Monday, April 30, 2007 |
Kissing Your Third Cousin, Twice Removed: Angels 3, Royals 1
But that said, the team also suffered through 13-, 11-, and 8-game losing streaks on their way to a 62-100 season. The Royals, whatever short-term competence they may exhibit, are a bad team. They are bad despite the emergence of players such as Mark Teahen and a revivified Zack Greinke, though the most recent Baseball Prospectus credits a series of relatively small but eventful moves under new GM (and former Atlanta AGM) Dayton Moore as perhaps marking the beginning of a turnaround in the franchise's fortunes:
- He unloaded weak veterans for something at the trade deadline (e.g., Tony Graffanino for Jorge de la Rosa).
- He improved the defense, moving David DeJesus to left from center, though he's returned there this season; and put Emil Brown at DH and out of the outfield.
- He jettisoned underachievers who had malingered for far too long. Examples included Andy Sisco, whom so many had likened to Randy Johnson when he was a Cub, but whom the Cubs left unprotected when his work ethic proved sub-par; and Jeremy Affeldt.
- He wasn't afraid to take bold moves, and one of the boldest was his trade of Elmer Dessens to the Dodgers for Odalis Perez and minor league mediocrities Blake Johnson and Julio Pimentel.
It turned out it was all an illusion caused by an astonishingly low .255 BABIP. As we have since learned with some of his neighbors in that statistic like Ramon Ortiz (.241), and to a lesser degree with that year's Cy Young Barry Zito (.251), such performances tend not to be repeatable. So from looking like a potential left-handed ace at only 25, he started to decline. Shoulder tendinitis ate into his playing time, and despite re-upping with the Dodgers in the 2004/2005 offseason, his awful 2006 forced a trade with the Royals.
So far, it hasn't been an especially good deal for Kansas City. At least the Dodgers got some zero frames out of him once they had the idea to move him to the bullpen; he has yet to pitch a shutout as a starter with the Royals, and ended his 2006 with a 2-4 record and a 5.64 ERA. This year hasn't been much better, but today's game provided at least a glimmer of light: for one thing, it was Perez's second straight quality start.
A good bit of that is because the Angels' offense is missing a number of key pieces; outside of Vlad, there really isn't anybody on the squad who can knock the ball over the fence, and so we return to the usual complaints. The Angels managed three off Perez, and that was it. In keeping with recent tradition, Vlad squelched a no-outs, two-on rally by hitting into a 6-4-3 double play; the Angels, sad as it is, lead the league in GIDPs with 26, a fact that is as annoying as it is telling.
Once again, the pitching was outstanding, as it has to be for the Angels to have even a ghost of a chance. John Lackey struck out seven over six and a third innings, dancing around eight hits and a walk; the bullpen pitched zero frames the rest of the way.
The only other thing of interest in this game was Mike Napoli's seventh inning error that allowed Emil Brown to reach safely, a mistake that Justin Speier was fortunately able to pitch around. Mike Napoli now ties Kansas City starting catcher John Buck for most errors in the AL this year, with three. Furthermore, his average descended to a sub-Mendoza level today, with a .192/.276/.327 line; Napoli's had only six walks in 58 plate appearances. One wonders whether he's taking his hitting troubles behind the plate with him, but regardless, with Jeff Mathis starting to come around at Salt Lake, his days might be numbered if he can't start thumping or at least taking a few walks shortly. The hazard with Napoli has always been that he won't make enough contact to be a good player, and in the time after his white-hot first couple of months, that seems to be the case.
Labels: angels, recaps, royals
UTK Quickies
The Angels have a solid squad, and depth across the diamond, but there's as many apparent flaws in this team as there are reasons to believe. Jered Weaver was complaining he had a dead arm last week, while many were whispering that there was more than just tendonitis in his right shoulder. He showed good velocity over the weekend however, so I'm inclined to believe my team sources who think Weaver will be the team's No. 2 by the All-Star break. The Angels are a bit more worried about Garret Anderson, who's been described this way to me by an observer: "He's got less range than David Hasselhoff." Anderson may be dealing with residual back problems, leg problems, and an acute hip flexor strain, but as I told that observer, Anderson's in the big leagues, Hasselhoff is starring in "The Producers" in Vegas, and he's eating Top Ramen on a regular basis. (Note to the youth of America--baseball teams pay their players well, not their mid-level staffers.) The Angels should get Chone Figgins back early this week, but watch his throwing. More than anything else, it appears that throwing accuracy might be the lingering issue from his finger injury.I wrote Will about Jered's alleged "dead arm"; the only thing I remember from last week about it was Thursday's Times story in which Weaver said "I don't think dead arm is an issue."
Update: Will wrote back to say he was referring to this Register piece:
After lasting just 1 2/3 innings in his start Monday against the Detroit Tigers, the Angels' second-year right-hander said pitching coach Mike Butcher mentioned to him that his velocity was down, possibly just a "dead-arm" phase that most pitchers go through at some point in the spring. Because Weaver's spring was set back by biceps tendinitis, his "dead-arm" phase might not have arrived until two starts after he came off the disabled list.In moderately related news: Chan Ho Park got the callup to the Mets following news that Orlando Hernandez will miss more than just a couple starts with shoulder bursitis. "Little should be expected", snarks Rotoworld, but isn't Grady still with the Dodgers?"He came up to me and said, 'Hey, you may be having a bit of dead-arm,' " Weaver said. "I just said, 'OK. Really?' I didn't know. I've probably had it before but I just don't know what it feels like.
"My arm felt good. Obviously, my velocity was down a little. I guess that's dead-arm."
Update: Will has a brief video about bad pitching mechanics, in which he includes segments of Bartolo Colon (inconsistent), Twins starter Francisco Liriano (violent arm extension), and Rich Harden (short-arming). Interesting stuff.
Labels: angels, ex-dodgers, injuries
Roster Notes
- Brandon Wood was sent down to AAA Salt Lake to make room for the returning Chone Figgins. Yay, I think, because it's unclear if he will amount to an improvement offensively or defensively over Maicer Izturis at third base. It looks like the Angels won't have any choice, because Izturis is nursing a tight hamstring he injured running the bases yesterday.
- Howie Kendrick will still be out another month or so.
- A DL stint for Garret Anderson is "unlikely", though the Angels will be conservative with his return to the lineup. Hopefully that includes facing lefties, too.
- Wilson Betemit caught food poisoning from San Diego room service, and missed yesterday's game. He'll appear in today's lineup.
