SAL1 Kannapolis Cannon Ballers

Game Notes: Kannapolis Intimidators (White Sox) at Greensboro Grasshoppers (Marlins) - July 8, 2014

Published on July 8, 2014 under South Atlantic League (SAL1)
Kannapolis Cannon Ballers News Release


KANNAPOLIS INTIMIDATORS at GREENSBORO GRASSHOPPERS

13-6, 42-44 (Chicago White Sox) 13-6, 57-32 (Miami Marlins)

Tuesday, July 8, 2014 - 7:00 p.m.

NewBridge Bank Park - Greensboro, N.C.

2nd Half Game #20 (87 of 137)

RH Robinson Leyer (4-5, 3.21) vs. RH Cody Crabaugh (1-0, 4.40)

Today's Preview:The Intimidators (A, White Sox) enter today's action in a 3-way tie for first place in the SAL Northern Division Second Half standings, facing the Grasshoppers (A, Marlins) the second game of this 3-game series. Kannapolis, Greensboro and Hickory are all 13-6 in the Second Half, and the Intimidators look to keep their offense hot after scoring 12 runs in each of the team's last two games. Kannapolis sends right-hander Robinson Leyer to the mound while the Grasshoppers counter with Cody Crabaugh.

Intimidating Starter: Robinson Leyer, 21, makes his second against the Grasshoppers and 17th this season on the heels of his roughest outing since early April. He currently ranks 11th in the SAL with a 3.21 ERA after giving up five runs over 4.1 innings in his last outing, a July 3 loss to Delmarva. Prior to that game, Leyer allowed two earned runs in a game just once in his previous six outings. He dominated the month of June, going 1-1 with a 1.16 ERA (4 ER/31 IP) in five starts. In his one start against the Grasshoppers, Leyer worked 6.0 strong innings, allowing a run on three hits before Greensboro broke open the game against the Kannapolis bullpen on June 15, eventually clinching the SAL Northern Division First Half crown. The younger brother of former Intimidator Euclides Leyer, he spent 2013 with Advanced Rookie Bristol, going 2-7 with a 6.35 ERA in 13 starts.

Hoppers Hurler: Cody Crabaugh, 23, makes his fifth start of the season and second against the Intimidators. A reliever-turned-starter, Crabaugh made his first start of the season against Kannapolis on June 13, allowing a run on four hits in 6.1 innings, striking out a season-high five batters while walking two. Crabaugh is 1-0 with a 4.12 ERA (9 ER/19.2 IP) in four starts compared to 0-0 with a 4.91 ERA (6 ER/11 IP) in five relief appearances. He is coming off a quality start on July 3 at Lexington in which he allowed two runs on six hits over 6.0 innings. His lone win of 2014 came June 23, when he held Lakewood to one run over 5.0 innings. Crabaugh opened this season with Class A-Advanced Jupiter, making two relief appearances. The Marlins selected Crabaugh in the 32nd round of the June 2013 First-Year Player Draft out of Oklahoma City University. He graduated from Edmond North High School in Edmond, Oklahoma.

About Last Night:Kannapolis equaled its season-high offensive output thanks in part to a Trey Michalczewski grand slam as the Intimidators beat the Grasshoppers, 12-8, on Monday at NewBridge Bank Park. Kannapolis pounded out 16 hits, including three home runs, and scored 10 runs over the fifth, sixth, and seventh innings, to pull away from Greensboro, which had built a 4-1 lead thanks to a 4-run second inning. Brad Salgado took over for Thad Lowry in the fifth and spun 3.1 scoreless frames to earn the win, while Grasshoppers reliever Miguel Del Pozo took the loss.

A Burst Into First: The Intimdators are tied for a share of first place for the first time since the first week of the Second Half of the 2013 season, when Kannapolis was 4-2 and tied for a share of the SAL Northern Division lead. Kannapolis spent just one day tied atop the division before losing 13 of their next 16 games and never coming closer than fourth in the standings the rest of the campaign. The Intimidators have not been alone in first place since the first week of the First Half of the 2013 season when Kannapolis also started the half 4-2.

Ski's Slam: Trey Michalczewski blasted his first career grand slam on Monday, helping his to a career-high 5 RBI. The 19-year-old third baseman finished the game 3-5 with 2 runs scored and his team-leading ninth home run. He now leads the Intimidators with 58 RBI in 85 games. The five RBI equals Christian Stringer's output from Sunday in Hagerstown as the most runs driven in by an Intimidators player this season. Michalczewski's slam is the second by an Intimidators player this season, coming less than a week after Carl Thomore's July 2 slam against Delmarva. This is the first year Kannapolis has hit multiple grand slams since three plays - Juan Silverio, Dan Black & Collin Kuhn - accomplished the feat in 2011.

Back-To-Back Jacks: The Intimidators hit back-to-back home runs for the first time this season in Monday's win against the Grasshoppers. Ryan Leonards hit a 2-run home run in the top of the seventh inning, the second of his season and of his career, and Adam Engel followed with a solo blast, his second of the season. Kannapolis last hit back-to-back bombs on July 5, 2013, when Keon Barnum and Brent Tanner homered in consecutive at-bats at Hickory.

Heapin' Helpin' of Homers: Kannapolis matched its season-high with three home runs on Monday, the fifth time in 2014 that the Intimidators have hit a trio of bombs in a game.

Cheaper By The Dozen: The Intimidators matched their season-high with 12 runs on Monday, the team's second straight game with a dozen runs scored and fourth 12-run game this season. Kannapolis also plated 12 on Sunday at Hagerstown. The Intimidators collected 16 hits on Monday, equaling their season-high from an April 21 contest at West Virginia.

Scoreless Salgado: Brad Salgado earned his first win at the Class A level by retiring 10 of 11 Grasshoppers in relief on Monday. He gave up one hit while striking out three batters in 3.1 innings of work.

Free Passes: Thad Lowry walked a career-high six batters on Monday, the most issued by an Intimidators pitcher this season. Previously, a Kannapolis pitcher had walked five batters in a game four time this season.

Walk This Way: Danny Hayes leads the SAL with 47 walks and ranks fifth in the league with a .401 on-base percentage. The first baseman leads Kannapolis with a .301 average (86-286) while ranking second on the team with six home runs and 43 RBI. Hayes is off to a hot start in the second half, batting .338 (25-74) with three HR and 14 RBI in 19 games.

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.

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South Atlantic League Stories from July 8, 2014


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