Mariner Minors: 07/02/2006

Mariner Minors

Saturday, July 08, 2006

Game Recaps (7/7/06)

Portland 8 (SD - 6), Tacoma 2
At least there’s a Rainiers game to write about. RHP Francisco Cruceta (4.05, L) gave up five runs on seven hits (2 HR) and five walks against nine Ks in five innings of work. Seems like his problems came early. LHP Thom Oldham (4.22) let three more runs (one earned) score after three hits, a walk, and three Ks in two and two-thirds, but RHP Scott Atchison (3.48) gave up a hit before he recorded a K on the final batter of that inning. RHP Aaron Looper (5.85) gave up two hits and struck out one in the ninth.
LF Greg Dobbs (2 2B, 2 R, .299) had a monster night, going 4-for-4, but the rest of the lineup didn’t do much. DH Rob Johnson (.250) had a hit and a walk.

Midland 3 (OAK - 1), San Antonio 4
RHP Yorman Bazardo (3.02) allowed three runs on ten hits, a wild pitch, a walk, and two strikeouts in seven innings of work. RHP Chad Fillinger (2.43, W) struck out one and was perfect through the last two.
CF Sebastien Boucher (2 R, SB, .246) had three hits in the game, LF Mike Wilson (R, A, .308), DH Jason Bourgeois (2B, R, RBI, .250), and 3B Matt Tuiasosopo (RBI, .280) all had two hits, and 1B Marshall Hubbard (.327) and RF Wladimir Balentien (E, .250) bot had singles and walks.

Inland Empire 3, Lancaster 16 (ARI 0)
RHP Aaron Jensen (6.18, L) gave up ten runs on ten hits (2 HR!), two hit batters, and a walk against a K in two and one-third innings. Even the Jethawks home park shouldn’t hurt him that bad. RHP Juan Done (10.57) got in a similar fix, giving up six runs on six hits (2 HR!), a wild pitch, and two walks with two strikeouts in two and two-thirds. RHP Jon Lockwood (3.67) managed to only allow a hit and three walks while ringing up two in the final three innings.
C J.B. Tucker (3B, RBI, .222) and LF Josh Womack (2B, 2 RBI, .303) both had extra-base hits, and the only RBI on the team.

Lansing 6 (TOR – 2), Wisconsin 0
Nine in a row. LHP Jose Escalona (3.98, L) gave up a run on five hits and five walks against three Ks in four innings of work. Really, that was all the Lugnuts needed, but after bowing down to RHP Roman Martinez (4.50), who allowed just one hit and struck out three in two innings, they went back into attack mode on RHP Edgar Guaramato (6.75), who gave up four hits (HR) and a walk without recording an out. All of those would come around to score, two under the watch of LHP Lance Beus (1.62), who gave up four hits and two walks while striking out four in two innings. RHP Austin Bibens-Dirkx (4.91) struck out one in the ninth.
1B Johan Limonta (.170) had a hit and a walk. Another reach pick for an offense notable.

Everett 2, Vancouver 6 (OAK + 7)
RHP Doug Fister (0.95, E, L) took the loss after giving up two unearned runs on three hits, a walk, and a K in five innings. RHP Justin Souza (6.23) let another score on three hits and a walk in an inning and a third. After that, RHP Ari Kafka (7.71) gave up three runs on a hit and three walks with one strikeout in an inning of work, but LHP Jose Suriel (1.86) gave up a hit to score two of those runs.
C Adam Moore (2B, R, .317) is still producing and had another three hits. DH Jair Fernandez (2B, RBI, .216) added a double and a walk.

Phoenix Athletics 11, Peoria Mariners 9
RHP Justin Huisman (0.00) walked one and struck out three in another rehab appearance. After that, there was a RHP Jeff Harris (0.00) sighting, and he gave up one hit in an inning of work. That was as much as the M’s pitchers could hold the Athletics back, and RHP Leonardo Torres (10.00) gave up four runs on two hits, a wild pitch, and five walks in two-thirds of an inning, followed by RHP Diomny Gaetano (20.25) who let one of those score along with three more on four hits and two wild pitches in an inning and a third. RHP Marquis Pettis (3.00, BS, L), ordinarily a pretty solid pitcher, let three runs score over the next three innings on three hits and two walks against two Ks. RHP Robert Harmon (13.50) let one last run score on a hit, a hit batter, and a walk in the ninth.
It’s a little surprising to see nine runs on seven hits, but there were six walks in there, along with a hit batter. C Julian Henson (R, PB, .280) walked twice and was the one who got plunked. DH Danny Santin (R, .286), who recently resurfaced, had two hits, and 1B Gerardo Avila (2B, RBI, .438) had the team’s only double. You can only hope to contain him. LF Marquise Liverpool (R, RBI, 2 SB, .282), 3B Alex Liddi (2 R, .298), and SS Marcos Villezcas (R, 3 RBI, SB, .250) all had a hit and a walk. Villezcas stole home on a double steal with Liverpool, who had been thrown out trying to steal home earlier in the game.

VSL Astros 6, Aguirre Mariners 1
RHP Miguel Marquez (1.77, E, L) pitched four and two-thirds innings, giving up four unearned runs on two hits, a wild pitch, a hit batter, and three walks against two Ks. After that, LHP Kervin Montbrum (3.86, PO) made his first appearance in months, giving up just the walk and hitting a batter in an inning and two-thirds. RHP Rhonny Acosta (6.58) gave up two runs on four hits, a wild pitch, a balk, a hit batter, a walk, and a K in the final three innings.
For the offense, 2B Jorge Agudelo (R, .331) had two hits, PH-LF Greysom Berroteran (2B, .206) doubled and walk, and RF Mario Yepez (RBI, .241) had a hit and a walk. Not much going on, again.

