Overall: The Bats make their move, sweeping the week to move into second place. Unfortunately, they are still nine and a half games out of first. Carolina and Lynchburg treaded water while the Dragons have now lost seven straight games to go into last in their eight-team division. Billings took five of six, but didn’t gain any ground on first-place Great Falls. The AZL Reds fell back off the wagon, dropping five of six after winning every game they played the previous week. This dropped them back into last place.

AAA Louisville Bats

Record this week: 6-0.

Overall: 55-50., second place, 9.5 behind Columbus (CLE).

7/22: The Bats outslug Charlotte (CHW) 11-7 to take three of four in this road series. The Knights had tied the score at 7 in the sixth after their third homer off starter Chad Reineke sent Rick Sweet to his bullpen (3.65, 5 IP, 8 H, 7 ER, 2 BB, 4 K, 3 HR). But Rehabbin’ Chris Dickerson immediately led off the top of the seventh with a home run; the Bats tacked on two more in the inning to take a lead they’d never reliquinsh. Jared Burton pitched a scoreless sixth and seventh (2.57, W 2-2, 2 IP, 1 H, 1 BB, 3 K), Aroldis Chapman a perfect eighth (4.15, 1 IP, 2 K, 17 pitches/11 strikes) and Russ Springer a scoreless ninth (1 BB, 1 K). 2B Chris Valaika was 3-for-5 with two RBI (.299) and Dickerson 2-for-3 with three runs scored and two walks. 1B Yonder Alonso hit homer #7 and drew two walks (.278). 3B Juan Francisco hit #14 and Wladimir Balentien got #16 as a pinch-hitter in the eighth.

7/23: The Reds decided to fly Sam LeCure to Houston in case Johnny Cueto (flu) couldn’t start the night’s game- leaving Bullpen Day in Gwinnett (ATL). Danny Herrera started and managed four innings and 51 pitches, acquitting himself well enough (3.52, 3 H, 1 ER, 0 BB, 4 K). Meanwhile, RF Wladimir Balentien singlehandedly put the Bats up big with a pair of three-run homers- in the first and the third (#17 and #18, .232). Phil Valiquette (4.96, 2 IP, 4 H, 3 R, 2 ER, 1 BB) struggled a bit in the midgame, but Aroldis Chapman came on and pitched 1.2 scoreless with nary a control problem in sight (W 7-6, 4.07, 3 H, 0 BB, 3 K, 31 pitches/22 strikes). Enerio Del Rosario came on to strand two in the eighth and work the ninth for save #4 (3.30, 1.1 IP, 1 H, 1 K). Bats win it, 7-4. 3B Todd Frazier, back to struggling after a brief flurry, hit a seventh-inning solo homer (#13) for an insurance run. He finished 3-for-5 overall (.228). SS Zach Cozart added two hits and a run scored (.264, 2B). CF Gary Matthews Jr., playing his final game in the organization after the Reds opted against purchasing his contract, went out with two hits and a run scored. He finished his Bats stint at .317/.361/.495 in 23 games.

7/24: A Balentien sacrifice fly in the fourth snapped a 2-2 tie- and that turned out to be it for the scoring. Louisville nipped phenom Mike Minor and the Braves, 3-2. Matt Maloney channeled vintage Tom Browning in scattering eight hits over 6.2 innings (W 8-5, 3.13, 8 H, 2 R, 1 ER, 1 BB, 5 K, 1 HR). Russ Springer continued his unblemished record by retiring four straight (0.00, 1.1 IP, 1 K) and Jared Burton got save #3 (2.48, 1 K). Frazier, playing first this time, was 2-for-3 with a walk, stolen base (5) and run scored (.232).

