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 Kannapolis Cannon Ballers

Game Notes: Kannapolis Intimidators (White Sox) at Asheville Tourists (Rockies) - May 10, 2013

May 10, 2013 - South Atlantic League (SAL1)
Kannapolis Cannon Ballers News Release


KANNAPOLIS INTIMIDATORS (12-18) at ASHEVILLE TOURISTS (18-14)

Friday, May 10, 2013 - 7:05 p.m.

McCormick Field - Asheville, N.C.

Game #31 (12-18) - Away Games #15 (8-9)

RHP Euclides Leyer (1-3, 4.18) vs. RHP Ben Hughes (3-2, 6.91)

Today's Preview: The Intimidators (A, White Sox) play for the team's first three-game winning streak of the season when they take on the Tourists (A, Rockies) in Game 2 of a four-game series. Kannapolis plated a season-high 13 runs in Thursday's squeaker at McCormick Field but remain in sixth place in the SAL Northern Division, 6.5 games behind first-place Hagerstown (19-12). In the Southern Division, Asheville sits 2.5 games behind Savannah, fourth in the division. The Intimidators last won three games in a row August 15-17, 2012.

Intimidating Starters: Euclides Leyer, 22, takes the ball for officially his sixth start this season after just 3.0 innings before the Intimidators May 3 game in Savannah was suspended. He took losses in his last three starts, two of them coming on the road. Leyer is 1-2 with a 2.45 ERA in his four road starts this season. He struck out a season-high seven in 5.0 innings on April 26 at Charleston and has now fanned 23 over 23.2 innings on the year. Leyer earned a promotion to Kannapolis last year after starting the season with Advanced Rookie Bristol, going 0-4 with a 4.95 ERA in 11 starts with the Bristol Sox. He went 2-1 with a 5.02 ERA in his five starts with Kannapolis in 2012.

Twirling Tourist: Ben Hughes, 23, makes his seventh start of the year and fourth on the road. He is coming off the shortest start of his career, last just a third of an inning at Augusta on May 4, allowing eight runs (five earned), four hits with three walks and a hit batter. Hughes has given up five earned runs or more in four of his six starts. He ranks second in the SAL with 28 runs allowed and had led the league before teammate T.J. Oakes gave up seven on Thursday to pass him with 31. Hughes has also shown flashes of brilliance this season, working a pair of 7-inning quality starts April 6 at West Virginia and April 21 at Rome. He is 1-2 with a 10.05 ERA in three home starts compared to a 2-0 record with a 3.77 ERA in his three starts away from McCormick Field.

Micah on the Move: Leadoff man Micah Johnson matched a career-high with four stolen bases on Wednesday at Asheville, his second-straight game with four swiped bags. He stole a quartet May 6 in the second game of a doubleheader against Greensboro. Johnson continued to lead all of Minor League Baseball with 29 stolen bases. He now leads all Minor Leagues with 29 stolen bases in 33 attempts (.879). He is five ahead of the next closest player - San Antonio's Rico Noel (24). The Indiana Hoosier tripled on Thursday, upping his league lead with five triples. The White Sox selected him in the ninth round in June 2012, and he spent his professional debut with Great Falls.

About Last Night: Kannapolis overcame a 6-2 deficit with a five-run fourth inning and held on to top the Tourists, 13-12, on Thursday at McCormick Field. The Intimidators set a season-high with 13 runs as Micah Johnson paced the squad crossing the plate a career-high four times while matching a career-high with four stolen bases. Johnson (3-4) and Kyle Robinson (3-5) paced Kannapolis at the plate while Robinson, Jason Coats and Michael Johnson each drove in three runs on the night. Myles Jaye earned his fourth win, tying five others for the SAL lead. Zach Isler logged the save (3).

Myles Ahead: Myles Jaye worked 5.0 innings on Thursday and is now tied for the league lead with 41.0 innings pitched (Eddie Butler, Asheville) while also tying five others with four wins, tops among SAL hurlers. He gave up four earned runs, raising his ERA to 2.20 and dropping him from the SAL top 10 - he now ranks 14th, behind teammate Jake Cose, whose 2.14 ERA is 13th on the circuit.

Triskaidekaphobia: The Intimidators put the fear of "13" in the hearts of the Tourists with a season-high 13 runs on Thursday, topping their previous high of 11, which has been reached three times this season. The last occurred in an 11-4 win against Rome on April 24. Kanapolis had not scored 10+ runs since that game and had now allowed 10+ runs since a 15-5 loss at Charleston April 27.

Comeback Kids: The four-run deficit the Intimidators overcame Thursday is the largest of the year. Asheville lead 6-2 after three innings before Kannapolis surged ahead with a five-run fourth. Twice this season, the Intimidators overcame a two-run deficit en route to a win, most recently in an 11-4 win against Rome on April 24. Kannapolis had not overcome a four-run deficit since coming back in the ninth inning in a walk-off win vs. Lakewood on May 31, 2012, when the team trailed 8-3 heading into the final frame. Cyle Hankerd ended that game with a three-run home run to centerfield.

Mash-ville Tourists: The Tourists hit three home runs off the Intimidators on Thursday, the most allowed by Kannapolis in a game this season. Asheville ranks second in the league with 30 home runs, well above the SAL's team-average of 18.1 but far behind SAL leader Hickory, which has 53.


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