SAL1 Kannapolis Cannon Ballers

Game Notes: Kannapolis Intimidators (White Sox) vs. Hagerstown Suns (Nationals) - May 18, 2013

Published on May 18, 2013 under South Atlantic League (SAL1)
Kannapolis Cannon Ballers News Release


KANNAPOLIS INTIMIDATORS (14-24) vs. HAGERSTOWN SUNS (24-14)

MASCOT MANIA | INSURANCE NIGHT

Saturday, May 18, 2013 - 7:05 p.m.

CMC-NorthEast Stadium - Kannapolis, N.C.

Game #39 (14-24) - Home Game #16 (4-11)

RHP Jake Cose (2-3, 1.77) vs. RHP Pedro Encarnacion (3-2, 1.62)

Today's Preview: It may seem like a new-look Intimidators (A, White Sox) squad tonight as the team made eight roster moves today in the midst of a 5-game losing streak, the team's second-longest skid of the season. In today's game against the Suns (A, Nationals), the Intimidators will see catcher Michael Marjama return off the DL, Brent Tanner return from Winston-Salem, and Eric Grabe and Juan Ramirez join the team from Extended Spring. Kannapolis has dropped to 10.0 games behind first place Hagerstown, which is 4.0 games up in the division. The Intimidators turn to starting pitcher Jake Cose, one of the top pitchers in the Sally League, to stop the current losing streak. He is facing another strong starter as two of the Sally Leagues best arms square off as Kannapolis tries to get back into this series.

Intimidating Starter: Jake Cose, 22, make his eighth start of the season and fifth at home. He leads the Intimidators and ranks fifth in the league with a 1.77 ERA (8 ER/40.2 IP) and is tied for ninth in the league in strikeouts (39). Cose last allowed an earned run on April 23 and has given up just three unearned runs over his last three starts, including 7.0 scoreless innings at Charleston on April 28. Cose struck out a season-high eight batters over 6 2/3 innings in a hard- luck loss to the Grasshoppers on May 6 in which he allowed two unearned runs on five hits. He followed that performance by striking out a new season-high nine batters at Lexington on May 13. The White Sox selected Cose in the 27th round of the June 2011 draft out of San Joaquin Delta (Calif.) Junior College.

Hagerstown Hurler: Pedro Encarnacion, 21, makes his eighth start of the season for the Suns and his sixth on the road, where he is 3-1 with a 1.04 ERA. His 1.62 ERA is fourth-best in the SAL (6 ER/33.1 IP), and he has allowed more than one earned run only once in eight starts. He has limited opposing hitters to a .198 average in his five road starts. Encarnacion split 2012 between Short-Season Auburn and Hagerstown, going 5-2 with a 4.57 ERA in 19 games (14 starts). Washington signed him as a UDFA in 2010, and he made his professional debut that season with the GCL Nationals.

Micah on the Move: Leadoff man Micah Johnson stole stwo bases on Friday, upping his Minor League-leading total to 38 in 45 attempts (. 844). He has stolen 17 bases over his last 10 games. He scored a run, bringing his season total to 36, tying him for the most runs scored in the Sally League. He leads the league with five triples. Baseball America rated Johnson as the White Sox No. 25 Prospect this season, naming him the Fastest Baserunner in the organization's 2012 draft class.

Hot on the Corner: Infielder Michael Johnson went 2-5 with a run scored and an RBI Friday against the Suns, stretching his on-base streak to 12 games, the longest current streak by an Intimidator. Johnson hit safely in seven straight games May 4-12, batting .474 (9-19) along the way. He has hit safely in 10 of his last 12 games, batting .389 (14-36) in that span. Johnson has solidified a spot on the left side of the infield, manning third base in eight of the last 10 Intimidators games.

Palmeiro, Part II: Patrick Palmeiro, the son of 20-year MLB veteran Rafael Palmeiro had his best night at the plate this season on Friday, going 3-5 with two RBI and two runs scored to lead the Intimidators offense. It was Palmeiro's second multi-hit game of the season.

Slide of Five: The Intimidators current five-game losing streak is their second-longest of the season, bested only by the team's eight- game skid from April 25 to May 6 (Game 1). Unlucky Number Seven: Entering this series against Hagerstown, Kannapolis was 8-0 in games in which they scored at least seven runs. The Intimidators have scored seven runs in each of the first two games of this series but lost both contests. Kannapolis is now 8-2 when putting at least a touchdown on the board.

Roster Musical Chairs: The Intimidators made a season-high eight roster moves today, as infielder Eric Grabe - a 2012 Appalachian League All-Star - joins the team from extended spring along with outfielder Juan Ramirez. Catcher Michael Marjama has been activated off the DL, and catcher/infielder Brent Tanner has returned from Winston-Salem, where he was hitting .333 in 13 games with the Dash. In corresponding roster moves, the White Sox released Kyle Robinson and Ruben Sierra Jr. while sending catchers Angel Rosario and Zach Fisher back to Extended Spring Training

Radio Broadcasts: Tonight's game and all 70 Intimidators home games plus select road games will be carried live on intimidatorsbaseball.com with Josh Feldman on the call.

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