Down on the Farm! Marlins Minor League Walkabout

Pacific Coast League (Triple-A)

New Orleans Zephyrs (32-33)

The Zephyrs came up on the short side of a 3-2 decision to the Round Rock Express, splitting the four-game road series. The Express put up two in the sixth and one more in the seventh against New Orleans' starter Dylan Axelrod, who pitched seven innings and took the loss, giving up six hits, zero walks, and striking out four. Second baseman Austin Nola and left fielder Destin Hood each had two hits, and Robert Andino hit his seventh home run in the eighth inning, but it wasn't enough to overcome the three run deficit. Here's the full recap on NOLA.COM.

Tomorrow, the Zephyrs return home to host the Oklahoma City Dodgers in the first of a four-game series, at 8PM. Jose Urena, who has been at one level or another with the Marlins for eight seasons now, will take the hill for New Orleans. Urena is 2-6 with a 5.82 ERA at the major league level, and 1-1 with the Zephyrs this year, with a 5.09 ERA.

Southern League (Double-A)

Jacksonville Suns (29-38)

The Suns defeated the Biloxi Shuckers by a final count of 3-1 in the second game of their current five-game series. JT Riddle was the only Sun to come out of it with more than one hit, collecting two singles through the game. Jake Esch earned a winning decision to push his record to 7-5 for the season with a 4.33 ERA by giving up a single earned run over six innings. He struck out seven versus one walk and gave up eight hits, seven singles and a double. Brian Anderson started the scoring in the first, singling in Yefri Perez for the first run of the game, then in the third inning, Austin Dean scored the eventual game winner on a Moises Sierra single. JT Riddle got the last RBI of the game in the seventh inning with a single that scored Jeremias Pineda. Drew Steckenrider earned his second save of the season, striking out two and allowing just one baserunner over two innings. Here's Jacksonville.com's coverage.

The Suns and the Shuckers will play game three tomorrow night at 7:05PM, with the last-place Suns looking for an improbable series victory over the division leaders.

Florida State League Single-A (Advanced)

Jupiter Hammerheads (30-35)

According to an official news release from the St. Lucie Mets:

The St. Lucie Mets and Jupiter Hammerheads played 2.5 scoreless innings on Thursday before persistent rain cancelled their game.

Since it was the last meeting between the teams in the first half, the contest will not be made up.

Before rain halted the game, Ricky Knapp pitched three scoreless innings and Amed Rosario doubled. The stats from the game won't count.

The Mets playoff hopes took a blow when first place Bradenton beat Fort Myers 6-2. The Marauders are 2.5 games up on the Mets with three games left in the first half. When the half resumes on Monday the Mets will need to sweep Palm Beach and hope Jupiter sweeps Bradenton. In any other scenario the Marauders win the South Division.

The season will resume next week after the FSL all-star festivities, slated for Saturday. The Hammerheads will take on the Bradenton Marauders on Monday at 6:30PM in the first game of a three-game series.

South Atlantic League (Class A)

Greensboro Grasshoppers (36-31)

The Grasshoppers won their fifth victory in their last six games with a 9-1 victory over the Rome Braves on Thursday night. The teams played four scoreless innings before Greensboro scored four times in the fifth, on two singles, a double, a walk, and an error. They would go on to score in the sixth, seventh, and eighth innings as well to drive the game out of reach of the hapless Rome squad. Center fielder Kyle Barrett knocked in a total of three RBI on two hits, while DH Angel Reyes and catcher Roy Morales also had two hits. Cody Poteet (3-5) earned his third win of the season and dropped his ERA to 2.43, striking out four and allowing just one run in five innings. Victor Delgado and Connor Bach, both new acquisitions, each pitched two scoreless innings. Here's the "sky-is-falling" recap from northwestgeorgianews.com

In roster moves yesterday, pitchers Jeff Kinley and LJ Brewster were moved down to the rookie-level GCL Marlins, pitcher Joseph Chavez was sent down to the Batavia Muckdogs. Additionally, the Hoppers activated center fielder Isael Soto and catcher Roy Morales from the seven-day disabled list.

The Grasshoppers will meet the Braves for the second game of the four-game series tomorrow night at 7PM. Chuck Weaver, who is 5-4 with a 2.59 ERA and a sparkling 1.006 WHIP.

New York-Penn League (Class-A Short Season)

Batavia Muckdogs (0-0)

Patrick O'Reilly Hovis will take the hill for the Muckdogs' opening day, a road matchup against the Auburn Doubledays. I'm not sure what he goes by, as I've seen him listed as Patrick and alternately as Riley, but his given name is, in fact, Patrick O'Reilly Hovis. Hovis was a ninth-round selection of the Marlins last season after having missed the 2015 campaign following Tommy John surgery. This will be his first professional start.

It’s always exciting to be back and to start your season after it’s been three months in Florida in extended spring training and now you get to come over here and get to play some real baseball under the lights. - Muckdogs manager Angel Espada

Dominican Summer League (Rookie)

DSL Marlins (2-8)

The Dominican Summer League Marlins jumped out to a 6-0 lead over the DSL Rays (1) with a run on two hits in the first and five runs on four hits, two stolen bases, and two wild pitches in the second. The Rays struck back with six runs combined between the third and fourth innings, then gave up two more runs to the Marlins in the eighth on a triple and a double. The Marlins couldn't make it stick, however, giving up seven runs in the bottom of the inning to fall behind by a 13-8 count. Four walks and a hit batsmen in the top of the ninth gave the Baby Fish two more runs, where the game ended with a 13-10 final score.

Catcher Luis Arcaya went three-for-six with two doubles and four RBI for the Marlins, while right fielder Mario Prenza, second baseman Diego Brito, and center fielder Wiklerman Rasquin also each finished with multiple hits. None of the three Marlins' pitchers were effective. Elkin Alcala gave up six earned runs in four innings, Edison Suriel walked four and gave up four hits in three scoreless innings, and Wandy Moya blew the save and earned the loss by giving up seven runs in the eighth inning.

The Marlins will host the Rays (1) again tomorrow morning at 10:30AM.