Phillies Minor League Report: Crosscutters win their ninth in a row
Here's how the Phillies' minor league teams fared on Sunday, June 28:
Lehigh Valley IronPigs (30-48) – Triple A
Just like the Phillies, the IronPigs split their doubleheader with the Louisville Bats, dropping the first game 6-1, but bouncing back to win the second 8-3 at Coca-Cola Park in Allentown.
In Game 1, the IronPigs were locked in a defensive struggle with the Bats, as Louisville carried a 2-1 lead heading into the seventh inning.
Unfortunately for Lehigh Valley, the levies finally broke during the seventh when Seth Rosin let up four runs on three hits.
As a result, Jason Berken was dealt the loss, which dropped his record to 4-5 on the season.
The IronPigs were shut down offensively during Game 1, as they were only able to muster two hits. Aaron Altherr and Jordan Danks accounted for both of Lehigh Valley's hits.
The IronPigs received a lot more offensive production during the second contest, as they racked up 11.
Altherr increased his production by going 2-for-4, including a three-run homer during the sixth inning.
Chase d'Arnaud and Cord Phelps joined Altherr in the multi-hit department with two apiece. Phelps also drove in two runs.
Chris Leroux gained his first victory with the IronPigs this season after letting up only two hits in five scoreless innings.
After splitting with Louisville Sunday, the IronPigs stay home to host the Scranton/Wilkes-Barre RailRiders for a three-game series starting at 7:05 p.m. Monday. Aaron Nola (2-0, 2.13 ERA) is scheduled to start for Lehigh Valley.
Reading Fightin Phils (39-35) – Double-A
The Fightin Phils were scheduled to go up against the Portland Sea Dogs, but the game was postponed due to rain at Hadlock Field in Portland, Maine.
The game will now be part of a doubleheader starting at 5 p.m. Monday. Zach Eflin (5-4, 2.76 ERA) is slated to start for Reading.
Clearwater Threshers (40-34) – Class A-Advanced
The Threshers' thrilling eight-game winning streak came to an end after a 7-4 loss at the hands of the Charlotte Stone Crabs at Charlotte Sports Park in Charlotte, Fla.
All seven of the Stone Crabs' runs came during the third inning and they were all at the expense of starting pitcher Matt Imhof.
Imhof lasted only 2.2 innings and coughed up those seven runs on four hits, including two home runs. He also walked four batters.
He was dealt the loss, which dropped him to 2-3 on the season.
Despite the loss, Rhys Hoskins provided a highlight for the Threshers with a three-run homer during the fifth inning. Hoskins finished 2-for-4 and the home run was his third with the Threshers.
The Threshers will look to start a new winning streak when they play the Stone Crabs again at 7 p.m. Monday. The starting pitcher was not announced as of this writing.
Lakewood BlueClaws (36-36) – Class A
The BlueClaws rode a dominant performance from Elniery Garcia and 14 hits to their third victory in a row, 9-0, over the Hickory Crawdads at L.P. Frans Stadium in Hickory, N.C.
Garcia earned his fifth win of the season after tossing seven scoreless innings where he allowed only four hits.
While Garcia was silencing the Hickory bats, the rest of the BlueClaws were teeing off on its pitching staff.
Leading the BlueClaws to their 14 hits was Damek Tomscha, as he went 3-for-5 with two RBI. Kyle Martin, Cord Sandberg, Derek Campbell and Scott Kingery all recorded two hits apiece. Martin also drove in two runs.
The BlueClaws were especially successful with runners in scoring position, capitalizing on seven of their 16 opportunities.
The BlueClaws will look to make it four wins in a row at 7 p.m. Monday. Yoel Mecias (0-1, 6.00 ERA) will take the mound for Lakewood.
Williamsport Crosscutters (9-0) – Class A-Short Season
The Crosscutters continued their incendiary start with a 5-3 victory over the Mahoning Valley Scrappers in 10 innings at Eastwood Field in Niles, Ohio.
The nine consecutive victories are now the third-most in franchise history. The Crosscutters won 10 straight games on two separate occasions in 2001 and 2003.
On this day, the Crosscutters used a productive offense to help get the victory, as they recorded 14 hits against the Scrappers.
Zachary Coppola and Jan Hernandez both led the way by going 3-for-5. Jose Pujols and Grenny Cumana weren't too far behind as they both recorded two hits.
Starter Jose Taveras didn't factor into the decision despite allowing only one run on one hit in three innings of work.
The victory and the blown save went to Jason Zgardowski after tossing two innings, allowing one run on one hit.
The Crosscutters will look to tie a franchise record with their 10th consecutive victory at 7:05 p.m. Monday. Mitch Gueller (1-0, 1.50 ERA) will start for Williamsport.