CarL1 Lynchburg Hillcats

Lynchburg Hillcats Game Notes

Published on July 31, 2011 under Carolina League (CarL1)
Lynchburg Hillcats News Release


SALEM RED SOX (15-20, 46-58) vs LYNCHBURG HILLCATS (12-23, 42-63) July 31st, 2011 -- 6:05 PM Calvin Falwell Field at City Stadium RHP Anthony Ranaudo (2-4, 4.31) vs LHP Dimasther Delgado (6-6, 4.04)

THE HILLCATS: Saturday, the ‘Cats lost to the Salem Red Sox 6-3...The Hillcats scored early, with one run in the second, followed by two more in the third on a two-run homer for Barrett Kleinknecht who turned 23 yesterday...RHP David Hale cruised through seven scoreless innings, striking out a career-high eight batters...The bullpen blew it in the eighth when Salem put up four runs to take the lead...A two-run homer for Alex Valdez in the 9th ended the scoring...The Hillcats are currently in fourth place in the Northern Division at 12-23, 12.0 games back of the Frederick Keys in first place...

VS. SALEM: The Hillcats are 6-13 against the Red Sox this season...Salem has clinched the season series as this will be the final series between two clubs, a three-game set in Lynchburg...The Hillcats are 3-6 against the Red Sox this season at City Stadium...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...

UP UNTIL THE EIGHTH: Lynchburg blew an eighth inning lead last night for the sixth time all season long...Only the Wilmington Blue Rocks have blown more leads (7) when leading heading into the eighth...

ROAD WEARY: Lynchburg returns to City Stadium for the first time since July 16 this weekend, wrapping up an 11-game in 12 days road trip Thursday night...The Hillcats won four of 11, splitting four games in Potomac, winning one of three in Salem, and one of four in Myrtle Beach...The offense continued to struggle throughout the trip, hitting just .211 (71-337) as a team...They were shut out four times, and averaged just 2.73 runs per game (30 runs/11 games)...

BEST OF THE BRAVOS: Eight members of the Hillcats are ranked amongst the top 30 prospects in the Atlanta Braves organization according to Baseball America...That list includes C Christian Bethancourt (12), 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)...

BIRTHDAY BLAST: INF Barrett Kleinknecht turned 23 yesterday...He celebrated with a two-run home run in the bottom of the thrid inning...It was just his second home run since May 16 and fourth of the season with the Hillcats...Kleinknecht went 3-for-4 with a double and two RBI on his birthday last year, and went on to hit .316 in the month of August with Rookie-level Danville...He could use a similar boost this season as Kleinknecht is currently in the midst of a 3-for-30 slump going back to July 17...

ALL HALE: RHP David Hale had yet another career day for the Hillcats that went unrewarded in the win column...Hale threw his best outing of his career for the second time in just under two weeks, completing seven scoreless inning for the first time in his career and striking out a career-high eight while allowing just three hits...His previous best start came on July 19 when Hale threw his first complete game in 1-0 loss in Potomac...Hale went eight innings, allowed a run on nine hits and took the loss...Yesterday after the bullpen blew a three-run lead in the eight, he got a no decision...

RUNNING WILED: OF Keenan Wiley stole third base twice Friday night...It was his first multi-steal game of the season with the Hillcats, and second of his young career...He has proven to be the most effective base stealer for Lynchburg this year with 14 steals in 17 attempts...He's also swinging a good bat recently, hitting .375 over the last five games (6-for-16)...Currently hitting .285, which would rank tied for fourth in the league but he is still seven plate appearances short of qualifying after being called up from Rome April 25 this year...If he can average 3.83 plate appearances over the next six games he'll qualify...

HILLCATS HISTORY: RHP Zeke Spruill threw his fifth complete game of the season in game one Wednesday night...He now holds the record for most complete games in a season since Lynchburg adopted the Hillcats moniker in 1995...Spruill only needed to throw six innings for the complete game Wednesday night as the Hillcats lost 5-0 in a seven-inning game...

TONIGHT'S OPPOSING PITCHER: RHP Anthony Ranaudo was selected in the supplemental round (39th overall) of the 2010 draft by the Red Sox out of LSU...Earned the win in the clinching game of the 2009 College World Series for LSU...Did not play professionally in 2010 after agreeing to a contract in August...Went 4-1 with a 3.33 ERA in Greenville in 2011...Struck out 50 batters in 46 innings pitched...Named South Atlantic League Pitcher of the Week for the week of May 2-8...Called up to Salem on May 31...Earned win against Lynchburg on June 8...Pitched six shutout innings, giving up just two hits and striking out three...Currently 2-4 with a 4.31 ERA for Salem...

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