CarL1 Lynchburg Hillcats

Lynchburg Hillcats Game Notes

Published on July 30, 2010 under Carolina League (CarL1)
Lynchburg Hillcats News Release


LYNCHBURG HILLCATS (14-19, 43-60) @ SALEM RED SOX (17-16, 59-44)

July 30th, 2010 -- 7:05 PM

Lewis-Gale Field @ Salem Memorial Ballpark

RHP Jordan Hotchkiss (7-3, 2.45) vs. RHP Michael Lee (7-4, 4.03)

THE HILLCATS: Last night Lynchburg relinquished a five-run lead in a 9-8 loss at Salem in the series opener...Tonight they play game two of their set at Memorial Ballpark and the fifth game of six straight on the road...The Cats are in the opening leg of 14 out of 17 on the road...

VS. SALEM: The Hillcats are 8-10 against the Red Sox thus far this season and are 2-5 at City Stadium...The Cats went 10-10 against the Sox in the 460 series last season and were 5-5 at Lewis Gale Field...In the post-season the Cats swept the Sox three games to none in the Mills Cup Championship...In the all-time series Salem leads 164-145 during the regular season...

NO CIGARS: Last night was the second straight evening Lynchburg relinquished a late advantage...In the series opener a night ago the Hillcats led 6-1 halfway through the third inning and had an 8-5 lead going into the seventh...The five run advantage was the biggest blown lead of the season...On Wednesday night in Frederick, the Hillcats were an out away from the win before the Keys tied the game and then won the game in the bottom of the tenth with three runs...With a win the Cats would have earned their first road sweep of the season and matched their longest winning streak of the season with a fifth straight victory...The Green & Gold has let go of 32 advantages this season and in comparison they have come from behind to win 14 contests...

SLAP SHOTS: In the top of the third inning last night Lynchburg hit back-to-back home runs for the first time this season and in the same frame hit three homers in the same inning for the first time this year...UTIL Cody Puckett, UTIL Neftali Soto and INF Chris Richburg all went deep in the inning...After the back-to-back bombs OF Denis Phipps took a pitch that went behind him from RHP Brock Huntzinger and then slowly walked out towards the mound...The benches cleared with little incident and the situation was defused...After Phipps flew out to right-center he had some words with Huntzinger again and was ejected from the ballgame...The homer by Puckett was his first since June 28th versus Myrtle Beach, a period of 100 at-bats in between dingers...

HEY WAIT A MINUTE: Initially it was ruled that no runs scored in the bottom of the second inning last night after a fly out double play by the Red Sox ended the frame...After Salem's manager Kevin Boles discussed the call with the umpires the call was reversed and it was ruled that the run scored before the Sox runner was doubled off of first base...That run proved pivotal as the Hillcats lost by one last night, 9-8...

DON'T FORGET MY NUMBER: RHP Nick Christiani allowed four runs in 2/3 of an inning and took a blown save and the loss last night...This season against Salem the right-hander is 0-1 with a 14.21 ERA (ten earned runs in six and 1/3 innings) and both of his blown saves this year have come against the Red Sox...Against the rest of the league he has a 2.25 ERA...Christiani was posting a 1.04 ERA when he went on the Disabled List on June 24th, but since returning his ERA has been 10.95 (15 earned runs in 12 and 1/3 innings)...On Wednesday night at Frederick LHP Donnie Joseph allowed three runs (two earned) in 2/3 of an inning and took a blown save and a loss...Against the Keys the lefty is 0-3 with a 6.48 ERA (six earned runs in eight a 1/3 innings) and both of his blown saves this year have come against them...This season against the res of the league he has a 2.00 ERA and is 11-for-11 in save opportunities...

BECOMING THE HUNTER: RHP Brock Huntzinger gave up six runs in two and 2/3 innings last night for Salem...The Reds Sox starter is now 0-3 with a 7.81 ERA in six starts against the Cats this season...Against the rest of the Carolina League the mid-season All-Star selection is 7-3 with a 2.67 earned run average...

HURRAY FOR DAY: OF Kyle Day went 1-for-3 with a walk last night and has now hit in a season-high 15 straight games, which has now passed the longest streak by a Hillcat this season (OF Josh Fellhauer, INF Alex Buchholz and OF Denis Phipps all hit in 11 straight)...In those 15 games he is batting .397 (23-for-58)...Over a longer stretch he has hit in 22 of his last 24 games and over that time he is 35-for-88 (.398) with five doubles, a triple, two home runs (including a grand slam), 17 RBI, 13 runs scored, eight walks and three steals...In those 25 contests Day has raised his average from .226 to .285...

TONIGHT'S OPPOSING PITCHER: RHP Michael Lee was selected by the Red Sox in the 10th round of the 2008 draft out of Oklahoma City University...That same year he made his professional debut with Short-Season Low-A Lowell where he had a 12.00 ERA in four relief appearances...Last season he threw for full season Low-A Greenville and went 3-4 with a 3.50 ERA in 18 games (four starts)...This season with Salem the righty has posted a 7-4 mark with a 4.03 ERA and two saves in 26 games (five starts) with the Red Sox...Lee has made four appearances (one start) against Lynchburg and gone 1-2 with a 5.14 ERA against the Hillcats...

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