Mariner Minors
First Annual Mariner Cup
The First Annual Mariner Cup is going on at Safeco Field right now, with a doubleheader right now and another game scheduled for 11 am tomorrow.
For those unfamiliar, there are articles in
The Bellingham Herald and
The Everett Herald that cover it.
Basically, the M's scouting department has collected a bunch of kids who will be of draft age next year or the year after and is having them play in Safeco Field to get a better idea of what the class will yield. While major league teams frequently run out "select" teams for their region, this is the first time it's been done in this format. One team will be comprised of players from Washington, Idaho, Oregon, and Utah, and the other will be players from California. A fairly complete roster can be found
on the main site.
I was pretty pumped about this when I first heard about it, but as fate would have it, I'm just not going to have time to make it down there with all the other things I have going on at the moment. I think it's a good move by the M's though, as I've felt that the Giants, and even the Blue Jays to an extent, have generally scouted our backyard a lot better than we were. M's drafts historically have been pretty centered on the upper Midwest and California. Maybe this will be the start of a trend towards drafting more local players.
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Game Recaps (8/11/06)
Tacoma 7, Portland 11 (SD – 3)Unexpected bullpen day, as RHP Justin Husiman (7/26) gave up five runs on six hits (2 HR!) and three walks against a K in three innings. RHP Mike Flannery (5.82, L) gave up four runs (one earned) on five walks and a K in the next two and a third innings, and RHP Jeff Harris (4.15) let one of those score in addition to two of his own on four hits and two Ks in an inning and two-thirds after that. RHP Aaron Looper (6.48) walked one and struck out one in the eighth.
1B Bryan Lahair (2 HR, 3 R, 6 RBI, .324) had three hits, including a couple of home runs to bring his season total up to thirteen between double-A and Tacoma. DH Rob Johnson (.231) had a couple of hits, and 2B Hunter Brown (2 R, .271) and CF T.J. Bohn (2B, 2 R, .270) both had a hit and a walk.
Tulsa 5, San Antonio 1 (COL – 2)LHP Robert Rohrbaugh (3.57, L) took the loss as he allowed two runs to plate on four hits, a balk, five walks, and four Ks in seven innings. RHP Craig James (2.10) let three more score on four hits (HR) and a walk against two Ks in the final two innings.
LF Mike Wilson (2B, .308) had a couple of hits, and CF Sebastien Boucher (3B, R, .251) and 2B Yung-chi Chen (2B, .307) had extra-base hits. RF Wladimir Balentien (.244) had a hit and took a walk.
Inland Empire 0, Lancaster 21 (ARI 0)Throwing a flyball pitcher out there in Lancaster isn’t generally a good idea, and so, RHP Cibney Bello (4.05, L) gave up eleven runs, two of ‘em earned, on eight hits (3 HR!) and three walks against six Ks. RHP Juan Done (8.27) gave up seven runs (five earned) on six hits, two walks, and a K in the next inning, and then RHP Jon Lockwood (4.02) went the rest of the distance, scoring one of Done’s runs and three more on six hits (HR), a wild pitch, and a hit batter.
SS Jeff Dominguez (E, .313) had two hits and a walk out of the nine-spot.
Wisconsin 5, Cedar Rapids 3 (ANA – 6) (seven innings)RHP Marwin Vega (5.74, W) let three runs score in five innings on six hits, a wild pitch, a hit batter, and two walks against four Ks. RHP Austin Bibens-Dirkx (2.42, S) gave up two hits and a walk while striking out four in the final two innings to pick up the save.
LF (yeah, LF) Gerardo Avila (R, .500) had three hits in the game, 2B Ron Garth (HR, 2 RBI, .281) had two, and 3B Jeff Flaig (2B, R, E, .200) and CF Eddy Hernandez (HR, 2 RBI, .237) both knocked extra-base hits.
Wisconsin 1, Cedar Rapids 4 (ANA – 5) (seven innings)LFP Paul Fagan (5.19, L) gave up four runs (one earned) on eight hits while he punched out four in five innings. RHP Edgar Guaramato (5.96) struck out two in the sixth.
C Adam Moore (.283) and DH Curtis Ledbetter (HR, .229) both had two hits.
Everett 2, Boise 8 (CHC + 6)RHP Chris Tillman (16.88, L) pitched only two and two-thirds innings, giving up five runs on four hits and four walks against five strikeouts. RHP Joe Kantakevich (2.96) let one of those score along with two of his own (one earned) after two hits and three walks in the two and a third innings that followed. LHP Rollie Gibson (3.52) had an easier time of it, giving up a hit, hitting a batter, and striking out one in the next two innings, and then RHP Kameron Mickolio (3.68) let an unearned run cross after a hit and a walk while he struck out the side in the ninth.
C Jair Fernandez (RBI, .211) had a hit and a walk and that about covers it for the offensive notables. Joe White is still out with that strained arch in his right foot.
Peoria Mariners 1, Phoenix Athletics 2 (ten innings) (Tuesday’s game)RHP Nathan Adcock (3.71) pitched five innings and gave up one run on one hit, a hit batter, and four walks against four Ks. RHP Bryan Ball (0.00) and LHP Will Brown (7.56) kept the A’s in check, both pitching a scoreless inning with Ball walking one and striking out one and Brown walking two, but after that, RHP Kyle Parker (4.56) gave up the tying run on a hit, a walk, and a K in two innings and RHP Rocky Collis (3.54) let final run score in extras on a hit and a walk in two-thirds of an inning.
The Athletics, for their part, sent out a pitcher that struck out eleven M’s in five and two-thirds innings, so it was a little difficult to put anything together. C Juan Beltran (CS, .296) and LF Marquise Liverpool (R, .269) both had two hits, and SS Jeff Dominguez (2B, .273) and 2B Yung-chi Chen (3B, RBI, .273) added some extra-base knocks.
Peoria Mariners 7, Mesa Cubs 4 (- 5)RHP Douglas Salinas (2.81, E, W) gave up four runs in five innings on five hits, three hit batters, and two walks against six Ks. RHP John Sullivan (1.80) gave up a couple of hits and struck out three in the next two innings, and then RHP Kyle Parker (4.51) pitched two after that, striking out five of the six batters he faced.