Today’s Starters:
Tacoma: RHP Cha Seung Baek, in Tacoma, @ 7:00 pm PDT
San Antonio: LHP Ryan Feierabend, in San Antonio, @ 5:05 pm PDT
Inland Empire: RHP Justin Jordan, at Lancaster, @ 7:05 pm PDT
Wisconsin: RHP Marwin Vega, in Appleton, @ 5:05 pm PDT
Everett: LHP Greg Nesbit, In Everett, @ 7:05 pm PDT
Peoria: TBA, in Peoria, @ 9:30 am PDT
Aguirre: TBA, at Mets, @ 8:00 am PDT

Tacoma Rainiers: 48-38, .558, 3 GB in PCL Pacific North
San Antonio Missions: 9-6 (36-47), .600, (.434), 3 GB in TL South
Inland Empire 66ers: 7-7 (46-38), .500 (.548), 2.5 GB in CAL South
Wisconsin Timber Rattlers: 2-14 (29-57), .125 (.337), 8 GB in MWL Western
Everett Aquasox: 10-9, .526, 4 GB in NWL West
Peoria Mariners: 8-5, .615, 1 GB in AZL
Aguirre Mariners: 22-18-3, .547, 3 GB in VSL
Santo Domingo Mariners: 10-4, .714, 1st in Santo Domingo Norte
Organizational Record: 211-215-3, .495

posted by Jay Y. @ 7:07 AM

Friday, July 07, 2006

Mark Lowe Selected

Via the Mariners official site.

A year ago we were wondering what was wrong with him, and now he's apparently our most ready bullpen arm. What a difference a year makes, and good luck to him.

posted by Jay Y. @ 3:58 PM

Thursday, July 06, 2006

Game Recaps (7/6/06)

Last night’s Rainiers recap, copy, paste, repeat.

Midland 1 (OAK 0), San Antonio 0
LHP Travis Blackley (4.00, 3 PO, L) took a tough loss, giving up one run on seven hits and three walks while striking out seven in eight innings of work. The three pickoffs are pretty awesome though. LHP Jason Mackintosh (4.01) struck out one in the ninth.
LF Mike Wilson (.298) had a couple of hits, 1B Marshall Hubbard (.333) walked twice, and 3B Matt Tuiasosopo (E, .261) had a hit and a walk. C Luis Oliveros (3 PB, .194) had three passed balls behind the plate.

As per an article in the SBSun from yesterday, Fillinger is back in San Antonio, Lowe was promoted to Tacoma, and Justin Jordan was sent back down to Inland where he’ll take Fillinger’s spot in the rotation. According to the SA Express-News, Rocky Collis will also be moving up from Peoria to replace Nate Mateo, who went on the DL with shoulder soreness.

Lake Elsinore 3 (SD - 1), Inland Empire 5
RHP Cibney Bello (4.43) gave up three runs through six and one-third innings on seven hits and two walks against five Ks. RHP Aaron Trolia (5.58, BS, W) pitched the rest of the way and let one of those score on a hit, plunked a batter, and struck out three.
LF Jack Arroyo (2B, R, SB, .333), 1B Reed Eastley (.280), and SS Jeff Dominguez (PO, 2 E, .308) all had two hits, while DH Brian Schweiger (HR, .340) had a home run.

Wisconsin 2, Southwest Michigan 5 (TB - 1)
The T-Rats have lost eight in a row, and I can’t seem to remember a win before Vega got one a couple turns back. RHP Ruben Flores (4.83, L) gave up three runs (two earned) on four hits, a wild pitch, and three walks against four Ks. LHP David Asher (4.44, PO) pitched the next three and gave up a couple of runs on four hits, a walk, and a strikeout. RHP Austin Bibens-Dirkx (6.75) struck out two in the eighth, rebounding from his last trip out there.
SS Robby Hudson (HR, 2 RBI, .284) had a couple of hits in this one, including a home run, and 2B Luis Valbuena (R, .277) and LF Michael Saunders (PO, .213) both had two walks.

If you’re trying to keep your humor in the face of continued T-Rats losses, I recommend the Broadcaster Blog linked on the sidebar where Mehring comes up with a new movie each day to compare to the game. The two that got me laughing recently were Star Wars and Waiting for Godot. I can only hope that the T-Rats have a better outlook than Estragon did in the opening line.

Everett 0, Vancouver 3 (OAK + 6)
RHP Natividad Dilone (4.70, L) went three and two-thirds innings and gave up all three runs on seven hits, a hit batter, and a walk against two Ks. I don’t know how they’re going to handle him, but I expected him to be the weak link in the rotation and it seems to be turning out that way after some initial success. There were no hits the rest of the way for the Canadians, and only one walk. LHP Jose Suriel (2.00) pitched an inning and a third, LHP Rollie Gibson (1.93) struck out two in two innings, and RHP Andrew Fiorenza (0.00) walked one in the eighth.
LF Kuo-hui Lo (.278) and 3B Leury Bonilla (.191) both had two hits, and RF Jose Graterol (2B, .167) had a double. DH Chao Kuan Wu (.286) had a hit and a walk.

Aguirre Mariners 0, Cagua Reds 1 (+ 9)
A day after no-hitting the opposition, the M’s got one-hit in return. RHP Yovanny Olivero (2.23) gave up one run through six and a third innings on four hits, a hit batter, a walk, and four strikeouts. LHP Jose Jimenez (2.78) let that one run score on three hits and a K in an inning and a third, and then RHP Rhonny Acosta (6.65) struck out the final batter of the eighth.
CF Dwight Britton (2B, .255) had that one hit, and while there were a few walks scattered here and there, that’s as far as I care to go with this one.

Tomorrow’s Starters:
Tacoma: RHP Francisco Cruceta (?), in Tacoma, @ 7:00 pm PDT
San Antonio: RHP Yorman Bazardo, in San Antonio, @ 5:05 pm PDT
Inland Empire: RHP Aaron Jensen, at Lancaster, @ 5:05 pm PDT
Wisconsin: LHP Jose Escalona, in Appleton, @ 5:05 pm PDT
Everett: RHP Doug Fister, at Vancouver, @ 7:05 pm PDT
Peoria: TBA, in Peoria, @ 9:30 am PDT
Aguirre: TBA, in Aguirre, @ 8:00 am PDT

Tacoma Rainiers: 48-37, .565, 2 GB in PCL Pacific North
San Antonio Missions: 8-6 (35-47), .571, (.427), 3 GB in TL South
Inland Empire 66ers: 7-6 (46-37), .500 (.554), 2.5 GB in CAL South
Wisconsin Timber Rattlers: 2-13 (29-56), .133 (.341), 8 GB in MWL Western
Everett Aquasox: 10-8, .556, 4 GB in NWL West
Peoria Mariners: 8-4, .667, T-1st in AZL
Aguirre Mariners: 22-17-3, .560, 2 GB in VSL
Santo Domingo Mariners: 10-4, .714, 1st in Santo Domingo Norte
Organizational Record: 210-209-3, .501

posted by Jay Y. @ 10:45 PM

Guardado Traded For RHP Travis Chick

Days ago, the trade for Perez was met with confusion, disappointment, and gradually, acceptance, tempered over the next few days by some lost opportunities to play him. Today, my reaction is nothing like that. The Mariners have traded LHP Eddie Guardado to the Cinncinnati Reds in exchange for RHP Travis Chick, and I'm pretty happy with that.

