Monday, August 31, 2009

P-Rays Week in Review: 8/24 to 8/30

Princeton RaysThe Princeton Rays were 4-4 on the week and are 35-30 on the season. They Rays have two more games remaining on the season and will conclude the 2009 season on Tuesday night.

Hitting Leaders:
Average: Ryan Wiegand (.326, sixth in APP)
Slugging: Cody Rogers (.497, seventh in APP)
On Base Pct: Ryan Wiegand (.387)
Hits: Ryan Wiegand (70, tied for fifth in APP)
Doubles: Ryan Wiegand (19, tied for third in APP)
Triples: Cody Rogers (6, tied for first in APP)
Home Runs: Cody Rogers (6)
RBI’s: Cody Rogers (36, tenth in APP)
Stolen Bases: Ty Morrison (19, tied for fourth in APP)

Pitching Leaders:
ERA Starters: Zachary Rosscup (3.57)
ERA Overall: James Hill (0.00)
Wins: Julius Dettrich and Deivis Mavares (tied with 5, tied sixth in APP)
Saves: Alex Koronis, Kirby Yates (4)
Strikeouts: Wilking Rodriguez (52)

Team Hitting Stats (league rank):
Average: .250 ( 6 of 10)
Slugging: .358 (7 of 10)
On Base Pct: .323 (7 of 10)
Hits: 530 (8 of 10)
Doubles: 111 (5 of 10)
Triples: 21 (5 of 10)
Home Runs: 25 (10 of 10)
Runs Scored: 297 (7 of 10)
Stolen Bases: 71 (5 of 10)

Team Pitching Stats (rank):
ERA: 3.14 (2 of 10)
Runs Allowed: 251 (2 of 10)
Strikeouts: 495 (7 of 10)
Walks: 154 (1 of 10)

Transactions: None

Injuries: None

The Week Ahead: 8/31/09-9/1/09: at Greeneville Astros.

Baseball America On Jeremy Hellickson

Jeremy HellicksonJ.J. Cooper in the Monday Dish had this to say about Jeremy Hellickson's start on Sunday:
Hellickson sat at 91-94 mph all night, touching 94 in the eighth. His ability to command his fastball left the G-Braves hitters flailing all night, but he was able to complement it with a plus changeup and a curveball that he was able to throw for strikes.

"His feel for pitching has started to match the stuff he’s always had," one scout who’s watched Hellickson recently said. Another scout complimented Hellickson’s above-average knack of staying a pitch ahead of hitters to keep them constantly off balance, which makes his above-average stuff even more potent.

Desmond Jennings Named Southern League MVP

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

The Biscuits are extremely pleased to announce that former Biscuits' outfielder Desmond Jennings has been voted as the Southern League's 2009 Most Valuable Player. The 22-year old was also named a Post-Season Southern League All-Star.

A native of the Birmingham, AL, area, Jennings becomes the third Biscuit recognized as the league's most valuable player. CF Delmon Young was honored in 2005 and 3B Evan Longoria in 2007.

Though he was promoted to Triple-A Durham on August 1st, he continues to place among the league-leaders in numerous categories. He hit .316 with the Biscuits, continuing to rank second in the league batting race. He set the Biscuits' single-season franchise-record with 37 stolen bases, leading the league at the time of his promotion and continuing to place third. His .395 on-base percentage and .486 slugging percentage each remain in the league top-five. He also led the league in triples (8) at the time of his promotion, and is currently tied for third. His 121 hits still lead the Biscuits, as do his 69 runs scored and 48 walks.

The Southern League Most Valuable Player Award is voted on by league field managers, radio broadcasters and beat-writers.

Jennings selection as a Southern League Post-Season All-Star makes him the ninth Biscuit to be so honored. The first eight Montgomery honorees were; 3B Rico Washington (2005),CF Delmon Young (2005), RHP Andy Sonnanstine (2006), C John Jaso (2007), 3B Evan Longoria (2007), RHP Chris Mason (2007), RHP Dale Thayer (2007) and LHP David Price (2008). Six of those players have appeared in the Major Leagues.

At midseason, Jennings was selected to participate for the United States team in the prestigious XM All-Star Futures Game in St. Louis, MO. He was also voted as a midseason Southern League All-Star, but didn't play in the Southern League All-Star Game due to his participation in the Futures Game.

He was selected as the Rays' organizational Player of the Month in April and recognized as the Southern League Hitter of the Week for the week of July 13-19.

In 25 games since joining Durham, he is batting .292 with two home runs and 12 RBIs. Additionally, he has stolen 12 bases in just 14 attempts.

Originally selected by the Tampa Bay Rays in the 10th round of the 2006 draft out of Pinson Valley High School, he is currently in just his fourth professional season.

The Biscuits close the home portion of their 2009 Southern League schedule by hosting Fan Appreciation night during their 7:05 PM game against the Carolina Mudcats on Tuesday night at Riverwalk Stadium. The game will feature a post-game MAX Fireworks Spectacular. Tickets are available and can be purchased by logging on to BiscuitsBaseball.com, visiting the Biscuits Box Office at Riverwalk Stadium or calling the Biscuits at (334) 323-2255.

Minor Moves: Powell

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

The Tampa Bay Rays have made one additional move affecting the roster of Montgomery prior to Monday’s doubleheader with Carolina:

OF Pedro Powell reassigned to Charlotte (A+) [22 + 2].

The move leaves the Biscuits two players shy of the Southern League maximum of 24 active players. Two players (RHP Neal Frontz, LHP Darin Downs) are currently on the Disabled List.

2009 Playoff Picture

Tampa Bay RaysHere is the current playoff picture for the organization as we head into September and the playoffs.

Durham: lead division by 2 games
Montgomery: Eliminated; 11 games back in division
Charlotte: second in division, 6.5 game lead for wildcard berth
Bowling Green: Eliminated; 9.5 games back in division
Hudson Valley: Eliminated; 10 games back in division
Princeton: Eliminated; 10.5 games back in division
GCL Rays: Eliminated; 15 games back in division

Hudson Valley Renegades win against Oneonta Tigers

Hudson Valley RenegadesThe Game: The Hudson Valley Renegades beat the Oneonta Tigers 8-1 on Sunday at Damaschke Field. The Tigers scored their only run in the second inning. Alex Espinoza reached on an error and the later scored on a sac fly by Keith Hernandez to give the Tigers a 1-0 lead.

The Renegades took the lead in the third inning. Diogenes Luis drew a walk to lead off the inning. Luis advanced to second on a single by Chris Murrill and then to third on a wild pitch. Dustin Biell followed with an RBI single to score Luis and advance Murrill to second. Tyler Bortnick was then hit by a pitch to load the bases. Mark Thomas came through with a two run double to put the Renegades ahead 3-1.

Hudson Valley picked up two more runs in the fourth inning. David Genao singled to short to lead off the inning. Genao advanced to second on a sac bunt by Diogenes Luis and then to third on a balk. Chris Murrill followed with an RBI double to score Genao. Murrill later scored on a ground ball by Tyler Bortnick to give the Renegades a 5-1 lead.

Hudson Valley added another run in the fifth. Brett Nommensen and Mayobanex Acosta picked up back to back walks to lead off the inning. The Renegades then pulled off a double steal to move both runners into scoring position. Elias Otero drove home Nommensen with a sac fly to increase the Renegades lead to 6-1.

The Renegades collected two more runs in the sixth inning to complete their scoring drive. Dustin Biell and Tyler Bortnick singled to lead off the inning. They both advanced into scoring position on a wild pitch. Then Mark Thomas hit a two run double to left that gave the Renegades the 8-1 win.

Devin Fuller picked up the victory, throwing 6 innings and allowing 1 run on 1 hit with 2 strikeouts and a walk. Aaron Dott followed with 2 no hit innings with a strikeout. Jordi Amargos pitched the final inning allowing a run and recording a strikeout.

What Went Right: Dustin Biell; 4 for 4 with an RBI and 2 runs scored.

What Went Wrong: Errors; Renegades charged with 4 errors on the night.

A Look Ahead: The Renegades take on the Oneonta Tigers in game two of the series at Damaschke Field on Monday night. Kyle Lobstein (3-4) will pitch against Clemente Mendoza (4-4)

Princeton Rays defeat Greeneville Astros 7-3

Princeton RaysThe Game: The Princeton Rays defeated the Greeneville Astros 7-3 on Sunday evening at Pioneer Park. The Rays took an early lead in the second inning. Ryan Wiegand led off the inning with a double to right field and then later scored on an RBI single by Jason Patton to put Princeton ahead 1-0.

