6/30/19 small beer....

[texasdave]

Louisville is riding high after snapping their 8-game losing streak.

Lucas Sims started + Louisville won = Stopper. Not hardly.

In 5 post-Reds call-up starts, Sims has compiled a 7.54 ERA. His walk rate has nearly doubled over that span. He had a 9-day rest during that period. Something does not seem quite right. This team needs the May version of Lucas Sims, and not the June version.

Vladimir Guerrero starts for the Murcielagos on Sunday. He will try to build on his very good last start.

Narciso Crook is batting .300 now, after yesterday's 4-hit outburst. He came within inches of a grand slam walk-off last night, but settled for the game-winning single. Crook, 23, hit .296 for Chattanooga before getting promoted to Louisville. He began the season late, not playing at all in April, but is quickly making up for lost time.

Brian O'Grady started the game-winning rally in the 9th with a leadoff shot (17). The blast puts him into a tie for the team lead with Aristides Aquino.

Josh VanMeter has actually elevated his game since being sent back down from Cincinnati. He is frolicking along at a .415 clip post-partum, and has a 7-game hitting streak. For the season he sports a 1.142 OPS.

[texasdave]

Chattanooga cracked the whip yesterday. Nice to see. They are doggedly hunting down the division leaders, and are just a game back now.

Johendi Jiminian takes his 3.15 ERA to the mound today. Johendi was signed as an international free agent way back in 2010. The Colorado Rockies inked that deal. At one point in his career, he toiled for the Hartford Yard Goats. That's not something many people can tell their grandchildren. Now, most of us are thinking that is some kind of animal. Most of us would be wrong. A yard goat is an old rail term for locomotives that stay in the railroad yards, shuffling cars from track to track, and generally keeping things in order. And now we know. The closest Johendi ever came to the major leagues occurred while wearing Yard Goats jersey. It seems that during a minor league baseball dustup, Jiminian was shoved by ex-big leaguer, Lance Parrish.

Mitch Nay's four-hit effort last night has Nay situated atop the S.L. in both SLG (.553) and OPS (.924). Nay is muy en fuego, hitting .439 over his last 10 ballgames, and riding a 10-game hitting streak.

Calten Daal is now up to .321. His OPS is .746.

Taylor Trammell's plate discipline has bumped up another level. Last year his walk rate was very solid 12.58. This season he is approaching Joey Votto level discipline at 16.6.

Chris Okey is plummeting back to earth - .156 over his last 10 games.

[texasdave]

Daytona is mired in a three-game skid. Most minor leagues are divided into halves. So, the number of games in each half is relatively small. Losing streaks can knock a team out of playoff contention in a hurry. If Daytona loses a couple more in a row, they will be in a shell of a mess.

Enter Mac Sceroler. Sceroler has struck out 57 in 48.1 innings pitched. His WHIP is 1.22. Mac is the man to snap the strip. Believe it. (I have been wrong before though.)

Andrew Jordan made one start the 'Tugas, pitched five innings, allowed no runs and then called it a season. Or so it seems. Get well soon, Jordan, this team needs you.

It is Tiny 'Tugas day at the ballpark. After the game, they get to run the bases. I have an idea. Make them strap on Ninja Turtle costumes, complete with shell. Now that would be a sight to see.

Attachment 15026

[texasdave]

Billings and DSL Reds both have the day off.

[texasdave]

Dayton is 1-5 on their current roadie. The offense has gone into hibernation. Do Dragons hibernate? Anyhow, they have pushed across just 9 runs in the 5 contests.

Jhon De Jesus, he off the 1-7 record and 4.83 ERA, takes center stage today for Dayton. None of the South Bend hitters have faced De John previously. So, it might afford him an opportunity to shine.
Connor Bennett has yet to yield an earned run in the month of June.
Matt Pidich has worked to 1.52 ERA over his last 12 appearances, including 25 Ks in 23.2 IP.

Dayton hitters are struggling this year.

Brian Rey leads to club with an OPS of .794.
Pabel Manzanero is the only other hitter owning an OPS north of .700, at .715. Manzanero leads the club with 25 XBH.

[texasdave]

Greeneville with an uninspired loss on Saturday, 8-1.

Orlando Noriega (4.50) goes for the G-Reds. He worked 5 shutout in his first start. He allowed 5 earned runs in 5 innings in his second start. Let's reprise that first start please.

