Wichita Wingnuts Game Notes - June 10th, 2013

June 10, 2013 - American Association (AA)
Wichita Wingnuts News Release


WINGNUTS RAINED OUT IN ST. PAUL: The Wingnuts experienced their first rainout of 2013 when the rubber game of their three-game series at St. Paul was postponed on Sunday afternoon. The game will be made up as part of a double header at Lawrence-Dumont Stadium on Friday, June 14th . Both games are scheduled for seven innings. Wichita will serve as the home team for both games. Wichita drew a split of the series with a 7-2 win over the Saints on Saturday night. Ryan Hinson pitched into the eighth inning for a third time in five starts this year, allowing two earned runs over 7.2 IP to pick up the win. Hinson retired the leadoff man in all eight innings he started. Offensively, the Wingnuts scored two in the first on a Jake Kahaulelio home run and two more in the fourth on a Jared McDonald double. After St. Paul cut the lead in half in the bottom of the fifth, Wichita tacked on three more runs in the top of the sixth, highlighted by another RBI hit from Kahaulelio. Tyler White pitched 1.1 scoreless innings of relief to close out the game. David Amberson extended his hitting streak to nine games. Abel Nieves drew three walks and reached base four times.

ALL-TIME AGAINST THE GOLDEYES: The Wingnuts are 4-5 all-time against the Winnipeg Goldeyes in the regular season, including a 3-3 mark at Shaw Park. The Goldeyes beat the Wingnuts in last year's American Association Championship Series three games to none. It marked Winnipeg's first championship in 18 years since winning the Northern League title during their inaugural season in 1994. The Goldeyes have posted a winning record in 17 of 19 seasons, made the playoffs in 16 of them, and reached their league's championship series eight times. The Goldeyes made seven appearances in the Northern League Championship Series during a 10-year span from 1994-2003. Winnipeg is in its third season in the American Association after spending 17 years in the Northern League. Rick Forney is in his eighth season as Goldeyes' manager, and pitched four seasons for Winnipeg from 1997-2000. Forney was 89-56 with a 3.63 ERA in 10 professional seasons.

SERIES MATCHUP: The Wingnuts are 15-7 and lead the Lincoln Saltdogs by 3.5 games in the Central Division. The Wingnuts split a rain-shortened two-game series at St. Paul. The Goldeyes are 12-11 and in third place in the North Division, 0.5 game behind the St. Paul Saints and Fargo-Moorhead RedHawks. Winnipeg was just swept in a three-game series at Fargo-Moorhead. The Wingnuts are tied for first in the league in batting (.291), first in pitching (3.11), and third in fielding (.978). The Goldeyes are fourth in hitting (.281), fourth in pitching (3.74), and 11th in defense (.967).

TONIGHT'S STARTERS: The Wingnuts open their series in Winnipeg with Junior Guerra who is 2-0 with a 3.24 ERA in four starts. Guerra took a no- decision vs. El Paso last Wednesday, allowing four earned runs on five hits in 7.0 innings. The Wingnuts won the game 5-4. Guerra is 1-0 with a 3.27 ERA on the road this season in two starts. Guerra has allowed two or fewer earned runs in three of four starts, and has not allowed more than four earned runs in any of them. Guerra has pitched at least 6.0 innings in three of four starts, and has pitched at least 5.0 innings in all of them. Tonight is Guerra's first career start against the Goldeyes.

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 13-9 with a 3.90 ERA in 65 career games, 29 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 Goldeyes go with left-hander Peter Gehle who is 1-1 with a 4.32 ERA in three starts. Gehle took a no-decision last Tuesday at Sioux Falls, allowing five runs, three earned, on nine hits in 5.1 IP. Winnipeg lost the game 6-5. Gehle is making his first start at Shaw Park this season. Gehle has allowed three or fewer earned runs in each of his first three starts. Gehle has pitched at least 5.0 innings in each of his first three starts as well.

Gehle was 6-10 with a 5.50 ERA for the Sioux Falls Pheasants last season in 18 starts. Gehle allowed four or fewer earned runs in 12 of 18 starts and walked only 36 batters in 104.2 IP. Gehle was drafted by the Chicago White Sox in the 27th round in 2010 out of Azusa Pacific University. Gehle pitched two seasons for the White Sox' Pioneer League affiliate in Great Falls, MT. Gehle is 15-21 with one save in four professional seasons with a 4.87 ERA. Gehle has averaged 2.7 walks per nine innings in his career.

RAINOUT NOTES: Sunday's postponement at St. Paul was the Wingnuts' first of the season. Wichita's last rainout was on August 23rd, 2012 at El Paso, which was the Wingnuts' first (home or away) since August 8th, 2010. Including the postseason, the Wingnuts had gone 212 consecutive games without the full postponement of a game.

