RaysProspects.com: June 2010

Wednesday, June 30, 2010

Hot Rods Week in Review: June 23 to June 29

The Bowling Green Hot Rods began the second half of the season this week going 3-2 on the week. The Hot Rods are currently one game back from first place.

Hitting Leaders:
Average: Tyler Bortnick (.301)
Slugging: Tyler Bortnick (.463)
On Base Pct: Tyler Bortnick (.395, tied seventh in MID)
Hits: Chris Murrill (79, tied tenth in MID)
Doubles: Tyler Bortnick (22, tied fifth in MID)
Triples: Ty Morrison (10, first in MID)
Home Runs: Tyler Bortnick(6)
RBI’s: Brett Nommensen (35)
Stolen Bases: Chris Murrill (28, tied third in MID)

Pitching Leaders:
ERA Starters: Alex Colome (3.05)
ERA Overall: Scott Shuman (2.08)
Wins: Alex Koronis (6, tied sixth in MID)
Saves: Scott Shuman (10, tied sixth in MID)
Strikeouts: Alex Colome (76, tied ninth in MID)

Team Hitting Stats (league rank):
Average: .256 (7 of 16)
Slugging: .361 (11 of 16)
On Base Pct: .325 (tied 9 of 16)
Hits: 624 (8 of 16)
Doubles: 119 (13 of 16)
Triples: 21 (tied 7 of 16)
Home Runs: 31 (14 of 16)
Runs Scored: 293 (14 of 16)
Stolen Bases: 124 (1 of 16)

Team Pitching Stats (rank):
ERA: 3.96 (11 of 16)
Runs Allowed: 349 (9 of 16)
Strikeouts: 611 (5 of 16)
Walks: 249 (8 of 16)

Transactions: Woods Fines removed from roster following retirement (6/23/10). Diogenes Luis transferred to Hudson Valley (6/24/10). Bennett Davis added to roster from Hudson Valley (6/25/10). David Wendt added to roster from Hudson Valley (6/25/10).

Disabled List: Dustin Biell, Tyree Hayes, Will Kline and Eli Sonoqui.

The Week Ahead: 6/30/10: vs Lansing Lugnuts. 7/1/10-7/3/10: vs Fort Wayne Tin Caps. 7/4/10-7/6/10: at Fort Wayne Tin Caps.

Minor Moves: Garcia

The Charlotte Stone Crabs are reporting that P Justin Garcia has been added to their roster from the Durham Bulls. Garcia was a member of the inaugural Stone Crabs team in 2009 and has spent the 2010 season between the Montgomery Biscuits and Durham Bull. Garcia is 2-2 on the year with a 5.23 ERA, striking out 29 and walking 6 in 32.2 innings pitched.

Five Biscuits Named to Southern League All-Star Squad

The Southern League released its roster for the 2010 All-Star Game. Five Biscuits have been named to the roster, four pitchers and one position player. Drew Anderson, Darin Downs, Matt Gorgen, Jeremy Hall and Alex Torres have been nominated to play for the South Davison.

Anderson is hitting .293 this season with 2 double, 6 triples and a home run in 54 games. He was drafted by the Cincinnati Reds in the 2004 Draft and was acquired by the Rays in 2009. This is his second all-star nomination, being nominated to the Southern League All-Star game in 2007.

Downs was nominated to the squad but will not play due to a promotion to AAA. He was 6-2 with a 1.69 ERA in 18 appearances for the Biscuits. This is his third all-star nomination, being nominated in 2005 for the Northwest League and 2009 for the Florida State League. Downs was traded to the Rays in 2008 from the Cubs.

Gorgen is 3-2 with 14 saves and a 1.59 ERA in 28 appearances this year. He was drafted by the Rays in the 2008 Draft. He has been nominated to an all-star squad in every year of his professional career.

Hall will be making his first all-star appearance. He is 4-4 with a 3.01 ERA in 15 starts this season. He was signed by the Rays as an undrafted free agent in 2007.

Torres holds a 7-3 record in 15 starts with a 2.61 ERA. This is his second year with the Biscuits after being acquired by the organization as part of the Scott Kazmir trade last season. Torres will be making his second all-star appearance, being named to the California League team in 2009.

The 2010 Southern League All-Star Game will be held on July 12 at Joe Davis Stadium, home of the Huntsville Stars.

Three Bulls Make International League All-Star Team

The International League released its roster for the 2010 Triple-A All-Star Game to be held on July 14. The roster consists of three Bulls as well as manager Charlie Montoyo to lead the team. Joe Dillon, Dan Johnson and Elliot Johnson will represent the International League.

Dillon is hitting .295 with an on base percentage of .352 with 16 doubles, 5 home runs and 3 stolen bases in 51 games this season. Dillon was acquired by the Rays in 2009 and has spent the last two seasons with the Bulls with a 15 game stint with the Rays last season.

Dan Johnson is the league leader in RBI's and is hitting .297 with a .577 slugging percentage. He has hit 18 home runs and drove home 63 RBI's so far this season. He was drafted by the Oakland Athletics in 2001 and signed by the Rays as a free agent in 2010.

Elliot Johnson is hitting .282 on the year with an .342 on base percentage. Johnson has 11 doubles, 2, triples and 5 home runs while stealing 19 bases this season. This is his third all-star nomination, being a part of the 2005 California League All-Star and the 2006 Southern League All-Star squads. He was signed by the organization as an undrafted free agent in 2002.

The 2010 Triple-A All-Star Game will be held on July 14 at Coca-Cola Park, home of the Lehigh Valley Iron Pigs.

Stone Crabs Snap Losing Streak with Shut-Out over Palm Beach

The Charlotte Stone Crabs picked up their first win of the second half by defeating the Palm Beach Cardinals 6-0 and snapping a five game losing streak. The Stone Crabs offense came alive, powered by a 4 for 5 performance by Shawn O'Malley including 2 triples and a double while scoring three time.

The Stone Crabs took the lead in the first inning. O'Malley led off the inning with a triple to center. O'Malley would then score on a wild pitch for the first run of the game. Stephen Vogt then reached on a passed ball on strike three followed by a single by Matt Spring to put two runners on the bases. They would not remain there long as Reid Fronk struck his fourth triple of the season, scoring both runners and giving the Stone Crabs a 3-0 lead.

The Charlotte offense struck again in the second inning. Once again it was an extra base hit by O'Malley to get things going, this time it was a double to center. Vogt drove home the run with an RBI single to increase the lead to 4-0.

The Stone Crabs would score yet again in the sixth inning with another extra base hit by O'Malley. O'Malley picked up his second triple of the game, driving the ball to right field. He would later score on a ground out by Tim Beckham to push the lead to 5-0.

The Stone Crabs sixth and final run would come in the eighth inning. Kyeong Kang doubled to center followed by a single by O'Malley to move him to third. Kang would score on an RBI single by Tim Beckham to give the Stone Crabs the 6-0 victory.

Joe Cruz pitched 7 shut-out innings enroute to his fifth win of the season. Cruz allowed 5 hits with 7 strikeouts and 3 walks. Zach Quate lowered his ERA to 0.47 by pitching 2 no-hit innings in relief, striking out 1 and walking 1.

The Stone Crabs and Cardinals conclude the series on Wednesday night at Roger Dean Stadium. Frank De Los Santos (6-3, 4.66) will make the start for the Stone Crabs versus Brett Zawacki (2-2) for Palm Beach.

Renegades Rally Falls Short in Loss to Brooklyn

The Hudson Valley Renegades tried to rally in the ninth, but the rally fell short as they lost 8-6 to the Brooklyn Cyclones on Tuesday at Dutchess Stadium.

Brooklyn took the lead in the top of the first. William Cherry drove home two runs with a double to left, giving them a 2-0 lead.

The Cyclones added to their lead in the fourth inning. Rylan Sandoval drove home two runs with a single to right. Darrell Ceciliani then doubled to score Sandoval. Cory Vaughn drove home Ceciliani with a sac fly to increase the lead to 6-0.

The Renegades got their first run of the game in the fifth. Steve Tinoco singled to center then later scored on a ground out by Alejandro Torres for the first run.

The Renegades added three more runs in the next inning. Derek Dietrich and Phillip Wunderlich delivered back to back singles to put runners on base. Nicholas Schwaner followed with a double to score Dietrich. Tinoco then drove home Wunderlich with a ground out to second. Robby Price plated Schwaner to pull the Renegades to within two, 6-4.

Brooklyn struck again in the ninth. Vaughn led off the inning with a solo home run to center. Joe Bonfe later hit an RBI single to increase their lead to 8-4.

The Renegades tried to rally in the bottom of the ninth. Singles by Price and Torres followed by a walk to Craige Lyerly loaded the bases. Dietrich and Wunderlich would both drive home runs but they left runners the tying runs stranded and took a 8-6 loss.

Julius Dettrich suffered the loss, pitching 3 1/3 innings and allowing 4 runs on 5 hits with a strikeout and 4 walks. Nate Garcia pitched 2 innings and allowed 2 runs on 3 hits with a strikeout and 2 walks. Kevin Chavez pitched the final 3 2/3 innings, giving up 2 runs on 4 hits with 5 strikeouts.

