Curve 10, Mets 6
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And then, the scheduled game. After a quick first inning, the Curve jumped out to a 3-0 lead on two homers in the 3rd inning. SS Jordy Mercer led off the inning with a double, and went to third on a throwing error on a pick-off attempt. J3B Jeremy Farrell’s sacrifice fly plated Mercer for the first run of the game. Eric Fryer and 1B Miles Durham followed with back-to-back solo home runs, and the Curve had a 3-run lead.
The Curve gave starter Jeff Locke even more of a cushion with another 3 runs in the 4th inning. Farrell led off with a walk, then Fryer singled into right field. Durham’s grounder forced out Fryer at second base, but Durham was safe at first, and Farrell advanced to third. RF Brad Chalk’s RBI single drove in Farrell. Durham scored on Locke’s squeeze bunt, and 2B Brad Holt plated Chalk with another RBI single up the middle, for a 6-0 lead.
Locke was not having much trouble with the Mets’ bats in the early innings. He gave up a 2-out single and a walk in the 2nd, but got a ground out to end the inning. He retired the side in the 3rd, and worked around another walk in the 4th. The Mets rallied in the 4th, with a single and a walk, then a 2-run double and a 2-run homer, cutting the Curve’s lead to 6-4. Diego Moreno relieved Locke in the 6th. Moreno hit a batter but did not allow a run in the 6th. The Mets got one run closer in the 7th, on another hit batter, a single, and a sacrifice fly.
The Curve added a run in the top of the 8th. Fryer tripled into center field, then scored on Durham’s sacrifice fly. The Mets answered with a run in the bottom of the 8th. Michael Dubee took over for Moreno on the mound, and gave up a walk and two singles, to bring the score to 7-6.
LF Quincy Latimore put the game away in the top of the 9th. 2B Brock Holt began the rally with a single, then stole second base. CF Starling Marte lined a single into left field, moving Holt to third. Latimore followed with his third home run of the season, to give the Curve a 10-6 lead. Dubee finished the game with a scoreless 9th, earning his third Save of the year. Locke recorded his third win.
Daytona Cubs 4, Bradenton Marauders 3
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The Marauders lost their third straight game to Daytona, who broke a 3-3 tie with a walk-off run in the bottom of the 9th.
A pair of home runs got the Marauders started. 1B Aaron Baker led off the top of the 2nd with a solo homer run over the left field wall. CF Evan Chambers doubled, then DH Calvin Anderson belted a 2-run homer, also sailing over the left field wall. RF Cole White also doubled and SS Benji Gonzalez singled in the inning, but a double play ended the rally.
The Cubs got one of the runs back in the bottom of the inning, on three singles off starter Nate Baker. Baker had worked out of a small jam in the 1st, courtesy of a double play. He allowed a single in the 3rd and a walk in the 4th, but held on to the lead. Two fielding errors, one by Benji Gonzalez and one by Aaron Baker, put two runners on with one out in the 5th inning. Nate Baker got the next batter to ground out, but the runners advanced so that both were in scoring position. He was relieved by Jason Erickson, who ended the inning with another ground out.
The Marauders threatened in the top of the 7th. Chambers singled, but was caught stealing second. White also singled on a grounder to short, and moved on to second base when the Cubs’ shortstop’s throw to first went wild. Adalberto Santos came in to pinch-run for White, and he moved to third base on Benji Gonzalez’s single. RF Robbie Grossman walked to load the bases, but a grounder force out at second ended the inning. C Ramon Cabrera doubled to begin the 8th, and 3B Elevys Gonzalez was intentionally walked, but both were left on base.
Erickson retired the side in the 6th, but a single and two doubles gave the Cubs 2 runs in the bottom of the 7th, to tie the game. Duke Welker finished the 7th for Erickson, then kept the Cubs from scoring in the 8th, despite a single and a walk. In the bottom of the 9th, the lead-off batter reached base on a throwing error by Welker, and made it all the way to third base. The next batter singled, and the winning run scored from third.
West Virginia Power 5, Delmarva Shorebirds 3
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The Power took the series over Delmarva 3 games to 1 with 3 runs in the top of the 9th.
The Power got onto the scoreboard first in the top of the 1st. With one out, a single by CF Mel Rojas, a walk by DH Matt Curry, and a single by 1B Justin Howard loaded the bases with Power base runners. A walk to C Elias Diaz forced in Rojas with the first run of the game.
A two-run homer off starter Tyler Waldron gave the Shorebirds the lead in the bottom of the 1st. Waldron got out of a jam in the 2nd inning. With two outs, a fielding error by SS Andy Vasquez and a walk put two runners on base, then a wild pitch moved both into scoring position. Waldron escaped with a ground out to short to end the inning and leave both runners stranded. Waldron could not escape in the 3rd inning, though, when the Shorebirds added a run on another homer.
The Power put only two runners on base over the 2nd, 3rd, and 4th innings. 3B Eric Avila reached on an error in the 2nd inning, but he was thrown out trying to steal second base. Diaz walked in the 4th, and was erased in a double play. Vasquez led off the 5th by being hit with a pitch, and he advanced to third base on Avila’s double into left field. Rojas bounced to short, and the throw to third was quick enough to tag out Avila, but Vasquez scored and Rojas was safe on first. That last was only temporary, though, as the inning ended when Rojas was picked off first.
The Power made it a 3-2 game in the top of the 5th. Vasquez opened the inning by being hit by a pitch. Avila doubled, moving Vasquez to third. Rojas grounded to third, where Avila was out on a fielder’s choice, allowing Vasquez to score. The Power put a runner on in each of the next three innings, but didn’t score.
Brooks Pounders relieved Waldron to begin the 7th. He gave up two walks, but pitched two scoreless innings. Five of the six outs he recorded were strikeouts.
Pounders was credited with his fourth win when the Power bats erupted in the top of the 9th. Diaz led off with a walk, and was bunted to second by LF Rogelios Noris. 2B Kevin Mort lined a single up the middle, scoring Diaz to tie the score. Mort was replaced by pinch-runner Drew Maggi, who stole second base. Vasquez rocketed a triple into center field, bringing in Maggi with the go-ahead run. Vasquez tried to score on Avila’s bouncer to first, but he was thrown out at the plate on a fielder’s choice. Avila scored from first, though, on RF Dan Grovatt’s double into center field, giving the Power an insurance run.
Jason Townsend earned his fourth save in the bottom of the 9th. He gave up a walk, but eliminated that runner with a game-ending double play.
