Mariner Minors: 04/16/2006

Mariner Minors

Saturday, April 22, 2006

Game Recaps (4/22/06)

Fresno 8 (SF - 6), Tacoma 10
Nice way to start a homestand, at least for the hitters. The pitchers… eh, well, RHP Kevin Appier (4.50) got the start and went five innings, giving up four runs (three earned) on four hits, a balk, two walks, and four Ks. He also recorded ten grounders to one fly ball. Why do I get the feeling he’s our first line of defense and not the backup… RHP Emiliano Fruto (4.15) struggled in the next inning and two-thirds, giving up four runs (two earned) on three hits, three walks, and three Ks. RHP Sean Green (0.00, W) let one of those score, giving up two hits in his two and a third innings, but allowing no further damage.
The star of the game was probably C Guillermo Quiroz (2B, R, 3 RBI, .455), who went 4-for-4 and drove in more runs than anyone else, though 3B Hunter Brown (2B, 2 R, RBI, .231) also had a decent 3-for-4 performance. LF Shin-soo Choo (2B, R, RBI, .370) and RF T.J. Bohn (2B, R, RBI, .316) were members of the two-hit club, with Choo walking twice, and CF Adam Jones (HR, 2 R, 2 RBI, .291) continued his hot hitting with his fifth home run.

San Antonio 2, Midland 7 (OAK + 2)
And the hits just keep on coming. LHP Travis Blackley (4.79, L) took the loss, as he went six innings and gave up four runs on five hits and a walk against three Ks. Interesting to note that outside of the second and the fifth when he gave up the runs, he retired twelve of the thirteen batters he faced. RHP Craig James (4.00) had two hit batters and a balk in the seventh, but managed to come out of it clean, you just wish you could say the same for RHP Jon Huber (7.20), who let three runs score on three hits and a walk.
Not a lot going on for the offense, but LF Jon Nelson (2B, R, .286) and 2B Michael Garciaparra (2B, R, RBI, .277) were both 2-for-4 with doubles. C Jeff Clement (2B, PB, E, .250) doubled as well, but he also had a passed ball and an error. I’ll chalk that up to rust from missing time.

Inland Empire 7, Bakersfield 4 (TEX - 5)
LHP Julio Santiago (3.06, W) was on his game against a good-hitting Bakersfield team, going five innings and giving up an unearned run on five hits and three walks while striking out six. RHP Mumba Rivera (4.38) struggled over the next three frames, giving up three runs, two of them earned, on six hits (HR) and a wild pitch against a couple Ks, but RHP Jose de la Cruz (4.50, S) still got the save in the ninth after a hit and a strikeout.
It was a mixed bag for the Sixers top offensive performer in C Luis Oliveros (2B, R, 2 RBI, 2 PB, .295), as he had three hits, but two passed balls behind the plate. RF Chris Colton (E, .244), DH Reed Eastley (R, RBI, .279), and 3B Ron Prettyman (2 R, .291) all had two hits in the game, and LF Trevor Heid (2B, 2 RBI, .125) doubled in one of his rare starts.

Wisconsin 7, South Bend 9 (ARI - 4)
Another rough start for RHP Jason Snyder (3.66, L), though mostly because his defense couldn’t get his back. Snyder gave up seven runs in four innings, but only one of them was earned, and while four hits (HR), a hit batter, a wild pitch, two walks, and three Ks in that span isn’t especially positive, he didn’t seem to deserve as much of a hit as he took. RHP Ruben Flores (3.72) went the next two and a third, giving up a run on a hit and a walk against three Ks, but LHP Harold Williams (0.00) scored that one, as he threw two wild pitches and walked two while striking out one on his way out of the inning. RHP Nick Allen (5.00) gave up another run in the eighth on a hit, a hit batter, and a wild pitch, the fourth on the night by Rattlers’ pitchers.
The trio of C Chao Kuan Wu (2B, 2 R, PB, .238), SS Robby Hudson (R, 2 RBI, .302), and 2B Jeff Dominguez (R, .312) had two hits each, but as much as I find Dominguez’ newfound ability to handle a bat interesting, I think I’m more intrigued by DH Luis Valbuena (R, 2 SB, .231) suddenly turning into an on-base machine, as he walked three times despite going 0-for-2. He was tied for fourth in the league with ten coming into the game, and he could have vaulted himself into a tie for first tonight. Speaking of guys with ten walks coming in, the T-Rats have another in CF Michael Saunders (2B, 2 RBI, .288), who doubled and walked once. 1B Bryan Sabatella (2B, .150) doubled as well.