Greeneville battled back to tie the game in the bottom of the second. Kyle Miller doubled to right to get things started. Then Carlos Mojica delivered an RBI single to third that scored Miller and tied the game. Greenville then took the lead in the bottom of the third inning on a solo home run by Jiovanni Mier putting the Astros ahead 2-1.

Princeton answered by putting up another run of their own to tie the game in the fourth. Brian Bryles led off the inning with a single to third. Julio Cedeno then drove him home with an RBI double to left to tie the game at two.

The Rays broke the game wide open in the fifth inning thanks to two home runs in the inning. The inning got started with Seth Henry being hit by a pitch. Then Alejandro Torres struck with a two run home run. Ty Morrison followed with a single to third and then advanced to third on a double by Brian Bryles. Cody Rogers drove home Morrison with a sac fly. Then Ryan Wiegand cleared the bases with a two run home run to put the Rays ahead 7-2.

Greeneville added another run in the eighth inning. Kyle Miller doubled to right and later scored on a ground out by Carlos Mojica. But it wasn’t enough as the Rays held on to win 7-3.

Omar Bencomo got the start, pitching 3 innings and allowing 2 runs on 6 hits while striking out 3. Deivis Mavares earned the win, pitching 4 shut-out innings allowing 2 hits with 5 strikeouts and 4 walks. Scott Shuman finished out the final 2 innings allowing a run on 1 hit with 4 strikeouts and a walk. Luis Cruz was the losing pitcher for Greeneville.

What Went Right: Ryan Wiegand; 2 for 4 with a double, home run, 2 RBI’s and 2 runs scored.

What Went Wrong: Cody Rogers; 0 for 3 with 2 K’s.

A Look Ahead: The Rays and Astros face off again on Monday night at Pioneer Park.

Bowling Green Hot Rods Lose 7-0 To Asheville Tourists

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

On a day when thousands of school kids filled Bowling Green Ballpark with noise, the Hot Rods’ bats were kept quiet in a 7-0 loss to the Asheville Tourists (39-23, 65-66). By virtue of the win the Tourists took two of three in the series, dropping the Hot Rods (29-32, 63-68) to 2-5 on the seven-game home stand. Bowling Green still won the season series against the Tourists, winning seven of 13 match-ups.

After a pitcher’s duel took place for the first four innings, the Tourists finally broke a scoreless tie with two runs in the fifth. Starter Shane Dyer (1-10) hit the lead-off man Carlos Martinez before making an errant pick-off throw to first, moving Martinez to second. Dyer retired the next two batters before Kiel Roling single to center to score Martinez for a 1-0 Asheville lead.

Dyer left the game after the next batter reached on an error by Jeremy Beckham to put runners at first and second. He was replaced by Joey Callender, who made his Hot Rods debut after being called up from Princeton in the Appalachian League. Jimmy Cesario greeted Callender with an RBI single to center to score the second run of the inning.

Both runs were unearned against Dyer, who worked 4.2 innings in his first start since July 9. He allowed six hits, didn’t walk a batter, and struck out five.

The Hot Rods, meanwhile, missed some early opportunities against Jonathan Aristil (4-8). They left on four runners over the first three innings before Aristil settled in. He went the distance, throwing the first nine-inning complete game of his career. He allowed just two base hits from the fourth through the ninth, facing just one batter above the minimum. The right-hander didn’t walk a batter while striking out three.

Asheville broke the game open with four runs in the seventh against Callender. Jimmy Cesario sparked that rally with a three-run homer. Kiel Roling added a solo blast, his 20th, against Callender in the top of the ninth to cap the scoring.

The Hot Rods managed just six hits on the game, two of them by Anthony Scelfo. Tim Beckham went 0-4 to end his 13-game hitting streak. During the 13-game run, Beckham was 22-55, good for a .400 average.

Bowling Green now hits the road for the final road trip of the season. They’ll begin a three-game series with the Greenville Drive (Boston Red Sox) on Tuesday night in South Carolina. LHP Frank De Los Santos (4-9, 3.87) starts the road trip for the Hot Rods against Greenville RHP Brock Huntzinger (8-9, 4.40). First pitch is at 6:05 PM CDT. You can follow the game on the radio beginning at 6:20 PM with Tom Gauthier on 1340 WBGN and www.bghotrods.com.

The Hot Rods return home for their final home stand on Friday night against the Lexington Legends (Houston Astros), the final meeting with the Bluegrass rivals. Friday night is Faith and Family Night presented by Christian Family Radio. For a complete list of Friday’s events as well as tickets and a full promotional schedule, visit www.bghotrods.com.

Minor Moves: Torres

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

The Tampa Bay Rays have made the following move affecting the roster of Double-A Montgomery prior to Monday’s doubleheader with Carolina:

LHP Alex Torres acquired by Tampa Bay via trade with Los Angeles Angels and assigned to Montgomery [23 + 2].

Torres, currently rated as the #24 prospect in the Angels’ system by Baseball America, was acquired by the Rays along with 3B Matt Sweeney and a player to be named later for LHP Scott Kazmir. Torres, 21, will make his first start for the Biscuits on Monday night in game one of a doubleheader with Carolina.

The move leaves the Biscuits one player shy of the Southern League maximum of 24 active players. Two players (RHP Neal Frontz, LHP Darin Downs) are currently on the Disabled List.

Torres will wear #34 with the Biscuits.

Charlotte Stone Crabs Hosting Furry Food Drive On Friday

Charlotte Stone Crabs[Via email from the Charlotte Stone Crabs' Marketing Manager Jonathan Gantt.]

The Charlotte Stone Crabs are partnering with the Suncoast Humane Society to host the first-ever “Furry Food Drive” before the Stone Crabs game on Friday, September 4, at Charlotte Sports Park.

Fans are encouraged to bring any brand of unopened dog or cat food to the game in exchange for a free Stone Crabs hat. The participant with the largest donation of food (by weight) will win a complimentary Suite Night from the Stone Crabs for the final 2009 regular season home game on Sunday, September 6.

Special $10 tickets for the game with a portion of the proceeds directly benefiting the Suncoast Humane Society can be purchased by calling 941-474-7884 or visiting the Suncoast Humane Society office at:

Suncoast Humane Society
6781 San Casa Dr.
Englewood, FL 34224

The Pet Pantry Program was developed by Suncoast Humane Society with the local Meals on Wheels, Suncoast Worship Center and Englewood Bible Church to offer pet food assistance to their food pantries so that pet owners will not be forced to surrender their animals or put their health at risk due to lack of, or poor nourishment.

Tickets for the game are also available by calling the Stone Crabs at 941-206-HITS (4487) or visiting www.stonecrabsbasball.com.

Winston Abreu Named International League Pitcher Of The Week

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

The International League announced today that Indianapolis outfielder Brian Myrow and Durham pitcher Winston Abreu have been named the League’s Batter and Pitcher of the Week for the period from August 24-30. Myrow is the fourth member of the Indians to win an IL weekly award in 2009, following Lastings Milledge (July 16-19), Eric Hacker (August 3-9), and Daniel McCutchen (August 10-16). Abreu is the third member of the Bulls to be so honored this season, joining Chris Richard (May 11-17), and Wade Davis (May 18-24).

WINSTON ABREU, Durham Bulls IL PITCHER OF THE WEEK
Right-handed reliever Winston Abreu did not allow a hit in four appearances this week for Durham. His three saves and 0.00 ERA tied for the League-lead. Abreu saved the last two games of a key series for the Bulls in Syracuse. On Monday, he came in with a 3-2 lead and one out in the 8th inning before shutting the door with a perfect 1.2 innings of relief. He walked one while saving Tuesday night’s game; it was the only runner to reach base on Abreu all week. Two nights later in Norfolk, Abreu struck out the side for another scoreless 9th inning save. Saturday night the Bulls returned home to face Gwinnett, with whom they were tied for the South Division lead. With the game knotted at 7-7 after nine innings, Abreu came in and tossed two perfect frames in the 10th and 11th innings to keep Durham’s hopes alive. The Bulls ultimately won in 14 innings to move into sole possession of 1st place. Since returning to Durham in early August, Abreu is holding opposing hitters to a .148 batting average.

