Constable remains off the grid. We, at the AC offices, are starting to monitor the newswire for stories around kidnappings and so forth. However, the Constable is a remarkable athlete, trained in at least three different martial arts and able to catch bullets with his teeth. So I wouldn't even contemplate kidnapping him.
Summary
* Another mixed day for the Organisation: 3-4, overall record: 188-173
* Oklahoma City kissed Omaha goodbye for the season with a big win
* Corpus lost a tight one in extra innings
* Lancaster lost by giving up runs in each of the last three innings
* Quad Cities went 1-1 on a doubleheader
* Tri-City held off Connecticut
* Greeneville has been told to go and sit in the naughty corner
Oklahoma City (44-40)
Oklahoma City matched scoring with Omaha (44-38) through the first three, but the last six innings was all the RedHawks'. They steadily pulled away to a 10-3 win to bid adieu to Omaha for the regular season, which is good, because Omaha has had the upper hand.
Rubber: Standing proudly on the bump for the opening pitch was Nick Tropeano. He wasn't far from being there at the end, either, as he went 8IP, 7H, 3R/ER, 9K. No walks, 100 pitches, 11:3 groundout to flyout ratio. Andrew Robinson allowed a hit in one inning while finishing the game.
Plate: Preston Tucker has his best AAA night: 4-5, 3RBI, R. Ronald Torreyes, Marc Krauss and Enrique Hernandez (getting a start at short) all had three hits (3-5, 2B, R, RBI, CS; 3-4, BB, 2B, R, RBI; and 3-4, BB, 2B, 4R respectively). Austin Wates managed 3 RBI (2-4). Only Domingo Santana (0-5, 4K, SB) and Joe Sclafani (0-4, BB, RBI, SB) didn't have hits.
Man of the Match: Nick Tropeano and Preston Tucker were fantastic on both sides of the ball. Combined MoTM-y!
Corpus Christi (38-43)
In a salivating matching between Luis Cruz and Jon Gray, neither won. In fact, this game could not be decided in regulation after Corpus tied it up 3-3 with a run in the top of the eighth. It stayed that way until the bottom of the thirteenth, when Tulsa's (43-37) Brian Humphries singled home the winning run with a runner on second. Corpus loses, 4-3.
Rubber: Did you hear that Luis Cruz was going to start?? I was very excited about this last night, especially given that he has been ridiculously dominant in three out of his last four starts. Well, Luis did start, and he struck out a batter an innings with a 6IP, 5H, 2R/ER, BB, 6K night. He gave up a solo two-out home run in his last inning.
Richard Rodriguez relieved, and gave up another run while striking out the side: IP, 2H, R/ER, 3K. Tyson Perez and Alex Sogard combined for five innings of scoreless relief (3H, 3BB, 2K), and Travis Bellow wore the loss after facing four batters and retiring one of them.
Plate: In three out of five innings, Corpus had the leadoff man on against Jon Gray, scoring him once. They also managed to get the leadoff man aboard in the 12th and 13th innings, but scored on neither occasion.
Leading the Hooks offence was Leo Heras (3-6, 2x2B, RBI). Jonathan Meyer was on base twice (1-4, BB, 2B, R), as was Delino DeShields (1-5, BB, R) - those two also combined for a double steal in the top of the fourth, which later resulted in a 2-run inning. Jio Mier was also on base twice (1-4, BB).
Man of the Match: Leo Heras had a great night, as did the relief corps of Tyson Perez and Alex Sogard. Three MoTM-ies handed out tonight, albeit in a losing cause.
Lancaster (48-33)
Lancaster and Lake Elsinore (46-33) continued their tight rivalry with another hard-fought match. Lake Elsinore scored two in the third but Lancaster answered with four of their own in the bottom half, and added another in the next inning. Lancaster led 5-3 going into the seventh inning, but Lake Elsinore scattered five runs over the last three innings for the win. Lancaster loses, 8-5.
Rubber: Gonzalo Sanudo got the start, and struggled a little. His line was not that impressive: 6IP, 6H, 3R/ER, 2BB, 2K. Neither were the lines of Daniel Minor (2IP, 5H, 3R/ER, 1HR allowed) or Jamaine Cotton (1IP, 2H, 2R/ER, 2BB, 1HR). Tough night for all three of the pitchers.
Plate: Chan Moon had two hits to continue his offensive surge (2-5, R, RBI), as did Jobduan Morales (2-4). Teoscar Hernandez (1-4, BB, 2B, R, RBI) and Conrad Gregor (1-5, 2B, 2RBI) hit the only two extra-base hits for the JetHawks. Tanner Mathis, hidden way down the bottom of the order, went 3-3, BB, R.
