Tucson Was Postponed
Tennessee 2 @ Birmingham 4
The Smokies must have though game time was about 15 minutes later than posted
Wednesday night, as right hander Tony Pena gave up four runs on four hits, two
errors and a hit batsman in the first inning, and then settled down to allow
only two more base runners then entire game, but still suffered his 11th loss of
the season. Pena allowed the first two Barons to reach, and each play was
complimented with a fielding error. After a force out Pena then hit a
batter, got a strikeout, and then allowed two more hits before finally getting
out of the first.
From then on Pena would dominate. He retired 15 of the next 16 hitters,
and never allowed a runner to reach second base after the first inning, but the
bats wouldn't come alive until too late. It was Pena's second complete
game of the season, and the second time this season he has failed to issue a
free pass in a game, as he struck out six.
The Smokies would strike first, and do it in the clutch. After Noochie Varner (0-4) and Stephen Drew (0-4) were both retired, second baseman Dan Uggla
(0-2, BB, HBP, run) walked, followed by a Chris Carter single, and then Jaime D'Antona followed with a two out single to center that would plate Uggla.
After that the Smokie bats would fall silent, as they would fail to get
another hit until the ninth inning, when Chris Carter would lead off with a
single. Marland Williams came on to pinch run for Carter, and promptly
stole second base. He would score easily on a single up the middle by
catcher Matt Morgan. That would be all the Smokies offense could muster
however.
Lancaster 5 @ Bakersfield 3
"He's got a great fastball, but people don't talk about his curve, it's
fantastic, it's really his out pitch." JetHawks pitcher A. J. Shappi on
Garrett Mock.
Apparently both were working for Mock on Wednesday. The young
righthander was stellar, scattering eight hits and allowing just three runs in
seven strong innings, good enough for his 12th win of season. Mock would
open the second inning by allowing a solo home run, followed by back to back
doubles, but would catch a break when the fourth hitter in the frame would be
nailed trying to take an extra base, and would settle down to get out of a four
hit inning only allowing two runs.
From then on it was smooth sailing. A lead off walk in the fifth would
score after two more singles, but outside of the two scoring frames Mock would
allow only two other hits, while striking out nine. It was his second
highest strikeout total of the year, he struck out 10 on April 22nd, as well as
July 27th.
Meanwhile the JetHawks bats were getting knocks, if not the runs to show for
it. Lancaster pounded out 15 hits on the day, nine of which went for extra
bases, including a pair of home runs, but managed only the five runs in part
because they failed to draw a single base on balls, and in part because they
left nine men on during the course of the game.
The first inning pretty much summed up what the night would be like.
Despite three hits, including a lead off single by center fielder Steve Garrabrants (3-5, two doubles, run, RBI), a force out and a double play would
leave Lancaster with a goose egg. In the second inning the JetHawks would
get on the board when second baseman Danny Richar hit his fifth home run in his
last eight games, but despite a one out double by catcher Phil Avlas (2-4, two
doubles, run) that extended his hitting streak to six games, they JetHawks would
get only Richar's run out of the second. A lead off single in the third by
shortstop Kenny Perez, followed by a Jeff Cook double would give the JetHawks
two men in scoring position with nobody out. Perez would score on a ground
out by DH Alex Frazier (2-5, double, RBI), but despite the hot start that would
be the only run Lancaster would push across.
In the fifth Garrabrants would again start the frame with a double, and
determined to put a crooked number on the board, Perez would take matters into
his own hands, yanking a ball over the right field fence for his first homer as
a member of the JetHawks. Perez, who came over from the Red Sox
organization as part of the Jose Cruz Jr. trade, was 2-5 with two runs scored on
the day, and has been a nice addition to the organization. He is hitting
.319 with nine RBI and 24 runs scored in 21 games, and is currently in the midst
of a 10 game hit streak.
Three straight one-out hits in the sixth would plate the last of Lancaster's
runs on the day, and after the seventh Mock would turn the ball over to his
bullpen, who were brilliant. Micah Owings pitched a flawless eighth, and
Matt Wilkinson came on in the ninth to earn his 11th save of the season.
Wilkinson has now saved his last eight appearances, allowing only one earned run
in that span.
South Bend was off today
Tri-City 6 @ Yakima 0
Yakima starter Chris Kemlo never had a chance. While Kemlo would be the
first to admit that his 5.1 innings Wednesday were probably not the best of his
career, the Yakima offense was absolutely shut down by the Tri-City staff,
collecting only four hits on the evening. Kemlo took the loss for the
fifth straight start in August, and has watched his ERA in the month balloon to
11.14, and the struggles may be starting to effect his control. Kemlo tied
his season high for walks Wednesday with four, the second time in three games
he's walked as many as four hitters.
Arizona State standout Jason Urquidez came on for Kemlo in the sixth and did
solid work, allowing one of his two inherited runners to score, but not allowing
an earned run of his own in 1.2 innings pitched. On the season Urquidez
has been fantastic, allowing only one earned run in 8.1 innings, striking out
11.
Despite drawing five walks on the day, the Bears could never capitalize,
leaving seven men stranded, and four in scoring position. It was a
particularly tough day for shortstop Derek Bruce, who was 0-4 with three
strikeouts, and committed his 14th error of the season as well. Only
shortstop Juan Olivares and right fielder Brandon Burgess would reach base
twice, each going 1-3 with a walk.
Missoula 7 @ Idaho Falls 0
The Osprey pitching dominated the evening, as three Missoula hurlers combined
for a two hit shutout that included 14 strikeouts. Coming off what may
very well have been the worst start of his entire life, a 3.2 inning, 11 hit, 11
earned run performance last Friday, Greg Smith was brilliant Wednesday. He
worked six innings, allowing only two hits and a walk, while matching his season
high in strikeouts with eight. Derik Nippert would come on in the seventh
and continue to own the Idaho Falls lineup working two scoreless innings,
walking two, striking out four, and not allowing a hit. Closer Dan Pohlman
would come on in the ninth to finish off the shutout, striking out two of the
three batters he would face.
Offensively the Osprey spread the wealth, but as has become custom, Rusty Ryal was the ring master. After going 50 games without a four hit day,
Ryal has exploded, posting four such days in his last seven games.
Wednesday Ryal was 4-4 with a double, two stolen bases (in three chances) and
two runs scored.
It was a five run eighth inning that put the game away for the Osprey, and
Ryal got it started with a lead off single. He then stole second just
before right fielder Will Crouch (2-5, three RBI) hit his sixth home run of the
year. First baseman Bryan Byrne (2-4) would follow with a single, and
after a Steve Mena strikeout, Ricardo Cruz (1-4, run, RBI) would double Byrne
home. Catcher Jake Elder (2-3, BB, two runs) would then stride to the
plate and rope his second homer of the season over the left field wall to put
the game away.