Fish Farm Report: April 17th

Triple-A

Pacific Coast League

New Orleans Baby Cakes 3, Omaha Storm Chasers 5

Today’s early game started at 11:05 local time, and was witnessed by 2,891 at the Omaha Storm Chasers’ (6-5) Werner Park just outside of Omaha, Nebraska.

Stephen Fife started for the Cakes (4-8) and surrendered three earned runs in 4.2 innings, but it could have been far worse. He walked two and gave up a total of nine hits, adding a wild pitch for good measure but leaving the game in the fifth with the score still tied. After Hunter Cervenka pitched 1.1 innings of perfect relief, ringing up two, Raudel Lazo (0-2, 3.86) took the loss, giving up two runs on four hits in two innings of work.

Most of New Orleans’ offense came from the top of the order, with all three runs, two out of the three RBI, and seven out of the Cakes’ nine hits belonging to the top three. Second baseman Steve Lombardazzi scored twice, going two-for-five, catcher Tomas Telis scored a run and collected three hits, and first baseman Brandon Barnes also had two hits, adding an RBI. Unfortunately, all of those hits were singles, and the rest of the team hit just .091 (two-for-22).

The Baby Cakes got on the board in the top of the fourth, when trailing by a 3-0 count benefitted from a Brandon Barnes RBI-single, a double steal with both Barnes and Telis advancing a base, and a Moises Sierra RBI-single to right field. They tied it up an inning later on another Barnes RBI single.

The Cakes’ doom was sealed after Lazo gave up a solo homer to Peter O’Brien in the seventh and a Garin Cecchini RBI-single in the eighth.

After getting outscored 14-to-6 over their three game series against the Chasers, winning just one-of-three, the Cakes will host the Iowa Cubs for four games starting tomorrow night at 7PM. For the official Baby Cakes recap, check this link, and here’s the box score, if that’s your thing.

Double-A

Southern League

Jacksonville Jumbo Shrimp 1, Pensacola Blue Wahoos 3

Dillon Peters was injured early, and took the loss by giving up two runs in the first 1.2 innings of the game on three hits. Tyler Mahle (3-0, 1.02) won for the Wahoos, striking out seven in five innings.

David Vidal collected a single and a double for the Shrimp, but only John Norwood hit safely otherwise, on a single. Jacksonville (or should I say Hack-sonville) is currently hitting just .223 on the season.

3,646 were in attendance at Blue Wahoos Stadium, which, by the way, is something that every baseball fan should check out if they happen to find themselves in Northwest Florida between April and August.

Advanced-A

Florida State League

Jupiter Hammerheads 1, Lakeland Flying Tigers 5

A pair of Flying Tiger (6-6) pitchers held the Hammerheads (5-7) to one unearned run on five hits in front of 1,133 at Joker Marchant Stadium on Monday night.

Cody Poteet started for Jupiter, allowing just one unearned run on one hit over five innings of work. His earned run average stands at a miniscule 0.56. Steven Farnworth, who allowed two runs on four hits in two relief innings, earned the loss.

Poteet, despite holding the Tigers hitless through 4.1 innings, was bettered by opposing starter A.J. Ladwig. Ladwig held Jupiter to an unearned run on three hits, with five strikouts to his credit. He also won the GameScore metric, 72-to-63 over Poteet.

No Hammerhead had more than one hit, and all five of those were singles. Brad Haynal had the lone RBI, knocking in Dustin Geiger with a second inning single to take a 1-0 lead that would last until the fifth inning.

Lakeland scored their first run in the bottom of the fifth after a fielding error by shortstop Adeiny Hechavarria and an RBI-double from Ben Verlander. Will Maddox delivered the coup-de-gras, with a two-RBI ground-rule double in the seventh inning.

Here’s your boxscore, if you would like to be slightly sad about the Hammerheads complete lack of offense. Scott Squier (0-1, 2.00) will take the hill for Jupiter tomorrow night at 6:30, opposite Lakeland’s Spencer Turnbull (0-1, 6.75).

Single-A

South Atlantic League

Greensboro Grasshoppers 5, Delmarva Shorebirds 9

Dalton Wheat led the Grasshoppers on Monday night with three hits, and Jarrett Rindfleisch hit his second round-tripper of the season in defeat.

There were 1,315 Delmarvipudlians on hand to witness their hometown Shorebirds in victory, although I’d be hard-pressed to describe what else there could possibly be to do in Delaware (see below), but I digress. Jordan Holloway started for Greensboro, and whiffed seven in five innings. He also allowed four runs on seven hits and two walks for a 41 GameScore. Travis Neubeck (0-1, 12.86) earned the loss by giving up seven hits and a walk in just 1.1 innings, good for four Delmarva runs.

Offensively, Greensboro dealt most of their damage in the fourth on a Wheat single, an error by opposing center fielder Ryan McKenna, a Branden Berry RBI-single, a Boo Vazquez single, a successful sacrifice bunt from Rindfleisch, and a Corey Bird RBI-single. Rindfleisch added a solo shot in the sixth, and Aaron Knapp scored in the seventh on a missed catch by Tigers first baseman Collin Woody.

Are you a glutton for punishment? Then check out the smug looking boxscore. I know I’m anthropomorphizing for a webpage.

Tomorrow, Alejandro Mateo (0-1, 7.45) will get a turn for the ‘hoppers against Delmarva’s Matthias Dietz (0-1, 15.88), starting at 7:05PM.

Prospect Watch

#3 Brian Anderson went 0-for-2 with two walks for Jacksonville.
#5 Dillon Peters went down with an injury. I’m unsure of the severity, but stay tuned. He lost and allowed one earned run in 1.2 innings for the Shrimp.
#8 Stone Garrett went 0-for-4 with two strikeouts.
#14 Cody Poteet allowed one hit in five innings for Jupiter.
#26 Justin Twine went 1-for-5 with a whiff for Greensboro.
#27 John Norwood went 1-for-4 with a K for the Shrimp.
#30 Yefri Perez went 0-for-4 with three strikeouts, and is hitting .122 this season.