Tucson 11 @ Fresno 10
A pitcher's duel it wasn't, a 'W' is was for the Sidewinders Wednesday.
Michael Gosling was roughed up for the third time in his last five starts,
giving up six earned in just four plus innings of work. Gosling was pulled
after the fourth run of the fifth inning crossed the plate, and his replacement
in the fifth, Phil Stockman, didn't even finish the frame, getting just two outs
but allowing three runs to score, for a horrific seven run Fresno fifth.
But the Sidewinders bench, and bullpen, responded for the come from behind win.
After allowing only one home run in his first five starts, Gosling has given
up four in his last three, including two Wednesday.
For Stockman the news is even worse. In his last three outings he's
lasted only 2.1 innings, and given up five earned runs.
The Sidewinders hit four homers in the game, the most notable coming off the
bat of Koyie Hill. Hill was making his first start in Tucson after being
sent down over the weekend and responded well, going 4-5 in the game with two
RBI and three runs scored.
Shortstop Sergio Santos also continued the long trip back from slumpsville,
going 2-4 on the day with a double and his eighth home run of the year.
Santos has now hit in 11 of his last 13 games, and six of those 11 have been two
hit days.
Scott Hairston and Conor Jackson both added solo shots to the Sidewinder's
tally, but the biggest offensive star for the Triple-A squad was left fielder
Doug DeVore, who reached base four times, going 3-4 with a double, three RBI and
two runs scored.
West Tennessee 12 @ Tennessee 8
There have been more than his share of days this season when Adam Bass
pitched well enough to win but took a no decision, or worse, a loss.
Wednesday was not one of those days. Bass gave up six runs on 12 hits in
six innings, taking the 'L' and dropping his record to a dismal 1-6 on the
season. It wasn't the kind of start to June Bass was looking for after
posting a 2.25 ERA in May.
After Bass was lifted things didn't get much better for Smokies hurlers.
It took three pitchers to give up another six runs in the seventh and eighth
before Sergio Lizarraga finally came on to pitch a scoreless ninth.
The bats on the other hand were most definately top heavy, as in
top-of-the-order heavy. The one, two, and three spots in the lineup were
occupied by Jarred Ball, Adam Haley, and Dan Uggla. The threesome combined
to go 13-15 with two doubles, seven runs scored and seven RBI. Uggla was
on fire, going 4-5 with a double and six RBI on the day, while Haley went 5-5
with a double and two runs scored.
Jarred Ball though was the catalyst. Ball hadn't seen much action in
the leadoff spot this season, and what little he had wasn't promising.
Ball came into Wednesday 1-17 when hitting lead off, but turned that around with
a 4-5 day that included a walk and four runs scored.
Ball also made the start in center field, thus bumping Marland Willams from
center to left field, and from lead off to seventh in the batting order.
Williams was 0-5 with three strikeouts on the day.
High Desert 3 @ Lancaster 9
Consistency has not been JetHawks starter Sam Smith's strong suit this
season, but he's shown improvement in the last few weeks. Smith was
fantastic Wednesday, throwing his best game of the season by giving up only one
run in seven innings. It was the second time in his last three starts that
Smith has gone seven.
"He got some double play balls and the defense played good behind him.
It was a great ballgame for him. He came up with some key outs with men in
scoring position." JetHawks skipper Bill Plummer said after the game.
For Smith it comes down to following the game plan.
"I started off with the four seam fastball then the change up then as the
game went on. The second and third time through the line up I tried to mix in
the breaking pitches and get first pitch strikes. I was told to keep the
ball down and let the defense work behind me." Smith confirmed.
The bats were certainly working, as the JetHawks hit four home runs and seven
different players had RBI in the game. First baseman Chris Carter
continued to mash, going 2-3 with a walk and two solo homers in the game.
Right fielder Jeff Cook hasn't cooled down at all, he was 3-4 with his seventh
homer of the season. Cook is carrying an eight game hitting streak, and in
four of the last five he's had at least two hits.
South Bend 7 @ Dayton 1
In his third start since being called up from extended spring training former
University of Arizona alum Koley Kolberg was fantastic, tossing five innings of
shutout ball. Kolberg walked two, struck out six, and allowed only four
hits. A seventh round pick in last year's draft, the only thing holding
Kolberg back now is arm strength, something that's limited him to only 14.1
innings pitched in three starts. Expect the Silverhawks to start letting
him stretch things out in the coming weeks.
It took right fielder Carlos Gonzales 20 games to hit his first home run of
the season, another seven game for number two, and he didn't hit his third until
his 48th game of the year. Wednesday was number 50, and Gonzales has
apparently decided enough is enough. Gonzales' homer was his only hit in
five trips to the plate, but the Silverhawks have got to be pleased.
Wilkin Castillo has got to know that once first baseman Cesar Nichols and
catcher Orlando Mercado Jr. come back from injury, his playing time will get
cut, but he appears to be trying to make that a tougher decision than it might
have been when those players went down. Castillo was 2-3 Wednesday with a
double and two runs scored, and has now hit in eight of his last nine. He
also drew his 12th walk of the year, and hasn't struck out in his last 32 at
bats.
After Kolberg left his bullpen was fantastic. Todd Stein, Mark Rosen,
and Josh Perrault combined to give up six hits and just one run in four innings
of work.
Lancaster Bureau Chief Thomas Fitzgerald contributed to this report.