Lineups
Portland
Spears - 2B
Chang - 3B
Kalish - LF
Exposito - DH
Anderson - 1B
Apodaca - C
Iglesias - SS
Lin - CF
Place - RF
Doubront - RHP

Thunder
Krum - CF
Adams - 2B
Romine -C
Laird - 3B
Sublett - DH
Gorecki - LF
Brewer - RF
Vechionacci - 1B
Nunez - SS
Bleich - LHP

Top First: Ryan Kalish's double to deep center drives in a run early off Bleich. Of course, as he seems to do a lot this year, Bleich opened the inning with a walk.

Bottom First: Austin Krum doubles to lead off, and is followed by walks from David Adams and Austin Romine. Still, out of that golden threat the Thunder could produce just one run. That tally came on Brandon Laird's double-play grounder.

Top second: And, as soon as it was tied, it's untied. Juan Apodaca hit a ball to right that just kept carrying over the wall. 2-1 Sea Dogs.

Bottom second: Pretty meek inning there for the home side, with Gorecki bouncing back to the mound, and Dan Brewer and Marcos Vechionacci fanning looking.

Top third: Bleich sets 'em down 1-2-3.

Bottom third: Krum walks with one out, then is driven home by Romine's double over center fielder Che-Hsuan Lin's head. Laird follows that with a bloop single to left-center, bringing home Laird. 3-2 Thunder

Top fourth: Since the home run, Bleich has retired nine straight.

Bottom fourth: Vechionacci and Nunez string together a pair of two-out singles, but Nunez is out trying to stretch his hit into a double. Still 3-2 Thunder.

Top fifth: Marcos Vechionacci, being tried at first base again today, spears a line drive with two outs and the bases loaded, saving Jeremy Bleich's bacon and keeping the Thunder's lead. After five innings, Bleich has thrown 97 pitches, 57 of which were strikes. Josh Schmidt looks to be up next.

Bottom fifth: Strange move here. With two outs and two on, Franklin pinch-hits Kevin Smith, a lefty, against Tommy Hottovy, another lefty. Smith took the place of Sublett, another left-hander. Will investigate later.

Thunder added an insurance run in the sixth, but found out they needed a little more when Juan Apodaca's double brought home the tying run. Lars Anderson, who represented the go-ahead run, was thrown out at the dish. Score tied 4-4.

Here I am at the beautiful new Metro Bank Park in Harrisburg, a brisk 2.5 hour drive from home. Still, Stephen Strasburg is slated for his third professional start this morning, so it's all worth it. The opponent is the Reading Phillies, but the big guns -- Tyson Gillies and Domonic Brown - are not in the starting lineup, so that's a bit of a bummer. They'll get their crack at the phenom in a few days, when Harrisburg takes a trip to FirstEnergy Stadium.

Reading
Michael Spidale - CF
Freddy Galvis - SS
Tagg Bozied - LF
Brian Stavisky - 1B
Kevin Mahar - RF
Brandon Pinckney - 3B
Tuffy Gosewich - C
Keoni DeRenne - 2B
Yohan Flande - P

Harrisburg
Bradley Coon - CF
Adam Fox - 3B
Danny Espinosa -SS
Jesus Valdez - RF
Leonard Davis - LF
Chris Marrero - 1B
Sean Rooney - C
Pedro Lopez - 2B
Stephen Strasburg - P

First inning: Strasburg does what he's supposed to do: mow 'em down. Spidale, Galvis and Bozied go down on a pair of groundouts to left side and a foul pop.

Flande, meanwhile, who enters with an ERA of 0.00, puts a couple of men on before wiggling out of trouble.

Second inning: Strasburg gets his first two Ks of the day, one on a 97 mph fastball at the letters, the other on an 81 mph breaking pitch in the dirt. He is a very, very nasty man.


Third inning: Strasburg looks mortal. He gives up a one-out hit to Keoni De Renne, then, after Yohan Flande strikes out on a bunt, Michael Spidale reached on an error by shortstop Danny Espinosa. Never fear, though, Nats fans, Strasburg got the next man to bounce into a fielder's choice.

One thing I found curious, however, was that, after Flande, Strasburg's velocity dipped from sitting 96-98 into the 93-94 range.

Fourth inning: I just shot some videos and am uploading them as I type. Anyway, in this inning, Strasburg fanned Tagg Bozied looking, walked Brian Stavisky, then got the next two men in fairly short order. Fastball back up to 96 this time.

