Wichita Wingnuts Game Notes - July 10th, 2013

Published on July 10, 2013 under American Association (AA)
Wichita Wingnuts News Release


WINGNUTS GRIND OUT FIFTH STRAIGHT WIN: The Wichita Wingnuts won their fifth game in a row and finished off a four-game sweep of the Amarillo Sox, winning 8-5 at Lawrence-Dumont Stadium on Tuesday night. Trailing 5-1, the Wingnuts scored seven unanswered runs, including four in the bottom of the seventh to take the lead. Wichita sent nine hitters to the plate in the seventh. Cole Armstrong tied the game when he was hit by a pitch with the bases loaded. Colt Loehrs followed with a sacrifice fly to center that gave the Wingnuts their first lead of the night. John Rodriguez and Brent Clevlen also had RBI in the inning. Nick Walters earned the win in relief with 1.1 scoreless innings. Wichita's bullpen combined on 4.0 shutout innings for a second straight night. Josh Dew pitched a scoreless top of the ninth to earn his ninth save. Anthony Capra took a no-decision, allowing five runs, four earned, on five hits in 5.0 IP. Jake Kahaulelio added a two-run homer in the bottom of the eighth for the Wingnuts.

ALL-TIME AGAINST THE T-BONES: The Wingnuts are 14-14 all-time against the Kansas City T-Bones, including an 8-9 mark at Lawrence-Dumont Stadium. The T-Bones are in their third season in the American Association. Kansas City joined the league in 2011 after spending the previous eight years in the Northern League. Kansas City won the 2008 Northern League championship and reached the Northern League Championship Series in 2010 where they lost to the Fargo-Moorhead RedHawks. Kenny Hook is in his second year as T-Bones' manager. Hook guided the T-Bones to a 51-49 record last year. Two-time Northern League Relief Pitcher of the Year Andy Shipman is in his second year as Kansas City's pitching coach. Kansas City Royals' legend and former Wichita Wranglers manager Frank White is in his second year as Hook's first base coach. Prior to 2003, the T-Bones were known as the Duluth-Superior Dukes-an original independent franchise that started play in 1993.

SERIES MATCHUP: The Wingnuts are 33-18 and lead the Gary SouthShore RailCats by 1.5 games in the Central Division. The Wingnuts just swept a four-game series from the Amarillo Sox. The T-Bones are 19-32 and in fifth place in the Central. The T-Bones trail the Wingnuts by 14.0 games in the Central. Kansas City just split a four-game series at St. Paul. The Wingnuts are first in the American Association in hitting (.302), first in pitching (3.32), and third in fielding (.978). The T-Bones are tied for eighth in batting (.271), 10th in pitching (5.19), and sixth in defense (.975). Wichita took three of four from the T-Bones to open the season. Prior to winning the final two games of their series at St. Paul, the T-Bones had lost 17 of their previous 21 games.

TONIGHT'S STARTERS: The Wingnuts go with right-hander Chris Smith who is 4-3 with a 3.98 ERA in 10 starts. Smith ranks seventh in the American Association with 56 strikeouts. Smith allowed one earned run on five hits in 7.2 IP in a win at Grand Prairie last Friday. Smith retired the first two batters in each of his first seven innings pitched. Smith is 2-0 with a 3.86 ERA at home this season in four starts. Smith has allowed three or fewer earned runs in six of 10 starts and has allowed more than four earned runs in just three of them. Smith has walked three or fewer batters in nine of 10 starts. Smith has pitched at least 6.0 innings in nine of 10 starts and has pitched at least 5.0 innings in all of them. Smith has worked at least 7.0 innings in each of his last three outings. Smith took a no-decision vs. Kansas City on May 17th, allowing three earned runs in 6.0 IP.

The T-Bones go with right-hander Connor Graham who is 0-0 in one start since signing on July 2nd . Graham allowed four runs, three earned, on four hits in 6.1 IP in a no-decision last Friday vs. Sioux Falls. The T-Bones lost the game 6-4. Graham opened the year with the Atlantic League's Long Island Ducks where he was 3-4 with a 5.90 ERA in seven starts and nine relief outings. Graham was 2-2 with a 4.36 ERA in 51 relief appearances for the Ducks in 2012.

Graham was originally drafted by the Colorado Rockies in the 5th round in 2007 out of Miami University of Ohio. Graham was traded to the Cleveland Indians organization in 2009 in exchange for Rafael Betancourt and spent two years with Cleveland's Double-A Eastern League affiliate in Akron, OH. Graham is 29-25 with two saves and a 3.49 ERA in six professional seasons. Graham has averaged 8.3 strikeouts and 5.1 walks per nine innings in his career.