At this point, there's little left to say about Guardado. I liked him, while he was effective, and seeing him go through fist-pumping and yelling routine was at least somewhat entertaining during some of our darker seasons, but everyone knew after his injury that he was pitching on borrowed time, and his previous strategy of getting the longest flyout you could imagine wasn't going to hold up without the stuff.

Chick qualifies under the recent paradigm of trading spare parts for former top prospects who have remained, or turned into projects in recent years. Chick's spent time four different orgs now, the Marlins, the Padres, the Reds, and now the Mariners. After what could be characterized as a major step forward with the Pads at the end of '04, when he posted a 5-0 record with a 2.13 ERA, a 55k/9bb, and 32 hits allowed in 42 innings pitched in the Midwest League, everyone thought the Padres had gotten a steal when they traded away Ismael Valdez. Scouts fell in love with the low-to-mid-90s fastball, the aggressiveness, the hard slider, and the change that was showing potential. By the end of '05, Chick had shown everyone why he hadn't been that highly ranked before. His velocity dropped slightly, his secondary offerings didn't take those steps forward, and he couldn't find a way to pitch out of the jams he got himself into. This year's been slightly better for him so far, he's cut down the hits and walks, and the Ks are closer to where they should be, but he was still posting a 4.61 ERA. He could tap the potential that comped him to Curt Schilling a while ago, just like any pitcher could suddenly break through, but he needs to fix up a few things with his pitches and stop trying to "throw" as much and start actually pitching. The good news is that he just turned 22 in June, so time is still somewhat on his side. At worst, he's the new Jon Huber, or something slightly better than that.

And the mention of Cesar Jimenez and Mark Lowe as potential bullpen fill-ins is nice too.

posted by Jay Y. @ 12:04 PM

Game Recaps (7/5/06)

No Tacoma game, as there were wet grounds. In Tucson, not Tacoma. Well, probably Tacoma too.

Midland 3 (OAK ), San Antonio 2
LHP Robert Rohrbaugh (0.92) gave up seven hits and hit a batter through six and two-thirds innings, striking out six. RHP Stephen Kahn (5.50, L) took the loss, going an inning and a third and letting three runs score on three hits (HR) and a K. RHP Craig James (1.51) gave up one hit in the ninth and struck out the side. James got lost in the hubbub surrounding Kahn, Lowe, and O’Flaherty, but he’s very quietly putting together a strong season.
For the offense, RF Wladimir Balentien (2 2B, 2 R, .254), 1B Marshall Hubbard (2B, RBI, .348), and SS Oswaldo Navarro (.260) all had two hits. Wlad and Hubb also had a walk apiece.

Lake Elsinore 3 (SD 0), Inland Empire 6
LHP Shawn Nottingham (4.02, E, W) was running a no-no through seven complete and ended up letting three score on two hits, a wild pitch, a balk, and five walks against eight Ks. RHP Joe Woerman (4.15) let two of those score on a hit and a walk against two Ks in the eighth, and RHP Jose de la Cruz (3.44, S) struck out two in the ninth.
LF Josh Womack (R, .304) had three hits batting ninth, RF Casey Craig (SB, .364), 3B Ron Prettyman (R, RBI, .292), 2B Jack Arroyo (2 RBI, .316), and SS Matt Rogelstad (2B, .261) had two apiece, and CF Brent Johnson (2B, R, .295), DH Chris Colton (2B, 2 R, RBI, SB, .239), 1B Reed Eastley (2B, R, 2 RBI, .274), and C J.B. Tucker (2B, PB, .217) all had doubles. That’s another night where I’ve covered an entire lineup, though not with the same blowout results as last time.

Wisconsin 2, Southwest Michigan 3 (TB - 2)
RHP Nick Allen (2.70) pitched seven innings and gave up a run on six hits and a wild pitch while striking out four, and then LHP Harold Williams (3.23, L) let two runs score on two hits, a wild pitch, and three walks against three Ks in the eighth. That would be the one downside of having Allen in the rotation: there isn’t really anyone to finish it off anymore, except maybe Beus, who hasn’t even pitched twenty innings yet.
1B Curtis Ledbetter (2B, R, .217), CF Michael Saunders (.213), and 3B Jeff Flaig (RBI, .194) all had two hits, and C Travis Scott (2B, RBI, .107) doubled.

Everett 2, Vancouver 0 (OAK + 5)
LHP Steve Uhlmansiek (0.47, W) gave up two hits and two walks while striking out three in five innings of work. RHP Bryan Ball (0.00) debuted in the sixth, walking one, throwing a wild pitch, and striking out one, and then RHP Kameron Mikolio (0.00) gave up a hit and struck out one in the next two. RHP Brian Kappel (0.00, S) gave up a hit and walked one in the ninth, but still got the save.
RF Bryan Sabatella (2B, RBI, .375) and 3B Leury Bonilla (2B, .163) both doubled, and 1B Joe White (R, .239) walked twice. His batting average isn’t anything to write home about, but White’s OBP has been over .400 lately.

Peoria Mariners 3, Peoria Padres 6 (+ 1)
A RHP Brandon Morrow (0.00) sighting takes the edge off the loss to our hated rivals. Morrow pitched one inning and struck out one while inducing a couple of groundballs. RHP Douglas Salinas (1.29) pitched the next five innings, giving up two runs on five hits, a balk, and two walks while he struck out three. A walk and two of those hits (both of which went for extras) came in the sixth when he gave up both runs, and it didn’t get any better after that. RHP Haley Winter (16.20) came in and let four more score, two of them earned, on two hits, a wild pitch, and two walks against one K. RHP Jared Eichelberger (7.11) would get through the ninth without incident.
1B Gerardo Avila (R, .465) was back in the lineup, so naturally, he had another three hits. LF Marquise Liverpool (HR, .286) had two, including a solo shot in the eighth, his first of the year. RF Stan Posluszny (RBI, SB, CS, .262) had a hit and a walk.