Also, the Senators finally cracked Flande when Bradley Coon laid down a perfect squeeze bunt that hugged the third-base line. 1-0, Senators.

Fifth inning: Strasburg sets down the R-Phils in order, including Tuffy Gosewich on strikes. That marked the end of the afternoon for the ace-in-waiting. His final line: 5 IP, H, 0 R, BB, 6 SO, 67 pitches, 48 strikes.

As I said, Strasburg is out of the game, but I would be remiss if I didn't also praise the job Yohan Flande is doing out there. He has managed to give up just one run -- on 11 hits. The only run came on Coon's perfect squeeze bunt in the fourth.

Greensboro
Rand Smith - CF
Taylor Krick - 3B
Kyle Jensen - LF
Kyle Skipworth - DH
Carlos Paulino - C
Chad Cregar - RF
Brent Weaver - 1B
Jose Torres - 2B
Michael Pasek -SS
Matt Montgomery - P

Lakewood
Jiwan James - CF
Leandro Castro - LF
Anthony Hewitt - RF
Sebastian Valle - C
Jeremy Barnes - 2B
Darin Ruf - 1B
Stephen Batts - DH
Alan Schoenberger - 3B
Jonathan Villar - SS
Nick Hernandez - P

First inning: Nick Hernandez looks fantastic, getting a pair of grounders to short and freezing Taylor Krick.

Jiwan James helped the Grasshoppers out by popping up a bunt before Leandro Castro beat out an infield single. Anthony Hewitt and Sebastian Valle followed with strikeouts.

Second inning: Hernandez continued breezing through the Grasshoppers. He fanned Kyle Skipworth looking, then got Carlos Paulino to pop to second and a bouncer to first from Chad Cregar.

On the other side, Montgomery matched Hernandez. He weaved his way through Jeremy Barnes, Darin Ruf and Stephen Batts with a pair of strikeouts.

Third inning: The duel continues. Both pitchers went 1-2-3 frames. At this rate, we'll be here about another hour, or, like the Mets and the Cardinals last night, another five hours.

Fourth inning: Skipworth shoots one through the right side for a hit, but that's the extent of the damage as Hernandez gets the next three. He's allowed one hit through five.

The BlueClaws also go quietly, on two flies to right and a strikeout.

Fifth inning: At last, some offense. The BlueClaws put together three straight hits, including a leadoff triple by Stephen Batts, and Lakewood put up a three-spot. After five, 2-0 Claws.

Nick Hernandez is absolutely cruising. The left-hander has allowed a single hit, off the bat of Kyle Skipworth, to this point. For a guy who is barely touching 90, Hernandez sure looks dominant.

Claws add three more, making the score 5-0 after seven.

Alan Schoenberger, a 21-year-old shortstop from Queensland, Australia, has three RBIs today. In his previous three seasons he had driven in a total of 13 runs. That's baseball.

Greensboro
Rand Smith - CF
Terrence Dayleg - SS
Kyle Jensen - LF
Kyle Skipworth - C
Carlos Paulino - DH
Chad Cregar - 1B
Brent Weaver - 3B
Sequoyah Stonecipher - RF
Jose Torres - 2B
Curtis Petersen - P

Lakewood
Jiwan James - CF
Leandro Castro - DH
Anthony Hewitt - LF
Sebastian Valle - C
Adam Buschini - 3B
Jeremy Barnes - 2B
Darin Ruf - 1B
Domingo Santana - RF
Jonathan Villar - SS
Jonathan Pettibone - P

I'm here in Lakewood to bear witness to the magnificent outfield that is James, Hewitt and Santana. That's three of the top prospects in the Phillies system, all patrolling the same swath of grass. This is a prospect watcher's dream. I'll be here tomorrow, too.

First inning: Pettibone starts the day with a walk to leadoff man Rand Smith, but is spared any damage when 17-year-old right fielder Domingo Santana makes two fantastic plays.

In the bottom half, Jiwan James walks on four pitches before being erased on Leandro Castro's fielder's choice. Castro steals second before Anthony Hewitt waves at a Curtis Petersen hook. Sebastian Valle is up next, and this is what he does:

Inning over.

Second inning: Greensboro scores on a double from Brent Weaver that brings home Carlos Paulino. Pettibone gets a pair of grounders back to the mound to extricate himself from further trouble.

