Colorado Springs (32-21, 1st): W 16-8

Matt Miller and Kenny Perez led the Sky Sox offensive explosion combining for seven hits and seven RBI, each tripled, Perez also added a double. The only Sky Sox starter not to get a hit was lead off hitter Eric Young Jr., who walked three times and stole his 33rd base of the season. Young is batting .405/.500/.643 over his last ten games, with more walks (8) and stolen bases (9), than strikeouts (7). The massive caveat is that those ten games have all been at either Security Service Field or Albuquerque's Isotopes Park, but he's looking like he's either really close or even ready for the next step right now if the Rockies can figure out how to open up a roster spot. Chris Iannetta had two hits in his rehab assignment. Jason Hirsh allowed five runs in four innings.

Tulsa (28-23, 1 GB): W 1-0 

Brandon Durden hasn't allowed a run in his twelve innings of work since being promoted to the Drillers, the lack of strikeouts (3) and a groundball rate that's decent but not great is suggesting that this streak is more mirage than legit, but it's definitely coming in useful for the Drillers, who are having troubles mustering much offense of their own lately. Tulsa's 213 runs are second fewest in the league, only four over Arkansas. That the Drillers have allowed 232 suggests that the winning record is a bit of a fluke, but we'll take it. Tulsa won yesterday via a tenth inning bases loaded walk to Michael Paulk off of Jose Diaz, scoring Anthony Jackson. Jackson was one of two walks given up by losing pitcher Pedro Strop (he's still stuck in AA, apparently, so it hasn't turned out to be a huge loss for the Rockies so far) and then two more by Diaz led to the only run of the game scored by either team.

Modesto: W 11-2

Jeff Cunningham finished a home run short of the cycle, but impressively managed two triples instead to go along with his walk and double. He drove in four of the Nuts runs, and scored three of them. Christian Friedrich pitched impressively for six innings, allowing just two runs on six hits and two walks and struck out seven, but didn't pick up the win as the Nuts saved most of their scoring for a eight run seventh inning after he had already left. The win instead went to Joey Williamson, who has to be about the most opportunistic pitcher I've ever seen.

Call it luck of the Irish (the Notre Dame variety, that is), but Williamson is still undefeated, 16-0, in his minor league career after picking up his seventh win against no losses for Modesto this year. That's a pretty incredible run there, but it should also show that he a knack for limiting damage and keeping his teams in the baseball game, which is part of the reason why I don't discount him as a potential MLB player despite his minor league middle reliever status.

Asheville: L 3-5

Juan Nicasio was a tough luck loser after pitching five innings, allowing just one unearned run on five hits while striking out seven, but the Tourists offense had trouble finding their footing and a ninth inning meltdown by Adam Jorgensen cost the team a potential win at Greenville. David Mailman (really, that's his name) express delivered the deciding blow with a grand slam after Jorgenson gave up a double, a strikeout wild pitch and a walk to load the bases with no one out.