Eastern League
Erie 7, Harrisburg 6
New Hampshire at Portland
Altoona at Reading
Binghamton at New Britain
Trenton at Richmond
Bowie at Akron

Florida State League
Fort Myers at Lakeland

Midwest League
West Michigan at Dayton

–Tom Reisenweber

Postgame: For now, the SeaWolves avoided their first series loss at Jerry Uht Park with a thrilling win this afternoon. Erie will need to win Thursday to earn a series split. … Erie has lost only one series this season, which was their first road series at Reading in April. … Daniel Fields is day-to-day with a bruised rib. He will sit out Thursday and could start Friday. … Justin Souza moved to 3-0 on the season after pitching the final two outs in the top of the ninth inning. He did allow an inherited runner to score from third on a sacrifice fly but it was after Sean Nicol fought off several tough two-strike pitches. … Five home runs were hit Wednesday, all to left field. Hernan Perez hit his first home run since the third game of the season and only his second of the year. Wade Gaynor also went deep for his sixth home run, which is tied for ninth in the Eastern League. Tyler Collins is third with nine homers. … James McCann is hitting .329, which is third in the league.

Harrisburg Senators (23-22) at Erie SeaWolves (26-17)
11:05 a.m., Jerry Uht Park

NINTH INNING
Jimmy Van Ostrand strikes out swinging before Destin Hood ends a string of 15 retired batters in a row by Erie pitchers. Hood singled to center and is Harrisburg’s first baserunner since the fourth inning. Sandy Leon follows with a ground-rule double to center. Big break for Erie as it saved a run for the time being. That’ll be it for Ryan Robowski. Justin Souza comes on and Sean Nicol fights off several two-strike pitches before lifting a sacrifice fly to center to drive in a run. 6-5 Senators

The SeaWolves win it with two outs! Jamie Johnson led off with a walk before Eugenio Suarez singled to left. Instead of bunting, Hernan Perez swings away and lines out to center. Tyler Collins then flew out to left before an unusual play ended the game. James McCann singled to left to drive in Johnson. On the play, Suarez was a little aggressive with how he rounded second, which induced a throw from the left fielder. The throw ended up in the outfield area behind first base allowing Suarez to score. Harrisburg had a throw home to try and get Suarez but it was late.

EIGHTH INNING
Ryan Robowski on in relief of Victor Larez, who went 7 IP 7 H 5 ER 0 BB 5 Ks and will get a no-decision. Robowski goes 1-2-3 right away.

Wade Gaynor starts the inning with a hit off the left field wall but he stumbled around first and was thrown out going for a double. James Robbins followed with a single but Erie leaves another runner on base. Still tied 5-5.

SEVENTH INNING
Victor Larez goes 1-2-3 and has retired 11 in a row.

Michael Broadway comes on in relief of Nathan Karns, who went 6 IP 8 H 5 R 4 ER 1 BB 9 K and no-decision. Eugenio Suarez welcomes Broadway with a double off the left field wall. Hernan Perez moved him to third on a bunt but Suarez is stranded after a Tyler Collins strikeout and flyout from James McCann. Still tied 5-5.

SIXTH INNING
Victor Larez has settled down after the three-run homer. He gets two more strikeouts and has retired 8 in a row, including 5 by strikeout.

Nathan Karns strikes out the side with an infield single from Marcus Lemon mixed in. Lemon is 3-for-3 and none of his singles have gone beyond 65 feet.

FIFTH INNING
Victor Larez records his first 1-2-3 inning, including a strikeout of Justin Bloxom.

Hernan Perez with his first homer since April 6 and we are tied up 5-5. Karns retired the next three hitters after Perez’s blast. There have been five home runs in this game, all to left field. 5-5

FOURTH INNING
That was a short-lived lead for Erie. Jimmy Van Ostrand leads off with a single before Destin Hood doubles down the left field line. After Sandy Leon lined out to second. Sean Nicol crushed a three-run homer to left. Victor Larez then struck out the next to hitters but Harrisburg now leads 5-3.

