Tuesday, June 30, 2009

Durham Bulls Beat Columbus Clippers 9-6

Durham Bulls[Via email from the Durham Bulls' broadcaster Neil Solondz.]

Matt Joyce went 4-for-5 with one of four Bulls homers, as Durham won its fifth straight, 9-6 over Columbus on Tuesday.

Joyce, who homered for the third straight game, helped the Bulls improve to 45-34 after a 6-2 road trip through Ohio.

It was Joyce's first hit, a double to right-center in the fourth, that keyed a five-run rally to break a 1-1 tie. Justin Ruggiano was hit by a pitch, and Rhyne Hughes followed with a three-run homer to center field for a 4-1 lead. Later in the frame Chris Nowak hit a two-run homer to left off Kirk Sarloos (3-10). The Bulls ended up with 17 homers on an eight-game road trip.

Durham extended the lead to 8-1 behind Carlos Hernandez (5-4), who ended up allowing just two runs in six innings.

Down 9-2 in the eighth, Columbus did rally for three two-runs, and added one in the ninth before Joe Bateman induced a double-play ball to end the contest.

In addition to Joyce, Nowak and Hughes, Jon Weber also homered, as Durham collected 14 hits.

Durham comes home with an off day on Wednesday, a game ahead of Norfolk in the South Division. The Bulls will host Charlotte on Thursday at 7:05. The Knights also have won five straight. Coverage on 99.9 the Fan ESPN Radio begins at 6:55. Andy Sonnanstine starts for Durham, and tickets are available at www.durhambulls.com.

Bowling Green Hot Rods Beat Rome Braves 10-4

Bowling Green Hot Rods[Via email from the Bowling Green Hot Rods' broadcaster Tom Gauthier.]

John Mollicone homered twice and drove in four runs to lead the Hot Rods (3-2, 37-38) to a 10-4 win over the Rome Braves (37-39) at State Mutual Stadium on Tuesday night. Mollicone picked up four hits for the second time in his career, becoming the first Hot Rod to have a multi-homer game in the process. The win improved the Hot Rods to 3-2 during their eight-game road trip to begin the second half of the season. They are now 4-5 against the Braves with a 3-2 series lead in Rome.

Before Mollicone got his first at-bat, the Hot Rods had already built a 2-0 lead thanks to three consecutive hits in the top of the first inning. After Tim Beckham and Jake Jefferies singled, Kyeong Kang delivered a two-run double into the right field corner to put the Hot Rods on the board.

Mollicone would continue the offensive onslaught with his first at-bat in the top of the second inning, sending a double off the left field wall on the first pitch he saw from Delgado. Two batters later Mollicone scored on an RBI single from Anthony Scelfo to make it 3-0.

After a scoreless third inning, one of just three scoreless frames for the Hot Rods, Mollicone struck again, belting the first pitch of the fourth inning into the Rome bullpen for a 4-0 Hot Rods lead. After a walk, a fielder’s choice, and a strikeout, Tim Beckham hit his fourth home run of the season over the centerfield wall to push the lead to 6-0. Beckham’s homer was his third against the Braves and his second coming in Rome.

All the early offense made it an easy night for Joe Cruz (W; 3-3) who picked up his third win of the season. Cruz allowed just one run over six solid innings, making his first start since June 15. The righty surrendered just five hits with only three of those hits coming in the first five innings. He struck out four and didn’t walk a batter for the third time in 11 starts this season.

While Cruz was cruising, Mollicone was mashing. He added an RBI double in the fifth inning, his third hit of the game. Then, two innings later, after Mike Sheridan reached on an error, Mollicone smacked his second home run to deep center to spread the lead to 10-1. The hit was Mollicone’s fourth while giving him four RBI, tying career-highs he set on July 9, 2008 with the Hudson Valley Renegades.

In addition to Mollicone, Beckham went 2-5 with his homer and two RBI, bumping his team leading total to 40. Kyeong Kang also picked up two hits and three more RBI to give him 20 on the season.

The series continues on Wednesday night at State Mutual Stadium. The Hot Rods will send LHP Frank De Los Santos (3-6, 4.19) to the mound against Rome’s Dimasther Delgado (1-1, 2.84). You can follow the action from Georgia with Tom Gauthier on 1340 AM WBGN and www.bghotrods.com. Coverage begins at 5:45 PM CDT with first pitch coming at 6:00 PM CDT.

The Hot Rods begin their next home stand against the Augusta GreenJackets on July 4 with postgame fireworks presented by WBKO. For tickets and a complete list of promotions, visit www.bghotrods.com or stop by the Hot Rods ticket office at Bowling Green Ballpark.

Montgomery Biscuits Beat Jacksonville Suns 5-1

Montgomery Biscuits[Via email from the Montgomery Biscuits' broadcaster Jon Laaser.]

Biscuits' starter Heath Rollins worked eight strong innings to lead Montgomery to a, 5-1, win over the Jacksonville Suns on Tuesday night at the Baseball Grounds of Jacksonville.

For the second straight ballgame, Fernando Cortez gave the Biscuits the lead in the first inning. After homering in the first inning of game two, Cortez rifled a triple off the wall in right-center field off of Suns' starter Brad Stone to score Brandon Chaves who had doubled with one out.

Jacksonville again responded in the bottom of the inning. Bryan Petersen, Lorenzo Scott and Logan Morrison provided three consecutive singles to start the game against Rollins. The hits loaded the bases, and after Rollins got a force-out of Petersen at the plate, Scott Cousins tied the game, 1-1, with a fielder's choice bouncer to second base.

The Biscuits were at it again in the second, plating a second run off Stone to reclaim the lead, 2-1. Matt Fields started the inning with a single and singles for Nevin Ashley and Jason Bowers loaded the bases with one out. Desmond Jennings sent a ball to the middle of the infield that was played into a fielder's choice at second base. However, Fields scored and the Biscuits had the lead back, 2-1.

Stone conceded a third run in the third inning when he walked Cortez with one out. Cesar Suarez singled behind him and Fields ripped a double into the alley in right-center field to plate him and give the Biscuits a 3-1 advantage.

Stone (1-1) departed the ballgame after three innings, having conceded three earned runs on seven hits. He took the loss, his first of the season.

Garrett Parcell relieved Stone and pitched well for two scoreless innings. However, he ran into trouble in his third, the sixth inning, as the Biscuits stretched their lead to four with a pair of runs. Parcell walked Ashley to begin the inning and Bowers lined a single to right field to put two aboard. They both advanced on a passed ball charged to Brad Davis and sat at second and third with nobody out. Jay Voss was brought in from the bullpen and the lefty got past Jennings, but Chaves cracked a two-run single to left-center field to extend the Biscuits lead to 5-1. Both runs were charged to Parcell.

Meanwhile, Rollins (7-6) had settled in nicely and carried the Biscuits for eight innings. Matching the longest outing of the season for a Biscuits' starter he allowed just one run on seven hits, walking none and striking out five. He finished his outing in style, retiring 12 of the final 13 batters that he faced. He claimed his sixth win on the road this season, and seventh overall.

Neal Frontz, pitching in front of numerous friends and family in his hometown, worked an incident-free scoreless ninth inning to preserve the victory. The Biscuits take a 2-1 lead in the six-game set with the win.

Game four of the series is scheduled for 6:05 PM on Wednesday night at the Baseball Grounds of Jacksonville. RHP Aneury Rodriguez (4-8, 6.27) will make the start for the Biscuits against RHP Cristhian Martinez (6-2, 1.96) for Jacksonville.

GCL Rays top Sox, 5-3

GCL RaysThe Game: Jake McGee got his second rehab start of the year in his comeback from Tommy John Surgery last year. Although his last start was shaky and short due to his 20 pitch limit, McGee was much more in control this start. In 2 innings of work, McGee did not allow a baserunner and struck out 5 out of the 6 batters he faced.

Enny Romero came out of the bullpen in relief, going 3 innings and only allowing 3 hits, although he did walk 3. He did not allow a run. Eli Suero came on and pitched the final 4 innings, allowing 3 earned runs on on 6 hits, striking out 2 to earn the save.

Offensively, the Rays had their best game of the year in terms of the whole lineup helping out. Shortstop Cristian Vasquez had a 3 hit game, including an RBI. Geraldo Olivares and Astin Jacobo had 2 hit performances. Vasquez, Olivares, Jacobo, Hector Gomez and Ruben Contreras each drove in 1 of the Rays' 5 runs. The Rays also played errorless defense.

The win improves the Rays to 3-3.

What went right: Jake McGee, 2 perfect innings and 5 strikeouts in his second start back from TJ surgery. Cristian Vasquez went 3-5 with an RBI.

What went wrong: Felix Gonzalez, 0-3 with a strikeout and one of the few Rays to not get a hit. Eli Suero, had a shaky 4 innings of relief, allowing 3 runs on 6 hits and 2 walks.

The road ahead: The Rays take on the GCL Orioles at home tomorrow at 12:00 PM.

Affiliate Attendance

Team, league, number of home games, average attendance, rank in league.

