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Wichita Wingnuts Game Notes - August 16th, 2013

August 16, 2013 - American Association (AA)
Wichita Wingnuts News Release


WINGNUTS WASHED AWAY AGAIN: The Wichita Wingnuts and Gary SouthShore RailCats were rained out on Thursday in the rubber game of their three-game series. The game will be made up as part of a double header at US Steel Yard on Tuesday, August 20th . The RailCats will serve as the home team in both contests. It will be the Wingnuts' fifth double header of 2013. The team record for double headers in one season is six set in 2008.

WINGNUTS AND RAILCATS SPLIT DOUBLE HEADER: The Wichita Wingnuts split a double header against the Gary SouthShore RailCats at Lawrence-Dumont Stadium on Wednesday. The Wingnuts won the opener 2-1 and dropped the nightcap 10-5. Abel Nieves won the first game with an RBI double to right-center field in the bottom of the seventh inning. Nick Walters earned the win in relief with a scoreless top of the seventh. Chris Smith started and took a no-decision, allowing one earned run over 6.0 IP. CJ Ziegler hit his 23rd home run of the season in the bottom of the third.

The RailCats scored in five straight innings during game two, including seven unanswered runs after the Wingnuts briefly tied the game at 3-3 in the bottom of the second. Justin Klipp took the loss, allowing seven runs, five earned, on five hits in 3.0+ IP. Wichita combined for 10 walks in the loss. Nieves had two hits and another RBI. Ryan Khoury homered in the bottom of the seventh. The Wingnuts are 0-1-3 in double headers this season.

ALL-TIME AGAINST THE REDHAWKS: The Wingnuts are 9-4 all-time against the Fargo-Moorhead RedHawks, including a 4-3 mark at Lawrence- Dumont Stadium. The RedHawks are in their 18th season after beginning play in the Northern League in 1996. The RedHawks have finished with a winning percentage of .560 or better in 16 of their first 17 seasons and have qualified for the playoffs in 15 of them. Fargo-Moorhead won five Northern League championships (1998, 2003, 2006, 2009, and 2010) before joining the American Association in 2011. The RedHawks won the North Division last season and tied an American Association record with 65 wins. Doug Simunic has managed the RedHawks in every season of the franchise's existence and also won a championship with the Winnipeg Goldeyes in 1994. Simunic was drafted in the third round by the Monreal Expos in 1976 and played nine professional seasons. Simunic reached the Triple-A level three times during his playing career. All-star shortstop Zach Penprase returns for his sixth year in Fargo-Moorhead, while all-star outfielder Nic Jackson is in his fifth with the club.

SERIES MATCHUP: The Wingnuts are 56-27 and lead the Gary SouthShore RailCats by 8.5 games in the Central Division. The Wingnuts just split a rain-shortened, two-game series against the RailCats. The RedHawks are 54-30 and lead the Winnipeg Goldeyes by 8.5 games in the North Division. Fargo-Moorhead just won three of four from the Can-Am League's Rockland Boulders. The Wingnuts rank first in the American Association in hitting (.296), first in pitching (3.42), and tied for third in fielding (.977). The RedHawks are tied for seventh in batting (.273), second in pitching (3.55), and tied for first in defense (.978). This is the only scheduled regular season series between the two clubs.

TONIGHT'S STARTERS: The Wingnuts go with right-hander Junior Guerra who is 8-3 with a 3.30 ERA in 16 starts. Guerra is tied for fifth in the American Association in wins, fourth in ERA, and third in strikeouts. Guerra took a complete game loss at New Jersey last Saturday in the opener of a double header, allowing three runs, one earned, over 6.0 IP with 10 strikeouts. Guerra is 4-1 with a 3.13 ERA at home this season in seven starts. All- time at Lawrence-Dumont Stadium, Guerra is 11-3 with a 2.93 ERA (42 ER, 129.0 IP) in 18 starts. Guerra has allowed two or fewer earned runs in 11 of 16 starts and has allowed more than four earned runs in a start in just three of them. Guerra has pitched at least 6.0 innings in 12 of 16 starts and has pitched at least 5.0 innings in all of them. Guerra has walked three or fewer batters in 12 of 16 starts. In his last 10 starts, Guerra is 5-3 with a 2.39 ERA (17 ER, 64.0 IP) with 70 strikeouts. Guerra has made one career start against the RedHawks, earning a win on July 25th, 2011 at Lawrence-Dumont Stadium. Guerra allowed one unearned run on two hits in 7.0 IP in an 8-1 victory.