7/25: Micah Owings to the hill for his first start of 2010 as Louisville sought to make it four consecutive wins. He got a raw deal in Cincinnati, being forced to sit for 16 days and then getting demoted after giving up four runs in his first outing thereafter. Anyway, here’s his chance. He started rough, walking the first two men he faced before getting prospect Freddie Freeman to ground into a 4-6-3 double play. The next man walked as well, but he got a popup to end a messy but scoreless first. RF Danny Dorn and 2B Chris Valaika ripped back-to-back two-out doubles in the Bat second to put Louisville on the board, 1-0. Newly activated Corky Miller then slugged a two-run homer (#5) to make it 3-0. Gwinnett got a single run off Owings in the second, but he came back to retire them in order in the third (3 IP, 1 H, 1 ER, 3 BB, 1 K, 1 HB, 54 pitches/24 strikes). Del Rosario followed for the fourth and set down the Braves 1-2-3; he repeated the trick in the fifth as well. Dorn slammed a two-run homer in the sixth (#7) to make it 5-1 Bats. Jason Isringhausen made his Reds system debut in the sixth, getting a popup, a flyout, and a called third strike around a solo homer by Freeman. Matt Klinker, coming on in relief for the first time this season (and first time since 2008), gave up a leadoff homer in the seventh (5-3 Bats). He got a flyout, but then walked the next man, former Reds catcher JC Boscan. He got pinch-hitter Brent Clevlen to fly out, but walked the batter after him. He ran the count full on 3B Wes Timmons, then struck him out swinging to escape the jam (5.45, 1 IP, 1 H, 1 ER, 2 BB, 1 K). Leave it to 3B Juan Francisco to supply some more insurance runs; after Frazier walked to start the eighth off flamethrower Craig Kimbrel, Francisco bashed homer #15 to dead center field to make it 7-3 Louisville. (That’s his tenth homer in July.) Klinker got the first two out in the eighth, but then served up a single and hit a batter before grounding out Willy Taveras to end the inning. Cozart connected for homer #15 in the top of the ninth to make it 8-3 (3-for-5, .266, 2B). Klinker then finished up to earn the long save (5.14, 3 H, 1 ER, 2 BB, 1 K).

7/26: Rained out in suburban Atlanta.

7/27: The Bats open a home series against Charlotte (CHW) by smacking 22 hits and scoring 19 runs! The Knights were unhorsed, 19-6. Balentien drove in five runs, four on a first-inning grand slam homer (#19, 3-for-5, .239). Francisco doubled twice and walked (!), scored three, and drove in three (.286). Alonso was 4-for-6 with a double and two runs (.277). Rehabbin’ Dickerson (#2), Dorn (#8) and Valaika (#3) also homered. Starter Ben Jukich got through five (W 4-4, 4.23, 4 H, 5 R, 4 ER, 1 BB, 2 K, 1 HR). Jason Isringhausen gave up one run in two-thirds of an inning (1 H, 2 BB, 1 K), but Springer came on to strike out a man and strand two. Chapman (4.02, 1 IP, 1 H, 1 K), Herrera (3.31, 1 IP, 2 K) and Burton (2.40, 1 IP) finished up.

7/28: Francisco hit a three-run homer (#16) in a four-run first. Charlotte managed to tie it up 5-5 in the sixth, but Louisville got single runs in the seventh and eighth to pull ahead for good and claim the 7-5 win. Fourteen more hits for the Bats. Sam Lecure went six (2.96, 8 H, 5 ER, 2 BB, 5 K, 2 HR, 91 pitches/61 strikes). Chapman retired two of three (3.98, 0.2 IP, 1 H), then Del Rosario came on to strand a man (W 3-3, 3.06, 1.1 IP). Phil Valiquette then cleaned up in the ninth for save #1 (4.67, 1 BB, 1 K). Balentien had three more hits, three more runs, and homer #20 (.246). Alonso was 2-for-4 with two runs and the tiebreaking seventh-inning homer (#8, .280). Dorn was 2-for-3 with a double, RBI, and walk (.310). Valaika was 2-for-4 with a RBI (.301).

Transactions and notes: 7/22: C Corky Miller cleared waivers and was outrighted to Louisville. 7/23: OF Gary Matthews Jr. opted for his release. 7/24: C Chris Denove sent back to Carolina. RHR Jason Isringhausen signed and activated. 7/25: C Corky Miller activated.

More about Yonder Alonso’s July hot streak.

AA Carolina Mudcats

Record this week: 3-3.

Overall: 16-16 (second half). Third place, two games behind Tennessee (CHC).

