Players of the Month: August/September 2013

We'll do players of the year after the minor league playoffs are over.

Rochester:  Eduardo Escobar hit .314/.389./534 in 118 at-bats.  For the season, he hit .307/.308/.500 in 166 at-bats.  Pat Dean was 3-2, 2.03, 1.08 WHIP in 40 innings, walking 5 and striking out 22.  Those are also his season numbers in Rochester.

New Britain:  Reynaldo Rodriguez hit .264/.319/.618 with 10 doubles and 9 homers in 110 at-bats.  For the season, he hit .231/.305/.482 with 33 doubles and 21 homers in 415 at-bats.  Dakota Watts is 2-0, 0.53, 0.94 WHIP in 17 innings, walking 5 and striking out 15.  For the season, he was 3-0, 0.74, 1.13 WHIP with 10 walks and 31 strikeouts in 36.1 innings.

Fort Myers:  Byron Buxton hit.383/.496/.468 with 17 stolen bases in 94 at-bats.  For the season, he hit .326/.415/.472 with 23 stolen bases in 218 at-bats.  Taylor Rogers was 3-1, 0.89, 0.89 WHIP with 13 walks and 32 strikeouts in 40.1 innings.  For the season, he was 11-6, 2.55, 1.16 WHIP with 32 walks and 86 strikeouts in 130.2 innings.

Cedar Rapids:  Adam Brett Walker II hit .278/.328/.491 in 108 at-bats.  For the season, he hit .278/.319/.526 with 31 doubles and 27 home runs in 508 at-bats.  Tim Shibuya was 3-0, 0.88, 0.72 WHIP with 4 walks and 17 strikeouts in 30.2 innings.  For the season, he was 4-0, 0.96, 0.72 WHIP with 4 walks and 25 strikeouts in 37.2 innings.

Elizabethton:  Zach Granite hit .293/.378/.341 with 5 stolen bases in 126 at-bats.  For the season, he hit .285/.362/.343 in 242 at-bats.  Aaron Slegers was 0-0, 0.00, 0.51 WHIP with 0 walks and 13 strikeouts in 11.2 innings.  For the season, he was 0-0, 0.47, 0.95 WHIP with 2 walks and 18 strikeouts in 19 innings.

GCL Twins:  No position player did anything worth mentioning.  Fernando Romero was 2-0, 0.39, 0.64 WHIP with 3 walks and 21 strikeouts in 23.1 innings.  For the season, he was 2-0, 1.60, 1.00 with 13 walks and 47 strikeouts in 45 innings.

DSL Twins:  Dubal Baez hit .347/.458/.396 with 11 stolen bases in 49 at-bats.  For the season, he hit .335/.447/.396 in 164 at-bats.  Eduardo Del Rosario was 0-0, 1.13, 0.75 WHIP in 16 innings.  For the season, he was 2-3, 2.03, 1.06 WHIP with 25 walks and 30 strikeouts in 44.1 innings.

Games of September 3

Sorry things were delayed today.  The Miracle lose a pitchers' duel.  Tonight is a must-win game.  The Red Wings and Kernels begin their playoff series tonight.

CHARLOTTE 1, FORT MYERS 0 IN CHARLOTTE

Batting star:  Byron Buxton was 1-for-3 with a walk.  The Miracle had only three hits, all singles.

Pitching stars:  Matthew Summers pitched six innings, giving up five hits and a walk with four strikeouts.  Tyler Duffey pitched two shutout innings, giving up one hit and no walks with one strikeout.

Opposition stars:  Felipe Rivero pitched six innings, allowing two hits and three walks with two strikeouts.  Jeff Malm was 1-for-2 with a walk and an RBI.  Drew Vettleson was 2-for-4.

Key inning:  The sixth.  It was a scoreless tie.  In the top of the inning, Stephen Wickens hit a one-out single, went to second on a wild pitch, and took third on a fly out, but could get no farther.  he was the only Fort Myers player to reach third base.  In the bottom half, a single and a force out put a man on first with one down.  Vettleson singled to put runners on first and second.  With two out, Malm singled in the only run of the game.

Prospect watch:  Dalton Hicks was 0-for-4.  Kennys Vargas was 0-for-4.  Mike Kvasnicka was 0-for-3.

