Mariner Minors: 04/30/2006

Mariner Minors

Saturday, May 06, 2006

Game Recaps (5/6/06)

Tacoma 5, Salt Lake 4 (ANA + 6)
RHP Cha Seung Baek (3.48, W) pitched five innings and gave up three runs on five hits (2 solo HR!) and a wild pitch while he struck out three. RHP Renee Cortez (2.55) allowed two hits over two innings after that, but RHP Emiliano Fruto (3.06, S) made it a little intense in the ninth, allowing a run on a hit and a walk while striking out two for the save.
Some interesting offense to write about in this one, though not all in the same category… CF Adam Jones (2B, R, .266) hit his fourth double of the season, LF-1B Mike Morse (.192) had two walks (and three Ks), SS Asdrubal Cabrera (HR, .326) had his first home run of the season, and 2B Scott Youngbauer (3B, 2 R, .167) managed to string together two hits in a game.

San Antonio was rained out (and won’t be made up), but back on the Clement notes, seems he was in town for both elbow and meniscus surgery. Step away from that ledge now, Joe Mauer had meniscus surgery too and he seems all right. Just don’t expect Clement back for another six weeks or so.

The SA Express-News also has a future on closer Jon Huber.

San Jose 2 (SF + 8), Inland Empire 4
Sixers took down the top team again, this time with RHP Cibney Bello (5.40) going five and one-third innings and giving up two runs on seven hits, two wild pitches, a hit batter, and two walks against three Ks. He had just one more flyout than groundouts tonight. RHP Mumba Rivera (2.45, W) took over after that, going two and two-thirds and giving up just one hit while striking out one. RHP Stephen Kahn (1.45, S) came on in the ninth, striking out one batter, and that closed the books on this one.
2B Yung-chi Chen (R, 2 RBI, SB, .344), 1B Marshall Hubbard (2B, RBI, .247), LF Josh Womack (2B, .277), and C Omar Falcon (2B, R, .194) all had two hits, and DH Reed Eastley (2B, R, RBI, .275) had his fifth double of the season. CF Kevin Reynolds (R, .545) was 1-for-1 with three walks batting ninth, but he’s only had 11 at-bats. Sample size, sample size. SS Matt Tuiasosopo (.305) came away from the game striking out in each of his four appearances.

Wisconsin 3, Cedar Rapids 2 (ANA - 3) (eleven innings)
LHP Harold Williams (0.89) did all right in his first start of the year, going four and two-thirds innings and giving up one run on three hits, four walks, and four strikeouts. Two of those walked came in the first inning when he was having a little bit of trouble locating. RHP Ruben Flores (6.23) came in for three and a third after that and pitched decently, giving up one run on two hits and two walks against two Ks. RHP Jeff Gilmore (3.31, W) pitched the next two frames and got one strikeout, and then RHP Edgar Guaramato (0.71, S) walked one, and had two strikeouts and a flyout in the ninth.
That all-important eleventh inning rally went like this…

Wisconsin Top 11th
· Michael Saunders singles on a line drive to left fielder Jordan Renz.
· J. B. TuckerIII out on a sacrifice bunt, pitcher Timothy Didjurgis to first baseman Mark Trumbo. Michael Saunders to 2nd.
· Eddy Hernandez grounds out, second baseman Dallas Morris to first baseman Mark Trumbo. Michael Saunders to 3rd.
· Chao Kuan Wu triples (1) on a ground ball to right fielder Warner A. Madrigal. Michael Saunders scores.
· Casey Craig flies out to center fielder Bradley Coon.

C J.B. Tucker (2B, HR, 2 PB, .254) and 1B Chao Kuan Wu (2B, 3B, RBI, .238) both had two extra-base hits, SS Jeff Dominguez (R, CS, .337) had two singles in the leadoff spot, and I really don’t know what got into DH Luis Valbuena (.224), but his OBP is well over .100 points higher than his average and he’s still waiting on his first homer of the season.

Tomorrow’s Starters:
Tacoma: RHP Clint Nageotte, at Salt Lake City, @ 1:00 pm PDT
San Antonio: LHP Ryan Feierabend, at Springfield, @ 4:10 pm PDT
Inland Empire: LHP Julio Santiago, in San Bernardino, @ 2:11 pm PDT
Wisconsin: LHP Jose Escalona (!), at Cedar Rapids, @ 12:00 pm PDT

Tacoma Rainiers: 16-11, .593, 0.5 GB in PCL Pacific North
San Antonio Missions: 11-16, .407, 5 GB in TL South
Inland Empire 66ers: 17-12, .586, 1st in CAL South
Wisconsin Timber Rattlers: 14-15, .483, 3 GB in MWL Western
Organizational Record: 58-54, .518

posted by Jay Y. @ 10:39 PM

Game Recaps (5/5/06)

Getting some draft-related news out of the way first, BA ranked the draft-eligible JUCO players in a premium feature and M’s 15th round pick RHP John Holdzkom came in 15th. They mentioned that he was no longer pitching at Salt Lake CC and is rumored to be pitching in local weekend adult leagues in preparation for the draft. I guess that means that stats for him listed earlier are going to be it. Interesting power arm, if he does decide to sign with us.