Team           League           G     Avg    LgRank
Durham International 39 6,162 8th/14
Montgomery Southern 40 3,973 3rd/10
Charlotte Florida State 33 2,961 1st/12
Bowling Green South Atlantic 32 3,424 7th/16
Hudson Valley New York-Penn 5 4,482 5th/14
Princeton Appalachian 4 1,228 3rd/10

Hellickson and Morlan Selected to All-Star Game

Per Stacy Long:
Biscuits pitchers Jeremy Hellickson and Eduardo Morlan have been picked to play in the Southern League All-Star Game, which is July 13 in Hoover.

Two other Montgomery players would have been named, but they're not available. Center fielder Desmond Jennings is playing in the All-Star Futures Game in St. Louis on July 12. First baseman Rhyne Hughes was promoted to Triple-A Durham on June 9.
You can see the complete South division roster on his blog.

Minor Moves: Rollins, Mann

Montgomery Biscuits[Via email from the Montgomery Biscuits' broadcaster Jon Laaser.]

The Tampa Bay Rays have made the following moves affecting the roster of Double-A Montgomery prior to their game against Jacksonville tonight:

RHP Heath Rollins activated from Hudson Valley (Short-A) roster, LHP Brandon Mann transferred to Hudson Valley (Short-A) roster [24 + 1].

Rollins is activated in time to make his scheduled start tonight against the Suns. The Biscuits continue with the Southern League maximum of 24 active players. One player (Jason Perry) is currently on the Disabled List.

6/30: Today's Games

Durham Bulls at Columbus Clippers 7:05 EDT
Starting for Durham: LHP Carlos Hernandez 4-4 3.68
Notes: Final game of a 4-game series, Durham goes for the sweep...

Montgomery Biscuits at Jacksonville Suns 7:05 EDT
Starting for Montgomery:
Notes: This would be Heath Rollins' start, but he's inactive. Aneury Rodriguez could move up and make it...

Charlotte Stone Crabs vs. Brevard County Manatees 7:05 EDT
Starting for Charlotte: RHP Jesse Darcy 2-6 5.32
Notes:

Bowling Green Hot Rods at Rome Braves 7:00 EDT
Starting for Bowling Green: RHP Joseph Cruz 2-3 3.22
Notes:

Hudson Valley Renegades at Brooklyn Cyclones 7:00 EDT
Starting for Hudson Valley: RHP Albert Suarez 1-0 2.79
Notes:

Princeton Rays vs. Greeneville Astros 7:00 EDT
Starting for Princeton: RHP Omar Bencomo 0-0 4.50
Notes:

GCL Rays at GCL Red Sox 12:00 EDT
Starting for GCL Rays:
Notes:

6/30: The Rundown

Durham Bulls 4, Columbus Clippers 3
Box | Recap
Notes: Durham improved to 44-34... Wade Davis allowed two earned runs in 6 innings of work. He struck our four and walked two... Reid Brignac went 3-4 with three doubles and an RBI... Matt Joyce was 1-4 with a homerun and two RBIs... John Jaso didn't collect a hit and struck out two...

Jacksonville Suns 6, Montgomery Biscuits 4
Box | Recap
Notes: Montgomery fell to 4-4... Brandon Mann allowed four runs in 5 innings of work. Eduardo Morlan pitched two scoreless innings, but Mike Wlodarczyk allowed two runs in the 8th... Desmond Jennings went 1-5... Fernando Cortez was the only Biscuit with multiple hits, going 2-4 with a solo homerun...

Brevard County Manatees 8, Charlotte Stone Crabs 5
Box | Recap
Notes: Charlotte fell to 1-4... Alex Cobb started but left with a wrist/hand injury after 2.1 innings. He allowed a run without a walk or strikeout... Jose Mejias took over and allowed 4 runs in 2.2 innings. Justin Garcia allowed three more runs in 2 innings of work... Reid Fronk and Christian Lopez each had two hits... Fronk and Ryan Royster each went deep for Charlotte...

Bowling Green Hot Rods off
Notes: Bowling Green returns today...

Brooklyn Cyclones 9, Hudson Valley Renegades 1
Box | Recap
Notes: Hudson Valley fell to 4-6... Aaron Dott started and went 5 innings, allowing just an unearned run. He struck out 4 and didn't walk any... Angel Chapa got the loss, allowing three runs in an inning of work. Juan Santana allowed the other five runs in three innings... Chris Murrill had two of Hudson Valley's four hits... Brett Nommensen picked up the only RBIs...

Greeneville Astros 9, Princeton Rays 3
Box | Recap
Notes: Princeton fell to 4-3... Wilking Rodriguez lasted just 2.2 innings, allowing 3 runs. Deivis Mavares allowed 6 runs(3 earned) in 4.1 innings. Matt Stabelfeld pitched two scoreless innings, striking out 4... Cody Rogers hit his first professional homerun... Brian Bryles went 2-3... Dan Rhault committed three errors...

GCL Rays off
Notes: The GCL Rays return today...

Up
Durham Bulls - SS Reid Brignac: Went 3 for 4 with three doubles. He's up to .302/.360/.462

Montgomery Biscuits - DH Fernando Cortez: 2-4 with a solo homerun.

Charlotte Stone Crabs - OF Reid Fronk: 2-2 with a homerun, two walks, and two RBIs.

Hudson Valley Renegades - OF Chris Murrill: 2 hits in 4 ABs.

Princeton Rays - OF Cody Rogers: 1-3 with a homerun and a walk.

Down
Durham Bulls - 1B Rhyne Hughes: 0-4 with three strikeouts.

Montgomery Biscuits - C Matt Spring: 0-4 with three strikeouts.

Charlotte Stone Crabs - OF Emeel Salem: 0-4

Hudson Valley Renegades - Everything: Nine runs allowed, only four hits on offense, and four errors in the field.

Princeton Rays - SS Dan Rhault: 0-3 at the plate, three errors in the field.

Charlotte Stone Crabs suffer loss to Brevard County Manatees 8-5

Charlotte Stone CrabsThe Game: The Charlotte Stone Crabs and Brevard County Manatees fought hard and exchanged the lead five times and combined for four home runs. But it was the Manatees that had the lead at the end of the game as the Stone Crabs lost 8-5 on Monday night at Charlotte Sports Park.

Brevard County was first to score in the second inning. Caleb Gindl got things started for the Manatees with a double to right and later advanced to third on an ground out by Eric Ferris. Zelous Wheeler followed with an RBI double to center to score Gindl and give the Manatees a 1-0 lead.

The Stone Crabs battled back to tie the game in the third inning as Christian Lopez led off the inning with a single to left. Lopez advanced to second on an error by Brevard County’s Zelous Wheeler. Shawn O’Malley followed with a single on a bunt to load the bases for the Stone Crabs. Emeel Salem knocked in a run with a sac fly to score Lopez and tie the game.

Brevard County did not sit quietly as they posted four runs in the fourth inning to retake the lead. Chris Errecart singled to left field to get the inning started. Then Caleb Gindl cleared the bases with a two run homer run. Eric Farris followed with a single and later scored on a triple by Sergio Miranda. Miranda scored on a single by Logan Schafer and the Manatees took a 5-1 lead.

The Stone Crabs answered with back to back home runs by Reid Fronk and Ryan Royster in the bottom of the fourth. Then in the fifth, the Stone Crabs put two more runs on the board. Cody Cipriano and Henry Wrigley led off the inning with back to back singles. Greg Sexton hit a fly ball to center, advancing Cipriano to third. Wrigley got caught in a run down between first and second on the play which allowed Cipriano to score and Wrigley was safe at second. Wrigley was drove home on an RBI double by Reid Fronk and the Stone Crabs tied the game 5-5.

Brevard County wasted no time in regaining the lead. Zelous Wheeler led of the sixth inning with a double to center and advanced to third on a sacrifice bunt by Sergio Miranda. A wild pitch by Justin Garcia allowed Zelous Wheeler come home for the go ahead run and the Manatees regained the lead 6-5.

The Manatees added some insurance runs to the board in the top of the seventh inning. Caleb Gindl bounced on over the left field wall for a ground rule double to put a runner on the base path for Brevard County. But he didn’t stay on long as the very next batter, Eric Farris hit a two run homer to left. This gave the Manatees a 8-5 lead in which they held to the end.

Alex Cobb started for the Stone Crabs but exited the game early due to blisters on his hand, he pitched 2 1/3 innings and allowed 1 run on 2 hits. Jose Mejias took over the mound and pitched 2 2/3 innings and surrendered 4 runs on 6 hits with 3 strikeouts and a walk. Justin Garcia suffered the loss allowing 3 runs on 3 hits in 2 innings of work while striking out and walking 1 each. Tommy Rafferty closed out the game for the Stone Crabs with 2 no hit innings while recording 2 strikeouts. Michael Bowman as the winning pitcher for Brevard County.

What Went Right: Reid Fronk; 2 for 2 with a home run, double, 2 RBI’s, a run scored and drew 2 walks.

What Went Wrong: The Bullpen; surrendered 7 runs on 9 hits combined between Jose Mejias and Justin Garcia.

A Look Ahead: The Stone Crabs and Manatees play game two of the series on Tuesday night at Charlotte Sports Park. Jesse Darcy (2-6) will pitch against Amaury Rivas (4-5).