Tomorrow’s Starters:
Tacoma: RHP Clint Nageotte, in Tacoma, @ 1:35 pm PDT
San Antonio: RHP Yorman Bazardo, at Midland, @ 2:00 pm PDT
Inland Empire: I Still Have No Idea, at Bakersfield, @ 1:15 pm PDT
Wisconsin: LHP Justin Thomas, at South Bend, @ 10:30 am PDT

Tacoma Rainiers: 10-5, .667, 1st in PCL Pacific North
San Antonio Missions: 5-10, .333, 3.5 GB in TL South
Inland Empire 66ers: 9-6, .600, T-1st in CAL South
Wisconsin Timber Rattlers: 7-9, .438, 4 GB in MWL Western
Organizational Record: 31-30, .508

posted by Jay Y. @ 11:00 PM

Game Recaps (4/21/06)

Tacoma 8, Sacramento 5 (OAK + 1)
Take that, Oakland farm team. RHP Francisco Cruceta (1.46) wasn’t quite as bad as his opponent, but still went only three and a third innings and gave up a run on four hits, SIX WALKS, and four Ks. He was pulled in favor of RHP Renee Cortez (1.80, W), who went the next two and two-thirds and gave up two hits and a walk while striking out three. RHP Jeff Harris (4.26) went two and a third after that and gave up four runs (three earned) on six hits before giving way to RHP Sean Green (0.00, S) who got the last two batters to ground out.
Three batters had two hits on the night, but the one that stood above the rest was RF T.J. Bohn (2 HR, 5 RBI, .308), who hit his third and fourth home runs of the season. DH Shin-soo Choo (3 R, .353) and C Rob Johnson (2B, R, .353) were the other Rainiers with two hits tonight. LF Greg Dobbs (HR, 2 RBI, .277), 1B Mike Morse (2B, .208), and CF Adam Jones (2B, R, .300) provided some additional power in the winning effort.

San Antonio 6, Midland 7 (OAK + 1)
Ah, but after the rained out game, the losing streak lives on. LHP Ryan Feierabend (5.87) got beat up in five innings of work, giving up five runs on eight hits (HR) and four walks against two Ks. The scheduled starter of yesterday, RHP Brandon Moorhead (7.71, BS, L) came in just long enough to get tagged with the loss, going an inning and a third and giving up two runs (one earned) on four hits, a hit batter, a walk, and a K. LHP Adam Pettyjohn (0.00) struck out two going the rest of the way, and all I can say is that it’s a shame he wasn’t brought in earlier.
There were a number of decent offensive performances on the night, but the one of the most interest to me was, of course, the return of C Jeff Clement (R, E, .250), as he went 1-for-2 with a couple of walks. Hope that sore elbow doesn’t bug him again this year. As for the other producers of the game, 2B Michael Garciaparra (R, .250) had two hits, 3B Jesus Guzman (HR, .217) and DH Matt Rogelstad (HR, .143) both had their first home runs of the season, and RF Wladimir Balentien (2B, R, 3 RBI, .294) had a three-run double in the third (and struck out two other times at the plate). CF Sebastien Boucher (R, SB, PO, .236) was 0-for-3 with a couple of walks again, but his sinking average is a wee bit concerning.

Inland’s game was suspended due to lightning, while Bello was busy giving up three runs in three innings. Blarg. More whenever they complete it.

Wisconsin 6, South Bend 3 (ARI - 5)
LHP Jose Escalona (3.07, W) was solid, giving up just one run on three hits and two walks against five Ks in five innings of work. Keep watching him, he might put together a few performances like this before the season’s done, though struggles are to be expected with him skipping two levels and all. RHP Jeff Gilmore (2.61) pitched the next inning, hitting one batter, before turning it over to LHP Rollie Gibson (2.08, PO), who would record a walk and a K in the seventh. RHP Joe Woerman (3.12) got himself into some trouble over the next inning and a third, giving up two runs on four hits, a walk, and two Ks, but RHP Edgar Guaramato (0.00, S) bailed him out, throwing yet another wild pitch, but striking out the final two batters of the game. Guar still rules.
SS Rob Hudson (2 2B, 2 R, RBI, .282) led the offensive charge with three hits, two of which went for extra-bases, RF Mike Saunders (R, .286) had two hits, and 2B Luis Valbuena (3B, R, 3 RBI, .240) had a two-run triple and a sac fly. Valbuena’s been a little disappointing to this point as far as raw average goes, but his OBP was .368 coming into the game, and compared to his average, that’s pretty impressive.

Today’s Starters:
Tacoma: RHP Kevin Appier, in Tacoma, @ 6:05 pm PDT
San Antonio: LHP Travis Blackley, at Midland, @ 4:10 pm PDT
Inland Empire: I Still Have No Idea, at Bakersfield, @ 7:15 pm PDT
Wisconsin: RHP Jason Snyder, at South Bend, @ 3:30 pm PDT

Tacoma Rainiers: 9-5, .643, T-1st in PCL Pacific North
San Antonio Missions: 5-9, .357, 3.5 GB in TL South
Inland Empire 66ers: 8-6, .571, 1 GB in CAL South
Wisconsin Timber Rattlers: 7-8, .467, 4 GB in MWL Western
Organizational Record: 29-28, .509

posted by Jay Y. @ 1:48 AM

Friday, April 21, 2006

Game Recaps (4/20/06)

Blogger was down last night.