- The A's optioned not-really-a-screwballer Dallas Braden to AAA Sacramento after his Sunday shelling. The A's rotation has been all about their depth so far, a situation Billy Beane's famous trading acumen may not help with, especially thanks to ace Rich Harden's fragility. Ken Rosenthal in his latest column suggests interest in Harden is low:
A's GM Billy Beane occasionally muses about making his team even younger in preparation for the opening of the team's new ballpark in 2011.
Like Marlins G.M. Larry Beinfest, Beane is willing to trade anyone — including prized, yet oft-injured, right-hander Rich Harden, 25.
The problem for Beane is that few teams would be willing to offer him the type of packages he received for Tim Hudson and Mark Mulder without a reasonable expectation that Harden would stay healthy.
Harden, currently on the disabled list with a right shoulder strain, has never undergone surgery. But since 2005, he has suffered injuries to his oblique, back, elbow and shoulder. The only season in which he made 30 starts was 2004.
The Mets preferred righty Dan Haren to Harden last off-season. A scout from one club with possible interest says he would be "squeamish" about recommending Harden. Another says that Harden's history of injuries would be a "red flag" for his club.
- Speaking of injured A's, Oakland acquired outfielder Ryan Langerhans from the Braves for a PTBNL or cash. With Milton Bradley still on the 15-day DL and Mark Kotsay on the 60-day DL from back surgery, Langerhans provides additional depth. He replaced Dallas Braden on the 25-man roster.
Labels: angels, athletics, dodgers
Retro Gameday Links
Rangers @ Blue Jays
Angels @ Royals
Cubs @ Pirates
Phillies @ Braves
Cardinals @ Brewers
Marlins @ Mets
Nationals @ Padres
Diamondbacks @ Dodgers
Rockies @ Giants
Labels: gameday
Minor League Scorebook
News
This is not, strictly speaking, minor league news, but I have to admit I find it amusing that contemporaneous to today's 17-inning snoozer in San Diego, the Dirtbags ended up winning a 14-inning marathon game with a five-run rally in a game that lasted 5:45. Long Beach starter Omar Arif didn't last two innings, and so it was a relay race to the end, as nominal closer Bryan Shaw was used early; Daniel Wolford got the win in a game where Jason Corder drove in five runs all by himself.Scores
Gorneault: 0-0, 1 BB
Murphy: 1-3, 2 RBI
Morales: 0-4, 2 K
Mathis: 0-4
Evans: 1-3, 1 BB, 2 K
Liriano: (L, 1-3), 4.2 IP, 5 R, 5 ER, 8 H, 2 K, 1 BB, 3 HR, 7.94 ERA
Chone Figgins went 2-3 with a double as the DH in a loss to Sacramento; the story was really Pedro Liriano, who surrendered home runs to River Cats Jason Stokes, slap-hitting former Dodger prospect Antonio Perez, and J.J. Furmaniak in a five-run fifth. The fusillade included a double by former Angel Lou Merloni; Matt Wilhite came in to restore order. Marcus Gwyn struck out the side in the top of the ninth.
Here's something weird that you may have missed: Terry Evans has mainly been batting sixth this year, as he did today. He's behind even Jeff Mathis in the lineup these days, who normally bats fifth. It's a strange place to be for a guy who's still managing to put together a .313/.340/.521 line in the six hole, and .305/.348/.524 overall.
Rodriguez, S: 0-3, 1 BB
Wilson: 0-2, 1 BB
Collins: 0-3
Adenhart: 7.0 IP, 0 R, 0 ER, 6 H, 4 K, 1 BB, 0.80 ERA
Edwards: (W, 2-1) (in relief), 2.0 IP, 1 R, 1 ER, 4 H, 1 K, 0 BB, 3.65 ERA
Freddy Sandoval's grand slam got the Travs a win as neither team could bust through the starters. It wasn't one of Nick Adenhart's best outings (only four strikeouts in seven innings), but he got the job done, giving up no runs on six hits and a walk. Bill Edwards was the lucky recipient of Sandoval's gift, giving up one earned run in relief.
Leblanc: 2-3
Marek: 5.0 IP, 2 R, 2 ER, 5 H, 1 K, 3 BB, 1 HR, 2.40 ERA
Mattison: (BS, 1)(L, 0-2) (in relief), 3.0 IP, 1 R, 1 ER, 1 H, 2 K, 1 BB, 1 HR, 1.15 ERA
Tim Mattison took the loss for allowing a solo homer to überprospect Justin Upton. The dinger was his fifth in five days. Jebus.
Phillips: 3-5
Pettit: 3-5, 2 2B, 1 K
Trumbo: 1-4, 1 2B, 3 RBI
Sweeney: 2-3, 1 3B, 1 RBI, 1 BB
Perez: 2-4, 1 RBI
Mount: 0-3, 1 BB, 1 K
Schoeninger: (L, 3-1), 7.1 IP, 6 R, 4 ER, 12 H, 6 K, 0 BB, 2 HR, 2.86 ERA
Browning: (BS, 1), 0.2 IP, 1 R, 1 ER, 1 H, 0 K, 1 BB, 1 HR, 6.43 ERA
As a former NCAA pitcher, Tim Schoeninger ought to be blowing these guys away considering he's a little older than most of them. This is the second time this season he's surrendered 12 hits in a game, and this time two of them left the yard. He also didn't help his own cause by throwing away a pickoff toss, one of three Cedar Rapids errors that proved harmless.
Stantrel Smith went 0-5 with a golden sombrero at the leadoff position; he's now batting .162. P.J. Phillips and Christopher Pettit both went 3-5, Pettit with a pair of doubles. Mark Trumbo drove in three of Cedar Rapids' five runs on a double, marking the first time since April 10 with a hitting streak of any kind.
Bigbie: 1-2, 2 BB
Loney: 1-4, 1 RBI, 1 K
Kemp: 1-4, 1 2B
LaRoche: 1-4
Kuo: 2.0 IP, 1 R, 1 ER, 1 H, 3 K, 1 BB, 4.50 ERA
Houlton: (L, 2-1) (in relief), 5.0 IP, 2 R, 2 ER, 5 H, 5 K, 1 BB, 1 HR, 2.28 ERA
Brazoban: 1.0 IP, 0 R, 0 ER, 1 H, 2 K, 0 BB, 0.00 ERA
D.J. Houlton got his strikeouts, but it was the longball what killed him, as former Mariners shortstop-of-the-future Mike Morse blasted one out of the yard and went 3-for-4 punishing the 51's pitching staff. Morse was one of the returns in 2004's Freddy Garcia trade, and got some sizeable playing time in 2005. He has since had discipline problems, including multiple suspensions, one of which was for using over-the-counter banned substances. He's fallen off the Mariners' radar and needs to re-establish himself as a prospect.
