SB Nation - Christian Colonel

Thursday Pebble Report: On the menu - a double-digit inning, a grand slam, a pitcher home run, and an abused ace for the road

Poseidon's Fist — Thu, 03 Sep 2009 06:56:31 -0000

More photos » by Pat Sullivan - AP

Perhaps you were covering your eyes too. If so, Russ Ortiz stunk it up again.

It was a strange night on the farm. To wit: in the only organizational loss, the starting pitcher allowed no earned runs and hit a home run. Let's get to it.

AAA Colorado Springs, W 12-9 - (72-65, 1st)

In case you weren't convinced last time, Russ Ortiz showed last night why he should stay far far away from Coors Field. The former 21-game winner threw 92 pitches in 4.0 IP, barely half for strikes, on his way to allowing 6 runs on 7 hits, 7 walks and a wild pitch. Ryan Speier put out the fire with two scoreless innings for his second win.

The Sky Sox mutilated two former Padre starters, Cesar Ramos and Walter Silva, pounding out 12 runs on 18 hits. Six sox had multi-hit games and four had at least three led by Christian Colonel's 4-for-5, 3 RBI night.

The Beavers and SkySox close the series tonight at 6:05MDT at Security Service Field.

AA Tulsa, L 6-7 - (34-31, 2nd, 1.0 GB)

With just five games left this season, the Drillers lost to the Springfield Cardinals, falling back to second place for the first time in over a month. But don't blame Samuel Deduno. The recently awarded Texas League Pitcher of the Year did more than just that by helping Tulsa build a 3-run lead with his first professional home run. Deduno allowed just two hits in six innings, striking out seven while allowing no earned runs.

Unfortunately, he also committed a throwing error that led to four unearned runs, forcing him to leave the game on the hook for the loss. A bases clearing triple by Daniel Mayora gave the Drillers a two-run lead in the eighth, but Matt Reynolds gave it all back by permitting three runs in the bottom half.

Brandon Durden (7-3, 3.65 ERA) will face Trey Hearne (11-3, 3.01 ERA) in game 3 of the four-game set tonight at 6:10MDT.

High-A Modesto, W 6-5 - (33-32, 13.5 GB)

The penultimate WINNAR Joey Williamson (13-3, 3.34) improved his career record to 22-3 by giving up the go-ahead run in relief in the sixth inning. The Nuts took the lead for good in the seventh on a Hector Gomez pop single and Jeffrey Cunningham sac fly. Of particular concern was Christian Friedrich, who started but couldn't make it past the third inning, having allowed four runs on six hits, two walks and two wild pitches. It is the second time in four starts he failed to finish even the fourth inning.

Hector Gomez had a three hit game, extending his hitting streak to seven, of which six were multi-hit games. Matt Repec singled and hit his 11th homer, a grand slam that erased the deficit Friedrich created. What's Friedrich's problem? Sure, it could be fatigue, but he has thrown just 106.2 IP this season, almost 30 IP less than his 2008 total between EKU, Tri-City and Asheville.

The Nuts finish their series with the Lake Elsinore Storm tonight at 8:05 MDT before facing High Desert in the season's last series.

Write-ups for Asheville, Tri-City and Casper under the fold

Low-A Asheville, W 6-2 - (40-24, 1st)

Jimmy Cesario broke a 2-2 tie leading off the bottom of the eighth with his 11th home run, paving the way for a four-run inning also highlighted by a two-run triple from David Christensen. Scott Robinson and Thomas Field each had RBI singles, and Mike Zuanich doubled a man home. Carlos Luna allowed 2 runs on 5 hits in 5.2 IP, then allowed Stephen Dodson and Adam Jorgenson to send the last ten hitters down in order.

Joe Mikulik will send out Juan Nicasio (8-3, 2.41) against the lefty David Duncan (4-3, 4.24) as the Tourists try to whittle their divisional magic number down from three with five games left.

SS A Tri-City, W 12-6 - (45-27, 1st)

Ten isn't really a crooked number, so I'll just say the Dust Devils put up a straight and pretty number in the fifth frame against the Yakima Bears (Diamondbacks). Here's how:

Joseph Sanders doubled. Jose Gonzalez popped out. One out.