Tacoma 3, Sacramento 7 (OAK + 2)
You might want to hold off on buying your tickets to the RHP Cha Seung Baek (3.46, L) Revival Tour, as he gave up three runs on nine hits and two walks against three Ks in just four innings. I’ve taken a “guilty ‘til (continually) proven innocent” stance with him perhaps unfairly, but I figured it was only a matter of time before something like this happened. RHP Rich Dorman (10.12) pitched worse, giving up four runs in an inning and a third on two hits, a hit batter, and four walks. RHP Aaron Looper (2.00) scored two of those runs, going the next inning and two-thirds and coming out with a hit, a walk, and a K to show for it. RHP Emiliano Fruto (2.57) had a walk and a K in the eighth.
RF T.J. Bohn (HR, .292) hit a longball, 2B Jose Morban (3B, R, .227) had a triple, and 1B Hunter Brown (2B, R, .188) had a double, and that was about as exciting as it got. CF Adam Jones (RBI, CS, .304) was 1-for-2 with a walk, and C Rob Johnson (.333) was 1-for-3. Both seem to be handling the challenge pretty well, and hey, that was Jones’ first walk of the season. Woohoo!

The Missions were rained out today at Frisco, which is certainly one way of making sure that losing streak doesn’t get any longer. No date for the make-up game has been announced yet.

Inland Empire 2, Stockton 1 (OAK - 1) (twelve innings)
Sort of a tandem starter setup in this one, with RHP Ivan Blanco (1.88) giving up a run in the first three innings on a hit and four walks against two Ks, and RHP Mark Lowe (0.56, E) one-hit the Ports over the next four, throwing one wild pitch and striking out eight. Lowe rules this season. It hasn’t been said often enough. LHP Eric O’Flahery (3.86) jumped on after that, going the next inning and two-thirds and giving up three hits while striking out the same number, and RHP Stephen Kahn (0.00, W) came in for two and a third after that, walking one and striking out four. Kahn rules too. RHP Aaron Trolia (2.08, S) gave up a hit, but nothing else to nail the save in the twelfth.
Another night, another offensive performance that needs to be blockquoted, though this wasn’t quite so dramatic…

Inland Empire Top 12th
· Marshall Hubbard grounds out, second baseman Gregorio Petit to first baseman Tommy Everidge.
· Michael Wilson doubles (2) on a fly ball to left fielder Travis Buck.
· Yung Chi Chen doubles (5) on a fly ball to left fielder Travis Buck. Michael Wilson scores.
· With Ronald Prettyman batting, Yung Chi Chen caught stealing 3rd base, catcher David Castillo to third baseman Myron Leslie.
· Ronald Prettyman flies out to left fielder Travis Buck.

DH Mike Wilson (2B, R, PO, .302) had three hits on the night, LF Josh Womack (2 2B, R, .417) and 3B Ron Prettyman (2B, CS, .275) had two each, and 2B Yung-chi Chen (2B, RBI, CS, .308) had that all-important game-winning double.

Southwest Michigan 3 (TB - 2), Wisconsin 15
RHP Marwin Vega (1.56, W) had a mixed outing, arguably one of his worst to date, as he let two runs score on three hits, two hit batters, and two walks, but he also had six Ks, eight grounders to four flies, and pitched six and a third innings. His worst is better than a lot of guys’ starts. I didn’t catch much of it, unfortunately, but I do know that he struck out their number-three hitter after letting the first two reach. This K came on an 87 mph fastball in on his hands, probably a cutter. He also quite nearly picked off a runner, and seems to have a good move for a righty. Edit, 8:54 am: G points out that between the end of the first and the beginning of the seventh, Vega retired 17 of 19 batters and the only ones that reached were plunked. LHP Harold Williams (0.00) came in for an inning and two-thirds after that, walking one batter and adding three more Ks to his collection. RHP Nick Allen (4.50) gave up a run on two hits in the ninth, but nothing else.
Weird evening for the T-Rats, but I’ll take it. They scored more runs than they had hits. No, really, but there were twelve walks involved, which is insane. I might as well name the entire lineup, but for the sake of brevity, I’ll cut a few out. 2B Luis Valbuena (2B, 3 R, 2 RBI, .234) led the team by going 2-for-3 with three walks, C J.B. Tucker (2B, 3 R, 2 RBI, PB, .233) had a similar performance, minus a walk and plus a passed ball (his fifth of the season!), and CF Alex Gary (HR, 2 R, 2 RBI, .174) rounded out the list of guys going 2-for, but he had no walks to show for it. As for the other guys who DID walk, in the two-walk club you have RF Michael Saunders (2 R, RBI, .267), who was 1-for-2, and SS Jeff Dominguez (.295), who was 0-for-3. LF Casey Craig (3B, R, 2 RBI, .302) added his first triple of the season.

Today’s Starters:
Tacoma: RHP Francisco Cruceta, at Sacramento, @ 7:05 pm PDT
San Antonio: RHP Brandon Moorhead, at Midland, @ 4:30 pm PDT
Inland Empire: I Still Have No Idea, at Bakersfield, @ 7:15 pm PDT
Wisconsin: LHP Jose Escalona, at South Bend, @ 3:30 pm PDT

Tacoma Rainiers: 8-5, .615, 0.5 GB in PCL Pacific North
San Antonio Missions: 5-8, .385, 2.5 GB in TL South
Inland Empire 66ers: 8-6, .571, 0.5 GB in CAL South
Wisconsin Timber Rattlers: 6-8, .429, 4 GB in MWL Western
Organizational Record: 27-27, .500

posted by Jay Y. @ 7:56 AM

Wednesday, April 19, 2006

Game Recaps (4/19/06)

As G said over at SportSpot, today was not a great day to be a left-handed pitcher, more for the decisions than anything else.

