AAA
Record this week: 3-4. Overall: 31-23, 2 games behind Toledo (DET).
5/22: Four runs in the first inning couldn’t secure a Bats win, as Toledo got to Our Man Homer in the fifth (4.30, 5 IP, 6 H, 5 ER, 5 BB, 6 K, 103 pitches, 60 strikes)) as well as reliever Jim Brower after him (L 0-1, 3.09, 1 IP, 2 H, 2 R, 1 ER, 1 BB, 1 K) and came from behind to take the game, 7-6. 1B Kevin Barker’s grand slam accounted for those first-inning runs (#7). Lefty Tyler Pelland, struggling all season long with his control, whiffed five of the six Mud Hens he faced in the final two innings (5.30).
5/23: Toledo starter Virgil Vasquez scattered eight hits over seven shutout innings and the MHs homered three times off Tom Shearn (L 6-2, 4.53, 7.2 IP, 9 H, 6 ER, 1 BB, 4 K) in what would be the Columbus native’s final Bats outing.
5/24: Three straight for the league leaders, as Jon Adkins (BS, L 0-2, 1.71, 0.2 IP, 3 H, 2 ER, 1 BB) blew the save in the ninth in a 2-1 loss. Starter Matt Maloney threw a three-hit shutout for seven innings (4.28, 3 H, 2 BB, 8 K) and the Majik Man turned in a 1-2-3 eighth (4.01, 2 K), but Andy Phillips’ solo homer (#4) just wasn’t enough firepower. Just four hits for the Bats.
5/25: Jay Bruce’s final AAA appearance (2-for-5, R, 2 K) saw him overshadowed by 2B Andy Green, of all people. Green slugged a pair of homers (#1 and #2) and drove in three in Louisville’s 10-4 victory over Toledo. DH Drew T. Anderson drove in three more with a pair of doubles (.235) and LF Jolbert Cabrera smacked a single, double, and triple with three RBI (.294). Starter Adam Pettyjohn got the duke with another Tom Browning Special (W 5-1, 4.94, 6.1 IP, 9 H, 3 ER, 3 BB, 6 K, 1 HR), even though Danny Herrera surrendered his second AAA earned run (1.15, 1 IP, 2 H, 1 ER) on a homer by noted slugger Dane Sardinha (!!).
5/26: The Bats managed to win their first game after Bruce’s departure, 2-1, over Columbus (WAS) with the help of homers from Green (#3), Phillips (#5) and a great AAA starting debut from Ramon Ramirez (W 1-0, 1.50, 6 IP, 5 H, 1 ER, 1 BB, 6 K). Rehabbin’ Kent Mercker actually started and raced through a 1-2-3 inning on nine pitches. Adkins got save #10 and Pelland turned in another flawless inning (5.03, 1 K). Noted former Team USA standout and ballyhooed Cubs #1 draft pick Bobby Brownlie, 27, started for the Clippers and threw five shutout innings. He made it back to O.B. through the independent Newark Bears after being released by Chicago in spring training a year ago.
5/27: Columbus got its revenge, beating Louisville by the same score as the night before- 2-1. OMH pitched much better than his last couple of starts, albeit with a few too many walks (4.05, 6 IP, 5 H, 1 ER, 4 BB, 4 K, WP, 104 pitches, 62 strikes). Loss to Rehab Stormtrooper Guise Kent Mercker, actually, in relief. Andy Phillips’ final Bats outing saw him go 0-for-4 and finish his stint at .315.
5/28: A third straight 2-1 game! Bats win this one, though, on Green’s tiebreaking RBI double in the eighth. Daryl Thompson’s AAA debut went smashingly (W 1-0, 0.00, 7 IP, 4 H, 1 R, 0 ER, 2 BB, 6 K, 99 pitches, 65 strikes). Adkins got save #11 after Majik did another 1-2-3 job (3.86, 2 K; watch your back, Lincoln!)
Notes: 5/23: RHS Justin Lehr’s contract was sold to the Korean League. RHS Ramon Ramirez replaced him from Chattanooga. 5/25: OF Chris Dickerson returned from the DL replacing UT Drew M. Anderson (back to Chatt). 5/26: Rehabbin’ Kent Mercker! RHS Tom Shearn was “transferred to Billings”, which, as before, means “ roster shenanigans”. I believe Shearn is Korea-bound, but the Bats haven’t officially confirmed it. John Fay says both Lehr and Shearn went to the Doosan Bears. RHS Daryl Thompson replaced him, of course. 5/27: OF Jay Bruce’s contract purchased by the Reds; replaced by UT Jerry Gil from Chattanooga. 5/28: INF Andy Phillips’ contract purchased by Cincinnati; OF Corey Patterson accepted his optioning to Louisville.
