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Thursday Pebble Report: On the menu - a double-digit inning, a grand slam, a pitcher home run, and an abused ace for the road

By Andrew T. Fisher

It was a strange night on the farm. To wit: in the only organizational loss, the starting pitcher allowed no earned runs and hit a home run. Let's get to it.

AAA Colorado Springs, W 12-9 - (72-65, 1st)

In case you weren't convinced last time, Russ Ortiz showed last night why he should stay far far away from Coors Field. The former 21-game winner threw 92 pitches in 4.0 IP, barely half for strikes, on his way to allowing 6 runs on 7 hits, 7 walks and a wild pitch. Ryan Speier put out the fire with two scoreless innings for his second win.

The Sky Sox mutilated two former Padre starters, Cesar Ramos and Walter Silva, pounding out 12 runs on 18 hits. Six sox had multi-hit games and four had at least three led by Christian Colonel's 4-for-5, 3 RBI night.

The Beavers and SkySox close the series tonight at 6:05MDT at Security Service Field.


AA Tulsa, L 6-7 - (34-31, 2nd, 1.0 GB)

With just five games left this season, the Drillers lost to the Springfield Cardinals, falling back to second place for the first time in over a month. But don't blame Samuel Deduno. The recently awarded Texas League Pitcher of the Year did more than just that by helping Tulsa build a 3-run lead with his first professional home run. Deduno allowed just two hits in six innings, striking out seven while allowing no earned runs.

Unfortunately, he also committed a throwing error that led to four unearned runs, forcing him to leave the game on the hook for the loss. A bases clearing triple by Daniel Mayora gave the Drillers a two-run lead in the eighth, but Matt Reynolds gave it all back by permitting three runs in the bottom half.

Brandon Durden (7-3, 3.65 ERA) will face Trey Hearne (11-3, 3.01 ERA) in game 3 of the four-game set tonight at 6:10MDT.

High-A Modesto, W 6-5 - (33-32, 13.5 GB)

The penultimate WINNAR Joey Williamson (13-3, 3.34) improved his career record to 22-3 by giving up the go-ahead run in relief in the sixth inning. The Nuts took the lead for good in the seventh on a Hector Gomez pop single and Jeffrey Cunningham sac fly. Of particular concern was Christian Friedrich, who started but couldn't make it past the third inning, having allowed four runs on six hits, two walks and two wild pitches. It is the second time in four starts he failed to finish even the fourth inning.

Hector Gomez had a three hit game, extending his hitting streak to seven, of which six were multi-hit games. Matt Repec singled and hit his 11th homer, a grand slam that erased the deficit Friedrich created. What's Friedrich's problem? Sure, it could be fatigue, but he has thrown just 106.2 IP this season, almost 30 IP less than his 2008 total between EKU, Tri-City and Asheville.

The Nuts finish their series with the Lake Elsinore Storm tonight at 8:05 MDT before facing High Desert in the season's last series.

Write-ups for Asheville, Tri-City and Casper under the fold

Low-A Asheville, W 6-2 - (40-24, 1st)

Jimmy Cesario broke a 2-2 tie leading off the bottom of the eighth with his 11th home run, paving the way for a four-run inning also highlighted by a two-run triple from David Christensen. Scott Robinson and Thomas Field each had RBI singles, and Mike Zuanich doubled a man home. Carlos Luna allowed 2 runs on 5 hits in 5.2 IP, then allowed Stephen Dodson and Adam Jorgenson to send the last ten hitters down in order.

Joe Mikulik will send out Juan Nicasio (8-3, 2.41) against the lefty David Duncan (4-3, 4.24) as the Tourists try to whittle their divisional magic number down from three with five games left.



SS A Tri-City, W 12-6 - (45-27, 1st)

Ten isn't really a crooked number, so I'll just say the Dust Devils put up a straight and pretty number in the fifth frame against the Yakima Bears (Diamondbacks). Here's how:
Joseph Sanders doubled. Jose Gonzalez popped out. One out.
Shane Lowe walked. Joey Wong walked. Tim Wheeler walked. RUN ONE.
Joseph Scott hit by pitch. RUN TWO.
Christopher Vasami singled. RUNS THREE AND FOUR.
Kevin Clark reached on force attempt, fielding error. Kent Matthes reached on force attempt, missed catch error. RUN FIVE.
Joseph Sanders grounded out. RUN SIX. Two out.
Jose Gonzalez singled. RUNS SEVEN AND EIGHT.
Shane Lowe homered. RUNS NINE AND TEN
Joey Wong grounded out. Three outs.
Only Kevin Clark and Ben Paulsen failed to drive in a run, while Sanders and Matthes each had two hits. Wes Musick got the win for allowing three runs in five innings.
The Dust Devils have already clinched a championship series against the Salem-Keizer Volcanoes (Giants) Monday-Friday but will have to finish the series with Yakima tonight at 8:15MDT before a weekend series in Boise to close out the regular season.


Rookie Casper, W 9-5 (13-16, 11 GB)

The Ghosts won their first game of the season's final ten, eight of which will come against Wednesday's victim, the Idaho Falls Chukars (Royals). Chandler Laurent hit his second home run and every starter got a hit except Jeffrey Squier, who K'd three times. After managing just one single in his last 17 ABs, Nolan Arenado was given the night off. Kyle Hancock pitched five innings, allowing two unearned runs for his third win.

The Ghosts will take on the Chukars again tonight at 7:15 MDT on the road.

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