Sunday, June 4th: Blackburn Leads Sounds to Shutout Victory while Murphy’s 2 HRs Help Stockton Win & Armenteros Makes Pro Debut

A’s Prospect Of The Day: Nashville Sounds Pitcher Paul Blackburn (7 IP / 2 H / 0 ER / 1 BB / 4 K / Win)
A’s Prospect Of The Day: Nashville Sounds Pitcher Paul Blackburn (7 IP / 2 H / 0 ER / 1 BB / 4 K / Win)

 

PACIFIC COAST LEAGUE  (Triple-A)

Nashville Sounds  6

Iowa Cubs               0

WP – Blackburn 4-5 / 3.26

HR – Chapman (13), McBride (2)

Prospect Of The Game:

Pitcher Paul Blackburn

(7 IP / 2 H / 0 ER / 1 BB / 4 K / Win)

RHP Paul Blackburn turned in an impressive start for the Sounds on Sunday, allowing just 2 hits over 7 shutout innings to notch his 4th win for Nashville. And the former 1st-round supplemental pick for the Cubs now has an ERA of 1.44 over his last 4 starts for the Sounds. RHPs Tyler Sturdevant and Tucker Healy each contributed a scoreless inning in relief to complete the 4-hit shutout on Sunday. Third baseman Matt Chapman homered for the second straight day and doubled in the Sounds’ first run, while designated hitter Matt McBride also homered, doubled and drove in a pair, and catcher Ryan Lavarnway singled, doubled, walked and drove in a run to help the Sounds win for the fifth time in their last six games. Meanwhile, first baseman Matt Olson was recalled by the A’s, and RHP Daniel Mengden was optioned back to Nashville on Sunday.

Click here for more on Midland, Stockton, Beloit & the Dominican Summer League A’s…

 

TEXAS LEAGUE  (Double-A)

GAME #1

NW Arkansas Naturals   9

Midland RockHounds   5

LP – Finnegan 1-2 / 2.55

HR – Marincov (8)

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Prospect Of The Game:

Outfielder Tyler Marincov

(1 for 2 / Home Run / 3 Walks)

 

Midland suffered the loss in the completion of Saturday’s suspended game. Starter Ben Bracewell gave up 4 runs over 4 innings of work, while RHP Kyle Finnegan allowed 1 run in 1 1/3 innings of relief to take the loss. Right fielder Tyler Marincov hit his 8th home run and drew 3 walks, while shortstop Yairo Munoz singled, doubled, stole a base and drove in a run for the RockHounds.

 

GAME #2

NW Arkansas Naturals   2

Midland RockHounds   8

WP – Holmes 4-5 / 5.50

HR – Marincov (9), Taylor (1)

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Prospect Of The Game:

Pitcher Grant Holmes

(6 IP / 7 H / 2 ER / 1 BB / 9 K / Win)

 

RHP Grant Holmes turned in one of his best starts of the season on Sunday, allowing 2 runs and striking out 9 over 6 innings of work to earn his 4th win, while RHP Joel Seddon, in his return to the RockHounds, threw 3 scoreless innings in relief to post his 2nd save on Sunday. Catcher Beau Taylor homered, doubled and scored twice, while right fielder Tyler Marincov homered for the second straight game. Shortstop Yairo Munoz singled, tripled and drove in a pair, and center fielder Kenny Wilson singled twice, walked twice, stole a base and drove in a run to help the RockHounds win Sunday’s second game.

 

CALIFORNIA LEAGUE  (High-A)

Lake Elsinore Storm  2

Stockton Ports         3

WP – Duno 5-1 / 6.09

HR – Murphy 2 (7)

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Prospect Of The Game:

Designated Hitter Sean Murphy

(2 for 4 / 2 Home Runs / 3 RBIs)

 

Designated hitter Sean Murphy had another big day at the plate for the Ports, accounting for all Stockton’s runs in Sunday’s win. Last year’s 3rd-round draft pick for the A’s belted a 2-run homer to put his team on the board in the bottom of the 1st, then slugged a solo shot in his next at-bat in the 4th. And the 22-year-old is now hitting .455 with 3 home runs and 10 RBIs over his last 8 games for Stockton. RHP Angel Duno had one of his best starts of the season, allowing just 1 run and striking out 9 over 5 2/3 frames to earn his 5th win, while LHP Cody Stull got the final four outs for Stockton to post his 2nd save for the Ports.

 

MIDWEST LEAGUE  (Class-A)

GAME #1

Beloit Snappers                4

Wisconsin Timber Rattlers  3

WP – Bowers 5-0 / 2.48

HR – Rodriguez (1)

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Prospect Of The Game:

Third Baseman J.C. Rodriguez

(3 for 5 / Home Run)

 

The Snappers prevailed in 13 innings in the completion of Saturday’s suspended game. Third baseman J.C. Rodriguez had a big game, collecting 3 hits, including his 1st home run for Beloit, and second baseman Trace Loehr singled in the winning run in the top of the 13th for the Snappers. Starter Brandon Bailey allowed 1 run in 3 innings of work before the game was suspended on Saturday. RHP Matt Milburn took over when play resumed on Sunday and gave up 2 runs over 5 frames, while RHP Yordys Alejo tossed 2 scoreless innings in relief, and RHP Heath Bowers picked up the win after throwing 3 scoreless innings for the Snappers.

 

GAME #2

Beloit Snappers                0

Wisconsin Timber Rattlers  2

LP – Sawyer 4-3 / 2.25

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Prospect Of The Game:

Pitcher Dalton Sawyer

(6 IP / 5 H / 2 ER / 2 BB / 6 K)

 

The Snappers were shut out on just 4 hits in Sunday’s second game. Three of those hits came courtesy of third baseman Eric Marinez, who also stole a base for Beloit. Despite suffering the loss, LHP Dalton Sawyer turned in a solid start, allowing 2 runs and striking out 6 over 6 innings of work for the Snappers.

 

Dominican Summer League News

The Dominican Summer League started play on Saturday, and the results have finally reached us here in the States! More interesting than the actual results is simply who was playing and where. Lazaro Armenteros made his pro debut playing center field and batting cleanup. The 18-year-old went 0 for 2 with 2 walks and stole a base and scored twice. His fellow Cuban, 20-year-old Enrry Pantoja, started in left field and went 3 for 3 and drove in a pair of runs. A trio of 17-year-olds also made their pro debuts. Yerdel Vargas, Marcos Brito and George Bell started at shortstop, second base and designated hitter, respectively, and all went hitless, with Brito walking twice. 18-year-old Venezuelan RHP Angello Infante allowed 2 runs over 5 innings of work, while 19-year-old Dominican RHP Manuel Manzanillo threw 3 scoreless innings in relief, and 21-year-old Panamanian LHP Jorge Martinez pitched a perfect 9th to pick up the save.

 

Monday’s Games:

Nashville @ Omaha – 5:05pm PT / 7:05pm CT

Lake Elsinore @ Stockton – 7:10pm PT

 

Paul Blackburn
Paul Blackburn

 

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