Guerra was 1-3 in five starts with a 5.46 ERA for the Leones de Yucatan in the Mexican League last year. Guerra allowed three or fewer earned runs in four of his five starts for the Leones. Guerra starred for the Wingnuts in 2011, posting a 9-3 record while finishing tied for ninth in the American Association in ERA (3.57) and seventh in strikeouts (103). Guerra was 8-1 with a 2.30 ERA over his final 12 regular season starts in 2011, and then allowed one earned run in 6.2 innings in Game One of the Division Series at Grand Prairie. On July 13th, 2011, Guerra worked the first 7.1 innings of a combined no-hitter over the Shreveport-Bossier Captains at Lawrence-Dumont Stadium.

As a pitcher, Guerra is 19-12 with a 3.76 ERA in 77 career games, 41 of them starts. Guerra is in his eighth year of professional baseball, and spent four years in the Atlanta Braves' farm system as a catcher. Guerra was signed by Atlanta as an international free agent in 2001.

The RedHawks go with right-hander Brian Ernst who is 4-2 with a 4.27 ERA in 10 starts. Ernst allowed two runs, one earned, on five hits in 5.1 IP in a win at Kansas City on Sunday. Ernst is 4-1 with a 3.92 ERA on the road this season in seven starts. Ernst has allowed three or fewer earned runs in seven of 10 starts. Ernst has pitched at least 5.0 innings in all 10 of his starts.

Ernst is a true rookie out of East Stroudsburg University where he was a two-way star for four seasons. Ernst was 5-2 with a 2.70 ERA in 12 starts as a senior this past spring while hitting .313 with 29 runs scored at the plate. Ernst was a combined 16-7 with a 4.07 during his four years with the Warriors and hit a composite .331 with 115 runs and 44 doubles in 182 games.

ZIEGLER AND PAHUTA CHASE SING, EACH OTHER: Wingnuts' first baseman CJ Ziegler ranks second in the American Association with 23 home runs. Sioux Falls' Tim Pahuta paces the league with 24. The American Association single-season record is 27, held by Brandon Sing of the Sioux Falls Pheasants in 2010. Entering Friday, the Wingnuts have 17 games left on their schedule while the Canaries have 16.

KAHAULELIO APPROACHING TEAM, LEAGUE RECORDS: Wingnuts' second baseman Jake Kahaulelio leads the American Association in runs scored (79). The team record is 81, held by Juan Richardson in 2011. Kahaulelio also ranks first in the league in hit batsmen (17). Wichita's club record is 18, set by Jorge Delgado in 2011. Fehlandt Lentini (Amarillo, 2011) holds the American Association record for runs scored in a single season (98). David Thomas (Grand Prairie, 2011) holds the league record for most HBP (20). Kahaulelio won the American Association batting title last season (.372) and was named the league's all-star second baseman.

RODRIGUEZ NAMED BATTER OF THE WEEK: Wingnuts' DH John Rodriguez was named the American Association's Batter of the Week on Monday. Rodriguez was 12 for 27 (.444) with three home runs and 13 RBI. Wichita went 6-1 during the seven-game stretch. Rodriguez is Wichita's fourth Batter of the Week honoree this season and the sixth Wingnuts player to earn league honors.

ROSTER NOTES: The Wingnuts released outfielder Jonathan Davis and right-handed pitcher Ryan Scoles on Monday.

HOOPER FIVE FOR FIVE: The Wingnuts won their 51st game of the season on August 6th at Rockland, clinching a winning season under manager Kevin Hooper for a fifth time in five years. Hooper is 278-197 (.585) since taking over the club in 2009 and has guided the Wingnuts to three playoff berths. Hooper's .585 winning percentage is the highest among American Association managers over the last five years. His 278 wins also rank first during that stretch. Hooper was a member of a team that made the playoffs in eight different seasons over his 10-year playing career. Hooper was also a member of Wichita State University's College World Series team in 1996. The Shockers reached the NCAA tournament in all four of Hooper's collegiate seasons, and posted a composite .815 winning percentage.

