=== Daily Dugout Chatter - Wednesday, August 4th === (Games from Tuesday, August 3rd)
From The My Sportsbook
ERIE WINS IN GRANDERSON FASHION
Curtis Granderson collected five hits and drove in four runs as the Erie SeaWolves plated twelve runs in final two frames to rout the Portland Sea Dogs, 14-3 in an Eastern League battle. Granderson got Erie on the board first with a solo blast in the fourth to tie the game at one, while Rich Gomez put the SeaWolves up with an RBI single. The Sea Dogs answered with a run in the bottom half of the inning on a home run by Jeff Bailey. Portland jumped ahead for the final time in the contest when Stefan Bailie lifted his fifth home run of the year in the sixth stanza. Then the onslaught began. In the eighth, the SeaWolves plated seven runs. Granderson started the inning with an RBI double and closed the inning with a run scoring single. Ryan Raburn and Maxim St Pierre each drove in two runs in the inning. Erie added five more to their lead in the ninth. Granderson plated his fourth and final run of the game with an RBI single in the inning. Anderson Hernandez chased home two runs in the inning. Kyle Sleeth picked up the win for the SeaWolves. In seven innings he yielded three earned runs on four hits and three walks. Sleeth fanned six as he improved to 2-3 on the year. Portland's Ryan Larson (5-2) surrendered three earned runs to take the loss. Larson didn't register an out in the contest.
PULASKI WINS
Jon Ashford smacked a grand slam and knocked in five runs total to power the Pulaski Blue Jays past the Bluefield Orioles 18-6 in Appalachian League action Tuesday night. Ashford finished 2-for-4 and scored three times to lead the offensive onslaught. The home run was his third of the season. James Pidutti (1-1) picked up the win with 1 1/3rd innings of relief work. Pidutti gave up one hit and struck out two batters in the win. Winer Mendez (3-4) was rocked for six earned runs in just 2 1/3rd innings to take the loss for Bluefield. Mendez gave up five hits and walked two batters in the loss. Tim Land and Yuber Rodriguez each chipped in a home run and three RBI for Pulaski. Land hit his first homer of the year and scored twice and Rodriguez hit his fifth and also scored two times. David Hicks contributed a 3-for-6 effort and scored three times. Lorenzo Scott homered and drove in two runs to lead Bluefield at the plate.
THE PRICE IS RIGHT FOR BARKER
Sean Barker rapped two home runs and knocked in two runs and Brian Barre doubled and homered to lead the Visalia Oaks past the High Desert Mavericks 7-3 in California League action Tuesday night. Barker went 2-for-5 and scored twice while Barre added a 3-for-4 effort, one RBI, and two runs scored. Doug Johnson (3-10) picked up the win in relief with three scoreless innings. Johnson gave up three hits, walked one, and struck out two. Khalid Ballouli (5-11) allowed five runs, three earned, in five innings of work to take the loss for High Desert. Ballouli gave up six hits, issued two walks, and fanned seven batters in the loss. Hector Tena and Ryan Spilborghs each chipped in an RBI for Visalia. Kennard Bibbs doubled, tripled, and knocked in one run and Travis Hinton homered and drove in one run to lead the Mavericks offense.
MIDLAND MAKES IT 7
Brant Colamarino brought the offense and Shane Bazzell supplied the pitching as the Midland RockHounds defeated the Round Rock Express, 6-2, in a Texas League West Division game Tuesday night. On a seven-game winning streak, Midland improved to 20-19 in the second half of the Texas League schedule. Meanwhile, Round Rock has dropped four consecutive games and stands at 18-22. Bazzell allowed two unearned runs on four hits and struck out six in seven innings to earn the victory. Bazzell was supported by Colamarino, who went 2- for-4 with three RBI and scored a run. Losing pitcher Wandy Rodriguez was touched for three runs on seven hits in five innings.
JJ IS DYNOMITE
JJ Furmaniak cranked a two-run home run as the Portland Beavers rallied for two runs in the bottom of the ninth to beat the Colorado Springs Sky Sox, 2-1, in a Pacific Coast League contest Tuesday night. Portland (62-49) is on a seven-game winning streak while Colorado Springs (57-53) has lost five straight games. After Rene Reyes roped a solo home run in the top of the eighth inning to give Colorado Springs the lead, Furmaniak answered with a two-run shot in the bottom of the ninth. Mike Bynum (6-5) was the winning pitcher. He hurled 1 1/3rd scoreless innings to earn the win. Losing pitcher Marc Kroon (2-3) was touched for two runs on two hits and recorded just one out.
ADAMS' FAMILY
Russ Adams' double in the top of the seventh inning lifted the Syracuse SkyChiefs over the Buffalo Bisons, 3-2 in game one of their doubleheader. With the game tied at two and two down in the inning, Russ Adams doubled to get on base for Syracuse. Adams then delivered his base knock to secure the win. Gabe Gross drove in the other two runs for the SkyChiefs with a double in the sixth. Jason Kershner recorded the win for Syracuse. In 1 1/3rd innings of relief, he didn't allow a run and surrendered just two hits. Kershner improved to 1-0, while Bob File recorded his sixth save of the year. Buffalo's Fernando Cabrera (2-3) suffered the loss. Cabrera lasted just 2/3rd innings and yielded one earned run on two hits. Ryan Ludwick chased home the only two runs in the game for the Bisons with his third home run of the year. Ludwick also doubled in the loss.
ED-WIN
Edwin Encarnacion won the game with a solo home run as the Chattanooga Lookouts edged the Tennessee Smokies, 5-4, in an 11- inning Southern League East Division game Tuesday night. With the win, Chattanooga improved to 24-12 in the second half of the Southern League season while Tennessee fell to 16-22. With the score tied 4-4 entering the top of the 11th inning, Encarnacion knocked a solo home run to put Chattanooga ahead for good. Tom Shearn (6-4) hurled 1 2/3rd scoreless innings to earn the victory while Casey DeHart recorded his first save by recording one out. Losing pitcher Nick Stocks (2-2) was touched for one run on one hit in one inning.
WITT HIM, MEMPHIS WINS
Kevin Witt's three-run double in the third inning gave Memphis a 4-3 lead they would not relinquish and Randy Flores earned his fourth victory with seven solid innings as the Redbirds defeated the Salt Lake Stingers 5-3 Tuesday night. Witt erased a 3-1 deficit with his three-run knock and finished the game 1- for-4 with three RBI and one run scored to lead the Memphis offense. Flores allowed three early runs in the second inning but settled down to give up just three hits over the next five innings to improve his record to 4-7. He gave up five total hits, walked one batter, and struck out five. Al Reyes recorded his 14th save with a perfect ninth inning. Corey Lee (0-1) surrendered five earned runs on seven hits in just four innings of work to take the loss for Salt Lake. Lee walked three and fanned two in the loss. Dee Haynes and Armando Rios each knocked in one run for Memphis. Haynes drove in the Redbirds first run with an RBI single and Rios roped an RBI double two batters after Witt's knock to complete the scoring. Wil Nieves plated all three Salt Lake runs with a second inning three-run home run. Nieves finished 1-for-3 with three RBI and one run scored for the Stingers. The homer was his ninth.
