Lynchburg Hillcats Game Notes- 5.13
Published on May 13, 2008 under Carolina League (CarL1)
Hill City Howlers News Release
LYNCHBURG HILLCATS (15-21) @ WINSTON-SALEM WARTHOGS (15-17)
May 13th, 2008 -- 7:00 PM
@ Ernie Shore Field
RHP Michael Crotta (3-2, 3.25) vs. RHP Matt Zaleski (0-1, 5.28)
THE HILLCATS: Lynchburg dropped their third straight game last night with a 4-2 loss to Winston-Salem...Last night's game was the first of four between the Cats and Hogs and the first of 14 out of 17 games on the road...
VS. WINSTON-SALEM: Last season the Warthogs won the season series against the Hillcats 11-8...This season the two teams are 3-3 against each other with each team winning a three-game series on their home field...The Cats hold the all-time advantage 140-124, but are 62-68 at Ernie Shore Field...
LATE BLOOMER: Last night OF Alex Presley hit his first home run of the year...Presley is now 9-for-25 (.360) in his nine games, prior to that the 2006 eighth round pick was just 2-for-29 (.069) in his first eighth games...Last year the outfielder hit just .238 through May, but then batted a combined .352 in June and July and he finished the season with 11 home runs...He has reached safely in all seven games since returning from the Disabled List on May 5th...
LOSING TO LEFTIES: Last night the Cats dropped to 1-7 in games in games against lefthanded starters with their 4-2 loss last night to lefthander Aaron Poreda...They are 14-14 when a righthander starts against them...Poreda has gone 2-0 in three starts (18 ip) and has allowed just two earned runs...Winston-Salem won all three of Poreda's starts...
CLUBBING CATCHER: C Steve Lerud hit his team leading sixth home run in the fourth inning on Friday night...During the past homestand the Cats catcher batted .306 (11-for-36) with three doubles, three home runs and 10 RBI in 12 games ...Over his last 21 games the former fourth round pick in 2003 is hitting .299 (20-for-67) with six doubles, five home runs and 18 RBI...
INCREDIBLE START: 3B Jim Negrych entered the day first in the league in hits (52), batting average (.397), and RBI (26), and on-base percentage (.456) and tied for third in runs scored (25)...The former sixth round pick from 2006 recorded 17 multi-hit games in his first 28 starts this season, reached safely in 27 of his first 28 games played and he is hitting an astonishing .535 (23-for-43) with men in scoring position...
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...
TOP PROSPECTS: Three of the Pirates' top 30 prospects from Baseball America are beginning the year with the Hillcats...LHP Daniel Moskos (#5) posted a combined ERA of 3.45 in 13 appearances with no decisions and one save with the GCL Pirates and the State College Spikes...LHP Tony Watson (#11) went 6-1 with a 2.52 ERA in 10 starts in State College prior to a late season call-up to Hickory...Watson was named to the New York-Penn League mid-season All-Star team...INF Brian Friday (#12) batted .295 with two home runs and 13 RBI for State College in 40 games...
MEET THE STAFF: Jeff Branson, 41, enters his 5th season in the Pittsburgh organization and 2nd as manager of the Lynchburg Hillcats...The former Major Leaguer spent two years at the helm of the Hickory Crawdads prior to his arrival in Lynchburg...His career managerial record is 211-270 (.439)...Chris Truby, 35, enters his first full season of coaching after serving as the hitting coach for the GCL Pirates at the end of last season...The former major leaguer retired last year while playing in the Pirates organization...
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