Kuehn, Bristol White Sox Edge Johnson City Cardinals 4-3

Bristol Herald Courier

BRISTOL, Va. — Justin Kuehn turned in another solid performance out of the bullpen for the Bristol White Sox.

The right-hander worked three strong innings of relief as the BriSox posted a 4-3 Appalachian League victory over the Johnson City Cardinals on Thursday night at DeVault Stadium.

Kuehn, a former standout at Santa Clara University, allowed one run on three hits in his three innings. He did not issue a walk, struck out two and lowered his ERA to 2.79.

“It was all right,” Kuehn said. “I was a little bit wilder in the [strike] zone, but I went right at them. We had a lead throughout the whole outing I was in, so I just wanted to make sure they get a bat on the ball and let my fielder’s play.”

Left-hander Garrett Johnson (2-1, 3.46 ERA) worked 5 2/3 innings for the win, while Brent DeFoor got the final out for his third save. However, it was the middle relief of Kuehn that was key.

“I’ve thought I’ve thrown the ball well, it’s just a learning process,” Kuehn said. “I’m just getting used to professional baseball and it’s been a fun experience.”

Johnson City (13-16) actually outhit Bristol, 12-6, but the Sox eked out the win.

Jorge Castillo had two hits and four RBIs to continue his torrid pace at the plate for Bristol, while third baseman Hancer Vargas was 2-for-2 and scored a run from the ninth spot in the order.

“That’s definitely a game that we played together well as a team,” Kuehn said. “The pitchers did their job keeping them to the runs they got. The hitters and defense did a great job. When we needed good plays, they came up with good plays.”

Curt Smith went 3-for-5 with a pair of doubles and two RBIs to lead JC, while Jarred Bogany added two hits in a losing effort. Cardinal starter Randy Santos (1-2, 4.18 ERA) was charged with the loss.

Bristol (13-11) will host the Cardinals again tonight at 7 p.m. The Sox remain in second place in the Appy League’s West Division.

Danville 4, Princeton 2

Gerardo Rodriguez and L.V. Ware each had two hits as the Danville Braves downed the Princeton Devil Rays.

Danville’s Ross Francis (2-1, 2.04 ERA) struck out six and allowed just one earned run in earning the win on the mound, while Rico Reid worke dthe final two innings for his first save.

Tim Beckham, the No. 1 pick in June’s MLB Amateur Draft, went 2-for-4 for Princeton and raised his batting average to .203.

Pulaski 4, Elizabethton 3

Kalian Sams hit his eighth home run of the season as the Pulaski Mariners earned a road victory over the Elizabethton Twins.

Sams connected for a solo shot in the fifth inning, while teammate Dwight Britton also homered for the Mariners.

Meanwhile, leadoff hitter George Soto had two hits.

Brooks Mohr (3-1, 2.83 ERA) worked five solid innings to get the win, while relievers Andres Esquibel, Brandon Pullen and Blake Nation polished off the victory. Nation earned his fourth save after getting the final four outs.

Left-hander Daniel Osterbrock (2-2, 3.76 ERA) was the tough-luck loser for Elizabethton. Osterbrock allowed four runs on eight hits in six innings, but struck out 10.

Evan Bigley and James Beresford each had two hits for the Twins.

Burlington 5, Kingsport 3

The Burlington Royals might have the worst record in the Appalachian League, but the team also has won of the league’s top pitchers.

Sam Runion (2-1, 1.15 ERA) worked five shutout innings to key Burlington’s victory over the visiting Kingsport Mets. Runion yielded two weak singles and struck out two.

Manauris Baez worked around a run in the ninth for his first save. Julio Aparicio had two hits to lead Burlington at the plate, while Rafael Fernandez and Charles Doyle each rapped out two hits for the K-Mets.

Bluefield 8, Greeneville 6

Brian Conley hit a home run and the Bluefield Orioles bested the Greeneville Astros.

Buck Britton added two hits and two walks for Bluefield, which pounded out 10 hits. Bristol native Jim Saul is the Orioles’ hitting coach.