Tacoma 3, Sacramento 2 (OAK + 1)
LHP Bobby Livingston (2.12) likes the Sacramento team. He likes beating them into submission. Over five innings of work, he gave up one run on five hits and struck out six. They did not draw a walk against him. RHP Kevin Appier (0.00) went the next inning and had a hit, a walk, and a strikeout to show for it. Yes, he’s still around. RHP Rich Dorman (4.50, BS, W) gave up the lead in the eighth, with one run on two hits and a walk, but he got the win as the Rainiers came back and RHP Sean Green (0.00, S) got the save with a perfect ninth, two more groundouts and one more fly.
The Rainiers did all their scoring in the eighth and ninth today…

Tacoma Top 8th
· Adam Jones homers (4) on a fly ball to left field.
· Hunter Brown doubles (1) on a fly ball to right fielder Matt Watson.
· Rob Johnson singles on a ground ball to center fielder Charles Thomas. Hunter Brown scores.
· Scott Youngbauer ground bunts into a force out, pitcher Shane Komine to shortstop Mark Kiger. Rob Johnson out at 2nd. Scott Youngbauer to 1st.
· Shin-Soo Choo singles on a ground ball to left fielder Brian Stavisky. Scott Youngbauer to 2nd.
· With T. J. Bohn batting, wild pitch by Shane Komine, Scott Youngbauer to 3rd. Shin-Soo Choo to 2nd.
· Shane Komine intentionally walks T. J. Bohn.
· Pitcher Change: Ron Flores replaces Shane Komine.
· Greg Dobbs pops out to second baseman Keith Ginter on the infield fly rule.
· Mike Morse strikes out swinging.
--------------------------------
Tacoma Top 9th
· Defensive Substitution: Doug Clark replaces left fielder Brian Stavisky, batting 9th.
· Todd Sears walks.
· Pitcher Change: Jason Karnuth replaces Ron Flores.
· Offensive Substitution: Pinch runner Jose Morban replaces Todd Sears.
· Adam Jones singles on a ground ball to left fielder Doug Clark. Jose Morban to 3rd.
· Hunter Brown out on a sacrifice fly to left fielder Doug Clark. Jose Morban scores. Adam Jones to 2nd on the throw.
· Rob Johnson grounds out, second baseman Keith Ginter to first baseman Daric Barton. Adam Jones to 3rd.
· Scott Youngbauer pops out to catcher Jeremy Brown in foul territory.

CF Adam Jones (HR, .295) had two hits, including his fourth home run, as did 3B Hunter Brown (2B, R, RBI, .179).

San Antonio 1, Frisco 3 (TEX + 1)
Sigh. I think the Missions’ losing streak is up to six games now. My heart goes out to poor LHP Cesar Jimenez (2.76, L), who took the loss giving up two runs on three hits, a wild pitch, and two walks against seven strikeouts over six and a third. Cesar didn’t even let those runs score on his own, it was RHP Mike Flannery (5.68, BS) who did the deed and had one more run score against him after three hits, a balk, a wild pitch, and a walk against two Ks while he went the rest of the way.
The offense didn’t do too much in this one. DH Bryan Lahair (2B, .340), 1B Jon Nelson (2B, .286), and RF Wladimir Balentien (2B, .298) all had doubles. Wlad walked once and struck out once, again, and I’m getting to where I’ve said all I can about that. SS Oswaldo Navarro (RBI, .302) was 1-for-2 with a pair of walks.

Inland Empire 1, Stockton 2 (OAK 0)
LHP Shawn Nottingham (6.98, L) did okay, giving up two runs on seven hits (HR) and two walks against four Ks in five innings. By okay, of course, I mean that he minimized the damage and it looks like it could’ve been worse. RHP Mumba Rivera (3.86) followed him for three innings and had a hit, two walks, and three strikeouts.
The offensive end of things saw LF Josh Womack (2B, RBI, .419), 3B Ron Prettyman 2B, .261), SS Matt Tuiasosopo (2B, CS, .304), and CF Chris Colton (3B, R, .250) all with extra-base knocks, but only two hits other than those four.

Southwest Michigan 3 (TB - 1), Wisconsin 4
The five-game losing streak is over for the T-Rats, but the pitching of LHP Paul Fagan (6.43, PO, E) remained nerve-wracking, as he held the Rays to three runs (one earned) on four hits and three Ks in five and a third, but walked six and tossed a wild pitch in the same span. The ten groundouts to two flyouts keep him as an intriguing pitcher, moreso than the guys on the T-Rats staff last year who were walking guys in the bunches, but he needs to find a way to reduce the number of free passes he hands out. RHP Nick Allen (3.86) gave up a pair of hits in his inning of work, but avoided letting any of Fagan’s runs score. LHP Rollie Gibson (2.35) returned the favor by stranding both of Allen’s runners, allowing one hit, striking out two, and recording two groundball outs. Gibson is also a sinkerball lefty, and could be one to watch if he keeps turning in performances like this one. RHP Edgar Guaramato (0.00, W) would get the W after the T-Rats rallied in their half of the ninth, but for his part, he held them to a walk, struck out one, and had a groundout and a pop to the catcher. His ground/fly ratio is 12/3 now, and yes, I am keeping track.
What was it with the eighth and ninth today for the teams that played early? That was the only time the T-Rats scored too…

