Friday 5/22/09 minor league updates

[OnBaseMachine]

Louisville plays at 7:05 with LHP Matt Maloney making the start. Maloney enters this start with a 2.64 ERA and 6 BB/38 K in 44.1 innings.

Carolina gets underway at 7:15 as RHP Zach Stewart will make his Double-A debut. Stewart posted a 2.13 ERA, 8 BB/32 K, and an impressive 2.42 GO/FO ratio in seven starts (42.1 IP) with High-A Sarasota.

Sarasota plays at 7:05 as LHP Justin Walker will make his 2009 season debut. Walker is a 6-foot-5 lefthander who was drafted in the 41st round of the 2008 draft by the Reds. He appeared in three games with the GCL Reds last season.

Dayton is scheduled to get underway at 8:00 tonight. RHP Juan Carlos Sulbaran will make the start for Dayton. Over his last two starts, Sulbaran has allowed just one run in 11 innings while walking three and striking out 11.

[mace]

Walker is 22 and he pitched only 2.2 innings for the GCL Reds last year. Odd that he'd be started, and starting, at Sarasota.

[cbowen2112]

Walker is 22 and he pitched only 2.2 innings for the GCL Reds last year. Odd that he'd be started, and starting, at Sarasota.

Maybe he can be our dominant LHP of the future? W shall see.

[OnBaseMachine]

HORST-CASE SCENARIO

LHP Jeremy Horst (Sarasota) last night made his 3rd consecutive start against Jupiter (4th of the season) and allowed 1 run on 3 hits in 8.0 innings (2bb, 6k)...over his last 2 starts, he’s given up just 2 runs over 14ip (8h, 10k).

PUCKETT LIST

IF Cody Puckett (Dayton) last night at Quad Cities belted his 2nd home run in as many nights...he ranks T4th in the Midwest League with 7 homers...since 5/5, Puckett has gone 22-for-62 (.355) to raise his batting average 59 points.

SOTO POPINSKI

IF Neftali Soto (Sarasota) has hit safely in 18 of his last 22 games dating back to 4/27 (27-79, .342) to lift his batting average from .194 to .274...in 19games this season at Ed Smith Stadium, Soto is batting .294 with 2 HR and 6 RBI compared to a .256 average in 20 games on the road.

“QUOTE BOAT”

“I can’t sugarcoat this: We are terrible defensively. The numbers bear me out. That doesn’t even include the balls that drop and the balls that get through the infield. It puts a lot of pressure on your pitching staff. It’s tough to be a pitcher when your defense is as bad as our defense has been.” - Louisville manager Rick Sweet, whose Bats have lost 8 straight and lead the International League with 47 errors.

(Louisville Courier-Journal)

http://news.cincinnati.com/apps/pbcs...cincinnati.com

[OnBaseMachine]

Chris Heisey is out of the lineup tonight. Maybe he's on his way to Louisville?

[OnBaseMachine]

Stubbs walks in his first plate appearance.

[OnBaseMachine]

Zach Stewart throws a 1-2-3 first inning. Two groundouts and a strikeout.

[OnBaseMachine]

Maloney: 2 IP, 2 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 1 K

Stubbs stole second after he walked. He's 15-for-18 in stolen bases.

[OnBaseMachine]

Sarasota was postponed due to rain.

[OnBaseMachine]

Stewart: 2 IP, 2 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 1 K, 4 GO/0 FO

[OnBaseMachine]

Juan Francisco belts a solo HR, his 7th of the season. 3-0 Carolina in the third inning.

[OnBaseMachine]

Stewart: 3 IP, 2 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 3 K, 5 GO/0 FO

[OnBaseMachine]

Stewart: 4 IP, 2 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 4 K, 6 GO/0 FO

[GIDP]

Stewart 51 pitches through 4.

31 strikes

Simply amazing.

[Grande Donkey]

This stewart fella is pretty alright...