FARGO, ND – Brandon Mann dazzled on the mound as the Fargo-Moorhead RedHawks pounded out ten runs on 13 hits while cruising to a 10-1 victory over the Lincoln Saltdogs before 2,996 RedHawks faithful at Newman Outdoor Field on Monday night.
It was the Brandon Mann show on the hill right away. The American Association strikeout leader struck out the side in the first en route to retiring the first ten batters he faced.
Fargo-Moorhead would score first in the home half of the third. Michael Wing led off by crushing a ground ruled double to straightaway center giving the 'Hawks a runner in scoring position with nobody out. Wing would steal third bringing up Zach Penprase. Penprase proceeded to send a chopper up the middle scoring Wing easily from third making it 1-0 RedHawks.
The Saltdogs figured out the left-hander in the fourth. After forcing Matt Forgatch to pop out to Ryan Pineda at second, Mann issued a walk to Aaron Payne ending his perfect game. The next batter, Curt Smith, proceeded to break up Mann's no hitter with a liner sliced to right allowing Payne to wheel to third giving Lincoln runners on the corners with one out. Two batters later Mitch Canham lifted a blooper to shallow right scoring Payne making it 1-1.
Joe Dunigan had already doubled in the second inning. His first two-bagger was sent opposite field, his second one to start the home half of the fourth was turned on and sent off the wall in right-center. Luke Bailey would then single putting runners on the corners with one out. Charlie Valerio stepped to the plate next and sent a major league fly ball to deep right allowing Dunigan to tag from third and score making it 2-1.
Fargo-Moorhead placed a four spot on Lincoln in the bottom of the fifth. Ryan Pineda would lead off with a single to right to start. Penprase produced in back-to-back plate appearances as he laced a ball that hit the chalk on the right field line giving him his 19th double of the season and his second RBI of the night as Pineda wheeled home all the way from first. Penprase would advance to third on a Chad Mozingo groundout followed by a Joe Bonfe walk. With runners on the corners, a ball slipped away from Lincoln catcher Ryan Wiggins and Penprase and Bonfe began to advance to home and second, respectively. Wiggins got to the ball faster than expected and fired down to first. The throw was wide and Curt Smith had to dive to make the snag allowing Bonfe to swipe second. Smith attempted to go home to get Penprase but the throw sailed and F-M took a 4-1 lead. Jesse Smith would then walk Dunigan bringing Luke Bailey to the plate. The catcher took the fourth offering from Smith and blasted it out to left-center for a three-run shot, his tenth homer of the season and third in 13 games as a RedHawk making it 7-1.
The RedHawks would score three more in the seventh. Bonfe led off with a walk followed by a Joe Dunigan RBI triple, his third extra-base hit of the night. Luke Bailey then doubled to straightaway center plating Dunigan making it 9-1. Bailey had a monster game finished a triple short of the cycle, as he went 3-for-4 with two runs scored and four RBIs. Bailey advanced on a Charlie Valerio single and would score as Michael Wing grounded into the 1-6-3 double play giving the 'Hawks a 10-1 lead.
Two runs was all Brandon Mann would need on this night. The left-hander retired the side consecutively in five innings while facing just 36 batters. He went the distance pitching all nine innings in back-to-back starts and for the third time this season allowing one run on six hits with three walks and nine strikeouts. Out of 80 games this season, RedHawks starting pitchers have pitched a complete game 10 times this season. Mann adds nine strikeouts to his American Association leading total and now has 124 as he continues his pursuit of the league record, 144 strikeouts set by Sioux Falls Ben Moore in 2011. He is now 5-8 with a 4.21 ERA on the season.
Lincoln starter Jesse Smith (3-7, 4.88 ERA) takes the loss after going five inning and giving up seven runs (three earned) on eight hits with a pair of walks and a strikeout.
