SAL1 Greensboro Grasshoppers

Greensboro Game Notes: April 17

Published on April 17, 2008 under South Atlantic League (SAL1)
Greensboro Grasshoppers News Release


Today's Game

Greensboro Grasshoppers (9-5)

vs. Greenville Drive (9-5)

Starting Pitchers

RHP Colby Miller (0-2, 6.30)

vs. LHP Felix Dourbront (2-0, 0.90)

Quick Stats

GBO Team Batting Average: .251 (4th)

GBO Team ERA: 3.11 (4th)

GRE Team Batting Average: .274 (2nd)

GRE Team ERA: 2.77 (2nd)

Game Information

Start Time: 7:00 p.m.

Ballpark: Fluor Field at the West End (4,300)

Location: Greenville, S.C.

Road Work Resume: This season the Grasshoppers have compiled a 4-2 road record and are playing Game 3 of just their second road series tonight in Greenville... Tonight's game is the third of a current six-game road trip that ends with Greensboro facing Kannapolis for two games on the road Saturday and Sunday... Last time the Hoppers hit the road they compiled a 3-1 record in a four-game set against Augusta to open the season... After winning the first three games of the series, the GreenJackets scored an unearned game-winner to hand the Hoppers their first loss of the season in the second half of a Sunday double-header.

Series Insight: After being shut out for the first time this season in the series opener and falling to 1-2 in series opening games this season, the Hoppers bounced back with an 8-2 day-game win over Greenville to improve to 3-1 in day games this season... The series opening shut out was the second time the Drive have shut out Greensboro in its three-year history, and the first time since July 4, 2006 when the Drive defeated the Grasshoppers 5-0 in Greensboro... Tonight the Hoppers are bidding for at least a series split as they send Colby Miller (0-2, 6.30) to the mound for Game 3 of their current four-game set at Fluor Field at the West End... Greensboro is 10-15 all-time against Greenville and has a 3-10 road record against the Drive... Greensboro's last meeting with the Drive came in a July 3-6, 2007, series when the Hoppers took three-of-four games from Greenville at NewBridge Bank Park... The last time these two teams squared off in Greenville, the Drive swept the four-game series, including two one-run games... All-time, the Hoppers have been out-scored by the Drive, 133-111.

Long Ball Leader: INF Ben Lasater is tied for the league lead in home runs this season with four... Lasater hit his first home run of the season April 11 at home against Asheville and added two more when he went deep twice during Sunday's 12-2 win against the Tourists... It marked the first time in his career that he has hit two home runs in the same game... His fourth home run of the season came Wednesday when the 6-3 righty hit a three-run, two-out homer off of Greenville's Eammon Portice... It was Greensboro's first road home run of the season.

Player Notes: RF Mike Stanton is currently on an 11-game hit streak and is tied for the South Atlantic League lead with his .426 batting average... Stanton also ranks first in the league with 20 hits, third with his .702 slugging percentage and .472 on-base percentage, and third in extra-base hits (8)... Bryan Petersen leads the SAL in runs scored with 13... INF Ben Lasater is tied for the league lead with four home runs and 13 RBI... RHP Stuart Alexander's win on Wednesday improved his record to 3-0 and pulled him into a league-leading tie for wins this season.

Bad Bounces: Greensboro has had just two errorless game this season... In all, the Grasshoppers committed 28 errors over the course of their first 14 games (2.00/gm), which is the most among the South Atlantic League... Seven of the team's 28 errors have been committed by Ryan Anetsberger... Six (6) of Anetsberger's seven errors have come while playing third base; the other came while playing first.

This Day in Hoppers History: For the first time in three seasons, the Greensboro Grasshoppers are playing on April 17... The Hoppers picked up a 6-4 victory over Hickory during their first season and have since used April 17 as a travel day... Last year Greensboro used the 17th to travel from home to West Virginia.

Streaky Business: RF Mike Stanton's current 11-game hit streak is tied for the league's longest hit streak this season... Stanton is tied with Hickory's Miles Durham and Augusta's Nick Noonan and is hitting over .100 points better than the others during their respective streaks... Stanton is currently hitting .463 (19-for-41) during his 11-game hit streak and has recorded five doubles, one triple and two home runs... Along with his hit streak, Stanton has reached base in all 13 games he's played this season... INF Bryan Petersen has also reached base in every game he's played this season for a 12-game on-base streak... Stanton and Petersen rank one-two in the South Atlantic League for most consecutive games on-base.

