Minor League Discussion & Boxes 4-27-10

[Outshined_One]

Box Scores

 

Iowa won Game 1 of their DH 4-3 Box Score

 

CF S. Fuld 1/3, BB, R, K

2B M. Camp 2/3, R, HBP

RF B. Snyder 2/4, R, 2 RBI, 2B (7)

1B M. Hoffpauir 0/4, 2 K

3B B. Scales 0/3, BB, K

LF B. LaHair 1/3, BB, R, RBI, 2 K

C C. Robinson 1/1, HBP

SS D. Barney 1/3, RBI

J. Adduci 0/1, CS (3)

PH M. Smith 0/1, K

SP T. Diamond 5 scoreless, 3 H, 5/1 K/BB, 3-7 GO-FO

RP B. Schlitter .1 IP, 2 H, 2 ER, 0-1 GO-FO

RP J. Gaub 0 IP, 1 H, 1 ER, 0/3 K/BB

RP J. Samardzija 1.2 perfect, 1/0 K/BB, 0-4 GO-FO

 

Iowa won Game 2 of their DH 4-2 Box Score

 

2B M. Camp 0/3, E (2, fielding)

3B M. Smith 2/3, RBI, 2 2B (3)

RF B. Snyder 0/3, K

1B M. Hoffpauir 1/3, R, 2B (5)

LF B. LaHair 2/3, 2B (3)

C W. Castillo 2/3, R, CS (1), PO (1B)

CF J. Adduci 1/2, BB, R, RBI

SS D. Barney 0/3

PH B. Scales 1/1, 2 RBI, 2B (9)

SP C. Coleman 6 IP, 6 H, 2 ER, 2/2 K/BB, HBP, 11-4 GO-FO

RP M. Atkins 1 scoreless, 1 H, 1/0 K/BB, 1-1 GO-FO

 

Tennessee lost 5-4 Box Score

 

CF T. Campana 1/4, 2 RBI, K

SS S. Castro 3/5, 2 RBI, 2B (7), CS (4)

LF T. Wright 1/4

1B R. Canzler 1/4

C S. Clevenger 1/3, BB, R

RF B. Guyer 1/4, E (1, fielding)

2B R. Flaherty 1/2, 2 BB, 2 R, 2B (2), K

3B N. Samson 0/2, BB, R, E (1, throw)

PH R. Chirinos 0/1

SP HW Chen 6.2 IP, 8 H, 3 ER, 5/1 K/BB, HR, WP, 7-8 GO-FO

RP D. Sasser 2 IP, 4 H, 2 ER, 2/1 K/BB, WP, HBP, 2-1 GO-FO

RP J. Muyco .1 perfect, 1/0 K/BB

 

Daytona won 3-1 Box Score

 

CF B. Jackson 0/3, RBI, K

2B DJ LeMahieu 0/3

RF K. Burke 0/3, K

DH R. Ridling 1/3, R, RBI, HR (1), K

1B M. Spencer 1/3, R, RBI, HR (2)

3B J. Vitters 0/3, 2 K

C M. Brenly 0/3, K

LF N. Perez 1/2, BB, R, 2B (1), CS (1)

SS J. Lake 0/2

SP A. Cabrera 5.2 scoreless, 6 H, 6/0 K/BB, WP, 7-4 GO-FO

RP A. Shafer 2.1 scoreless, 1 H, 3/0 K/BB, WP, 3-1 GO-FO

RP M. Perconte .2 IP, 1 H, 1 ER, 0/1 K/BB, 2-0 GO-FO

RP L. Sommer .1 perfect, 1-0 GO-FO

 

Peoria won 5-4 Box Score

 

SS HJ Lee 1/4, R, 2B (3)

2B L. Watkins 1/4, R, 2 RBI, 3B (1), 2 K

3B M. Cerda 0/3, RBI, K

DH G. Rohan 1/4, R, RBI, HR (2), K

1B J. Bour 1/4, 2B (6), K

LF DJ Fitzgerald 0/3, BB, K, E (1, fielding)

C J. Mota 0/4, 2 PB (2)

CF J. Valdez 1/3, SB (13), E (3, throw)

RF F. Guzman 2/3, R, RBI, K, SB (2)

SP K. McNutt 5 IP, 5 H, 1 ER, 5/4 K/BB, WP, 4-1 GO-FO

RP L. Suarez 2 scoreless, 0 H, 1/0 K/BB, WP, 2-3 GO-FO

RP J. Leverton 2 scoreless, 1 H, 1/1 K/BB, 5-0 GO-FO

 

OVERALL: 4-1

[Guest]

Probable Starters

 

Iowa (game one): RHP Thomas Diamond (1-0, 2.25 ERA, 16 IP, 7 BB, 14 K)

Iowa (game two): RHP Casey Coleman (0-2, 4.82 ERA, 18.2 IP, 2 BB, 9 K)

Tennessee: RHP Austin Bibens-Dirkx (0-1, 4.09 ERA, 11 IP, 4 BB, 10 K)

Daytona: RHP Alberto Cabrera (1-1, 2.20 ERA, 16.1 IP, 2 BB, 12 K)

Peoria: RHP Trey McNutt (1-0, 1.29 ERA, 14 IP, 5 BB, 17 K)

[Outshined_One]

Hung-Wen Chen got the start for Tennessee. Not much has happened in that game or the Iowa game so far.

