Notes From the Minors 9/2

[weams]

Ian Locke

Today at 12:19 AM

Christian Walker extended his hitting streak to 12 games with RBI singles in both ends of a doubleheader Wednesday, but Norfolk was swept in the twinbill by the Gwinnett Braves.

In the opener, Walker had two hits and an RBI but the Braves used a four-run second inning to cruise to a 6-2 win.

Norfolk jumped out to a quick lead in the contest, as Walker plated David Lough with an RBI single in the first frame to give the Tides a 1-0 advantage. Gwinnett answered right back in the second, however, as the Braves used a two-run double by Barret Kleinknecht and a two-run single by Mallex Smith off of Elih Villanueva (4-4) to take a 4-1 lead.

The Braves extended their lead to 5-1 in the third inning on a solo home run by Joey Terdoslavich, and the game was then delayed in the bottom of the third frame for one hour and forty-four minutes due to a heavy rainstorm.

David Carpenter (3-0) came in to relieve after the rain delay and earned the win, allowing one run on three hits over 2.1 innings. Carlos Fisher followed with two shutout innings to register his sixth save of the season.

In the nightcap, the G-Braves pounded out nine hits and knocked off Norfolk, 7-2.

Walker wasted little time in extending his hitting streak in game two, as he singled home Rey Navarro in the first frame for his 42nd RBI since the All-Star break ? most in the International League. The 24-year-old South Carolina product has now hit .333 (15-45) with two home runs and 11 RBI over his 12-game stretch, which is the second-longest by a Tides player this season.

Eddie Gamboa (8-11) took the loss after allowing five runs on seven hits in three-plus innings of work. Gamboa walked one and struck out three, throwing 42 of his 70 pitches for strikes.

With the doubleheader sweep, Norfolk saw its lead in the IL South division trimmed to 2.0 games over the second place Braves. With five games remaining in the regular season, Norfolk?s magic number to clinch the division remains at four.

Matt Wllson

Gunkel Sharp in Baysox Win

Bowie, Md. - Starting pitcher Joe Gunkel tossed seven scoreless innings as the Baysox shut out Altoona 4-0 Wednesday night. With the win, the Baysox magic number to clinch the Western Division drops to one. Any Baysox win or Altoona loss during the remaining six games this season will result in the Baysox clinching the division title.

The Baysox struck first in the bottom of the third inning against Altoona starter Chad Kuhl. Tucker Nathans tripled to center field for the first hit of the game for either team and then scored on a Garabez Rosa sacrifice fly to give Bowie a 1-0 lead.

Bowie added two more runs in the bottom of the seventh inning with help from an Altoona error. Drew Dosch drew a lead-off walk and moved to second base when Quincy Latimore singled to third base. Both runs then came around to score after a sacrifice bunt from Chance Sisco and throwing error by Kuhl to make the score 3-0.

The Baysox added an insurance run in the bottom of the eighth inning against Altoona reliever Tom Harlan. Ozzie Martinez hit a lead-off single to center field and moved to second base on a Corban Joseph sacrifice bunt. Mike Yastrzemski brought Martinez home with a single to center field to make the score 4-0.

Gunkel threw seven scoreless innings, allowing just three hits while striking out six and walking one in the win. Baysox reliever Jason Stoffel pitched a scoreless eighth inning, walking one batter and striking out two. Baysox closer Andrew Triggs pitched a scoreless ninth inning for the Baysox to seal the win.

Kuhl took the loss for Altoona, throwing 6.1 innings and allowing three runs (one earned) on three hits while striking out five and walking one.

Geoff Arnold

FREDERICK, Md. ?A Tad Gold RBI single gave the Frederick Keys a 7-6 victory over the Carolina Mudcats on Wednesday night at Nymeo Field. It was the team?s eighth walk-off win of the campaign, while each has come from a different Keys player. The win also forces a Thursday rubber game against the Mudcats.

Trailing 6-5, the Keys loaded the bases in the bottom of the ninth for the second straight day. Josh Hart singled to left to open up the inning following an eight pitch at-bat. On to bunt his teammate over, Anthony Caronia laid down a successful sacrifice, while an error by the pitcher, Andy Otero, allowed Caronia to reach. It would be the same story one batter later, as Wynston Sawyer?s bunt was mishandled by Tanner Krietemeier to load the bases.

Mudcats manager Luis Salazar brought on Richie Tate from the bullpen, but the move would not pay off. Down in the count 1-2, Derek Peterson singled through the right side to tie the game, before Gold grounded a ball past Krietemeier at first to send the Keys to their first walk-off win since July 25.

Otero (1-4) suffered the loss, allowing two runs (one earned) on three hits over one inning-plus. Donnie Hart (5-1) earned the win for the Keys tossing a clean ninth.

Trailing 5-2 entering the sixth inning, Carolina scored three runs to tie the game against Stefan Crichton. Singles by Connor Lien and Keith Curcio opened the inning, while a walk to Dustin Peterson loaded the bases. Crichton bounced back with a strikeout of Krietemeier, but a two-run single by Carlos Franco and a fielder?s choice by Joseph Odom tied the game. One frame later, Curcio brought home the go-ahead run with a sac-fly after three straight singles to start the inning.

