Sunday saw the Ian Anderson rehab assignment tour head into full season ball quite effectively with a combined shutout, a two homer day from Adam Zebrowski, and a trio of recently promoted pitchers in action at their new levels.
Memphis Red Birds 8, Gwinnett Stripers 5
- Yuli Gurriel, 1B: 3-4, HR, 2B, R, 3 RBI, SB, .250/.328/.398
- Allan Winans, SP: 6 IP, 10 H, 4 R, 3 ER, 0 BB, 2 K, 3.01 ERA
- Hayden Harris, RP: 1 IP, 3 H, 4 R, 1 BB, 3 K, 18.00 ERA
- AJ Minter, RP: 1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 0 K, 4.50 ERA
- Domingo Gonzalez, RP: 1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 3 K, 0.00 ERA
Allan Winans turned in six innings of four run ball (three earned), though was a bit hittable giving up 10 hits including a pair of homers, and struggled to miss bats with just two strikeouts on Sunday. Two of those runs scored in the first, then the pair of homers in the fourth accounted for the other runs he allowed on the day. After Winans the Stripers brought in Hayden Harris for his second appearance in Triple-A. Harris did strike out the side, but also allowed three hits and a walk for four runs against him in that inning of work. AJ Minter made his second rehab appearance with Gwinnett and third overall, and allowed one walk while retiring the side. Domingo Gonzalez also made his second Triple-A appearance after a very successful run in Mississippi, and he walked one while striking out the side. Gonzalez (95.1 MPH) and Minter (95.0) had the two highest velocities in this game and we saw Gonzalez record six swing and misses during his inning, with five from Harris in his inning.
Offensively Yuli Gurriel put on a show and ended up a triple shy of the cycle, collecting three RBI and hitting his fifth homer of the season. He ended up being the only Striper to record an extra-base hit in this one. Drake Baldwin also reached base three times in the loss, going one for two with a pair of walks and scoring a run. Nacho Alvarez was out of the lineup in this one.
Mississippi Braves 3, Montgomery Biscuits 2
- Bryson Horne, 1B: 2-4, HR, R, RBI, .246/.300/.347
- Cal Conley, SS: 2-4, BB, RBI, SB, .252/.327/.332
- Landon Harper, RP: 4 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 4 K, 1.50 ERA
It was Drew Parrish on the bump to start this one and he was solid over three innings, giving up a run on a solo homer and striking out two. He was followed by Landon Harper, who was excellent out of the pen. Harper went four scoreless innings, allowing just one hit and no walks while striking out four. Then a scoreless frame from Jorge Juan followed, before Anthony Vizcaya allowed an unearned run (10th inning runner starting on base) over two innings of one-hit ball, and Patrick Halligan pitched a final scoreless inning. Combined the four relievers went eight innings and allowed just an inherited extra innings runner to score on two hits, no walks, and seven strikeouts.
The Braves won this one in the bottom of the 11th on a Cal Conley RBI single. Conley finished the game two for four with a walk, steal, and the game-winning RBI. Bryson Horne also batted in a run when he hit his fourth homer of the season, tying the game at one in the bottom of the eighth. Justin Dean also reached base multiple times, walking and hitting a single in four at bats. That was basically all of the offense for Mississippi, as that trio combined for five of the team’s six hits – Cody Milligan joined them in the hit column with a single, and only one walk to Cade Bunnell beyond them.
Winston-Salem Dash 12, Rome Emperors 8
- Adam Zebrowski, C: 2-4, 2 HR, BB, 3 R, 2 RBI, .232/.336/.379
- Kevin Kilpatrick, CF: 1-3, 2 BB, R, 2 RBI, 2 SB, .254/.331/.377
- Stephen Paolini, RF: 1-5, HR, R, 3 RBI, .225/.338/.356
- Cade Kuehler, SP: 3 IP, 8 H, 8 R, 4 BB, 4 K
After dominating Low-A hitters with a 2.52 ERA through 11 starts Cade Kuehler made his debut in High-A and had a day to forget. Last year’s second round pick was charged with eight runs on eight hits and four walks over three innings, striking out four. Kuehler just didn’t have his command, and Dash hitters were able to jump all over him. Tyree Thompson followed and allowed a pair of runs over two and a third innings, while Ryan Bourassa and Samuel Strickland were each charged with a run over an inning and a third apiece.
Rome’s offense had little trouble producing in this one, as they scored eight runs in the loss on 10 hits and seven walks – and all nine starters reached base at least once, with six of them reaching multiple times. Adam Zebrowski had a huge game, walking once and slugging his seventh and eighth homers of the season. He was joined by Stephen Paolini hitting his fourth of the season, a three-run bomb. Kevin Kilpatrick didn’t homer, but he was one for three with a pair of walks, two steals, a run scored, and two batted in to really fill up a boxscore nicely. Among the prospects Sabin Ceballos was hitless in four at bats, but he did draw a walk.
Augusta GreenJackets 2, Charleston RiverDogs 0
- Kade Kern, RF: 2-4, HR, BB, R, 2 RBI, .179/.257/.292
- Ian Anderson, SP: 3 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 1 K, 0.00 ERA
- Adam Shoemaker, RP: 4 IP, 2 H, 0 R, 3 BB, 2 K, 5.14 ERA
Ian Anderson’s rehab assignment reached full season ball on Sunday for the first time, after two appearances in the FCL. Anderson went three scoreless innings on 46 pitches, allowing a hit and a walk with one strikeout. It was a short, but strong first outing by Anderson as he starts to work his way back to 100% against more advanced hitters, and he should be moving to the upper levels of the minors to do that in the near future. He was followed by Adam Shoemaker, who went four scoreless innings, allowing two hits and three walks while striking out two. Finally two more innings from Isaac Gallegos finished off the combined shutout. Over the nine innings by the three pitchers, Augusta allowed just three hits in this performance.
Kade Kern powered the offense to victory on Sunday, batting in all of the game’s runs. Kern was two for four with a walk and hit his third homer since last Sunday. Harry Owen was two for three with a double, and Will Verdung added a double to account for all five of the Augusta hits in this win.
