Sunday’s News & Notes

Pawtucket 3 Syracuse 2
• Roark (L, 4-11) 6+IP, 4H, 3R, 2ER, 3BB, 3K
• Holland 1IP, 0H, 0R, 0BB, 0K
• Rivero 2-4, R, 2B
• Negrych 0-2, 2BB, RBI

One bad inning was enough to decide this one as the Chiefs were edged by the PawSox, 3-2. Tanner Roark took the loss when he failed to retire any of the five batters he faced in the 7th, leaving with the bases loaded and a 2-2 tie. Hassan Pena got a rehabbing Jacoby Ellsbury to pop up but couldn’t get Jose “No, my Dad is not Julio” Iglesias out, sending in what proved to be the gamewinner with a single to center. Syracuse actually outhit Pawtucket 8-5, with Carlos Rivero leading the hit column with a 2-for-4 night, though he committed an error in the PawSox’s three-run 7th. RHP Neil Holland was assigned to Syracuse from Potomac. Like most A+ to AAA moves, as well as the All-Star break starting tomorrow, this is likely to be an up-and-back maneuver.

Harrisburg 5 Erie 3 (10 inn.)
• Demny 8IP, 7H, 3R, 2ER, 2BB, 5K
• Gilliam (W, 3-7) 1IP, 1H, 0R, BB, 0K
• Nelo (SV, 12) 1IP, 1H, 0R, BB, 1K
• Leon 2-4, R, 2B, BB, 2RBI
• Rahl 2-4, R, 2B, SAC
• Bloxom 1-4, R, HR, BB, 2RBI

Make it seven straight for the Senators, as they rallied to tie in the 9th and win in the 10th, 5-3 over the Seawolves. Justin Bloxom’s one-out solo shot in the 9th took starter Paul Demny off the hook, tying the game at 3-3. Demny was knocked to the mat with a three-run third, but got up and held Erie scoreless for the next five innings, allowing seven hits and two walks total while striking out five. Sean Nicol and Destin Hood led off the 10th with back-to-back singles, but after a Chris Rahl sacrifice and Nicol getting erased at the plate, the Seawolves hit Jeff Kobernus to load the bases, then issued RBI walks to Sandy Leon and Bloxom. Hector Nelo pitched around a hit and a walk in the last of the 10th to nail it down and earn his 12th save.

Potomac 4 Carolina 3
• Holder 7IP, 6H, R, ER, 3BB, 8K
• Storen (BS, 1; W, 1-0) 1IP, 1H, 2R, 1ER, BB, 0K
• Barthmaier (SV, 3) 1IP, 0H, 0R, 0BB, K
• Keyes 1-2, R, HR, BB, RBI
• Hague 2-4, R, 2B
• Martinson 1-3, R, HR, SF, 2RBI, 3E

For the second straight night, the kid that came off the bench to replace the rehabbing major-leaguer won the game, as Kevin Keyes smashed a towering opposite-field homer in the last of the 8th for a 4-3 Potomac win over Carolina. Drew Storen got the blown-save win, letting in two runs (one earned) in the top of the 8th, the tying run coming in on the third of Jason Martinson’s three errors. The 23-y.o. Texan did drive in two for the game, homering in the 5th and getting a sac fly in the 6th. The late-inning heroics were made possible by Trevor Holder, who rebounded from his previous, career-worst outing, to throw seven innings of one-run ball with a season-high eight K’s.

Hagerstown 9 Lexington 6
• Hill (W, 9-4) 5IP, 8H, 5R, 5ER, 0BB, 5K
• Hawkins (H, 2) 3IP, 3H, R, ER, 0BB, K
• Barrett (SV, 14) 1IP, 0H, 0R, BB, K
• Newsome 4-5, 3R, 3-2B, HR, 2RBI
• Souza 2-3, R, 2B, HR, 2BB, 4RBI, CS
• Mayo 1-2, R, 2B, 2BB, 2RBI

The Legends must hate going to Hagerstown. For the sixth time in seven games (the last four straight), Hagerstown beat Lexington, 9-6. Taylor Hill got the win despite giving up five runs on eight hits over five innings, though he walked none and struck out five. Brett Newsome would not settle for a single, doubling three times and homering for the third consecutive contest. Steve Souza also went deep and doubled, driving in four. Ben Hawkins got the hold with a run on three hits over three innings while Aaron Barrett pitched a scoreless 9th to tie for the Sally League lead in saves with 14.

Auburn 8 Hudson Valley 7 (10 inn.)
• Mooneyham 1⅔ IP, 1H, 0R, 2BB, 2K
• Benincasa (BS, 1) 1⅓ IP, 4H, 2R, 2ER, 0BB, 3K, 3-2 IR-S
• Henke (W, 3-0) 2⅓ IP, 1H, 0R, 3BB, K
• Montilla 3-4, R, HR, BB, RBI
• Pleffner 2-5, R, 2-2B, RBI
• Ramos 2-3, 2R, 2B, HR, BB, 2RBI

Call them the Incredibles, the Cardiac Collegiates, or the Auburn H-Rods, the Doubledays continue to rally late, walking off for the second straight night and fifth time this season with an 8-7 win over the Hudson Valley Renegades. Third-round pick Brett Mooneyham got the start and allowed a hit over one and 2/3rds inningw while walking two and striking out two. Seventh-rounder Robert Benincasa wasn’t as fortunate, letting two of three inherited runners over an inning and a 1/3rd for the blown save. Travis Henke got the win with one hit and three walks given up over the final two and 1/3rd innings. Angel Montilla led the offense with a 3-for-4 night, extending his hit streak to eight games and his on-base streak to 17 contests.

GCL Nationals 1 GCL Astros 0 (12 inn.)
• Pineyro 5IP, 1H, 0R, 2BB, 5K
• Heredia (W, 1-1) 3IP, 1H, 0R, 0BB, 4K
• McQuillan 3-6, 2B, RBI
• Difo 2-5, R, BB

It was a Star Trek convention on the scoreboard (that’s a whole lot of zeros, folks) until the G-Nats broke through with Wilmer Difo single followed by an RBI double by Mike McQuillan for a 1-0 win over the G-Astros in 12 innings. Four pitchers combined on the shutout, with Ivan Pineyro getting the start and going five innings with one hit and two walks allowed and Inocencio Heredia getting the win with one hit over the three extra frames. Casey Selsor and Kevin DiCharry both tossed two scoreless in between. McQuillan (3-for-6) and Difo (2-for-5) accounted for five of the nine G-Nats hits.

DSL Yankees1 6 DSL Nationals 0
• Silvestre (L, 2-2) 6IP, 6H, 3R, 3ER, 2BB, 4K, HR
• Chavez 1IP, 0H, 0R, BB, 0K
• A. Martinez 1-2, BB, 2CS
• Tillero 1-2, BB

With a 6-0 loss to the DSL Yankees1, it’s 0-for-July for the DSL Nationals. Hector Silvestre turned in a quality start, with three runs allowed on six hits and two walks while striking out four. However, the offense was nearly nil: just three hits and three walks and an 0-for-5 mark with RISP. Andres Martinez and Jorge Tillero both went 1-for-2 with a walk.