VSL Cardinals 1 (- 13), Aguirre Mariners 5
Combined no-hitter! RHP Juan Ramirez (2.50) let one run score on two walks, a wild pitch, and a hit batter while striking out eight through six innings. LHP Jose Jimenez (2.90) walked three in two-thirds of an inning, and then RHP Carlos Sanchez (2.01, S) struck out one over the final two and a third innings.
CF Dwight Britton (.255) and 3B Edilio Colina (2 R, .295) both had two hits, LF Rayon Lampe (2B, .189) and RF Mario Yepez (2B, R, RBI, .240) both doubled, and DH Jorge Agudelo (R, .325) had a hit and a walk.

Today’s Starters:
Tacoma: RHP Francisco Cruceta, at Tucson, @ 4:30 pm PDT
Second Game: RHP Cha Seung Baek
San Antonio: LHP Travis Blackley, in San Antonio, @ 5:05 pm PDT
Inland Empire: RHP Cibney Bello, in San Bernardino, @ 7:11 pm PDT
Wisconsin: RHP Ruben Flores, at Southwest Michigan, @ 4:05 pm PDT
Everett: RHP Natividad Dilone, at Vancouver, @ 7:05 pm PDT
Peoria: Off day
Aguirre: TBA, at Cagua, @ 8:00 am PDT

Tacoma Rainiers: 48-37, .565, 2 GB in PCL Pacific North
San Antonio Missions: 8-5 (35-46), .615, (.432), 3 GB in TL South
Inland Empire 66ers: 6-6 (45-37), .500 (.549), 2.5 GB in CAL South
Wisconsin Timber Rattlers: 2-12 (29-55), .143 (.345), 7 GB in MWL Western
Everett Aquasox: 10-7, .588, 3 GB in NWL West
Peoria Mariners: 8-4, .667, T-1st in AZL
Aguirre Mariners: 22-16-3, .573, 2 GB in VSL
Santo Domingo Mariners: 10-4, .714, 1st in Santo Domingo Norte
Organizational Record: 209-204-3, .506

posted by Jay Y. @ 2:13 AM

Wednesday, July 05, 2006

Morrow Sighting

In today's Peoria Mariners game, RHP Brandon Morrow pitched one inning, striking out one and inducing two groundballs.

posted by Jay Y. @ 12:10 PM

Tuesday, July 04, 2006

Game Recaps (7/4/06)

Tacoma 3, Tucson 4 (ARI + 20)
RHP Rich Dorman (4.95, L) pitched seven innings and let four runs score on six hits (HR) and two walks against six Ks. Not bad, I guess. RHP Aaron Looper (6.00) walked one and balked in the eighth.
CF Adam Jones (HR, A, .278) and RF Chris Snelling (HR, .298) both homered, with Snelling adding a walk, SS Scotty Baseball (3B, .240) had a triple, and 1B Bryan Lahair (2B, RBI, .343) and 2B Ismael Castro (2B, .269) both doubled. Coming into the game, Lahair was hitting .349/.403/.476 through his first seventeen games in triple-A.

Marc of Mariners Morsels was at the recent game pitched by Cesar Jimenez, and added his thoughts to the mix earlier.

San Antonio 4, Frisco 5 (TEX - 4)
Not sure what was with the late scratch of Mateo, but LHP Ryan Rowland-Smith (3.18) pitched two and two-thirds innings and gave up two runs on three hits (HR), two walks, and two Ks to start things up. LHP Eric O’Flaherty (1.12) let one of those score and gave up one more through three and a third on four hits, three walks, and two Ks. RHP Mark Lowe (2.16, L) lost the lead in his two innings, allowing two runs to cross the plate on a hit (HR) and two walks against three Ks.
RF Mike Wilson (2B, 2 RBI, SB, .300) and SS Oswaldo Navarro (RBI, .255) both had a couple of hits, and CF Wladimir Balentien (R, CS, .249) and 1B Marshall Hubbard (R, .326) both walked twice.

There’s an article on Balentien in the San Antonio Express-News.

Lake Elsinore 17 (SD + 1), Inland Empire 2
Struggles upon promotion are the nature of the game, but I didn’t expect LHP Justin Thomas (5.27, L) to completely meltdown and let eleven runs (eight earned) score on eight hits (2 HR!) and three walks against four Ks. RHP Jon Lockwood (3.88) let two of those score, along with five more of his own (three earned) on two hits, a wild pitch, two hit batters, and three walks in two-thirds+ of an inning. RHP Juan Done (5.40), in turn, let two of Lockwood’s runs score along with one of his own on a home run, a walk, and three strikeouts in two innings. The only pitcher to escaped undamaged was RHP Jose de la Cruz (3.44), who struck out one in the ninth.
3B Ron Prettyman (R, .290) had three hits in the game, 1B Reed Eastley (.273) had two, and RF Chris Colton (HR, 2 RBI, E, .239) had a home run and a walk. For the second straight game, the Sixers had four errors.

Wisconsin 4, Southwest Michigan 10 (TB - 3)
LHP Paul Fagan (4.62, L) lost his tenth game of the year, letting five runs score on eight hits and two walks in four innings of work. Sometimes he’s on, but mostly, not, though he manages to keep the groundball rate solid at all times. RHP Justin Ockerman (11.74) faced four batters, giving up hits to two and walking the other two, before he gave way to RHP Roman Martinez (5.06), who let three of the above score on a hit, a wild pitch, and a K in an inning’s worth of work. One of them had already scored, of course. RHP Edgar Guaramato (5.59) gave up an unearned run on a walk and a wild pitch while striking out two, and LHP Lance Beus (1.84) walked one in the eighth.
2B Luis Valbuena (2B, 2 R, .283), SS Robby Hudson (3B, R, 2 RBI, .281), and RF Eddy Hernandez (R, CS, .237) all had two hits, and 3B Ron Garth (3B, RBI, 2 E .269) tripled.

Vancouver 6 (OAK + 6), Everett 2
The good news is, the series is over. The bad news is, the Aquasox are following the Canadians home. RHP Mike Schilling (1.44, PO, L) gave up three runs (two earned) in five innings of work on four hits and three walks against six Ks. The rest of the game was filled with one-inning relief stints. RHP Ari Kafka (4.50) struck out one, RHP Ricky Orta (27.00) gave up three runs on two hits and two walks in his debut, RHP Joe Kantakevich (4.50) gave up a hit and struck out one, and RHP Aaron Solomon (0.00) walked one and struck out two.
RF Greg Halman (3B, R, .270) and SS Ogui Diaz (3B, .220) both had triples, and DH Adam Moore (2B, .314) and 3B Leury Bonilla (2B, R, 2 E, .154) both had doubles.