Wisconsin Bottom 8th
· Chao Kuan Wu pops out to third baseman Matthew Devins.
· Bryan Sabatella singles on a line drive to center fielder John Matulia.
· Pitcher Change: Aaron Walker replaces William Evers.
· Jeffrey Dominguez turns around to bat left-handed.
· Jeffrey Dominguez singles on a fly ball to left fielder Christopher Cunningham. Bryan Sabatella to 2nd.
· Casey Craig grounds into a force out, second baseman Brandon Rousseve to shortstop Neil Walton. Bryan Sabatella scores. Jeffrey Dominguez out at 2nd. Casey Craig advances to 2nd, on throwing error by shortstop Neil Walton.
· With Luis Valbuena batting, wild pitch by Aaron Walker, Casey Craig to 3rd.
· Luis Valbuena singles on a ground ball to center fielder John Matulia. Casey Craig scores.
· Jeffrey Flaig grounds out, shortstop Neil Walton to first baseman Rhyne Hughes.
------------------------
Wisconsin Bottom 9th
· Michael Saunders grounds out, pitcher Aaron Walker to first baseman Rhyne Hughes.
· Eddy Hernandez hit by pitch.
· Offensive Substitution: Pinch hitter J. B. TuckerIII replaces Nicholas Prosise.
· Pitcher Change: Greg Dupas replaces Aaron Walker.
· J. B. TuckerIII walks. Eddy Hernandez to 2nd.
· Chao Kuan Wu grounds into a force out, second baseman Brandon Rousseve to shortstop Neil Walton. Eddy Hernandez to 3rd. J. TuckerIII out at 2nd. Chao Kuan Wu to 1st.
· Offensive Substitution: Pinch runner Alex Gary replaces Chao Kuan Wu.
· Bryan Sabatella reaches on throwing error by third baseman Matthew Devins. Eddy Hernandez scores. Alex Gary scores.

Sucks to be Wade Davis, who held the Rattlers to a hit and three walks while striking out seven over six innings only to have the bullpen cough it up. Of the aforementioned hitters, 2B Luis Valbuena (RBI, .205) gets a gold star for going 1-for-1 with three walks, even if he didn’t score any of those times.

Tomorrow’s Starters:
Tacoma: RHP Cha Seung Baek, at Sacramento, @ 7:05 pm PDT
San Antonio: RHP Brandon Moorhead, at Frisco, @ 5:05 pm PDT
Inland Empire: TBA, at Stockton, @ 7:05 pm PDT
Wisconsin: RHP Marwin Vega (!), in Appleton, @ 4:35 pm PDT

Tacoma Rainiers: 8-4, .667, 1st in PCL Pacific North
San Antonio Missions: 5-8, .385, 2 GB in TL South
Inland Empire 66ers: 7-6, .538, 1.5 GB in CAL South
Wisconsin Timber Rattlers: 5-8, .385, 4 GB in MWL Western
Organizational Record: 25-26, .490

posted by Jay Y. @ 11:57 PM

Tuesday, April 18, 2006

Game Recaps (4/18/06)

Tacoma 7, Sacramento 1 (OAK + 2)
Another day goes by, and wouldn’t you know it, the Rainiers are the only team in the system with a W. RHP Clint Nageotte (3.86, W) made his way through five and one-third innings, allowing just the one run to score on five hits, a hit batter, and three walks against two strikeouts. Nageotte had only three more strikes than balls, and a 7:6 ground:fly ratio, so I wouldn’t say he was on his game, but Sacramento typically fields teams that will make a pitcher work. RHP Jeff Harris (0.00) took the next inning and two-thirds, giving up a pair of hits and three walks with one K, then RHP Aaron Looper (0.00) pitched the last two, allowing a hit and a walk while punching out two.
The pitching took a few steps in the right direction, but the offense starred again, as RF T.J. Bohn (2B, 3 R, RBI, .317) and 1B Todd Sears (3B, 4 RBI, .343) both knocked three hits, and 3B Mike Morse (RBI, .244), CF Adam Jones (HR, E, .275), and 2B Scott Youngbauer (2B, R, .182) each had two. LF Shin-soo Choo (R, CS, .385) didn’t have any hits, but he did walk twice.