Team stat review:

Greeneville is dead last in the league in ERA at .520. Their saving grace is that they have only allowed 2 unearned runs all season. For rookie ball, that is remarkable. They have struck out 111, second most in the league. They have walked 31, third fewest. The pitching staff has shut out 2 opponents in 11 games. Pretty heady stuff there.

The hitters are second-last in OPS at .640. They are dead last in OBP at .283. Pitiful. Greeneville is hitting .217, and have drawn a league-worst 27 bases on balls. They still lead the league in doubles with 22.

[texasdave]

The AZL Reds had the night off yesterday. Party time. They play the AZL Brewers Gold.

The starter has yet to be determined.

[texasdave]

They are halfway home down the river in Louisville, and the Bats trail 3-1.

Vlad Guerrero has given up all 3 runs. The silver lining is that he has only used 62 pitches to go 5 full. His nemesis today seems to be ex-Red Dioner Navarro, who has doubled and homered.

Louisville scored on a two-out double by Nick Longhi, combined with a throwing error on the third sacker.

Aristides Aquino gunned down a runner at second. He has 4 assists on the season. Somewhat troubling is that he has committed 6 errors in right field.


Longhi's double is Louisville's only hit so far.

[texasdave]

Dayton has been efficient so far in their game with South Bend, scoring 2 runs on one hit.

They took a 2-0 lead in the top of the 1st. South Bend tied it up with 2 markers of their own in the bottom half of the inning. Things have settled down since. It's still 2-2 in the bottom of the 4th.

Brian Rey has the lone Dragons' safety, a single.

[texasdave]

Louisville now trails 6-1.

Vladimir G. gets roughed up for 3 in the top of the sixth. That has to be about all for him: 6 IP, 9 H, 6 R, 6 ER, 0 BB, 5 K. Came into the game with an ERA of 6.87, and left with an ERA of 7.03. That is not a good sign.


Louisville is making some noise in the bottom of the 6th. Colon singled, and VanMeter walked. None down.

[texasdave]

Louisville plates 5 in the bottom of the 6th to tie the game up at 6 apiece.

After the single and the walk, Brian O'Grady walked with one out to load them up. Nick Longhi singled in the first run. With 2 down, Narciso Crook doubled home two. Cassidy Brown then capped the rally with a 2-run single.

Eric Stout is coming out of the bullpen to start the 7th.

[Bourgeois Zee]

Brian Rey has the lone Dragons' safety, a single.

Rey's OPS is once again slightly over 800. His BA is .294.

21 years old in low A ball.

He absolutely refuses to walk-- 3.0% this season is stunningly poor.

123 wRC+ despite that.

Good defender capable of CF and RF. (Scouting reports indicate he has a very good arm.)

[texasdave]

Aristides Aquino punished another baseball. He now has 18 on the season, and Louisville has a 7-6 lead.

[North]

Chattanooga cracked the whip yesterday. Nice to see. They are doggedly hunting down the division leaders, and are just a game back now.

Johendi Jiminian takes his 3.15 ERA to the mound today. Johendi was signed as an international free agent way back in 2010. The Colorado Rockies inked that deal. At one point in his career, he toiled for the Hartford Yard Goats. That's not something many people can tell their grandchildren. Now, most of us are thinking that is some kind of animal. Most of us would be wrong. A yard goat is an old rail term for locomotives that stay in the railroad yards, shuffling cars from track to track, and generally keeping things in order. And now we know. The closest Johendi ever came to the major leagues occurred while wearing Yard Goats jersey. It seems that during a minor league baseball dustup, Jiminian was shoved by ex-big leaguer, Lance Parrish.

Mitch Nay's four-hit effort last night has Nay situated atop the S.L. in both SLG (.553) and OPS (.924). Nay is muy en fuego, hitting .439 over his last 10 ballgames, and riding a 10-game hitting streak.

Calten Daal is now up to .321. His OPS is .746.

Taylor Trammell's plate discipline has bumped up another level. Last year his walk rate was very solid 12.58. This season he is approaching Joey Votto level discipline at 16.6.

Chris Okey is plummeting back to earth - .156 over his last 10 games.

Have you considered hiring a literary agent?

[Bourgeois Zee]

Aristides Aquino punished another baseball. He now has 18 on the season, and Louisville has a 7-6 lead.

A 2020 Winker/ Aquino (.373/ .448/ .667/ 1.115 v. LH this season) platoon might not be the worst possible outcome for Cincinnati.