The BlueClaws followed by exploding for six runs, including two on bases-loaded walks to Jonathan Villar and Jiwan James, and three more on a single to left from Anthony Hewitt that was fumbled a bit by Jensen. 6-1 Claws after two innings.

Third inning: Pettibone gets the Grasshoppers 1-2-3, including a popout off the bat of Kyle Skipworth. Domingo Santana's fielder's choice plates another for the Claws, who now lead 7-1.

Fourth and Fifth innings: As team photographer David Schofield points out, Jon Pettibone is clearly a different pitcher with a lead. He's retired the side in the last two frames with just two walks and a hit. After five, it's still 7-1 Claws.

Sixth inning: Santana reaches on an infield single, but is caught stealing by Skipworth, who has an absolute hose behind the plate. That proves costly when Villar smacks a ground-rule double into the corner. Jiwan James bounces into a fielder's choice to end the frame and keep it 7-1 Claws.

Seventh inning: Jiwan James makes a FANTASTIC catch in center. He went full-extension to rob a Greensboro of a sure double.

Lakewood also goes quietly, with Sebastian Valle fanning to end the frame.

Eighth inning: Greensboro goes quietly in its half, ended when Siulman Lebron freezes Carlos Paulino on a 90-mph fastball on the black.

After a two-out single from Darin Ruf, Santana fans to end the eighth. Claws three outs from a win.

Ninth inning: Jordan Ellis gives up three in the ninth, but recovered to keep the Grasshoppers off the board and put a win in the books.

Lineups
Akron
CF - Fedroff
3B - Goedert
DH - Weglarz
RF - McBride
1B - Mills
SS - Rivero
LF - Drennen
2B - Rodriguez
C - Castillo
P - Barnes

Trenton
DH - Krum
2B - Adams
3B - Laird
CF - Gorecki
LF - Sublett
RF - Brewer
C - Gil
1B - Vechionacci
SS - Nunez
P - Pope

NOTES: Lance Pendleton is still penciled in for Sunday's start in Portland. ... Cory Arbiso is scheduled to throw a simulated game today at 1:00. ... Austin Romine was working during pre-game with Vic Valencia on staying low on balls. There was some very interesting (if unprintable) comments between the two. ... D.J. Mitchell threw a side session before today's game.

First inning: Fedroff reaches on Vechionacci's throwing error, but Pope induces a 5-4-3 double play and Weglarz flies easily to left.

Thunder go harmlessly, on a pair of groundouts and a foul to first.

Second inning: Matt McBride reaches on an error and Carlos Rivero works a one-out walk, but Pope gets out of it with fly balls to left, center and right.

Once again, Thunder go 1-2-3. It's early, but it's starting to look like what happened to the Thunder in a day game with Akron last year ...

Third inning: Akron goes 1-2-3, and Pope fans Tim Fedroff for strikeout No. 1 ... And once again, the Thunder go down in order.

Fourth inning: Pope walks Matt McBride but gets the next three men in order, including freezing Mills.

David Adams breaks up the perfect game -- and steals second base -- but the no-hitter is still intact after Brandon Laird fouls out and Reid Gorecki looks at strike three.

Fifth inning: Pope gets the first two men on fly balls before losing the no-hitter on a double to nine-hitter Alex Castillo. Tim Fedroff walked afterward, and Jared Goedert followed with a single to end the shutout. Akron 1, Thunder 0.

Thunder go 1-2-3 in the fifth, keeping Scott Barnes' no-hitter alive. He was pulled after the fifth in favor of Bryan Price, who was part of the trade that sent Victor Martinez to Boston.

Sixth inning: Noel Castillo relieves Pope, and retires the first two. He walked the third man, Carlos Rivero, but Jose Gil caught him stealing.

The Thunder put together two two-out hits, including one that extended David Adams' hitting streak, but couldn't crack the scoreboard.

Seventh inning: Noel Castillo couldn't hold it together for multiple innings. He walked the leadoff man and gave up a double to Josh Rodriguez. The Thunder chose to walk Tim Fedroff intentionally, but the move backfired when Jared Goedert singled on the first pitch.

John Van Benschoten relieved Castillo and got a grounder to first, where Vechionacci's bobble killed any possibility of a 3-2-3 double play. After seven innings, Akron 3, Thunder 0.

Sorry to kind of leave, but there were some unpredicted circumstances in the press box ... In any case, the Thunder came back and won 4-3.