Hong-Chih Kuo started the game and Houlton took over in relief in the top of the third in what appears to be a tandem start. James Loney drove in the game's only run for Las Vegas on an RBI single. Yhency Brazoban also made an appearance, striking out two.
Maza: 2-4, 1 BB, 1 K
Paul: 3-5, 2 K
Raglani: 0-2, 2 BB
Dunlap: 1-4, 2 K
Ojeda: (L, 0-2), 4.1 IP, 5 R, 5 ER, 6 H, 3 K, 3 BB, 1 HR, 5.79 ERA
Rogowski: 2-2
May: 2-5, 1 3B, 1 HR, 5 RBI, 1 K
Denker, T: 2-4, 1 RBI, 1 K
Guerra: 6.0 IP, 0 R, 0 ER, 2 H, 7 K, 3 BB, 4.22 ERA
Wade: 2.0 IP, 3 R, 2 ER, 2 H, 2 K, 0 BB, 1 HR, 1.93 ERA
Troncoso: (W, 3-0) (in relief), 2.0 IP, 1 R, 0 ER, 1 H, 1 K, 0 BB, 1.23 ERA
Better late than never: Down 4-3 in the bottom of the tenth, the 66ers staged a three-run rally that got Ramon Troncoso off the hook for the one run he allowed in the top of the frame. Adam Godwin got a leadoff walk, and Ivan De Jesus moved him over with a sac bunt. But then Ryan Rogowski singled and stole second during Lucas May's at-bat. May then drove a walkoff homer over the left field wall. May drove in five of the 66ers' six runs.
Not to be forgotten was Javy Guerra's excellent outing, seven strikeouts while allowing only two hits and three walks. Guerra has started six games so far this year, but has lasted five innings or more in only two of them, and of course in his only shutout game, he finds himself ineligible for the victory. Such is baseball.
Lizarraga: 3-4, 1 RBI
Mattingly: 0-3, 1 BB, 1 K
Bell: 0-3, 1 RBI, 1 K
Wall: (L, 1-3), 5.1 IP, 4 R, 4 ER, 6 H, 6 K, 0 BB, 4.50 ERA
Sanfler: 1.0 IP, 1 R, 1 ER, 0 H, 1 K, 3 BB, 1.50 ERA
Labels: minors
Sunday, April 29, 2007 |
Sexy In Seventeen: Dodgers 5, Padres 4
The Dodgers very nearly got another run when third baseman Ramon Martinez lined out to third; a couple feet either way and that could have been extra bases.
The Dodgers got impressive work out of their bullpen in this one, surrendering only one hit and two walks over ten and two-thirds innings, while striking out nine. All the Dodgers' relievers were as good as you could ask them to be today, but none deserved as much applause as Chad Billingsley, who worked his way out of trouble in the bottom of the 17th after Mike Cameron reached on Valdez's error at third, a stolen base, and a walk to Geoff Blum, all with one out. Billingsley then struck out Rob Bowen and Kevin Kouzmanoff to end the game, the longest in the majors so far this year at 17 innings and 4:55. Incidentally, the Padres set a three-game series attendance record, with 130,448.
Labels: dodgers, padres, recaps
Kazmir Sweater: Devil Rays 5, Athletics 3
Combined with Friday's 4-1 loss, the A's lose the series, and end the day 12-13, in third place in the AL West.
Labels: athletics, devil rays, recaps
And Tulowitzki Makes Three: Rockies 9, Braves 7
In the top of the seventh inning of a tied game, with runners on first and second and nobody out, Chipper Jones hit a line drive at Tulowitzki, who snared the ball in flight, stepped on second to double up Kelly Johnson, and tagged Edgar Renteria just between first and second for an unassisted triple play.Nate Silver recently wrote that PECOTA and some scouts say he "he just isn’t that special", especially considering his weak offensive performance. No matter what, he'll go down in the history books now.
Update: Baseball Almanac is already updated.
Labels: braves, ex-dirtbags, recaps, rockies
Kelvim Escobar's Revenge: Angels 5, White Sox 2
Reggie's first fan
Of course, the replays showed Willits safe, and so we wonder where Dowdy's head was. Mike Scioscia argued the call long enough to get ejected, and at least he was in the right. It always seems like the Angels get bad calls when they're playing the Chisox. At least this time, Kelvim and the Angels got the win, Kelvim going deep into the game. Maybe the best part was Frankie making the last outs against former teammate Erstad and old nemesis A.J. Pierzynski, whom I still hate.
And, before we go: Brandon Wood got his first major league hit, and scored his first run. Can we send him back now, please? (Nothing against Brandon, but he needs the time in AAA.) They kept cutting to his parents during the telecast, who mostly sat expressionless. I know I'd have a hard time keeping my mouth shut if it were my progeny on the field; as it was, they also got to witness his first major league error, which turned out to be harmless.
Labels: angels, recaps, white sox
Minor League Scorebook
Murphy: 0-3
Morales: 2-4
Gorneault: 1-4, 2 K
Evans: 1-4, 1 K
Bonilla: (L, 3-1), 5.0 IP, 5 R, 4 ER, 6 H, 3 K, 2 BB, 4.39 ERA
Resop: 2.0 IP, 1 R, 1 ER, 1 H, 1 K, 1 BB, 8.56 ERA
It's really sad to think that Alberto Callaspo, off to yet another rocky start with the Diamondbacks, has been converted into a guy who's become a garbage-time pitcher for the Bees. And yet, here we are.
Chone Figgins batted leadoff and went 0-3, reaching on a throwing error in the bottom of the sixth by Sacramento starter Colby Lewis. Lewis, a former first-round pick of the Texas Rangers, pitched a five-hit shutout of the Bees in conjunction with Connor Robertson. Kendry Morales' 2-4 day was about the only good thing to happen in this game. It was the Bees' first shutout against this year.
Sandoval, F: 2-3, 1 BB
Pride: 0-5, 5 K
Rodriguez, S: 1-4, 1 RBI, 1 BB, 1 K
Wilson: 1-3, 1 BB, 1 K
Collins: 2-4, 1 2B, 1 HR, 3 RBI
Holcomb: (L, 0-1), 4.0 IP, 6 R, 4 ER, 5 H, 3 K, 4 BB, 9.00 ERA
Shell: 3.0 IP, 1 R, 1 ER, 2 H, 4 K, 0 BB, 1 HR, 0.87 ERA
The Wranglers knocked out starter James Holcomb after only four innings to defeat the Travs 8-5. I can't tell whether Holcomb was in extended spring training or not, but this was his first appearance of the year, and it wasn't a good one. He lasted only four innings and walked four batters, giving up six runs, four earned, on errors by second baseman Adam Morrissey and first baseman Michael Collins.