[Outshined_One]

I see Castro woke up from his brief slump. He's 3/4 with a double so far today.

[soapy]

Oh, man. Castro lines out with the runners on 1st and 2nd to end the game. They lost 5-4.

[Outshined_One]

Samardzija pitched a perfect inning and two thirds, stranding three inherited runners in the process. :-s

[Cubswin11]

I see Castro woke up from his brief slump. He's 3/4 with a double so far today.

Good to see Castro realized he is actually good as baseball and broke out of his mini slump. I wonder if he has/had some sort of small nagging injury that was hampering his performance. He was taken out of that game earlier this week and maybe he aggravated something that was lingering for a while.

[ctcf]

So Diamond has my attention. I recall him being a reclamation project or something. What's the story on this dude?

[Guest]

So Diamond has my attention. I recall him being a reclamation project or something. What's the story on this dude?

 

Diamond was a top prospect for the Rangers years ago(Danks, Volquez, and Diamond they nicknamed DVD). He had control problems throughout the minors, and then lost a season to injury(not sure if it was elbow, shoulder, or other). I'm not sure if his stuff is the same as before he got hurt, but if it is then his start to 2010 is a very good sign. His BB rate is as low as it's been since his glory days in 2005.

[toonsterwu]

elbow/TJ. I'm under the impression that his stuff is close to what it once was, particularly the change.

[illiniguy]

I see Castro woke up from his brief slump. He's 3/4 with a double so far today.

Good to see Castro realized he is actually good as baseball and broke out of his mini slump. I wonder if he has/had some sort of small nagging injury that was hampering his performance. He was taken out of that game earlier this week and maybe he aggravated something that was lingering for a while.

Or maybe in baseball if you are really, really good you make outs almost 7 times out of ten and he cooled off a bit?

[CUBZ99]

elbow/TJ. I'm under the impression that his stuff is close to what it once was, particularly the change.

 

During spring training his fastball was not very impressive high 80's topping out at 90. His fastball seemed pretty straight, but his off speed pitch, assuming it is the change you are talking about looked, decent. I don't know much about him pre-TJS but I was under the assumption that he was a power pitcher at one point (mid-90's heat). Either way, his numbers so far in Iowa look pretty good.

[illiniguy]

elbow/TJ. I'm under the impression that his stuff is close to what it once was, particularly the change.

 

During spring training his fastball was not very impressive high 80's topping out at 90. His fastball seemed pretty straight, but his off speed pitch, assuming it is the change you are talking about looked, decent. I don't know much about him pre-TJS but I was under the assumption that he was a power pitcher at one point (mid-90's heat). Either way, his numbers so far in Iowa look pretty good.

I saw him in '06 in Wichita and he was hitting upper 90's.

[davell]

McNutt walked 4 in 5 innings tonight. He also gave up 5 hits, but only 1 run and he struck out 5 as well.

 

I know it's still extremely early, but I'm starting to worry some about Burke's slow start honestly.

[Guest]

Cabrera pitched well in front of Greg Maddux:

 

Daytona News-Journal[/url]"]Cabrera, who hasn't had an ERA below 4.48 in any of the past three minor-league seasons, improved his record to 2-1 and lowered his 2010 ERA to 1.64. He gave up an infield hit and a single to left to start the game before settling in. He walked none and struck out six in his 5 2/3 innings.

 

"He's got great stuff," said Shafer, who allowed just one baserunner in his 2 1/3 innings. "When he keeps the ball down, he's as good as anybody I've seen. With his velocity, it's scary to think of how good he could be."

[CubColtPacer]

I feel a little crazy for being mildly intrigued by Shafer at this point. He was basically written off after his horrible start to last year and reports of poor stuff which I completely understood. However, after his first start in August last year he turned it around and had a strong last 30 innings. Then he's come out this year and all his peripherals look great so far:

 

16 IP, 11 H, 2 R, 0 ER, 0 HR, 2 BB, 16 K

 

I guess I'm intrigued because I don't know what's causing it. Is his stuff finally reappearing from the elbow problems? Does he just have enough pitches to overcome a little less on his fastball and it took a while to learn how to adjust? Or is it just random variance? I fully admit that with high picks I'm always looking for signs of what made them that high in the first place. I still probably wouldn't put him in the top 25/30, but I can't help but keep an eye on what he's doing.

[Guest]

I have to think relieving has made his pitches faster and sharper.