32-year-old Winston Abreu is in his second stint with the Durham Bulls this season. After spending the 2008 season in Japan, Abreu signed with Tampa Bay as a free agent in February and began the season with Durham. He was promoted to the Major Leagues in June, but designated for assignment after two games. Abreu was then claimed by Cleveland and appeared in three games with the Indians, but after being optioned to Columbus he immediately elected free agency and re-signed with Tampa Bay. Abreu is a native of Cotui, Dominican Republic.

Charlotte Stone Crabs fall to Sarasota Reds

Charlotte Stone CrabsThe Game: The Charlotte Stone Crabs fell to the Sarasota Reds 6-2 on Sunday afternoon at Ed Smith Stadium. The Reds took a four run lead in the first inning and never looked back. Dave Sappelt singled to center to lead off for the Reds. Sappelt advanced to second on a ground out by Justin Reed and then stole third base. Alex Buchholz followed with a walk to put runners on the corners. Neftali Soto then drove both runners with a double to left. Jason Louwsma cleared the bases with a two run homer to put the Reds ahead 4-0.

The Stone Crabs cut the lead in half in the fifth inning. Henry Wrigley struck a line drive double to center to lead off the inning. Wrigley advanced to third on a wild pitch and later scored on a single by Shawn Williams. Reid Fronk was then hit by a pitch and Omar Luna drew a walk to load the bases. Matt Hall then drove in the second run of the inning with a sac fly to center that scored Williams. The scoring play saw Sarasota manager Joe Ayrault get ejected from the game as he argued the play at the plate. After the argument ended and things calmed down, Drew Anderson drew a walk to reload the bases but they couldn’t push across another run and leave the bases loaded trailing by two, 4-2.

Sarasota posted two more runs to the scoreboard, one in the fifth and another in the sixth to increase their lead. In the fifth, Alex Buchholz double to left and later scored on an RBI double by Neftali Soto. Then in the sixth inning, Kyle Day homered to right, giving the Reds the 6-2 margin of victory.

Brian Flores suffered the loss, being tagged for 5 runs off 8 hits in 5 innings of work while allowing 2 walks. Jose Mejias pitched 2 innings in relief and allowed 1 run on 1 hit while striking out and walking 1. Angel Castro pitched the final frame, going three up and three down to end the game. Curtis Partch picked up the win for Sarasota.

What Went Right: Angel Castro; rebounded from his last two rough outing by recording a perfect inning to close out the game.

What Went Wrong: Brian Flores; hit for 5 runs on 8 hits enroute to his sixth loss of the season.

A Look Ahead: The Stone Crabs are off on Monday before heading to Jupiter to begin a four game series against the Jupiter Hammerheads on Tuesday at Roger Dean Stadium.

Sunday, August 30, 2009

Game Pictures from 8/29: Stone Crabs vs Reds

Durham Bulls Beat Gwinnett Braves 4-0

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

Behind the right arm of starting pitcher Jeremy Hellickson, the Bulls blanked the Gwinnett Braves 4-0 Sunday at the Durham Bulls Athletic Park.

Hellickson (5-1) tossed an eight inning, one-hitter giving up just two walks while fanning a career-high 12 batters. The 22-year-old hurler kept the Braves hitless until the sixth inning.

Sunday marked the third straight appearance in which Hellickson has thrown 10 or more strikeouts. In his last three outings, he has tossed 20 innings allowing seven hits with four earned runs, five walks and 32 strikeouts.

The Bulls first hit came with their leadoff batter, Fernando Perez, who doubled to right to start the game. He would later score from third on a sacrifice fly from Joe Dillon to give the Bulls the early 1-0 lead.

Durham added two more in the third with a RBI-double from Jon Weber and a Matt Joyce bases-loaded walk making the score 3-0.

The Bulls added their last tally in the sixth with an Elliot Johnson single up the middle scoring Matt Joyce from second. Dale Thayer finished off Hellickson’s masterpiece, closing the game out in the ninth as the Bulls held on for the win.

The victory gives the Bulls seven-straight wins, tying their season-high winning streak. They now move two games ahead of Gwinnett in the International League South Division.

Durham will face off against the Braves again Monday for Game 3 of their four-game series. Jeff Bennett (1-0) will take the mound for the Bulls as he faces off against Todd Redmond (9-6) with first pitch scheduled for 7:05 p.m.

Bowling Green Hot Rods Lose 3-2 To Asheville Tourists In 16

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

In the longest game in team and ballpark history, the Hot Rods fell one run short to the Asheville Tourists (38-23, 64-66) on Sunday afternoon, losing a 3-2, 16-inning affair. The loss evens the series at one game each, while dropping the Hot Rods to 5-1 in extra innings. The loss also means the Hot Rods (29-31, 63-67) are officially eliminated from playoff contention in their one and only season in the South Atlantic League.

The winning rally for Asheville started with one out in the 16th against Diego Echeverria (3-2). After a walk to Patrick Rose, Delta Cleary lined his second double of the game to the right field wall, scoring Rose from second base for a 3-2 lead. The double was the only blemish on Echeverria’s line, as he worked six total innings in the longest outing relief outing of his career.

Asheville turned that lead over to Adam Jorgensen, who worked a 1-2-3 bottom of the inning to secure the win. He capped off a great day by Asheville’s bullpen, as Tourists relievers threw nine scoreless innings on just three hits and one walk.

The Hot Rods bullpen, led by Echeverria’s six-inning outing, worked 10.2 innings, giving up two runs on eight hits.

The Hot Rods took their first lead of the game in the last of the sixth inning after Asheville broke a scoreless tie in the top of the frame. Facing starting Dan Houston with two down, Isaias Velasquez singled to left, moving Jake Jefferies to second base. Both runners advanced another base on an error by the left fielder David Christensen. After an intentional walk to Mike Sheridan, Jason Corder delivered a two-run singled to the back of the infield behind second base to put the Hot Rods on top, 2-1.

The Hot Rods defense took over at that point, saving the game for Bowling Green on three occasions. In the seventh, on a base hit by Patrick Rose, one run scored to tie the game at 2-2. But on the play Kyeong Kang gunned out Tyler Massey at home to keep it tied at 2-2. In the 11th still tied at 2-2, Mike Sheridan made a diving stop on a ground ball by Massey to end the inning with runners at the corners.

The biggest save came in the top of the 13th inning. Asheville loaded the bases on a double, a hit batter, and a walk by Diego Echeverria, at the time in his third inning of work. After a visit by pitching coach RC Lichtenstein, Echeverria induced a ground ball from Thomas Field to shortstop, forcing out Kiel Roling at home. The next batter, Massey again, rolled into a 6-4-3 double play to end the inning and the threat.

Echeverria ended up working five scoreless innings before allowing the winning run in the 16th. He allowed three hits, five walks, and one hit batter. He stranded eight base runners and held the Tourists to just one hit in eleven at-bats with men in scoring position.

Neither starting pitcher figured into the decision as Chris Andujar lowered his ERA to 2.75, fourth-best in the South Atlantic League. He allowed one run on two hits, which came in the sixth, over 5.1 innings. Houston allowed just two runs over seven innings in his third outing against the Hot Rods.

In addition to the great defense in extra innings the Hot Rods turned their first triple play in team history, pulling off the feat in the top of the first inning. Facing Andujar with runners at first and second, Jordan Pacheco lofted a ball to right field. Jason Corder made a sliding catch for the first out. Both runners were off on the pitch, so Corder threw to first base for the first out before Sheridan ran to second and stepped on the bag to retire Delta Cleary for the final out.

The series comes to an end on Monday morning with the final meeting between the two clubs. RHP Shane Dyer (1-9, 5.56) gets the ball for the Hot Rods against Asheville RHP Jonathan Aristil (3-8, 5.36). First pitch is 11:05 AM for a special Education Day matinee. Gates open at 9:30 AM for season ticket holders and 10 PM for the general public. For tickets, visit bghotrods.com You can follow the game on the radio beginning at 6:20 PM with Tom Gauthier on 1340 WBGN and www.bghotrods.com.

GCL Rays Week in Review: 8/23 to 8/29

GCL RaysThe GCL Rays were 1-4 on the week falling to 18-36 on the season. There are two remaining games in the 2009 season for the Rays.

