MiLB Recap May 12th 2016: The Return of Max Pentecost

[King]

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Wade LeBlanc came in to Thursday's game at Durham Bulls Athletic Field leading the Bisons staff in both wins and ERA and managed to improve in both categories despite what appeared to be a frustrating afternoon.

 

The lowest scoring team in the International League had hits in all but one inning against the Bisons' starter, yet ended up leaving a grand total of 11 men on base as Buffalo came away with the 3-0 victory in the series finale.

 

LeBlanc was seen pounding both his glove and the ground at various times as the Bulls managed to find holes between fielders for nine hits off the lefty in 6.1 innings.

 

However, as agitated as LeBlanc seemed at times at allowing the most hits in any start of his season, he buckled down to prevent any Bulls from touching home. With a gutsy, six-strikeout effort, the 31-year-old boosted his record to 4-1 while lowering his ERA to a meager 1.88.

 

Ben Rowen came on for LeBlanc with two on in the bottom of the seventh and punched out back-to-back batters to end the frame. The submariner kept the Bulls off the board again in the eighth before making way for David Aardsma in the ninth.

 

Buffalo's closer fired a 1-2-3 final frame to earn his team-leading fifth save.

 

The Bisons' staff has now allowed a meager three earned runs over their last six games.

 

Austin Pruitt pitched well for the Bulls but fell victim to a pair of unearned runs as he saw the Herd cross home three times in his six innings of work. The thin Texan fanned four batters without issuing a walk and allowed six hits.

 

After Pruit retired the first six batters he faced, Buffalo got to Durham's starter in the third. Jio Mier doubled to the wall in left-center field with a liner and then scored on Dalton Pompey's single into right.

 

Mier was the lone member of the Herd to reach base more than once. In fact, the shortstop did so in all three of his plate appearances, going 2-for-2 with a walk.

 

The Bisons tagged on a couple of unearned runs in the sixth. Mier led off the frame with a single and moved to third on base hit from Darrell Ceciliani. Jesus Montero then ripped a ball at Nick Franklin who bobbled the hot shot. The second baseman's error allowed Mier to score and extended the inning.

 

Casey Kotchman followed up with a lined single to right which was deep enough to bring home Ceciliani without a throw.

 

With the victory, Buffalo takes the four-game set, 3-1, giving the Herd just its second series win in Durham in the last eight seasons.

 

The Bisons now head to Harbor Park for their first date of 2016 with the Norfolk Tides on Friday.

 

BISONS NOTES:

Wade LeBlanc has struck out at least six batters in his last six starts…Dalton Pompey is now riding a five-game hit streak…Activated on Wednesday after a month on the disabled list, Darrell Ceciliani started in centerfield and went 1-for-4 at the plate…David Adams did not see any playing time in Durham but continues to hold the fourth-longest active hit streak in the IL at 10 games.

 

 

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NORWICH, CT - The New Hampshire Fisher Cats rode a streak of singles starting off the sixth inning to a comeback 5-3 win Thursday night over the Hartford Yard Goats at Senator Thomas J. Dodd Stadium in Norwich, Connecticut.

 

The Fisher Cats (15-17) picked up their season-best fourth consecutive victory, and sixth in their last seven games. The Yard Goats (23-10) squandered an early three-run lead, allowing New Hampshire to claw back from the deficit to grab the lead and the win. The series is being played at Dodd Stadium in Norwich while construction continues on Dunkin Donuts Park in Hartford.

 

The Yard Goats opened the scoring in the bottom of the first against Fisher Cats starter John Anderson (W, 2-3). Raimel Tapia led off with a single, and moved to second on a walk for David Dahl. Pat Valaika bunted the runners to second and third, and Rosell Herrera grounded out to second, bringing home Tapia and moving Dahl to third. Dillon Thomas sliced a double up the left field line to score Dahl before stealing third, and coming in on a grounder to the mound by Corelle Prime that Anderson booted to make it 3-0 Hartford.

 

New Hampshire didn't score until the top of the fifth inning against Hartford starting pitcher Carlos Hernandez (L, 2-3). Rowdy Tellez turned on a 1-1 fastball and smoked it over the right-field fence for a solo homer, his fifth jack of the season, to cut the lead to 3-1. That set the stage for a big inning in the sixth for New Hampshire.

 

The Fisher Cats got consecutive bunt singles from Jorge Flores and Roemon Fields to lead off the sixth, and Jon Berti singled to the outfield to load the bases for Dwight Smith, Jr. Smith cracked his own single up the middle, scoring Flores and keeping the bases loaded. Matt Dean laced his own single to left field to plate Fields and tie the game at 3-3, chasing Hernandez. Reliever Luis Niebla fanned Tellez, but Suez lofted a sacrifice fly to left field to score Berti and give New Hampshire the 4-3 lead.

 

The Fisher Cats added an insurance run in the top of the ninth against reliever Johendi Jiminian. Flores drew a two-out walk, and Fields singled him to second before Berti sliced a single to center, scoring Flores to extend the New Hampshire lead to 5-3 before Wil Browning (S, 6) locked the ninth down to secure the victory.

 

Anderson threw six strong innings for the Fisher Cats, allowing three runs (two earned) on five hits and two walks while fanning four to earn the victory. Chris Smith pitched a perfect inning with three strikeouts. Danny Barnes whiffed one and gave up a hit in a scoreless frame of relief. Browning pitched a perfect ninth inning to secure his sixth save of the season.