Shane Lowe walked. Joey Wong walked. Tim Wheeler walked. RUN ONE.
Joseph Scott hit by pitch. RUN TWO.

Christopher Vasami singled. RUNS THREE AND FOUR.
Kevin Clark reached on force attempt, fielding error.  Kent Matthes reached on force attempt, missed catch error. RUN FIVE.
Joseph Sanders grounded out. RUN SIX. Two out.
Jose Gonzalez singled. RUNS SEVEN AND EIGHT.
Shane Lowe homered. RUNS NINE AND TEN
Joey Wong grounded out. Three outs.

Only Kevin Clark and Ben Paulsen failed to drive in a run, while Sanders and Matthes each had two hits. Wes Musick got the win for allowing three runs in five innings.

The Dust Devils have already clinched a championship series against the Salem-Keizer Volcanoes (Giants) Monday-Friday but will have to finish the series with Yakima tonight at 8:15MDT before a weekend series in Boise to close out the regular season.

Rookie Casper, W 9-5 (13-16, 11 GB)

The Ghosts won their first game of the season's final ten, eight of which will come against Wednesday's victim, the Idaho Falls Chukars (Royals). Chandler Laurent hit his second home run and every starter got a hit except Jeffrey Squier, who K'd three times. After managing just one single in his last 17 ABs, Nolan Arenado was given the night off. Kyle Hancock pitched five innings, allowing two unearned runs for his third win.

The Ghosts will take on the Chukars again tonight at 7:15 MDT on the road.

Poll

Which do you wish you witnessed most in person?

Another page of Russ Ortiz' career downspiral, and offensive fireworks

11 votes

Samuel Deduno hitting a home run and allowing no earned runs in a Tulsa loss.

35 votes

Christian Friedrich being humbled, plus a grand slam

5 votes

A strong fundamental win all around for the Tourists

6 votes

A ten run inning

22 votes

A balanced offensive attack in Idaho

1 votes

80 votes | Poll has closed

Thursday Pebble Report: "Giambino" makes Sky Sox debut

Poseidon's Fist — Thu, 27 Aug 2009 15:11:19 -0000

More photos » by Ben Margot - AP

Jason Giambi hadn't played a game in over a month.

Browse more photos »

AAA Colorado Springs, W 6-2 - (69-61, 1st)

Jason Giambi got his first official start last night after walking in his first Sky Sox AB of a postponed game Tuesday. He batted third and hit two singles in four trips, including a line drive RBI single in the fifth that gave the Sox a lead they would not reliquish against the Salt Lake Bees (Angels). Christian Colonel had three hits, including two doubles, driving in two. Matt Miller had a couple singles as well.

Kurt Birkins dominated in his start, striking out five of the six batters he faced before being replaced by Damian Moss after just 27 pitches. Matt Belisle got his sixth save.

The Bees and SkySox square off again tonight at 6:05MDT at Security Service Field.

AA Tulsa, W 7-6 - (32-26, 1st)

Ching Lung Lo put the Drillers in a 5-0 hole by yielding five runs in five innings, but Tulsa made up the entire deficit in the fifth inning on the strength of six singles out of seven batters and a fielding error. A passed ball put Tulsa up going to the ninth but Andrew Johnston blew the save on a double and single. That just set up Jeff Kindel's one-out, bases loaded walkoff single, the only hit in the inning. Kindel had three of the Drillers' 11 singles, and every Tulsa hitter hit safely except Brad Corley and Dayton Buller. Andy Graham pitched three perfect innings in relief.

Keith Weiser (8-13, 5.25 ERA) will start against NW Arkansas' Marco Albano (3-6, 3.66 ERA) at 6:05MDT tonight.

High-A Modesto, L 1-3 - (30-28, 10.0 GB)

The Nuts could only manage five hits in the rubber game vs the Lake Elsinore Storm (Padres) with Scott Beerer's double being the only XBH. Beerer was cut down trying to score on a Lars Davis single, then Davis scored on a knock by Hector Gomez for Modesto's sole run. Cory Riordan (11-7, 3.85) allowed three runs in 8 strong innings for the loss.

The Nuts open a home series tonight vs the Bakersfield Blaze (Rangers) at 8:05MDT.

