Link Report for Sat. 8/9 - Hobbs and Damien: Manatee Twinbill Shutout Mastery

[bkrause2]

Final: Clearwater 0, Brevard County 1 (Game One)

 

Johnson two-hits Clearwater, as 'Tees win 1-0

Hobbs Johnson tosses his first career complete game in two-hit shutout

By Justin Rocke / Brevard County Manatees

 

VIERA, Fla. - Brevard County Manatees starter Hobbs Johnson carried a no-hitter into the sixth and finished the evening with a two-hit shutout in a 1-0 victory over the Clearwater Threshers in game one of Saturday's doubleheader at Space Coast Stadium.

 

After rain delayed the start of the game by an hour and 42 minutes, Johnson (11-7, 2.86 ERA) struggled with his control early. He walked three batters in the first three innings; however, thanks to a pickoff and a double play ball he only faced one over the minimum.

 

Brevard's (22-23 second half, 58-53 overall) southpaw then went on a tear. After a leadoff walk in the third, Johnson retired 10 in-a-row before he yielded his first hit of the game.

 

With one out in the top of the sixth, Johnson left a pitch over the plate and Anthony Phillips slapped it into center field for a base-hit.

 

Coincidentally, the first hit Johnson allowed came at the same point of the game Mike Strong surrendered his first hit when he carried a perfect game into the sixth in game two of a doubleheader on Wednesday night in Tampa.

 

Johnson's complete game shutout was also the first thrown by a Manatee pitcher since Damien Magnifico - Saturday's game two starter - tossed a nine-inning, complete game, two-hit shutout in Jupiter on May 19.

 

The Threshers (21-28, 38-79) would tally a second hit - a two out single by Brian Pointer in the seventh - but that was all. Johnson induced the next hitter - Harold Martinez - to ground into a game ending fielder's choice to short to complete his first career complete game.

 

A 14th round draft pick out of North Carolina a year ago, Johnson finished his complete game with two hits and three walks allowed while striking out five.

 

In the process, Johnson tied teammate Tyler Wagner and Bradenton's Chad Kuhl for the most wins in the Florida State League with 11.

 

Brevard pushed across the only run they would need against Clearwater starter Colin Kleven (5-9, 4.48) in the bottom of the third.

 

Garrett Cooper started the frame with a bizarre double. On the first pitch of the inning, he popped a ball up into shallow right field. Second baseman Angelo Mora went out, while right fielder Brian Pointer came in. Neither took charge and stared at each other, as the ball plopped in between them. Cooper hustled all the way and ended up at second base.

 

The next batter - Brandon Macias - followed with a single to left, but ran into trouble on the base paths. With the throw in from Brandon Short headed towards the plate, Macias broke for second.

 

First baseman Art Charles cut off the ball and threw on to second base to put the former Kansas Jayhawk in a run down. Macias was tagged out heading back to first base for the first out of the inning.

 

Nathan Orf then came through with the biggest hit of game one. On a 1-2 pitch, the Manatees' lead-off hitter smacked a single into right field. Cooper came across to score to give Brevard the lead, 1-0.

 

That was the only run Kleven would allow. The Clearwater righty would toss a complete game of his own, as he yielded five hits, walked three and struck out six over six innings.

 

Of the five hits allowed Kleven, two were for extra bases. Besides Cooper's third inning double, Tyrone Taylor clocked his FSL-best 36th double of the year in the sixth inning.

 

Brevard County Box Score

 

Brevard County Play-By-Play

 

Final: Clearwater 0, Brevard County 7 (Game Two)

 

Magnifico blanks Threshers in 'Tees 7-0 victory

Damien Magnifico records five-hit shutout in doubleheader sweep

By Justin Rocke / Brevard County Manatees

 

VIERA, Fla. - Not to be outdone, Brevard County Manatees starter Damien Magnifico followed up Hobbs Johnson's complete game shutout with one of his own in a 7-0 victory over the Clearwater Threshers in game two of Saturday's doubleheader.