 

The Fisher Cats will go for their fifth straight win Friday evening at Dodd Stadium, with righty Casey Lawrence starting for New Hampshire against Hartford righty German Marquez, the reigning Eastern League Pitcher of the Week. First pitch is at 6:05 p.m., and Ben Gellman has the call on the Fisher Cats Radio Network starting at 5:45 p.m.

 

 

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CLEARWATER, FL - RHP Francisco Rios (L, 0-1) struck out six over 5.1 innings, taking the loss in his Florida State League debut in Clearwater. The Threshers scored a run in each of the first three innings which would be enough for a 5-2 victory.

 

Rios was solid in his efforts, inducing several swings and misses, but the leadoff runner reached base and scored in four of the six innings he started. Dunedin clawed back in the fourth to make it a 3-2 game. 2B Dickie Joe Thon lifted a sacrifice fly to right filed for the Jays' first run, and DH Emilio Guerrero came home on a LHP Matt Imhof (W, 4-1) throwing error on a pickoff play.

 

Imhof went the necessary five innings, allowing the two runs in the fourth while striking out four to earn his fourth win. LHP Mario Hollands set down all six batters he faced in his second Major League rehab start. RHP Alexis Rivero (S, 3) notched his third save of the year in the ninth.

 

Clearwater added two more in the sixth inning when RF Cord Sandberg roped a two-RBI triple down the right field line off of RHP Jackson Lowery. In his FSL debut in 2016, Lowery allowed just the one hit over 2.2 innings, fanning one.

 

Dunedin begins a four game set with a doubleheader Friday night against Brevard County. RHP Kyle Westwood will throw game one with all other pitchers TBA. First pitch is at 5:00 PM at Florida Auto Exchange Stadium.

 

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LANSING, Mich. - Max Pentecost starred in his first game in 16 months and Jon Harris combined with Angel Perdomo on a two-hit shutout, leading the Lansing Lugnuts (17-14) to a 5-0 victory over the South Bend Cubs (19-13) on Thursday night at Cooley Law School Stadium.

 

Thanks to the trio of top Blue Jays prospects, the Lugnuts ended a season-high four-game losing streak.

 

The 11th overall pick in the 2014 draft, Pentecost had not played in a Minor League contest since August 7th, 2014. He wasted no time in making his presence felt, cracking a first-pitch RBI single in the first inning off South Bend starter Kyle Twomey (Loss, 0-3) to open the scoring. The ball was misplayed by right fielder Eddy Julio Martinez, allowing a second run to score.

 

The former Kennesaw State Owl increased the Lugnuts' lead to 3-0 in the third inning, crushing his first professional home run to right-center. Four batters later, Josh Almonte hooked a two-run double down the left field line.

 

Pentecost grounded to shortstop in the fourth before finishing a 3-for-4 evening by lining a single to left field in the seventh.

 

By then, the Lugnuts' talented pitching duo had things well in hand.

 

Harris (Win, 2-0) - the Blue Jays' 2015 first-round selection - allowed two singles and two walks, striking out two, in five scoreless innings.

 

He was succeeded by Perdomo (Save, 1), who dazzled with seven strikeouts in four scoreless innings, allowing only a two-out walk in the sixth.

 

It was the Lugnuts' sixth shutout of the year, second best in the Midwest League.

 

Lansing and South Bend play the second game of their four-game series on Friday the 13th at 7:05 p.m. Don't get triskaidekaphobic on us! Left-hander Ryan Borucki makes his Lugnuts debut against South Bend right-hander Adbert Alzolay (3-0, 2.30). To purchase tickets, stop by the Cooley Law School Stadium box office, call (517) 485-4500 or visit lansinglugnuts.com.

 

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Kings 3 Stars of the Day

 

1) Max Pentecost: Pentecost made his return from the DL in Lansing (1st appearance since August 7th, 2014) in stylish fashion going 3/4 with his first professional home run and 2 singles.

 

2) Angel Perdomo: The hard throwing LHP bounced back well from his last outing, where he did not make it out of the 1st inning, throwing 4 innings of no hit ball with 1 walk and 7 strikeouts.

 

3) Jon Harris: Harris went 5 innings with 2 hits allowed, no earned runs, 2 walks and 2 strikeouts, to extend his scoreless inning streak up to 18 innings (18IP, 14H, 0ER, 6BB, 10K in that span).

 

 

 

Kings "Platinum Arencibia"

 

1) Matt Dominguez: 0/3 with a throwing error and HBP. Matt Dominguez cam courtesy of the Durham Bulls...

 

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Notes for tomorrow -

 

- Dunedin will play a double header, with Justin Shafer starting the 1st game and Kyle Westwood (who?) starting the 2nd game.

 

- Ryan Borucki will make his Lansing debut, after being god awful in Dunedin to start the year (20IP 42H 32ER 10HR 12BB 10K - 10.52 FIP)

[starfield]

Wow! What an update. Thank you

[Angrioter]

He's alive, aliveeee

[Krylian]

Wow. 10 homers given up in 20 innings for Borucki. That is some low down tripe.

[Qwerty]

Pentecost is my favorite player.

[jays4life19]

Love the updates. All in the info in one post. Thanks!

[Krylian]

Pentecost is my favorite player.

 

Doesn't he have to play to be a player? Kinda hard to cheer for someone who goes a year and a half between games.

[crazy47larry]

when did we get ben rowen? anybody remember "lock'n'load" ben weber?

[BigBounceyBlueBalls]

Max Repentecost you sinners!!! Lol