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Wichita Wingnuts Game Notes - August 30th, 2013

August 30, 2013 - American Association (AA)
Wichita Wingnuts News Release


WINGNUTS TIE AMERICAN ASSOCIATION WINS RECORD: The Wichita Wingnuts beat the Lincoln Saltdogs 5-4 at Haymarket Park on Thursday night in game three of a four-game series. The victory was Wichita's 65th of the season, tying the 2006 Lincoln Saltdogs and the 2013 Fargo-Moorhead RedHawks for the most in an American Association season. Jared McDonald broke a 4-4 tie with a two-out, RBI double in the top of the eighth inning. Cole Armstrong had two hits, two RBI, and started the eighth inning rally with a single. Lincoln Holdzkom earned the win in relief. Josh Dew pitched a perfect bottom of the ninth to record his 25th save of the year. Junior Guerra started for Wichita and allowed three runs, two earned, in 6.0 IP while taking a no-decision.

ALL-TIME AGAINST THE SALTDOGS: The Wingnuts are 37-32 all-time against the Lincoln Saltdogs, including a 16-18 mark at Haymarket Park. The Saltdogs are in their 13th season of existence. Lincoln began play in the Northern League in 2001 and became one of the original American Association franchises when the league formed in 2006. The Saltdogs play their home games at Haymarket Park just outside of downtown Lincoln and share their facility with the University of Nebraska's baseball team. Lincoln defeated the Wingnuts in the 2009 North Division Series in five games and went on to beat the Pensacola Pelicans for the American Association championship. Ken Oberkfell, who played 16 years in the Major Leagues, enters his first season as Saltdogs' manager. Oberkfell had more than 1,300 career Major League hits and batted .292 in the 1982 World Series for the eventual champion St. Louis Cardinals. Oberkfell managed the Can-Am League's Newark Bears last season, and skippered New York Mets' Triple-A affiliates in Norfolk, New Orleans, and Buffalo from 2005-10. Dan Reichert is in his first season as Lincoln's pitching coach. Reichert played five years in the Major Leagues with the Kansas City Royals and Toronto Blue Jays, and also pitched for the Wichita Wranglers in 1998 and 2002. Reichert struck out 100 batters for the Saltdogs in 2007. Former Amarillo Sox manager John Harris joins Oberkfell's staff as hitting coach. Harris spent parts of three years in the Majors with the California Angels from 1979-81.

SERIES MATCHUP: The Wingnuts are 65-31 and clinched the Central Division on August 23rd . Wichita took two of three from the Grand Prairie AirHogs at home over the weekend. The Saltdogs are 48-48 and in third place in the Central Division. Lincoln was just swept in a three-game series at Amarillo. The Wingnuts rank first in the American Association in hitting (.297), first in pitching (3.35), and tied for first in fielding (.977). The Saltdogs are 13th in batting (.252), fifth in pitching (4.25), and tied for eighth in defense (.972). Wichita split a four-game series vs. Lincoln in July.

TONIGHT'S STARTERS: The Wingnuts go with right-hander Chris Smith who is 8-4 with a 3.43 ERA in 19 starts. Smith is tied for 12th in the American Association in wins, tied for sixth in ERA, and fifth in strikeouts (109). Smith also ranks second in batting average against (.229). Smith took a no- decision vs. Grand Prairie on Sunday, allowing two earned runs on four hits in 6.0 IP. Wichita lost the game 8-3. Smith is 4-3 with a 3.67 ERA on the road this season in 10 starts. Smith has allowed three or fewer earned runs in 14 of 19 starts. Smith has walked two or fewer batters in 14 of 19 starts and has walked more than three batters in just one of them. Smith has pitched at least 6.0 innings in 18 of 19 starts and has pitched at least 5.0 innings in all of them. In his last 11 starts, Smith is 6-1 with a 2.40 ERA (20 ER, 75.0 IP). Smith beat the Saltdogs on July 21st at Lawrence-Dumont Stadium, allowing one earned run on three hits in 6.2 IP while striking out a season-high 12 batters.