Man of the Match: Tanner Mathis had himself a perfect night to raise his Hi-A average to .310.
Quad Cities - Game I (40-38)
Quad Cities started a 7-inning-each-game double-header with Peoria (43-35) by raking from the outset. Four runs in the first inning, six in the last three, fifteen hits overall, for an 11-3 win.
Rubber: Chris Lee got the start, and did plenty well, especially given that he needed to save his 'pen for the second game. His line: 5IP, 3H, R/ER, 4K, 1HR allowed. He was relieved by Anthony Bass, in hopefully his last rehab appearance, who pitched two strong innings: 2IP, 2H, 2R/0ER, 3K. Bass' run scoring inning went pop out-strikeout-fielding error (+defensive indifference)-double-fielding error (run scored)-strikeout.
Plate: Every River Bandit had a hit. James Ramsay (2SB) and Marc Wik (RBI) were on base three times (2-4, BB, 2R), Jon Kemmer drove in three (2-4, 2B, 2R, 3RBI), and Ronnie Mitchell and Brett Booth drove in two (2-4, 2RBI). Jose Fernandez had a double (2-4, 2B, R, CS)
Man of the Match: Chris Lee, who gave up his only run on a solo home run, gets the MoTM-y for a top starting performance. Tips of the River Bandits cap to James Ramsay, Marc Wik and Jon Kemmer.
Quad Cities - Game II (40-39)
Quad Cities tried for the double-header sweep over Peoria, and started well, leading 2-0 heading in to the bottom of the fourth. But Peoria scored four in their last three innings, and the Quad Cities bats were silent, resulting in a 4-2 loss in Game II.
Rubber: Andrew Thurman got the start, going five innings: 5IP, 6H, 3R/ER, BB, 2K, HR allowed (solo). Andrew Walter finished the day, giving up another run (IP, 2H, R/ER, K).
Plate: John Kemmer had himself a day, going 2-2, BB, R. Chase McDonald had a solo home run (1-3, HR, R, RBI). Brett Phillips and Jake Rodriguez (RBI) both had hits (1-3).
Man of the Match: Chase McDonald and Jon Kemmer provided most of the offence in the middle of the order.
Tri-City (10-7)
Tri-City and Connecticut had a hit-fest, with 11 and 12 hits respectively. However, Connecticut's four errors compared to Tri-Cities one error was the difference: Tri City wins 6-4.
Rubber: Joe Musgrove only gave up runs on one inning (the third), but he worked around 11 hits in 4 innings. His line: 4IP, 11H, 4R/ER, K. Ryan Thompson got the win (1IP, 1H, 2K), Bryan Radziewski allowed one baserunner in 3 innings (3IP, BB, K) and Chris Munnelly got the save (IP).
As an aside, Musgrove's night was interesting. He had bases loaded, no outs in the first - no runs ended up scoring; he allowed a single in the second; and he allowed five singles, HBP and a double in the third, and a lone double in the fourth.
Plate: Bobby Boyd led off with a 4-5, 2B, R, SB, CS night. A.J. Reed (2-4, 2B, 3RBI) and Nick Tanielu (2-4, 2R) both had two hits.
Man of the Match: Bobby Boyd and Bryan Radziewski were the major contributors on both sides of the ball tonight.
Greeneville (4-7)
Greeneville is starting to irritate me. They lost to Burlington (5-6) by a score of 11-0, giving up six runs in the first inning. Thank goodness they are not a full-season team, because reporting on this every day would drive me nuts.
Rubber: Juan Santos got the start, and didn't escape the first inning (0.1IP, 2H, 6R/5ER, 3BB). Here is the box if anyone wants to look further, but only Angel Heredia and Aaron Greenwood added scoreless outings.
Plate: Greeneville worked five hits and five walks. On base twice was Antonio Nunez (1-3, BB, 2B), and Trent Woodward (1-3, BB). Also having hits were Jacob Nottingham, Ramon Laureano and Ydarqui Marte (all 1-4).
Man of the Match: Um, Matt Davis, the home-plate umpire. No, he didn't call enough strikes for Juan Santos. Lets go with C.J. Davis, the first-base ump. He can have the MoTM-y for the day.
Interesting times around the organisation at the moment. Congrats to the Astros for taking two of three from the Tigers. To think they were only one Jerome Williams batting-practice fastball away from a sweep.
All affiliates except Lancaster have a game tomorrow.
We didn't come out here to play tiddlywinks, son.
-Hal Smith