'J-ROD' REACHES MAJOR MILESTONE: 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. Rodriguez trails Josh Horn (2009-11) by five RBI for the Wingnuts' franchise record (125).

WINGNUTS RE-SIGN HOLDZKOM: The Wingnuts re-signed RHP Lincoln Holdzkom on Monday. Holdzkom made 15 appearances earlier in the season. Wichita released RHP Ben Graham.

HINSON SETS FRANCHISE WINS RECORD: Ryan Hinson set a Wingnuts' franchise record with his 27th win on July 6th vs. Amarillo. Hinson threw the first complete game shutout of his career, allowing six hits and no walks with five strikeouts. Derek Blacksher (2009, 2011-12) held the previous record with 26 wins. Hinson surpassed Blacksher for the Wingnuts' career strikeouts record when he fanned five in a win vs. Gary SouthShore on June 19th .

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.

NIEVES STAYING HOT: Wingnuts' third baseman Abel Nieves leads the American Association in batting average (.381) and is 63 for 142 (.444) in his last 38 games with 31 runs scored, 12 doubles, and 19 walks. 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. On May 27th vs. Amarillo, Nieves picked up the 500th hit of his eight-year professional career. 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 45 of 50 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: Wichita Wingnuts' first baseman CJ Ziegler ranks first in the American Association in both home runs (17) and RBI (55). 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.

ZIEGLER NEW HOME RUN LEADER: Wingnuts' first baseman CJ Ziegler hit a solo home run on June 14th vs. St. Paul in the opener of a double header. It was Ziegler's ninth home run of 2013, and his 27th in a Wingnuts' uniform over the last two years, setting a new franchise record. Ryan Patterson (2010-11) held the previous record with 26 home runs.

TOUGH LOSSES: Of the Wingnuts' 18 losses this season, 11 have been by one run, two by two runs, and three by three runs. Wichita has held a lead at some point in 11 of their 18 losses.

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. It was the first time the Wingnuts hit back-to-back home runs since July 26th, 2011 when Josh Horn and Brent Clevlen did it vs. Fargo-Moorhead. Ziegler and Clevlen homered on back-to-back pitches on Monday, June 24th vs. Laredo.

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 last year, and was hitting .400 with the sacks full going into June 11th of this season, 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.

PITCHING STRONG: The Wingnuts rank first in the American Association with a 3.32 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 .302 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 third in the American Association with a .978 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.

HINSON NAMED PITCHER OF THE MONTH: Wingnuts' left-hander Ryan Hinson has been named the American Association's Pitcher of the Month for June. Hinson was 5-1 with a 1.41 ERA in six starts last month. Hinson allowed two or fewer earned runs in all six of his outings, and logged at least 7.0 IP in five of them. One June 19th vs. Gary SouthShore, Hinson struck out five batters to become the Wingnuts' all-time leader in that category. In his following start on June 24th vs. Laredo, Hinson pitched 6.0 shutout innings to tie Derek Blacksher (2009, 2011-12) for the most wins in franchise history (26). Hinson becomes the first pitcher in team history to earn Pitcher of the Month honors. CJ Ziegler (June 2012) and Greg Porter (June 2009) have won Batter of the Month since the Wingnuts started play in 2008.

HOME FIELD ADVANTAGE: The Wingnuts are 174-100 (.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.

FRONT LINERS PROTECTING THE HOME FRONT: Third-year Wingnuts' starter Ryan Hinson has excelled when pitching at Lawrence-Dumont Stadium. Including the postseason, Hinson is 18-7 with a 2.84 ERA (62 ER, 196.1 IP) over 29 starts and two relief appearances. Junior Guerra-who is in his second overall season with the Wingnuts-is 10-2 with a 3.05 ERA (39 ER, 115.0 IP) all-time at Lawrence-Dumont Stadium in 17 starts.

ALL HE DOES IS WIN: Wingnuts' fifth-year manager Kevin Hooper is 255-188 (.576) since taking over in 2009. Hooper has guided the Wingnuts to four consecutive winning seasons, as well as three playoff berths. Hooper's .576 winning percentage is the highest among American Association managers over the last five years. His 255 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.

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 1.74 ERA with 12 strikeouts in 10.1 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 2.97 ERA in 36.1 IP for the Triple-A Pacific Coast League's Round Rock Express (Texas). RHP Jon Link was purchased by the Detroit Tigers in June 19th and is 2-1 with a 1.47 ERA in four starts for the Double-A Eastern League's Erie SeaWolves.

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