Fort Myers 7 at St. Lucie 2

W: D. Guerra (3-1, 4.32); L: D. Gee (2-3, 4.54); SV: M. Fox (1)
HR: FTM: W. Ramos (2), W. Robbins (2).

Deolis Guerra held his former teammates to only 5 hits over 6 innings, giving up 2 runs and striking out 1, while Wilson Ramos and Whit Robbins both hit their second home runs of the season as the Miracle overcame the Mets 7-2.

St. Lucie got on the board first, when Luis Rivera doubled, then was brought home on Lucas Duda's double.  A Joshua Petersen single served to score Duda, giving the Mets an early 2 runs lead.

But it was short lived though. With 2 outs on the board in the top of the 2nd, Ramos singled his way onto the bags.  Robbins double moved him to 3rd, and Juan Portes fly ball to center brought the pair home to tie up the game.

Met's starter Dillon Gee would surrender two more runs in the fifth, although only one was earned.  Back-to-back-to back singles by Portes, Yancarlos Ortiz, and Brian Dinkelman loaded the bags.  Rene Tosoni would reach on a fielding error by Rivera, scoring Portes.  After Danny Valencia was called out on strikes, Johnny Woodard sacrificed in Ortiz to make it 4-2 Miracle.

St. Lucie's Brandon Nall ran into to trouble in the top of the 8th.  Edgar Alfonzo would hit Woodard with a pitch before he was lifted from the game in replace of Nall.  Ramos and Robbins then hit back-to-back home runs one out later, to score 3 more runs.

Jose Lugo and Matt Fox would finish off the game for the Miracle, combining to allow only 1 run over the final 3 innings.  Fox struck out 5, giving a very good accounting of himself despite a wild pitch in the 8th.

Portes would finish up 3-for-4 at the plate with 1 run and 2 RBIs, Ramos and Robbins were both 2-for-4 with 2 runs, Ramos with 2 RBIs, Robbins with 1.  Dinkelman would go 3-for-5 at the top of the order.

The series continues tomorrow at Tradition Field with Alex Burnett (2-1, 2.28) getting the start against St Lucie's Nicholas Carr (0-3, 5.34). First pitch is set for 7:00 PM.

The Miracle return home Wednesday, May 14th when the Sarasota Reds will be in town for Island Night at Hammond Stadium.

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Left handed pitcher Errol Simonitsch was added to the Miracle Roster Thursday from Extended Spring Training replacing Zach Day who was released on Tuesday.  When I talked to him at Extended last weekend, he said it was not the same injury as the one he suffered last season that had him on the DL.  He has pitched well in several outings during extended.  The move is not unexpected, and although Simo did indicate he was quite sick of Florida already, he did allow that pitching for the Miracle would be nicer than throwing in Extended Spring Training as he continues his rehab. (NDN)

Minnesota 2 at Chi White Sox 6

WP: J. Danks (3-3), LP: K. Slowey (0-2)
HR: CHI: J. Dye (6), J. Uribe (3)

Kevin Slowey returned to the Minnesota mound, giving up 3 runs including 2 home runs on 4 hits while striking out 4 over 5 innings.

The Twins picked up a pair of runs in the second when former Miracle Matt Tolbert singled in Brendan Harris and Joe Mauer, another Fort Myers Alumni, singled in Adam Everett.

That would be all the Twins would get.  Slowey kept them in the game, but the bull pen gave up three runs late to make the score 6-3 and prevent a Minnesota rally.

Mauer was 2-for-3 in the game, while Delmon Young was 2-for-4.

The Twins begin a four game series against the Boston Red Sox on Friday, with Boof Bonsor (2-4, 4.29) going to the mound against Jon Lester (2-2, 3.94).

