Link Report for Tuesday 6/2

[Mass Haas]

Final: Fresno 5, Colorado Springs 1

 

Errors, Walks Hurt Sox In 5-1 Loss To Fresno

Taylor Jungmann goes 6.2 innings but five walks and four errors too much for Sox

By Ed Pearsall / Colorado Springs Sky Sox

 

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Donnie Murphy's fifth inning triple provided the Sox with their only extra-base hit of the night in Tuesday's 5-1 loss to Fresno.

 

COLORADO SPRINGS, CO - The Sky Sox could not overcome a two-run Fresno first in their 5-1 loss to the Grizzlies before a crowd a Tuesday night crowd of 5,952 at Security Service Field.

 

Sox Starter Taylor Jungmann (2-3, 6.37) would struggle early on, allowing two quick runs in a first inning that saw his first four batters faced reach base safely via two free passes and two base hits. The right-hander kept his composure however, keeping Fresno off the board over his next four frames to give his team the chance to get back in the ballgame.

 

Grizzlies left-hander Luis Cruz (2-2, 4.34) held the Sox offense scoreless through four innings in an impressive start. Colorado Springs would finally break through for their first run in the home fifth as Logan Schafer plated Donnie Murphy, who led off the inning with a triple to deep centerfield, with an RBI sacrifice fly. Pete Orr and Scooter Gennett would go down quietly to end the fifth still trailing 2-1.

 

Cruz would ultimately toss six innings of one-run ball, allowing six hits and a walk while striking out four.

 

The walk would once again hurt Jungmann as he ran into trouble in the sixth, allowing two runs on two walks and an Alex Presley one-out double to the left field corner. Fresno tacked on another run in the seventh after the Jungmann walked leadoff hitter Nolan Fontana before allowing a single to Robbie Grossman, who would reach third on a fielding error by Orr in left field. The miscue would prove costly as Fontana would come around to score his team's fifth run. Jungmann would get MLB.com's #1 prospect Carlos Correa to ground out to second before striking out Matt Duffy for the second out of the seventh. In fact, Jungmann would retire Correa in his final three at-bats, striking him out swinging twice.

 

Rick Sweet would pull his starter after allowing five runs (four earned) on five hits and five walks while striking out four over 6.2 innings of work. Michael Kirkman came on with a runner on third to retire power-hitting first baseman Jon Singleton on strikes, ending the inning and additional scoring threat.

 

Kirkman and the newly added Wirfin Obispo kept Fresno off the board over the game's final two innings to maintain a 5-1 score heading into the home ninth.

 

The Grizzlies bullpen trio of Tyson Perez, Richard Rodriguez and Jordan Jankowski would finish Cruz's strong effort with a combined three scoreless, one-hit innings as they struck out five along the way. Jankowski's 1-2-3 ninth secured the 5-1 series opening victory for the Grizzlies as the team improves to 30-22 on the season.

 

The Sox defense would make four total errors while the offense notched just one extra-base hit in the surprisingly flat effort, making it hard to believe that Colorado Springs outhit Fresno 7-6. The Sky Sox fall to 20-31 with the loss.

 

The Sky Sox will look to get back in the win column on Wednesday night as they take on this same Grizzlies team in the second game of the four-game set. Tyler Thornburg (1-2, 4.41) faces off with Fresno right-hander Brady Rodgers (2-3, 5.77) with first pitch set for 7:05 PM MDT (8:05 Central) at Security Service Field.

 

Colorado Springs Box Score

 

Yawn to Taylor Jungmann starts, pre-game, post-game, just so uninspiring more often than not...

 

Colorado Springs Game Log

[Mass Haas]

VIDEO, Colorado Springs Gazette article: Top baseball prospect Carlos Correa on display in Colorado Springs

[Mass Haas]

Oh joy, another matinee, with the Shuckers on the air at 10:45 AM -- look for a hustled-up Link Report kickoff just before air time...

[Mass Haas]

Tortugas Staff the Difference in 3-2 Win

By Jerry Durney / Brevard County Manatees

 

Daytona Beach, Fla. - In a game where the start was delayed by an hour and a half by rain, the Daytona Tortugas (32-20) would've been ready to start at any hour thanks to a collective effort by the pitching staff to earn a 3-2 win over the Brevard County Manatees (22-29) Wednesday night at Radiology Associates Field.

 

It would be the Manatees that opened the scoring in the top of the first inning, ignited by an Omar Garcia base hit to left and a Chris McFarland double off of the wall in right. Clint Coulter brought Garcia home on a groundout to third. Tortugas starting pitcher Jackson Stephens worked out of the jam by striking out Victor Roache and then getting Taylor Brennan to ground out to third.

 

Daytona would move level in the bottom of the second, although it could've been an inning that would've broken the game open. The 'Tugas saw the first three reach base as Robert Ramirez and Joe Hudson singled in between a walk to Chad Wallach. The Tortugas would get the tying run at a cost as Ramirez scored while Jeff Gelalich hit into a double play. Manatees starting pitcher Javi Salas would escape the inning soon after, inducing a groundout from Jon Matthews.

 

Daytona would take the lead for good in the bottom of the fifth inning, which started with a leadoff single from Junior Arias. He promptly swiped second and came around to score on a base hit to left by Alex Blandino. Blandino would move up a base as Salas threw a wild pitch with Sebastian Elizalde at the plate. After Elizalde struck out, Robert Ramirez drove in what proved to be the deciding run with a knock to center, plating Blandino to make it 3-1 and brought Salas' night to a close in the process.

 

The 'Tees best chance to draw back even came in the following half inning, starting with Coulter's one-out walk. Roache then slapped a single to right and Coulter was able to get to third thanks to some aggressive baserunning. That decision paid off right away as Brennan lifted a sacrifice fly to center get Brevard County within one. The threat was wiped out when Hudson threw out Roache at second.

 

The Tortuga bullpen took care of the rest as Alejandro Chacin and El'Hajj Muhammad made the one-run lead stand up over the final three innings, including retiring the last seven Manatee hitters.

 

Stephens settled in after a rough start to the game, giving up just two runs on four hits for his fourth win of the season.

 

The night proved to be a rare misstep for the usually steady Salas, who was ultimately charged with those three runs on seven hits, while walking three and striking out two in 4 1/3 innings of work.

 

Manatee reliever Mark Williams was exceptional in relief of Salas, retiring 11 of 12 Tortuga hitters, six of them via strikeout. The lone base runner to reach over the final 3 2/3 of the game came on an Angel Ortega error in the bottom of the sixth.

 

Garrett Cooper recorded the only multi-hit game for Brevard County, extending his hitting streak to 11 in the process. That mark ties McFarland for the longest by a Manatee this season.

 

Brevard County will look to salvage a split of the home-and-home series on Wednesday night at Space Coast Stadium. LHP Clint Terry (0-1, 2.28 ERA) gets the start against RHP Nick Travieso (3-4, 3.46 ERA). First pitch is scheduled for 6:35 P.M (5:35 Central).