On the Farm: Mariners minor league report for April 23
Recaps for the Seattle Mariners top affiliates for Thursday night provided by team releases.
Tacoma (AAA) 5, Albuquerque 3
ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. – A big first inning lifted the Tacoma Rainiers (10-6) to their third straight victory on Saturday night, a 5-3 decision over the Albuquerque Isotopes (7-10) at Isotopes Ballpark.
Tacoma starting pitcher Christian Bergman (3-0) earned the win after working 6 1/3 innings and allowing two runs on eight hits. He walked two and struck out three.
The Rainiers rocketed out to an early 4-0 lead in the top of the first inning on run-scoring singles from Daniel Vogelbach, Ben Gamel, and third baseman D.J. Peterson.
In the fifth, Tuffy Gosewisch lifted a sacrifice fly into right to score Dario Pizzano and extend Tacoma‘s lead to 5-2.
Dean Kiekhefer (one inning) and Casey Fien (1 2/3 innings) limited the Isotopes to just one run on three hits out of the Rainiers bullpen. Fien earned his first save of the season.
The Rainiers and Isotopes send a pair of righties to the mound in Sam Gaviglio (0-2, 3.38) and Zach Jemiola (1-1, 9.53) as the series continues on Sunday at 12:35 p.m.
Arkansas (AA) 6, Springfield 4
NORTH LITTLE ROCK, Ark. – For the second straight night the Arkansas Travelers (8-7) built a big early lead, saw it disappear but then rallied to win. Saturday night it was a 6-4 victory over the Springfield Cardinals (8-7) in front of 6,492 at Dickey-Stephens Park.
Rehabbing big leaguer Jean Segura played six innings at shortstop and was 1 for 3 at the plate. He is expected to play shortstop again on Sunday.
The Travs opened the game with a four-run first inning thanks to a pair of two out, two run base hits from Jay Baum and Kyle Petty. Springfield chipped away to tie the score at four. That set the stage though for another exciting finish.
Chuck Taylor was the hero for the second night in a row. After hitting the go-ahead home run Friday night, Taylor delivered a two-out RBI single to score Joey Wong in the seventh. Kyle Waldrop added an exclamation point in the eighth with his second homer of the year.
Thyago Vieira (1-1) picked up the win after striking out five over two innings and stranding the tying and go-ahead runs on base in the eighth. Zac Curtis pitched a perfect ninth with two strikeouts for his second save.
Jay Baum paced the offense with a 3 for 4 night including a run scored and two batted in.
The Travs and Cards close out their series tomorrow afternoon with a 2:10 p.m. first pitch. RHP Andrew Moore (1-0, 0.47) starts for Arkansas against RHP Jack Flaherty (3-0, 0.42) for Springfield.
Modesto (High-A) 12, Visalia 4
VISALIA, Calif. – Three homers propelled the Modesto Nuts to a 12-4 rout of the Visalia Rawhide on Saturday night at Recreation Park.
The win is the Nuts’ (10-6) third straight, matching their longest winning streak of the year. They are now four games over .500, which is a season-high. The Nuts are the first Cal-League team to 10 wins. And the Nuts are now by themselves in first place in the North Division.
Joey Curletta plated the first of four runs in the fourth when he whacked a RBI single. Donnie Walton put his mark on the fourth when he launched a three-run blast to give the Nuts their first lead.
Immediately in the fifth, the Nuts doubled their lead with another four runs. Eric Filia smacked a RBI double. Braden Bishop followed with a RBI single. Bishop finished 3 for 5 to extend his hitting streak to 14 games. Curletta capped the inning with a two-run homer.
Gianfranco Wawoe capped the scoring for the Nuts with a grand slam in the seventh. Wawoe went 2 for 5 and extended his hitting streak to eleven games.
Nick Neidert started for the Nuts. He work five innings and surrendered two run with four strikeouts and just one walk.
Kody Kerski (W, 1-1) earned the win out of the bullpen with two scoreless frames and five strikeouts. Joe Pistorese tossed two perfect innings out of the bullpen with three K’s.
The Nuts go for the seep in the finale of the three-game series against the Visalia Rawhide on Sunday afternoon at 1:00 p.m.
Clinton (Low-A) 6, Quad Cities 1
DAVENPORT, Iowa – In a Saturday matinee at Modern Woodmen Park the Clinton LumberKings set a new season-high for hits, 13, in a 6-1 win over the Quad Cities River Bandits. The win is just the second of the year for the LumberKings (7-9) away from Ashford University field.
In the first game in nearly a week of baseball the River Bandits (9-7) failed to go deep for a home run.
Clinton starter Ljay Newsome (3-1) allowed very little following the first inning. The righty turned in his second straight quality start to register his third consecutive win.
In the top of the fourth inning, the LumberKings gave Newsome a lead he would not relinquish. Dimas Ojeda singled to right center with men on second and third base to score two and give the LumberKings a 2-1 lead. Ojeda went 3 for 4 on the day, joining Luis Rengifo, Conner Hale, and Gareth Morgan as LumberKings with multiple hits.
Clinton added to their lead with a run in the top of the sixth, two runs in the top of the seventh, and a single run in the top of the eighth inning.
In the top of the seventh, Clinton recorded their first and only extra base hits of the game. Hale lead off the inning with his first triple of the year, and was followed by a Morgan RBI double to right center field. Johmbeyker Morales capped the rally with a sacrifice fly to right for his first RBI of the season.
The LumberKings will play fourth and final game of their series with the Quad Cities River Bandits Sunday afternoon. LHP Danny Garica (1-1, 2.45) will get the start for Clinton and face Quad Cities RHP Jorge Alcala (1-0, 1.86).