Minor League Player of the Day – Chris Reed - 3 IP, 0 Hits, 0 Runs, 1 BB, 4 K's. Reed has been handled with care since returning from a minor shoulder injury, but he continues to impress and was excellent in his shortened outing on Tuesday. His ERA is down to 3.09 and opposing hitters are batting just .203 against him.

AAA – The Isotopes were basically helpless without Kemp on Tuesday as they lost to the Zephyrs (Marlins) 4 to 1. Tim Federowicz provided a solo homer for the only Albuquerque run, and Matt Angle's single was the only other base hit in this game for the Topes. Starter Will Savage lost his second straight decision after starting the year with 7 straight wins as he gave up all 4 runs on 8 hits over 7 innings. Michael Antonini finally got some work in as he pitched a scoreless 8th.

AA – The Lookouts scored early in often in a 9 - 5 beating of the Barons (White Sox). Nick Buss led off the game with a homer, and Kyle Russell hit a 3 run bomb later in the 1st to start Chattanooga off on the right foot. J.T. Wise went deep later in the game and also doubled in route to 3 RBI's, while Blake Smith went 3 for 5 with a stolen base and a run driven in. As expected Matt Magill returned to the roster to make the start, and while the reigning Southern League player of the week didn't have his best stuff, he still recorded the win. Magill gave up 5 runs (3 earned) over 5 frames and struck out 6, and the good news is that he walked only 1. Javier Solano struck out 3 in his 2 innings of scoreless relief, while Red Patterson tossed another shutout frame to lower his ERA to 1.26 for the season.

HiA – The Quakes downed the Nuts (Rockies) 5 to 2 on Tuesday behind a solid performance by the pitching staff. The Dodgers are still be cautious with Chris Reed as he was only allowed to throw 3 innings for the second start in a row, but he made the most of it by allowing just 1 base runner (via a walk) and striking out 4. Freddie Cabrera gave up both runs in his 2 innings of relief, but Steve Smith and Scott McGough were excellent over the final 4 frames as they combined to allow just 2 his. The offense was relatively quiet in the win as Rancho didn't have any extra base hits, but C.J. Retherford did go 2 for 4 and drove in 3 runs. Michael Pericht also had a pair of singles, as did left fielder Bobby Coyle who was finally making his 2012 debut.

LoA – The Loons used a 3-run rally in the 9th to tie up South Bend on Tuesday, then completed the comeback by walking off with a 6 - 5 win over the Silver Hawks (Dbacks). There were several big hits in this game, but none bigger than the walk-off single by Jesse Bosnik in the 10th. Scott Schebler had 2 doubles, including a big one in the 9th that drove in a run, while Joe Winker also had a big RBI single that brought the Loons to within one. Angelo Songco only had 1 hit in his second rehab game, but it was a big one as he crushed a 2 run homer in the first inning. He also walked twice and ended up scoring 3 runs. Starter Jose Dominguez had another rough outing as he gave up 5 runs (4 earned) in just 3 innings, but once he left the game his bullpen was outstanding. Joel Lima played a big part in the win as he hurled 3.1 innings of 2-hit relief, while Juan Noriega and winning pitcher Yimi Garcia combined to allow just 1 hit over the final 3.2 frames.

Coming up – Chris Withrow and the Lookouts will get things started with a day game on Wednesday, while Ryan O'Sullivan will start for the Loons. Stephen Fife will take the ball for the Isotopes, while the Quakes starter is TBD.

Minor League Transactions – AAA: Mike Parisi was placed back on the DL which opened up a spot for Bret Montgomery. AA: As expected Matt Magill was added back to the roster to take the spot of Nathan Eovaldi. HiA: The Jarrad Page experiment is over has he has been released, and Casio Grider was added back to the roster to take his place. Leon Landry was placed on the bereavement list, and Bobby Coyle was called up to take his spot.

Albuquerque Isotopes Box Score (AAA)

Chattanooga Lookouts Box Score (AA)

Rancho Cucamonga Quakes Box Score (HiA)

Great Lakes Loons Box Score (LoA)

http://firstinning.com/daily/la

Minor League Player of the Day – Jonathan Garcia - 3 for 5, 1 HR, 1 2B, 3 Runs, 2 RBI's. Kemp probably deserved to win this award for the second day in a row, but I'm giving to to Garcia for his strong game on Monday. Jonathan missed the cycle by a triple, and since returning to the Quakes earlier this month he is hitting .333 with a .896 OPS.

AAA – The Isotopes built a comfortable lead early on Monday, then held on for a 11 - 9 win over the RedHawks (Astros). Matt Kemp was again the lead story for Albuquerque as he one-upped his performance from the night before by going 3 for 4 with a double and another homer. Fellow rehabber Juan Rivera went 1 for 3 with a RBI, while Brian Cavazos-Galvez entered the game as a defensive replacement and made the most of his one at bat by crushing a 3-run bomb. Matt Angle, Josh Fields, and Jeff Baisley all had 2 hits each and drove in at least one run. On the mound Mike Parisi started this game but left after just one inning because he re-aggravated his shoulder injury. Derrick Loop took over and allowed 4 runs over the next 4 innings, but given the short notice of his long relief assignment it's tough to blame him. Shawn Tolleson recorded the win in this game with two flawless frames that included 3 K's, and while Josh Wall pitched the entire 9th he didn't get the save because he entered with a 5 run lead, and based on the final score you can see how he fared.

AA – The Chattanooga bats fell silent on Monday night as the Lookouts were bounced by the Barons (White Sox) 2 to 1. The pitching staff actually threw well in the loss as they combined to allow just 5 hits, but it was the walks they issued that doomed them in the end. Starter Aaron Miller gave up 5 of the walks in his 5 frames, but also struck out 6 and allowed just 1 run. Free passes haunted Geison Aguasviva the most as he didn't give up a hit in his 1.2 innings, yet was still saddled with the loss as the walked 3 batters and had one of them come around to score once he left the game. As mentioned the offense was very quiet on Memorial day as the good guys managed just 4 singles. Griff Erickson had the only notable day as he had two of the hits in 3 official at bats.

HiA – The Quakes completely shelled the Nuts (Rockies) on Monday in a 12 to 2 route. Every player in the Rancho lineup had at least one hit, with 5 of the players collecting at least 2 base knocks. Jonathan Garcia had probably the best game as he connected on the team's only homer, and finished the day going 3 for 5 with 2 RBI's and 3 runs scored. Alexis Aguilar had the only other 3 hit game and drove in a trio, while C.J. Retherford doubled, singled, and had two sac flies to plate 4 runs. Joc Pederson and Michael Pericht both doubled and rounded out the players with more than 1 hit. Brandon Martinez won his first California League game with 6 innings of 4 hit ball, striking out 5 and allowing 2 runs. Jordan Roberts followed with 2 shutout innings, and Eric Eadington worked around 2 hits in the 9th to finish off the game.

LoA – The Loons received reinforcements on Memorial as both Angelo Songco and Ralston Cash made their 2012 debuts, but that wasn't enough as Great Lakes lost to South Bend (Dbacks) 6 to 2. Starter Jarret Martin threw just 1 inning in a scheduled shortened outing, and that allowed Cash to take over for the next four frames. Ralston showed a little rust and gave up a run in his first inning, but overall he threw pretty well and struck out 4 while hitting as high as 93 mph. The game was tied when Cash left the game, but lefty Michael Thomas had a rare implosion and gave up 3 runs which resulted in the loss. The Loons had 8 singles spread among 7 players, with the rarely mentioned Pratt Maynard posting the only multi-hit game. Joe Winker only had one hit, but had a perfect day at the plate with 3 walks, while Songco went 1 for 5 with an RBI.

Coming up – All four teams play on Tuesday, but only two have probably pitchers listed with Chris Reed going for the Quakes and Will Savage throwing for the Isotopes. Based on the past schedule it looks like Jose Dominguez will pitch for the Loons, but the Lookouts starter is more of a question mark as it's Matt Magill's day to throw but he was recently removed for the roster, presumably for a little rest. That being said it's possible he'll be re-added to the roster tomorrow to take the spot of Nathan Eovaldi.

Albuquerque Isotopes Box Score (AAA)

Chattanooga Lookouts Box Score (AA)

Rancho Cucamonga Quakes Box Score (HiA)

Great Lakes Loons Box Score (LoA)

http://firstinning.com/daily/la

Minor League Player of the Day – Matt Kemp - 2 for 3 - 1 HR, 3 RBI's, 2 Runs. Kemp as the minor league player of the day? I guess that make sense when you send Matt to a hitters' haven like Albuquerque. The outfielder is apparently healthy given his offensive outburst, so hopefully he'll be back with the big league club by Tuesday.

AAA – The Isotopes used major league bats on Sunday to defeat the RedHawks (Astros) 11 to 9. Matt Kemp went 2 for 3 with a 2-run homer and 3 RBI's, while Juan Rivera also took one deep in his rehab debut. Josh Bard also had 2 hits and went yard, while Trent Oeltjen and Alex Castellanos also had two base knocks in the 18 hit-attack. Starter Fernando Nieve allowed just 3 hits and 1 run over 5 innings, and even though he had 7 K's his ERA is still an ugly 9.53. Cole St. Clair and Ramon Troncoso both allowed 4 runs in relief, and luckily Scott Rice was able to shut the door for his 5th save of the season.

AA – Ethan Martin allowed just 4 hits over 6 frames and struck out 7, but he still recorded his first loss of the year in a 4 - 3 defeat to the Suns (Marlins). Martin gave walked just 2 and didn't give up a homer, but he had an unlucky outing which resulted in the defeat. After Ethan left the game Javier Solano threw a hitless inning of relief, and then Allen Webster made hist 5th consecutive appearance out of the bullpen and was perfect over 2 frames. At the plate Nick Buss went 2 for 5 with a triple, while Blake Smith had the only only other multi-hit game and stole a base.

HiA – The Quakes managed just 4 hits on Sunday as they lost to the Nuts (Rockies) 6 to 1. The 4 hits came from just 2 players as Chris Jacobs went 2 for 3 with a homer while C.J. Retherford had a pair of singles. Garrett Gould was the starter for Rancho and he got touched up for 9 hits and 4 runs, and he fell to 1 - 5 for the season. New addition Carlos Frias allowed the other 2 runs in relief, while Ryan Acosta gave up just a single hit over the final 1.2 frames.

LoA – After enduring a lengthy in game rain delay, the Loons used a clutch 8th inning rally to ground the Silver Hawks (Dbacks) 6 to 4. Shortstop Delvis Morales had a big game at the plate as he went 2 for 3 with 2 runs batted in, and it was his RBI triple in the 8th that sparked the comeback. There were no other extra base hits in this game and nobody other than Morales had more than one base knock, although Jesse Bosnik reached based twice via the walk, scored two runs, and stole a pair of bases. Arismendy Ozoria started the game for Great Lakes, but threw just 2 innings because of the 1 hour and 59 minute rain delay. Juan Noriega took over once the skies cleared and gave up a pair of runs in two frames, but Raydel Sanchez saved the day with 4 solid innings of relief work. Yimi Garcia allowed two singles in the 9th, but was able to bare down and record his 8th save of the season.

Coming up – All of the teams will play early games on Memorial Day Monday with the exception of Chattanooga who will likely send Aaron Miller to the mound in an evening affair. Jarrett Martin and Brandon Martinez will throw for the Loons and Quakes, respectively, while veteran Mike Parisi will take the ball for the Isotopes.

Minor League Transactions – LoA: Some significant moves were made by the Loons on Sunday as both Angelo Songco and Ralston Cash were added to the team, while Nick Akins and Arismendy Ozoria were removed from the roster.

Albuquerque Isotopes Box Score (AAA)

Chattanooga Lookouts Box Score (AA)

Rancho Cucamonga Quakes Box Score (HiA)

Great Lakes Loons Box Score (LoA)

http://firstinning.com/daily/la

Minor League Player of the Day – Travis Denker - 4 for 5, 1 HR, 2 2B's, 2 RBI's, 4 Runs. Denker was upstaged by the Suns Kyle Skipworth who hit for the cycle, but Travis still had an outstanding game. The former big leaguer has gotten off to a slow start in 2012, but thanks to his big game he now has a 1.044 OPS over his last 10 games.

AAA – Alex Castellanos returned to the Isotopes lineup on Friday and helped lead Albuquerque to a 7 - 4 win over the RedHawks (Astros). Castellanos doubled twice and drove in a run, although he seemed a bit rusty at 2nd base as he committed two errors. Tim Federowicz also had a pair of doubles and also singled, while Trent Oeltjen was the 3rd member of the "two-double" club as went 3 for 5 with 2 RBI's. Jeff Baisley hit the only homer in the game and added a double for good measure. John Ely was solid for 6 innings as he allowed just 2 earned runs and struck out 7. Shawn Tolleson struck out 2 in a perfect 8th, then Josh Wall saved his 11th game of the season with a 7 pitch 9th.

AA – The Lookouts came out on the short end of a slug-fest against the Suns (Marlins), 13 to 10, despite a big game from Travis Denker. The 26 year old infielder went 4 for 5 with two doubles and a homer, driving in 2 and scoring 4 runs. Pedro Baez connected on his 3rd homer of the season and had 3 RBI's, while Matt Wallach's bases loaded double also plated 3. On the mound it was supposed to be Nathan Eovaldi who got the start, but he ended up throwing an inning of relief instead and struck out the side. It has been speculated that he could be getting a call up soon. Luis Vasquez started the game and got torched for 5 runs in just 2 innings, while AA newbies Eammon Portice and Bret Montgomery also got crushed for the rest of the game's runs. The good news is that Red Patterson and Steve Ames continued to impress with their relief efforts.

HiA – The Quakes smacked 5 solo homers on Saturday in route to a 7 - 1 win over the Storm (Padres). C.J. Retherford, Jonathan Garcia, Leon Landry, and Alexis Aguilar all took turns going deep in each of the first four innings, then Michael Pericht got into the action with a bomb in the 6th. Scott Wingo also had a big game as he went 3 for 5 with 2 doubles, while Austin Gallagher also had 2 hits including a double. Jon Michael Redding had by far his best outing of the season as he allowed just 2 hits over 6 innings and struck out 8. Freddie Cabrera worked around a hit and 2 walks in the 7th, then Scott McGough fired two innings of one-hit ball to finish off the win.

