Minor League Highlights for Monday, May 19
Tacoma was schedule to play a home game with Sacramento, but the contest was posponed due to travel problems. Namely, the plane that was supposed to fly the Rainiers from Edmonton to Sea-Tac wasn’t able to make the flight Monday, so the two teams are playing a doubleheader tonight. RHPs Ken Cloude and Rafael Soriano were the scheduled starters.
El Paso 6, San Antonio 1. The Missions were unable to do much of anything at the plate, managing just two hits in the game. 3B Justin Leone scored the team’s lone run, drawing a walk in the seventh and later scoring on a CF Michael Curry sac-fly. LHP Bobby Madritsch (4 2/3 IP, 8 H, 6 R, 6 ER, 3 BB, 6 K) took the loss, faltering particularly in a five-run third inning. In an otherwise forgettable game, RHP Josue Matos turned in a fine relief outing (4 1/3 IP, 2 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 1 BB, 5 K).
Inland Empire had the day off, as the California League played an abbreviated schedule.
Wisconsin 4, Peoria 1. LHP Bobby Livingston pitched eight strong innings (8 IP, 4 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 3 BB, 3 K) to move to 6-1 on the season with a 2.44 ERA, leading the Timber Rattlers to their 7th straight win. SS Michael Garciaparra, perhaps making a last-ditch effort to remain with the team when short-season Everett starts up in a few weeks, was 3-4 with a double, three runs batted in and a run scored to lead the offense. 1B Jon Nelson and DH Carlos Arroyo each added two hits, including a pair of doubles for Nelson. With the win, Wisconsin pulled to within 2 1/2 games of first place in the Midwest League’s Western Division.
As of May 20th, The American League MVP ballot according to Dave:
1. Carlos Delgado, Toronto
2. Bret Boone, Seattle
3. Alfonso Soriano, New York
4. Alex Rodriguez, Texas
5. Edgar Martinez, Seattle
6. Carl Everett, Texas
7. Mike Mussina, New York
8. Mike Cameron, Seattle
9. Mark Mulder, Oakland
10. Pedro Martinez, Boston
Three Mariners hitters in the top ten, and I think I could make a compelling case for Bret Boone ahead of Carlos Delgado. The next time someone tells you that the Mariners are winning with pitching and defense, punch them in the nose.
Minor League Highlights for Sunday, May 18
We’re almost up-to-date! Thanks for your patience.
Edmonton 5, Tacoma 0 (DH Game #1). The Rainiers were held to a mere three hits in the opener, singles by C Pat Borders, LF Jalal Leach and RF Jacques Landry. Unfortunately those hits didn’t come consecutively, or Tacoma might have been able to score a run. RHP Brian Sweeney (5 IP, 6 H, 5 R, 5 ER, 4 BB, 1 K) took the loss to drop his record to 3-4 on the season. After a great start, Sweeney has hit the skids lately and now sports a 5.26 ERA. On a positive note, his 34:11 K:BB ratio in 37 2/3 innings is still strong.
Tacoma 11, Edmonton 3 (DH Game #2). Perhaps making up for their lack of offense in the first game, the Rainiers pounded out 17 hits en route to splitting the doubleheader. They were particularly rough on Edmonton starter Tim Drew, getting to him for six runs on seven hits before knocking him out in the 2nd inning. CF Chad Meyers, LF Jalal Leach and 3B Luis Figueroa each had three hits for Tacoma, including a pair of doubles for Meyers, and C Julio Mosquera chipped in with his 1st homer of the year. RHP Jeff Heaverlo (6 IP, 5 H, 2 R, 1 ER, 2 BB, 1 K) was the beneficiary of the offensive outburst, picking up the win to even his record at 3-3.
El Paso 6, San Antonio 3. El Paso scored three runs in the 1st to take an early lead, but the Missions came back with three of their own in the 2nd to tie. After that it was a pitcher’s duel for the next six innings, with neither side able to get a run home… until San Antonio RHP Jared Hoerman blew up, and not in the good way. Hoerman (2/3 IP, 6 H, 3 R, 3 ER, 0 BB, 0 K) was mauled in the top of the 9th, breaking up the tie and losing the game for the Missions. Offensively, CF Elpidio Guzman and DH John Lindsey each had a pair of hits and 1B A.J. Zapp hit his 12th homer of the season. San Antonio made four errors in the game, though none of them led to unearned runs.
Lake Elsinore 6, Inland Empire 4. LHP Troy Cate, the ace of the 66ers staff so far this season despite his 2-5 record, was hit hard and unable to escape the 5th inning (4 1/3 IP, 8 H, 5 R, 5 ER, 2 BB, 7 K), though he did improve his K:BB ratio to 50:11 in 47 2/3 innings. DH Shin-soo Choo, getting the day off from playing the field, and 1B Jason Van Meetren each had a pair of hits, including a double for Choo, the team’s only extra-base hit agaisnt nine singles. Choo also drove in a pair of runs.
Wisconsin 5, Peoria 1. Despite being out-hit 10-8 in the game, the Timber Rattlers won behind the best start of the year from RHP Juan Sandoval (7 IP, 7 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 1 BB, 3 K) and a three-run sixth inning. Peoria had just one extra-base hit in the game and stranded 10 runners. LF Corey Harrington, normally an infielder, went 2-3 including his 1st homer of the year and scored a pair of runs, while CF Gary Harris scored once and drove in a pair of runs with a double. LHP Ryan Rowland-Smith worked the final two innings (2 IP, 3 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 1 BB, 3 K) of the game, and as long as we’re talking K:BB ratios today, Rowland-Smith’s is 29:13 in 27 innings.