Low-A Asheville, W 3-0 - (37-20, 1st)

Alan Deratt, Isaiah Froneberger, Michael Marbry and Adam Jorgenson combined for a 6-hit shutout, striking out 12 Greensboro Grasshoppers (Marlins) in the process. All three Tourist runs and four of their six hits came in the sixth. After Beau Seabury singled, Thomas Field and Scott Robinson both reached base on bunt singles. An error on Robinson's bunt, a groundout from Jimmy Cesario and a single from Kiel Roling each plated one of the three runs.

Both teams retangle tonight at 5:05MDT.

SS A Tri-City, W 4-3 - (39-26, 1st)

The Dust Devils defeated the Yakima Bears (Diamondbacks) last night for the fourth time in as many days. Tri-City scored three runs in the fourth on three singles, a double steal and an ensuing throwing error by the catcher. Eric Federico replaced starter Rob Scahill in the sixth, who threw five dominant shutout innings. Federico promptly allowed Yakima to tie the game via two doubles and two singles. Tim Wheeler scored the winning run in the ninth after he doubled and scored on a Jeremiah Sammy single. Wheeler also had his 3rd triple on the season in the game.

The Dust Devils play in Yakima again tonight at 8:05MDT.

Rookie Casper, L 2-5 (11-11, 9 GB)

Speed ruled the first inning for the Ghosts against the Orem Owlz (Angels). Eliezer Mesa singled to drive in Avery Barnes, who had singled and stolen second leading off the game. Nolan Arenado moved Mesa to third with a groundout after Mesa took second on the throw home and Jared Clark walked. Clark and Mesa then pulled off a double steal with Mesa getting credit for a theft of home. Unfortunately, that's all the scoring Casper would do, though Nolan Arenado did extend his hitting streak to 15 games with a single and double.

The Ghosts take on the 20-2 Owlz again tonight at 7:05MDT with Chris Balcom-Miller (4-0, 1.21) on the bump.

Wednesday Pebble Report: Jhoulys Chacin and three others combine for a no-hitter

Russ Oates — Wed, 19 Aug 2009 12:30:34 -0000

PuRPs Discussion Thread: - Purple Row
Don't forget to join in on the pre-PuRPs voting discussion.

Colorado Springs, W 5-0
No-hitter. That's what happened last night for Jhoulys Chacin, Joel Peralta, Juan Rincon, and Randy Flores. Chacin pitched the first 5 1/3 innings of the game, striking out three, but walking three at the same time. Peralta finished the sixth inning, Rincon struck out three over the next two, and Flores struck out two in the ninth.

Chacin used 68 pitches, 38 of which went for a strike. He had an 8-4 GO-FO. And this was his first start at the Triple A level.

The Sky Sox did most of their damage in the sixth inning through a Matt Murton RBI single, a Christian Colonel two-run single, and an Edwin Bellorin RBI double.

Tulsa had the night off.

Modesto, L 1-2 in 11 innings
Bruce Billings (who's still on a pitch count) allowed one run in the second inning, which was the only run Stockton scored in regular innings. Billings wound up pitching in four innings, allowing two hits, walking three, and striking out five. Sean Jarrett, Austin Chambliss, and Joey Williamson allowed no runs over the next six innings before Chris Malone entered the game in the 11th. He loaded the bases on two walks and a single and then saw a single win the game for the Ports.

Jason Van Kooten went 3-for-5 with two doubles and scored the only Modesto run. Lars David put him across the plate in the sixth inning.

Asheville, L 9-10
The Tourists made a valiant attempt at a comeback in the top of the ninth, but those pesky eight-run innings that the Tourist pitchers encounter often prove too much. Juan Nicasio allowed all 10 runs (eight earned), two in the fourth and eight in the fifth. Kurt Yacko struck out four over two innings, Rex Brothers had a clean line on the scorecard after his one inning pitched, and Michael Marbry finished the game.

The offense managed nine runs on seven hits. Jordan Pacheco managed to get two of them, one a solo homer (13) in the first and a two-run single in the ninth. Kiel Roling knocked in two in the fourth inning on his 16th homer. Delta Cleary and Scott Robinson drove in the other two runs, the former's coming on a bases-loaded walk in the ninth.

