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May 31, 2005
Minor League Recaps: 5/27 - 5/30
Richmond Braves (20-31, 8.5 GB)
5/27: Richmond 7, Scranton-WB 6
A two-out bottom of the ninth RBI single by Billy McCarthy (who also hit a solo home run) plated the winning run for the R-Braves in their Friday victory over the Red Barons. Macay McBride had blown a one-run lead by giving up a three-run home run in the bottom of the seventh (blowing the game for starter Zach Miner). Miner had a good start, allowing three runs (two earned) in six innings. Jeremy Ward (1-1) ended up with the win.
5/28: Richmond 0, Scranton-WB 10
The Richmond pitching staff was handled by the Red Baron offense, scoring four runs in the fifth and five runs in the ninth. Chris Mears took the biggest blow, allowing five runs without recording an out in the ninth. Infielder Andy Barkett had to finish the ninth inning, recording three outs. Daniel Curtis (2-4) took the loss after allowing three runs on four hits and six walks in 4.2 innings pitched. Esix Snead had two hits on the night.
5/29: Richmond 1, Scranton-WB 7
The R-Braves pitching staff took another one to the chin on Sunday. Sam McConnell (2-5) allowed four runs (three earned) in 5.2 innings pitched. The offense was held to four hits, two by Tony Pena, Jr.
5/30: Richmond 5, Rochester 7
The R-Braves lost their third straight game, this time to the Rochester Red Wings. A fielding error by Jason Bourgeois lead to five unearned runs in the bottom of the second, helping starter Trey Hodges (0-1) to the loss. Interesting note from the box score has Kevin Barry pitching three scoreless innings with four strikeouts. Andy Marte and Scott Pratt each hit a two-run home run in the game.
Transactions:
There were a number of transactions to cover for the R-Braves this weekend:
Kelly Johnson was promoted to Atlanta.
Matt Childers was DFA and will be back in Richmond.
Kevin Barry came off of the DL.
Mike Rosamond came up from Mississippi.
John Barnes was sent to Mississippi.
Alex Herrera was released.
Derrick Gibson has been released.
I believe that covers all of them.
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The rest of the recaps will come later today as I get to them...
Posted by Merv at 11:00 AM | Comments (0)
May 27, 2005
Minor League Recaps: 5/25 & 5/26
Richmond Braves (19-28, 7.5 GB)
5/25: Off Day
5/26: Richmond 4, Scranton WB 3
An eighth inning RBI double by James Jurries drove in the go-ahead run in Thursday's game. Jurries finished the night 4-for-4 and is now batting .298 on the season. Andy Marte and Kelly Johnson each had great offensive nights. Marte blasted a three-run sixth inning home run and finished the night 2-for-3. Kelly Johnson had three hits including a triple and is now hitting .311. Hector Almonte (1-1) earned the win with a scoreless inning of relief.
Transactions:
The R-Braves sent pitcher Casey DeHart back to AA-Mississippi.
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Mississippi Braves (21-26, 3.5 GB)
5/25: Mississippi 5, Chattanooga 3
Chuck James had another fine outing for the MissBraves, but could not reel in a decision. James allowed only one run on five hits in six innings. His ERA in AA is now 1.62 after three outings. Jay Powell (1-0) continued his good work and extended his scoreless streak to seven innings. Offensively, Jon Schuerholz and Scott Thorman each had two hits and drove in a run a-piece.
5/26: Mississippi 9, Chattanooga 0
Anthony Lerew (3-2) had one of his best starts of the year and had plenty of run support to earn the win. Lerew pitched scoreless innings, walking three and striking out three. Onil Joseph, Scott Thorman, and Luis Hernandez each drove in two runs to lead the offensive barrage.
Transactions
Matt Coenen has been placed on the DL and has been replaced by the aforementioned Casey DeHart.
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Myrtle Beach Pelicans (22-25, 5.0 GB)
5/25: Myrtle Beach 2, Winston Salem 3
Kelvin Villa (0-2) had his best start as Pelican, but still took the loss. Villa allowed two runs on nine hits in six innings. He walked two and struck out eight. Steven Doetsch was 2-for-4 with a Solo Home Run and Matt Esquivel also had two base hits.
5/26: Off Day
Transactions:
Matt Esquivel came off of the DL and, as mentioned, had two hits in the 5/25 game.
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Rome Braves (27-20, 3.5 GB)
5/25: Off Day
5/26: Rome 8, Greensboro 7 (10 inn.)
J.C. Holt's solo home run in the top of the tenth inning allowed the Braves to squeak by with an 8-7 victory over the Greensboro Grasshoppers. Holt finished the night 3-for-5 with three RBIs. Lead-off man Matt Young also had three hits on the game. James Parr (4-2) ended up with the win.
One extra note of interest, the Grasshoppers took the lead in the bottom of the seventh due to a home run by Brad McCann, top catching prospect Brian's older brother.
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Other Notes
One move that I had missed this season was the release of catcher C.J. Bressoud (Link). This is a pretty big surprise given that it was a little bit of a coup for the Braves to sign this guy a couple years ago.
Posted by Merv at 02:47 PM | Comments (0) | TrackBack
May 25, 2005
Minor League Recaps: 5/24
Richmond Braves (18-28, 7.5 GB)
Game Postponed Due to Rain
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Mississippi Braves (20-26, 3.5 GB)
Mississippi 2, Chattanooga 5
Brian O'Connor (3-1) allowed three runs in five innings to take the loss in this one. Ray Serrano and Juan Velasquez each had two hits.
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Myrtle Beach Pelicans (22-25, 5.0 GB)
Myrtle Beach 5, Winston-Salem 4 (10 Inn)
For the second straight night, Myrtle Beach won in their last at-bat. It once again involved Josh Burrus, who scored the winning run last night. Burrus had two hits including a double last night. Recently called up Xan Barskdale had two RBIs. Ralph Roberts (2-2) earned the win in relief. Starter Jake Stevens allowed three runs (one earned) in 6.2 innings pitched.
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Rome Braves (26-20, 3.0 GB)
Rome 3, Asheville 5
Rome's seven game winning streak was snapped at the hands of the Tourists last night. Charlie Morton (1-3) allowed all five runs in his seven innings of action. Cole Armstrong was 2-for-4 with a HR and two RBIs.
Posted by Merv at 03:41 PM | Comments (0) | TrackBack
May 24, 2005
Minor League Recap: 5/23
Richmond Braves (18-28, 8 GB)
Richmond 3, Ottawa 2 (7 Inn)
The R-Braves won a rain-shortened seven inning game on Monday, 3-2. Sam McConnell (2-4) allowed one run in 5.2 innings pitched to earn the win. He walked three and struck out three. Billy McCarthy had a double and an RBI. Andy Marte also had a double in a 1-for-2 night.
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Mississippi Braves (19-25, 4 GB)
Mississippi 3, Chattanooga 2
Jeff Francoeur's 2-run home run (6) in the fifth inning helped put the Braves ahead for good in the 3-2 win against the Lookouts. Francoeur also had a double as part of his 2-for-3 night. Matt Wright (3-5) had a very good start, allowing two runs in seven innings. He walked one and struck out six.
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Myrtle Beach Pelicans (21-24, 5 GB)
Myrtle Beach 8, Winston-Salem 7
Despite losing starter Sean White in the first inning due to an ejection, the Pelicans pulled off the victory by breaking a 7-7 tie with a run in the ninth. Josh Burrus was hit by a pitch with the bases loaded to win the game. Jamie Trejo had two home runs and four RBIs. Carlos Guzman had a double and two RBIs. Jacob Blakeney (1-0) earned thte win.
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Rome Braves (27-19)
Rome 4, Asheville 2
Two solo home runs by Mark Jurich and a solo home run from Van Pope helped lead the Rome Braves to the seventh straight victory on Monday. Chris Vines (3-2) earned the win.
Posted by Merv at 12:39 PM | Comments (0) | TrackBack
May 23, 2005
Flo's Players of the Week (May 22)
And without further ado, a quicky on who's getting hot:
AAA
Andy Marte: .292/.469/.500 1HR, 8BB
-and that folks is called "getting your pitch"
Billy McCarthy: .346/.370/.538 1HR, 6RBI
-and I'm thinking "platoon" in Atlanta
AA
Gregor Blanco: .375/.423/.542 3B, 2 2B
-and draws a pair of walks tonight; he's mighty young and catching on
Brian McCann: .273/.407/.455
-gotta be getting close when Skip's asking Pete about your whereabouts
Matt Coenen: 5 IP, 2H, 3BB, 5K, 0 ER
-Matt's a lefty and putting it together nicely this season in AA
Chuck James: 11 IP, 5H, 3BB, 18K, 2 ER
-it's time the M-Braves got a reliable internet broadcast so we can follow Chuck's next start. This guy's stock is on a rocket shot.
Jorge Vasquez: 4 IP, 2H, 1ER, 5K
-someone in Atlanta's has to be catching on to this guy.
High A
Josh Burrus .281/.324/.531 2HR
-oh yeah, here comes Josh
Paul Bush 11 IP, 14H, 2BB, 2ER, 14K
-finished off last year with some nice starts; getting another chance
Brady Endl 12IP, 8H, 6BB, 1ER, 17K
-fellow Cheddarhead taking well to biscuts and gravy apparently
A
Carl Loadenthal .318/.494/.455 HR, 4SB
-Carl gets in gear after a slow start; here's hoping for High A soon
Sammons the Hammer .444/.483/.593 4 2B
-methinks there's nothing quite so sweet as depth at the dish
Luis Atilano 8IP, 1H, 1BB, 4K, 0 ER
-very, very nice effort as Luis continues along
Looks like Van Pope and Jurich are getting an early start on next week's honors with a little HR derby action tonight. Let's see how the week continues to shake out.
Posted by FloBrave01 at 11:07 PM | Comments (0) | TrackBack
Minor League Notes: 5/22
Richmond
As mentioned in the game recap below, pitcher Trey Hodges has returned to the Richmond Braves (after being released by the Twins organization).