LoA – The Loons managed just 4 hits on Saturday and lost to the Silver Hawks (Dbacks) 5 to 3 in the battle of the birds. O'Koyea Dickson had two of those hits including his 5th homer of the season, while James Baldwin had a double and another stolen base. Starter Gustavo Gomez allowed all 5 runs in his 5.1 innings of work on 6 hits and 4 walks. Joel Lima was excellent in relief as he gave up just 1 hit over the game's final 3.2 frames.

Coming up – Ethan Martin will be the pitching highlight on Sunday as he'll go for his 6th win of the season. Michael Antonini will throw for the Isotopes, Brandon Martinez will get the ball for the Quakes, and Arismendy Ozoria will take the mound for the Loons.

Minor League Transactions –AAA: Alex Castellanos was activated from the DL and Kyle Russell was sent back to to the Southern League. AA: There was a flurry of moves, starting with the aforementioned addition of Russell. Matt Magill and Rafael Ynoa were removed from the roster for the time being, and Anthony Jackson was placed on the DL. Bret Montgomery and Eammon Portice were added to the active roster, as was the recently signed Miguel Pena. HiA: Carlos Frias was added to the roster to make up for the loss of Portice.

Albuquerque Isotopes Box Score (AAA)

Chattanooga Lookouts Box Score (AA)

Rancho Cucamonga Quakes Box Score (HiA)

Great Lakes Loons Box Score (LoA)

http://firstinning.com/daily/la

Minor League Player of the Day – Blake Johnson - 2 IP, 0 Hits, 0 Runs, 2 K's, 1 for 1, game winning hit. Blake Johnson was one of the rare relief pitchers to win a game both with his arm and his bat as he recorded the victory on Friday with 2 innings of hitless ball, and also drove in the game winning run at the plate. The Dodgers former 2nd round pick has had an up and down season so far, but hopefully this will get him back on the right track.

AAA – The Isotopes connected on 3 homers on Friday, but that wasn't enough as Albuquerque lost to the RedHawks (Astros) 10 to 4. After some recent success, starter Stephen Fife slipped back into his old ways and had another rough outing as he allowed 7 runs on 8 hits over 4.2 frames. A couple of relievers got through the middle frames with limited damage, but Josh Wall gave up a 2-run homer in the 9th to cap the opposition scoring. At the plate Luis Cruz continued his recent hot streak with 3 more hits, including his 4th homer of the season. Trent Oeltjen and Jeff Baisley had the other two bombs and both also had multi-hit games.

AA – Reliever Blake Johnson was not only the winning pitcher in this 14 inning game, but he also had the game winning walk-off hit in the Lookouts 5 - 4 victory over the Suns (Marlins). Johnson came in from the bullpen in the 13th inning and went on the throw 2 hitless inning, then in the bottom of the 14th he came up with the bases loaded. Chattanooga didn't have any other options at this point in the game so they led Blake hit, and he rewarded his team with a walk-off single into center field. Going back to the beginning of this game, Chris Withrow was the starting pitcher and had an up and down game, allowing just 4 hits over 5 frames while striking out 8 but also walking 5. Once he left game his relievers were outstanding, and when you include Johnson's effort the bullpen finished the game with 9 innings of shutout ball and just 3 hits allowed. 16 different Lookout players got at least one official at bat in this game, including Ethan Martin and Aaron Miller who were used as pinch hitters. Speaking of hitting pitchers Withrow went 2 for 2, while Pedro Baez and Blake Smith both went 2 for 6 with a homer. Jake Lemmerman had 2 hits including a double, while Rafael Ynoa had the only triple of the evening.

HiA – Not much to write about in this game as the Quakes were weathered by the Storm (Padres) 13 to 2. Starter Greg Wilborn got rocked for 5 runs in just 2.1 innings, and his bullpen didn't have success either as Ryan Acosta and Jordan Roberts both allowed 4 runs of their own. Steve Smith was the only pitcher who escaped the game unscathed as he hurled a pair of perfect innings. On offense Jonathan Garcia increased his batting average to .271 with a single and a double, and he also stole his first base of the season. Chris O'Brien and C.J. Retherford both had doubles of their own for the only other extra base hits of the game.

LoA – Pedro Guerrero played hero on Superhero Night in Midland on Friday as the Loons defeated the Hot Rods (Rays) 9 to 6. Guerrero tripled in the 2nd inning then crushed a grand slam in the 3rd frame to give him homers in back to back days. Joe Winker chipped in with a pair of doubles to give him a lead leading 18 two-baggers for the season, and James Baldwin went 1 for 3 with a walk and stole 3 bases in this game. On the mound Ryan O'Sullivan recorded the win despite giving up 5 runs (4 earned) over 6 frames while averaging a strikeout per inning. Matt Shelton and Michael Thomas followed with 2 innings of 1-hit ball, then Yimi Garcia got back on track with his 7th save of the season.

Coming up – Nathan Eovaldi throws for the Lookouts on Saturday, while Garrett Gould and John Ely will start for the Quakes and Isotopes, respectively. The Loons starter is TBD, but it looks like it will be Gustavo Gomez.

Minor League Transactions – AA: Matt Wallach was added back to the Lookout roster

Albuquerque Isotopes Box Score (AAA)

Chattanooga Lookouts Box Score (AA)

Rancho Cucamonga Quakes Box Score (HiA)

Great Lakes Loons Box Score (LoA)

http://firstinning.com/daily/la

Minor League Player of the Day – Matt Magill - 7 IP, 2 Hits, 0 Runs, 0 BB's 10 K's. Magill was at his best on Thursday as he struck out 10 batters and did not allow a walk. Prior to this game Matt had issued 15 free passes over his last 3 starts, so this was a huge improvement for the 22 year old right hander. For the season as a whole Magill has a 3.19 ERA and a .197 batting average against.

AAA – Will Savage lost his first game of the year on Thursday as the Isotopes were mauled by the Grizzlies (Giants) 12 to 5. Savage allowed 7 runs on just 4 hits over 4 frames, but that was because he also walked 4 batters. Cole St. Clair permitted 6 hits and 3 runs in relief, while Ramon Troncoso completed the blowout by giving up the final 2 runs of the game. Despite the loss Albuquerque connected on 10 base hits in this game, including a solo homer by Tim Federowicz who finished the night with 2 RBI's and 2 runs scored. Joe Becker also went 2 for 3 with a double and a RBI, but the bad news is that Jerry Hairston went 0 for 3 for the second night in a row.

AA – Starting pitcher Matt Magill put on a show on Thursday as the Lookouts rolled to a 4 - 1 win over the Suns (Marlins). The Simi Valley native gave up just 2 hits over 7 shutout innings, and didn't allow any walks which was a significant improvement over his previous three starts. Magill was probably on pace for a 9-inning shutout had management allowed him to continue throwing as he had made just 90 pitches over his 7 innings. Allen Webster continued to throw in relief as he pitched the final 2 innings of this game, and even though he allowed 3 hits and a run the good news is that he struck out 3. At the plate Chattanooga had an extremely quiet day at the plate despite the win, with the exception being the recently signed Brahiam Maldonado who went 2 for 2 with a pair of doubles and 3 RBI's. Griff Erickson drove in the only other run of this game with a single.

HiA –The Quakes and Storm (Padres) matched each other with 11 hits each, but Rancho was able to plate one more run in a 4 - 3 victory over Lake Elsinore. Angel Sanchez started this game and had one of his best outings of the season as he allowed just 1 run over 6 innings. He scattered 7 hits, issued one walk, and struck out 7. Scott McGough worked around a hit and a walk in the 8th by K'ing a pair of batters for a scoreless frame, but things got interesting in the 9th when Eric Eadington entered the game. He started the inning by giving up a single and a walk, then a sacrifice bunt and a strikeout later the Storm had 2nd and 3rd with 2 outs. The next batter then singled to right fielder Jonathan Garcia, but luckily only one runner made it home as the runner who had been on second ended up getting tagged out in a pickle between home and 3rd base. For Garcia, it was his second outfield assist of the game. Everybody in the Quakes lineup had at least one hit, although Chris Jacobs was the only batter to connect on one of the extra base variety as he doubled. Leon Landry went 2 for 5 with 2 runs scored, while Austin Gallagher had a pair of singles and drove in a run.

LoA – The Loons got run over by the Hot Rods (Rays) on Thursday via a 12 - 3 loss to Bowling Green. The opposing team got to the Loons early and often as starter Jose Dominguez got pummeled for 11 hits and 9 runs over just 2.1 innings. It was by far the worst outing of the year for the right hander who was making just his 4th start of the season. Matt Laney and the recently activated Juan Noriega managed to hold the opposition to 1 hit ball over the next 4.2 frames, and even though Jason West had a rough game in relief with 5 walks, none of the runs he allowed were earned as the Loons made an error in the field behind him. The Great Lakes offense was led by the other Pedro Guerrero who went 2 for 4 with a solo homer. Scott Schebler continued his hit barrage with a single and another double, while Kevin Taylor went 2 for 5 for the night.

Coming up – Chris Withrow has a 5.52 ERA for the season, but he's thrown better than his stats would suggest and he will be throwing on Friday for the Lookouts. Ryan O'Sullivan and Jon Michael Redding will take the mound for the Loons and Quakes, respectively, while Stephen Fife will get the call for the Isotopes.

Albuquerque Isotopes Box Score (AAA)

Chattanooga Lookouts Box Score (AA)

Rancho Cucamonga Quakes Box Score (HiA)

Great Lakes Loons Box Score (LoA)

http://firstinning.com/daily/la

Minor League Player of the Day – Brian Cavazos-Galvez - 3 for 5, 1 2B, 1 3B, 1 Run. BCG started the season in AA and struggled, then after a brief appearance in HiA he was promoted to AAA out of necessity. So far he's done well in his hometown as he's hitting .375 in his 7 games in Albuquerque with a 1.108 OPS.

AAA – The Isotopes' pitching staff got lit up for 18 hits on Wednesday in a 10 - 7 loss to the Grizzlies (Giants). Despite the hit parade starter Mike Parisi actually did well in his return from injury as he allowed just 1 run on 4 hits over 4 frames. Once he left the game, however, things took a turn for the worst as reliever Fernando Nieve was blasted in his 3 innings of work to the tune of 10 hits and 7 runs. Derrick Loop followed and gave up 2 more runs, while Scott Rice allowed the final 2 hits but finished the game as the only pitcher who didn't permit the Grizzlies to score. At the plate Albuquerque actually held their own with a healthy 13 hits, including 2 more doubles by Luis Cruz who now as 5 two-baggers over the last two games. Brian Cavazos-Galvez continued his hot hitting by going 3 for 5 and finishing a homer shy of the cycle, while Aaron Miles, Josh Fields, Jeff Baisley, and Josh Bard all had a two hits apiece. Finally, Jerry Hairston Jr. was hitless in 3 at bats in his rehab assignment.

AA – The Lookouts used an 11-hit attack on Wednesday to double up the Suns (Marlins) 6 to 3. Evey player in the Chattanooga lineup had at least 1 hit, including pitcher Aaron Miller who doubled to give him two extra base hits in his last two starts. Nick Buss went 2 for 5 with a triple and 2 RBI's, while Griff Erickson collected his first hits in over a week with a double and a single. Jake Lemmerman, J.T. Wise, and Pedro Baez all also had two-baggers to round out the extra base hits. On the mound Miller put together a quality start with 3 runs allowed over 6 innings, giving up 4 hits and K'ing 5. Red Patterson, Steve Ames, and Logan Bawcom, who all have ERA's lower than 1.50, closed out the game with consecutive shutout frames, although Bawcom had to work around 2 hits and a walk in the 9th before shutting the door with his 2nd strikeout of the night.

HiA – Off day

LoA – The Loons found themselves down by two after 6 frames, but were able to score single runs in the 7th, 8th, and 9th to pull out a walk-off 6 - 5 win over the Hot Rods (Rays). The winning run in this game actually scored on a throwing error by Bowling Green's pitcher on Pedro Guerrero's sacrifice bunt attempt, and that was an appropriate way to end it as the Hot Rods committed an unsightly 7 miscues in this contest. The game tying rally in the 8th came via back to back doubles by O'Koyea Dickson and Scott Schebler, who both went 2 for 4 on the night, while Nick Akins also doubled in a run earlier in the game. On the mound the Loons got another shaky start out of Jarret Martin who started the season very strong, but in this game gave up 3 runs on 8 hits and 4 walks over 4 frames with just 2 K's. Joel Lima followed and allowed 2 more runs, but Michael Thomas continued to impress with 1.2 more shutout frames to pick up the win and lower his ERA to 1.14.

Coming up – Everyone returns to action tomorrow, including the Quakes who will send Angel Sanchez out to face one of the best pitchers in the California League in Donn Roach. Will Savage will try and improve upon his 7 - 0 record for the Isotopes, while Matt Magill will take the ball for the Lookouts. The Loons pitcher is TBD, but based on the previous scheduled it should be Jose Dominguez.

Minor League Transactions – LoA: Noel Cuevas was placed on the DL with a hand injury, and Juan Noriega was activated from the disabled list.

Albuquerque Isotopes Box Score (AAA)

Chattanooga Lookouts Box Score (AA)

Great Lakes Loons Box Score (LoA)

http://firstinning.com/daily/la

Minor League Player of the Day – Trent Oeltjen - 3 for 3, 1 HR, 1 2B, 1 BB, 1 Run, 1 RBI. It was between Oeltjen and Luis Cruz for this award, but I'm giving it to the Aussie thanks to a perfect night at the plate. In his 4-games since getting DFA, Trent has performed pretty well as he's gone 6 for 15 with 2 doubles, a homer, and 4 RBI's.

AAA – The Isotopes beat the PCL's best team for the second day in a row as Albuquerque edged the Grizzlies (Giants) 8 to 7. The Topes started their scoring early as Trent Oeltjen led off the bottom of the 1st inning with a solo homer, and that was just the beginning as Oeltjen would finish the game 3 for 3 falling a triple short of the cycle, while Albuquerque would go on to score 3 more runs in the inning thanks to 3 doubles and a walk. The good guys would go on to score 2 more in the 3rd for a 6 - 0 lead, but Fresno stormed back and tied the game with a 6 run 6th. 3 of those runs were charged to starter Michael Antonini who allowed just 3 hits over 5 frames but walked 4, and the other 3 runs scored against reliever Ramon Troncoso. Cole St. Clair gave up a single run over his two innings of work, but the Topes countered with scores of their own in the 7th and 8th which allowed Josh Wall to shut the door with a perfect 9th for his 10th save of the season. Trent wasn't the only hitter to have a good night at the plate as Luis Cruz doubled 3 times and drove in 2 runs. Brian Cavazos Galvez also had 3 hits including a double and had 3 RBI's, while Aaron Miles went 2 for 4 with a two-bagger and a walk.

