HR Roll Call: Frank Schwindel (6), Paulo Orlando (3), Seuly Matias (12), MJ Melendez (4)
BPKC Hitter of the Day: MJ Melendez 2-3 2R, 2b, HR, 2 RBI, BB, HBP
BPKC Pitcher of the Day: Trevor Oaks 5.2 IP 2 H 0 R 0 ER 4 BB 2 K 9-3 GO-FO 89p/49k
Greenville Drive 13 Lexington Legends 12
A 2-2 game got crazy at Low-A on Monday with the two offenses breaking loose in a late inning high scoring affair. The Lexington starter Dan Tillo had yielded two runs going into the sixth when the Red Sox farm club used a pair of singles to left sandwiched around two bunt singles and an error by shortstop Jeison Guzman to drive the lefty from the game with six runs to his line. The Legends answered that inning with a four-run frame of their own to even the score back up. The bullpen couldn’t answer the call for Lexington, allowing six runs over the final three innings to fall behind 13-8 heading into the ninth. In that frame, MJ Melendez hit a two-run home run prior to a pair of triples by Marten Gasparini and Travis Jones brought the home team within 90 feet of tying the game but Jeison Guzman struckout and Nick Pratto grounded out to end the rally a run short.
Seuly Matias: 1-5 2R, HR, 2 RBI, 2K, SB (3)
Nick Pratto: 2-6 R, SB (4)
Dan Tillo: 5 IP 10H, 7R, 5 ER, 0 BB 4 K, 10-1 GO-FO 77p/58k
Arkansas Travelers 13 NW Arkansas Naturals 5
This one got out of hand for the Naturals with the struggles of starter Andres Machado and the bullpen. Machado got tagged for a grand slam in the first after an error by third baseman Jecksson Flores kept the inning going. The right-hander allowed two more unearned runs before leaving after five innings and that’s when the game got out of hand as newly promoted reliever Jared Ruxer could get just two out in the sixth before handing it over to Yunior Marte and his own struggles to get out of the sixth. All told, seven runs were plated in the inning against the two to expand a 6-2 deficit into 13-2, putting away the game in the process. The Naturals did reach double digit team hits for the ninth time in eleven games despite the pitching struggles.
Nicky Lopez: 2-4 RBI, BB, SB(7)
Erick Mejia: 2-4 R, 2b, BB
Donnie Dewees: 3-5 R
Omaha Storm Chasers 4 New Orleans Baby Cakes 2
Starter Trevor Oaks’ struggles with walks continued in New Orleans but he was able to keep the defense involved to get through five-plus innings for the Chasers. The right-hander who had never walked four or more with the Dodgers farm clubs in his career walked four for the third consecutive game in this one despite that he shutout the Baby Cakes for five and two-third innings with just two singles allowed. As usual, he earned nine groundouts in his time on the hill before turning things over to the bullpen who couldn’t match his effort to leave him out of the decision. The Chasers offense had staked Oaks to a 1-0 lead when Cam Gallagher pushed Ryan O’Hearn to third with a double before a Paulo Orlando RBI groundout in the second inning. That lead held up until the eighth. In that frame Justin Grimm, in his first rehab appearance, walked a hitter, allowed a stolen base and gave up a one-out single to tie the game at 1 apiece. Fortunately, Omaha’s struggling offense answered that run with three runs on a pair of home runs by Frank Schwindel and Paulo Orlando to take a 4-1 lead and the win after Mike Broadway got through the ninth after allowing a run.
Cam Gallagher: 2-4 R, 2b, 1-2 CS-AT
Richard Lovelady: 1.1 IP 1 H 0 R 0 ER 0 BB 0 K 1-1 GO-FO 26p/16k
Frank Schwindel: 1-4 HR
Tuesday Probables
Omaha – Jon Dziedzic (lhp) 1-4 2.95 ERA 1.17 WHIP
NW Arkansas – Foster Griffin (lhp) 2-4 4.25 ERA 1.47 WHIP
Wilmington – Jace Vines 1-5 7.08 ERA 1.81 WHIP
Lexington – Andres Sotillet 1-2 3.90 ERA 1.47 WHIP