Hitting Leaders:
Average: Todd Glaesmann (.308)
Slugging: Todd Glaesmann (.385)
On Base Pct: Luis Marchena (.355)
Hits: Gerardo Olivares (45)
Doubles: Gerardo Olivares (12, tied eighth in GCL)
Triples: Hector Gomez and Ruben Contreras (ties with 3)
Home Runs: Ruben Contreras (3)
RBI’s: Gerardo Olivares (21)
Stolen Bases: Hunter Pace and Ruben Contreras (tied with 11)

Pitching Leaders:
ERA Starters: Jacob Partridge (1.85)
ERA Overall: Marcus Proctor (1.80)
Wins: Victor Mateo and Wilmer Almonte (tied with 3)
Saves: Aneuris Mercedes (4)
Strikeouts: Brad Furdal (49, tied tenth in GCL)

Team Hitting Stats (league rank):
Average: .207 (16 of 16)
Slugging: .272 (16 of 16)
On Base Pct: .272 (16 of 16)
Hits: 349 (16 of 16)
Doubles: 69 (15 of 16)
Triples: 11 (13 of 16)
Home Runs: 6 (16 of 16)
Runs Scored: 160 (16 of 16)
Stolen Bases: 52 (11 of 16)

Team Pitching Stats (rank):
ERA: 3.98 (14 of 16)
Runs Allowed: 247 (11 of 16)
Strikeouts: 377 (11 of 16)
Walks: 173 (9 of 16)

Transactions: Todd Glaesmann added to roster (8/24/09).

Injuries: None

The Week Ahead: 8/30/09: vs GCL Orioles (29-26). 8/31/09: at GCL Reds (28-26).

Montgomery Biscuits Rained Out, Doubleheader Monday

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

The Biscuits scheduled game with the Carolina Mudcats was postponed on Sunday due to persistent rain throughout the afternoon at Riverwalk Stadium. The game will be made up as part of a doubleheader beginning at 6:05 PM on Monday night. The doubleheader will consist of two seven-inning ballgames.

Fans holding tickets to Sunday's postponed game may redeem them at the Riverwalk Stadium box office for a voucher to either of the two remaining Biscuits' home games.

LHP Brandon Mann (6-8, 4.30) will start game one of the doubleheader for the Biscuits, while LHP Alex Torres (0-0, ---) will make his Biscuits' debut in game two. Carolina’s starters for the doubleheader have yet to be determined.

Tropical Storm Danny forces cancellation of Hudson Valley Renegades game against Lowell

Hudson Valley RenegadesThe Game: Saturday nights game between the Hudson Valley Renegades and Lowell Spinners was cancelled due to heavy rain from Tropical Storm Danny soaking LeLacheur Park and making the field unplayable. The game has no impact to playoff contention so the game will not be rescheduled.

What Went Right: n/a

What Went Wrong: n/a

A Look Ahead: The Renegades travel to Oneonta to begin a three game series against the Oneonta Tigers (33-32) at Damaschke Field. Devin Fuller (2-2) will make the start for Hudson Valley.

Princeton Rays split doubleheader with 4-0 loss in game two

Princeton RaysThe Game: The Princeton Rays were on the opposite end of the shut-out in game two of Saturday’s doubleheader as they fell to the Johnson City Cardinals 4-0 at Howard Johnson Field. Joseph Hage got things started in the third with a double to left. Hage later scored on an RBI single by Ted Obergon to give the Cardinal the lead 1-0.

Johnson City added to their lead in the fourth inning. Kleininger Teran led off the inning with a line drive single to center field. The Edgar Lara cleared the bases with a two run homer to put the Cardinals ahead 3-0.

The Cardinals picked up their fourth and final run of the night in the sixth inning. Rainel Rosario was hit by a pitch to lead off the inning. Rosario advanced to second on a sac bunt by Luis Mateo and then moved to third on a single by Audry Perez. Edgar Lara followed with a ground ball the was misplayed by Daniel Rhault, allowing Rosario to score and give the Cardinals a 4-0 win.

Wilking Rodriguez suffered the loss, his sixth of the year, by allowing 3 runs on 4 hits in 5 innings while striking out 9 batters. Matt Stabelfeld pitched the final innings and allowed a run on 1 hit. Jose Rada was the winning pitcher for Johnson City.

What Went Right: Wilking Rodriguez; despite being charged with the loss, was able to record 9 strikeouts in 5 innings.

What Went Wrong: The Offense; only able to collect 2 hits while going 0 for 5 with runners in scoring position and striking out 5 times.

A Look Ahead: The Rays travel to Greenville to begin a three game series with the Greenville Astros (36-38) on Sunday at Pioneer Park.

Princeton Rays shut-out Johnson City in game one of doubleheader

Princeton RaysThe Game: The Princeton Rays shut out the Johnson City Cardinals 3-0 in game one of Saturday’s doubleheader at Howard Johnson Field. The Rays broke the scoreless tie in the top of the fifth inning. Tomas Francisco and Daniel Rhault drew back to back walk to get things started. Alejandro Torres followed with a single to center that loaded the bases. Brian Bryles drove in two runs with the assistance of a Johnson City error to give Princeton a 2-0 lead.

The Rays added an insurance run in the top of the seventh inning. Alejandro Torres singled to left and later advanced to third on a double by Ty Morrison. Torres then scored on a wild pitch to give Princeton the 3-0 win.

Julius Dettrich picked up the win, pitching 5 shut-out innings allowing 2 hits, 4 strikeouts and a walk. Kirby Yates earned the save with a similar line score of no run, 2 hits, 4 strikeouts and walk but all this in only 2 innings of service.

What Went Right: Pitching; Dettrich and Yates combined for complete game shut-out with 8 K’s.

What Went Wrong: Julio Cedeno; 0 for 4 with a strike-out.

A Look Ahead: The Rays and Cardinals will play game two of Saturday’s doubleheader at Howard Johnson Field.

Charlotte Stone Crabs sweep doubleheader with 3-0 shut-out against Sarasota Reds

Charlotte Stone CrabsThe Game: The Charlotte Stone Crabs picked up game two right where they left off in game one with dominating pitching as the shut-out the Sarasota Reds 3-0 in game two of Sunday’s doubleheader at Ed Smith Stadium.

Unlike game one, Charlotte did not wait till extra innings to score, they scored in the first inning and never looked back. John Matulia picked up a solo home run to put the Stone Crabs ahead 1-0.

The Stone Crabs put together another scoring drive in the fifth inning. Nevin Ashley led off the inning with a single to right and advanced to second on the throw. Reid Fronk followed with a sac bunt to move Ashley to third. Then Ian Paxton drove Ashley home with an RBI single to left field. Paxton advanced to second on a sac bunt by Matt Hall and then to third on a throwing error. Drew Anderson drove home the second run of the inning as his sacrifice fly to center scored Paxton and gave Charlotte the 3-0 victory.

David Newmann pitched a 7 inning complete game shut-out and allowing only 3 hits with 8 strikeouts. Lance Janke was the losing pitcher for Sarasota.

What Went Right: David Newman; complete game shut-out with 8 K’s.

What Went Wrong: Nothing stands out, Stone Crabs were solid in the 3-0 win, no errors and everyone contributed one way or another.

A Look Ahead: The Stone Crabs and Reds conclude the series Sunday afternoon at Ed Smith Stadium.

Charlotte Stone Crabs win game one of doubleheader 1-0 over Sarasota Reds

Charlotte Stone CrabsThe Game: The Charlotte Stone Crabs were on the winning side of a pitching duel during game one of Saturday’s doubleheader against the Sarasota Reds at Ed Smith Stadium. It took ten innings to determine the winner but in the end it was the Stone Crabs picking up the 1-0 victory.

The Stone Crabs broke the scoreless tie in the top of the tenth inning. Omar Luna kicked off the scoring drive with a single to center. Luna then advanced second on a wild pitch and then scored the winning run on a throwing error by Reds third baseman Neftali Soto.

Alex Cobb pitched 7 shut-out innings and allowed 5 hits while striking out 2 and walking 2. Richard De Los Santos picked up the win by throwing 3 no-hit innings and recorded 5 strikeouts. Justin Freeman was the losing pitcher for Sarasota.

What Went Right: Pitching; Cobb and De Los Santos combined for 10 shut-out innings allowing 5 hits wit 7 K’s. Richard De Los Santos; 3 no hit innings with 5 K’s lowers his ERA to 0.89 on the year.

What Went Wrong: Base running; Stone Crabs were 0-3 for stealing bases on the night.

A Look Ahead: The Stone Crabs and Reds will play game two of the doubleheader. David Newmann (7-6) will pitch against Lance Janke (0-3).

Durham Bulls Beat Gwinnett Braves 10-9 In 14

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

The Bulls rallied back from being down as much as five runs to tie the game in the bottom of the ninth and then come back again in the bottom of the 14th with a walk-off double from Jon Weber as they win 10-9 over Gwinnett in a five hour, 14-inning marathon on Friday at Durham Bulls Athletic Park.