ROAD WARRIORS: The Wingnuts finished their annual NBC road trip with an 11-5 record. At 26-16 away from Lawrence-Dumont Stadium, the Wingnuts have clinched a winning record on the road for a second straight year. Wichita's first winning road record was in 2012 (27-22).

NIEVES PACING THE LEAGUE: Wingnuts' third baseman Abel Nieves leads the American Association in batting average (.372). Wichita has had a player win the batting title in three of its first five seasons. Kevin Hooper won by 40 points in 2008 at .373, Greg Porter topped the league with a .372 mark in 2009, and Jake Kahaulelio finished first with a .372 average in 2012. Nieves had a 19-game hitting streak from June 8th -26th (38 for 76, .500) which ranks tied for the second-longest in team history (Greg Porter 2009 and Jorge Delgado 2010). The team record is held by Josh Horn, who hit safely in 20 consecutive games from August 29th, 2009 through June 5th, 2010. Nieves finished second in the Frontier League in batting average last year, hitting .320 for the Joliet Slammers. Nieves reached the Triple-A level three times with the Los Angeles Angels' organization.

KHOURY SETTING THE TABLE: Wingnuts' shortstop Ryan Khoury has reached base in 74 of 82 games this season with a hit, walk, or hit by pitch. Khoury reached base in 87 of 100 games in 2012, and was named the American Association's Defensive Player of the Year. Khoury also ranked in the top-four in the league in runs scored, walks, and stolen bases. On June 26th vs. Laredo, Khoury missed his first game since joining the Wingnuts last year. Including the postseason, Khoury had started 145 consecutive games both at shortstop and in the leadoff spot, and missed just five total innings in the field during that stretch. Prior to June 26th, the last time a Wingnuts' player other than Khoury started at shortstop was September 4th, 2011 when Josh Horn started Game Four of the Division Series vs. Grand Prairie. Jimmy Mojica was the last Wingnuts' player to bat leadoff, which was also on September 4th, 2011.

ZIEGLER CLEANING THE TABLE, WINGNUTS' NEW HOME RUN KING: Wingnuts' first baseman CJ Ziegler is second in the American Association in home runs (23) and ranks first in RBI (80). On August 8th at Rockland, Ziegler set a franchise single-season record with his 22nd home run of the season, besting Kelly Hunt and Greg Porter who each hit 21 home runs in 2009. In the opener of a double header vs. St. Paul on June 14th, Ziegler hit his ninth home run of 2013 and his 27th in a Wingnuts' uniform over the last two years, passing Ryan Patterson (2010-11) for the most in franchise history. Ziegler is only the third player in team history to reach the 20 home run plateau. Ziegler tied a Wingnuts' single-game record with seven RBI on June 24th vs. Laredo. Last season, Ziegler ranked tied for third in the American Association with 18 home runs in just 58 games played. Ziegler has helped his team reach the playoffs in each of his first five professional seasons.

POWER AND SPEED: The Wingnuts offense has benefited from a rare mix of power and speed. Wichita ranks first in the American Association with 92 home runs and are tied for first with 110 stolen bases. Wichita led the American Association with 86 home runs in 2009, which stood as a franchise single-season record until this year. The Wingnuts have never led the league steals. Their franchise-best for stolen bases is 150 set in 2012.

STINGY ARMS: The Wingnuts' pitching staff ranks first in the American Association in opponents' batting average at .235. Anthony Capra ranks first among active starting pitchers at .208. Chris Smith ranks second at .229. Junior Guerra is 10th at .254. Ryan Hinson, who was recently purchased by the Atlanta Braves, ranks first overall at .193.

PITCHING STRONG: The Wingnuts rank first in the American Association with a 3.42 team ERA. The Wingnuts ranked first in ERA in 2009 and 2010 while finishing third in 2011.

SWINGING STRONG: The Wingnuts rank first in the American Association with a .296 team batting average. Over the last two seasons, the Wingnuts have finished first and second respectively in the league batting race.

GLOVE WORK: The Wingnuts are tied for third in the American Association with a .977 fielding percentage. Wichita has led the league in defense in three of their first five years of existence (2008, 2009, 2012), and finished second in 2011. The Wingnuts hold the American Association record for team fielding percentage at .980, which they accomplished in both 2009 and 2012.