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Former Miracle Pat Neshek left the game in the 9th inning with a postential serious right elbow strain.  The injury occurred after Neshek had allowed a single to Jermaine Dye and struck out Nick Swisher to start the inning. But it was on a slider he threw to the third batter he faced, Joe Crede, that Neshek appeared to hurt his elbow. Neshek immediately grabbed his arm after making the pitch.  He will see team physician Dr. Dan Buss on Friday and be re=evaluated at that point. (Twins)

The Red Wings continued their struggles Thursday, dropping both games of Businessman's special double header against the Columbus Clippers.

Rochester 1 at Columbus 5

W: C. Balester (3-2, 3.41); L: K. Mulvey (2-4, 4.03)
HR: COL: R. Olmedo (2).

Kevin Mulvey would take the start in game one, allowing 5 Clippers runs - 3 earned - on 5 hits and 3 walks while striking out 2 over 5 innings.

Columbus Ray Olmedo singled in the bottom of the 3rd, then moved to second on Tommy Murphy's sac bunt, but a throwing error by Mulvey allowed Murphy to make it to first.  Pete Orr then took a walk to load the bags.  Mulvey would issue another walk, this time to Elijah Dukes to force in a run.  Ryan Langerhans' ground out severed to plate Murphy, and one out later, with Larry Broadway at the plate, a wild pitch by Mulvey allowed Orr to score to give the Clippers a big 3 run lead.

Brian Buscher singled in the top of the 4th, But Howie Clark would ground into a force out.  Following a fly out to Garrett Jones, Chris Basak singled out left, and combined with a pair of errors on the same play by Dukes, scored Clark.  That would be it for the Wings though.

Seven different Rochester players put a hit each on the board, but Clark's lone run would stand.

Olmedo hit his second home run of the season in the bottom of the 4th for the Nationals farm team.  In the 5th, Dukes singled out to left, stole 2nd then came home on an Alex Escobar single to make it 5-1 Clippers.

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Rochester 4 at Columbus 6

W: T. Clippard (2-3, 4.34); L: H. Totten (0-1, 4.12); SV: C. Manning (4)
HR: ROC: J. Morales (2). COL: J. Dubois 2 (3).

The Wings got more offense going in game two, but starter Heath Totten set Rochester in a big hole which proved too much for them to overcome.

With one out on the board in the bottom of the first, Pete Orr doubled.  Elihah Dukes took a walk and a Ryan Langerhans single brought in Orr.  Jason Dubois then hit his second home run of the season to bring in 3 more.

The Wings would not try to make a come back until the top of the 3rd inning when Denard Span doubled with 2 outs on the board.  Jason Pridie then hit his 4th double of the season, driving in Span, but Darnell McDonald ground out to end the inning.

Garrett Jones took a walk in the fifth, then came home on a Randy Ruiz double out to left.  Jose Morales singled, but Chris Basak hit into a double play to end the inning.

Carmen Cali replaced Totten in the bottom of the fourth and allowed a single to Yurendell de Caster.  A sac-bunt by Ray Olmedo moved de Caster to 2nd, and a Javi Herrera double served to plate him, giving the Clippers another run.  Jason Dubois his his 2nd home run of the game, his third of the season, in the bottom of the 5th to mke it Clippers 6, Wings 2.

Ruiz hit a ground-rule double to start out the top of the 7th, and Morales, a former Miracle, went yard to bring in two, but despite a single to Span, the Wings could find no more runs.  Pridie's ground out gave the Clippers a sweep of the series.

Span was 2-for-4 in the game with a run, and Morales and Ruiz were both 2-for-3 with a run each, Morales with 2 RBIs and Ruiz with one.

The Wings return home to Frontier Field with a six game losing streak.  They begin an eight game homestand on Friday night against the Buffalo Bisons.  First pitch is scheduled for 7:05 PM.

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Bowie 6 at New Britain 7

Record 19 - 12 (2nd Place, Northern Division)

W: A. Gabino (3-1, 0.93); L: G. Casadiego (0-3, 4.95)
HR: BOW: F. Bynum (1). NBR: S. Tolleson (3).

There was very little action around the Twins Minor League system Wednesday, as Beloit and Fort Myers had off days, and Rochester's game was postponed by rain.

