=== Daily Dugout Chatter - Thursday, July 1st === (Games from Wednesday, June 30th)
From The My Sportsbook
PERFECTION!
Chris Coughlin had and amazing night, tossing a nine-inning perfect game, with a career-high eleven strikeouts to lead the Burlington Bees to a 3-0 victory over the Beloit Snappers. This was the first nine-inning perfect game in the 83-year history of professional baseball in Burlington. Beloit's Vinny Rottino almost broke-up the perfect game bid in the eighth inning with a shallow pop fly to centerfield. The Bees' Chris Lubanski would have none of it, and robbed Rottino with a diving catch to preserve Coughlin's perfect night. The final out came when Josh Murray bounced out to third base, followed by a Burlington celebration. Walter Sevilla knocked home Kenard Springer in the bottom of the seventh to supply all the offense the Bees would need. Coughlin joins Abelino Pena as the only two pitchers to toss a perfect game in franchise history. Pena's no-hitter came on July 25, 1975, in a seven inning win over Cedar Rapids. There have been 15 no-hitters total in franchise history, including on April 12th of this season, when Dusty Hughes and Jake Mullis combined to no-hit the Wisconsin Timber Rattlers.
UNSUNG SING
Brandon Sing smashed his Florida State League best 25th home run, a three-run shot in the top of the eighth inning, to lead the Daytona Cubs to a 13-2 pounding of the Brevard County Manatees. Casey McGehee, JJ Johnson, and Adam Greenberg each drove in a pair of runs for the Cubs, while Buck Coats and Jemel Spearman each scored three runs. Andrew Sisco (2-5) picked up the win, tossing five innings, allowing an unearned run on four hits. He struck out seven and walked four. Michael O`Connor (6-5) allowed six runs, five earned, on seven hits in four innings to suffer the loss. The Cubs improved to 7-2 for the second half of the season, and are winners of six straight overall. The Manatees fell to 5-4.
PAULINO HELPS CURVE DOWN R-PHILS
Ronny Paulino had two doubles and drove in three runs, while Jeff Keppinger hit his first home run of the year, a solo shot, to help the Altoona Curve down the Reading Phillies, 10-6. Chris Duffy added to the Curve attack with a three hit, two RBI outing. Yurendell DeCaster drove in a run and scored twice, as Altoona remains atop the Southern Division at 48-31. Altoona reliever Elio Serrano (3-4) allowed one run on two hits to pick the win. Reading starter Gavin Floyd fell to 3-5 with the loss. He allowed five runs on eight hits in seven innings of work. Ryan Howard continued his dominance over the Eastern League, launching his league leading 29th home run. He had two hits on the night and scored twice. Carlos Ruiz added a solo homer for Reading, who fell to 37-41. Reading will host Binghamton tomorrow night, while Altoona welcomes Harrisburg.
SLAMMIN' KENNY KELLY
Kenny Kelly cracked a grand slam and Jung Keun Bong was solid on the mound as the Louisville Bats beat the Richmond Braves, 11-3, in an International League game Wednesday night. With the win, Louisville's fourth straight, the Bats improved to 38-41. Richmond, which has lost four consecutive games, fell to 39-38. With Richmond leading 2-0 after a second-inning Adam LaRoche home run, Kelly's grand slam highlighted a five-run fourth inning for Louisville. The Bats put the game away with six runs in the eighth inning as Aaron Holbert and Felipe Lopez hit back-to-back, two-run doubles. With the run support, Bong evened his record at 5-5 with six innings of work. He gave up three runs on six hits and struck out six. Losing pitcher Chuck Smith (3-2) was touched for five runs on six hits in five innings. He walked two and struck out five. Louisville and Richmond are scheduled to play again Thursday.
WHERE'S THE RELIEF?
