Farmers Only: Operation Desert Storm, Dinger Version

HAPPY WORLD CUP DAY!!!!!!!!

on to baseball...

• Louisville squeaked out a W against the G-Barves, 6-5. David Holmberg was more bad than good in his first start back from injury, giving up 8 hits and 4 walks in 4 innings. He somehow only gave up 3 runs (2 earned) in that time, despite just one (1) strike out. Could've been much worse, I guess. Anyhow, clutch pinch-hitter Thomas Neal clutch pinch-walked instead to break a 4-4 tie. Felix Perez was 2-3 with a double and a walk, and Kris Negron drove in the Knockwurst for what would be the eventual deciding run. Up next: Josh Smith (6-1, 3.77) at 7:05 against Gwinnett.
  
• Pensacola got beat by the BayBears, 5-3. Daniel Corcino was hit with the yang to Holmberg's BABIP-w/RISP yin, giving up 5 runs in 5 innings on 6 hits and 3 walks. He even had 7 strikeouts! Sometimes the narratives woven by random chance are funny, aren't they? Juan Duran was 3-4, and Rossmel "Ya Later" Perez was 2-4 with a solo crumbcake. Fabian "Johnson" Williamson kept a clean sheet in his 2 innings, with a hit allowed, a strikeout treble, and a yellow card. Brooks "Diego Maradona" Pincknard came on in the ninetieth minute and tossed a hitless ninth. Up next: Robert Stephenson (3-5, 3.49) looks to return to complete and utter domination at 8:05 against Mobile.
  
• Bakersfield went and had theyself a day. Remember how I keep referring to some of these games as Cal League Specials? Forget everything I said. This game takes the cake. It was a good old fashioned wanger bonanza as eight combined home runs between the Blaze (5) and the Nuts (3) amounted to a 19-6 Blaze victory. Maybe Oprah was in attendance because she pointed at Jesse Winker and Marquez Smith and said "you get 2 home runs and 6 RBI! And YOU get 2 home runs and 6 RBI!" except Rip Van Winker also walked twice, stole a base, and scored 4 runs, while Marquez "Glove in the Time of Baseballera" Smith was just 3-5. Juan Perez (2-5) added a dinger of his own, and Juan Silva was 3-3 with 2 walks, a triple, and 5 runs scored! It doesn't matter how Drew Cisco pitched, but just in case you were curious, his line was 6 IP 6H 4ER 3BB 5K. I bet this was a fun one to see in person. Up next: Tecate Thirsty Thursday! Mike "Life's a Gar" Dennhardt "Dig It" gets the 10:45 start.
  
• Dayton swept a doubleheader against Lansing. Game 1 was an Amir Garrett gem. The lanky lefty needed just 68 pitches to cruise through all 7 innings, allowing 3 singles (two of which were of the infield variety) and no walks, with 5 K. That's 3 very encouraging starts in a row for Garrett. I'd love to see him go on a run here, he's still got so much potential. Phil Ervin, Jon Matthews, and Tanner Rahier all had 2 hits in this one. Game 2 was a tenser affair, as the Dragons held on for a 4-3 win. You guys remember Franderlyn Romero? He pitched this one, having just been promoted from extended spring training, and went 5 innings, giving up 5 hits and 3R/2ER, with 3 strikeouts and no walks. Tanner Rahier had another 2 hits, and so did Carlton Daal. Neat. Up next: Bowling Green at 7, with no starter announced.
  
  
• OTHER NOTES:
  -For some odd reason, Nick Travieso was sent to Billings, whose season starts on Monday. Midwest League ALL-STAR Nick Travieso–he of the 3.29 ERA and 1.64 BB/9–was demoted. They must want him to work on something specific, because this just baffles me. Even if they did want him to work on something specific, let him do it in Dayton. It's not like the games really matter, and he was obviously getting the better of the league with his current arsenal. Shrug. Would love to ask Walt or whoever's making that call for his reasoning on this, but for now I can't help ya. I just reports what I hears.