Tacoma 7, Salt Lake 17 (ANA + 7)
Uh, yeah… well, this is a heck of a way to start things out. LHP Cesar Jimenez (9.22, L) got beat hard, giving up seven runs on nine hits (HR), a wild pitch, and three walks against four Ks in four innings of work. After that, Brundy decided that he was going to throw his scrubs into the fire against a dangerous Stingers offense, and well, things got worse. RHP Juan Zapata (7.71) gave up five runs on five hits (2 HR), a walk, and two Ks in an inning and a third, LHP David Asher (10.80) let two runs score on two hits, a walk, and two Ks in an inning and two-thirds, and RHP Mike Hrynio (9.00) gave up three runs on a hit and four walks in the eighth. Hope they learned something from the experience, or at the very least didn’t suffer too much psychological damage.
The six through eight hitters for the Rainiers did some teeing off as well, with CF Adam Jones (HR, 3 RBI, .270), 2B Hunter Brown (2B, HR, 2 R, .271), and C Rob Johnson (HR, 2 PB, .279) all getting home runs, and the latter two collecting two hits each. 3B Greg Dobbs (R, .298) added three hits, LF Shin-soo Choo (.323) had two, and 1B Mike Morse (.198) was 0-for-1, but had three walks, which is more than he had all season coming into the game.

San Antonio 6, Arkansas 7 (ANA - 4)
LHP Jason Mackintosh (6.38, E) lasted four innings, giving up five runs (three earned) on nine hits (HR) and two walks against four Ks. Following him was RHP Mike Flannery (8.03), who went three and gave up just one run on two hits, a hit batter, and a walk against a K. The offense had managed to keep pace with this to that point, but RHP Craig James (3.86, L) gave up a solo home run in the eighth, and well, that was that.
RF Wladimir Balentien (2B, HR, 2 R, .242) gets a gold star for the night for going 2-for-4 with a walk and NOT STRIKING OUT, but his bash buddy from last year, 1B Bryan Lahair (2B, 2 RBI, .340) also deserves some props for getting three hits and a walk. C Justin Ruchti (2B, R, .292) added a pair of hits as well, good to see, and 3B Jesus Guzman (.267) and SS Oswaldo Navarro (R, .271) both walked twice. Guzman’s value, since he lacks a lot of power, is going to be dependant in part on his ability to draw walks and if that comes back, he could play himself back into the picture, to an extent. The additional walks we get from Navarro are also okay by me, but with a 16/16 BB/K thus far on the season, I haven’t had much to complain about from him. Now about that power stroke…

If you want to see more playing time for Ruchti, well, you’re “in luck”, but only at the expense of Jeff Clement, who will miss 4-6 weeks with a knee injury. Words can’t describe how uncool this is, so I won’t attempt to. On the plus side, for Ruchti, he gets a chance to prove he can maintain this level of offense, or something near it, because he hasn’t really been a threat at the plate to this point in his career (to put things diplomatically).

San Jose 5 (SF + 9), Inland Empire 6 (eleven innings)
LHP Shawn Nottingham (5.52) did his part to help take out the top team in the league, pitching six innings and giving up three runs on seven hits (HR) and a wild pitch while striking out three. RHP Jon Lockwood (4.22) followed him with two hits, two wild pitches, a walk, and three strikeouts in his inning and two-thirds, but then RHP Stephen Kahn (1.53, BS) blew the save op, giving up two runs on three hits (HR), a wild pitch, and two walks against three Ks in an inning and a third. Fortunately, RHP Aaron Trolia (2.84, W) was perfect through the last two innings to get the win.
The rally that led to the walkoff run went something like this…

Inland Empire Bottom 11th
· Pitcher Change: Adam Gardner replaces Brian Anderson.
· Yung Chi Chen singles on a ground ball to center fielder Joseph Dyche.
· Erick Monzon walks. Yung Chi Chen to 2nd.
· Marshall Hubbard strikes out on missed bunt.
· With Matt Tuiasosopo batting, Yung Chi Chen steals (8) 3rd base. Erick Monzon steals (2) 2nd base.
· Adam Gardner intentionally walks Matt Tuiasosopo.
· Ronald Prettyman singles on a bunt ground ball to third baseman Simon Klink. Yung Chi Chen scores. Erick Monzon to 3rd. Matt Tuiasosopo to 2nd.

Even though he was 0-for-5 to that point… I don’t think it’s wise to set yourself up pitching to Prettyman right now. As for the rest of the offense, CF Brent Johnson (2 R, SB, CS, .247) and DH Yung-chi Chen (3B, 2 R, 2 RBI, 2 SB, .337) both had three hits batting 1-2 in the order, with Johnson adding two walks, and LF Josh Womack (2 R, .267) had two hits. 1B Marshall Hubbard (2B, RBI, .236) also doubled and walked. SS Matt Tuiasosopo (.317) was 1-for-4 with a pair of walks, which brings his total up to four for the season, and that was good to see as well, even if they didn’t yield much.