Top Prospects: The Marlins' top pick in the 2007 draft (12th overall), Matt Dominguez, is the highest touted third-baseman on the Marlins' prospect list printed in Baseball America and enters his first full season of professional baseball after playing five games with the Gulf Coast Marlins and 10 games with Jamestown... In the same article, Dominguez was named the Marlins' best Minor League defensive infielder... Mike Stanton, the Marlins' second draftee in the 2007 draft, also split time between the Gulf Coast Marlins (8 games) and Jamestown (9 games) last season... Entering the season, Stanton ranks ninth on Baseball America's top 10 prospects for the Marlins and was tabbed the organization's best power hitter and best athlete in the minors.

Weary Travels: In three seasons, the Greensboro Grasshoppers have never had a winning record on the road and is coming off its worst road record in team history... Last season, the Hoppers were 24-46 (.343) on the road and finished with the 14th-best road record in the 16-team South Atlantic League... This season, the Hoppers were 3-1 after just one series on the road against Augusta to open their 2008 campaign... Overall, Greensboro has a 91-120 (.431) record when playing away from NewBridge Bank Park, compared to a 124-94 (.569) record when playing at home.

Franchise Record: The Grasshoppers have held their franchise record at .500 or better for three straight days... After failing to move above the .500 mark early in the season on multiple occasions, the Greensboro Grasshoppers finally picked up the win that puts them above .500 as a franchise... The Hoppers had gone back and forth between being one-game below and right at .500 until Monday's 3-2 win over Asheville... Greensboro now has a 215-214 franchise record... The Hoppers entered the season with a 206-208 and have recorded season records of 67-71 (2005), 68-69 (2006), 71-69 (2007) and are 7-4 so far this year.

Up Next: Greensboro hits the road again for a four-game series in Greenville and a two-game set in Kannapolis... The Hoppers are 9-14 all-time against Kannapolis including a 2-9 mark on the road... Against Kannapolis, the Hoppers are 23-21 all-time and riding a six-game losing streak... Last season Greensboro posted a 9-11 mark against Kannapolis.

Tonight's Starter: Colby Miller (0-2, 6.30)

Colby Miller is making his fourth appearance of the season tonight and his third start... Miller made a brief 1.0 inning relief appearance in the Hoppers' second game of the season on the road in Augusta, but has made two starts since... Miller started Greensboro's home-opener on April 7 and lasted 5.0 innings in which he surrendered four runs, three earned, on six hits while striking out five batters... In his second start, Miller gave up two home runs in his 4.0 inning performance while again giving up four runs, all earned, on six hits.

2007 Recap: Pitching for Shreveport of the Independent American Association, Miller posted a 6-9 record with a 3.18 ERA in 20 games... Miller pitched five complete games and tossed 10.0 innings on Aug. 17 against Pensacola... Of his five complete games, three where complete game shutouts... His three complete game shutouts came on: June 24 in Game 2 of a double-header against Fort Worth, July 25 at Sioux Falls and August 22 against El Paso... Over the course of the season he twice threw back-to-back complete games... On May 27 he struck out a season-high nine (9) batters on the road against Pensacola in just 6.0 innings of work.

Career Notes: Miller is in his ninth professional season and returns to affiliated ball after pitching for Shreveport of the Independent American Association in 2007... Miller finished the 2007 season with a 6-9 record and a 3.18 ERA... Miller was originally drafted by the Minnesota Twins in 2000 and was signed by the Marlins as a free agent earlier this year... Miller reached as high as Double-A during three consecutive seasons including the entire 2004 and 2005 seasons... For his career, Miller entered the season with a 42-49 record with a 3.61 ERA and has struck out 10-plus batters on three occasions.

On the Road: Colby is making his first road start of the season and second appearance away from NewBridge Bank Park... In just 1.0 inning of work away from home this season, Miller has allowed no hits and no runs while facing just three batters.

- Miller's Last Win: August 22, 2007 vs. El Paso (8-0 over Greg Wiltshire)

- Miller's Last Loss: April 12, 2008 vs. Asheville (3-7 to Edgmer Escalona)

- Miller's Last Complete Game: August 22, 2007 vs. El Paso (W, 8-0 over Greg Wiltshire)

- Miller's Career High Strikeouts: 12 (August 4, 2003 vs. Lakeland)

Check out the Greensboro Grasshoppers Statistics

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South Atlantic League Stories from April 17, 2008


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