AA – Off day

HiA – Rancho was victim of a 2-hitter on Tuesday as the Quakes were shut out by the 66ers (Angles) 2 to 0. The good news is that Chris Reed has returned to the club, although he was eased back into action as he threw just 3 innings. Reed threw 45 pitches and allowed 1 run on 3 hits and 2 walks. Freddie Cabrera gave up the other run in relief of Chris, and then a trio of relievers combined for 3 scoreless frames. No matter how good the relievers were it didn't matter, however, as the Quakes managed just two singles in this game. Nevertheless Rancho actually had a chance in the 9th as Joc Pederson and Scott Wingo walked to give the club 2 on with one out, but as was the theme of the night the good guys simply couldn't convert.

LoA – Off day

Coming up – The Quakes will get the night off on Wednesday, but Lookouts will return to action and will send Aaron Miller to the mound. Jarret Martin will try and re-take the Midwest League lead in strikeouts in his start for the Loons, and while the Albuquerque starter is TBD I'm guessing it will be the recently activated Mike Parisi.

Minor League Transactions – AAA: Mike Parisi was activated from the DL, while the wild Shane Lindsay was released. HiA: Chris Reed was obviously added back to the Quakes roster as he pitched on Tuesday, and to make room for him Bret Montgomery was sent back to extended spring training.

Albuquerque Isotopes Box Score (AAA)

Rancho Cucamonga Quakes Box Score (HiA)

http://firstinning.com/daily/la

Minor League Player of the Day – James Baldwin - 5 for 5, 1 2B, 2 RBI's, 1 Run, 2 SB's. Could this be the turning point to Baldwin's season? After constant struggles, including a recent 3 for 40 stretch, Baldwin finally broke out with a perfect day at the plate and a pair of stolen bases. Let's hope he can turn this into a hot streak.

AAA – The Isotopes scored single runs in the 7th, 8th, and 9th innings, with the last one resulting in a walk-off victory and a 3 to 2 win for Albuquerque over the Grizzlies (Giants). John Ely started this game and was outstanding over 8 shutout innings, allowing just 4 hits and 1 walk. He left the game with a 2 - 0 lead and was in line for the win until Wil Ledezma blew the save thanks to a walk and a homer allowed. That set up the bottom of the 9th which saw Luis Cruz double home Josh Fields for the winning run. Brian Cavazos-Galvez hit his first homer in Albuquerque with a solo shot, while Jeff Baisley went 2 for 4 with a triple and a RBI. Ely also had a rare triple in this game and his all-around solid game almost earned him the player of the day award.

AA – The Lookouts scored their second walk-off win in three days as Chattanooga dimmed the Stars (Brewers) 3 to 2 in 12 innings. Ethan Martin started this game and had another excellent outing even though he was a bit wild. Martin allowed just 2 hits over 5 scoreless frames and struck out 5, but his 4 walks were his highest total since April 16th. Javier Solano and Allen Webster followed with scoreless frames (although Webster walked 2), and at that point it looked like a sure victory given the strong back end of the Lookouts bullpen. But Luis Vasquez gave up a run in the 8th, then Logan Bawcom allowed his first run in AA to blow the save. In the extra frames Chattanooga got a combined 3 perfect innings from Geison Aguasviva and Blake Johnson, then in the bottom of the 12th Angelo Ponte, an undrafted free agent signee from a few years back who was just added to the roster that day, walked with the bases loaded to win the game. There really wasn't a whole lot of offense in this game as the highlights were doubles by Luis Nunez, J.T. Wise, and Blake Smith. Pedro Baez also had a solid game as he went 2 for 5 with a walk and a RBI.

HiA – The Quakes lost 6 - 2 to the 66ers (Angels) on Monday in a game relatively light in prospect news. Brandon Martinez started this game and recorded his first HiA loss after allowing 3 runs on 6 hits and 4 walks over 5 frames, while striking out just 2. Steve Smith got rocked in relief to the tune of 5 hits and 3 runs, while Ryan Acosta pitched the final 2.2 innings and didn't allow a run. Rancho only had 5 hits in this game, and Austin Gallagher had two of them including the team's only extra base hit; a double. The three outfielders had a quiet game at the plate, but one cool thing is that Joc Pederson, Jonathan Garcia, and Leon Landry all recorded an outfield assist in this game.

LoA – The Loons were down early, and even though they mounted a steady comeback attempt they simply weren't able to overcome the deficit in a 7 - 6 defeat to the Dragons (Reds). Starter Arismendy Ozoria absorbed most of the damage early as he gave up 8 hits and 5 runs over 3.2 frames, but then Matt Shelton had his best outing of the season with 3.1 innings of hitless relief. Yimi Garcia hurt the Loons' chances of a comeback when he allowed a pair of runs in the bottom of the 8th, although his ERA still stands at just 2.16. At the plate, James Baldwin had by far his best game of the year as he went a perfect 5 for 5 with a double and 2 RBI's. He also stole 2 bases to give him 13 swipes for the season. O'Koyea Dickson and Joe Winker added homers in this game as Dickson had a solo shot and Winker hit a 2-run blast. Great Lakes actually had a very good chance to either tie or win this game in the bottom of the 9th as they had the bases loaded with just 1 out, but Scott Schebler and Nick Akins couldn't answer the call.

Coming up – There will only be two games on Tuesday as both the Lookouts and Loons have the day off. Michael Antonini will start for the Isotopes, while it looks to be Angel Sanchez's turn in the rotation for the Quakes.

Minor League Transactions – AA: Matt Wallach was removed from the roster while Angelo Ponte was activated from the DL. HiA: Apparently this happened a few days ago and I just completely missed it, but Zach Lee was removed from the Quakes roster. I have no other information at this time, so if you know something post it in the comments. This move has probably already been discussed in the comments of other posts, but I've been swamped at work so haven't been able to keep up.

Albuquerque Isotopes Box Score (AAA)

Chattanooga Lookouts Box Score (AA)

Rancho Cucamonga Quakes Box Score (HiA)

Great Lakes Loons Box Score (LoA)

http://firstinning.com/daily/la

Minor League Player of the Day – Nathan Eovaldi - 5 IP, 0 Runs, 3 Hits, 2 K's. Sure he had twice as many walks as strikeouts on Sunday, but Eovaldi still managed to get through 5 innings on just 60 pitches which earned him the player of the day award. His strong outing lowered his ERA to 3.18 for the season.

AAA – The Isotopes lost 5 to 4 on Sunday against the River Cats (A's) in a game that finally proved Shawn Tolleson isn't perfect. Tolleson entered started the 9th with the game tied at 3, but he allowed a homer and two doubles which plated two runs. Albuquerque responded with a run of their own in the bottom of the 9th thanks to a double by Matt Angle and a RBI ground-out, but the good guys still fell just short. The only other extra base hits in this game were doubles by Jeff Baisley and Tim Federowicz, while Trent Oeltjen drove in 3 with a pair of singles. On the mound, Stephen Fife gave up 5 hits (including 2 homers) and walked 5 over 6 innings, but managed to allowed just 3 runs to cross the plate. Derrick Loop continued his strong relief work with 1.1 hitless frames, but then Tolleson got the ball and the rest is history.

AA – Nathan Eovaldi worked 5 scoreless innings as the Lookouts eclipsed the Stars (Brewers) 7 to 3. Eovaldi threw just 60 pitches in his 5 frames and only allowed 3 hits, although he did walk 4 and K'ed just 2. Red Patterson continued his stellar relief work with 2 more innings of 1-hit ball, and even though Blake Johnson gave up 3 runs in the 8th Chattanooga didn't have to worry because Steve Ames sat down the final four Huntsville batters of the game in order. At the plate Blake Smith drove in 4 runs for the second day in a row, although this time he did it with only one big hit (a 3-run homer) and a sac fly. Travis Denker plated 2 with a pair of doubles, while J.T. Wise went 3 for 4 with a RBI and 2 runs scored.

HiA – The Quakes played in a low scoring game that featured just 2 extra base hits between the two teams, but Rancho was able to come out on top with a 3 - 2 victory over the 66ers (Angels). Garrett Gould started this game and threw relatively well as the allowed 2 runs on 4 hits and 2 walks while striking out 4. A quartet of relievers got though the final 3 frames unscathed, concluding with Scott McGough who recorded his 3rd save of the year. As previously mentioned the offense in this game was pretty light as C.J. Retherford's RBI double was the only extra base hit for the Quakes. Austin Gallagher went 2 for 4 with a RBI, while Jonathan Garcia drove in the other run with a single.

LoA – A pair of errors resulted in two early unearned runs, and that was the difference in the Loons 6 - 4 loss to the Dragons (Reds). Gustavo Gomez started this game while was the victim of the two unearned runs, but he didn't help himself either as he walked 5 and allowed 6 hits in 5.2 innings. Jason West also allowed a run in relief, while Joel Lima got through his frame unscathed to lower his ERA to 1.04. O'Koyea Dickson had a big game in the loss as he went 2 for 4 with a 3-run homer. Scott Schebler continued his recent hot streak with 2 more hits, but that was really it for the offensive highlights.

Coming up – Ethan Martin starts for the Lookouts on Monday, while John Ely will take the mound for the Isotopes. Arismendy Ozoria gets the call for the Loons, and it's Brandon Martinez's turn in the rotation for the Quakes.

Minor League Transactions – HiA: Jordan Roberts was activated from the DL

Albuquerque Isotopes Box Score (AAA)

Chattanooga Lookouts Box Score (AA)

Rancho Cucamonga Quakes Box Score (HiA)

Great Lakes Loons Box Score (LoA)

http://firstinning.com/daily/la

Minor League Player of the Day – Blake Smith - 4 for 5, 2 2B's, 1 3B, 4 RBI's. Smith not only had a big game at the plate on Saturday, but he also drove in the game winning run in the 10th inning to lead the Lookouts to victory. Smith's season to date has been mediocre at best with his .252 average and .761 OPS, although he has shown some signs of breaking out and thanks to his big game on Saturday his OPS over the last 10 days is almost .900.

AAA – 8 of the 9 batters in the Isotopes starting lineup had at least one hit on Saturday, but Albuquerque was unable to come away with the win as the Isotopes were drowned by the River Cats (A's) 7 to 6. Will Savage started the game for the Isotopes and allowed just 2 earned runs over 5.1 innings, but his defense didn't do him any favors as a trio of errors resulted in 3 additional runs. Scott Rice gave up a run in relief despite K'ing 4 batters in 2 innings, while Shane Lindsay gave up the winning score in the 9th thanks to 3 walks. At the plate the Isotopes only accumulated 2 extra base hits, including Tim Federowicz's bases loaded double which plated 3 runs in the 3rd inning. Other than that there isn't much to write about other than Aaron Miles who went 2 for 5 in his 2012 debut and will be looking to join the big league club in the very near future.

AA – The Lookouts won in walk-off fashion on Saturday in extra frames to claim a 5 to 4 victory over the Stars (Brewers). The winning run scored on the fourth hit of the night from Blake Smith, who finished the night with 2 doubles, a triple, and 4 RBI's. Smith's 4 base knocks were more than the rest of the Chattanooga team combined, and the only other offensive highlight was a pinch-hit homer by J.T. Wise. Starting pitcher Chris Withrow struck out a season high 9 batters in his 5 innings of work and only gave up 4 hits, yet he also walked 2 and allowed 4 runs to score. Javier Solano worked around a hit and a walk for a scoreless inning of relief, then Luis Vasquez and Logan Bawcom tossed 2 shutout frames each to secure the victory.

HiA – The Quakes also scored a walk-off win in extra innings on Saturday as they defeated the Mavericks (Mariners) 6 to 5. Alexis Aguilar was the hero in this one as his only hit of the night plated the winning run. Jonathan Garcia had his second strong game in a row in his return to the California League as he went 3 for 4 with a double and a RBI, while Scott Wingo had the only other multi-hit game with 2 singles and a RBI. Starter Jon Michael Redding had a tough outing as he allowed 5 runs in 5 innings thanks to a pair of gopher balls, but the Rancho bullpen was excellent which helped secure the victory. Steve Smith threw two perfect innings to lower his ERA to 2.11, while Eric Eadington recorded the win by allowed just 1 hit and striking out 3 in his two frames.

LoA – The Loons scored two touchdowns and allowed just a field goal in a 14 - 3 victory over the Dragons (Reds). Several Great Lakes hitters got in on the action in the offensive explosion, highlighted by Scott Schebler who went 4 for 6 with his league leading 6th triple and 3 runs scored. Kevin Taylor plated a game high 3 runs with a double and a homer, and Noel Cuevas had the same stat line as Taylor just with one less RBI. Pedro Guerrero and Jesse Bosnik rounded out the multi-hit action as they both had two base knocks and drove in 2 runs. Starting pitcher Ryan O'Sullivan worked a career high 6.2 innings and allowed 3 runs on 6 hits while striking out 6. By that time the game was already well in had so relievers Matt Laney and Raydel Sanchez didn't have much to worry about in their shutout innings.

Coming up – All four teams play day games on Sunday, highlighted by Nathan Eovaldi and Garrett Gould starting for the Lookouts and Quakes, respectively. Gustavo Gomez will try to build upon his recent success for the Loons, while Stephen Fife will simply try to keep the Isotopes in the game.

Minor League Transactions – AAA: Aaron Miles was assigned to the Isotopes and Ivan De Jesus was promoted to Los Angeles. HiA: Craig Stem was sent back to extended spring training after his rough outing on Friday, and the recently signed Eammon Portice, a 26 year old who was originally a 2007 12th round pick Boston and has been with the Red Sox for his entire career, was assigned to the Quakes. LoA: Devin Shines was placed on the DL to make room for the recently demoted Nick Akins.

