Three wins and a tough ten-inning loss.  Lehigh Valley and Clearwater took different routes to one-run victories.  Reading won comfortably.  And Jersey Shore was shut out in ten.  There was some solid pitching and strong individual hitting.

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Lehigh Valley (4-4) beat Durham, 3-2.  David Buchanan pitched 8.0 innings.  He allowed 2 ER on 5 hits.  He walked none and struck out four.  Jose Ruiz picked up his second save with a clean inning including 2 K.  

The IronPigs tied the score with a run in the second inning.  Jordan Luplow led off with a double.  He moved to third on a ground out and scored on an RBI double by David Dahl.  They took the lead with a run in the fourth.  Luplow reached with a one-out double and scored on Nick Podkul’s two-out RBI single.  They tacked on a run in the sixth.  Kody Clemens led off with a double, went to third on a balk, Luplow was hit by a pitch, and Clemens scored on Darick Hall’s sac fly.

Clemens went 2-4 with a R, 2B.  Luplow (.455) went 2-3 with 2 R, 2B, SB. Dahl went 2-3 with an RBI.

#2 Mick Abel – DNP

#6 Orion Kerkering – DNP

#11 Griff McGarry – DNP

#19 Simon Muzziotti – DNP

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Reading (3-2) beat Portland, 5-1.  Aussie Lachlan Wells went 5.0 innings allowing a solo HR and one other hit with 2 walks and 1 strikeout.  Zach Haake pitched 2.0 innings and allowed 2 hits, a walk, and struck out three.  Tristan Garnett walked one and struck out two in one inning.  Tommy McCollum mopped up with one scoreless inning that included a walk, hit, and K.

Reading was retired in order each of the first three innings.  They took the lead with a 4-run fifth.  Carson Taylor led off with a double but ran into an out at third on William Simoneit’s ground ball to shortstop.  Simoneit scored on Bryce Ball’s RBI double to right.  Robert Moore walked.  Jose Rodriguez lined an RBI double to left to take the lead.  After a pitching change, Marcus Lee Sang walked to load the bases.  Moore and Rodriguez scored on a wild pitch and a subsequent throwing error by the Portland catcher.  They added a run in the eighth.  Gabriel Rincones led off with a double.  with one out, he stole third and scored on Carson Taylor’s RBI single.  Taylor went 2-4 with a 2B, RBI.

#1 Andrew Painter – rehabbing from TJ surgery

#10 Gabriel Rincones – went 1-4 with a R, 2B, SB

#13 Carlos De La Cruz went 0-4

#16 Christian McGowan – development list

#21 Caleb Ricketts – DNP

#26 Robert Moore – 1-2 with a R, BB

#28 Jose Rodriguez – went 3-4 with a R, 2B, RBI

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Jersey Shore (3-2) lost to Hickory, 1-0 in ten innings.  Eiberson Castellano pitched 5.0 scoreless innings allowing just 2 hits.  He walked none and struck out six.  Jonathan Petit tossed a scoreless inning, no hits, one walk, and 2 K.  Wesley Moore pitched a clean inning striking out one.  Gunner Mayer pitched 2.0 clean innings striking out four.  Danny Wilkinson suffered the loss in OT getting two outs, striking out one before allowing a walk off single.  The BlueClaws collected just 4 singles in the game.

#4 Justin Crawford – went 1-4

#8 Bryan Rincon – went 1-4

#12 William Bergolla – went 0-4, SB (2)

#14 Pan Wen-hui is on the IL

#17 Emaarion Boyd – went 1-4

#23 Hendry Mendez – went 0-3 with a BB

#24 Samuel Aldegheri – DNP

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Clearwater (3-2) came back to beat Fort Myers, 8-7.  Micah Ottenbreit made his first real start since April 2022.  He made a couple of short rehab starts in the FCL in 2023 but suffered a setback.  Tonight marked his return to the mound.  Ottenbreit made 71 pitches, 40 for strikes.  He lasted 3.2 innings and left with a lead and two runners on base.  His fastball was 92-93 mph in the early going but had dropped in the fourth inning with none going above 92 mph.  His offspeed pitches had lively movement but his location was less than perfect.  First game back, I expect rapid improvement and a probable push to Jersey Shore later this season.  Brandon Beckel stranded both runners.  He went 1.1 scoreless innings allowing a walk.  Jose Pena pitched 2.0 innings.  He pitched a clean sixth but gave up 5 runs on a 3-run and 2-run HRs in the seventh.  Both came on sliders in a right-handed batter’s sweet spot.  Hunter Loyd gave up a run in his inning.  He allowed 2 hits and 2 walks with a strikeout.  As is often the case, he got the win and Cristian Hernandez got the save with a clean ninth that included a K.

The Threshers squandered a scoring opportunity in the first inning.  Trent Farquhar led off with a double.  Aidan Miller followed with a sharp single to CF.  Farquhar was held at third and the ever-aggressive Miller was caught going to second when the throw missed the cutoff man.  However, the catcher threw a seed to the SS at second base.  Farquhar was stranded at third by the next two batters.  The Threshers broke through in the third.  Farquhar singled with one out.  He scored on Miller’s RBI double.  After a pop up to the SS in shallow LF toward the foul line, Miller alertly stole third with the base open and no one having called time.  He scored on Jordan Viars’ RBI single.  The Threshers added 3 runs in the fifth.  Nikau Pouaka-Grego led off with a double.  He scored on Luis Caicuto’s RBI ground-rule double.  He scored on Farquhar’s RBI triple.  And, he scored on Miller’s sac fly.  This 5-1 lead didn’t last and they entered the eighth trailing by two.  After two quick outs, Dakota Kotowski was HBP.  Pouaka-Grego drew a walk and was replaced by Devin Saltiban on the bases.  Luis Caicuto tied the game with a 2-run double.  He scored the go-ahead run on Trent Farquhar’s RBI single.

Ottenbreit’s line was 3.2 IP,3 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 2 BB, 5 K.  He started the game striking out the side in the first.  Trent Farquhar (.500) went 4-5 with 2 R, 2B, 3B, 2 RBI, SB.  Luis Caicuto (.444) went 2-3 with 2 R, 2 2B, 3 RBI, BB.

#3 Aidan Miller – 2-3 with a R, 2B, 2 RBI, BB, SF, 2 SB (4)

#7 Devin Saltiban – pinch runner/second base, run scored

#15 Alex McFarlane – DNP

#18 TJayy Walton – DNP

#20 Raylin Heredia – 1-3 with a BB

#22 Kehden Hettiger – DNP

#29 George Klassen – DNP

#30 Nikau Pouaka-Grego – went 1-3 with a R, 2B, BB

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Gameday Link for Lehigh Valley.

Gameday Link for Reading.

Gameday Link for Jersey Shore.

Gameday Link for Clearwater.

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Other Prospects:

#5 Starlyn Caba, Rookie Level

#9 Eduardo Tait, Rookie Level

#25 Alexis De La Cruz, Rookie Level

#27 Jalvin Arias, Rookie Level

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Transactions

4/10/2024 – Lehigh Valley activated LHP David Parkinson