With the bases loaded, two outs and the Bulls down by two, Weber laced Deunte Heath’s 3-2 pitch to the gap in right-center driving in three runs including the game winner.

Ray Olmedo (1-0), who started the game at third base, picked up the win in his first career pitching appearance. He tossed two innings, allowing two runs, one earned, on two hits including a homerun.

The Bulls fell behind 6-1 after five before mounting their comeback. They posted back-to-back two run innings in the sixth and seventh while Gwinnett also added one run in the seventh to make the score 7-5.

That score would remain until the bottom of the ninth. Reid Brignac connected on Luis Valdez’s 2-2 pitch for a two-out, two-run homer to tie the game at 7-7.

Both teams were unable to plate any runs for the next four innings until Gwinnett scored two off Olmedo with a homer from Wes Timmons and a throwing error from Fernando Perez giving the G-Braves a 9-7 lead.

Weber’s bases clearing double won the game for the Bulls and he finished 4-7 on the night with three RBI. The two-bagger was his league leading 45th of the year.

The win gives the Bulls a one game lead over the Braves for first place in the International League South Division. They will look to add some cushion to that lead Sunday as righty Jeremy Hellickson (4-1) takes the mound for Durham against Gwinnett’s Bobby Brownlie (4-1) with first pitch scheduled for 5:05 p.m.

Saturday, August 29, 2009

Amended Minor Moves: Oliveros, Rollins, Torres

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

The Tampa Bay Rays have amended the previous announced moves affecting Double-A Montgomery which will take effect prior to Sunday’s game with Carolina:

In addition to the promotion of RHP Rayner Oliveros to Durham (AAA), RHP Heath Rollins has also been promoted to Durham (AAA) [22 + 2].

Meanwhile, LHP Alex Torres will not be activated on the Biscuits roster until Monday (August 30th) when he is scheduled to make his first start against Carolina.

Without Torres’ activation, and the promotions of Oliveros and Rollins, the Biscuits are currently two players shy of the Southern League maximum of 24 active players with two players (Neal Frontz, Darin Downs) currently on the Disabled List.

Minor Moves: Torres, Oliveros, Rollins

Montgomery Biscuits[Update: Heath Rollins has been promoted to Durham, as per Stacy Long. -Kevin]

[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 following Saturday night’s win over Carolina:

LHP Alex Torres acquired by Tampa Bay via trade with Los Angeles Angels and assigned to Montgomery, RHP Rayner Oliveros promoted to Durham (AAA) [24 + 2].

Torres, currently rated as the #24 prospect in the Angels’ system by Baseball America, was acquired by the Rays along with 3B Matt Sweeney and a player to be named later for LHP Scott Kazmir. Torres, 21, will make his first start for the Biscuits on Monday night in game four of a five-game series with Carolina. Oliveros advances to Triple-A for the first time in his career.

Torres will wear #34 upon his arrival in Montgomery.

The corresponding moves leave the Biscuits at the Southern League maximum of 24 active players. Two players (Darin Downs, Neal Frontz) are currently on the Disabled List.

Montgomery Biscuits Beat Carolina Mudcats 8-1

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

Two big innings propelled the Biscuits to their second straight win over the Carolina Mudcats, 8-1, on Saturday night at Riverwalk Stadium.

Carolina starter Jerry Gil sparked a three-run Biscuits second inning when he walked Cody Cipriano to lead off the frame. Matt Fields followed with a single and Jason Perry launched a three-run home run to right-center field to put the Biscuits on top, 3-0. The home run for Perry was his first since May 18th.

Biscuits' starter Ryan Morse escaped a jam in the first inning and worked the first two innings in scoreless fashion. A two-out rally got the Mudcats on the board in the third as Jose Castro started trouble with a single. Sean Henry followed with a single and Yonder Alonso walked to load the bases. Morse then issued a walk to Zack Cozart, forcing in Castro to cut the Biscuits' lead to 3-1.

Gil got into more trouble before departing in the fourth inning. Rashad Eldridge led off the inning with a single before Gil walked Fernando Cortez to put two aboard. Gil retired for the evening leaving the two runners behind for Ramon Geronimo. Chris Nowak greeted the new hurler with a single and Matt Spring delivered a three-run double off the top of the left-center field wall, clearing the bases and putting the Biscuits ahead, 6-1. Three walks from Geronimo reloaded the bases and then a fourth to Jason Bowers pushed across an additional run for Montgomery.

Gil (2-4) took the loss for Carolina, falling for a third consecutive start. He was charged with five runs -- all earned. He walked three, which Geronimo equaled while allowing two runs over his inning of relief.

Morse (4-6) settled in nicely after his brush with trouble early in the ballgame. He earned his second straight win since returning fo the Biscuits' rotation, working six innings and allowing just a lone run on six hits. He walked four and struck out three.

Eddie Morlan entered for Morse in the seventh inning and tossed two scoreless innings of relief, retiring all six batters that he faced. Paul Phillips followed with a perfect ninth as the Biscuits retired 10 consecutive Mudcats to end the ballgame.

Game three of the series is scheduled for 2:05 PM on Sunday afternoon at Riverwalk Stadium. LHP Brandon Mann (6-8, 4.30) will start for the Biscuits against LHP Camilo Vazquez (5-4, 5.29) for Carolina.

Bowling Green Hot Rods Beat Asheville Tourists 4-3

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

Matt Moore continued his dominance of the Asheville Tourists on Saturday night, striking out ten batters in a 4-3 Hot Rods win. While Moore didn’t qualify for the win, the Hot Rods (29-30, 63-66) staved elimination by beating the first place Tourists (37-23, 63-66) to start a three-game series at Bowling Green Ballpark.

For the first time in the home stand, the Hot Rods scored first, taking advantage of an Asheville error in the first inning. With Anthony Scelfo standing at second, Isaias Velasquez bounced a ball to third that was muffed by Jimmy Cesario, deflecting the ball into shallow left field to allow Scelfo to score the game’s first run. A few pitches later Mike Sheridan made the Tourists pay by hitting a long home run to right field to bump the Hot Rods lead to 3-0.

Bowling Green added another run against starter Juan Nicasio in the last of the second. Jeremy Beckham reached on a one-out single before Scelfo smacked his second double of the game, scoring Beckham for a 4-1 Hot Rods lead.

Moore took a no-decision, leaving the game after a two-out walk in the fifth inning. The lefty ended up allowing two runs when his fifth inning walk came around to score. He gave up just two hits, including a solo home run in the second inning, while striking out ten. He now leads the league with 169 strikeouts just 119 innings.

Asheville will not be sad to be done with Matt Moore in 2009. The lefty flat-out dominated Asheville, throwing 16.2 innings and allowing just three runs on three hits. He struck out 31 batters while walking just seven.

Neil Schenk took over for Moore in the fifth, allowing one inherited runner and a runner of his own to score to cut the Hot Rods lead to 4-3. Schenk clamped down from there, throwing two more scoreless innings before turning the ball over to Josh Satow in the eighth. The Hot Rods third lefty of the game earned the save by retiring six of the seven batters he faced over the final two innings.

Scelfo took home Koch Air Hottest Hitter honors by picking up a three-hit game with his 17th and 18th doubles of the season. He also drove in a run while scoring his team-leading 58th. Sheridan’s 14th home run was part of a two hit night as he pushed his RBI total to 53. Jeremy Beckham had two hits while his brother, Tim, singled in the seventh inning to stretch his hitting streak to a dozen games.

The series continues with the first of back-to-back matinees on Sunday afternoon. RHP Chris Andujar (10-4, 2.79) makes another bid at his 11th win of the season. He’ll face Asheville RHP Dan Houston (7-9, 3.88). Sunday is Disc Golf Day featuring a variety of disc golf events including a $10,000 hole-in-one challenge. First pitch is at 1:05 PM. Gates open at 11:30 AM for season ticket holders and 12 PM for the general public. For tickets, visit bghotrods.com You can follow the game on the radio beginning at 6:20 PM with Tom Gauthier on 1340 WBGN and www.bghotrods.com.

Durham Bulls Release 2010 Schedule, Extend Working Agreement With Rays Through 2014

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

The Durham Bulls today released their 2010 schedule, which includes an exhibition game with the 2008 American League Champion Tampa Bay Rays and their first game at the historic Durham Athletic Park since 1994.