 

Magnifico (8-6, 3.74 ERA) dominated, as he recorded his second complete game shutout of the season. The first came on May 19 in a 1-0 victory over the Jupiter Hammerheads at Roger Dean Stadium.

 

Brevard's (23-23 second half, 59-53 overall) right-hander was not as sharp as his counterpart, Johnson, but was equally as effective. Magnifico allowed five hits, but tied a career-high with seven punch outs. The Texas native also walked three in the shutout.

 

Unlike Johnson, Magnifico had a big lead to work with, as Brevard County's offense scored in each of the first four innings.

 

The rally started right away. Nathan Orf was hit by a pitch and Orlando Arcia singled to left to start the bottom of the first, which put instant pressure on the Threshers (21-29, 38-80) starter Nic Hanson (0-2, 12.00).

 

After an out was recorded, Michael Reed singled to right to drive home Orf and give the Manatees the early lead, 1-0.

 

The former fifth-round picked was the catalyst for the second run too. When Reed broke to steal second base, Arcia sprinted towards home.

 

Reed was tagged out, but the double was a success. Arcia scored without a throw and the 'Tees led, 2-0.

 

In the second, Orf came through again. After Mike Garza's lead-off single was erased on a double play, Greg Hopkins walked and Jose Sermo singled.

 

On a 1-0 pitch, Orf sliced a ball into right-center field. With both runners going on contact, Hopkins and Sermo were able to race around and score to push the Manatees advantage to 4-0.

 

For the rest of the game, Brevard County's offense came from Victor Roache.

 

Against Threshers reliever Lino Martinez in the third, Roache demolished a ball to deep left field. The ball caromed off an umbrella out on the berm for a solo home run.

 

The blast was Roache's team-leading 14th home run of the year to give the Manatees a five-run cushion.

 

Milwaukee's first-round pick in 2012 brought home two more runs in the fourth. With the bases loaded and the count full, Roache fought off a pitch into shallow right field.

 

The power-hitting left fielder was able to dunk the ball in over the head of the second baseman Anthony Phillips. Two runs came across to score and Brevard was in front, 7-0.

 

With another base-knock in the sixth, Roache led the 'Tees with three hits, which tied a season-high. He also finished the evening with three RBI, one shy of another season-high.

 

Hanson took the loss for Clearwater in his second start with the Advanced-A club. The right-hander allowed four of the seven runs on five hits. He walked two and struck out one in defeat.

 

Thanks to the doubleheader sweep, Brevard is now four games back of Daytona for first place in the Florida State League North Division. The Manatees are also just one game back of Tampa for second.

 

Brevard County will go for the series victory over Clearwater tomorrow with first pitch at Space Coast Stadium scheduled for 5:05 p.m. Jorge Lopez (8-7, 4.03) will get the start for the Manatees. Fellow right-hander Miguel Nunez (5-7, 4.26) gets the call for the Threshers.

 

Brevard County Box Score

 

Brevard County Play-By-Play

[Mass Haas]

Brevard County --

 

AUDIO: Starting pitcher Taylor Williams chats with Justin Rocke about coming to Brevard County after his fantastic season-to-date at Wisconsin

 

AUDIO: Catcher Parker Berberet joins Justin Rocke on the Manatees Pregame Show

 

AUDIO, Game Highlights: Behind Hobbs Johnson's two-hit shutout, the Manatees win, 1-0

 

AUDIO, Game Highlights: Damien Magnifico throws a complete game shutout in a 7-0 'Tees victory

[Mass Haas]

You heard earlier this week, now watch --

 

VIDEO: Nashville's Matt Clark belts a two-run walk-off homer as the Sounds top Round Rock in the first game of Thursday's doubleheader, 4-2

 

VIDEO: Nashville's Logan Schafer hits a two-run single as the Sounds top Round Rock, 2-1 in Thursday's nightcap

