Las Vegas 19 , Reno 2
The 51’s offense exploded on Thursday night in support of starter Jacob deGrom. The right-hander went six innings, surrendering one run on six hits. He struck out five Aces and walked one. Recently demoted outfielder Andrew Brown had a monster night, going 4 for 6 with a homerun and a double to go along with five RBI and three runs scored. Not to be outdone, Zach Lutz also slugged a homer and a double in his own 4 for 6 effort. Anthony Seratelli, Eric Campbell and Matt den Dekker had three hits apiece. Even deGrom got in on the offensive action, ripping a ground-rule double that plated Cesar Puello. The 51’s will head to Tacoma on Friday with Logan Verrett slated to start the game. First pitch is schedule for 10:05 PM ET. (box score)
St. Lucie 11, Bradenton 0
The A-Mets dominated the Marauders on Thursday from both the hitting and pitching sides of the game. The offense jumped out to an early lead, scoring three runs in the first inning on a homerun from catcher Cam Maron. That was all starter Michael Fulmer would need, as he pitched six shutout innings. He walked three, struck out just one and allowed two hits. More importantly, he pitched well after struggling to start the season. Leadoff hitter Dilson Herrera went 3 for 5 at the plate, scoring two runs and stealing his fifth base. T.J. Rivera stayed scorching hot, going 4 for 5 with a double, three runs scored and three RBI. He’s now hitting .408 in 24 games with a league leading 27 RBI. Brandon Nimmo went 1 for 4 with a walk and two runs scored. St. Lucie will take on this same Bradenton team Friday night at 6:30 PM ET. (box score)
Savannah 6, Delmarva 1
The Sand Gnats defeated the Shorebirds on Thursday at Grayson Stadium. Robert Whalen took the mound for Savannah and continued his stellar 2014 campaign with another great performance. The Pennsylvania native tossed six innings, allowing just one run. He struck out seven batters and walked a pair as he earned his fourth win of the season. Shortstop Gavin Cecchini set the tone from the leadoff spot, tallying two hits in three at-bats. He also walked once and scored a run. Fellow middle infielder L.J. Mazzilli pitched in with a three-run homer on his way to a 2 for 4 night. Dominic Smith continued to struggle, going 0 for 3, lowering his batting average to .209 on the season. Tim Peterson struck out the side in the ninth inning. Savannah will take on Rome on Friday night with first pitch scheduled for 7:05 PM ET. Righty Miller Diaz will take the ball for the Sand Gnats. (box score)
Player Of The Night
In a night filled with great offensive performances throughout the organization, Andrew Brown stood above the rest, earning him Thursday’s player of the night honors. Brown is hitting .406 for Las Vegas.