The Wings will play two games on Thursday, starting at 11:00 AM

Former Miracle Steve Tolleson hit a home run in the 8th inning that tied up the game between New Britain and Bowie, sending it into extra innings.

Tolleson would then single his way onto base in the 10th inning, move to 2nd on Dustin Martin's sac bunt, then steal 3rd.  Brock Peterson's fly ball to right then drive in Tolleson for the game winner.

Bowie would get on the board first, with Breddie Bynum going yard off Anthony Swarzak in the first inning.  New Britain took it back however as Luke Hughes extended his hitting streak to 16-games with a line drive single.  Martin then singled as well.  Hughes would move to 3rd on a wild pitch by Bowie starter David Hernandez.  Peterson then doubled the pair in, to make it 2-1 Rock Cats.

Ryan Finan would single for Bowie in the top of the 4th, then come home on a Brian Peterson double, to tie up the game.

Carlos Rojas doubled to start the 5th, then moved to 3rd on a Mike Rodriguez sac-bunt.  Luis Montanez singled him home.  Following a pop out to Jeff Nettles, Nolan Reimold singled and Finan doubled to drive in 2, giving the Baysox a 3-run lead.

New Britain's Peterson would single in the bottom of the fifth, then move to 3rd on an Erik Lis double.  Trevor Plouffe's ground out drove in Peterson, a fly-ball single to right off the bat of Felix Molina brought Lis across the plate.

With Danny Graves on the mound in the top of the 7th, Montanez singled with one out on the board, then stole 2nd.  Reimold's double to left brought him in to give the Baltimore farm team a 2-run lead.

New Britain began their rally in the bottom of the 7th, when Lis singled, moved to 2nd on Trevor Plouffe's sac-bunt, 3rd on a Molina ground out, and passed the plate on Toby Gardenhires' fly ball single to right.

Hughes was 1-for-2 in the game, with 1 run before being replaced by Tolleson, who went 2-for-3 with a walk and 2 runs (including the home run) and 1 RBI.  The reigning Eastern League Player of the Month fouled a ball off his foot in the 3rd inning, and left the game thereafter.

Lis was 3-for-3 at the plate with a walk and 2 runs, Martin was 2-for-4 with a run.

Peterson, a former Miracle 1stbaseman, provided much of the offense, going 4-for-6 with 1 run and 3 RBIs.

Swarzak was less than sharp on the mound, allowing 5 earned runs on 8 hits and 3 walks while striking out 3 over 4.2 innings.  Armando Gabino picked up the win in relief, allowing only 2 hits over 2 innings.

Having won their last 9, the Rock Cats play early tomorrow to finish off the series against Bowie with a 10:35 AM educational day game before heading out on the road.

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Minnesota 13 at Chicago White Sox 1

WP: L. Hernandez (5-1) LP: M. Buehrle (1-4)
HR: MIN C. Gomez (2), CWS J. Dye (5)

One day after Gavin Floyd nearly no-hit the Twins, Livan Hernandez would nearly shut out the Chi Sox, allowing a home run in the 9th to Jermaine Dye to spoil his bid.

Carlos Gomez looked good at the plate for the Twins, going 4-for-6 with 2 runs and 3 RBIs and hitting for the cycle.  The Twins pounded out 16 hits, with Craig Monroe, Justin Morneau and Mike Cuddyer all 2-for-5 through the heart of the order as was Nick Punto hitting last.  Monroe had 2 runs, Morneau, Cuddyer and Punto a run each while Cuddyer drove in 1 and Punto drove in 5 (yes! five!)

Mike Redmond was 2-for-4 with a run and 3 RBIs.

Gomez, who appeared in 58 games for the Mets last season, homered in the first, tripled in the fifth, doubled in the sixth and singled in the 9th to complete the cyle - backwards it would seem.

The two teams rematch tomorrow with former Miracle Kevin Slowey (0-1, 8.10) making the start for Minnesota.

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