AAA - Colorado Springs Sky Sox 9, Memphis Redbirds 8
Tyler Matzek (No. 14 PuRP) got plenty of help from his offense but not so much from his defense as the Sky Sox committed five errors and allowed six unearned runs, but managed to hold on for a 9-8 win. Matzek pitched five innings on the night, allowing 11 hits and eight runs, only two of which were earned. He walked just one and struck out four. Wilton Lopez and Brooks Brown each pitched a pair of scoreless innings to close the game out.
Offensively, the Sky Sox got out to a fast start, scoring seven runs on five hits in the first inning, chasing Memphis starter Angel Castro from the game before the inning was over. Catcher Jackson Williams was the offensive standout on the day, going 3-for-4 with a trio of doubles. Ryan Wheeler also had a pair of doubles and a single in five at bats.
AA - Tulsa Drillers 7, Frisco RoughRiders 2
The Drillers picked up a 7-2 win in Frisco tonight thanks to another strong start from Jon Gray (No. 1 PuRP). Gray allowed just one run on five hits in six innings with a walk and four strikeouts, throwing 75 pitches, 53 for strikes. He now has a 1.30 ERA and 0.82 WHIP in his last seven starts since allowing six runs in 2/3 of an inning on April 11. His ERA for the season is 2.79 while his WHIP stands at 0.97.
Gray's outing was supported offensively by home runs from Ryan Casteel (No. 11 PuRP) and Jayson Langfels. Joey Wong also had a pair of doubles and scored twice.
High-A - Visalia Rawhide 4, Modesto Nuts 2
Patrick Valaika provided essentially all of the Modesto offense last night, with a fourth-inning single that scored Trevor Story (No. 6 PuRP) and a seventh-inning home run. However, it was not enough as the Nuts dropped a 4-2 decision to Visalia. Story also had a pair of hits for the Nuts, who combined for a dozen strikeouts as a team on the night.
Ben Alsup took his fifth loss of the season for the Nuts, leaving the game with a 2-1 deficit despite a solid outing on the mound, allowing two runs on six hits in six innings with a pair of walks and a pair of strikeouts. The Rawhide extended their lead to 4-1 in the seventh against Modesto reliever Jacob Newberry, a deficit the Nuts could not overcome.
A - Asheville Tourists 7, Hagerstown Suns 1
Correlle Prime was one of four Tourists with a pair of hits on the night, but his were both home runs, giving him 10 on the season and propelling Asheville to a 7-1 win. Prime hit a solo shot in the second and struck the big blow against Hagerstown starter Hector Silvestre with a grand slam in the sixth. David Dahl (No. 3 PuRP) had a double and a triple on the day, scoring a run, and Ryan McMahon (No. 7 PuRP) had a single and double with a run scored and an RBI.
The Tourists also got a dominating effort on the mound from Antonio Senzatela (No. 29 PuRP), who came just shy of a complete game, allowing just a solo home run to Suns catcher Craig Manuel with two outs in the ninth inning and being pulled just shy of a complete game. He allowed the lone run on three hits in 8 2/3 innings with a walk and two strikeouts to earn his fifth win of the season.
Friday Probables
AAA: Yohan Flande
AA: Tyler Anderson (No. 10 PuRP)
High-A: Devin Burke
A: Alex Balog (No. 20 PuRP)