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Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre RailRiders: Rained out.
Double-A Trenton Thunder: L 3-7 vs. Bowie Baysox
Threatened by ominous clouds in Maryland throughout the game, the storm never actually arrived in Bowie, and unfortunately, neither did the Thunder.* They got off to a fast start by plating two runs in the first on an Ali Castillo walk, a Tyler Austin RBI double, and a Rob Segedin single to score Segedin, but Baysox starter/Uranus fan Ariel Miranda rebounded. Over the next 5 2/3 innings, Trenton managed only two hits and a walk while Bowie took the lead. The only Trenton hitters to get hits all day were Austin, Segedin, and .502 OPS man Cito Culver, who had two. It was that kind of day for the Thunder.
The Thunder started reliever Taylor Garrison just in case there was an early rain delay, and he was not sharp, allowing a pair of homers in the first to stockbrokers Quincy Latimore and Chance Sisco before two more extra base hits in the third finished his evening. With the score 4-2 and the rain seemingly not a threat, the scheduled starter Rookie Davis entered in the fourth. and over the next four innings, he was superb, allowing just three hits while striking out five Bowie hitters. Unfortunately, the game fell apart in the eighth on a triple, an error by Dante Bichette at first, and a hit by pitch forcing Davis from the game. Bowie scored two more times against Cesar Vargas, assisted by a Segedin error at third, and just about closed the books.
*Either the lede of the year or the end of Tanya letting me do Baby Bomber Recaps.
High-A Tampa Yankees: L 4-7 vs. Daytona Tortugas
Like the Thunder game, Tampa took an early lead, only to see Daytona grab it right back and hold on for the rest of the night. Daytona's starter was Keury Mella, the former Giants prospect acquired by the Reds in the Mike Leake trade, and he was solid after a shaky first inning. Dustin Fowler smoked a ground-rule double down the left field line, Mike Ford singled him home, and the suddenly hot Miguel Andujar launched a two-run homer to left. Over the last 10 days, Andujar is hitting .342/.390/.632, and in the past month, his batting line is .343/.370/.490, much closer to the kind of hitter scouts rave about than the one who had a .590 OPS in the first half.
The 3-0 lead vanished in the second due to shaky pitching from Gabriel Encinas, who surrendered a solo homer, three walks, and two hits while the Tortugas stormed back to take a 4-3 lead. Mella rebounded to hold the T-Yanks hitless for the remainder of his start, departing in the sixth after four scoreless innings and seven strikeouts. Daytona roughed up Tampa reliever Conner Kendrick on two singles, a double, and a Brian O'Grady homer, running the score up to 7-4. Tampa added one more run, but it was to no avail. Jorge Mateo went 0-for-5 with two strikeouts, as the T-Yanks struggled to find any offense without their sparkplug reaching base.
Low-A Charleston RiverDogs: W 5-1 vs. Augusta GreenJackets
RiverDogs fans saw some very nice pitching on Thursday night in Charleston, as starter Jordan Foley, Dillon McNamara, Garrett Mundell, and Brody Koerner combined to strike out 14 batters while allowing one run on six hits. Foley fanned eight over five inning, and each of the relievers notched a pair of strikeouts apiece. Foley walked two batters, and plunked one who scored Augusta's only run on a double, but otherwise, it was a fine day for pitching.
Outside of a run in the fourth that scored on singles by Vicente Conde, Bo Thompson, and Billy Fleming, the RiverDogs were also quiet until late in the game. The game was tied 1-1 entering the bottom of the seventh, when Charleston put runners on first and third with one out and scored on a squeeze play by Griff Gordon. Radley Hadded walked, bringing up Devyn Bolasky. The center fielder provided the game's decisive blow with a two-run triple badly misplayed by right fielder Andrew Cain, who took a horrible route and made a poor dive that allowed the ball to go the wall. Second baseman Will Callaway then took Cain's relay throw and chucked it into the stands beyond third base, allowing Bolasky to score. The weird four-run frame was all Charleston needed, who ended up winning their fifth game in a row.
Short Season-A Staten Island Yankees: Rained out.
Rookie Advanced Pulaski Yankees: W 4-2 vs. Elizabethton Twins
Pulaski's Thursday game carried some buzz, as top high school draft pick Drew Finley took the mound. It wasn't the best of nights for him though, as he pitched three innings, allowing two runs (one earned), three hits, and one walk while striking out two batters. Finley also allowed a homer to center fielder LaMonte Wade. Twins starter Samuel Clay shut Pulaski out over his four innings, and going deep into the game, it looked like Elizabethton might hold on for the victory.
However, Pulaski's offense came to life in the bottom of the seventh against reliever Nate Gercken. With one out, Matthew Duran and Kendall Coleman smacked back-to-back singles and Frank Frias walked to load the bases for Jesus Aparicio. The normally light-hitting catcher provided a jolt with a two-run double to right to tie it up at 2-2. Tyler Stirewalt replaced Gercken and promptly walked the dangerous duo of Carlos Vidal and Hoy Jun Park, giving Pulaski the lead on the bases loaded free pass. He then uncorked a wild pitch to score Aparicio. That was all Pulaski needed to finish off the 4-2 win.