3B Alex Liddi (2 2B, 2 R, 2 RBI, SB, PO, .336) had three hits to lead the team and push his OPS just over the .900 mark (according to my calculations). SS Deybis Benitez (R, .252) and C Juan Beltran (R, PB, .305) both had two hits, and CF Wellington Dotel (2B, R, 2 RBI, .240) had a double and a walk. DH Ronnie Prettyman (R, .000) walked and scored in rehab appearance.
Tomorrow’s Starters:
Tacoma: RHP Clint Nageotte, at Portland, @ 7:05 pm PDT
San Antonio: RHP Yorman Bazardo, in San Antonio, @ 5:05 pm PDT
Inland Empire: RHP Jorge Campillo, at Lancaster, @ 7:05 pm PDT
Wisconsin: LHP Lance Beus, at Cedar Rapids, @ 5:05 pm PDT
Everett: LHP Steve Uhlmansiek, at Boise, @ 7:05 pm PDT
Peoria: TBA, at Scottsdale, @ 6:00 pm PDT
Aguirre: Season over, fourth place
Tacoma Rainiers: 64-54, .542, 3.5 GB in PCL Pacific North
San Antonio Missions: 24-23 (51-64), .511, (.443), 1.5 GB in TL South
Inland Empire 66ers: 23-23 (63-53), .500 (.543), 0.5 GB in CAL South
Wisconsin Timber Rattlers: 16-32 (43-75), .333 (.381), 12.5 GB in MWL Western
Everett Aquasox: 24-28, .462, 11 GB in NWL West
Peoria Mariners: 6-7 (20-21), .462 (.488), 3.5 GB, in AZL
Aguirre Mariners: 37-28-5, .564, 3.5 GB in VSL
Santo Domingo Mariners: 30-16, .652, 1st in Santo Domingo Norte
Organizational Record: 331-342-5, .492
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Game Recaps (8/10/06)
San Jose 4 (SF + 8), Inland Empire 1LHP Shawn Nottingham (4.55, L) pitched six and two-thirds innings and let four runs score on six hits (HR), a hit batter, three walks, and seven Ks. RHP Aaron Trolia (5.74) gave up a hit and struck out all four batters he recorded outs on, and then RHP Jose de la Cruz (2.92) walked two in the ninth.
LF Josh Womack (.301) and 2B Alex Meneses (R, .353) both had two hits, 3B-CF Brent Johnson (E, .293) had a pair of walks, and 3B Luis Valbuena (.277) had a hit in his only plate appearance before getting pulled.
And Tim Lincecum, facing off against the Sixers, gave up one hit, walked two, and struck out six in three and two-thirds of an inning. What could have been…
Wisconsin was rained out. Doubleheader tomorrow.
Salem-Keizer 13 (SF + 17), Everett 4RHP Michael Schilling (5.30, L) gave up seven runs on eight hits (HR), a hit batter, three wild pitches, and a walk through five innings of work. RHP Stephen Richard (3.38) gave up five more runs on three hits (HR), a walk, and two Ks in the next two innings, but only one of those was earned. RHP Ari Kafka (5.60) gave up a home run and struck out one in the final two innings.
LF Gavin Dickey (2B, HR, 2 R, .217) and 3B Leury Bonilla (2B, 2 RBI, .218) both had a couple of hits.
Today’s Starters:
Tacoma: LHP Bobby Livingston, at Portland, @ 7:05 pm PDT
San Antonio: LHP Robert Rohrbaugh, in San Antonio, @ 5:05 pm PDT
Inland Empire: RHP Cibney Bello, at Lancaster, @ 7:05 pm PDT
Wisconsin: RHP Marwin Vega, at Cedar Rapids, @ 4:05 pm PDT
Second Game: LHP Paul Fagan
Everett: RHP Chris Tillman, at Boise, @ 7:05 pm PDT
Peoria: TBA, at Mesa, @ 6:00 pm PDT
Aguirre: Season over, fourth place
Tacoma Rainiers: 64-53, .547, 3 GB in PCL Pacific North
San Antonio Missions: 24-22 (51-63), .522, (.447), T-1st in TL South
Inland Empire 66ers: 23-22 (63-52), .511 (.548), 1st in CAL South
Wisconsin Timber Rattlers: 15-31 (42-74), .326 (.362), 13 GB in MWL Western
Everett Aquasox: 24-27, .471, 10 GB in NWL West
Peoria Mariners: 5-6 (19-20), .455 (.487), 3.5 GB, in AZL
Aguirre Mariners: 37-28-5, .564, 3.5 GB in VSL
Santo Domingo Mariners: 30-16, .652, 1st in Santo Domingo Norte
Organizational Record: 329-334-5, .496
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Game Recaps (8/9/06)
Tacoma 12, Omaha 11 (KC - 29)RHP Cha Seung Baek (3.02, E) pitched the first five innings and gave up six runs (five earned) on nine hits (HR), two wild pitches, two hit batters, and four Ks, and RHP Aaron Looper (6.71) followed him up by letting two runs score on four hits in one inning. LHP Eric O’Flaherty (0.00) managed a win in his first appearance, giving up a hit and a walk while striking out one in two innings of work. RHP Emiliano Fruto (3.53) gave everyone a scare by giving up three runs in the ninth on five hits, but managed to strand a runner on first.
This is one where I could almost name every hitter in the lineup, but I don’t think I’m going to… 1B Bryan Lahair (HR, 3 R, 2 RBI, .315) had four hits to lead the charge and SS Oswaldo Navarro (2B, R, 4 RBI, .283) had three hits out of the nine spot. 2B Jose Morban (2B, R, 2 RBI, .256), CF T.J. Bohn (2B, R, RBI, .269), 3B Mike Morse (2 R, RBI, .238), and RF Jon Nelson (2 R, RBI, .302) each had two hits. According to the minor league splits site (see sidebar), Nelson’s putting up a park adjusted .900 OPS, even if it’s only 160 at-bats, and that’s not something I ever expected, but his BABIP is also at an unsustainable .434.