Scottsdale Rangers 11 (- 1), Peoria Mariners 17
RHP Justin Huisman (0.00) made a rehab appearance, giving up one hit and striking out the side in the first. LHP Tony Butler (0.00, W) followed him for two innings and picked up his first pro win, walking two, hitting one, and striking out five. Things got a little shaky after than, with RHP Carlos Javier (6.00) giving up five runs (four earned) through three innings on two hits (HR), three hit batters, and three walks against two Ks. RHP Robert Harmon (14.29) pitched an inning and two-thirds after that, allowing five to score after three hits and two hit batters, though RHP Diomny Gaetano (22.50) let one of those runs cross the plate after giving up a hit and hitting a batter without recording an out. RHP Rocky Collis (3.68) would let one more runs score on two hits in the final inning and a third.
There was a lot of offense in this one, clearly, but I think I have to mark the two standouts as 1B Alex Liddi (2 R, RB, SB, .325) for going 3-for-3 with two walks and C Erwin Jacobo (3 R, PB, 2 E, .200) for walking four times. LF Marquise Liverpool (2B, 2 R, 4 RBI, SB, CS, .258) and DH Stan Posluszny (2 R, RBI, .256) also had three hits, 3B Deybis Benitez (R, RBI, .321), SS Marcos Villezcas (HR, 2 R, 4 RBI, .250), and 2B Alex Meneses (2 R, CS, .400) had two apiece, and CF Wellington Dotel (2B, 2 R, .256) and RF Carlos Peguero (2B, R, 3 RBI, .333) both doubled. That covers the whole lineup, so again, no Avila.

The Aguirre doubleheader was rained out. Postponed, officially, but how many games they can postpone, I don’t know.

Tomorrow’s Starters:
Tacoma: RHP Francisco Cruceta, at Tucson, @ 7:00 pm PDT
San Antonio: RHP Nate Mateo (?), in San Antonio, @ 5:05 pm PDT
Inland Empire: LHP Shawn Nottingham, in San Bernardino, @ 7:11 pm PDT
Wisconsin: RHP Nick Allen, at Southwest Michigan, @ 4:05 pm PDT
Everett: LHP Steve Uhlmansiek, in Everett, @ 7:05 pm PDT
Peoria: TBA, at Peoria, @ 9:30 am PDT
Aguirre: TBA, in Aguirre, @ 8:00 am PDT

Tacoma Rainiers: 48-37, .565, 2 GB in PCL Pacific North
San Antonio Missions: 8-4 (35-45), .667, (.438), 2 GB in TL South
Inland Empire 66ers: 5-6 (44-37), .455 (.543), 2.5 GB in CAL South
Wisconsin Timber Rattlers: 2-11 (29-54), .154 (.349), 6 GB in MWL Western
Everett Aquasox: 9-7, .563, 3 GB in NWL West
Peoria Mariners: 8-3, .727, T-1st in AZL
Aguirre Mariners: 21-16-3, .563, 3 GB in VSL
Santo Domingo Mariners: 10-4, .714, 1st in Santo Domingo Norte
Organizational Record: 206-201-3, .506

posted by Jay Y. @ 11:49 PM

Game Recaps (7/3/06)

In case you missed the report earlier (entirely possible, considering I edited it around one in the morning), the M’s have not signed RHP Ricardo Ferrer, one of the top Venezuelan pitching prospects, as originally suggested. ESPN said yes, but the Rockies’ MLB.com affiliate announced that they were the ones that signed him. I’m not going to waste my time speculating on how one could confuse the Rockies and the Mariners.

Fresno 1 (SF - 16), Tacoma 8
While the same may not be true for the Mariners, for LHP Cesar Jimenez (3.55, W), it’s June 34th. Cesar pitched eight innings and gave five hits and two walks while striking out one, and continues to maintain the insanely low BABIP, inducing fourteen more groundouts to nine more flies. LHP Thom Oldham (4.50) gave up a solo home run and struck out one in the ninth.
2B Ismael Castro (2 2B, 2 R, RBI, .261) had three hits out of the last spot in the order, and CF Adam Jones (HR, 2 RBI, .278) and 3B Hunter Brown (2B, 2 R, RBI, .263) both had two. DH Jon Nelson (2B, .242) added a double.

In light of Cesar’s recent dominance, Doc has taken the data collected on him and run it through the machine to produce another fine POTD. I’m thinking along the same lines as he is at this point: what he’s doing is incredible and appears to be in no way sustainable given his K-rate. I’m not sure what he’s doing now, but my fingers are crossed that it’s a just something strange he adjusted in response to his awful first two months and he’ll get back to striking out batters at a semi-normal rate soon enough, while maintaining a similar level of control over games (disclaimer: I don’t expect him to keep doing this even with the Ks). I’d take between five and six per nine at this point. I think he can do that (he was doing five through much of June), it’s about where he was the last time he was starting full-time. It just might take a little while…

San Antonio 4, Frisco 7 (TEX - 5)
LHP Ryan Feierabend (4.45, L) didn’t have the luxury of a few extra days in June, and ended up letting six runs score on eight hits (HR) against three Ks in two and two-thirds innings. LHP Jason Mackintosh (4.07, PO) gave up one in the next three innings on three hits (HR), a hit batter, three walks and a K. RHP Stephen Kahn (4.32) pitched the final two and one-third innings, walking one and striking out four. That may be one of the best performances he’s turned in at double-A thus far, if not the best, as he’s been bitten by the hits and hasn’t shown even a translated level of Ks until now.
The Missions got a triple off the bat of 2B Yung-chi Chen (3B, 2 R, SB, .429), and a double apiece from LF Mike Wilson (2B, 2 RBI, .278) and 1B Erick Monzon (2B, .266).

Inland Empire 4, Rancho Cucamonga 14 (ANA - 1)
RHP Chad Fillinger (2.61, L) lasted four and one-third innings, giving up six runs (three earned) on eight hits and a walk against two Ks. RHP Mumba Rivera (3.61) let one of those score, along with six more (four earned) on three hits, a hit batter, two walks, and two Ks in two-thirds of an inning. RHP Aaron Trolia (6.11) gave up one hit and struck out four while going the rest of the distance.
DH Reed Eastley (RBI, .269) had two hits in the game, and CF Casey Craig (R, .396) and 1B Andy Hargrove (R, E, .150) both walked twice.

