. Joseph Loftus had a pair of doubles and an RBI, Jacob House had a pair of singles, catching prospect Ronnie Freeman had two singles, and Kevin Medrano had a single, a triple and 2 RBI.
Low Rookie: Missoula 6 @ Billings 8. The Osprey seemed on their way to victory but the bullpen gave up 4 in the bottom of the 8th leading to the loss. Andrew Barbosa, our 36th-round pick from South Florida, got the start and was money in his first professional outing. He simply threw 4 no-hit innings with 6 Ks. I was hyping this guy on draft day after looking up his college record. He's a 6-8 lefty that really came on in his final college season and he looks the part so far. Can you say Randy Johnson? Well, not with a straight face yet, but he's officially one to watch. Ty Linton hit a 2-run homer but also had 3 Ks. Breland Almadova had 2 more hits and has 8 in his first 13 at bats. Jake Lamb and Tyler Bream each had two hits, Lamb adding a triple and Bream a double.