Monday, June 29, 2009

Durham Bulls Beat Columbus Clippers 4-3

Durham Bulls[Via email from the Durham Bulls' broadcaster Neil Solondz.]

Reid Brignac hit three doubles, including one that drove home the eventual winning run in the seventh, as the Bulls won 4-3 over Columbus on Monday night.

Brignac's double into the right field corner capped a two-run rally against the combination of Ken Ray (2-3) and Jensen Lewis. Jon Weber started the rally with a single to center off Ray, and advanced to second on a wild pitch by Ray. Ray Olmedo then looped a single over short, scoring Weber to tie the game at three. In came Lewis, and he promptly walked Henry Mateo. Brignac followed with his double to right, and Durham had a 4-3 lead as Olmedo scored.

The Durham bullpen made the lead hold up for Wade Davis (7-4). Calvin Medlock pitched the seventh and eighth, allowing just a hit while striking out three. Dale Thayer allowed a two-out infield hit in the ninth, but got Michael Brantley to line to left after Niuman Romero stole second, giving Thayer his 11th save.

Matt Joyce homered for Durham's other two runs in the fourth against Ray. Durham (44-34) now has won four straight, and is 5-2 on an eight-game road trip. The Bulls have won all three games since Charlie Montoyo left the club to tend to his son Alex, who undergoes a third open heart surgery later this week.

The Bulls seek a sweep of the four-game series on Tuesday, as LHP Carlos Hernandez takes the hill against RHP Kirk Sarloos. Coverage begins at 6:55 on 99.9 the Fan ESPN Radio with first pitch at 7:05.

Minor League Notebook Weekly At 8: 2009 Futures Game

Join me in listening to Doug Gray and Tyler Hissey tonight in the latest episode of Minor League Notebook Weekly at 8:00 eastern. Mike Axisa of River Avenue Blues will be their guest to discuss the New York Yankees' farm system and, much more importantly, the 2009 Futures Game featuring Desmond Jennings and Kyeong Kang.

Minor Moves: Shuman, Koronis, Rosscup

Princeton RaysThe following players have been assigned to the Princeton Rays: RHP Scott Shuman, RHP Alex Koronis, and LHP Zachary Rosscup.

We already knew that Koronis (11th round pick) and Rosscup (28th round pick) had signed, so Shuman is the big news here. He was the Rays 19th round selection out of Auburn.

With his signing, the Rays have now inked 26 of their 50 draft picks.

Andy Sonnanstine To Pitch For Durham Bulls Thursday

Durham Bulls[Via email from the Durham Bulls Director of Media Relations Matt DeMargel.]

The Durham Bulls today announced RHP Andy Sonnanstine, a key member of the 2008 American League Champion Tampa Bay Rays, will pitch for the Bulls on Thursday, July 2nd when Durham takes on their cross-state rivals, the Charlotte Knights.

Sonnanstine was optioned to Durham on Friday when the Rays activated Scott Kazmir from the disabled list. He made 15 starts for the Rays this season, posting a 6-7 record with a 6.61 ERA.

Last season, Sonnanstine was 13-9 with a 4.38 ERA while making 32 starts for Tampa Bay. Known for his control, he struck out 124 hitters against only 37 walks. He made three starts for the Rays in the post-season, going 2-1 with a 4.24 ERA.

Sonnanstine was 6-4 with a 2.66 ERA when he made 11 starts for the Bulls in 2007, his only time spent in Durham. He was recalled on June 2nd and went on to sport a 6-10 record with a 5.85 ERA with the Rays.

In his first three full minor league seasons, Sonnanstine won the Pitcher of the Year at his respective level each season (2004: Hudson Valley, 2005: Visalia, 2006: Montgomery). In 2006, he set the Rays minor league record for wins with 15.

Tickets for Thursday’s game between the Bulls and Charlotte are available at www.durhambulls.com or by phone at (919) 956-BULL.

Montgomery Biscuits Lose 6-4 To Jacksonville Suns

Montgomery Biscuits[Via email from the Montgomery Biscuits' broadcaster Jon Laaser.]

The Jacksonville Suns won a wild ballgame, 6-4, over the Biscuits on Monday afternoon at the Baseball Grounds of Jacksonville.

Fernando Cortez delivered the Biscuits their first lead in the first inning, batting with two outs and taking Suns' starter Graham Taylor deep to the bleachers in right field. Cortez's fourth of the season put the Biscuits on top quickly, 1-0.

Just as quickly, the Suns snatched the lead away in the bottom of the inning. Montgomery starter Brandon Mann walked the leadoff man Bryan Petersen and Ryan Klosterman followed with a bunt-single to put two aboard. A batter later, Scott Cousins chipped in RBI double into short left-center field to tie the game, 1-1. Lee Mitchell then gave the Suns the lead with a bouncer to third that Cesar Suarez had no choice on but to go to first. Klosterman scored to give Jacksonville a 2-1 advantage.

Jacksonville added to their lead against Mann in the fourth inning. Lee Mitchell singled to start the inning, and Lorenzo Scott followed with a two-run blast to the bleachers in right-center field for a 4-1 lead.

Three unearned runs allowed the Biscuits to tie the game, 4-4, in the fifth inning. With one out, Desmond Jennings singled and was quickly chased to second base as Brandon Chaves singled behind him. Fernando Cortez sent a high-hopper to second baseman Klosterman that Klosterman misplayed off his chest. He compounded that error by flipping the ball over the head of first baseman Mitchell, allowing Jennings to come in and cut the lead to two, 4-2. Chaves moved to third on the multiple errors and scored when Suarez lifted a sacrifice fly to centerfield. Rashad Eldridge completed the rally with an RBI double to plate Cortez and tie the game, 4-4.

Taylor left after the uprising, not factoring in the decision. He allowed four runs -- one earned -- on five hits. Mann also left following the fifth inning. He did not record a decision, surrendering four runs, all earned, on five hits. Adalberto Mendez for the Suns and Eddie Morlan traded a pair of scoreless innings of relief and the ballgame continued into the eighth tied at four.

After nearly a 20-minute delay due to heat exhaustion suffered by home plate umpire Shaun Barbour, the Suns took the lead with two runs off reliever Mike Wlodarczyk in the eighth inning. Cousins started the game-winning rally with a single. Wlodarczyk then walked Mitchell to put two aboard. Scott attempted to lay down a sacrifice bunt, but Matt Spring played the ball to third base and didn't get Cousins loading the bases. Chris De La Cruz followed with a liner to centerfield that Jennings got to quickly. Cousins bluffed from third and returned to the bag, but Mitchell charged toward third and got hung up in-between second and third. Jennings through home to the plate and Spring's throw attempting to get Mitchell at second was wild into centerfield, allowing Cousins to score. Tim Torres delivered an RBI single later in the inning to cap the scoring, 6-4.

Matt Peterson, a night after blowing a save opportunity, worked incident-free in the top of the ninth to nail down the win and earn his league-leading 18th save.

Game three of the series is scheduled for 6:05 PM on Tuesday night at the Baseball Grounds of Jacksonville. RHP Heath Rollins (6-6, 3.90) will make the start for Montgomery against LHP Aaron Thompson (3-8, 4.20) for Jacksonville.

6/29: Today's Games

Durham Bulls at Columbus Clippers 7:05 EDT
Starting for Durham: RHP Wade Davis 6-4 2.89
Notes: Third game of a 4-game series...

Montgomery Biscuits vs. Jacksonville Suns 12:05 EDT
Starting for Montgomery: LHP Brandon Mann 4-4 4.62
Notes:

Charlotte Stone Crabs vs. Brevard County Manatees 7:05 EDT
Starting for Charlotte: RHP Alex Cobb 4-4 3.28
Notes:

Bowling Green Hot Rods off
Notes: The Hot Rods return to action tomorrow in Rome...

Hudson Valley Renegades vs. Brooklyn Cyclones 7:00 EDT
Starting for Hudson Valley: LHP Aaron Dott 0-1 10.80
Notes:

Princeton Rays vs. Greeneville Astros 7:00 EDT
Starting for Princeton: RHP Wilking Rodriguez 0-0 0.00
Notes: Rodriguez shut out Burlington over four innings in his first start...

GCL Rays off
Notes: The GCL Rays return tomorrow at GCL Red Sox...

Durham Bulls Beat Columbus Clippers 8-7 In 13

Durham Bulls[Via email from the Durham Bulls' broadcaster Neil Solondz.]

Justin Ruggiano delivered a two-out run-scoring single in the 13th, as Durham won its third straight, 8-7 over Columbus on Sunday.

Ruggiano's two-strike single to center off Masa Kobayashi (2-2) scored Henry Mateo from second. Mateo had walked with one out and advanced to second on Reid Brignac's third hit, a single to right.

It was Ruggiano who had saved the game in the 12th, as he ran down Andy Marte's deep drive to left center with Niuman Romero at first. Had the ball fallen, Romero probably would have scored the winning run.

