Game Notes: Kannapolis Intimidators (White Sox) vs. Rome Braves (Braves) - August 28, 2014
August 28, 2014 - South Atlantic League (SAL1)
Kannapolis Cannon Ballers News Release
KANNAPOLIS INTIMIDATORS vs. ROME BRAVES
60-72, 31-34 (Chicago White Sox) 54-81, 30-35 (Atlanta Braves)
Thursday, August 28, 2014 - 7:05 p.m.
CMC-NorthEast Stadium - Kannapolis, N.C.
2nd Half Game #66 (133 of 137)
LH Andre Wheeler (3-3, 2.92) vs. RH Daniel Cordero (1-1, 7.29)
Today's Preview: The Intimidators (A, White Sox) wrap up this 3-game series against the Rome Braves (A, Atlanta Braves) at CMC-NorthEast Stadium with a chance to claim their first series win since Aug. 11-13 against Lexington. Kannapolis sends left-hander Andre Wheeler to the mound for his final start of the 2014 season to face Rome's Daniel Cordero.
Intimidating Starter: Andre Wheeler, 22, makes his 16th and final start of the season when he faces the Braves. The left-hander tossed a relief inning in Rome on April 26, allowing a run on three hits. He is coming off a no decision at West Virginia on Aug. 22 in which spun 5.0 innings and struck out seven while allowing two runs (one earned) on five hits. The two runs he allowed in the first inning snapped a streak of 17.0 scoreless innings, including three straight starts of 5.0 shutout innings. Wheeler was named South Atlantic League Pitcher of the Week for Aug. 11-17 after tossing 10.0 scoreless innings to earn consecutive wins against Lexington and Greensboro. Since July 31, Wheeler has a 0.41 ERA (1 ER/22 IP), the second-lowest in the SAL. After trading starts with Jordan Guerrero since mid-June, Wheeler has assumed one of the Intimidators five starting spots. He is 3-3 with a 3.18 ERA in 15 starts compared to a 2.22 ERA in 12 games in relief. The White Sox selected him in the 15th round of the June 2013 Draft out of Texas Tech.
Brave on the Bump: Daniel Cordero, 21, makes his sixth start with Rome and first against the Intimidators since a promotion from Advanced Rookie Danville. Cordero opened his season in Rome and made four starts, going 1-1 with a 7.79 ERA (15 ER/17.1 IP). He returned to the mound in June in the Appalachian League, going 4-3 with a 3.81 ERA in 12 games (12 starts) with Danville and rejoined Rome on Aug. 22. He is coming off a no decision against Charleston, allowing two runs on four hits in 3.2 innings of work. Cordero made his professional debut with the DSL Braves in 2012 and made his U.S. debut in 2013 in the GCL, going 2-3 with a 3.80 ERA.
Last Time Out: Sean Bierman enacted revenge, working 5.0 strong relief innings to lead the Braves past Kannapolis, 5-2, on Wednesday. Bierman, who opened his season with Kannapolis and signed with the Braves last week, struck out eight batters while allowing a pair of unearned runs. Rome's Jacob Schraeder broke a 2-2 tie with a 2-run home run (10) off former University of Tampa teammate Matt Abramson with two outs in the seventh inning. Rome added another run in the eighth when Codey McElroy scored on a Cody Livesay RBI-groundout. Bierman (2-1) won his second game in as many appearances with Rome. He tossed 5.0 innings, allowing two unearned runs on three hits while walking three in his second 5-inning relief effort with Rome. Kannapolis trailed 2-0 before plating a pair of runs thanks to a Braves error in the sixth inning. Carl Thomore reached on a throwing error by shortstop Codey McElroy and later scored on an Eddy Alvarez RBI-single. Jacob Morris added a bases-loaded walk to push the tying run across. Abramson (3-8) took the loss for Kannapolis, allowing three runs on six hits over 3.0 relief innings. Starter Jordan Guerrero took no decision, allowing a run on four hits, and Tanner Mendonca gave up a run on two hits and three walks while striking out three over 2.0 frames in his second South Atlantic League appearance.
Steady Eddy: Eddy Alvarez went 2-5 with a double on Wednesday and has hit safely in 12 of 13 games with Kannapolis. He is now batting .463 (25-54) since joining the Intimidators from the AZL White Sox. An Olympic silver medalist in short-track speed-skating at the 2014 Winter Games in Sochi, Alvarez signed with the White Sox in June.
Chevy Revs the Engine: Outfielder Chevy Clarke continued to improve at the plate, going 1-3 on Wednesday. The former first round pick of the Los Angeles Angels in 2010, Clarke is batting .333 (10-30) in his last nine games after opening 0-21 in his first six games with Kannapolis.
Roster Moves: The Intimidators placed starting pitcher Robinson Leyer on the Disabled List, retroactive to Aug. 26, effectively ending his season. Leyer went 5-9 with a 3.81 ERA in 25 games (25 starts), leading the team in games started and innings pitched (134.2 IP). In a corresponding move, the Intimidators receive left-handed pitcher Tanner Banks from the AZL White Sox. Banks is 1-1 with a 1.64 ERA in 14 games. The White Sox drafted him in the 18th round of the June 2014 First-Year Player Draft.
Familiar Faces: Two members of the Rome Braves have played for the Intimidators. Sean Bierman opened his season with Kannapolis, making two starts before moving up to High-A Winston-Salem. The White Sox released Bierman, who recently signed with the Braves. In his two relief appearances with Rome, he is 2-0 with a 0.00 ERA (0 ER/10.1 IP) with 11 strikeouts and four walks. Infielder Ross Wilson, a White Sox 10th round pick in the June 2010 First-Year Player Draft, spent parts of the 2011 and 2012 seasons with the Intimidators.
Broadcast Information: All 70 home games and select road games will be broadcast on the Kannapolis Intimidators Baseball Network, available at IntimidatorsBaseball.com and on the TuneIn Radio App with Josh Feldman, now in his fourth season as the Voice of the Intimidators. Tonight's pregame shows begins at 6:50 p.m. with first pitch at 7:05 p.m.
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