Steven Shell held Wichita to one run over three innings on a solo homer while striking out four.
Morrissey, Collins, and third baseman Freddy Sandoval all had multi-hit games. Curtis Pride had a platinum sombrero.
Johnson: 2-4, 1 K
Toussaint: 3-4, 1 2B, 1 RBI, 1 K
Lynch: (BS, 1)(L, 2-1) (in relief), 2.2 IP, 1 R, 1 ER, 3 H, 0 K, 2 BB, 2.57 ERA
Kevin Lynch got his first loss and first blown save of the year; Diamondbacks centerfield prospect Justin Upton had a critical role in the game, driving in a run on a solo homer and scoring the winning run off Lynch. Shortstop Hainley Statia, first baseman Ben Johnson, and Drew Toussaint all got on base at least twice, Toussaint three times. Toussaint in particular is having a hot streak, going .375/.375/.500 over the last week.
Phillips: 1-5, 1 3B, 2 RBI, 2 K
Pettit: 2-5, 1 RBI
Trumbo: 4-5, 2 RBI
Conger: 2-4, 1 RBI
Mount: 0-4, 2 K
O'Sullivan: (W, 1-2), 7.0 IP, 1 R, 1 ER, 8 H, 2 K, 1 BB, 3.52 ERA
Browning: 1.0 IP, 0 R, 0 ER, 0 H, 2 K, 0 BB, 5.68 ERA
Madrigal: 1.0 IP, 2 R, 1 ER, 1 H, 1 K, 1 BB, 3.68 ERA
The only explanation for why Mark Trumbo went 4-5 is that the Lugnuts' pitching was pretty miserable. It was Trumbo's first multi-hit game of the year. In all, five Kernels had a multihit game, including Hank Conger, who drove one in; it breaks a three-game hitless minislump.
Save for a two-run rally in the top of the ninth off Warner Madrigal, there wasn't much going offensively for Lansing. Sean O'Sullivan pitched around eight hits and one walk, getting the win, his first of the season. Barrett Browning pitched a clean eighth, striking out two.
Kemp: 1-4, 1 BB, 1 K
Loney: 2-3, 1 2B, 1 BB, 1 K
LaRoche: 0-4, 1 K
Young: 0-3, 1 BB, 1 K
Bigbie: 3-3, 1 2B, 1 BB
Stults: (L, 2-1), 2.1 IP, 7 R, 7 ER, 8 H, 1 K, 2 BB, 5.25 ERA
Gonzalez, L: 2.2 IP, 0 R, 0 ER, 0 H, 3 K, 0 BB, 2.08 ERA
Alexander: 2.0 IP, 5 R, 5 ER, 3 H, 2 K, 2 BB, 1 HR, 13.00 ERA
Hoorelbeke: 1.0 IP, 3 R, 3 ER, 4 H, 0 K, 1 BB, 6.75 ERA
The 51's got six-hit by Seattle organizational pitcher Jorge Campillo, while the Rainiers crushed Dodgers organizational pitcher Eric Stults, and struggling prospect Mark Alexander for a combined 12 runs, all earned. James Loney went 2-3 and Larry Bigbie went 3-3 with a walk.
Paul: 2-4, 1 HR, 1 RBI, 1 K
Lindsey: 1-4, 1 HR, 2 RBI
Dunlap: 0-2, 1 BB
Cyr: (W, 1-1), 6.0 IP, 1 R, 1 ER, 3 H, 6 K, 3 BB, 3.04 ERA
Riley: 2.0 IP, 0 R, 0 ER, 3 H, 2 K, 0 BB, 1.38 ERA
Meloan: 1.0 IP, 1 R, 1 ER, 2 H, 1 K, 1 BB, 2.02 ERA
Eric Cyr got the win in a tight contest; Jonathan Meloan struck out Reid Brignac looking with the winning run in scoring position in the top of the ninth to end the game. 30-year-old Jonathan Lindsey's two-run homer was the difference in the game; it's his seventh of the year.
Dewitt: 2-4, 1 2B
Justis: 2-3, 1 RBI, 1 BB
Arias, M: (W, 1-0), 5.0 IP, 2 R, 2 ER, 7 H, 5 K, 1 BB, 5.56 ERA
Meque: 1.1 IP, 1 R, 1 ER, 1 H, 3 K, 1 BB, 3.72 ERA
Leach: 1.1 IP, 0 R, 0 ER, 0 H, 0 K, 0 BB, 0.57 ERA
Inland Empire put up five runs in the second and never looked back; the inning included three walks, including a bases-loaded walk to Ryan Rogowski that drove home Shane Justis.
Marlon Arias got his first win in his fourth start; all his other games were no-decisions. Kevin Leach pitched a scoreless inning and a third to earn his third save of the year; he has surrendered only one earned run all year, a solo homer.
Mattingly: 4-6, 2 2B, 1 RBI, 1 K
Perez: 2-6, 1 2B, 1 RBI, 1 K
Bell: 3-6, 1 HR, 2 RBI
Santana: 1-5, 1 2B, 1 K
Berezay: 1-3, 1 2B, 1 RBI, 2 BB, 1 K
Herrera: 2-4, 1 RBI
Melgarejo: 5.0 IP, 6 R, 3 ER, 5 H, 1 K, 1 BB, 1 HR, 4.67 ERA
Gardner: (W, 3-1) (in relief), 4.0 IP, 3 R, 1 ER, 2 H, 3 K, 0 BB, 2.70 ERA
A real slugfest in which Preston Mattingly broke loose from his early slump with his second consecutive multihit game of the season. Two Clinton pitchers got blown saves, including pitcher Timothy Gudex, who made his first appearance of the season and allowed a five-run rally in the top of the ninth. Trayvon Robinson hit a three-run double off Gudex that inning; Josh Bell had a two-run homer that plated Preston Mattingly, who doubled earlier in the game.
Labels: minors
Retro Gameday Links
Red Sox @ Yankees
Twins @ Tigers
Rangers @ Blue Jays
Angels @ White Sox
Royals @ Mariners
Devil Rays @ Athletics
Reds @ Pirates
Marlins @ Phillies
Mets @ Nationals
Brewers @ Astros
Braves @ Rockies
Dodgers @ Padres
Giants @ Diamondbacks
Labels: gameday
Saturday, April 28, 2007 |
A Tale Of Two Weavers: Angels 3, White Sox 0
Contrast that with Jeff Weaver's start for the Mariners; he only achieved a single out while allowing six Royals to cross the plate. Six! So what's next?