Wisconsin 8, Cedar Rapids 6 (ANA - 2)
LHP Paul Fagan (5.70) was left in for two batters too many (single, HR), but pitched well enough to keep his team in it, going six innings and giving up four runs on six hits (2 HR!), a hit batter, and two walks against four Ks. He was doing his flyball pitcher impression again today, with five grounders to nine flies. RHP Joe Woerman (3.14, E, BS, W) went the next two and let a couple of unearned runs score on three hits and a wild pitch while he struck out two, and then RHP Edgar Guaramato (0.77, S) drove the final nail in after the T-Rats rallied in the ninth, striking out one and inducing two more groundouts to bring his G/F ratio to 2.83, which is about where it’s been all season long.
To recap the mentioned ninth inning rally…

Wisconsin Top 9th
· Pitcher Change: Tim Mattison replaces Chris Howell.
· Casey Craig triples (2) on a line drive to right fielder Warner A. Madrigal.
· Jairo Hernandez doubles (1) on a fly ball to center fielder Bradley Coon. Casey Craig scores.
· Chao Kuan Wu grounds out, second baseman Marco Albano to first baseman Mark Trumbo. Jairo Hernandez to 3rd.
· Robert Hudson grounds out, third baseman Dallas Morris to first baseman Mark Trumbo. Jairo Hernandez scores.
· Jeffrey Dominguez reaches on fielding error by pitcher Tim Mattison.
· With Luis Valbuena batting, Tim Mattison picks off Jeffrey Dominguez at 1st on throw to Mark Trumbo.

CF Michael Saunders (3B, R, 3 RBI, .264) had a three-run triple in the fifth inning, and LF Casey Craig (3B, R, .273), RF Jairo Hernandez (2B, R, RBI, .143), and SS Robby Hudson (2B, R, SB, .324) had the other extra-base hits of the night. DH Jeff Dominguez (R, PO, .333) was 1-for-3 with a couple of walks batting leadoff, and 2B Luis Valbuena (R, RBI, .232) had two hits batting behind him.
With Clement out, Brian Schweiger has moved on to San Antonio, which means 2005 33rd-round pick Julian Henson is now on the T-Rats roster as backup. Kind of makes you wish that we had kept a few of the dozen or so minor league catchers we signed in the offseason, but good for Henson and I hope he makes the most of his opportunities there. Other interesting notes from the previous day’s article, pitching coach Lance Painter is ill and his temporary replacement is Oliver Arias, who has usually been seen bouncing from one level to the next in the ‘pen (holding off on the "those who can't do..." pun), and Marwin Vega is out with a groin injury (that explains it) and will be replaced in the rotation by Harold Williams.

Today’s Starters:
Tacoma: RHP Cha Seung Baek, at Salt Lake City, @ 5:30 pm PDT
San Antonio: LHP Ryan Feierabend, at Arkansas, @ 5:10 pm PDT
Inland Empire: RHP Cibney Bello (?), in San Bernardino, @ 7:11 pm PDT
Wisconsin: LHP Harold Williams, at Cedar Rapids, @ 3:00 pm PDT

Tacoma Rainiers: 15-11, .577, 1.5 GB in PCL Pacific North
San Antonio Missions: 11-16, .407, 5.5 GB in TL South
Inland Empire 66ers: 16-12, .571, T-1st in CAL South
Wisconsin Timber Rattlers: 13-15, .464, 3 GB in MWL Western
Organizational Record: 55-54, .505

posted by Jay Y. @ 1:58 AM

Friday, May 05, 2006

Game Recaps (5/4/05)

The Rainiers game was suspended in Colorado due to fog in the second inning, with our guys leading 1-0 and looking to tack on another run. The outfielders could no longer see home plate, or so they say. It’ll be made up in June during the next road trip out there.

In a fun roster related note, we saw Hrynio yesterday, and with the likes of Oldham, Atchison, Harris, and Foppert on the DL, we may soon see LHP David Asher, who is currently listed on the Rainiers roster.

San Antonio 9, Arkansas 6 (ANA - 5)
RHP Yorman Bazardo (3.38, W) continues to pitch pretty well, going five innings this time and allowing one runs to score on five hits and two walks against four Ks. LHP Adam Pettyjohn (1.42) followed for two innings, and gave up two more runs on four hits (HR) and three walks, and then RHP Nate Mateo (5.02) gave up three runs on three hits (2 HR!), a walk, and a K in the final two. Guess it was sort of a slide there towards the end.
2B Michael Garciaparra (2 2B, 2 R, RBI, .318) and 3B Jesus Guzman (HR, 2 RBI, .277), hitting fifth in the order, had three hits apiece. Guzman’s been coming on of late, considering his batting average was .247 at the end of April, but it could just be the sample size here. LF Jon Nelson (HR, 2 R, 2 RBI, A, .278) and C Justin Ruchti (R, RBI, .273) had two hits as well. Not every batter had a hit in this one, but everyone reached base safely at least once.

Inland Empire 0, Lake Elsinore 3 (SD + 1)
Well, you have to give RHP Ivan Blanco (3.62) some credit for holding the Storm to two runs on two hits (HR), two hit batters, and three walks against six Ks. It was really only the home run that got him, and he’s pitched better than a lot of the starters, so maybe this is finally his year. LHP Eric O’Flaherty (1.93) went the final three and gave up one more run on two hits, a hit batter, and a walk against five Ks. He’s another guy I’d like to see in the rotation sometime, but there’s only so much room there right now and there are a lot of guys who could pitch in either role.
CF Brent Johnson (.219) and 3B Ron Prettyman (SB, .363) both had two hits, and LF Kevin Reynolds (2B, .500) doubled, but it was a slow night after the previous day’s explosion. I know it’s fun and all, but try to save some runs for the other pitchers, pacing is key.

