Down on the Farm! A Marlin Minor League Runthrough

Triple-A

New Orleans Zephyrs

New Orleans was a participant in not one, but two seventh-inning stretches as it took 14-innings to defeat the Round Rock Express by a final count of 8-6. The first nine innings would see each team collect five runs in the march towards extras, highlighted by two Xavier Scruggs solo home runs and one from Matt Juengel. Paul Clemens allowed all five of the runs in 6.1 innings, but somehow he only gave up two hits and struck out seven. He did walk four batters. In the top of the 13th, Kenny Wilson collected what should have been a game winning RBI on a single, but Zephyrs' pitcher Cody Ege hit a batter with the bases loaded in the bottom of the frame. It took an error and a sacrifice fly in the top of the 14th to make the win stick. Craig Breslow dropped his embarrassingly high ERA (to 7.11) by almost two runs, striking out four batters in three scoreless innings of relief. Round Rock will host the finale of the four game series tomorrow at 8:05PM.

Double-A

Jacksonville Suns (28-38)

The Suns hosted the Biloxi Shuckers in the first game of a five-game series going into the Southern League all-star break, and erupted for 15 hits, winning the contest by an 8-4 margin. Shortstop JT Riddle went four-for-five, Moises Sierra hit a single and a solo home run, and Austin Dean had a three run homer and totaled four RBI for the game. Chris Mazza earned the win, allowing four earned runs over five innings. He also helped himself with a double at the plate. Tyler Bremer earned a four-inning save, allowing just two baserunners. Game two is set for tomorrow night at 7:05PM

Class-A (Advanced)

Jupiter Hammerheads (30-35)

Jupiter kept pace with the Daytona Tortugas for nine innings, sending it to extras tied at two before Gavin LaValley scored Aristides Aquino on a sacrifice fly in the 11th. Right fielder John Norwood got two hits for Jupiter, and quality pitching from Luis Castillo. Castillo started and allowed two hits over four innings, striking out two and allowing a single earned run. Michael Mader relieved for five innings, giving up four hits and a walk. Avery Romero (1) collected a solo home run in the loss. The Hammerheads will visit the St. Lucie Mets tomorrow at 6:30PM for a single game before the FSL all-star break.

Class-A

Greensboro Grasshoppers (35-31)

Greensboro got thoroughly handled by Asheville's starting pitcher, Peter Lambert. Lambert struck out six over five innings, allowing a single and two hits in the Tourists 5-2 victory. Angel Reyes had a single and a triple, while Justin Twine hit a single and a double to account for four of Greensboro's five hits. Kyle Keller pitched two perfect innings of relief, striking out three Tourists. Jordan Holloway took the loss, allowing five earned runs on seven hits and three walks in four innings. The Grasshoppers will open a four-game road series against the Rome Braves at 7PM.

Rookie

DSL Marlins (2-7)

The Dominican Summer League Marlins took on the DSL Red Sox (1) in late morning action, and dropped a 10-2 squeaker. Ezequiel Alfonzo had three of the Marlins' six hits, raising his average to .333 on the season. Marlins' pitching didn't start out too badly - starter and pitcher-of-record Edin Liriano (0-1) pitched five innings and allowed two runs on four hits and a walk. The bullpen combination of George Soriano, Anderson De Leon and Jesus Sanchez allowed seven earned runs in four innings on six hits and four walks, although De Leon did strike out three batters in 1.2 frames. Rafmis Berroa of the Sox went deep off of De Leon in the ninth inning. The Marlins will take on the DSL Rays (1) tomorrow at 10:30 AM.

The big-league Marlins have an off-day tomorrow, and three of their five scheduled minor league games are being offered on MILB.TV. So, if you're jonesing for a baseball fix, you can catch the Zephyrs vs. the Express, the Suns vs. the Shuckers, or the Grasshoppers vs. the Rome Braves for a nominal fee. GO BABY FISH!