CarL1 Lynchburg Hillcats

Lynchburg Hillcats Game Notes

June 9, 2011 - Carolina League (CarL1)
Lynchburg Hillcats News Release


SALEM RED SOX (27-31) @ LYNCHBURG HILLCATS (26-32)

June 9th, 2011 -- 7:05 PM

Calvin Falwell Field at Lynchburg City Stadium

LHP Chris Hernandez (5-3, 2.52) vs. LHP Chris Masters (4-2, 3.32)

THE HILLCATS: Wednesday, the Hillcats lost to the Salem Red Sox 6-1...Salem's starter Anthony Ranaudo held the 'Cats to just two hits and no runs through his six innings of work...Lynchburg avoided the shutout in the bottom of the ninth when Andrelton Simmons doubled home Todd Cunningham...The Hillcats sit in third place in the Carolina League Northern Division, now 10.5 games back of the first place Frederick Keys...

VS. SALEM: The Hillcats are 4-9 against the Red Sox this season...The two teams have met seven times in Salem and six times in Lynchburg...The Red Sox won the first seven match-ups of the year, but the 'Cats have pulled out four of the last six including two of three during the current series and will attempt to take their first series win against Salem tonight...Last season, the Red Sox took the season series 11-8 over Lynchburg...Myrtle Beach (2010 Braves Advanced-A affiliate) fared worse against Salem, winning just five of the 20 match-ups...

ALL-STARS ANNOUNCED: The Carolina League announced the roster for the 2011 Mid-season All-Star Team this afternoon...Three Hillcats were selected...Andrelton Simmons will start at shortstop, Joey Terdoslavich will start third base, and Todd Cunningham will be a reserve outfielder...It will be the first All-Star appearances for each Hillcat...With the three selections, the Hillcats boast the most position players on the roster this season...The Myrtle Beach Pelicans and Wilmington Blue Rocks tied for most selections overall with four each...This year, the Modesto Nuts will host the All-Star game June 21 at John Thurman Field in Modesto, CA...

BEST SHOW IN TOWN: The Hillcats and Red Sox season series began as a boring one-sided affair with Salem taking all six of the first match-ups in April, outscoring Lynchburg 43-19...However, six of the last seven games have been some of the most exciting games all year, with three games decided by one run and two by two runs...There have been two walk-offs, and one extra inning affair, and even Tuesday night's three-run win for Lynchburg saw the Red Sox bring the go-ahead run to the plate in the ninth...The trailing team has tied or taken the lead five times in the eighth inning or later in the past seven contests...

WHAT A DIFFERENCE A MONTH MAKES: After the games on May 7 this season, the Salem Red Sox boasted a 20-7 record, best in the Carolina League, while the Hillcats who started the year 1-10, were working there way back to respectability at 10-17 good for seventh place overall in the league, ahead of the Potomac Nationals (10-18)...Exactly one month later, after the Hillcats' June 7 win over Salem the two teams sat with equal 26-31 records...However, Salem defeated the Hillcats last night to improve to 27-31 but still find themselves in fourth in the Southern Division while the Hillcats are in third in the Northern Division...

MAGIC NUMBER: With the All-Star Break looming just a week and a half away, soon two teams will clinch play-off spots in the Carolina League...In the Northern Division, the Frederick Keys have begun to separate themselves...They sit 6.5 games up on the second place Blue Rocks, making their magic number six...The Hillcats are in third, 10.5 games back of first, leaving their chances incredibly slim, with a magic number for elimination of two...Things are a bit closer in the Southern Division...Only 6.5 games separate fourth from first...The Myrtle Beach Pelicans are in first place, 3.5 games up on the Kinston Indians in second, making Myrtle's magic number nine heading into tonight...

BEST OF THE BRAVOS: Seven members of the Hillcats are ranked amongst the top 30 prospects in the Braves organization according to Baseball America...That list includes 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)...

PLAYER OF THE MONTH: INF Joey Terdoslavich was honored as the Carolina League Player of the Month for May as voted by the league's managers...Terdoslavich hit .304 (31-for-102) with four home runs and 20 RBI in 27 games last month...He is second in the league in home runs with 11 on the season...He also racked up 11 doubles in May, and currently has 18 total, tying him for second in the league as well...His average went from .243 to .279 during the month...The honor was the first weekly or monthly award of his career...

LET HIM SIMMER: INF Andrelton Simmons brought his average up to .311 on May 1 after going 3-for-4 in the midst of a season best 13-game hitting streak...Has kept it above .300 ever since, currently hitting .315...Last night, Simmons went 1-for-4 extending his current hit-streak to 10 games...His .315 average is currently second-best in the league, and his 67 hits rank third...

TONIGHT'S OPPOSING PITCHER : LHP Chris Hernandez was selected in the seventh round of the 2010 draft by the Red Sox out of the University of Miami...Went 10-3 with a 2.64 ERA in his final season with the Hurricanes...Led the ACC in ERA, and was third in strikeouts (110)...Was named to the All-ACC First Team twice (2008, 2010) and All-ACC Second Team once (2009)...Appeared in one professional game in 2010, allowing one run in a two-inning outing for Lowell...Has faced the Hillcats twice this season...Pitched five innings in each game, giving up a total of four hits and two runs, neither of which were earned...Currently 5-3 with a 2.52 ERA...Named to 2011 Carolina League Mid-Season All-Star Team...

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Carolina League Stories from June 9, 2011


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