Saturday’s News & Notes

Rochester 4 Scranton/Wilkes-Barre 1
• Espino (W, 1-1) 5IP, 2H, 0R, 2BB, 6K, PO @ 1B
• Moreno (H, 3) 2IP, 1H, 0R, 1BB, 3K, PTV
• Weems (SV, 2) 1IP, 0H, 0R, 0BB, 1K
• Blankenhorn 2-4, 2R, HR(5), RBI
• Downs 1-3, R, RBI

Paolo Espino turned in five solid innings to lead the Red Wings to a 4-1 win over the RailRiders. The 36-y.o. OG gave up two hits and two walks while striking out six for his first win of the year. Luis Reyes lost the shutout with a run in the 6th but Gerson Moreno (2IP) and Jordan Weems (1IP) got the goose eggs going again for the hold and save, respectively. Travis Blankenhorn led the Rochester hit column with a single and his 5th HR while Matt Adams and Richie Martin both doubled in a run. Roster moves: IF Chad Pinder released.

New Hampshire 3 Harrisburg 0
• Herrera (L, 0-3) 5⅔ IP, 3H, 3R, 3ER, 1BB, 7K, HR, WP
• Cate 1⅓ IP, 0H, 0R, 0BB, 1K
• Hassell 2-4, 3B,
• Tostado 2-4

Harrisburg outhit New Hampshire 8-3, but the Sens were shut out, 3-0. Ronald Herrera pitched into the 6th but gave up all three New Hampshire runs on three hits, including a two-run HR, to lose for the third time in five starts. The Senators’ batters kept the Fisher Cats infielders cool as they whiffed 14 times and drew just one walk. Robert Hassell and Frankie Tostado both went 2-for-4 while Carter Keboom singled and walked to lead the way for Harrisburg.
Roster moves: RHP Odalvi Javier reassigned from Rochester; IF Omar Meregilso placed on Development List.

Hudson Valley 3 Wilmington 2
• Saenz 6IP, 1H, 0R, 2BB, 9K
• Schoff (BS, 1) 2IP, 4H, 2R, 2ER, 0BB, 2K, 2HR
• Sinclair (L, 2-1) ⅔ IP, 1H, 1R, 0ER, 0BB, 1K, WP
• Wood 2-4, 3B, R
• Vega 1-3, R, SF, RBI

The Renegades scored single runs in each of the last three innings to hand the Blue Rocks a 3-2 loss. The bullpen meltdown turned a career-best outing by Dustin Saenz into a no-decision as the 23-y.o. struck out a career-best of nine while shutting out Hudson Valley on one hit and two walks over six frames. Tyler Schoff gave up solo HRs in both the 7th and 8th for his first blown save while Jack Sinclair let in the game-winner with two outs in the 9th for the loss, his first. James Wood singled, tripled, and scored a run while Onix Vega singled and drove in Wood with a sac fly in the 9th to tie the game to pace the Blue Rocks’ four-hit, three-walk assault.

Down East 15 Fredericksburg 9 – COMP. (10 inn.)
• Cornelio 3BF, 0H, 2R, 2ER, 2BB, 0K, HBP
• Caceres 5IP, 6H, 4R, 4ER, 2BB, 4K, HR, WP, 3-2 IR-S
• Yankosky (BS, 1) ⅔ IP, 3H, 2R, 2ER, 1BB, 0K
• Ciuffetelli (L, 0-1) 1IP, 6H, 7R, 6ER, 0BB, 1K, 2-0 IR-S
• Lawson 3-5, BB, 3B, 4RBI
• Pettigrew 3-5, R, 2B, RBI
• Thomas 1-5, 2R, 2RBI, SB

After digging out of a 6-1 hole after four, Fredericksburg actually took an 8-6 lead going into the 9th. Alas, that lead was far too small for the FredNats ‘pen, which coughed up the lead in the 9th and was turned into foie gras by the Wood Ducks in the 10th for a 15-9 vivisection. De facto starter Bryan Caceres let in two of three inherited runners before letting in four of his own on six hits (one HR) over five innings. Tyler Yankosky blew the save in the 9th while Christian Ciuffetelli was lit up for seven runs (six earned) in the 10th to take the loss. Cortland Lawson led the Fredericksburg offense with a walk, two singles, and a triple while Zion Pettigrew singled twice, scored a run, and drove in a run with an RBI double to lead the FredNats attack.

Down East 2 Fredericksburg 1
• Aldonis (L, 0-1) 5IP, 2H, 2R, 2ER, 3BB, 8K, HR, WP, 2PTV
• K. Rodriguez 2IP, 0H, 0R, 1BB, 3K, WP
• Stehly 1-3, R, 2B
• Cox 1-3, RBI, SB

In the nightcap, the pendulum swung from softball to smallball with Down East prevailing, 2-1. Pablo Aldonis took the loss despite a serviceable line of two runs on two hits (one HR) and three walks. He struck out eight. Kevin Rodriguez deviated from the norm and threw two scoreless innings to give the offense a chance to catch up. Murphy Stehly’s one-out double followed by Brenner Cox’s two-out single got Fredericksburg on the board in the 5th. In the 6th, the FredNats loaded the bases with no outs on a pair of walks and a single to shallow left. Elijah Green struck out and Roismar Quintana grounded into a twin-killing to end the threat. Fredericksburg went down in order in the 7th.