ROCHESTER, Minn. – Just when the Border Cats needed it, their pitching staff is starting to shine.
The Cats got a second straight quality start on Thursday night, Robert Spencer tossing a gem to lead Thunder Bay to a 5-2 win over the host Rochester Honkers, just the second time in the second half the team has strung together two straight wins.
Spencer (2-3) put in a sparking five innings of work against the Honkers, holding them to one run on one hit and a pair of walks, while striking out five and at one point he set down 13 opposition batters in a row.
Offensively, he got plenty of help from the big bat of Daylan Pena, the team’s top hitter since arriving in the second half.
Pena blasted a pair of bombs, his second and third home runs of the season, one in the fourth off Rochester starter Holden Garcia, the other a first-pitch smash over the wall in left with reliever Sebastien Diaz on the mound.
Thunder Bay only managed seven hits on the night, but made them count.
Cole Ketzner and Karson Krowka also had RBI singles and Travis Chestnut swiped two more bases, upping his single-season team record to 36.
The Border Cats (5-12), who closed to within eight of the Great Plains division lead, held by La Crosse (12-3) will take on the Honkers (8-9) again on Friday night. They’ll head to Bill Taunton Stadium in Willmar, Minn. to take on the Stingers on Saturday and Sunday before returning home on Monday to face La Crosse.
Claw marks: Thunder Bay natives Jack Pineau and Will Droll were named to the Great Plains East Division all-star team, alongside Travis Chestnut and catcher Cole Ketzner, giving the Border Cats four representatives at the Aug. 1 contest. Droll has a 4.08 ERA in 17.2 innings, striking out 26. Pineau, a member of last year's Canadian entry at the U18 Baseball World Cup, is 1-2 with a 4.50 ERA and 29 strikeouts in 36 innings of work. Ketzner is hitting .270 with seven doubles and 26 RBI, second on the team to Tyler Kehoe's 36.
