It was a long winter but Minor League Opening Day finally is here! We will be covering every single game of the 2015 campaign here beginning with last night’s action!
Charlotte 6, Norfolk 3
The Knights earned a Home Opener victory thanks to some timely hitting and a strong bullpen effort. Major League veteran Brad Penny labored through 5.2 innings, allowing seven hits and two walks but limited the damage to three runs. Relievers Arcenio Leon, Zach Phillips, and Jairo Asencio combined to shut out the Tides for the remaining 3.1 innings. On the offensive side of things, Matt Davidson is hoping to bounce back from a miserable 2014 and got off to a strong start with a home run and a walk. Tyler Saladino and Kevan Smith both went 3-4 in their 2015 debuts and Saladino added a stolen base to an already impressive night.
Mobile 11, Birmingham 3
Birmingham’s Home Opener was ruined by a strong Mobile club, as starter Myles Jaye gave up five runs in four innings of work. Reliever Kyle Hansen could not stop the onslaught, as he gave up an additional five runs in his 2/3rd of an inning. It wasn’t all bad for Birmingham pitchers, as Nolan Sanburn made his White Sox debut by tossing an inning and a third of scoreless relief, and J.B. Wendelken threw two shutout innings. Courtney Hawkins did not continue off his hot Spring Training, going 0-4 with three strikeouts. Top position prospect Tim Anderson went 1-3 with a triple and two RBI’s to lead the Baron’s offense.
Winston-Salem 13, Frederick 0
The Dash started their 2015 campaign emphatically, dominating the Frederick Keys in every aspect of the game. Three Winston-Salem pitchers combined for the two-hit shutout. James Dykstra started and pitched six innings of one-hit ball, Sean Hagan pitched a scoreless 7th, and then Michael Ynoa made his White Sox debut by hurling two scoreless frames to close the game. Offensively, the Dash used a balanced attack, scoring 13 runs on only three extra base hits. Adam Engel was a catalyst at the top of the lineup, going 1-3 with two walks and stealing three bases. Defensive wizard Cleuluis Rondon also had a strong game, going 2-4 with a walk and a stolen base.
Lakewood 2, Kannapolis 1
The Intimidators wasted a gem from starting pitcher Jordan Guerrero, losing in the bottom of the 9th inning via the walk-off. Guerrero, who is coming off an impressive 2014 season, struck out six and only allowed one walk and two hits over his six frames. The Kannapolis offense couldn’t muster much support, only collecting five hits.
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