Wisconsin 4, Southwest Michigan 5 (TB - 4)
RHP Marwin Vega (5.95) pitched six innings, giving up three runs on six hits and a hit batter, striking out two, and recording just over twice as many ground outs as flies. It’s not the level of his last start, and certainly not the level he was at early on, but it’s better than he has been in recent memory. LHP Harold Williams (2.98) walked one and struck out one in the next two innings, and then RHP Austin Bibens-Dirkx (10.80, BS, L) hit the wall for the first time in his young pro career, giving up two runs on three hits and a K in two-thirds of an inning.
3B Ron Garth (.268) also had two hits, and CF Alex Gary (HR, CS, .246) had a home run, but RF Eddy Hernandez (HR, 2 RBI, .232) gets points for combining the two. As Jon pointed out in the comments the other day, Eddy was due, and after clubbing four last year in 87 at-bats, you would’ve figured he’d have hit at least one by now, it just took him 228 at-bats to do it this time around. It came in the ninth inning too, and gave the T-Rats a temporary lead, so the timing was great too.

Vancouver 8 (OAK + 5), Everett 6
LHP Greg Nesbit (4.20, PO) gave up three runs on six hits (HR) and a wild pitch against six Ks in five innings of work. After that, RHP Justin Souza (6.00) showed he was a little rusty by giving up two solo home runs in two innings of work, though he did strikeout three. RHP Andrew Fiorenza (0.00, BS) gave up an unearned run on a hit and a walk in a third of an inning, and then RHP Brian Kappel (0.00, L) gave up two unearned runs on a hit and a walk while striking out three and going the rest of the way. If not for the miscues, they probably win this one.
CF Greg Halman (R, RBI, .271) had two hits in the game, and LF Kuo-hui Lo (HR, 2 RBI, .289) hit his second home run. Manager Dave Myers got ejected in the eighth for arguing a called third strike on C Adam Moore (RBI, .319), who was 1-for-4.

Peoria Mariners 8, Scottsdale Giants 1 (+ 6)
Nothing like taking down the top team in the league to make your day. LHP Aric Van Gaalen (1.82) pitched five innings and gave up one run on eight hits while striking out two. RHP Marquis Pettis (0.00) gave up a hit and walked one in the next two innings, and then RHP Kyle Parker (9.39) gave up two hits and walked one in the final two. If you’re wondering about the low run total, it’s probably partially due to the six double plays the M’s turned, as each pitcher got two of those behind him.
Offensively, it was another good game, with 1B Alex Liddi (2B, R, SB, CS, .270) getting three, and 2B Alex Meneses (2B, 3 R, RBI, E, .381), 3B Deybis Benitez (2B, R, 2 RBI, .318), and DH Stan Posluszny (2B, 2 RBI, .206) tallying two each. CF Wellington Dotel (3B, R, 2 RBi, .263) and RF Carlos Peguero (3B, R, RBI, .350) both had triples in the first inning. In case you’re wondering, the best way to keep Avila out of the notables is to not play him.

VSL Twins/Blue Jays 6 (- 18), Aguirre Mariners 7
RHP Yorjans Chourio (2.81) gave up two runs on two hits, a wild pitch, and three hit batters in the first two innings of work. RHP Felix Correa (4.43) pitched the next two, letting three runs plate on five walks, a wild pitch, and a hit batter. RHP Yoervis Medina (4.25, W) pitched the final five innings, allowing a run to score on four hits and three hit batters while he struck out four. Sort of a reversed pitching setup in this one, and no, seven hit batters doesn’t tend to lead to ejections in the VSL. Not all the time, at least.
Hits weren’t the order of the day in this one, as the triple by 3B Cesar Fuentes (3B, R, E .281) was about all that qualified. Instead, we’ll talk about the eleven walks given up by the opposition, including one to Fuentes. 2B Jorge Agudelo (R, .322) collected three to go along with his hit, and CF Dwight Britton (R, RBI, .248) had two to go with his hit. I might as well note DH Jetsy Extrano (R, RBI, .278) as well, as he reached three times via a single, a walk, and a plunk. Jetsy’s OBP is over .150 higher than his average.

Today’s Starters:
Tacoma: RHP Rich Dorman, at Tucson, @ 6:30 pm PDT
San Antonio: RHP Nate Mateo, at Frisco, @ 5:05 pm PDT
Inland Empire: LHP Justin Thomas, in San Bernardino, @ 5:30 pm PDT
Wisconsin: LHP Paul Fagan, at Southwest Michigan, @ 4:35 pm PDT
Everett: RHP Mike Schilling, in Everett, @ 7:05 pm PDT
Peoria: TBA, in Peoria, @ 9:30 am PDT
Aguirre: TBA, in Aguirre, @ 8:00 am PDT (Doubleheader)

Tacoma Rainiers: 48-36, .571, 2 GB in PCL Pacific North
San Antonio Missions: 8-3 (35-44), .727, (.443), 1 GB in TL South
Inland Empire 66ers: 5-5 (44-36), .500 (.550), 15 GB in CAL South
Wisconsin Timber Rattlers: 2-10 (29-53), .167 (.354), 5 GB in MWL Western
Everett Aquasox: 9-6, .600, 3 GB in NWL West
Peoria Mariners: 7-3, .700, 1 GB in AZL
Aguirre Mariners: 21-16-3, .563, 3 GB in VSL
Santo Domingo Mariners: 10-4, .714, 1st in Santo Domingo Norte
Organizational Record: 205-196-3, .511

posted by Jay Y. @ 3:01 AM

Monday, July 03, 2006

International Signing Period Open

After the draft ends, the next big period for player development starts when the international signing period begins on July 2nd. There are a couple of good articles from Baseball America and ESPN.com on the subject and who might be available. Thus far, there are six names off ESPN.com's board, #1 C Jesus Montero (Yanks), #2 OF Engle Beltre (Red Sox), #4 SS Moises Tejeda (Red Sox) #5 RHP Larry Suarez, #7 SS Esmeily Gonzalez (Nats), and #9 3B Balbino Fuenmayor (Cleveland). Right now, the only M's angle on this is that they signed RHP Ricardo Ferrer, one of the additional players mentioned for Venezuela.