Albuquerque Isotopes Box Score (AAA)

Chattanooga Lookouts Box Score (AA)

Rancho Cucamonga Quakes Box Score (HiA)

Great Lakes Loons Box Score (LoA)

http://firstinning.com/daily/la

Minor League Player of the Day – Jeff Baisley - 3 for 4, 1 2B, 1 HR, 1 BB, 2 RBI's, 2 Runs. Even though his error in the 9th allowed the tying run to score, Baisley still had the best day at the plate to earn this award.

AAA – The Isotopes won in walk-off fashion on Friday, but the game should never have even gotten to that point in Albuquerque's 9 - 8 victory over the River Cats (A's). You see the Isotopes had a 4 run lead with 2 outs and no runners on in the 9th, but that's when things got ugly. At that point Josh Wall gave up a triple, a homer, a double, and a walk to subsequent batters, and then even though he technically struck out the next batter, a dropped 3rd strike allowed him to reach base and a run to score. Then Jeff Baisley misplayed a grounder, and suddenly the game was tied. Albuquerque loaded the bases in the bottom of the 9th but failed to score, however in the 10th a Matt Angle double drove in Kyle Russell, who had singled, to plate the winning run. Other batters of note were the aforementioned Baisley, who went 3 for 4 with a double and a homer, and Tim Federowicz who also doubled, homered, and recorded 3 RBI's. Going back to the pitching Fernando Nieve started this game and gave up 4 runs in 4 innings, but then Cole St. Clair (3 IP) and Shawn Tolleson (1 IP) shutout the opposition over the next 4 frames before handing the ball to Wall.

AA – The Lookouts also played an extra inning contest on Friday, but they weren't as successful as Albuquerque as Chattanooga lost to the Stars (Brewers) 4 to 3. The eventual winning run scored without the aid of a hit as Geison Aguasviva walked 4 batters in the 11th which forced in the score. The Lookouts had their chances in the bottom half of the 11th as they had the bases loaded with nobody out, but they simply couldn't push across a run thanks to a couple of shallow fly-outs and a ground-out. Going back to the start of this game, Matt Magill had an unique outing as he threw 111 pitches in 4.1 innings thanks to 6 walks and 10 strikeouts. He also gave up 3 runs on 5 hits, then handed the ball to Red Patterson, who continues to thrive in the relief role as he struck out 4 of the 5 batters he faced. Allen Webster then came in again in relief and tossed 2 hitless frames, and he was followed by Steve Ames who added 2 shutout innings prior to the fateful 11th. At the plate there really wasn't a whole lot of excitement other than 3 singles from Travis Denker and a 2 for 6 effort from Nick Buss that included a double.

HiA – In what seemed to be the theme of the night the Quakes played yet another extra inning game, and they too came out on the losing end as Rancho got shot down by the Mavericks (Mariners) 7 to 6. The game was actually tied at 5 at the end of regulation, but then High Desert scored a pair in the 10th. The Quakes came back with 1 of their own in the bottom of the inning, but in what was another theme of this post the Quakes also left the bases loaded to end the contest. Despite the loss Rancho got a good game out of Chris Jacobs, who went 2 for 5 with a double and a homer, while Austin Gallagher knocked his 9th bomb out of the park. On the mound it was Greg Wilborn who got his first start of the year, but because he hasn't been stretched out yet he only went 3 innings and allowed 1 run. Craig Stem got roughed up in relief to the tune of 3 runs, and then it was Scott McGough who was saddled with the loss thanks to the 2 runs he allowed in the 10th.

LoA – The Loons won a chippy 3 - 2 game on Friday over the Whitecaps (Tigers) in a contest that featured a hard take out slide, an ejection, a ball thrown behind a batter, and a near fight on the mound. While I didn't get to watch all the action of this game live, I did see James Baldwin take out the 2nd baseman in the 3rd inning on a very aggressive slide, yet legal slide that left the defender down on the ground for several minutes. Sure enough it was Baldwin that the White Caps threw at later in the game, and that's what sparked most of the controversy because while James didn't charge the mound, he did point at the pitcher with his bat. Anyways getting back to the stats of the game, starter Jose Dominguez had his longest outing of the season as he allowed just 1 run on 4 hits over 6 innings. Michael Thomas was again solid in relief, then Yimi Garcia shut the door for his 6th save of the year. The Loons offense didn't record any extra base hits in this game, but Jan Vasquez, Scott Schebler, and Delvis Morales all had 2 base knocks. Joe Winker should also get a mention as he drove of the 3 runs, while Baldwin reached base 3 times thanks to 2 walks and a well placed bunt single.

Coming up – Chris Withrow should highlight Saturday's action as he takes the mound for the Lookouts, although Ryan O'Sullivan and his 2.90 ERA should be fun to watch as well for the Loons. Will Savage will try to improve to 8 - 0 for the Isotopes, while Jon Michael Redding will get another start for the Quakes.

Minor League Transactions – AAA: JJ Ethel was suspiciously placed on the DL. HiA/LoA: Jonathan Garcia has been added back to the Quakes roster, while Nick Akins was surprisingly demoted back to the Loons.

Albuquerque Isotopes Box Score (AAA)

Chattanooga Lookouts Box Score (AA)

Rancho Cucamonga Quakes Box Score (HiA)

Great Lakes Loons Box Score (LoA)

http://firstinning.com/daily/la

Minor League Player of the Day – Aaron Miller - 5 IP, 2 Runs, 3 K's, 1 for 2, 1 3B, 2 RBI's. Miller's pitching alone was not worthy of this award, but the fact that he drove in 2 runs with a triple helped him capture his prize on a day where there were very few standout players. This isn't Miller's first good hitting day as he is batting a healthy .273 for the season.

AAA – Brian Cavazos-Galvez returned home to Albuquerque for the first time in his minor league career, and while he had a good showing his team did not as the Isotopes got mauled by the River Cats (A's) 16 to 5. BCG went 2 for 4 with a double and 2 runs scored to the delight of the home crowd, although he made a pair of errors in left field. Tim Federowicz also had a single and a double while driving in 2, and Luis Cruz went 3 for 4 with a double and a triple. As you may have guessed several of the Albuquerque pitchers had an ugly Thursday, beginning with starting pitcher Michael Antonini who threw just 1.1 frames yet allowed 7 runs on 8 hits. Ramon Troncoso provided no relief as he gave up 5 runs in 2.2 innings, while Derrik Loop and Shane Lindsay permitted the final 4 scores to cross the plate.

AA – Aaron Miller had a good game on the mound and at the plate as the Lookouts shot down the Stars (Brewers) 6 to 3. Miller allowed 2 runs on 7 hits over 5 innings, and the former outfielder also drove in 2 runs with a triple. Javier Solano followed with 2 innings of 1 hit relief, while Logan Bawcom continued his meteoric rise with 1.2 more shutout frames for his 2nd AA save. Outside of Miller's big hit there wasn't a whole lot of offense in the Chattanooga win, as Rafael Ynoa's double was the only other extra base hit. J.T. Wise also had a solid game as he went 2 for 4 and drove in a run.

HiA – The Quakes ended their mini two-game losing streak on Thursday with a 7 - 4 win over the Mavericks (Mariners). Starter Angel Sanchez pitched better than his final line as he allowed just 4 hits and 1 run over his first 7 innings. He tired a bit in the 8th and in total gave up 4 runs, including a pair of homers. Steve Smith got the final out of the 8th, but he had some trouble of his own in the 9th which allowed Eric Eadington to come in and record his 2nd save. C.J. Retherford led the offense as he went 3 for 4 with a double and a RBI, while Joc Pederson singled twice and drove in a run. Leon Landry extended his hitting streak to 11 games with a single, and Chris O'Brien plated 3 runs with a single and a sac fly.

LoA – Not a whole lot of noteworthy action in this game as the Loons lost to the Whitecaps (Tigers) 6 to 3. Starter Jarret Martin was actually pretty solid despite the 4 runs allowed and 5 walks as he only gave up 2 runs over the first 7 innings. Much like Angel Sanchez for the Quakes Martin tired in the 8th, and when Raydel Sanchez took over in relief he struggled as well as the final two runs scored against him. The Great Lakes was pretty boring as the only extra base hits were doubles by Joe Winker and Pratt Maynard. James Baldwin continued to struggle with 3 more strikeouts, which is representative of most of the Loons lineup as 6 of the 9 batters in Thursday's lineup were hitting below .260.

Coming up – The Loons play another early morning game on Friday and will send Jose Dominguez to the mound. Matt Magill will start for the Lookouts, it seems to be Fernando Nieve's turn for the Isotopes, and the Quakes will give Greg Wilborn a chance.

Minor League Transactions – LoA: The struggling Justin Boudreaux was sent back to extended spring training and Delvis Morales was added back to the Loons roster.

Albuquerque Isotopes Box Score (AAA)

Chattanooga Lookouts Box Score (AA)

Rancho Cucamonga Quakes Box Score (HiA)

Great Lakes Loons Box Score (LoA)

http://firstinning.com/daily/la

Minor League Player of the Day – Leon Landry - 2 for 4, 2 2B's, 2 Runs, 1 SB. With just 2 games on Wednesday there weren't a whole lot of options for this award, but Landry continues to impress with his 8th multi-hit game in his last 10 contests. Landry has a 1.158 OPS over that time frame, and for the season is hitting .371.

AAA –Off day

AA – Off day

HiA – Brandon Martinez continued his success in the California League with 5 innings of 4 hit ball, but spotty defense caused the Quakes to lose to Lancaster (Astros) 6 to 4. B-Mart allowed 1 run and struck out 4, but then Freddie Cabrera gave up 5 scores in relief which put the game out of reach. 3 of the 5 runs Cabrera permitted were unearned, however, thanks to a pair of Rancho errors in the 7th inning. Scott McGough and Eric Eadington finished the game strong as they combined for 2.2 shutout frames. At the plate the Quakes scraped together 7 hits, and 6 of them were doubles. Leon Landry led the way with a pair of two-baggers and a stolen base, while Joc Pederson drove in two with a double and a sac fly. Scott Wingo went 2 for 4 with a double, and the rarely mentioned Nick Akins also doubled.

LoA – The Loons won a marathon game on Wednesday as Great Lakes defeated the Whitecaps (Tigers) 6 to 5 in 16 innings. After West Michigan tied the game in the top of the 9th, the two clubs played 6 innings of scoreless ball before James Baldwin finally drove in the winning run with a RBI double. For Baldwin it was the breakthrough he needed on a rough day which saw him go 1 for 8 with 4 K's. O'Koyea Dickson contributed to the win by going 3 for 5 with an RBI, while Jesse Bosnik went 2 for 5 with a homer. The Loons sent 7 different pitchers to the mound in this game, starting with Arismendy Ozoria who allowed 4 runs despite giving up just 3 hits over 5.2 innings. Most of his base-runners came via the walk as he issued 4 free passes. Several relievers followed, including Yimi Garcia who was the one who blew the save in the 9th. Once in extra innings Jason West tossed 3 innings of 2-hit relief, while Joel Lima finished the game with 4 scoreless innings to record the win.

Coming up – All the teams return to action on Thursday, including the Lookouts who will send Aaron Miller to the mound. Jarret Martin will start for the Loons, and while the other two games have TBD pitchers I'm guessing it will be Michael Antonini for the Isotopes and Angel Sanchez for the Quakes.

Rancho Cucamonga Quakes Box Score (HiA)

Great Lakes Loons Box Score (LoA)

http://firstinning.com/daily/la

Minor League Player of the Day – Gustavo Gomez - 5.2 IP, 2 Hits, 2 Runs, 2 BB's, 5 K's. Options were limited for this award on Tuesday, so I'm giving it to Gomez who started off his evening with 5 innings of 1-hit ball. The soon to be 21 year old was terrible in the Midwest League in 2011, but so far in 2012 he has a solid 3.66 ERA for the Loons.

AAA – After losing 3 of their top hitters the Isotopes managed just 3 hits on Tuesday as they were stung by the Bees (Angels) 4 to 1. Recently promoted Tyler Henson's 2nd homer was the only extra base knock, while Ivan De Jesus and Matt Angle singled. New Mexico native and University of New Mexico alum Brian Cavazos-Galvez made his AAA debut and went 0 for 3, but when the Isotopes return home on Thursday it will be a big deal to the city to have him playing in Albuquerque. On the mound John Ely put together another solid game as he allowed just 4 hits and 3 runs over 6.1 innings, and he also struck out 8. Josh Wall allowed 4 hits and a run in relief in the loss.

AA – Ethan Martin had his worst start of the season on Tuesday, but he still managed to guide the Lookouts to a 9 - 4 win over the BayBears (Dbacks). Martin allowed 8 hits and 4 runs over 5 innings, including 3 solo homers, but the good news is that he only walked one as he improved his record to 5 - 0. Allen Webster made a surprise appearance out of the bullpen and tossed a scoreless frame, and I guessing this move is to try and get him back on track by allowing him to focus on just one inning. Red Patterson and Steve Ames both lowered their ERA to below 1.70 by combining for 3 innings of 1-hit ball. At the plate Blake Smith recorded a team high 2 RBI's by going 2 for 4 with a homer, while Matt Wallach also knocked one out of the park. Nick Buss and Luis Nunez also had multi-hit games for Chattanooga.

HiA – The Quakes lost to Lancaster (Astros) on Tuesday 7 - 3 as starter Garrett Gould fell to 0 - 4 for the season. Gould allowed 5 runs (4 earned) on 8 hits over 6 innings, although he didn't walk a batter. The interesting thing about his season so far is that he started the year with 40 strikeouts over his initial 22.1 innings, but over his last 3 starts he only has a total of 6 K's over 16.2 innings. Strange stuff. Garrett was followed by Ryan Acosta and Bret Montgomery who both gave up a run. Chris O'Brien led the Rancho offense by going 3 for 4 with a double and a RBI, while Austin Gallagher also had a two-bagger. The only other player worth mentioning Leon Landry who went 2 for 5 with his 4th triple of the season.

LoA – Gustavo Gomez started the game by throwing 5 innings of 1 hit ball, but he tired a bit in the 6th and the Loons eventually lost 4 - 1 to the Lake County Captains (Indians). Despite the loss Gomez ended the day with a very solid line as he gave up just 2 hits and 2 runs over 5.2 frames and struck out 5. Matt Shelton allowed a pair of unearned runs in relief, and then Yimi Garcia shut out the opposition over the final 1.1 innings to lower his ERA to a miniscule 0.66. The Great Lakes offense managed just 3 hits in this game, and the only highlight was a Joe Winker solo homer.

