Josh Vitters is on fire, folks.
Iowa Cubs
A good start by the Shark drove the Salt Lake Bees out of their hive, 3-2.
Jeff Samardzija pitched a strong five innings this afternoon, allowing only one run on four hits. Samardzija walked two and struck out six on the way to his first win of the year.
Blake Parker got his first AAA save by throwing a perfect ninth inning. Parker fanned two Bees.
Left fielder Jason Dubois had two doubles in a 2 for 4 afternoon. Dubois scored twice and had one RBI. Right fielder Doug Deeds went 2 for 3 with a double and a walk. Deeds scored once and had an RBI. Third baseman Nate Spears was 2 for 4 with a run scored.
They kept DH Jake Fox in the ballpark today, but he did go 2 for 4 with a stolen base and a run scored. Fox raised his batting average to .431.
Tennessee Smokies
The Smokies were hunted down by the Chattanooga Lookouts, 4-2.
Starter Jay Jackson pitched six shutout innings tonight. Jackson allowed seven hits, walked two and fanned eight. He was let down by his bullpen, however, as John Gaub allowed two runs on two hits and a walk over 1.1 innings and Brian Schlitter took the loss by allowing another two runs in two-thirds of an inning on two hits and a walk.
Shortstop Darwin Barney was 3 for 5 with an RBI. Second baseman Tony Thomas went 2 for 4 with a walk and a run scored. Center fielder Brandon Guyer had a triple in a 2 for 4 night. He also scored once.
Daytona Cubs
The D-Cubs flooded the Dunedin Blue Jays, 8-3 in a game completed after five and a half innings due to rain.
Starter Ryan Searle allowed three runs in four innings and somehow was awarded the win even though he didn't go five innings. (Someone care to explain that one to me? Is it just because the game only went 5.5 innings? Or is minor league baseball finally listening to me?) Searle gave up six hits, walked two and struck out three. One of the runs was unearned.
Third baseman Jovan Rosa is getting back to his doubling ways. Rosa was 2 for 4 with two doubles and two RBI. Shortstop Starlin Castro was 2 for 4 with two runs scored and an RBI.
DH Tyler Colvin returned to the lineup tonight for the first time since his collision with Tony Campana ten days ago. He had an RBI double, but struck out the other three times he went to the plate.
Peoria Chiefs
The Chiefs brought out their thumping stick on the Beloit Snappers, 9-1.
Starter Justin Bristow got his first win of the season. He allowed one run on three hits over five innings. Bristow walked two and struck out three.
Jeff Beliveau had one of the most impressive lines on a save that you will ever see. Beliveau threw four no-hit innings of relief, walking two batters and striking out eight.
Now for the Josh Vitters news. Vitters homered tonight in his fourth straight game and had three hits in his fifth straight game. He was 3 for 5 total with two runs scored and two RBI. He also stole a base. He still isn't drawing walks, but his OBP is at a nice even .400 anyway.
The balls were flying out of Beloit's Pohlman Field tonight--or at least in the first three innings, when Peoria hit all four of their home runs. Second baseman Josh Harrison led off the game with a home run and was 2 for 5 with two runs scored. DH Ryan Flaherty went 2 for 5 with a double and a third-inning home run. Left fielder Kyler Burke also homered in the third inning. He also had a double in a 2 for 5 night. Burke had three RBi.
First baseman Rebel Ridling was 2 for 4 with a walk. Catcher Michael Brenly didn't homer, but he did go 3 for 5 with a run scored and two RBI.