Oklahoma City (38-33), 2.0 GB
OKC never trailed in this game, and behind a strong start from Jarred Cosart, defeat New Orleans 4-1. Cosart threw 6IP, 4H/0ER, 8K:0BB (67 of 104 pitches for strikes) to move to 7-3 on the year with a 3.09 ERA. Rhiner Cruz walked a batter, Alex Sogard allowed the lone run, and Josh Zeid struck out the side in the 9th for his 5th save.
Brett Wallace was 4x5 with two doubles and two runs scored. Brandon Laird and Carlos Perez (2RBI) had two hits each; Che-Hsuan Lin was 1x4 with 2RBI. Robbie Grossman was 0x2 with two walks.
Man of the Match: Jarred Cosart
Corpus (1-2), 1GB (43-30 overall)
Frisco got two runs in the 1st inning, which was all they needed in a 2-0 win over Corpus in which both teams combined for seven hits. Jake Buchanan threw 5IP, 4H/2ER, 1K:1BB in a nice bounce-back start; Carlos Quevedo (2IP) and Sergio Escalona (1IP) held Frisco hitless over the final three innings.
Erik Castro was 2x3, and was caught stealing second base both times he was on base. Raoul Torrez had your other Hooks hit.
Man of the Match: Jake Buchanan
Lancaster (1-0), tied, (40-31 overall)
That was a beat-down. The JetHawks opened the 2nd half of the season by scoring the first 11 runs of the game in an 11-3 win over Rancho Cucamonga. David Rollins was dealing, allowing 1H/0ER, 9K:2BB in 5IP; Tyson Perez allowed 5H/3ER, 5K:1BB in the final 4IP.
MP Cokinos hit his 6th homer in a 2x3, BB night. Tyler Heineman and Chris Epps hit a 2-run homer each, while Telvin Nash (2RBI), Joe Sclafani (RBI) had a hit and a walk each.
Man of the Match: Jeez. How about David Rollins?
Quad Cities (1-0), tied, (39-31 overall)
Quad Cities only trailed for a half-inning on their way to a 5-3 win over Kane County. Juan Minaya threw 4IP, 6H/2ER, 4K:3BB; Richard Rodriguez gave up a hit in 1IP; Vincent Velasquez got the win with 3IP, 5H/1ER, 3K:0BB and John Neely gave up 2H/0ER, 1K:0BB in the 9th.
Rio Ruiz announced his second half presence with authority with a 3x4, two-double, 2RBI night; Teoscar Hernandez drew a walk, hit a sac fly, and got a double. Jesse Wierzbicki was 1x4 with an RBI and Roberto Pena was 1x2 with two walks.
Man of the Match: Rio Ruiz
Tri-City (4-0), 1.5 up
I told you Tri-City wouldn't lose a game this season. So far I'm right. Down 5-0 heading into the 8th, the ValleyCats got three in the 8th, two in the 9th, and three in the 11th for an 8-5 comeback win at Lowell. Edison Frias allowed 6H/2ER, 2K:1BB in 4IP; new Astro/ValleyCat Charles Basford (acquired in the Fernando Martinez trade) allowed 3H/3R (1ER), 1K:1BB; Kyle Westwood threw 3.1IP, allowing 0H/0ER, 2K:1BB; Albert Minnis moved to 2-0 with one hit in two scoreless innings and Chia-Jen Lo struck out the side for his 2nd save of the year.
Tony Kemp (BB), Conrad Gregor (3RBI) and Jose Fernandez had two hits each; Michael Martinez was 1x3 with a double, RBI, and a walk; D'Andre Toney had an RBI sac fly in the 9th and Ryan Dineen was 1x3 with two walks and three runs scored.
Man of the Match: Conrad Gregor
Greeneville Astros (0-1)
The Gastros opened their season by getting shutout by Toronto affiliate Bluefield, 5-0. Enderson Franco allowed 6H/2ER, 4K:1BB in 5IP; Frederick Tiburcio and Jordan Mills each walked a batter in 1IP and Gerardo Ramirez allowed 3H/3ER, 1K:1BB in the 8th.
Marc Wik (2B) and Wallace Gonzalez had two hits each; Darwin Rivera, Juan Santana and Tanner Mathis provided your other hits. Bobby Borchering, who ended 2012 in Corpus and somehow finds himself in Greeneville, was 0x4 with 2K.
Man of the Match: Enderson Franco.
We didn't come out here to play tiddlywinks, son.
-Hal Smith