AA
Record this week: 2-5 . Overall: 26-27, 7 games back of West Tenn (SEA), fourth in division.
5/22: West Tenn jumped Sam Lecure for nine hits and two homers in 5.1 innings (L 3-3, 4.99, 4 ER, 1 BB, 7 K) while getting a three-hit, ten-K complete game from starter Rich Dorman. Easy 4-1 win for the Diamond Jaxx. LF Cody Strait was 2-for-3 with a run scored and an outfield assist (.315).
5/23: Four runs in the first two innings and a big 7 spot in the seventh gave Daryl Thompson the win in what is hopefully his final Southern League start, 11-5. Thompson (W 3-2, 1.76, 6 IP, 4 H, 2 ER, 0 BB, 7 K, 2 WP) did watch his bullpen give up several runs, all charged to Carlos Fisher (4.78, 1.1 IP, 3 ER). SS Chris Valaika slammed a two-run homer (#2) and C Craig Tatum’s three-run bomb was his third. DH Danny Dorn was 3-for-5 (.220).
5/24: The Lookouts’ bats go back into hiding, dropping a 5-2 decision. Starter James Avery hung in (5.77, 5 IP, 6 H, 2 R, 1 ER, 2 BB, 5 K) but an unearned run off Robert Manuel (L 2-1, 0.76, 1 IP, 1 H, 1 K) and another beating handed out to Derrik Lutz (6.16, 0.2 IP, 3 H, 2 ER, 1 HR) sealed the defeat.
5/25: Dorn came through in the top of the ninth with a clutch two-run double to tie the score at 4, but was immediately picked off second base, preventing him from scoring when both Chris Denove and Cody Strait followed with singles. The Diamond Jaxx then scored the deciding run off Pedro Viola (L 0-3, 6.64, 1.1 IP, 2 H, 1 ER) to win it. Starter Ben Jukich saw his string of six straight quality starts end with a thud (2.63, 5.2 IP, 6 H, 4 ER, 7 BB, 5 K).
5/26: Chattanooga headed over to Montgomery (TB) to face the Biscuits, but got their butts buttered in game one, 4-2. Jordan Smith’s AA debut wasn’t terrible, but definitely wasn’t enough in a bad offensive stretch for his teammates (L 0-1, 5.06, 5.1 IP, 7 H, 3 ER, 1 BB, 4 K, 1 HR). LF Sean Henry did smack three singles (.301).
5/27: Make it five of six- 3-1. Lecure looked much sharper (4.61, 6 IP, 4 H, 1 ER, 1 BB, 8 K) but Fisher continued his inconsistency (L 0-4, 4.97, 1.1 IP, 4 H, 2 ER) and the offense produced all of three hits.
5/28: Another debut, this one for 2004 second-rounder Travis Wood- and this time Chattanooga puts a few runs on the board. Wood permitted just two hits over six innings (W 1-0, 1.50, 3 BB, 8 K) and Henry socked a two-run homer (#4) and an RBI single. Lookouts break their four-game losing streak, 4-1.
Notes: 5/26: UT Justin Tordi went back down to Sarasota. RHS Daryl Thompson and Ramon Ramirez were promoted to Louisville- replaced by RHS Jordan Smith and LHS Travis Wood, promoted from Sarasota. LHR Lee Tabor returned from Sarasota. UT Drew M. Anderson (OSU) returned from Louisville. RHR Justin James returned to the DL.
High-A
Record this week: 2-4 . Overall: 24-28, ten back of Fort Myers (MIN).
5/22: Alexander Smit keeps getting better and better. The Dutch lefty threw six shutout innings (W 4-3, 3.75, 2 BB, 5 K) and the Reds scored in five consecutive innings to cruise past Fort Myers, 9-1. CF Chris Heisey hit his first homer and SS Jose Castro was 2-for-4 with a triple and two RBI. C Jacob Long picked up two hits in his FSL debut.
5/23: The Reds stormed back from a 7-0 deficit to tie, but lost anyway to St. Lucie (NYM), 9-7. Loss to Logan Ondrusek (0-3) in relief of the badly struggling Rafael Gonzalez (8.65, 4 IP, 8 H, 7 ER, 3 BB, 1 K, 1 HR). Heisey drove in two with a double and LF Carson Kainer was 2-for-4 with a RBI (.229). CF Drew Stubbs was 0-for-3 (.269) but walked twice and swiped base #17.
5/24: Daniel Guerrero survived a five-run Mets sixth, thanks to the seven-run lead he had at the time, and the Reds held on, 8-6. Guerrero (W 3-3, 6.86, 5.2 IP, 6 H, 6 ER, 3 HR) got scoreless bullpen work from Misael DeJesus (5.85, 1.1 IP, 1 H), Ramon Geronimo (0.82, 1 IP, 2 H) and a resurgent Sean Watson (save #9, 5.00, 2 K). 3B Juan Francisco hammered his eighth homer, Heisey drove in three, C Eddy Rodriguez hit homer #1, and 1B Todd Frazier singled, tripled, and scored twice (.271). Stubbs drew three more walks and singled in his only official at-bat (.273).
