International League News and Notes

May 22, 2008 - International League (IL1) News Release

BUFFALO BISONS

MILLER TIME: RHP Adam Miller has been outstanding for the Herd so far this season. The Indians' #1 prospect by Baseball America began the season in extended spring to build up his pitch count. In his six starts since joining the Bisons on April 23, Miller is 0-1 with a 1.88 ERA (28.2 IP, 26 H, 9 R,

6 ER, 12 BB, 20 K). He hasn't given up an earned run in four of those outings and has allowed more than four hits in only one appearance. Last year, Miller went 5-4 with a 4.82 ERA in 19 games, but lost almost two months because of injuries.

WELL KNEE-DED RETURN: On Monday, the Bisons welcomed back to the lineup one of their best hitters. INF Jordan Brown was activated off a three-week stay on the disabled list because of a left knee injury. The 2007 Eastern League Most Valuable Player came out swinging and collected multi-hit performances in his first two games back. Brown's average now stands at .291 (30-106) with 11 doubles and 10 RBI in 27 games. His 11 doubles were two more than any IL batter before he was disabled on May 1.

GETTING SERIOUS: The Bisons did not collect their first series win until a two-game set with the Pawtucket Red Sox on April 26-27 at Dunn Tire Park, but the two-game sweep of the PawSox has helped to turn things around. Since then, the Herd has not lost a series, collecting three series wins and four splits.

CHARLOTTE KNIGHTS

ROSTER MOVES: RHP Oneli Perez was claimed off waivers yesterday by the Cleveland Indians. Perez appeared in 14 games with the Knights this season going 0-1 with a 9.53 ERA. In 2007, Perez led Double-A Birmingham in saves with 16. 3B Josh Fields has been activated from the disabled list and takes Perez's roster spot. Fields was placed on the disabled list on May 6. LHP Ray King was released by the White Sox. RHP Rob Bell has been activated from the DL.

KNIGHTS LOSE TO RIVAL: The Knights were only able to get one game from the rival Durham Bulls as the teams played a four-game series with two games being played in each team's ballpark. The Knights got a solid pitching performance from knuckleballer Charlie Haeger who earned his third win of the season in the Knights 6-3 victory over Durham. The Knights' Jason Childers also earned his first save of the season. Childers has been moved into the closer role after a great start to the season, as he has a 0.98 ERA in 17 games. Opponents are hitting just .100 off the Knights right-hander.

STRONG MIDDLE INFIELD: The Knights have been getting great offensive production from their middle infielders Fernando Cortez and Chris Getz. Cortez has become the Knights everyday shortstop as he is hitting .324 on the season. Cortez is doing a fine job with the glove as he has not made an error in 19 games at the shortstop position. Getz is impressing everyone in the IL with his ability to get on base and base running skills. Getz is doing well for Charlotte in the number two spot in the lineup as he is .297 on the year. He also has played 42 of the team's 45 games this season.

COLUMBUS CLIPPERS

APRIL SHOWERS BRING MAY HITTING STREAKS: Alex Escobar has hit safely in 16 of 17 games since returning from the DL on May 1 (strained right hamstring). He is currently riding a 15-game hitting streak (.351, 20-57), good for the longest active streak in the IL and the 2nd longest streak this season (Andy Phillips, 17 games). It is the longest Clipper hitting streak since Brandon Watson's IL record 43-game streak from May 1-June 17 last season. In addition to Watson's hitting streak last season, Darnell McDonald tallied Columbus' 2nd longest hitting streak of 2007 at 16-games with the bulk of it coming in May (April 30-May 15).

LAST AT BAT MAGIC: Tuesday in Toledo the Clippers snapped a six game losing streak to the Mud Hens as they rallied for three runs in the top of the 9th inning, thanks to a bases loaded walk from Jorge Padilla followed by a 2-run single from Yurendell de Caster. It was the 5th last-at-bat win for the Clippers this season (seven last-at-bat wins last year), however, Columbus has yet to record a walk-off win.

MORE ROSTER MOVES: The Clippers activated Dennis Tankersley from the temporarily inactive list today and added INF Jemel Spearman from Potomac to bring the roster back to 24. On the year, Columbus has made 64 moves, averaging out to 1.3 per day. The Clippers are on pace for 195 moves this year which would shatter the previous record of 155, set in 2006 (last year of affiliation with the New York Yankees).

