Durham Bulls 9, Charlotte Knights 6 Both the Bulls (52-60) and the Knights (61-52) tallied 11 hits apiece, but the Charlotte pitching struggled with control, with eight combined walks to just seven strikeouts. Lefthander Tommy Vail has had a rough season thus far in his 14 outings (24 1/3 IP), holding a 10.73 ERA with a brutal 2.26 WHIP, and didn’t have a much better time today. Tyler Davis had opened the game with a clean first frame, and Vail got off to a solid start by getting the first two outs in the second
before loading the bases and surrendering four to give the Bulls an early lead: a two-run single, and a double from our old pal Nick Madrigal to tag on the other two.
Thankfully the Knights answered back in the bottom of the second with four of their own to tie the game and erase the deficit, 4-4. Andy Weber tapped a two-run base hit to left, Dru Baker mashed a double to add one more, and Mario Camilletti singled to officially close the gap. All three players recorded multi-hit games, though Baker was the lone extra-base hit in this one.
Unfortunately Vail couldn’t hold it down in the third with a clean slate, giving up two more runs while handing the lead back to the Bulls, 6-4. The Charlotte offense battled and kept the game close, scoring two more throughout the game, but as a team they went just 3-for-11 with runners in scoring position and left eight on base. Jack Young came in to relieve in the sixth and seventh, but lasted just four outs before getting yanked after three runs on three hits and two walks. The Knights still lead the series, 3-2, and will look to close things out Sunday with a win.
MVP
Andy Weber (SS): 2-for-4, R, 2 RBI, K, E
Runners-Up
Mario Camilletti (3B): 2-for-5, RBI, K
Caden Connor (LF): 2-for-4, 2 R
Dru Baker (RF): 2-for-4, R, RBI, K, 2B
Tyler Davis (RHSP): 1 IP, 0 H, K
Jairo Iriarte (RHRP): 1 IP, 0 H
Cold Cat
Tommy Vail (LHRP): 1 2/3 IP, 5 H, 6 R, 3 BB, 2 K
Runners-Up
Junior Perez (CF): 0-for-4, 4 K
Jack Young (RHRP): 1 1/3 IP, 3 H, 3 R, 2 BB, K
Birmingham Barons 7, Rocket City Trash Pandas 0
After suffering back-to-back losses, the Barons (43-64) outhit the Trash Pandas (55-51), 9-5, while shutting out Rocket City for their second win of the series. Among all three Birmingham pitchers only five hits were allowed, with lefthander Shane Murphy setting the foundation with six scoreless frames, racking up six Ks with one walk along the way. For the remaining three frames, only one more hit was relinquished as Jonathan Clark and Jarold Rosado kept the Trash Pandas off the bases.
Their was plenty of run support from the Barons bats, with Ryan Burrowes (three) and Dylan Campbell (two) leading the day in RBIs. Three of the nine hits were for extra bases, including a two-bagger from Alec Briley, and a solo homer each for Samuel Zavala and Caleb Bonemer, who both mashed their 11th for the Barons this season.
MVP
Shane Murphy (LHSP): 6 IP, 4 H, 0 R, BB, 6 K, PO, WIN (3-0)
Runners-Up
Ryan Burrowes (CF): 2-for-4, 3 RBI, 2 K, 1-for-2 SB
Dylan Campbell (RF): 1-for-5, R, 2 RBI, 2 SB
Caleb Bonemer (3B): 1-for-4, 2 R, RBI, BB, K, HR
Samuel Zavala (LF): 1-for-3, 2 R, RBI, HR, HBP
Cold Cat
Grant Magill (C): 0-for-4, 4 K
Winston-Salem Dash vs. Asheville Tourists suspended due to unplayable field conditions.
Friday’s game (August 7) will be completed at 10:30 a.m. CT on Sunday as a part of a doubleheader. The second game of the day will make up Saturday’s game that did not get played. Sunday’s game will be postponed, and this will end up a five-game series. As a reminder, the Tourists hold a two-run lead on the Dash in Friday’s matchup, 2-0, and will pick up in the bottom of the third inning.
Kannapolis Cannon Ballers 8, Charleston RiverDogs 5
The Cannon Ballers (55-52) were able to outhit and outpitch the RiverDogs (60-47), holding them to five runs on 11 hits to take the series lead with tonight’s win. Despite the Charleston offense remaining active throughout the game, Kanny’s pitching staff held it to just the five runs, and even they weren’t on their A-game tonight. Lefthander Nick Pinto manned the first 3 1/3 innings and surrendered three runs on five hits, two walks, and three strikeouts, but Kendry Garcia wound up with his first win of the season after his 3 2/3 innings.
Five walks, four hit batters, and four wild pitches from the RiverDogs assisted the Ballers’ 13 hits. Despite struggling with runners in scoring position (3-for-16) and leaving 10 on base, the good news is that six CBs hits were for extra bases, with four doubles and two triples; two of the four two-baggers were attributed to Braden Holcomb.
Rylan Galvan, on a rehab assignment down from Winston-Salem, led the offense with three driven in on a two-run single and a sac fly, followed by Steven Lancia who mashed three hits (including a double) and drove in two more. Had Kannapolis capitalized on even a few more opportunities with runners on, they would have ended up with a blowout, but nine runs was healthy enough for righthander Carlton Perkins to snag his first save, striking out five of the six outs he recorded.
MVP
Steven Lancia (C): 3-for-5, 2 R, 2 RBI, 2B
Runners-Up
Rylan Galvan (DH): 1-for-3, 3 RBI, 2 K, SF, 2 HBP
Braden Holcomb (LF): 2-for-4, 2 R, RBI, BB, K, 2 2B
Matthew Boughton (SS): 1-for-3, R, 2 BB, K, 3B, CS
Clay Burdette (RF): 2-for-4, R, RBI, BB, 2 K, 3B
Carlton Perkins (RHRP): 2 IP, 2 H, 0 R, 5 K, Save
Cold Cat
Nick Pinto (LHSP): 3 1/3 IP, 5 H, 3 R, 2 BB, 3 K
Runner-Up
Christian Gonzalez (CF): 0-for-3, BB, K, HBP
DSL Phillies 2, DSL White Sox 1
The DSL White Sox (17-30) lost a tough one to the DSL Phillies (32-17), only mustering two hits before getting walked off in the bottom of the seventh, 2-1. The pitching for the Good Guys was solid, only allowing one run on five hits through the first six with two walks and three strikeouts, but the bats couldn’t get going to provide any run support. The South Siders went 0-for-7 with runners in scoring position at the plate, and their lone run scored was due to a wild pitch from the Phillies to tie the game at one. Only two batters got a hit — Samuel Luis and Ronald Cardozo — and thus the Sox couldn’t spark a rally to save their lives.
Righthander Erick Rosso came in to lock down the seventh with the hope of forcing extra innings, but a leadoff double ended up scoring a few batters later to end the game.