San Antonio 4, Frisco 6 (TEX 0)
RHP Yorman Bazardo (4.86, E, L) had a rough outing, going six and a third innings and giving up six runs, five earned, after eleven hits (HR) and five strikeouts. Yes, that was a Bazardo line, not one by Juan Sandoval, who is presently MIA. LHP Jason Mackintosh (1.23) came in and let one of those runs score on the one hit he gave up in his inning and two-thirds stint. He also struck out a batter.
The only significant part of the game as far as the Missions offense went was the ninth inning…

San Antonio Top 9th
· Bryan LaHair singles on a ground ball to center fielder Luke Grayson.
· Jon Nelson doubles (4) on a line drive to left fielder Jake Blalock. Bryan LaHair to 3rd.
· Gary Harris called out on strikes.
· Wladimir Balentien homers (2) on a fly ball to right center field. Bryan LaHair scores. Jon Nelson scores.
· Jesus Guzman singles on a ground ball to left fielder Jake Blalock.
· Michael Garciaparra singles on a line drive to center fielder Luke Grayson. Jesus Guzman to 2nd.
· Pitcher Change: Bryan Corey replaces Jesse Carlson.
· Justin Ruchti singles on a ground ball to center fielder Luke Grayson. Jesus Guzman scores. Michael Garciaparra to 2nd.
· Offensive Substitution: Pinch runner Jason Bourgeois replaces Justin Ruchti.
· Sebastien Boucher strikes out swinging.
· Oswaldo Navarro called out on strikes.

Nice little effort there by the Missions, nonetheless. 1B Bryan Lahair (R, .349) and DH Wladimir Balentien (HR, 3 RBI, .295) both had two hits, but because Wlad’s left the park and he walked once, again without striking out, I would claim he was the star of the game. I’m trying not to jump up and down and get all excited about this, because the strikeout rates haven’t changed that much, but he’s walking and hitting for power. The double by LF Jon Nelson (2B, R, .283) was his fourth of the year, and 3B Jesus Guzman (R, .211) was 1-for-3 with a walk.

Inland Empire 2, Stockton 4 (OAK 0)
Inland Empire, the great enigma thus far in the season, has done it to me again, this time sending in RHP Justin Jordan (2.70) for a season debut consisting of three and one-third innings in which he gave up a run on three hits and three walks against a lone strikeout. There you have it, I can now admit to having no real idea what’s going on with the Sixers pitching staff. RHP Jon Lockwood (2.70) took over for two and one-third innings after that, scoring one of Jordan’s runs and three of his own after a double, a hit batter, and three walks. Not in that order, of course. RHP Jose de la Cruz (5.14) had another decent outing, going the final two innings and giving up one hit while striking out one.
RF Mike Wilson (HR, .273) had the “big hit” for the Sixers, a solo home run in the fourth, though the double by 2B Erick Monzon (2B, R, .318) ended up having some significance too. Monzon was driven in on a single by DH Reed Eastley (RBI, .257), who was 1-2 with a walk and ended up getting plunked later in the game. LF Josh Womack (.444) and 3B Ron Prettyman (.262) were both 2-for-4 out of the one and two spots, respectively, though nothing came of it.

Southwest Michigan 4 (TB 0), Wisconsin 1
LHP Justin Thomas (1.00, PO, L) had his worst outing thus far, but even that isn’t saying much while he still has an ERA of one. He gave up a run in the fifth on a solo home run, and that was it. Despite having seven other hits and a walk, the D-Rays couldn’t put anything else together against him. Thomas struck out three of their batters, so he didn’t really have his “A” game, but he certainly managed well. Unfortunately, the floodgates opened a little after RHP Jeff Gilmore (2.89) took over, as he gave up a pair of runs in two innings of work after three hits, two walks, and one strikeout. RHP Ruben Flores (3.68) had a bit of trouble himself, giving up another run on a hit and three walks against three Ks in the last two innings.
After striking out one of the T-Rats batters on a 92mph sinker away, Mehring remarked that he didn’t know how McGee, the starter, had given up a hit yet. It was at that point I decided to turn the game off and attend to more pressing matters, and of course, when I came back, I found that McGee held them to four hits and a walk while striking out eight in six innings. Bah. 3B Rob Hudson (3B, E, .229) and RF Mike Saunders (3B, R, .282) both tripled, SS Jeff Dominguez (.313) had two hits, LF Casey Craig (.353) was 1-for-3 with a walk, and 2B Luis Valbuena (.186) walked twice, so it wasn’t as if the day was without offense, it just was just… well, like the Mariners offense really. Get a few guys on base and somehow not capitalize on it.

Tomorrow’s Starters:
Tacoma: LHP Bobby Livingston, at Sacramento, @ 11:35 am PDT
San Antonio: LHP Cesar Jimenez, at Frisco, @ 5:05 pm PDT
Inland Empire: TBA, at Stockton, @ 7:05 pm PDT
Wisconsin: LHP Paul Fagan, in Appleton, @ 9:35 am PDT

Tacoma Rainiers: 7-4, .636, 1st in PCL Pacific North
San Antonio Missions: 5-7, .417, 2 GB in TL South
Inland Empire 66ers: 7-5, .583, 0.5 GB in CAL South
Wisconsin Timber Rattlers: 4-8, .333, 4 GB in MWL Western
Organizational Record: 23-24, .489

posted by Jay Y. @ 10:54 PM

Monday, April 17, 2006

Game Recaps (4/17/06)