Wade Gaynor gets a run back with a deep drive to left to start the inning. After two quick outs, Marcus Lemon singles and Jamie Johnson walks but Eugenio Suarez flew out to end the inning. 5-4 Harrisburg

Starting lineups
Harrisburg – CF Brian Goodwin (.260), SS Josh Johnson (.250), LF Jerad Head (.272), 1B Justin Bloxom (.242), DH Jimmy Van Ostrand (.390), RF Destin Hood (.248), C Sandy Leon (.227), 3B Sean Nicol (.222), 2B Ricky Hague (.278)
Erie – CF Jamie Johnson (.268), SS Eugenio Suarez (.200), 2B Hernan Perez (.291), RF Tyler Collins (.254), C James McCann (.333), 3B Wade Gaynor (.214), 1B James Robbins (.255), DH Luis Castillo (.250), LF Marcus Lemon (.244)

Starting pitchers
Harrisburg RH Nathan Karns (4-2, 4.38) at Erie RH Victor Larez (5-1, 3.40)

THIRD INNING
Victor Larez leaves two 3-2 pitches over the plate and it’s 2-0 Harrisburg. Ricky Hague led off by drilling a 3-2 pitch off the Erie Insurance Arena. Three batters later, Jerad Head hammered a 3-2 pitch on top of the arena. The only Erie highlight was a bare-handed running play by Wade Gaynor to cut down Josh Johnson at first.

Erie rallies for three runs. Luis Castillo started with a double down the right field line before Marcus Lemon lays down a bunt. Ricky Hague was late to cover first, putting Lemon on first and Castillo on third. Jamie Johnson then hit a chopper to first and it was played at the plate. Castillo slid under the tag to cut the lead to 2-1. Suarez moved both runners over with a bunt and Hernan Perez struck out to almost end the threat. Tyler Collins stepped in and singled to right to drive in Lemon with two outs. Johnson also tried to score and was out by about 30 feet but the catcher dropped the ball on Johnson’s slide. 3-2 SeaWolves

SECOND INNING
Jimmy Van Ostrand leads off the top of the second with a single to right field but Victor Larez bears down to retire the next three hitters. Still scoreless.

Nathan Karns is rolling and has retired 6 in a row. Scoreless after 2.

FIRST INNING
Jerad Head rips a two-out double down the left field line but Victor Larez strands him on second by getting Justin Bloxom to fly out to left.

Jamie Johnson leads off with a single to left but Erie struggles to move him around the bases. Eugenio Suarez flew out to mid-right field before Hernan Perez struck out on an awkward swing. Johnson did go to second on a wild pitch two outs but Tyler Collins grounded out to first.

Pregame: The Erie SeaWolves are looking to avoid their first series loss since early April. … Daniel Fields is missing from the starting lineup for the second straight day with a side muscle pull. He will likely miss tomorrow’s game and will be evaluated Friday to decide if he starts the Akron series. … Erie holds a four-game lead on Harrisburg in the west division. … Erie has the second-lowest ERA in the Eastern League at 3.86. … Erie has allowed the second-fewest earned runs in the Eastern League at 160. … Will Startup was placed on the disabled list and Michael Morrison is back from Triple-A Toledo. Morrison made one appearance with the Mud Hens and allowed two runs in 1 2/3 innings.

–Tom Reisenweber

Eastern League
Harrisburg 8, Erie 2, 6 innings
Portland 5, New Hampshire 3
Reading 3, Altoona 0
New Britain 9, Binghamton 3
Trenton 3, Richmond 0
Bowie 13, Akron 2

International League
Syracuse 7, Toledo 5

Florida State League
Fort Myers 5, Lakeland 3, 7 innings
Lakeland 3, Fort Myers 2, 7 innings

Venezuelan Summer League
Cubs 12, Tigers 2

–Tom Reisenweber

Here’s a look at Wednesday’s matchup, with the first game at 12:10 p.m.:

AL
Minnesota (Worley 1-4) at Atlanta (Maholm 5-4), 12:10 p.m.
Oakland (Parker 2-5) at Texas (Wolf 0-0), 2:05 p.m.
Tampa Bay (Hellickson 2-2) at Toronto (Buehrle 1-3), 4:37 p.m.
Detroit (Verlander 4-4) at Cleveland (U.Jimenez 3-2), 7:05 p.m.
N.Y. Yankees (Kuroda 6-2) at Baltimore (Hammel 5-2), 7:05 p.m.
Seattle (Maurer 2-5) at L.A. Angels (C.Wilson 3-3), 7:05 p.m.
Boston (Buchholz 6-0) at Chicago White Sox (H.Santiago 1-2), 8:10 p.m.
Kansas City (Shields 2-4) at Houston (Lyles 1-1), 8:10 p.m.

NL
Minnesota (Worley 1-4) at Atlanta (Maholm 5-4), 12:10 p.m.
Cincinnati (Latos 4-0) at N.Y. Mets (Harvey 5-0), 1:10 p.m.
L.A. Dodgers (Ryu 4-2) at Milwaukee (W.Peralta 3-4), 1:10 p.m.
Arizona (Cahill 3-4) at Colorado (J.De La Rosa 5-3), 3:10 p.m.
Washington (G.Gonzalez 3-2) at San Francisco (Bumgarner 4-2), 3:45 p.m.
Chicago Cubs (Samardzija 2-5) at Pittsburgh (Liriano 2-0), 7:05 p.m.
Philadelphia (Lee 4-2) at Miami (Slowey 1-4), 7:10 p.m.
St. Louis (Lyons 0-0) at San Diego (B.Smith 0-0), 10:10 p.m.

Here’s who I like — and don’t:
Read the rest of this entry »

Eastern League
Harrisburg 10, Erie 7
New Hampshire 7, Portland 3
Reading 6, Altoona 3
Binghamton 6, New Britain 3
Trenton 7, Richmond 3
Bowie 4, Akron 3, 12 innings

International League
Syracuse 4, Toledo 3, 10 innings

Florida State League
Fort Myers at Lakeland ppd.

Midwest League
West Michigan 7, Bowling Green 6, 11 innings

Venezuelan League
Rays 5, Tigers 4

–Tom Reisenweber

Postgame: Not a pretty one for the Erie SeaWolves. Erie’s normally solid pitching staff allowed 10 runs on 15 hits and two errors did not help. Both errors led to Harrisburg runs. … Daniel Fields left after the seventh inning with a possible muscle pull either in his chest or side. He is listed as day-to-day and met with doctors tonight after the game. Erie manager Chris Cron believes he injured himself on a tremendous diving catch or trying to steal second in the bottom of the seventh inning. He was replaced by Jamie Johnson in the top of the eighth. … Detroit Tigers GM Dave Dombrowski was on hand for tonight’s game. He will stay in Erie for tomorrow’s game before rejoining the Tigers in Cleveland. … Hernan Perez picked up his 15th stolen base of the season, which is second in the Eastern League. … James McCann and Wade Gaynor each homered for Erie, while Marcus Lemon had an RBI triple and an RBI single in his first two at-bats. … The SeaWolves still hold a five-game lead in the west division after Richmond lost to Trenton 7-3. … Anthony Rendon finished 1-for-4 with a big run-scoring hit for the Senators. His average dropped to .346 but he still leads the Eastern League. …

Harrisburg Senators (21-22) 10, Erie SeaWolves (26-16) 7

NINTH INNING
All quiet as Erie cannot produce a ninth-inning rally. Postgame notes to come as Erie loses 10-7.

EIGHTH INNING
More ugly baseball. Justin Bloxom with a two-out, two-run single and two runs score on throwing errors as Harrisburg takes a 10-5 lead.

Wade Gaynor keeps Erie in this one with a two-run homer on a 2-2 count. 10-7 Harrisburg

SEVENTH INNING
Two tremendous defensive plays by the SeaWolves. Wade Gaynor reaches over the tarp to catch a foul ball before Daniel Fields makes a diving catch in center. 1-2-3 inning for Hardy.

