A: Clinton 3, Burlington 2
CLI: 3-0… BUR:0-3
Aaron Pribanic: 6 IP, 1 H, walk, 5 K
Bobby LaFromboise: two outs, 3 H, 2 ER, K
Walter Suriel: 1.1 IP, 2 K
Keith Meyer: 1 IP, K
Maximo Mendez: 2-4, triple, R, K
Denny Almonte: 1-4, R, RBI, 2 K
Kalian Sams: 1-4, RBI, 3 K
- Key: Aaron Pribanic flat out owned the Bees over six innings, as Burlington got their only hit on an infield grounder in the 1st and only managed two well hit balls to the outfield. They did recover by hammering Bobby LaFromboise in the 7th to get within 3-2, but Walter Suriel relieved him with two outs and got a groundout to escape. The Bees never threatened again.
Groundballs: 11
Flyballs: 1
Line Drives: 1
Pop Ups: 1
Walks: 1
Strikeouts: 5
Pribanic, the team’s 5th round pick in 2008, was panned by many as an iffy 3rd round pick in last season’s draft, given a ho-hum 2008 season at the University of Nebraska (74.1 IP, 4 HR, 32 BB, 59 K, 4.72 ERA). But if he can be as brutally efficient as he was tonight, he may hold some promise. Stay tuned.
- One day after swiping their 2nd base of this young season, Maximo Mendez and Denny Almonte were each caught stealing on separate occasions for the first time each this season.
The two have quickly taken command as the team’s leading hitters. Mendez has 7 hits and Almonte has 3; no Lumberking has more than 2. And believe it or not, the seemingly impatient, hacking Almonte leads the team with 3 walks, though Mendez leads the team with 4 strikeouts.
- 2008 season numbers for the debuting relievers:
Bobby LaFromboise: 41.2 IP, 3 HR, 12 BB, 35 K, 3.46 ERA in Everett
Walter Suriel: 78.2 IP, 12 HR, 24 BB, 67 K, 6.06 ERA in Everett
A+: High Desert 6, Lancaster 1
Mavs: 3-0… Jethawks: 0-3
Donnie Hume: 5 IP, 3 H, 2 walks, 5 K
Jake Wild: 2 IP, 1 H, walk, 3 K
Phillipe Aumont: 1 IP, 1 H, 1 ER, 3 walks, wild pitch
Anthony Varvaro: 1 IP, 1 H, K
Tyson Gillies: 1-4, double, R, K
Edilio Colina: 1-4, double, R, RBI, K
Carlos Peguero: 2-3, triple, R, RBI, K
Jamie McOwen: 2-4, RBI
Jose Yepez: 0-2, sac fly RBI, K
Joe Dunigan: 2-3, solo HR, solo HR, walk, K
Key: Like Pribanic in the MWL, Donnie Hume put the clamps down on Lancaster. He neutralized the Cal League and today’s 17 mph left to right perfectly, allowing only four balls in play in the air during his five shutout innings. Aside from a shaky 2nd inning where he loaded the bases with one out (but escaped unscathed), Hume was totally in control.
Groundballs: 9
Flyballs: 1
Line Drives: 2
Pop Ups: 1
Walks: 2
Strikeouts: 5
The Mavs powered to a 2-0 lead in the bottom 2nd with a Joe Dunigan solo shot (with the wind) and back to back doubles from Tyson Gillies and Edilio Colina. Carlos Peguero’s one out triple past poor Jonathan Gaston in RF (who may need counseling after getting abused by the Adelanto winds in this series) sparked a two run 5th to make it 4-0. Jamie McOwen punched in one run with a line drive single and Jose Yepez’s sac fly popped in another. The Mavs rallied for another run in the 6th and Joe Dunigan got another flyball to carry with the wind over the RF fence in the 8th to make it 6-1.
Oh yes, and Phillipe Aumont kinda sorta pitched a sloppy 8th where he walked three batters and uncorked a wild pitch to wave in the lone Lancaster run. Let’s just say the left to right wind didn’t help him harness that swerving breaking ball of his. Had Chris Minaker not been caught way off the bag on a pop up to 3B to end the frame, this inning could have been a lot worse.
AA: Due to a rain suspension, the DIAMOND JAXX had to conclude Friday’s suspended game before they could play today’s scheduled game.