"I think Jeff's confidence is still there," manager Mike Hargrove had said on Friday. "Is it as high as it can be? Probably not. What we are about right now is trying to rebuild that. The only way you can rebuild that is by being successful."Ah, fooey. He's probably done with the team, and who knows, maybe baseball, though that may just be wishful thinking at this point. He's supposedly got the worst ERA in the history of the franchise, minimum ten innings pitched.
As for the Angels, the offense consisted of Gary Matthews, Jr. (first inning solo homer), Erick Aybar (drove in Casey Kotchman on an RBI single in the top of the second), and Reggie Willits (RBI single in also in the top of the second); K-Rod got the save in a relatively uneventful way, and even Scot Shields had a good outing. So, yay.
Labels: angels, mariners, recaps, royals, white sox
Just Say No To Pay-Rod
Frankly, I don't want to see A-Rod in an Angels uniform. Yes, he can mash. He's also all about the money. Following are quotes from A-Rod in the years 1999 and 2000, all from the Seattle Post-Intelligencer. I think you'll find that he was pretty much about (a) winning, and (b) the money, and not necessarily in that order. If you squint hard, you can see him still wanting to hang out in the Pacific northwest's damp climate, but ... nah. All quotes presented here are direct A-Rod quotes, unless otherwise indicated.
If you're not on three or four teams, you're not going to win. Bottom line. You're not going to kid each other. The team that's going to spend $90-115-140 million in the future is the team that's going to win. That's a sad situation, how baseball let it get to this. So if you say, well, I'm going to play for a team in Milwaukee, you're going to choose to stay in Milwaukee your whole career and you're 100-percent guaranteed you're not going to win a championship.I think when Dale Murphy played, all it took was probably two good pitchers who weren't going to cost you $100 million, probably more like $14 million between the two, and you had a chance to win. So the difference between a middle team and a great team wasn't all that huge, money-wise. Now you're talking about the Yankees' $100 million payroll compared to Montreal at $9 million.
My biggest thing is I love the people in Seattle and the following I have with the people in Seattle, and the organization has been really good to me, too. I still feel we have a chance to win here. It's just a matter of getting the right pieces to the puzzle. We have a new stadium now, so we'll see what happens.
— "Two Threes In Pod: A-Rod's Number And Playing Style Honor Boyhood Idol Dale Murphy" by Tyler Kepner, Seattle Post-Intelligencer, April 1, 1999
I know I've been good to this city, I know this city's been good to me and I have a clean conscience. I've had a great time here and I really, sincerely want the best for Seattle. And if it's going to take a championship team to get me out of here, then that's what I want for Seattle.— "With Boras By His Side, Rodriguez Faces Future Deal Maker, Deal Breaker" by Tyler Kepner, Seattle Post-Intelligencer, May 28, 1999
The only team Rodriguez would consider signing with this winter is the Mariners, he said....— "Rodriguez In No Hurry To Sign With M's" by Tyler Kepner, Seattle Post-Intelligencer, October 14, 1999
I signed a four-year deal, and that means I want to play four years and win there. When you sign a four-year deal, you don't want to be there three years or three and a half years. The ball's in their court, and they have to do what they please, but I want to be a Mariner. I was born and raised there.— "Agent Says A-Rod Won't Deal Until Current Contract Ends" by Tyler Kepner, Seattle Post-Intelligencer, October 20, 1999
"Alex wants to win as a Mariner," [agent Scott] Boras said. "He just wants time to observe and evaluate and make a decision. The Mariners can do what they feel they need to do, of course. But if they did trade him with the team in contention, that would be against everyone's best interests.— "The End Of An Era -- Ken Griffey Jr. Traded" by Tyler Kepner, Seattle Post-Intelligencer, February 11, 2000
I want to play this year for Seattle. But I won't sign a contract (extension) during the season.The 91-71 Mariners won the AL Wild Card, placing only one loss behind the 91-70 Athletics. A-Rod signed with the Rangers on January 26, 2001.I will be a free agent at the end of the year. And who knows? I might sign with Seattle.
...
I want to be here. If they trade me or keep me, that's a decision that they have to make.
— "All Eyes On Alex A-Rod Tells Reporters, `I Will Be A Free Agent'" by John Hickey, Seattle Post-Intelligencer, February 23, 2000
Minor League Scorebook
News
- A technicality: Brent Del Chiaro was released from his minor league contract in order to become the Angels' bullpen catcher.
- Two pitchers moved to Cedar Rapids from extended spring training: LHP P.J. Connelly, and RHP Sammy Leon. To make room, RHP Pedro Herrero was moved to the DL with right bicep tendinitis, and RHP Robert Romero was released.
- More (belated) Kernels news: RHP Trevor Bell was placed on the 15-day DL with a left groin strain he suffered while warming up for his scheduled start on April 24. LHP Blake Holler joined the team from extended spring training to replace him on the roster.
- Nate Goldstein takes a look at young players in the majors; the Angels fare pretty well (fifth overall in his final Composite Organizational Rankings), though the Dodgers come out in the middle of the pack (12th, just ahead of the A's). The AL has it all over the NL in prospecty goodness, and the big shock is that the Yankees come out ahead of the Angels and even the Devil Rays on his ranking. I have a hard time believing that.
Scores
Haynes: 2-3, 2 3B, 2 RBI
Murphy: 2-2, 1 2B, 1 3B, 2 RBI, 2 BB
Morales: 0-4
Gorneault: 1-4, 1 HR, 2 RBI, 1 K
Mathis: 0-4, 1 K
Evans: 0-4, 1 K
Olenberger: (W, 3-1), 7.0 IP, 3 R, 3 ER, 7 H, 5 K, 1 BB, 1 HR, 2.86 ERA
Serrano: 1.2 IP, 0 R, 0 ER, 2 H, 2 K, 0 BB, 3.68 ERA
Salt Lake won this game despite being outhit by Sacramento 12-8; the Bees got 'em with men on base. Chone Figgins made a rehab appearance in this game, getting a pair of hits, the first a bunt single in the bottom of the first. Moving to second on a balk, Nathan Haynes then sacrificed him to third. Tommy Murphy walked to put men on the corners, but then Figgins tried to steal home and was caught by right hander Shane Komine, the A's 14th-ranked prospect according to the Baseball America 2007 Prospect Handbook. The play — which must have been a wonder of infielding to behold — went down 1-3-4-3-2-5, and reads like a busted double steal.
Figgins' other hit was a third inning blooper over the head of River Cats shortstop Donnie Murphy. A Nathan Haynes triple cashed him in, and Tommy Murphy's ensuing triple sent Haynes home, part of a five-run fifth capped by a two-run dinger by Nick Gorneault, his second of the year.
