Sports stats



Wichita Wingnuts Game Notes - June 21st, 2013

June 21, 2013 - American Association (AA)
Wichita Wingnuts News Release


WINGNUTS TAKE SERIES OPENER AT SIOUX CITY: The Wichita Wingnuts beat the Sioux City Explorers 5-3 on Thursday night in the opener of a four-game series. Justin Klipp earned his first win with the Wingnuts, allowing one earned run on seven hits over 6.0 IP. Klipp walked one and struck out three. Ryan Khoury snapped a 1-1 tie in the top of the third with a two-out, two-run single to center field. Jake Kahaulelio added a two-run home run in the top of the seventh. Andrew Aizenstadt and Daniel Bennett each worked a scoreless frame while Josh Dew faced one batter in the bottom of the ninth to earn his fifth save. Abel Nieves had two hits and has hit safely in 13 games in a row.

ALL-TIME AGAINST THE EXPLORERS: The Wingnuts are 43-29 all-time against the Sioux City Explorers, including a 21-10 mark at Lewis and Clark Park. The Explorers and the Lincoln Saltdogs are the only two teams to have remained in the same division as the Wingnuts since Wichita began play in 2008. The Explorers were 45-55 last season. Stan Cliburn returns for his third year as Explorers' manager, and helped them to a 51-49 record during his inaugural season in 2011. Cliburn played for the California Angels in 1980 and has managed as high as the Triple-A level. Cliburn guided the Rochester Red Wings (AAA, Minnesota Twins) to the 2006 International League championship. The Explorers last made the playoffs in 2008 when they won the North Division's second half. Sioux City is an original independent franchise that began play in the Northern League in 1993. The Explorers are in their 21st season.

SERIES MATCHUP: The Wingnuts are 22-12 and lead the Lincoln Saltdogs by 2.5 games in the Central Division. The Wingnuts split a four-game series at home with the Gary SouthShore RailCats. Sioux City is 14-19, and trails Wichita by 7.5 games in the Central. The Explorers just lost two of three on the road to the Lincoln Saltdogs. The Wingnuts are first in the American Association in batting (.304), first in pitching (3.39), and tied for second in fielding (.980). The Explorers are tied for seventh in batting (.271), 10th in pitching (5.00), and first in defense (.982). This weekend is the first series of the year between the Wingnuts and Explorers.

TONIGHT'S STARTERS: The Wingnuts go with Junior Guerra who is 3-0 with a 4.87 ERA in six starts. Guerra allowed six earned runs on 10 hits in 6.0 IP last Sunday vs. St. Paul to pick up the win. Wichita scored a season-high 18 runs and collected a season-high 22 base hits in the game. Guerra is 1- 0 with a 4.77 ERA on the road this season in three starts. Guerra has allowed three or fewer earned runs in three of six starts and has allowed four or fewer earned runs in four of them. Guerra has pitched at least 6.0 innings in five of six starts, and has pitched at least 5.0 innings in all of them. Guerra is 0-1 lifetime against the Explorers with a 5.56 ERA in two starts.

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 14-9 with a 4.11 ERA in 67 career games, 31 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 Explorers go with right-hander Dan Jurik who is 1-3 with a 5.24 ERA in six starts. Jurik took a no-decision Sunday vs. Grand Prairie, allowing five earned runs on eight hits in 3.1 IP. Sioux City won the game 9-8. Jurik is 1-1 with a 6.33 ERA at home this season in four starts. Jurik has allowed four or fewer earned runs in five of six starts. Jurik has walked three or fewer batters in four of six starts. Jurik has pitched at least 6.0 innings in four of six starts, and has pitched at least 5.0 innings in five of them.

Jurik pitched for the Can-Am League's Rockland Boulders last season, going 5-4 with one save and a 4.14 ERA in 30 games, six of them starts. Jurik was drafted by the Atlanta Braves in the 25th round in 2010 out of St. John Fisher College in Rochester, NY. Jurik reached High-A Lynchburg in 2011 and is 12-13 with three saves and a 3.89 ERA in four professional seasons. Jurik has averaged 7.1 strikeouts per nine innings versus 3.1 walks in 263.2 career frames.

KHOURY VERSATILE, DURABLE: Wingnuts' shortstop Ryan Khoury has reached base in 28 consecutive games with a hit, walk, or hit by pitch. Overall, Khoury has reached base in 32 of 34 games this season after reaching in 84 of 100 games in 2012. Khoury is also 11th in the league with 24 RBI. Khoury was named the American Association's Defensive Player of the Year last season. Including the playoffs, Khoury has started 140 consecutive games both at shortstop and in the leadoff spot since signing with the Wingnuts last spring, and has missed a total of just five innings in the field during that stretch.

'AMBO' ROLLING: Wingnuts' true rookie right fielder David Amberson is 36 for 85 (.424) over his last 24 games with 20 runs scored and 16 RBI. Amberson had a 16-game hitting streak (26 for 55, .473) from May 31st -June 16th . Amberson slugged the first home run of his professional career on June 10th at Winnipeg.

ABEL HEATING UP: Wingnuts' third baseman Abel Nieves is 40 for 104 (.385) in his last 28 games with 21 runs scored and 16 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.

AIZENSTADT RETURNS: The Wingnuts signed right-hander Andrew Aizenstadt prior to Wednesday's game vs. Gary SouthShore. Aizenstadt made his professional debut with the Wingnuts last year and posted a 3.77 ERA in 10 appearances before having his contract purchased by the Philadelphia Phillies' organization. Aizenstadt pitched for the Phillies' Low-A South Atlantic League affiliate in Lakewood, NJ earlier this year.