Julio DePaula made the run stand up by picking up his first save of the season with a scoreless 13th. For Ruggiano, it was his third game-winning hit of the road trip. He also had the game-winning single on Friday in a 15-inning victory over Toledo.

Joe Bateman (4-1) got the win with two scoreless innings. He worked his way through a first-and-third one out situation in the 11th to keep the game going.

Durham (43-34) has won three straight and is 4-2 on an eight-game road trip. The Bulls are all alone in first place for the first time since June 13th.

In addition to Ruggiano's heroics, Durham also received 13 hits, three from Brignac and Rhyne Hughes, who hit his 4th homer for Durham.

The Bulls and Clippers (34-43) meet again on Monday at 7:05 with Wade Davis (6-4) on the mound. Coverage on 99.9 the Fan ESPN Radio begins at 6:55 with first pitch at 7:05.

Montgomery Biscuits Beat Jacksonville Suns 6-5

Montgomery Biscuits[Via email from the Montgomery Biscuits' broadcaster Jon Laaser.]

The Biscuits recorded their first ninth inning comeback victory of the season, plating three runs in the ninth inning to stun the Jacksonville Suns, 6-5, on Sunday night at the Baseball Grounds of Jacksonville.

Leading 5-3 entering the ninth inning, the Suns summoned Matt Peterson, the Southern League saves leader. With one out in the inning, Desmond Jennings cracked a single to bring the tying run to the plate. Jennings advanced on a groundout from Brandon Chaves, as the Biscuits were down to their final out. Fernando Cortez flared a single to score Jennings and keep the Biscuits alive as Matt Fields came to the plate. Fields sent a ground ball behind the bag at second base that Tim Torres got to, but threw into the Biscuits dugout. That sent Cortez to third and Fields to second for Rashad Eldridge. Eldridge rifled a double up the alley in right-center field to score both runners and the Biscuits had stolen the lead, 6-5. The error on Torres was one of four miscues on the night for the Suns.

With the lead, the Biscuits called on Paul Phillips. Phillips earned his second save, allowing a couple of base runners, but retiring Logan Morrison on a ground out to second base to end the ballgame.

The Biscuits first grabbed the lead with a run off of Suns' starter Willie Glen in the third inning. Glen walked Jason Bowers to start the inning before Jennings forced him at second, but reached on the back end. Chaves then cracked an RBI triple to the alley in right-center field as Jennings raced around from first base to make it 1-0.

The lead was short-lived for Montgomery as Kevin Randel interupted a string of six consecutive batters retired for Biscuits' starter Chris Mason with a single to lead off the third inning. Mason retired the next two batters, but with two outs Bryan Petersen belted a two-run home run to the bleachers in right field and gave the lead to the Suns, 2-1. Mason then walked Lorenzo Scott, and he scored when Fields couldn't handle a throw from Nevin Ashley on Morrison's tapper in front of the plate.

Montgomery came right back in the fourth with the aid of two defensive miscues from the Suns. Rashad Eldridge reached on a throwing error to start the inning on shortstop Klosterman. A batter later, Drew Anderson doubled to put runners at second and third with one out. Ashley grounded to short to score Eldridge with Anderson staying at second. He advanced to third when Bowers sent a ball back to the mound that was misplayed by Glen. Jennings then sent a come-backer that again Glen couldn't field. It was ruled a single and Jennings was awarded an RBI as Anderson scored to tie the game, 3-3.

The Suns reclaimed the lead and chased Mason with a pair of runs in the sixth inning. Mike Stanton doubled to start the inning and scored the go-ahead run a batter later as Lee Mitchell singled him home. Mitchell advanced to second on a wild pitch and Klosterman gave the Suns a 5-3 lead and chased Mason with a double to score him.

Mason didn't factor in the decision, turning in his longest outing of the season and allowing six hits and five runs -- three earned -- over 5 2/3 innings. He allowed six hits and five runs -- three earned. Glen also didn't factor in the decision, allowing three runs -- one earned -- while striking out six.

Rayner Oliveros (2-0) earned the win for the Biscuits, turning in 2 1/3 innings of scoreless relief following Mason into the ballgame into the sixth inning. He allowed just one hit and struck out two.

Game two of the series is scheduled for 11:05 AM on Monday afternoon at the Baseball Grounds of Jacksonville. LHP Brandon Mann (4-4, 4.62) will make the start for the Biscuits against LHP Graham Taylor (4-5, 3.69) for the Suns.

Bowling Green Hot Rods Lose 9-1 To Lexington Legends

Bowling Green Hot Rods[Via email from the Bowling Green Hot Rods' broadcaster Tom Gauthier.]

Isaias Velasquez missed a home run by a foot in the top of the third inning, instead settling for his fifth triple of the season to provide the Hot Rods (36-38) with their only run in a 9-1 loss to Lexington (38-36) on Sunday afternoon. The Hot Rods split the four-game series with Lexington while the Legends won the season series at Applebee’s Park by a 5-4 margin.

Facing the Legends for the second straight start Dyer allowed a run right away in the first inning. Jay Austin hit a groundball double to right field, advanced to second on a wild pitch, and then scored when Dyer balked him in to make it 1-0.

In the third, the Hot Rods tied it thanks to the Velasquez triple. With two outs against starter Robert Bono (W; 7-4), Anthony Scelfo to right field before Velasquez tripled off the left-center field wall to tie the game at 1-1. In what would be a continuous trend on the afternoon, Velasquez was stranded at third base when Jake Jefferies grounded out to shortstop.

Lexington wasted no time tying the game in the last of the third. Austin delivered a lead-off single before moving to second on a ground out. After Albert Cartwright flied to right field Dyer induced a pop-up from Brian Pellegrini to shallow left-center field. That pop-up, however, found its way to the ground between Hot Rods defenders, scoring Austin to give the Legends a 2-1 lead.

They scored another solo run on consecutive two-out base hits in the fourth before breaking it open with a three-run fifth. In the big frame, Cartwright smacked a two-out double to left in front of a walk to Pellegrini. Ebert Rosario followed with another double off the left field wall to score Cartwright for a 4-1 Legends lead. Two batters later Steve Brown singled up the middle to drive in two more to make the difference 6-1.

That was more than enough for Bono, who worked into and out of jams over the middle innings against the Hot Rods. In the fourth they loaded the bases with one out, but Jeremy Beckham grounded into a 4-6-3 double play. An inning later they had two base runners with one out but couldn’t score again, stranding runners at second and third. They finished the game 0-7 with runners in scoring position, stranding three men at third base.

Dyer took the loss allowing a career-high six runs, falling to 1-6 on the season. He also tied a season and career-high by surrendering ten hits to the team with the lowest batting average in the South Atlantic league. Dyer finished June with a 1-3 record, allowing 33 hits and 19 earned runs over 25 innings (6.84 ERA).

For the Legends, Jay Austin led the attack with a four-hit game, including two of the Legends six doubles. Pellegrini also added two more doubles to go along with three RBI.

After an off-day Monday the Hot Rods continue their second-half opening road trip with a four game series beginning Tuesday night in Rome, GA. Right-hander Joe Cruz (1-5, 4.65) will open the series for Bowling Green, making his first start since June 15. You can follow the action with Tom Gauthier on 1340 AM WBGN and www.bghotrods.com. Coverage begins at 5:45 PM CDT with first pitch coming at 6:00 PM CDT.

The Hot Rods begin their next home stand against the Augusta GreenJackets on July 4 with postgame fireworks presented by WBKO. For tickets and a complete list of promotions, visit www.bghotrods.com or stop by the Hot Rods ticket office at Bowling Green Ballpark.

6/29: The Rundown

Durham Bulls 8, Columbus Clippers 7 (13 innings)
Box | Recap
Notes: Durham improved to 43-34... Matt DeSalvo started but was ineffective, walking six and allowing 5 earned runs in 4.2 innings... Jorge Julio, Jason Childers, Dale Thayer, Joe Bateman, and Julio DePaula all pitched, with Bateman earning the win... Matt Joyce and Rhyne Hughes both homered... Hughes was 3-5 with a walk... Reid Brignac went 3-7 with two RBIs...

Montgomery Biscuits 6, Jacksonville Suns 5
Box | Recap
Notes: Montgomery improved to 4-3... Chris Mason started and allowed 4 earned runs in 5.2 innings. Rayner Oliveros got the win in relief as Montgomery scored three times in the top of the 9th. Fernando Cortez drove in a run and Rashad Eldridge banged a 2-run double... Desmond Jennings went 2-4 with a walk...

Charlotte Stone Crabs 9, Dunedin Blue Jays 8 (11 innings)
Box | Recap
Notes: Charlotte improved to 1-3... Dunedin scored 2 in the 6th and 6 in the 7th, but Charlotte tied it in the 8th and scored in the 11th thanks to an error on a pickoff attempt... Matt Gorgen got the win, working three scoreless innings, and Austin Hinkle got the save with a perfect 11th... Henry Wrigley got 4 hits and John Matulia collected three... Ryan Royster hit two doubles...

Lexington Legends 9, Bowling Green Hot Rods 1
Box | Recap
Notes: Bowling Green fell to 2-2... Shane Dyer started and allowed six runs on 10 hits in 5.2 innings... Isaias Velasquez and Mike Sheridan each had two hits... Tim Beckham had the night off...

