=== Daily Dugout Chatter - Monday, June 28th === (Games from Sunday, June 27th)
From The My Sportsbook
MARTY PARTY
Starting pitcher Marty McLeary had a huge day on the mound and at the plate as the Portland Beavers blasted the Edmonton Trappers, 8-0, in a Pacific Coast League Northern Division game Sunday afternoon. Portland has won seven of it last 10 to improve to 38-40, while Edmonton slipped to 39-38. McLeary surrendered just three hits in seven scoreless innings and struck out eight to earn his second win. His ERA shrunk to 3.34. At the plate, McLeary mashed a two-run home run in Portland's four-run second inning as the Beavers cruised. Also contributing on offense for Portland were Ben Risinger, who went 3-for-4 with two RBI and two runs scored, Tagg Bozied, who had two hits and an RBI, and JJ Furmaniak, who went 2-for-4 with an RBI and a run scored. Losing pitcher Josh Karp (3-7) was touched for seven runs on nine hits in four innings.
YO ADRIAN!
Adrian Brown's two-out, bunt single in the top of the 11th inning drove home the winning run and lifted the Omaha Royals to a 3-2 victory over the Oklahoma RedHawks. Brown had three hits for the Royals (35-42), who ended a two-game skid. Oklahoma's Ramon Nivar slugged a two-run homer in the bottom of the first to put the RedHawks up 2-1. Omaha tied it in the third inning as Brown scored on a fielding error, and the game remained 2-2 until the 11th. With two outs in the top of the 11th, Alexis Gomez tripled and scored on Brown's bunt. Ryan Bukvich (3-2) gave up a hit over two scoreless innings to notch the victory. Mike Venafro collected his second save. Brad Clontz (1-5) gave up two hits and a run in an inning of work. Oklahoma (44-33) had a two-game win streak halted.
SENATORS STOP PHILLIES, NOT HOWARD
Juan Camilo's RBI single in the bottom of the 11th inning lifted the Harrisburg Senators past the Reading Phillies, 12-11, in a wild Eastern League game on Sunday afternoon. The two teams combined for 23 runs, 35 hits and seven home runs in the game. Ryan Howard gave the Phillies a 5-4 lead in the top of the third inning by belting a three-run home run to center field off of Darwin Marrero. Donnie Bridges tied the game for the Senators in the fourth with a solo homer to left field. Harrisburg erupted for four runs in the bottom of the fifth inning to give the Senators a 9-5 advantage. Josh McKinley singled home a run in the inning and Camilo pushed a run across with a sacrifice fly before Bridges drove home two runs with a triple. Unfortunately for the Senators, the Phillies packed some lumber on this day as well and Reading tied the game by posting four runs of their own in the sixth. Kevin Barker smacked an RBI double in the inning and Howard went deep for his Eastern League leading 28th home run of the season. The Phillies took the lead back in the top of the seventh courtesy of back-to- back RBI doubles by Ryan Fleming and Chris Cosbey. Harrisburg tied the game in the bottom of the ninth on home runs by Alejandro Machado and Larry Broadway to force extra innings. With two outs in the eleventh, McKinley singled and advanced into scoring position on a balk called on Jason Jimenez. Camilo followed with the game- winning base hit. Daniel Rueckel (4-4) picked up the win in two innings of scoreless relief. Jimenez (3-2) suffered the loss.
BARONS GET DEMENT-ED
Dan DeMent knocked in the tying run and scored the winning run on a balk in the 13th inning as the Montgomery Biscuits came back to beat the Birmingham Barons 2-1 in a pitcher's duel. DeMent finished the day 1-for-4 with a triple, one RBI, and one run scored. He smacked his triple with one out in the top of the 13th and advanced to third after an intentional walk and a hit batsman. John Benedetti (1-0) picked up the victory after he tossed 1 1/3rd scoreless innings in relief. Benedetti gave up one hit, walked one, and struck out one batter. Brad Murray (0-2) gave up the winning run in the 13th inning on a balk to take the loss for the Barons. Murray allowed one hit, one earned run, walked two, and fanned two in his outing. DeMent tied the game in the eighth inning when his sacrifice fly plated Jesus Feliciano. Birmingham claimed a 1-0 lead in the fourth inning on Rob Sasser's RBI groundout. Sasser went 1-for-3 with a double and one RBI in the loss.
ADAM GETS HYZDU
Adam Hyzdu's two-out RBI single in the bottom of the ninth inning lifted the Pawtucket Red Sox past the Richmond Braves, 4-3. Pawtucket (35-42) halted a three-game skid, while Richmond (39-35) had a five- game win streak halted. Tony Schrager got the PawSox rally going with one out in the ninth as he stroked a double to left-center field. One out later, with runners on first and second, Hyuzdu singled to center field to end the contest. Justin Sherrod homered twice for Pawtucket. Hyzdu had three of the Red Sox' 10 hits. John Stephens (5-6) gave up six hits and three runs over seven innings of relief to capture the win. He walked one and fanned five. Roman Colon (2-1) absorbed the loss, as he gave up three hits and a run over 1 2/3rd innings.
DOUBLE DOWN
Homer Bush homered and had four hits and Alex Graman fanned 11 over 6 2/3rd innings to pick up the victory, as the Columbus Clippers thumped the Toledo Mud Hens, 6-1. Columbus (41-33) won for the seventh time in nine tries, while Toledo (40-37) had a two-game win streak halted. Bush homered in the top of the first, and Toledo's Joe Vitiello tied the game in the bottom of the first with an RBI single. The game remained tied 1-1 until the seventh, when Darren Bragg stroked a two-run double and scored on a single by Bush that put the Clippers up 4-1. Alex Graman (7-3) gave up eight hits and a run, walked one and fanned 11 in his 6 2/3rd innings. James Baldwin (1-1) gave up nine hits and five runs over seven frames en route to the loss. Bragg finished with two hits, two RBI and two runs scored, while Andy Phillips added two hits. Nook Logan was 2-for-5 and scored Toledo's lone run.
DIAMOND CUTTER
Chadd Blasko, Jordan Gerk, Evan Fahrner and Russ Rohlicek combined to allow three hits and strike out nine as the West Tenn Diamond Jaxx downed the Mobile BayBears, 5-1, in a Southern League West Division game Sunday night. Winners of two consecutive games, West Tenn improved to 2-3 in the second half of the Southern League season. Meanwhile, Mobile, losers of three straight, also checks in at 2-3. Blasko gave up one run on two hits and struck out five in four innings before giving way to Gerk, who worked three scoreless innings for the victory. Fahrner and Rohlicek pitched a scoreless eighth and ninth, respectively. Mike Mallory hit a two-run home run, Matt Craig drove in two runs and Aron Weston had an RBI for West Tenn. Losing pitcher Jake Peavy (0-1) was touched for four runs and seven hits in 4 2/3rd innings.
