Baby Cakes blank Aces for ninth shutout

METAIRIE – Peter Mooney homered for the second straight game, and Jeff Brigham pitched 6 2/3 scoreless innings as the New Orleans Baby Cakes blanked the Reno Aces, 8-0, on Wednesday night.

The Baby Cakes have opened the seven-game homestand with consecutive wins to improve to 30-21 on the year at home, fourth-best in the Pacific Coast League.

After Isaac Galloway gave the ‘Cakes a quick lead with an RBI single in the opening frame, Mooney went deep for the fourth time in his last 11 games, a solo shot in the second to double the lead to 2-0.

Isan Diaz clubbed his first Triple-A home run an inning later to make it 3-0, and the Baby Cakes put the game out of reach with a three-run fourth. Mooney capped three singles in a row with a line drive up the middle to plate a run, and Diaz added an RBI single before Mooney scored on a wild pitch.

Cristhian Adames had a two-run double in the eighth to end the scoring.

The outburst was more than enough for Brigham (2-0), who worked into the seventh inning for the first time in his three starts since being promoted from Double-A. The right-hander struck out six without issuing a walk and scattered six hits, leaving a pair of runners on base with two outs in the seventh for Jose Quijada, who fanned Cesar Puello to end the threat.

Quijada had three strikeouts in the final 2 1/3 innings to compete the Baby Cakes’ ninth shutout, moving them into a tie with Omaha for the league lead.

J.B. Shuck and Austin Nola had three hits apiece for New Orleans, which received multi-hit efforts from six different players. Diaz has three doubles, a triple and a home run in his first six Triple-A games.

Neftali Feliz (4-4) allowed six runs on 11 hits in five innings in the loss.

The ‘Cakes and Aces wrap up the series on Thursday at 7 p.m.