TODAY'S TILTS

6:05  Charlotte (Dylan Floro, 2-0, 1.61) at Fort Myers (Taylor Rogers, 11-6, 2.55)

6:05  Pawtucket (Anthony Renaudo, 11-5, 2.96) at Rochester (Cole DeVries, 3-4, 7.02)

7:00  Cedar Rapids (Brett Lee, 8-4, 2.95) at Quad Cities (Chris Devenski, 4-3, 4.36)

Players of the Week: August 26-September 2, 2013

Rochester:  Eduardo Escobar was 12-for-30 with five doubles, two home runs, and three walks.  For the season, he hit .307/.380/.500 in 166 at-bats.  Pat Dean was 2-0, 1.84, 1.02 WHIP with no walks in 14.2 innings.  For the season, he was 3-2, 2.03, 1.08 WHIP with 5 walks and 22 strikeouts in 40 innings.

New Britain:  Danny Santana was 9-for-29 with two walks and four stolen bases.  For the season, he hit .284/.330/.412 in 289 at-bats.

Fort Myers:  Mike Kvasnicka was 6-for-19 with two stolen bases.  For the season, he hit .282/.341/.460 in 248 at-bats.

Cedar Rapids:  Jonathan Murphy was 10-for-33 with a double, a triple, a home run, three walks, and two steals.  For the season, he hit .272/.351/.366 in 224 at-bats.  Tim Atherton was 1-1, 1.38, 0.92 WHIP with no walks and 11 strikeouts in 13 innings.  For the season, he was 8-5, 2.54, 1.14 WHIP in with 33 walks and 102 strikeouts in 95.2 innings.  Miguel Sulbaran was 2-0, 1.64, 1.00 WHIP with 2 walks and 9 strikeouts in 11 innings.  For the season, he was 9-4, 2.96, 1.26 WHIP with 32 walks and 101 strikeouts in 112.2 innings.

Elizabethton:  Zach Granite was 8-for-20 with a double, a triple, four walks, and a stolen base.  For the season, he hit .285/.362/.343 in 242 at-bats.

GCL Twins:  Fernando Romero pitched six shutout innings, giving up two hits and no walks with five strikeouts.  For the season, he was 2-0, 1.60, 1.00 WHIP with 13 walks and 47 strikeouts in 45 innings.

Games of September 2

The Red Wings win the wild card!  The Kernels close out the regular season with a big win!  The Miracle starts its playoffs tonight!

ROCHESTER 13, SCRANTON/WILKES-BARRE 3 IN ROCHESTER

Batting stars:  Eduardo Escobar was 4-for-5 with three doubles and a home run, scoring twice and driving in five.  Ray Olmedo was 3-for-5 with a double, driving in two.  Antoan Richardson was 3-for-5 with a double and a hit-by-pitch, scoring twice and driving in one.

Pitching stars:  Scott Diamond pitched seven innings, giving up three runs on seven hits and two walks with two strikeouts.  Virgil Vasquez pitched two perfect innings with one strikeout.

Opposition stars:  Corey Patterson was 2-for-4 with a home run, scoring twice.  Addison Maruszak was 2-for-3 and scored once.  Brent Lillibridge was 2-for-4.

Key inning:  The first.  Patterson led off the game with a home run to put the RailRiders up 1-0.  The Red Wings got it back and then some, putting up a nine-spot in the bottom of the inning.  The first six batters reached base.  Escobar doubled in two, Jeff Clement singled in one, Eric Farris hit a sacrifice fly, Ray Olmedo, Richardson and Beresford got RBI singles, and Escobar doubled in two more.  They sent thirteen batters to the plate, getting a walk, a hit batsman, five singles, and three doubles.  The Red Wings finished with a record of 77-67.

Prospect watch:  Chris Parmelee was 2-for-5 with a double and scored twice.  Aaron Hicks was 0-for-3 with two walks and scored once.

Pennant race update:  This win, combined with a Norfolk ten-inning loss, put the teams in a tie.  Rochester holds the tie-breaker, and so advances to the playoffs.  They will meet Pawtucket in the first round, beginning Wednesday.

READING 3, NEW BRITAIN 2 IN NEW BRITAIN

Batting stars:  Brad Boyer was 2-for-4 with a double and scored once.  Kyle Knudson was 2-for-3 with an RBI.

Pitching stars:  D. J. Baxendale struck out nine in 7.1 innings, giving up three runs on twelve hits but no walks.  Ryan O'Rourke pitched 1.2 scoreless innings, giving up one hit and no walks with one strikeout.

