Lynchburg Hillcats Game Notes
August 12, 2012 - Carolina League (CarL1)
Lynchburg Hillcats News Release
CAROLINA MUDCATS (56-62, 24-24) vs LYNCHBURG HILLCATS (62-56, 23-25)
August 12th, 2012 -- 6:05 PM
Calvin Falwell Field at Lynchburg City Stadium
LHP Mike Rayl (8-8, 4.22) vs RHP Aaron Northcraft (8-9, 3.73)
THE HILLCATS: The Hillcats beat the Carolina Mudcats last night 7-3...RHP Michael Lee gave up two earned runs in seven innings, while striking out five, and earned the win...OF Adam Milligan went 3-for-4 with a double, home run, two RBI, and a run scored...The win clinched the weekend series for Lynchburg, as they go for the sweep tonight...The Hillcats are now 23-25 in the second half and are in third place in the Northern Division, just a half game out of first...
VS. CAROLINA: Lynchburg is 9-10 against the Mudcats this season...That is their worst record against any team in the league this year...In fact, the Mudcats are the only team with a winning record against the Hillcats...Last weekend, the two teams met in Carolina, the Hillcats won two out of three...The Mudcats won six of the first eight meetings, since, the Hillcats have taken seven of eleven...
GOOD TO BE HOME: The Hillcats snapped a four-game losing streak Friday night on their opening game of a six-game homestand...The streak was their fifth of three games or more in the second half, and all four games were on the road...They only had three such streaks, including their season-worst eight-game slide, in the first half (6 of 8 games on the road)...The Hillcats are 9-15 on the road in the second half, and 14-10 at the friendly confines of City Stadium...
GO BIG OR GO HOME: OF Adam Milligan went 3-for-4 last night...He fell a triple shy of the cycle...His home run was his 12th of the season, matching his total last year with the Hillcats...Combined with the one homer he hit for Double-A Mississippi this season, he has now tied his single season career-high...He hit 13 long balls between three levels in 2009, his first professional season...So far this series, he is 4-for-8...The downside is he has struck out four times...On the season, he has struck out 110 times in 73 games...Has at least one in his last 21 games...
SALCEDOOO NO, NO, NO, NO, NO: 3B Edward Salcedo hit a mammoth blast out to left field Friday night...It was his second in as many nights, and team-best 13th of the season...Last night he went 1-for-3 with two RBI...Currently on a seven-game hitting streak, batting .346 (9-for-26) with three doubles, three home runs, nine RBI, four runs scored, and a stolen base in that span...Salcedo was ranked as the sixth-best Braves prospect before the season by Baseball America...Signed for $1.6 million dollars in 2010...Just turned 21 at the end of July...
NOW STARTING: RHP Ryan Weber became the 10th player to start on the mound for the Hillcats this season...Every other team in the league has had anywhere from 12 to 16 starters this season...It wasn't Weber first start of the season, who made 11 starts for Low-A Rome this year...Went 4-5 with a 6.79 ERA as a start in Rome, and 1-0 with a 1.98 ERA in five relief appearances...Saw success Friday night however, striking out six, walking none, and allowing just three hits in five scoreless innings...He lowered his Hillcat ERA from 4.50 to 3.52...
A LITTLE HELP PLEASE: RHP Aaron Northcraft has not won a game since July 4, and neither have the Hillcats when he takes the mound...Going futher, all season long, unless Northcraft earns the win himself, his team has lost the game...He is 8-9 this season, the Hillcats are 8-14 when he starts...He went 0-3 in three starts after his win on July fourth, posting an 8.82 ERA in that span...Since then, he has allowed just two earned runs in three starts (16 ip)...He is still 0-2 in those starts, despite the 1.12 ERA...The 'Cats have only scored nine runs in his last six starts...
BREW IT AT HOME: OF Dan Brewer went 2-for-3 with an RBI and a run scored last night...He has now scored 14 runs in his first 20 games with the Hillcats, scoring 11 of those runs in his last 12 contests...Brewer has taking the role of three-hitter for 2B Tommy La Stella (DL), who has not played since July 11...La Stella led the team in RBI when he hit the shelf...Brewer leads the team in runs scored since he joined the team on July 21...
TONIGHT'S OPPOSING PITCHER: LHP Mike Rayl was selected by the Indians in the 15th round of the 2009 draft out of Palm Beach Community College...Made professional debut in the Arizona League in 2009 (1-2, 3.74)...Named organizational all-star in 2011....Named to Midwest League All-Star Team in 2011 with the Low-A Lake County Captains...Named MID "Pitcher of the Week" twice in 2011...Pitched part of last season with Kinston (1-3, 4.61)...Did not face Lynchburg...Last season struck out 121 and walked just 26 in 123.2 IP between LC and KIN...Has advanced a level mid-season for the last two seasons...Pitched five innings against the Hillcats April 23 at home...Allowed one run on a solo homer to C Ryan Query, walked three and struck out five, earning the win...Then tossed six scoreless innings in Lynchburg on May 3...Last weekend, gave up two earned runs in six innings against Hillcats...He is 8-8 with a 4.22 ERA this season...Posted a 5.64 ERA in June and July...Has a 0.69 ERA in two August starts (1ER, 13IP)...
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