Bunts and Balks (7/18)

The Lehigh Valley IronPigs (AAA) swept their Saturday doubleheader from the Rochester Red Wings, winning 7-5, and 6-3. The FeHogs have boldly ventured where no FeHog has ever ventured before: Third Place! Their sweep-ensuring strategy? Score six runs in each fourth inning, and allow less than six runs in each game.
In the opener, FeHogs' starter Gustavo Chacin surrendered five runs in five and one-third innings (six hits, two walks/one strikeout, two HR allowed), but the FeHogs scored seven runs, and the game lasted only seven innings, so Chacin received his fourth win. Jack Taschner picked up save with a scoreless seventh inning, a crisp twenty-three pitch/twelve-strike outing.
In the second game, IronPigs' starter Carlos Carrasco permitted three runs, over six, mostly strong, innings. He allowed two home runs, scoring all three of the runs, but only six total hits (zero walks/eight strikeouts!).
Michael Taylor went 2 for 4, including his first AAA home run. Expect to see him on the postseason roster. For the parent club.
Drew Carpenter will try to get the FeHogs back to .500, tonight at 5:35pm. Tune in!

The Reading Phillies (AA) were pounded by the New Britain Rock Cats, 11-3. The R-Phils have had no luck with the Rock Cats this season. Six losses for the R-Phils. A .349 avg. for the Rock Cats. To put things into a useful context, the Rock Cats, at least when playing the R-Phils, are the Sea Cows of the Eastern League.
R-Phils starter Joe Savery lost for only the second time (in fourteen decisions), surrendering six runs in five innings (eight hits, five walks (!)/five strikeouts, one HR allowed), and increasing his ERA to 3.83. (The R-Phils had Yohan Flande, Kyle Drabek, and Joe Savery lined up to start the Stone Felines' series, and still couldn't pick up a victory.)
Tyson Brummett pitched an inning in relief, allowing a run, and boosting his ERA to 4.96. After losing his rotation spot to Flande, Brummett remains in danger of losing his roster spot to Crazy Hot Dog Vendor.

(Tom McCarthy-esque Transition Alert!)
In Crazy Hot Dog Vendor News, today is Crazy Hot Dog Vendor Bank Day! So, we've got a grudge match against the Pestiferously Heinous Rock Cats, CHDV banks, Dollar Hot Dogs, Postgame Kids Run the Bases, and Mike Stutes on the mound. There is no way this game doesn't sell out.

The Clearwater Threshers lost to the Sarasota Reds, 4-3, in twelve (not-long) innings. (The twelve innings only took three hours and twenty-three minutes to play.)
A tough loss, but let's look at some positives, and focus on process over results:
-the Threshers did not play the Brevard County Manatees (i.e. Sea Cows of Doom)
-Dominic Brown and Freddy Galvis are back in the lineup
-Steve Susdorf had two more hits (though the 2 for 5 night lowered his avg. to only .414)
-Northpaw Drew Naylor had a superb start: seven innings, two runs (one earned), six hits, zero walks/one strikeout, one HR allowed
-Drew Naylor's middle name is "Roy", meaning the number of syllables in his first and middle names sums to the number of syllables in his surname. (Phillies' great James Paul Bunning also could make that claim.)
-Carlos Monasterios pitched two scoreless innings, followed by Michael Schwimmer, who threw two scoreless frames (no hits, no walks, five whiffs!) of his own
-the Threshers don't face the Pernicious Sea Cows again, until August 25th