FL Joliet Slammers

August 9 Joliet Slammers Game Notes

Published on August 9, 2011 under Frontier League (FL)
Joliet Slammers News Release


JOLIET SLAMMERS (41-30) vs. GATEWAY GRIZZLIES (30-41)

Tuesday, August 9 - 7:05 p.m. CT

Silver Cross Field - Joliet, IL

Game #72 - Home Game #33 (41-30, 19-13)

RHP #39 TOMMY MENDOZA (4-1, 4.08 ERA) vs. RHP #36 SEAN TOLER (0-2, 4.91 ERA)

Last Time Out.

Josh Flores started the game with a home run but nothing went right after that. The River City Rascals (53-18) scored seven runs in the first inning and never looked back as they romped to a 17-7 victory over the Joliet Slammers (41-30) Sunday night. Andrew Moss (4-4) had a start to forget has he only lasted 1 inning, giving up 7 runs, all earned, on 6 hits. He walked 1 and struck out 2. His successor Jeremy Tietze didn't do much better as he lasted only 2 innings, giving up 7 runs, all earned, on 10 hits. The Rascals strung together 5 straight hits after a lead-off walk in the first inning to go up 4-1. Then with 2 away and the bases loaded Chris McClendon cleared the bases with a double. A Logan Parker two-run homer off Tietze made it 9-1 in the 2nd inning. Then they scored 5 in the 3rd to put the game completely out of reach. A Joash Brodin 3-run homer put the exclamation point on the frame.

For Starters.

Tommy Mendoza is coming off a victory over the Gateway Grizzlies his last time on the mound on August 3. He went five innings, giving up four hits, two runs; both earned, walked two and struck out three. Mendoza was a 5th round draft pick of the Angels in 2005. He has a career ERA of 3.97 over six minor league seasons. The right-handed pitcher rose to the Triple-A level at the age of 21 in 2009. He was 7-7 with a 3.36 ERA for Double-A Arkansas and was named a Texas League All Star before earning the promotion to Salt Lake. With the Bees he went 2-1 with a 2.91 ERA. Mendoza suffered from multiple injuries in 2010 which only allowed him to pitch in 10 games. He spent of the off-season rehabbing a partially torn labrum.

Record highs, record lows.

The Slammers set season highs in runs (16) and hits (20) in Saturday night's victory over the River City Rascals. In addition, Kyle Maunus' 7 RBI was the most ever in a single game for a Slammers player. But on Sunday everything changed as they surrendered a season high in runs (17) and hits (22) as River City defeated them in the rubber match of the three game series.

Taking charge.

It's been more than a month (the end of play on July 8) since the Slammers took over first place by themselves in the East Division. They have not surrendered it since taking over. Joliet did not have a lead by themselves at all before July 8.

Flores on fire.

Josh Flores is hitting a team leading .405 with three home runs over the Slammers' last ten games. He had four homers total on the year before the recent hot streak.

Powerful duo.

Erik Lis and Kyle Maunus have combined for 29 home runs this year. That's more than the rest of the active Slammers combined (25).

Putting the ball in play.

Catcher Ben Hewett is the only Slammer who doesn't have more K's than BB's. He has 11 of each.

Pitching is the key.

The Slammers have the second best ERA in the Frontier League at 3.79. In addition, they've held opponents to a league low .242 batting average. The bullpen has been especially strong, compiling an ERA of 3.12.

Aggression.

Joliet's hitters like to swing the bat as evidenced by their league low 236 walks. Josh Flores leads the team in walks with 34 on the season.

Transaction Wire.

The Slammers placed LHP Brian Fowler on the 7-Day DL and activated Catcher Trey Manz from the 7-Day DL today.

Check out the Joliet Slammers Statistics

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