Opposition stars:  Severino Gonzalez struck out six in 6.2 innings, allowing two runs on eight hits and no walks.  Maikel Franco was 3-for-4 with a double.  Troy Hanzawa was 2-for-3 with a double, scoring once and driving in one.

Key inning:  The seventh.  The score was tied at one.  In the top of the inning, Hanzawa hit a one-out single and scored on a two-out double by Albert Cartwright.  Ex-Twin Matt Tolbert then singled to give the Fightin Phils a 3-1 advantage.  In the bottom of the inning, Boyer hit a two-out double and scored on a single by Knudson, but the Rock Cats could do no more.

Prospect watch:  Eddie Rosario was 1-for-4.  Miguel Sano was 0-for-3.

This concludes the season for the Rock Cats.  They finished 66-76, fifth in the Eastern League Eastern, 20.5 games behind Binghamton.

CEDAR RAPIDS 15, CLINTON 6 IN CLINTON

Batting stars:  Adam Brett Walker II was II-for-4 with a double and a home run (his twenty-seventh), scoring twice and driving in three.  Jonathan Murphy was 2-for-4 with a walk and a home run (his second), scoring twice and driving in four.  Michael Quesada was 2-for-2 with three walks and a double, scoring twice and driving in two.

Pitching stars:  Miguel Sulbaran pitched five innings, giving up two runs on four hits and one walk with one strikeout.  Hudson Boyd pitched a scoreless inning, giving up one hit and no walks with one strikeout.  Brian Gilbert pitched a scoreless inning, giving up one hit and no walks with one strikeout.

Opposition stars:  Gabriel Guerrero was 2-for-4 with a triple and a home run, scoring twice and driving in four.  Zach Shank was 1-for-2 with a home run and a hit-by-pitch, driving in two.  Taylor Ard was 2-for-3 with a walk and scored twice.

Key inning:  The fifth.  The Kernels led 3-2.  They took control by scoring seven.  Jorge Polanco hit an RBI double.  Max Kepler drove in two with a single.  Walker II hit a sacrifice fly, Tyler Grimes had an RBI double, and Quesada delivered a two-run single.  Eleven men batted.  There were two walks, four singles, and two doubles.

Prospect watch:  Kepler was 1-for-5, scoring once and driving in one.

Pennant race update:  The Kernels finished the second half 48-22, first in the Midwest League Western.  Overall, they were 88-50, the best record in the Midwest League.  They will meet Quad Cities in the first round of the playoffs, beginning Wednesday.

TODAY'S TILT

FSL Playoffs, Game 1  Fort Myers at Charlotte

Eight Days a Week

We usually name our players of the week on Monday.  However, as today is the last day of the minor league regular season, we will have an eight-day week this week and name our player of the week tomorrow.

Games of September 1

Pat Dean shines as the Red Wings take it to the last day.  The Rock Cats and Miracle take walk-off wins.  The minor league regular season ends today.

ROCHESTER 3, SCRANTON/WILKES-BARRE 2 IN ROCHESTER

Batting stars:  Aaron Hicks was 2-for-4 with a triple, scoring once and driving in one.  Chris Parmelee was 2-for-4 with a triple and scored once.  Jeff Clement was 2-for-3 with a walk, scoring once and driving in one.

Pitching stars:  Pat Dean struck out six in seven innings, giving up one run on four hits and no walks.  A. J. Achter pitched a scoreless inning, giving up one hit and no walks.

Opposition stars:  Ronnier Mustelier was 3-for-4.  Sam Demel struck out four in two shutout innings, allowing one hit and no walks.

Key inning #1:  The fourth.  The Red Wings trailed 1-0.  With one out, Clement singled and Hicks tripled to tie it up.  Ray Olmedo hit a two-out single to put Rochester ahead.

Key inning #2:  The ninth.  The RailRiders trailed 3-1.  Michael Tonkin came in to pitch.  With one out, Brent Lillibridge walked and Mustelier singled to put runners on the corners.  Following a strikeout, Neil Medchill singled to make the score 3-2 and keep runners on the corners.  Bobby Wilson was called out on strikes to end the game.

Prospect watch:  Eduardo Escobar was 1-for-4.

Pennant race update:  Rochester trails Norfolk by one game.  The Red Wings hold the tiebreaker.