[Mass Haas]

Manatees' Johnson hurls two-hit shutout

Brewers prospect fans five en route to first career complete game

By Josh Jackson / MiLB.com

 

http://www.milb.com/assets/images/8/6/0/88836860/cuts/13900952236_83380bf9fc_k_v6fsxga2_7q6n3vi7.jpg

 

With 11 wins, Hobbs Johnson is a three-way tie for the Florida State League lead. (Cliff Welch/MiLB.com)

 

Hobbs Johnson has had plenty of success this year, so he saw no reason to change anything coming into his outing on Saturday.

 

"I had the same approach I have every start: just try to throw the fastball down and in and out and locate my off-speed stuff," he said.

 

The Brewers prospect threw his first career complete game as Class A Advanced Brevard County blanked Clearwater, 1-0, in the first game of a doubleheader.

 

Johnson (11-7) carried a no-hitter into the sixth of the seven-inning game and ended up allowing a pair of singles and three walks while striking out five. He shares the Florida State League lead in wins and ranks ninth with a 2.86 ERA.

 

With one out in the first, Johnson issued his first walk to Angelo Mora, but he immediately got a boost from catcher Cameron Garfield.

 

"It was a 3-2 count, a good running count, and Garfield gave a sign that he was probably going to be going," Johnson said. "I turned and threw over and we got him. That was so great. It was a huge lift to be able to erase [the walk] and start over."

 

The 23-year-old left-hander found himself in a similar situation in the second when Brian Pointer worked a one-out walk, but he got Harold Martinez to hit into an inning-ending double play.

 

"Early on in the game, I was struggling command-wise, so it was nice to have that work out for me," he said.

 

After walking Art Charles to start the third, Johnson was through giving out free passes.

 

"It all starts clicking after the third inning. I'd been off mechanically, leaving it up a bit and not being able to locate the inside fastball, so it's frustrating not to be able to do that," the University of North Carolina product said.

 

He retired 10 in a row, fanning two in the fourth and striking out the side in the fifth. During that stretch, the idea of a no-hitter crept into Johnson's mind.

 

"A little bit, I guess," he said. "It wasn't affecting me one way or another, though."

 

Those thoughts came to an end when Anthony Phillips lined a one-out single to center in the sixth.

 

"I was frustrated, not so much because it was the hit but because the pitch called for was an inside fastball and I missed over the plate," Johnson said. "He hit a mistake, so that frustrated me. But that's part of the game."

 

Pointer got the Threshers' other hit with a two-out single in the seventh.

 

"I made a decent pitch and [Pointer] just put a good swing on it," Johnson said. "In that situation, there's not much you can do but get the next guy."

 

He did, retiring Martinez on a grounder to shortstop.

 

The Manatees scored the game's lone run in the third as Garrett Cooper led off with a double, took third on a single by Brandon Macias and came home on a base hit by Nathan Orf. Second-ranked Brewers prospect Tyrone Taylor also doubled for Brevard County.

 

Damien Magnifico (8-6) also threw a complete-game shutout in the nightcap, giving up five hits and three walks while fanning seven.

 

"It was awesome," Johnson said. "He went out there and pitched his butt off. He was really good."

[Mass Haas]

From Friday's Game --

 

VIDEO: Hector Gimenez hits a double in Huntsville's 5-2 win at Birmingham

[Mass Haas]

Adjustments are a constant in Rattlers ever-changing world

Tim Froberg, Post-Crescent

 

Everyone I talk to lately seems to disappear...

[Mass Haas]

AUDIO: Chris Mehring interviews RHP Preston Gainey the day after his stellar outing this week

[Mass Haas]

Turns out there was a Gonzaga connection for Steven Halcomb's big Timber Rattlers night.

[Mass Haas]

Ogden players and management comment on the Helena three-error comedy play detailed earlier.