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June 22, 2012

Perfect lead-off to 2012 Rays season

By JONATHAN GREENE Princeton Times

PRINCETON — It hasn’t always been pretty, but the Princeton Rays are off to a perfect start in 2012.

The Rays took the first two games from the Kingsport Mets, 8-4 and 10-7, on Tuesday and Wednesday to open the 2012 Appalachian League campaign unblemished.

The two teams, though, combined for nine errors, three wild pitches and passed ball during Wednesday’s game. The Mets had three more errors during Tuesday’s game.

“We just go back to work tomorrow,” Princeton manager Michael Johns said after Wednesday’s win. “These games are going to happen. These games happen in the big leagues and they certainly are going to happen in the Appalachian League.

“I don’t say much. We go over the little things we need to work on. The pitchers are going to pitch. Hopefully, they throw strikes. We just go back to work.”

Princeton closed out its three-game series with Kingsport Thursday night at Hunnicutt and welcomes Pulaski for a three-game set this weekend.

Unlike previous years, when the Rays had great pitching and little offense, Princeton’s bats have produced 18 runs on 19 hits in their first two games.

“It’s nice. But for me, offense comes and go,” Johns commented. “You enjoy it while you can. We need to be built around pitching, defense and running the bases hard.

“Most nights we’re going to get that. It’s certainly good to get some offense though.”

Leading the attack has been the Rays’ top picks. First-round selections James Harris (.500 average) and Brandon Martin (.300) and second rounder Granden Goetzman (.429) are all hitting over .300. Harris and Martin each have left the ballpark once.

“I hope they continue that,” Johns said. “Granden is really swinging the bat well. Brandon is swinging the bat well, and James is swinging the bat well. Even Oscar [Hernandez] is swinging the bat well.

“It’s good to see. Then our college guys who we have in the three, four-hole stung some balls tonight which was good to see. Hopefully, we’ll have a balanced attack throughout the year.”

•••

In the opener Tuesday, Princeton jumped out to a quick 2-0 lead by the second, thanks to a two-run triple by Julian Morillo. The Rays added four more in the bottom of the fourth.

Hernandez scored after Morillo reached on a fielding error then Harris deposited a pitch over the left field wall for a three-run home run.

That would be all the offense the Rays’ pitchers needed.

Starting pitcher Blake Snell pitched five scoreless innings, striking out seven while walking three to earn the win. Four relief pitchers followed to close out the game.

Goetzman and Hernandez each went 2-for-4 at the plate. Harris had three RBIs while Morillo finished with two.

•••

Unlike Tuesday’s contest, Princeton had to rally Wednesday night.

Starting pitcher Eli Echarry struggled with his command as he allowed five runs in the top of the second. The Rays’ offense though answered with three runs in the bottom half.

Martin hit an RBI single to score John Alexander then Reid Redman followed a few batters later reaching on an error which scored Martin and Darryl George.

Princeton’s rally was complete by the end of the fourth. Martin lifted a Steven Matz pitch over the left field fence to drive in Harris.

After a Goetzman fly out, Redman ripped a double to right field. He advanced to third on a wild pitch by Martires Arias then scored on another wild pitch.

The Mets’ struggles continued as William Argo doubled before advancing to third on a field error. Argo later scored on a sacrifice fly by Hernandez.

The Rays added three more in the fifth, and their bullpen put zeros on the scoreboard until the ninth.

Kingsport scored two unearned runs in the top of the ninth off reliever Pedro Silvestre. Silvestre kept his cool though and struck out his next three batters to end the game.

“Two things stuck out to me tonight,” Johns said after the game. “Our bullpen came when they probably didn’t they were in the second. Eli struggled a little bit with his command and ran out pitches there in the second.

“We had to bring in our bullpen in, and they threw, I think, seven scoreless until the ninth. That was huge for us. [Joan] Guerrero was really good out of the pen. For us to get down five and comeback and battle score three in the next was huge.”

Johns continued, “If we don’t score in that bottom half, I don’t think we win the game. We just had a lot of quality at-bats after that. I thought we swung the bats really well.

“Thought probably better than the amount of hits we had. We hit a lot of balls right at guys. We got a little bit of help defensively from them and then we helped them defensively. Just one of those games.”

Guerrero picked up the win in relief and Silvestre earned his first save. Harris, Martin and Morillo each had two hits. Martin finished with three RBIs.

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