Tacoma 9, Fresno 5 (SF - 3)
The lone win of the day, but it was a killing, even though RHP Jesse Foppert (3.52) lasted only three and two-thirds innings with his 76 pitches (41 strikes), giving up two runs on two hits, three hit batters, a wild pitch, and three walks against five Ks. He was later ejected, in the top of the sixth, no less. Something went down after Morban was plunked in the fifth, as he and the Grizzlies 1B were both ejected. Those replacement umps, they’re going mad with power. RHP Renee Cortez (2.45, W) would pick up the W, giving up a run on two hits and a walk against two Ks in the next three and a third. RHP Emiliano Fruto (3.00) gave up two runs on two hits and a hit abtter against two Ks in the ninth. That’s right, Fruto hit a batter as well, but I don’t think any of the pitchers were warned about that one, as Foppert was the only one ejected and after he left, no less. Strange all around.
LF Shin-soo Choo (HR, 2 R, 2 RBI, SB, .417) brought his average above .400 with another three-hit night, but I also liked the 3-for by CF Adam Jones (2 HR, 3 RBI, .257), who cracked his first two home runs, but struck out in two other plate appearances. 1B Todd Sears (2B, R, RBI, SB, .300) and C Rob Johnson (R, PB, .348) both added two hits, and PR-SS Mike Morse (HR, 2 RBI, .216) did a nice job filling in for Morban, cracking a home run in the sixth.

San Antonio 3, Frisco 8 (TEX - 1)
LHP Travis Blackley (4.30, L) had a bad outing, giving up seven runs (six earned) on ten hits (2 HR!), a hit batter, and three wild pitches against two Ks, but it seems only natural that he should have a few outings like this. RHP Nate Mateo (5.68) went the next two and a third and gave up a hit and a walk while K’ing three. RHP Jon Huber (2.25) gave up a run on one hit, a triple, to be specific, while pitching the eighth.
The offense for the Missions was actually pretty decent, expecially considering that they were going up against John Danks, they just didn’t take advantage of their opportunities as much as they could’ve. CF Sebastien Boucher (2 2B, .295), hitting his first extra-base hits of the season, was 2-for, as were 3B Jesus Guzman (E, .200) and DH Jason Bourgeois (2 RBI, .231). 1B Bryan Lahair (2 R, .333) was 0-for1 with three walks and is doing his best to maintain his lead as the system’s most promising first baseman. LF Jon Nelson (2B, R, RBI, .286) is trying to get back on track and helped his case by going 1-for-3 with a walk. To repeat a point of clarification for those curious out there, Jeff Clement has been held out with a sore elbow and C Tom Gregorio (.250) is helping out behind the plate for now while Clement is on the shelf (but not the DL).

High Desert 7 (KC + 1), Inland Empire 5 (twelve innings)
Cripes. They started this one early at 11 am and it was still going strong at 3 pm. Well, the Sixers are continuing to mess with my mind by shaking up the rotation again, this time opting for giving LHP Julio Santiago (4.97, PO) his every-five-days work. I appreciate the sentiment, but it didn’t work out so well and he gave up three runs in three and a third on four hits, a balk, and five walks against five Ks. He remains an enigma. RHP Ivan Blanco (1.59), who’s pretty much in the same boat, followed him and was only slightly better, giving up a run on three hits, a wild pitch, two hit batters and a walk with three Ks. The fun continued when RHP Aaron Trolia (2.70) recorded his one out between a walk and a single and had to be pulled in favor of RHP Stephen Kahn (0.00), who let that run score on a wild pitch. Kahn would come back to strike out four and only allowed one hit for the rest of his inning and a third. LHP Eric O’Flaherty (6.00) did fine in his two innings of work, with two hits, a strikeout, and four groundouts, but RHP Mumba Rivera (5.68, L) gave up a single followed by a home run in the twelfth inning. Rivera also punched out two.
As extra inning games tend to carry on, some of the numbers in terms of hits and at-bats get a little exaggerated. There were twelve hits in all for the Sixers, but only five runs of offense to show for it. 2B Erick Monzon (2B, RBI, .325) collected three of those hits, and RF Mike Wilson (2B, 2 RBI, .275) and CF Chris Colton (R, SB, .242) had two each. The only other double came off the bat of C Luis Oliveros (2B, R, .310). DH Marshall Hubbard (R, .269) was 0-for-1 in his one at-bat, but took walks in his other two times at the plate. I’m interested in his continued offensive development this season and what direction it takes. SS Matt Tuiasosopo (R, 2 E, .333) was 1-for-5 and made two errors on the field, his fifth and sixth of the season.

Caught the end of the broadcast, and apparently, there were fiver separate occasions when managers came out to argue calls, and probably could’ve been more. As I said yesterday, come back soon minor league umps.