Coming up – Only two games on Wednesday as both the Isotopes and Lookouts have the day off. Brandon Martinez will start a day game for the Quakes, while Arismendy Ozoria will try and halt the losing streak for the Loons.

Minor League Transactions – AAA: Kyle Russell was promoted from AA, Brian Cavazos Galvez was promoted from HiA, and JJ Ethel has been activated from the DL. AA: The recently signed Brahiam Maldonado, originally a 2004 10th round pick of the Mets, was assigned to the Lookouts. HiA: Jarrad Page was assigned back to the Quakes.

Albuquerque Isotopes Box Score (AAA)

Chattanooga Lookouts Box Score (AA)

Rancho Cucamonga Quakes Box Score (HiA)

Great Lakes Loons Box Score (LoA)

http://firstinning.com/daily/la

Minor League Player of the Day – Jerry Sands - 3 for 3, 1 HR, 1 2B, 1 BB, 1 RBI, 2 Runs. This was a toss up between Sands and Eovaldi, but I'm giving it to Jerry again to celebrate his promotion to the big leagues.

AAA – Jerry Sands put on another show in his AAA finale, but the Isotopes still lost to the Bees (Angels) 3 to 2. Sands went 3 for 3 with a homer and a double, giving him 6 hits and 3 bombs over the last two games. Let's hope he can keep some of the momentum as he joins LA. Nobody else did anything of note at the plate, while starting pitcher Stephen Fife had a decent game as he allowed 3 runs (2 earned) over 7 frames in the loss. Shawn Tolleson pitched in relief and was much better in his second AAA appearance, allowing just one hit and recording 1 K in his inning of work.

AA – Nathan Eovaldi pitched a gem on Monday as the Lookouts held off the BayBears (Dbacks) 3 to 1. Eovaldi gave up just 3 hits over 7 strong innings, allowing the only run to score against him on a solo homer. He walked 3 and struck out 4. Logam Bawcom was very impressive in his 2 hitless innings of relief work as he K'ed 2 to pick up his 1st save in AA. Chattanooga had 11 hits in the win, and was led by Pedro Baez who went 2 for 4 with a double, a triple, and 2 RBI's. JT Wise connected on a pair of doubles, while Griff Erickson went 2 for 3 with a two-bagger of his own.

HiA – Jon Michael Redding joined Fife and Eovaldi in throwing exactly 7 innings, and was also impressive in the Quakes 5 - 1 win over Lancaster (Astros). Redding, who continues to fill in for the injury Chris Reed, allowed just 1 run, also on a solo homer, and walked just 1 while striking out 4. Steve Smith fired 2 hitless innings of relief for his 2nd save of the year. The Rancho offense was spread among almost everyone in the lineup as 8 of the 9 starters recorded at least 1 hit. Austin Gallagher went 2 for 4 with a pair of doubles, while Brian Cavazos-Galvez hit his 3rd HiA homer of the year. Leon Landry had an RBI double while Chris Jacobs went 2 for 4.

LoA – Great Lakes committed 4 errors on Monday and the 3 unearned runs that resulted were the difference in the game as the Loons lost to the Captains (Indians) 6 to 3. Starter Ryan O'Sullivan allowed all 6 runs over his 6 innings of work, but as I already mentioned 3 were unearned. Matt Laney tossed the final 2 frames and allowed just a single hit. There wasn't a whole lot of excitement on offense, although Kevin Taylor, Joe Winker, and Pedro Guerrero all had multi-hit games. Noel Cuevas drove in 2 of 3 runs with a triple, and O'Koyea Dickson had a sac fly but was otherwise held hitless.

Coming up – Gustavo Gomez takes the mound for the Loons in a game that has already started, while John Ely and the Isotopes also play a day game. Garrett Gould starts for the Quakes, and the Lookout pitcher will most likely be Ethan Martin.

Minor League Transactions – We should see some moves today to make up for the promotions of Jerry Sands and Elian Herrera.

Albuquerque Isotopes Box Score (AAA)

Chattanooga Lookouts Box Score (AA)

Rancho Cucamonga Quakes Box Score (HiA)

Great Lakes Loons Box Score (LoA)

http://firstinning.com/daily/la

Minor League Player of the Day – Jerry Sands - 3 for 4, 2 HR's, 3 RBI's, 1 BB, 4 Runs. Sands responded again to possible promotion of another teammate as he crushed 2 homers to give him 6 for the year. For the season his OPS is only .775, but over the last 10 games it's a more impressive 1.047.

AAA – The Isotopes swatted the Bees 10 to 7 on Sunday behind a 16 hit attack. As mentioned above Jerry Sands had the big game as he went 3 for 4 with 2 homers, scoring 4 runs in the process. Tyler Henson continued his success in AAA with 2 doubles, while Ivan De Jesus, Josh Fields, Jeff Baisley, and Tim Federowicz all had 2 hits each. On the mound Will Savage managed to collect his 7th win of the year against no losses despite allowing 4 runs (3 earned) in 5 frames. The 6'4" right hander only struck out 2, and also walked a pair. Cole St. Clair hurled a perfect 5-pitch 6th, and while Shane Lindsay and Scott Rice allowed runs in relief, they were able to hang on for the win.

AA – Mobile (Dbacks) scored in just two innings on Sunday, but they still managed to defeat the Lookouts 7 to 5 in 10 frames. Starting pitcher Chris Withrow's final line didn't look all that good as he allowed 5 runs on 5 hits over 5 innings, but that doesn't tell the whole story as Withrow actually had a 1 hit shutout going through the 4th. He encountered a rough patch in the 5th, however, which is when all 5 runs scored against him. Javy Solano and Red Patterson were excellent in relief as they allowed just 1 hit over the next four innings, but Blake Johnson bit the dust in the extra frames as he allowed a walk-off 2-run homer. The Lookout offense was led by the suddenly hot Nick Buss who had his second 3-hit game in a row and missed the cycle by a homer. Nobody else had more than 1 hit, although Rafael Ynoa and Luis Nunez both connected on doubles.

HiA – Off day

LoA – Jose Dominguez had another rough start as the Loons lost to the Captains (Indians) 5 to 4. Dominguez, who who had been great in relief throughout the entire month of April, has had trouble adapting to the rotation as he gave up 3 runs on 4 hits and 3 walks over 3.2 frames on Sunday. Raydel Sanchez allowed 2 more runs in relief, but Mike Thomas continued his dominance with another hitless frame (through 18.2 innings he has a .123 batting average against). At the plate O'Koyea Dickson went 2 for 5 and connected on yet another extra base hit as he doubled. Scott Schebler crushed his 3rd homer of the year, while Kevin Taylor hit his first bomb in the 9th which cut the Lake County lead to 1 before the eventual loss.

Coming up – All four teams are back at it on Monday, with Nathan Eovaldi's start for the Lookouts highlighting the pitching matchups. Ryan O'Sullivan will take the mound for the Loons, while Stephen Fife will toe the rubber for the Isotopes. The Quakes starter is TBD, but it looks like either Jon Michael Redding or Garrett Gould will get the ball.

Minor League Transactions – LoA: James Baldwin was activated from the DL while Juan Noriega took his place on the disabled list.

Albuquerque Isotopes Box Score (AAA)

Chattanooga Lookouts Box Score (AA)

Great Lakes Loons Box Score (LoA)

http://firstinning.com/daily/la

Minor League Player of the Day – Leon Landry - 3 for 6, 2 3B's, 5 RBI's, 1 Run. Landry had the rare two triple game on Saturday, and they came at ideal times as he drove in 5 runs. Since coming off the DL on May 6th, Leon has at least 2 hits in every game except for one and for the season his OPS is at 1.013.

AAA – The Isotopes managed to get through another bullpen game unscathed as Albuquerque defeated the Bees (Angels) 5 to 4. Starter Fernando Nieve did a decent job of limiting the damage against him as he allowed just 2 runs in 4 innings despite permitting 4 hits and 4 walks, then the surprising Derrick Loop tossed 3 shutout frames to record his 4th win of the year. Closer Josh Wall got into a little trouble in the 9th as he allowed a run, so manager Lorenzo Bundy played the match-up game and brought in lefty Wil Ledezma to get the final 2 outs for the save. On offense Tyler Henson homered in his return to AAA and drove in 2 runs, while Jeff Baisley and Luis Cruz both went 2 for 4 with a double. Ivan De Jesus also played a big part in the win as his 2-RBI double in the 7th turned out to be the game winning hit.

AA – The Lookouts had an all around solid game on Saturday as they defeated the BayBears (Dbacks) 6 to 1. Starter Matt Magill, who has now allowed 1 earned run or less in each of his last 4 starts, gave up just 2 hits over 5 innings to pick up the win. Magill continues to rack up the walks, however, as he issued 5 free passes in this game and has walked 23 batters in 36 innings for the season. Backing up Magill was a solid Chattanooga bullpen as Geison Aguasviva and Steve Ames both threw shutout innings, then Logan Bawcom made his AA debut and allowed 2 hits but didn't give up a run as he also struck out 2. Leading the offensive attack was Nick Buss who went 3 for 4 with a double and 3 RBI's. Luis Nunez drove in the other 3 runs of the game with a 3-run homer, while Griff Erickson went 2 for 4 with a double.

HiA – The Quakes and Mavericks battled it out until the very end on Saturday, and when the dust settled it was High Desert (Mariners) who hit a walk off grand slam for a wild 13 - 12 win over Rancho. This was the type of game where I was glad I didn't start my recap early as 16 runs were scored over the final 3 innings, with 9 of those coming in the 9th. Zach Lee actually started this contest and had a rough outing, but by the time it was over most probably forgot that he had even pitched in this game. Lee allowed 4 runs on 8 hits and 2 walks over just 3 innings, although he did have 4 punchouts. Freddie Cabrera did pretty good work in his 3 innings of relief as he gave up just a pair of unearned runs, then Steve Smith threw a shutout 7th. Things really went downhill after that, however, as Scott McGough (0.1 IP, 3 hits, 2 runs) struggled in relief, and while Eric Eadington got out of the 8th inning jam, he walked the bases loaded in the 9th. As the Quakes were running out of bullpen options, they called upon Craig Stem with two outs and a 3 run lead. But the first batter he faced crushed the walk-off slam to end the game. On offense the Rancho club at 16 hits in this game, but surprisingly only 3 went for extra bases. Leon Landry had the big game with 2 triples and 5 runs batted in, while Joc Pederson increased his batting average to .333 with 4 singles in 6 at bats. Chris O'Brien went 2 for 5 with a double, while Scott Wingo managed to accumulate just 2 official at bats despite playing the whole game and had 2 singles to drive in 2 runs.

LoA – The Loons made a late push to win this game, but the Lake County Captains (Indians) managed to stay one step ahead as they defeated Great Lakes 6 - 4. Starter Jarret Martin was in constant trouble during his 3 innings of work, allowing at least one run in each frame and giving up 4 total scores on 4 hits and 3 walks. He did strike out 5, however, and didn't get any help from a defense that made 4 errors in the game (and caused 2 of his runs to be unearned). Joel Lima made his 2012 debut in relief and threw very well, allowing just 1 hit (a solo homer) over 3.2 innings while striking out 4. At the plate, O'Koyea Dickson collected his 6th extra base hit in 8 games as he crushed a solo homer. Joe Winker also drove in a run with a triple, while Jesse Bosnik went 2 for 3 with a RBI.

Coming up – The Quakes take the day off on Sunday, but the other 3 teams will be back in action. Chris Withrow will get the start for the Lookouts, while Will Savage will try for his 7th win of the year for the Isotopes. Jose Dominguez will take the mound for the Loons in his 2nd start of the year.

Minor League Transactions – HiA: Jarrad Page was removed from the roster after just 1 day while Alexis Aguilar was added to the team.

Albuquerque Isotopes Box Score (AAA)

Chattanooga Lookouts Box Score (AA)

Rancho Cucamonga Quakes Box Score (HiA)

Great Lakes Loons Box Score (LoA)

http://firstinning.com/daily/la

Minor League Player of the Day – Michael Pericht - 4 for 4, 1 HR, 1 2B, 3 RBI's, 2 Runs. Pericht was a big reason why the Quakes won on Friday as he smacked a 2-run homer in the 8th, and as had an RBI double in the 9th to cap his perfect day at the plate. Over his last 10 games, the big catcher is hitting .351 with a 1.279 OPS.

AAA – Starter Michael Antonini was outstanding on Friday, but the Isotopes offense couldn't help him out as Albuquerque got shutout Tacoma (Mariners) 4 to 0. Antonini allowed just 3 hits over 6 innings and struck out 8, and the only run he allowed was on a solo homer. Cole St. Clair followed with a hitless frame, but Shawn Tolleson had a tough time in his AAA debut as he gave up 3 hits and 3 runs. All three of the Isotopes' hits were singles coming from 3 different hitters, so really there was nothing notable about the offense.

AA – Aaron Miller followed Ethan Martin's near-no hitter with 5 innings of 2-hit ball, but the Lookouts couldn't muster up any offense against Trevor Bauer and his relievers in a 6 - 1 loss to the BayBears (Dbacks). Despite giving up just 2 hits Miller did allow a pair of scores on a 2-run homer, and he struck out 4. Blake Johnson allowed 3 more runs in relief, although 2 were unearned thanks to a Rafael Ynoa fielding error. Ynoa tried to make up for his defense by having the only multi-hit game for Chattanooga, while Blake Smith drove in the lone run with a RBI double.

HiA – The Quakes scored 9 runs over the final 2 frames to win a wild 13 - 11 game over the Mavericks (Mariners) in the High Desert. Austin Gallagher (5 RBI's) and Michael Pericht (3 RBI's) did most of the damage in the later innings as Gallagher smacked a grand slam in the big 8th inning and Pericht followed with a 2-run homer of his own. Pericht also doubled earlier in the game, and finished the contest by going a perfect 4 for 4. Leon Landry was another Rancho hitter to have a good night as he went 2 for 5 to increase his batting average to .357. On the mound Angel Sanchez had another rough outing as he gave up 7 runs 6 earned) on 8 hits over 6 innings, including 3 homers. Craig Stem was perfect in his 2012 debut, while Eric Eadington got out of a jam in the 9th to record his first save for the Quakes.

