Thursday Pebble Report: Cory Riordan and Brandon Durden dealing again, Joe Mikulik instituting Grand Theft Baseball

AA Tulsa, W 2-1 & L 1-5 - (19-13, 2 GB)

NW Arkansas (Royals) locked up the Drillers' bats, allowing just 3 runs in the doubleheader.  Luckily for Tulsa, they managed to win one.

Game 1:  Brandon Durden (4-2, 3.31) outdueled lefty Everett Teaford (3-4, 4.99) by yielding just one run on three hits in six-plus innings.  Andrew Johnston worked through a nervous final seventh for his 27th save but allowed an inherited runner to score and required a Jeff Kindel assist at home to protect the lead.  Cole Garner's 2-run HR in the second provided all the necessary offense.  Daniel Mayora doubled, while Michael McKenry and Jeff Kindel notched singles.  Durden is now 3-0 with a 2.43 ERA in his last five starts since being promoted to Tulsa.  He has 7 solid starts out of 9 total in AA for the season

Game 2: The Naturals ambushed Andy Graham (2-4, 5.40) for three runs in the first inning on two home runs, and the stagnant Drillers' offense couldn't catch up.  Adam Bright allowed two runs in his inning to faciliate the loss, and Tommy Baumgardner worked two trafficked yet scoreless innings.  An RBI single by Jeff Kindel in the 7th was all the scoring Tulsa could do.  Moyora collected another double in addition to a single.

Chaz Roe (3-2, 3.50 ERA) will face Matt Kniginyzky (4-7, 5.20 ERA) in the final game of the series tonight at 6:05MDT. 

High-A Modesto, W 6-3 - (17-17, 9 GB)

The first seven Nuts that came up in the first reached on a hit, and the eighth man was hit by a pitch.  Charles Blackmon, Hector Gomez, Jay Cox and Scott Beerer singled before a Jeffrey Cunningham double and Jason van Kooten home run (8) to give Cory Riordan (7-6, 4.16) a five run lead before even stepping on the field.  Blackmon also hit his sixth HR later in the game.

Riordan allowed just two runs in 7 innings, striking out nine of the Rancho Cucamonga Quakes (Angels) he faced.  After three rough starts earlier this month, he is 3-1 with a 1.69 ERA over 32 IP in his last four starts.

The teams square off again tonight at 8:05 MDT.

Low-A Asheville, W 7-5 & W 5-4 -  (20-12, 1st)

The Tourists claimed the best record in the Sally League with two come-from-behing wins, sweeping double header from the Delmarva Shorebirds (Orioles).

Game 1:  Jonathan Aristil allowed the Shorebirds to score one run each in all five of his innings, but his ability to limit the damage was critical to the Tourist comeback.   Trailing 5-1 in the 6th, Asheville posted a 6-run rally, highlighted by three doubles (David Christensen, Kiel Roling and Jordan Pacheco) and three stolen bases (Christensen, Scott Robinson and Delta Cleary).  Christensen and Robinson's thefts came on a double steal, with Christensen stealing home, one of two bases he swiped in the game.  The Tourists had five doubles and six stolen bases total.  Even Mike Zuanich stole third.

Game 2:  Michael Marbry blew a 3-2 lead in the 7th for a blown save, then proceeded to give Delmarva a 4-3 lead in the eighth.  Beau Seabury was caught attempting to steal home for a walk off win - geeze, what was in Joe Mikulik's breakfast?  Tyler Massey tripled in Scott Robinson with two outs in the eighth to stave off defeat and Jimmy Cesario sealed the win with a walk-off single in the tenth.  Alan Deratt allowed two runs on four innings in his start.

Asheville travels to Rome to open a series with the Braves tonight at 5:00  MDT.