LINK SIGNED BY TIGERS: Wingnuts' right-hander Jon Link was purchased by the Detroit Tigers' organization on Wednesday. Link was 6-1 with a league-best 1.74 ERA in seven starts and threw the first complete game of his professional career on Monday, June 17th vs. Gary SouthShore. During a four-start stretch from June 1st -17th, Link pitched 24.0 consecutive scoreless innings. Link reached the Major Leagues with the Los Angeles Dodgers in 2010 and becomes the 17th player all-time that the Wingnuts have sold to a Major League organization. Link is expected to join the Tigers' Double-A affiliate in Erie, PA.

AMBERSON NAMED BATTER OF THE WEEK: Wingnuts' right fielder David Amberson has been named the American Association's Batter of the Week for June 10th -16th . Amberson was 14 for 24 (.583) in seven games, scoring seven runs and collecting seven RBI. Amberson is the second Wingnut to receive the honor this season. Jared McDonald was named Batter of the Week for May 27th -June 2nd .

MAJOR LEAGUE BAT RETURNS TO WINGNUTS: The Wichita Wingnuts signed outfielder Brent Clevlen on Monday, June 17th . Clevlen appeared in 54 games this season for the Arizona Diamondbacks' Triple-A (Reno, NV) and Double-A (Mobile, AL) affiliates, hitting .217 with six home runs and 21 RBI. Clevlen hit .260 for Mobile last year with 10 home runs and 39 RBI before earning a late-season promotion to Reno. Clevlen hit .377 for the Aces in 31 games and helped them win both the Pacific Coast League championship and the Triple-A level championship. Clevlen hit .310 with 10 home runs and 32 RBI in 46 games for the Wingnuts in 2011 before having his contract purchased by the Philadelphia Phillies' organization. Clevlen spent parts of four seasons in the Major Leagues with the Detroit Tigers and Atlanta Braves. Clevlen played with Wingnuts' manager Kevin Hooper and co-owner Nate Robertson for the Tigers in 2006. Wichita placed right-handed pitcher Lincoln Holdzkom and outfielder Mike Mobbs on waivers.

WAHL ADDED TO BULLPEN: The Wingnuts acquired right-handed pitcher Kyle Wahl from the United League's Rio Grande Valley WhiteWings in exchange for cash on Monday. Wahl earned six saves and did not allow a run in 8.2 IP. Wahl posted a 2.23 ERA for the Minnesota Twins' rookie Gulf Coast League affiliate in 2011 before missing most of last year with an injury.

WELCOME TO THE PROS: True rookie right-hander Josh Stone earned the win in his professional debut on Saturday, June 15th vs. St. Paul with 2.0 shutout relief innings. Stone became the 29th player in team history to make his professional debut with the Wingnuts.

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.

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.

GRAND SLAM TIME: On Tuesday, June 11th at Winnipeg, Abel Nieves hit the Wingnuts' first grand slam home run since Juan Richardson hit a bases loaded 'big fly' on August 27th, 2011 in a 19-2 rout at El Paso. Wichita hit .309 as a team with the bases loaded last season, and entered June 11th hitting .400 in 2013, but had gone 126 consecutive games without a grand slam.

PITCHING STRONG: The Wingnuts rank first in the American Association with a 3.39 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 .304 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 second in the American Association with a .980 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 SETS K'S RECORD, EYEING WINS MARK: Ryan Hinson struck out five batters in a win vs. Gary SouthShore on June 19th, giving him 219 in a Wingnuts' uniform over the last three years to pass Derek Blacksher's franchise record of 218. Blacksher pitched for the Wingnuts in 2009 and from 2011-12. Hinson is also just one win shy of tying Blacksher for first place (26).

HOME FIELD ADVANTAGE: The Wingnuts are 165-99 (.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 16-6 with a 3.22 ERA (62 ER, 173.1 IP) over 26 starts and two relief appearances. Junior Guerra-who is in his second overall season with the Wingnuts-is 9-2 with a 3.15 ERA (36 ER, 103.0 IP) all-time at Lawrence-Dumont Stadium in 15 starts.

ALL HE DOES IS WIN: Wingnuts' fifth-year manager Kevin Hooper is 244-182 (.573) since taking over in 2009. Hooper has guided the Wingnuts to four consecutive winning seasons, as well as three playoff berths. Hooper's .573 winning percentage is the highest among American Association managers over the last five years. His 243 wins also rank first during that same stretch. During his 10-year playing career, Hooper was a member of a team that made the playoffs in eight different seasons. 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 Montgomery Biscuits (Tampa Bay) with 13 strikeouts in 11.2 IP. RHP James Hoyt (2012) has a 4.89 ERA for the High-A Carolina League's Lynchburg Hillcats (Atlanta) with 72 strikeouts and just 39 hits allowed in 49.2 IP. LHP and Wingnuts' co-owner Nate Robertson (2012) has a 2.37 ERA in 30.1 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 has been assigned to Double-A Erie.

• Discuss this story on the American Association message board...

American Association Stories from June 21, 2013


The opinions expressed in this release are those of the organization issuing it, and do not necessarily reflect the thoughts or opinions of OurSports Central or its staff.

Other Recent Wichita Wingnuts Stories



Sports Statistics from the Stats Crew
OurSports Central