Lynchburg Hillcats Game Notes
Published on July 24, 2012 under Carolina League (CarL1)
Hill City Howlers News Release
POTOMAC NATIONALS (46-55, 15-16) vs LYNCHBURG HILLCATS (55-46, 16-15)
July 24th, 2012 -- 7:05 PM
Calvin Falwell Field at Lynchburg City Stadium
LHP Matt Grace (5-9, 5.82) vs RHP Cody Martin (10-6, 3.28)
THE HILLCATS: The Hillcats beat the Potomac Nationals 5-0 last night...RHP Gus Schlosser (11-4) threw his first complete game shutout...He blanked the Nationals for nine innings, giving up five hits, walking no one, and striking out six...LF Adam Milligan and 1B Michael Spina both had two hits and two RBI in the game...The Hillcats are now 16-15 in the second half and are in first place in the Northern Division...
VS. POTOMAC: Lynchburg is 9-8 against the Nationals this year...The home team is 13-4 in the season series...The Nationals have won six of the last eight meetings, but seven of those games were played at Pfitzner Stadium in Woodbridge, VA...The Hillcats lost three of four games last week at the 'Pfitz', including their worst loss of the season, 14-0 last Monday...
HOME SICK: The Hillcats begin a four-game homestand tonight after spending the last seven days on the road...The 'Cats went 2-5 on their recent trip, losing two of three in Carolina and three of four in Potomac...Lynchburg still hasn't won a road-series in the second half...They lost two of three in Wilmington June 28-30 and in Winston-Salem July 7-9...They split two games in Salem July 11-12 as part of a home and home four-game set...They are 5-10 on the road since the All-Star Break, after sweeping the Frederick Keys in Frederick in four games to end the first half...On the year they are 23-25 on the road...
GOOSE EGGS: Lynchburg recorded their ninth shutout of the season last night...They are now 9-9 in purely one-sided affairs...Only the Myrtle Beach Pelicans (11-10) have played in more shutouts...The 'Cats are 5-5 in shutouts in the second half after going 4-4 in the entire first half...There are still 39 games left...
KEEPING THE FANS HAPPY: Visitors to Calvin Falwell Field haven't scored since Friday, July 6 when the Wilmington Blue Rocks scored in the 10th inning to beat the 'Cats 6-5..Since then, 17 days without a an opposing run...Now the Hillcats have been on the road, or off for 14 of those 17 days, but in their last three games at home they have held their opponents scoreless...They beat the Salem Red Sox 1-0 on July 13 and 14, and the Nationals 5-0 last night, that's 27 straight blank frames...RHP Gus Schlosser threw a complete game shutout last night, RHP Cody Martin tossed one on July 13, and RHP J.R. Graham completed five scoreless, combined with three relievers shutout Salem on July 14...
TRY OUR NEW BREW: OF Dan Brewer went 1-for-4 last night, and has a hit in each of his first three games with Lynchburg..He is now 4-for-12 (.333) with an RBI, two runs scored, and a stolen base...Brewer was acquired in a trade with the New York Yankees last week...He started the season with Double-A Trenton where he was hitting .221 through May 22...He missed over seven weeks with an injured right hand before returning to action with the Gulf Coast League Yankees on July 10...Traded and assigned to Lynchburg July 20...Brewer was originally drafted by the Yankees in the eighth round in 2008 out of Bradley University where he was the first player to hit 20 or more homers and steal 40 or more bases in his career as a Bradley Brave...Played at four levels last season including 46 games with Triple-A Scranton Wilkes-Barre, where he hit .278...
SPIN-A NEW WEB: 1B Michael Spina went 2-4 with two RBI last night...He is now 4-for-10 in his first three games with Lynchburg (3-game streak)...Spina was released by the Oakland Athletics this year after hitting just .176 through 70 games with Double-A Midland...Spina was originally drafted by the Athletics in the 11th round in 2009...Hit .282 with 10 home runs and 75 RBI in 2011 with Midland and was a Mid-season All-Star...
STREAKING SCHLOSSER: RHP Gus Schlosser has not allowed a run in his last 23.1 innings pitched...He threw his first complete game shutout last night, going nine innings for the first time in his career...He gave up one hit in eight nearly perfect innings last Wednesday, and tossed six scoreless the outing prior to that...That's 23 innings plus the final out from four starts ago...He now boasts an ERA of 2.99, third-best in the league...Has the most wins (11) and innings (129.1), tied for fourth in strikeouts (101), third in WHIP (1.06), and tied for second in batting average against (.237)...After blanking the Nationals last night, he is 4-0 with a 1.13 ERA against them...
TONIGHT'S OPPOSING PITCHER: LHP Matt Grace was selected in the eighth round of the 2010 draft out of UCLA...Made just two starts in his first season with short-season Vermont in the New York/Penn League...Gave up ten runs, six earned, in eight innings...Moved up to Low-A Hagerstown in the 'Sally' League in 2011...Made 26 appearances, 25 starts, went 12-7 with a 5.17 ERA...His 12 wins were second most in the Nationals organization...Struck out 5.8 per nine innings, and surrendered just eight home runs in 132.1 innings pitched...Started 2012 with Potomac...He is 1-1 with an 8.10 ERA in two starts against the Hillcats...Has given up 14 runs, 9 earned, on 22 hits in 10 innings...On the season, he is 5-9 with a 5.82 ERA...Has allowed three earned runs on less (nine total) over his last four starts...
Carolina League Stories from July 24, 2012
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- Winston Whiffs 16, Drowns Mudcats 10-3 - Winston-Salem Dash
- Bottom of Wilmington's Lineup Downs Keys - Frederick Keys
- Nine-Run Inning Powers Nationals to Blowout Win - Potomac Nationals
- 'Cats Done in by Disastrous Fourth Inning - Hill City Howlers
- Dash Fan 16 Mudcats in Rout - Carolina Mudcats
- "Dark Knight Rises" for the Cause; Movie Stubs Grant P-Nats Donation - Potomac Nationals
- Lynchburg Hillcats Game Notes - Hill City Howlers
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