The four unanswered runs meant a no-decision for Mitch Horacek, who allowed two runs on four hits over five innings. He struck out four, while eclipsing 150 innings for the first time in his professional career.

His counterpart, Seth Webster also received a no-decision, giving up five runs (four earned) on nine hits over six innings.

Frederick started quickly against the righty, scoring four times in the first two innings. Following a hit-by-pitch to open the home-first, Hart stole second and moved to third on a throwing error. Later in the inning, Sawyer brought home Hart on a fielder?s choice.

In the second, the Keys scored three times with two outs. Yaisel Mederos drove home in Adrian Marin from third, after the later got plunked and moved to third on a steal and a wild pitch. From there, Jay Gonzalez and Hart followed with consecutive RBI singles.

Doulass Newton

SALISBURY, Md. -- The Delmarva Shorebirds won their fifth straight game over the Hickory Crawdads, concluding their home schedule with a 7-1 victory on Wednesday. Delmarva (69-64, 36-29) used another dominant pitching performance and a five-RBI game from Steve Wilkerson to finish off a five-game sweep.

The pitching staff dominated all week, with Matthew Grimes capping off the stellar performance with a quality start. Grimes went six innings in his final scheduled start of 2015, allowing one unearned run on five hits. The only run came after an error extended the fourth inning. Jairo Beras stroked an RBI double down the third base line, just barely staying fair past Ronarsy Ledesma?s dive.

Wilkerson starred in the Shorebirds? offensive effort, collecting a career-high five RBIs. In the third inning, Wilkerson capitalized on an inning-extending error with a three-run home run, hooking just inside the right field foul pole. For Wilkerson, it was his second home run of the year and his first at Arthur W. Perdue Stadium.

Up 3-1, Wilkerson helped push the lead out further with a two-out RBI single in the fifth. Cam Kneeland also punched an RBI single, collecting his team-high 57th RBI of the season. In the sixth, Delmarva scored two more runs when Kelvin Vasquez struggled out of the Crawdads? bullpen. Daniel Franco bounced an RBI infield single, and Wilkerson drew a bases-loaded walk to force in another run.

Leading by a half dozen, the Shorebirds? bullpen duo of Max Schuh and Ivan Hernandez took over. Schuh pitched two scoreless innings, allowing just an infield single. Hernandez loaded the bases in the ninth, but he escaped without any damage done for a 7-1 final. In the series, the Shorebirds? bullpen pitched a combined 17 innings without allowing a run.

Grimes earned his 10th victory of the season with his quality start, becoming the first Shorebird pitcher since 2008 to crack double digit wins. Ariel Jurado suffered his first loss of the season, falling to 12-1 on the year for Hickory. Delmarva has now clinched at least an even .500 record, and one more victory will clinch a winning record for the first time since 2008. The Shorebirds have won five in a row, and 14 of their last 19 games.

Daniel Kurish

IronBirds Drop Slugfest to Spinners

IronBirds? comebacks thwarted three times in 10-7 loss

Summary

The IronBirds were defeated in the first of three games against the Lowell Spinners on Wednesday night, 10-7. The IronBirds make comeback attempts three times, but Lowell answered the call and won a wild one at Leidos Field at Ripken Stadium.

Four!

The two sides exchanged four-run innings in the first, opening the evening with a bang. Victor Acosta singled in the game's first run, followed by Tyler Spoon stealing home to double the lead on a delayed double steal. Tate Matheny made it 4-0 with a two-run single later in the frame.

The IronBirds tied the game with a four-run first of their own. After Cedric Mullins tripled to start off the game, Drew Turbin grounded out to produce Aberdeen's first run. DJ Stewart and Steve Laurino singled later in the inning, allowing Alex Murphy to tie the game with a home run to left. Murphy hit a line drive that landed in the Spinners' bullpen, tying things at four.

Three in the Third

The Spinners scored three more in the third inning with some help from an error. Acosta doubled to start off the frame before Josh Ockimey grounded a ball to Drew Turbin, after a long run, Turbin couldn't handle it, allowing Ockimey to reach on an infield single. Turbin then threw the ball to the plate, but it was wide of the target allowing a run to score. Kyri Washington would then double home a run before scoring himself on a single by Jhon Nunez.

Trading Runs in the Fourth

Both teams scored a run in the fourth to make it 8-5 Spinners. Chad De La Guerra scored on a double play after he doubled to lead off the inning and Cedric Mullins singled home Oswill Lartiguez.

Lowell's Lumber Adds Another

Jhon Nunez hit a sacrifice fly to center field in the fifth to restore Lowell's four-run lead.

Two to Draw Within Two

Oswill Lartiguez tripled to lead off the sixth and scored on an RBI single by Alejandro Juvier. Juvier would score one batter later on a Cedric Mullins double.

The Final Say

Lowell added a run in the eighth on a bases loaded walk to Acosta, making it 10-7.

Bird Watching

Cedric Mullins fell a home run away from the cycle for the second time in three nights... Mullins was hit by a pitch in his final at bat and had to be removed from the game... Alejandro Juiver recorded his second multi-hit game in as many nights... Alex Murphy hit his first home run since returning from injury in the first inning... Murphy went 2-for-4 with a three-run homer and a double.