7/22: The Mudcats head to Montgomery to face the Biscuits (TB) and whack ‘em good in game one, 11-6. They hammered on prospect Jake McGee for ten hits and seven runs, six earned, in just three innings. Carolina collected nineteen hits overall, four from C Devin Mesoraco (.315, 2 R). CF Dave Sappelt had three hits and three RBI (.345) and RF Luis Terrero three hits, three RBI, and three runs scored (.228). 2B Jake Kahauleilo, struggling badly at the plate ever since he was selected as a SL All-Star, was 2-for-5 with two runs scored and homer #9 (.257). SS Kris Negron hit homer #8 and finished 2-for-5 as well (.263). Travis Webb worked six innings to grab the win (W 5-6, 4.99, 6 IP, 7 H, 1 ER, 1 BB, 6 K, 91 pitches/61 strikes). Brad Boxberger kept his streak going by allowing a run in the seventh (10.97, 1 IP, 1 H, 1 ER, 1 BB).

7/23: Matt Fairel fired a four-hit shutout on an even 100 pitches (W 5-3, 4.25, 4 H, 1 BB, 6 K, 70 strikes). Carolina’s 5-0 win was also aided by Terrero, who went 5-for-5 with two doubles and two RBI (.290). RF Sean Henry hit homer #6 and Kahauleilo #10.

7/24: Montgomery got the tiebreaking run in the bottom of the ninth off Jerry Gil (L 3-5, 4.76, 1.1 IP, 3 H, 1 ER, 0 BB, 1 K) and won it 6-5. Henry was 3-for-4 with two runs scored and a double (.304, RBI). 1B Carlos Mendez and Sappelt each had two hits and a run scored (.350 and .349, respectively). Starter Daryl Thompson stayed an adventure (3.38, 4 IP, 3 H, 3 R, 2 ER, 2 BB, 2 K, two errors, a pickoff at second).

7/25: Scott Carroll worked six strong innings, holding the Biscuits to four hits (W 3-5, 2.92, 1 ER, 2 BB, 4 K, 81 pitches/55 strikes). Joe Krebs picked up the seventh and eighth (3.60, 2 H, 2 K) as Carolina opened a 3-1 and then a 5-1 lead Sappelt drove in three runs with a pair of singles (.352) and Felix Perez was 3-for-5 with two runs scored from the leadoff slot (.356, steal #2). Terrero was 2-for-3 with a walk and HBP (.290). Federico Baez finished up the 5-1 win.

7/26: Thud. Tom Cochran got mauled for three homers and eight total runs (two earned thanks to an error on 3B Mike Costanzo) in two innings (L 7-5, 2.64) as the Biscuits flapjacked the Mudcats, 11-4. Brad Boxberger got himself ejected after letting in three more runs over 1.1 innings (12.00, 2 H, 2 BB, 2 K). Lee Tabor played garbageman (3.03, 3.2 IP, 1 H, 3 K) but the Carolina bats weren’t up to it. Mesoraco did go 2-for-4 with a walk and run scored (.301).

7/27: Off.

7/28: Jacksonville (FLA) wins this one, 6-2. Travis Webb started and lost (L 5-7, 5.40, 4 IP, 7 H, 6 ER, 2 BB, 1 K, 1 HR). Costanzo went 3-for-3 with a homer (#7, .277).

Transactions and notes: 7/24: C Chris Denove down from Louisville. 7/25: RHS Daryl Thompson (sigh) back to the DL.

High-A Lynchburg Hillcats

Record this week: 4-3.

Overall: 14-18, last place, 5.5 out.

7/22: Right-hander Chase Ware struggled in his second straight start after being moved to the rotation (L 0-2, 3.66, 4.1 IP, 6 H, 5 ER, 2 BB, 2 K, 1 HR) as Salem took game one from the Hillcats, 5-1. CF Denis Phipps’ solo homer (#4) was the only Lynchburg run. Drew Bowman (5.08, 2.2 IP, 1 H, 1 BB, 1 K) and Daniel Guerrero (1.80, 2 IP, 4 K) pitched strong relief.

7/23: This time it’s Lance Janke (L 3-8, 6.66, 4 IP, 8 H, 6 ER, 1 BB, 4 K) who struggled as the Red Sox beat on the Hillcats again, 11-2. Jeff Jeffords pitched three scoreless (3.89, 3 H, 3 K) but Nick Christiani gave up three homers in two innings (3.50, 2 IP, 6 H, 5 R, 4 ER). Christiani has a 9.90 ERA in July after strong work in the first three months; this correlates roughly to the time the right-hander spent on the DL. After the game he was put back on the list. RF Kyle Day was 2-for-4 with homer #5 and both Lynchburg RBI.