Wisconsin 2, Cedar Rapids 6 (ANA - 1)
I’m pretty sure that the T-Rats haven’t won yet against Cedar Rapids this season. Oh well… LHP Justin Thomas (2.48) went six innings and let five runs (four earned) score on seven hits (HR) and a walk against seven Ks. RHP Nick Allen (4.11) pitched the final two and let an unearned run score on two hits while he punched out two.
Of the five hits in the lineup tonight, four of them were split between LF Casey Craig (2B, R, .274) and C J.B. Tucker (2B, R, .239), so it was good that they managed what they could out of it.

Today’s Starters:
Tacoma: LHP Cesar Jimenez, at Salt Lake City, @ 5:05 pm PDT
San Antonio: LHP Jason Mackintosh, at Arkansas, @ 5:10 pm PDT
Inland Empire: LHP Shawn Nottingham, in San Bernardino, @ 7:11 pm PDT
Wisconsin: LHP Paul Fagan, at Cedar Rapids, @ 10:00 am PDT

Tacoma Rainiers: 15-10, .600, 0.5 GB in PCL Pacific North
San Antonio Missions: 11-15, .423, 4.5 GB in TL South
Inland Empire 66ers: 15-12, .556, 1 GB in CAL South
Wisconsin Timber Rattlers: 12-15, .444, 3.5 GB in MWL Western
Organizational Record: 53-52, .505

posted by Jay Y. @ 12:21 AM

Wednesday, May 03, 2006

Game Recaps (5/3/06)

Abbreviated system sweep, M’s affiliates outscore opponents 25-1… in two games.

Tacoma 6, Colorado Springs 0 (COL - 11)
RHP Kevin Appier (1.50, W) went six innings, allowing just six runners to reach via three hits and three walks, throwing a wild pitch, and striking out three. RHP Michael Hrynio (0.00) returned from the torn UCL that kept him out last year and pitched two fine innings, giving up a hit, throwing a wild pitch, and walking one. RHP Renee Cortez (2.87) gave up three hits, but managed to get out of the ninth unscathed while striking out two. Cortez’ low ERA isn’t really reflecting how his WHIP is above 1.50, so watch out for that in the coming days.
3B Hunter Brown (2B, 3B, R, RBI, .258) led the charge by going 4-for-4, and RF T.J. Bohn (R, SB, .264), LF Greg Dobbs (2 R, .281), 1B Todd Sears (2B, R, RBI, .318), SS Asdrubal Cabrera (RBI, .368), and 2B Scott Youngbauer (2B, .143) added two each. DH Mike Morse (2B, 2 RBI, .200) and C Guillermo Quiroz (2B, R, .333) both doubled, but CF Shin-soo Choo (.319) went 0-for-5 at the plate. It’s interesting to see him starting out in center, I had gotten the impression that the club had given up on the idea of using him out there.

Inland Empire 19, Lake Elsinore 1 (SD 0)
I’ve seen my share of laughers since starting this gig, but this one takes the taco. If the standard rout could be termed a “bombing”, this was the equivalent of firing a satellite-mounted deathray and then salting the earth within the blast radius. This was the score you saw playing a baseball game on your old NES when you had the Game Genie hooked up and only ended the hitting part of the inning when you were bored. RHP Justin Jordan (5.29, W) turned in his first great start of the season by going six innings and allowing just one hit and three walks while striking out three. RHP Mumba Rivera (3.12) was perfect through the next two frames, punching out two, and then RHP Jose de la Cruz (3.65) gave up the lone run for the Storm, an unearned one on a hit and a walk, while striking out one in the ninth.
The offense… the offense… I feel bad for the starting pitcher, who is one of the few pro baseball players my high school has generated in recent years (the other being some big dude named Bobby Jenks, though I’m pretty sure he transferred in during his senior year). Excluding pinch-hitting types, every player in the lineup had at least one hit and most of them had more, which explains the 23-hit total. SS Matt Tuiasosopo (2B, 2 R, 2 RBI, SB, .320) and DH Ron Prettyman (4 2B, 2 R, 4 RBI, SB, .354) both had four hits, though Prettyman did his in four at-bats, all before doubles, before the Sixers decided to be merciful and pull him for PH-DH Trevor Heid (R, .200), who went 1-for-1. Three batters, 3B Erick Monzon (3 R, 2 RBI, SB, .301), RF Chris Colton (2B, 2 R, 2 RBI, SB, CS, .250), and LF Kevin Reynolds (2 R, RBI, .571), had three hits, and C Omar Falcon (2 2B, 2 R, RBI, .172) had two. The rest of the starters, CF Brent Johnson (2B, 2 R, RBI, .203), 2B Yung-chi Chen (2B, R, 3 RBI, .329), and 1B Marshall Hubbard (2B, 2 R, 3 RBI, .238) had doubles, with Hubbard also walking twice.

