Minor League Discussion & Boxes 5-31-2007

[Guest]

All boxes posted!

 

IowaCubs.com[/url]"]Cubs subdue Grizzlies

 

J.R. Mathes pitched six solid innings and Felix Pie knocked in two runs to help Iowa defeat Portland, 4-1, on Thursday night at PGE Park.

Mathes (5-3) held the Beavers to a run on four hits and two walks while striking out a season-high seven. The 26-year-old southpaw, who has won three of his last four starts, lowered his ERA to 5.40.

 

Randy Wells tossed a pair of scoreless innings before Clay Rapada pitched a perfect ninth for his seventh save.

 

With two outs in the fifth, Pie singled home Micah Hoffpauir and Scott Moore to give the Cubs (30-22) a 2-1 edge. Geovany Soto lifted a sacrifice fly and Hoffpauir delivered an RBI single in the eighth as Iowa won for the fifth time in its last six games.

 

Ray Chang, who went 3-for-4, slugged his second homer with two outs in the second for Portland (24-28).

 

Ryan Ketchner (0-6) allowed two runs on seven hits and a walk over seven innings. He struck out four in his 11th start for the Beavers. --Danny Wild/MLB.com

 

SmokiesBaseball.com[/url]"]VEAL AND MCGEHEE LEAD TENNESSEE TO 5-1 WIN

 

The Tennessee Smokies got six shutout innings from Donnie Veal as they went on to beat the West Tenn Diamond Jaxx 5-1 to even the five game series at two games each. The Smokies remain tied for first place in the Northern Division with Huntsville. The Diamond Jaxx drop to four games back with sixteen games left in the first half of the Southern League season.

 

Veal (3-4) allowed three hits with a walk and seven strikeouts over six innings of work to pick up the win. Billy Petrick, Jerry Blevins and Geoff Jones combined to allow a run on one hit over the final three innings. Casey McGehee led the offense with two hits and four RBI’s, including a three run double in the eighth inning that broke open a 2-1 game. Sam Fuld also contributed with two hits and two runs scored.

 

Joe Woerman suffered the loss, dropping his record to 2-2 on the season. Woerman allowed three runs on three hits over seven plus innings of work. Luis Oliveros extended his hitting streak to nine straight games with a RBI single in the seventh inning. Prentice Redman chipped in with two hits.

 

http://smokiesbaseball.com/images/news/Veal-pitch-white-2%20(370%20x%20250).jpg

 

MiLB.com (Daytona)[/url]"]Inman shuts down Cubs

 

Will Inman hurled eight stellar innings as Brevard County rolled to a 5-1 victory over visiting Daytona on Thursday.

Inman (4-2) allowed a run on three hits and three walks with seven strikeouts. The 20-year-old right-hander lowered his ERA to 1.33.

 

Cole Gillespie went 2-for-3 with three RBIs for the Manatees (32-21). He delivered run-scoring singles in the first and third innings before lifting a sacrifice fly in the fifth.

 

Angel Salome chipped in three hits and two runs scored for Brevard County.

 

Cubs starter Scott Koerber (2-3) surrendered five runs -- four earned -- on 11 hits and two walks while striking out two in 4 1/3 innings.

 

Brian Dopirak and Matt Matulia had two hits apiece for Daytona (25-27). --Steve Conley/MLB.com

 

PeoriaChiefs.com[/url]"]Chiefs Bounce Back with 4-3 Win

 

Cedar Rapids, IA – The Peoria Chiefs finally got some timely hitting to go along with great bullpen work and a come form behind 4-3 win Thursday night at Cedar Rapids. The win ends a five game road losing streak and moves the Chiefs to 4-3 on the season.

 

The Chiefs took a lead in the top of the ninth against the Kernels bullpen. With one out, Jonathon Mota singled to right off Warner Madrigal. Yusuf Carter executed a hit and run single moving Mota to third and then Carter stole second. Madrigal intentionally walked Josh Lansford for the second time to load the bases. Aaron Cook reliever Madrigal and Russ Canzler gave the Chiefs a 4-3 lead with a sac fly to center. Jeremy Papelbon got the Kernels in order in the ninth for his second win of the season.