WINGNUTS SIGN KLIPP: The Wingnuts signed right-handed pitcher Justin Klipp on Sunday. Klipp was scheduled to start the series finale at St. Paul. Klipp was acquired from the United League's Edinburg Roadrunners in exchange for cash. Klipp was 2-1 with a 1.24 ERA for Edinburg, striking out 36 batters in 21.1 IP. Klipp is a 28-year-old true rookie who was drafted by the Chicago White Sox in the 22nd round in 2007 out of Cal State Fullerton, but did not pitch due to a back injury.

'AMBO' ROLLING: Wingnuts' rookie right fielder David Amberson has hit safely in nine games in a row (12 for 31, .387). Amberson is also 16 for 40 (.400) over his last 12 games with eight runs scored and eight RBI.

ABEL HEATING UP: Wingnuts' third baseman Abel Nieves is 18 for 54 (.333) in his last 16 games with 12 runs scored and 13 walks. Nieves hit .320 for the Joliet Slammers last year, which ranked second in the Frontier League. On May 27th vs. Amarillo, Nieves picked up the 500th hit of his professional career.

PITCHING STRONG: The Wingnuts rank first in the American Association with a 3.11 team ERA. The Wingnuts ranked first in ERA in 2009 and 2010 while finishing third in 2011.

SWINGING STRONG: The Wingnuts rank tied for first in the American Association with a .291 team batting average. Over the last two seasons, the Wingnuts have finished first and second respectively in the league batting race.

500 FOR CAPRA: Wingnuts' left-hander Anthony Capra struck out five batters on Tuesday, June 4th vs. El Paso. Capra's third strikeout during the start was the 500th of his professional career. The former Shocker fanned 170 between two levels of the Oakland Athletics' farm system in 2009 en route to being named their Organizational Pitcher of the Year.

ZIEGLER APPROACHING RECORD: Wingnuts' first baseman CJ Ziegler has seven home runs this season. Ziegler also has 25 home runs in a Wingnuts' uniform over the last two years, which ranks second in franchise history. Ziegler is just one home run shy from tying Ryan Patterson's (2010- 11) franchise mark of 26.

HINSON CLIMBING THE RANKS: Ryan Hinson won his 23rd game in a Wingnuts' uniform on June 8th at St. Paul. Hinson ranks second all-time in team history in victories, and trails Derek Blacksher (2009, 2011-12) for first place (26 wins). Hinson's 206 strikeouts rank second all-time, and are 12 shy of tying Blacksher for first place.

HOME FIELD ADVANTAGE: The Wingnuts are 160-96 (.625) 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 14-6 with a 3.35 ERA (59 ER, 158.1 IP) over 24 starts and two relief appearances. Junior Guerra-who is in his second overall season with the Wingnuts-is 8-2 with a 2.78 ERA (30 ER, 97.0 IP) all-time at Lawrence-Dumont Stadium in 14 starts.

FAMILIAR FACES: Nine players return from the Wingnuts' 2012 team that reached the American Association Championship Series. They include SS Ryan Khoury, 2B Jake Kahaulelio, DH John Rodriguez, 1B CJ Ziegler, CF Jared McDonald, LHP Ryan Hinson, LHP Anthony Capra, RHP Josh Dew, and LHP Nick Walters. RHP Junior Guerra, who starred for the Wingnuts in 2011, has also returned for 2013.

RETIREMENTS: Five players from last year's team have opted to retire from professional baseball. They include OF Mike Conroy, RHP Jared Simon, RHP James Baker, C Jessie Mier, and OF Steve Stanley.

ALUMNI REPORT: RHP Matt Nevarez (2011-12) has a 2.31 ERA for the Double-A Montgomery Biscuits (Tampa Bay) with 13 strikeouts in 11.2 IP. RHP James Hoyt (2012) has a 4.75 ERA for the High-A Carolina League's Lynchburg Hillcats (Atlanta) with 69 strikeouts and just 35 hits allowed in 47.1 IP. RHP Andrew Aizenstadt (2012) is currently in extended spring training with the Philadelphia Phillies' organization. LHP and Wingnuts' co-owner Nate Robertson (2012) has a 2.81 ERA in 25.2 IP for the Triple-A Pacific Coast League's Round Rock Express (Texas). Outfielder Brent Clevlen (2011) hit .223 with four home runs and 17 RBI in 38 games for the Double-A Mobile Bay Bears (Arizona) before a mid-season promotion to Triple-A Reno.



American Association Stories from June 10, 2013


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