LoA – Juan Noriega has been outstanding so far in his time with the Dodgers, but on Friday he had his worst outing since joining the organization as he gave up 3 runs in the 8th which resulted in a 5 - 2 win for West Michigan (Tigers). With the game tied at 2, Noriega entered the game then promptly gave up a walk and 3 hits, including a 2-run triple, and that's what doomed Great Lakes. Up until that point the Loons pitching staff had been pretty solid as starter Arismendy Ozoria allowed 2 runs over 6 frames, and Raydel Sanchez tossed a perfect inning in the 7th. Great Lakes was lucky to even be in this game as the offense managed just 3 hits for the contest, with just one base knock coming after the 1st inning. Scott Schebler made his hit count as he crushed his 2nd homer of the year, while Kevin Taylor went 2 for 4 with a triple and scored the only other run of the game.

Coming up – Zach Lee will highlight the Saturday pitching matchups as the will take the mound for the Quakes. Matt Magill will start for the Lookouts, while Jarret Martin will try to maintain his league lead in strikeouts for the Loons. The Isotopes starter will be Fernando Nieve as he'll replace the recently DL'ed Mike Parisi's.

Minor League Transactions – AAA: Ryan Tucker was placed on the DL with a strained right shoulder and Joe Becker was added back to the roster to replace Justin Sellers. HiA: Jarrad Page has rejoined the Quakes while the struggling Tyler Henson was actually promoted to AAA (mostly due to necessity). LoA: Joel Lima was added to the Loons roster to replace the recently promoted Eric Eadington

Albuquerque Isotopes Box Score (AAA)

Chattanooga Lookouts Box Score (AA)

Rancho Cucamonga Quakes Box Score (HiA)

Great Lakes Loons Box Score (LoA)

http://firstinning.com/daily/la

Minor League Player of the Day – Ethan Martin - 7 IP, 2 Hits, 1 Run, 2 BB's, 7 K's. Martin, who took a no-hitter into the 7th on Thursday, had a lot of skeptics heading into the 2012 season, but over his last 5 starts he's thrown at least 6 innings and has given up 3 runs or less each time out. He also has a .169 batting average against for the season. While his walk rate was a little erratic at the start of the season, he's shown solid improvement with his control and is finally starting to look like the 1st round pick that many hoped he would be.

AAA – Isotopes beat the Rainiers (Mariners) 3 - 2 on Thursday behind the solid pitching performance of starter John Ely. Ely allowed just 2 run on a measly 4 hits over 7 innings, and struck out a season high 11. Shane Lindsay followed with a hitless inning, then Wil Ledezma picked up the save as closer Josh Wall was given the night off. The top 3 hitters in the Albuquerque order (Elian Herrera, Ivan De Jesus, and Josh Fields) all went 2 for 5, with De Jesus driving in 2 with a double. Josh Bard had the final RBI of the game and went 1 for 3.

AA – Chattanooga allowed just 2 hits on on Thursday as the Lookouts clobbered the Biscuits (Rays) 11 to 1. Starting pitcher Ethan Martin continued to show signs of promise as he took a no-hitter into the 7th inning, and even though he ended up giving up a run Ethan had an excellent game as he struck out 7 and improved his record to 4 - 0. Geison Aguasviva and Luis Vasquez finished off the game with 2 hitless frames. At the plate there were several Chattanooga hitters who contributed to the win, starting with JT Wise and Kyle Russell who both went 3 for 5 with a pair of double. Pedro Baez recorded 2 hits and drove in 3 runs, while Luis Nunez homered and picked up 3 RBI's.

HiA – The Quakes were down late in the High Desert on Thursday, but a big 8th inning allowed Rancho to defeat the Mavericks (Mariners) 7 to 6. Shortstop Charlie Mirabal had 2 triples in this game, and his 2nd one drove in the eventual game winning runs. Joc Pederson contributed to the win with his first homer of the year, and C.J. Retherford connected on his 3rd bomb while driving in 2. On the mound Brandon Martinez made his first start of the year in HiA, and although he allowed 8 hits and a walk over 5 innings he was able to limit the damage against him as just 2 runs crossed the plate in his presence. Ryan Acosta and Steve Smith got roughed up in relief, but new closer Scott McGough stoppled the bleeding and recorded his 2nd save of the season with 1.2 perfect innings.

LoA – The Loons continued to shine in 1 run games as a late inning rally helped Great Lakes defeat the Whitecaps (Tigers) 4 to 3. Starter Gustavo Gomez gave up just 3 hits over 5 frames to start the game, but he also walked 5 batters which allowed 2 runs to score. Jason West allowed a run in relief before Matt Laney (winning pitcher) and Yimi Garcia (5th save) closed out the game for the victory. At the plate there were several batters who had big games, starting with Kevin Taylor who went 2 for 4 and drove in the eventual game winning run via a ground out. Justin Boudreaux went 2 for 3 with a triple and 2 runs scored, while Jesus Arredondo had two singles and drove in a run.

Coming up – Aaron Miller and Angel Sanchez will highlight the Friday night pitching lineup as they will start for the Lookouts and Quakes, respectively. Arismendy Ozoria will take the mound for the Quakes, while Michael Antonini will start Friday's game for the Isotopes.

Minor League Transactions – There were a flurry of moves related to minor league relievers on Thursday. AAA: Shawn Tolleson was promoted to AAA. AA: Logam Bawcom was promoted to AA. HiA: Eric Eadington was promoted to HiA.

Albuquerque Isotopes Box Score (AAA)

Chattanooga Lookouts Box Score (AA)

Rancho Cucamonga Quakes Box Score (HiA)

Great Lakes Loons Box Score (LoA)

http://firstinning.com/daily/la

Just so everyone knows, the minor league reports might be a little shorter for the next few days as I'll be in New Orleans on vacation.

Minor League Player of the Day – Jerry Sands - 2 for 3, 1 2B, 1 HR, 4 RBI's, 1 Run. Sands was passed over for Scott Van Slyke earlier on Wednesday, and for good reason since Sands was hitting more than 100 points lower than Van Slyke. But Jerry responded with a big game and if he can find his swing again he could be back in LA himself at some point in the near future.

AAA – The Isotopes had some fun in the sun on Wednesday as they defeated the Rainiers (Mariners) 9 to 7. Jerry Sands appears to have used the promotion of his teammate Scott Van Slyke as motivation as Sands went 2 for 3 with a double, a homer, and 4 RBI's. Matt Angle also had a big game as he went yard and tripled to drive in 2, while Ivan De Jesus had his first RBI and multi-hit game of the year. Despite the win Stephen Fife struggled on the mound as he gave up 5 runs and twice as many hits, but his bullpen did a adequate job which allowed the Topes to win. Josh Wall recorded his 9th save of the year, and for the season opposing batters are hitting just .135 against him through 15.1 innings.

AA – It was an ugly game for Allen Webster and the Lookout offense as Chattanooga got crushed by the Biscuits (Rays) 9 to 0 on Wednesday. In a season that has already been full of poor starts, Webster had his worst outing of the year as he gave up 9 runs (7 earned) over 3.1 innings. The good news is that the Lookout bullpen did solid work after Webster left, but it's hard to find comfort in relief pitchers when the organization's "#2 prospect" heading into the season got lit up. Javy Solano was perfect in his 2 innings of work, and Steve Ames was flawless while recording his 3 outs. At the plate the Chattanooga hitters did a lot of walking, but the only player to get some solid hitting in was Jake Lemmerman who continued his hot streak with a pair of doubles.

HiA – The Quakes and 66ers (Angels) were tied at one after 8 and a half frames, but that changed quickly as Inland Empire's first batter in the bottom of the 9th crushed a homer off Scott McGough to capture a 2 - 1 win over Rancho. Prior to the 9th the Quakes' pitching was outstanding, starting with Garrett Gould who allowed just 3 hits and 1 run over 6 innings. His strikeout numbers were down (2 K's), however, and his walks were up (4 BB's). Bret Montgomery was also very good as he threw a pair of hitless innings prior to handing the ball off to McGough. The Rancho lineup had a rough game as they managed just 6 hits. Leon Landry and Joc Pederson both had two singles, while Tyler Henson smacked his 3rd homer of the year (although he's hitting below .200).

LoA – Starter Ryan O'Sullivan had the longest outing of his young career and the Loons pitching staff as a whole allowed just 3 hits in a 2 - 1 win over the Whitecaps (Tigers). O'Sullivan went 6 strong innings as he allowed just 2 hits and a single run, although he only recorded one strikeout. Michael Thomas followed with 1.2 shutout frames, then Eric Eadington picked up the save with 1.1 perfect innings. Great Lakes didn't need a lot of offense in this game to record the win, and they got all they needed on a 2-run single by Justin Boudreaux. Scott Schebler and O'Koyea Dickson also had good games as they both had two hits, including Dickson's 4th double in 4 games.

Coming up – The new and improved Ethan Martin will start Thursday's game for the Lookouts, and Andres Santiago will take the mound for the Quakes. John Ely gets the call for the Isotopes and Gustavo Gomez will start for the Loons in an early morning game.

Minor League Transactions – AAA: If you haven't heard by now, Scott Van Slyke was promoted to LA. Mike Parisi was also placed on the DL so there should be some reinforcements for the Isotopes tomorrow.

Albuquerque Isotopes Box Score (AAA)

Chattanooga Lookouts Box Score (AA)

Rancho Cucamonga Quakes Box Score (HiA)

Great Lakes Loons Box Score (LoA)

http://firstinning.com/daily/la

Minor League Player of the Day – Pedro Guerrero - 3 for 3, 1 HR, 2 Runs, 2 RBI's. There weren't any obvious choices for this award on Tuesday so I'm giving it to the 23 year old Guerrero who was demoted down to the Loons after slow start in Rancho. He's hitting .317 in his 12 games for Great Lakes and is a versatile fielder, but overall he isn't much of a prospect.

AAA – Will Savage recorded his league leading 6th win of the year on Wednesday as the Isotopes doubled up the Rainiers (Mariners) 4 to 2. Savage started the game with 6 innings of shutout ball, and while the Tacoma batters got to him a bit in the 7th, he limited the damage to just 2 runs. From there on out the Albuquerque bullpen was nearly flawless and was capped by Josh Wall's* 3 K's and 8th save of the year. At the plate it was Scott Van Slyke* who was up to his old tricks as he went 2 for 4 with a double and a RBI. Justin Sellers* also drove in a run in his first game back with the Isotopes, as did Jerry Sands* despite going 0 for 4.

AA – The Lookouts went down without much of a fight on Tuesday as they lost to the Montgomery Biscuits (Rays) 6 to 1. The Chattanooga offense was extremely quiet as their only run scored on a throwing error, while Griff Erickson's double was the team's only extra base hit. Starter Nathan Eovaldi* wasn't all that sharp as he allowed 4 runs on 7 hits and 2 walks, although he did punch out 6 and was relatively efficient as he threw just 82 pitches. Luis Vasquez continued his wild ways in relief as he walked 2 and gave up a pair of runs over 2 frames, while Geison Aguasviva tossed a pair of hitless innings to even out his ERA at 3.00.

HiA – The Quakes put up a 5 spot in the 4th and were cruising toward a victory until the 66ers (Angles) responded with a big 8th inning and came away with a 6 - 5 win over Rancho. Starter Jon Michael Redding did a fine fill in job for the injured Chris Reed as he gave up just 4 hits and 2 runs over 5 innings, then Freddie Cabrera followed with 2 shutout frames. In his 3rd inning of work, however, Cabrera ran into some trouble and was pulled with 2 runners on. Logan Bawcom came in and promptly gave up a 2 run triple, then allowed a single which resulted in his first earned run of the year. As mentioned above the Quakes scored all their runs in the same inning, with three of them coming on homers by Brian Cavazos-Galvez and C.J. Retherford. The other two runs crossed the plate on wild pitches, and Leon Landry finished the night by going 2 for 4 with a double.

LoA – The Loons salvaged a series split with the Silver Hawks (Dbacks) on Tuesday as Great Lakes defeated South Bend 7 to 5. The eventual winning run scored in the 9th on a single by Noel Cuevas, who doubled earlier in the day and completed a two-day cycle. O'Koyea Dickson provided some insurance with a bases loaded walk, and he also doubled earlier in the game to give him 3 two-baggers in 3 days. #9 hitter Pedro Guerrero also had a big game as he went 3 for 3 with 2 runs scored and connected on his first homer of the year. Despite the win, Jose Dominguez struggled in his first start of the year as he allowed 4 runs (3 earned) on 5 hits and 3 walks over 3.2 frames. His relievers were solid, however, as Matt Laney and Juan Noriega combined for 3.1 scoreless frames. Closer Yimi Garcia had an interesting line as he scattered 4 hits over 2 innings and gave up an unearned run to blow the save, but he also got all 6 outs via the K and recorded the win after his offense pulled ahead in the 9th.

Coming up – 3 of the 4 teams play day games on Wednesday, starting with Allen Webster and the Lookouts who will get under way just after 8 am local time. Garrett Gould will take the mound for the Quakes in the afternoon sun, and Stephen Fife will start for the Isotopes. Ryan O'Sullivan will take the ball for the Loons in the lone night game.

* Denotes player is on the 40 man roster

Albuquerque Isotopes Box Score (AAA)

Chattanooga Lookouts Box Score (AA)

Rancho Cucamonga Quakes Box Score (HiA)

Great Lakes Loons Box Score (LoA)

http://firstinning.com/daily/la

Minor League Player of the Day – Brian Cavazos-Galvez - 3 for 5, 1 HR, 2 RBI's, 2 Runs, 2 SB's. It was a toss up between Zach Lee and BCG for this award, but I'm giving to Brian because of his all around effort at the plate and on the base paths. Cavazos-Galvez has a hit in every game since joining Rancho, and his OPS is exactly 1.000.

AAA – The Isotopes were able to overcome an unplanned bullpen game on Monday as Albuquerque silenced the Sounds (Brewers) 8 to 3. Starter Mike Parisi had to leave the game after just two innings due to shoulder tightness, but luckily reliever Cole St. Clair stepped up big time with 4 solid frames. The big lefty allowed just 1 run on 4 hits, then passed the ball to the trio of Wil Ledezma, Shane Lindsay, and Scott Rice who closed out the game with 3 shutout innings. Luis Cruz had the big night at the plate as he slugged a RBI double and connected on a 3 run homer. Elian Herrera continued his hot hitting with 2 doubles to extend his hitting streak to 12 games, while Scott Van Slyke* and Tim Federowicz* both went 1 for 3 with a RBI. Jerry Sands* had just one official at bat on the day as he walked once and had two run scoring fly balls, while Trent Oeltjen* had a single and a stolen base in 4 at bats.