There’s a new article up in the SBSun, which has some goodies on the Sixers. For one, C Jair Fernandez (.000) was called up today as a backup with Luis Oliveros out temporarily. Fernandez is probably your opening day starter for the Aquasox this year. It also mentions that Mike Wilson has been out with a strained oblique.

I’ve also managed to hook up a link to the Sixers feed, which isn’t carried MiLB.com. Good deal if you need your Sixers fix, and I know I have.

Tomorrow’s Starters:
Tacoma: RHP Rich Dorman, at Colorado Springs, @ 9:35 am PDT
San Antonio: RHP Yorman Bazardo, at Arkansas, @ 5:10 pm PDT
Inland Empire: RHP Ivan Blanco, at Lake Elsinore, @ 7:05 pm PDT
Wisconsin: LHP Justin Thomas, at Cedar Rapids, @ 4:30 pm PDT

Tacoma Rainiers: 15-10, .600, 0.5 GB in PCL Pacific North
San Antonio Missions: 10-15, .400, 5 GB in TL South
Inland Empire 66ers: 15-11, .577, 0.5 GB in CAL South
Wisconsin Timber Rattlers: 12-16, .462, 3 GB in MWL Western
Organizational Record: 52-50, .510

posted by Jay Y. @ 10:27 PM

Tuesday, May 02, 2006

Game Recaps (5/2/06)

Tacoma 2, Colorado Springs 4 (COL - 10)
RHP Francisco Cruceta (2.74, L) went five and two-thirds innings and gave up all four runs on nine hits (HR), two wild pitches, and a hit batter against nine strikeouts. Looking at that line makes me wonder what Juan Sandoval is up to. RHP Juan Zapata (1.59) pitched the final two and a third and gave up just one hit while striking out two. Not bad for a guy who pitched last year in the rookie leagues.
The three through seven hitters in the lineup, LF Greg Dobbs (2B, .271), 1B Mike Morse (2B, R, .200), DH Todd Sears (2B, RBI, .311), 3B Hunter Brown (2B, .210), and SS Asdrubal Cabrera (2B, R, .353), all doubled, with Brown and Drubie adding walks as well. C Rob Johnson (RBI, .263) had two hits batting eighth.

Springfield 3 (STL + 6), San Antonio 7
LHP Travis Blackley (4.55, PO, W) held one of the league’s top offenses to three runs on six hits (HR), a balk, a hit batter, and two walks against three Ks over five innings. RHP Chad Fillinger (2.57) had a hit and a strikeout to show for the next two innings, and RHP Jon Huber (3.72) had the same line plus a strikeout over the last two.
The one through seven spots in the lineup all had hits in this one, with 2B Michael Garciaparra (R, .296) and RF Gary Harris (3B, 2 R, RBI, SB, .269) logging three each and the quartet of CF Sebastien Boucher (R, .219), 1B Bryan Lahair (R, RBI, .337), LF Jon Nelson (2B, R, RBI, .272), and C Justin Ruchti (2B, .256) getting two apiece. DH Jesus Guzman (3B, R, 2 RBI, .253) added a triple batting fifth.

Inland Empire 4, Lake Elsinore 3 (SD + 1)
LHP Julio Santiago (2.93) went five innings and gave up two runs on four hits and two walks against three Ks. RHP Jon Lockwood (4.58, W) went two and two-thirds after that and allowed one more run to score on two hits and a walk while punching out six. After that, it was lights out as RHP Stephen Kahn (0.55, S) walked one and struck out two going the rest of the distance for the save.
2B Yung-chi Chen (2 R, .342) had yet another multi-hit game with two more tonight, and SS Erick Monzon (3B, RBI, .282) and 3B Ron Prettyman (2B, RBI, .326) added extra-base hits.

West Michigan 10 (DET + 9), Wisconsin 2
RHP Jason Snyder (4.80, L) pitched five innings and gave up seven runs (six earned) on five hits (HR), a hit batter, and three walks against three Ks. RHP Ruben Flores (7.07) went the next two frames and gave up two more runs on four hits and two walks against three Ks. The last two innings were split between RHP Jeff Gilmore (3.77) and LHP Rollie Gibson (3.09). Gilmore didn’t have any trouble, but Gibson gave up a run on two hits and two walks against a K.
1B Bryan Sabatella (2B, .203) had a double and a walk, but there wasn’t anything exciting going on for the offense in this one.

Tomorrow’s Starters:
Tacoma: RHP Kevin Appier, at Colorado Springs, @ 9:35 am PDT
San Antonio: Off day
Inland Empire: RHP Justin Jordan, at Lake Elsinore, @ 6:05 pm PDT
Wisconsin: Off day

Tacoma Rainiers: 14-10, .583, 1.5 GB in PCL Pacific North
San Antonio Missions: 10-15, .400, 5 GB in TL South
Inland Empire 66ers: 14-11, .560, 0.5 GB in CAL South
Wisconsin Timber Rattlers: 12-16, .462, 3 GB in MWL Western
Organizational Record: 50-50, .500

posted by Jay Y. @ 11:23 PM

Monday, May 01, 2006

Game Recaps (5/1/06)

