IL1 International League

International League News And Notes

July 24, 2008 - International League (IL1) News Release


BUFFALO BISONS

COMPLETE PERFORMANCES: At 36 years old, LHP John Halama is making a strong case to make his way back to the Major Leagues. The veteran has hurled back-to-back nine-inning complete games to begin the second half of the season. Halama allowed just two runs in nine frames to beat Richmond, 10-2, last Thursday. On Tuesday, the southpaw was hit for only two unearned runs in a 4-2 over Norfolk. Halama didn't walk a batter in either start. He has now won six of his last seven starts and is 7-2 with a 4.15 ERA in nine total games with the Herd.

OLYMPIC FAREWELL: Today will be the final home game for RHP Jeff Stevens. The reliever will leave the team early next week to start preparations for the Summer Games of the XXIX Olympiad in Beijing, China. Stevens has experience in international baseball as he threw seven shutout innings for Team USA in the 2007 World Cup. He recorded the save against Cuba in the championship game of that tournament. After starting the season with Double-A Akron, Stevens is 0-2 with a 4.32 ERA and 5 saves in 16 games with the Bisons. He has struck out 36 batters in only 25 innings of work.

HOT HITTER: Bisons INF Michael Aubrey has found a nice groove while resting into the #3 spot in the team's batting order. Aubrey has hit in nine straight games, posting a .405 batting average (15-37), a stretch that has lifted his season mark 31 points to .296. The lefty has also seen a spike in his production, with three doubles, two home runs and 12 RBI in the eight games. Aubrey had just one home run and eight RBI in his first 34 games with the club. Earlier this season, Aubrey made his Major League debut and homered off Cincinnati's Edinson Volquez in his first start for the Cleveland Indians (May 18).

CHARLOTTE KNIGHTS

ROUGH ROAD TRIP: After pulling within four games of 1st place entering the All-Star break, the Knights began the second half with an eight game road trip through Louisville and Indianapolis. The Knights dropped 3 of 4 against the Bats as they were outscored 23-12 over four games. The Knights enter the final game of the road trip tonight at the Indians after dropping 2 of the first 3. The Knights did pick up six games on Durham in six days leading up to the All-Star break.

THE SLUGGER IS BACK: 1B Brad Eldred has been activated from the Knights disabled list. Eldred was placed on the DL on June 21 after being hit on his hand with a pitch. Despite the long layoff Eldred still leads the IL in RBI with 72 and remains 2nd in the League in home runs with 26. Eldred is just 14 home runs away from setting the Knights record for home runs in a season. The injury forced Eldred to miss the Triple-A All-Star Game. Eldred was elected to be the starting first baseman for the IL.

KNIGHTS NOTES: LHP Clayton Richard was recalled to Chicago on Sunday, June 20 making him ineligible for the U.S. Olympic Baseball Team. Richard was Team USA's starting pitcher in the MLB Future's Game ... OF Jason Bourgeois needs just 14 stolen bases to reach 200 career stolen bases in the minor leagues ... C Cole Armstrong continues to swing a hot bat as he is hitting .414 through his first 15 games with the Knights.

COLUMBUS CLIPPERS

CLOSING IN ON SOME RECORDS: The Clippers received Craig Stammen and Josh Perrault from Harrisburg and Emilio Bonifacio from Arizona yesterday. The Clippers have now made 37 moves in July (15 since the All-Star break) to run the season total to 149 (2nd-most in team history). They average 1.3 transactions per day, putting them on pace for 200 transactions this season. The franchise record for roster moves is 155, set in 2006 (last year of affiliation with the New York Yankees). On July 22, Lastings Milledge became the 64th player used by the Clippers this season (35 position players, 29 pitchers), tying the team record, set last season (26 position players, 38 pitchers). Officially, the Clippers have had 68 players on the roster, as Tristan Crawford and John Lannan were on the Opening Day squad, but never played in a game. Perrault and Bonifacio also have yet to play.

REHAB RECAP: So far this season, the Clippers have had nine Washington Nationals on rehab assignments including four of Washington's top five outfielders by games played (Elijah Dukes, Austin Kearns, Lastings Milledge and Wily Mo Pena) and both of their off-season free agent signings at catcher (Johnny Estrada and Paul Lo Duca). Most recently, Ryan Zimmerman has completed an assignment with Columbus (July 17-20). Since the All-Star break, three Nationals have been through on rehab with Ryan Wagner joining Zimmerman and Milledge. Columbus is 18-11 when a rehabbing National is in the lineup, including a 10-game win streak from May 2-June 15.