NEW BRITAIN 5, READING 4 IN NEW BRITAIN

Batting stars:  Kyle Knudson was 2-for-2 with a walk and a hit-by-pitch, scoring once.  Angel Morales was 2-for-3 with a run and two RBIs.  Danny Santana was 2-for-5 with two RBIs.

Pitching stars:  Cole Johnson struck out three in two shutout innings, giving up two hits and no walks.  Dakota Watts struck out two in a perfect inning.

Opposition stars:  Mario Hollands pitched 6.1 innings, allowing two runs (one earned) on five hits and two walks with two strikeouts.  Maikel Franco was 2-for-4 with a double and scored once.  Albert Cartwright was 2-for-5 with a double and an RBI.

Key inning:  The ninth.  The Rock Cats trailed 4-2.  With one out, Knudson and Brad Boyer singled to put runners on the corners.  Angel Morales then singled to make it 4-3 and the runners moved up on the throw home, putting runners on second and third.  A fielder's choice tied the score and a sacrifice fly by Eddie Rosario brought in the winning run.

Prospect watch:  Rosario was 0-for-4 with an RBI.  Miguel Sano was 0-for-3 with a walk.  Kyle Davies pitched three innings, giving up two runs on five hits and no walks with two strikeouts.

FORT MYERS 3, BRADENTON 2 IN FORT MYERS (10 INNINGS)

Batting stars:  Kennys Vargas was 3-for-4 with a walk and a home run (his nineteenth), driving in two.  Levi Michael was 2-for-2 with two walks and a double.  Adam Pettersen was 3-for-4 with an RBI.

Pitching stars:  Matt Tomshaw pitched seven innings, giving up two runs on seven hits and no walks with four strikeouts.  Adrian Salcedo struck out three in two perfect innings.  Luke Bard struck out two in a perfect inning.

Opposition stars:  Joan Montero pitched five shutout innings, allowing two hits and one walk with two strikeouts.  Junior Sosa was 2-for-4 with a double.

Key inning:  The tenth.  The score was tied at two.  Andy Leer led off with a bunt single.  Jhon Goncalves and Dalton Hicks were hit by a pitch (not the same pitch, of course), loading the bases.  Vargas then singled in the winning run.

Prospect watch:  Byron Buxton was 0-for-3.  Hicks was 1-for-4.  Mike Kvasnicka was 1-for-4 and scored once.

The Florida State League regular season is over.  The Miracle ends the second half 34-34, fourth in the Florida State League South, 5.5 games behind Charlotte.  Overall, Fort Myers was 79-56, first in the Florida State League South, six games better than St. Lucie.  Fort Myers will play Charlotte in the first round of the playoffs, beginning Tuesday.

CLINTON 3, CEDAR RAPIDS 1 IN CLINTON

Batting stars:  Tyler Grimes was 1-for-3 with a walk, a double, and an RBI.  Jonathan Murphy was 1-for-3 with a double and a hit-by-pitch, scoring once.

Pitching stars:  Tim Atherton struck out five in six innings, giving up two runs (one earned) on five hits and no walks.  Alex Muren pitched a scoreless inning, giving up one hit and no walks.

Opposition stars:  Blake Holovach struck out nine in 3.2 scoreless innings, allowing three hits and one walk.  Mark Bordonaro struck out six in 3.1 scoreless innings, allowing no hits and two walks.  Tyler Marlette was 2-for-4, scoring once and driving in one.

Key inning:  The eighth.  The Kernels trailed 2-0.  Murphy doubled and Niko Goodrum singled to put runners on the corners with none out.  A force out scored one run, but Cedar Rapids could do no more.  In the bottom of the inning, Dario Pizzano hit a one-out double and scored on a Marlette single to restore the two-run LumberKings lead.

Prospect watch:  Adam Brett Walker II was 0-for-4.  Bo Altobelli was 0-for-4.

TODAY'S TILTS

12:05  Scranton/Wilkes-Barre (Caleb Cotham, 6-5, 4.66) at Rochester (Scott Diamond, 3-0, 2.12)

12:35  Reading (Jesse Biddle, 5-14, 3.64) at New Britain (D. J. Baxendale, 5-6, 5.80)

2:00  Cedar Rapids (Miguel Sulbaran, 2-0, 2.64) at Clinton (Victor Sanchez, 6-6, 2.78)

Games of August 31

The Red Wings stay alive. Three out of four games were decided by one run. A complete game shutout by Tim Shibuya.