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Mississippi
5/20: Ray Serrano was moved back to Mississippi and Iker Franco was promoted to Richmond. Link
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Myrtle Beach
5/19: Missed in the tide of other transactions, Matt Esquivel was placed on the DL with an injured shoulder. Glenn Tucker was brought down from Mississippi to fill his roster spot. Link
5/23: The time in CFF was cut short for Tucker, who's now headed back to Mississippi. Catcher Xan Barksdale was brought up from Rome to fill his roster spot. Link
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Rome
The Rome Braves Blog indicates that pitcher Zach Schreiber has returned from the Beach and will resume his role in the Rome pen.
The Ro-Braves won their seventh straight game on Monday with the help of Mark Jurich's two home runs. He's making up for lost time after the spring injury and has three home runs on the season.
Posted by Merv at 10:32 PM | Comments (0) | TrackBack
Minor League Recap: 5/20 - 5/22
Richmond Braves (17-28, 8 GB)
5/20: Richmond 1, Norfolk 2
Seth Greisinger (2-4) came up on the short end of the stick of a 2-1 pitching duel on Friday. Greisinger allowed two runs on five hits in six innings. The offense was held to three hits, one single each for Scott Pratt, Andy Marte, and Jason Bourgeouis.
5/21: Richmond 2, Ottawa 4
Zach Miner (2-2) allowed three runs (two earned) in six innings pitched, but took the loss. Trey Hodges made his return to the R-Braves pitching two scoreless innings.
Andy Barkett was 3-for-4 with a double and a run scored. James Jurries was 2-for-4 with a triple and an RBI. J.C. Boscan also had a two-hit night.
5/22: Richmond 2, Ottawa 4
Daniel Curtis had a good start, but he received a no decision. Curtis allowed two runs on two hits in seven innings. He did walk six, but was rather unscathed. Esix Snead, Scott Pratt, and Andy Marte all had two hits each.
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Mississippi Braves (19-25, 3.5 GB)
5/20: Mississippi 3, Jacksonville 1
Start #2 had a better result than the first for Chuck James (1-0). James allowed one run on three hits in six innings. He walked one and struck out ten to earn the win. Jeff Francoeur had a 2-for-5 with a double. Scott Thorman and Brian McCann also had a double.
5/21: Mississippi 2, Jacksonville 7
Anthony Lerew (2-2) struggled in his Saturday outing. Lerew allowed seven runs in 4.2 innings. His ERA ballooned to 5.73. Gregor Blanco had a 2-for-4 night with a double. Scott Thorman cranked a two-run home run.
5/22: Mississippi 8, Jacksonville 2
Blaine Boyer (1-4) had his best start in AA on Sunday, also earning his first win of the season. Boyer allowed two runs in seven innings. He walked one and struck out four. Brian McCann had a 2-for-4 night with a HR and three RBIs. Wes Timmons had a 3-for-5 night.
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Myrtle Beach Pelicans (20-24, 5.5 GB)
5/20: Game Postponed
5/21: Myrtle Beach 2,0 -- Wilmington 3,2
The Wilmington Blue Rocks swept the Pelicans in a double header on Saturday.
Game 1 (3-2 Rocks): Ricardo Rodriguez (1-2) blew the save and the victory for the Pelicans by allowing two runs in the bottom of the seventh. Brady Endl had a very good start, but unfortunately it was for naught. The offense was held to three hits. Josh Burrus had one of those and drove in one.
Game 2 (2-0 Rocks): The offense got even worse for the Pelicans in a game two as they were held to two hits (one was a double for Carlos Guzman). Paul Bush (0-2) was the unfortunate loser, giving up two runs in five innings.
5/22: Pelicans Off Day
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Rome Braves (26-19, 2 GB)
5/20: Rome 7, Augusta 2
Van Pope lead the offensive explosion with three hits (two doubles and a triple), a walk, and an RBI. Four other Braves had two-hit nights (Loadenthal, Jurich, Eichas, and Pyzik). Johnny Venters (4-1) earned the victory in relief. He allowed two runs in four innings.
5/21: Rome 7, Augusta 1
Keith Eichas and Mark Jurich each had two hits including a home run a-piece as Rome blasted the Jackets 7-1 on Saturday. Clint Sammons and Van Pope also had two hit nights. Matt Harrison (5-2) had an outstanding start. He allowed one run in seven innings. He walked none and struck out seven.
5/22: Rome 6, Asheville 3
Luis Atilano (3-3) earned some good run support and pitched well to earn his third win of the season. Atilano allowed three runs (one earned) in 6.2 Innings Pitched. Mike Rozema and Steve Pyzik each had two hit nights.
Posted by Merv at 10:30 PM | Comments (0) | TrackBack
May 21, 2005
Patience Please
Welcome back to the Diner. To kick off the 2005 season, we’ll take a look at a few of the major issues surfacing after the first six weeks of the season.
First and foremost, the cream continues to rise within the Braves organization. Several players are continuing to post gaudy numbers along the developmental pathway. Kelly Johnson rapidly has become the talk of Braves minor league community and is entering into discussions of “ATL-only� fans. While Kelly’s 8 HR and .317/.455/.603 for AAA Richmond standout like a nugget of gold against the pallor of Brian Jordan and Raul Mondesi’s production in Atlanta, Johnson’s appearance at SS this week sent a very clear signal that the Braves are considering a number of options short and long-term for him. Of particular interest in Johnson’s case are the facts that he’s 6 of 7 in stolen base attempts which puts him on pace to swipe around 30 bags at a meaningful success rate, his isolated on-base percentage (OBP-AVG) is 35 pts higher than the 100 pt threshold of greatness, and he is quite capable of playing as many as seven positions. Keep an eye on Johnson and see if the Braves use him in the leadoff spot in Richmond; we may have a very clear picture of Rafael Furcal’s future replacement in that spot of the order.
The ascent of Chuck James through the ranks is an equal intriguing story. James opened the season with Advanced A Myrtle Beach and utterly dominated any and all opposition. At one point James had amassed 31 K’s before walking his second hitter. With Myrtle Beach’s Coastal Federal Field appearing to play more toward a neutral status and James’ slightly advanced age for the level of competition, Chuck’s case put forth a strong argument for promotion to AA. He was promoted and arrived on the scene in AA Mississippi this week. James promptly went to work mowing down hitters until the rains played a bit of havoc on the debut. Still, 8K, 2BB, 2H, and 1 ER in 4.2 IP is a very nice showing to open with in the Southern League. Given James’ LH delivery and a reduced but still present concern with the left-side of the Atlanta bullpen, James could find himself fast-tracked into Atlanta’s pen.
Other notable developments include the next level of intensity in the logjam situations. While these things tend to have ways of resolving themselves, one can not help but take note of recent events in Richmond and Pearl. James Jurries returned from a 10-day suspension to find himself trying his hand in the AAA outfield. Billy McCarthy’s ankle appears to be mended, and he’s back to abusing baseballs from the right hand side of the plate. As mentioned before, Kelly Johnson played at SS for the Richmond club this week, and Scott Thorman is supposedly taking balls at 3B, a position he played in HS, for the AA club. While there are a horde of reasons to think otherwise, I can’t help but wonder if platoons might appear with greater frequency next year in Atlanta to help a large influx of rookies and young players pick their spots so to speak. The bottom line for the moment is that RH prospects like Marte, McCarthy, and Jurries are putting together nice developmental progress as are LH prospects including Johnson and Thorman. This, coupled with a realistic forecast of Langerhans potential, points to the Braves having several options.
What about the hot starts? Outside of Johnson and James, few have started hotter than Jarrod Saltalamacchia. His 5HR lead the Pelicans, and his .276/.364/.495 production shows a very disciplined approach at the plate. Still Saltalamacchia is a draft-class behind Brian McCann, and McCann is beginning to post production numbers that are giving credence to his lofty prospect status. After six weeks McCann’s boasting a .295/.360/.579 line with 5 HR of his own. Continuing on with those behind the dish, Sammons is posting a nice opening in Rome too. While the homeruns have been few and far between for the entire squad in Rome this season so far, Sammons has gone off on a .330/.405/.417 clip. Nice depth at catcher, and I forgot to mention that Brayan Pena is cruising along .411/.462/.474 as Richmond’s starting backstop but may need to continue working on his defensive skill set.
Others are performing well as well for the minor league clubs. Mike Rozema has very quietly stepped up in his PT in Rome .320/.391/.507 and helped the effort, but the biggest move by a “fringe� player has got to be Wes Timmons. Timmons simply continues to hit and get on base while playing solid defense. In addition to being a perennial candidate to turn in more BB than K, Timmons is a potential .280-.300 hitter. If you were one of those surprised by Pete Orr’s progress, keep a very watchful eye on Timmons’ quest for a utility job. LHP Matt Coenen opened up in AA Mississippi’s rotation with 3.05 ERA and a .238 BAA, and Jorge Vasquez has toyed with the Southern League so far (18K, 5BB, 16.1 IP with a .190 BAA). In Myrtle Beach, UW-Whitewater alum Brady Endl has made good on skipping low-A Rome by posting a 2.65 ERA and .191 BAA in his first seven starts, and Paul Bush has come on strong after shaking off Opening Week rust.
Finally, let’s all not discount the players who aren’t turning the lights out with their statistical production. The minor leagues are structured with a priority of player development rather than an emphasis on winning and racking up stats using methods and techniques that will not succeed long-term at the MLB level. Anthony Lerew’s making strides in harnessing that extra juice on his fastball, Vines and Atilano are being brought along at a deliberate pace, and a variety of others are making adjustments to their mechanics on the mound and at the plate. Luis Hernandez is one player heaped with expectations given the Rafael Furcal contract-FA situation, and Luis has struggled in one regard at the plate (.175 avg). Keep in mind though that Hernandez is very, very young for this level of competition AND managed to develop a plate discipline that was very notable lacking in his previous levels of play (.308 OBP). So looking beyond the youthful struggles with contact that will resolve with experience, I for one am quite excited with the prospects of fabulous defense and a 125 Iso OBP.
That’s it for this installment. Hope everyone’s got the chance to get out and take in a game this week.
BTW: Good luck to Kyle Davies and Brayan Pena.
