Wichita Wingnuts Game Notes

July 18, 2013 - American Association (AA)
Wichita Wingnuts News Release


WINGNUTS SET TEAM RECORD WITH 12 TH STRAIGHT WIN: The Wichita Wingnuts won a franchise-record 12th consecutive game on Tuesday night, beating the Sioux City Explorers 12-5 at Lewis and Clark Park. CJ Ziegler hit a two-out, two-run home run in the top of the first inning to spark the offense. Wichita added three more in the top of the second highlighted by Jake Kahaulelio's two-out, two-run double. All nine starters reached base at least once, while eight different Wingnuts had at least one hit. Ziegler finished with three RBI. Kahaulelio and Abel Nieves each had three hits. Ryan Scoles earned the win, allowing three earned runs on seven hits over 5.0 IP. Josh Stone, Lincoln Holdzkom, and Andrew Aizenstadt each worked one shutout inning of relief. The 12-game winning streak eclipses the 11-game streak the Wingnuts had from May 22nd -June3rd of last season. The American Association record is 15 consecutive wins set by the Pensacola Pelicans in 2010 from July 3rd -18th .

ALL-TIME AGAINST THE SALTDOGS: The Wingnuts are 32-30 all-time against the Lincoln Saltdogs, including a 19-12 mark at Lawrence-Dumont Stadium. The Saltdogs are in their 13th season of existence. Lincoln began play in the Northern League in 2001 and became one of the original American Association franchises when the league formed in 2006. The Saltdogs play their home games at Haymarket Park just outside of downtown Lincoln and share their facility with the University of Nebraska's baseball team. Lincoln defeated the Wingnuts in the 2009 North Division Series in five games and went on to beat the Pensacola Pelicans for the American Association championship. Ken Oberkfell, who played 16 years in the Major Leagues, enters his first season as Saltdogs' manager. Oberkfell had more than 1,300 career Major League hits and batted .292 in the 1982 World Series for the eventual champion St. Louis Cardinals. Oberkfell managed the Can-Am League's Newark Bears last season, and skippered New York Mets' Triple-A affiliates in Norfolk, New Orleans, and Buffalo from 2005-10. Dan Reichert is in his first season as Lincoln's pitching coach. Reichert played five years in the Major Leagues with the Royals and Blue Jays, and also pitched for the Wichita Wranglers in 1998 and 2002. Reichert struck out 100 batters for the Saltdogs in 2007. Former Amarillo Sox manager John Harris joins Oberkfell's staff as hitting coach. Harris spent parts of three seasons in the Majors with the California Angels from 1979-81.

SERIES MATCHUP: The Wingnuts are 40-18 and lead the Gary SouthShore RailCats by 5.5 games in the Central Division. The Wingnuts just swept a three-game series at Sioux City. The Saltdogs are 32-26 and trail the Wingnuts by 8.0 games in the Central. Lincoln won two of three from the RailCats at home. The Wingnuts are first in the American Association in hitting (.298), first in pitching (3.14), and tied for third in fielding (.977). The Saltdogs are tied for 12th in batting (.261), third in pitching (4.07), and sixth in defense (.975). This is the first meeting of the year between the two division rivals. The teams play again at Haymarket Park in late-August.

TONIGHT'S STARTERS: The Wingnuts go with right-hander Justin Klipp who is 3-1 with a 2.68 ERA in six starts and one relief appearance. Klipp earned a win at Kansas City last Friday, allowing two runs, one earned, on eight hits over 8.0 IP. Klipp is 1-0 with a 3.26 ERA at home this season in three starts. Klipp has allowed two or fewer earned runs in five of six starts and has not allowed more than four earned runs in any of them. Klipp has walked exactly one batter in each of his first six starts. Klipp has pitched at least 7.0 innings in four of six starts and has pitched at least 5.0 innings in all of them. Tonight is Klipp's first career appearance against the Saltdogs.

Klipp was purchased from the United League's Edinburg Roadrunners on June 9th where he was 2-1 in three starts with a 1.24 ERA. Klipp had 36 strikeouts in just 21.1 IP while allowing only 18 hits. Klipp had a pair of 14-strikeout games while with Edinburg.

Klipp is a 28-year old true rookie who has recovered from a pair of back injuries. Klipp played college baseball at Cal State Fullerton from 2006-07, going 2-0 with a 2.15 ERA in 37.2 IP as a senior. Klipp was drafted by the Chicago White Sox in the 22nd round in 2007, and was also selected by the Texas Rangers in the 29th round out of Calabasas High School in Calabasas, CA.

Lincoln goes with right-hander Stephen Bougher who is 2-2 with a 2.84 ERA in four starts and one relief appearance since signing in late-June. Bougher took a loss vs. Amarillo last Saturday, allowing four earned runs on 10 hits in 6.1 IP. Bougher is 1-0 with a 0.00 ERA on the road with Lincoln in one start and one relief appearance. Bougher has allowed three or fewer earned runs in three of his first four starts. Bougher has walked two or fewer batters in three of four starts. Bougher has pitched at least 5.0 innings in four of four starts. Bougher is a true rookie out of South Dakota State University where he was 8-2 with a 2.86 ERA as a senior this past spring with 62 strikeouts in 88.0 IP.

NIEVES STAYING HOT: Wingnuts' third baseman Abel Nieves leads the American Association in batting average (.387) and is 73 for 166 (.440) in his last 45 games with 37 runs scored, 14 doubles, and 24 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 52 of 57 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: Wingnuts' first baseman CJ Ziegler ranks first in the American Association in both home runs (18) and RBI (61). 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.

'J-ROD' REACHES MILESTONES, TIES RBI MARK: 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. On July 14th at Sioux City, Rodriguez hit a two-run home run in the top of the third inning that tied him with Josh Horn (2009-11) for the most RBI in franchise history (125).

PITCHING STRONG: The Wingnuts rank first in the American Association with a 3.14 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 .298 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 third in the American Association with a .977 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.

HOME FIELD ADVANTAGE: The Wingnuts are 176-100 (.638) 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.

SCORELESS BALL: The Wingnuts have posted seven shutouts as a team this season. The franchise record for shutouts in a single season is nine, set in both 2010 and 2011.

COMPLETE ME: The Wingnuts' pitching staff is tied for the league lead with five complete games. Wichita's club record for complete games in a single season is seven, set in both 2009 and 2010.

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.

GUERRA PROTECTING THE HOME FRONT: Wingnuts' right-hander Junior Guerra has excelled when pitching at Lawrence-Dumont Stadium. Guerra is 10-2 with a 3.05 ERA (39 ER, 115.0 IP) all-time in Wichita over 17 starts.

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.

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. They were the first back-to-back home runs for the Wingnuts since July 26th, 2011 when Josh Horn and Brent Clevlen accomplished the feat 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 in 2012, and was hitting .400 with the sacks full going into June 11th of this year, 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.

ALL HE DOES IS WIN: Wingnuts' fifth-year manager Kevin Hooper is 262-188 (.582) since taking over in 2009. Hooper has guided the Wingnuts to four consecutive winning seasons, as well as three playoff berths. Hooper's .582 winning percentage is the highest among American Association managers over the last five years. His 262 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 1.32 ERA with 14 strikeouts in 13.2 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 3.82 ERA in 37.2 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 3-1 with a 1.13 ERA in five starts for the Double-A Eastern League's Erie SeaWolves. LHP Ryan Hinson was purchased by the Atlanta Braves on July 11th and is 0-1 with a 1.50 ERA in one start for the High-A Carolina League's Lynchburg Hillcats.



American Association Stories from July 18, 2013


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