DURHAM BULLS

CHANGES: It wouldn't seem to be a day for Bulls baseball without another transaction. On Tuesday Josh Johnson was assigned to Durham from Hudson Valley, and Hector Gimenez placed on the DL retroactive to May 19. Jeremy Owens, who was with the Bulls all of last year, was released on Sunday, while Nathan Haynes passed through waivers and has been outrighted to Durham. That brings Durham's total transactions to 67. The Bulls had just 97 all of last year. Changes began early, in part because Durham's parent team, Tampa Bay had nine players on the DL at one point. That number is down to three, with RHP Chad Orvella, INF Willie Aybar and OF Rocco Baldelli remaining. Orvella is expected to have season-ending surgery tomorrow. Aybar is on MLB rehab with Vero Beach.

TOUGH SCHEDULE: The Bulls swept a doubleheader from Charlotte at Knights Stadium yesterday, part of a stretch where the Bulls are playing just 10 of 29 games at home. Durham is 10-10 so far. Of 45 games played this year, the Bulls have had only ten games against teams currently with a losing record. Durham is 7-3 in those games.

GOING DEEP: Durham hit four homers yesterday in the sweep. That gave Durham 49 on the year, 17 of them in the last nine games. Joel Guzman currently leads the Bulls with seven. On the last homestand three Bulls (Jeff Bannon, Guzman and Chris Richard) each had two-homer games.

ALL GOOD THINGS COME TO AN END: Grant Balfour allowed a solo homer in the 9th Saturday to Jeff Liefer, ending his string at 17.1 innings without allowing a run. Balfour had a walk and six saves in his scoreless stretch. The hit off Balfour was only the fifth he has given up this season. He then pitched 1.2 scoreless innings yesterday in earning his seventh save.

INDIANAPOLIS INDIANS

IN THE STRONGEST DIVISION: The International League's West Division owns a combined record of 106-82 (.564). The IL's North Division is

138-142 (.493) and the IL's South Division is 80-100 (.444). The Indians rank 4th out of four teams in the IL West, but place 8th out of 14 overall.

AMONG THE IL'S BEST: Indianapolis OF Andrew McCutchen ranks among the International League's leaders for stolen bases (T-2nd, 14), hits

(T-5th, 50), walks (T-6th, 24), runs (T-6th, 29), doubles (T-9th, 11) and total bases (10th, 79).

RUNNING IS WHAT WE DO: Indianapolis leads the International League with 58 stolen bases. The Indians have paced the IL in thefts in each of the past three seasons (163 in 2007, 180 in 2006 and 163 in 2005). Indianapolis stole seven bases in the short two-game homestand against Louisville

(May 20-21). The Indians have recorded 17 swipes over the past nine contests (1.88 pg) while their opponents have tallied none (0.00 pg).

BEAM KEEPS HANGING ZEROS: Indians RHP T.J. Beam has strung together six consecutive scoreless outings (11.0 IP). The 27-year-old has not allowed a run since an April 29 relief appearance against Columbus. Beam is 1-0 with a 1.91 ERA and two saves in 16 games this season. He has yielded just a .196 batting average while walking 10 and striking out 31 in 28.1 innings.

DOUBLE TROUBLE: The Tribe places 3rd in the League with 85 doubles. Individually, OF Steve Pearce is tied for 4th with 13 two-baggers.

LEHIGH VALLEY IRONPIGS

PHINALLY HEATING UP: The IronPigs are 7-4 in their last 11 games (after starting 5-30). After losing their first 10 series in franchise history, they have not lost a series in their last three (won two, split one). Lehigh Valley is batting .267 (142-532, 11 HR) in the last 16 G, raising the team AVG from .214 to .233. They have averaged 5.0 R/G (80) after averaging just 2.3 R/G in the first 31 games of 2008.

IT'S AS EASY AS 1-2-3: During their last eight-game homestand from May 9-16 (Columbus, Norfolk), the IronPigs had a pair of three-game winning streaks -- significant because the Phillies' Triple-A affiliate went a dubious string of 156 games without back-to-back-to-back wins (since Ottawa won three in a row May 3-5, 2007). The Lynx longest winning streak of 2007 was four (April 14-19).

PHILLIES PHANNERS: Although the Phillies farm system still has the worst combined record of the 30 major league teams, Philadelphia does have three of the top four Minor League strikeout leaders - a list that includes IL strikeout leader J.A. Happ. Happ also holds the single-game high in the IL this season after fanning 13 Clippers on May 9.

