Two Miami Marlins draft picks who are making an impact with the Batavia Muckdogs high-five after a diving catch by Milton Smith II, left, in center field head first toward the fence to end the inning, and Troy Johnston, who belted a home run and doubled Friday before 1,301 fans in Batavia.
Submitted photo and press release:
After taking the first two games of the series against the Boston Red Sox from club Lowell Spinners, the Batavia Muckdogs were in position to take over the best overall record in the New York-Penn League.
However, the Spinners showed why they are in the top spot by scoring two big runs in the ninth inning to hold off the Muckdogs 5-2 Friday night before 1,301 fans at Dwyer Stadium.
Batavia (17-10) is still in first place in the NYPL Pinckney Division and goes on the road for three games against the Vermont Lake Monster, the Oakland A's farm club.
Troy Johnston, a 17th-round draft pick of the parent club Miami Marlins in 2019 out of Gonzaga University in Spokane, Wa., went 2-for-3 with a 394-foot solo home run to right field that went 102 MPH off the bat. Johnston also hit a RBI double down the left field line in the first and is now hitting .357 on the season.
Sean Reynolds continued his three-game tear in his return to Batavia by going 2-for-4 with a double to increase his average to .545, as he hit two home runs then followed it up with four hits including the double.
Milton Smith II made one of the best catches of the season in center field, going on a dead sprint to center and diving head-first toward the fence, making a catch to end the fourth inning. Smith II then led off the bottom half of the inning with a single and scored.
Albert Guairamo, Nic Ready and Dalvy Rosario had hits for Batavia.
The pitching staff game up 13 hits but only five runs, as Andrew Miller took the loss, throwing 3.2 innings with three strikeouts. Edison Suriel (two strikeouts) threw 1.1 scoreless innings and Bryan Hoeing in his first appearance in Batavia threw a scoreless inning.
The Muckdogs return home on Wednesday, July 17 and Thursday, July 18 against the Auburn Doubledays then back home July 20, 21 and 22 against Mahoning Valley.
Tickets for these games and others are available at the Dwyer Stadium box office between 10 a.m. and 5 p.m. Monday to Friday, online at muckdogs.com or be calling 585-483-3647.
