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Wichita Wingnuts Game Notes - June 23rd, 2013

June 23, 2013 - American Association (AA)
Wichita Wingnuts News Release


EXPLORERS SLIP PAST WINGNUTS IN EXTRAS: The Wichita Wingnuts lost 7-6 to the Sioux City Explorers in game three of their four-game series on Saturday night. Eliezer Mesa drove in the winning run with an RBI single in the bottom of the 11th inning. Sioux City battled back from two separate three-run leads, including back-to-back two-out, RBI singles in the bottom of the seventh that tied the score at 6-6. Wichita got off to a quick start, and scored three times in the top of the first. CJ Ziegler and Brent Clevlen each had RBI hits. Ryan Khoury and David Amberson added clutch hits over the next two innings. Anthony Capra started for the Wingnuts and took a no-decision, allowing four earned runs in 5.0+ IP. Andrew Aizenstadt worked 2.1 shutout relief innings, while Daniel Bennett struck out the side in order in the bottom of the 10th . Abel Nieves had three hits and has hit safely in 15 games in a row. The Wingnuts stole six bases as a team in the game.

ALL-TIME AGAINST THE EXPLORERS: The Wingnuts are 44-30 all-time against the Sioux City Explorers, including a 22-11 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 23-13 and lead the Lincoln Saltdogs by 2.0 games in the Central Division. The Wingnuts split a four-game series at home with the Gary SouthShore RailCats. Sioux City is 15-20, 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 (.300), first in pitching (3.38), and tied for second in fielding (.980). The Explorers are eighth in batting (.267), ninth in pitching (4.91), and first in defense (.983). This weekend is the first series of the year between the Wingnuts and Explorers.

TONIGHT'S STARTERS: The Wingnuts send Chris Smith to the mound who is 2-2 with a 4.81 ERA in seven starts. Smith took a no-decision on Tuesday in the opener of a day-night double header against the Gary SouthShore RailCats, allowing five earned runs on six hits in 6.0 IP. Smith allowed just one earned run over his final 5.0 innings of work. Wichita lost the game 7-6. Smith is 1-2 with a 4.44 ERA on the road this season in four starts. Smith has allowed four or fewer earned runs in five of seven starts this season. Smith has walked two or fewer batters in five of seven starts, and has not walked more than three batters in any of them. Smith has pitched at least 6.0 innings in six of seven starts, and has pitched at least 5.0 innings in all of them. Of Smith's seven starts this season, four of them have taken place on either a getaway day and/or with an early start time.

Prior to this season, Smith last pitched in 2011 for the Triple-A Pacific Coast League's Tacoma Rainiers (Seattle). 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.

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 saves 26 games for the Nashville Sounds, which led the Pacific Coast League, and ranked second overall at the Triple-A level.

The Explorers look to split the four-game series with left-hander, and former Wingnut, Richard Salazar who is 3-0 with a 2.52 ERA in five starts. Salazar is just shy of qualifying for the league leaders in ERA and would rank fifth. Salazar struck out 10 batters and allowed one earned run on four hits in 8.0 IP on Tuesday in a win at Lincoln. Salazar has allowed two or fewer earned runs in four of five starts, and has not allowed more than three earned runs in any of them. Salazar has walked three or fewer batters in all five of his starts. Salazar is in his third season with the Explorers, first joining them late in 2011. Last season, Salazar was 8-7 with a 4.08 ERA in 20 starts for Sioux City.

Salazar was a member of the Wingnuts' inaugural team in 2008, and was 8-7 for the Wingnuts from 2008-09. Salazar still ranks fifth in franchise history in ERA (3.53) and fourth in appearances (57). Salazar is 1-2 with a 4.29 ERA (10 ER, 21.0 IP) in three lifetime starts against the Wingnuts, including a 1-1 mark with the Explorers last year.

Salazar is 54-34 with nine saves and a 3.82 ERA in 12 professional seasons over 304 appearances, 86 of them starts. Salazar was drafted by the Baltimore Orioles in the 13th round in 2001 out of Miami-Dade College in Miami, FL. Salazar reached Triple-A Norfolk with Baltimore in 2007.

KHOURY VERSATILE, DURABLE: Wingnuts' shortstop Ryan Khoury has reached base in 30 consecutive games with a hit, walk, or hit by pitch. Overall, Khoury has reached base in 34 of 36 games this season after reaching in 84 of 100 games in 2012. Khoury is also tied for 8th in the league with 27 RBI. Khoury was named the American Association's Defensive Player of the Year last season. Including the playoffs, Khoury has started 142 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 38 for 94 (.404) over his last 26 games with 20 runs scored and 18 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 45 for 113 (.398) in his last 30 games with 22 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.

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 3.38 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 .300 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 245-183 (.572) since taking over in 2009. Hooper has guided the Wingnuts to four consecutive winning seasons, as well as three playoff berths. Hooper's .572 winning percentage is the highest among American Association managers over the last five years. His 245 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) had 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 and was recently promoted to Double-A Mississippi. 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 is 0-0 with a 1.12 ERA in one start for Double-A Erie.

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