Lynchburg Hillcats Game Notes
May 19, 2011 - Carolina League (CarL1)
Lynchburg Hillcats News Release
LYNCHBURG HILLCATS (14-23) @ KINSTON INDIANS (16-22)
May 19th, 2011 -- 6:30 PM
Historic Grainger Stadium
LHP Chris Masters (3-1, 2.34) vs. RHP Clayton Cook (2-3, 4.11)
THE HILLCATS: Wednesday the Hillcats lost to the Kinston Indians 6-5...The 'Cats scored first and led at three different times including 4-3 in the eighth but lost as the bullpen blew two saves in the late innings and eventually walked in the winning run in the bottom of the ninth...The Hillcats fell into fourth place in the Carolina League Northern Division, still 7.5 games back of the first place Frederick Keys...
VS. KINSTON: The Hillcats are 2-4 against the Indians in 2011...The two teams first met in Lynchburg this season 4/29-5/1...The first two games of the series saw each side get shut out once, followed by a hard fought rubber match that ended 3-1 in favor of the Indians...The Hillcats will look to split the current series as they trail 1-2 heading into game four tonight...
LET'S HIT THE ROAD: Away from the "Hill City" this season the Hillcats have hit .267 as opposed to .231 at home, and pitchers have posted a 3.52 ERA, over a run less than at City Stadium (4.57)...Last night the Hillcats tallied nine hits and five runs, but came up short by one run for the second straight night...The 'Cats have now racked up nine or more hits in 12 of their past 13 road contests...Lynchburg is 10-13 on the road this season, much better than their 4-10 mark at City Stadium...
ENDING ON A WINNING NOTE: Prior to Sunday's 5-3 win over the Pelicans, the Hillcats were 0-9 in series finales this season, and 0-2 in rubber matches of three-game series'...The 'Cats snapped both streaks with the help of starter Dimasther Delgado's second straight quality start, six innings, three runs allowed and INF Joey Terdoslavich's go ahead home run in the top of the sixth inning that put Lynchburg up 5-3...RHP Jeremy Haynes and RHP Eliecer Cardenas closed out the game with three scoreless innings of relief, Haynes earning his first hold, and Cardenas his third save as he tossed a perfect ninth frame...
LEAD WITH YOUR BEST: Contrary to the lack of success closing series' this season, the Hillcats have a winning record in series openers at 7-5, including Monday night's 11-0 affair...In fact, four of the 'Cats' five biggest wins have come in series openers; 9-1, 4/21 @ FRE; 9-1, 5/2 @ WIL; 8-1, 5/13 @ MYR; and last night...The Hillcats have gone on to win each series after dominating game one...After losing the past two nights, the Hillcats can only hope to a spilt from Kinston this week...
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...
TABLE SETTER: OF Todd Cunningham went 2-for-4, with a BB and a stolen base last night...He also scored three of the Hillcats five runs batting leadoff for the 14th time this season...He is now batting .389 (21-for-54) when batting first, and has scored 14 runs and stolen five bases...Batting elsewhere his other 22 games, he has hit just .220 (18-for-82), scored six runs, and stolen two bases...He now leads the team in runs scored (20), steals (7), and he's tied for the team lead in walks with Joe Leonard at 12...He's also been hit by the pitch six time, leads team, and boasts a .370 on base percentage...
SCHLE'S SLAMS: C Braeden Schlehuber launched the first Grand Slam for the Hillcats this season in the fifth inning Monday night...He also doubled in two runs in fourth giving him a career high six RBI on the night...Tuesday night, Schlehuber was knocked out of the game after a collision at the plate with Kinston INF Justin Toole...Toole slid in head first at home, his helmet meeting Schlehuber's left leg...Schlehuber had to be helped off the field, and wouldn't return to action...
KLEIN'CONNECTS' WITH 'CATS: INF Barrett Kleinknecht was promoted to Lynchburg from Low-A Rome on Tuesday, May 10th, arriving that afternoon to start at shortstop for the Hillcats...He went 0-for-4 in his Hillcats debut...Since however, he is 12-for-31 with a two home runs and five RBI in eight starts with four multi-hit games...Kleinknecht would have had three long balls for the 'Cats had Ryan Strausborger not brought one back in the eighth inning Sunday afternoon in Myrtle Beach...Kleinknecht has now hit safely in seven of his last eight games, and has a current five game hit streak...
PITCHER OF THE WEEK: RHP Arodys Vizcaino was dominant Friday night against the Myrtle Beach Pelicans...He completed a season high seven innings, did not allow a run on just two hits, while striking out six batters, which tied a season high he set in the season opener, April 9...The stellar outing earned Vizcaino his second Pitcher of the Week honor of his career (May 17-23, 2010) and first of the season...He followed his award winning performance by allowing just one run through five innings last night...
TONIGHT'S OPPOSING PITCHER : RHP Clayton Cook was selected in the ninth round of the 2008 Draft by Cleveland out of Amarillo (TX) High School...Ranked ninth in the Midwest League with a 3.35 ERA in 2010 while playing for Lake County...Named to the 2009 New York-Penn League All-Star Team...He is currently 2-3 with a 4.11 ERA...
Carolina League Stories from May 19, 2011
- Early Lead Not Enough for 'Cats, Fall 4-3 - Lynchburg Hillcats
- Agonizing Streak Continues as Salem Falls 1-0 - Salem Red Sox
- Kinston Wins Third Straight, 4-3 Over Lynchburg. - Kinston Indians
- Santiago Superb, But Dash Fall 3-1 - Winston-Salem Dash
- Loux's Arm, Zaneski's Bat Win Series for Birds - Myrtle Beach Pelicans
- Barrage of Homers Dooms Keys - Frederick Keys
- P-Nats Slug Six Home Runs, Win 14-6 - Potomac Nationals
- Winston-Salem Dash Game Notes - Winston-Salem Dash
- Pelicans Game Notes - Myrtle Beach Pelicans
- Lynchburg Hillcats Game Notes - Lynchburg Hillcats
- Dash to Host MVP Day at the Ballpark - Winston-Salem Dash
- Dash Announce Television Package with WXII - Winston-Salem Dash
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