Minor League Player of the Day – Logan Bawcom - 2 IP , 6 K's. Bawcom struck out all 6 batters he faced on Friday so I'm not sure that any player could be any more dominant on Friday. Bawcom has yet to allow an earned run, and has a batting average against of less than .075 through 13 frames.
AAA – After collecting 24 hits on Thursday, the Isotopes managed just 10 base knocks on Friday but were still able to walk away with a 8 - 1 win over the Nashville Sounds (Brewers). 1st baseman Jeff Baisley had a perfect night at the plate as he went 4 for 4 with 2 doubles and a homer, driving in 2 runs in the process. Scott Van Slyke also drove in a pair of runs via a 2-run homer, while Luis Cruz connected on a double and plated in a run. On the mound, starter Stephen Fife had his second strong outing in a row as he gave up just 3 hits over 7 shutout frames. Scott Rice gave up a run in relief, then Shane Lindsay loaded the bases before getting out of a late jam.
AA – Starter Ethan Martin had one of his best outings since getting drafted as the Lookouts defeated the Stars (Brewers) 8 to 2. Martin pitched 7 strong innings and struck out 9 batters, allowing just 1 run on 5 hits. Ethan threw a career high 109 pitches, and so far in 34.2 innings this season Martin has a .183 batting average against. At the plate it was the middle of the Chattanooga lineup that did most of the damage, starting with #7 hitter Luis Nunez who went 4 for 5 with two doubles and 4 RBI's. Pedro Baez had 3 hits and drove in a pair of runs, while Jake Lemmerman had a double and a single to increase his batting average to .319.
HiA – Starter Garrett Gould didn't have his typical California League start, but the Quakes were still able to overcome the Storm 7 to 5. After raking up a ridiculous strikeout numbers in his previous 5 starts, Gould K'ed just 1 batter in 4.2 frames and also gave up 5 runs on 6 hits. His relievers were stupendous, however, as Freddie Cabrera allowed just one hit over 2.1 innings and closer Logan Bawcom struck out all 6 batters he faced to pick up his 6th save of the season. On offense, Thursday's hero Michael Pericht connected on his 3rd homer in two days, while Austin Gallagher crushed his 6th bomb of the year. C.J. Retherford also went yard and ended the night by going 2 for 3.
LoA – The Loons played an early morning game on Friday and won 9 to 8 over the Lugnuts (Blue Jays) in their version of a get-away game. Starting pitcher Matt Laney allowed 3 runs (2 earned) on 6 hits over 5 frames, striking out 6 batters in the process. Raydel Sanchez made his 2012 debut in relief and gave up 4 runs (2 earned), but Jason West and Eric Eadington closed out the final 3.1 innings of the game to secure the victory. At the plate, the bottom of the Loons' lineup had a significant amount of success as the 5 through 9 batters went 11 for 19 with a homer and 2 doubles. O'Koyea Dickson connected on the bomb in his 2012 debut and also singled to drive in 3 runs, while Jesse Bosnik went 2 for 4 with a pair of RBI's. Jan Vasquez had 3 hits and drove in a run with a double, while Pedro Guerrero also had a two-bagger to round out the extra base hits.
Coming up – Coming off a career best start, Andres Santiago will take the mound for the Quakes on Saturday. John Ely will take the mound for the Isotopes, while Gustavo Gomez should be the scheduled starter for the Loons. Reigning Southern League pitcher of the week Matt Magill will most likely get the start for Chattanooga on Saturday.
Minor League Transactions – Ryan Acosta and Bret Montgomery were added tot he Quakes roster while Chris Reed was sent back to extended spring training and Juan Rodriguez was suspended (for an unknown reason).
Albuquerque Isotopes Box Score (AAA)
Chattanooga Lookouts Box Score (AA)
Rancho Cucamonga Quakes Box Score (HiA)