Hillcats vs. Keys Tonight
Published on June 11, 2009 under Carolina League (CarL1)
Hill City Howlers News Release
THE HILLCATS:
Lynchburg rallied from two separate deficits in a 7-6 victory over Frederick last night at City Stadium after waiting through an hour rain delay...The Hillcats have now won the first two games of this three-game set to secure a series victory...They have extended their lead to five games over Potomac for first place in the Northern Division...Tonight's game is the final game of a three-game series with Frederick and the last contest of a brief three-game homestand...These three games are sandwiched between 14 road games for the Green & Gold...
VS. FREDERICK:
Lynchburg and Frederick have already played three series against each other this season with the Hillcats winning nine of the 12 games and four of the five contests at City Stadium...Last season the Keys won the season series against the Cats 12-7 and went 6-3 in the Hill City...Lynchburg holds the all-time advantage 151-132 and they are 79-65 at City Stadium...
WELCOME BACK CARDIAC CATS:
The come from behind win last night for the Hillcats was their 21st comeback victory of the season and it was their second in as many nights...Lynchburg was trailing 2-0 halfway through the game and were down a run again going into the bottom of the eighth inning...On Tuesday night they were down to their final two outs, threatening to lose four games in a row for the first time all year...The Cats have now rallied to win nine times when trailing in the seventh inning or later this season...They have also now won ten games this year in the team's final plate appearance...
MAGIC NUMBER:
The magic number to clinch the Northern Division is down to 9 for the Hillcats...They lead the division by five games with 12 games left to play...
LIFE AT THE TOP:
Lynchburg currently has the best record in the Carolina League and entered today tied for the second most wins in all of minor league baseball with 38 (only behind the High Desert Mavericks, 39 wins)...The Hillcats are also tied for the best winning percentage amongst full season teams (.655)...They have been in first place almost every day of the first half of the season...
TAKING ON THE NORTH:
This series versus Frederick is Lynchburg's fifth straight series against a Northern Division opponent (16 games)...Thus far, they are 8-4 during that time...Over a longer period, the Hillcats are finishing off a stretch of playing 29 of 32 against their own division...They have a record of 14-8 against the North during that stretch...
REAPPEARING OFFENSE:
Prior to the three runs scored in the bottom of the fifth inning last night, the Hillcats has scored just four runs in their previous 40 innings...They went on to score seven runs in their final four innings of at-bats a night ago...Lynchburg also had gone just 2-for-18 (.091) with men in scoring position with no runs driven in in the past five games prior to last night...OF Alex Presley's infield single to drive in a run in the three-run fifth inning was the first man in scoring position driven in since last Wednesday in Frederick...
SHOOTING THEMSELVES IN THE FOOT:
Frederick lost last night despite out hitting the Hillcats 16-5...The Keys defense committed three errors that led to four unearned runs...The 16 hits were the most Lynchburg has allowed this season...This season Frederick leads the league with 79 errors and 65 unearned runs in 59 games played...In comparison, the Cats committed 50 errors and allowed 21 unearned runs in 58 contests...They are tied for the best fielding percentage in the Carolina League (.977)...Last night the Hillcats committed their first error since last Wednesday, they had gone five games without a defensive blunder...
ALL-STAR PERFORMANCE:
OF Miles Durham who was recently named to the Carolina League All-Star team along with teammate C Kris Watts, went 1-for-4 last night with a home run in the fith inning that was the Hillcats first hit and first run...Durham now is tied for fifth in the league in doubles (16), tied for third in triples (4) and is third in extra-base hits (26)...He was also recently named the CL Player of the Month for the month of May after batting .333 with six home runs and 21 RBI in 27 games...Watts immediately followed Durham's homer with a double and came around to score the game-tying run...
COUNT ON CONSISTENCY:
RHP Matt McSwain tossed five innings last night and allowed just two runs...It marked the sixth straight start in which he has allowed two runs or less...In the previous five outings he went six innings or more of work...While he did not factor in the decision, McSwain has still won his last six decisions and the Cats have won the last eight games he has started...On the season, Lynchburg has won 10 of the 12 games he has gotten the nod...
TONIGHT'S OPPOSING PITCHER:
LHP Brian Matusz was the fourth overall selection in the 2008 First-Year Player Draft by the Orioles out of the University of San Diego...In his final college season with the Toreros he went 12-2 with a 1.71 ERA in 15 games (14 starts) and tossed three complete game shutouts...He struck out 141 in 105 innings...He made his professional debut with Frederick this season and has gone 4-2 with a 2.12 ERA in eleven starts for the Keys...He leads the league in strikeouts (75), innings pitched (66 and 2/3) and is third in ERA (2.16)...Matusz is ranked as the third best prospect in the Orioles minor league system according to Baseball America...In his only start against Lynchburg he pitched seven innings, allowed three runs on four hits and struck out nine to earn the win...Since he allowed a run in the fourth inning of that game, he has thrown 23 consecutive scoreless innings entering tonight...
Carolina League Stories from June 11, 2009
- Rain Forces Cancellation of Cats-Keys - Hill City Howlers
- Nats Bats Silenced - Potomac Nationals
- K-Tribe Postponed in Series Finale with Myrtle Beach - Kinston Indians
- Dash Take Series Finale as Pitching Quiets Potomac - Winston-Salem Dash
- Keys and Hillcats Cancelled Due to Rain - Frederick Keys
- Everett Teaford Promoted - Wilmington Blue Rocks
- Keys to Host Veterans Night - Frederick Keys
- Hillcats vs. Keys Tonight - Hill City Howlers
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