In what is the lowest scoring Pacific Coast League game I can remember checking the box score of, the Sky Sox beat the home Salt Lake Bees behind one of Alan Johnson's best pitching outings the past couple of seasons. The starter got his fifth win of the year, allowing one earned run over six innings pitched. He walked one and struck out six. Eric Stults and Jim Miller (who earned his 24th save) pitched the final third of the game cleanly.
After struggling after his initial promotion to AAA, outfielder Scott Beerer has been tearing up the league lately, going 3 for 4 with two doubles. Willy Taveras singled twice and walked, while Jorge Cantu doubled in a run. Matt Pagnozzi reached base in all of his plate appearances, with one hit and three walks. The rehabbing Ryan Spilborghs was hitless in five at bats, with a strikeout.
The Drillers' pitching allowed 20 hits to Northwest Arkansas, but ended up scoring 13 runs for the win on just 13 hits of their own; six of those 13 hits were home runs. Everyone except third baseman Erik Wetzel got at least one hit in the game. Wilin Rosario got three, including his 20th and 21st home runs. Without a home run but with three hits of his own was Bronson Sardinha. Ben Paulsen and Mike Zuanich knocked bombs during the game proper, while Michael Mitchell and Tim Wheeler hit home runs in the 10th inning to propel Tulsa ahead. Both of the outfielders had multi-hit nights as well.
Starter Dan Houston walked no one but was incredibly hittable, allowing ten hits over just five and a third innings. He allowed four runs to score, three earned. Daniel Turpen struggled in the sixth and seventh, allowing four more runs during that time. Adam Jorgenson, on the other hand, has been improving dramatically over the final quarter of the season. He threw a clean inning. Dustin Molleken surrendered the Tulsa lead again, but was credited with his fourth win of the season after Stephen Dodson nailed down the game in the bottom of the tenth.
Only Asheville after the jump; Modesto, Tri-City and Casper had off days.
A Asheville: W 12-11Chandler Laurent led the offense with three hits, including his 14th 2011 homer. Dustin Garneau and Mark Tracy hit two doubles apiece. Rafael Ortega, Joey Wong and Avery Barnes had two hit games as well. Corey Dickerson knocked yet another home run (his 31st), a walkoff two run jack, when pinch hitting for Dominic Altobelli, the only hitless player in the Tourists lineup.
Starter Joshua Mueller was successful early, but by the time he got into the fifth inning, he'd allowed six earned runs on 12 hits and three walks. Taylor Reid and Kraig Sitton both struggled in relief, contributing to the deficit with multiple earned runs, but two strong innings from Isaiah Froneberger to close out the game allowed Asheville to rebound, leading to the reliever's second win of the year, both with the Tourists.