7/24: Curtis Partch turned it around for the Lynchburg rotation, holding Salem to two hits in six shutout innings (W 4-8, 5.40, 2 BB, 6 K). The bullpen held- Ruben Medina retired six straight (9.00, 3 K) and Donnie Joseph bounced back from his bout of Ankielitis (2.19, save #10, 1 IP, 2 BB, 2 K) to lock down a 3-0 win. 1B Neftali Soto hammered homer #14 and a pair of doubles (.262) and Phipps, hitting .395/.439/.895 in ten games since his demotion, whacked three more doubles in four trips.

7/25ay’s two-run single in the first gave Lynchburg an early lead. C Kevin Coddington also tripled and scored on a wild pitch in the second. Salem got two of those back off starter Jordan Hotchkiss, one in the third and one in the fourth. Lynchburg made it 5-2 with single runs in the fifth and sixth; Salem came back with two in the seventh to chase Hotchkiss (W 7-3, 2.45, 6.1 IP, 6 H, 4 ER, 2 BB, 2 K, 1 HR). They then got another one in the eighth off Daniel Guerrero to make it 6-5 heading to the ninth. Justin Freeman was summoned for the ninth. He permitted two hits and plunked a batter, but wriggled out of that bases-loaded jam with a foul fly and popup to notch save #7 (3.02). Coddington finished 2-for-4 with a double and triple and RBI (.261). Phipps didn’t make an out, going 2-for-2 with two walks and a run batted in (.425). 2B Cody Puckett picked up his thirtieth double of the season; the 2008 eighth-rounder out of Cal-Dominguez is slugging a robust .462.

7/26: Lynchburg picks up a road win in Frederick (BAL), 7-4. Five runs in the first- coming on a three-run bomb from Soto (#15) and a two-run shot from 1B Chris Richburg (#1 in High-A, #15 for the season). Later, Denis Phipps hit #5 and 3B Shane Carlson added #1. Richburg ended up 3-for-5 (.263) and Phipps 2-for-5 (.422, steal #5). James Avery worked 6.1 for the win (6-3, 3.31, 7 H, 4 ER, 2 BB, 1 K). Nick Christiani returned from the DL to throw 1.2 scoreless (3.35, 2 H, 1 BB, 1 K, Avery’s inherited runner scored). Donnie Joseph struck out the Keys in the ninth for save #11 (2.10).

7/27: Ware continued to struggle early on in this start, but give the former non-drafted free agent credit- he hung with it through the first and shut the Keys out for the next four (W 1-2, 3.65, 5 IP, 6 H, 2 ER, 2 BB, 4 K) as Lynchburg whooped Frederick, 9-3. Day led the Hillcats with three hits (.282, 2 R, 2B, RBI). Carlson added two hits and two RBI (.263). Everyone in the lineup had at least one hit except for Brodie Greene- who did have a pair of walks.

7/28: Lance Janke was popped for four runs (just one earned) in the first inning- then he, too, shut the Keys out for the rest of his outing (6.28, 6 IP, 4 H, 4 R, 1 ER, 2 BB, 5 K). But Frederick tied the score off Justin Freeman in the eighth. Lynchburg went up 7-5 in the tenth when Richburg hit a sacrifice fly and Day doubled in Phipps. Donnie Joseph came on for the save chance:

Frederick Bottom 10th
• Pitcher Change: Donnie Joseph replaces Justin Freeman.
• Defensive Substitution: Efrain Contreras replaces right fielder Kyle Day, batting 6th, playing right field.
• Phillip Britton strikes out swinging.
• Xavier Avery singles on a ground ball to second baseman Cody Puckett.
• Kyle Hudson doubles (14) on a fly ball to left fielder Josh Fellhauer. Xavier Avery to 3rd.
• Ronnie Welty out on a sacrifice fly to center fielder Denis Phipps. Xavier Avery scores.
• Billy Rowell singles on a fly ball to right fielder Efrain Contreras. Kyle Hudson scores.
• With Miguel Abreu batting, Billy Rowell steals (7) 2nd base, . Billy Rowell advances to 3rd, on throwing error by catcher Kevin Coddington.
• Miguel Abreu singles on a ground ball to shortstop Brodie Greene. Billy Rowell scores.

Joseph fell to 0-4 (2.73, BS #2, 0.2 IP, 4 H, 3 R, 2 ER, 0 BB, 1 K). Richburg hit a two-run homer (#2) and a double (3-for-4, 2 R, .333).

