CarL1 Lynchburg Hillcats

Lynchburg Hillcats Game Notes

Published on April 28, 2011 under Carolina League (CarL1)
Lynchburg Hillcats News Release


WILMINGTON BLUE ROCKS (12-7) @ LYNCHBURG HILLCATS (6-12)

April 28th, 2011 -- 11:05 AM

Calvin Falwell Field at Lynchburg City Stadium

RHP Jake Odorizzi (0-0, 3.46) vs. LHP Matt Crim (1-1, 2.31)

THE HILLCATS: Wednesday the Hillcats captured a pair of victories over the first place Wilmington Blue Rocks...First came the completion of the Tuesday's suspended contest, which was delayed by rain again for nearly an hour and a half Wednesday night before concluding in favor of Lynchburg 3-2...Wednesday's regularly scheduled game was shortened to a seven-inning affair...The Hillcats won the second game 5-2...Lynchburg continues to look up from fourth place in the Carolina League Northern Division, now 6-12...

VS. WILMINGTON: The Hillcats are 2-1 against Wilmington this season with one more game to play today in their opening four-game series with the Blue Rocks...Wilmington took the 2010 season series 12-8...However, the Hillcats have switched affiliations since last season...The Myrtle Beach Pelicans (2010 Braves Advance-A affiliate) won the season series 11-9 against the Blue Rocks a season ago...

BEATING THE BEST: After taking two from Wilmington last nigh, the Hillcats are still just 2-10 against teams with winning records this season ...The Salem Red Sox, who currently hold the best record in the Carolina League at 13-5, are 6-0 against Lynchburg...Myrtle Beach, currently at 13-6, swept the 'Cats in three games in Lynchburg...On the other hand, the Hillcats are 4-2 against team's with a .500 record or worse (3-1 vs. Frederick and 1-1 vs. Potomac)...

WELCOME TO LYNCHBURG: The Hillcats called up two pitchers, LHP Blaine Sims and RHP Ryan Weber, from Class-A Rome last Thursday after RHP Yeliar Castro was promoted to Class- AA Mississippi and RHP Cory Rasmus was placed on the disabled list...Neither Sims, nor Weber had prior experience at the Advanced-A level...Sims' debut could not have been better as he pitched four perfect innings of relief Sunday in Frederick, while striking out five...Weber made his debut last night, it wasn't perfect but still very good as he delivered four innings, allowing one run on three hits and two walks, while striking out one...Neither factored into the decisions as the Hillcats trailed throughout each of their outings...Another call up from Rome, RHP Dan Jurik, will join the club tonight as well...

DEFENSE WINS CHAMPIONSHIPS: The Hillcats played mistake-free baseball, while the Blue Rocks committed five errors in games two and three of this series, and as it turned out, the Hillcats won both games...On the season though, the Hillcats have committed 25 errors through their first 18 games...That's the most in the league by five (Wilmington and Kinston 20)...The past two flawless games however raised the team fielding percentage back above .960 (.963) however, it is still worst in the league...The errors have not gone unpunished, as the Hillcats staff has surrendered 21 unearned runs, also most in CL and seven more than Wilmington with second most...17 of the errors have come up the middle of the infield...Andrelton Simmons is responsible for eight miscues at shortstop in 14 games, and Matt Weaver in his one game at short added another error to the position as well as one at second base...The other seven errors up the middle have come at the expense of Phil Gosselin at second base...

DOUBLE DIPPING: Even though technically last night wasn't a double header, the Hillcats and Blue Rocks completed two games last night...The Hillcats were victorious in both games, just like they swept their only real double header of the season last Saturday in Frederick...

BEST OF THE BRAVOS: Eight members of the Hillcats are ranked amongst the top 30 prospects in the Braves organization according to Baseball America...That list includes RHP Arodys Vizcaino (7), SS Andrelton Simmons (15), RHP David Hale (17), RHP Dimasther Delgado (18), OF Todd Cunningham (20), OF Adam Milligan (22), INF Joe Leonard (23) and 2B Phil Gosselin (25)...Vizcaino was tabbed the 93rd best prospect in all of baseball by BA as well...

'SIMM'PLY THE BEST: INF Andrelton Simmons was a perfect 3-for-3 in last night's seven-inning game with two RBI, and a run scored...His three hits were a single, double, and triple bringing him just a home run shy of the cycle...His double and triple were timely as well driving in Joe Leonard from first base on each occasion...In the suspended game, Simmons went 1-for-3 with a stolen base...He was the only player on either side to collect four hits between the two games completed last night...

PITCHERS BE'WARE': OF L.V. Ware had his 2011 coming out party over the Hillcats' last five-game road trip...He hit .555 (10-18) with four doubles, two triples and four runs scored...He also stole four bases and has seemingly taking over as the 'Cats everyday leadoff man...He's 4-for-10 leading off innings this season and with Ware at leadoff for Lynchburg in all four games against Frederick over the weekend, the Hillcats took the series 3-1...He extended his season-high hit streak to nine games in last night's suspended contest but went 0-for-3 in the seven-inning game that followed snapping the streak...

TONIGHT'S OPPOSING PITCHER : RHP Jake Odorizzi was selected in the first round (32nd overall) in the 2008 draft by Milwaukee out of Highland (IL) High School...Traded to Kansas City as part of a package for Zach Greinke in December, 2010...Ranked 37 in mlb.com's list of best minor league prospects coming into the 2011 season...Midwest League midseason all-star in 2010...0-0 with a 3.46 ERA in 2011...

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