Oklahoma City (29-23), 1.0 up
OKC got over a shaky start, command-wise, from Jarred Cosart and put up early runs in a 5-2 win over Omaha (somewhere in middle America). Cosart improved to a 5-2 record after allowing 3H/2ER, but 4K:7BB in 5IP with two wild pitches; Jason Stoffel lowered his ERA to 1.65 with 3IP, 0H/0ER, 0K:0BB; Jose Valdez walked a batter in the 9th.
Brett Wallace was 2x3 with a walk and an RBI; Marc Krauss was 2x3 with a double and a walk. Jake Elmore had a hit, a walk, and his 11th stolen base of the season, but Fernando Martinez came up with the big hit - a 2-run triple - and finished with 3RBI.
In "That Guy Is Still Playing" news: Omaha's Willy Taveras was 1x4 with a triple and an RBI. Xavier Nady was 1x3 with a walk.
Man of the Match: Jason Stoffel
Corpus (31-20), 1.0 up
Down 3-1 heading into the 7th, the Hooks broke out with a 5-run inning for a 6-3 win. David Martinez got the start, throwing 5IP, 4H/2R (1ER), 2K:1BB; Mike Foltynewicz finished off the game with 4IP, 3H/1ER, 6K:1BB (ERA now 1.08) and recording the first Double-A win of his career.
Ben Orloff was 3x5 with 2RBI; Rene Garcia (2RBI), Jonathan Meyer (2B), and Michael Burgess (HR - his 5th in eight games) had two hits each. George Springer was 1x4 with a double and no strikeouts (!).
Man of the Match: Mike Foltynewicz
Lancaster (31-20), 4.5 up
Lancaster scored the first ten runs of the game, and won 10-2 over Rancho Cucamonga. Brady Rodgers threw 5IP, 2H/0ER, 4K:1BB and Chris Devenski followed it up with 4IP, 5H/2ER, 2K:1BB.
Preston Tucker went off, going 3x5 with a double, a three-run homer, and 6RBI total; Andrew Aplin (3B, BB, SB), Raoul Torrez (2B) and Chris Epps (2B) had two hits each. Brandon Meredith was 1x4 with an RBI, walk, and stolen base.
Man of the Match: Preston Tucker
Quad Cities (28-23), 3.5 GB
JON SINGLETON DAY! Quad Cities got out to a 7-2 lead before Kane County cut it to 7-5, before rain shortened the game - River Bandits win. Daniel Minor threw 4IP, 3H/2ER, 3K:3BB; Richard Rodriguez allowed 2H/3ER, 1K:1BB in 1IP. Lance McCullers got his first professional win, throwing 1IP, 0H/0ER, striking out the side and lowering his ERA to 1.90.
Jon Homerton did exactly that, going 2x2 with a solo homer and an RBI single and also a walk. Carlos Correa was 2x3 with a double and 3RBI. Teoscar Hernandez was 1x2 with a walk.
Man of the Match: Let's give it to Lance McCullers who is now 1-8 with a 2.49 ERA/1.28 WHIP in his minor-league career.
We didn't come out here to play tiddlywinks, son.
-Hal Smith
