Tonight, I got the answer to something that had been bugging me. The Tampa Yankees retired the first 21 batters they faced in a seven-inning game against the Clearwater Threshers. But because Tampa didn’t score either, the game went into extra innings. When the eighth inning started with a runner on second base, the Yankees lost the perfect game. The first batter of the eighth inning then reached on an error which would have ended the perfect game anyway. The runner that started the inning on second scored on a ground out and the Yankees lost a no-hitter 1-0. But I wondered if the new rule made it possible to lose a perfect game and the answer is no—the runner starting the inning on second ends the perfect game.
Congratulations to Alec Mills, who was named Pacific Coast League Pitcher of the Week.
Iowa Cubs
The Iowa Cubs were probed by the Las Vegas 51s (Mets), 6-1.
Alec Mills started and took the loss after allowing a three-run home run in the fourth inning. Otherwise he pitched very well, allowing just three runs on three hits over five innings. Mills struck out eight and walked just one.
Third baseman Jason Vosler went 2 for 4 with a double.
Tennessee Smokies
The Tennessee Smokies outflanked the Jackson Generals (Diamondbacks), 2-1.
Duncan Robinson turned in six strong innings tonight, giving up just one run on five hits. He struck out seven and walked two.
Jake Stinnett pitched the bottom of the ninth and got the save. He gave up a two-out single, but nothing else. Stinnett did not strike anyone out.
Shortstop Zack Short hit a two-run home run in the fifth inning for all of the Smokies runs tonight. Short now has 13 home runs this season. He was 1 for 4.
Myrtle Beach Pelicans
The Myrtle Beach Pelicans were cut off by the Winston-Salem Dash (White Sox), 6-3.
Alex Lange started and took the loss. Lange struggled with control tonight, but he still finished with the minimum “quality start.” Lange gave up three runs on two hits over six innings. The real issue was that Lange walked five while striking out three.
Left fielder Zach Davis went 1 for 4 with a double and a sotlen base. He scored once.
South Bend Cubs
The South Bend Cubs ran the Bowling Green Hot Rods (Rays) off the road, 5-4.
Erling Moreno started and got the win after 6.2 scoreless innings. Moreno allowed five hits. He walked two and struck out four.
Ben Hecht entered the game in the eighth after Jake Steffens had allowed three runs and had runners on second and third with South Bend still leading 5-3. Hecht walked the first batter he faced to load the bases and then Hecht got a strike out and a grounder to end the threat.
Hecht then pitched the ninth and allowed a single and an RBI double to the first two batters of the inning to make it 5-4. But he then retired the next three batters in order for the save.
The final line on Hecht was one run on two hits and one walk over 1.2 innings. Hecht struck out two.
Jose Gutierrez led off the top of the first with a home run. It was his second home run of the year and his second in as many nights. Gutierrez was 1 for 4 with a sac fly for two total RBI.
Catcher Miguel Amaya went 2 for 5 and scored one run.
Shortstop Rafael Narea went 2 for 4 with a double and one run scored. He also stole one base.
Right fielder Brandon Hughes went 2 for 4.
Eugene Emeralds
All-Star Break. Pitchers Brailyn Marquez and Jeffrey Passantino will suit up for the Northwest League Tuesday night in Grand Junction, CO as they take on the Pioneer League.
AZL Cubs
Cubs 1 were scoreless with Giants Orange in the 3rd inning.
Cubs 2 were losing to Giants Black 1-0 in the 4th.