Brooklyn Cyclones 13, Hudson Valley Renegades 3
Box | Recap
Notes: Hudson Valley fell to 4-5... Glenn Gibson struggled again, allowing 9 runs(6 earned) in just 3.1 innings... Jordi Amargos allowed the other four runs... The 'Gades had only five hits on offense... Oliver Perez made the rehab start for Brooklyn...

Princeton Rays 5, Bristol Sox 4 (12 innings)
Box | Recap
Notes: Princeton improved to 4-2... Jason McEachern was strong again, allowing just a run on 3 hits in 6 innings. He struck out 5 and didn't walk anyone... Joey Callender allowed three runs, including two in the 9th(Hunter Hill was charged with a blown save for allowing runs charged to Callender)... Jairo De La Rosa got the win with two scoreless innings... Tomas Francisco had a three-hit night with two RBIs, including the deciding one in the top of the 12th... Brian Bryles was 1-4... Ty Morrison went 0-4 with a walk... Seth Henry drew three walks...

GCL Twins 12, GCL Rays 3
Box | Recap
Notes: The GCL Rays fell to 2-3... Wilmer Almonte started and allowed two runs in 5 innings... Jose De La Cruz allowed 6 earned runs while recording just one out... The offense had just four hits, two of them from Claudio Fukanaga...

Up
Durham Bulls - 1B Rhyne Hughes: 3-5 with a homerun and two RBIs. Hitting .343/.387/.657 since being promoted to Durham.

Montgomery Biscuits - OF Rashad Eldridge: 2-4 with the deciding two-run double in the top of the 9th.

Charlotte Stone Crabs - RHP Matt Gorgen: Three scoreless innings to earn the win. He struck out two and didn't walk any.

Bowling Green Hot Rods - 2B Isaias Velasquez: Tripled and drove in the only Hot Rod run.

Hudson Valley Renegades - N/A: Just a poor game all-around.

Princeton Rays - RHP Jason McEachern: 6 innings, 3 hits, 1 run, 0 walks, 5 strikeouts.

GCL Rays - N/A: Maybe tomorrow.

Down
Durham Bulls - RHP Matt DeSalvo: Six walks and five earned runs in 4.1 innings.

Montgomery Biscuits - OF J.T. Hall: Took an 0-4.

Charlotte Stone Crabs - RHP Kevin Boggan: Made the error that led to Dunedin's comeback.

Bowling Green Hot Rods - RHP Shane Dyer: Six earned runs on ten hits.

Hudson Valley Renegades - LHP Glenn Gibson: His season ERA is 15.19 with 9 walks and just one strikeout.

Princeton Rays - 3B Julio Cedeno: 0-5 at the plate, committed an error in the field.

GCL Rays - Just about everything went wrong.

Sunday, June 28, 2009

Game Pictures: Rays GCL vs Twins 6/28/2009

Charlotte Stone Crabs defeat Blue Jays in extra innings

Charlotte Stone CrabsThe Game: The Charlotte Stone Crabs avoided a sweep by defeating the Dunedin Blue Jays 9-8 in extra innings at Dunedin Stadium. The Stone Crabs got things started in the top of the second off a solo home run by Henry Wrigley. Ryan Royster followed with a double to center and was later drove home by Emeel Salem. Salem scored on a single by John Matulia and the Stone Crabs took an early 3-0 lead.

The Stone Crabs added another run in the fourth inning as Ryan Royster doubled and later scored on an error. Charlotte’s offense kept right on going with two more runs in the fifth off an RBI single by Henry Wrigley to score Greg Sexton and then an RBI double by Reid Fronk to score Cody Cipriano. The Stone Crabs got another run in the top of the sixth on a sac fly by Sexton to take a 7-0 lead.

But the Blue Jays would not back down and mounted an eight run rally to give Dunedin the lead. The rally started off in the sixth inning off a single by Sean Shoffit. Raul Barron followed with an RBI triple to right and then later scored on a single by Moises Sierra for the second run of the inning.

The rally continued into the seventh inning as the Blue Jays struck for six runs in the inning. Adam Loewen reached on a fielding error by Kevin Boggan to give the Blue Jays their first runner in the inning. Jesus Gonzalez followed with a double to move runners to second and third. Justin Jackson drove home Loewen with a single to right. Then it was Sean Shoffit’s turn to drive in a run with a single to right. Moises Sierra then singled to score Jackson. John Tolisano cleared the bases with a three run homer and Dunedin took the lead 8-7.

The Stone Crabs fought back in the top of the eighth and Henry Wrigley delivered an RBI single to right scoring Shawn O’Malley to tie the game and force extra innings. The game stayed tied until the eleventh inning when an error on a pick-off attempt by Dunedin’s Manuel Rodriguez allowed Henry Wrigley to score and give the Stone Crabs a one run lead. Austin Hinkle took over the mound and preserved the lead and give the Stone Crabs the 9-8 win.

Jeremy Hall turned out another great performance by going 6 innings and allowing 2 runs off 5 hits and striking out 6 in the no decision. Kevin Boggan followed with a rough 2/3 of an inning allowing 4 runs (only 1 earned) off 3 hits with a strikeout. Tommy Rafferty followed and was charged with a bad save after giving up 2 runs on 2 hits in a 1/3 of an inning. Matt Gorgen took over in the eighth inning and pitched 3 innings of no hit baseball striking out 2 batters and earning the win. Austin Hinkle recorded the save by pitching 1 no hit inning. Tim Collins suffered the loss for Dunedin.

What Went Right: Henry Wrigley; 4 for 6 with 3 RBI’s, a home run and scored the game winning run. Matt Gorgen/Austin Hinkle; combined to pitch 4 innings of no hit baseball.

What Went Wrong: Kevin Boggan/Tommy Rafferty; responsible for giving up a 5 run lead in only 1 inning of work.

A Look Ahead: The Stone Crabs return to Charlotte Sports Park for a four game series against the Brevard County Manatees (2-2). Alex Cobb is the probable starter for the Stone Crabs.

GCL Rays routed by Twins, 12-3

The Game: Wilmer Almonte (pictured) got his second start of the year for the GCL Rays after having a solid outing on opening day against the Twins. He had a solid first and second frames, going 1-2-3 in the first and only surrendering a walk in the second. Things got out of control a little in the third, with two runs scoring, one on a single by Hyeong-rok Choi and the other via a groundout by Oswaldo Arcia. Almonte would pitch solidly for most of the rest of his outing, going 5 innings and allowing 3 earned runs on 5 hits, striking out 2.Wilmer Almonte

The Rays offense struggled, only managing 4 hits. Claudio Fukanaga was the only Ray to have a multi-hit game, and Felix Gonzalez got the only extra base hit, on a double. Fukanaga had 2 RBIs, and Luis Marchena drove in the other Rays run.

After many consecutive games with a solid showing from the bullpen, they had an awful day this afternoon. Jose Monegro pitched 3 innings in relief of Almonte, allowing 3 earned runs. Jose De La Cruz took over the mound after Monegro, and had an absolute disaster of an outing. He surrendered 6 earned runs in only a third of an inning, allowing 4 hits and 2 walks. Elvin Perez pitched the final 0.2 innings, allowing 1 earned run on 2 hits.

What went right: Nothing much. Wilmer Almonte had a decent outing, allowing 3 runs in 5 innings of work.

What went wrong: Relief pitcher Jose De La Cruz allowed 6 earned runs in only a third of an inning of work out of the bullpen.

The road ahead: The Rays have tomorrow off and will travel to Fort Myers to play the Red Sox on Tuesday.

Minor Moves: VSL Rays Add 16 Year-Old Pitcher

VSL RaysThe Venezuelan Summer League Rays have signed free agent LHP Danmar Salazar. He's listed at 6'1" 172 pounds and was born on July 23, 1992, making him just under a month from his 17th birthday.

You may have noticed he started yesterday's game, going one shutout inning and allowing no hits with 2 walks and 2 strikeouts. He is now the youngest player on the VSL Rays roster, one day younger than RHP Joynerd Gonzalez and 22 days younger than RHP Eli Echarry.

6/28: Today's Games

Durham Bulls at Columbus Clippers 5:05 EDT
Starting for Durham: RHP Matt DeSalvo 4.55
Notes: Second game of a 4-game series...

Montgomery Biscuits vs. Jacksonville Suns 5:05 EDT
Starting for Montgomery: RHP Chris Mason 3-4 6.05
Notes:

Charlotte Stone Crabs at Dunedin Blue Jays 1:00 EDT
Starting for Charlotte: RHP Alex Cobb 4-4 3.28
Notes:

Bowling Green Hot Rods at Lexington Legends 2:05 EDT
Starting for Bowling Green: RHP Shane Dyer 1-5 4.65
Notes:

Hudson Valley Renegades at Brooklyn Cyclones 5:00 EDT
Starting for Hudson Valley: LHP Glenn Gibson 0-1 13.50
Notes:

Princeton Rays at Bristol Sox 7:00 EDT
Starting for Princeton: RHP Jason McEachern 0-0 0.00
Notes:

GCL Rays vs. GCL Twins 12:00 EDT
Starting for the GCL Rays:
Notes:

Durham Bulls Beat Columbus Clippers 12-5

Durham Bulls[Via email from the Durham Bulls' broadcaster Neil Solondz.]

