SAL1 Kannapolis Cannon Ballers

Game Notes: Kannapolis Intimidators (White Sox) at Greensboro Grasshoppers (Marlins) - July 12, 2014

Published on July 7, 2014 under South Atlantic League (SAL1)
Kannapolis Cannon Ballers News Release


KANNAPOLIS INTIMIDATORS at GREENSBORO GRASSHOPPERS

12-6, 41-44 (Chicago White Sox)

13-5, 57-31 (Miami Marlins)

Monday, July 7, 2014 - 7:00 p.m.

NewBridge Bank Park - Greensboro, N.C.

2nd Half Game #19 (86 of 137)

RH Thad Lowry (4-4, 3.83) vs. RH Domingo German (8-3, 2.59)

. Today's Preview: The Intimidators (A, White Sox) make their first of two visits to NewBridge Bank Park when they open a 3-game series against the Grasshoppers (A, Marlins) in Greensboro on Monday. Kannapolis avoided a series sweep in Hagerstown with Sunday's 12-7 win, ending a 3-game losing skid while Greensboro has emerged as the SAL Northern Division's hottest team, going 8-2 in their last 10 games to move into a first place tie with Hickory at 13-5. The Intimidators (12-6) are 1.0 game back. In the first series between the two squads this season, Greensboro swept four games to close the first half on a 10-game winning streak, clinching the First Half Championship in Kannapolis in mid-June.

Intimidating Starter: Thaddius Lowry, 19, makes his 10th start of the season and second against Greensboro. He is coming off back-to-back home wins against Delmarva (July 2) and Charleston (June 27). Lowry, the White Sox fifth round pick in the June 2013 First-Year Player Draft, has worked a career-high 6.0 innings in each of his last four outings, a streak starter on June 14 in a home loss to Greensboro. The Hoppers tagged Lowry for three runs on eight hits over 6.0 IP, his most recent loss. After opening his season by going 0-3 with a 7.59 in May, Lowry is 4-1 with a 2.65 ERA (10 ER/34 IP) in his last six starts. He spun a complete-game 5-inning no-hitter in a rain-shortened game at West Virginia on June 3, the first complete game no-no by an Intimidator June 10, 2003, when Brian Miller no-hit the Greensboro Bats (7 innings). As a result, Lowry was named South Atlantic League Pitcher of the Week for June 2-8.

Hoppers Hurler: Domingo German, 21, makes his 18th start and second against Kannapolis. In his lone outing against the Intimidators, he pitched Greensboro to a First Half clinching victory on June 15 by allowing one unearned run on four hits over 7.0 innings. He ranks fourth in the SAL with a 2.59 ERA, 88 strikeouts, and 94 innings pitched, and he is tied for fifth with eight wins. German is coming off 6.0 scoreless innings in a July 2 win at Lexington. He has been better at home than on the road, going 4-2 with a 2.01 ERA in nine starts at NewBridge Bank Park compared to 4-1 with a 3.35 ERA in eight road starts. German split 2013 between Short-Season Batavia and the GCL Marlins. He made his pro debut with the DSL Marlins in 2010.

About Last Night: Christian Stringer belted two home runs to lead the Intimidators to a 12-7 win over the Suns on Sunday evening in Hagerstown. Stringer, who finished 2-4 with a career-high five RBI and three runs scored, put Kannapolis on the board in the first inning with a 2-run shot and added to the Intimidators lead with a 3-run blast in the fourth. His first-inning home run was part of a 5-run inning that helped Kannapolis to a fast start, and Hagerstown never caught up. The Intimidators offense pounded out 14 hits, including a pair of doubles for both catcher Brett Austin and first baseman Danny Hayes. Hayes finished the night 3-5 with two RBI while Austin was 2-4 with two RBI. Jordan Guerrero improved to 6-0 with the win, working 5.0 innings in his second start of the season. The left-hander gave up two runs on six hits while matching his career-high of five walks. Andre Wheeler and Jose Brito combined to allow five runs over the final 4.0 innings of work. Suns starter Nick Pivetta (10-5) took the loss, allowing eight runs on nine hits over 3.1 innings, including both bombs to Stringer.

Stringer's Dingers: Christian Stringer became the first Intimidators player in 2014 to have two multi-HR games. He hit two home runs, driving in a career-high five RBI, on Sunday at Hagerstown. Stringer also had two home runs on June 24 at Hickory, his first career multi-HR game. The last Intimidators player with multiple multi-HR games in a season was Ross Wilson in 2012. He had a 3-HR game April 27, 2012, at Augusta and a 2-HR game May 25, 2012, in Game 2 of a doubleheader at West Virginia.

Trey Will Play: Trey Michalczewski is tied for second in the SAL with 84 games played this season, including 83 at third base. The 19-year-old switch hitter is batting .293 (89-304) and leads Kannapolis with eight home runs and 53 RBI. He is batting .310 (22-71) against left-handed pitching this season. He started off by batting .253 (22-87) in April but has tormented opposing arms since, including batting a blistering .327 (33-101) with six home runs and 21 RBI over 26 games in June.

Walk This Way: Danny Hayes leads the SAL with 47 walks. The first baseman leads Kannapolis with a .295 average (83-281) while ranking second on the team with six home runs and 42 RBI. Hayes is off to a hot start in the second half, batting .319 (22-69) with three home runs and 13 RBI in 18 games.

Strikeout Struggles: As a team, Kannapolis leads the league with 791 strikeouts, 77 more than the free-swinging Hickory (714) in two fewer games. Three of the top of strikeout victims in the SAL play for the Intimidators, including SAL-leader Jacob Morris (111), T.J. Williams (105), and Trey Michalczewski (98).

Broadcast: This week's 3-game series at Greensboro will be broadcast on the Kannapolis Intimidators Baseball Network with Josh Feldman, now in his fourth season with the team. All 70 home games and select road games can be heard online at IntimidatorsBaseball.com and on the TuneIn Radio App.

Check out the Kannapolis Cannon Ballers Statistics

Share: Facebook | Twitter/X | LinkedIn | Reddit | Email



South Atlantic League Stories from July 7, 2014


The opinions expressed in this release are those of the organization issuing it, and do not necessarily reflect the thoughts or opinions of OurSports Central or its staff.

OurSports Central