Monday’s News & Notes

Buffalo 4 Syracuse 2
• Hill (L, 8-2) 5IP, 14H, 4R, 4ER, 0BB, 1K, 2HR
• Hood 2-3, R, 3B
• Solano 2-3, RBI
• Rhymes 2-2

Rain stopped this one short — two outs in the top of the 6th — as Buffalo doubled up Syracuse, 4-2. Taylor Hill was strafed for 14 hits, including a pair of solo HRs in the 4th, and all four Bisons runs as he lost for just the second time this season. Brian Goodwin singled in the second Chiefs tally in the 6th before play was stopped for the ninth hit of the game. Jhonatan Solano had the other RBI (his team-best 34th), following Destin Hood’s one-out triple in the 2nd.

Harrisburg 4 Akron 2
• Kroenke (W, 1-1) 7IP, 4H, 2R, 2ER, 4BB, 3K
• Grace (SV, 3) 2IP, 0H, 0R, 0BB, 1K
• Dykstra 1-2, R, 2B, 2RBI, SF
• Taylor 1-2, 2R, 2BB, RBI, SB

If you’re only going to get three hits, it’s best to get them in the same inning. That, along with with some strong pitching, is how the Senators doubled up the ‘Ducks, 4-2 and take the, um, rubber match. Down 2-1 in the 6th, Michael Taylor, who walked, stole second, and scored on a Cutter Dykstra sac fly in the 4th, cashed in an error with an RBI single to it at 2-2. Dykstra struck again with an RBI double while Matt Skole got the third and final Harrisburg hit to plate Dykstra. Zach Kroenke got the win with a quality start of two runs on four hits over seven innings, though he walked four and struck out just three. Two perfect innings of relief from Matt Grace sealed the deal and earned the 25-y.o. Californian his third save.
Roster move: RHP Brad Meyers was released. Patriot-Times beat writer Geoff Morrow has the story.

Wilmington 10 Potomac 4
• Spann (L, 4-1) 4⅓ IP, 7H, 6R, 6ER, BB, 2K
• Turnbull 2IP, 3H, 0R, BB, K
• Perez 2-3, R, SF, RBI
• Piwnica-Worms 2-4, RBI

Wilmington scored nine times in the 5th to end this one Sunday Afternoon In Woodbridge.

Greensboro 5 Hagerstown 4
• Pivetta 4IP, 6H, 4R, 4ER, 2BB, 3K, HR
• Thomas 3IP, 1H, 0R, BB, 2K
• Walsh (L, 0-2) 1IP, 1H, R, ER, BB, 0K
• Bautista 2-2, 2R, BB, SB
• Kobernus 1-3, R, BB, CS
• Difo 1-4, R, HR, 3RBI

The elation of Wilmer Difo’s game-tying, three-run HR in the top of the 8th was short-lived as the Grasshoppers answered with one in the bottom of the 8th for a 5-4 win. Nick Pivetta struggled again, giving up four runs on six hits in four innings for the second straight appearance. Justin Thomas kept the Suns in it with three scoreless innings of relief before turning the ball over to Jake Walsh. A walk, single, one-out grounder that erased the trail runner, and a sac fly got the gamewinner home for Greensboro for their third straight triumph. Hagerstown managed just five hits total, with four of the hits coming from the 9-1-2 combo of Rafael Bautista (2-for-2), Jeff Kobernus (1-for-3), and Difo (1-for-4).
The Suns’ magic number remains at four with six days to go as they head north to play Lakewood for the next three.

DSL Nationals — OFF DAY
A 4-2 week has the D-Nats in second place in the Boca Chica South. This week it’s four on the road against the Rockies, Yankees1, Mets1, and Mariners and two home games against the NYC affiliates on Wednesday and Thursday.