May 27, 2016

Dominican Summer League: Reds too much for juniors, July 2nd prospects up next

By Adam Morissette
Baseball Canada
BOCA CHICA, DR – After sweeping a doubleheader, the Junior National Team got behind the Cincinnati Reds Dominican squad early and fell by a score of 8-2. The Reds used 11 hits including five doubles, while the juniors could only muster three hits on offence and committed six errors.

The loss puts the Junior National Team’s record at 7-6 with one game remaining on the Dominican Summer League tour that will take place tomorrow at Estadio Tetelo Vargas against MLB Prospect League.

GAME ONE INFORMATION
Score: DSL Reds 8 Canada (U-18) 2
Location: Cincinnati Reds Dominican Complex – Boca Chica, DR
Weather: 29 degrees Celsius, Partly Cloudy

Canada 18U Starting Lineup:
1. Cooper Davis - CF
2. Jason Willow - SS
3. Tyler Duncan - RF
4. Andrew Yerzy – DH
5. Clayton Keyes - LF
6. Dondrae Bremner – DH
7. Noah Naylor – 3B
8. Luke Van Rycheghem – DH
9. Edouard Julien – 2B
10. Soren Graversen – 1B
11. Michael Stovman - DH
12. Victor Cerny - C

Starting Pitcher: RHP Mathieu Deneault-Gauthier

HOW IT HAPPENED
- The Reds struck quick in the bottom of the first as a lead off single to left off of JNT starter Mathieu Deneault-Gauthier (Candiac, Que.) scored when a double to left followed to put them in front by one.

- With one out and nobody on base in the bottom of the second, the teams were sent off the field with heavy rain falling. After a 45-minute delay, play resumed and juniors quickly turned a double play, but things changed quickly as the Reds strung together four hits in a row, including a pair of RBI doubles, to score three runs and increase their lead to 4-0.

- With one out in the third, Steven Moretto (Burnaby, BC) drew a one out walk and scored all the way from first base when Edouard Julien (Québec City, QC) doubled to the gap in left to make it 4-1.

- Deneault-Gauthier looked to have the makings of a perfect inning in the fourth but the Reds had other ideas as back-to-back two out singles both came around to score on a double that was hit to centre which put them in front by five.

- The Reds scored two more runs in the sixth thanks to a pair of one out walks to load the bases before a two out free pass brought in the first run, while the second run scored on a wild pitch from reliever William Sierra (Montréal, Que.).

- In the ninth, three walks loaded the bases and Clayton Keyes (Calgary, Alta.) took advantage of some control issues, as he was able to score from third base on a wild pitch.

JNT HIGHLIGHTS
- Reliever Michael Stovman (Maple Ridge, BC) was solid in two innings of work as he struck out the first two batters he faced in the seventh before allowing a double but leaving the runner stranded on a fly out to centre. In the eighth he retired the three batters he faced on three consecutive groundouts.

- Edouard Julien whacked a double into the gap in left field that brought in a run in the third inning.

TEAM LEADERS
Hits: 1, Naylor (1/2), Julien (1/3), Cerny (1/1)
Doubles: 1, Julien, Cerny
Runs: 1, Keyes, Moretto
RBIs: 1, Julien
Strikeouts: 3, Deneault-Gauthier; 2, Stovman

UP NEXT
The juniors will wrap up the Dominican Summer League Camp tomorrow with the annual contest against the MLB Prospects who feature some of the top international players eligible to sign with big league clubs on or after July 2 … The prospects roster has six players ranked on MLB.com’s Top 30 international prospects list including Freudis Nova (#8), Yasel Antuna (#14), Yunior Severino (#18), Marcos Brito (#22), Luis Veloz (#24) and Pablo Abreu (#29) … The game will take place at Estadio Tetelo Vargas in San Pedro de Macoris with a 2pm ET first pitch … RHP Josh Burgmann (Nanaimo, BC) is scheduled to start for the juniors … You can receive live updates by following @Team_C_Updates on Twitter.