Farmers Only - Brandon Finnegan has best start of season, hits home run

The Brandon Larson Honorary Star of the Night

Brandon Finnegan hasn’t exactly had the greatest of years in 2018. Fresh off a pair of serious shoulder injuries - to both shoulders, mind you - he was already entering this calendar year with rehab still a very real thing, and then he exited Cactus League play in Arizona still not quite ready to return to the Cincinnati Reds.

Once he did return, of course, the results were largely awful, and the signing of Matt Harvey effectively relegated him back to the minors to try to work out numerous kinks.

Monday saw him fire his most impressive start to date, as he allowed just a lone earned run in 6 IP, walking a pair against 5 Ks. He needed to scatter 8 hits in that time - and another 2 unearned runs scored in part because of it - but considering only one of those hits went for extra bases (a double) it was a step in the right direction for Finny, to be sure.

Oh yeah - he bashed a 2-run homer at the plate, too, which served as the lone offense for Louisville on the night. More on that in 3, 2, 1...

Indianapolis 3, Louisville 2

So, Brandon “Shula, Legendary Coach of the Miami Dol” Finnegan did the lone productive damage on the night for the Bats, which was certainly disappointing. And with only 5 total hits from the Bats bats, it wasn’t exactly as if there were numerous squandered opportunities.

Phil “Mr. Magic” Ervin doubled for the team’s only other XBH aside from Finnegan’s dinger, Mason “Classical Gas” Williams singled twice and added a walk, and...yeah, that was just about the lone output worth noting.

What was interesting, however, was Brandon Dixon exiting early despite apparently not being injured, as Redleg Nation’s Jason Linden relayed at the time it happened. Hmmm...are we already on #HugWatch2018, or is something else in the works?

Cody “Apollo C.” Reed will start for the Bats in an early 11:05 AM ET game against Indianapolis on Tuesday.

Jackson 5, Pensacola 0 (F/8)

The Blue Wahoos saw their game against the Generals cut short after the Top of the 8th as rain put a damper on things. That was probably a good thing, all told, as they’d been held scoreless on only 2 hits to that point.

Wyatt “Cat Strut” Strahan got the start and allowed 2 ER in each of the first pair of innings, which pretty well summed up his start. Offensively, Shed “Don” Long took a walk, and that was just about the most noteworthy action this side of that nap you wished you took yesterday afternoon.

Pensacola will play at Tennessee on Tuesday at 6:35 PM CT, though because the new MiLB.com websites suck, I have no clue who is going to be starting for them once that goes down.

Jupiter 4, Daytona 1

A trio of 8th inning runs by the Hammerheads doomed the Tortugas on Monday, and in super bummerriffic fashion they all ended up on the ledger of Tony Santillan. He’d allowed just a lone ER on 7 H through 7.1 IP - with no walks and 5 Ks - before a pair of singles and a 3-run dinger effectively ended both his night and Daytona’s chances at a win in that 8th inning. Still, a positive start, to be sure.

At the plate, TJ “Antone” Friedl continued his tear with a 2 for 3 night that included a walk, a double, and a stolen base, Taylor “Alan” Trammell went 1 for 3 with a walk, and Jose “Que Sera” Siri singled, swiped a bag, and scored. Man, that’s quite the kick-ass trio of OFs.

Daytona and Jupiter will be back at it again at 10:30 AM ET on Tuesday, though the Tortugas haven’t yet listed their starting pitcher.

Dayton 2, Lake County 2 (Suspended after 4 innings)

Well, the Captains and the Dragons had their game cut short due to rain, and it’ll be finished Tuesday starting at 6:00 PM ET with play resuming in the 5th inning, the team reported.

John “Just Say the Word Ohhhhhh” Sansansone is surely glad his 2-run dinger will stand, as is Stuart “Video Replay Confirms After Eight Minutes That the Foul Ball Was Actually” Fairchild that his 1 for 2 start (and 13th steal of the season) won’t be washed away by rain.

There’ll be a regularly scheduled game to follow the picked-up game on Tuesday, too, with Wendolyn “Steal My Sunshine” Bautista set to start that one following the finish of the resumed contest.