Snake Stars
Three Stars Joel Payamps 6 IP 1 R 2H 0 BB 8k 77 GS, Emilio Vargas 5IP 0R 8H 1BB 7 K 59 GS, Kenny Hernandez 5 IP 0R 3H 5K 70 GS
Two Stars Ryan Grotjohn 3-4 with two doubles and triple
One Star Andy Yerzy 3-4 with a double
Zero Stars Yasmany Tomas struck out in his one plate appearance. (I am officially retiring Yasmany Tomas from the Zero Star and Negative Star This will be the last time that Tomas appears in the zero star section. At this point it is beating a dead horse. He’s not getting at bats, and when he does, he is awful. I would be surprised to see Tomas still in the DBacks farm system)
Reno Aces 13 Iowa Cubs 5
Anthony Vasquez got the start for Reno and it was good enough. Vasquez pitched five innings, and gave up four runs on nine hits and a walk, while striking out 5. Jared Miller struck out one in his perfect inning of relief. Neftali Feliz would pitch 1.1 innings, and once again would struggle with his command, giving up two walks, and allowing a runner to score on a wild pitch. Feliz would exit the game in the eighth after one out with runners on the corners. Suarez would replace Feliz, getting the final two outs in the inning, but not before allow the runner on third to score on a ground out. Suarez would allow a lead-off double in the ninth, but would pitch an otherwise scoreless inning.
The Aces offense exploded in this one, and although Christian Walker’s homer streak would come to an end, he would reach base in all five of his plate appearances, going 3-3 with a walk and a hit by pitch. Socrates Brito also had a solid night, going 2-5 with a double and a home run, but Cesar Puello would do even better, going 3-6 with a pair of doubles and a home run. Ildemaro Vargas was 2 for 6 and reached base on an error, and scored every time he was on base.
Jackson Generals 3 Jacksonville Jumbo Shrimp 1
Joel Payamps had quality start, pitching 6 innings, giving up just one run on two hits and walked none, while striking out eight. Payamps went out to pitch in the seventh and failed to get any outs, hitting the first batter he faced. After a mound visit, Payamps would then allow a single, and would leave the game with runners on the first and second. Yoan Lopez would come in the game to relieve Payamps, and would uncork a wild pitch, allowing the runner on third to score. Lopez would settle down after that, striking out two batters and getting the other out on a ground out. Lopez would pitch the eighth inning as well, and would allow a hit by pitch and a single, but would strike out the other three batters. Brad Goldberg would walk a batter in the ninth, but would strike out three, and get the save.
The Generals had a three run fifth inning, but the bats really didn’t show up aside from that. Domingo Leyba continued his excellence at the plate, going 3-4 and would be the only Generals batter to have more than a hit, and the only batter aside from Tyler Ladendorf to reach base more than once.
Visalia Rawhide 6 San Jose Giants 0
Emilio Vargas pitched five scoreless innings, lowering his ERA to an absurd 1.04. Vargas allowed eight hits and a walk, while striking out seven. Tyler Keele pitched four scoreless inning, allowing three hits and two walks, while striking out four.
Dominic Miroglio had the best night at the plate for the Rawhide, going 3-5 with a pair of doubles. Stephen Smith and Camden Duzenack were both 2-5 with a double. Marcus Wilson was hitless, but walked and drove in a run on a sac fly. Drew Ellis was 1-5. Pavin Smith was hitless, but walked and scored a run. Daulton Varsho did not play.
Kane County Cougars 9 Wisconsin Timber Rattlers 4
Jhoan Duran pitched 5.2 innings, giving up three runs on seven hits and a walk, while striking out nine. Duran would struggle with his command in the sixth inning, hitting the first batter he faced, and walking the second. It looked like Duran had settled down, as he struck out the next two batters he faced. Wisconsin would double steal, and Duran would walk the next batter he faced, loading the bases, before being taken out of the game for Breckin Williams. Williams would walk the first batter he faced with the bases loaded, scoring a run. Williams would strike out the next batter, getting the final out of the inning. Williams would pitch 2.1 innings, allowing one lone hit, a solo hr in the eighth, and would strike out five. Matt Brill would pitch a perfect inning in the ninth, striking out a batter.
Ryan Grotjohn would go 3-4 with a pair of doubles and a triple. Ernie De La Trinidad was 3-5 with a double. Yoel Yanqui was 3-5 with a home run. Tim Susnara was 2-4 with a home run of his own. Jasrado Chisholm was 1-5 with a double. Gabriel Maciel was hitless, but would draw both of the Cougars two walks in the game.
Hillsboro Hops 5 Everett Aquasox 2
Kenny Hernandez got the start in the Hillsboro’s season opener, and was excellent. Hernandez pitched 5 scoreless innings, giving up just three hits, while striking out five. Luis Castillo would allow a pair of home runs, one in the sixth, and one in the seventh, in his two innings of work. Rafael Pujols struck out one in a scoreless eighth inning, and would allow no hits or walks, though he would hit a batter. Wesley Rodriguez would allow a hit, but would strike out a batter in a scoreless ninth inning.
Andy Yerzy was 3-4 with a double. Joey Rose, who was playing for Kane County earlier this season, was 2-5 with a double and a homerun. Ryan Dobson was 2-4 with two stolen bases. Tra’mayne Holmes was 1-5 with a homerun
Missoula Osprey 5, Billings Mustang 6
Deyni Olivero pitched 5 innings, and gave up two runs on three hits and a walk, while striking out 4. Mailon Arroyo would pitch an inning and allow two runs on four hits while striking out two. Yeison Santana would strike out four in his two innings of work, and would allow two runs on 2 hits and a walk. The two runs would end up being the difference maker in the game, as the Osprey failed to rally back in the top of the ninth inning.
Second baseman Eddie Hernandez was 2-4 with a pair of doubles. Catcher Zachary Almond was 2-4 with a double. DH Joe Robbins was 1-2 with a triple and a walk. Brandon Leyton was 1-4 with a home run and a walk.
DSL Orioles 3 DSL Dbacks1 11
Alex Valdez struck out five in six innings, and gave up two runs on three hits, a walk, a hit by pitch, and two wild pitches. Petter Caty struck out four in his three hitless innings, but gave up a run. Caty walked three batters, hit a batter, and threw two wild pitches of his own.
Right fielder Manuel Montas was 2-4 with a pair of doubles and a walk. DH Ramses Malave 2-3 with a double and a pair of walks, but was caught stealing. Catcher Sergio Gutierrez was 2-5 with a double and a stolen base.
DSL Dbacks2 5 DSL Cubs2 7
Christian Pacheco gave up four runs on six hits, and struck out three in four innings pitched. Although Pacheco didn’t walk any batters, it is worth noting that he did hit two batters. Rael Santos would pitch 1.2 innings and allowed a run on two hits and two walks. Eduardo Perez would pitch 2.1 innings, giving up four hits and walk, and allowed two runs to score, one earned and one unearned due to a fielding error by second baseman Alexander Hernandez.
The offense really didn’t show up until the eighth inning, when they scored all five of their runs, and unfortunately they couldn’t keep it going in the ninth. Center fielder Juan Batista had a good day at the plate, going 2-5 with a double and a triple. DH Richard Caraballo also did well, going 2-3 with a double, a walk, and a stolen base.