Wichita 3 (KC + 8), San Antonio 2Bah. On the off chance this is preview of the TL Finals, I’m afraid. RHP Travis Chick (1.96) continued to succeed despite bad peripherals and gave up five hits, a hit batter, a wild pitch, and four walks against two Ks five innings. He’s given up twenty-eight hits and walked twenty-six in 41.1 IP, so the ERA is due for a jump any time now. RHP Chad Fillinger (3.05) gave up two runs on four hits and a K in two innings, but LHP Ryan Rowland-Smith (3.81, L) gave up the final run on two hits, a walk, and four Ks in the last two innings to lose it.
The top four spots were in pretty good shape, with CF Sebastien Boucher (R, SB, .249) getting two hits and a walk, 2B Yung-chi Chen (.310) walking twice, LF Jason Bourgeois (E, A, .280) recording a hit and a walk, and DH Marshall Hubbard (RBI, .264) notching two hits, but the lack of power and contributions elsewhere hurt.
San Jose 3 (SF + 7), Inland Empire 4 (eleven innings)LHP Justin Thomas (4.78) gave up three runs through seven and a third innings on five hits (HR), two wild pitches, a couple of walks and five Ks. RHP Mumba Rivera (4.05) let one of those score by giving up a hit to the one batter he faced, then LHP Saydel Beltran (1.93) struck out one before RHP Jon Lockwood (3.76) came in and pitched two innings, giving up four hits and a wild pitch while striking out four. RHP Juan Done (6.41, W) got the final four outs, and the win.
Inland Empire Bottom 11th
· Pitcher Change: Anthony Moreno replaces Justin Hedrick.
· Brent Johnson walks.
· With Josh Womack batting, passed ball by Stephen Holm, Brent Johnson to 2nd.
· Josh Womack flies out to left fielder John Bowker.
· Andrew Hargrove strikes out swinging.
· Jack Arroyo walks.
· Casey Craig walks. Brent Johnson to 3rd. Jack Arroyo to 2nd.
· Chris Colton singles on a ground ball to center fielder Alex Requena. Brent Johnson scores. Jack Arroyo to 3rd. Casey Craig to 2nd.
That’s how the eleventh went down. 3B Brent Johnson (R, 2 RBI, E, .294) had three hits and two walks to boost his OBP ever closer to .400. 1B Reed Eastley (RBI, .280), CF Chris Colton (RBI, .246), and SS Jeff Dominguez (2B, R, .295) all had two hits, and RF Casey Craig (.331) and 2B Luis Valbuena (R, .266) both had a hit and two walks.
Salem-Keizer 8 (SF + 16), Everett 2LHP Tony Butler (2.55, E) had a fine start go to waste, as he went five innings and gave up just one hit and three walks while punching out seven, but had no run support behind him. RHP Justin Souza (7.50, L) followed him, giving up all the Volcanoes’ runs (seven earned) on six hits (HR) and a walk in an inning+. LHP Rollie Gibson (3.86) let two of those score on a hit in his inning of work, and RHP Doug Fister (0.88) gave up two hits in the final two innings.
The offense was uninspired, but I’d give the most credit to CF Kevin Reynolds (2B, RBI, .266) for doubling in a run and working the counts more than anyone else on the roster. DH Danny Santin (2B, R, .160) also had a double, 2B Dean Zorn (R, CS, .262) had two hits, and SS Ogui Diaz (.248) had a hit and a walk.
Aquasox Game Notes:
· Took some pictures this time, but the zoom on my camera wasn’t as good as I thought… Those will be up whenever I find a host for them. I was right behind home plate this time as the booth was mostly full. I have pictures for Butler, Souza, Pimentel, Santin, Peguero, and Fernandez. Maybe one or two of Fister too, but it was dark by then and I may need to fix those if they’re good at all.
· Butler does look like a HS pitcher in a number of respects. He keeps his eyes on the plate throughout his delivery, but when his arm comes around the force has a tendency to whip his head around from side to side. Sometimes on his landing, he would end up too low and slumped over his landing foot, and other times he’d end up flung over to the third base side a bit too far. This got better as the game went on and his landings were more centered. There was a big difference mechanically from the first couple of innings to the final one or two. For such a big guy, he maintains a high level of balance and even on his more awkward landings he didn’t look to be in any danger of slipping. The only time he did, or almost did, I should say, was on the final out of the fifth when he was trying to dodge a grounder up the middle that found its way into his glove when he threw it down instinctually. It caught him off guard and he stumbled a bit before spinning and sidearming it over to first for the out. Highest velocity I saw out of him was 92 on the stadium gun (inaccurate) a couple of times, and the lowest was 74 once or twice. He loves throwing his breaking ball on two strike counts because it’s pretty much an automatic K, at least today, and he wasn’t afraid to throw it where it was breaking in and down on righties. Lost a little focus with men on, but that wasn’t happening much anyway, and the Volcanoes are a decent hitting team. He would’ve had one more K if the ump had been a little more consistent with the zone, but he didn’t seem to show much when he didn’t get the call anyway.
--I saw a couple of breaking pitches, there was one 74mph bender that he threw for strike one on the last batter he faced that was just a thing of beauty, but most of them didn’t break quite as good as that one and they generally came in a few MPH higher, particularly during the early part of the game when he wasn’t throwing it that much. By the late part of the game he was mixing it up about evenly between the FB and the breaking pitch, with most of them coming around 78-80 on the stadium gun. Kind of slidery though, in terms of the way they moved both horizontally and vertically. I only saw a few of his break like a natural curve ought to, the 74 being a prime example. He started out using a fastball heavy diet but gradually started using the slider more and more.
· I had wanted to see Souza because I had heard the stories about his velocity, but I didn’t see much that stood out to me. Granted, this was clearly an off day for him, but he topped out at 91 and even Butler threw harder than that a couple of times. A little disappointed.
· Ogui Diaz looked a lot better on the field today than he did the last time I saw him, making all the usual plays and a couple of more impressive ones that I didn’t think he had the ability for. He’s still not as exciting as some of the other middle infielders that have come through in past years, but he’s making progress and has a quick bat, so he could turn into something in time.