Tri-City, L 1-2
Jose Gonzalez hit into a force out to drive in the Dust Devils' only run of the game in the fourth inning. In the bottom of the inning, Josh Hungerman and Bo Bowman committed back-to-back errors that eventually led to both runs scoring that inning. Bowman missed a catch on a throw by Joe Sanders, and then Josh Hungerman made a bad throw on a single that allowed the runner on first to score. Another single after that scored the second and winning run of the game.

Casper, W 7-4
Clint Tilford allowed two run on five hits and three walks in three innings. Five more pitchers entered the game after Tilford, and four of the five allowed no runs. Leuris Gomez allowed two runs in the seventh.

Nathan Hines hit his sixth homer; Chandler Laurent collected three hits and three RBI; and Nick Valdez had three hits and an RBI. Eliezer Mesa stole his 10th base.

Sunday Pebble Report: Sky Sox earn a walkoff win, Modesto's pen blows up (so does Tri-City's offense), more

theoldgrizzlybear — Sun, 09 Aug 2009 17:48:15 -0000

Colorado Springs: W 6-5

Matt Murton hit a walkoff two-run double in the bottom of the 11th to cap off a 3-for-6 evening, and the Sky Sox also got multi-hit games from Jon Herrera, Matt Miller, Christian Colonel, and Edwin Bellorin. Brandon Hynick's sixth inning single raised his batting average to .357. On the mound, Hynick turned in a quality start, allowing 3 runs on 6 hits in 6 innings. He was troubled by walks though, as issued four of them. Mike Timlin allowed a run in an inning of work and struck out two, and Randy Flores and Matt Herges held serve until Joel Peralta came in and allowed a tiebreaking homer to Carlos Corporan in the top half of the 11th.

Tulsa: W 1-0

Ryan Harvey hit an RBI double in the top of the seventh inning, and although it was one of just four hits for the Drillers, it was enough to win the ball game because of the pitching performance of Brandon Durden. Durden pitched 7.1 innings of six-hit shutout ball, striking out two and putting up a 14:6 groundout-to-flyout ratio. Edgmer Escalona and Andrew Johnston (who picked up his 28th save) slammed the door on Springfield.

Modesto: L 11-4

Kenneth Durst pitched quite well in 6.1 innings, striking out 6 batters while allowing three runs, but the bullpen had a serious meltdown - something we fortunately don't see a whole lot throughout the organization - and the offense wasn't able to make up for it. Sean Jarrett, Austin Chambliss, and Randall Taylor allowed a combined 8 runs, and the Nuts' hitters were held without an extra base hit. Jay Cox had a couple of singles, and Charlie Blackmon walked twice.

Asheville: W 6-2

Kiel Roling (2 hits, HR) and Mike Zuanich (3 hits, HR) carried the load offensively for the Tourists, and Dan Houston turned in a shaky start (5 innings, 5 walks) before turning it over to the bullpen combination of Kurt Yacko (3 K's in 1.2 IP) and Michael Marbry, who were able to preserve the victory.

Tri-City: W 9-2

The Dust Devils punched out 18 hits in the game, and despite allowing too many walks, they were able to minimize the damage on the pitching side, as Spokane only had 5 hits. Six different Tri-City hitters had multi-hit games, led by Tim Wheeler (3-for-5), Jeremiah Sammy (4 hits, 2 RBI), and Dallas Tarleton (3-for-5).

Casper: L 6-2

The Ghosts experienced quite a bit of failure with runners in scoring position (2-for-14), as they had 11 hits - 6 for extra bases - but only came away with 2 runs. Nolan Arenado (2-for-5), Brandon Whitby (2-for-4), and Angelys Nina (3-for-3) were the stars offensively for Casper. Kyle Hancock took a hard luck loss, as he gave up just two hits in four innings and didn't walk anybody, but was a victim of bad defense, as he allowed three unearned runs. He also struck out seven batters. Trevor Gibson pitched a scoreless eighth, and struck out two.

Sunday Pebble Report: Good relief work all across the farm; Offense? Not so much on Saturday.

theoldgrizzlybear — Sun, 02 Aug 2009 13:00:11 -0000

Colorado Springs: L 9-5 (57-50)

Esmil Rogers got hit around a little bit again, as he allowed 4 runs on 6 hits in 5 innings. His biggest problem was his inability to get the pitcher out, as D-Backs' farmhand Tony Barnette 3-for-3 with a couple of RBI's. All remaining hope the Sky Sox had of winning this game dissipated when Matt Wilhite allowed 5 runs on 4 hits and a walk in the sixth inning. Christian Colonel had three hits and Mike McCoy knocked two of his own in the losing effort. In the "Too Little, Too Late Department," Kenny Perez hit a pinch hit two-run homer in the top of the ninth inning.

