PreStros Morning Report: April 8

TL;DR

*Affiliates go 3-1 on the day
*Max Stassi hit a three-run homer in the first and Paul Clemens needed 53 pitches to get through 5IP in an 8-1 OKC win over New Orleans.
*Corpus scores five runs in the top of the 9th and wins on Jio Mier's pinch-hit 11th inning homer for their fifth straight road win.
*Lancaster wins 4-2 as McCullers cruises and Correa gets his first 0fer of the year.
*Andrew Thurman gets shelled and Dickie Joe Thon provides the walkoff in a Lansing win over Quad Cities.

Oklahoma City (4-2)

OKC was up 3-0 by the time New Orleans came to bat, straight dominating the Zephyrs in an 8-1 win. Paul Clemens threw his five IPs in a very efficient manner, giving up 3H/0ER, 6K:0BB and throwing 42 of his 53 pitches for strikes. Jake Buchanan allowed 3H/1ER, 2K:0BB in 3IP, and Chia-Jen Lo gave up two hits, striking out two, in the 9th.

1-through-4 in the lineup went for a combined 8x17 with 4K:3BB, three extra-base hits, and 6RBI. Austin Wates (2B, BB, RBI), Gregorio Petit (BB, RBI), George Springer (2B, RBI), and Max Stassi (BB, HR, 3RBI) led the charge. Ronald Torreyes was also 2x3.

Man of the Match: Max Stassi

Corpus (5-1)

Corpus opened the season with a six-game road trip and return home with a 5-1 record after a dramatic win on Tuesday. Down 5-1 heading into the 9th, Andrew Aplin drew a lead-off walk and doubles by Preston Tucker and Enrique Hernandez made it 5-3 with nobody out. MP Cokinos knocked in Hernandez, and Joe Sclafani singled in Leo Heras to make it 5-5 with one out. With runners on the corners, a Delino DeShields suicide squeeze scored the go-ahead run, while allowing DeShields to reach 1st. With the bases loaded and two outs, Preston Tucker struck out to end the inning. But wait! Springfield tied the game up in the bottom of the 9th, and Tyler Heineman threw out Aledmys Diaz at 2nd to end the inning. Jio Mier led off the 11th with a pinch-hit solo homer to left-center, providing the Hooks with their 5th straight road win.

Aaron West threw 3.2IP, 6H/4ER, 1K:2BB; Alex Sogard threw a scoreless outing; David Rollins allowed 3H/2R (1ER), 4K:1BB in 3IP while Jorge De Leon (2IP, 1H/0ER) and Travis Ballew (1IP, 1H) closed out the game.

Enrique Hernandez was 3x5 with a double and 2RBI; Delino DeShields (2B, RBI) and MP Cokinos (BB, RBI) had two hits each.

Man of the Match: Enrique Hernandez

Lancaster (4-2)

Lancaster scored the final four runs of the game for their 3rd straight win in a 4-2 victory over San Jose. Kyle Smith allowed just 1H/2ER, but with 1K:5BB in 3IP; Mitchell Lambson threw 2IP, 2H/0ER; Lance McCullers allowed 3H/0ER, 4K:1BB, HBP in 3IP, and Jamaine Cotton gave up a hit in the 9th.

Tony Kemp was 3x4 in the leadoff spot; Brandon Meredith (HR, RBI), Dan Gulbransen (BB, RBI), and Jordan Scott had two hits each. Carlos Correa was 0x4 with his first two strikeouts of the year.

Man of the Match: Brandon Meredith

Quad Cities (2-3)

Quad Cities had a 2-0 lead heading into the bottom of the 6th before Lansing broke out for four runs in the inning. The River Bandits tied it up in the 8th, but it was only fitting that - on the 30th anniversary of Dickie Thon's beaning - his son Dickie Joe Thon got the walkoff for Lansing in a 5-4 Quad Cities loss. I ain't even mad about it. Chris Lee threw 4.1IP, allowing 4H/0ER, 3K:1BB and Chris Cotton got the final two outs in the 5th. Andrew Thurman had a rough one, giving up 4H/4ER, 2K:1BB in 0.2IP; Tyler Brunnemann throws 2.1 perfect IP, and Andrew Walter took the loss after walking two batters before the walkoff by Thon.

James Ramsay (2SB), Jack Mayfield (2B, 2BB, RBI), and Jobduan Morales (BB, RBI) had two hits each. Tyler White had a hit and a walk.

Man of the Match: Jack Mayfield