Low-A Dayton Dragons

Record this week: 0-6.

Overall: 8-22, seventh place.

7/22: Cedar Rapids (LAA) whacked the Dragons 8-1. Justin Walker (L 3-9, 5.78, 4 IP, 6 H, 7 ER, 2 HR) took the loss. Lefty Tzu-Kai Chiu did make his Dragons debut, pitching a scoreless ninth.

7/23: The Kernels sweep the three-game set, 4-1. Tim Crabbe took the loss (2-2, 3.23, 4 IP, 6 H, 4 ER, 4 BB, 5 K, 1 HR). Ezequiel Infante came on and retired fifteen straight batters to end the game (2.85, 2 K)! Unfortunately, the Dragons could get only a single run in the seventh. C Mark Fleury was 3-for-4 (.246).

7/24: Four straight losses as Quad Cities (STL) pounded the Dragons 11-3. Four Dragons errors made a couple of those runs unearned. Blair Carson started (L 3-4, 3.60, 4 IP, 8 H, 7 R, 6 ER, 1 BB, 1 K, 1 HR). 2B Henry Rodriguez did go 2-for-4 with homer #10 and steal #19 (.292). RF Ryan LaMarre was 3-for-4 with a run batted in (.260).

7/25: Jake Johnson, the Dragons’ youngest pitcher at 19, has struggled a bit in July since a strong June (3-0, 2.14, 4 GS). He’s coming off 6.1 innings of two-hit ball his last time out though, so he squared off against the generally good-hitting Quad Cities (tied for third in the MWL with 495 runs; Dayton is 12th with 420) with the objective of playing stopper. He stranded a pair of runners in the first to escape a jam. The Dragons got him a pair of runs in the bottom of the first on RBI hits from C Mark Fleury (.370 in July) and 3B Frank Pfister. Johnson worked a scoreless second and third as well. Fleury and Pfister each drove in a second run in the third to build a 4-0 Dayton lead. QC got a single run in the fourth with the help of a Fleury passed ball. A solo homer in the sixth cut the Dragon lead to 4-2 as Todd Benzinger headed to his bullpen (Johnson: 4.67, 6 IP, 6 H, 2 R, 1 ER, 2 BB, 3 K). 1B Jonathan Kaskow hit his first MWL homer in the sixth to make it 5-2. On came Kevin Arico for the seventh- and the River Bandits got to him for three runs over those innings to tie the game at 5 (5.27, 1.2 IP, 5 H, 3 ER, 1 HR)! Junior Martinez managed to strand Arico’s two runners and finish the eighth, then throw a scoreless ninth (4.61, 1.1 IP, 2 BB, 1 K) so the game went to extras. (The Dragons had the bases loaded in the seventh and men on second and third with one out in the ninth, but couldn’t score.) Tzu-Kai Chiu came on to throw a scoreless top of the tenth. He did the same in the eleventh (0.00, 2 IP, 3 H, 2 K). Jamie Walczak came on and worked three more scoreless innings. The Dragons couldn’t get much off the RB relievers; just one hit and a pair of walks. They left two on base in the bottom of the 14th (LaMarre was thrown out trying to score on a fielder’s choice grounder). Walczak went back out there and got through the 15th, allowing another baserunner but still no runs (L 0-1, 2.81, 4.1 IP, 3 H, 5 BB, 5 K, 2 WP) . Finally Benzinger summoned Ezequiel Infante one out into the 16th. (Fleury, who’d caught this entire game, threw a man out stealing.) Infante wild-pitched his inherited runner to second, then walked the first batter he faced. The next man flew out for the second out, but Infante walked the following batter to load the bases. The next hitter cleared the bases with a double, giving QC an 8-5 lead before Infante struck out the next man to end it. Could Dayton get the tying runs in the 16th inning?

7/26: Six straight losses, as both Rehabbin’ Homer Bailey (4 IP, 4 H, 3 ER, 1 BB, 5 K) nor Ricky Bowen (4.69, 5 IP, 6 H, 2 ER, 6 K) were powerless in the face of seven three-hit innings from QC’s Shelby Miller, the Cardinals’ first-round pick from 2009. A 5-0 shutout. Here’s an article from the Dayton Daily News about Homer’s outing.

7/27: Off.

