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Wichita Wingnuts Game Notes - June 24th, 2013

June 24, 2013 - American Association (AA)
Wichita Wingnuts News Release


EXPLORERS GAIN SPLIT ON WINGNUTS: The Wichita Wingnuts lost 5-3 to the Sioux City Explorers on Sunday in the finale of a four-game series at Lewis and Clark Park. Wichita took three separate one-run leads in the game before the Explorers scored three times in the bottom of the eighth on a two-out, three-run double from Sam Judah to provide the final margin. Chris Smith took a complete game loss for the Wingnuts, striking out eight. It was second complete game of his 11-year professional career. Brent Clevlen and Cole Armstrong homered for the Wingnuts while Abel Nieves had three base hits to extend his hitting streak to 16 games.

ALL-TIME AGAINST THE LEMURS: The Wingnuts are 3-3 all-time against the Lemurs in the regular season. This series marks the Lemurs' first regular season visit to Lawrence-Dumont Stadium. Wichita swept the Lemurs in the 2012 American Association Division Series, clinching the series in Game Three in Wichita. The Lemurs are in their second season in the American Association and won the South Division in 2012. Laredo gained the rights to the Shreveport-Bossier Captains' roster in November of 2011. Former Major Leaguer Pete Incaviglia returns for his second year as Laredo's manager. Incaviglia skippered the Grand Prairie AirHogs from 2008-10, and guided Grand Prairie to the 2008 American Association Championship Series. The Lemurs play their home games at Uni-Trade Stadium.

SERIES MATCHUP: The Wingnuts are 23-14 and lead the Lincoln Saltdogs by 1.5 games in the Central Division. The Wingnuts split a four-game series at Sioux City this past weekend. Laredo is 22-14 and leads the Amarillo Sox by 1.0 game in the South Division. The Lemurs lost two of three at Kansas City over the weekend. Wichita ranks first in the American Association in hitting (.297), first in pitching (3.44), and tied for second in fielding (.981). The Lemurs are fourth in batting (.285), fourth in pitching (3.90), and tied for second in defense (.981). Laredo opened the 2013 season 10-0. This is the only regular season series scheduled between the two clubs.

TONIGHT'S STARTERS: The Wingnuts open the series with Ryan Hinson who is 5-1 with a 2.27 ERA in seven starts. Hinson ranks tied for third in the American Association in wins, second in ERA, and tied for fourth in strikeouts. Hinson allowed one earned run on five hits over 8.0 IP with five strikeouts last Wednesday in a win vs. Gary SouthShore. Hinson is 3-1 with a 1.80 ERA at home this season in five starts. Including the postseason, Hinson is 16-6 with a 3.22 ERA (62 ER, 173.1 IP) all-time at Lawrence-Dumont Stadium in 26 starts and two relief appearances. Hinson has allowed two or fewer earned runs in six of seven starts this season, and has allowed three or fewer earned runs in all of them. Hinson has pitched at least 6.0 innings in five of seven starts, and at least 5.0 innings in six of them. Hinson has walked two or fewer batters in six of seven starts, and has walked three or fewer in all of them. Hinson did not face Laredo in the regular season in 2012, but beat the Lemurs in Game Two of the Division Series at Uni-Trade Stadium, allowing one earned run on five hits in 6.2 IP.

Hinson is in his third season with the Wingnuts and is 25-14 with a 3.84 ERA in 48 starts and three relief appearances since first signing with the team in 2011. The 25 wins rank second all-time in franchise history, and trail only Derek Blacksher (2009, 2011-12) for first place (26). Hinson passed Blacksher for the Wingnuts' career strikeout record on June 18th vs. Gary SouthShore and has 219 strikeouts all-time in a Wingnuts' uniform. During his three seasons in Wichita, Hinson has pitched at least 6.0 innings in 43 of 48 starts, and at least 5.0 innings in 47 of them. The lone start in which Hinson did not pitch 5.0 innings came on May 29th of this year vs. Amarillo. Hinson pitched 4.0 innings and did not return following a two-hour and two-minute rain delay. Hinson has allowed three or fewer earned runs in 31 of 48 starts with the Wingnuts, and he has walked three or fewer batters in 41 starts during that same stretch.

Hinson was drafted by the San Diego Padres in the 10th round out of Clemson University in 2009. Hinson is 26-17 with a 4.40 ERA in five professional seasons over 86 games, 50 of them starts.

The Lemurs go with left-hander Greg Wilborn who is 0-0 with a 0.00 ERA in two starts. Wilborn was activated from the DL and last pitched on May 24th at Fargo-Moorhead, allowing no runs on seven hits in 4.1 IP in a no-decision. Laredo won the game 11-1.

Wilborn split time with three Los Angeles Dodgers' affiliates last year, reaching High-A Rancho Cucamonga and going a combined 4-3 with a 5.49 ERA in 10 starts and 13 relief appearances. Wilborn was drafted by the Dodgers in the 18th round in 2009 out of the University of Louisiana at Lafayette. Wilborn is 20-13 with one save and a 4.39 ERA in five professional seasons over 78 appearances, 47 of them starts. Wilborn has averaged 10.4 strikeouts per nine innings in his career while averaging 5.1 walks.

NIEVES ON FIRE: Wingnuts' third baseman Abel Nieves is riding a 16-game hitting streak in which he is 31 for 65 (.477). Nieves is also 48 for 117 (.410) in his last 31 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.

TOUGH LOSSES: The Wingnuts have had a lead in the sixth inning or later in each of their previous seven losses. Of their 14 losses for the season, the Wingnuts have had a lead at some point in 11 of them. Wichita has lost 10 games by one run, one by two runs, and one by three runs in extra innings.

COMPLETE ME: The Wingnuts lead the American Association with four complete games. Wichita's team record for complete games in one season is seven, accomplished in both 2009 and 2010.

'AMBO' ROLLING: Wingnuts' true rookie right fielder David Amberson is 38 for 98 (.388) over his last 27 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.

KHOURY VERSATILE, DURABLE: Wingnuts' shortstop Ryan Khoury has reached base in 34 of 37 games this season with a hit, walk, or hit by pitch. Last season, Khoury reached base in 87 of 100 games. Khoury is currently tied for 10th in the American Association with 27 RBI. Khoury was voted the American Association's Defensive Player of the Year in 2012. Including the postseason, Khoury has started 143 consecutive games both at shortstop and in the leadoff spot since signing with the Wingnuts last spring. Khoury has missed a total of just five innings in the field during that stretch.

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 3.44 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 second in the American Association with a .981 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 245-184 (.571) since taking over in 2009. Hooper has guided the Wingnuts to four consecutive winning seasons, as well as three playoff berths. Hooper's .571 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.



American Association Stories from June 24, 2013


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