MEN OF STEAL: Coming into today's game, the Clippers are 2nd in the IL in stolen bases (117), trailing Indianapolis (137). With two more thefts, they will surpass last season's total of 118 and will have improved on their stolen base total for the fifth consecutive season. Pete Orr and Tommy Murphy, each with 19 SB, lead a quartet of Clippers with double-digit steals, however, neither of them are on the active roster (only 46 SB are active). Last season the Clippers boasted the IL's Stolen Base Champion, the franchise's 7th as Bernie Castro paced the circuit with 34 steals (the lowest League leading total since 1997).

DURHAM BULLS

STEALING SEVEN: Durham stole a season-high seven bases in Sunday's 4-0 win at Syracuse.  Durham OF Justin Ruggiano tied a franchise Triple-A record with four stolen bases in the game.  Current major leaguers B.J. Upton and Joey Gathright are among the former Bulls to steal four bases in a game.

SHUTOUT STORY: Sunday's 4-0 win was Durham's League-leading 11th shutout this year.  However, it also was the team's first shutout in July.

QUITE A DEBUT: Durham's two newest Bulls made an impact in their first week with the Bulls.  Catcher John Jaso had two three-hit games in his first four starts with the Bulls.  Wade Davis threw seven shutout innings in his Triple-A debut on Sunday with just three hits allowed and three walks.  Jaso and Davis joined the Bulls from Montgomery, where they were Southern League All-Stars.

REPRESENTING THE COUNTRY: Jeremy Cummings will make his final Bulls start on July 26 against Louisville.  Cummings will join Team USA and is expected to compete in the Olympics.  Cummings is 7-3 in 13 starts with the Bulls.  He is expected to rejoin Durham after competing in Bejing.   

INDIANAPOLIS INDIANS

HAMMAN GOING LONG: On Wednesday afternoon, LHP Corey Hamman (6.1 IP, 4 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 4 BB, 1 SO) earned his first win in an Indianapolis uniform, taking a 3-1 decision over Charlotte. For Hamman, it was the fourth time in five starts that he has gone at least six innings for the Tribe. The 28-year-old, who has not allowed more than three earned runs in any of his five starts, owns a 1-1 record and 3.45 ERA at the Triple-A level. The win was the second consecutive game in which the Indians used just one relief pitcher. Before the past two contests (July 22-23), the Tribe had used multiple relievers in every game since July 10. RHP Jesse Chavez (1.0 IP, 1 H, 1 BB, 2 SO), who worked a scoreless 9th, notched his eighth save of the campaign on Tuesday. RHP Evan Meek (2.2 IP, 1 H, 4 SO) then picked up his first save of the season on Wednesday.

EVAN NOT SO MEEK: Tribe RHP Evan Meek has posted an 0.47 ERA over his last nine relief appearances (1 ER in 19.0 IP). The 25-year-old has held opponents without an earned run for a team-best streak of 15.1 innings. During the stretch, Meek has allowed just nine hits, while striking out 16 and walking only four.

THE BEST TANDEM IN TRIPLE-A: Indians OFs Nyjer Morgan (29) and Andrew McCutchen (25) own the most stolen bases of any tandem in Triple-A Baseball. McCutchen has already eclipsed the best single-season total in his four-year professional career, while Morgan swiped 55 bases for Class-A Hickory in 2004.

AMONG THE LEAGUE LEADERS: Tribe OF Andrew McCutchen ranks among the International League's leaders for games played (T-5th, 98), stolen bases (6th, 25), walks (T-6th, 50), hits (7th, 105) and on-base percentage (10th, .371). He owns a team-best .281 batting average with nine homers and

38 RBI this season.

LEHIGH VALLEY IRONPIGS

MIKEY LIKES IT: After 436 Triple-A games (231 in the IL), 31-year-old INF Mike Cervenak received his first promotion to the Majors on July 10 to Philadelphia. He was with the Phillies for 7 games, appearing in 1. He went 0-1 as a PH, flying out in extra innings. Cervenak is currently 2nd in the IL in average (.313) and 3rd in hits (114).

