If you think the East Coast weather is bad, you’re right.  However, out here in the California central valley it hit 110 Saturday, and was a mere 90 degrees at 2 AM.  I play editor while Mike McGann of NYBaseballcentral.com’s work follows. 

 

            If you happen to live on the east coast, you probably know why Saturday night’s wrapup is a tad shorter than usual: rain. Not just the lovely spring variety gentle shower one sees in these parts, but pounding, violent thunderstorms that kept rolling through the northeast, one after another, and forging mighty rivers of water across lawns, sidewalks and yes, ballparks.

            Okay, maybe I’ve been watching too much Discovery Channel lately.

            But despite this stormy weather, there were some interesting games, and some interesting names in play — in games wedged between storm fronts. 

 

Stars of the Day:

AAA: Edgardo Alfonzo/Yusaku Iriki

AA: Rain

A+: Rain

A: Fernando Martinez

SSA: - Rain

R (APP): Rain/Junior Contreras

R (GCL): - Ben Saylor

 

 

 

Norfolk (AAA - International League)

Norfolk 8, @Ottawa 0

 

            A couple of seasoned veterans took small steps toward playing in the majors again, as Edgardo Alfonzo and Yusaku Iriki lead a team effort as Norfolk mauled Ottawa.

            Iriki (2-6) pitched 5.2 innings of scoreless, three-hit ball, striking out five and walking three, in arguably his best outing of 2006. (Ed: the only argument might come from his April 10^th performance when he shut out Buffalo on one hit through five innings.  Point remains: he was very good on Saturday.)  Tim Lavigne added 2.1 innings of shut out ball and Steve Schmoll pitched a scoreless ninth.

            Alfonzo, who had two hits to raise his average to .300 (Ed: in 20 AB) since joining the Tides, singled in a pair of runs sparking a five-run rally that put the game away.

 

 

 

Binghamton (AA - Eastern League)

Binghamton @Portland PPD.

 

            The remnants of Tropical Storm Beryl struck Maine and postponed the B-Mets game. They’ll play two on Sunday. Lefthander Rich Rundles (0-3, 4.95), who has struggled since joining the B-Mets, will start Game One for the B-Mets against Portland’s Chris Smith (9-4, 3.71).  Binghamton’s Miguel Pinango (4-6, 4.09) will start the second game against Frank Brooks (1-1, 3.69). 

 

 

St. Lucie (A+ - Florida State League)

Sarasota @ St. Lucie, PPD.

 

            Yup. It was pouring some 1,300 miles south on U.S. 1 from Portland, Maine, too. As a result, Saturday’s St. Lucie-Sarasota game at Tradition Field was postponed. The two teams will play a doubleheader Sunday afternoon.

 

 

 

Hagerstown (A – South Atlantic League)

Hagerstown 2, @ Lexington 1

Hagerstown 3, @ Lexington 2

 

            Fernando Martinez is back. A few days after making his return from a sprained knee the Suns’ wunderkind managed to get the game-winning hits in both ends of a double header.

            In the opener, suspended in the first inning Friday night because of, you guessed it, rain, Ryan Myers (1-9, 6.20, 78.1 IP) pitched 5/23 scoreless innings, technically in relief, and Nick Abel (1-0, 0,00, 3 IP) picked up the win while Kevin Tomassiewicz  (5-2, 3.26, 49.2 IP) picked up the save.

            Martinez, who scored the first run of the game earlier, singled home Armand Gaerland (.174/.224/.370) in the 10th inning.

 

            In the nightcap, starter Bobby Parnell (5-6, 3.59 ERA, 72.2 IP) pitched six innings of two-hit ball, but gave up a pair of runs, leaving the Suns in a hole. But Martinez struck again in the top of the seventh, driving home all three runs with a double. Parnell got the win — and Martinez had three hits in the game, raising his season average to .345/.402/.514 (in 148 AB).

 

 

 

Brooklyn (SSA – New York Penn League)

Brooklyn @ Jamestown, PPD.

 

            Even more rain. Brooklyn and Jamestown will make it up Sunday night as part of a doubleheader.

 

 

Kingsport Mets (R – Appalachian League)

Kingsport 6, Burlington 5 (Susp. 8th)

 

            Rain again stopped a game in its tracks, this time in the eighth inning with Kingsport winning on the road — and having scored a pair of runs in the top of the eighth.

            Play was halted in top of the eighth with no one out and runners on first and second. Junior Contreras (.343/.395/.514) had just singled to score the go-ahead run when umpires were forced to stop play.

            The game will resume Sunday night before the regularly scheduled game is played.

 

 

GCL Mets (R – Gulf Coast League)

GCL Mets 6, @GCL Marlins 5

 

            Jeffrey Voyles’ 10th inning hit gave the Mets a come-from-behind win over the Marlins in a game squeezed in before rain hit the greater St. Lucie area (well, Jupiter, a 40-minute ride down I-95). The Mets scored a pair of runs in the top of the 9th on a double play ball and Voyles single. John Holdzkom picked up the save for his scoreless ninth with a walk.