The affiliates ended a rough weekend with just an Omaha win on Sunday in four games.
HR Roll Call: Whit Merrifield (2), Jorge Bonifacio (1), Brandon Downes (1), Manny Olloque (1)
BPKC Hitter of the Day: Manny Olloque 3-4, 3R, HR, 2-2b, RBI
BPKC Pitcher of the Day: Luke Farrell 5.1 IP, 5 H, 3 ER, 2 BB, 2 K, 87p/54k, 3-5 go-fo
Game of the Day
Omaha Storm Chasers 8 Colorado Springs Sky Sox 3
The Chasers powered up in the final game of the series on Sunday, using seven extra base hits among their 14 total to cruise to an easy win. Being the last man cut for the third consecutive season hasn’t deterred Whit Merrifield at all. Sunday he clubbed his second home run of year in the first to start the scoring for Omaha. A double by second baseman Corey Toups pushed that lead to 3-0 in the second inning. Starter Luke Farrell was the beneficiary of the offense, but that was after he allowed three runs in the third inning on three hits and a walk including a two run double off the bat of Garrett Cooper. From there, Farrell and the bullpen would silent the Brewers farm club’s bats while Omaha kept plugging away. It was Toups doubling and scoring in the fourth and Merrifield scoring on a Ryan O’Hearn double in the fifth to push the lead to 5-3 before Jorge Bonifacio’s three-run blast in the sixth pushed the game well into the comfort zone for the win. The Chasers will head to back to Papillion to start their first homestand of the season.
Corey Toups 2-3, R, RBI 2-2b, 2BB
Jorge Bonifacio 2-4, HR, 3 RBI
Eric Stout 1.2 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 2 K, 2-0 GO-FO, 20/12 p/k
Corpus Christi Hooks 7 NW Arkansas Naturals 3
Sunday’s game was a mirror image of Saturday’s for the Naturals as they fell behind, then tied the game late, only to watch the bullpen give up a crooked number for the loss. Starter Christian Binford gave up a two-run home run in the fourth for his only runs allowed in six innings, while relievers Pedro Fernandez and Tim Hill gave up five combined to blow the lead for NW Arkansas. The Naturals scored their runs on a wild pitch in the fifth, an RBI double from Samir Duenez in the sixth, and an eighth inning Alfredo Escalera run scoring single. The same two teams will face off on Monday with Corey Ray taking the bump for the good guys.
Samir Duenez 1-3, 2b, HBP, RBI
Mauricio Ramos 3-4
Christian Binford 6 IP, 7 H, 2 ER, 1 BB, 3 K
Potomac Nationals 8 Wilmington Blue Rocks 7
The Nationals top prospect, Victor Robles, helped pace their club to a series deciding-win with a 3 for 4 day at the plate that included his first home run of the year. The centerfielder scored four times, most of which off starter Emilio Ogando who yielded six runs on nine hits in just four innings of work. The Blue Rocks trailed most of the day but kept fighting, tying the game at six in the fifth only to watch the bullpen quickly put them behind again. A home run by Brandon Downes in the ninth trimmed the deficit to one, but a late rally opportunity was extinguished with the tying run at second.
Anderson Miller 2-3, 3b, 2R, 3SB, 2 RBI
Brandon Downes 2-5, HR
Franco Terrero 2 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 3 K, 1-1 go-fo, 25p/16k
Charleston RiverDogs 12 Lexington Legends 4
The Legends bullpen continued to struggle in their series finale loss in Charleston on Sunday. Non-starters gave up 18 runs in the four game series including six in this one against the Yankees affiliates. The defense didn’t help in this one as five Legends errors led to the 12 runs allowed. Yankees stud prospect Blake Rutherford continued his hot hitting by going 3 for 5 with three doubles and a pair of RBI. Next, the Legends will head to Greenville for a series with the Boston affiliate.
Khalil Lee 2-5, 2-2b
David McKay 3 IP, 3 H, 1 ER, 0 BB, 6 K, 1-2 go-fo, 44p/28k
Ofreidy Gomez 4 IP, 7 H, 6 R, 5 ER, 4 BB, 3 K, 4-3 go-fo, 72p/44k