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FL Joliet Slammers

June 1 Joliet Slammers Game Notes and Updated Roster

June 1, 2012 - Frontier League (FL)
Joliet Slammers News Release


JOLIET SLAMMERS (7-6) vs. WASHINGTON WILD THINGS (5-6)

Friday, June 1 - 7:05 p.m. CT

Silver Cross Field - Joliet, IL

Game #14 - Home Game #7 (7-6), (3-3)

RHP #19 Eric Binder (1-0, 1.50 ERA) vs. RHP #23 Eric Blackwell (0-2, 8.68 ERA in El Paso)

Last time out.

The Slammers prevailed in 10 innings by a final score of 4-3 to sweep the Lake Erie Crushers in the three-game series in Avon, Ohio on Thursday night. Jeremy Tietze was brilliant through six innings but the Crushers finally got to him in the seventh. A walk and a single followed by a sacrifice bunt chased Tietze from the game. Jim Schult entered and gave up a RBI single to Kellen Kulbacki. Then on a hit-and-run, Brian Erie hit a slow single through the right side to make the score 2-0. A sacrifice fly completed the scoring in the inning for Lake Erie. But Joliet rallied in the eighth to tie the game. With one away Brad Netzel reached on an error and then three straight walks brought in a run. Zach Mandelblatt delivered a sac fly and David Fox smacked a RBI single to tie the game. Joliet took the lead for good in the 10th on a Sean Estand sac fly. Brian Smith got the win and Amalio Diaz the save.

For Starters.

Hinsdale Central High School alum Eric Binder gets the start tonight for Joliet. The right-hander shined in his Slammers debut on May 26 against Evansville as he went six innings, giving up one run on three hits. Binder walked one and struck out seven to get the win. He has affiliated baseball experience in the Cardinals organization as he played at the rookie and short season single-A levels last year. Binder pitched two seasons at Northwestern University and two at Trinity University in college. He hails from Burr Ridge, IL.

Going the extra mile.

Thursday's 10-inning victory over the Crushers was the Slammers' first game this season to go extra innings. Joliet went 3-2 in 2011 in games that went extras. They went 0-1 on the road though so Thursday was the first road extra innings win in franchise history.

Save, Save, Save.

RHP Amalio Diaz recorded three saves in as many nights against the Crushers. Last year's closer Joliet native Ryan Quigley only did that once: August 12-14 against the River City Rascals. Quigley went on to set a Frontier League record for saves in a season with 28.

What is with the West?

Joliet was in the East Division in 2011 but moved to the West Division in 2012 due to the addition of two teams to the league. So far the West has been the tougher division as the top three teams in the West (River City, Windy City and Schaumburg) have a better record than the first place teams in the East (Southern Illinois and Traverse City). The Slammers are 3.5 games out in the West. They would only be 0.5 games back in the East.

Lock 'em down!

The Slammers' bullpen has an ERA of 1.88 on the season in 43.2 innings. The pitching staff as a whole currently sports an ERA of 2.50, good for third in the league. Meanwhile, opposing batters are only hitting .217 against the Slammers, second lowest in the league behind Evansville (.189).

Erroneous!

The Slammers have surrendered the most unearned runs in the league (17) while committing 13 errors on the season.

Movin' on up!

RHP Gaby Hernandez became the fourth Slammers player to move on to affiliated baseball when his contract was purchased by the Arizona Diamondbacks on Monday, May 21. He joins LHP Aaron Dott, Joliet native RHP Ryan Quigley and Darien native RHP Chris Pack as former Slammers in MLB organizations.

Transaction Wire.

The Slammers placed Catcher Trey Manz on the 7-Day DL today retroactive to May 29. They signed Catcher Tony Sanchez today. Sanchez is a Plainfield native and a North Park University alum.

Check out the Joliet Slammers Statistics

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