Posted by FloBrave01 at 07:33 AM | Comments (1) | TrackBack
May 20, 2005
Minor League Recaps: 5/19
Richmond Braves (17-25, 7 GB)
Richmond 0, Norfolk 4
Macay McBride (1-1) earned his first start for Richmond, but allowed four runs in the losing cause. McBride lasted only four innings, giving up six hits, walking one, and striking out two. Andy Marte was the only bright spot for the offense, going 2-for-3 with a double. He's now hitting .286.
Notes: This appeared to be Kyle Davies spot in the rotation, so it appears the young righty is headed to Atlanta for Saturday's start against the BoSox. Brayan Pena was also out of the lineup with J.C. Boscan getting the start.
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Mississippi Braves (16-24, 5 GB)
Off Day
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Myrtle Beach Pelicans (20-22, 5.5 GB)
Myrtle Beach 7, Wilmington 8
Glenn Tucker (0-1) blew a two run lead late by allowing two runs in the eighth and a run in the bottom of the ninth. Starter Kelvin Villa struggled in his second Pelicans start, allowing five runs in five innings. Jarrod Saltalamacchia was 2-for-4 with a double. Carlos Guzman had a double and two RBIs.
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Rome Braves (22-19, 4 GB)
Rome 4, Augusta 2
The trio of Charlie Morton, Dan Smith (3-2), and Arthur Santos pitched the Rome Braves to victory on Thursday. Morton allowed two runs (one earned) in six innings and Smith had two scoreless relief innings. Carl Loadenthal had a solo home run. Keith Eichas and J.C. Holt each had two hit games.
Posted by Merv at 09:05 AM | Comments (0) | TrackBack
May 19, 2005
Minor League Recaps: 5/18
Richmond Braves (17-24, 6 GB)
Richmond 5, Norfolk 11
Interesting line of the night:
Jeremy Ward, P (L, 0-1): 0.2 IP, 3 H, 7 R, 0 ER, 1 BB, 1 K
Ouch... the defense faltered and a home run by former Brave prospect catcher Fernando Lunar put this one out of reach.
James Jurries was 2-for-4 with a double and three RBIs. The R-Braves also got two-hit games out of Andy Barkett and Tony Pena, Jr.
Starter Sam McConnell went six and allowed three runs on nine hits. He struck our four and walked none.
Transactions Note: The word coming off of our message boards is that Brayan Pena and Kyle Davies will be promoted to Atlanta this weekend. Davies is slated to pitch potentially on Saturday against the Bo-Sox.
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Mississippi Braves (16-24, 5 GB)
Mississippi 4, Birmingham 6
Another good Matt Coenen start was ruined by the bullpen on Wednesday. Coenen allowed only one unearned run in five innings, but Ryan Basner coughed up five runs (four earned) in the deciding sixth inning.
Scott Thorman was 2-for-4 with a double and two RBIs. Jeff Francoeur also had a two hit night.
Transactions Note: Catcher Ray Serrano has re-joined the MissBraves after a short stint in Myrtle Beach. The Braves have also picked up lefty reliever Steve Kent. Kent has spent time in the Seattle, Tampa Bay, and Colorado organizations. He also had a stint with the major league Devil Rays in 2002. Steve Kent Player Stats
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Myrtle Beach Pelicans (20-21, 5 GB)
MB Pelicans 8, Frederick 7 (16 innings)
The Pelicans and Keys had a near five hour long battle on Wednesday with the Pelicans picking up a run in the top of the 16th to win this one.
The bullpen had chalked up 10.2 innings pitched last night with starter Jake Stevens not making it out of the sixth (allowing six runs/four earned). Jason Richardson (1-0) picked up the win with two scoreless innings pitched.
Josh Burrus lead the way with three hits in eight at-bats, including the eventual game winning solo home run in the top of the 16th. Steven Doetsch also had a home run. Tough night for Scott Schade, whom went 0-for-8.
Transactions: Relief help is on the way as pitcher Zach Schreiber has been promoted from Rome to MB.
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Rome Braves (21-19, 4 GB)
Rome 2, Augusta 1
Dean White scored on an Augusta throwing error in the bottom of the ninth as the Rome Braves won this pitching duel 2-1 on Wednesday.
The pitching started off with a scoreless inning from the rehabbing Kevin Gryboski. Chris Vines took the torch and allowed only an unearned run in six innings, striking out six. Angelo Burrows (1-1) earned the win.
Van Pope hit his third home run in a week (3). Pope, Mike Rozema, and Cole Armstrong each had two hits.
Posted by Merv at 11:59 AM | Comments (0) | TrackBack
May 18, 2005
Minor League Notebook: 5/18
Richmond
Transactions: As mentioned yesterday, pitcher RHP Matt Childers was called up to Atlanta to replace the injured John Thomson. LHP Casey DeHart moved up from Mississippi to fill the void left by Childers. DeHart allowed three runs (two earned) in two innings last night.
Other Tidbits: After struggling for most of the first month of the season, Billy McCarthy has turned it on and even picked up International League Player of the week honors. The big game of the week was the 6-for-6 outing in the 16-8 victory on Saturday.
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Mississippi
Transactions: None to report at this time. The DeHart promotion to Richmond has left a void in the MissBraves pen and a call-up should be announced shortly to fill the void. The likely candidate appears to be Paul Bush, who returned to Myrtle Beach for the third season in 2005 (and is pitching well at this time).
Other Tidbits: The trio of Jon Schuerholz, Onil Joseph, and Gregor Blanco enjoyed better weeks at the plate this week. All three have struggled pretty badly the first month and a half of the season. Schuerholz has risen his batting average to .254 and the Joseph/Blanco combo is up around .220.
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Myrtle Beach
Transactions: When Chuck James was promoted last week, pitcher Kelvin Villa was promoted from Rome (after a great start at Rome). Villa pitched in Saturday's game and could not make it out of the second inning, allowing four runs in the process. Also, infielder Ben Thomas has been moved up to the Beach, replacing the injured Diory Hernandez (who was said to have potentially broken his hand).
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Rome
Transactions: Announced yesterday was that Johnnie Wiggins was demoted to EST. He was blasted on Monday to the tune of six earned runs without getting anyone out. Joining the Rome Braves are pitcher Jason Paul and IF Mark Jurich from EST. Jurich has been out due to an unfortunate accident in the spring involving getting hit in the face while fielding grounders at first. His bat should provide some much needed spark to the team.
Kevin Gryboski should be pitching this afternoon in a rehab appearance with the Rome team. He has been out of action due to a "viral infection".
Posted by Merv at 01:48 PM | Comments (0) | TrackBack
Minor League Recaps: 5/13 - 5/17
Since Brad has taken a hiatus from No Pepper for the time being, I'm posting the latest results from the minors. It's been several years since I've done this, so, hopefully I'm not too rusty.
Richmond (17-22, 4 GB)
Friday, May 13th: Richmond 10, Louisville 4
Sam McConnell (1-4) picked up his first win of the season, allowing three runs on eight hits in six innings. Offensively, Andy Marte continues to have the hot bat, going 4-for-5 with a HR (6) and three RBIs. Outfielders Billy McCarthy and Esix Snead also had three hits a-piece.
Saturday, May 14th: Richmond 16, Louisville 8
Macay McBride (1-0) pitched three solid relief innings in place of starter Kyle Davies (who allowed seven of the eight Bat runs). The offensive explosion was lead by Billy McCarthy, who followed the three hit night on Friday with a 6-for-6 night on Saturday raising his BA to .348. McCarthy had two doubles, a home run, and 4 RBIs as part of that great night. Brayan Pena also continued his great season going 5-for-5 with a triple and three RBIs (now hitting .411). Esix Snead, James Jurries, and Tony Pena Jr. also had multi-hit games. Jurries also socked his sixth home run.
Sunday, May 15th: Richmond 2, Louisville 1
The R-Braves won again, this time in a pitching duel. Seth Greisinger pitched very well, allowing only one run in seven innings. Matt Childers (2-0) ended up with the victory with two innings of shutout relief. Billy McCarthy drove in the eventual game winning runs with a 2-RBI single in the ninth. Kelly Johnson had a 2-for-4 night with 2 doubles.
Monday, May 16th: Richmond 2, Louisville 5
The Bats finally got the upper hand on Richmond, chasing starter Zach Miner (2-1) after three innings (allowing five runs). Andy Marte had a 2-for-3 night with a HR (7) and two RBIs. Interesting note as reliever Andy Van Hekken picked up the "hold" for Louisville, one week after being released from the Mississippi squad.
Tuesday, May 17th: Richmond 1, Norfolk 9
The Tides roughed up R-Brave starter Daniel Curtis to the tune of six runs in 3.2 innings pitched. Brayan Pena was the lone offensive bright spot, going 2-for-4 with a double and an RBI. He's now hitting a whopping .417 on the season.
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Mississippi (16-22, 4 GB)
Friday, May 13th: Mississippi 8, Mobile 1
Matt Coenen (2-2) pitched six scoreless innings and received very good run support to earn the win on Friday. Gregor Blanco was 3-for-4 with 2 RBIs. Onil Joseph and Jon Schuerholz each had 2 hits.
Saturday, May 14th: Mississippi 6, Mobile 5 (7 Inn)
The MissBraves won a rain-shortened game on Saturday 6-5. Chuck James had a very good start going until the top of the fifth when a fielding error by Onil Joseph allowed three unearned runs to score. Luckily, earlier in the night Joseph brought his bat along and drove in four runs. Brian McCann and Gregor Blanco each had two hit nights.
Sunday, May 15th: Mississippi 3, Mobile 5
The bullpen failed the MissBraves, allowing three runs in the last three innings. Mike Porzio (0-1) allowed two of those runs with Jorge Vasquez giving up the nail in the coffin. Jon Schuerholz had the only multi-hit game, going 2-for-4, raising his batting average to .252. Starter Anthony Lerew only allowed two runs in six innings.
Monday, May 16th: Mississippi 3, Birmingham 4
A 3-3 tie was broken in the top of the ninth, with the MissBraves falling 4-3. Ryan Basner (0-4) took the loss. Starter Blaine Boyer allowed three runs in six innings pitched. Brian McCann and Iker Franco each had two hit games.