The series concludes on Wednesday night at MCU Park in Brooklyn.

P-Rays Shut-Out Pulaski

The Princeton Rays evened the series against the Pulaski Mariners by earning a 1-0 win on Tuesday night at Hunnicut Field. The Rays scored early in the pitching duel and held it till the end.

The only run of the game came in the first inning. Leonardo Reginatto doubled to left to lead off the inning. Kevin Kiermaier drove home the run with a triple to give the Rays a 1-0 lead.

The win was fueled by a shut-out performance by Braulio Lara. Lara surrendered 3 runs in 6 innings while striking out 6. Wade Broyles pitched the final three innings, allowing a hit while striking out 3 and earning the save.

The Rays and Mariners wrap up the series on Wednesday at Hunnicutt Field. Eliazer Suero (0-1, 6.23) will be making the start for the P-Rays.

Eighth Inning Homer Beats Biscuits After Record Delay

[Game recap from Joe Davis of Montgomery Biscuits.]

MOBILE, AL – After a franchise-record 3-hour and 39-minute rain delay, the Biscuits allowed just four hits to the BayBears, but fell by a final of 2-1Tuesday at Hank Aaron Stadium. The game was scheduled to begin at 12:05; it wound up finishing at 6:08.

The BayBears broke a scoreless tie in a lighting-quick ballgame in the fifth against Jeremy Hall. Evan Frey led off the frame with a double, then moved to third on a wild pitch and scored on a sacrifice fly from Collin Cowgill.

The Biscuits tied it one inning later. Henry Wrigley started things off with a double down the left field line, and would score on a Chris De La Cruz ground out.

With the game tied at one in the bottom of the eighth, Bryan Byrne homered off Matt Gorgen (3-2) to straightaway left field for what would prove to be the game-winning run.

Hall took a no-decision, allowing a run on just two hits over six innings while striking out five and walking one. Mobile starter Wade Miley also settled for a no-decision, giving up a run on four hits in seven innings of work. The win went to Jeff Dietz, who pitched a hitless eighth inning. Reid Mahon (3) allowed a two-out single to Nevin Ashley in the ninth, but got Chris De La Cruz to line out at the warning track in right to nail down the save.

Wrigley paced the Biscuits with a 2-4 day.

LHP Jake McGee will start for Montgomery on Wednesday against Mobile RHP Bryan Henry after scheduled starter Barry Enright was promoted to the Diamondbacks to start against the Cardinals on Wednesday. The Biscuits and BayBears will get started with the third of six at 7:05.

Four Run Eighth Propels Bulls to Victory

[Game recap provided by Durham Bulls.]

Durham, NC - The Bulls pushed four runs across in the eighth against Bats reliever Aroldis Chapman and held on for a 7-5 victory over Louisville on Tuesday at Durham Bulls Athletic Park. Chris Richard had a game-tying single and Angel Chavez brought home the go-ahead run for the Bulls, who improve to a league best 47-31 on the season.

Durham fell behind early as Louisville put three runs on the board in the third inning against Virgil Vasquez. A two-run double by Yonder Alonso brought across the first two runs, and Alonso scored later in the inning on a sacrifice fly by Juan Francisco. It would be the only three allowed by Vasquez on the night, who worked 5.0 innings in his first Bulls start since April 21 after injuring his wrist.

After Bats rehabbing starter Edinson Volquez set the first nine Bulls down in order, Desmond Jennings got a run back to lead off the fourth inning with his first home run of the season off the bull in left field. They would add another run in the sixth inning on a two-out, RBI double by Justin Ruggiano which scored Jennings to cut the deficit to one.

The teams exchanged runs in the seventh inning, as Zack Cozart hit his 10th home run of the season to extend the Louisville lead to two. In the bottom half of the inning, Chapman hit Dioner Navarro in the back with a 102 MPH fastball with one out before the Bulls catcher came around to score later in the inning on a two-out error by Chris Valaika.

Louisville added a run in the top of the eighth, but the Bulls came back in the bottom half of the inning to take the lead with four runs off the much-heralded Reds left-hander. J.J. Furmaniak started the inning with a single and Dan Johnson was hit by a pitch with one-out to put runners at first and second. A pair of wild pitches allowed Furmaniak to score, and Chris Richard came through with a game-tying RBI single off the third base bag to score Johnson. Right-hander Jon Adkins came out of the bullpen, but walked Navarro and allowed an RBI single to Angel Chavez which gave the Bulls the lead. Fernando Perez followed with an RBI double to conclude the scoring, giving closer Winston Abreu a two-run lead heading into the ninth.

A two-out single by Wladimir Balentien brought the tying run to the plate in the ninth, but Winston Abreu struck out Francisco swinging to end the game and give the right-hander his eighth save of the season. Aneury Rodriguez earned the win, his fourth, after tossing 3.0 innings of relief allowing two earned runs on four hits while walking one and striking out two. Chapman took the loss, allowing four runs (three earned) on two hits while hitting two batters and throwing two wild pitches.

After starting the season 0-27 when trailing after seven innings, the Bulls have put together comeback wins in each of their last two games. Durham sits atop the Southern Division standings, 9.0 games ahead of second place Charlotte.

The two teams continue their series tomorrow as RHP Jeremy Hellickson (10-2 2.19) goes for his league leading 11th victory of the season. Game time is set for 7:05 p.m.

Hot Rods Fall to Lugnuts 4-2

[Game recap provided by Tom Gauthier of the Bowling Green Hot Rods.]

Bowling Green, KY – Ryan Wiegand and Tyler Bortnick each delivered two-out RBI singles for the Hot Rods on Tuesday night, but Bowling Green (33-40) couldn’t muster enough offense in a 4-2 loss to the Lansing Lugnuts (40-34). The loss evens their three-game series with Lansing a one game each heading into the series finale on Thursday night.

Lansing’s winning rally came in the top of the ninth in a 2-2 game. Deivis Mavarez, who came on to record the final out of the eighth, struggled with his command by issuing a pair of two out walks. After getting the second out in the inning, Mavarez nearly made it out of the inning before Sean Ochinko belted a two-run double into the left field corner to give Lansing its insurmountable lead.

The late offense for Lansing capped off a pitcher’s duel for the first eight frames. Lansing took a 1-0 lead in the first before Wiegand’s single drove in Murrill with two outs to tie the game.

In the fifth, Lansing scored on a wild pitch from Kirby Yates to take a 2-1 lead. But, after Murrill reached on a force out, he took second base on a balk and then scored when Bortnick lined a two-out single to left field to knot it back up at 2-2.

That was all the offense the Hot Rods could generate, never advancing a runner past first base the rest of the game. Nestor Molina worked two scoreless innings to earn the win and has now thrown 11 scoreless frames against the Hot Rods on the season.

Wiegand led the Hot Rods seven hit attack with a pair of base knocks and his 33rd RBI on the season. Gabe Cohen smacked a double and a single while Mark Thomas added his own single to extend his hitting streak to 11 games.

Kirby Yates took a no-decision for the Hot Rods after allowing two earned runs over five innings. He surrendered five hits, walked three, and struck out four in his first go-round as a full-time member of the rotation. Matt Stabelfeld had a good night out of the bullpen by throwing 2.2 scoreless on just two hits, a walk, and two K’s.

The series now comes to an end on Wednesday night as the first 1,000 fans get a 2010 Hot Rods Team Card Set courtesy of Destiny Dental. For tickets, visit www.bghotrods.com, call 270.901.2121, or head to the Ticket Office at Bowling Green Ballpark.

The pitching match-up for Wednesday night features RHP Alexander Colome (4-5, 3.05) going up against Lansing RHP Dave Sever (2-3, 4.15). First pitch is at 7:05 PM. You can listen to the game with Tom Gauthier and Hank Fuerst beginning at 6:50 on 1340 AM WBGN and www.bghotrods.com.

Tuesday, June 29, 2010

Renegades Week in Review: June 18-June 28

The Hudson Valley Renegades kicked off the season by going 5-5 on the week. They are currently in second place of the New York-Penn Leagues McNamara Division, 1 1/2 games back from the leader.