Edit: Yeah, apparently, the M's didn't sign Ferrer, the Rockies did, and announced it today. How you manage to confuse the Mariners and the Rockies, of course...

posted by Jay Y. @ 1:55 PM

Game Recaps (7/2/06)

Fresno 5 (SF - 15), Tacoma 6
LHP Bobby Livingston (4.44, PO, W) pitched six innings and gave up four runs on eight hits and two walks against four Ks. RHP Scott Atchison (3.54) gave up one hit in the next two innings and punched out three, then RHP Jon Huber (1.62, S) gave up a run on a solo shot and struck out two in the ninth.
RF Shin-soo Choo (HR, 2 R, .327) and 1B Bryan Lahair (2 2B, 2 R, RBI, .356) both had three hits in the game and SS Mike Morse (2B, 3 RBI, CS, .250) and DH Rob Johnson (.251) both had two hits.

San Antonio 8, Frisco 1 (TEX - 6)
RHP Yorman Bazardo (2.95, W) pitched seven and a third innings, giving up a run on four hits (HR) and a walk against five Ks. LHP Ryan Rowland-Smith (0.00) walked one and struck out two in the final inning and a third.
2B Yung-chi Chen (R, .500) had three hits in the game, and CF Sebastien Boucher (R, RBI, .243), DH Jesus Guzman (HR, 2 R, 2 RBI, SB, .260), 1B Marshall Hubbard (HR, 2 RBI, .378), 3B Matt Tuiasosopo (R, SB, .306), and SS Oswaldo Navarro (RBI, .254) all had two hits. There were fifteen hits in all by the Missions.

Inland Empire 7, Rancho Cucamonga 15 (ANA - 2)
Ugh… yeah… RHP Aaron Jensen (4.14, L) gave up nine runs (eight earned) through fuor and two-thirds innings of work on nine hits (2 HR!), a hit batter, a wild pitch, and two walks against four Ks. RHP Mike Hrynio (4.64) would continue the trend, giving up four runs on three hits (HR) and two walks against four Ks. RHP Joe Woerman (5.40) let two runs score in the eighth on three hits and a walk.
RF Casey Craig (RBI, .440) had three hits in this one and 1B Matt Rogelstad (2 2B, 2 R, .250), 2B Jack Arroyo (R, E, .333), CF Chris Colton (R, RBI, .241), and LF Josh Womack (3B, 2 R, RBI, .298) all had two hits. Rogie walked twice, but C Omar Falcon (R, .250) walked three times. Not that it’s too surprising, he hasn’t been hitting that well but he’s posted a decent OBP.

Wisconsin 4, West Michigan 5 (DET + 7) (ten innings)
Well, I’ll take come-from-behind near-victories over status quo mediocrity any old time. LHP Jose Escalona (4.07) pitched five innings and gave up two runs (one earned) on six hits (HR), a walk, and four Ks. LHP David Asher (4.24) gave up two runs (one earned) in the next three frames after three hits, but then RHP Roman Martinez (5.40) let a run score in an inning+ of work on two walks, a wild pitch and two Ks. LHP Lance Beus (1.98) let that run score after a hit and a walk in two-thirds of an inning.
The T-rats got some solid production out of the 1-2 spots in the lineup as 2B Luis Valbuena (RBI, SB, CS, E, .281) and SS Robby Hudson (R, .278) both had three hits, but there wasn’t much else from the rest of the lineup. CF Alex Gary (HR, 3 RBI, .241) had the three-run shot to tie the game in the ninth, and LF Jairo Hernandez (3B, R, .198) had a triple, but that was about it.

Vancouver 5 (OAK + 4), Everett 3
RHP Doug Fister (1.29, PO, L) gave up four runs (one earned) through four+ innings of work on six hits and a walk against five Ks. Two of those came around to plate under the watch of LHP Jose Suriel (2.35), who let a run score on two hits in two innings of work. RHP Ari Kafka (5.40) worked a perfect seventh, and then RHP Kameron Mikolio (0.00) gave up two hits and struck out two in the final two innings.
2B Chris Minaker (RBI, .269) had three hits in the game and LF Gavin Dickey (R, 2 SB, .286) had two. CF Greg Halman (3B, R, SB, .259) and RF Kuo-hui Lo (3B, RBI, .293) both had triples.

Peoria Mariners 5, Mesa Cubs 2 (- 7)
RHP Leonardo Torres (6.84) had an easier time in this outing, going three innings and giving up a run on three hits and a walk against four Ks. Nice to see his wacky K/BB trend (1/7 coming into the game) start to reverse itself. RHP Jared Eichelberger (8.44, E, W) pitched the next two, allowing a run to score on a hit, a wild pitch, three walks, and a K. RHP Haley Winter (13.50) gave up three hits and struck out one in the next two innings, and then LHP Will Brown (2.57, S) was perfect and rung up two through the last two frames. I’d say “Free Will Brown” but I don’t think he’s slotted as a bullpen guy anyway.
The VSL grads kept contributing as 1B Gerardo Avila (3B, 2 R, 3 RBI, SB, .436) and SS Deybis Benitez (R, .296) had three hits each. Avila’s OPS is now north of 1.100 through his first nine games. He also took a walk, as did RF Carlos Peguero (2 2B, RBI, .371), who added two doubles. Peguero’s in a similar position with his OPS, and that’s largely due to his slugging, which is up to .771 now, in spite of striking out in over 40% of his at-bats. Puts Balentien and his “all-or-nothing swing” to shame. 2B Alex Meneses (R, CS, .375) had a hit and two walks.