Tuesday, May 17th: Mississippi 3, Birmingham 10
Starter Matt Wright (2-5) was chased after five innings, allowing five runs on five hits and four walks. His ERA has ballooned to 7.96. Four players has multi-hit games (Thorman, Schuerholz, Blanco, and Timmons).
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Myrtle Beach (19-20, 4 GB)
Friday, May 13th: Myrtle Beach 12, Potomac 4
A 2-HR, 4-Run night by Ardley Jansen helped propel the Pelicans to a huge offensive win over the Potomac Cannons. Six Pelicans had two or more hits on Friday with Jarrod Saltalamacchia making noise with a three-hit night (including a HR). Jake Stevens (3-4) allowed one run in six innings to earn the victory.
Saturday, May 14th: Myrtle Beach 2, Potomac 7
Kelvin Villa (2-2) could not make it out of the second inning, allowing four runs and picking up the loss. Diory Hernandez was 2-for-3 with an RBI.
Sunday, May 15th: Myrtle Beach 1, Potomac 2
Brady Endl pitched well, allowing one run in six, but could not get any run support. Ricardo Rodriguez (2-1) allowed the winning run in the bottom of the ninth. Josh Burrus had a double, stole two bases, and drove in the lone Pelican run.
Monday, May 16th: Myrtle Beach 7, Frederick 5
A 2-run HR in the top of the 11th by Willie James helped the Pelicans to the 7-5 victory in the opener of this series. Ralph Roberts (1-2) blew the save, but stuck around long enough to earn the victory. Josh Burrus had two hits including a three-run HR.
Tuesday, May 17th: Myrtle Beach 5, Frederick 6
Bryan Digby (1-3) allowed the winning run with two outs in the bottom of the 11th as Frederick evened the series at one a-piece. Sean White did not pitch well either, allowing five runs in five innings. Doetsch, Esquivel, Saltalamacchia, and Jansen each had two hits.
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Rome (19-19, 5 GB)
Friday, May 13th: Rome 3, Greenville 4
The Bombers nicked the RoBraves for a run in the eighth to earn this win. Angelo Burrows (0-1) took the loss. Chris Vines had a good start, allowing three runs in seven. Van Pope hit a two-run HR, his first of the year. Clint Sammons and Keith Eichas each had two hits.
Saturday, May 14th: Rome 8, Greenville 3
Four Rome Brave hitters lead the bombing of the Greenville Bombers on Saturday, picking up the 8-3 victory. Matt Young, Clint Sammons, Ivan Terrazas, and Dean White each had three hits. Van Pope hit home run #2 of the season. Charlie Morton (1-2) picked up win #1 of the season. He allowed three runs in five innings. Newcomer Arthur Santos allowed one run in three innings in his RoBrave debut.
Sunday, May 15th: Rome 4, Greenville 3
A 3-run HR by Cole Armstrong and an RBI single by Clint Sammons (3-for-4) rallied the Rome Braves to the 4-3 victory. Johnny Venters (3-1) earned the victory, allowing two runs in seven innings.
Monday, May 16th: Rome 2, Greenville 10
Matt Harrison (4-2) had one of his worst outings of the season, allowing four runs in five innings. The outing of reliever Johnnie Wiggins was perhaps a bit worse. Six earned runs, five hits, three walks, and NO OUTS. That will kill an ERA (now at 10.50). Clint Sammons and Cole Armstong each had a double.
Tuesday, May 17th: Rome 7, Augusta 0
Luis Atilano (2-3) and Dan Smith combined on a two-hit shutout of the Greenjackets of Augusta. Atilano allowed only one hit in eight innings, striking out four. Clint Sammons, Ivan Terrazas, and Dean White each had two hits.
Posted by Merv at 10:14 AM | Comments (0) | TrackBack
May 13, 2005
Minor League Notes: 5/13
While perusing some stats and notes this morning, I decided to put together another entry concerning the minors this morning.
Richmond
I guess I need to pay a little closer attention to the box scores. James Jurries returned to the lineup from his steriod related suspension on Sunday. So far he's hit 2-for-15 since returning to the lineup. The more interesting piece of news is that Jurries is starting to get some time in left field. If he can get that bat going again (along with playing adequate defense) and with the hot start of Kelly Johnson (8 HRs now on the season), could we see a switch in left and right in the majors (like many are clamoring for)?
Mississippi
Something as rare as a Rafael Belliard home run occured last night as Jon Schuerholz, Jr went deep for the second time in his minor league career (1,143 ABs). Edit (12:58 PM): I stand corrected. Schuerholz did not "go deep". He hit a line-drive to right-center for an in-the-park home run in the top of the 7th. Tsk, tsk... relying on box scores got me on this one. Still it's only the second time Schuerholz has a hit a home run in the minors.
Scott Thorman cranked his team-high sixth home run last night.
Also, if you missed it Chuck James picked up a much deserved promotion to Pearl with Macay McBride moving up to Richmond.
Myrtle Beach
Catching up on some of the transactions here, RHP Jose Ascaino was placed on the DL on 5/2. RHP Ricardo Rodriguez returned to the Pelicans from EST following his steriod related suspension on Monday. Miguel Bernard was placed on the DL and will likely be having season ending knee surgery. Ray Serrano, who seems to be filling the roving backup catcher position, has moved down from Mississippi to fill in for Bernard.
Pep's reporting that Martin Prado has extended his hitting streak to 17 games. Due to this guy's speed and hitting ability, he is someone to watch out for.
Rome
Be sure to check out this site I found while browsing the news at NoPepper, Link: Rome Blog. It's been kept up to date, be sure to check it out.
Rome is currently 4 games back in the Southern Division of the Sally League.
Posted by Merv at 09:51 AM | Comments (0) | TrackBack
Minor League Recap for 5/12
Notes -- The dreaded 0-fer strikes again, as all four teams in action take the loss. Richmond committed four errors to assist in their downfall, and poor pitching led to the rest. Kelly Johnson remains scorching hot though, and watch out for Martin Prado in Myrtle Beach.
I'm going to be scarce for the rest of today and the majority of the weekend, so I am not sure how much posting will be going on during that time.
Player of the day -- Martin Prado (Myrtle Beach) 2-5, HR (1), RBI, 17-game hitting streak
Richmond Braves 2, Indianapolis Indians (PIT) 11 -- Box Score
Dan Curtis allowed seven runs - four earned - on six hits, two walks, and three strikeouts in 4-2/3 innings, as the Braves are trounced by the Indians 11-2. The loss was marred by four Richmond errors, three coming from 2B Jason Bourgeois. Kelly Johnson manned shortstop in this contest and hit yet another home run, his eighth of the season. 3B Andy Marte was 2-for-4 with his seventh double of the year.
Additional Stats:
LF James Jurries 1-3, RBI, BB, SO
CF Esix Snead 1-3, 2B, BB, 2 SB
Record: 14-21, 6 GB of Norfolk
Streak: Lost 1
Mississippi Braves 5, Birmingham Barons (CHA) 13 -- Box Score
Matt Wright was smacked around for eight runs on eight hits, a walk, and three strikeouts in 4-1/3 innings, and Brian O'Connor coughed up five more in 3-2/3 innings of relief, as the Braves are pounded by the Barons 13-5. 1B Scott Thorman, CF Gregor Blanco, and 2B Jonathan Schuerholz all went deep for Mississippi. C Brian McCann was 0-for-2, but did draw two walks.
Additional Stats:
RF Jeff Francoeur 1-5, RBI, 2 SO
Record: 14-20, 5 GB of Montgomery
Streak: Lost 1
Frederick Keys (BAL) 6, Myrtle Beach Pelicans 3, 11 Inn. -- Box Score
Sean White tossed seven strong innings in the start, giving up just one run on seven hits and three strikeouts, but the Pelicans couldn't hold down the Keys in extra innings, eventually losing 6-3 in eleven. 2B Martin Prado extended his hitting streak to 17 games with a 2-for-5 night, including his first home run of the season. PH/SS Diory Hernandez also homered, his third of the year.
Additional Stats:
RF Matt Esquivel 1-4, BB, 2 SO
C Jarrod Saltalamacchia 0-3, 2 BB, SO
Record: 17-18, 4 GB of Kinston
Streak: Lost 3
Rome Braves 5, Augusta Greenjackets (SF) 6 -- Box Score
SS Mike Rozema was 3-for-5 with two doubles and two RBI, and C Clint Sammons also knocked in two on a 2-for-5 night, but it wasn't quite enough in the end, as the Braves fall to the Greenjackets 6-5. Luis Atilano allowed two runs on four hits, two walks, and two strikeouts in five innings in the start. Devin Anderson picked up the loss, giving up a run on three hits in the bottom of the ninth.
Additional Stats:
LF Matt Young 1-3, 2 BB, 2 R, SB
Record: 17-17, 4 GB of Charleston
Streak: Lost 1
Posted by Brad Dowdy at 07:22 AM | Comments (4) | TrackBack
May 12, 2005
Minor League Recap for 5/11
Notes -- Kelly Johnson continues to flat-out rake in Richmond, and starter Zach Miner rebounded nicely to lead the team to a win. Jeff Francouuer had a big night of his own at the plate for Mississippi, but the boys in Myrtle Beach managed just three hits in their loss. Matt Harrison gave up five runs, but he and the Rome Braves still came away with the victory.
Transactions -- Chuck James earns a well-deserved promotion to Mississippi, and it appears that Macay McBride moved up to Richmond to replace Frank Brooks, who was called up to replace a DL bound Kevin Gryboski.
Player of the day -- Jeff Francoeur (Mississippi) 3-for-5, 2B (13), HR (5), 2 RBI, 2 R, BB, SB (7)
Richmond Braves 5, Indianapolis Indians (PIT) 1 -- Box Score
Zach Miner bounced back in a big way from a terrible last start, allowing just four hits, two walks, and seven strikeouts in six shutout innings, as the Braves beat the Indians 5-1. Macay McBride has joined the Richmond staff as well, giving up one run in 2-1/3 innings of relief. RF Kelly Johnson continues to carry the load offensively, hitting his seventh homer of the season on a 2-for-3, two RBI, two run, two walk night. 1B Andy Barkett also went deep for the first time this season, going 2-for-3 in the victory.