· Jair Fernandez didn’t look as good defensively as last time. He’s still taking a leadership role on the field, shouting out various unintelligible things on a regular basis, but he made a couple of slip-ups. He overran a ball after dropping it on a swinging K, he routinely had the ball pop up and out of his glove when he had to get out of the crouch to catch one high, and he threw behind the runner after Diaz was yelling to him about the steal. These things can be corrected in time, but he looked unprepared a few times and last time he was ready for anything. He’s still as solid as ever in getting to a ball that’s way outside though.
· Peguero was the other main reason I went to see this one, and I can tell you first-hand that he doesn’t swing at everything. I have photographic evidence of him taking a pitch outside, and perhaps as many as three, but those were the only ones he seemed to take. Dude is huge, and likes swinging the bat. Taking those pitches outside took a bit of an eye, but he’d be swinging at almost identical pitches later in the at-bats so I don’t know what his deal is. On the field, he got an assist, but also misplayed a ball when he reached out to his side and had it go off his glove. Moves slowly from the field to the dugout. Could be one of those guys you see get the lazy label in a few years time, but who knows at this point? He’s ginormous and has power potential to match, and finding a way to utilize that should be the priority.
-- By the accepted standard for nicknames given by broadcasters, would he be Carly, or Peggy? Something to ponder.
· Villezcas is bigger than I thought he was, and may develop some power himself, but the main guys in this game to watch in that regard were Pimentel and Peguero.
The Peoria game for Tuesday still hasn’t been reported.
Mesa Angels 3 (+ 5), Peoria Mariners 4Nice job overall, with a recently depleted team. RHP Leonardo Torres (6.00) gave up a hit and struck out two in three innings of work, and was followed by RHP Robert Harmon (7.21), who gave up a hit, hit a batter, walked one, and rung up one in two innings. RHP Jared Eichelberger (4.91) gave up a walk and struck out two in the sixth, but then RHP Marquis Pettis (3.43) let three runs (one earned) score on a hit, a walk, and two Ks. RHP Haley Winter (8.38, PO, W) picked up the win after giving up two hits in the ninth.
SS Deybis Benitez (RBI, E, .254) and 2B Matt Vogel (R, 2 RBI, .318) both had three hits, and RF Alex Gary (2B, R, .353) had two.
Today’s Starters:
Tacoma: Off day
San Antonio: Off day
Inland Empire: LHP Shawn Nottingham, in San Bernardino, @ 7:11 pm PDT
Wisconsin: RHP Marwin Vega, at Cedar Rapids, @ 5:05 pm PDT
Everett: RHP Michael Schilling, in Everett, @ 7:05 pm PDT
Peoria: Off Day
Aguirre: Season over, fourth place
Tacoma Rainiers: 64-53, .547, 3 GB in PCL Pacific North
San Antonio Missions: 24-22 (51-63), .522, (.447), T-1st in TL South
Inland Empire 66ers: 23-21 (63-51), .522 (.553), 1st in CAL South
Wisconsin Timber Rattlers: 15-31 (42-74), .326 (.362), 13 GB in MWL Western
Everett Aquasox: 24-26, .480, 9 GB in NWL West
Peoria Mariners: 5-6 (19-20), .455 (.487), 3.5 GB, in AZL
Aguirre Mariners: 37-28-5, .564, 3.5 GB in VSL
Santo Domingo Mariners: 30-16, .652, 1st in Santo Domingo Norte
Organizational Record: 329-332-5, .498
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Game Recaps (8/8/06)
Tacoma 5, Omaha 2 (KC - 28)Walk haters rejoice! No, the M’s aren’t at the plate again, RHP Francisco Cruceta (4.17, W) got through six innings, giving up two runs on seven hits (HR) while striking out four, and he didn’t walk a single batter! RHP Jeff Harris (3.18) struck out one in the next two innings, and RHP Jon Huber (2.16, S) struck out two in the ninth.
2B Jose Morban (2B, R, 2 RBI, .243) and CF T.J. Bohn (2B, R, RBI, SB, .268) both had three hits, 1B Bryan Lahair (R, .302) and SS Oswaldo Navarro (.266) had two each, and DH Jeff Clement (R, .243) had a hit and walk.
Wichita 6 (KC + 7), San Antonio 0It’s been twenty-four innings since the Missions last scored a run, so LHP Ryan Feierabend (4.12, PO, L) was doomed to take the loss as he gave up six runs (five earned) on seven hits (HR) and six walks against two Ks. Not that he pitched particularly well. LHP Jason Mackintosh (3.83) let one of those score on four hits, a walk, and a K in the next four innings, and then RHP Stephen Kahn (6.00) turned in a perfect ninth.
SS Erick Monzon (2B, SB, .271) had two hits. DH Jason Bourgeois (.279) had a hit and walk.
San Jose 5 (SF + 7), Inland Empire 6 (ten innings)I’ll admit, coming home and checking the boxes, I had almost written this one off after RHP Aaron Jensen (6.04, PO) had given up five runs on seven hits, a hit batter, two walks, and four Ks in six and two-thirds innings, but LHP Saydel Beltran (2.00) gave up a walk while striking out two in an inning and a third after that and RHP Joe Woerman (3.10, W) kept it scoreless in the final two frames, giving up one hit and one walk while striking out two.
And then, the Sixers went ahead and rallied for six runs in the final four innings. The top three did some good there, with 3B Brent Johnson (R, .290) drawing three walks, LF Josh Womack (HR, 2 R, .299) getting three hits including the tying homer in the ninth, and 1B Reed Eastley (2B, R, 3 RBI, .276) getting two hits and forcing in the final run by getting plunked in the tenth. I’d include C Omar Falcon (.243) and make it a top four, but he didn’t score despite walking three times. RF Chris Colton (2B, .243) added a double and a walk.