Completion of Friday’s game: West Tenn 10, Montgomery 1
Ricky Orta: 3 IP, 1 H, 1 ER, walk, 4 K, wild pitch
Doug FISTER: 4 IP, 2 H, walk, 4 K
Marwin Vega: 2 IP, 1 H, 3 K
Ezequiel Carrera: 3-5 double, 2 R, 4 RBI
Carlos Triunfel: 2-3, double, R, RBI, fractured fibula
Adam Moore: 1-5, R, RBI, 2K
Greg Halman: 2-5, 3 run HR, K
Key: The DIAMOND JAXX had themselves a sweet five run massacre of Biscuits pitching in the 4th, as Adam Moore led off with a single, Marshall Hubbard walked and Greg Halman cleared everybody with a blast over the CF wall to make it 5-1. Matt Mangini singled right afterward, Javier Brito walked and after a Jeff Dominguez sacrifice, Ezequiel Carrera lined a single to cash in both runners and make it 7-1.
When it rains, it pours… literally. Rain suspended play shortly after, and they quickly finished up today, but not before Carrera singled in two more runs in the 6th and the DIAMOND JAXX added another run to make it 10-1. Doug FISTER filled in with four splendid scoreless debut innings after play resumed.
Also, as previously mentioned, the team’s leading prospect also happened to crack a fibula, which can’t help. The guy who replaced him? Oswaldo Navarro, who had spent the last couple years as Tacoma’s error prone shortstop. Talk about sending a message.
Today’s scheduled game: Montgomery 3, West Tenn 2, 7 innings
WTN: 2-1… MON: 1-2
Kyle Parker: 5 IP, 4 H, walk, 5 K
Justin Souza: 1 IP, 4 H, 3 ER
Ezequiel Carrera: 2-3, walk
Johan Limonta: 1-4, double, RBI, 2 K
Oswaldo Navarro: 2-3
Key: Kyle Parker’s fine AA debut was undone by a disastrous 6th inning debut from Justin Souza, who allowed three line drive RBI doubles to give Montgomery the lead for good. All four hits Souza allowed were hard hit.
Ezequiel Carrera had two more hits, and the newcomer easily leads the DIAMOND JAXX with six hits and 5 RBI after one series.
The team has its share of footspeed, but after one series, they not only have no stolen bases, but only one player has attempted to steal a base: Johan Limonta, arguably the team’s slowest runner. Needless to say, he was thrown out.
AAA: Tacoma 9, Sacramento 7, 11 innings
TAC: 2-1… SAC: 1-2
Gaby Hernandez: 4.1 IP, 6 H, 4 ER (HR), walk, 3 K, wild pitch
Sean White: 2.1 IP, 2 H, 1 ER, K, wild pitch
Justin Thomas: one out, 2 H, 1 ER, walk
Jesus Delgado: 3 IP, 0 H, (1 R) 0 ER, 3 K
Randy Messenger: 1 IP, 1 H
Prentice Redman: 1-4, double, 2 RBI, 2 walks, K
Chris Shelton: 1-5, double, RBI, R, walk, 2 K
Mike Carp: 2-5, 2 doubles, R, 2 RBI, walk, 2 K
Mike Morse: 2-4, R, 2 RBI, walk
Bryan LaHair: 2-6, double, R, K
Callix Crabbe: 1-3, R, RBI
- Key #1: Down 1-0, the Rainiers exploded for six runs in the 4th, and good thing they did in hindsight, because they needed every single one. Six consecutive Rainiers reached base with one out: Jeff Clement (lined single), Chris Shelton (walk), Mike Carp (RBI double over RF), Mike Morse (lined 2 run single), Bryan LaHair (lined single) and Chris Woodward (walk). The barrage chased starter James Simmons (136 IP, 11 HR, 32 BB, 120 K in 2008 with Midland (AA)), and a Callix Crabbe 6-4 groundout brought in another run before Prentice Redman capped the rally with a soft liner past CF Matt Carson (minus 5-10 runs in CF, not good) to cash in two more.
- However, Key #2: Gaby Hernandez (64.2 IP, 14 HR, 26 BB, 54 K, 7.24 ERA in AAA Albany (FLA)) imploded in the 5th. After a leadoff single from Anthony Recker (274/346/437 in Midland), Gaby eventually uncorked a wild pitch, walked Eric Patterson, then gave up a 3 run bomb to Jack Hannahan (218/305/342 with Oakland) before getting lifted for groundballing tomato can Sean White. While showing productive stretches, Gaby hasn’t ever looked particularly solid since arriving via trade last season, and this start was no exception. In his Rainiers debut, the River Cats made him pay for his mistakes in-between stretches of groundball outs, and he could not survive the minimum five innings once the roof caved in.