The victory marked a franchise milestone for the Bees as the 1,000th win in the history of the PCL team. The Bees were established in 1994 as the Buzz, and have had numerous predecessor teams from that league play there, albeit not continuously.
Porter: 3-4, 1 K
Collins: 1-4, 1 K
Davidson: (W, 1-3), 8.0 IP, 1 R, 1 ER, 7 H, 5 K, 0 BB, 1 HR, 2.12 ERA
Arredondo: 1.0 IP, 0 R, 0 ER, 1 H, 1 K, 0 BB, 1.64 ERA
Tim Duff's RBI single in the bottom of the second was all it took to get the Travs past the Wranglers today. Daniel Davidson had a sparkling outing, surrendering only a home run while striking out five. He gave up seven hits and no walks, outdueling former Dodger draftee Luke Hochevar, who got yanked in the fourth. Jose Arredondo closed out the game with a scoreless ninth.
And Sean Rodriguez collected a golden sombrero. Sorry, Sean, better luck next time.
Renz: 2-3, 1 HR, 2 RBI, 1 BB, 1 K
Ortega: (L, 1-3), 4.0 IP, 6 R, 4 ER, 9 H, 1 K, 2 BB, 1 HR, 4.50 ERA
Thomas: 3.0 IP, 1 R, 1 ER, 3 H, 5 K, 1 BB, 7.88 ERA
Phillips: 1-3, 1 RBI
Trumbo: 0-3, 1 RBI, 1 K
Conger: 0-3
Mount: 3-3
Herndon: (W, 3-0), 7.0 IP, 3 R, 1 ER, 8 H, 4 K, 2 BB, 2.42 ERA
A rare seven-inning Friday doubleheader, Stantrel Smith lined the first pitch from Lansing reliever Paul Phillips in the bottom of the seventh to knock in the winning run. Kenneth Herndon pitched a complete game on four hits and two walks; two of Lansing's runs were unearned thanks to errors by Hank Conger and Matt Sweeney.
Sweeney: 2-2, 1 RBI, 1 BB
Trumbo: 0-3, 2 K
Conger: 0-2, 1 BB
Holler: 4.0 IP, 0 R, 0 ER, 0 H, 6 K, 1 BB, 0.00 ERA
Leon: (W, 1-0) (in relief), 2.0 IP, 0 R, 0 ER, 1 H, 3 K, 0 BB, 0.00 ERA
A sweep of the doubleheader. Hank Conger hasn't had a hit in the last three games, and Mark Trumbo has had one hit — a homer — in his last 24 at bats. Fortunately, Peter Bourjos came to the rescue. Blake Holler started the game and pitched a very solid four innings in his Midwest League debut.
Kemp: 2-4, 1 HR, 2 RBI, 1 BB, 2 K
Loney: 1-4, 1 RBI, 1 BB
LaRoche: 0-5, 2 K
Young: 1-2, 1 2B, 2 BB
Perez: 2-4, 1 2B, 1 RBI
Smith: (L, 2-2), 5.0 IP, 5 R, 5 ER, 8 H, 3 K, 2 BB, 5.24 ERA
Brazoban: 1.0 IP, 0 R, 0 ER, 0 H, 0 K, 0 BB, 0.00 ERA
The banging on the door you hear is Matt Kemp blasting a two-run homer in a losing effort against the Rainiers. James Loney also drove one in. Yhency Brazoban pitched a perfect seventh inning.
Maza: 5-5, 1 HR, 2 RBI
Paul: 1-3, 1 3B, 1 RBI, 1 K
Dunlap: 1-4, 1 RBI
Orenduff, J: 3.0 IP, 4 R, 4 ER, 3 H, 1 K, 2 BB, 2 HR, 3.00 ERA
Wright: (L, 0-1) (in relief), 2.1 IP, 4 R, 4 ER, 3 H, 2 K, 3 BB, 3.21 ERA
The Devil Rays' AA affiliate Montgomery Biscuits leaped out to a four-run lead in the top of the first, powered partly by consecutive homers from Reid Brignac and former Dirtbag Evan Longoria, no doubt helped by a stiff 20 MPH wind out to center.
Jacksonville tied with one in the first and three in the third, but the game really got away from them in the six-run sixth. Jason Pridie and Longoria had RBI singles to put the game out of reach for good.
Justin Orenduff only survived through three innings, and the rest of the game was a patchwork of relievers. Wesley Wright entered the game in relief, and committed a throwing error in the fifth that allowed Pridie to reach second base, but pitched around it. In the sixth, Wright uncorked a wild pitch that allowed Shaun Cumberland to score. Wright left the game with baserunners on first and second, and reliever Fernando Perez gave up Pridie's RBI single to further damage Wright's ERA.
Dewitt: 0-4, 1 K
Mitchell: 2-4
Castillo, J: 5.2 IP, 1 R, 1 ER, 3 H, 2 K, 3 BB, 4.56 ERA
Pratt: (L, 2-1) (in relief), 2.1 IP, 1 R, 1 ER, 2 H, 3 K, 0 BB, 1.89 ERA
Troncoso: 1.0 IP, 1 R, 1 ER, 2 H, 1 K, 1 BB, 1.42 ERA
Shane Justis's solo homer was the only scoring in this pitcher's duel. Ramon Troncoso gave up a meaningless run in the top of the ninth after giving up a walk to Lino Garcia and a single to Kyle Blumenthal; a single to Eric Young, Jr. cashed in Garcia.
Bell: 1-3, 2 K
Santana: 1-3, 1 HR, 3 RBI, 1 K
Van Slyke: 2-3, 1 K
Johnson: (W, 1-2), 5.2 IP, 2 R, 2 ER, 6 H, 3 K, 0 BB, 5.74 ERA
A seven-inning doubleheader, the Loons took an early lead in the second thanks to Carlos Santana's three-run shot and never looked back. The Loons' other run came in a two-out rally in the top of the seventh off onomatopoetically named reliever Brett Zamzow, who gave up a single to Scott Van Slyke, a steal of second, and a double to Elian Herrera.
Bell: 1-4, 1 K
Berezay: 1-4, 1 HR, 1 RBI, 2 K
Perez: 2-4, 1 K
Jansen: 1-4, 1 HR, 2 RBI, 1 K
White, C: 3.0 IP, 2 R, 2 ER, 5 H, 3 K, 4 BB, 2.70 ERA
Felix: 3.0 IP, 1 R, 0 ER, 2 H, 5 K, 0 BB, 0.48 ERA
Ramirez: (BS, 1)(W, 1-0) (in relief), 2.0 IP, 1 R, 0 ER, 2 H, 3 K, 2 BB, 2.25 ERA
The Loons swept the doubleheader. With the score tied in the seventh, the game went into extra innings, both sides trading zeroes in the eighth. Great Lakes loaded the bases in the top of the ninth, and Trayvon Robinson walked across the first run of a three-run inning that Clinton shortstop Marcus Lemon helped along by throwing away a ball to first. Doug Brooks earned his first save of the year.
