Minor League Player of the Day – Bobby Coyle - 3 for 5, 1 HR, 1 2B, 2 RBI's. There were quite a few solid performances on Saturday, and Coyle won this award by a very slim margin. Coyle didn't join the Quakes until late May, but since then he has done very well as he is hitting .423 over 17 games with an OPS of just over 1.000.
AAA – The Isotopes were doubled up by the Sounds (Brewers) 8 to 4 on Saturday thanks to a lack of offense. Trent Oeltjen drove in 2 with a triple and Matt Angle went 2 for 4 with a pair of RBI's, but that was the extent of the Albuquerque offense. On the mound Michael Antonini got lit up for 7 hits and 5 runs over 5 frames, with most of the damage coming on the 3 homers he allowed. Blake Johnson permitted the final 3 runs of the game to score, meaning that Wil Ledezma and Scott Rice fired a scoreless inning each.
AA – The Lookouts took an early lead on Saturday, but they couldn't hold on as Chattanooga lost to the Blue Wahoos (Reds) 6 to 4. Stater Matt Magill was solid over 4 frames, but in the 5th he imploded a bit which led to 5 runs scored against him. Eammon Portice and a pair of relievers allowed just 1 hit over the final 4 frames, but at that point it was too late thanks to the lack of Lookout offense. Brahiam Maldondo hit a 2-run homer and J.T. Wise went 2 for 4 with a double, but that was the extent of the offense with the exception of Rafael Ynoa who reached base 4 times thanks to 2 singles and 2 walks.
HiA – The Quakes lost a slug-fest on Saturday as they were charred by the Blaze, 15 to 10. Rancho was actually down by 8 runs early in the game so they at least made it interesting, but their own bullpen failed them as well they permitted the final 5 runs to score in the last two innings. Starter Andres Santiago absorbed most of the early damage as he allowed 8 runs over 2.2 frames, then 3 of the 4 relievers who followed him also gave up at least 2 runs each. Eric Eadington was hit the hardest as 3 runs scored against him in the 9th which really put the game out of reach. Several Quake hitters had big days at the plate despite the loss, starting with Bobby Coyle who fell a triple shy of the cycle and drove in 2 runs. Austin Gallagher also homered and doubled in his return from the DL, while Jonathan Garcia hit his 7th bomb of the year and also singled twice in route to 3 RBI's. Finally Leon Landry went 3 for 6 with a double but was caught stealing (while his lead-off counterpart Billy Hamilton stole 4 more bases and is now at 87 swipes for the season).
LoA – Ralston Cash and the rest of the Loons pitching staff threw a great game, but the good guys' offense couldn't come up with enough hits as Great Lakes lost to the Lugnuts (Blue Jays) 2 to 1. Cash permitted an unearned run in the 1st inning run and then gave up a real run in the 6th, and that was the difference in this game. Ralston's offense managed just 3 hits, one of them being Jeff Hunt's first homer of the season. The other two hits were a double by Jan Vazquez and a single by Jesus Arredondo.
Rookie Ogden – A huge 7th inning made the difference in this game for the Raptors as Ogden defeated the Owlz (Angels) 8 to 5. Ogden poured it on during a 6-run 7th that included a grand slam from Jeremy Rathjen and some cooperation from his teammates. Jesus Valdez increased his average to .560 with 3 more hits including a triple, while catcher Jose Capellan went 2 for 4 with a double. On the mound it was Derek Cone who got the start, and he allowed 5 hits and 3 runs over 5 frames. Kazuki Nishjima somehow finagled his way to his 3rd win of the young season, while Daniel Coulombe pitched a pair of scoreless frames.
Rookie Arizona – The Arizona Dodgers continued the strong start to their season on Saturday as they moved to 3 and 0 with a 10 to 7 win over the Royals. For the 3rd straight game the Dodgers starting pitcher was a player that spent 2011 in the Dominican Summer League, although Victor Arajuo didn't have as much success as his friends since he allowed 6 hits and 4 runs in just 2.2 frames. Kazuya Takano picked up the win with 2.1 innings of hitless relief, while former outfield Ronny Lugo gave up a run in his first ever appearance on the mound. Jordan Hershiser made his professional debut and was lucky his team had a big league because struggled a bit as he allowed a pair of 9th inning runs. At the plate, 2012 4th round pick Justin Chigbogu hit a home run in his first game as a Dodger and also singled. Tyler Ogle also took one deep and doubled to drive in 3, while Paul Hoenecke continued his strong start with a double, a triple, and 2 RBI's.
DSL – Starter Jhosue Bermudez finally gave up a run, but he still picked up his league leading 4th win in the Dodgers 6 to 3 win over the Rays. Bermudez allowed 4 hits and 2 runs over 6 frames, which pushed his season ERA to 0.86. Richardo De La Rosa saved the game with a perfect 9th. At the plate Josmar Cordero barley continued his hit streak as he managed just one single in 5 at bats, but Gerson Nunez picked up the slack with 3 hits in 5 plate appearances. Claudio Vargas and Arce Rodriguez also had good days as both players had 3 base knocks including a double.
Coming up – All the US based teams will be playing on Sunday, and the top two picks from the 2009 draft, Aaron Miller and Garrett Gould, will be throwing for the Lookouts and Quakes, respectively. Matt Laney gets the nod for the Raptors, and Fernando Nieve will take the mound for the Isotopes. The Loons starter is TBD.
Minor League Transactions – HiA: Austin Gallagher and Steve Domecus were activated from the DL, and to make room on the roster Charlie Mirable and Michael Pericht were placed on the disabled list. Rookie Ogden: Scott Griggs has been assigned to the Raptors and will almost certainly step into the closer role.
Albuquerque Isotopes Box Score (AAA)
Chattanooga Lookouts Box Score (AA)
Rancho Cucamonga Quakes Box Score (HiA)
Great Lakes Loons Box Score (LoA)
Ogden Raptors Box Score (Rookie)
Arizona Dodgers Box Score (Rookie)