KOMEBACK KID: The Quality Start turned in by RHP Kris Benson in his 4-2 win vs. Durham on Monday (6 IP, 6 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 0 BB, 4 K) was only the third by a 'Pigs RHP in their last 29 GS. Right-handed starters are just 4-18, 7.41 in their last 29 GS (133.2 IP, 110 ER). It was also the first win since September 21, 2006 for Benson, who is recovering from right rotator cuff surgery from March 20, 2007. He had previously made three starts with LHV and had gone 0-2, 11.77 ERA.

HAPP-y DAYS: LHP J.A. Happ is 5-1, 2.38 (45.1 IP, 28 H, 12 ER) in his last 7 GS. The span includes a masterful performance on July 18 -- starting the completion of the suspended game from July 3 and pitching 7.0 hitless innings with just one walk and 12 K. He retired 21 of 22 BF -- including the last 14 and he had 6 straight strikeouts leading up to the final out. Happ made his 2008 ML debut on July 4 in Philadelphia's 3-2 win against the New York Mets. Happ took a shutout into the 5th before his removal from the game down 2-0 with bases loaded and two outs in the 5th (ND, 4.2 IP, 3 H, 2 R, 2 ER, 4 BB, 3 K). In 2 GS with the Phillies, Happ went 0-0, 3.27 (11 IP, 8 H, 4 R, 4 ER, 8 BB, 8 K). He last started a 4-2 win July 9 vs. St. Louis.

BACON BITS: With a .404 winning percentage (42-62), the IronPigs have tied the highest winning percentage in franchise history and the highest by a Phillies' Triple-A affiliate since Ottawa was 40-59 (.404) on July 2, 2007. LHV went above .400 for the first time since they were 37-55 (.402) on July 7 (Game 93)...The 'Pigs have a winning record vs. the South (13-9) with a 29-53 record vs. the rest of the IL. LHV is a combined 2-18 vs. SWB & PAW (Top 2 teams in North). Take them out, and LHV is 40-44 (.476).

LOUISVILLE BATS

IT ALL POINTS TO T-TOWN: On June 28, the Bats entered the 9th inning trailing the Mud Hens 6-3.  They had lost nine of their last 12 and were three outs away from falling 5.0 games back of Toledo.  Instead, Adam Rosales connected on a three-run jack, which tied the game, and the Bats went on to win 10-8 in 11 innings.  Since that comeback victory, the Bats have won 17 out of 23 to claim a 3.0 game lead in the IL West.

61 WINS & COUNTING: Last night the Bats recorded their 61st win of the season in walk-off fashion.  Alvin Colina delivered a two-out, two-run double as the Bats defeated the Chiefs 2-1.  It is the earliest they have claimed their 61st win since the 2003 season when they did so on July 24 (61-44).  That season, the Bats finished 79-64 and lost to Durham (3-1) in the first round of the Governors' Cup Playoffs. Last night's victory also put the Bats a season-high 17 games over .500; it is the first since the 2003 season that Louisville has eclipsed that mark.  The 2003 Bats reached a season-high 21 games over on July 13 (59-38) and went to the All-Star break with that high-water mark.  The last time the team was 17 games over was August 18, 2003 (73-56); they proceeded to lose seven of their next eight games.

MACKOWIAK IS UNSTOPPABLE: Since being assigned to Louisville June 29, OF Rob Mackowiak is batting .313 (21-67) and has hit safely in 18 straight games.  His 9th-inning single in yesterday's contest continued his hitting streak and surpassed Andy Phillips for the longest streak of the season (Phillips - 17 games, April 27-May 14).  Mackowiak's 18-game hitting streak is also the longest active streak in the International League. He has reached base in all 19 games played in a Bats uniform.  Mackowiak was released by Washington June 7 and signed to a Minor League contract by Cincinnati

June 27.

14 IN JULY: Last night gave the Bats their 14th win in the month of July (14-6) which surpasses their win total for June (13-15).  The SWB Yankees and Norfolk Tides also have 14 wins this month.  The team needs to go just 1-7 in their remaining eight games to have their first winning July since the 2002 season (17-11).