STREAKING STEVES: RHP Steve Green has not allowed a run in his last 7.2 IP and is 2-0 with a HOLD in his last 3 G... LHP Steve Kline also has a 7.2 scoreless IP streak in his last 5 G... LHP Stephen Randolph has not allowed a run in his first 4 G and 5.1 IP with Lehigh Valley. Combined with his time in Round Rock, he has a personal 8.2 scoreless IP streak and is 1-1 with a 0.90 ERA and 3 saves.

GOTTA HAVE HEART!: Since the arrival of Jon Knott on May 2, the IronPigs heart of the lineup (Mike Cervenak/Andy Tracy/Jon Knott) has combined to go .320-7-43 (62-194, 11 2B, 3B, 28 BB, .495 SLG, .405 OBP) in 20 games.

LOUISVILLE BATS

LEAGUE LEADERS: OF Jay Bruce, INF Andy Phillips and INF/OF Jolbert Cabrera are all among the IL's top 10 batting leaders. Bruce is leading the league with a .369 average and Phillips is hitting .315 which is good for 8th. Bruce also leads the IL in hits (62), is tied for 5th in homers (10), is 3rd in RBI (37), is 3rd in slugging percentage (.661), is tied for 3rd in runs scored (32), is 4th in extra-base hits (24) and is tied for 3rd in triples (5). Cabrera is tied for 4th with 13 doubles. RHP Justin Lehr is tied for 7th in the League with a 2.41 ERA, RHP Tom Shearn is tied for 2nd with six wins and RHP Jon Adkins is tied for 3rd with nine saves.

MORE ON JAY: OF Jay Bruce has raised his average from .284 on May 3 to its current mark of .369. During this time, Bruce is batting .492 (31-63) with six doubles, two triples, five home runs, 16 RBI and 16 runs. He has 12 multi-hit games in his last 16 games.

MORE ON ANDY: INF Andy Phillips is currently on a 22-game on-base streak, the fourth-longest active streak this season (April 27-pres). During this time, Phillips is batting .346 (28-81) and had a 17-game hitting streak (April 27-May 14), the longest in the IL this season.

GO WEST, YOUNG MAN!: The Bats are in the midst of an 12-game stretch in which they will face IL West opponents. So far during the stretch they are 2-2, as they split a four-game, home-road series with Indianapolis. They close out the stretch with four at Toledo and four at Columbus. In 2007, the Bats finished 29-19 (.604) versus West Division teams and had the best winning percentage within the Division. Toledo, at 26-22 (.542), was 2nd.

NORFOLK TIDES

HIT PARADE: On Wednesday night, the Tides rolled past the Richmond Braves 11-1. In that contest, Norfolk collected 21 hits, a total that was just one hit shy of the franchise record, previously set on April 22, 1973 at Pawtucket and July 13, 1983 at Toledo. The 21 hits also set a Harbor Park record, passing the previous ballpark high of 20 hits set on May 27, 1995 vs. Columbus. The 11 runs plated by the Tides in Wednesday's game were the most Norfolk has scored since becoming an Orioles affiliate at the start of the 2007 season.

MILLER TIME: Tides reliever Jim Miller has not allowed an earned run over his last seven outings. Over that seven-game stretch, the 26-year-old right-hander has yielded just three hits and two walks while striking out 10 in 10.0 innings of work. Miller has also held opposing batters to an .091 average (3-33) over that stretch.

GOING STREAKING: With two more hits last night, Luis Terrero extended his current hitting streak to nine games, is the longest streak for a Tides player this year. Terrero's streak is his third of at least six games this year, and he's hit .308 (12-39) with a homer and nine RBI over the stretch. On the season, Terrero is 2nd in the International League with a .338 batting average, and he's 4th in the IL with 36 runs batted in.