Additional Stats:
3B Andy Marte 1-3, RBI
Record: 14-120, 6 GB of Norfolk
Streak: Won 1
Mississippi Braves 8, Birmingham Barons (CHA) 5, 11 Inn. -- Box Score
It was a banner night at the plate for RF Jeff Francoeur on Wednesday night, who hit his fifth homer and 13th double of the season on a 3-for-5, two RBI night, but it took three runs in the top of the eleventh inning to finally pull away from the Barons 8-5. Francoeur also added a stolen base, his seventh, two runs scored, and a walk - just his sixth of the season. Andy Van Hekken gave up five runs in 5-1/3 innings in the start, but Glenn Tucker and Jorge Vazquez tossed 5-2/3 innings of one-hit relief to keep the Braves tied until they were ready to pounce in the eleventh.
Additional Stats:
DH Brian McCann 0-3, 2 RBI, 2 BB
LF Onil Joseph 1-6, 2 RBI, 3 SO
Record: 14-19, 5 GB of Montgomery
Streak: Won 1
Frederick Keys (BAL) 4, Myrtle Beach Pelicans 2 -- Box Score
Juan Alvarez gave up all four runs on seven hits, three walks, and three strikeouts in four innings in the start, as the Pelicans drop another to the Keys 4-2. Myrtle Beach managed just three hits in the loss, one each from CF Steve Doetsch, 2B Martin Prado, and RF Matt Esquivel. Both Doetsch and Prado also stole a base in addition to keeping their hitting streaks alive, and Prado added an RBI. The Pelicans did draw twelve walks in the loss.
Additional Stats:
LF Josh Burrus 0-3, BB, 2 SO
DH Jarrod Saltalamacchia 0-3, BB, SO
Record: 17-17, 3 GB of Kinston
Streak: Lost 2
Rome Braves 6, Augusta Greenjackets (SF) 5 -- Box Score
Matt Harrison was finally touched up a bit, allowing five runs on ten hits and two strikeouts in six innings in the start, but the offense had his back on this night, scoring just enough to eek out a 6-5 win over the Greenjackets and hand Harrison his fourth victory of the season. 1B Ben Thomas paced the offense with a perfect 3-for-3, three RBI night, including two doubles. SS Mike Rozema was 2-for-5 with a double and an RBI, and DH Clint Sammons was 3-for-5 with two runs scored and his first stolen base of the season. Angelo Burrows picked up his first save with a scoreless ninth, but did give up two hits to make it interesting.
Additional Stats:
CF Johan Silva 1-4, RBI
P Dan Smith 2 IP, H
Record: 17-16, 4 GB of Charleston
Streak: Won 1
Posted by Brad Dowdy at 07:13 AM | Comments (1) | TrackBack
May 11, 2005
Minor League Notes: 5/11
It's been a while since I had a chance to write up some notes on the Braves minor leaguers, so today I will drop a few lines on some notables from this early season.
Richmond
Hitting
The biggest noise coming out of The Diamond this season thus far has been the season of Kelly Johnson (.319/6 HR/17 RBI). However, I believe a very big piece of news is the season of Brayan Pena (.390/0 HR/6 RBI). Pena has shown that he can hit the ball at several levels in the minors and hitting this well at AAA is very positive. The only concerns have been his weight (with regards to defense/speed) and lack of power. However, looking at reports out of spring training and the photos from Tom Priddy this spring, it looks like Pena has slimmed down quite a bit. With Eddie Perez getting up in the years, Brayan may be an interesting option in Atlanta starting next season.
Despite a hot start, Andy Marte (.243/5 HR/19 RBI) has cooled down and has been struggling in recent weeks. Fear not Braves fans, Marte has been known for going into batting slumps at times in the minors, but also adjusts very well to the level of talent.
Another struggling slugger is Billy McCarthy (.226/4 HR/17 RBI). It's still too early to pass judgement, there's still plenty of time to turn around.
It's still disappointing regarding the situation of James Jurries (.275/5 HR/13 RBI). He should be returning relatively soon from the drug-related suspension.
Pitching
There's not too much to report on the Richmond Pitching. Daniel Curtis (2-1, 3.27 ERA) and Kyle Davies (2-1, 3.62 ERA) have had their share of ups-and-downs. Zach Miner (1-0, 5.40 ERA) had one excellent start followed by a poor start. The bullpen arms of note, Kevin Barry (0-2, 6.75 ERA) and Buddy Hernandez (2-1, 5.54 ERA), have struggled thus far.
Mississippi
How many here are still expecting Greenville out of AA? **Raising Hand**
Hitting
The hot-shot hitting prospects are shining! Lead by top catching prospect Brian McCann (.322/5/16) and Scott Thorman (.313/5/24), the heart of the MissBraves lineup looks very formidable. McCann has also improved on his OBP statistics, so rejoice some stat-geeks! Jeff Francoeur (.276/4/22) and Wes Timmons (.295/2/5) have also been bright spots in Pearl.
Looking at some of the other guys on the squad, it's a bit disappointing to see the starts of Jon Schuerholz, Gregor Blanco, Luis Hernandez, and Onil Joseph. What's especially concerning is their strikeout numbers (averaging close to 1 K every 3 or 4 AB's). These guys are not power hitters by any means and when you have these lead-off/table setters not getting on base, it's easy to see why Mississippi is 13-19.
Pitching
Despite having a very, very talented starting rotation (McBride/Coenen/Lerew/Wright/Boyer), the numbers aren't there yet. Matt Coenen and Macay McBride have the best numbers of the bunch. I think Anthony Lerew will be turning his situation around very soon. Matt Wright and Blaine Boyer have been very good second half pitchers in their career, so have patience with them.
Myrtle Beach
Hitting
Usually Coastal Federal Field is a hitter's nightmare, however the Pelicans have had a number of very positive hitting performances thus far this year. My top two favorite prosects of this group are Jarrod Salatalamacchia and Matt Esquivel. Saltalamacchia (.277/4/16) is among the elite catching prosepects that the Braves have at this point. Esquivel is a bull. His strikeout numbers might make Adam Dunn blush, but, hey, those home runs are pretty.
Pitching
Chuck James is having a season even better than Bubba Nelson had a few years ago at the same park. James is 3-3 with a 1.08 ERA in 41.2 IP.
Brady Endl has emerged practically out of nowhere to have a very good beginning of the season. It would be good to see him have a good season as the Braves are down a bit on lefty starters due to trades (Dan Meyer) and injuries (Jo Jo Reyes).
Rome
Hitting
It was tough to see Brandon Jones go down with an injury after having a good start to the season (10 Hits in 30 ABs). The hitting crew at Rome is a bit underrated, but there should be some future gems there in catcher Clint Sammons and IF Van Pope. You have to figure that Eric Campbell (2004 2nd Round Pick) will eventually get his name on the roster.
Pitching
Matt Harrison has been leading the group here (3-1, 0.49). Kelvin Villa has also been a bright spot (2-1, 1.33) With Atilano, Parr, Morton, and Venters also in the rotation, on paper this appears to be a very strong pitching staff.
The Internation Man of Mystery Dan Smith has pitched well out of the pen. I've had a couple asking about, "Where's Dan Smith's photos?" Well, Tom Priddy captured a pic this spring and it's in the new photo tool (Link).
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Well, that takes care of my first Minor League Notebook in a while. I really can't wait to get out to the ballpark again to catch some of these guys. Unfortunately, it appears that I will have to wait until after the Draft and for Danville's season to begin. The Rome Braves won't be visiting my next of the woods this year (Charleston, WV). It's a shame too, especially since the Alley Cats (err... they are called the WV Power now) have a new ballpark.
Posted by Merv at 02:07 PM | Comments (0) | TrackBack
Minor League Recap for 5/10
Notes -- Tough night for the good guys, losing three on the road, and another at home in Myrtle Beach. Kelly Johnson continues to do it all at the plate in Richmond, same with Brian McCann in Mississippi.
Playing Pepper -- Chuck James moves to the head of the class in the latest Baseball America Hot Sheet. Matt Harrison lands in the team photo, and former Braves prospect Melvin Nieves earns a special mention from Kevin Goldstein.
On a personal note, some of you may have noticed on JDM's site that my work schedule has changed. I loved contributing my nightly report for his site, but with my new work hours, I couldn't commit to doing it every night. It was a great run while it lasted, and hopefully I will be able to contribute to his site again in the future.
So, what does it mean for me here at No Pepper? One thing I know for sure is that this site will keep going strong, but there may be a few changes along the way. I'm not going to have as much time to post the recaps in the morning, so they may be shorter and later than usual, and I may even miss a few days here and there. Hopefully I will be able to add in some new features to make up for that, but it's probably going to be a couple of months before everything shakes out. I just wanted to give everybody the heads up in case your morning minor league fix isn't up as usual. Thanks for your continued readership, and please let me know if you have any questions or suggestions.
Player of the day -- Kelly Johnson (Richmond) 2-for-3, 2B, RBI, 2 R, 2 BB, SB (4)
Richmond Braves 6, Indianapolis Indians (PIT) 10 -- Box Score
Seth Greisinger gave up six runs on eight hits, three walks, and five strikeouts in four innings in the start, but the Braves offense matched the Indians output run for run until Chris Mears allowed a walk-off grand slam in the bottom of the ninth, giving Indianapolis the 10-6 victory. RF Kelly Johnson was 2-for-3 with a double, RBI, two walks, a stolen base, and two runs scored. Now that Langerhans seems to be breaking the ice in Atlanta, will it be long before we have a Langerhans/Jones/Johnson outfield? 1B Andy Barkett added three RBI on a 2-for-4 night with a double.
Additional Stats:
3B Andy Marte 1-3, R
Record: 13-20, 6 GB of Norfolk
Streak: Lost 3
Mississippi Braves 4, Birmingham Barons (CHA) 7 -- Box Score
DH Mike Rosamond knocked a solo homer in the fifth inning, and 1B Scott Thorman added one in the seventh, but the Braves couldn't keep up with the Barons on this night, losing 7-4. Blaine Boyer worked five innings in the start, allowing three runs on seven hits, three walks, and struck out five. Ryan Basner (0-3) took the loss, giving up two runs - one earned - in two innings of relief.