Beloit 5 (MIN + 6), Wisconsin 6LHP Jose Escalona (3.93, W) pitched five innings and let a run score on five hits (HR), two hit batters, two walks and five Ks. RHP Edgar Guaramato (6.09) gave up a hit and struck out the side in the next inning, but RHP Ruben Flores (5.71) showed some rust by letting a couple of runs score on a hit, three walks, and three Ks score in an inning and a third after that. RHP Brian Kappel (2.63) let two of those cross, and two unearned of his own, on a hit and a K as he closed it out.
LF Johan Limonta (.225) had two hits in the game, 3B-SS Robby Hudson (2B, R, .284) had the lone double, and 2B Ron Garth (R, .274) and DH Travis Scott (R, .239) both had a hit and a walk. 1B Gerardo Avila (R, RBI, SB, .250) went 1-for-4 in his debut, but made the most of his opportunities out there.
Salem-Keizer 9 (SF + 15), Everett 0RHP Ricky Orta (6.41, L) got the hook after just a third of an inning, striking out one batter, but giving up six runs on six hits (HR). RHP Andrew Fiorenza (3.54) pitched the next three and two-thirds and let three more runs score on three hits (HR), two walks, and a K. LHP Jose Suriel (3.18) gave up a couple hits and struck out two in the three after that, and RHP Aaron Solomon (0.60) gave up three hits, two walks, and punched out three in the final two innings.
CF Kevin Reynolds (.267) had a couple of hits, and PH Chao Kuan Wu (2B, .241) had a pinch-hit double, but I’m more interested in the brief appearance of PH Carlos Peguero (.000), who grounded out, but…
Hopefully, he’ll be playing the field tomorrow, ‘cause I’m going to be up in Everett catching Tony Butler’s start. Someone in the batter’s box has to excite, and it might as well be the dangerous combination of Carlos Peguero and a short right field porch.
Peoria’s not reporting tonight. I’ll get to it tomorrow, if it’s there.
Tomorrow’s Starters:
Tacoma: RHP Cha Seung Baek, at Omaha, @ 10:05 am PDT
San Antonio: RHP Travis Chick, in San Antonio, @ 5:05 pm PDT
Inland Empire: LHP Justin Thomas, in San Bernardino, @ 7:11 pm PDT
Wisconsin: Off day
Everett: LHP Tony Butler, in Everett, @ 7:05 pm PDT
Peoria: TBA, in Peoria, @ 6:00 pm PDT
Aguirre: Season over, fourth place
Tacoma Rainiers: 63-53, .543, 4 GB in PCL Pacific North
San Antonio Missions: 24-21 (51-62), .533, (.451), T-1st in TL South
Inland Empire 66ers: 22-21 (62-51), .512 (.549), T-1st in CAL South
Wisconsin Timber Rattlers: 15-31 (42-74), .326 (.362), 13 GB in MWL Western
Everett Aquasox: 24-25, .490, 8 GB in NWL West
Peoria Mariners: 4-6 (18-20), .400 (.474), 4 GB, in AZL
Aguirre Mariners: 37-28-5, .564, 3.5 GB in VSL
Santo Domingo Mariners: 30-16, .652, 1st in Santo Domingo Norte
Organizational Record: 326-330-5, .497
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Odds and Ends
Couple of things worth mentioning before the games start today...
First off, we have a couple of hitters who made
offensive player of the week for their league, Reed Eastley of Inland Empire and Adam Moore of the Wisconsin Timber Rattlers. Congrats, guys.
The other thing is that Chris Mehring is reporting that
1B Gerardo Avila has joined the T-Rats and OF Alex Gary has been sent to the AZL. My guess is that Limonta goes to the OF and Avila takes over as the 1B. It's a pretty bold move, considering it's late in the season, but of the three impact hitters that Peoria M's had, Avila was probably the one with the most polished approach. He's probably their starting 1B next year too.
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Game Recaps (8/7/06)
Tacoma 5, Omaha 3 (KC - 27)Poor Royals. RHP Rich Dorman (4.73) started it out with six innings in which he gave up a run on three hits, a hit batter, and three walks against six Ks. RHP Renee Cortez (3.99, W) let two unearned score on three hits and a balk against four Ks in two innings, picking up the win as the Rainiers rallied while RHP Jon Huber (2.23, S) gave up a hit and struck out one in the ninth for the save.
The Rainiers pulled it out with a four-run ninth inning that went something like this…
Tacoma Top 9th
· Jose Morban walks.
· Oswaldo Navarro walks. Jose Morban to 2nd.
· Pitcher Change: Joselo Diaz replaces Esteban Yan.
· Coaching visit to mound.
· Hunter Brown walks. Jose Morban to 3rd. Oswaldo Navarro to 2nd.
· Chris Snelling strikes out swinging.
· T. J. Bohn out on a sacrifice fly to right fielder Rick Bell. Jose Morban scores. Oswaldo Navarro to 3rd.
· Bryan LaHair homers (4) on a fly ball to center field. Oswaldo Navarro scores. Hunter Brown scores.
· Mike Morse flies out to right fielder Rick Bell.
1B Bryan Lahair (HR, 3 RBI, .299) had three hits and a walk. 3B Hunter Brown (2B, R, RBI, .273), 2B Jose Morban (R, .188), and SS Oswaldo Navarro (2 R, .253) each had one hit and a walk.
Wichita 7 (KC + 6), San Antonio 0LHP Travis Blackley (3.91, 2 PO, L) took the loss as he pitched five innings and gave up four runs (three earned) on four hits (HR), two walks, and eight Ks. RHP Nate Mateo (5.76) pitched the next two and gave up two more runs on four hits, two of them solo shots, and five Ks. RHP Craig James (1.68) let one score on two hits, two walks, and a K in the eighth, but newcomer RHP Byron Embry (0.00) managed to come out of it unscathed, despite two hits and a walk to go with his K. If you’re wondering about Embry, he was originally a Braves ‘spect who played three years before disappearing and resurfacing in the indy leagues sometime later. He had some time with the Royals last year after a crazy 2004 campaign for the Lincoln Saltdogs in the Northern League, but this is his first appearance in affiliated ball this year. He’s mainly on the roster because O’Flaherty got bumped to Tacoma, though Craig James came off the DL today, so the staff should be full now.