Tacoma 5, Colorado Springs 4 (COL - 11)
Picking up after having his last game cut short, RHP Clint Nageotte (4.03, W) went five innings and gave up three runs (two earned) on seven hits, a wild pitch, and three walks against three Ks. Nags induced groundouts on ten batters while getting flyouts on two, and of the seven hits he gave up, three were grounders that got through and four were line drives. Not bad for two days of rest, and in thin air, no less. RHP Jeff Harris (4.32) pitched a perfect inning after that, and then RHP Emiliano Fruto (2.70, S) pitched the last three innings with only a solo home run and a walk tarnishing his line. Fruto also struck out one, and had five grounders to three flies.
LF Shin-soo Choo (2B, SB, .349) and RF T.J. Bohn (R, CS, .268) had two hits apiece batting their usual 1-2, and 3B Greg Dobbs (HR, 2 RBI, .276), 1B Mike Morse (2B, RBI, .198), and 2B Hunter Brown (HR, 2 RBI, .203) added extra-base hits.

Springfield 4 (STL + 7), San Antonio 2
LHP Ryan Feierabend (3.62) turned in a very solid start, going six innings and allowing one run to score on three hits and two walks while striking out three. After that, things got Ugly. RHP Mike Flannery (9.64, L) got a flyout, then walked three batters, all of which would score after RHP Craig James (3.52 , BS) came in. James would allow three hits and three walks while striking out four over two and two-thirds innings.
Not much to note for the offense in this one, as the hits were spread throughout the lineup. DH Jason Bourgeois (2B, R, .255) and LF Jon Nelson (HR, .261) both flashed some power, and 3B Jesus Guzman (CS, E, .253) had a hit and a walk. CF Sebastien Boucher (.203) was 0-for-3 in his return to the lineup.

RHP Chad Fillinger was named pitcher of the week for the Texas League! Wooo!

Inland Empire 4, Lake Elsinore 7 (SD + 2)
RHP Cibney Bello (5.91, L) went five innings and gave up three runs on six hits (HR) and two walks against two Ks. That’s not too bad on the whole, it’s a enough to win in a lot of games, but he gave up ten flyouts to two grounders and that still terrifies me. RHP Mark Lowe (0.77) went the next inning and let two unearned runs score on two hits, a hit batter, a balk, and a walk, while striking out the side. Lowe’s up there at over 14.5 K per nine, higher than all but one pitcher in the system, but we’ll get to him in a moment (not Kahn!). RHP Aaron Trolia (3.38) went the next two innings and gave up two runs on four hits (HR) and a walk against four Ks.
The surprise hitter in the lineup tonight was CF Brent Johnson (3 RBI, .220), who pulled his average above the Mendoza line and drove in three with a 4-for-4 performance out of the nine spot. 2B Yung-chi Chen (2B, R, .333) and 3B Ron Prettyman (2B, 2 R, .330) were both 2-for. In today’s mind-numbing “blast from the past” moment, the home run that Trolia gave up went to Matt Hagen, of last year’s Sixer squad. Ouch.

West Michigan 9 (DET + 9), Wisconsin 4 (seven innings)
RHP Marwin Vega (6.93, L) was out of whack for the second straight start, going two and one-third innings and giving up seven runs on eight hits and three walks. I stopped charting it after about the third time it went to 3-1 on a batter following a first-pitch strike. He was also giving up flyballs again, so that’s not a sign that he is where he ought to be. LHP Harold Williams (0.57) let two of those runs score and went the next three innings, allowing two hits, a balk, and three walks while striking out three. Though the Ks were a little lower than normal, he still has 28 in 15.2 IP and is your Mariners minor league K/9 leader at 16.0. RHP Nick Allen (4.72) went the final inning and two-thirds and gave up two more runs on two hits (HR) and two walks against one K.
For the offense, SS Jeff Dominguez (R, RBI, SB, .354), 2B Luis Valbuena (SB, RBI, .238), and DH Robby Hudson (2B, R, .338) had two hits each, and 3B Ron Garth (HR, E, .279) had a home run, his second.

West Michigan 3 (DET + 8), Wisconsin 4 (seven innings)
LHP Jose Escalona (2.14, W) got out of the fifth inning! In fact, he got one out into the sixth before he was yanked this time, having given up a single to Cameron Maybin, then striking out the next batter. Overall, Escalona gave up an unearned run on four hits, a hit batter, and a walk against four Ks. RHP Joe Woerman (3.65) finished up that inning, striking out one, and then RHP Edgar Guaramato (0.84, S) got into some trouble in the seventh, giving up two runs (one earned) on two hits and two walks against two Ks.
C Brian Schweiger (PO, .500) was 2-for-3 in the game, and SS Jeff Dominguez (E, .354), 3B Ron Garth (E, .286), and CF Michael Saunders (RBI, .262) all had a hit and a walk.