Labels: minors
Friday, April 27, 2007 |
Blue Man Groove: Dodgers 6, Padres 5
Can they fit Tinkerbell with a Dodgers jersey?
Labels: dodgers, padres, recaps
Double Vision: White Sox 7, Angels 3
Justin Speier gave up a solo homer, and Hector Carrasco had a two-run meltdown to fan the flames. Wake me when this team figures out how to win on the road.
Labels: angels, recaps, white sox
Sandy Koufax Drafted
Koufax, 71, was picked by the Modi'in Miracle in the draft conducted by former major league general manager Dan Duquette, who heads baseball operations for the league.He'll be well-rested, anyway... thanks to Helen for picking it up on Bleed Cubbie Blue."His selection is a tribute to the esteem with which he is held by everyone associated with this league," said former big leaguer Aret Shamsky, who will manage the Miracle. "It's been 41 years between starts for him. If he's rested and ready to take the mound again, we want him on our team."
Labels: ex-dodgers, funny
Retro Gameday Links
Red Sox @ Yankees
Twins @ Tigers
Rangers @ Blue Jays
Angels @ White Sox
Royals @ Mariners
Devil Rays @ Athletics
Reds @ Pirates
Marlins @ Phillies
Mets @ Nationals
Brewers @ Astros
Cubs @ Cardinals
Braves @ Rockies
Giants @ Diamondbacks
Dodgers @ Padres
Labels: gameday
Pickoff Moves
Today's Birthdays
Jim Eppard CAL b. 1960, played 1987-1989
Hy Myers BRO b. 1889, played 1909, 1911, 1914-1922, d. 1965-05-01
Frank Wurm BRO b. 1924, played 1944, d. 1993-09-19
This Is Dedicated To The Juan I Hate: Giants 5, Dodgers 4
Now, let us not diminish what Beimel did last night; getting Barry Bonds to hit into a double play with men on the corners was nothing short of impressive. For third baseman Wilson Betemit to hold Vizquel on third while completing the double play was astonishing. As Vin Scully pointed out during the game, a veteran like Vizquel should have dashed down the line toward home hoping to draw the throw rather than allow a double play.
So it seemed briefly as though Beimel might actually get out of that jam. But facing another righty in Ray Durham, you'd think that Grady Little would pull Beimel in favor of someone who can get right-handed batters out. No such luck, so when Durham launched one into the gap, things started looking pretty bleak. Juan Pierre came thisclose to saving the day with an inning-ending catch, but instead of taking a straight line to the ball — and this is according to Vin Scully's stereoscopic account, not my review on the DVR — Pierre broke first to the warning track and turned and ran laterally. The net result was that his glove kissed the ball, pushing it away from him and ensuring the Dodgers would give up at least one run.
Grady continued to let Beimel self-immolate by letting him face Benjie Molina, another righty, who drove Durham in on an RBI single. So sure, Pierre should have caught that ball. He should have taken a better route to it, but he's incapable, possibly because he overestimates his own speed, or because he just doesn't know how. But Little had no reason to leave Beimel in there for one more right handed batter.
(Update: I misread the Yahoo play-by-play; Molina faced Broxton, not Beimel. The net result is to put more emphasis on Pierre's screwup in the outfield — and one I had forgotten, a blown suicide squeeze in the second that resulted in Andre Ethier turning into a dead Anas platyrhynchos. Recalling it now, Pierre looked completely baffled by the call, as though either (a) he had missed or misinterpreted the squeeze call, or (b) third base coach Rich Donnelly had failed to give it. Either way, he turned a men-on-the-corners, one out rally for the Dodgers into a two-out, man at second situation from which Russ Ortiz fairly easily wriggled free; and on the other side of the bill, he turned a man-on-third, two outs situation into an extended rally for the Giants. There's no way of telling how many runs the former cost the Dodgers, but since Jeff Kent singled in his next at bat, it could easily have been at least one run.)
As it turned out, that was the difference in the game. Andre Ethier homered in the eighth, a two-out solo shot that could have tied things up. (Update: as Capital Dodger correctly mentions in the comments, it would have actually amounted to a victory, since a successful catch by Pierre ends the Giants' rally and the inning.) As bad as Pierre was yesterday, I'm more inclined to send a bouquet of wilted flowers to Grady. Hang Pierre Now!
Roster Notes
- I hate it when guys compare young players to Hall of Famers, because it almost never works out.
"I played against Mike Schmidt when he was a superstar," said Scioscia. "When he first came up, I think there are a lot of parallels between what I heard being talked about Mike Schmidt as a young player and what Brandon Wood is going through.
At least one of his teammates is, uh, skeptical:"Mike Schmidt became a guy who developed a great eye at the plate. His walks went up and his strikeouts declined, and he wound up hitting over 500 home runs and wound up in the Hall of Fame.
"I'm not making a comparison to put Brandon in that elite group of being a Hall of Famer, but what I'm trying to say is that there are many indications of guys who have had great potential, but their strikeouts in the Minor Leagues have curtailed their careers. But Brandon is doing well to cut down on his strikeouts and increase his walks and develop a good eye. And hopefully this experience here will help further."
"There goes 'Franchise,' " the reliever said half-jokingly as Wood walked past Oliver's locker a few hours before making his major league debut against the Tampa Bay Devil Rays at Angel Stadium.
- Matt Hensley and Phil Seibel will undergo season-ending surgeries, Hensley on his right elbow and Seibel on his left forearm. Seibel was the return in the trade that sent Brendan Donnelly to the Red Sox.
- There is no timetable for Jason Schmidt's return. "Weeks could turn into months", writes Ken Gurnick. Every day with Mark Hendrickson in the rotation seems like a week by itself. Seven days will pass tonight as Mark Hendrickson will get the start against San Diego.
- Hong-Chih Kuo will pitch for Las Vegas on Sunday.
- Sammy Sosa is now an everyday player, according to Texas manager Ron Washington. Love that .239 average.
- Felix Hernandez is on track for a May 4 return against the Yankees.