NORFOLK TIDES

ON THE OFFENSIVE: Norfolk enters play today 14-6 in the month of July, a record that is tied for the 2nd-best in the IL. The Tides have scored an IL-best 120 runs this month (6.0 runs per game) and they also lead the League with a .290 average in July. Through 20 contests in July, Norfolk has already surpassed its run total from 25 games in April (107 runs, 4.28 per game), as well as their run total from 29 games in June (116 runs, 4.0 per game). The Tides are just 11 runs shy of matching their run total from May, when they plated 133 runs in 31 contests (4.29 per game).

SERIES BUSINESS: The Tides enter today's game with Buffalo with a 4-3 record through seven games with the Bisons this year, and a win today would give Norfolk their first series win over Buffalo since the Bisons rejoined the IL in 1998. Buffalo leads the all-time series with the Tides 63-40, and the best season series record Norfolk has had against the Bisons is 4-4, accomplished in 2000, 2004 and 2007.

HIT MAN: Tides catcher Omir Santos, who represented the Tides in the Triple-A All-Star Game, has hit safely in 38 of his last 42 games, and the 27-year-old has hit .363 (58-160) with a homer and 23 RBI over that span. After hitting .195 in April, Santos hit .316 in May and hit .329 in June, and he's hit a robust .404 (21-52) thus far in July. Santos is 39 plate appearances shy of qualifying among the League leaders, where his .318 average would be 2nd in the IL.

GOING STREAKING: With two hits in last night's contest, Eider Torres has now hit safely in eight straight games. Over that stretch, Torres has hit .378 (14-37) with three runs batted in, and he's also swiped seven bases over that span. Outfielder Chris Roberson has also been hot at the plate as of late, as he's hit safely in six straight games. Over that six-game span, Roberson has collected five multi-hit games, and he's hit .600 (15-25) with six runs batted in.

PAWTUCKET RED SOX

FOLD ON FOUR OF A KIND: The 1st-place Pawtucket Red Sox - now by just 1-game over the hard-charging Scranton/Wilkes-Barre Yankees (winners of 10 straight) - snapped their season-high 4-game losing streak with a 3-2, 10-inning victory in Columbus on Wednesday night. The PawSox had dropped the first two games of the set in Columbus by identical 4-1 scores, and coupled with losses in the final two games of their past homestand to Toledo over the weekend (13-5 and 8-4), the Sox had lost a season-high four in a row for the first time since a 5-game losing skid last August 6-9 - until their win on Wednesday night. The PawSox must win this afternoon in Columbus to gain a split of their current series and avoid their first series loss in a month and a half.

REACHING HEIGHTS UNKNOWN: The PawSox are 64-41 on the year. After their victory last Friday night, however, they were 63-37 which meant the PawSox had reached a season-high and a new franchise-high of 26-games over .500 for the first time in club-history. That status lasted only one day, however, as the Sox lost four in a row. The PawSox still own the best record in Triple-A Baseball and they are two victories behind Class-A Asheville (Colorado) - who is 66-37 - for the most wins in all of baseball. Pawtucket has been in sole possession of 1st-place in the IL North since June 20. They owned a season-high 6-game lead on July 9 but that is now at just 1-game (after dropping to only a ½-game on Tuesday night - their smallest advantage since June 19 when they were tied with Scranton/WB atop the division). This present date continues to mark the latest Pawtucket has been in 1st-place in a season since they won the IL North in 2003.

DEFENSE WINS CHAMPIONSHIPS: The PawSox have made just 11 errors in their last 29 games. The Sox presently have the best fielding percentage in the IL at .984 (59 errors in 3800 total chances). Pawtucket's club-record for best fielding percentage is .980 set in 2006. Remarkably, the PawSox have made more than one error in a game just once (July 2 with two errors) in their last 34 games (between June 14 and now).

PAW-PRINTS: The PawSox will try to hold onto the best record in the International League during the final month+ of the season. They have done that just twice in franchise-history (in 1977 and in 2003). Pawtucket also presently has both the IL batting leader and the IL ERA leader. INF Joe Thurston is hitting .319 to lead the League as he bids to become the first PawSox player to win the batting title since Wade Boggs in 1981. The other Pawtucket players to win batting titles are Juan Beniquez in 1973, Jim Rice in 1974, Wayne Harer in 1977, and Garry Hancock in 1979. On the mound, RHP Charlie Zink currently leads the League in ERA at 2.54. The last PawSox pitcher to lead the IL in that category was Tomo Ohka in 2000. Others to do so were Dick Pole in 1973, Bob Ojeda in 1981, and Brian Rose in 1997.