Daniel Fields with a one-out single but he is thrown out stealing second. Not much going for the SeaWolves lately. 6-5 Senators

SIXTH INNING
Well that was interesting. After a leadoff double from Jimmy Van Ostrand and a groundout by Sandy Leon, the power at Jerry Uht Park goes out for 19 minutes. The scoreboard was still lit and various lights around the park but not the main lights. Destin Hood then drills an RBI single off the wall on the first pitch after the delay. Ricky Hague follows with a two-run bomb to left center off the light pole to tie the game and knock Saupold out of the game. Blaine Hardy comes in to relieve Saupold and is immediately taken deep off the scoreboard by Brian Goodwin to give the Senators a 6-5 lead. Sean Nicol and Jared Head each walk but Hardy works out of trouble.

Luis Castillo connects on a one-out double but is stranded in scoring position. 6-5 Senators

FIFTH INNING
Warwick Saupold allows two baserunners with two outs but gets Justin Bloxom to fly out to center. Still 4-2 SeaWolves.

James McCann keeps coming through. McCann ripped a two-out single to left to score Daniel Fields and give Erie a 5-2 lead.

Starting lineups
Harrisburg – CF Brian Goodwin (.257), 3B Sean Nicol (.208), 2B Anthony Rendon (.350), LF Jerad Head (.270), 1B Justin Bloxom (.243), DH Jimmy Van Ostrand (.333), C Sandy Leon (.235), RF Destin Hood (.243), SS Ricky Hague (.271)
Erie – SS Eugenio Suarez (.211), 2B Hernan Perez (.293), CF Daniel Fields (.275), RF Tyler Collins (.264), C James McCann (.326), 3B Wade Gaynor (.206), 1B James Robbins (.262), DH Luis Castillo (.247), LF Marcus Lemon (.233)

Starting pitchers
Harrisburg RH Paul Demny (4-3, 5.04) vs. Erie RH Warwick Saupold (3-1, 2.03)

FOURTH INNING
Harrisburg is starting to get to Warwick Saupold. Jimmy Van Ostrand with a one-out single and goes to second on a two-out single by Destin Hood. Ricky Hague then singles to right to drive in Van Ostrand. Tyler Collins’ throw from right field is cut off by James Robbins, who gets Hague caught way off first base for a rundown to end the inning. 2-2

Erie comes through with two more runs. James McCann crushes the first pitch of the inning off the batter’s eye for a solo home run. Wade Gaynor follows with a double off the wall and eventually comes around on a two-out single from Marcus Lemon. 4-2 SeaWolves

THIRD INNING
Some two-out lightning for the Senators. Sean Nicol with a line single to centerfield before prized prospect Anthony Rendon crushes a double off the left-center wall to drive in a run.

1-2-3 inning for Demny. 2-1 Erie

SECOND INNING
Warwick Saupold retires the first two hitters and had retired five hitters in 12 pitches. After the next two hitters reach, Dustin Hood lines a shot through Saupold, which is caught by Hernan Perez. The old 1-4 liner ends the threat.

After two quick outs to start the bottom of the second, Luis Castillo worked a walk. Marcus Lemon then sent a triple down the right field line to score Castillo. Lemon’s hit looked like a simple double but Destin Hood had trouble getting the ball out of the corner. 2-0 Erie

FIRST INNING
Warwick Saupold with a quick 1-2-3 inning on three groundouts. Erie responds as Eugenio Suarez walks to lead off the game and goes to third on a single from Hernan Perez. The SeaWolves appeared to miss on their chance to score with two quick outs but Suarez and Perez pulled off a double steal to give Erie a 1-0 lead. Perez with a delayed steal to second and Harrisburg didn’t even react to Suarez taking home. The Senators infielders thought Perez was out at second and were ready to leave the field. Perez now has 15 stolen bases this year. 1-0 Erie

