Lynchburg Hillcats Game Notes- 4.29
Published on April 29, 2008 under Carolina League (CarL1)
Hill City Howlers News Release
MYRTLE BEACH PELICANS (14-10) @ LYNCHBURG HILLCATS (10-14)
APRIL 29th, 2008 -- 6:05 PM
Calvin Falwell Field @ Lynchburg City Stadium
LHP Brian Holliday (1-0, 1.37) vs. RHP Gonzalo Lopez (0-2, 4.34)
THE HILLCATS: The Cats started a three-game series with the Pelicans by dropping the opener 8-7 last night at City Stadium...Lynchburg answered eight unanswered runs by Myrtle Beach with six consecutive runs of their own to pull within a run in the bottom of the ninth...It was the first of 13 games in a row at home, the longest homestand in Hillcats history after playing 17 of their first 23 on the road...
VS. MYRTLE BEACH: Last season the Hillcats won the series series against the Pelicans 12-8...Myrtle Beach holds the all-time advantage 99-84 and are 45-44 against the Cats at City Stadium...
PASSED TENSE: Last night C Steve Lerud allowed his first passed ball of the season in his 22nd game played...Lerud led all of professional baseball in passed balls last season (25 in 84 games) and in 2006 (35 in 97 games)...
COMING THROUGH IN THE CLUTCH: 3B Jim Negrych is tied for second in the league with 16 RBI and 1B Kent Sakamoto is tied for fourth with 15...Negrych is batting an astounding .500 with men in scoring position and Sakamoto is hitting .382 in that same spot...
A NIGHT OF FIRSTS: On Friday night LHP Tony Watson earned his first victory of the year, RHP Adam Simon picked-up his first save as a Hillcat (making his Advanced-A debut), 1B Kent Sakamoto hit his first home run of the season (snapping an 0-16 skid) and the Hillcats recorded their first shutout victory of the season...
A NIGHT OF FIRSTS TAKE TWO: On Sunday afternoon RHP Matt McSwain recorded his first save of the season and 3B Jim Negrych and INF/OF Eddie Prasch both homered for the first time this year...It was the first appearance as a Hillcat for McSwain who was promoted earlier in the day from Low-A Hickory...
WELL TIMED BOMBS: Five of the eleven home runs the Hillcats have hit this year have given them the lead (including Sunday's first inning home run) and another one of their dingers tied up a game...The Cats are 6-2 in games they have homered in this year...
KEEPS ON ROLLING: 3B Jim Negrych continued his phenomenal start for the Cats by reaching safely for the 22nd time in 23 games played ths year...He entered the day first in the league in hits (34), batting average (.386), second in runs scored (17) and tied for second in RBI (16), and third in on-base percentage (.449)...The former sixth round pick from 2006 has recorded 13 multi-hit games in 22 starts this season...
PEOPLE CAN CHANGE: INF and sometimes OF Eddie Prasch had played 336 games in four years as a professional entering this season and had never played any position other than third base before playing right field for five games on the Hillcats 11-game road trip...The Hillcats also currently have three other players (Jim Negrych, Angel Gonzalez and Jared Keel) who are playing a different position than they primarily played in 2007...Two of which (Negrych and Gonzalez) that had never before played the position they are playing this season as a professional...
CHANGING THINGS UP: Baseball America said LHP Tony Watson has the "Best Changeup" in the Pirates minor league system...The ninth round selection in the 2007 struckout 58 batters in 67.2 ip and walked just eight...
KNOWN FOR HIS "D": INF Brian Friday was named the "Best Defensive Infielder" in the Pirates minor league organization by Baseball America prior to the start of the 2008 season...Friday was a third round pick of the Pirates in last year's draft out of Rice University...He was a member of their World Series teams in 2006 and 2007, which finished third in the country...
Carolina League Stories from April 29, 2008
- P-Nats sweep double-header over Hogs - Potomac Nationals
- Defending Champs Take Pair, Halt Wilmington's Win Streak At Four - Wilmington Blue Rocks
- Kinston wins in Twelve - Salem RidgeYaks
- K-tribe slips by Salem in 12 innings... - Kinston Indians
- Warthogs Toss No-Hitter, Still Get Swept By Potomac in Doubleheader - Winston-Salem Dash
- Keys sweep doubleheader to keep pace in North - Frederick Keys
- Pelicans claim series with offensive eruption, 8-6 - Myrtle Beach Pelicans
- Lynchburg Hillcats Game Notes- 4.29 - Hill City Howlers
- Erbe Named Pitcher Of The Week - Frederick Keys
- Craig Stammen Promoted To Columbus - Potomac Nationals
- Devin Ivany promoted to Harrisburg - Potomac Nationals
- Pelicans Game Notes - Myrtle Beach Pelicans
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