Sunday's highlights

Hello, HomesSiders-

Our tour begins in Houston today where Michael Bourn picked up 2 hits, including his first home run of the year, and scored 2 runs as the Astros won their second straight game 5-1 over the Marlins.

Meanwhile, in Phoenix, Taylor Buchholz pitched another scoreless inning for Colorado, this time against Arizona, in the Rockies 13-5 win on Sunday. Buchholz has now made 7 appearances, only allowing 1 run.

In Peoria, Scott Mitchinson won his first game for the Kane County Cougars, 2-1 over the Chiefs. Mitchinson pitched 5, giving up just 1 run on 5 hits, striking out 6. Mike Dubee also threw 5 innings for Winston-Salem, but his bullpen could not preserve his win. Dubee (5 innings, 3 runs, 5 hits, 6 strike outs) , left the game with 4-3 lead, only to see his teammates blow it, the Avalanche winning 8-4.

Another former BlueClaw to pick up a win was Carlos Carrasco. Carlos went 6 innings in Reading Sunday afternoon, allowing 2 early home runs, but settling down after that as Reading went on to beat Altoona, 7-3. That is 2 good outings in a row for Carlos. Greg Golson (double, home run, 2 runs scored, RBI), Juan Tejeda (single, double, walk, 2 RBI), and Lou Marson (single, double, run scored, RBI) all had 2 hits. Will Savage and R.J. Swindel each threw an inning to record a "hold", for Swindel, it was his 2nd.

Number one pick Joe Savery flashed his ability Sunday in Clearwater, throwing 8 shut out innings for the Threshers in the 5-0 win over Lakeland. Nate Johnson threw a scoreless 9th to complete the shutout. Welinson Baez had 3 hits (including a double) to lead the shark attack, while Carlos Leon (2 runs, 3 RBI), and Tuffy Gosewisch chipped in with 2 hits each. Both Savery and Gosewisch each picked a runner off first base, and Jay Miller, getting a rare start, had a double, a walk and scored a run.

J.A. Happ pitched well enough to win on Sunday, settling in after giving up 2 first inning runs. He totals: 5 innings of work, just the 2 runs, 1 hit, 5 walks, and 9 strike outs. The IronPigs tied the game in the 6th to get Happ "off the hook", but succumbed to the Braves, 6-2. Mike Spidale was 0 for 3 in his Pigs debut. Lehigh Valley is now 0-11.

Also in the International League on Sunday, Randy Ruiz was 1 for 4 in Rochester's 3-2 loss to Syracuse, and Chris Roberson was 1 for 4 in Norfolk's 2-1 defeat to Indianapolis.

The final bit of good pitching was done by the current BlueClaws, who took a 7-4, 11 inning decision from Delmarva in the series finale in Salisbury. Drew Naylor was masterful. He threw 7 shut out innings, before giving up back-to-back singles to start the 8th. Both runners scored and Delmarva took a 3-2 lead heading into the ninth. Dennis Winn had doubled in 2 runs earlier for the BlueClaws and the way Naylor was going, it looked like enough. In the 9th, with 2 out and 2 on, Joel Naughton came to bat to hit for Jesus Sanchez. Motivated by the encouragement of young Brittney on the first base line, Naughton drove home 2 runs and the 'Claws had a 4-3 lead. While Jared Simon gave up the tying run to the Shorebirds in the 9th, he did pitched 2 more innings and when the BlueClaws scored 3 more in the 11th inning, got his 3rd win in his last 3 outings. Moose Mattair started the winning rally with a walk. After D'Arby Myers sacrificed Mattair to second, Naughton single again. Then they both scored on a big double by Dominic Brown. Brown later scored on a single my Michael Durant, as the BlueClaws avoided the sweep by the Shorebirds. Tyson Brummett gets the start Monday in chilly Lake County as Lakewood faces the Captains.