The Bulls and Rays will square off in their first meeting in the Bull City since 2002 on either April 2nd or 3rd, 2010. The Rays’ current 25-man roster features 11 former Durham Bulls, including two-time all-star and 2008 Rookie of the Year Evan Longoria and 2008 Minor League Player of the Year David Price. It is the third time the Rays have played an exhibition game at the Durham Bulls Athletic Park. The Rays won the last meeting, 7-2.

“We’re thrilled that so many of our major league players who were developed here in Durham have the opportunity to return and play again for fans in this great community,” Assistant Director of Minor League Operations for the Tampa Bay Rays Chaim Bloom said.

The two teams also announced an extension of their working agreement through the 2014 season. The four-year extension kicks in when the current agreement ends following the 2010 season. The extension means the Bulls’ relationship with the Rays will be the second longest in club history behind their 18-year partnership with the Atlanta Braves from 1980-1997. The Bulls are the only Triple-A franchise in Rays’ history.

“Our partnership with the Tampa Bay Rays has been outstanding,” Durham Bulls General Manager Mike Birling said, “I have always felt their commitment to build a winning team here is just as important as their commitment in St. Petersburg and that is the sign of a true partner.”

Also part of the 2010 schedule is a game between arguably the two most famous teams in Minor League Baseball history at the historic Durham Athletic Park. It will be the first time the Bulls play at the Durham Athletic Park since 1994. Taking advantage of the renovations to their old home, the Bulls announced they will play their May 10th game against the Toledo Mud Hens at the site made famous by the movie, Bull Durham. Durham Athletic Park was home to the Bulls from 1940-1994. The ballpark will now host N.C. Central University's baseball team for home games and Minor League Baseball will use the park to train staff working for the league's 160 teams. But as Durham Athletic Park Manager for Minor League Baseball Jill Rusinko said, it will be exciting to bring the Bulls back home for a game next season.

“Minor League Baseball is proud to be part of bringing the Bulls back to their home of 55 years,” Rusinko said, “I am sure that having the Bulls play at the DAP will be an extremely enjoyable and nostalgic experience for fans and the City of Durham. We look forward to working with the Bulls in creating new memories for everyone who will attend this game at historic Durham Athletic Park.”

Durham will open the 2010 season on the road against the Norfolk Tides on Thursday, April 8th and will play them for their home opener one week later on Thursday, April 15th.

Minor Moves: Torres, Garcia, Salem

Tampa Bay RaysLHP Alexander Torres, acquired in the Scott Kazmir trade, has been assigned to the Montgomery Biscuits. [Edit: Torres will not be activated on the Biscuits roster until Monday (August 30th) when he is scheduled to make his first start against Carolina.]

The Charlotte Stone Crabs have placed RHRP Justin Garcia on the 7-day disabled list retroactive to August 25, 2009.

The Stone Crabs also placed OF Emeel Salem on the 7-day disabled list retroactive to August 25, 2009.

Minor Moves: Sweeney

Charlotte Stone Crabs[Via email from the Charlotte Stone Crabs' Marketing Manager Jonathan Gantt.]

The Charlotte Stone Crabs added third baseman Matt Sweeney to their current roster after the left-handed hitter was included in a trade between the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim and the Tampa Bay Rays for former Rays pitcher Scott Kazmir on Friday night.

Sweeney, 21, hit .299 (63-for-211) this season for Rancho Cucamonga (A) with nine homers, 44 RBI, a .379 on-base pct. and .517 slugging pct. while playing third base and designated hitter. The left-handed hitter was sidelined the entire 2008 season while recovering from ankle surgery, and this year spent more than two months on the disabled list with a right hip injury. The two-time minor league All-Star was selected in the eighth round of the 2006 June Draft out of Rockville, Md. He was part of a deal that will send three Angels prospects to the Rays including pitcher Alex Torres and a player to be named later.

The Stone Crabs started a six-game road trip yesterday with stops in Sarasota and Jupiter, so Sweeney will most likely make his Charlotte Sports Park debut when the team returns home on Friday, September 4, for Fan Appreciation Weekend. The three-game, weekend homestand against the Sarasota Reds will feature hundreds of giveaways, merchandise sales and postgame fireworks on Saturday.

Charlotte is currently three games back of first-place Fort Myers in the second half standings, but the Stone Crabs also hold a six-game lead over St. Lucie in the overall season standings, which would grant them a playoff berth if Fort Myers repeats as division champion. The Stone Crabs have 10 games left to play, and their magic number for a wild card berth currently sits at six.

Tickets for the remaining three regular season home games and possible playoff games are currently on sale and start at just $5. Fans can call 941-206-HITS (4487), visit the Charlotte Sports Park box office or stonecrabsbaseball.com for ticket information.

Montgomery Biscuits Beat Carolina Mudcats 3-1

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

The Biscuits came from behind to defeat the Carolina Mudcats, 3-1, in the opener of a five-game series on Friday night at Riverwalk Stadium.

The Mudcats got on the board first against Biscuits' starter Aneury Rodriguez in the second inning. Shaun Cumberland led off the inning with a single back up the middle and promptly stole second base. He advanced to third on a ground out from Carson Kainer and came in when Logan Parker sent a swinging-bunt in front of the mound which Rodriguez attempted unsuccessfully to come home on, and the Mudcats had a 1-0 lead.

Carolina starter Luis Montano was sensational through six innings, holding the Biscuits scoreless on just two hits. However, he walked Cody Cipriano to start what turned into the decisive rally for Montgomery in the seventh inning. Cipriano advanced to second base on a wild pitch and scored to tie the game when Jose Castro threw wildly into the stands on a routine ground ball from Matt Fields. A batter later, Fields scored on a sacrifice fly from Cody Strait, and the Biscuits had a lead they wouldn't relinquish. Montano (0-6) departed, and took a hard-luck loss, having allowed just two unearned runs on two hits. Ruben Medina entered and the Biscuits capped the scoring as Medina hit Jason Bowers with his first pitch. Bowers stole second base and came in on an RBI double for Rashad Eldridge.

Rodriguez (9-10) departed after seven innings, and was the beneficiary of the Biscuits' outburst in the seventh. He earned the win, conceding just four hits and a lone run, walking three and striking out four.

Heath Rollins worked a scoreless eighth inning, and Matt Gorgen earned his third save, turning in a scoreless ninth inning to preserve the comeback win.

Game two of the series is scheduled for 7:05 PM on Saturday night at Riverwalk Stadium. LHP Ryan Morse (3-6, 5.26) will make the start for Montgomery against RHP Jerry Gil (2-3, 9.39) for Carolina.

Bowling Green Hot Rods Lose 6-2 To West Virginia Power

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

Tim Beckham picked up a single in the fourth inning to extend his hitting streak to 11 games on Friday night at Bowling Green Ballpark. He ended up scoring the inning, providing one of two Hot Rods runs in a 6-2 loss to the West Virginia Power (34-33, 61-66). Bowling Green (28-30, 62-66) dropped three of four games to the Power, watching their playoff elimination number sink to just two with the first place Asheville Tourists coming in on Saturday night.

Beckham’s single took place in the bottom of the fourth after West Virginia scored three times in the top half of the inning. Facing Aaron Pribanic (3-1) Beckham smoked a lined single to left field to begin the inning, extending his streak in his second at-bat. He then began to steal his way around the bases, swiping second and third before scoring on an infield single by Isaias Velasquez to make it a 3-1 game.

Bowling Green left two runners on in that inning, spoiling their best opportunity against Pribanic. He would end up working six innings, allowing just the one run on five hits. He struck out two and didn’t walk anyone, holding the Hot Rods to just 1-for-6 with runners in scoring position.

Beckham, the Koch Air Hottest Hitter, finished the night 1-4 with a single, two steals, and another run. He has scored 13 times in August, tied for the team lead with Velasquez. During his hitting streak, the 19-year-old shortstop has 20 hits in 45 at-bats for a remarkable .444 average. It’s the second ten-game-plus hit streak for Beckham, who was 15-41 (.366) during a ten-game run in May.

Juan Santana (0-1) took the loss making his second spot start of the season. He allowed just one base runner through the first three innings before giving up a lead-off walk in the fourth. The base-on-balls was immediately followed by an RBI triple from Tony Sanchez and a two-run home run by Kyle Morgan to knock Santana from the game.

Michael Jarman came on to work the first of his four innings of work. The lefty continues to pitch well out of the bullpen, throwing a season-high four innings of relief. He gave up a single run in the sixth, surrendering just two hits. Marquis Fleming pitched the final two innings, surrendering two runs in the ninth.

