Triple-A roundup: Moore homers twice
Top Braves prospect Julio Teheran allowed just three hits over five shutout innings as he earned his first win of the season. He struck out four and walked two in the 7-1 Gwinnett victory. The 21-year-old right-hander also picked off a pair of baserunners. Jose Constanza led the G-Braves offense by legging out a two-run triple, while Matt Mangini knocked in the only run for Durham with a single in the sixth.
Columbus starter Cory Kluber struck out eight over five innings and Chad Huffman homered as the Clippers trumped the Indians, 5-4. Jordy Mercer provided most of Indianapolis' offense by smacking a three-run homer in the fifth. Big league veteran Chris Ray tossed a perfect ninth en route to his second save of the season.
Yankees prospect Manny Banuelos struggled with his control, walking a career-high six batters as he surrendered two runs in two innings. He did not record a strikeout. Four relievers -- Pat Venditte, Manny Delcarmen, Cody Eppley and Kevin Whelan -- combined to allow just one hit over the final seven frames, however, leading Scranton/Wilkes-Barre to a 7-2 win. Brandon Laird and Raymond Kruml both drove in a pair for the Baby Bombers.
Toledo's Brad Eldred continued his hot hitting, going 2-for-4 with a homer, two RBIs and two runs scored as the Mud Hens defeated the Bats, 8-1. Chris Valaika drove in the lone run for Louisville on a groundout in the third. Starter Brooks Brown lasted just three innings for Toledo, but reliever Ramon Garcia tossed four one-hit frames en route to the win.
Six different players recorded RBIs for Pawtucket, including two for Lars Anderson and one each for Jose Iglesias and Ryan Lavarnway. Veteran Brandon Duckworth allowed just one run on four hits over six innings en route to the win. Meanwhile, a rehabbing Andrew Miller tossed 1 2/3 hitless frames in relief, striking out two and walking two. Rene Rivera provided Rochester's only offense in the 10-1 defeat on a solo homer.
Norfolk squeaked out a 1-0 win over Charlotte thanks to a leadoff triple by Xavier Avery in the first and a groundout by Steve Tolleson that sent him home. Chris Tillman struck out eight over 5 2/3 scoreless innings, improving to 1-1 on the season. The Knights' Dylan Axelrod yielded just four hits over six innings, but suffered the hard-luck loss.
In Pacific Coast League play, top Cubs prospect Anthony Rizzo went 3-for-4 with an RBI and a run scored and right fielder Dave Sappelt homered and plated three runs to lead Iowa past Albuquerque, 8-2. The offense helped Cubs starter Chris Rusin, who allowed two runs over seven innings, earn his first win of the year. Isotopes left fielder Jerry Sands was 2-for-4 with a double, an RBI and a run scored.
Omaha starter Nathan Adcock scattered a hit and three walks over six scoreless innings and Tony Abreu punctuated a three-run fifth with a two-RBI double as the Storm Chasers held on to edge the Round Rock Express, 5-4. Irving Falu, who delivered the walk-off victory in Wednesday night's contest, plated two runs in the win and second baseman Anthony Seratelli chipped in with an RBI double and a run. Express first baseman Michael Bianucci was 2-for-5 with a pair of RBIs.
Scott Cousins' go-ahead RBI single with two outs in the bottom of the eighth inning broke a 2-2 tie and helped New Orleans past Memphis. Zephyrs' left fielder Sergio Pedroza mashed his first homer of the year -- a two-run blast in the fourth -- and starter Wade LeBlanc fanned eight batters over six two-run innings in the win. Redbirds first baseman Matt Adams continued his strong start to the season, going 4-for-5 with a double and an RBI to raise his average to .419.
Oklahoma City got a strong performance from starter Dallas Keuchel, who improved to 2-0 on the young season after limiting Nashville to just four hits over seven shutout innings in the RedHawks' 2-0 triumph. Pinch-hitter Justin Ruggiano provided the only runs of the game with a two-run single to right field with one out in the seventh inning and Mickey Storey and Jose Valdez spun two scoreless innings of relief to seal the victory. Sounds right-hander Josh Butler was on the hook for the loss, surrendering two runs -- one earned -- on four hits over six innings.
Major Leaguer Josh Geer surrendered four hits and a walk over six innings, second baseman Vince Belnome was 2-for-4 with three RBIs and Blake Tekotte slugged his second homer of the season to lead Tucson past visiting, 7-0. Jeff Fiorentino recorded the only multi-hit game for the Oakland A's Triple-A affiliate, collecting a double and a single to raise his average to .385. Former second-rounder Tyson Ross fell to 0-1 after allowing three runs on five hits over five innings in his second start of 2012.
Colorado Springs scored six times on two hits in the top of the ninth inning to snap a 3-3 tie, sending 10 men to the plate against Tacoma. Matt McBride delivered the biggest hit of the frame, legging out a bases-clearing triple off of incoming pitcher Oliver Perez to complete a wild inning that featured three walks, a wild pitch and a bases-loaded hit batsman. Sky Sox outfielder Andrew Brown also finished with three RBIs, while Rainiers prospects Trayvon Robinson and Luis Antonio Jimenez homered in the loss.
San Francisco's No. 2 prospect Francisco Peguero collected two hits, including a three-run homer, and Roger Kieschnick added a two-run blast of his own to power Fresno to an 8-5 win in Las Vegas. On the other side of the ball, Eric Hacker won his second consecutive start, allowing two runs -- one earned -- on five hits and a pair of walks while striking out four batters over six innings. Big leaguer Travis Snider hit his second roundtripper of the season for the 51s, but it was not enough to save starter Bill Murphy, who yielded five runs over four innings.
Major League veteran Jason Lane gave Reno a walk-off victory over Salt Lake with a two-out, bases-loaded infield single in the bottom of the 13th inning. The former outfielder-turned-pitcher tossed two innings of scoreless relief before winning the game with his bat. Cole Gillespie connected on his first homer of the year in the sixth and Evan Frey came through with a clutch two-out RBI single in the ninth that sent the game into extra innings. Bees backstop Hank Conger was 3-for-6 with a double and two runs scored and shortstop Andrew Romine added three singles out of the No. 2 hole.