Springer edges closer to 40/40 mark
Oklahoma City's George Springer stole two more bases Thursday to keep him on track for a rare 40/40 season.
Springer entered Thursday with 36 homers and 39 steals across two levels between Double-A Corpus Christi and Oklahoma City, but he quickly swiped his 40th and 41st bases within the first four innings of his team's 12-3 loss to the Round Rock Express.
The 11th overall pick in the 2011 Draft has 11 games left to accomplish the feat.
Round Rock's designated hitter Chris McGuiness slugged a grand slam and plated five runs in the victory, while Engel Beltre added a three-run long ball.
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Syracuse's designated hitter Corey Brown fell a triple shy of hitting for the cycle in the Chiefs' 8-5 win over the Charlotte Knights.
Brown homered in the fifth, doubled to lead off the seventh and singled to right field in the eighth. He has recorded four multi-hit games in his past 10 contests to raise his season average to .248.
Leadoff hitter and center fielder Eury Perez tripled and plated three runs, Jeff Kobernus was 2-for-4 with a double and a run scored and second baseman Danny Espinosa chipped in two RBIs in the victory.
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Omaha's Brett Hayes recorded his second multi-homer game in as many nights in the Storm Chasers' 3-2 win over the New Orleans Zephyrs.
Hayes hit a game-tying solo shot in the eighth before smacking a walk-off blast in the bottom of the 10th.
The 29-year-old catcher has 15 long balls in 73 PCL games, during which time he's hitting .241 with 40 RBIs.
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Lehigh Valley left fielder Derrick Mitchell went 3-for-4 with a homer, two doubles, two RBIs and a pair of runs scored in the IronPigs' 5-1 win over the Buffalo Bisons.
David Buchanan (3-1) yielded a run on four hits and two walks while striking out seven batters in the victory to lower his ERA to 1.71.