Kyeong Kang also stayed hot for Bowling Green, picking up two more hits to push his hitting streak to nine games. Justin Reynolds knocked in a run in the ninth inning for the Hot Rods, picking up his fifth RBI of the series and his 10th in the last 11 games.

Despite losing three of four in the series, the Hot Rods still won the season series against West Virginia, 7-5. They’ll look to make it two straight season series victories when Asheville comes to town on Saturday night. Bowling Green sends LHP Matt Moore (8-5, 3.07) to the mound against Asheville RHP Juan Nicasio (8-2, 2.49). Bowling Green leads the season series 6-4 entering the opener. The first 1,000 adults into Bowling Green Ballpark will receive BBQ Aprons courtesy of Coca-Cola. First pitch at Bowling Green Ballpark is 7:05 PM. Gates open at 5:30 PM for season ticket holders and 6 PM for the general public. For tickets, visit bghotrods.com You can follow the game on the radio beginning at 6:20 PM with Tom Gauthier on 1340 WBGN and www.bghotrods.com.

Durham Bulls Beat Norfolk Tides 11-2

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

Chris Richard became Durham's Triple-A career home run leader on Friday, as the Bulls rolled to an 11-2 win over Norfolk on Friday. The Bulls remain tied for first in the South Division with Gwinnett heading into a four-game series in Durham on Saturday.

Richard's two-run homer to right off Chris Lambert (6-9) in the second inning gave Durham a 2-0 advantage. It was Richard's 23rd homer this year, and 63rd as a Bull. That surpassed Scott McClain's total of 62. Richard had hit a game-winning homer the night before to tie McClain.

Durham then two in the third on a single by Akinori Iwamura and a Reid Brignac single for a 4-0 lead before the rains came.

The game was delayed 54 minutes, ending Wade Davis' night early. He had retired his first nine batters on just 31 pitches.

Durham then picked up where it left off when the game resumed, as Matt Joyce hit a three-run homer in the fifth, his 15th, for a 7-0 advantage. Elliot Johnson later homered, his 10th, as Durham collected 16 hits and drew eight walks in completing a 6-1 road trip, and a fifth straight victory.

Calvin Medlock (4-1) followed Davis and threw four scoreless innings before allowing three straight hits in the eight. Jason Childers retired all six hitters he faced, with two runs scoring on groundouts.

Durham (76-58) now has a magic number of seven to clinch a playoff spot with 10 games left. The Bulls and Gwinnett start a four-game series in Durham on Saturday with RHP Andy Sonnanstine on the mound against veteran lefty John Halama. Coverage on 99.9 the Fan ESPN Radio begins at 6:45 with first pitch at 7:05.

Bulls Week in Review: 8/22 to 8/28

Durham BullsThe Durham Bulls were 6-1 on the week and improved to 76-58 on the year. The Bulls are currently tied with Gwinnett for first place in the International League South Division with ten games remaining in the season. This week will make or break the Bulls as they face of head to head against Gwinnett for a four game series to start off the week.

Hitting Leaders:
Average: Akinori Iwamura (.303)
Slugging: Chris Richard (.533, tied second in INT)
On Base Pct: Akinori Iwamura (.452)
Hits: Jon Weber (131, tied sixth in INT)
Doubles: Jon Weber (44, first in INT)
Triples: Henry Mateo (4)
Home Runs: Chris Richard (23, third in INT)
RBI’s: Chris Richard (69, eighth in INT)
Stolen Bases: Justin Ruggiano (22)

Pitching Leaders:
ERA Starters: Jason Cromer (2.47)
ERA Overall: Winston Abreu (2.17)
Wins: Wade Davis (10, tied fifth in INT)
Saves: Dale Thayer (17, fourth in INT)
Strikeouts: Wade Davis (135, second in INT)

Team Hitting Stats (league rank):
Average: .262 (9 of 14)
Slugging: .414 (3 of 14)
On Base Pct: .338 (3 of 14)
Hits: 1210 (2 of 14)
Doubles: 273 (2 of 14)
Triples: 21 (9 of 14)
Home Runs: 128 (2 of 14)
Runs Scored: 623 (3 of 14)
Stolen Bases: 100 (6 of 14)

Team Pitching Stats (rank):
ERA: 3.81 (4 of 14)
Runs Allowed: 578 (11 of 14)
Strikeouts: 955 (1 of 14)
Walks: 494 (13 of 14)

Transactions: Elliot Johnson activated from disabled list (8/27/09).

Disabled List: Carlos Hernandez, Mitch Talbot, Craig Albernaz.

The Week Ahead: 8/29/09-9/1/09: vs Gwinnett Braves (76-58). 9/2/09-9/4/09: at Charlotte Knights (63-70).

Charlotte Stone Crabs-Sarasota Reds postponed

Charlotte Stone CrabsThe Game: Friday’s game between the Charlotte Stone Crabs and Sarasota Reds was postponed due to rainfall at Ed Smith Stadium. The game will be made up as part of a doubleheader on Saturday.

What Went Right: n/a

What Went Wrong: n/a

A Look Ahead: The Stone Crabs and Reds will play two on Saturday at Ed Smith Stadium. Alex Cobb and David Newmann are next up in the rotation.

Pinch hit single lifts Hudson Valley Renegades over Lowell Spinners

Hudson Valley RenegadesThe Game: The Hudson Valley Renegades and Lowell Spinners faced off in another close match-up but this time it was the Renegades taking the win 4-3 on Friday night at LeLacheur Park. Both teams went point for point through the first six innings of the game.

Lowell scored first in the second inning. Ronald Bermudez was hit by a pitch to start the inning. Then Kenneth Roque hit an RBI triple to right to score Bermudez and give the Spinners a 1-0 lead. Hudson Valley manager Brady Williams was tossed from the game after arguing the fair ball ruling on the triple.

The Renegades tied the game in the third inning. Chris Murrill singled to left to lead off the inning. Then Dustin Biell followed with a single to first. Tyler Bortnick advanced both runners with a sac bunt and Mark Thomas drove home Murrill with a sacrifice fly to tie the game at one.

Lowell regained the lead in the bottom of the fourth inning. William Holmes led off the inning with a triple to right. Drew Hedman followed with an RBI double to score Holmes and give the Spinners a 2-1 lead.

But Hudson Valley tied the game in the very next inning, scoring a run in the fifth. Tyler Bortnick reached on a force out to get the scoring drive started. Mark Thomas followed with a single to right that advance Bortnick to second. Then it was a single by Eli Sonoqui that scored Bortnick and tied the game at two.

The Spinners took the lead once again in the sixth inning. The inning got going with back to back singles by Daniel Butler and Kenneth Roque. Joantoni Garcia drove in a run with a ground ball that scored Butler and gave Lowell a 3-2 lead.

The Renegades fought back to take the lead in the top of the eighth. Brett Nommensen singled to lead off the inning. Elias Otero followed with a bunt to advance Nommensen to second and give Hudson Valley runners at first and second. Gabe Cohen advanced both runners into scoring position with a sacrifice bunt. Then David Genao pinch hit single drove home the tying and winning run to give the Renegades a 4-3 lead in which they held to the end.

Jason McEachern pitched 4 2/3 innings and allowed 2 runs on 3 hits with 5 strikeouts and 2 walks in the no decision. Doug Salinas earned the win by pitching 3 innings and surrendering 1 run on 5 hits with a strikeout and a walk. Zach Quate pitched 1 1/3 no-hit innings to record the save. Michael Bugary was the losing pitcher for Lowell.

What Went Right: Zach Quate; pitched 1 1/3 innings, striking out every batter he faced and lowered his ERA to 0.39.

What Went Wrong: Gabe Cohen 0-3 with 2 K’s.

A Look Ahead: The Renegades and Spinners conclude the series Saturday night at LeLacheur Park. Aaron Dott (1-4) will take the mound for Hudson Valley and Will pitch against Pedro Perez (1-5).

Princeton Rays doubleheader against Johnson City rained out

Princeton RaysThe Game: Friday’s doubleheader between the Princeton Rays and Johnson City Cardinals was postponed due to rain at Howard Johnson Field.

What Went Right: n/a

What Went Wrong: n/a

A Look Ahead: The Rays and Cardinals will attempt another doubleheader on Saturday at Howard Johnson Field.