Additional Stats:
C Brian McCann 2-4, 2B, R, SB (1)
Record: 13-19, 5 GB of Montgomery
Streak: Lost 1
Frederick Keys (BAL) 5, Myrtle Beach Pelicans 1 -- Box Score
Brady Endl got through five scoreless innings in the start, but the Keys caught up to him with a three run sixth and kept rolling from there, beating the Pelicans by a final score of 5-1. RF Matt Esquivel was 1-for-4 with a double, and C Jarrod Saltalamacchia was 1-for-3 with his first stolen base of the season. Thanks to Ryan Ibbotson for relaying that 2B Martin Prado extended his hitting streak to 15 games with a 1-for-4 night, and CF Steve Doetsch ran his streak to 11 games, also going 1-for-4.
Additional Stats:
LF Josh Burrus 0-4, 3 SO
Record: 17-16, 3 GB of Kinston
Streak: Lost 1
Rome Braves 4, Augusta Greenjackets (SF) 7 -- Box Score
James Parr got knocked around a bit in the start, allowing five runs - three earned - on seven hits, two walks, and two strikeouts in five innings, as the Greenjackets knock off the Braves 7-4. Kelvin Villa gave up two runs of his own on four hits and a walk in three innings of relief. C Clint Sammons and LF Matt Young each went 2-for-4 and drove in a run, and 1B Cole Armstrong knocked in one on a 1-for-5 night.
Additional Stats:
RF Carl Loadenthal 1-3, SB (5)
2B J.C. Holt 1-5, R, 2 SO, SB (1)
Record: 16-16, 4 GB of Augusta
Streak: Lost 4
Posted by Brad Dowdy at 08:20 AM | Comments (2) | TrackBack
May 10, 2005
Minor League Recap for 5/9
Notes -- I'm swamped from dawn until dusk today, so I just have time for a few tidbits. I will leave you with one note though - it's time to challenge Chuck James.
Playing Pepper -- Joe from Baseball Digest Daily recently wrapped up an excellent interview with Jeff Francoeur, so be sure to check it out.
Player of the day -- Chuck James (Myrtle Beach) 6 IP, H, 0 R, 3 BB, 9 SO (W, 3-3, 1.08 ERA)
Richmond Braves 2, Indianapolis Indians (PIT) 7 -- Box Score
Kyle Davies had a rough start, allowing six runs on five hits, six walks, and five strikeouts in 4-2/3 innings as the Braves fall to the Indians 7-2. Davies gave up two home runs in the loss, dropping him to 2-1 with a 3.63 ERA on the season. Richmond managed just five hits on the night, two coming from C Brayan Pena, who raised his average to .390.
Mississippi Braves 4, Birmingham Barons (CHA) 2 -- Box Score
Anthony Lerew logged a quality start, allowing two runs on three hits, three walks, and five strikeouts in six innings, as the Braves go on to beat the Barons 4-2. Like Davies in Richmond, Lerew gave up two homers in his outing. 2B Jonathan Schuerholz fell a homer short of the cycle, going 3-for-3 with an RBI, and both RF Jeff Francoeur and C Brian McCann had two hits, with McCann adding two walks.
Frederick Keys (BAL) 0, Myrtle Beach Pelicans 7 -- Box Score
I honestly don't know what else I can say about Chuck James' performance this year, but it has been nothing short of spectacular. The lefty allowed just one hit in six shutout innings in the start, giving up three walks and fanning nine, as the Pelicans blank the Keys 7-0. RF Matt Esquivel paced the offense with a 2-for-4, three RBI night, which included two doubles. C Jarrod Saltalamacchia also doubled, going 2-for-4 and knocking in two. Myrtle Beach pounded out 14 hits in all against Frederick pitching.
Rome Braves 5, Augusta Greenjackets (SF) 6 -- Box Score
DH Cole Armstrong and 1B Keith Eichas each went 2-for-4 with an RBI, and SS Mike Rozema knocked in one on a 1-for-3 night, but the Braves pitching couldn't quite lock things down, losing to the Greenjackets 6-5. Charlie Morton gave up three runs and walked six in four innings in the start, and Devin Anderson gave up two more in two innings of relief. Zach Schreiber was on the hook for the loss, giving up an unearned run in the eighth.
Posted by Brad Dowdy at 07:04 AM | Comments (2) | TrackBack
May 09, 2005
New Site Design
Well, what do you think? Big thanks to Merv for designing and implementing the new design for No Pepper, and the entire Braves Beat Network for that matter. I still have a few tweaks to make, especially on the sidebar, so if the site is a bit wonky today, that's just me messing around with it. Please let me know if you run into any problems.
Posted by Brad Dowdy at 07:23 AM | Comments (12) | TrackBack
May 08, 2005
Minor League Recap for 5/8
Notes -- Andy Marte returned to the lineup after missing the last two games, but not at his usual position. Kelly Johnson knocked his sixth homer of the season for the R-Braves, and Scott Thorman tacked on his fourth for the M-Braves. Jake Stevens continues to scuffle for the Pelicans, but Steve Doetsch is finding the Carolina League to his liking.
Player of the day -- Scott Thorman (Mississippi) 3-for-4, HR (4), 3B, 2 RBI, 2 R
Durham Bulls (TB) 9, Richmond Braves 2 -- Box Score
Sam McConnell got lit up in the start, allowing six runs on ten hits, a walk, and two strikeouts in 5-1/3 innings, and Buddy Hernandez gave up three more in 2-2/3 innings, as Richmond gives up 17 hits to the Durham offense and loses 9-2.
Andy Marte returned to the lineup at 1B, and responded with a 1-for-3 day with a double, walk, and a run scored. Kelly Johnson took over duties at third for the third straight game and smacked his sixth homer of the season on a 1-for-3, one RBI day. SS Tony Pena Jr. also drove in a run, going 2-for-3 with a double in the loss.
McConnell drops to 0-4 on the season with a 5.65 ERA following the loss.
Additional Stats:
CF Esix Snead 0-4, 2 SO
LF Billy McCarthy 1-3, BB
Record: 13-18
Streak: Lost 1
Mississippi Braves 3, Jacksonville Suns (LA) 1 -- Box Score
Matt Coenen put up six strong innings in the start, allowing just one run on four hits, three walks, and three strikeouts in six innings, and relievers Casey DeHart and Jorge Vazquez backed him with three hitless innings, as the Braves take the 3-1 victory over the Suns.
1B Scott Thorman had a big game, falling just a double short of the cycle on a 3-for-4, two RBI day. C Iker Franco added an RBI and a double on a 2-for-3 afternoon, and CF/RF Jeff Francoeur was 2-for-5 with a run scored.
Coenen is starting to settle into the Mississippi rotation, working his ERA down to 3.62 after the start. DeHart picked up the win to move to 1-0 on the season, and Vazquez notched his second save.
Additional Stats:
3B Wes Timmons 1-4, SO
Record: 12-18
Streak: Won 2
Myrtle Beach Pelicans 5, Lynchburg Hillcats (PIT) 7 -- Box Score
Jake Stevens staked the Hillcats to an early lead, giving up five runs - only two earned - on seven hits, two walks, and four strikeouts in five innings, and not even four late runs by the Pelicans could get the job done, eventually losing by a final score of 7-5.
DH Scott Schade was 3-for-4 with a double and an RBI, and CF Ardley Jansen connected for his first home run of the season on a 1-for-4, one RBI day. RF Steve Doetsch was 2-for-4 with a double, walk, and two runs scored, and also gunned down a runner at the plate. It has been a very impressive 2005 so far for Mr. Doetsch.
Stevens was on the hook for the loss, dropping him to 2-4 with a 3.82 ERA on the season. Ricardo Rodriguez returned to the team following his steroid suspension by walking two and striking out one in one inning of work.
Additional Stats:
2B Martin Prado 1-4, 2B, RBI, BB, CS
Record: 16-15
Streak: Lost 1
Rome Braves -- Scheduled day off.
Record: 16-14
Streak: Lost 2
Posted by Brad Dowdy at 06:22 PM | Comments (3) | TrackBack
Position Change
Andy Marte is back in the Richmond lineup today, but is manning first base instead of his usual third, where Kelly Johnson is playing for the third consecutive game. They are probably just giving Marte's wrist some rest, but I thought it was interesting nonetheless. No point in reading anything into it unless it becomes a trend. By the way, Johnson homered in his first at-bat today. If Bobby won't give Ryan Langerhans a fair shot, is there any chance Johnson gets called up anytime soon?
Update: I guess Langer is getting that shot today, going 3-for-5 with two homers and six RBI. Hopefully that will earn him more playing time.
Posted by Brad Dowdy at 02:34 PM | Comments (2) | TrackBack
Minor League Recap for 5/7
Notes -- Esix Snead hit just his 13th professional homer in nearly 3000 at-bats in yesterday's Richmond victory. Brayan Pena went 4-for-5 in the same game, and took over the IL lead in hitting at .385. The M-Braves pulled out a ninth inning win over Jacksonville, and Myrtle Beach rode a five run first to the win over Lynchburg. Rome had a quiet night at the plate in their loss to Greenville.
Player of the day -- Esix Snead (Richmond) 3-for-4, HR (1), 2 RBI, 2 R, SB (8)
Durham Bulls (TB) 6, Richmond Braves 9 -- Box Score
CF Esix Snead hit his first home run of the season on a 3-for-4, two RBI, two run, one stolen base night, and RF Derrick Gibson chipped in with his second longball, going 2-for-4 and driving in three, as the Braves handle the Bulls 9-6.
Dan Curtis had had a poor start, allowing five runs on nine hits, four walks, and just one strikeout in five innings, but the offense pulled through to get him the win. Kelly Johnson manned 3B for the second straight day (no Andy Marte again - looks like a minor wrist injury), going 2-for-4 with a double and an RBI. C Brayan Pena reeled off a 4-for-5, one RBI, three run performance, raising his average to .385 in 78 at-bats for the season.
SS Tony Pena was dropped back down to the 8th spot in the lineup and responded with a 2-for-4, two RBI day. DH James Jurries returned from the suspended list to go 1-for-5.
