Beloit Snappers RHP Brendan Butler picked up the win in his Midwest League debut Monday at Pohlman Field.

A two-run inning in support of a strong pitching performance was enough for the Beloit Snappers to beat the Fort Wayne TinCaps 2-1 in the second game of their doubleheader Monday.

After Beloit beat Fort Wayne 5-1 in the first game, the second game featured a pitchers’ duel between two Midwest League newbies. Snappers starter Brendan Butler, making his MWL debut, got the win after allowing only one run on three hits and two walks in six innings. He struck out four, threw two wild pitches, and hit a batter.

He outdueled top San Diego Padres prospect Anderson Espinoza, who made his second start for the TinCaps since being traded by the Boston Red Sox earlier this month. Espinoza didn’t give up a hit until Brett Siddall’s two-out double down the rightfield line in the bottom of the 4th inning. He escaped that inning unscathed, but gave up two runs in the next inning before being pulled for reliever David Bednar.

Espinoza gave up two runs on four hits, two walks and a wild pitch in 4.2 innings. He struck out three batters.

Fort Wayne TinCaps RHP Anderson Espinoza

The two Snappers runs were driven in by Jordan Devencenzi and Edwin Diaz. The TinCaps scored their run on a single by Austin Allen in the top of the 1st inning.

Beloit Snappers catcher Jordan Devencenzi

Maxwell makes MLB debut

Former Snappers catcher/designated hitter Bruce Maxwell made his major-league debut for the Oakland Athletics on Saturday, grounding out to first base as a pinch-hitter in the bottom of the 7th inning, then remaining in the game as the A’s backstop.

Maxwell got his first big-league start behind the plate on Sunday. He went 0-for-4 with two strikeouts.

Maxwell played for the Snappers in 2013, batting .286 with 2 HR and 28 RBI in 57 games. He started this season in Triple-A, batting .321 with 10 HR and 41 RBI in 60 games with the Nashville Sounds.

*All photos by Craig Wieczorkiewicz/The Midwest League Traveler