Prior to this season, Smith last pitched in 2011 for the Triple-A Pacific Coast League's Tacoma Rainiers (Seattle Mariners). Smith made 50 Major League relief appearances with the Boston Red Sox and Milwaukee Brewers from 2008-2010. Prior to this season, his last start came on April 25th, 2009 with Boston's Triple-A affiliate in Pawtucket in which he allowed one hit over 6.0 shutout innings to earn a win vs. Syracuse. In 2012, Smith was an assistant coach at his alma mater, the University of California, Riverside.

Smith entered 2013 with a 42-39 career record with 61 saves and a 4.02 ERA in 10 professional seasons. During that span, Smith averaged 7.5 strikeouts against just 2.5 walks per nine innings in 771.0 career innings. Smith was drafted by the Red Sox in the 4th round in 2002 out of the University of California, Riverside. In addition to his time in the Majors, Smith has six years of experience at the Triple-A level, and has spent parts of four others in Double-A. In 2010, Smith saved 26 games for the Nashville Sounds, which led the Pacific Coast League, and ranked second overall at the Triple-A level.

The Saltdogs go with right-hander Luis Chirinos who is 3-4 with a 4.99 ERA in 15 starts and seven relief appearances between Lincoln and El Paso. Chirinos was acquired along with outfielder Brian Joynt from the Diablos on July 29th in exchange for cash. Chirinos is 0-1 with a 4.60 ERA in five starts with Lincoln since the trade. Chirinos took a loss at Amarillo on Sunday, allowing seven runs, three earned, on 10 hits in 6.0 IP. Chirinos is 0-0 with a 4.82 ERA at Haymarket Park this season in two starts. Chirinos has allowed three or fewer earned runs in nine of 15 starts and has allowed more than four earned runs in just two of them. Chirinos has walked two or fewer batters in 10 of 15 starts and has walked three or fewer batters in all of them. Chirinos has pitched at least 5.0 innings in 12 of 15 starts. As a starting pitcher, Chirinos is 3-4 with a 5.15 ERA. Chirinos has not faced the Wingnuts this season. Chirinos was 1-1 with a 1.93 ERA against Wichita in 2012 in two starts.

Chirinos signed with the Florida Marlins as an international free agent in 2007. Chirinos is in his seventh year of professional baseball and is 36-28 with six saves and a 3.90 ERA in 141 career games, 86 of them as a starter. Chirinos was a combined 12-6 with a 3.14 ERA in 18 starts last season for the Diablos and the North American League's Rio Grande Valley WhiteWings. Chirinos has averaged 7.2 strikeouts per nine innings in his career against 3.1 walks.

WINGNUTS TIE LEAGUE RECORD: At 65-31, the Wingnuts have tied the American Association record for single-season wins. Wichita now shares the record with the 2006 Lincoln Saltdogs (65-31, .677) and the 2012 Fargo-Moorhead RedHawks (65-35, .650).

FIVE WINGNUTS NAMED ALL-STARS: Five Wingnuts were named to the American Association's Postseason All-Star Team on Friday. First baseman CJ Ziegler, second baseman Jake Kahaulelio, third baseman Abel Nieves, outfielder Brent Clevlen, and designated hitter John Rodriguez all received honors.

WALTERS BREAKS APPEARANCES RECORD: Wingnuts' left-hander Nick Walters made his 48th appearance of the year on August 28th at Lincoln. It was Walters' 105th game in a Wingnuts' uniform over the last two years, breaking Jared Simon's franchise record. Walters and Simon each appeared in 57 games in 2012 to set an American Association single-season record.

ZIEGLER BATTER OF THE WEEK AGAIN: Wingnuts' first baseman CJ Ziegler was named the American Association's Batter of the Week for August 19th -25th . Ziegler was 16 for 29 (.552) last week and had at least one hit and one RBI in all seven of Wichita's games. Ziegler totaled eight runs, four doubles, one triple, five home runs, and 14 RBI. On Wednesday at Gary SouthShore, Ziegler hit for the first cycle in team history. It is the second time Ziegler has earned Batter of the Week honors this season.