AA – Chris Withrow* had trouble finding the plate, but he still managed to record the win on Monday as the Lookouts defeated the Biscuits (Rays) 5 to 3. Withrow walked 6 batters over 5 laborious innings and also allowed 5 hits, but only 3 runs scored against him thanks to some timely defense and his ability to get out of a few jams. Blake Johnson continued his solid relief work with 2 more shutout innings, and Shawn Tolleson picked up his 5th save of the year despite allowing a couple of base runners. The top 3 batters in the Lookouts' lineup had all but 1 of the Chattanooga hits, starting with leadoff man Anthony Jackson who went 3 for 3 with a triple and scored 3 runs. Jake Lemmerman continued his incredible hot streak with 2 more hits including 2 run homer, and over his last 10 games he is hitting .500 with an OPS of 1.500. J.T. Wise drove in the other 3 runs of the game with a sac fly and a two run double.

HiA – Zach Lee rebounded nicely on Monday as he led the Quakes to a 6 - 2 win over the 66ers (Angels). Lee limited the opposing hitters to just 3 singles over 5 frames, with all 3 of the hits coming in the same inning which resulted in a run. In the other 4 frames he was flawless and struck out 5 without issuing a walk. Steve Smith was great in relief, and Logan Bawcom got the final out of the game to escape a bases loaded jam and record the save. On offense the big hitter of the night was Brian Cavazos-Galvez who went 3 for 5 with a homer, 2 RBI's, and 2 stolen bases. The other 10 hits by the Quakes were all singles and were scattered among 7 different hitters. Leon Landry, Chris O'Brien, and C.J. Retherford all had 2 base knocks and drove in a run each.

LoA – The Loons were extremely quite at the plate on Monday, yet still managed to hang on until the very end in a 2 - 1 loss to the Silver Hawks (Dbacks). Great Lakes had just 4 hits, although all 4 went for extra bases including a triple and a home run by center fielder Noel Cuevas. The other two-baggers were by O'Koyea Dickson and Joe Winker. On the mound starter Jarret Martin threw a very good game as he allowed just 1 run on 3 hits over 7 innings. Matt Shelton wasn't as sharp in relief, however, as he gave up 4 straight hits to start the 9th which drove home winning run.

Coming up – Jose Dominguez will make his first start of the season for the Loons, but he'll be up against a tough opponent in top prospect Archie Bradley. Nathan Eovaldi will toe the rubber for the Lookouts, while Jon Michael Redding will replace Chris Reed in the Quakes rotation. Finally, Will Savage will start the game for the Isotopes.

Minor League Transactions – AAA: Lance Zawadzki and Brent Leach were released, while Joe Becker was removed from the roster. HiA: There were a flurry of moves as Andres Santiago and Jordan Roberts were placed on the DL, while Craig Stem (RHP) and Brandon Martinez were added to the roster.

* Denotes player is on the 40 man roster

Albuquerque Isotopes Box Score (AAA)

Chattanooga Lookouts Box Score (AA)

Rancho Cucamonga Quakes Box Score (HiA)

Great Lakes Loons Box Score (LoA)

http://firstinning.com/daily/la

I'm trying something new at the suggestion of G.Scott, which is to specifically mention the performance of every player on the 40 man roster, good or bad, and denote those players with an asterisk (*). That way everyone can see how the players who are presumably closest to the majors are doing on a daily basis.

Minor League Player of the Day – Chris Jacobs - 4 for 4, 1 HR 3 RBI's, 2 Runs. I finally got to watch big Chris Jacobs play in person on Sunday as I attended the game in Rancho, and I picked the right game to watch because he had his best game of the season. I finally got to see his "light tower power" as he crushed a towering home run down the left field line in the 7th inning, and while his other three singles weren't hit very hard, they got the job done. One thing I do need to mention, however, is that Chris very slow and a terrible base runner, and one of the more humorous moments of the afternoon came when Jacobs was almost thrown out by the right fielder on a bloop single.

AAA – Michael Antonini* threw relatively well on Sunday, but the Isotopes offense managed just 3 runs in one run loss to the Sounds (Brewers). Antonini allowed 2 runs on 6 hits and 3 walks over 6 frames, striking out 6 and throwing 97 pitches. He actually left the game with the lead and was hoping to pick up his 2nd win of the year, but reliever Derrick Loop gave up 2 scores and was saddled with the loss. Some good news is that Ryan Tucker and Ramon Troncoso were solid in the defeat as they finished off the game with 2.2 innings of 1 hit relief. At the plate it was leadoff man Elian Herrera who had the big game as he went 2 for 3 with a triple, a homer, and 2 RBI's. Matt Angle* had the only other run driven it, but he also struck out 3 times. Jerry Sands* and Tim Federowicz* each had as single but combined to go 2 for 9 with 4 K's, while Ivan De Jesus* went 0 for 5. Scott Van Slyke* was held in check as he was held hitless in 3 at bats, but he did walk twice.

AA – It was an all around dreadful day for the Lookouts as they were burned by the Biscuits (Rays) 4 to 1. Chattanooga manged just 4 hits in the defeat, with the only offensive highlight coming on an RBI double by Rafael Ynoa. On defense the club committed two errors, one by Ynoa and another by starting pitcher Matt Magill, who actually had a pretty good day on the mound despite walking 4. Magill gave up just 3 hits and 2 unearned runs over 5 frames, but like I said before he was a bit wild which caused him to throw 102 pitches. Red Patterson allowed a run in relief, and even Shawn Tolleson got touched up for a home run on this forgettable day for the Lookouts.

HiA – As mentioned above I was able to attend Sunday's game in Rancho, and lucky for me I was able to watch an exciting 9 - 2 Quakes victory over the Storm (Padres). Starter Angel Sanchez had what I believe is the longest outing of the season for any Rancho pitcher as he threw 8 strong innings, although after watching him in person I wasn't overly impressed with his performance. His overall line looked pretty good as he allowed just 2 runs on 6 hits, but he seemed to get a bit lucky thanks to a few timely double plays and some bad base running by the Lake Elsinore players. The highest I saw Sanchez hit on the gun was 92 mph, and he was consistently in the low 90's all afternoon. At the end of the day he definitely has some talent, but when compared to last time when I watched Chris Reed pitch, Sanchez just wasn't as impressive. Anyways, at the plate Chris Jacobs had a huge game with a big homer and 3 singles, and Leon Landry was also impressive in his first game back since suffering a concussion 3 weeks ago. Landry made a solid running basket catch from left field in the 3rd inning, and at the plate he doubled and then had an outstanding drag bunt at the plate, stole second with ease, and scored on a RBI double by Scott WIngo. Joc Pederson also had a nice defensive play as he made a diving catch in center, and at the plate he doubled, walked twice, stole 2 bases, and scored 3 runs. The final big hit of the game was a long home run by Michael Pericht, who hit a drive deep to left center that went at least 400 feet.

LoA – Things were looking grim for the Loons after 6 innings, but Great Lakes forced extra innings with a late rally and then scored a pair in the 10th clip the Silver Hawks (Dbacks) 6 to 4. The game tying rally in the 8th was the product of an O'Koyea Dickson double, who is apparently OK after leaving the game early on Saturday, and a Scott Schebler triple, which was his league leading 5th of the season. Then in the 10th, Joe Winker led off the inning with his second double of the game and came around to score on a throwing by the pitcher who was trying to field the subsequent sacrifice bunt. Noel Cuevas knocked in an insurance run with a single, and that was enough for the victory. On the mound it was a tale of two halves as starting pitcher Arismendy Ozoria struggled a bit through the first 5 frames, while his bullpen was outstanding for the final 5 innings. Ozoria gave up all 4 runs of the game on 6 hits and a walk, but then Michael Thomas took over and hurled 3 scoreless frames to lower his ERA to 1.67. Eric Eadington tossed the final 2 innings and was perfect, striking out 3 and recording his first win of the year.

Coming up – All four teams are back in action tomorrow, including the Quakes who will feature Zach Lee on the mound as he attempts to turn things around from a rough start last time out. Chris Withrow and Midwest League strikeout leader Jarret Martin will toe the rubber for the Lookouts and Loons, respectively, while Mike Parisi will look to improve upon his 2.25 ERA in a day game for the Isotopes.

Minor League Transactions - HiA: Leon Landry was activated from the DL, although I have yet to hear what the corresponding move was.

Albuquerque Isotopes Box Score (AAA)

Chattanooga Lookouts Box Score (AA)

Rancho Cucamonga Quakes Box Score (HiA)

Great Lakes Loons Box Score (LoA)

http://firstinning.com/daily/la

Minor League Player of the Day – Austin Gallagher - 3 for 4, 1 HR, 1 2B, 3 RBI's, 2 Runs. Gallagher is finally starting to show the power that should go along with a 6'5" frame as he now has 7 homers on the young season. Given that he's already played 5 seasons of Class A ball I would expect him to finally put it all together, and hopefully he is able to keep it up throughout the year.

AAA – The Isotopes managed just 5 hits on Cinco de Mayo, but were still able to defeat the Sounds (Brewers) 4 to 2. Scott Van Slyke continued his assault of the Pacific Coast League with yet another homer, his 4th in 3 days, and also walked with the bases loaded to drive in another run. Jeff Baisley had the only other RBI of the night for Albuquerque, while Matt Angle's double was the only other extra base hit. On the mound, starter John Ely allowed quite a few base runners in his 6.1 innings of work, but limited the damage against him as he only gave up 2 runs. Wil Ledezma picked up the win with a perfect 8th, while Josh Wall rebounded from a tough outing on May 2nd to throw a perfect inning of his own in route to his 7th save of the year.

AA – There really isn't much to write about for this game as the Lookouts lost to the Stars (Brewers) 6 to 3. Chattanooga scattered 8 hits throughout the night, but nobody in the lineup had more than one and the only highlights were doubles by Griff Erickson and Pedro Baez and a triple by Anthony Jackson. Starting pitcher Aaron Miller actually drove in 2 of the 3 runs for the Lookouts, but on the mound he had another shaky outing as he gave up 4 runs in 4 innings via 5 hits and 3 walks. Javier Solano also got roughed up in relief before a trio of relievers finished off the game by combining to allow just one hit.

HiA – The Quakes won their 3rd straight game on Saturday with a 5 - 4 victory over the Storm (Padres) thanks to bat of Austin Gallagher and solid work out of the bullpen. Gallagher, who missed the cycle by a triple, did most of his damage via a 3 run homer in the 5th inning, which was his 7th bomb of the year. Joc Pederson also drove in a run and went 2 for 4, while Brian Cavazos-Galvez had a pair of base knocks as well. Starter Andres Santiago wasn't as sharp as his last outing when he struck out 11, yet he still managed to record the win on Saturday despite allowing 4 runs in 5 innings. Jordan Roberts was excellent in relief as he threw 2 scoreless innings to lower his ERA to 1.00, and Scott McGough was also great as he fired a pair of perfect frames (and struck out 3) to record his 1st save of the season.

LoA – The Loons plated cinco runs in the 4th inning, and that was more than enough to ground the Silver Hawks (Dbacks) 6 to 1. The big inning was sparked by 5 straight hits to start the frame, including a two-run double by Joe Winker and an RBI single by Scott Schebler. Kevin Taylor had the only multi-hit game with two singles. It should also be noted that O'Koyea Dickson was taken out of this game in the bottom of the 3rd inning, although I was unable to find the reason why. I will pass along any information that I hear. Great Lakes starter Gustavo Gomez put together a very solid start as he allowed just 1 run on 5 hits over 6.1 frames. Matt Shelton gave up just 1 hit in relief while striking out 3, and then Yimi Garcia pushed his ERA below 1 with another scoreless inning.

Coming up – There will be four day games on Sunday, and despite his recent struggles the pitching highlight will probably be a home start by Angel Sanchez for the Quakes. Michael Antonini will get the nod for the Isotopes, while Arismendy Ozoria will take the mound for the Loons. The Lookouts pitcher is still TBD, but by my calculations it should be either Matt Magill or Chris Withrow.

Albuquerque Isotopes Box Score (AAA)

Chattanooga Lookouts Box Score (AA)

Rancho Cucamonga Quakes Box Score (HiA)

Great Lakes Loons Box Score (LoA)

http://firstinning.com/daily/la

Minor League Player of the Day – Logan Bawcom - 2 IP , 6 K's. Bawcom struck out all 6 batters he faced on Friday so I'm not sure that any player could be any more dominant on Friday. Bawcom has yet to allow an earned run, and has a batting average against of less than .075 through 13 frames.

AAA – After collecting 24 hits on Thursday, the Isotopes managed just 10 base knocks on Friday but were still able to walk away with a 8 - 1 win over the Nashville Sounds (Brewers). 1st baseman Jeff Baisley had a perfect night at the plate as he went 4 for 4 with 2 doubles and a homer, driving in 2 runs in the process. Scott Van Slyke also drove in a pair of runs via a 2-run homer, while Luis Cruz connected on a double and plated in a run. On the mound, starter Stephen Fife had his second strong outing in a row as he gave up just 3 hits over 7 shutout frames. Scott Rice gave up a run in relief, then Shane Lindsay loaded the bases before getting out of a late jam.

AA – Starter Ethan Martin had one of his best outings since getting drafted as the Lookouts defeated the Stars (Brewers) 8 to 2. Martin pitched 7 strong innings and struck out 9 batters, allowing just 1 run on 5 hits. Ethan threw a career high 109 pitches, and so far in 34.2 innings this season Martin has a .183 batting average against. At the plate it was the middle of the Chattanooga lineup that did most of the damage, starting with #7 hitter Luis Nunez who went 4 for 5 with two doubles and 4 RBI's. Pedro Baez had 3 hits and drove in a pair of runs, while Jake Lemmerman had a double and a single to increase his batting average to .319.