Hitting Leaders:
Average: Diogenes Luis (.583)
Slugging: Diogenes Luis (.583)
On Base Pct: Diogenes Luis (.615)
Hits: Burt Reynolds (10)
Doubles: Derek Dietrich, Burt Reynolds and Nicholas Schwaner (4, tied third in NYP)
Triples: Burt Reynolds (2, tied third in NYP)
Home Runs: Robby Price and Nicholas Schwaner (1)
RBI’s: Burt Reynolds (8, tied eighth in NYP)
Stolen Bases: Brian Bryles, Burt Reynolds and Chris Winder (2)

Pitching Leaders:
ERA Starters: Wilmer Almonte (2.61)
ERA Overall: Robert Dickmann, Nate Garcia, Austin Hubbard and Adam Liberatore (0.00)
Wins: Julius Dettrich, Nate Garcia, Steve Hiscock, Austin Hubbard and Miguel Sierra (1)
Saves: Hunter Hill and Austin Hubbard (1)
Strikeouts: Devin Fuller and Miguel Sierra (10)

Team Hitting Stats (league rank):
Average: .237 (9 of 14)
Slugging: .344 (tied 7 of 14)
On Base Pct: .314 (9 of 14)
Hits: 79 (11 of 14)
Doubles: 20 (4 of 14)
Triples: 5 (tied 4 of 14)
Home Runs: 2 (tied 12 of 14)
Runs Scored: 41 (10 of 14)
Stolen Bases: 13 (tied 3 of 14)

Team Pitching Stats (rank):
ERA: 4.55 (12 of 14)
Runs Allowed: 51 (9 of 14)
Strikeouts: 68 (12 of 14)
Walks: 31 (1 of 14)

Transactions: Mayobanex Acosta added to roster from Bowling Green (6/22/10). Diogenes Luis added to roster from Bowling Green (6/24/10). Phillip Wunderlich added to roster (6/25/10). Bennett Davis promoted to Bowling Green (6/25/10). David Wendt promoted to Bowling Green (6/25/10).

Injuries: None.

The Week Ahead: 6/29/10: vs Brooklyn Cyclones (7-4). 6/30/10: at Brooklyn Cyclones (7-4). 7/1/10-7/3/10: vs Aberdeen Iron Birds (5-6). 7/4/10-7/5/10: at State College Spikes (5-6).

McEachern, Davis Lead Hot Rods Past Lugnuts 5-3

[Game recap provided by Tom Gauthier of Bowling Green Hot Rods.]

Bowling Green, KY – Jason McEachern worked a season-high 6.1 innings while Bennett Davis drove in three runs to lead the Hot Rods to a 5-3 series-opening win over the Lansing Lugnuts. The victory opens up a six-game home stand at Bowling Green Ballpark and improves the Hot Rods to 3-1 to begin the second half of the season.
McEachern and Lansing starter Matt Fields threw matching zeros on the board through the first three innings, allowing just four combined hits. After McEachern threw a perfect fourth inning the Hot Rods got to Fields in the bottom half.

The frame began with Tyler Bortnick belting his 22nd double of the season, moving him into second place in the Midwest League. He scored when Brett Nommensen followed with his own double to put the Hot Rods on top 1-0.

After a walk and a fly out, Bennett Davis impressed the home crowd in his Bowling Green Ballpark debut by singling home Nommensen to make it 2-0. Kyle Spraker followed with a single to load the bases, giving Julio Cedeno the opportunity to make it 3-0 with his single into right field.

Those three runs were all McEachern needed. He worked into and out of a bases loaded jam in the fifth before retiring the side in order in the sixth. He ended up leaving the game with one out in the seventh after surrendering a soft single to Kevin Ahrens.
Deivis Mavarez came on and issued a walk before striking out the final two hitters to preserve McEachern’s shutout effort. McEachern allowed just four hits and a pair of walks to go along with four strikeouts to earn his third win in 2010.

Lansing would eventually ruin the shutout completely by getting a pair of runs off of Scott Shuman in the eighth. The rally snapped Shuman’s 16 inning scoreless streak and cut the Hot Rods lead to 3-2. But Davis came through again in the bottom of the eighth, smacking a two-run single to bump the lead back to three runs.

The Hot Rods would need those runs as Alex Koronis allowed a run in the ninth before settling down to strand a pair for his second save of the season.

Davis was the offensive star for the Hot Rods, going 2-4 with a three RBI game. He also stole his first base of the season in the eighth inning. Mark Thomas added a pair of hits to extend his hitting streak to 10 games. All told the Hot Rods finished with 14 hits with every starter picking up at least one.

The series continues on Tuesday night with another KRAFT ® Singles Tuesday. Fans that bring in a KRAFT ® wrapper receive a special Buy One Ticket, Get One Free offer courtesy of KRAFT ® Singles. For tickets, visit www.bghotrods.com, call 270.901.2121, or head to the Ticket Office at Bowling Green Ballpark.

The pitching match-up for Tuesday night features RHP Kirby Yates (1-2, 1.93) going up against Lansing LHP Egan Smith (1-0, 3.00). First pitch is at 7:05 PM. You can listen to the game with Tom Gauthier and Hank Fuerst beginning at 6:50 on 1340 AM WBGN and www.bghotrods.com.

Biscuits Blow Lead, Lose in Ninth

[Game recap provided by Joe Davis of the Montgomery Biscuits.]

MOBILE, AL – The Mobile BayBears (5-2) scored twice off Dane De La Rosa in the bottom of the ninth to complete a comeback over the Biscuits (4-3) 6-5 after John Matulia had led off the top of the ninth with a go-ahead homer Monday at Hank Aaron Stadium.

Ollie Linton started off the ninth with a walk against De La Rosa, then stole second and moved to third when Ashley’s throw bounced off Chris De La Cruz’s glove. Evan Frey then singled to score Linton and tie the game at five, and advanced to third on a Kory Casto single. With one down, Konrad Schmidt pulled a groundball inside of third to score Frey and complete the comeback.

The Biscuits had staked a 4-0 lead in the game, getting two in the second on a De La Cruz single and a passed ball. They’d add two more in the fifth on a Nevin Ashley double and a Chris Nowak bounce-out.

Biscuits starter David Newmann tossed four scoreless to begin the game, but the BayBears jumped on him in the fifth, getting doubles from Ed Easley and Konrad Schmidt, a two-run double from Frey, and a two-run homer from Collin Cowgill to tie the game at 4-4.

Matulia’s homer made it 5-4 off Roque Mercedes (3-3), who, ironically, picked up the win.

Newmann took a no-decision, allowed four runs (three earned) over 4.2, striking out five and walking two. De La Rosa (4-1) suffered his first loss. BayBears starter Tom Layne took a no-decision, allowing four runs on eight hits over 7.0 innings.

Rashad Eldridge and Matulia each went 2-3. Henry Wrigley was 2-4 in his Biscuits debut.

RHP Jeremy Hall faces off against LHP Wade Miley at 12:05 Tuesday.

Renegades Fall to Brooklyn 5-2

The Hudson Valley Renegades lost to the Brooklyn Cyclones 5-2 on Monday night at MCU Park.

The Renegades reached the scoreboard first in the top of the first inning. Diogenes Luis singled to center then later scored on an RBI single by Burt Reynolds to take a 1-0 lead.

Brooklyn battled back to take the lead in the bottom of the first. Cory Vaughn delivered a two run homer to put the Cyclones on top 2-1.

The Cyclones increased their lead in the fifth inning. Rylan Sandoval doubled to right to lead off the inning. Darrel Ceciliani followed with a bunt single to move Sandoval to third. Vaughn knocked home a run with a ground out to score Sandoval. Jeff Flagg then cleared the bases with a two run homer to put Brooklyn ahead 5-1.

The Renegades would get another run in the top of the eighth. Burt Reynolds led off the inning with a triple to right, his second three bagger of the season. Reynolds would later score on a single by Philip Wunderlich. But that was all the offense the Renegades could muster as they lost 5-2.

Devin Fuller took the loss, pitching 4 innings and allowing 4 runs on 9 hits with 6 strikeouts. Steve Hiscock pitched 3 innings and allowed a run on 3 hits with 4 strikeouts and a walk. Adam Liberatore pitched a scoreless inning, allowing a hit while striking out 2 and walking 1.

The Renegades take on the Cyclones again on Tuesday at MCU Park. Joey Dettrich (1-1, 5.79) will start for Hudson Valley.

P-Rays Unable to Hold Off Late Rally, Fall 7-3 to Pulaski

The Princeton Rays fell to the Pulaski Mariners 7-3 on Monday night at Hunnicutt Field.

Pulaski took the lead in the fourth inning. Derek Poppert singled home Jorge Agudelo to give the Mariners a 1-0 lead.

The Mariners added to their lead in the fifth inning. Jake Schlander reached on an error to get things started. Agudelo then singled to right, scoring Schlander and giving the Mariners a 2-0 lead.

The Rays battled back to take the lead in the bottom of the sixth inning. Kevin Kiermaier led off the inning with a walk. Kiermaier later scored on a single by Scott Lawson. Alejandro Segovia doubled to left to score Lawson and tie the ball game. Segovia would then score on a double by Hector Guevara to take a 3-2 lead.

The Rays held the lead until the top of the eighth inning when the Mariners struck for five runs. They used small ball to get the runs across, combining walks and singles to load the bases and push the runs across. The Rays could not counter in the final frames as they took a 7-3 loss.

Andrew Bellatti walked away with a no-decision in his second start of the year, pitching 6 innings and allowing 2 unearned runs on 5 hits with 5 strikeouts. Brad Furdal suffered the loss, pitching 1 1/3 innings, allowing 2 runs on no hits with 2 walks. Garrett Carruth pitched the final 1 2/3 innings, surrendering 3 runs on 3 hits with a strikeout and a walk.

