=== Daily Dugout Chatter - Sunday, June 27th === (Games from Saturday, June 26th)
From The My Sportsbook
HOWARD 5, SENATORS 4
Ryan Howard homered twice and drove in all five Reading runs, including the game-winner on a double in the top of the 10th that lifted the Phillies past the Harrisburg Senators, 5-4. Howard's first homer of the game came in the second inning and made it a 1-1 game. Harrisburg grabbed a 3-1 lead in the fifth as Gregg Raymundo and Josh Labandeira each slugged solo homers. But Howard smacked a three-run homer in the sixth inning to put Reading up 4-3. Howard now has an Eastern League-leading 26 home runs, 71 RBI and 175 total bases. Harrisburg rallied in the bottom of the ninth, using three singles and a walk to send the game to extra innings. Pinch-hitter Josh McKinley stroked an RBI single to tie the game. On the play, Juan Camilo was gunned down at the plate by Reading right fielder Kevin Barker to end the inning. Barker got the rally started in the 10th as he led off with a double, and he was chased home by Howard's doubled to right field. Brian Sanches (2-0) allowed a hit over 1 1/3rd scoreless innings of relief to get the win. Jason Jimenez recorded the final out of the contest for his third save of the year.
A ROSE HURLS ANOTHER SOLID GAME ...
Brian Rose hurled six scoreless innings as the Chattanooga Lookouts downed the Tennessee Smokies, 3-0, in a Southern League East Division game Saturday night. Chattanooga (4-0) has won four consecutive games to remain unbeaten in the second half of the Southern League season. Losers of four straight games, Tennessee is a winless 0-4 in the second half of the Southern League season. Rose (8-2) surrendered four hits, no runs and struck out three in six innings to earn the victory. Reliever Casey DeHart pitched two scoreless innings and Todd Coffey notched his 13th save with a scoreless ninth inning. Chattanooga took a 1-0 lead in the first inning when Andrew Beattie poked an RBI single. The Lookouts added a run in the fourth when Jesse Gutierrez hit a solo home run and set the final score in the fifth on an RBI single from Edwin Encarnacion.
CUBS SHUTOUT REDBIRDS
Jimmy Anderson and Hansel Izquierdo combined on a five-hit shutout and Iowa got three RBI apiece from Trenidad Hubbard and Bill Selby as the Cubs ousted the Memphis Redbirds 7-0 Saturday night. Anderson (4-3) picked up his fourth win after he gave up three hits in six innings on the mound. He walked one and fanned five batters in his outing. Izquierdo hurled the final three innings and gave up two hits and struck out three to pick up the save. Hubbard lofted his fifth home run of the season, a three-run shot in the sixth, and went 2-for-5 with two runs scored. Selby also went 2-for-5, including his eighth homer, and scored one run. Nerio Rodriguez (1-1) was shelled for seven earned runs in 5 2/3rd innings to take the loss for Memphis. He allowed eight hits, walked three, and fanned four batters.
GRIFFIN'S HOMER DECIDES CAT VS. DOG FIGHT
John-Ford Griffin jacked a game-winning solo home run in the bottom of the eighth inning as the New Hampshire Fisher Cats nipped the Portland Sea Dogs, 5-4, in an Eastern League Northern Division game Saturday. Winners of two consecutive games, New Hampshire improved to 40-33. Meanwhile, Portland has dropped two straight and stands at 35-40. After falling behind 4-0 through five innings, New Hampshire plated one in the sixth, three in the seventh and Griffin won it in the eighth inning. Jordan DeJong (3-1) worked two innings of scoreless relief to earn the victory. Dan Jackson nailed down his third save with a scoreless ninth inning. Losing pitcher Bo Donaldson (1-3) gave up four runs on five hits in two innings.
THUNDEROUS 11TH INNING WIN
Robinson Cano homered and drove in two runs, and his fourth hit of the game, a single in the bottom of the 11th inning, lifted the Trenton Thunder past the Binghamton Mets, 6-5. Trenton led this game 5-1 after seven innings and appeared ready to cruise to an easy win. But Binghamton scored three times in the eighth inning, and Angel Pagan stroked a run-scoring single in the ninth to send the game to extra innings. Omar Fuentes led off the Trenton 11th with a single and moved to second on a single by Kevin Reese. Andy Cannizaro walked to load the bases, and Cano singled to center field to end it. Rik Currier (3-3) gave up a hit in two shutout innings of relief to notch teh victory. The Trenton bullpen spoiled a solid outing by Thunder starter Ramon Ramirez, who allowed five hits and three runs while fanning 10 in 7 1/3rd innings. Trenton (36-37) has won two straight and three of four after a five-game skid. Binghamton (44-31) has lost three in a row after a three-game win streak.
LEDEZMA TWO-HITS CURVE
Wilfredo Ledezma threw a two-hit shutout as the Erie SeaWolves nipped the Altoona Curve, 2-0, in an Eastern League game Saturday night. With the win, Erie improved to 41-32 while Altoona fell to 45-30. Ledezma surrendered two singles, no walks, no runs and struck out five in nine innings. For the season, Ledezma is 9-2 with a 2.01 ERA. Erie took a 1-0 lead in the seventh inning when Anderson Hernandez lofted a sacrifice fly that scored Maxim St. Pierre. Pierre scored again in the ninth inning when he doubled and scored on Jason Knoedler's double to center field. Losing pitcher Ian Snell (5-4) gave up one run on five hits and struck out seven in seven innings.
MURPHY'S LAW: TRAVELERS WIN Tommy Murphy scored the game-winning run in the top of the ninth as the Arkansas Travelers rallied to beat the Wichita Wranglers, 4-3, in a Texas League East Division game Saturday night. Arkansas (1-3) won its first game of the second half of the Texas League season while Wichita (3-1) took its first loss. Trailing 3-2 after eight innings, Victor Gutierrez doubled and Murphy walked to start the ninth. Gutierrez would score on a wild pitch and Alberto Callaspo plated Murphy with an RBI ground out giving Arkansas a 4-3 lead. Scott Schneider (2-2) worked two scoreless innings to earn the win and Jon Rouwenhorst saved his seventh game with a scoreless ninth. Losing pitcher Jorge Vasquez (1-3) gave up two runs on one hit in 1 1/3rd innings.
BRANYAN BLASTS BOMB AS BISONS BELT BULLS Russell Branyan blasted a two-run home run and Ernie Young drove in two runs as the Buffalo Bisons collected 15 hits en route to a 9-3 victory over the Durham Bulls in an International League game Saturday afternoon. Having gone 8-2 in its last 10 games, Buffalo has improved to 40-35. Meanwhile, Durham has dropped 6 of its last 10 to fall to 38-35. Buffalo plated three runs in the first inning, Young ripped an RBI single in the second and the Bisons went ahead 7-2 after Brent Abernathy, Grady Sizemore and Jhonny Peralta drove in one run apiece in the third inning. After Durham cut the lead to 7-3 in the sixth, Branyan blasted a two-run homer setting the final score. Benefiting from the offensive outburst was Buffalo starter Chad Durbin (2-2). He gave up three runs on seven hits and struck out seven in six innings. Losing pitcher Damian Moss (3-6) was touched for seven runs on 11 hits in 2 2/3rd innings.
