SAL1 Greensboro Grasshoppers

Greensboro Grasshoppers Game Notes- May 8

Published on May 8, 2008 under South Atlantic League (SAL1)
Greensboro Grasshoppers News Release


Today's Game

Greensboro Grasshoppers (17-14)

@ Lake County Captains (19-12)

Game 1 Pitchers

RHP Stuart Alexander (3-2, 4.20)

vs. RHP Santo Frias (1-0, 4.58)

Game 2 Pitchers

RHP Brett Durand (4-0, 4.66)

vs. RHP Joanniel Montero (0-1, 6.75)

Quick Stats

GBO Team Batting Average: .245 (12th)

GBO Team ERA: 3.76 (7th)

LCO Team Batting Average: .237 (14th)

LCO Team ERA: 2.79 (1st)

Game Information

Start Time: 5:00 p.m.

Ballpark: NewBridge Bank Park (7,499)

Location: Greensboro, N.C.

GAME ONE: The first game is a continuation of the May 2 game that was started at Lake County... The game will resume where it left off after one complete inning of play... RHP Stuart Alexander will pick up where Hector Correa left off for the Hoppers... Correa struck out two batters and did not give up a hit before the game was suspended.

Anchors Away: Greensboro sets sail with its second series of the season against Lake County and its first at home... The Hoppers and Northern Division-leading Lake County met less than a week ago with Greensboro taking two-of-three games; the series finale was suspended after one scoreless inning of play... The suspended contest will be completed beginning at 5:00 p.m. today and the first game of the originally scheduled four-game series will consist of seven innings and begin 30 minutes after the conclusion of the suspended game... The last time Lake County visited NewBridge Bank Park the Captains stole game one but the Hoppers bounced back to take the final three games and the series.

Home Cookin': The Hoppers are hoping for a little better taste of Greensboro during their current homestand... Returning to NewBridge Bank Park for the first time since April 27, the Hoppers are currently on a six-game home losing streak after going 0-6 during their last homestand... For the season, Greensboro has a 5-9 record at home.

Slugging Stanton: Right fielder Mike Stanton has hit three home runs in his last two games to brings his season total to six, third most in the South Atlantic League this season... Stanton homered in the sixth inning of Sunday's 14-7 victory over Hagerstown and hit two more on Monday in Greensboro's 8-3 win... This season the Hoppers are 4-1 when Stanton hits at least one home run.

Recent Transactions: (5/7) RHP Brad Stone became the first member of the 2008 Greensboro Grasshoppers roster to earn a promotion... The Florida Marlins promoted the third-year pro from Low-A Greensboro to High-A Jupiter on Wednesday after he collected a 3-0 record with a 1.89 ERA in 11 relief appearances for the Hoppers... Stone began his career with Jamestown in 2006 before being promoted to Greensboro on July 2... He spent the entire 2007 season in Greensboro and after 11 appearances this season, Stone takes a career 7-9 record and a 2.11 ERA to Jupiter... Stone has seen action in 74 professional games--all from the bullpen.

Road Warriors: Not normally known for their road prowess, the Grasshoppers have posted a 12-5 record on the road this season, including a 5-2 mark on their last road trip... After taking two of three completed games from Lake County, the Hoppers traveled to Hagerstown to face a Suns squad that swept Greensboro in their last meeting... The Hoppers dropped the completion of the April 27 suspended game and fell in the series opener, but finished strong with three straight wins in which they averaged over 10 runs and 15 hits a game.

Living Large: Listed at 5 feet, 10 inches, Ryan Curry and Ozzie Martinez are the second shortest players on the Greensboro roster; however, their stories at the plate over the Hoppers' last 5 games are telling a much taller tale... Trailing only Casey Craig and Francisco Pena, both of Savannah, Curry and Martinez have the third and fourth best batting averages in the South Atlantic League over the last 5-game span, respectively... Curry is batting .529 (9-for-17) while Martinez is hitting for a .500 average (6-for-12)... Both have also homered during the last five games, something neither Craig or Pena have done... (Batters must average at least 2.2 AB/gm in last 5 games to qualify.)