 

With the game scoreless into the fourth, Cedar Rapids broke out on top against Chiefs starter Miguel Cuevas. Hank Conger battled for a leadoff double and Matt Sweeney drew a walk. Julio Perez singled up the middle to load the bases and Cuevas got PJ Phillips to tap into a double play to catcher Wellington Castillo. The Chiefs elected to intentionally walk Stantrel Smith to load the bases and bring Jayson Ruhlman out of the bullpen for a lefty-lefty matchup. But the move from the dugout backfired when Ryan Mount rifled a two-run single into right for a 2-0 Kernels lead.

 

The Chiefs almost ran themselves out of the fifth inning but finally came up with some clutch hits that have eluded them most of the month. Jim Adduci led off with a single and Alfred Joseph laid down a bunt single. With nobody out, Adduci got himself picked off second and Castillo singled to center on a play that would have scored Adduci. Dylan Johnston got the Chiefs on the board with a sac fly to center and Jonathon Mota followed with a single to move Castillo to second. Carter tied the game 2-2 with a basehit up the middle before Trevor Bell got out of the inning.

 

Castillo led off the seventh with a single and moved to second on a basehit by Johnston. Castillo was forced at third on a bunt by Mota for the first out and both runners moved up on a flyout from Carter. Cedar Rapids intentionally walked Lansford to load the bases with two outs and then brought on reliever Warner Madrigal. Canzler drew a four pitch walk to force in Johnston and give the Chiefs their first lead of the night at 3-2. Madrigal got Ryan Norwood to bounce out and end the inning with the bases still loaded.

 

The Chiefs defense let them down on the seventh as Cedar Rapids tied the game. Ruhlman hit Smith to start the inning. Mount laid down a bunt to first and by time Canzler picked it up, everyone was safe. Jeremy Papelbon relieved Ruhlman and the Chiefs got a force out at third on a bunt. Chris Petit then singled off the glove of Papelbon to load the bases. With a 2-2 count, Castillo allowed his MWL-leading eighth passed ball of the season as Mount scored from third to tie the game. The Chiefs did get Wil Ortiz out at third on the play as he over-ran the bag.

 

Cuevas lasted just 3 2/3 innings in his first appearance of 2007. He allowed two runs on four hits while walking three, hitting one and striking out four. Ruhlman allowed an unearned run on two hits over 2 1/3 innings while striking out three. Papelbon tossed three scoreless innings allowing one hit and one walk while striking out three.

 

Gorman’s Pub Players of the Game: Jonahton Mota (2B) & Yusuf Carter (CF) – The 1 and 2 hitters in the lineup combined to go 6-for-10 with a run scored and a RBI. Each went 3-for-5 as Mota scored and Carter collected two stolen bases and a RBI.

 

Notes… Wednesday marked the first time in 53 games this season that CF/2B Matt Camp didn’t play… The Chiefs were the last team in the MWL to have a blown save on the season when the run scored in the 7th, Peoria converted its first 17 save opportunities on the season…Jonathon Mota singled in his second at-bat to extend his hit streak to six games…

[Lefty]

Is this Pie guy a prospect? His numbers look pretty good.

[jaxxradio]

Where should I start with last night's game?? Lost in the two controversial calls was a very good performance from both starting pitchers. Veal looked really good last night, allowing just three hits a walk and seven strikeouts. Woerman allowed three runs on thre hits in seven plus innings (ven though it should have only been two runs).

 

Now to the calls. In the first inning, Nick Nolde called Josh Kroeger out on a play at home. When I looked at the play, I thought there was no doubt whatsoever that Kroeger had touched home plate, despite C Luis Oliveros effort to block the plate. Those who listened in last night heard me say that Kroeger was safe. Well... if a picture is worth a thousand words, I should be eating them because in today's Jackson Sun (you know, the local newspaper that obviously sends photographers but not a beat writer to cover the Jaxx) there is a PERFECT picture of Oliveros blocking the plate while putting the tag on Kroeger. It's just one picture and not a series of pictures, but from this one picture.. Kroeger looks out. In the eighth inning, Casey McGehee was up with the bases loaded and the Smokies leading 2-1. McGehee took a 2-2 pitch that should have been called strike three, but was called a ball. The next pitch went off the right-field wall for a three run double to essentially give the Smokies the win.

 

Should be an interesting night tonight..