Tomorrow’s Starters:
Tacoma: RHP Francisco Cruceta, at Colorado Springs, @ 6:05 pm PDT
San Antonio: LHP Travis Blackley, in San Antonio, @ 9:05 am PDT
Inland Empire: LHP Julio Santiago, at Lake Elsinore, @ 7:05 pm PDT
Wisconsin: RHP Jason Snyder, in Appleton, @ 4:35 pm PDT

Tacoma Rainiers: 14-9, .609, 0.5 GB in PCL Pacific North
San Antonio Missions: 9-15, .375, 6 GB in TL South
Inland Empire 66ers: 13-11, .542, 0.5 GB in CAL South
Wisconsin Timber Rattlers: 12-13, .480, 2.5 GB in MWL Western
Organizational Record: 48-48, .500

posted by Jay Y. @ 11:35 PM

Sunday, April 30, 2006

Game Recaps (4/30/06)

Salt Lake 2 (ANA + 4), Tacoma 4
RHP Clint Nageotte (4.15) got through an inning+ before the rains came, giving up a run on a hit, a walk, and two strikeouts. LHP Cesar Jimenez (6.52, PO) took over the next day and rebounded quite nicely from his last outing, allowing Nageotte’s run to score, but otherwise allowing just one run on three hits and three walks while striking out six in five innings of work. RHP Rich Dorman (5.56, W) gave up one hit and struck out three over the next two innings to pick up the win, and RHP Emiliano Fruto (2.63, S) hit a batter and struck out another to pick up his second save.
It was the big eighth inning that pulled the Rainiers over the top this time…

* Asdrubal Cabrera doubles (4) on a fly ball to center fielder Tommy Murphy.

* Pitcher Change: Jonathon Rouwenhorst replaces Jered Weaver.

* Scott Youngbauer reaches on fielding error by third baseman Casey Smith. Scott Youngbauer to 2nd. Rob Johnson advances to 3rd, on throwing error by third baseman Casey Smith.

* Shin-Soo Choo reaches on a fielder's choice out, third baseman Casey Smith to catcher Mike Napoli to shortstop Erick Aybar to pitcher Jonathon Rouwenhorst. Rob Johnson out at home. Scott Youngbauer to 3rd. Shin-Soo Choo to 2nd.

* Pitcher Change: Greg Jones replaces Jonathon Rouwenhorst.

* Adam Jones singles on a line drive to left fielder Curtis Pride. Scott Youngbauer scores. Shin-Soo Choo to 3rd.

* Greg Dobbs singles on a ground ball to right fielder Nick Gorneault. Shin-Soo Choo scores. Adam Jones to 2nd.

* With Mike Morse batting, Adam Jones steals (3) 3rd base. Greg Dobbs steals (4) 2nd base.

* Mike Morse out on a sacrifice fly to center fielder Tommy Murphy. Adam Jones scores.

*Todd Sears strikes out on foul tip.

LF Mike Morse (2B, RBI, .185), SS Asdrubal Cabrera (2B, R, .417), and 2B Scott Youngbauer (2B, R, .137) all doubled in the game. Drubie also walked.

Salt Lake 4 (ANA + 5), Tacoma 3 (eight innings)
RHP Cha Seung Baek (3.24) started the second game of the DH and pitched quite well, giving up two runs on three hits and a walk against four Ks in six+ innings of work. RHP Renee Cortez (3.07, BS) gave up a run on a hit and two walks against one K in the seventh, scoring an inherited runner from Baek in the process, and RHP Aaron Looper (4.70, L) took the loss as he allowed a solo home run to Dallas McPherson and struck out one in the eighth.
3B Greg Dobbs (.273), 1B Todd Sears (.316), and CF Adam Jones (RBI, .268) all had two hits. It was nothing but singles for Tacoma, eleven in all, but singles nonetheless.

Springfield 9 (STL + 6), San Antonio 7
RHP Brandon Moorhead (8.69) only got through three innings this time around, giving up seven runs on seven hits and three walks against four Ks. LHP Adam Pettyjohn (0.53), who seems as good a candidate as any to take over the spot, followed with four innings of relief in which he allowed a hit and three walks while striking out six. RHP Nate Mateo (3.65) would take the loss as he allowed two unearned runs to score on three hits and three walks against four Ks.
C Jeff Clement (3 2B, R, 3 RBI, .291) busted out of his “slump” in a big way, going 5-for-5 with three doubles and raising his average by .071. SS Oswaldo Navarro (2B, R, .288) added three hits batting in the ninth spot in the order, and 2B Michael Garciaparra (R, 2 RBI, .278), 1B Bryan Lahair (2 2B, R, RBI, .345), and 3B Jesus Guzman (R, RBI, .247) had two hits each. DH Jason Bourgeois (2B, 2 R, .250) had another double and a walk out of the leadoff spot. I don’t know what’s going on with Sebastien Boucher, but it looks like he’s only been appearing as a pinch-runner for a while now, and it was the same in this game. RF Wladimir Balentien (.244) continued to slide, walking once, but striking out twice and going 0-for-4.

Visalia 3 (TB - 4), Inland Empire 2
LHP Shawn Nottingham (5.79, L) got his third loss of the season, going five and one-third innings and giving up three runs (two earned) on seven hits, a wild pitch, and three walks against four Ks. LHP Eric O’Flaherty (1.64) was perfect through the next inning and two-thirds, and then RHP Stephen Kahn (0.60) walked two and struck out one over the final two frames.
DH Marshall Hubbard (SB, PO, .250), SS Matt Tuiasosopo (E, .325), and CF Brent Johnson (2B, R, SB, .164) each had two hits, and 1B Reed Eastley (2B, .277) had a double. Johnson and Hubbard both walked once. It looks like the M’s 42nd round pick from last year, PR-DH Kevin Reynolds (CS, .000) was called up to Inland, but he was caught stealing in his first appearance. I don’t know who he’s replacing on the roster.