Groundballs: 8
Flyballs: 4 (1 HR)
Line Drives: 4
Walks: 1
Strikeouts: 3
Gaby’s implosion got Sacramento back into the game, and enabled the following:
Key #3: Sean White (125 IP, 12 HR, 43 BB, 52 K, 5.47 ERA in Tacoma) starts 2009 as the mop-up long reliever, and had come into the 7th holding the pesky River Cats in check with a 6-4 lead.
And then the bottom 7th happened. Cliff Pennington (297/426/386 in Sacramento) doubled over Prentice Redman in LF (0-5 runs below average in LF) to lead off. White got two quick groundouts but allowed a run to make it 6-5, and gave way to Justin Thomas (118.2 IP, 11 HR, 56 BB, 106 K, 4.32 ERA in West Tenn), who promptly showed us why his mid 90’s fastball isn’t enough to get him to the bigs: Daric Barton (226/327/348 with Oakland) walked. Aaron Cunningham (317/386/507 in Midland) smoked a grounder down the LF line to cash Barton in and tie the ballgame at 6. Sean Doolittle (254/311/388 in Midland) smoked a grounder to 2nd that Callix Crabbe (minus 0-5 runs at 2B) couldn’t field in time, but Cunningham headed for home a little slow, and Crabbe threw to Jeff Clement (LOL at C) at home in time to get him for the 3rd out!
In the top 9th, Chris Woodward lined a leadoff single to center, and Callix Crabbe bunted him over for one out. Reliever Jared Lansford (25.2 IP, 9 BB, 19 K, 0.70 ERA in Midland) intentionally put Prentice Redman on. Chris Burke poked a flyball that RF Sean Doolittle (0 to +5 runs in RF) couldn’t get to, but everyone on base stuck to their bags in case, and Doolittle threw to 2nd for an easy 9-4 force out on Redman for the 2nd out. Woodward took 3rd and Burke got on to put runners at the corners. Lansford pitched around Jeff Clement to load the bases, but uncorked a wild pitch to Chris Shelton to let Woodward in and give Tacoma the 7-6 lead!
After Shelton grounded out, Jesus Delgado (57.1 IP, 2 HR, 31 BB, 52 K, 3.45 ERA at AA Carolina (FLA)), after a scoreless 8th, came on to finish. Cliff Pennington flew to left for one out. Eric Patterson (320/358/517 at AAA Iowa (CHC)) grounded to 3B, but Mike Morse (actually league average at 3B) bobbled the ball (okay not there) and put Patterson on.
Key #3: Patterson took off and stole 2nd, while Clement threw YIKES AND AWAY trying to get him, allowing Patterson to take 3rd. There’s that defense again. Jack Hannahan flew to center for two outs. Daric Barton came up to keep it alive, and Clement passed a ball to let Patterson in and tie the ballgame. So those knocking Clement’s defense have plenty more ammo after last night: his defense literally cost his team a 9 inning victory. Barton flew to left for the 3rd out, but the damage was done and we headed to extras.
The Rainiers tried to take it in the 10th. Mike Morse got plunked and Bryan LaHair promptly doubled him to 3rd with one out. Chris Woodward got an intentional pass to load the bases. Callix Crabbe grounded to 1B Daric Barton (minus 0-5 runs at 1B), who threw home and got the lumbering Morse for two outs, bases still loaded. Prentice Redman hit a screamer… right to 3B Jack Hannahan for the 3rd out. Fortunately, Jesus Delgado locked down and put down the side (flyout, strikeout, groundout) to send us to the 11th.
Key #4: In the top 11th, Chris Burke grounded to 3B and Jack Hannahan threw YIKES AND AWAY to put him on. Jeff Clement sacrificed Burke over for one out, and Chris Shelton blooped a double by CF Matt Carson to cash him in and make it 8-7. Steve Moss came in to pinch run, and Mike Carp blooped a double of his own past LF Eric Patterson (minus 0-5 runs in limited duty at LF) to cash in the fleeter footed Moss and make it 9-7. After Mike Morse got an intentional pass, Bryan LaHair took a big chance to pad the lead further… and grounded into the 5-4-3 frame ending double play. That’ll boost you past Mike Sweeney on the depth chart, kid.
Steve Moss took over in LF while Mike Carp (plus 0-2 runs in LF) moved over to 1B (minus 0-5 runs) for the bottom 11th. Randy Messenger came in to shut this fracas down, and promptly surrendered a leadoff double to Gregorio Petit (348/400/435 in Sacramento), who lifted one past Redman in RF. Anthony Recker grounded out to 2nd for one out, but Petit took 3rd. With the tying run 90 feet away, Cliff Pennington lifted a flyball foul down the LF line… that Steve Moss ran down for the 2nd out! Eric Patterson lifted a harmless flyball to Chris Burke in CF and that was that.
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