Henry Mateo homered twice as Durham won its first game without manager Charlie Montoyo, 12-5 on Saturday night. Montoyo left the team on Saturday morning, as his son Alex is due to undergo open heart surgery in the coming week. Hitting coach Dave Myers is taking over managerial duties in the interim.

Mateo hit a leadoff homer in the first to right field off Jack Cassel (5-7), starting a four-run rally. The Bulls also took advantage of three Columbus errors later on in that frame to score three more runs.

In the sixth, with the game at 4-0, Durham scored six more times to blow the game open. Mateo’s second homer of the night, and third of the season off reliever Blaine Neal capped the rally. The blast to right-center came one batter after Craig Albernaz hit a three-run double to left for an 8-0 advantage.

Durham tacked on single runs in the seventh and eighth against the Columbus bullpen.

James Houser (4-4) took advantage of the run support. The lefty allowed just three singles and two walks over the first six innings. Calvin Medlock followed with two scoreless frames before Columbus scored five runs in the ninth to get on the board.

Durham collected 14 hits, as Justin Ruggiano and Reid Brignac had three hits each. Brignac homered, and Matt Joyce had a pair of doubles.

Durham (42-34)has won two straight and is 3-2 on an eight-game road trip through Ohio. The Bulls are tied with Norfolk atop the South Division, and a half-game ahead of Gwinnett. Durham meets Columbus on Sunday at 5:05 as RHP Matt DeSalvo starts for the Bulls. Coverage on 99.9 the Fan ESPN Radio begins at 4:45 with first pitch at 5:05.

Montgomery Biscuits Lose 6-5 To Tennessee Smokies

Montgomery Biscuits[Via email from the Montgomery Biscuits' broadcaster Jon Laaser.]

The Tennessee Smokies salvaged a series split with the Biscuits by holding on for a, 6-5, win on Saturday night at Riverwalk Stadium in front of 6,501.

The Smokies struck first against Biscuits' starter Jeremy Hellickson, as Hellickson conceded runs in the first inning for the first time on the season. The Smokies plated a pair with James Adduci starting the rally with a one-out single. Hellickson then walked Doug Deeds. A wild pitch from Hellickson moved both runners up and Marquez Smith scored them both with a two-out single just past Drew Anderson at second base for a 2-0 lead.

The Biscuits got one run back off Smokies' starter Jay Jackson in the bottom of the inning. Jackson walked Desmond Jennings to start the inning and a batter later Rashad Eldridge singled him to second. The Biscuits then staged a successful double-steal with Jennings grabbing third base. He scored on a ground out from Fernando Cortez to cut the lead to 2-1.

Hellickson, working on a limited pitch count, recovered to work five innings, the two runs in the first the only damage incurred. He allowed four hits while walking one and striking out six.

Montgomery wrestled the lead away and chased Jackson in the fifth inning. Nevin Ashley led off with a double, but was out trying to take third on a ground ball from Jason Bowers. Bowers reached on the fielder's choice. Jennings singled and Bowers advanced to third before scoring on a fielder's choice on the ground from Anderson. Rashad Eldridge walked and Fernando Cortez gave the Biscuits a 3-2 lead with an RBI single to score Anderson. That single chased Jackson, who worked 4 2/3 innings and allowed three earned runs on five hits and four walks.

The Smokies swung the game back in their favor in the sixth inning with three runs to reclaim the lead. With Ryan Morse on in relief of Hellickson, Deeds doubled with one out. Tyler Colvin followed with an RBI single to tie the game, 3-3. Morse was lifted for Ryan Reid, but Smith singled to greet him. Reid walked Lalli to load the bases ahead of a pair of RBI singles for Ty Wright and Mark Reed.

The Biscuits got a run back in the seventh inning when Cesar Suarez singled in Drew Anderson, but the Smokies plated the run back in the ninth when Darwin Barnery homered off of Neal Frontz.

With the Biscuits trailing 6-4 going to the bottom of the ninth, the Smokies turned to closer Brian Schlitter. Anderson led off the inning with a solo-home run, and the Biscuits loaded the bases with two outs, but Schlitter struck out Ashley to end the ballgame and earn his 12th save of the season.

Jake Muyco (2-1), who worked in relief, earned the win for Tennessee over an inning and a third. Morse (2-6) was tagged with the loss for Montgomery.

The Biscuits will open a six-game, six-day series against the Jacksonville Suns at 4:05 PM on Sunday at the Baseball Grounds of Jacksonville. RHP Chris Mason (3-4, 6.05) will make the start for Montgomery against RHP Willie Glen (1-7, 4.73) for Jacksonville.

Bowling Green Hot Rods Beat Lexington Legends 4-1

Bowling Green Hot Rods[Via email from the Bowling Green Hot Rods' broadcaster Tom Gauthier.]

Hot Rods starting pitcher Matt Moore turned in another solid outing against the Lexington Legends (1-2, 37-36) on Saturday night, throwing five scoreless innings in a 4-1 Hot Rods win. The victory guarantees Bowling Green (2-1, 36-37) a split of their first series in the second half of the season heading into the finale on Sunday afternoon.

For the second straight game, the Hot Rods broke open the scoring first by getting a pair of runs in the second inning. Mike Sheridan began the inning with a one-out triple into the left field corner. He then came in to score when Justin Reynolds hit a slow roller near the mound and pitcher Brad Dydalewicz (L; 4-2) threw the ball away trying to get Sheridan at the plate. Jason Tweedy followed with a walk before Robi Estrada singled to load the bases. That’s when Anthony Scelfo hit a sacrifice fly to center field to score Reynolds and give the Hot Rods a 2-0 lead.

That’s all Matt Moore would need as he was dominant for the second straight against the Legends. He worked five scoreless innings, allowing just three hits. He struck out seven and walked only two for the fourth straight outing. The start capped off a tremendous month of June for Moore as he went 2-1 over five games. He allowed just five earned runs over 27.2 innings, good for a 1.63 ERA. He also picked up 42 strikeouts to move into fourth place in the SAL rankings.

Bowling Green added insurance runs in the seventh and eighth innings against relief pitcher Brian Wabick. Robi Estrada led off the seventh with a triple before scoring two batters later on a sacrifice fly by Tim Beckham, who recorded his 38th RBI on the play. In the eighth Mike Sheridan hit the first pitch he saw over the right field fence for his ninth home run of the season, bumping the score to 4-1.

The bullpen for the Hot Rods took care of the rest. Tyree Hayes worked the sixth and seventh, allowing a home run to Kyle Miller while striking out four. Josh Satow then came on to close the door in the eighth and the ninth to record his team-leading ninth save of the season.

The Hot Rods have taken two of three in the series and have split the first eight games with Lexington at Applebee’s Park. They’ll go for the series victory and the season victory in Lexington on Sunday afternoon. Right-hander Shane Dyer (1-5, 4.65) starts for the Hot Rods against Lexington righty Robert Bono (6-4, 2.27). You can follow the action with Tom Gauthier on 1340 AM WBGN and www.bghotrods.com. Coverage begins at :50 PM CDT with first pitch coming at 7:05 PM CDT.

The Hot Rods begin their next home stand against the Augusta GreenJackets on July 4 with postgame fireworks presented by WBKO. For tickets and a complete list of promotions, visit www.bghotrods.com or stop by the Hot Rods ticket office at Bowling Green Ballpark.

Saturday, June 27, 2009

Charlotte Stone Crabs swept by Dunedin in doubleheader

Charlotte Stone CrabsThe Game: The Charlotte Stone Crabs suffered a loss in game two of Saturday’s doubleheader against the Dunedin Blue Jays at Dunedin Stadium. Both teams held a scoreless tie until the fourth inning when Dunedin broke things open. Matt Liuzza singled to right and then came home on an RBI double by Kevin Ahrens. Ahrens later scored on a double by Adam Loewen and the Blue Jays took a 2-0 lead.

The Stone Crabs put a run on the board in the top of the sixth inning. Matt Hall was the first Stone Crab base runner as he reached on a throwing error. Cody Cipriano singled to left advancing Hall into scoring position. Henry Wrigley followed with an RBI single to left that scored Hall and brought the Stone Crabs within 1 run of Dunedin. But the Blue Jays added an insurance run in the bottom of the sixth on a solo home run by Moises Sierra and the Blue Jays held the 3-1 lead to the end.

Brian Flores suffered the loss, pitching 5 innings and allowed 2 runs of 4 hits while striking out 5 and walking 2. Jose Mejias threw 1 inning in relief giving up the solo home run and striking out 1. Ryan Page picked up the win for Dunedin.

What Went Right: Henry Wrigley; 2 for 3 with an RBI.

What Went Wrong: Still can’t find a way to beat Dunedin; 0-3 so far this series and 1-6 on the year against the Blue Jays.