Today’s Starters:
Tacoma: LHP Cesar Jimenez, in Tacoma, @ 7:05 pm PDT
San Antonio: LHP Ryan Feierabend, at Frisco, @ 5:05 pm PDT
Inland Empire: RHP Chad Fillinger, at Rancho Cucamonga, @ 7:05 pm PDT
Wisconsin: RHP Marwin Vega, at Southwest Michigan, @ 4:05 pm PDT
Everett: LHP Greg Nesbit, in Everett, @ 7:05 pm PDT
Peoria: TBA, at Scottsdale, @ 9:30 am PDT
Aguirre: TBA, in Aguirre, @ 8:00 am PDT

Tacoma Rainiers: 47-36, .566, 2 GB in PCL Pacific North
San Antonio Missions: 8-2 (35-43), .800, (.449), T-1st in TL South
Inland Empire 66ers: 5-4 (44-35), .556 (.556), 1 GB in CAL South
Wisconsin Timber Rattlers: 2-9 (29-52), .182 (.358), 4 GB in MWL Western
Everett Aquasox: 9-5, .643, 3 GB in NWL West
Peoria Mariners: 6-3, .667, 2 GB in AZL
Aguirre Mariners: 20-16-3, .551, 3.5 GB in VSL
Santo Domingo Mariners: 10-4, .714, 1st in Santo Domingo Norte
Organizational Record: 202-192-3, .513

posted by Jay Y. @ 12:35 AM

Sunday, July 02, 2006

Game Recaps (7/1/06)

Fresno 2 (SF - 14), Tacoma 6
RHP Cha Seung Baek (3.18) pitched seven innings and gave up a pair of runs on six hits (HR) against seven strikeouts. RHP Emiliano Fruto (3.03, W) punched out two over the final two innings.
RF Shin-soo Choo (2B, HR, 3 RBI, SB, .322) remained red-hot with another three hits and a walk. LF Chris Snelling (RBI, SB, .296) and SS Mike Morse (.241) both had two hits, and CF Adam Jones (2 R, 2 SB, .275) had a hit and two walks.

San Antonio 8, Frisco 4 (TEX - 5) (ten innings)
LHP Travis Blackley (4.25, PO) pitched five innings and gave up a couple of runs on two hits (HR), a hit batter, a wild pitch, a walk, and two Ks. Not bad, except for the lack of strikeouts. LHP Eric O’Flaherty (0.87, PO, E) pitched two and a third after that and gave up two unearned runs on two hits, a walk, and a K. RHP Craig James (1.54, W) was perfect the rest of the way, striking out two.
SS Oswaldo Navarro (3 RBI, 2 E, .250) had three hits out of the nine spot, CF Sebastien Boucher (SB, CS, .240) and 2B Yung-chi Chen (HR, .400), and 3B Matt Tuiasosopo (2 R, 2 RBI, .290) had two, and RF Wladimir Balentien (R, .255) walked twice and struck out once.

Inland Empire 5, Rancho Cucamonga 6 (ANA - 3)
RHP Cibney Bello (4.44) did all right, giving up two runs on three hits, a wild pitch, a hit batter, two walks, and five Ks. RHP Justin Jordan (4.35, BS, L) gave up four unearned runs in the next inning on three hits (HR), a wild pitch, a hit batter, and two Ks. RHP Jose de la Cruz (3.55) would give up one hit in the eighth.
3B Ron Prettyman (RBI, .288) and RF Chris Colton (CS, .236) both had three hits in the game and 1B Matt Rogelstad (.235) and SS Jeff Dominguez (2 R, CS, E, .364) both had two. Dominguez also walked, and scored the one run the Sixers got across in the ninth.

Wisconsin 2, West Michigan 10 (DET + 6)
RHP Ruben Flores (5.93, L) pitched five innings and gave up five runs (four earned) on ten hits (HR) and two walks against four Ks. Following him were RHP Roman Martinez (5.14), RHP Edgar Guaramato (5.89), and RHP Austin Bibens-Dirkx, each for an inning. Martinez let three score on three hits (HR), a hit batter, and a K, Guaramato let two cross the plate on a hit, two hit batters, a walk, and a K, and Bibens-Dirkx allowed one hit and struck out one.
RF Eddy Hernandez (R, .232) had two hits and a walk, and 2B Luis Valbuena (2B, .275) and 3B Jeff Flaig (2B, 2 RBI, .193) both had doubles. Limonta’s hit streak came to an end.

Salem-Keizer 7 (SF + 9), Everett 1
Coming in directly from the DSL and not having made regular starting appearances there, I expected some bumps in the road for RHP Natividad Dilone (3.86, E, L), and they might as well come against what appears to be the best team in the league. He gave up five runs in two innings on seven hits (HR), a wild pitch, two walks, and three Ks. LHP Rollie Gibson (3.38), sent down from Wisconsin in exchange for Bibens-Dirkx, gave up a run in the next two and two-thirds on a couple of hits (HR), three walks, and two Ks. RHP Juan Colon (8.00) gave up one run through the final four and one-third innings on three hits (HR) and a walk against five Ks. All those home runs appear to have gone to the short porch in right field, or at least near it (one was right center).
LF Gavin Dickey (R, .258) had two hits, and C Jair Fernandez (2B, .192) and 3B Leury Bonilla (2B, .139) had doubles batting after him.

VSL Tigers/Marlins 2 (- 6), Aguirre Mariners 4
RHP Leonardo Gonzalez (3.34) pitched five innings and let a run score on four hits, a wild pitch, a balk, and a walk against four Ks. RHP Carlos Sanchez (2.17, W) went the last four and let one more score on a solo shot, and gave up one additional hit while striking out one.
SS Cesar Fuentes (R, 3 RBI, SB, .283) had three hits in the game to lead the team. Not much else here, as it was pretty much an off night for extra-base hits and whatnot throughout the system.

Today’s Starters:
Tacoma: LHP Bobby Livingston, in Tacoma, @ 1:35 pm PDT
San Antonio: TBA, at Frisco, @ 5:05 pm PDT
Inland Empire: RHP Aaron Jensen, at Rancho Cucamonga, @ 5:05 pm PDT
Wisconsin: LHP Jose Escalona, at West Michigan, @ 4:05 pm PDT
Everett: RHP Doug Fister, in Everett, @ 2:05 pm PDT
Peoria: TBA, at Mesa, @ 9:30 am PDT
Aguirre: Off day

Tacoma Rainiers: 46-36, .561, 3 GB in PCL Pacific North
San Antonio Missions: 7-2 (34-43), .778, (.442), T-1st in TL South
Inland Empire 66ers: 5-3 (44-34), .625 (.554), T-1st in CAL South
Wisconsin Timber Rattlers: 2-8 (29-51), .200 (.363), 4 GB in MWL Western
Everett Aquasox: 9-4, .692, 2 GB in NWL West
Peoria Mariners: 5-3, .625, 2 GB in AZL
Aguirre Mariners: 20-16-3, .551, 3.5 GB in VSL
Santo Domingo Mariners: 10-4, .714, 1st in Santo Domingo Norte
Organizational Record: 199-189-3, .513

posted by Jay Y. @ 3:12 AM