Tulsa: L 6-1 (58-47)

Ryan Harvey hit his 15th homer of the season in the seventh inning, but that was just about the only positive noteworthy event for the Drillers in this one. That, and 4.2 innings of solid scoreless relief from Matthew Reynolds, Alberto Alburquerque, and Andrew Johnston, I suppose. Each of the three aforementioned relievers possess sub-3.00 ERA's, and only Johnson's looks to be overly lucky (Alburquerque has a .196 BAA, while Reynolds is at .225). Oh, and for the record, Kurt Birkins was burned for 6 runs (4 earned) and 7 hits in 4.1 innings.

Modesto: W 9-4 (18-19 2nd half)

Jason Van Kooten went 4-for-5, and the Nuts got two hits apiece from Scott Beerer, Matt Repec, and Warren Schaeffer in the victory. Ethan Hollingsworth was less than desirable in 5.2 innings (4 runs, 7 hits, 4 K's), but the bullpen was the word of the day for Modesto, as Austin Chambliss, Sean Jarrett, and Craig Baker combined to pitch 3.1 innings of scoreless relief, giving up only 4 hits while striking out 5.

Asheville: L 7-3 in six innings (22-13 2nd half)

Kiel Roling had a couple of hits and an RBI, but that was pretty much all for the Tourists' offense. Meanwhile, Dan Houston was lit up for 7 runs on 8 hits and 3 walks in 5.2 innings.

Tri-City: W 6-4 (25-17)

Jeremiah Sammy had two hits for the Dust Devils, and Kent Matthes hit a bases-clearing double in the bottom of the 2nd to give Tri-City the lead for good. As is the case with a couple of the other games, the relief pitching was excellent in this game. Kyle Walker, Rod Scurry, and Charles Ruiz combined for 6 shutout innings out of the bullpen following a shaky start by Carlos Luna in which he walked 3 and gave up 4 hits and 4 runs in 3 frames.

Casper: L 10-2 (11-24)

Orem threw 17 hits up on the board at the expense of the Ghosts, with the biggest Casper offenders being Juan Gonzalez (4.1 IP, 5 ER, 9 H, 2 BB) and Leuris Gomez (2 IP, 4 ER, 5 H, 2 BB). On the positive side of things, Nolan Arenado and Dominic Altobelli each had two hits and an RBI.

Saturday Pebble Report: Minor league system hogs runs as big league team loses

Russ Oates — Sat, 25 Jul 2009 13:37:36 -0000

More photos » by David Zalubowski - AP

Brad Hawpe wasn't happy that the guys in the minors took away all the runs he could have had.

Browse more photos »

Colorado Springs, W 19-0
Too bad the Sky Sox couldn't give some of their runs to the Rockies last night. Their were innings of two runs, four runs, and seven runs. Every starter had at least one hit, and Mark Bellhorn made the most of his with two homers (three RBI). Christian Colonel drove in three and Matt Murton added four more RBI on the season.

Brandon Hynick threw seven strong innings, allowed no runs on five hits, and struck out nine.

Tulsa, W 12-3
The Drillers had two four-run innings last night on their way to this victory. Dayton Buller drove in three runs on a sac fly and a two-run homer, and Mike Paulk went 4-for-5 with two RBI and three runs scored. Ryan Harvey banged out an RBI triple.

Brandon Durden went six innings, allowing three runs on nine hits. Jon George and Adam Bright held things down on their end to finish the game.

Modesto, L 5-6
Whoa, boy! Christian Friedrich dominated the Ports last night. He threw five innings of two-hit ball and struck out 11. Chris Malone . . . didn't. He allowed three runs in the sixth inning. And then Austin Chambliss and Sean Jarrett combined to allow three more runs. Having a five run lead entering the bottom of the sixth, the Nuts wound up losing.

Hector Gomez went 3-for-3 with a single, double, and triple. Matt Repec hit a two-run homer.