HOME FIELD ADVANTAGE: The Wingnuts are 181-104 (.635) all-time at Lawrence-Dumont Stadium. It is the highest home winning percentage for any American Association team since the Wingnuts began play in 2008.

SCORELESS BALL: The Wingnuts have posted seven shutouts as a team this season. The franchise record for shutouts in a single season is nine, set in both 2010 and 2011.

COMPLETE ME: The Wingnuts' pitching staff ranks tied for first in the American Association with six complete games. Wichita's club record for complete games in a single season is seven, set in both 2009 and 2010.

TOUGH LOSSES: Of the Wingnuts' 27 losses this season, 14 have been by one run, three by two runs, and three by three runs. Wichita has held a lead at some point in 14 of their 27 losses.

GUERRA PROTECTING THE HOME FRONT: Wingnuts' right-hander Junior Guerra has excelled when pitching at Lawrence-Dumont Stadium. Guerra is 11-3 with a 2.93 ERA (42 ER, 129.0 IP) all-time in Wichita over 18 starts.

'J-ROD' REACHES MAJOR MILESTONES: Wingnuts' DH John Rodriguez hit a two-out, three-run home run in the bottom of the second inning on July 8th vs. Amarillo for the 1,500th base hit of his 17-year professional career. The home run also have Rodriguez 902 career RBI. On July 18th vs. Lincoln, Rodriguez set the Wingnuts' franchise record for RBI (126) with a two-out, RBI double in the bottom of the fifth inning. Josh Horn (2009-11) held the previous team record with 125 RBI.

KHOURY BREAKS TEAM STEALS RECORD: Wingnuts' shortstop Ryan Khoury set a franchise record with his 47th stolen base on July 6th vs. Amarillo. Josh Horn (2009-11) held the previous record with 46. Last year, Khoury established a Wingnuts' single-season record with 37 stolen bases, surpassing current manager Kevin Hooper's mark of 34 set in 2008.

BACK-TO-BACK: John Rodriguez and CJ Ziegler hit back-to-back home runs on consecutive pitches in the bottom of the third inning in game one of a double header on Friday, June 14th vs. St. Paul. They were the first back-to-back home runs for the Wingnuts since July 26th, 2011 when Josh Horn and Brent Clevlen accomplished the feat vs. Fargo-Moorhead. Ziegler and Clevlen homered on back-to-back pitches on Monday, June 24th vs. Laredo, while Clevlen and Abel Nieves hit back-to-back home runs on August 8th at Rockland.

GRAND SLAM TIME: On Tuesday, June 11th at Winnipeg, Abel Nieves hit the Wingnuts' first grand slam home run since August 27th, 2011 when Juan Richardson hit a bases loaded 'big fly' in a 19-2 rout at El Paso. Wichita hit .309 as a team with the bases loaded in 2012, and was hitting .400 with the sacks full going into June 11th of this year, but had gone 126 consecutive games without a grand slam. CJ Ziegler hit the Wingnuts' second grand slam of 2013 on June 28th vs. Sioux City. Jake Kahaulelio smacked the first walk-off grand slam in team history on July 23rd at Amarillo.

ALUMNI REPORT: RHP Matt Nevarez (2011-12) has a 2.31 ERA for the Double-A Southern League's Montgomery Biscuits (Tampa Bay) with 13 strikeouts in 11.2 IP. RHP James Hoyt (2012) was recently promoted to the Double-A Southern League's Mississippi Braves (Atlanta) and has a 2.57 ERA with 27 strikeouts in 28.0 IP. Hoyt posted a 4.89 ERA with 72 strikeouts in just 49.2 IP earlier this year for the High-A Carolina League's Lynchburg Hillcats. LHP and Wingnuts' co-owner Nate Robertson (2012) has a 3.43 ERA in 44.2 IP for the Triple-A Pacific Coast League's Round Rock Express (Texas). RHP Jon Link was purchased by the Detroit Tigers on June 19th and went 3-1 with a 1.13 ERA in five starts for the Double-A Eastern League's Erie SeaWolves. Link was recently promoted to Triple-A Toledo and is 0-4 with a 9.00 ERA in three starts and four relief appearances. LHP Ryan Hinson was purchased by the Atlanta Braves on July 11th and is 2-2 with a 2.13 ERA in six starts for the High-A Carolina League's Lynchburg Hillcats.

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