Pregame: The Erie SeaWolves are back in town for an eight-game homestand, including four games against Harrisburg and four with Akron. Ironically, those are the two teams that Erie will contend with to win the division title. … Detroit Tigers GM Dave Dombrowski is on hand for today’s game as well as tomorrow’s game. … Erie is 14-4 in May and hasn’t lost a series since the SeaWolves’ first road series in Reading this year. Erie is in first by five games and hasn’t been in first this late in the season since 2007. The SeaWolves won the southern division in 2007. … Erie is second in the Eastern League with a .269 batting average, while Bowie is first at .271. … Erie is fourth in the league with 36 stolen bases, including 14 from Hernan Perez, who is second in the league. … Tyler Collins homered on Sunday leads the EL with nine. He is seventh in RBIs with 28. … Harrisburg brings in Anthony Rendon, the No. 1 overall prospect in the Washington Nationals organization. He is the second No. 1 prospect to come to Jerry Uht Park this year as Jesse Biddle pitched for Reading (Philadelphia Phillies) during the last homestand.

–Tom Reisenweber

If Miguel Cabrera keeps this up, he’ll go down as one of the all-time greats.

Cabrera won the Triple Crown last year and could do it in back-to-back seasons (he’s leading in average and RBIs, and is second in homers).

Last night, he hit three home runs against the Rangers.

Here’s his big game:

– Rick Green

The Cleveland Indians aren’t just getting by against former Cy Young winners, they’re beating them up.

Here’s a look at the Cy Young winners the Cleveland Indians have beaten this season:

R.A. Dickey: April 2, 4-1. Dickey gave up three earned runs and four walks in six innings.
David Price: April 7, 13-0. Price gave up eight earned runs in five innings.
Roy Halladay: April 30, 14-2. Halladay gave up eight earned runs in 3.2 innings.
Cliff Lee: May 1, 6-0. Lee gave up four earned runs in six innings.
Bartolo Colon: May 9, 9-2. Colon gave up six earned runs in four innings.
Justin Verlander: May 11, 7-6. Verlander gave up three earned runs in five innings.
Felix Hernandez: May 19, 6-0. Hernandez gave up five earned runs in five innings.

Jake Peavy is the only Cy Young winner to beat the Indians. The White Sox beat Cleveland 3-1 on April 14.

Here are the Indians on their win:

– Rick Green

Here’s a look at Monday’s matchups. The first game is at 12:05 p.m.:

AL
Seattle (Iwakuma 5-1) at Cleveland (Kazmir 2-2), 12:05 p.m.
Tampa Bay (Odorizzi 0-0) at Toronto (Dickey 3-5), 1:07 p.m.
N.Y. Yankees (Sabathia 4-3) at Baltimore (F.Garcia 0-2), 7:05 p.m.
Minnesota (Correia 4-3) at Atlanta (Teheran 2-1), 7:10 p.m.
Oakland (Colon 3-2) at Texas (Lindblom 0-0), 8:05 p.m.
Boston (Lester 6-0) at Chicago White Sox (Axelrod 1-3), 8:10 p.m.
Kansas City (Guthrie 5-1) at Houston (Keuchel 0-1), 8:10 p.m.

NL
Cincinnati (Cueto 1-0) at N.Y. Mets (Marcum 0-4), 7:10 p.m.
Minnesota (Correia 4-3) at Atlanta (Teheran 2-1), 7:10 p.m.
Philadelphia (Hamels 1-6) at Miami (Sanabia 2-6), 7:10 p.m.
L.A. Dodgers (Kershaw 4-2) at Milwaukee (Gallardo 3-3), 8:10 p.m.
Arizona (Corbin 6-0) at Colorado (Garland 3-4), 8:40 p.m.
St. Louis (S.Miller 5-2) at San Diego (Marquis 5-2), 10:10 p.m.
Washington (Duke 0-0) at San Francisco (Vogelsong 1-4), 10:15 p.m.

Here’s who I like — and don’t:
Read the rest of this entry »