The Wisconsin game was postponed due to rain. Should be made up as part of a doubleheader beginning at 3:00 pm PDT tomorrow.

Tomorrow’s Starters:
Tacoma: RHP Clint Nageotte, at Colorado Springs, @ 6:05 pm PDT
San Antonio: LHP Ryan Feierabend, in San Antonio, @ 5:05 pm PDT
Inland Empire: RHP Cibney Bello (?), at Lake Elsinore, @ 7:05 pm PDT
Wisconsin: RHP Marwin Vega (!), in Appleton, @ 3:05 pm PDT
Second Game: LHP Jose Escalona (?)

Tacoma Rainiers: 13-9, .591, 0.5 GB in PCL Pacific North
San Antonio Missions: 9-14, .391, 5.5 GB in TL South
Inland Empire 66ers: 13-10, .565, T-1st in CAL South
Wisconsin Timber Rattlers: 11-12, .478, 1.5 GB in MWL Western
Organizational Record: 46-45, .505

posted by Jay Y. @ 8:23 PM

2005 DFE Update (4/30/06)

A few days ago, Conor Glassey, who runs his own fine blog, suggested that I do a check-in on the draft-and-follows leftover from the 2005 draft. Given that the baseball draft is a little over a month away, this seems as good a time as any to start checking in, particularly because there seem to be so many of them this year. After running the usual selection of internet searches, I found thirteen that I have stats for and fifteen overall. Here's what I have...

OF Brian Contreras, 11th round, S/R, 6'2", 175, 08/10/1987
24 games, 61 at-bats, 18 hits, 2 3B, 2 HR, ? runs, 14 RBI, 3 SB, .295/.???/.459

RHP John Holdzkom, 15th round, R/R. 6'7", 225, 10/19/1987
3-2, 10 G (9 GS), 4.26 ERA in 31.2 IP, 18 hits, 20 runs (15 ER), 44K/40BB, 1.83 WHIP

C Travis Scott, 20th round, L/R, 6'3", 220, 04/24/1985
(site down currently, check back later)

RHP Ryan Lindgren, 23rd round, R/R, 6'2", 170, 08/09/1986
?-?, 3 G (? GS), 7.24 ERA in 13.2 IP, 17 hits, 12 runs (11 ER), 15K/7BB, 1.39 WHIP

LHP Will Brown, 25th round, L/L, 6'4", 215, 10/09/1987
6-0, 9 G (9 GS), 1.86 ERA in 48.1 IP, 30 hits, 17 runs (10 ER), 50K/20BB, 1.03 WHIP

RHP Jeremy Hill, 27th round, R/R, 6'7", 240, 08/12/1986
1-2, 8 G (5 GS), 2.54 ERA in 28.1 IP, 23 hits, 21 runs (8 ER), 30K/20BB, 1.52 WHIP

RHP Andrew Schneider, 34th round, R/R, 6'2", 185, 04/06/1987
1-1, 4 G (2 GS), 5.79 ERA in 14.0 IP, 14 hits, 9 runs (9 ER), 12K/5BB, 1.36 WHIP

CF Blake Amador, 35th round, L/L, 6'1", 175, 02/26/1986
33 games, 99 at-bats, 24 hits, 5 2B, 3 3B, 2 HR, 19 runs, 15 RBI, 3 SB, .242/.330/.414

RHP Jesse Costa, 37th round, R/R, 6'1", 210, 04/02/1987
0-1, 7 G (1 GS), 4.76 ERA in 17.0 IP, 22 hits, 13 runs (9 ER), 11K/14BB, 2.12 WHIP

1B/LHP Joe Agreste, 38th round, L/L, 6'2", 175, 04/10/1987
37 games, 134 at-bats, 52 hits, 7 2B, 2 3B, 4 HR, 37 runs, 41 RBI, 8 SB, .388/.???/.560
?-?, ? G (? GS), 8.53 ERA in 6.1 IP, 10 hits, 6 runs (6 ER), 5K/1BB, 1.74 WHIP

RHP Duke Welker, 39th round, R/R, 6'5", 195, 02/10/1986
?-?, 5 G (? GS), 2.84 ERA in 19.0 IP, 17 hits, 9 runs (6 ER), 16K/11BB, 1.47 WHIP

1B/RHP Joe White, 41st round, L/R, 6'3", 210, 01/14/1986
? games, 84 at-bats, 34 hits, 7 2B, 2 HR, 18 runs, 24 RBI, .405/.???/.536
1-5, ? G (? GS), 4.60 ERA in 43.0 IP, 58 hits, 46 runs (22 ER), 33K/11BB, 1.60 WHIP

RHP Phillip Roy, 43rd round, R/R, 6'4", 175, 07/29/1987
?-?, 23 G (? GS), 7 saves, 1.50 ERA in 30.0 IP, 31 hits, 9 runs (5 ER), 28K/4BB, 1.17 WHIP

The guys I don't have any data on are CF Eric Thomas (29th round) and RF Luis Coste (45th round). Both are playing, with Thomas pitching primarily, but there aren't any statistics available for either of them.

posted by Jay Y. @ 12:17 PM