=== Daily Dugout Chatter - Wednesday, July 7th === (Games from Tuesday, July 6th)
From The My Sportsbook
CAN'T KNOCK ON WOOD
Kerry Wood threw five shutout innings in his first rehab start for the Iowa Cubs as they defeated the Albuquerque Isotopes, 4-1. Wood surrendered just two hits, one walk and struck out four to earn the win. Russ Johnson provided all the offense Wood needed as he plated three runs in the game. The first came in the first inning on a single that scored Calvin Murray. Johnson drove in the final two runs of the game for the Cubs with another single in the sixth. Johnson finished the night 2-for-4. Murray scored two runs in the win. Scott Sanders took the loss for the Isotopes. In six innings he allowed four runs -- two earned -- on seven hits. Sanders walked two to fall to 1-6. Iowa's Sergio Mitre recorded his first save of the year in the contest. Albuquerque's Brian Banks launched his fourth home run on the season in the loss.
HOWARD ROPES THE BULL
Ryan Howard continued his assault on Eastern League pitching as he crushed his 33rd home run of the season and drove in three runs and Gavin Floyd tossed six solid innings as the Reading Phillies doubled up the Akron Aeros 8-4 Tuesday. Howard went 4-for-4, including a double to go with his league-leading 33rd homer, and scored two runs to pace the Reading offense. Howard is now hitting .321 on the season. Floyd (4-5) gave up one earned run on five hits in his six innings on the mound. He walked three and struck out seven batters. Martire Franco hurled the final 2 1/3rd innings to record the save. Andrew Brown (1-4) took the loss after he allowed three earned runs in only three innings of work. He gave up five hits, walked one, and struck out three. Jeff Phelps contributed two RBI and Ryan Fleming hit his third home run of the year in the win for Reading. Corey Smith led the Akron offense as he went 3-for-3 with a double, one RBI, and one run scored. With the home run, Howard ties Greg Luzinski for the Reading single-season home run record with 33 and extends his hitting streak to 13 games.
NO BATS IN LOUISVILLE
Matt DeWitt led the charge as three Ottawa pitchers combined on a one-hitter as the Ottawa Lynx defeated the Louisville Bats 1-0 to complete the doubleheader sweep. Ottawa won game one 7-6. DeWitt tossed the first four innings without allowing a hit, walking one batter, and striking out five but did not figure in the decision. Tony Fiore (1-0) relieved DeWitt and hurled the next two innings to earn his first victory. Fiore allowed one hit and fanned one batter. Darwin Cubillan pitched a perfect seventh inning to record his 16th save. Juan Cerros (2-1) pitched well himself but took the loss after he gave up one unearned run in five innings. He gave up two hits, walked two, and struck out seven. Joey Hammond recorded the only RBI of the game as he smoked a fifth inning single that plated Eddy Garabito. Ottawa has now won five straight while Louisville lost for the fourth game in a row.
DIABLO HUNTER
Hunter Brown capped off his three RBI performance with a sacrifice fly in the bottom of the tenth inning that brought home Eriberto Menchaca with the winning run, to give the San Antonio Missions a 5-4 win over the El Paso Diablos. Menchaca reached base in the tenth on a fielding error by El Paso shortstop Sergio Santos. Dustin Delucchi would bunt Menchaca to third, followed by Brown's fly ball to center field. Jared Thomas (2-1) earned the win, tossing 1 1/3rd scoreless innings. He allowed two hits and struck out one. Aric Leclair (3-1) allowed the unearned run in the tenth inning to absorb the loss. Overall, Leclair allowed no earned runs and three hits in 2 2/3rd innings. Jesus Cota hit a two-run home run for the Diablos (5-8) in the loss. San Antonio (9-4) managed to pick up the win despite committing five errors, and allowing two unearned runs.
PITCHER'S DUEL IN THE PCL?
Brian Sweeney tossed eight innings of three-hit shutout ball, while Eddie Oropesa closed out the final inning, as the Portland Beavers defeated the Edmonton Trappers, 1-0. Sweeney improved to 7-2 with the win. He struck out six and walked two batters. Oropesa struck out one in a perfect ninth inning. The Beavers scored the lone run of the game in the bottom of the eighth inning, when Alex Fernandez scored on a "muffed throw" by Edmonton first baseman Val Pascucci. Fernandez started the inning with a double, only the second hit for Portland on the night. Edmonton's Wilton Chavez (3-8) had a stellar outing, but was saddled with the loss. He allowed just the unearned run in the eighth, and just two hits in eight innings of work. Chavez also struck out four without issuing a walk.
JASON CHOPS UP THE BAYSOX
Jason Stevenson tossed seven innings of shutout baseball while Drew McMillan plated the game-winning run as the Harrisburg Senators nipped the Bowie Baysox, 2-1. Stevenson notched his seventh win of the season and help the Senators improve to 29-55 on the season. In his seven innings of work. he allowed four hits, walked three and struck out four. Daniel Rueckel recorded the save after he retired the last batter of the game. McMillan singled in the fourth inning to give Harrisburg a 2-0 lead. Jeremy Ware had gone yard in the second to account for the first tally of the game. McMillan finished 2-for-3. Bowie's Chris Piersoll (0-2) lasted 5 2/3rd innings and surrendered two earned runs to take the loss. Piersoll gave up five hits, one walk and struck out five for the Baysox. Walter Young knocked his 20th home run in ninth inning, but their bid for a comeback was halted when Rueckel came out of the pen. The Baysox fell to 44-40 with the loss.
11 AND COUNTING
Ryan Klosterman doubled and knocked in one run and Brian Hall drove in two runs as the Auburn Doubledays beat the Brooklyn Cyclones 7-6 and extend their winning streak to 11 games. Klosterman went 4-for-5 and scored one run to pace the Auburn offense and Hall went 1-for-3 and also scored one run. Erik Rico (3-1) earned the win with 2 1/3rd innings of scoreless relief. Rico gave up one hit, walked one, and struck out three batters. Kristian Bell recorded his first save with 1 2/3rd scoreless innings. Jeffrey Landing was shelled for five earned runs in just 2 2/3rd innings to take the loss. Landing gave up five hits, walked two, and struck out two. Auburn erased a 4-2 deficit with a five-run sixth inning to take the lead for good.
BRAD-ICAL
Brad Snyder crushed two home runs and knocked in six runs as the Lake County Captains creamed the Lexington Legends 14-5 Tuesday. Snyder finished 3-for-5 and scored two runs to lead the Lake County offense. The two home runs now give him eight on the season. Edward Mujica (4-3) picked up the win after he allowed four unearned runs in five innings. Mujica gave up five hits and struck out two. Nelson Hiraldo earned his second save with three innings in relief. Derick Grigsby (4-6) was rocked for eight runs, seven earned, in four innings to take the loss. He gave up nine hits, walked one, and fanned six. Bill Peavy also smacked two home runs and drove in three runs for Lake County. Peavy went 3-for-5 and scored two runs in the win. Beau Hearod hit his 17th home run of the season and knocked in three runs in the loss for Lexington.