The two clubs face off again on Tuesday night from Hunnicutt Field. Braulio Lara (0-1, 8.31) will pitch against George Mieses (0-0, 4.50).

Stone Crabs Drop Fifth Game in a Row, 6-1 to Palm Beach

Anthony Scelfo drove home the only run for the Stone Crabs. Photo by Jim Donten.

The Charlotte Stone Crabs lost their fifth game in a row, falling to Palm Beach 6-1 on Monday at Charlotte Sports Park. With the loss, the Stone Crabs have to get a win during the second half of the season.

Palm Beach took the lead in the first inning. Tommy Pham drew a walk then later scored on a double by Chris Swauger to take the lead 1-0.

A walk to Colt Sedbrook led to the start of another Cardinal rally in the fifth. Sedbrook scored on an RBI single by Tommy Pham. Pham then scored on a wild pitch to increase the lead to 3-0.

The Palm Beach offense continued to roll, striking for three more runs in the seventh inning. Swauger was hit by a pitch. Jermaine Curtis followed with a single to left. Charles Cutler then drew a walk to load the bases. Xavier Scruggs drove home all the runners with a triple to center to take a commanding 6-0 lead.

The Stone Crabs picked up a run in the bottom of the seventh to avoid being shut-out. Greg Sexton was hit by a pitch to put a runner on. Sexton advanced to second on a ground out by Michael Sheridan. Anthony Scelfo plated the run with a single to center. But the Stone Crabs could not push across another run, taking a 6-1 loss.

Chris Andujar suffered the loss, pitching 5 innings and allowing 3 runs on 5 hits with 3 strikeouts and 3 walks. Marquis Fleming pitched 2 innings, allowing 3 runs on 2 hits with 3 strikeouts and 2 walks. Neil Schenk and Michael Jarman continues to dominate out of the pen, leaving the Cardinal offense hitless in the final frames. Schenk pitched a no-hit eighth inning with 2 strikeouts and a walk. Jarman was on in the ninth, allowing no hits as well.

The series heads to Roger Dean Stadium for the final two games. Joe Cruz (4-5, 4.30) will face Arquimedes Nieto (6-3, 4.04).

Monday, June 28, 2010

Game Pictures from 6/27: Stone Crabs vs Cardinals

P-Rays Week in Review: June 22 to June 27

The Princeton Rays began the 2010 season with a four game losing streak before recording their first win on Saturday. The Rays completed the week 2-4 and are in a three way tie for third place in the Appalachian League’s Eastern Division.

Hitting Leaders:
Average: Kevin Kiermaier (.438)
Slugging: Kevin Kiermaier (.563)
On Base Pct: Brian Harris (.455)
Hits: Kevin Kiermaier and Leonardo Reginatto (7)
Doubles: Ruben Contreras (4)
Triples: Hector Guevara (1)
Home Runs: Bryan Fogle (1)
RBI’s: Ruben Contreras (3)
Stolen Bases: Ruben Contreras, Scott Lawson, Leonardo Reginatto, Jeff Malm, Todd Glaesmann and Kevin Kiermaier (1)

Pitching Leaders:
ERA Starters: Jacob Partridge (0.00)
ERA Overall: Jacob Partridge, Matt Gilson, Mickey Jannis, Wade Broyles, Chris Rearick, Garret Carruth and Brad Furdal (0.00)
Wins: Jacob Partridge and Matt Gilson (1)
Saves: Mickey Jannis (1)
Strikeouts: Enny Romero (9)

Team Hitting Stats (league rank):
Average: .200 (10 of 10)
Slugging: .292 (10 of 10)
On Base Pct: .274 (10 of 10)
Hits: 39 (10 of 10)
Doubles: 13 (tied 4 of 10)
Triples: 1 (tied 8 of 10)
Home Runs: 1 (10 of 10)
Runs Scored: 15 (10 of 10)
Stolen Bases: 6 (tied 3 of 10)

Team Pitching Stats (rank):
ERA: 2.38 (2 of 10)
Runs Allowed: 19 (2 of 10)
Strikeouts: 39 (8 of 10)
Walks: 20 (tied 6 of 10)

Transactions: George Jenson added to roster (6/27/10).

Injuries: None

The Week Ahead: 6/28/10-6/30/10: vs Pulaski Mariners (4-2). 7/1/10-7/3/10: at Danville Braves (5-1). 7/4/10: vs Bluefield Orioles (2-4).

Durham Bulls 3, Lehigh Valley IronPigs 2

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

Durham, NC - The Bulls wrapped up a four-game series with Lehigh Valley in walk-off fashion, downing the IronPigs 3-2 on a two-run double by J.J. Furmaniak in the ninth inning. It was the first walk-off win for the Bulls this season and tied them with Columbus for the best record in the International League at 46-31.

The Bulls allowed a pair of runs in the second inning to fall behind 2-0. An error by Bulls 3B Joe Dillon allowed John Mayberry to reach to start the inning, and he advanced to second on a single by Andy Tracy. One batter later, Domonic Brown grounded an RBI single into centerfield and Melvin Dorta followed with another RBI single to put the IronPigs in front by two.

After being unable to get to Lehigh Valley right-hander Drew Carpenter through 6.0 shutout innings, the Bulls finally got on the board against the bullpen in the seventh. A one-out double by Desmond Jennings put a runner in scoring position, and Furmaniak followed with a bloop single to centerfield to bring the run home.

It would be the same duo in the ninth that sent the fans at Durham Bulls Athletic Park home happy. Pinch hitter Jose Lobaton singled with one out against Ryan Vogelsong to start the rally, and Jennings singled to put runners at the corners for Furmaniak. After falling behind in the count 0-2, Furmaniak laced a high fastball into the left-centerfield gap that rolled to the wall. Chavez, who pinch ran for Lobaton, scored to tie the game and Jennings followed with the game winning tally to give the Bulls their 46th victory of the season.

Darin Downs picked up the win for Durham, tossing 1.2 innings of scoreless relief allowing one hit and two walks while also striking out one. The Bulls took three of four from the IronPigs over the weekend, their 15th series win of the season.

Tomorrow, the Louisville Bats come to town as the start of a four-game set at Durham Bulls Athletic Park. RHP Virgil Vasquez (2-0, 5.28) takes the mound for the Bulls in his first start since coming off the DL. He will be matched up with Reds RHP Edinson Volquez, making a rehab start for the Bats. Game time is set for 7:05 p.m.

Stone Crabs Shut Out by Palm Beach

The Charlotte Stone Crabs were shut-out by the Palm Beach Cardinals 3-0 on Sunday evening at Charlotte Sports Park. The offense struggled to get anything going, only managing three hits of which none of the baserunners even made it into scoring position.

Palm Beach scored in the first inning. Thomas Pham led off the game with a double to right field. Jarred Bogany drove home the runner with a line drive to left, giving the Cardinals a 1-0 lead.

The Cardinal added to their lead in the fifth inning. Colt Sedbrook singled to right to lead off the inning. Sedbrook stole second then advanced to third on a wild pitch. Jermaine Curtis singled to right to score Sedbrook to give them a 2-0 lead.

Palm Beach added one more insurance run in the ninth inning. Jarred Bogany drew a walk. Bogany would later score on a sac fly by Oliver Marmol to give the Cardinals the 3-0 margin of victory.

Matt Moore suffered the loss despite a solid performance on the mound. Moore allowed 2 runs on 5 hits with 11 strikeouts and 2 walks in 6 innings pitch. Rayner Oliveros made his first appearance as a Stone Crab this season with 3 innings pitched, allowing 1 run on 1 hits with 3 strikeouts and a walk.

The Stone Crabs will look to get things turned around when they face the Cardinals on Monday night at Charlotte Sports Park. Chris Andujar (6-1, 3.15) will make the start for the Stone Crabs facing Scott Schneider (1-0, 0.00) for Palm Beach.

Princeton Rays Beat Bristol 7-1

The Princeton Rays took the series by defeating the Bristol Sox 7-1 on Sunday at Boyce Cox Field. It remained closed throughout the game, but a huge eighth inning was all it took to secure the victory for the Rays.

The Rays broke the scoreless tie in the fourth inning. Bryan Fogle delivered a solo home run to right field that put the Rays on top 1-0.

Bristol matched runs in the bottom of the fourth inning to tie the game. Michael Scwartz doubled to left then scored on an RBI single by Tyler Saladino to put us back where we started,a tie ballgame.

The game remained tied until the eighth inning when the P-Rays struck for six runs. Todd Glaesmann led off the inning with a double to left. Scott Lawson then drew a walk. Ruben Contreras followed with his fourth double of the season, driving home Glaesmann and moving Lawson to third. The Hector Guervara drove home a run with a single to center, scoring Lawson. Jeff Malm reached on an error that scored Contreras and Guevera. Then Brian Harris drew the second walk of the inning. Both runners advanced into scoring position on a wild pitch. Leonardo Reginatto singled to right to drive home Malm and Harris to give the Rays the 7-1 margin of victory.