Asheville, L 1-8
Good news: Parker Frazier struck out five. Bad news: He allowed six runs on 12 hits in 5 2/3 innings. Good news: Of the 12 non-strikeouts, nine were ground outs. The offense had six hits, but there isn't anything worth noting.

Tri-City, W 8-5
Rex Brothers made his professional debut last night after Daniel Perkins allowed four runs in eight innings. Brothers struck out two in one inning and pick up the win.

Ben Paulsen, Bo Bowman, and Kevin Clark led the offensive charge last night. Paulsen had three hits and two RBI, Bowman hit a two-run homer (6), and Kevin Clark had two hits (one for a two-run homer) and four RBI. Tim Wheeler stole two bases to reach six on the season.

Casper, L 3-5
Clint Tilford had a night he'd like to forget: 2 IP, 2 H, 4 R/ER, 5 BB. He allowed all five walks and all four runs in the second inning. Edwar Cabrera held things down for the next three innings, allowing only a run and striking out four. Steve Junker and Jonathan Vargas held Ogden scoreless over the last eight innings.

Jared Clark hit a solo home run, his third of the season.

Thursday Pebble Report: Stuff actually happened in the minors last night other than Chacin getting pulled

Poseidon's Fist — Thu, 23 Jul 2009 18:07:20 -0000

Hey Jhoulys - ya nervous?

AAA Colorado Springs, L 8-10 - (54-43, 1st)

Esmil Rogers (1-1, 6.23) struggled again in what was his third AAA start vs the Las Vegas 51s (Blue Jays). He started with three scoreless innings before allowing a 2 run HR to Toronto uber prospect Travis Snider, then was touched up for three runs in the seventh. He has allowed 3 runs, then 4, then 5 in his AAA career, and he struck out no one for the first time all year. Still, the Sky Sox offense was strong enough to leave him in line for the win.

Christian Colonel fell a single shy of the cycle, driving in four runs. Chris Frey doubled and singled twice and drove in two. In spite of zero offensive production from touted prospect Eric Young Jr. and former major leaguers Paul Phillips and Jonathan Herrera, the 8-run 14-hit attack had the Sky Sox in line for the win, but Matt Wilhite (0-2, 4.13) couldn't shut the door. He faced six hitters, getting only one out (on a bunt), allowing the other five to score, the last three on a Randy Ruiz walk-off home run.

Adam Eaton (3-2, 2.30) faces T.J. (don't call me Jim) Beam (4-2, 4.59) of the 51s tonight at 7:05MDT.

AA Tulsa, W 1-0 - (14-10, 2 GB)

Tulsa was buzzing last night, but it had nothing to do with the Driller's 6th win in 7 games. Or the fact that Tulsa eeked out a 1-0 win in a pitcher's duel against the first half Texas League champion Springfield Cardinals. Or that the starting pitching matchup lived up to the ballyhooed billing. After throwing just nine pitches in a perfect first inning, Jhoulys Chacin (8-6, 3.14) left under mysterious circumstances. Turns out Chacin was called up to the majors. Chacin's career stats below.

Year	Level	Team	W	L	ERA	WHIP	K	BB
2007	Rookie	Casper	6	5	3.13	1.20	77	26
2008	A	Asheville	10	1	1.86	1.00	98	30
2008	A+	Modesto	8	2	2.31	1.10	62	12
2009	AA	Tulsa	8	6	3.14	1.18	86	35

Tulsa used four relievers to polish off the three-hit shutout over big right hander Lance Lynn (9-3, 3.22). The only run of the game came when leadoff hitter Anthony Jackson doubled in the sixth to score Rex Rundgren, who had singled. The teams boast another flashy pitching matchup tonight at 6:05 MDT when Samuel Deduno (8-2, 2.41) faces Trey Hearne (10-2, 2.89)

High-A Modesto, W 4-1 - (13-14, 9 GB)

The Nuts notched their fourth straight win by toppling the Stockton Ports (A's) in Stockton Wednesday night. Home runs by Brian Rike (8) and Jason van Kooten (7) were enough for Kenny Durst (3-10, 5.31), who threw 5.1 innings allowing one run. The bullpen held the Ports scoreless the rest of the way. Wilin Rosario added two hits, including a double. He managed just a .323 wOBA in June despite a .474 BABIP, yet in seeing that BABIP drop to .364 in July, his wOBA is .383 this month, so he's definitely figuring things out in Modesto after some serious growing pains.