ZIEGLER LEADS PAHUTA: Wingnuts' first baseman CJ Ziegler hit his 27th home run of the year on August 21st at Gary SouthShore, tying Brandon Sing's (Sioux Falls, 2010) American Association single-season record. The following night, Sioux Falls' Tim Pahuta cracked his 27th and 28th homers of the season to pass Ziegler and break the league mark. Ziegler has since re-taken the lead in the home run race and has 30 on the year. Entering Friday, both Wichita and Sioux Falls have four games left on their schedule.

NIEVES PACING THE LEAGUE: Wingnuts' third baseman Abel Nieves leads the American Association in batting average (.354). 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.

WINGNUTS SHATTERING STRIKEOUT RECORD: With 11 strikeouts on August 27th at Lincoln, the Wingnuts' pitching staff set an American Association record for strikeouts in one season (741). The Laredo Lemurs held the previous record with 738 strikeouts in 2012. The Wingnuts currently have 752 strikeouts on the year. Wichita has also had seven starting pitching performances of 10 or more strikeouts. In their first five seasons combined, the Wingnuts had three total double digit strikeout games by a starter.

TRIPLE TRIPLE: With four strikeouts on August 22nd at Gary SouthShore, left-hander Anthony Capra became the third Wingnuts' pitcher to reach 100 or more strikeouts this season. Junior Guerra ranks tied for first in the American Association with 126 strikeouts. Capra is fourth with 112. Chris Smith ranks fifth with 109.

KAHAULELIO BREAKING RECORDS: Wingnuts' second baseman Jake Kahaulelio leads the American Association in runs scored (90). The 90 runs are a new Wingnuts' single-season record and surpass the 81 scored by Juan Richardson in 2011. Fehlandt Lentini (Amarillo, 2011) holds the American Association record for runs in a single season (98). Kahaulelio also leads the league in hit batsmen (22), which breaks both Jorge Delgado's (2011) team mark of 18, and David Thomas' (Grand Prairie, 2011) American Association record of 20. Kahaulelio won the American Association batting title last season (.372) and was named the league's all-star second baseman.

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 287-201 (.588) since taking over the club in 2009 and has guided the Wingnuts to four playoff berths. Hooper's .588 winning percentage is the highest among American Association managers over the last five years. His 287 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 31-18 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).

KHOURY SETTING THE TABLE: Wingnuts' shortstop Ryan Khoury has reached base in 85 of 95 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 AND RBI KING: Wingnuts' first baseman CJ Ziegler is first in the American Association in home runs (30) and ranks first in RBI (98). 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. On August 21st at Gary SouthShore, Ziegler collected four RBI to reach 90 for the year and break the Wingnuts' single-season mark. Greg Porter (2009) and Juan Richardson (2011) shared the previous record at 86. 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 105 home runs and first with 134 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 in steals. The 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 .234. Anthony Capra ranks first among starting pitchers at .220. Chris Smith ranks second at .229. Junior Guerra is seventh at .252.

PITCHING STRONG: The Wingnuts rank first in the American Association with a 3.35 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 .297 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 first 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 185-106 (.636) 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 seven complete games, which ties a franchise single- season record. The Wingnuts also had seven complete games in 2009 and 2010.

TOUGH LOSSES: Of the Wingnuts' 31 losses this season, 16 have been by one run, three by two runs, and four by three runs. Wichita has held a lead at some point in 18 of their 31 losses.

GUERRA PROTECTING THE HOME FRONT: Wingnuts' right-hander Junior Guerra has excelled when pitching at Lawrence-Dumont Stadium. Guerra is 11-4 with a 2.87 ERA (44 ER, 138.0 IP) in 19 career starts and one relief appearance in Wichita.

ZIEGLER HITS FOR THE CYCLE: Wingnuts' first baseman CJ Ziegler hit for the first cycle in team history on August 21st at Gary SouthShore. Ziegler hit a solo home run in the top of the first inning, added a two-run triple in the third, and picked up an RBI double in the seventh. The single came in Ziegler's final at bat in the top of the ninth.

'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 2.48 ERA with 33 strikeouts in 32.2 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 3.10 ERA in 49.1 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 5.21 ERA in six starts and four relief appearances. LHP Ryan Hinson was purchased by the Atlanta Braves on July 11th and is 4-3 with a 2.14 ERA in nine starts for the High-A Carolina League's Lynchburg Hillcats.



American Association Stories from August 30, 2013


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