Enny Romero made the start, pitching 6 innings and allowing 1 run on 2 hits with 7 strikeouts and 2 walks. Matt Gilson picked up the win, pitching 1 2/3 shut-out innings, allowing 1 hit with 3 strikeouts and 2 walks. Chris Rearick pitched 1 1/3 no-hit innings to end the game.

The Rays (2-4) return home to Hunnicutt Field to begin a three game series against the Pulaski Mariners (4-2). Andrew Bellatti (0-1, 1.69) will take the hill to face Jessie Nava for Pulaski.

Renegades Fall to Staten Island

The Hudson Valley Renegades split the two game series against the State Island Yankees, losing 8-6 on Sunday at Richmond County Bank Ballpark. The Renegades big sixth inning was not enough to earn the win.

Staten Island took the lead in the first inning. Eduardo Sosa led off the inning with a single to cent. Sosa stole second and would later score on a sac fly by Shane Brown to put the Yankees on top 1-0.

The Yankees increased their lead in the fourth inning. Kevin Mahoney drew a walk to get things starts. Then Kelvin De Leon cleared the bases with a two run blast to put them on top 3-0.

The Renegades reached the scoreboard in the sixth inning, striking for six runs in the frame. Chris Winder led off the inning with a triple. Diogenes Luis followed with an RBI single to score Winder. Luis advanced to third on a double by Derek Dietrich. Steve Tinoco singled to left, scoring Luis and moving Dietrich to third. Philip Wunderlich then delivered an RBI single to right, scoring Dietrich and moving Tinoco to second. Nicholas Scwhwaner knocked home two runs with a double to center. Wunderlich and Schwaner would then score on a error following a Burt Reynolds ground ball to second, giving the Renegades a 6-3 lead.

Staten Island tied things up in the bottom of the sixth inning. De Leon went deep for the second time in the game. The three run homer tied the game at 6-6.

Staten Island earned the victory in the bottom of the eighth inning. Kyle Roller doubled to center to lead off the inning. Kevin Mahoney followed with a single to third. De Leon drove home his sixth run of night with a ground out third,scoring the go ahead run. They would later get an insurance run when Jose Mojica delivered a sac fly to score Mahoney, giving them a 8-6 victory.

Omar Bencomo pitched 4 2/3 innings and allowed 3 runs on 4 hits with 3 strikeouts and a walk. Kyle Ayers followed with 2 1/3 innings, allowing 3 runs on 3 hits with a strikeout and 1 walk. Hunter Hill was charged with the loss, surrendering 2 runs on 2 hits in an inning pitched.

The Renegades (5-4) head to Coney Island to begin a three game series against the Brooklyn Cyclones (6-4) on Monday.

Costly Errors Doom Bulls

Game recap provided by Matt DeMargel of Durham Bulls.

Durham, NC - The Bulls could not overcome a pair of defensive miscues in the eighth inning as they fell at the hands of Lehigh Valley by the score of 4-2 on Sunday evening at the Durham Bulls Athletic Park. A throwing error by Jose Lobaton brought across the go-ahead run in the eighth inning, and the IronPigs tacked on another in the ninth as the Bulls fall to 45-31 on the season.

The two teams were scoreless through the first three innings, but the IronPigs got on the board with a run in the fourth off Bulls starter Heath Phillips. With a runner on second, former Bull Paul Hoover grounded a ball into the hole at short for an infield single. Melvin Dorta appeared to be caught rounding too far around third, but Luna’s throw home skipped away from Jose Lobaton allowing the run to come across.

Dorta brought across another Lehigh Valley run with a sacrifice fly in the sixth inning, but the Bulls would come back to tie the score with a pair of runs in the bottom of the seventh against IronPigs starter Brian Mazone. After Lobaton reached on a force out, Fernando Perez stepped to the plate and blasted a two-run homer off the windows of the Diamond View II building in left-center, tying the score at two. It was the second homer in as many nights for Perez, who has collected an extra-base hit in three straight games for the first time this season.

The tie would be short-lived, as Lehigh Valley came back in the eighth to take the lead again. A leadoff double by Andy Tracy put a runner in scoring position, and one batter later Domonic Brown singled up the middle. Brown looked take second on the throw home, and Lobaton’s throw skipped away from Luna allowing Tracy to score the go-ahead run. They would add another run in the ninth on a sacrifice fly by Greg Dobbs, while Oscar Villarreal and Scott Mathieson each tossed a perfect inning of relief to close out the win.

The two teams close out the series tomorrow as RHP Richard De Los Santos (6-3 4.67) takes the hill against RHP Drew Carpenter (6-5 3.63). Game time is set for 1:05 and the game will be broadcast LIVE by MLB Network.

Four Run Sixth Keys Biscuits Comeback

[Game recap from Joe Davis of the Biscuits.]

MONTGOMERY, AL – Matt Sweeney cleared the bases with a two-out double in the sixth, and the Biscuits (4-2) came from behind to beat the West Tenn Diamond Jaxx (2-4) 6-2 Sunday at Riverwalk for their third straight victory.

The fateful sixth inning began with three consecutive one-out singles for Nevin Ashley, Chris Nowak, and Leslie Anderson. Sweeney, against left-hander Edward Paredes, then doubled to right center to score all the runs and give the Biscuits their first lead of the day at 4-2. Chris De La Cruz added an RBI single in the inning, and Ashley notched an RBI on a sacrifice fly in the eighth.

The Jaxx scored first in the ballgame, getting at RBI double from Alex Liddi in the first. Chris Nowak singled home Emeel Salem in the bottom half to tie the game at one, but Nate Tenbrink would homer off Alex Torres in the fourth to put the Jaxx in front 2-1, their final lead of the day.

Jaxx starter Steve Bray (4-5) took the loss, allowing five runs on ten hits over six innings. Four of his five losses this season have come against the Biscuits. The win went to Heath Rollins (2-0), who tossed two scoreless in relief of Torres. Josh Satow struck out three over two in his Biscuits debut, and Sergio Espinosa finished things up with a perfect ninth inning.

Ashley, Nowak, and Anderson all recorded two hits for the Biscuits. Cody Cipriano’s hit- streak ended at eight games with an 0-4 performance.

The Biscuits now head to Mobile for six with the BayBears beginning Monday night at 7:05. LHP David Newmann will throw against Mobile’s LHP Tom Layne.

Sunday, June 27, 2010

2010 Rays Prospects Mid Season All-Star Team

We have reached the mid-point of the season and we have all seen and read the reports. We know who was selected to the all-star teams, we have discussed in great detail who we think are prospect and who should be nominated. So what better way to solve this problem, the 2010 Rays Prospects Mid-Season All-Star Team. Here you can vote who you think deserves to be recognized for their performance during the first half of the season.

Voting will take place until noon on July 5, 2010. The list contains players from all four of the full-season affiliates and they are listed in alphebetical order by the position in which they played the most during the 2010 season. The vote leaders in each category will be named to the all-star team as well as one wild card pitcher and hitter. The wild card player will be the highest voted player that did not win a position spot outright.

Click here to vote for the 2010 RP Mid-Season All-Star.

Minor Moves: Wrigley, Fields

1B/OF Henry Wrigley has been promoted to the Montgomery Biscuits from the Charlotte Stone Crabs. In 68 games for the Stone Crabs this season, Wrigley has hit .292 with 13 doubles, 12 home runs, and 46 runs batted in. His .504 slugging percentage was second on the team and first among regulars.

In a corresponding move, 1B Matt Fields has been sent down to the Stone Crabs from Montgomery. In 61 games for the Biscuits, Fields hit .232 with 10 doubles, 10 home runs, and 37 runs batted in. Fields spent 51 games with Charlotte last year before being promoted to Montgomery, hitting .259 with 11 home runs and 45 runs batted in.

GCL Rays Week in Review: June 21 to June 26

The GCL Rays kicked off the 2010 season by going 3-3 on the week. The Rays are tied for second place in the division, 2 games back from the leader. The roster continues to grow as more draft picks are signed and players are being sent down for rehab assignments. Currently the Rays have three players on the roster who are on a rehab assignment.