Additional Stats:
2B Jason Bourgeois 2-4, 2B
LF Billy McCarthy 0-4, R, BB
Record: 13-17, 5 GB of Norfolk
Streak: Won 1
Mississippi Braves 5, Jacksonville Suns (LA) 4 -- Box Score
The Braves turned the tables on the Suns on Saturday night, scoring a run in the top of the ninth on a Gregor Blanco sacrifice fly to come away with a 5-4 victory.
Matt Wright went five innings in the start, allowing two runs on five hits, two walks, and four strikeouts. Macay McBride came on in relief and blew the lead, but managed to pick up the win, giving up two runs in three innings of work.
2B Juan Velazquez did most of the damage with a bases clearing double in the sixth inning. 3B Wes Timmons added his second homer of the season on a 2-for-4, one RBI, two run night, and drew yet another walk. RF Jeff Francoeur, 1B Scott Thorman, and C Brian McCann were a combined 0-for-11.
Additional Stats:
P Jorge Vazquez 1 IP, BB (S, 1)
Record: 11-18, 5 GB of Montgomery
Streak: Won 1
Myrtle Beach Pelicans 7, Lynchburg Hillcats (PIT) 5 -- Box Score
SS Diory Hernandez got the Pelicans off to a quick start, hitting a three-run home run to cap off a five run first inning, and they would never look back from there, eventually beating the Hillcats 7-5.
2B Martin Prado added two RBI on a 2-for-5 night, and RF Matt Esquivel drove in one, going 1-for-4 with a double. CF Steve Doetsch was 2-for-5 with a double and scored twice.
Sean White got the start and the victory, but did allow all five Lynchburg runs - four earned - on seven hits, a walk, and two strikeouts in five innings. Wes Letson fanned four and gave up four hits in three scoreless innings of relief, and Paul Bush picked up his third save, allowing just a walk in the ninth inning.
Additional Stats:
LF Josh Burrus 1-5, R, SO
C Jarrod Saltalamacchia 0-3, RBI
Record: 16-14, 2 GB of Kinston
Streak: Won 1
Greenville Bombers (BOS) 4, Rome Braves 1 -- Box Score
Johnny Venters did his job in the start, allowing three runs on five hits, two walks, and six strikeouts in 6-2/3 innings, and Chris Vines hung in there in relief, giving up one more run in the final 2-1/3 innings, but the Rome offense never got on track, managing just six hits in the 4-1 loss to Greenville.
SS Dean White had the only extra base hit for the Braves with a double on a 1-for-3 night. C Clint Sammons also went 1-for-3, and both 2B J.C. Holt and 3B Van Pope were 1-for-4. Not a very exciting night at the plate.
Additional Stats:
LF Matt Young 1-4
RF Carl Loadenthal 1-3
Record: 16-14, 2.5 GB of Charleston
Streak: Lost 2
Posted by Brad Dowdy at 08:01 AM | Comments (4) | TrackBack
May 07, 2005
Minor League Recap for 5/6
Notes -- Tough day at the office for all four teams. Both Mississippi and Myrtle Beach lost in the bottom of the ninth, and Rome lost in extra innings. Richmond, well, their pitching staff did their best Walk Across America impersonation.
Player of the day -- Kelly Johnson (Richmond) 2-for-3, RBI, R, 3 BB while playing 3B
Durham Bulls (TB) 13, Richmond Braves 7 -- Box Score
Zach Miner walked eight in 2-1/3 innings, and the Richmond bullpen added seven more free passes in the remaining 6-2/3, and as should happen when you put up numbers like that, they lose by a final score of 13-7.
The Braves offense did all they could to keep up, with four different players knocking out two hits - 3B Kelly Johnson, LF Billy McCarthy, C Brayan Pena, and 1B Andy Barkett. Barkett is a 30 year-old minor league journeyman, spending time with five different organizations, including this very team back in 2000. CF Esix Snead was 1-for-4 with two RBI and two walks. Speedy Durham counterpart Joey Gathright swiped four bags on the R-Braves.
After a very good debut for Richmond his last time out, Miner was pretty terrible this go round. Besides the eight walks, he gave up five runs - four earned - on three hits and struck out just one.
Additional Stats:
SS Tony Pena Jr. 0-5, BB, 2 SO
Record: 12-17, 5.5 GB of Norfolk
Streak: Lost 3
Mississippi Braves 4, Jacksonville Suns (LA) 5 -- Box Score
CF Gregor Blanco hit his first homer of the season on a 1-for-4, two RBI night, and RF Jeff Francoeur also went 1-for-4 with his 12th double and drove in two, but Mississippi closer Glenn Tucker gave up a walk-off homer to the first batter he faced in the bottom of the ninth, handing the Braves a 5-4 loss to the Suns.
Andy Van Hekken gave up four runs on ten hits, four walks, and two strikeouts in 5-2/3 innings in the start, including a solo shot to Dodgers uber-prospect Joel Guzman. Tucker took the loss to fall to 1-2 with a 3.09 ERA.
C Brian McCann hit his 6th and 7th doubles of the season on a 2-for-4 night.
Additional Stats:
1B Scott Thorman 1-4, BB, CS
SS Luis Hernandez 0-4, SO
Record: 10-18, 5 GB of Montgomery
Streak: Lost 1
Myrtle Beach Pelicans 4, Lynchburg Hillcats (PIT) 5 -- Box Score
Juan Alvarez logged a quality start, allowing three runs - two earned - on six hits, three walks, and four strikeouts in six innings, but Jacob Blakeney and Bryan Digby each gave up a run in relief, as the Braves fall to the Hillcats 5-4.
Lynchburg tried to make it easier on the Myrtle Beach offense by committing four errors, but they never really got anything working. LF Josh Burrus was credited with the lone RBI, but was 0-for-4 on the night. 2B Martin Prado was 2-for-4 with a triple and a run scored, and C Miguel Bernard was 1-for-3 with a double and also scored a run.
Digby took the loss by giving up a run on two hits and a walk in the ninth.
Additional Stats:
CF Steve Doetsch 1-4, 2B, R, SO
DH Jarrod Saltalamacchia 1-4, SO
Record: 15-14, 2.5 GB of Kinston
Streak: Lost 1
Greenville Bombers (BOS) 9, Rome Braves 7, 13 Inn. -- Box Score
The Braves out hit the Bombers 16 to 12, and even scored a run in each of the eighth and ninth innings to tie it up, but they couldn't hang in there in extras, eventually losing 9-7 in 13 innings.
1B Ben Thomas hit his second homer of the season for Rome on a 3-for-6, two RBI night, and RF Carl Loadenthal drove in two as well, going 2-for-4 in the loss. 3B Van Pope was 2-for-4 with an RBI, walk, and a run scored.
Luis Atilano gave up three runs on four hits, two walks, and three strikeouts in six innings in the start. Dan Smith took the loss, giving up three more in 2-1/3 innings of relief.
Additional Stats:
LF Matt Young 2-6, 2 SO
SS Mike Rozema 2-4, 2 2B, RBI
P Angelo Burrows 1-2/3 IP, H, SO
Record: 16-13, 1.5 GB of Charleston and Augusta
Streak: Lost 1
Posted by Brad Dowdy at 04:35 PM | Comments (2) | TrackBack
May 06, 2005
Minor League Recap for 5/5
Notes -- Can the pitching in this organization get any better? Seth Greisinger was solid for Richmond, Brady Endl was impressive for Myrtle Beach, and I'm out of adjectives to describe the performances by Matt Harrison and Kelvin Villa in Rome's doubleheader.
Site Notes -- Merv will be working through an upgrade of the site over the weekend, so expect some downtime for No Pepper on Saturday and Sunday.
Player of the day -- Kelvin Villa (Rome) 7 IP, H, 6 SO (W, 2-1, 0.75 ERA)
Durham Bulls (TB) 2, Richmond Braves 1, 14 Inn. -- Box Score
DH John Barnes gave the Braves an early lead with a third inning solo homer, and starter Seth Greisinger held the Bulls to just one unearned run and struck out seven in six innings in the start, but Richmond couldn't push another run across the plate, eventually losing to Durham 2-1 in 14 innings.
The R-Braves staff fanned 18 in the extra innings affair, including four in 2-1/3 by Matt Childers, and four more by Buddy Hernandez in two innings. Frank Brooks took the loss, allowing the winning run in his third inning of work.
3B Andy Marte was 1-for-5 with a double, and 2B Jason Bourgeois was 2-for-6. CF Esix Snead was back at the top of the lineup and went 1-for-5 with a walk and his seventh stolen base of the season.
Additional Stats:
RF Kelly Johnson 0-4, 2 BB
SS Tony Pena Jr. 1-6, 2 SO
Record: 12-16, 5 GB of Norfolk
Streak: Lost 2
Mississippi Braves -- Scheduled off day.
Record: 10-17, 5 GB of Montgomery
Streak: Won 3
Myrtle Beach Pelicans 5, Salem Avalanche (HOU) 3 -- Box Score
Brady Endl was magnificent in the start, allowing just two hits, two walks, and striking out seven in seven shutout innings, and reliever Jason Richardson gave up just one more hit in the final two innings, as the Pelicans bury the Avalanche 5-0.
Endl was backed by a big night from C Jarrod Saltalamacchia, who hit his fourth homer of the season on a 3-for-4, two RBI night. Both LF Josh Burrus and DH Miguel Bernard doubled and drove in a run, and 2B Martin Prado added two doubles of his own, going 2-for-5 in the victory. RF Matt Esquivel wasn't as fortunate, striking out five times in five at-bats. A well deserved platinum sombrero on Cinco De Mayo.
Endl evens up his record at 2-2 on the season and lowers his ERA to 2.59 in 31-1/3 innings.
Additional Stats:
CF Steve Doetsch 1-4, BB, SO, CS
Record: 15-13, 2 GB of Kinston
Streak: Won 2
Greenville Bombers (BOS) 0, Rome Braves 1, 9 Inn., Game 1 -- Box Score
Greenville Bombers (BOS) 0, Rome Braves 7, Game 2 -- Box Score
The Rome faithful witnessed a real treat last night. Not only did they get two games for the price of one, but the pitching that was on display by Matt Harrison in game one, and Kelvin Villa in game two was just about as good as it gets.
