DotF: Rutherford, Gilliam extend hitting streaks in Low-A win

Here are the day’s notes:

• 1B Tyler Austin (foot) faced hitters in live batting practice for the first time today, according to his Twitter feed. He’s been out since fouling a ball off his foot very early in Spring Training. Farm system head Gary Denbo recently said Austin could begin a minor league rehab assignment later this week, as long as things go well the next few days.
• 1B Ji-Man Choi (hamstring) and LHP Daniel Camarena (shoulder) are likely to miss a few weeks, Triple-A Scranton manager Al Pedrique told Shane Hennigan. With Austin, Choi, and 1B Greg Bird all injured, I wouldn’t expect 1B Chris Carter to be cut loose anytime soon.
• UTIL Rob Refsnyder was sent back to Triple-A Scranton following last night’s game, the Yankees announced. He was up as the 26th man for the doubleheader. By rule, he had to be sent back down immediately after the game.
• OF Isiah Gilliam was named the Low-A South Atlantic League Offensive Player of the Week. He went 11-for-23 (.478) with four doubles and two homers last week.

Triple-A Scranton (8-4 win over Pawtucket in 12 innings, walk-off style)

• 2B Tyler Wade: 2-4, 3 R, 1 HR, 1 RBI, 2 BB — second homer of the season and second homer in the last three days
• CF Dustin Fowler: 4-5, 1 R, 1 2B, 1 3B, 2 RBI, 1 BB — tied the game with a two-out double in the ninth … had a chance to finish the cycle with a walk-off home run in the 11th — imagine doing that twice in the span of a month? — but they intentionally walked him … he’s up to .308/.353/.566 on the season
• LF Clint Frazier: 0-5, 1 BB, 1 K — snapped the bat over his knee after the strikeout (here’s a GIF)
• RF Mason Williams: 3-5, 1 R, 1 RBI
• C Eddy Rodriguez: 2-5, 1 R, 1 HR, 4 RBI, 3 K — walk-off grand slam!
• 2B Abi Avelino: 0-5, 1 K
• LHP Caleb Smith: 5 IP, 4 H, 3 R, 0 ER, 1 BB, 3 K, 6/2 GB/FB — 62 of 96 pitches were strikes (65%)
• RHP Ernesto Frieri: 3 IP, 1 H, 0 , 0 ER, 1 BB, 3 K, 2/2 GB/FB — 30 of 42 pitches were strikes (71%) … good Frieri showed up tonight

Double-A Trenton had a scheduled off-day.

High-A Tampa (1-0 win over Florida) the Brevard County Manatees moved from Viera to Kissimmee and became the Florida Fire Frogs over the winter, in case you’re wondering where the new franchise came from

• CF Jorge Mateo: 1-5, 2 K
• RF-LF Jeff Hendrix & LF-CF Tito Polo: both 0-4, 2 K — Polo got picked off first
• DH Trey Amburgey: 1-3, 1 BB, 1 SB
• 2B Nick Solak: 0-1, 1 R, 3 BB — 14 walks and four strikeouts in his last 15 games
• SS Kyle Holder: 0-4, 2 K
• PH-RF Jhalan Jackson: 0-1, 1 RBI — pinch-hit for C Sharif Othman in the ninth and came through with the go-ahead fielder’s choice
• RHP Erik Swanson: 7 IP, 4 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 0 BB, 1 K, 12/6 GB/FB — 65 of 92 pitches were strikes (71%) … third straight scoreless start

Low-A Charleston (4-1 win over West Virginia)

• CF Estevan Florial: 0-4, 2 K
• 3B Angel Aguilar: 1-4, 2 K — got picked off first
• 2B Hoy Jun Park: 1-3, 1 R, 1 BB
• RF Blake Rutherford: 1-4, 1 R — 12-for-30 (.400) during his eight-game hitting streak
• LF Isiah Gilliam: 1-4, 1 R, 1 RBI, 2 K — 20-for-42 (.476) during his 12-game hitting streak
• SS Oswaldo Cabrera: 0-3, 1 BB, 1 K, 1 E (fielding)
• RHP Freicer Perez: 5.2 IP, 5 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 1 BB, 8 K, 2 HB, 5/3 GB/FB — 65 of 96 pitches were strikes (68%) … easily his best start of the season … the 6-foot-8 righty now has a 24/13 K/BB in 27.2 innings