PAWTUCKET RED SOX

WHO KNEW THERE WOULD BE NO-NOS IN THE NEAR FUTURE?: Last July 16 at McCoy Stadium, 23-year-old RHP Clay Buchholz made his Triple-A debut with the PawSox in a start vs. Ottawa (receiving a no-decision in a 6-4 Sox win). Two nights later on July 18, also at McCoy, 24-year-old LHP Jon Lester made his final Triple-A start of the season for the PawSox when he beat Ottawa, 9-4 (receiving a promotion to Boston shortly after that outing). Now, 10 months later, these two former members of the PawSox starting rotation each have a Major League no-hitter to their credit. The first came last September 1 at Fenway Park when Buchholz no-hit the Baltimore Orioles, 10-0 in just his second Major League start - thus becoming only the third pitcher since 1900 to throw a no-hitter in either his first or second Major League start and the first Red Sox rookie in history to toss a no-hitter. The second no-hitter came this past Monday night when Lester, just over a year removed from beating cancer (lymphoma), sent Fenway Park into a frenzy when he fired a no-hitter vs. Kansas City in a 7-0 victory. It was the first no-no by a Red Sox lefty since Mel Parnell in 1956. Furthermore, Buchholz and Lester became the first pitchers on the same club to register no-hitters during a stretch without a pitcher from another team accomplishing that feat since Nolan Ryan had no-hitters for the California Angels in 1974 and 1975. One final footnote to add to the history books - catcher Jason Varitek, another former PawSox (1997), set a Major League record by catching his fourth no-hitter of his career (all with Boston: Hideo Nomo in 2001, Derek Lowe in 2002, Buchholz in 2007, and Lester in 2008).

COMING UP WINNERS: The PawSox - winners of 11 of their last 14 games since May 7 - have been remarkably consistent all season thus far. The Sox have lost two in a row just four times all year (last on May 5-6) along with a season-high 3-game losing streak from April 11-14. Pawtucket's recent 6-game winning streak (May 7-12) was a season-high.

CLOUD NINE: The PawSox (at 28-19 on the year) have reached a season-high of 9-games over .500 for the first time since they ended the 2003 season with an 83-61 record good for 1st place in the IL North. Pawtucket is now just 2.0 GB of the 1st place Scranton/Wilkes-Barre Yankees in the IL North (the closest they have been since April 23).

HOME SWEET HOME: The PawSox finished 6-2 on their last homestand to improve to 16-6 on the year at McCoy - now the best home record in the League. The Sox have gone 6-2, 4-2, and 6-2 during their three homestands thus far to begin the season. Including Thursday night vs. Rochester when they open an 8-game homestand at McCoy, Pawtucket will be home for 24 of their next 36 games (from May 22 - June 26).

RICHMOND BRAVES

FIRING BLANKS: Jonathan Rouwenhorst's complete game shutout Saturday vs. Norfolk was the Braves' first nine inning complete game shutout since Lance Cormier did it last July 24 vs. Ottawa. Cormier also tossed a nine inning complete game shutout on August 3, 2006. Prior to Cormier's two CG shutouts the Braves went over three years without a nine inning complete game (Jason Marquis, July of 2003) or a nine inning complete game shutout (Marquis in May of '03). It was the first complete game shutout of Rouwenhorst's career.

TOP OF THE HEAP: The Braves have enjoyed sole possession of 1st place in the IL South every day since April 9. The Braves have held or shared first place in the South for all but two days this season. Richmond's largest lead was 5.5 games on May 9. Since the start of last season the Braves held the South lead for all but 15 days.

THE GOOD HANDS PEOPLE: The Braves played a season-high six straight errorless games and 53 consecutive errorless innings in a streak that ended Wednesday. Richmond has committed just two errors in their last 10 games.

ROCHESTER RED WINGS

DUCKS ON THE POND: The Red Wings have really struggled getting the big hit the last 12 games batting just .190 (20-105) with runners in scoring position. Rochester has just a 4-8 record in these 12 games.

MAY DAY MAY DAY: Going into tonight's game the Red Wings are just 5-15 in the month of May. Rochester is on pace to finish the month of May with an 8-22 record which would be the Red Wings worst record in a month since 1980 when month-to-month records begin. Rochester hasn't had a 20-loss month since August of 2002 (11-20 record).

START ME UP: The Red Wings starting pitchers have just six wins in the first 47 games of the 2008 season (6-20 record). The starters are on pace to have just 18 wins which would be the lowest win total by Red Wings starters since 1989 when those stats started. The next lowest total is 35 wins in 2003. Rochester hasn't had a starter win a game since May 2 when LHP Glen Perkins defeated Toledo (Perkins, who is with Minnesota, has the last two wins by a starter). The last starter to pick up a win other then Perkins is LHP Brian Duensing on April 24 vs. Lehigh Valley.

SCRANTON/WILKES-BARRE YANKEES

BORN TO RUN: The series with the Indians features two of the top three teams in stolen bases in the IL this season and three of the circuit's top individual base stealers. Indianapolis is tops in the League with 58 thefts with the Yankees are 3rd with 50. As far as the individual stolen base race is concerned, Bernie Castro (League leader in 2007) of SWB leads the League with 15 steals, while Brett Gardner of SWB and Andrew McCutcheon of Indy are among three players tied for 2nd with 14.

