MAJORS

A’s v. Red Sox —  After having lost four consecutive games in the bottom of the sixth inning, The Swingin’ A’s found a way to right their ship. Determined not to let another game slip away, starting pitcher Clint Rock turned in a strong performance as the A’s defeated the Red Sox 12-9 on May 21. Rock hit three home runs, including a mammoth two-run blast into the night at Pyron Field that gave the A’s some breathing room. Rock now has six homers on the season and the A’s have a total of 10, with Michael Evans and Alex Daniele totaling two each. The A’s defense is starting to tighten as well, as rookies Zach Woerhle, Patrick Evans and Dakota Ruiz have begun to flash some leather. Red Sox starter Richard Marsh turned in another strong performance on the mound. Leading a Sox rally in the sixth, Marsh blasted a triple, followed by doubles from Frankie Hall and Jarrett Marsh. But the A’s held on for a tough win.

AAA

Dodgers v. Cardinals – On May 22 the Dodgers defeated the Cardinals 15-7, behind four strong innings of pitching by Evan Davis, bringing the team’s second-half record even at 2-2. The Dodgers’ offense ignited for five runs in the visitor half of the first inning on inside-the-park home runs blasted by Jack Manon and Colton Hodge. Additional offense by other Dodgers, including hits by Nicholas Casillas, Nick Armour and Tyler Marple, aided the sustained outburst. The Cardinals saw excellent relief pitching by Jake Abruzzi.

Marlins v. Pirates — On May 22, the Marlins outscored the Pirates 20-4. The Pirates jumped out to an early lead in the game and pitcher Nate Thatcher kept the game close for several innings. However, the Marlins rallied behind strong hitting from Owen Puller, Ned Quill, and Michael Behrens. Quill also pitched strongly for four innings to bring in the win.

AA

Sand Gnats vs. Scrappers — On Thursday, May 24, the Scrappers and the Sand Gnats tied 5-5 in six exciting innings at Westgate Field. Scrappers’ pitcher Zach Lang threw three strong innings, striking out six batters. Lang led off the third inning with a double followed by hits from Cole Casteel and Timothy Winters for a five-run Scrappers inning. Casteel also struck out three and Christopher Beddow struck out two and got a hit. Sand Gnat Elliot Mercado struck out six, got a hit, and scored the first run of the game. Annie Ferguson struck out five for the Sand Gnats and got a key hit. Carter May, Christopher Comstock and Bryan Martin added hits for the Sand Gnats. 

A

Red Wings v. Express — Ben Manon delivered his strongest batting performance of the season on May 21, leading the Red Wings (9-0) to victory against the Express in a five-inning battle that ended with a final 17-6 score. The Red Wings jumped to an early 9-0 lead but the Express roared back in the third with five runs of their own. This was followed by a superb defensive effort by Express first baseman Michael Curtin, who made all three outs in the fourth. The Red Wings were strong on defense as well, with pitcher Harrison Nixon and second baseman Te’a Langlois making key outs and Nixon receiving the game ball for his outstanding play.