SAL1 Kannapolis Cannon Ballers

Game Notes: Kannapolis Intimidators (White Sox) vs. Lexington Legends (Royals) -- August 11, 2014

Published on August 11, 2014 under South Atlantic League (SAL1)
Kannapolis Cannon Ballers News Release


KANNAPOLIS INTIMIDATORS vs LEXINGTON LEGENDS

53-64, 24-26 (Chicago White Sox) 48-72, 19-31 (Kansas City Royals)

Monday, August 11, 2014 - 7:05 p.m.

CMC-Northeast Stadium - Kannapolis, NC.

2nd Half Game #51 (118 of 137)

RH Robinson Leyer (5-8, 3.43) vs. LH Matt Tenuta (5-8, 4.86)

Today's Preview: The Intimidators (A, White Sox) try to bounce back after a 4-game sweep in Hagerstown as the look to end a 6-game losing skid when they open a series against the Legends (A, Royals) today at CMC-NorthEast Stadium. Kannapolis would equal its longest losing streak of the season with a loss, but consistent right-hander Robinson Leyer is slated to toe the rubber for the Intimidators in his team-leading 23rd start of the season.

Intimidating Starter: Robinson Leyer, 21, makes his 23rd start and first against the Legends. Leyer is coming off his team-leading 10th quality start, going 6.0 innings and allowing two runs with five strikeouts in a loss on Aug. 6 against Hickory. He has been consistent both at home and on the road, going 3-5 with a 3.45 ERA in 13 starts at home compared to 2-3 with a 3.40 ERA in nine away starts away. Leyer continues to be much better against lefties than righties, holding left-handed hitters to a .235 average (52-221) compared to .308 (72-234) against righties. The Intimidators team-leader in ERA (3.43) and innings pitched (120.2) excelled in May and June (going 3-2 with a 1.53 ERA (10 ER/58.2 IP) in 10 starts), but July and August have been less kind as he is 1-4 with a 4.63 ERA (18 ER/35 IP) in six starts. The younger brother of former Intimidator Euclides Leyer, Robinson spent 2013 with Advanced Rookie Bristol, going 2-7 with a 6.35 ERA in 13 starts.

Legendary Starter: Matt Tenuta, 20, makes his 19th start of the season and his first against the Intimidators. Tenuta, who is coming off 5.0 strong innings, allowing four hits in a no decision vs. Rome on Aug. 6. Tenuta has been slightly better at home this season, going 1-3 with a 4.03 ERA in nine games (five starts) compared 4-5 with a 5.43 ERA in 13 starts on the road. Tenuta split time in 2013 between Burlington and Idaho Falls going a combined 3-5 in 13 starts with a 3.58 ERA (26 ER/65.1 IP). Tenuta is a local kid coming out of Apex High School, who had committed to NC State prior to being drafted in the 25th round of the 2012 First-Year Player Draft. Tenuta's family has strong athletic roots, his brother played football at Akron and Marshall. His father played football at Virginia University where he is a current associate head coach. Matt's mother played basketball at Virginia University.

About Last Night: The Suns completed a 4-game sweep of Kannapolis with a 5-4 win on Sunday. Toby Thomas hit his first home run since joining the Intimidators last week. His 2-run blast in the fifth gave Kannapolis a 2-1 advantage but the lead was short-lived. Thomas finished 2-4 with 2 RBI while Trey Michalczewski drove in the Intimidators other run with an eighth-inning sac-fly to cash Chevy Clarke. Hagerstown tied the game up in the fifth. Rafael Bautista singled off reliever Tyler Barnette, allowing an inherited runner to score to knot the game, 2-2.The Suns' tally in the fifth started a string a scoring a run in four straight frames to pull ahead and secure the victory. In the sixth, Austin Chubb doubled to cash Jimmy Yezzo for a 3-2 lead. Wilman Rodriguez scored on a Narcisco Mesa ground-rule double in the seventh. Rodriguez singled to cash Cody Dent in the eighth to go up 5-3. Barnette (2-8) suffered the loss, allowing three runs (two earned) on nine hits over 3 and 1/3 innings while striking out two. Jordan matched his career-high with six strikeouts while walking two over 4 and 2/3 innings of work in a no decision.

Olympian joins Intimidators: Eddy Alvarez, a silver medal winner in speed skating at the 2014 Winter Olympics in Sochi, Russia, joined the Intimidators from the AZL White Sox. He signed with Chicago in June and made his professional debut with the Arizona White Sox, batting .291 (32-110) with five doubles, a triple, two home runs -- including a July 27 grand slam - and 12 RBI while drawing 20 walks in 27 games. Alvarez, 24, took the silver medal in the 5,000-meter relay at the 2014 Games in Sochi. At Salt Lake Community College in 2011, he hit .311 with 16 doubles, four triples, two home runs, and 46 RBI while earning All-Conference honors before turning his athletic attention to speed skating.

Michalczewski moves up: Third baseman Trey Michalczewski, 19, became the 14th Intimidator to earn a promotion, moving up to Winston-Salem today. He leads Kannapolis and ranks second in the South Atlantic League with 116 games played while batting .273 with 10 home runs and a team-high 70 RBI. The White Sox selected him in the seventh round of the June 2013 First-Year Player Draft out of Jenks (Okla.) High School. In his first year of full-season ball, Michalczewski ranks tied for fifth in the SAL in triples (7), seventh in RBI, tied for eighth in hits (118) and extra-base hits (42), ninth in at-bats (432), tied for 12th in walks (45), tied for 13th in doubles (25), and tied for 20th in home runs. He becomes the 14th member of the Intimidators to earn a promotion in 2014.

Stringer's Hot Bat: Christian Stringer has a hot bat going in his last 10 game, batting .359 (14-39) with four RBI and six runs scored. Stringer currently ranks 10th in the SAL in this stretch with a .432 OBP.

Game Broadcasts: This season all 70 home games and select road games will be broadcast on the Kannapolis Intimidators Baseball Network available at IntimidatorsBaseball.com & on the TuneIn Radio App with Josh Feldman, now in his fourth season as the Voice of the Intimidators.

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South Atlantic League Stories from August 11, 2014


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