Southwest Michigan 4 (TB - 1), Wisconsin 3 (ten innings)
RHP Jason Snyder (4.02, E) did okay in his six innings, giving up three runs, two of them earned, on six hits, a wild pitch, a hit batter, and two walks against six Ks. I like how he’s been striking out slightly better than a batter per inning, but he still hasn’t dominated like I would like to see him do, and the number of hits he gives out is usually distressing. On the other side of the coin, you have a guy like LHP Harold Williams (0.00) who turned in another two solid innings, walking one, throwing a wild pitch, and striking out five, and his K/9 sits at an absurd 18.90. Gotta love these early ridiculously small sample sizes, but at the same time, you want to keep watching to see if he keeps it up. RHP Edgar Guaramato (0.00), one of my endorsed pitchers, went one inning today throwing a wild pitch, striking out one, and giving up his first hit of the season in 5.1 IP. I’m happy with his performance, but I’d like more strikeouts and fewer wild pitches. RHP Joe Woerman (1.23, E, L) would take the loss in the tenth, giving up an unearned run on two hits while striking out a pair.
Not much doing on the offense from the T-Rats end of things. I’ll give 2B Luis Valbuena (RBI, CS, .195), CF Mike Saunders (R, .286), and SS Jeff Dominguez (.286) some props for each going 1-for-3 with a walk, but I’ll draw the line there.

Musical OT: I finally picked up TV On the Radio’s “Young Liars”, the piece missing from my small collection of theirs, and can’t stop listening to it, as is typically the case when I pick up any of their CDs. Expect me to be writing in a state of auditory euphoria when they release their second full-length later this year, which I would assume (hoping) is similarly excellent (kind of lost focus at times with their first full length, though the two shorter ones that accompanied it were better, largley on the strength of the first two songs in each).

Tomorrow’s Starters:
Tacoma: RHP Clint Nageotte, at Sacramento, @ 7:05 pm PDT
San Antonio: RHP Yorman Bazardo (?), at Frisco, @ 5:05 pm PDT
Inland Empire: RHP Aaron Jensen (?), at Stockton, @ 7:05 pm PDT
Wisconsin: LHP Justin Thomas, in Appleton, @ 4:35 pm PDT

Tacoma Rainiers: 6-4, .600, T-1st in PCL Pacific North
San Antonio Missions: 5-6, .455, 2 GB in TL South
Inland Empire 66ers: 7-4, .636, 0.5 GB in CAL South
Wisconsin Timber Rattlers: 4-7, .364, 3 GB in MWL Western
Organizational Record: 22-21, .512

posted by Jay Y. @ 11:14 PM

Sunday, April 16, 2006

Game Recaps (4/16/06)

Tacoma 5, Fresno 1 (SF - 2)
RHP Francisco Cruceta (1.00, W) was solid through five, giving up just one run on two hits, a wild pitch, and three walks against five Ks. A hit, a walk, and the wild pitch helped score that run in the first, but the offensive production in the last two innings consisted of only one walk for the Grizzlies. RHP Jeff Harris (0.00) pitched two innings after that, giving up two hits and a walk. RHP Sean Green (0.00, S) had an identical line, minus a hit. I’d compare the ground/fly, but surprisingly, Harris was 3/2, while Green was 3/3.
It appears the LF Shin-soo Choo (HR, 2 RBI, 2 SB, .387) has found his place in the leadoff spot, with another three hits in the game today. 3B Greg Dobbs (.333) added two hits and a walk, and RF T.J. Bohn (2B, .290) had a double. For anyone curious out there, and I know you exist, C Guillermo Quiroz (RBI, .000) cleared waivers and had a sac fly in three plate appearances.

San Antonio 3, Frisco 9 (TEX - 1)
LHP Ryan Feierabend (4.35, L) got a little roughed up in this one, giving up five runs on nine hits (HR) and two hit batters against just two strikeouts. RHP Craig James (4.50) went the next two and a third and let four more score on five hits, including a three-run home run, a walk, a wild pitch, and a strikeout. RHP Mike Flannery (5.79) got the final out for James.
The home run and two strikeouts by RF Wladimir Balentien (HR, A, .297) helped stabilize my grasp on reality, but that was after it took a hit from the two-run shot by C Justin Ruchti (HR, 2 RBI, .316) the previous inning. Wlad also helped turn a double play. DH Jon Nelson (2B, .282) and 3B Jesus Guzman (2B, R, .161) both doubled, and CF Sebastien Boucher (CS, .282) and SS Oswaldo Navarro (SB, .344) each had a hit and two walks. LF Gary Harris (2 A, .292) only had two hits, but he did pick up two outfield assists, both at second, which is awesome. Odd note, 1B Bryan Lahair (.342), who was 1-for-3, was ejected for disputing a strike three call and was replaced at first by 2B-1B Matt Rogelstad (.100) while 2B Jason Bourgeois (.190) came in to play second. The Express-News also says that both manager Daren Brown and hitting coach Henry Cotto were ejected as well. Come back soon, real minor league umps.

Tomorrow’s Starters:
Tacoma: RHP Jesse Foppert, at Fresno, @ 7:05 pm PDT
San Antonio: LHP Travis Blackley, at Frisco, @ 5:05 pm PDT
Inland Empire: RHP Aaron Jensen, in San Bernardino, @ 11:00 am PDT
Wisconsin: RHP Jason Snyder, in Appleton, @ 4:35 pm PDT

Tacoma Rainiers: 5-4, .556, T-1st in PCL Pacific North
San Antonio Missions: 5-5, .500, 1 GB in TL South
Inland Empire 66ers: 7-3, .700, T-1st GB in CAL South
Wisconsin Timber Rattlers: 4-6, .400, 2 GB in MWL Western
Organizational Record: 21-18, .538

posted by Jay Y. @ 11:47 PM