DH Scotty Baseball (2B, RBI, .312) had a double and a walk, and LF Jason Bourgeois (.279) had a single and a walk.
Beloit 3 (MIN + 7), Wisconsin 2 (eleven innings)LHP David Asher (4.07) put in a good effort, going seven innings and letting two runs (one earned) score on four hits, a balk, two walks, and four Ks. RHP Roman Martinez (3.58) struck out two in the next inning, and RHP Austin Bibens-Dirkx (2.66) gave up a hit and struck out three in the next two frames. LHP Lance Beus (2.12, L) allowed an unearned run to score on a hit and a walk in the eleventh, and that’s what lost it for the T-Rats.
DH Curtis Ledbetter (HR, 2 RBI, .216) had two hits and RF Eddy Hernandez (2B, .237) doubled, but there was only one other hit and one other walk out of the whole lineup.
Everett 3, Tri-City 2 (COL 0) (ten innings)RHP Natividad Dilone (3.71) pitched six innings and let two runs (one earned) score on five hits, a wild pitch, and a hit batter against two Ks. RHP Ari Kafka (5.74) walked one and struck out two in the next inning and two-thirds, and LHP Jose Suriel (3.66) gave up a hit before recording the final out of the eighth. RHP Will Fenton (9.00, W) struck out one in the ninth, and RHP Joe Kantekevich (2.86, S) had that plus a hit in the tenth.
Not as dramatic as the Tacoma rally, but it’ll do…
Everett Top 10th
· Marcos Villezcas doubles (2) on a soft line drive to center fielder Bret Berglund.
· Jose Graterol walks.
· Manelik Pimentel grounds into a force out, second baseman Anthony Jackson to shortstop Daniel Mayora. Marcos Villezcas to 3rd. Jose Graterol out at 2nd. Manelik Pimentel to 1st.
· With Daniel Santin batting, wild pitch by William Harris, Manelik Pimentel to 2nd.
· Daniel Santin walks.
· Bryan Sabatella grounds into a force out, shortstop Daniel Mayora to second baseman Anthony Jackson. Marcos Villezcas scores. Manelik Pimentel to 3rd. Daniel Santin out at 2nd. Bryan Sabatella to 1st.
· Pitcher Change: Chad Bailey replaces William Harris.
· Leury Bonilla called out on strikes.
1B Joe White (E, .248) and 3B Leury Bonilla (.216) each had a couple of hits.
Peoria Mariners 2, Phoenix Brewers 3 (- 7)A few days ago, I
made a comment about this, so I guess I brought this on: the Peoria M’s handed the Phoenix Brewers their first win of the second half. RHP Brandon Morrow (2.70) took the loss, giving up all three runs on five hits, four walks, and a K in three+ innings of work. He gave up two runs in the fourth before getting the hook, and RHP Jorge Campillo (4.15) let one score from a bases loaded situation, giving up two hits and striking out six in four innings. RHP John Sullivan (3.00) gave up a hit in the ninth.
SS Jeff Dominguez (2B, R, .286) had a double and 2B Yung-chi Chen (R, .250) had a hit and a walk, but if you’re not impressed by rehabbers, I guess you could go with 3B Deybis Benitez (2 CS, E, .240) walking twice.
Today’s Starters:
Tacoma: RHP Francsico Cruceta, at Omaha, @ 5:05 pm PDT
San Antonio: LHP Ryan Feierabend, in San Antonio, @ 5:05 pm PDT
Inland Empire: RHP Aaron Jensen, in San Bernardino, @ 7:11 pm PDT
Wisconsin: LHP Jose Escalona, in Appleton, @ 5:05 pm PDT
Everett: RHP Ricky Orta, in Everett, @ 7:05 pm PDT
Peoria: TBA, at Phoenix, @ 6:00 pm PDT
Aguirre: Season over, fourth place
Tacoma Rainiers: 62-53, .539, 5 GB in PCL Pacific North
San Antonio Missions: 24-20 (51-61), .545, (.455), T-1st in TL South
Inland Empire 66ers: 21-21 (60-51), .500 (.541), T-1st in CAL South
Wisconsin Timber Rattlers: 14-31 (41-74), .311 (.357), 13 GB in MWL Western
Everett Aquasox: 24-24, .500, 7 GB in NWL West
Peoria Mariners: 4-6 (18-20), .400 (.474), 4 GB, in AZL
Aguirre Mariners: 37-28-5, .564, 3.5 GB in VSL
Santo Domingo Mariners: 30-16, .652, 1st in Santo Domingo Norte
Organizational Record: 323-328-5, .496
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Game Recaps (8/6/06)
Tacoma 6, Omaha 3 (KC - 26)RHP Clint Nageotte (5.42) lasted four and two-thirds innings and let three runs cross on seven hits, a hit batter, two walks, and two Ks. RHP Scott Atchison (2.88) gave up a hit and struck out two in the next two and a third, and RHP Emiliano Fruto (2.86, S) gave up a hit, walked two, and struck out four over the final two innings to pick up the save.
RF-LF Jon Nelson (2 RBI, CS, .306) had three hits in the game, CF T.J. Bohn (2 R, RBI, .262) and SS Oswaldo Navarro (.247) had two hits each, and 3B Hunter Brown (2B, 2 R, E, .273) and C Jeff Clement (HR, 2 RBI, E, .248) both had extra-base hits.
San Antonio 3, Corpus Christi 4 (HOU + 3) (eleven innings)RHP Yorman Bazardo (3.26) gave up a couple of runs (one earned) on six hits, three wild pitches, and a hit batter while striking out three over the course of four innings. LHP Ryan Rowland-Smith (3.75) allowed a couple of hits, a walk, and two Ks in two and two-thirds innings. After that, RHP Chad Fillinger (2.83) walked two and struck out one in two-thirds of an inning, and LHP Eric O’Flaherty (1.14, BS) let one of those score on two hits and a walk in an inning and two-thirds following him. LHP Jason Mackintosh (4.02) let the final run score on five hits, two walks, and a K in the last inning and a third.
