Saturday’s News & Notes

Lehigh Valley 4 Syracuse 3 – GAME ONE
• Hill (L, 6-11) 6IP, 11H, 3R, 3ER, BB, K, 0HR
• Burnett 1IP, 3H, R, ER, 0BB, 2K
• Martinson 1-3, R, HR, 2RBI
• Skole 1-3, R, HR (10), RBI

The Chiefs homered twice in the 7th but still came up one run short for 4-3 loss to the IronPigs. Taylor Hill scattered 11 hits without giving up a longball but let in three runs over six innings with one walk and one whiff as he lost for the 11th time this season. Re-acquired Sean Burnett (details) gave up a run in the 7th, which proved to the difference when Matt Skole hit his 21st HR (solo) and Jason Martinson hit #10 (two-run), which were just the fourth and fifth hits total for Syracuse.

Lehigh Valley 3 Syracuse 2 (8 inn.) – GAME TWO
• Espino 6IP, 5H, 2R, 2ER, BB, 6K
• Martin (L, 2-4) 1IP, 1H, 1R, 1R, 2BB, 0K, WP
• Collier 1-4, 2B, RBI
• Soto 1-3, 2B

In the nightcap, Rafael Martin loaded the bases with a single and two walks in the 8th, then coughed up the go-ahead run with a sac fly. Lehigh Valley did its best to return the favor with a walk (Michael Taylor), hit by pitch (Matt Skole), and a sacrifice (Caleb Ramsey) to put the tying and winning runs into scoring position but Jason Martinson and Jhonatan Solano both struck out, giving the IronPigs a 3-2 win and a doubleheader sweep. Paolo Espino turned in a quality start of two runs on five hits and a walk while striking out six. Zach Collier and Neftali Soto both doubled as the Chiefs managed just five hits total again.

Richmond 3 Harrisburg 2
• Valdez (L, 4-4) 8IP, 6H, 3R, 2ER, BB, 4K
• Keyes 2-4, R, HR, RBI
• Norfork 2-4

Phillips Valdez walked just one and hurled his first complete game without rain… but he went eight innings, not nine, as Harrisburg fell to Richmond, 3-2. Valdez allowed six hits and struck out four while losing for the fourth time at AA. Kevin Keyes (single, homer) and Khayyan Norfork (two singles) both went 2-for-4 as the Senators collected nine hits total, with just one in six RISP chances. Roster moves: RHPs Michael Brady and Mitch Lively reassigned from Syracuse.

Frederick 6 Potomac 4
• Martin (L, 0-1) 5IP, 4H, 4R, 4ER, 6BB, 4K, HBP
• Mendez 4IP, 4H, 2R, 2ER, 0BB, 2K, HR
• Schrock 2-4, R, RBI
• Keller 2-4, R, HR, 2RBI

The J.D. Martin experiment didn’t stop another spin ’round the drain as the P-Nats dropped their sixth straight with a 6-4 loss to the Keys. Martin walked six, hit a batter, and gave up four sharp hits and several LONG foul balls over five frustrating innings to take the loss. Mario Sanchez finished the game with two runs allowed on four hits over four innings. Max “For Those About To” Schrock and Alec Keller combined to go 4-for-8 with two runs, a HR (Keller), and three RBI but the clutch hit eluded Potomac with a 1-for-9 mark with RISP.

Hagerstown 4 Lexington 1
• Reyes 5IP, 3H, 1R, 0ER, 2BB, 3K, HBP
• Rivera (W, 4-1) 3IP, 0H, 0R, 0BB, 3K
• Walby (SV, 5) 1IP, 0H, 0R, 0BB, 1K
• Gutierrez 2-4, 2B, 2SB
• Wiseman 2-5, R, 2RBI, 2SB
• Sagdal 2-5, R, 2B

Hagerstown broke a 1-1 tie with three in the 8th as they took the series opener from Lexington, 4-1. Luis Reyes let in an unearned run on three hits and two walks over five innings for a no-decision. Mariano Rivera III was perfect for three innings with three K’s to earn the win while Philip Walby was perfect for one inning with one K to earn the save. Kelvin Gutierrez, Rhett Wiseman, and Ian Sagdal each had two hits to lead the nine-hit parade, though the Suns batters fanned 13 times.

Hudson Valley 2 Auburn 1
• Acevedo 4IP, 4H, R, ER, 3BB, 2K
• Serrata (L, 0-1) 1IP, 1H, 1R, 1ER, 0BB, 1K
• Johnson 2-4, RBI
• Barrera 2-3

The Renegades, who had it made, retrieved their bounty with a 2-1 win over the Doubledays to complete the three-game sweep. Carlos Acevedo went the first four innings with one run allowed on four hits and three walks while fanning two. Brayan Serrata took the loss, his first, with the decisive run let in on a groundout after a one-out triple. Dan Johnson drove in the sole Auburn run while going 2-for-4 while Tres Barrera also singled twice to pace the Doubledays’ offense. Roster moves: LHP David “Mi hermano es Wilson” Ramos activated from the 60-Day DL.