Cory Riordan (5-6, 4.43) faces Scott Hodsdon (4-7, 5.84) tonight at 8:05 MDT.

Low-A Asheville, L 2-6 - (16-9, 1st)

Ethan Hollingsworth (5-6, 4.05) was beaten around for 5 runs in 5 innings, though he recorded 5 K's against the first half division champs, the Lakewood Blue Claws (Phillie). Justin de Fratus (4-3, 3.67) handcuffed the Tourists all night - a Tyler Massey triple was the only extra base hit they managed all night, while the team struck out 10 times against zero walks. Singles by Delta Cleary, David Christensen, Ryan Peisel, Jordan Pacheco and Massey finished off the offense.

Jonnathan Aristil (1-5, 4.82) will try to do better against Lakewood tonight at 5:05 MDT. He's opposed by Freddy Ballestas (0-1, 3.93).

SS A Tri-City, L 3-8 - (20-12, 1st)

The Dust Devils completed a 5-game series loss to the 15-17 Eugene Emeralds (Padres) by dropping last night's game. Matt Baugh (0-3, 9.35) was ambushed in giving up 7 runs while getting just 7 outs. A grand slam by Edinson Rincon was the major blow. Baugh allowed nine runs in 2 innings in his last start. The 23 year old lefty had a bad year in Casper last year, so things don't look good for him. Bo Bowman homered (5), Ben Paulsen doubled and Tim Wheeler singled twice. Wheeler also left two men in scoring position and committed his first professional error.

Tri-City willt trot out another struggling winless pitcher - Bradley McAtee (0-2, 7.04) - to face the Everett Aqua Sox' (Mariners) Luke Burnett (1-1, 1.65) tonight at 8:05 MDT.

Rookie Casper, Off Day - (8-17, 8 GB)

Hopefully the off-day will help the Ghosts get their swagger back. After winning three of four, they've lost their last two. They travel to Ogden to face the Raptors (Dodgers) at 8:00 MDT tonight.

Sunday Pebble Report: Deduno and Riordan turn in gems, Roling explodes offensively

theoldgrizzlybear — Sun, 19 Jul 2009 17:44:27 -0000

Colorado Springs: L 6-4 (51-42, 1st place)

Matt Miller went 4-for-5, but the inability of the players hitting in front him to get on base resulted in Miller not getting any RBI's. Dan Ortmeier and Christian Colonel had two hits each as well, but it was not enough to lead the Sky Sox to victory. Adam Eaton had another quality start for the Springs, allowing three runs on seven hits in six innings - a very respectable outing considering the park in which he was pitching. However, Ben Julianel was unable to hold serve, as he allowed two runs on three hits in the seventh inning. Ryan Speier pitched a scoreless inning of relief. The Sky Sox have lost eight of their last ten, and they're seeing their lead over Salt Lake shrink more and more by the day.

Tulsa: W 3-0, W 5-1 (11-9, 2.0 GB)

Samuel Deduno continues to mow over the competition. He outdueled Angels' prospect Trevor Reckling, as both starters tossed seven-inning complete games. Deduno allowed only five baserunners (three hits, two walks) and struck out five. He also posted a 12-4 GO/FO ratio. Ryan Harvey hit a two-run homer off of Reckling in the second inning to finish off the scoring for the day; Daniel Mayora drove in the other run for the Drillers.

The bullpen was the highlight of the second game, as Matt Baumgardner, Edgmer Escalona, and Matthew Reynolds combined to pitch four scoreless innings to preserve the win. Mike Paulk had two hits, and every other Driller had one hit with the exception of Brad Corley, who was 0-for-3.

Modesto: L 1-0 (9-14, 9.0 GB)

Cory Riordan was brilliant for the Nuts, but he did not get any help whatsoever from the offense, who only had four hits. Riordan pitched all eight innings and gave up just a run on five hits and a walk, and struck out nine batters. However, he was outdueled by San Jose's Scott Barnes. Mike Repec hit a double, while Wilin Rosario, Maikol Gonzalez, and Michael Mitchell each had hits for Modesto.