7/28: Bowling Green (TB) scored three in the sixth off Justin Walker (L 3-10, 5.88, 6 IP, 9 H, 5 ER, 1 BB, 3 K) to take the comeback win, 5-3. RF Cam Satterwhite, in the throes of a .178 July, hit a two-run homer and finished 2-for-3 (#7, .287).

Transactions and notes: 7/22: LHR Tzu-Kai Chiu up from Billings.

Rookie-Pioneer Billings Mustangs

Record this week: 5-1.

Overall: 20-16, second place, two behind Great Falls (CHW).

7/22: Lefty Tanner Robles put it all together, whiffing eight Idaho Falls Chukars (KC) in five shutout innings (W 1-0, 5.91, 2 H) to earn his first pro win, a 3-0 shutout. Dan Wolford struck out six more in three hitless (2.30) and Pat Doyle got save #2 (5.27). RF Yorman Rodriguez had three hits and a RBI (.375).

7/23: Billings makes an incredible bottom-of-the-ninth comeback, as 1B Dominic D’Anna smacked a game-winning three-run double to push the Mustangs to a 7-6 victory! D’Anna finished 3-for-5 (.353). 2B Billy Hamilton was 4-for-5 with a double, run scored, and steal #12 (.297). LF Theo Bowe was 3-for-4 (.246, R, RBI, steal #4). 3B Oliver Santos did the same (.296, R, RBI, 2B). Ryan Smith got the win (2-0, 1.46, 2 IP, 2 H, 1 ER, 3 BB, 2 K). Starter Dan Tuttle worked five (4.89, 6 H, 5 R, 4 ER, 1 BB, 7 K).

7/24: The Chukars got their revenge, scoring a tiebreaking run in the top of the eleventh off Jesus Adames (L 0-2, 5.40, 1 IP, 1 H, 1 R, 0 ER, 1 K). A throwing error by 2B Jefry Sierra, the fifth of the game for Billings, brought home said run. Idaho Falls wins, 5-4. C Tucker Barnhart was 3-for-3 with a walk (.321). Rodriguez struggled this time around, going 0-for-5 with four strikeouts.

7/25: Stalin Gerson turned in a very solid start for Billings, permitting just two hits (one a solo homer) over six innings (4.76, 0 BB, 5 K). But Casper (COL) kept the Mustangs off the scoreboard early, leaving Gerson down 1-0 when he departed. Billings got two in the sixth on a RBI hit from Hamilton and a Rodriguez sacrifice fly, but the Rockies got to Josh Smith in the top of the eighth for the tying run (3.00, 3 IP, 2 H, 1 ER, 0 BB, 4 K). Tyler Cline came on to pitch a scoreless top of the tenth as we headed to extras. Billings couldn’t get much, so Cline threw a scoreless eleventh as well. Yorman led off the Mustangs eleventh. In came the pitch… AND THERE IT GOES! Y-Rod’s second homer of the year wins it for Billings, 3-2 in 11. Cline evened his record at 1-1 (2.33, 2 H, 0 BB, 0 K). Hamilton finished 2-for-5 with two steals (14), pushing his average over .300 (.301). Yorman is now at .337; his biggest problem is one walk in twenty games.

7/26: Billings makes it two in a row over the Rockies and five out of six overall, 7-6. The Mustangs got five runs in the fourth to lead 7-2, then Casper scored four in their sixth, chasing starter Clayton Shunick (W 3-1, 4.00, 5.1 IP, 7 H, 6 R, 4 ER, 1 BB, 3 K). But after Shunick’s inherited runner in the sixth scored, Drew Hayes (0.00, 1.2 IP, 1 H, 1 BB) and Dan Wolford (save #2, 2 IP, 1 BB, 4 K) pitched shutdown ball to hold the win! Santos was 2-for-4 with two RBI (.308, steal #5), Rodriguez 2-for-4 with one RBI (.344, steal #5) and Sierra the same (.296, steal #12).

7/27: The Mustangs swamped the Rockies 9-0 in a game shortened to five innings. Tanner Robles fired a three-hit shutout (W 2-0, 4.78, 3 H, 1 BB, 5 K). Hamilton was 2-for-3 with a run scored, RBI, and steal #15 (.305). Rodriguez knocked in two more runs, giving him 26 in 22 games.

7/28: Off.