Harrison worked all nine innings in the opener, allowing just five hits, no walks, and struck out eight in the opening shutout of the Bombers. Villa followed that up with an arguably more impressive performance, tossing a seven inning complete game shutout, giving up just one hit and fanning six while facing the minimum 21 batters in game two. Wow is about the best way to sum up those two performances.
The Braves hitting was light in game one, needing a Van Pope sac fly in the bottom of the ninth to pull out the 1-0 victory. Game two saw the bats come alive, led by leadoff hitter LF Matt Young, who was 3-for-4 with a double, two RBI, and a run scored. C Cole Armstrong also drove in two on a 2-for-3 night which included two doubles, and RF Carl Loadenthal knocked in two of his own, going 1-for-3 in the win.
Harrison and Villa's numbers on the season are as impressive as their lines for last night:
Matt Harrison -- 3-1, 0.49 ERA, 37 IP, 26 H, 8 BB, 28 SO
Kelvin Villa -- 2-1, 0.75 ERA, 24 IP, 15 H, 6 BB, 25 SO
Rome has seen some amazing pitching in it's short time as a Braves affiliate, and this year is no exception.
Additional Stats:
2B J.C. Holt 2-4, 2B, R (gm1), 0-4 (gm2)
Record: 16-12, 1 GB of Augusta
Streak: Won 5
Posted by Brad Dowdy at 08:18 AM | Comments (1) | TrackBack
May 05, 2005
Minor League Recap for 5/4
Notes -- It's bordering on the ridiculous every time Chuck James toes the rubber for Myrtle Beach. Let's give him an early promotion this season, shall we? Kyle Davies looked good once again for Richmond, but the bullpen destroyed all of his work. Jeff Francoeur's fourth homer of the season led the way for Mississippi.
Transactions -- Angelo Burrows has arrived in the Rome bullpen.
Player of the day -- Chuck James (Myrtle Beach) 6 IP, 2 H, 0 R, 2 BB, 9 SO (W, 2-3, 1.26 ERA)
Charlotte Knights (CHA) 7, Richmond Braves 2 -- Box Score
Kyle Davies worked five strong innings in the start, allowing just one run on four hits, two walks, and seven strikeouts, but you wouldn't know it by the box score, as the Braves end up losing to the Knights 7-2.
The Richmond bullpen was the culprit on this night, combining to allow six more runs on nine hits and five walks over the final four innings. Alex Herrera and Hector Almonte each gave up two runs, but Buddy Hernandez was saddled with the loss despite allowing just one.
CF Kelly Johnson was the lone bright spot on offense, going 2-for-4 with a double, RBI, and a walk. 3B Andy Marte was 0-for-3 with a walk and a strikeout, and DH Billy McCarthy was 0-for-4 and fanned once.
Additional Stats:
SS Tony Pena Jr. 1-4, R, BB, SO
Record: 12-15, 5 GB of Norfolk
Streak: Lost 1
Mississippi Braves 6, Huntsville Stars (MIL) 2 -- Box Score
RF Jeff Francoeur popped his fourth homer of the season on a 3-for-5, two RBI afternoon, and 1B Scott Thorman added a 3-for-5 of his own and scored twice, as the Braves knock off the Stars 6-2 on Wednesday afternoon.
Brian O'Connor allowed two runs on three hits, three walks, and five strikeouts in six innings to pick up the win, moving him to 3-0 with a 2.80 ERA on the season.
LF Onil Joseph joined in on the 13-hit parade, going 2-for-4 with an RBI, and CF Gregor Blanco was 2-for-5 with a run scored from the leadoff spot. C Brian McCann was 1-for-3 with a walk and a run scored.
Additional Stats:
SS Luis Hernandez 1-4, RBI, SO
Record: 10-17, 5 GB of Montgomery
Streak: Won 3
Myrtle Beach Pelicans 4, Salem Avalanche (HOU) 1 -- Box Score
Chuck James was up to his usual tricks once again, allowing just two hits, two walks, and striking out nine in six shutout innings in the start, as Myrtle Beach knocks off Salem 4-1.
DH Josh Burrus had a big night at the plate, going 3-for-5 with three doubles, an RBI, two runs scored, and a stolen base, and RF Matt Esquivel drove in three on a 2-for-4 night, including a double of his own.
James improves to 2-3 on the season with a 1.26 ERA. In 35-2/3 innings pitched, he has amassed an impressive 50 strikeouts with just five walks, and has only given up 19 hits. Wow.
Additional Stats:
CF Steve Doetsch 1-5, R, 2 SO, SB
C Jarrod Saltalamacchia 1-3, BB, 2 SO
Record: 14-13, 2 GB of Kinston
Streak: Won 1
Greenville Bombers (BOS) 2, Rome Braves 6 -- Box Score
James Parr finally had it come together for him, giving up just one run on six hits, two walks, and two strikeouts in six innings as the Braves beat the Bombers 6-2.
RF Carl Loadenthal was 1-for-3 with two RBI, and LF Matt Young was 2-for-3 with an RBI, run and a walk. Young stole his second base of the season, but was also caught for the fifth time. Maybe it's time to rethink his running strategy.
Parr moves to 3-1 with the win, and lowered his ERA to 5.73. Angelo Burrows made his first appearance of the season, tossing a perfect ninth.
Additional Stats:
3B Van Pope 1-4, R
DH Cole Armstrong 1-3, BB, 2 R
Record: 14-12, 1.5 GB of Augusta
Streak: Won 3
Posted by Brad Dowdy at 07:15 AM | Comments (4) | TrackBack
May 04, 2005
Davies chat, Hot Sheet update
Baseball America is breaking out the content this Wednesday morning, led off by a chat with Braves top pitching prospect Kyle Davies in the Daily Dish:
On his dramatic rise last season: Especially the first month at Myrtle Beach, I struggled. We had five guys on that staff and then there was a piggybacker. And those were guys like me, Anthony Lerew, Jose Capellan, Matt Merricks, Blaine Boyer, Matt Wright--all those are great names and all of them were guys in the rotation there. So a healthy dose of 'Hey, look at all these guys--you better do something before you get lost in the shuffle here,' was something that pushed all of us, I think. The healthy competition was something that helped me focus, and all of us wanted to match the last outing or better it each time out. You don't ever want anybody to do bad, but you want to do just as good if not better than everyone else. I always want to win. I don't care if I do bad and the team wins or whatever. I just want to win.Over on the updated Hot Sheet, Chuck James checks in at #8, with Matt Harrison garnering an honorable mention:
8. Chuck James, lhp, Braves (High Class A Myrtle Beach) -- With more than twice as many strikeouts (41) than hits allowed (17) in 29 2/3 innings, James continues to roll. Ridiculous lefty vs. lefty stat update: they are now 1-for-36 (.028) against him.
Posted by Brad Dowdy at 12:00 PM | Comments (2) | TrackBack
Minor League Recap for 5/3
Notes -- Pitching was the order of the day in the organization, as all four starters did great work on the mound, especially Anthony Lerew in Mississippi. It took both Richmond and Rome extra innings to come away with the victory, but Myrtle Beach was caught on the wrong side of a 1-0 pitchers duel.
Player of the day -- Anthony Lerew (Mississippi) 7 IP, 3 H, 0 R, BB, 8 SO (W, 2-1, 5.67 ERA)
Charlotte Knights (CHA) 3, Richmond Braves 4, 13 Inn.-- Box Score
Sam McConnell had a fantastic start, allowing just one run on seven hits, a walk, and three strikeouts in seven innings, but it took a Bill McCarthy double followed by a Derrick Gibson single in the bottom of the 13th for Richmond to come away with a 4-3 victory over Charlotte.
McCarthy added his first home run of the season on a 2-for-5, one RBI night. 3B Andy Marte hit a double of his own, going 1-for-4 with two RBI and two walks, and CF Kelly Johnson was 2-for-5 with a run scored.
The Braves bullpen allowed a run to the Knights in both the eighth and ninth innings to send to game into extras. Chris Mears sealed the win with three scoreless innings of relief, moving him to 3-1 on the season with a 2.81 ERA.
Additional Stats:
SS Tony Pena Jr. 1-5, BB, SB (2)
1B Carlos Mendez 3-6, 2B, R
Record: 12-14, 4 GB of Norfolk
Streak: Won 3
Mississippi Braves 4, Huntsville Stars (MIL) 1 -- Box Score
Now THAT is what we have been looking for! Anthony Lerew dominated on the hill for seven shutout innings in the start, giving up just three hits, a walk, and struck out eight, as the Braves handle the Stars 4-1.
Mississippi was running wild on the basepaths in this contest as well with five total steals, including two by Onil Jospeh. 1B Scott Thorman even swiped his second bag of the year on a 2-for-3 night, and CF Jeff Francoeur stole one, going 1-for-4 with an RBI, but did whiff three times at the plate. Lerew added a 2-for-3 night to go along with his excellent pitching line.
Despite the great performance, Lerew's ERA is still at 5.67 for the season, but hopefully this gets him on the right track.
Additional Stats:
3B Wes Timmons 0-2, BB, R, SB (2), 2 SO
SS Luis Hernandez 0-2, 2 BB, SO
Record: 9-17, 5 GB of Montgomery
Streak: Won 2
Myrtle Beach Pelicans 0, Salem Avalanche 1 -- Box Score
Jake Stevens had arguably his best start of the season, allowing just one run over 6-1/3 innings with five hits, two walks, and eight strikeouts, but the Avalanche pitching was even better - giving up just two hits on the night - as the Pelicans lose 1-0.
CF Steve Doetsch and RF Matt Esquivel had the only two hits in the loss, as the team struck out eight times as a whole.
Stevens drops to 2-3 with a 3.86 ERA with the loss, but you can't argue with his numbers on the night. The only run came on a solo homer in the fifth inning. Brian Digby threw 1-2/3 hitless innings of relief, walking one and striking out two.
Additional Stats:
DH Jarrod Saltalamacchia 0-3, SO
LF Josh Burrus 0-3
Record: 13-13, 2 GB of Kinston
Streak: Lost 1
Rome Braves 5, Charleston RiverDogs (NYA) 4, 11 Inn. -- Box Score