First & Worst: Greensboro's .305 batting average during the month of May is currently the best in the South Atlantic League... The Hoppers are the only SAL team to have an average over .300; Lakewood is currently batting .299... On the opposite end of the spectrum, Lake County is at the bottom of the Sally cellar with its .173 average... Greensboro has also slugged the league's second-most home runs (8), trailing only Charleston's nine May homers.

Up Next: Greensboro continues its current eight-game homestand with a four-game series against Lakewood beginning Monday, May 12... The Hoppers are 16-12 all-time when facing the BlueClaws despite being out-scored 120-115... At home, Greensboro holds an 8-4 record against Lakewood... The last time Lakewood dropped by NewBridge Bank Park, July 21-24, 2007, the Hoppers snatched all four games for a series sweep.

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.

Game 1 Moundsman: RHP Stuart Alexander (3-2, 4.20 is technically making his first relief appearance of the season... Alexander is picking up where Hector Correa left of in a May 2 suspended game... By the book, this is the first non-start for Alexander who up until this point has started all 26 games he has played in as a professional.

2007 Recap: Alexander did not play in 2007.

Career Notes: Alexander has struggled up until this point in his young career... In 2006, the last season he played, Alexander was coming back from missing the 2005 season due to injury (Tommy Johns)... He posted a combined 0-7 record in 13 starts while splitting time between the Gulf Coast League Marlins and Jamestown of the New York Penn League... Signed as a non-drafted free agent on June 16, 2004, Alexander played with the GCL Marlins and Jamestown during the 2004 season before sitting out 2005.

- Alexander's Last Win: April 16, 2008 @ Greenville (7-2 over Eammon Portice)

- Alexander's Last Loss: May 3, 2008 @ Hagerstown (3-4 to Severino)

- Alexander's Last Complete Game: None

- Alexander's Career High Strikeouts: 8 (July 10, 2004 vs. GCL Dodgers)

Game 2 Starter: RHP Brett Durand (3-0, 4.50) is making his sixth start of the season tonight... After joining the squad on April 8, Durand made a start that same night and pitched 5.0 scoreless innings to pick up his first win of the season... In his second start, Durand struck out a season-high six batters, one shy of his career high, and recorded the first quality start, 6.0 innings pitched and two earned runs, of his career... Durand struggled during the course of his next two outings, giving up five earned runs on eight hits in each appearance while not factoring in either decision, but got back on track with a 5.0 inning performance in which he allowed just one earned run against division-leading Lake County... Durand last appeared on May 5 against Hagerstown out of the bullpen in 3.0 innings of work for the Hoppers; he earned his fourth win of the season in that outing.

2007 Recap: In his first professional season, Durand threw just 35.1 innings and picked up a 1-2 record while pitching for the Gulf Coast League Marlins... He saw action in nine games, starting seven and finishing one, and struck out 36 batters... Entering the season, his longest outing was 5.0 innings, which he did on three occasions.

Career Notes: Was drafted in the 11th round of the 2007 First Year Draft and pitched for the Gulf Coast League Marlins... He earned his first professional victory on Aug. 15, 2007 while playing on the road against the GCL Cardinals... In his first victory, Durand tossed 4.0 scoreless innings of relief and struck out six batters.

Downtown GBO: Durand is 3-0 with a 3.94 ERA in three starts at NewBridge Bank Park this season... In 16.0 innings of work, Durand has struck out 13 batters and opponents are hitting just .222 off of him at home.

- Durand's 2008 Starts: 3-0, 4.50 ERA, 5 G, 26.0 IP, 27 H, 15 R, 13 ER, 6 HR, 5 BB, 18 SO

- Durand's Last Win: May 5, 2008 @ Hagerstown (14-7 over Brad Peacock)

- Durand's Last Loss: August 21, 2007 vs. GCL Dodgers (5-0 to Johnathan Dutton)

- Durand's Last Complete Game: None

- Durand's Career High Strikeouts: 7 (August 21, 2007 vs. GCL Dodgers)

Check out the Greensboro Grasshoppers Statistics

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South Atlantic League Stories from May 8, 2008


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