Posted by Mike Frohwirth
The Lehigh Valley IronPigs (AAA) fell to the Syracuse Chiefs (Nationals affiliate) on Sunday, 2-0. On Dog Day at the Park, the host IronPigs disappointed 8,690 humans, and an undisclosed number of canines. The 'Pigs fell to 1-2 on the season, and are back below the .500 mark, where they have spent all but one day of their existence as a franchise. Starter Eddie Bonine pitched well, surrendering only two runs (one unearned) in his six-inning stint (six hits, zero walks/eight strikeouts). Andrew Carpenter also threw two scoreless innings of relief (one hit, zero walks/two strikeouts). The IronPigs' offense was held to only six hits (all singles), with only 3B Ronnie Belliard having a multiple hit game (two hits). Lehigh Valley hosts the Chiefs again on Monday. The IronPigs will be celebrating "Martial Arts Night." Hopefully, they are better at the martial arts, than they are at the art of hitting. Game time is 7:05pm. Box score
The Reading Phillies (AA) lost in Portland (Boston affiliate) on Sunday afternoon, falling to the Sea Dogs by a score of 2-0. Reading dropped to 2-2 on the season. R-Phils starting pitcher Chris Kissock threw six innings, and allowed both Portland runs (four hits, two walks/two strikeouts). Reading was held to only five hits, including a pair of singles by C Tuffy Gosewisch. SS Freddy Galvis returned to the lineup, after missing Saturday's game for precautionary reasons (hit by pitch on Friday). The R-Phils travel to New Hampshire (Toronto affiliate) next, and will face the Fisher Cats on Monday at 6:35pm. Box score
The Clearwater Threshers (A) completed a four-game sweep of the Dunedin Blue Jays on Sunday, winning by a score of 5-4. The Threshers are alone in first place, with a 4-0 record. The Threshers trailed 4-0, going into the bottom of the seventh, but rallied for five runs in the inning, the first four of which were charged to the Blue Jays' rehabbing MLB closer, Frank Francisco. RF Leandro Castro and C Kyle Lafrenz each homered in the seventh, and 1B Joe Savery went 2 for 3 (two singles). Savery's average dropped from .833 to .800, despite the two hits. IHOP supporter/CF Jiwan James went hitless, in four plate appearances. Threshers' starter Brody Colvin struggled, and lasted only two innings, allowing three runs (two earned runs, three hits, one walk/zero strikeouts). Clearwater travels to Daytona on Monday, to face the Cubs at 7:05pm. Box score
The Lakewood Blue Claws (A) were swept in Sunday's doubleheader with the visiting Kannapolis Intimidators (White Sox affiliate), losing 2-0, and 4-1. Though each game was supposed to be seven innings, the first game took sixteen innings to decide. The opener was scoreless until the 16th inning, when a two-run homer by Intimidators' Michael Blanke provided the winning margin. Lakewood was no-hit for the first six innings, by Kannapolis starter Jacob Petricka, and only had three hits in the game. Blue Claws starter David Buchanan pitched seven scoreless innings (three hits, zero walks/four strikeouts).
The nightcap lasted the required seven innings, as Lakewood managed only four hits, and one unearned run. Jesse Biddle (1st Round pick, 2010) started for Lakewood, pitching four and two-thirds innings (two runs/one earned, two hits, three walks/three strikeouts). Lakewood hosts the Greensboro Grasshoppers (Marlins affiliate) on Monday, at 6:35pm.
