Saturday, September 2nd: Decker Leads Sounds to Victory while Brown Homers Again for Ports & AZL A’s Win Finale

A’s Prospect Of The Day: Nashville Sounds Outfielder Jaff Decker (1 for 3 / Double / Walk / 3 RBIs / Stolen Base)
A’s Prospect Of The Day: Nashville Sounds Outfielder Jaff Decker (1 for 3 / Double / Walk / 3 RBIs / Stolen Base)

 

PACIFIC COAST LEAGUE  (Triple-A)

Nashville Sounds             8

New Orleans Baby Cakes  6

WP – Hahn 2-0 / 4.32

Prospect Of The Game:

Outfielder Jaff Decker

(1 for 3 / Double / Walk / 3 RBIs / Stolen Base)

With the bases loaded, one out and his team down by a pair of runs in the top of the 9th inning, center fielder Jaff Decker stepped to the plate and lined a double to right field to clear the bases and provide the margin of victory for the Sounds on Saturday. Decker then stole third base and came in to score an insurance run on shortstop Yairo Munoz‘s sacrifice fly. Decker also drew a walk but was left stranded in the 7th. Designated hitter Beau Taylor collected 3 hits, while third baseman Renato Nunez drew 3 walks, and second baseman Joey Wendle singled in a pair of runs for the Sounds. Starter Josh Smith allowed 2 runs over 5 frames, while RHP Chris Jensen gave up 4 runs in 2 innings of relief. RHP Jesse Hahn tossed 1 scoreless inning in his return from the disabled list to earn his 2nd win for the Sounds, and RHP Lou Trivino got the final three outs in the 9th to notch his 4th save for Nashville.

Click here for more on Midland, Stockton, Beloit, Vermont & AZL A’s…

 

TEXAS LEAGUE  (Double-A)

Midland RockHounds  1

Frisco RoughRiders       2

LP – Mann 3-8 / 4.28

HR – Murphy (3)

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Prospect Of The Game:

Catcher Sean Murphy

(1 for 3 / Home Run / Walk)

 

Midland lost in 11 innings but still saw its magic number for a playoff berth reduced to two thanks to Corpus Christi’s loss on Saturday. RockHounds RHP Casey Meisner made the start and allowed 1 run over 4 innings of work, while RHP Carlos Navas pitched 3 perfect innings in relief, but LHP Brandon Mann gave up the winning run in the bottom of the 11th to suffer the loss on Saturday. Catcher Sean Murphy homered in the 5th inning to provide the RockHounds’ only run in the loss.

 

CALIFORNIA LEAGUE  (High-A)

San Jose Giants  11

Stockton Ports    3

LP – Sawyer 5-5 / 3.68

HR – Brown (29), Iriart (9)

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Prospect Of The Game:

Outfielder Seth Brown

(2 for 4 / Home Run)

 

The Ports went down to defeat on Saturday but still finished the night in a three-way tie for first-place in their division with two games left to play. Starter Dalton Sawyer allowed 4 runs over 5 2/3 frames to suffer his 5th loss for Stockton. First baseman Chris Iriart walked and hit a 2-run homer in his return from the disabled list, and right fielder Seth Brown singled and homered for the third straight night to lift his league-leading home run total to 29 and his league-leading RBI total to 107.

 

MIDWEST LEAGUE  (Class-A)

Cedar Rapids Kernels  4

Beloit Snappers          2

LP – Milburn 7-11 / 4.34

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Prospect Of The Game:

First Baseman Miguel Mercedes

(1 for 3 / Walk / RBI)

 

Starter Matt Milburn allowed 4 runs, 3 earned, over 6 innings of work to suffer his 11th loss as the Snappers fell for the third time in their last four games on Saturday. Catcher Jason Goldstein singled and doubled but also made a throwing error that led to an unearned run, while first baseman Miguel Mercedes walked and singled in a run for the Snappers.

 

NEW YORK-PENN LEAGUE  (Class-A Short-Season)

Vermont Lake Monsters    3

Hudson Valley Renegades  4

LP – Mejia 1-1 / 1.69

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Prospect Of The Game:

Pitcher Jean Ruiz

(5 IP / 5 H / 1 ER / 0 BB / 1 K)

 

The Lake Monsters lost in 10 innings on Saturday. 20-year-old Colombian RHP Jean Ruiz turned in another strong start, and he was charged with just 1 run over 5 innings of work for Vermont. First baseman Hunter Hargrove had 2 hits, including a double, while third baseman Will Toffey walked and doubled in the go-ahead run in the top of the 10th, and Javier Godard singled in another run in the 10th. But RHP Bryce Conley was charged with 2 runs, including the tying run, in the bottom of the 10th, and RHP Jeferson Mejia issued 4 straight walks to bring home the winning run and suffer the loss as Hudson Valley won in a walk-off on Saturday.

 

ARIZONA LEAGUE  (Rookie Short-Season)

AZL Padres  8

AZL A’s      10

WP – Berrios 2-3 / 8.00

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Prospect Of The Game:

Pitcher Osvaldo Berrios

(3 IP / 1 H / 0 ER / 1 BB / 5 K / Win)

 

The AZL A’s prevailed in their season finale on Saturday. Starter Jose Mora gave up 2 runs, just 1 earned, over 3 innings of work, while 17-year-old Puerto Rican RHP Osvaldo Berrios turned in his best outing of the season, allowing just 1 hit and striking out 5 over 3 scoreless innings to earn his 2nd win for the A’s, and RHP Slater Lee got the final out in the 9th to notch his 4th save on Saturday. Left fielder Adrian Spitz doubled, walked twice and drove in 3 runs, while designated hitter Ben Spitznagel had 3 hits and scored 3 times. Catcher Santis Sanchez had 2 hits, including a double, and drove in a run, and shortstop Nick Allen singled, walked, stole a base and drove in 3 runs for the A’s on Saturday.

 

Sunday’s Games:

Nashville @ New Orleans – 4:00pm PT / 6:00pm CT

Midland @ Frisco – 5:05pm PT / 7:05pm CT

San Jose @ Stockton – 6:10pm PT

Cedar Rapids @ Beloit – Noon PT / 2:00pm CT

Tri-City @ Vermont – 2:05pm PT / 5:05pm ET

 

Jaff Decker
Jaff Decker

 

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