A Look Ahead: The Stone Crabs look to avoid the sweep as they take on the Dunedin Blue Jays on Sunday afternoon at Dunedin Stadium. Alex Cobb (4-4) and Andrew Liebel (3-8) are the probable starters.

Charlotte Stone Crabs lose to Dunedin in game one of doubleheader

Charlotte Stone CrabsThe Game: The Charlotte Stone Crabs continue to struggle against Dunedin as they have lost their fifth straight game against the Blue Jays, dropping game one of the doubleheader 3-1 at Dunedin Stadium. The Stone Crabs put the first run on the board in the top of the third inning as Shawn O’Malley drove home John Matulia to put Charlotte ahead 1-0.

Dunedin came back to tie the game in the bottom of the inning. Adam Loewen got things started with a double to center and then came home on a sacrifice fly by John Tolisano to tie the game at 1.

The contest stayed tied until the bottom of the sixth when Dunedin broke the tie. Eric Thames started the rally with a single to right . Kevin Ahrens followed with a walk to give the Blue Jays runners on first and second. Jonathan Jaspe delivered a two run double with two outs to score Thames and Ahrens. Zach Dials entered the game for Dunedin in the top of the seventh and kept the Stone Crabs off the board giving the Blue Jays a 3-1 victory.

David Newmann returned from the DL with a solid performance, pitching 5 innings and allowing 1 run on 3 hits while striking out 6 and walking 3. Justin Garcia was charged with the loss, this first of the season. Garcia allowed 2 runs on 2 hits while walking 2 in an inning of work. Tim Collins was the winner for Dunedin.

What Went Right: David Newmann; 6 strikeouts and 1 earned run in 5 innings pitched.

What Went Wrong: The offense; pretty quiet all game, only produced 5 hits and none of them were for extra bases, 0-6 with runners in scoring position.

A Look Ahead: The Stone Crabs and Blue Jays face off in game two of the doubleheader at Dunedin Stadium. Brian Flores (0-2) and Ryan Page (3-7) will be the pitchers.

Defensive Stats: Catchers

Durham Bulls:
G PO A E Fld% PB SB CS CS%

John Jaso 52 349 21 4 .989 7 44 13 23%
Craig Albernaz 28 149 13 1 .994 4 14 8 36%
Alex Jamieson 5 30 3 0 1.000 0 4 1 20%
Michel Hernandez 2 18 0 0 1.000 0 2 0 0%


Montgomery Biscuits:
G PO A E Fld% PB SB CS CS%

Matt Spring 46 296 25 4 .988 8 48 10 17%
Nevin Ashley 14 100 12 1 .991 0 9 8 47%
Ian Paxton 12 71 6 0 1.000 0 9 3 25%
Craig Albernaz 4 30 6 1 .973 2 2 2 50%
Shawn Riggans 2 8 1 0 1.000 0 0 0 xx%


Charlotte Stone Crabs:
G PO A E Fld% PB SB CS CS%

Nevin Ashley 34 242 43 3 .990 5 20 23 53%
Christian Lopez 21 139 17 4 .975 1 11 9 45%
Ian Paxton 10 98 6 0 1.000 1 11 3 21%
Stephen Vogt 5 32 6 0 1.000 1 0 3 100%
Mark Thomas 2 14 2 0 1.000 1 0 1 100%


Bowling Green Hot Rods:
G PO A E Fld% PB SB CS CS%

Michael McCormick 37 253 31 4 .986 9 32 18 36%
Jacob Jefferies 33 248 22 8 .971 8 38 14 27%
John Mollicone 4 16 1 0 1.000 0 0 1 100%


Hudson Valley Renegades:
G PO A E Fld% PB SB CS CS%

Mayobanex Acosta 4 29 3 0 1.000 3 3 0 0%
Mark Thomas 3 18 2 0 1.000 1 1 1 50%


Princeton Rays:
G PO A E Fld% PB SB CS CS%

Alejandro Torres 3 17 1 0 1.000 1 3 2 40%
Tomas Francisco 2 13 4 0 1.000 0 0 3 100%


Gulf Coast League Rays:
G PO A E Fld% PB SB CS CS%

Gerardo Olivares 3 15 3 1 .947 0 4 2 33%
Travis Simas 1 3 0 0 1.000 0 0 0 xx%
Per requests, let me know what else you would like to see and I'll try to post it tomorrow. How about shortstops?

6/27: Today's Games

Durham Bulls at Columbus Clippers 7:00 EDT
Starting for Durham: LHP James Houser 3-4 5.79
Notes: First game of a 4-game series...

Montgomery Biscuits vs. Tennessee Smokies 8:05 EDT
Starting for Montgomery:
Notes: This is Jeremy Hellickson's spot, but they're going with a 6-man rotation, so he'll go tomorrow...

Charlotte Stone Crabs doubleheader at Dunedin Blue Jays 7:00 EDT
Starting for Charlotte: LHP David Newmann 3-3 3.39 & RHP Jeremy Hall 8-4 4.30
Notes: MiLB.com says Newmann is starting, so I guess he's off the DL...

Bowling Green Hot Rods at Lexington Legends 7:05 EDT
Starting for Bowling Green:
Notes: Not entirely sure how the Hot Rods' second-half rotation is shaping up. Matt Moore is a good guess here...

Hudson Valley Renegades at Staten Island Yankees 7:00 EDT
Starting for Hudson Valley: RHP Alexander Colome 1-0 0.00
Notes:

Princeton Rays at Bristol Sox 7:00 EDT
Starting for Princeton:
Notes: I would guess Jake Sullivan or Julius Dettrich gets the start...

GCL Rays vs. GCL Rays 12:00 EDT
Starting for the GCL Rays:
Notes:

Durham Bulls Beat Toledo Mud Hens 5-3 In 15

Durham Bulls[Via email from the Durham Bulls' broadcaster Neil Solondz.]

Justin Ruggiano's two-out two-run single in the 15th gave the Bulls a 5-3 win over Toledo on Friday night, and a split of the first half of an eight-game road trip.

Ruggiano's bases loaded single to center off Fu-Te Ni came on a 3-2 pitch after he was behind in the count 0-2. Jon Weber had started the rally against Matt Rusch (2-3) with a walk.

It was Weber who kept the game going in the 14th. His one-hop throw to the plate on Clete Thomas' single prevented Scott Sizemore from scoring the game-winning run. Julio DePaula (1-3), the last of six Durham pitchers, got the victory with three scoreless innings in relief.

Durham had the lead in the 10th at 3-2 on Ray Sadler's 10th homer before Thomas doubled home the tying run in the bottom of the 10th. It appeared Thomas scored the winning run on a stolen bases of third that got away from Ray Olmedo, but umpire interference was ruled on John Jaso's throw, and Thomas was sent back to second.

Durham, 41-34, won its final game before Manager Charlie Montoyo left the team. Montoyo's son Alex will undergo his third open heart surgery next week. Coaches Dave Myers and Xavier Hernandez will manage the club in his stead.

Durham opens a four-game series at Columbus on Saturday at 7:05. Coverage on 99.9 the Fan ESPN Radio begins at 6:45.

Montgomery Biscuits Beat Tennessee Smokies 4-2

Montgomery Biscuits[Via email from the Montgomery Biscuits' broadcaster Jon Laaser.]

Matt Spring fueled the offense with a home run and RBI double, while Brian Baker shut down the Smokies as the Biscuits claimed a, 4-2, win in game five of a six-game series on Friday night at Riverwalk Stadium.

The Biscuits jumped out in front against starter Jeremy Papelbon in the second inning. J.T. Hall singled with one out and came home as Spring doubled off the railing above the right-center field wall for a 1-0 lead.

Montgomery added to their lead in the third as Desmond Jennings led off the inning with a double. A batter later, Fernando Cortez reached down and drove a two-run home run to right field for a 3-0 lead.

Biscuits' starter Brian Baker was again sensational for Montgomery. He worked without incident into the fourth inning before finally making a lone mistake. Doug Deeds sent a solo-home run to right field to chop the lead to 3-1. Baker (4-1) ultimately worked six innings for his fourth victory of the season. He allowed just four hits, walking one and striking out three.

It took just one pitch for the Biscuits to get the run back in the bottom of the inning. Spring led off with his second home run of the series and fifth of the season to extend the lead back to 4-1. For Spring it marked his fourth consecutive at-bat with an extra-base hit.

Neal Frontz worked a scoreless seventh before Eddie Morlan retired the side in order in the eighth and got the first out of the ninth. Mike Wlodarczyk allowed a run but got the second out of the inning. Paul Phillips was summoned to record the final out of the ballgame, earning his first save of the season in the process.

Papelbon (2-4) was saddled with the loss over 3 2/3 innings, conceding four runs, two home runs and seven total hits. The Biscuits now hold a three games to two lead in the series.

The series will conclude on Saturday night at 7:05 PM at Riverwalk Stadium. RHP Jeremy Hellickson (2-1, 1.85) will make the start for Montgomery against RHP Jay Jackson (4-3, 2.95) for Tennessee.

Bowling Green Splits Doubleheader With Lexington

Bowling Green Hot Rods[Via email from the Bowling Green Hot Rods' broadcaster Tom Gauthier.]