HiA – Starter Garrett Gould didn't have his typical California League start, but the Quakes were still able to overcome the Storm 7 to 5. After raking up a ridiculous strikeout numbers in his previous 5 starts, Gould K'ed just 1 batter in 4.2 frames and also gave up 5 runs on 6 hits. His relievers were stupendous, however, as Freddie Cabrera allowed just one hit over 2.1 innings and closer Logan Bawcom struck out all 6 batters he faced to pick up his 6th save of the season. On offense, Thursday's hero Michael Pericht connected on his 3rd homer in two days, while Austin Gallagher crushed his 6th bomb of the year. C.J. Retherford also went yard and ended the night by going 2 for 3.

LoA – The Loons played an early morning game on Friday and won 9 to 8 over the Lugnuts (Blue Jays) in their version of a get-away game. Starting pitcher Matt Laney allowed 3 runs (2 earned) on 6 hits over 5 frames, striking out 6 batters in the process. Raydel Sanchez made his 2012 debut in relief and gave up 4 runs (2 earned), but Jason West and Eric Eadington closed out the final 3.1 innings of the game to secure the victory. At the plate, the bottom of the Loons' lineup had a significant amount of success as the 5 through 9 batters went 11 for 19 with a homer and 2 doubles. O'Koyea Dickson connected on the bomb in his 2012 debut and also singled to drive in 3 runs, while Jesse Bosnik went 2 for 4 with a pair of RBI's. Jan Vasquez had 3 hits and drove in a run with a double, while Pedro Guerrero also had a two-bagger to round out the extra base hits.

Coming up – Coming off a career best start, Andres Santiago will take the mound for the Quakes on Saturday. John Ely will take the mound for the Isotopes, while Gustavo Gomez should be the scheduled starter for the Loons. Reigning Southern League pitcher of the week Matt Magill will most likely get the start for Chattanooga on Saturday.

Minor League Transactions – Ryan Acosta and Bret Montgomery were added tot he Quakes roster while Chris Reed was sent back to extended spring training and Juan Rodriguez was suspended (for an unknown reason).

Albuquerque Isotopes Box Score (AAA)

Chattanooga Lookouts Box Score (AA)

Rancho Cucamonga Quakes Box Score (HiA)

Great Lakes Loons Box Score (LoA)

http://firstinning.com/daily/la

Minor League Player of the Day – Michael Pericht - 2 for 4, 2 HR's, 2 RBI's, 2 Runs - Pericht's stats might not have been as gaudy as some of the batters in the Isotopes game, but anytime you hit the game tying and game winning homer in the same contest that will get the you minor league player of the day in my book. The big catcher had been off to a slow start, but he has a ton of raw power and hopefully this game will start him on a hot streak.

AAA – The Isotopes crushed the RedHawks (Astros) 15 to 5 on Thursday behind a 24 hit assault. The offensive barrage was a well balanced attack as every batter in the Albuquerque lineup had at least one hit, including starting pitcher Will Savage who actually connected on a two-run homer. Scott Van Slyke cranked a pair of bombs out of the park and collected 4 RBI's, while Jerry Sands went 3 for 5 with two triples. The other big hit days came from Elian Herrera and Matt Angle who both had 4 base knocks and drove in a run each. Pitcher/slugger Savage didn't have a great outing, but he went the required 5 to record his 5th win of the season. Derrick Loop and Wil Ledezma were solid in relief, while Ramon Troncoso gave up an unearned run.

AA – Allen Webster had another subpar outing, but his bullpen and offense picked him up as the Lookouts doubled up the Stars (Brewers) 10 to 5. Webster allowed 5 runs on 8 hits over 5 frames and saw his ERA balloon to above 6, and left his team in a 5 - 1 hole. Luckily the Chattanooga bats got going in the 6th inning and scored 9 unanswered run to pull out the win. Jake Lemmerman boosted his average above .300 for the first time this season with a 3 hits, including a double and a solo homer, and scored 3 runs. Blake Smith also took one deep and singled while JT Wise went 2 for 5 with a double and a RBI. As mentioned above the Lookout relievers were great as they finished the game with 4 scoreless innings. Shawn Tolleson was again called upon in a tight situation and got out of the jam, while Blake Johnson and Geison Aguasviva ended the game with a pair of hitless frames.

HiA – The Quakes were down early, but Michael Pericht single handedly brought his team back as Rancho defeated the 66ers (Angels) 4 to 3 in dramatic fashion. While Pericht came into the game homerless, the big catcher hit a game tying tater in the 7th then won the game with a walk-off bomb in the 9th. Brian Cavazos-Galvez also drove in a run with a double, while Joc Pederson had his first solid game since joining the Quakes as he went 2 for 3 with a walk and a stolen base. Chris Reed was originally scheduled to start this game, but he was late scratch due to a sore left shoulder so Jon Michael Redding got the nod and he allowed 3 runs on 6 hits. No word on the extent of his shoulder soreness and what it might mean for him, but hopefully Reed will be fine in a few days. Steve Smith was outstanding in relief as he gave up just 1 hit over 3 frames, then Scott McGough recorded the win with two shutout innings that included 4 K's.

LoA – The Lugnuts (Blue Jays) spoiled the starting debut of Ryan O'Sullivan as Lansing dropped the Loons 6 to 5. O'Sullivan had an interesting line as he allowed just 2 hits over 4 innings, but he also walked 3, allowed 2 runs (1 earned), and didn't strike anyone out. Juan Noriega, riding a 30 inning scoreless, broke down in a big way as he gave up 5 hits over 2.1 frames which resulted in 4 runs. Michael Thomas and Yimi Garcia ended the game with 2.2 hitless innings and 5 K's, but the Great Lakes offense just wasn't able to make up the difference. The only highlight at the plate came from Scott Schebler as he went 2 for 4 with a triple and 3 RBI's. Justin Boudreaux had the only other extra base hit, a double, while Noel Cuevas had the only other RBI.

Coming up – Garrett Gould will try to continue his strikeout barrage of the California League as he is the scheduled starter for the Quakes on Friday. It looks like Ethan Martin will get the nod for the Lookouts, while Stephen Fife will try and build off his last start for the Isotopes. Finally Matt Laney will toe the rubber in an early morning game for the Loons in the final game of their home stand.

Minor League Transactions – LoA: The Loons got some good and bad news on Thursday as O'Koyea Dickson was finally added to the roster, but it was at the expense of James Baldwin who was placed on the DL with a strained oblique. AAA: Speaking of obliques, Ivan De Jesus was finally assigned to the Isotopes roster after dealing with a strained side himself.

Albuquerque Isotopes Box Score (AAA)

Chattanooga Lookouts Box Score (AA)

Rancho Cucamonga Quakes Box Score (HiA)

Great Lakes Loons Box Score (LoA)

http://firstinning.com/daily/la

Minor League Player of the Day – Joe Winker - 3 for 4, 1 2B, 1 HR, 4 RBI's, 2 Runs. Winker barely edged out teammate Jarret Martin for this award, who also had a spectacular day. For Joe this was actually his second 3-hit game in a row, and it extended his hitting streak to 10 games. Over that span Winker is hitting .372 with a 1.038 OPS.

AAA – The Isotopes held a slim 1 - 0 lead heading into the 9th, but closer Josh Wall imploded one day after I sang his praise as the RedHawks (Astros) defeated Albuquerque 4 to 1. Prior to Wall allowing 4 runs in the 9th, starter Mike Parisi was magnificent for the Topes as he allowed just 4 hits and 2 walks over 7 shutout innings to move into the top 10 in league ERA. He was followed by Ronald Belisario, who threw well in his final "rehab" appearance as he got 3 ground outs after giving up a leadoff single. At the plate Albuquerque managed just 5 singles and 2 doubles in route to their one run, which was driven in by Joe Becker. Jeff Baisley had the only multi-hit game, while Jerry Sands and Scott Van Slyke both singled in the loss.

AA – Nathan Eovaldi showed some rust from his lack of use over the past few weeks as the Lookouts were burned by the Stars 5 to 2. Eovaldi gave up 4 runs on 7 hits in just 4 innings of work, and he only struck out 1. The good news was the Nathan needed just 55 pitches to get through the 4 frames, and had a 6 to 2 ground out to fly out ratio. Javy Solano took over in the 5th and allowed a run in 2.1 innings, while Red Patterson struck out 2 of the 3 batters he faced. Chattanooga was relatively quiet at the plate outside of Griff Erickson, who went 2 for 3 with his first homer of the year. The only other highlights were a Kyle Russell double and a 2 for 4 performance from Anthony Jackson.

HiA – Zach Lee had the worst start of his young career, at least in terms of runs allowed, and the Quakes were crushed by the 66ers (Angles) 11 to 6. Lee gave up 7 runs on 7 hits, including another homer, and was pulled after just 4 innings. After some decent work by middle relief, Steve Smith allowed 2 runs in the 8th and then Juan Rodriguez had his worst outing of the season by allowing 2 more scores on 2 hits and 3 walks. Despite scoring 6 runs the Rancho offense managed just 2 extra base hits, and both came from Chris O'Brien who went 2 for 4 with a double and a triple. Scott Wingo also went 2 for 4 with a walk, an RBI, and a run scored, while Brian Cavazos-Galvez had two singles in is Quakes debut.

LoA – The Loons put together their best all around game of the season as Great Lakes defeated the Lugnuts (Blue Jays) 7 to 1. After a rocky start last time out, Jarret Martin rebounded in a big way by allowing just 2 hits over 7 innings of shutout ball. He struck out 5, and walked only 1. Eric Eadington followed with a pair of K's in a scoreless 8th, and even though Matt Shelton allowed a run in the 9th it didn't matter because the game had already been won. The Loons' offense was paced by 1st baseman Joe Winker who went 3 for 4 with a double, a homer, and 4 RBI's. Jesus Arredondo also had 3 hits and stole a pair of bases, while Scott Schebler and Noel Cuevas both doubled, singled, and drove in a run.

Coming up – Chris Reed will highlight Thursday's minor league action as he takes the mound for the Quakes, although it's also Allen Webster's turn in the rotation so he could rival Reed in terms of prospect status despite his recent struggles with the Lookouts. Ryan O'Sullivan will get his first start of the year for the Loons, while Will Savage will look to continue his solid pitching for the Isotopes.

Minor League Transactions – HiA: Joc Pederson was added back to the Quakes roster and Alexis Aguilar was reassigned. Also, in somewhat of a surprising move, Tony Delmonico has been released by the Dodgers.

Albuquerque Isotopes Box Score (AAA)

Chattanooga Lookouts Box Score (AA)

Rancho Cucamonga Quakes Box Score (HiA)

Great Lakes Loons Box Score (LoA)

http://firstinning.com/daily/la

Minor League Player of the Day – Luis Cruz - 4 for 5, 1 HR, 1 2B, 2 RBI's, 2 Runs. Cruz, who was among the last cuts from the Dodgers roster during spring training, has done nothing but hit since joining the Isotopes. The 28 year old infielder increased his average to .341 with his 4 hits on Tuesday, which ranks behind only Alex Castellanos for tops in the organization. He's spent almost all his time at shortstop this season and should be at the top of the minor league depth chart at that position if something should happen to Gordon.

AAA – The Isotopes almost created a perfect picket fence over the first 6 innings on Tuesday, with only a 2-spot in the 2nd preventing the perfection, yet they still barely escaped with a 7 - 6 victory over the RedHawks (Astros). Albuquerque scored their 7 runs on 14 hits, with 4 of them coming from Luis Cruz who went 4 for 5 with a double, a homer, and 2 RBI's. Matt Angle and Elian Herrera both went 2 for 4 with a double and a run driven in, while Scott Van Slyke came off the bench and connected on a triple. On the mound Michael Antonini made his first appearance since rejoining the Isotopes from LA, but had a sub-par outing as he gave up 4 runs on 5 hits and 3 walks over 5 innings. Ronald Belisario also struggled in his first AAA rehab appearance as he allowed 4 of the 5 batters he faced to reach base, but luckily the late inning relievers were solid and preserved the win. Scott Rice threw a hitless 8th and then Josh Wall continued his hot streak with 3 strikeouts in a perfect 9th. Wall has been so good, in fact, that he has allowed just 1 hit over his last 11 innings of work.

AA – The Lookouts started off many on the wrong foot as they lost to the Huntsville Stars (Brewers) 4 to 3. Chattanooga actually staged a late inning comeback as they scored two in the 9th to close the gap to 1 on a Travis Denker homer, a Kyle Russell double, and a Griff Erickson single, but Griff was eventually stranded at 3rd when Luis Nunez struck out to end the game. Outside of the 9th inning the only other offensive highlight for the Lookouts was a solo homer for Jake Lemmerman, who also walked twice and stole two bases. Chris Withrow started this game and while he allowed 8 his over 6 innings, he didn't walk a batter, limited the damage to just 2 runs, and struck out 7. Geison Aguasviva gave up the final two runs in relief to increase his ERA to 3.86.

HiA – The Quakes and 66ers (Angels) matched 3-spots in the 7th inning, but Inland Empire one up'ed Rancho by scoring 3 more runs in the 8th to secure a 7 - 6 victory. Quake starter Angel Sanchez showed solid improvement over his previous two starts as he limited the opposition to just 4 hits over 6.1 frames, but he still wasn't all the sharp as he walked 3 and gave up 3 runs. Reliever Jon Michael Redding was the real goat, however as the 66ers tagged him for 4 runs in just 1 inning of work. 3 of those runs scored after he left the game as Logan Bawcom allowed a pair of run scoring singles, but his ERA remains unblemished as none of the runs were charged to him. At the plate Austin Gallagher hit his 5th homer of the season, which leads the organization, but that was the extent of the excitement as there were no other extra base hits and none of the Rancho batters had more than one base knock.

LoA – Off day

Coming up – Should be a fun match-up in Rancho on Wednesday as Zach Lee takes on one of the hottest pitchers in the California League in Donn Roach. In a late change of plans Nathan Eovaldi will start for Chattanooga, while Jarret Martin will take the mound for the Loons. Finally Mike Parisi will try and continue his solid start to his season for the Isotopes.

Minor League Transactions - HiA: Brian Cavazos-Galvez was demoted from AA to the Quakes, Jarrad Page was removed from the roster, and Casio Grider was activated from the DL

Albuquerque Isotopes Box Score (AAA)

Chattanooga Lookouts Box Score (AA)

Rancho Cucamonga Quakes Box Score (HiA)

http://firstinning.com/daily/la