RICHMOND BRAVES

YOU'RE IN GOOD HANDS: The Braves have played four consecutive errorless games and have gone 31 straight innings without an error. The club-high for errorless games is six and 53 straight innings in May.  Richmond is 21-26 in games in which they play errorless baseball.

CLOSE SHAVES: The Braves are 26-22 in games decided by two runs or less.  Three of the Braves last four games have been decided by one run and all four by two runs or less.  Richmond is 1-3 in those games.  Richmond is 4th in the IL in one-run wins with 17.

DOUBLE THE FUN: The Braves will play their second doubleheader in five days Thursday vs. Scranton/Wilkes-Barre.  The Braves were rained out for the seventh time this season Wednesday, but just their second time on the road this season.  The Braves were rained out on the road Sunday for the first time since last June 4.  The Braves have lost five home dates to rain this season, the most in the IL.

ROCHESTER RED WINGS

HOT WING: Outfielder Jason Pridie has a nine-game hitting streak batting .419 (18-43) with three doubles, two triples, six home runs, 12 RBI and 10 runs scored.  Pridie has five-multi hits games during this nine-game hitting streak.  Pridie had just one home run on June 1 (first 59 games played) but has hit 10 home runs in his last 42 games.  Pridie is the only Red Wings player to hit two home runs in a game this season (has done it twice during this nine-game hitting streak).

CHICKS DIG THE LONG BALL: Outfielder Garrett Jones hit his 12th home run of the season Sunday night (his 70th as a Red Wing).  Jones is the first Rochester player to hit 70 home runs during his Red Wings career since Terry Crowley hit 87 home runs from (1968-69, 1971, 1976-77).  Jones' 70 home runs put him 10th all-time on the Red Wings home run list and 5 away from tying Allie Clark for 9th all-time (75 home runs).

WHOA BABY!: LHP Francisco Liriano has found his 2006 form.  In his last 10 starts Liriano is 9-0 with a 2.37 ERA.  In 64.2 innings of work, Liriano has allowed 18 runs (17 earned) on 52 hits while walking just 12 and striking out 71.  Liriano has been really good at Frontier Field this season going 6-2 with a 2.49 ERA and has allowed just five earned runs in his last 47.2 innings pitched at Frontier (0.94 ERA in his last six starts at home).

TODAY'S HISTORY LESSON: Outfielder Jason Pridie leads the IL with 13 triples.  Pridie is the first Red Wing to hit 13 triples in one season since outfielder Larry Sheets hit 13 in 1984.  The last time a Red Wing had more than 13 triples in one season was 1972 when outfielder Al Bumbry had 15.  The last Red Wings player to lead the IL in triples was outfielder Wayne Kirby (tied with Scranton shortstop Jimmy Rollins with 11) in 2000.

SCRANTON/WILKES-BARRE YANKEES

COMING FROM BEHIND: Tuesday night's 4-3 win for the Yankees over Richmond marked the 22nd time that Scranton/Wilkes-Barre has come from behind at some point during a game to pull out a victory.  During Scranton/Wilkes-Barre's current 10-game winning streak the Yankees have come from behind to win in four different games (7/10 at COL, 7/19 at LV, 7/21 vs. RIC & 7/22 vs. RIC).  SWB has also picked up 10 wins in their final at-bat with two coming during the current 10-game win streak.  The Yankees picked up final AB wins at COL 7/13 and at LV on 7/19.  

SETTING THE SEASON HIGH: At 63-42, Scranton/Wilkes-Barre has set their new high water mark for 2008 at 21 games over .500.  The previous high of 17 games (tied on July 18 at Lehigh Valley) was after a Yankees double header sweep at Victory Field over Indianapolis which improved SWB's overall record to 28-11.  Since that DH sweep, the Yankees are 35-31 in their past 66 games.  The 2007 team did not achieve an overall record of 20 games over .500 (73-53) until August 17. 