3B Jesus Guzman (R, .256) had three hits in the game, CF Sebastien Boucher (2 3B, R, 2 RBI, .249), LF Jason Bourgeois (.278), SS Erick Monzon (R, SB, .270) had a couple of hits each, and 1B Marshall Hubbard (2B, RBI, .272) doubled.
Inland Empire 10, Modesto 7 (COL - 7)RHP Justin Jordan (5.00, W) let five runs score through six innings on six hits, a wild pitch, two walks, and five Ks. RHP Aaron Trolia (5.91) gave up a hit, walked two, and struck out two in the next inning, and RHP Jon Lockwood (3.88) struck out two in the eighth. RHP Jose de la Cruz (2.98) got himself into a spot of trouble in the ninth, giving up a couple of runs on three hits, two walks, and a K, but nothing too nerve-wracking given the lead.
The top three spots were pretty hot, with 3B Brent Johnson (2 R, 2 RBI, .292), LF Jack Arroyo (2 2B, 2 R, .328), 1B Reed Eastley (2 2B, 2 R, 3 RBI, .274) each recording three hits. RF Casey Craig (RBI, .343), CF Josh Womack (2B, 2 R, .295), and C Luis Oliveros (2B, R, .248) had two hits apiece, and SS Luis Valbuena (2B, 2 RBI, .259) had a double and a walk.
Beloit 10 (MIN + 6), Wisconsin 11Nice to see some signs of life, even though it cam mostly form the hitters. RHP Nick Allen (4.09) gave up eight runs, seven of ‘em earned, on ten hits (2 HR!) and a walk against three Ks through four and two-thirds innings. RHP Edgar Guaramato (6.20) walked two, threw a wild pitch, and rung up two in the next inning and a third, and RHP Cory Koliscak (9.00), recently called up from Peoria, gave up a couple of runs on two hits (HR) in the next two innings. RHP Brian Kappel (3.00, W) picked up the win, giving up a hit and striking out two in the ninth, as the T-Rats rallied in their half.
A serious contrast to last night, the T-Rats offense fought back and found a way each time they found themselves in the hole. There were players who outdid him, but I have to give the gameball to 1B Johan Limonta (2B, HR, 2 R, .217) for the walk-off home run in the ninth. SS Chris Minaker (2 2B, R, RBI, .267), RF Kuo-hui Lo (HR, 3 R, 2 RBI, 2 SB, .266) and C Travis Scott (R, RBI, E, .236) all had three hits, and DH Adam Moore (HR, .286) and 3B Jeff Flaig (2B, R, RBI, .204) both had extra-base hits.
Everett 4, Tri-City 3 (COL + 1) (eleven innings)LHP Steve Uhlmansiek (3.20) had a rough go of it, giving up a couple runs on a hit, a wild pitch, seven walks, and four Ks in three and a third innings. RHP Steven Richard (3.21) gave up another run on two hits, two walks, and four Ks in two and a third innings after that, and then LHP Rollie Gibson (4.05) walked one and struck out three in the next two and a third innings. RHP Kameron Mickolio (3.86, W) gave up a hit, threw two wild pitches, hit a batter, walked one, and struck out two over the final three innings for the win.
SS Marcos Villezcas (R, E, .246), 3B Manelik Pimentel (2B, 2 RBI, .282), DH Danny Santin (RBI, .154) all had two hits. 1B Joe White (R, .240) walked three times and probably brought his OBP to .200 points higher than his average, though he hasn’t been hitting much lately. Average aside, White’s ’06 is starting to look wackier than Bo Robinson’s ’99 season, for those of you having minor league flashbacks. CF Kevin Reynolds (R, RBI, .250) and LF Gavin Dickey (3B, R, CS, .215) both had a hit and a walk.
Surprise Royals 6 (+ 3), Peoria Mariners 8RHP Douglas Salinas (2.21, W) pitched five innings to start things out and gave up a couple of runs on a hit (HR), three walks, and five Ks. RHP Chirs Tillman (0.82, S) gave up four runs (one earned) on four hits, four walks, and five Ks in the next four innings.
1B Gerardo Avila (3B, HR, 2 R, 2 RBI, E, .326) and 3B Alex Liddi (2 3B, R, 2 RBI, .333) both had three hits in the game, 2B Yung-chi Chen (2B, RBI, .200), CF Wellington Dotel (2B, 2 R, .244), and LF Stan Posluszny (3B, RBI, .333) all had extra-base hits, and SS Jeff Dominguez (2 R, E, .333) had a hit and two walks.
Tomorrow’s Starters:
Tacoma: RHP Rich Dorman, at Omaha, @ 5:05 pm PDT
San Antonio: LHP Travis Blackley, in San Antonio, @ 5:05 pm PDT
Inland Empire: Off day
Wisconsin: LHP David Asher, in Appleton, @ 5:05 pm PDT
Everett: RHP Natividad Dilone, at Tri-City, @ 7:15 pm PDT
Peoria: TBA, at Phoenix, @ 6:00 pm PDT
Aguirre: Season over, fourth place
Tacoma Rainiers: 61-53, .535, 5 GB in PCL Pacific North
San Antonio Missions: 24-19 (51-60), .558, (.459), 1st in TL South
Inland Empire 66ers: 21-21 (60-51), .500 (.541), T-1st in CAL South
Wisconsin Timber Rattlers: 14-30 (41-73), .318 (.360), 12.5 GB in MWL Western
Everett Aquasox: 23-24, .489, 7 GB in NWL West
Peoria Mariners: 4-5 (18-19), .444 (.486), 3.5 GB, in AZL
Aguirre Mariners: 37-28-5, .564, 3.5 GB in VSL
Santo Domingo Mariners: 30-16, .652, 1st in Santo Domingo Norte
Organizational Record: 321-325-5, .497
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Game Recaps (8/5/06)
Getting swept is one of the known causes of late recaps. Doesn't happen that often though.
Tacoma 0, Iowa 6 (CHC + 2)LHP Bobby Livingston (5.02,) gave up three runs on six hits, a walk, and five Ks in six+ innings, with all of those runs scoring on solo shots. RHP Jeff Harris (3.86) struck out two in the seventh, and RHP Aaron Looper (6.48) let three score on two hits (HR) and a walk in the eighth. Yep, he’s still around.
