CarL1 Lynchburg Hillcats

Lynchburg Hillcats Game Notes

Published on May 15, 2011 under Carolina League (CarL1)
Lynchburg Hillcats News Release


THE HILLCATS: Saturday the Hillcats lost to the Myrtle Beach Pelicans 6-0...The Birds led the entire game after Mike Olt blasted a two-run homer in the bottom of the first inning,...With the loss, the Hillcats fell back into fourth place in the Carolina League Northern Division, 6.5 games back the Wilmington Blue Rocks and Frederick Keys, tied for first place...

VS. MYRTLE BEACH: The Hillcats are 1-4 against Myrtle Beach this season, as they were swept by the Pelicans at home April 15-17, and the current series is tied 1-1 as Friday the ‘Cats won 8-1, but lost 6-0 last night...This is the first trip to Myrtle Beach for Lynchburg in 2011, although many players are familiar, as nine active members of the Hillcats squad spent time with the Pelicans in 2010 when they were the Advance-A affiliate of the Braves...

WHAT ABOUT THAT SOUTHERN HOSPITALITY?: After 10 games on the road this season in Southern Division ballparks the Hillcats are 2-8...Overall the ‘Cats are an abismal 3-15 against cross-divisional rivals...Despite having the worst record in the Carolina League sitting in fourth place in the Northern Division, the Hillcats still boast the best divisional record against fellow northern teams at 9-6; better than the Frederick Keys (8-6) and the Wilmington Blue Rocks (6-9) who are tied for first place and the Potomac Nationals (4-6) who sit in third...

PLEASE BE CAREFUL: Lynchburg seems to be plagued with the injury bug this season, and have made a whopping 28 transactions already this season because of it...Most recently, Saturday night in Winston-Salem, OF Adam Milligan left the game with a tight hamstring and INF Andrelton Simmons left with a sore back...It was found out after the game was over the INF Matt Weaver had broken his thumb diving for a ball at second base...All three players were unavailable for Sunday's series finale, forcing new catcher Jace Whitmer to play as the designated hitter, and warm-up pitcher's in the bullpen, since there were no healthy position players available on the bench...Tuesday, Milligan and Weaver were placed on the disabled list, Simmons didn't play as he was listed as day-to-day, and in case that wasn't enough, INF Joe Leonard was at home sick Tuesday, and was at the ball park but not in the lineup Wednesday night...Simmons and Leonard have returned to action, but Milligan and Weaver were the sixth and seventh Hillcat players to hit the DL after donning the Green & Gold this season (Thomas Berryhill and Angelo Paulino both were listed on the DL to start the season and have not been with the Hillcats yet in 2011)...

LET'S HIT THE ROAD: Away from the "Hill City" this season the Hillcats have hit .264 as opposed to .231 at home, and pitchers have posted a 3.54 ERA, over a run less than at City Stadium (4.57)...Last night the Hillcats were limited to just six hits as they were shutout for the third time this season...It was the first time the past nine road games that the ‘Cats had be held to less than nine hits...Lynchburg is still just 8-11 on the road but that is better than their 4-10 mark at City Stadium...

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...

REMEMBER ME?: INF/OF Geraldo Rodriguez played part of the 2009 season and all of 2010 with the Pelicans...Through 60 games in 2009, Rodriguez hit .281 with the Pelicans...Last season, he hit.253, with 13 home runs, and 53 RBI through 85 games, earning a promotion in 2011, as he started the year with AA-Mississippi...Hitting just .224 for Mississippi this season, Rodriguez has been sent to Lynchburg to help a Hillcats team plagued by injury...He made his 2011 Carolina League debut Tuesday night against Frederick, after arriving earlier that afternoon and went 2-for-3 with a double, an RBI, and a run scored...In five games with the Hillcats, he is 4-for-17 with a home run, two doubles, and three runs driven in...

MASTERS SHOWS HUMAN SIDE: Heading into last night's game against the Pelicans, LHP Chris Masters led the Carolina League witha 1.21 ERA and had the second-lowest batting average against at .168, and was perfect 3-0 in three prior starts...Masters would end up allowing nine hits and five earned runs through five innings of work on his way to his first loss of the season...The nine hits matched a career high allowed by Masters and the five runs was the first time Masters had allowed more than two in an outing all season...

TONIGHT'S OPPOSING PITCHER : RHP Joe Wieland was selected by the Rangers in the fourth round of the 2008 draft out of Bishop Manogue (NV) HS...Nevada State Player of the Year in 2008...Rated 16th-best prospect in the Rangers Organization entering 2009...Spent 2010 between Low-A Hickory and High-A Bakersfield...Named Rangers June Minor League Pitcher of the Month, after going 3-1 with 1.67 ERA in 27 innigs pitched...Pitched a seven-inning complete game shutout in his last start, 5/11 vs. Kinston...Currently 3-2 with a 1.66 ERA...Second in the Carolina League in ERA (1.66) and fourth in strikeouts (43)...Reigning Carolina League Pitcher of the Week for May 2-8...

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