Streaking pitchers are in the spotlight Friday night.
Rome's Jeremy Hursh, yet to allow a run in his brief professional career
(13 innings, five), is still seeking his first professional win,and has a decent chance of being allowed to work five innings tonight against visiting Lexington.
Dominican lefty Michael Flores, earlier named Appalachian League Pitcher of the Week and coming off six shutout innings in his last start. Gets the ball against Pulaski tonight.
A special tip of the hat goes to the Gulf Coast League staff Friday.
In a doubleheader against one of the two GCL Yankees clubs, the GCL Braves had a combination one-hitter followed by a tandem two-hitter while splitting the two games. Game one saw Venezuelan right-hander Daniel Cordero work six superb innings, allowing only one hit while striking out five before handing off to Gulf Coast closer Tyler Vail. The first-year pro worked a hitless seventh for his third save.
In game two, struggling knuckleballer Blaine Sims allowed only two hits over four innings, but walked three and allowed three runs in a 3-1 defeat. Another 2013 draftee, Alex Grosser, worked two shutout innings in the game, and has now allowed only one earned run over his last 10 innings.
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Jose Lugo, who has missed all of the 2013 season with an injury, has been activated and assigned to Rome. He'll take the roster spot of Cole Nelson, who has been put on the DL.
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Remember former Gwinnett (and, briefly, Atlanta Braves first baseman Barbaro Canizares? Well, he's hardly gone out to pasture, as he's playing for Oaxaca in the Mexican League. Through 110 games, he's batting .374 with 29 home runs and 111 RBIs. The latter number is all the more remarkable because he has not driven in a run over the last five games -- his longest slump of the year,
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FRIDAY;S SCORES
CLASS AAA
Charlottte 4, Gwinnett (48-64) 0 (3rd)
SP: Poveda (5-6, 3.36).
Upton 0-1, K; Gosselin 1-1; Boggs 1-1.
CLASS AA
Mississippi (58-50) @ Huntsville, 7:43
SP: Northcraft (5-8, 3.76).
ADVANCED CLASS A
Salem @ Lynchburg (51-54), 7:05
SP: Holland (4-7, 4.69).
CLASS A
Rome (53-56) 2, Lexington 0 (3rd)
SP: Hursh 3 IP, 3 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 1 K.
Wren 2-2, R, 2B, RBI, 2 SB (20); E. Garcia 1-1, RBI; Meneses 1-1, R.
SHORT-SEASON
DSL Cardinals @ DSL Braves
SP: TBA.
Pulaski @ Danville (19-19), 7:00
SP: Flores (2-1, 3.48).
Game One
Game Two
GCL Yankees 3, GCL Braves 1 (7)
LP: B . Sims (0-1) 4 IP, 2 H, 3 ER, 3 BB, 3 K.
GCL Braves 2, GCL Yankees 0 (7)
WP: Cordero (1-2) 6 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 2 BB, 5 K. Vail (Save, 3) 1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 0 Llllllllls?
Sears 1-3, RBI; Reed Harper 1-3, 2B, R; V. Reyes 0-3, R, SB.
Grosser 2 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 1 K.
Livesay 2-3, SB; Reed Harper 2-3; McKenzie 1-3, RBI.