ROCHESTER 6, BUFFALO 5 IN BUFFALO

Batting stars: Aaron Hicks was 3-for-4 with two doubles and scored once. Eric Fryer was 2-for-4 with a home run (his fourth) scoring twice. Ray Olmedo was 2-for-4, scoring once and driving in one.
Pitching star: P. J. Walters pitched six innings, giving up two runs on five hits and three walks with three strikeouts.
Opposition stars: Jim Negrych was 2-for-5 with an RBI. Mauro Gomez was 2-for-5 with an RBI. Ryan Langerhans was 0-for-1 with three walks and scored twice.
Key inning: The ninth. The Bisons trailed 6-3. Shairon Martis, who had come in with two out in the seventh, was still pitching. He issued a one-out walk to Langerhans and with two out gave up singles to Mike McCoy, Negrych, and Gomez, making the score 6-5. An error advanced the runners to second and third, and Michael Tonkin came in to pitch. He intentionally walked Luis Jimenez and then retired Andy LaRoche on a fly out to save the game.
Prospect watch: Eduardo Escobar was 1-for-4 with a double and scored once. Chris Parmelee was 1-for-4 with a double and two RBIs.
Pennant race update: Rochester trails Norfolk by one game in the wild card race. The Red Wings' elimination number is two.

READING 5, NEW BRITAIN 4 IN NEW BRITAIN

Batting stars: Eddie Rosario was 2-for-5 with a double and an RBI. Stuart Turner was 2-for-4 and scored once. Angel Morales was 1-for-3 with a walk and a two-run homer (his fifth), scoring twice.
Pitching stars: None.
Opposition stars: Troy Hanzawa was 3-for-4 with a double, scoring once and driving in four. Anthony Hewitt was 2-for-4 with a double and scored twice.
Key inning: The ninth. The score was tied at four. With two out and none on, Hanzawa singled and scored on a double by Edgar Duran to give the Fightin Phils the lead.
Prospect watch: Miguel Sano was 1-for-4 with a triple and an RBI. Trevor May struck out ten in seven innings but gave up four runs on six hits and a walk.

BRADENTON 3, FORT MYERS 2 IN BRADENTON

Batting stars: None.
Pitching star: David Hurlbut struck out six in 7.1 innings, giving up two runs on nine hits and a walk.
Opposition stars: Matt Benedict pitched 3.2 scoreless innings, allowing one hit and no walks and struck out one. Willy Garcia was 3-for-4 with a double, scoring once and driving in one. Devin Ivany was 2-for-3 with an RBI.
Key inning: The eighth. The Marauders trailed 2-0. A walk, a single, and a bunt put runners on second and third with one out. Tyler Jones came in to pitch. A sacrifice fly scored one run and Garcia singled in a second to tie the score. Two more singles loaded the bases and Ivany was hit by a pitch to bring in the go-ahead run.
Prospect watch: Byron Buxton was 1-for-4 and scored once. Kennys Vargas was 1-for-4 with a double and an RBI. Mike Kvasnicka was 1-for-4 and scored once.

CEDAR RAPIDS 5, CLINTON 0 IN CLINTON

Batting stars: Mike Gonzales was 2-for-4 with a home run, his fifth. Jonathan Murphy was 2-for-5 with a triple and scored twice. Bo Altobelli was 2-for-4 with an RBI.
Pitching star: Tim Shibuya pitched a complete game, giving up four hits and a walk and striking out six.
Opposition stars: Zach Shank was 2-for-4.
Key inning: The first. Murphy opened the game with a single, went to second on a Tyler Grimes single, took third on a ground out, and scored on a sacrifice fly. The Kernels scored single runs in five innings.
Prospect watch: Jorge Polanco was 1-for-4 and scored once. Max Kepler was 0-for-3 with an RBI.

TODAY'S TILTS

11:05 Bradenton at Fort Myers
2:00 Cedar Rapids (Tim Atherton, 8-4, 2.61) at Clinton (Steven Ewing, 1-1, 4.91)
5:05 Scranton/Wilkes-Barre (Graham Stoneburner, 4-5, 4.65) at Rochester (Pat Dean, 2-2, 2.18)
5:35 Reading (Mario Hollands, 3-2, 4.63) at New Britain (Kyle Davies, 3-0, 3.20)