Link Report for Sat. 8/10 -- Wisconsin a Shutout Win, but Maryvale Steals the Spotlight

[Mass Haas]

Here's the obligatory MiLB.com feature story on the Blue Jays' farmhand cycle vs. Brevard

 

The native of the Dominican Republic fared much better in the Midwest League, hitting .292 with a .737 OPS for Lansing. The adjustment to a higher level has been slow for the free-swinger. Pierre has struck out 105 times across the two levels while drawing only four walks.

 

Yikes.

[battlekow]

Final: @Billings 3, Helena 2

 

Moran pitches Mustangs past Helena

Greg Rachac/Billings Gazette

 

Luke Moran’s baseball life has been about work, whether it’s fighting through a bases-loaded, one-out jam or trudging through arduous rehabilitation of elbow surgery.

 

True to form, Moran overcame a number of obstacles Saturday night to pitch the Mustangs to just their fifth home victory of the season, a 3-2 triumph over Helena at Dehler Park. It was Moran’s first victory since he beat Missoula on July 2, and stretched his record to 3-2.

 

The right-hander from Cypress, Texas, was forced to wiggle out of trouble in the opening two innings — a two-out, no-on jam in the first and the aforementioned bases-loaded situation in the second. But he came through unscathed.

 

In all, Moran stranded six Helena runners on base to finish with five shutout innings. He allowed six hits while striking out six and walking one.

 

“I threw my slider a little bit earlier (in the count) than I wanted to today, just because I had baserunners on and I didn’t want them to score,” he explained. “But I located the fastball down-and-away and high-and-in, and I mixed it up well.”

 

Moran paid his dues to get to where he is now. A pitcher who underwent Tommy John surgery on his right elbow after his junior year of high school, Moran was drafted by the Milwaukee Brewers in 2010, but decided to attend the University of Houston.

 

He eventually landed at Grayson County College in Dennison, Texas, from where Cincinnati drafted him in the 14th round in 2012. Moran spent last season in the Arizona League, which was a prelude to this, his first full professional season.

 

“The beginning of the season was a little rough. My arm was a little sore, just because we’ve been going since March (at spring training),” Moran said. “It’s been a long year. But now I’m starting to get over the hump and I’m feeling a lot better.”

 

After Saturday’s outing, Moran now leads the Mustangs’ pitching staff in innings (51), and he lowered his ERA to 3.88 in 10 starts.

 

“The thing I like about him is that he’s very calm out there. Nothing seems to bother him,” manager Pat Kelly said of Moran. “He’s not afraid to pitch to contact. He’s going to give up some hits, but he’s also going to get a lot of outs by doing that. His composure is outstanding, especially for this level.”

 

Game rewind

 

It was a strange night all the way around for Mustangs infielder Avain Rachal.

 

In the second inning, Rachal thought he had homered over the right-field wall, but the ball had instead caromed off a white Applebee’s advertisement, which caused Rachal to lose sight of it. Thinking the ball had left the yard, Rachal rounded second base in a full home run trot, but quickly had to slide back to avoid being tagged out once he realized his mistake.

 

“I was yelling at him, and we finally got his attention before he got too far off second base,” Kelly laughed.

 

Rachal made a couple strong plays at third base, but was also charged with his team-high 10th fielding error. Rachal later left the game as a precaution after he tweaked his knee sliding into third base.

 

The Mustangs took their first lead of the homestand on a sacrifice fly by Ronald Bueno in the fifth. They eventually stretched the lead to 3-0 when both Adam Matthews and Jon Matthews scored on separate wild pitches.

 

Helena got on the board in the eighth when Nathan Orf hit an RBI single, and closed the gap further when Omar Garcia scored on a two-out error by Ty Washington in the ninth. But Mustangs reliever Austin Muehring closed it out by getting Adam Giacolone to pop out and end the team's four-game losing streak.

 

Notes

 

The save was Muehring’s third of the season, which puts him one behind Joe Mantoni for the team lead. Mantoni is currently out with a shoulder injury. … Nick Benedetto made a stellar catch against the wall in deep left field to rob Helena’s Renaldo Jenkins of extra bases in the seventh. … The Mustangs, in search of back-to-back wins for the first time since early July, send RHP Austin Salter (1-0, 2.67) to the mound Sunday to face Helena’s Eduard Reyes (2-3, 5.84).