Friday, August 28, 2009

Rays Acquire Sweeney, Torres from Angels

As you might have heard by now, the Rays have traded left-handed pitcher Scott Kazmir to the Angels for minor-leaguers Matthew Sweeney, Alexander Torres, and a PTBNL.

Sweeney is a first baseman masquerading as a third baseman. He was the Angels' 8th round pick out of a Maryland high school in 2006. He tore up the Arizona Rookie League and earned a promotion to full-season ball in 2007. In the Midwest League(a pitcher's league), he hit .260/.324/.458 as a 19-year old. His 2008 season was wiped out due to an ankle injury, and he returned in 2009 to hit .299/.379/.517 in the California League. Reports are he has some pretty good power potential, and his stats also show that he can draw a walk. His fielding at 3B is extremely rocky, and he'll almost certainly have to move to 1B or a corner outfield spot soon. He doesn't have great tools, and his future hinges on how his power develops.

Torres was an international signee out of Venezuela. He made his state-side debut in 2006 in the Arizona Rookie League. He evidently had an injury in 2007, as he pitched just 5 innings. He split time between the AZL and the Cal League in 2008, posting decent strikeout numbers with iffy control. That continued in 2009, where between the Cal(A+) and Texas(AA) leagues he's struck out 149 batters in 147 innings while walking 80. The left-hander has shown the ability to generate groundballs, but he needs to iron out the control issues before really emerging as a good prospect. He turns 22 in December.

There are a ton of other places to get analysis of the deal from, so I'll just say this, all with the full disclosure that Kazmir was my favorite player and basically the reason I became a Rays fan: The problem for me isn't so much that they actually traded Kazmir, it's that they traded him for a pretty unimpressive haul because his value was low, and they didn't really give him a chance to rebuild it. I would have at least let him pitch the rest of the season(he was fantastic against Toronto last time out) and see where his value is then. The Rays have the minor-league depth to absorb losing Kazmir(Wade Davis is the possible replacement), but it seems to me they really sold low on Kazmir.

At any rate, we'll see where the two new prospects are assigned to. Sweeney could join Charlotte for the playoff push, while Torres has thrown 147 innings already and it's possible the Rays shut him down for the rest of 2009.

Biscuits Week in Review: 8/21 to 8/27

Montgomery BiscuitsThe Montgomery Biscuits were 3-4 on the week and fell to 27-32 on the half. The Biscuits are currently in fourth place of the Southern Division with ten games remaining in the 2009 season.

Hitting Leaders:
Average: Chris Nowak (.313)
Slugging: Jose Lobaton (.516)
On Base Pct: Jason Perry (.371)
Hits: Fernando Cortez (104)
Doubles: Rashad Eldridge (18)
Triples: Jason Bowers (7, tied sixth in SOU)
Home Runs: Matt Spring (7)
RBI’s: Fernando Cortez (46)
Stolen Bases: Rashad Eldridge (20)

Pitching Leaders:
ERA Starters: Rayner Oliveros (3.25)
ERA Overall: Paul Phillips (2.50)
Wins: Heath Rollins (9, tied fifth in SOU)
Saves: Paul Phillips (7)
Strikeouts: Aneury Rodriguez (104, third in SOU)

Team Hitting Stats (league rank):
Average: .238 (10 of 10)
Slugging: .354 (8 of 10)
On Base Pct: .317 (10 of 10)
Hits: 1015 (10 of 10)
Doubles: 197 (8 of 10)
Triples: 36 (2 of 10)
Home Runs: 75 (7 of 10)
Runs Scored: 527 (9 of 10)
Stolen Bases: 121 (3 of 10)

Team Pitching Stats (rank):
ERA: 4.27 (9 of 10)
Runs Allowed: 589 (8 of 10)
Strikeouts: 833(10 of 10)
Walks: 415 (3 of 10)

Transactions: None.

Injuries: Neal Frontz (elbow) and Darin Downs (head).

The Week Ahead: 8/28/09-9/1/09: vs Carolina Mudcats (21-39). 9/2/09: Day Off. 9/3/09-9/4/09: at Mobile Bay Bears (25-35).

Hudson Valley Renegades drop close game to Lowell 3-2

Hudson Valley RenegadesThe Game: The Hudson Valley Renegades rally falls short as they lose to the Lowell Spinners 3-2 on Thursday night at LeLacheur Park. The Spinners picked up all three of their runs in the first inning. Derrik Gibson singled to get things started followed by a walk to Ryan Westmoreland. Michael Almanzar followed with a two run double. Almanzar advanced to third on a single by Drew Hedman and then scored on a sac fly by William Holmes to give Lowell a 3-0 lead.

The Renegades picked up their first run of the night in the fourth inning. Dustin Biell singled to right to start the inning. Biell then stole second and later scored on an RBI single by Eli Sonoqui.

The Renegades added another run in the fifth inning to pull within a run of the lead. Elias Otero reached on an error on lead off the inning. Bennett Davis followed with a single to left. Then DJ Jones reached on an error on his sac bunt to load the bases. Chris Murrill delivered an RBI single to score Otero. But the Renegades stranded the remaining runners and ended up losing the contest 3-2.

Kevin Chavez suffered the loss by giving up 3 runs on 4 hits while striking out 1 and walking 2. James Hill pitched the final 4 innings, allowing no runs on 1 hits while striking out 2 and walking 2. Cesare Angeloni picked up the win for Lowell.

What Went Right: Chris Murrill; 2 for 4 with an RBI, only Renegade with multiple hits.

What Went Wrong: Run Production; went 2 for 7 with runners in scoring position and stranded 6 on base.

A Look Ahead: The Renegades and Spinners face off again on Friday night at LeLacheur Park. Jason McEachern (1-3) will be on the mound for Hudson Valley against Jose Alvarez (7-3) for Lowell.

Princeton Rays sweep doubleheader with 14-2 win in game two

Princeton RaysThe Game: The Princeton Rays picked up a sweep of Thursday’s doubleheader by winning game two against the Johnson City Cardinals by the score of 14-2 at Howard Johnson Stadium. The Cardinals took the early lead by scoring two runs in the first inning. Luis Mateo led off the inning with a double to right field. Robert Stock followed with an RBI single to score Mateo, Stock then advanced to second on the throw. Stock later scored on an RBI single by Jonathan Rodriguez and the Cardinals took a 2-0 lead.

Princeton hit the scoreboard in grand style in the third inning. Alejandro Torres reached on a strike three wild pitch to lead off the inning. Ty Morrison then reached base with on a bunt. Kyle Spraker followed with an RBI single to score Torres and move Morrison to third. Then Ryan Wiegand drew a walk to load the bases. But they wouldn’t stay loaded long as Julio Cedeno cleared them with a grand slam to give the Rays a 5-2 lead.

Princeton struck again with another five run inning in the sixth inning, the Rays were a home run shy of a team cycle in the inning as they combined for one single, three double and a triple in the inning. Ty Morrison singled to get things started, followed by a walk to Kyle Spraker. Cody Roger drove home the first run with a double to left, scoring Morrison and moving Spraker to third. Then Ryan Wiegand drove home two more with a double that scored Spraker and Rogers. Julio Cedeno followed with an RBI double to score Wiegand. Ramon Novas drove home the fifth run of the inning with a triple to center that increased the Princeton lead to 10-2.

But the Princeton offense was not quite finished, posting four more runs in the seventh inning. Daniel Rhault and Alejandro Torres led off the inning with back to back singles. Kyle Spraker then drew a walk to load the bases. Cody Rogers reached base and Rhault scored on an error. Ryan Wiegand followed with a bases loaded walk to plate Torres for the second run. Julio Cedeno then drove home Spraker with an RBI single to left. The final run of the inning came on a ground ball by Thomas Francisco that scored Rogers and gave the Rays the 14-2 victory.

Trevor Shull got the start and pitched a 4 inning no decision, allowing 2 runs on 6 hits while striking out 4 and walking 2. Jairo De La Rosa earned the win, pitching the final 3 innings and allowed no runs on 1 hit with 4 strikeouts and a walk. Randy Santos suffered the loss for Johnson City.

What Went Right: The Offense; scored 14 runs on 13 hits which consisted of 7 extra base hits (5 doubles, 1 triple and 1 home run). Julio Cedeno; highlighted the offense by going 4 for 5 with 2 doubles, a home run, 6 RBI’s and 2 runs scored.

What Went Wrong: Tomas Francisco; only Ray not to record a hit.

A Look Ahead: The Rays and Cardinals will play another doubleheader on Friday night at Howard Johnson Field.