4/26 Minor League Scores

[Bourgeois Zee]

AAA Louisville Bats @ Columbus Clippers
Today is Graham Ashcraft Day. All is right with the world. Well, okay-- not all. But at least this is a step in the right direction. Ashcraft has a 1-1 record with a microscopic 0.73 ERA. Interestingly, his peripherals suck. 7.3 K/9 is his worst K rate by three per game. 5.1 BB/9? Nearly double his 3.3 career average. That 10.9 H/9? More than three hits per game extra. Time to get on that roll, Graham. He's opposed by Adam Scott, who sports a fine 2.19 ERA himself. He's 1-0 with 12 K. Game starts tonight at 6:15.

AA Tennessee Smokies @ Chattanooga Lookouts
This series could well decide first place. The Smokies come to Lookout Mountain to face our AA sluggers. Both teams are keeping it tight-lipped about their starters, but if the Lookouts follow their rotational pattern, it'll be Eduardo Salazar who takes the mound. He laid an egg his first AA start, but has been better each start since. In his last start, he went 5 IP and allowed a solitary ER on two hits and zero BBs. I'd take that line again. I suspect Salazar might as well.

High A Dayton Dragons @ Fort Wayne Tin Caps
Your first place Dayton Dragons turn to hard-throwing Joe Boyle to continue their season-long excellence. He's opposed by 70-name Robert Gasser. Boyle has yet to allow an earned run or a hit this season. His stat line is fundamentally ridiculous. 8 innings. 17 Ks. 0 hits. 0.625 WHiP. Nearly 20 K/9. More than 5 BB/9. He's another that needs to be pushed to AA, as he's just too advanced for the younger hitters he's facing. He also desperately needs a quality nickname. Currently, I like "Bullet" or JoBo. Let me know what you've got in the thread. We'll use it-- until we don't. If it's good enough, he'll be stuck with it for life. No pressure.

Daytona Tortugas @ Port St. Lucie Mets
Time for the Tugas to take it to the Mets. They're staring up at the evil Metropolitans in the standings. A sweep would probably put them in first place. Just sayin'. Sam Benschoter is pitching for Daytona. The UDFA is carrying a fine 2.53 ERA into the game, having pitched 10.2 innings, allowing 7 hits. Benschoter has been very fine with his control, giving up only 2 BBs against 19 Ks. That 0.844 WHiP would play just about anywhere. So will the 5.9 H/9, 16 K/9 and 1.7 BB/9.

Discussion Question:
What should Joe Boyle's nickname be?

[OGB]

We could call him Joe Dirt because his stuff is filthy.

[CaiGuy]

Discussion Question:
What should Joe nickname be?

Klondike Joe

[Bourgeois Zee]

Time for an update:

- Daytona up 3-0 with two outs and two on in their half of the 2nd inning. Both Jay Allen and Austin Hendrick have hits. Allen also has a walk.

[Bourgeois Zee]

Update #2:

Taylor Motter hit his first HR as a Bat with a man on. Bats lead 2-1 in the bottom half of the 2nd.

[Bourgeois Zee]

Joe (Don't Call Me Susan) Boyle gave up a single to Robert Hassell in the 3rd inning.

That was the first hit he's given up all season.

10.2 IP, 1 H, and a whole bunch of BBs and Ks.

He's the Adam Dunn of pitching.

[Bourgeois Zee]

Daytona up 4-0 on several walks (6) and singles (4).

The Mets are threatening in the 5th with two on and no out.

[Bourgeois Zee]

Rece Hinds, perhaps coming out of his slump, has a single and a HR, his 2nd.

Elly De La Cruz has a single. So does Mat Nelson.

Dragons up 1-0.

[Bourgeois Zee]

Benschoter gives up a 3-run HR in the 5th, but the Tortugas still lead moving into the top of the 6th.

Alex McGarry knocks in two on an error-- the Dragons lead 3-0 and are still hitting in the fourth with one out. De La Cruz stole his fourth base of the season.

Bats up 3-2 after four. Graham Ashcraft still largely getting out of jam after jam of his own making.

Eduardo Salazar got crushed in the first inning, giving up four before recording an out. It's 4-0 as the Lookouts come to bat for the first time.

[Bourgeois Zee]

Zack Godley may be a wonderful human being, but he's a human gas can as a pitcher.

Two doubles, a dinger, and a walk later, Columbus leads, 5-4 and will surely score more before they're through. What a moronic decision to pitch him in that situation. Were I Graham Ashcraft, I'd be seriously ticked off at my manager, Pat Kelly.

[JCM11]

I think I'd rather see Ashcraft make the start for the Reds in San Martin's spot next time through the rotation.

[Bourgeois Zee]

Lookouts come from down four to tie it in the fourth inning.

That team can hit. TJ Hopkins with a single and a steal. Mat Lloyd with the three-run homer and a single.

Isiah Gilliam with two 2Bs.

Quin Cotton with a single.

- - - Updated - - -

Free baseball in Port St. Lucie.

The Mets tie it up on a HR in the bottom of the ninth.

[Bourgeois Zee]

Tugas lose a heartbreaker, 5-4 in extras.

[Bourgeois Zee]

Louisville scratches two across in the top of the 8th and lead 6-5.

[Bourgeois Zee]

Dayton wins, 4-0.

Boyle with one hit, five BBs, five Ks, 0 ER over five innings.

Kravetz with 3 innings of no-hit, one BB, 5 K relief.

Rudd finishes it off in the 9th by allowing one hit.

Team shutout-- nice.

Hinds and Creal had two hits apiece.

Dayton moves to 12-4 on the year and up two games on the Tin Caps.

- - - Updated - - -

Bats relief corpse (yes, pun intended) cough up the lead again-- this time in the bottom of the 9th.

Tied up at 7.

On to extras.

Sigh.