Fargo-Moorhead has now won seven of their last nine and improves to 30-50 while Lincoln loses it's 50th game of the season and also stands at 30-50. As it stands after Monday night's game there is a three way tie for tenth in the league between the RedHawks, Saltdogs and the Canaries of Sioux Falls. Game two is tomorrow night as Tyler Herron (4-6, 4.47 ERA) takes the ball countered by former big-leaguer Shairon Martis (6-2, 3.58) of Lincoln. First pitch is set for 7:02 p.m with a 6:40 pre-game show on 740 AM The Fan with Scott Miller behind the microphone.
Notes: Former RedHawk Mackenzie King made his first appearance for Lincoln since having been on the disabled list retroactive to July 23rd. Zach Penprase went 2-for-4 with a run scored and two batted in extending his hitting streak to five games. Joe Dunigan went 3-for-4 with three runs scored and an RBI extending his hitting streak to eight games. Fresh off being named American Association Pitcher of the Week, Drew Muren went 1-for-5 extending his hitting streak to 11 games.
Game Date: 08/17/2015
Lincoln Saltdogs 1 AT Fargo-Moorhead RedHawks 10
YTD YTD
Lincoln AB R H BI AVG Fargo AB R H BI AVG
M.Forgatch CF 4 0 0 0 .271 Z.Penprase SS 4 1 2 2 .291
A.Payne 2B 3 1 0 0 .246 D.Muren CF 5 0 1 0 .261
C.Smith 1B 4 0 2 0 .308 C.Mozingo LF 5 0 0 0 .324
R.Wiggins C 4 0 0 0 .233 J.Bonfe 1B 3 2 1 0 .298
M.Canham DH 4 0 2 1 .307 J.Dunigan RF 4 3 3 1 .236
T.White LF 4 0 0 0 .220 L.Bailey C 4 2 3 4 .249
M.Gilmartin SS 3 0 1 0 .258 C.Valerio DH 3 0 1 1 .286
B.Joynt RF 3 0 0 0 .249 M.Wing 3B 4 1 1 0 .240
E.Young 3B 3 0 1 0 .232 R.Pineda 2B 3 1 1 0 .240
32 1 6 1 35 10 13 8
Lincoln 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 - 1 6 1
Fargo 0 0 1 1 5 0 3 0 x - 10 13 0
2B--Z.Penprase (19), J.Dunigan 2 (16), L.Bailey (14), M.Wing (20).
3B--J.Dunigan (2). HR--L.Bailey (11). RBI--M.Canham (26), Z.Penprase 2
(42), J.Dunigan (47), L.Bailey 4 (34), C.Valerio (20). HP--M.Gilmartin
(3). SF--C.Valerio (3). SB--J.Bonfe (5), M.Wing (12). E--C.Smith (10).
LOB--Lincoln 8, Fargo 7. DP--R. Pineda(2B) - Z. Penprase(SS) - J.
Bonfe(1B), M. Melendez(P) - M. Gilmartin(SS) - C. Smith(1B).
YTD
IP H R ER BB SO HR ERA
Lincoln
J.Smith (L,3-7) 5.0 8 7 3 2 1 1 4.88
M.Melendez 2.0 4 3 3 2 0 0 5.40
M.King 1.0 1 0 0 1 2 0 5.70
8 13 10 6 5 3 1
Fargo
B.Mann (W,5-8) 9.0 6 1 1 3 9 0 4.21
9 6 1 1 3 9 0
WP--J.Smith 2 (6). HB--B.Mann (8). SO--M.Forgatch, A.Payne 2, C.Smith,
R.Wiggins 2, T.White 2, E.Young, C.Mozingo 2, J.Dunigan. BB--A.Payne,
B.Joynt, E.Young, Z.Penprase, J.Bonfe 2, J.Dunigan, R.Pineda. BF--J.Smith
25 (386), M.Melendez 11 (216), M.King 5 (139), B.Mann 36 (518).
P-S--J.Smith 82-47, M.Melendez 35-18, M.King 20-12, B.Mann 129-85.
T--2:44. A--2996
Weather: 73 F, Sunny