5/25: Bullpen day for the Reds didn’t go well, as Camilo Vazquez (L 3-2, 5.40, 3 IP, 2 ER) and Ondrusek (4.75, 0.2 IP, 3 ER) were beat around. St. Lucie took it, 6-2. Francisco was the only Red with multiple hits (.301).
5/26: Off.
5/27: Scott Carroll struggled in his High-A debut (L 0-1, 7.94, 5.2 IP, 8 H, 5 ER, 2 BB, 4 K) in Fort Myers’ 5-0 shutout win. Francisco got two hits for the third straight game (.305).
5/28: Another shutout spoiled Smit’s six innings of one-run work (L 4-4, 3.51, 7 H, 2 BB, 4 K), 2-0. Lefty Phil Valiquette’s FSL debut was okay (4.50, 2 IP, 3 H, 1 ER, 2 K, 1 PO). But four singles for the Reds precluded any victory.
Notes: 5/25-5/27: RHS Jordan Smith and LHS Travis Wood were promoted to Chattanooga, replaced by RHS Scott Carroll and Enerio Del Rosario from Dayton. LHR Steven Otterness was brought back from EST, then sent to Dayton a day later. LHR Phil Valiquette and OF Dan Perales were promoted from Dayton, replacing LHR Lee Tabor (Chattanooga) and OF Anthony Gressick (Dayton).
Low-A
Record this week: 3-3. Overall: 25-25, first place- two back of Lansing (TOR).
5/22: Lansing beat on Curtis Partch (L 2-6, 6.00, 3.1 IP, 6 H, 8 R, 6 ER, 2 BB, 3 K, 1 HR) and the Dragons, 9-4. Rehabbin' Kent Mercker threw a scoreless inning of relief and Phil Valiquette whiffed five in 3.1 innings (3.24). C Devin Mesoraco had his best pro game at the plate, finishing 3-for-4 with two RBI (.243).
5/23: Ten losses in eleven with a 3-2 defeat at the hands of West Michigan (DET). Joe Krebs served up the tiebreaking hit in the bottom of the ninth, pinning the loss on Terrell Young (L 1-3, 3.13, 1.2 IP, 1 ER, 3 BB, 2 K). Starter Enerio Del Rosario was great as usual (1.59, 7 IP, 5 H, 2 ER, 2 BB, 3 K).
5/24: Make it 11 in 12. Matt Klinker was outdueled (L 3-3, 3.30, 6 IP, 2 ER, 1 BB, 4 K) as the Dragons got whitewashed on three hits.
5/25: Finally, a win! Mesoraco pounded his second homer and drove in two while LF Keltavious Jones was 3-for-4 (.288) and CF Justin Reed was 2-for-3 with two runs scored, two walks, and a triple from the leadoff slot (.241). Dayton scored three in the first and hung on, 6-4. Luis Montano (W 6-2, 3.27, 7 IP, 8 H, 4 ER, 0 BB, 3 K) threw a bunch of strikes, and Valiquette (3.12, 1 IP, 1 K) and Jeff Jeffords (2.52, save #1, 1 IP) backed him up.
5/26: Josh Ravin looked great in his second start- something that didn't happen much last year at Billings- and Dayton picked up back-to-back victories, 6-0. Ravin (W 1-1, 3.60, 5.1 IP, 3 H, 1 BB, 4 K, 2 HBP) was in control the whole time. Jeremy Horst pitched the last 3.2 innings for the save (4.13, #3). RF Dan Perales was 3-for-4 with a run scored and two RBI (.231) in his final game before being promoted to Sarasota.
5/27: Off.
5/28: Dayton blew leads of 3-0 and 4-3, but scored the winning run on SS Zach Cozart's second homer of the game in the top of the ninth to beat Fort Wayne (SD), 5-4. Even with the 3-for-4 night, last year's second-round pick is still hitting just .221. Starter Curtis Partch threw five shutout frames (5.40, 3 H, 3 BB, 3 K) and Joe Krebs got the win despite blowing a save (W 5-2, 1.69, 1.2 IP, 1 ER). Jeffords got the last two outs for save #2.
Notes: LHR Phil Valiquette moved to Sarasota, replaced by LHR Steven Otterness. RHR Juan Rafael came up from EST, replacing RHS Enerio Del Rosario (Sarasota). OF Dan Perales headed to Sarasota, replaced by OF Anthony Gressick. RHS Scott Carroll went to High-A as well; he was replaced by RHS Josh Ravin.
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Originally Posted by FIRELEFT
