AAA: Scranton/Wilkes-Barre Yankees
On the brink of elimination, Scranton/Wilkes-Barre fought back in the bottom of the 9th inning from two runs down, securing the win coming on a shot from Melky Mesa over the left field fence. Mesa, who had two of the team’s five hits today, was the driving force behind the offense. Down 3-0 in the eighth inning, Scranton/Wilkes-Barre first found the scoreboard when Gustavo Molina went deep off Pawtucket pitcher Brock Huntzinger. As they entered the ninth inning, Kevin Russo led off with a double, and promptly came home on a Ronnier Mustelier single. Mustelier would later score on Mesa’s walk-off home run. On the mound, it was a great performance from Michael O’Connor. The lefty tossed six innings, allowing just two runs on three hits and a walk. He would strike out five batters on the evening. O’Connor would not factor into the decision, with Ryota Igarashi instead getting the win after contributing 1.2 scoreless innings while allowing just one hit. With the win, Scranton/Wilkes-Barre forces a game four, which will be played tomorrow night. They currently trail in the series 2-1.
AA: Trenton Thunder
Trenton took a 2-1 lead in their series over the Reading Phillies thanks to David Adams, who laced a single to the opposite field in the 8th inning to secure a 3-1 victory. Though Adams drove home the eventual winning run, Zoilo Almonte provided most of the offensive scoring, with an RBI double in the first inning and an RBI single in the eighth. However, Almonte also cost the Thunder what could have potentially been a big first inning with a bad mistake on the basepaths resulting in the third out. On the mound, it was a pitcher’s duel early between Mikey O’Brien and Ethan Martin, but O’Brien would leave after just five innings. He allowed just one run on two hits while striking out four batters. Tom Kahnle, Lee Hyde, and Mark Montgomery would combine to allow just three hits in four scoreless innings as they shut the door and put the Thunder within one win of the Eastern League Championship Series.
