2015 Triple-A All-Star Game — IL 4, PCL 3
The International League All-Stars beat the Pacific Coast League All-Stars by a score of 4–3 on Wednesday from Omaha,
Nebraska. Rockingham, NC native Kyle Roller of Scranton/Wilkes-Barre hit a two-run single in the top of the ninth inning to tie the game at 3–3, and Lehigh Valley’s Tyler Henson broke the 3–3 tie with an RBI single to give the IL squad the win. With the win, the IL will have homefield advantage at this year’s Triple-A National Championship Game in El Paso, TX.
A.J. Achter earned the win, while Blake Wood notched the save for the IL team. Roller was the IL Top Star of the Game, while Peter O’Brien was the PCL Top Star.
The Charlotte Knights were well-represented at Wednesday’s Triple-A All-Star Game. Four Knights — Erik Johnson, Zach Phillips, Trayce Thompson, and Matt Davidson — all took part in the mid-summer classic. Let’s take a look at how they fared:
RHP Erik Johnson (7–5, 2.73 ERA) went to the all-star break as the International League leader in strikeouts with 99
and earned the start on Wednesday. When he tossed that first pitch on Wednesday, Johnson became just the fourth Knights hurler in franchise history to start for the International League (Julian Tavarez, Charlie Haeger, and Carlos Torres were the others).
FINAL LINE for Johnson:
2.0 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 1 BB, 2 SO (33 pitches, 19 for strikes)
Outfielder Trayce Thompson started the game for the IL squad and played CF and batted seventh. Thompson had two at-bats in the game and went 0-for-2 on the evening.
Third baseman Matt Davidson started for the IL squad as the team’s DH and batted sixth. Davidson played the entire game at DH and went 0-for-4. He was hit-by-a-pitch in the eighth inning.
LHP Zach Phillips (0–1, 27.00) came on to start the eighth inning with the game tied at 1–1. Phillips allowed a leadoff single to Jason Pridie. Two batters later, Phillips allowed the go-ahead, two-run home run to Peter O’Brien, which ultimately gave the PCL All-Stars a 3–1 lead at that point. Phillips was off-the-hook however in the top of the ninth when the IL All-Stars scored three runs to take a 4–3 lead.
Three former Knights also appeared in Wednesday’s game — New Orleans RHP Andre Rienzo, Buffalo RHP Gregory Infante, and RHP Jhan Carlos Marinez.
Here is how they fared:
Andre Rienzo (1.0 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 1 BB, 1 SO)
Gregory Infante (0.2 IP, 0 R, 0 ER, 0 BB, 1 SO)
Jhan Carlos Marinez (1.0 IP, 2 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 0 BB, 2 SO)