Transactions and notes: 7/22: LHR Tzu-Kai Chiu up to Dayton. Given that Chiu will be 23 this year, it’s time. He’d also pitched very well with Billings (1.04 ERA in 17.2 IP). RHP Matt Leonard moved up from Arizona.

Rookie-Arizona League Reds

Record this week: 1-5.

Overall record: 13-18, last place- eight games out.

7/22: The Dodgers end the Reds’ five-game winning streak, 3-1. Carlos Contreras got the loss (L 1-3, 6.75, 3.1 IP, 4 H, 3 ER, 5 BB, 3 K). El’Hajj Muhammad did throw three more scoreless innings in relief (2.20, 1 H, 1 BB, 4 K). CF Kurtis Muller had two of the Reds’ three hits (.280).

7/23: The Indians win, 7-5, as the Reds made six errors. Two were by SS Junior Arias, who also hit a two-run homer (#5). Muller had three hits and two RBI (.302). Mike Henry (L 2-2, 7.50, 3 IP, 3 ER, 2 HR) took the defeat in relief of Mitch Clarke (2.35, 4 IP, 5 H, 4 R, 1 ER, 1 BB, 2 K).

7/24: Oh, man. This was a heartbreaker. After starter Radhames Quezada (5 IP, 1 BB, 8 K), lefty Luca Panerati (1 IP, 2 K), Doug Salinas (1 IP, 2 K) and debuting fifth-round pick Wes Mugarian (1 IP, 1 BB, 2 K) no-hit the Athletics for eight innings, righty Pat Quinn came on to try and close the game out in his professional debut:

AZL Athletics Bottom 9th
Pitcher Change: Patrick Quinn replaces John Mugarian.
Elvis Garcia reaches on throwing error by shortstop Junior Arias. Elvis Garcia to 2nd.
Jensi Peralta singles on a bunt ground ball to pitcher Patrick Quinn. Elvis Garcia to 3rd.
With Royce Consigli batting, Patrick Quinn picks off Jensi Peralta at 1st on throw to Robert Maddox.
Royce Consigli singles on a ground ball to right fielder Drew Poulk. Elvis Garcia scores.
Miguel Marte reaches on force attempt, fielding error by shortstop Junior Arias. Royce Consigli to 3rd.
Offensive Substitution: Pinch runner Rashad Ramsey replaces Miguel Marte.
Mitch LeVier lines out to second baseman Adam Muenster.
Ramon Soto singles on a ground ball to center fielder Kurtis Muller. Royce Consigli scores.

Arias now has 21 errors in 27 games. He also struck out three times (.319/.364/.558).

7/25: Off.

7/26: The Reds found a way to lose, 5-3, despite doubling the Brewers’ hit total (ten to five), witnessing four Brewer errors, and Ismael Guillon’s ten strikeouts. Guillon ended up with the loss (L 1-2, 3.15, 4.2 IP, 3 H, 4 ER, 4 BB, 10 K)- he dominated the first four innings, then allowed all four runs in the fifth. Muller was 4-for-4 with two stolen bases (4, .323), but scored just one run as the Reds went 2-for-9 with men in scoring position. 3B David Vidal did drive in two with a 2-for-4 (.273). Lucas O’Rear gave up one run in his inning of work (3.00) and 2007 supplemental first-rounder Kyle Lotzkar returned to action for the first time since July 3rd with a scoreless inning (6.00, 1 H, 1 BB, 1 K).

7/27: The Reds mauled the Brewers, 14-0. Jonathan Correa went six for the win (W 4-2, 1.83, 3 H, 1 BB, 7 K). DH David Hernandez was 5-for-5 with three runs scored and his second homer (.302). Vidal was 3-for-5 with homer #5 (.300). SS Samuel Diaz (.362) and LF Stephen Hunt (.371) also had three hits apiece.

7/28:The Giants scored five unearned runs in the third to chase Mitchell Clarke early (L 1-1, 2.08, 3 IP, 5 H, 5 R, 0 ER, 1 BB, 4 K). 1B Robert Maddox had a pair of doubles (.255) and Diaz two more hits (.371, RBI) in the 6-1 loss.

Transactions and notes: 7/21: RHP Matt Leonard (38th round, 2010) up to Billings. 7/24: RHP Wes Mugarian (5th round, 2010), LHP Luca Panerati (rehab, pitched at Billings in ’09), and RHP Pat Quinn (46th round, 2010) activated.