 

Helena box score

Garcia had a great game, three hits and a walk. Giacalone, Orf, and Ruben Ozuna had two hits apiece. The Brewers were 2-16 with RISP.

 

Starter David Otterman continued his untenable K/BB, walking four and striking out just one in four innings, but he managed to keep the Mustangs off the board. Billings' first two runs came off Danny Keller, who also continues to post upside-down K/BBs (1/2 today in two innings).

 

Helena play-by-play

The first two innings set the tone offensively:

 

Helena Top of the 1st

• Omar Garcia singles on a bunt ground ball to third baseman Avain Rachal.
  
• Dionis Hinojosa singles on a line drive to right fielder Adam Matthews. Omar Garcia to 3rd.
  
• Michael Ratterree pops out to catcher Daniel Paula in foul territory. Dionis Hinojosa to 2nd.
  
• Adam Giacalone strikes out swinging.
  
• Dustin Houle grounds out, third baseman Avain Rachal to first baseman Jhimmy Lopez.

 

Helena Top of the 2nd

• Taylor Brennan walks.
  
• Nathan Orf singles on a line drive to right fielder Adam Matthews. Taylor Brennan to 2nd.
  
• Renaldo Jenkins flies out to left fielder Nick Benedetto.
  
• Ruben Ozuna singles on a ground ball to shortstop Ronald Bueno. Taylor Brennan to 3rd. Nathan Orf to 2nd.
  
• Omar Garcia strikes out swinging.
  
• Dionis Hinojosa grounds out, third baseman Avain Rachal to first baseman Jhimmy Lopez.

[Mass Haas]

An example of the daily tidbits you learn when you follow Helena's Steve Wendt on Twitter

[Mass Haas]

Final: @AZL Brewers 8, AZL Dodgers 5

 

AZL Brewers Box Score

 

The Dodgers' CF is Jaylen Harris, not to be confused with Helena 1B Jalen Harris. They'll end up on a field together somewhere in a year or two.

 

Hey, Clint Coulter, have a night! Single shy of the cycle. Reached on an error by the shortstop his first AB. C'mon Mr. Official Scorer!

 

Hey Jose Sermo, have a night! After a leg injury sidelined him way back in May with the Timber Rattlers, Sermo announced to his followers pre-game that he was back, and then this happened:

 

AZL Brewers Bottom of the 1st

 

Johnny Davis called out on strikes.

Tucker Neuhaus called out on strikes.

Jose Sermo homers (1) on a fly ball to right field.

Clint Coulter reaches on a fielding error by shortstop Cristian Gomez.

David Denson strikes out swinging.

 

My goodness, Elvis Rubio. Just turned 19 years old, with awesome size (6'3", 215), the RH bat just continues to amaze - OPS at .964. Nine-game hitting streak now. Tossed in a SB last night. Genuinely excited.

 

Two doubles for Tucker Neuhaus? Nice.

 

Of course, it's David Denson who draws the team's only walk.

 

Luis Aviles was 2-for-2 after coming in for Sermo.

 

AZL Brewers Game Log

 

RHP's Milton Gomez, Scott Lieser, and Jorge Ortega combined to fan 14 and walk just one.

 

Four-spot breaks a 4-4 tie late:

 

AZL Brewers Bottom of the 8th

 

Pitching Change: Wascar Teodo replaces Bryan Munoz.

Tucker Neuhaus doubles (11) on a line drive to right fielder Theo Alexander.

Luis Aviles singles on a bunt ground ball to pitcher Wascar Teodo. Tucker Neuhaus to 3rd.

Clint Coulter triples (1) on a fly ball to center fielder Jaylen Harris. Tucker Neuhaus scores. Luis Aviles scores.

David Denson walks.

Elvis Rubio singles on a ground ball to third baseman Michael Ahmed. Clint Coulter scores. David Denson to 2nd.

Paul Eshleman flies out to center fielder Jaylen Harris. David Denson to 3rd.

Edgardo Rivera out on a sacrifice fly to center fielder Jaylen Harris. David Denson scores.

With Francisco Castillo batting, Elvis Rubio steals (3) 2nd base.

Francisco Castillo grounds out, pitcher Wascar Teodo to first baseman Cody Bellinger.

 

Great game!