Right-handed pitcher Nick Barnese threw five solid innings, limiting Lexington to just one run in a 9-2 Hot Rods game two victory in Friday night’s doubleheader at Lexington (37-35). Barnese earned his second victory to guide the Hot Rods (35-37) to a split of the doubleheader to kick off the second half of the 2009 season.

Barnese worked the first five innings for the Hot Rods, allowing just one run on four hits. The lone run came on a Brian Pellegrini homer to right field in the bottom of the fourth inning. Over his body of work Barnese allowed multiple base runners just once, after the Hot Rods committed two errors to go along with a single in the bottom of the first inning. He struck out just two but didn’t walk anyone for the fourth time in five starts this season. He also recorded eight ground ball outs in his five innings of work.

The Hot Rods helped Barnese settle in after scoring three runs in the top of the third. With one out, Anthony Scelfo bunted his way onto first base. He went to second when Tim Beckham was hit by a pitch, then came around to score on Jake Jefferies RBI double to the gap in left center making it 1-0 Hot Rods.

The scoring would continue later in the inning as the next batter, Kyeong Kang, was ahead 3-0 when he was intentionally walked by starting pitcher Jordan Lyles (L; 4-7) to load the bases. Lyles then hit Isaias Velasquez with a pitch to force in the second run before John Mollicone delivered a sac fly to center field for a 3-0 Hot Rods lead.

The Hot Rods added four more runs in the top of the fifth inning after Pellegrini homered in the fourth. Facing relief pitcher Michael Hacker, the Legends had a sloppy inning. With runners at first and second, Hacker threw a wild pitch followed by a wild throw from Pestana which allowed Velasquez to score from second while Mollicone went from first to third. Mollicone would score two batters later when Justin Reynolds, who struck out on a ball in the dirt, reached first base on another throwing error by Pestana allowing Mollicone to score to bump the lead to 5-1. After a double by Jeremy Beckham, Scelfo picked up a two-run single to extend the lead to 7-1.

Bowling Green scored two more runs in the sixth inning against Hacker. After a single to right field by Jefferies, Kang ripped his fifth triple into the gap in right-center for his 17th RBI. He scored on a sac fly from Velasquez to run the lead to 9-1. Velasquez finished with two RBI without picking up a hit. Jefferies added three hits along with his 39th RBI. Scelfo and Kang also had two hit games for the victors.

In game one, the Legends broke a scoreless tie with three runs against starter Frank De Los Santos (L; 3-6) in the last of the third inning. After De Los Santos recorded the first out, the next five Legends all reached, resulting in three runs. Those batters reached in a bevy of ways, including two walks, a single to right, an infield single, and a single to center. De Los Santos also uncorked two wild pitches, one of them scoring a run. The Legends ultimately sent nine men to the plate, leaving the bases loaded when Kyle Miller grounded out to shortstop on a diving play by Tim Beckham that prevented any more scoring in the inning.

The Hot Rods would start their comeback in the top of the fourth. Two errors and an infield single left Tim Beckham at third base and Jake Jefferies at third for Kyeong Kang. Kang, who was named to the XM All-Star Futures Game on Thursday, struck out as the Hot Rods tried a double steal. Catcher Freddie Hernandez threw to second to try to get Jefferies, but he stopped mid-way between first and second as Beckham broke for the plate. Shortstop Jorge De Leon made a good throw home but Beckham’s slide was better resulting in the Hot Rods first run.

An inning later the Hot Rods got a lead-off double from Mike McCormick followed by a single to left field by Jason Tweedy, leaving runners at first and third base. Robi Estrada lifted a sacrifice fly to center field to score McCormick, but Anthony Scelfo bounced into a double play started by the pitcher Kyle Greenwalt (W; 5-7).

De Los Santos would allow one more run before exiting the game mid-way through the fifth, the final run scoring on a single to left field by Hernandez. De Los Santos worked 4.2 before being lifted, allowing four runs, three earned, on seven hits. He struck out just one while walking four to tie a season high. He also recorded 12 of his 14 outs on ground balls, with the other put-outs being a strikeout and a foul-out to first base.

Greenwalt, who earned his second victory in three starts against Bowling Green, worked five innings of two-run ball, giving up just four hits. He struck out four and walked just one in the victory. Greenwalt is now 3-0 with a 2.55 ERA through three starts against the Hot Rods.

The series continues with game three on Saturday night at Applebee’s Park. Left-hander Matt Moore (3-3, 3.41) starts for the Hot Rods against Lexington lefty Brad Dydalewicz (4-1, 2.59). You can follow the action with Tom Gauthier on 1340 AM WBGN and www.bghotrods.com. Coverage begins at 5:50 PM CDT with first pitch coming at 7:05 PM CDT.

The Hot Rods begin their next home stand against the Augusta GreenJackets on July 4 with postgame fireworks presented by WBKO. For tickets and a complete list of promotions, visit www.bghotrods.com or stop by the Hot Rods ticket office at Bowling Green Ballpark.

6/27: The Rundown

Toledo MudHens 4, Durham Bulls 5, Toledo MudHens 3 (15 innings)
Box | Recap
Notes: Durham improved to 41-34... Justin Ruggiano's 2-run single with 2 outs in the 15th broke a 3-3 tie... Jason Cromer struck out 8 over 6 innings, allowing two runs... Joe Bateman, Jason Childers, Dale Thayer, Jorge Julio, and Julio DePaula all worked in relief... Reid Brignac was 0-6... Henry Mateo, Ray Olmedo, Ray Sadler, Jon Weber, and Chris Nowak each had two hits... Sadler and Chris Richard each homered...

Montgomery Biscuits 4, Tennessee Smokies 2
Box | Recap
Notes: Montgomery improved to 3-2... Brian Baker started and got the win, allowing just a run in 6 innings... Neal Frontz, Eduardo Morlan, Mike Wlodarczyk, and Paul Phillips pieced together the final three innings... Desmond Jennings was 2-5 with a double... Fernando Cortez and Matt Spring each had two hits, including a homerun and two RBIs...

Charlotte Stone Crabs rained out
Notes: Charlotte and Dunedin will play two tomorrow...

Lexington Legends 4, Bowling Green Hot Rods 2
Bowling Green Hot Rods 9, Lexington Legends 2
Box 1 | Box 2 | Recap
Notes: Bowling Green starts the first half 1-1... Frank De Los Santos got the loss in game one, allowing 4 runs and walking 4 in 4.1 innings... Mike McCormick had the only extra-base hit in game one... Nick Barnese got the game two win, allowing a run in 5 innings. He struck out 2 and didn't issue a walk... Tim Beckham went 1-6 between the two games... Jake Jefferies was 4-7... K.D. Kang collected two hits, including a triple, in game two...

Hudson Valley Renegades 3, Staten Island Yankees 2
Box | Recap
Notes: Hudson Valley improved to 3-3... Lobstein started and shut out Staten Island for four innings. He allowed 3 hits and 2 walks, striking out 6... Zach Quate pitched a 1-2-3 9th inning for the save... Chris Murrill went 3-5 with a double and an RBI...

Princeton Rays 7, Bristol Sox 1
Box | Recap
Notes: Princeton improved to 3-1... Trevor Shull turned in a great start, allowing just an unearned run in 5 innings. He struck out 4, walked 1, and got 9 groundouts to 2 flyouts... Tyler Oakes and Hunter Hill each pitched two scoreless innings of relief... Kyle Spraker and Ryan Wiegand each had three hits... Ty Morrison was 2-5 with a triple... Brian Bryles went 1-4 with a walk... Five different players drove in a run...

GCL Orioles 9, GCL Rays 2
Box | Recap
Notes: The GCL Rays fell to 1-2... Jake McGee started, but couldn't record an out. He allowed two singles and a batter reached on an error. McGee was on a 20-pitch limit... Brad Furdal allowed 6 runs(only two earned) in 2.2 innings... The GCL Rays had only five hits...

Up
Durham Bulls - LHP Jason Cromer: Struck out 8, walked none, and allowed two runs in 6 innings.

Montgomery Biscuits - C Matt Spring: 2-4 with and homerun and two RBIs. Two straight games with a homerun.

Bowling Green Hot Rods - C Jake Jefferies: 4-7 with a double between the two games.

Hudson Valley Renegades - LHP Kyle Lobstein: Much better this time out than his debut, with six strikeouts in four shutout innings.

Princeton Rays - RHP Trevor Shull: 5 innings, no earned runs, 1 walk, 4 strikeouts, a lot of groundballs.

GCL Rays - LHP Jake McGee: The performance wasn't any good, but it's good to at least see him back on the mound.

Down
Durham Bulls - SS Reid Brignac: 0-6, though he did draw a walk.

Montgomery Biscuits - OF Joe Gaetti: 0-4.

Bowling Green Hot Rods - RHP Frank De Los Santos: Struggled with his control, walking 4 and allowing 4 runs in 4.1 innings.

Hudson Valley Renegades - C Mayobanex Acosta: 0-4 with two strikeouts.

Princeton Rays - C Tomas Francisco: Only P-Ray to not get a hit or a walk.

GCL Rays - Offense: Just 5 hits.