Hitting Leaders:
Average: Alexander Diaz (.444)
Slugging: Jhonatan Gomez (.591)
On Base Pct: Ryan McCrann (.450)
Hits: Joel Caminero (10, tied first in GCL)
Doubles: Edward Dorville (3, tied seventh in GCL)
Triples: Joel Caminero, Juniel Querecuto, Cody Rogers (1, tied third in GCL)
Home Runs: Luke Bailey and Jhonatan Gomez (1, tied sixth in GCL)
RBI’s: Julian Morillo (7, third in GCL)
Stolen Bases: Juniel Querecuto (2, tied eighth in GCL)

Pitching Leaders:
ERA Starters: Albert Suarez (1.50)
ERA Overall: Ryan Fleckenstein, Genaro Galan, Marcus Jensen, Pedro Silvestre and Peter Woodworth (0.00)
Wins: Jose Molina and Matt Swilley (1, tied first in GCL)
Saves: Reinaldo Lopez and Pedro Silvestre (1, tied fifth in GCL)
Strikeouts: Albert Suarez (5)

Team Hitting Stats (league rank):
Average: .275 (2 of 15)
Slugging: .377 (7 of 15)
On Base Pct: .335 (3 of 15)
Hits: 56 (3 of 15)
Doubles: 9 (tied 6 of 15)
Triples: 3 (tied 4 of 15)
Home Runs: 2 (tied 6 of 15)
Runs Scored: 32 (5 of 15)
Stolen Bases: 8 (tied of 15)

Team Pitching Stats (rank):
ERA: 4.05 (10 of 15)
Runs Allowed: 28 (9 of 15)
Strikeouts: 33 (14 of 15)
Walks: 24 (tied 13 of 15)

Transactions: Tyree Hayes added to roster for rehab assignment (6/23/10). Shawn O’Malley promoted to Charlotte (6/24/10). Virgil Vasquez added to roster for rehab assignment (6/24/10). Ryan Fleckenstein added to roster (6/25/10). Marcos Torres added to roster (6/25/10). Peter Woodworth added to roster (6/25/10). Justin Hall added to roster (6/26/10). Daniel Johnson added to roster (6/26/10).

Injuries: None

The Week Ahead: 6/27/10: Day Off. 6/28/10: vs GCL Red Sox (5-1). 6/29/10: at GCL Red Sox (5-1). 6/30/10: vs GCL Twins (1-5). 7/1/10: at GCL Twins (1-5). 7/2/10: at GCL Orioles (3-5). 7/3/10 vs GCL Orioles (3-5).

Stone Crabs Swept by Fort Myers

Greg Sexton was the only Stone Crab to record multiple hits, going 2 for 4 with a double and an RBI. Photo by Jim Donten.

The Charlotte Stone Crabs continue to struggle against the Fort Myers Miracle, losing 5-4 on Saturday night and suffering a sweep in the series. The Stone Crabs are now 5-7 on the year against the Miracle.

The Stone Crabs took an early lead in the fourth inning. Tim Beckham singled to left get things going. Stephen Vogt drove Beckham home with an RBI double to left. Vogt then scored on a double by Greg Sexton to take a 2-0 lead.

The Stone Crabs added another run to their total in the fifth inning. Isaias Velasquez reached on a force out, then moved into scoring position by stealing second base. Shawn O'Malley plated the run with a single to center to score Velasquez and increase the lead to 3-0.

But for the second night in a row, the Miracle used a big inning to win the game, striking for five runs in the sixth inning. Nick Romero was hit by a pitch, Chris Herrmann drew a walk and Evan Bigley singled to load the bases with no outs. Angel Morales drew a bases loaded walk to push across the first run. Then Jonathan Goncalves, Estarlin De Los Santos and Brian Dozier all picked up RBI's in the inning to take a 5-3 lead.

The Stone Crabs scored another run in the eighth inning. Velasquez led off the innings with a single to right. Velasquez advanced to second on a sac bunt by O'Malley. Gabe Kapler drove home the run with a single to center, scoring Velasquez. But the Stone Crabs could not produce anymore runs as they took a 5-4 loss.

Shane Dyer suffered the loss, pitching 5 1/3 innings and allowing 5 runs on 9 hits with 4 strikeouts and 3 walks. Michael Jarman provided 1 2/3 innings of no-hit relief with 1 strikeout. Neil Scheck pitched the final inning, allowing a hit while striking out one.

The Stone Crabs (0-3) return home to Charlotte Sports Park hoping to put a stop to the three game skid. They begin a four game series against the Palm Beach Cardinals (2-1) on Sunday. Matt Moore (5-4, 5.13) will get the ball for the Stone Crabs facing Kevin Thomas (4-0, 4.75) of Palm Beach.

P-Rays Get First Win of 2010

The Princeton Rays picked up their first win of the season by defeating the Bristol Sox 2-0 on Saturday night at Boyce Cox Field. P-Rays pitching led the club to victory, holding the Sox scoreless.

All of the games scoring took place in the top of the first inning. Kevin Kiermaier doubled to left to lead off the inning. Leonardo Reginatto followed with a single to third base. Ruben Contreras drove home both runners with a double to center, giving the Rays a 2-0 lead.

But that two run lead was all that was needed to give the Rays their first run of the season. Partridge pitched 6 shut-out innings, allowing 6 hits while striking out 5 and walking 1. Mickey Jannis earned the save, pitching 3 innings and allowing 3 hits while striking out 2 and walking 1.

The Rays wrap up the series with Bristol in the rubber game on Sunday evening at Boyce Cox Field. Enny Romero (0-0, 0.00) will get the start, facing Ryan Buch (0-1, 7.20).

Big Inning Lifts Renegades to 8-1 Win

The Hudson Valley Renegades defeated the Staten Island Yankees 8-1 on Saturday night. The Renegades struck for five runs in the second inning and never looked back.

The Renegades broke the scoreless tied in the second inning. Phillip Wunderlich singled to left to lead off the inning then advanced to second on a wild pitch. Burt Reynolds then struck out but reached base on a strike three passed ball, allowing Wunderlich to move to third. Reynolds then stole second to put two runners in scoring position. Elias Otero drove home both runs with a single to right. Alejandro Torres followed with a single to move Otero to second. Robby Price knocked home two runs with a double to right, then later scored on a double by Derek Dietrich to take a 5-0 lead.

The Renegades added another run in the fifth inning. Dietrich led off the inning with a single to second then scored on an RBI double by Wunderlich to increase the lead to 6-0.

Staten Island got their only run of the game in the sixth inning. Nick McCoy doubled to right then later scored on a single by Luis Parache for their only run on the night.

Hudson Valley pushed across two more runs in the ninth. Price singled to left with one out to put a runner aboard. Price then stole second and scored on a double by Dietrich. Dietrich would later score on a double by Reynolds to give them the 8-1 margin of victory.

Miguel Sierra earned the win, pitching 6 innings and allowing 1 run on 3 hits with 5 strikeouts and a walk. Nate Garcia pitched 2 no-hit innings with 2 strikeouts and a walk. Steve Hiscock pitched the final frame, allowing no hits with one strikeout.

The Renegades wrap up the brief two game series with the Yankees on Sunday at Richmond County Bank Ballpark.

Baker Baffles Iron Pigs in 10-3 Rout

[Game recap provided by Matt DeMargel of the Durham Bulls.]

Durham, NC - The Bulls scored in all but two innings and had three home runs as they routed Lehigh Valley 10-3 on Saturday night at Durham Bulls Athletic Park. Brian Baker tossed five scoreless innings for his second consecutive victory, and was helped on offense by homers from Fernando Perez, Justin Ruggiano and Dan Johnson.

The Bulls put two on the board in the first inning, loading the bases with nobody out to start the game off IronPigs starter Joe Savery. One batter later, Joe Dillon brought home a run with a single and Chris Richard hit into an RBI force play later in the inning to make it 2-0.

After two scoreless innings, the Bulls added single runs in each of the fourth and fifth innings. Perez took a 2-2 offering by Savery over the wall in left field in the fourth inning, in the fifth Justin Ruggiano doubled and scored on a sacrifice fly by Dillon to extend the lead to four.

They would double their lead in the sixth inning, as Michael Stutes came out of the bullpen but could not slow down the Bulls attack. Desmond Jennings had an RBI single, and another run came home on a double play by J.J. Furmaniak. With a runner on third and two down, Ruggiano connected for his sixth home run of the season off the Triangle Orthopedics sign in centerfield to make the score 8-0.

The Bulls finished their scoring with single tallies in each of their final two at-bats. Perez added another RBI on a force play in the eight, while Dan Johnson blasted a solo home run in the bottom of the eighth, his 18th of the season which ties him for the International League lead.

With the lead firmly in hand, Baker kept the IronPigs off the board through his five innings of work. After filling in the rotation when LHP Carlos Hernandez went on the DL, Baker has allowed two hits through 10.0 shutout innings of work in two starts. With the victory, he improves his record to 6-0 on the season while dropping his ERA to 2.80.

Lehigh Valley got their runs in the eighth inning, putting a three-run inning together off Bulls right-hander Dale Thayer. After retiring only one of the six batters he faced and throwing two wild pitches, Mike Ekstrom came out of the bullpen and finished the final five outs to close out the victory.

The win improves Durham to 45-30 on the season, while Lehigh Valley’s fifth straight loss drops them to 29-46. The two teams continue their series tomorrow as LHP Heath Phillips (6-6 4.14) takes on LHP Brian Mazone (4-7 3.77). Game time is set for 5:05 p.m.

Lobstein Leads Hot Rods to 5-1 Win

[Game recap provided by Tom Gauthier of the Bowling Green Hot Rods.]

Fort Wayne, IN – Kyle Lobstein allowed one run over 5.2 innings to lead the Hot Rods to a 5-1 win over the Fort Wayne TinCaps on Saturday night. The lefty’s fourth straight win gives his team four straight victories, including a pair of wins to begin the second half of the season.