AIMING FOR A FRANCHISE BEST: The Yankees will look for a franchise record setting 11th consecutive win in the first game of Thursday's double header at PNC Field vs. Richmond.  The mark of 10 in a row has been set on four different occasions.  In addition to the 2008 Yankees, the SWB Red Barons won 10 straight from June 3-11, 1992, June 4-13, 2004 and April 15-25, 2006.  The 2008 Yankees squad also has designs on the consecutive road winning streak which (10 in a row).  The 2008 Yankees have won eight in a row away from PNC Field.

THREE IS THE MAGIC NUMBER (TWICE): Cody Ransom hit his team leading 18th homer in Tuesday night's 4-3 win over Richmond that proved to be the game winner.  It was the third straight game that Ransom has hit a home run and the second time this season that he has left the yard in back-to-back-to-back games.  Ransom first turned the trick June 13-15 with a two-run HR off Richmond's Jonathan Rouwenhorst and then continued the streak the first two games at Norfolk against the Tides.  Ransom and injured slugger Shelley Duncan (April 10-12) are the only two Yankees this season to have turned the trick.  The franchise record is four straight games with a HR by Tom Marsh (May 2-5, 1993) and Tomas Perez (May 24-27, 2000).

SYRACUSE CHIEFS

SANDOVAL'S STREAK DERAILED: Danny Sandoval's 20-game hitting streak came to an abrupt end on Wednesday when he entered the game in the 6th inning as a replacement for the injured Chip Cannon. Sandoval grounded out in his only at-bat to come up two games short of tying the modern franchise record (since 1961) set by Robert Perez in 1994.

DON'T BLAME US: The Chiefs may be 1-6 since the All-Star break, but the team's starting pitching has been more than solid. Syracuse starters have turned in five quality starts (six innings or more, three earned runs or less) in the last seven games, but only David Purcey's outing on Monday resulted in a win. Chiefs pitchers have also taken over the League lead in strikeouts thanks in part to Scott Richmond's ten strikeout performance last Thursday (which earned him IL Pitcher of the Week honors) and Bill Murphy's 12 strikeouts, in only 5.1 innings, on Sunday.

IT'S BEEN A WHILE: With Wednesday night's loss in Louisville, the Chiefs dropped to 51-52 on the season, the first time the club has been under .500 since April 15 when the team was 6-7.

TOLEDO MUD HENS

OLYMPIANS: Team USA has announced its roster for the 2008 Summer Games in Beijing, China. Slugging third baseman Mike Hessman and shut-down closer Blaine Neal will serve their country on a veteran-stacked team. They will join a team assembled on experience including 14 from Triple-A, seven from Double-A, one from Single-A, and one from the collegiate level. All players not on an active Major League 25-man roster were eligible for the selection process. Team USA takes on Korea in the opening round on August 13. The medal rounds will begin August 23, a day before the closing ceremonies. The players are scheduled to leave the Mud Hens on July 28.

LOVING THE LEFTIES: The Hen Pen has two spectacular left-handed pitchers for late-inning heroics. Lefties Ian Ostlund and Clay Rapada have only allowed one earned run in 14.0 IP (0.64 ERA) with 21 K since July 2. The duo is holding batters to a .221 average (55-249) and a .199 (31-156) clip versus right-handed hitters.

A CHANGE OF PACE: In the Fifth Third Field era, the Hens have a tendency to slow down following the All-Star break. From 2002-2007, which includes two Governors' Cup Championships, Toledo has a 459-401 (.534) overall record and a 320-248 (.563) record before the All-Star break. However, during the same period, the Hens have a 149-153 (.493) record following the break. The Hens are 3-4 after the 2008 All-Star break.

PLAYERS OF THE WEEK: RHP Chris Lambert was named IL Pitcher of the Week for July 7-13. He picked up two wins by throwing two complete games (one rain-shortened). He went 14.0 innings, giving up only one run which was unearned and striking out eight. After 2007's All-Star break

OF Brent Clevlen earned IL Batter of the Week honors, and exactly one year later he did it again. Clevlen was named Batter of the Week for July 14-20 by hitting .400 with three home runs, five RBI and six runs scored. He did all this without a break since he was named as the starting center fielder to the 2008 IL All-Star team. As an encore, Clevlen began the new week in Rochester with another pair of home runs Monday, July 21.




International League Stories from July 24, 2008


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