Labels: angels, dodgers, giants, injuries, recaps
Minor League Scorebook
News
Brent Del Chiaro, previously seconded to the Salt Lake Bees as their reserve catcher, is now the Angels' bullpen catcher. Tom Gregorio has returned to his former duties as the roving catching instructor, but this leaves me to wonder what happened to the roving catching instructor who was there before him? Steve Soliz is still listed as the bullpen catcher on the Angels website.Scores
Haynes: 0-2, 2 BB, 1 K
Morales: 1-1, 1 RBI
Murphy: 2-4, 1 3B, 2 RBI, 1 BB, 2 K
Gorneault: 1-4, 1 RBI
Mathis: 2-4, 1 2B, 1 K
Evans: 0-3, 1 BB, 2 K
Saunders: 6.2 IP, 3 R, 3 ER, 7 H, 6 K, 0 BB, 1 HR, 4.05 ERA
Jones: (BS, 1)(W, 1-0) (in relief), 1.1 IP, 2 R, 2 ER, 1 H, 1 K, 1 BB, 1 HR, 6.14 ERA
Joe Saunders had a solid first outing for the Bees, surrendering a solo homer in the third and getting singled to death in the seventh. Tommy Murphy and Jeff Mathis both had multi-hit nights, while third baseman Chone Figgins got on base twice, drove in the tying run, and scored a run. Kendry Morales had a game-winning pinch-hit RBI single. Greg Jones got a blown save but collected the win therefrom, and Marcus Gwyn got his second save pitching a scoreless ninth.
Jeff Mathis had a 2-4 day, and don't look now, but he's in the middle of a nine-game hitting streak in which he's posting a .410/.410/.590 line. The only bad news is he's had only five walks all season.
The real loser, literally and figuratively, was Jason Windsor, Oakland's seventh-ranked prospect according to the Baseball America 2007 Prospect Handbook. Windsor got lit up last year in brief trials at the major league level, including a five-runs-in-five-innings shellacking by the Mariners on September 27. In five starts this year, he has had only one win, but in his three losses and one no-decision, he has given up four or more earned runs. Windsor was in danger of becoming a quadruple-A pitcher going into the season, and this performance wasn't changing any minds.
Sandoval, F: 2-4, 1 RBI, 1 BB, 1 K
Rodriguez, S: 2-3, 1 2B, 1 RBI, 2 BB
Wilson: 1-4
Collins: 2-4, 1 2B, 1 K
Green: (W, 2-1), 7.0 IP, 0 R, 0 ER, 1 H, 5 K, 1 BB, 5.00 ERA
Rodriguez, R: 1.0 IP, 0 R, 0 ER, 0 H, 1 K, 0 BB, 3.48 ERA
Arredondo: 1.0 IP, 0 R, 0 ER, 0 H, 2 K, 0 BB, 1.80 ERA
Nick Green posted his third quality start in five tries, recovering from an awful April 16 shelling by Midland, as the Travs cruised to a 7-0 shutout of Tulsa. Green, Ricardo Rodriguez, and Jose Arredondo combined on a one-hitter that marked the end of a four-game losing streak. Despite his success, Green was pulled in the seventh:
"I was kind of shocked, they came and told me I was done," said Green, who faced 23 batters. "Of course I wanted to stay in there, but you've got to respect the manager's decision."The Travs scored four in the first; Adam Morrissey had a solo homer in the fourth.The starter said it took him several innings to realize his pitching line, making the early base hit even more frustrating.
"It kind of hit me, that hit was a little dinky one early in the game," Green said. "When it got late in the game, I was like, 'Golly, that one little hit. I wish I could get it back.'"
Statia: 2-7, 1 K
Renz: 2-5, 1 K
Sutton: 2-5, 1 BB, 2 K
Butcher: 7.0 IP, 0 R, 0 ER, 8 H, 6 K, 1 BB, 0.99 ERA
Rodriguez: 5.2 IP, 1 R, 1 ER, 4 H, 8 K, 0 BB, 2.84 ERA
Jepsen: (L, 0-1) (in relief), 1.2 IP, 1 R, 0 ER, 3 H, 0 K, 0 BB, 3.00 ERA
It took 16 frames to get through this one, including a 14th inning in which both sides traded single runs, High Desert on a solo homer in the top of the frame, and singles from Hainley Statia, Pat Reilly, and Dallas Morris in the bottom. Brok Butcher got another great start, fanning six while walking only one (but giving up seven hits). Francisco Rodriguez got a blown save in the eighth when he gave up an RBI double to Michael Saunders. Kevin Jepsen took the loss in relief.
Kemp: 2-4, 1 3B, 1 HR, 4 RBI
Loney: 2-4, 1 RBI, 1 K
LaRoche: 0-3, 1 BB, 1 K
Young: 1-4, 1 2B, 1 K
Jones, M: 1-4, 1 HR, 3 RBI, 2 K
Miller: 4.0 IP, 3 R, 2 ER, 2 H, 4 K, 4 BB, 2.55 ERA
Gonzalez, L: (W, 1-2) (in relief), 2.0 IP, 0 R, 0 ER, 0 H, 1 K, 2 BB, 3.00 ERA
Hoorelbeke: 1.0 IP, 0 R, 0 ER, 1 H, 1 K, 0 BB, 5.11 ERA
Alexander: 1.0 IP, 0 R, 0 ER, 1 H, 1 K, 0 BB, 10.29 ERA
A win that marked the end of a three-game losing streak (a sweep at the hands of Sacramento), Matt Kemp got a two-run homer in the first off Tacoma starter and former Angel Jake Woods. It was Kemp's first homer in only his second appearance this year with the 51's; he last played on April 18.
Mitch Jones' three-run homer in the bottom of the third capped a five-run inning for the 51's, helped along by an earlier wild pitch from Woods that put Tomas Peres and Tony Abreu in scoring position; they both eventually did score on a Matt Kemp groundout and a James Loney single.
Starter Greg Miller gave up three runs, all in the fifth, only two earned thanks to an error by shortstop Tomas Perez that allowed Gookie Dawkins to reach and Mike Morse to score. Miller had loaded the bases on consecutive walks, and paid for it not only on that play, but when he plunked Brant Ust and allowed an RBI single to Adam Jones, his night was over without retiring a single batter in the frame. Luis E. Gonzalez got the victory in relief.
Dewitt: 0-4, 1 BB, 1 K
Harper: 1-2, 2 BB, 1 K
Godwin: 3-3, 1 2B, 1 HR, 2 RBI, 1 BB
Pinango: (L, 0-2), 6.0 IP, 4 R, 3 ER, 5 H, 3 K, 1 BB, 1 HR, 4.50 ERA
Wade: 2.0 IP, 1 R, 1 ER, 2 H, 3 K, 1 BB, 1 HR, 1.08 ERA
The score makes it look close, but in fact the 66ers trailed all the way. Miguel Pinango took the loss despite pitching a quality start.
Labels: minors
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