Olympics: Dexter Fowler discusses what's been going on lately with the team in his journal.
The Springs, W 9-0: Oscar Villarreal made his Sky Sox debut, walking five and striking out four in four innings. He did not allow a hit. Thirty-three of the his 66 pitches went for strikes. Mark Redman held Salt Lake to no hits, but did walk three. Matt Daley allowed a hit in the eighth, but that was the only hit Salt Lake managed in the game. Cedrick Bowers struck out two in the ninth.
Humberto Cota accounted for most of the offense last night, going 3-for-5 with two homers and five RBI. The homers were both of the two-run variety. Scott Podsednik went 2-for-3 with an RBI, a SB, and was picked off.
Tulsa, L 9-12: The Drillers had been leading 9-4 before a disaster of an eighth inning occurred. Andrew Johnston had pitched in the seventh and came back out for the eighth. He allowed three runs and Edward Valdez allowed five more in the inning.
Keith Weiser, who started, went six innings and allowed four runs.
Chris Nelson collected three hits (including a double), scored twice, and drove in two runs. He stole his sixth base, and EY Jr. (who scored three times) stole bases 40 and 41. The other Nelson, Justin, had two doubles and two RBI. Daniel Carte also recorded two hits and an RBI. Tony Blanco added three more RBI to his total, now at 84.
Tulsa begins its final homestand of the season tonight.
Modesto, L 3-5 in 10 innings: Tommy Baumgardner allowed a homer to Andrew Locke in the top of the 10th and an RBI double later in the inning to end the tie. Aneury Rodriguez went 6 1/3 innings, allowed two runs, and struck out six. Andy Graham finished the seventh inning, but David Patton wound up allowing an unearned run after a throwing error (that, had it not been, would have ended the inning) and an RBI ground-rule double.
Lino Garcia had three of Modesto's 11 hits. Kane Simmons and Mike Paulk had two hits each. Simmons stole his first base for Modesto.
Asheville, W 7-6: Shane Lindsay got one of those "quality starts" by allowing three runs in six innings. Those three runs all came in the fourth on a homer. He allowed four hits, walked two, and struck out six. Randall Taylor had a tough go last night, as he allowed two runs on four hits. He only recorded one out. Matthew Reynolds picked up his second save.
Brian Rike's RBI double in the fourth, Mike Mitchell's RBI single in the fifth, Kevin Clark's two-run double in the sixth, a run-scoring wild pitch in the sixth, and Helder Velazquez's two-run double in the eight led the Tourists to victory. Mitchell stole his 52nd base and Kevin Clark took two to reach 21.
Tri-City: Off.
Casper, L 3-7: Tyler Massey hit his first professional homer, and Zack Murry collected two hits and two RBI.
Edwar Cabrera pitched a stong five innings, allowing an unearned run on five hits and striking out five. Brandon Dill and Brandon Walker then allowed three runs each in the sixth and seventh innings. Walker allowed those three runs on two homers.