Hillcats game notes
Published on May 5, 2008 under Carolina League (CarL1)
Hill City Howlers News Release
LYNCHBURG HILLCATS (12-17) vs. WINSTON-SALEM WARTHOGS (12-14)
May 5th, 2008 -- 7:05 PM
Calvin Falwell Field @ Lynchburg City Stadium
LHP Tony Watson (2-3, 3.07) vs. RHP John Ely (0-3, 2.61)
THE HILLCATS: On Saturday night Lynchburg lost a rubbermatch to Kinston 6-3 at City Stadium...The Cats are now 2-4 on this current stretch of 13 games in a row at home, the longest homestand in Hillcats history after playing 17 of their first 23 on the road...
VS. WINSTON-SALEM: Last season the Warthogs won the season series against the Hillcats 11-8...The Cats still hold the all-time advantage 138-123 and are 76-55 against the Hogs at City Stadium...
FLYING OUT OF THE YARD: On Saturday night a combined five home runs were hit between the Hillcats and Indians, a season-high for a Cats game this season...The three home runs Lynchburg hit were the most in a game this season and the Cats have now knocked ten home runs in their last 13 games after only hitting three home runs in their first 16 games...
BACK WITH THE BOOM: OF Jamie Romak made his 2008 debut on Friday night and went 2-for-5 with a double and on Saturday night he clubbed his first home run of the season...Last season Romak led all Hillcats with 15 home runs in 85 games played...The 2003 fourth round draft pick of the the Atlanta Braves was acquired by the Pirates in a trade in 2007...He was assigned to Lynchburg from extended spring training last Friday...
ROUGH GO OF IT: LHP Charles Benoit is off to a rocky start in 2008...He has battled an illness that kept him on the DL for a stint and has allowed 16 earned runs in nine and 2/3 innings pitched this season (14.90 ERA)...Last night was the third time in seven appearances that he has allowed four or more earned runs in an appearance and the lefty is now tied for the league-lead in losses with four...A season ago the 2006 10th round selection only allowed 24 earned runs all season long in 79 and 2/3 innings pitched (2.71 ERA)...
FIRST AIN'T THE WORST: 3B Jim Negrych continued his phenomenal start for the Cats by reaching safely for the 27th time in 28 games played this year...He entered the day first in the league in hits (42), batting average (.393), on-base percentage (.458), second in runs scored (21) and tied for second in RBI (20)...The former sixth round pick from 2006 has recorded 16 multi-hit games in 27 starts this season...
HANDLING HANSON: On Wednesday night the Hillcats handed Tommy Hanson (3-1) his first loss on the season...Before last night's game Hanson had allowed just one earned run and struckout 38 batters in 29 innings pitched (five starts) for Myrtle Beach...The righthander allowed a season-high in earned runs (2) and hits (5) and k'd a season-low four batters in the defeat...
HITTING STRIDE: INF/OF Eddie Prasch extended his season-high hitting streak to eleven games Saturday night with his 1-for-3 performance...The 2004 third round draft pick of the Pirates has hit .350 (14-for-40) over that stretch and has now driven in seven runs over that stretch...He now has the longest hitting streak by a Hillcat this season...
COMING THROUGH IN THE CLUTCH: 3B Jim Negrych is tied for second in the league with 20 RBI and 1B Kent Sakamoto is tied for sixth with 17...Negrych is batting an astounding .514 with men in scoring position and Sakamoto is hitting .333 in that same spot...
CHANGING THINGS UP: Baseball America said LHP Tony Watson has the "Best Changeup" in the Pirates minor league system...The ninth round selection in the 2007 struckout 58 batters in 67.2 ip and walked just eight...
KNOWN FOR HIS "D": INF Brian Friday was named the "Best Defensive Infielder" in the Pirates minor league organization by Baseball America prior to the start of the 2008 season...Friday was a third round pick of the Pirates in last year's draft out of Rice University...
Carolina League Stories from May 5, 2008
- Pelicans get walk-off win - Myrtle Beach Pelicans
- Pelicans blast sends Potomac home - Potomac Nationals
- Blue Rocks Win Thanks To Avalanche Of Errors - Wilmington Blue Rocks
- Zimmermann named Pitcher of the Week - Potomac Nationals
- Keys bats silenced - Frederick Keys
- Warthogs Rally Falls Short in 7-6 Loss to Lynchburg - Winston-Salem Dash
- Kinston Wins Their Third Straight Game... - Kinston Indians
- Rocks come back to win - Salem RidgeYaks
- Potomac Nationals Game Notes - Potomac Nationals
- Keys Wieters Orioles Player Of The Month - Frederick Keys
- Hillcats game notes - Hill City Howlers
- Pelicans Game Notes - Myrtle Beach Pelicans
- Pelicans Slugger Named Carolina League Player of the Week - Myrtle Beach Pelicans
- Jordan Zimmermann promoted to Harrisburg - Potomac Nationals
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