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The major league team weren't the only ones to go into extras tonight with the score tied at five, Visalia coming within one out of winning in regulation (and me getting to sleep in a timely fashion!), before going a marathon 18 innings and losing. Inevitably, that was also the last game of the day to start, so you'll forgive me if I do not dawdle over detail, and get both this and myself to bed as soon as possible. :) Reno held on for a victory by the narrowest of margins, but Mobile were undone by an inning which redefines "bad". However, South Bend cruised to a solid victory, and overall our farm teams outscored the opposition, 22-18.
Snake Stars
3 Stars: Visalia bullpen 11 IP, 9 H, 2 ER, 5 BB, 8 K
2 Star: Brad Allen, South Bend 5.1 IP, 4 H, 1 ER, 3 BB, 9 K, W (1-0)
1 Star: Andrew Chafin, Mobile 5.1 IP, 6 H, 0 ER, 3 BB, 4 K
0 Stars: R.J. Hively, Mobile 0.2 IP, 4 H, 1 BB, 1 K, 4 ER, BS, L (0-1)
-5 stars: Enrique Burgos, for allowing a two-out homer in the ninth, leading to an extra nine innings. Yeah, I'm bitter.
Triple-A: Reno 5, Albuquerque 4. A three-run homer by Mike Jacobs with two outs in the third inning, his first of the season, proved the difference maker in this one. Charles Brewer got the W, holding the Isotopes to two runs over six innings, on six hits and a walk with four strikeouts. Zeke Spruill made it interesting in the ninth: brought in with a three-run lead, he allowed two runs and put the tying run on second with one out. Eury de la Rosa got the final out for the save. RF Roger Kieschnick and C Blake Lalli each had two hits; Didi Gregorius started at short and went 0-for-4, Cody Ross was 0-for-3 with an RBI in LF.
Double-A: Mobile 4, Montgomery 7. And it was going so well too... Going into the seventh, the BayBears were 4-0, and Andrew Chafin was looking forward to a well-deserved W, having thrown 5.1 innings of shutout ball, scattering six hits and three walks, with four K's. But the Biscuits scored seven in the seventh off Kaleb Fleck and R.J. Hively, on seven hits (all singles), a walk and a hit batter. 3B Jake Lamb had a pair of doubles for Mobile, while CF Jordan Parraz had a double and a pair of outfield assists - I guess that was the Parraz-zooka in action? RF Tom Belza had a pair of hits and drove in a run.
High-A: Visalia 5 @ Stockton 6 (18). Ryan Court scored a go-ahead run in the top of the ninth, coming home on a wild pitch. He also homered for the first time this year, a two-run shot as part of a four-run second for the visitors that put them 4-1 up. However, the Rawhide couldn't hold either lead, as Enrique Burgos gave up a two-out homer in the ninth to send us into extras. The two bullpens matched zeroes for the next eight innings, but Cody Wheeler allowed a run in the 18th for the loss - the W went to Stockton's starting RF, Dusty Robinson, who pitched a scoreless frame for them. Spencer Arroyo allowed four runs on six hits and a walk over six innings, with seven Ks for Visalia.
And at exactly 1 AM, the long-promised post game fireworks begin. pic.twitter.com/mHGpkFqUR5
— Donny Baarns (@DonnyBaarns) April 11, 2014
Low-A: South Bend 8, Beloit 1. The Silver Hawks let the visitors get on the board before recording an out, but rebounded with four runs in the bottom of the first and cruised to victory thereafter. Brad Allen got his first win of the season, allowing just that one score over 5.1 innings, on four hits and three walks, with an impressive nine K's. The bullpen held the Snappers to one hit in the 3.2 remaining innings, Jose Jose retiring all five faced, and J.R. Bradley fanning two in a hitless eighth. 3B Joe Munoz went 3-for-4, while RF Colin Bray tripled, singled and drove in a pair of runs, as South Bend improved to 3-4.