C Rob Johnson (.237) had a couple of hits in the game.
San Antonio 4, Corpus Christi 6 (HOU + 2)LHP Robert Rohrbaugh (3.70) let five runs score through six innings on eight hits (3 HR!), a hit batter, and two walks against three Ks. RHP Stephen Kahn (6.21, E) allowed an unearned run to cross in the final two on two hits, a walk, and a K.
1B Erick Monzon (2B, HR, 2 R, 2 RBI, .265) and 2B Jesus Guzman (2 2B, 2 RBI, .251) both had a couple of extra-base hits. SS Scotty Baseball (2B, .375) doubled.
Inland Empire 3, Modesto 5 (COL - 6)RHP Cibney Bello (4.06, L) gave up four runs (three earned) on five hits (HR), a wild pitch, a hit batter, and four walks against eight Ks in five innings of work. I’ve dogged on Bello a lot in the past, but in July, he was pitching like a different guy, cutting his walks down to the three per nine, bumping up his Ks to over eight, and keeping his HR rate down to 0.60 per nine. Keep your eye on that for August. RHP Juan Done (6.87) gave up a run on three hits, a hit batter, and two walks against one K.
3B Brent Johnson (2 2B, 2 R, SB, .288) and DH Alex Meneses (.368) both had three hits, and 2B Jack Arroyo (R, .319) added two. 1B Reed Eastley (RBI, .269) had a couple of walks and a sac fly.
Beloit 14 (MIN + 7), Wisconsin 4You may need a drink for this one… LHP Paul Fagan (5.32) gave up ten runs, all of them earned, in three and two-thirds innings on fourteen hits (3 HR!), a wild pitch, a hit batter, and a walk against two Ks. The T-Rats came to the plate in the bottom of the first with a five-run deficit. RHP Juan Colon (8.78) continued the struggles as he let three score on three hits and a hit batter in an inning and a third. RHP Roman Martinez (3.68) let an unearned run score on two hits and a K in the next two innings, but things managed to calm down from there. RHP Ruben Flores (5.55) struck out the side in the eighth, and then 3B-RHP Robby Hudson (0.00) subbed in for another inning, giving up a hit and striking out one.
CF Michael Saunders (SB, .242) and C Adam Moore (HR, PB, .288) both had a couple of hits, and SS Chris Minaker (HR, 2 RBI, .243) and 2B Ron Garth (HR, E, .277) also had home runs to go along with the one by Moore. RF Alex Gary (2B, R, .164) had a double and walk.
Everett 1, Tri-City 6 (COL + 2)RHP Michael Schilling (4.59, L) gave up a couple of runs (one earned) on four hits, three wild pitches, a hit batter, and a walk against four Ks in five+ innings. One of them scored after RHP Andrew Fiorenza (2.70) came in and let an unearned score on a walk in the sixth, but there were already men on first and second and the error didn’t help anything. LHP Greg Nesbit (5.47) gave up two runs on three hits in two-thirds of an inning, and then RHP Aaron Solomon (0.69) let an unearned run score on a hit, a walk, and three Ks in the final inning and a third. Now that he seems to have gotten the walks under control, at least somewhat, Solomon’s lines are looking crazier all the time.
1B Manelik Pimentel (RBI, .277) had two hits and a walk and DH Bryan Sabatella (3B, R, .263), who had cooled off considerably, had a triple and scored.
I’m tentatively planning on making the trip to Everett for Tony Butler’s next start on Wednesday. He’s the first HS pitcher we’ve had in the past few drafts that has such a good chance to move quickly, so I’m trying to catch him now because he’ll probably be in Wisconsin come next April.
Aguirre Mariners 1, VSL Cardinals 5 (- 23)Well, it’s official; the VSL M’s have been eliminated from the playoff run. They’ve had a good run this year, especially considering how young the team was and how they had their better, more experienced arms like Victor Duarte, Edlando Seco, Karlin Taylor, and Kervin Montbrum out for the majority of the season, but losing that playoff spot to the worst team in the league… well, that just sucks. RHP Yoervis Medina (3.60, E, L) pitched five innings and gave up a couple of unearned runs on five hits, a walk, and three Ks. RHP Yorjans Chourio (3.58) let three score in the final three innings on three hits, a wild pitch, a hit batter, and two walks.
RF Mario Yepez (HR, .227) had the solo home run in the ninth that accounted for all the scoring for the team. 3B Carlos Ramirez (.153) added a couple of hits, and DH Humberto Espinoza (.276) had a hit and a walk.
As for the M’s doubleheader vs the Mets scheduled for today, it was rained out, so it’s not as if they could’ve caught up on the gap between them and first anyway. Someone out there is laughing.
Tomorrow’s Starters:
Tacoma: RHP Clint Nageotte, in progress
San Antonio: RHP Yorman Bazardo, at Corpus Christi, @ 4:05 pm PDT
Inland Empire: RHP Justin Jordan, at Modesto, @ 6:05 pm PDT
Wisconsin: RHP Nick Allen, in progress
Everett: LHP Steve Uhlmansiek, at Tri-City, @ 7:15 pm PDT
Peoria: TBA, in Peoria, @ 6:00 pm PDT
Aguirre: RAINOUT
Tacoma Rainiers: 60-53, .531, 5.5 GB in PCL Pacific North
San Antonio Missions: 24-18 (51-59), .571, (.464), 1st in TL South
Inland Empire 66ers: 20-20 (59-51), .500 (.536), 1 GB in CAL South
Wisconsin Timber Rattlers: 13-30 (40-73), .302 (.354), 12.5 GB in MWL Western
Everett Aquasox: 22-24, .478, 8 GB in NWL West
Peoria Mariners: 3-5 (17-19), .375 (.472), 3 GB, in AZL
Aguirre Mariners: 37-28-5, .564, 3.5 GB in VSL
Santo Domingo Mariners: 30-16, .652, 1st in Santo Domingo Norte
Organizational Record: 316-324-5, .494
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