Juan Diaz plated the game-winning run with a single and Brian Simmons followed with a grand slam as the Rochester Red Wings scored six runs in the top of the 10th inning to beat the Toledo Mud Hens, 10-4, in an International League game Wednesday night. With the win, Rochester improved to 43-36 while Toledo fell to 42-38. With the score tied 4-4 heading into the 10th, Diaz, who went 3-for-5, poked an RBI single, Josh Rabe got an RBI when he was hit by a pitch and Simmons socked a grand slam to right field giving Rochester a 10-4 advantage. Jesse Crain (3-2) earned the win in relief. He did not allow a hit and struck out three in two scoreless innings on the mound. Losing pitcher Chris Mears (1-1) gave up five runs on two hits and two walks in 1/3rd of an inning. Toledo's Danny Klassen went 3-for-5 with an RBI and scored. Rochester and Toledo are scheduled to play again Thursday.
THE RETURN OF SCOTT ERICKSON?
Victor Diaz hit his 12th home run of the season and Scott Erickson tossed 7 2/3rd scoreless innings as the Norfolk Tides blanked the Pawtucket Red Sox, 3-0, in the International League. Norfolk improved its record to 35-42 while Pawtucket fell to 36-44. Diaz got the Tides on the board in the first with a two out two-run double that plated Jeff Duncan and Esix Snead. He then struck back in the fourth with a solo home run. Diaz knocked in all three of Norfolk's runs. David Wright chipped in with two hits for the Tides. Erickson (2-3) only surrendered five hits and three walks to pick up the win. Heath Bell pitched a scoreless ninth to pick up his fourth save of the season and complete the shutout. Pawtucket's Byung-Hyun Kim took the loss and fell to 0-1. Kim allowed two runs on one hit over two innings of work. Pawtucket and Norfolk will play the final game of their four game series tomorrow with first pitch scheduled for 7:15 PM (ET).
MOBILE TAKES IT IN TEN
Ronnie Merrill and Josh Barfield knocked in one run apiece in the top of the tenth as the Mobile Baybears beat the Huntsville Stars, 3-1, in 10 innings. Both teams are now 4-3 in the second half of the season. Marcus Nettles hit a two-out double in the tenth then scored on Merrill's RBI single. Barfield then hit an RBI double that plated Merrill, who went 2-for-5 with two runs scored. Greg Sain knocked in a run for the Baybears. RD Spiehs got the win in relief and improved his record to a perfect 4-0. Spiehs gave up one hit in 1 1/3rd innings. Brad Baker pitched a scoreless ninth and earned his 21st save of the season. Huntsville's Paul Stewart gave up two runs and fell to 4-1 with the loss. Stewart surrendered four hits in three innings pitched. Ozzie Chavez knocked in Huntsville's only run and Anthony Gwynn collected two hits.
EXPRESS EXPLODES IN FOURTH
Mike Rodriguez had four hits, including both a two-run homer and a two-run single during an 11-run fourth inning, as the Round Rock Express rolled over the Arkansas Travelers, 13-1. Charlton Jimerson had four hits, including a homer, and scored three runs. After the Express took a 1-0 lead in the third inning, they brought 15 men to the plate and scored 11 times in the fourth. Rodriguez' two-run single got things started for Round Rock in the fourth, while his two-run round-tripper, his second of the year, capped the 11-run onslaught. DJ Houlton (5-3) allowed just four hits and a walk and fanned six in five innings. Mark O`Sullivan (3-3) took the loss as he allowed two hits, five walks and a run in two innings. The two pitchers who followed him offered little relief, as Rich Fischer was torched for three hits and six runs in 1 2/3rd innings. Meanwhile, Hector Astacio fared no better, as he gave up four hits and five runs -- three of them earned -- in 1 1/3rd innings.
ALMOST A NO-NO
Jimmy Serrano threw six innings of no-hit ball and Jaime Jones knocked in three runs as the Wichita Wranglers blanked the Midland RockHounds, 8-0, in game two of their doubleheader. Midland won game one by the score of 5-3. Wichita improved its record to 5-2 while Midland fell to 2-5. Serrano (2-0) walked two and struck out six before he was pulled before the seventh inning. Mike Natale pitched the seventh inning and gave lost the no-hitter with one out in the seventh.Jones hit his sixth home run of the season and score two runs. Chad Santos smacked his 12th dinger, knocked in two runs and collected three hits. Midland's Shane Komine took the loss and fell to 4-5. Komine allowed six runs on seven hits and walked two in four innings of work. John Baker broke up Wichita's no hitter with a single.