Lobstein was spotted an early lead as the Hot Rods scored in the first inning for the second straight night. Chris Murrill snapped an 0-for-17 streak with a single to center field against starter Jose De Paula. He promptly stole second and then scored on a single to center from Tyler Bortnick to make it 1-0.

After a few missed opportunities in the second and third, the Hot Rods finally came through with a pair of runs in the fourth inning. The first two guys reached on a walk and a single before Julio Cedeno doubled to the left field wall to score newcomer Bennett Davis for a 2-0 gap. Ty Morrison followed with a single to left to bring home Kyle Spraker to make it 3-0. An inning later, it was a 4-0 Hot Rods lead thanks to a double by Spraker to score Ryan Wiegand.

The early runs made it easy for Lobstein, who allowed a one-out walk in the first and then a pair of singles to begin the second. He stranded those runners with the help of a double play and then didn’t allow another base runner until a lead-off double in the fifth. He worked his way out of that jam by retiring the next three guys on two fly outs and a strikeout.

Lobstein’s only blemish came in the sixth when he allowed a two-out walk followed by a two-out single. He left the game at that point for Matt Stabelfeld, who allowed one of those runners to score to cut the Hot Rods lead to 4-1.

All told for Lobstein, he worked 5.2 innings allowing just one run on four hits and two walks. He struck out six to raise his strikeout-to-walk ratio to 27-to-10 for the month of June. He finished the month 4-0, allowing just four earned runs
in 30.1 innings (1.19 ERA).

The Hot Rods ended up getting that lone run back in the seventh on a sacrifice fly from Davis. The new infielder worked two walks, scored a run, and picked up an RBI in his first game as a Hot Rod.

He was joined in the box score by Bortnick, who finished 3-5 with an RBI. Mark Thomas went 1-4 to extend his hitting streak to a season-high eight games.
The bullpen added to the fun with 2.1 scoreless from Stabelfeld and a scoreless night by Deivis Mavarez. They’ve now gone 32.1 innings without allowing an earned run.

The series now comes to an end on Sunday afternoon as RHP Wilking Rodriguez (4-5, 4.14) draws the start against LHP Pedro Hernandez (1-3, 4.97). First pitch is at 2:05 PM CDT. You can follow the action with Tom Gauthier at 1:50 PM CDT
on 1340 AM WBGN ‘The Ticket’ or www.bghotrods.com.

The Hot Rods return home to begin a six-game home stand on Monday, June 28 at 7:05 PM against the Lansing Lugnuts(Toronto Blue Jays). For tickets and a complete list of upcoming promotions, visit www.bghotrods.com.

Biscuits Overcome Early Deficit for Win

Leslie Anderson's three run blast sparked the 5 run rally that led the Biscuits to victory. Photo by Jim Donten.

[Game recap provided by Joe Davis of Montgomery Biscuits.]

MONTGOMERY, AL – Alex Cobb retired 14 straight after a three-run first for West Tennessee (2-3), and a Leslie Anderson three-run blast began a string of five unanswered runs in a 5-3 Biscuits (3-2) win Friday at Riverwalk.

West Tenn’s Dustin Ackley tripled on the first pitch of the game against Cobb. Carlos Peguero then doubled him home, and Johan Limonta homered to dead center to put the Jaxx up 3-0. The next hit allowed by Cobb (3-2) would come in the seventh.

Anderson’s homer came in the third after Cody Cipriano walked and Chris Nowak singled. John Matulia put the Biscuits in front with an RBI single after a Matt Sweeney double in the fifth, and Chris Nowak added insurance with a single to score Rashad Eldridge in the sixth.

West Tenn starter Dan Cortes walked seven batters and was yanked after 2.2 innings. Robert Rohrbaugh (2-2) took the loss, allowing two runs on four hits in his 2.2 innings or work.

Cobb finished with six strikeouts over six innings, becoming the first Biscuits pitcher in ten games to pitch past the fifth.

Matt Gorgen (14) struck out two in the ninth to record the save.

Nowak led the Biscuits, going 2-4 with an RBI and a run scored, and Cipriano extended his hit-streak to eight games with a sixth inning single.

LHP Alex Torres and RHP Steve Bray meet in a game one rematch in the series finale on Sunday at 2:05.

Saturday, June 26, 2010

Minor Moves: Kapler, Furmaniak, Oliveros, Four NDFA's

The Tampa Bay Rays have assigned outfielder Gabe Kapler to the Charlotte Stone Crabs on a rehab assignment.

The Durham Bulls have activated 2B J.J. Furmaniak from the temporarily inactive list.

RHP Rayner Oliveros has been assigned to the Charlotte Stone Crabs from the Montgomery Biscuits.

The Rays have signed four undrafted free agents and assigned them to the Gulf Coast League Rays: LHP Ryan Fleckenstein, RHP Peter Woodworth, C Marcos Torres, RHP Daniel Johnson.

The 24 year-old Fleckenstein is listed at 5'11, 200 pounds. He came on in relief yesterday and pitched 1.1 scoreless innings, allowing one hit and one walk with a strikeout. He was a senior at the University of Oregon this season.

Woodworth is 21 and listed at 6'2", 190 pounds. He also came on in relief yesterday and pitched 2.1 scoreless innings, allowing two hits and no walks with two strikeouts. He was a senior at Florida Gulf Coast University this season.

The 22 year-old Torres is listed at 6'1", 215 pounds. He is a Felician College graduate, where he was the teams all-time leader in base hits with 214 from 2007-10.

Johnson is 20 and listed at 6'4", 235 pounds. He is out of Western Oregon University, where he was a junior this season. He appeared in 11 games for the Wolves in 2010, but none were as a pitcher.

[Updated:] Make that five NDFA's joining the GCL Rays. Add RHP Justin Hall, who pitched 0.2 innings in today's game, allowing one earned run on three hits with a strikeout. He is out of Mars Hill College, where he set a school record for career wins with 21, and struck out 208 batters while allowing 111 earned runs in 236 innings. More background on Hall is here.

Bulls Week in Review: June 19 to June 25

The Durham Bulls finished the week with a 4-3 record, improving to 44-30 on the season. The Bulls continue to lead the division, maintaining an eight game lead over second place Charlotte. On Tuesday, Major League Baseball released the rosters for the All-Star Futures Game which included two Bulls, Jeremy Hellickson and Desmond Jennings. Virgil Vasquez appears to be getting closer to returning from the DL, Vasquez pitched 5 innings for the GCL-Rays on Thursday, allowing no runs and striking out 6.

Hitting Leaders:
Average: JJ Furmaniak (.318)
Slugging: Dan Johnson (.581, third in INT)
On Base Pct: JJ Furmaniak (.395)
Hits: Dan Johnson (70)
Doubles: Chris Richard (22. tied third in INT)
Triples: Desmond Jennings (4, tied second in INT)
Home Runs: Dan Johnson (17, second in INT)
RBI’s: Dan Johnson (62, first in INT)
Stolen Bases: Elliot Johnson (19, tied second in INT)

Pitching Leaders:
ERA Starters: Jason Hellickson (2.19, third in INT)
ERA Overall: RJ Swindle (0.71)
Wins: Jeremy Hellickson (10, tied first in INT)
Saves: Winston Abreu (7)
Strikeouts: Jeremy Hellickson (97, tied first in INT)

Team Hitting Stats (league rank):
Average: .278 (2 of 14)
Slugging: .441 (2 of 14)
On Base Pct: .354 (2 of 14)
Hits: 713 (2 of 14)
Doubles: 161 (3 of 14)
Triples: 13 (10 of 14)
Home Runs: 77 (2 of 14)
Runs Scored: 407 (1 of 14)
Stolen Bases: 87 (1 of 14)

Team Pitching Stats (rank):
ERA: 3.42 (1 of 14)
Runs Allowed: 283 (1 of 14)
Strikeouts: 520 (7 of 14)
Walks: 238 (9 of 14)

RP Top Prospect Watch:
Jeremy Hellickson: 10-2, 2.19 ERA, 94.2 IP, 97 K’s, 22 BB’s, 1.08 WHIP
Desmond Jennings: .282 AVG, .407 SLG, .363 OBP, 14 doubles, 4 triples., 189RBI’s and 17 stolen bases.
Aneury Rodriguez: 3-5, 4.0 ERA, 60.2 IP, 48 K’s, 29 BB’s, 1.47 WHIP

Transactions: Justin Garcia added to roster from Montgomery (6/21/10). Darin Downs added to roster from Montgomery (6/22/10). Matt Joyce promoted to Tampa Bay (6/25/10). Dioner Navarro added to roster from Tampa Bay (6/25/10).

Disabled List: Jason Cromer, Carlos Hernandez, Elliot Johnson, and Virgil Vasquez.

The Week Ahead: 6/26/10-6/28/10: vs Lehigh Valley Iron Pigs (29-45). 6/29/10-7/2/10: vs Louisville Bats (35-40).

