Eastern League notebook

Published on July 5, 2005 under Eastern League (EL1) News Release

Akron Aeros

Akron snapped a franchise-record 12-game losing streak on Friday, July 1 with their win over Reading. That streak equals the longest losing streak in Minor League Baseball this season. CF Franklin Gutierrez currently has a six-game hitting streak. He is batting .423 (11-for-26) with one double, three home runs, six RBI and five runs scored during the streak. Over his last eight games 3B Pat Osborn is hitting .393 (11-for-28) with two doubles, one home run, six runs scored and two RBI.

Altoona Curve

The Curve entered the Fourth of July in first place in the Southern Division for the second consecutive season. The 2004 club went on to post a league-best 85-56 record and went to the Eastern League Championship Series. 3B Jose Bautista and LHP Paul Maholm were both named as replacements for MLB's Futures Game, which will be held July 10th in Detroit. Bautista will play for the World Team, while Maholm will pitch for the U.S. squad.

Binghamton Mets

On Thursday, the B-Mets added SS Corey Ragsdale and 1B Brett Harper from High-A St. Lucie and the two figured prominently in Binghamton's win over New Britain that night. Trailing 4-3 in the eighth, Ragsdale made his debut as a pinch-runner and scored on Mike Jacobs' double, tying the game. Later that inning, Harper made his first appearance as a pinch-hitter, and blasted a two-out, two-run homer in the B-Mets' 6-4 victory.

Bowie Baysox

OF Eugene Kingsale legged out the 17th triple of his Baysox career on Friday, tying him with Brad Tyler at the top of the team's all-time list. Tyler hit all 17 of his triples during Bowie's inaugural season in 1993. RHP Cory Morris threw five shutout innings on Thursday to lower his ERA to 2.55. which ranks third in the league.

Erie SeaWolves

Byron Gettis hit safely in every game last week and was 11-for-22 with two homers and four runs scored. RHP Joel Zumaya was 2-0 with 16 strikeouts in a pair of starts last week. Zumaya gave up just two runs in 14 innings pitched to lower his ERA to 2.90.

Harrisburg Senators

Harrisburg started the week losing two straight to Erie to fall eight games under .500. But they bounced back and swept the Trenton Thunder over the weekend at Commerce Bank Park. The game on July 3rd produced the largest attendance in two seasons, 6,232.

New Britain Rock Cats

RF Doug Deeds tied for seventh in the league in batting (.421) last week, was ranked second in on-base percentage (.542) and tied for third in hits (8). On the season, Deeds remains tied for second in the league in doubles (25). Since making his Double-A debut with the Rock Cats on June 24, CF Denard Span is batting .303 with one double, one triple and six runs scored in nine games.

New Hampshire Fisher Cats

RHP Lee Gronkiewicz extended his scoreless innings streak to 16.0 with 3.2 scoreless innings last week. Gronkiewicz earned two saves for the week, giving him a total of 24 on the season. The Fisher Cats allowed a franchise-record tying four home runs in a 12-3 loss to Altoona on Sunday.

Norwich Navigators

The Navigators 7-6 victory over Portland on Sunday snapped their season-high six-game losing streak. The Navigators went into extra innings in the second game of their twinbill in Portland on Friday, playing 10 innings, and then played an 11 inning game on Sunday, meaning the two clubs played a total of 28 innings during the two day period.

Portland Sea Dogs

RHP Denney Tomori, a 37 year-old, became the oldest player in franchise history when he joined the team from Triple-A Pawtucket on Tuesday, June 28. CF David Murphy enters this week with an eight-game hitting streak. Murphy has raised his batting average from .237 to .257 during the hitting streak. INF Kenny Perez led the Sea Dogs with a .339 average during the month of June. Perez drove in 19 runs and scored 21 runs during the month.

Reading Phillies

OF Michael Bourn grounded into his first double play of the season on Saturday in Erie. It took him 314 at-bats to finally ground into a twin killing. 2B Brian Hitchcox had a 56-game errorless streak come to an end on Saturday in Erie. Hitchcox, who made an uncharacteristic two miscues in the game, only has three in over 300 chances this season. The R-Phils have won 14 of their last 19 games.

Trenton Thunder

OF Kevin Thompson led the Thunder in batting (.340), hits (35), home runs (7), RBI (21) and walks (21) during the month of June. Thompson also tied for the team lead in runs scored (21) during the month of June.

Eastern League Stories from July 5, 2005

• Baysox bats come alive, beat Senators, 5-4 - Chesapeake Baysox
• Dandy debut: Sanchez wins first Double-A start - Altoona Curve
• Thunder fall 5-0 to Sea Dogs, back in second place - Trenton Thunder
• Eastern League Announces Five Additions to All-Star Game Rosters - Portland Sea Dogs
• New Britain walks ten Navigators and loses 8-0 - Connecticut Defenders
• Aeros use long ball to defeat Reading - Reading Fightin Phils
• B-Mets game postponed - Binghamton Rumble Ponies
• Bacani named Eastern League All-Star - Binghamton Rumble Ponies
• Fisher Cats rained out - New Hampshire Fisher Cats
• Wagner, Hamels set for special night - Reading Fightin Phils
• Thunder add Roberts to roster - Trenton Thunder
• Pair of top hurlers set to make Double-A debuts this week - EL1
• Eastern League notebook - EL1
• Eastern League announces weekly award winners - EL1
• Papelbon selected EL Pitcher of the Week - Portland Sea Dogs
• Binghamton Mets game notes - Binghamton Rumble Ponies
• Navigators host Connecticut National Guard Day July 9 - Connecticut Defenders

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