TIME TO TURN IT AROUND: After losing three of four at Louisville and dropping three of four at PNC Field to Pawtucket, the Yankees have lost back-to-back series for the first time all season. Scranton/Wilkes-Barre has lost six of eight games and is 4-6 in their last 10. Before the current skid the Yankees had won 10 of 12.

THE GAP HAS NARROWED: The Yankees lead in the North Division was at a season-high 5.0 games following a doubleheader sweep at Indianapolis on May 12. Since the DH sweep at Indy, Syracuse has trimmed the SWB advantage in the North to 1.5 games. The lead for the Yankees is the narrowest in the last 20 days, since heading into a May 2 doubleheader vs. Durham.

SYRACUSE CHIEFS

CHIEFS ARE TEN OVER: With Tuesday's win over Rochester, the Chiefs improved to 28-18, the second time this season the club has been ten games over .500. Prior to this season the last time the Chiefs were ten games over .500 was August 24, 1999 when the club was 71-61.

ROAD WARRIORS: The Chiefs will begin an eight-game road trip tonight in Norfolk. The trip is the last segment of a stretch that will see the team play 16 of 20 games away from home. Starting on May 9, the Chiefs won 5 of 8 games at Durham and Charlotte and then took 3 of 4 at home from Rochester. Syracuse will take an IL-best 14-7 road record into tonight's game.

GOING STREAKING: Chiefs outfielders Matt Watson and Wayne Lydon both have active ten-game hitting streaks, the longest by a Syracuse batter this season.

TOLEDO MUD HENS

HENS ARE LIVING BY THE LONG BALL: The Mud Hens have hit 85 home runs on the season which is the most in professional baseball. They have 24 multiple-HR games and have hit home runs in 43 of their 47, despite being shutout twice. 1B Jeff Larish (15), 2B Michael Hollimon (12), and 3B Mike Hessman (18) account for 45 of the 85 home runs. In the IL, the Charlotte Knights are ranked 2nd in home runs with 50 and in the Pacific Coast League the Albuquerque Isotopes have 66, which is the closest to the Hens. Toledo is even out-hitting the Major League teams. The Philadelphia Phillies are leading MLB with 64 home runs, but that is still 21 behind the Mud Hens. The all-time IL record for home runs in a season is held by the 1932 Baltimore Orioles with a total of 232. Toledo's 85 through only 47 games sets them on pace for 260.

HESSMAN GOING STRONG: The fastest player in IL history to reach 20 home runs is former Toledo Mud Hen and current Detroit Tigers OF Marcus Thames, who hit his 20th on June 8, 2004. 3B Mike Hessman of the long-ball hitting 2008 Mud Hens has 18 through May 21. Toledo's all-time home run leader hit his 100th home run in a Mud Hens uniform on May 12 at Charlotte; he now has 101. Hessman also leads all of professional baseball with his 18 home runs on the season.

FLASHING THE LEATHER: The Mud Hens are tied for the lead in all of Minor League Baseball with a .984 fielding percentage. They have committed just 25 errors in 1,543 total chances. The Louisville Bats are closest with a .983 fielding percentage (26-1568). 3B Mike Hessman leads all IL third basemen with a .992 fielding percentage.

PERFECTING THE PITCH: Mud Hens closer RHP Blaine Neal leads all of Minor League Baseball in saves (15 in 15 opportunities) and RHP Eddie Bonine (8-0) is tied for 1st with the most wins in all of Minor League Baseball with eight. Bonine has also won 11 straight starts since August 21, 2007 including a perfect 9-0 in a Toledo uniform dating back to last season. RHP Chris Lambert is ranked 8th in the IL with a 2.41 ERA.

ON-TOP: The Hens have been in 1st place in the IL West for 102 of the last 113 days dating back to last season.

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International League Stories from May 22, 2008

• Norfolk 5, Syracuse 4 - Norfolk Tides
• Bulls 17 Braves 3 - Gwinnett Stripers
• Yankees use long ball to defeat Indians 5-1 - Indianapolis Indians
• International League News and Notes - IL1
• Columbus' Negro League History - Columbus Clippers
• Bisons Notes - Buffalo Bisons
• Autograph night set for Saturday, May 31st - Indianapolis Indians

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