Stone Crabs Drop Second Straight to Fort Myers

Shawn O'Malley reached base five times during the game, scoring three runs and stealing a base. Photo by Jim Donten.

The Charlotte Stone Crabs watched their four run lead disappear as they took a 7-6 extra inning loss at the hands for the Fort Myers Miracle on Friday night at Hammond Stadium. A costly error in the bottom of the eleventh inning led to the Stone Crabs dropping their second straight game to Fort Myers.

The Stone Crabs took the lead in the first inning. Shawn O'Malley led off the inning with a walk. O'Malley then stole second and moved to third on a throwing error by Fort Myer's catcher. Tim Beckham plated the run with a sac fly to score O'Malley and give the Stone Crabs a 1-0 lead.

The Stone Crabs would add another run in the third. O'Malley once again found a way to get on base, this time being hit by a pitch. Gabe Kapler, who is with the Stone Crabs on an MLB rehab assignment, followed by drawing a walk, moving O'Malley to scoring position. Beckham picked up his second RBI of the night with a line drive single to left that score O'Malley and gave them a 2-0 lead.

Charlotte furthered the lead in the fourth inning. Isaias Velasquez, Michael Sheridan and Anthony Scelfo all drew walks to load the bases. O'Malley followed with a double to center, scoring two runs and increasing the Stone Crabs lead to 4-0.

But that four run lead was erased in the bottom of the fourth when Fort Myers produced five runs in the frame. Dan Rohlfing drove home two runs with a double and Estarlin De Los Santos, Brian Dozier and Nate Hanson all picked up RBI's that gave the Miracle a 5-4 lead.

The Miracle increased their lead in the sixth inning. Dozier singled to right, scoring Jonathan Goncalves to take a two run lead.

The Stone Crabs added a run to their total in the seventh inning. Stephen Vogt singled to left to lead off the inning. Vogt would later score on an RBI single by Sheridan to pull the Stone Crabs to within a run of the lead 6-5.

Charlotte fought back to tie the game in the eighth inning. O'Malley reached base again via a walk to lead off the inning. He advanced to third on a single by Greg Sexton. Beckham plated the tying run with a single that scored O'Malley to tie the game 6-6 and force extra innings.

The game would remain tied until the bottom of the eleventh inning. De Los Santos led off the inning with a single to left then advanced into scoring position on a sac bunt by Dozier. De Los Santos would score on a single to second by Evan Bigley that was thrown into the stands by Scelfo, allowing the winning run to cross the plate.

Frank De Los Santos struggled with the start, allowing 5 runs on 9 hits in 3 2/3 innings. Michael Jarman took over the hill and pitched 2 1/3 innings, allowing 1 run on 2 hits with a strikeout. Marquis Fleming pitched 2 shut-out innings, allowing 2 hits while striking out 2. Zach Quate lowered his ERA to an amazing 0.49 with 2 more scoreless innings, allowing a hit while striking out 2 and walking 1. Neil Schenk suffered the hard luck loss, pitching 2/3 of an inning and allowing an unearned run on 2 hits with a strikeout and a walk.

The Stone Crabs look to avoid the sweep as they wrap up the series against Fort Myers on Saturday night at Hammond Stadium. Shane Dyer (4-2, 1.25) will be making the start for the Stone Crabs against Liam Hendriks of Fort Myers (4-2, 1.42).

P-Rays Fall to 0-4 with Loss to Bristol

The Princeton Rays fell to 0-4 on the season by losing to the Bristol Sox 5-2 on Friday night at Bryce Cox Field.

The Rays took an early lead in the third inning. Jeff Malm singled to left to lead off the inning. Kevin Kiermaier and Todd Glaesmann followed with back to back singled to load the bases. Scott Lawson drove home two runs with a double to center, giving the Rays a 2-0 lead.

Bristol battled back to tie the game in the fourth. Jose Martinez struck an RBI double to center to score Josh Phegley. Michael Schwartz later drove home Martinez to tie the game 2-2.

Bristol took the lead in the fifth inning. Jordan Keegan reached on a walk then later scored the go ahead run when Drew Lee doubled to right, giving the Sox a 3-2 lead.

The Sox would pick up two insurance runs in the seventh. Martinez struck an RBI single to score Lee then later scored on a double by John Spatola to secure the 5-2 win.

Elizaer Suero suffered the loss, allowing 3 runs on 5 hits with 2 strikeouts and 4 walks in 4 1/3 innings on the mound. Victor Mateo followed with 2 2/3 innings pitched, allowing 2 runs on 3 hits with 2 strikeouts and a walk. John Carruth pitched the final frame, allowing no runs on 1 hits with 2 strikeouts.

These two clubs do battle again on Saturday at Boyce Cox Field. Jacob Partridge (0-0, -.--) will start for Princeton facing Jacob Petricka (0-0, -.--) for Bristol.

Renegades Get Walk-Off Win Against Brooklyn

Brian Bryles drove home the tying run and scored the winning run. Photo by Jim Donten.

The Hudson Valley Renegades rallied late to defeat the Brooklyn Cyclone 4-3 on Friday night at Dutchess Stadium. The Renegades used some ninth inning heroics to walk-off with the victory.

Brooklyn took the lead in the third inning. Joe Bonfe led off the inning with a single to left field. Taylor Freeman then cleared the bases with a two run homer. Darrell Ceciliani later tripled to right, then scored on a single by Jeff Flagg to give the Cyclones a 3-0 lead.

The Renegades picked up their first run of the night in the bottom of the third. Derek Dietrich was hit by a pitch then moved to third on a double by Nicholas Schwaner. Steve Tinoco drove home the run with a ground ball to short that scored Dietrich and pulled them to within two runs of the lead.

The Renegades trailed the entire contest until the bottom of the ninth rally. Tinoco led off the inning with a single to short and advanced to second on a throwing error on the play. Mayobanex Acosta then drove home the run with a double to left that scored Tinoco. Brian Bryles plated the tying run with an RBI single to left to score Acosta. Craige Lyerly drove home the winning run with a double that scored Bryles to record the 4-3 walk-off victory.

Wilmer Amonte allowed 3 runs on 7 hits with 5 strikeouts and a walk in 6 innings pitched. Robert Dickmann pitched 2 shut-out innings with a hit, two strikeouts and a walk. Austin Hubbard recorded the win, throwing a no-hit ninth inning with 2 strikeouts and 2 walks.

The Renegades (4-3) head to Richmond County Bank Ballpark to begin a game series against the Staten Island Yankees (3-4). Miguel Sierra (0-1, 6.75) will be on the mound for Hudson Valley against Wilton Rodriguez (0-1, 3.38) for Staten Island.

Bulls Open Home Stand with 2-1 Win Over Iron Pigs

RJ Swindle extended his scoreless inning streak to seven innings and lowered his ERA to 0.71. Photo by Jim Donten.

[Game recap provided by Matt DeMargel of the Durham Bulls.]

Durham, NC - The Bulls opened up an 11-game home swing by holding on for a 2-1 victory against the Lehigh Valley IronPigs on Friday night in front of 10,410 fans at Durham Bulls Athletic Park. The Bulls used a two-run first inning to take the lead and held on allowing only four hits as Jeremy Hellickson picked up his lead leading 10th win of the season.

Durham struck quickly against IronPigs starter Nate Bump, as Desmond Jennings singled and advanced to third on a perfectly executed hit and run by J.J. Furmaniak to put runners on the corners with nobody out. A single to left by Justin Ruggiano brought home the first run, and a bloop single by Dan Johnson brought home Furmaniak as the Bulls took a 2-0 lead without having a batter retired.

Bump would escape the first without any additional damage, and held the Bulls scoreless over his final six innings of work allowing just two hits in that span. Durham had chances to add to their lead, but had two runners thrown out at the plate to keep them from extending the advantage.

After being named to the XM Radio Futures Game earlier this week, Hellickson did not miss a beat as he stymied the IronPigs attack through 6.0 innings of work. The only Lehigh Valley run came in the fifth inning, as a ground ball skipped off Joe Dillon’s glove for an error, allowing Paul Hoover to come across and cut the lead to one.

The Bulls right-hander allowed four hits, walked one and struck out seven on the night, lowering his ERA to 2.19 for the season which is good enough for third best in the International League.

R.J. Swindle came on in the seventh inning and worked 2.0 perfect innings while striking out two. Winston Abreu struck out two of the three batters he faced in a perfect ninth inning to earn his team-leading seventh save. After the run scored in the fifth, the trio of Bulls pitchers retired the final 14 batters in a row to end the game.

The victory improves the Bulls to 44-30 on the season, while the loss drops Lehigh Valley to 29-45. The two teams continue their series tomorrow as RHP Brian Baker (5-0 3.15) takes the hill in his second start of the season against LHP Joe Savery (1-7 5.15) for the IronPigs. Game time is set for 7:05 p.m.

Wednesday, June 30, 2010

Tuesday, June 29, 2010

Monday, June 28, 2010

Sunday, June 27, 2010

Saturday, June 26, 2010

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