Asheville: W 9-5 (16-6, 1st place)

Kiel Roling had a two-home run game - one of the three-run variety and the other scoring two - to lead the Tourists' offense in an explosion of sorts...well, for them, at least. Delta Cleary and Ryan Peisel each had a multi-hit game as well. Back to Roling - he is now hitting .348 with 9 home runs and 38 RBI and is having a heck of a second half so far. He is certainly climbing his way up the ladder in terms of Rockies' prospects. Parker Frazier pitched pretty well in six innings - at least, as well as you need to when given nine runs in the first two innings. All of Frazier's runs were allowed in the first two innings as well, and he really settled in after that and ended up striking out five against no walks.

Tri-City: L 4-3 (18-10, 1st place)

Kent Matthes and Orlando Sandoval each had two hits for the Dust Devils, but they weren't able to do a whole lot else offensively as they took the loss. Starting pitcher Bradley McAtee allowed all four of his runs in a disastrous third inning in which he allowed a leadoff walk, two singles, and two doubles before he could even record an out. A double play helped him get out of the inning, but by then the damage had already been done.

Casper: L 9-4 (7-15, 7.0 GB)

Clint Tilford allowed three earned runs in four innings, and the bullpen got lit up as the Ghosts fell again in Pioneer League play. Chad Jacobsen had two hits, and Jared Clark drove in a couple of runs for Casper in the loss.

Sunday Pebble Report: Strong pitching performances throughout the organization highlight the day

theoldgrizzlybear — Sun, 12 Jul 2009 17:44:25 -0000

Colorado Springs: W 3-2 (51-38, 1st place)

The Sky Sox increased their lead over Salt Lake to 5.5 games behind Adam Eaton, who went 7 innings and allowed 2 runs on 6 hits and struck out 4. However, he didn't get the win because it took the Sky Sox an extra inning to breakthrough. In the top of the 10th, Christian Colonel hit a two-out pop fly single to right field to score Mike McCoy. After that, Matt Wilhite was able to close the door on the Bees. The bullpen was lights out, going three scoreless innings without allowing a baserunner. Manny Corpas (1 IP, 1 K) and Ryan Speier (0.2 IP, 2 K's) were a major part of that success. Offensively, Mark Bellhorn and Jon Herrera each picked up two hits, and every other starter for the short-handed Sky Sox (who are without Eric Young Jr., who is at the Futures Game in St. Louis) had one hit, except for Paul Phillips, who was 0-for-4.

Tulsa: W 4-1 (45-39; 7-7 second half, 3rd place)

Samuel Deduno quietly (at least, more so than Esmil Rogers) continued to build on a very good season, as he went 6 innings and allowed a run on just three hits and struck out 7. Matthew Reynolds, who was just promoted from Modesto, made his debut for the Drillers and allowed a hit and a walk, but notched a strikeout and did not allow a run. Andrew Johnston picked up his 23rd save. Anthony Jackson, Darin Holcomb, and Michael McKenry each threw out two hits for Tulsa.

Modesto: L 1-0 (5-12 second half, 4th place)

Despite holding High Desert to just four hits, the Nuts were unable to breakthrough for any offense. Perhaps the difference was the fact that Modesto was unable to draw any walks, but issued six of their own. Kenneth Durst allowed six baserunners (3 hits, 3 walks) and a run in 6.1 innings of work in a rare decent outing, and the bullpen - Austin Chambliss and Sean Jarrett - did their jobs but the Nuts offense just wasn't able to notch key hits. Charlie Blackmon was 3-for-4 with a couple of doubles and Matt Repec had two hits, but that was about it.

Asheville: W 5-2 (11-5 second half, 1st place)

The Tourists continue to play good baseball, this time in a win over Augusta. Jonnathan Aristil went 6 solid innings and allowed 2 runs on 6 hits and struck out 5, and earned his first victory of the season. Kurt Yacko pitched two scoreless innings and struck out 3 batters, and Adam Jorgenson tossed a scoreless ninth for his 17th save. David Christensen hit his 14th home run of the season, while Thomas Field hit his first.

Tri-City: W 4-1 (15-7, 1st place)

Matt Baugh pitched 5 scoreless innings and struck out 6 batters, but did not get the victory due to the Dust Devils' inability to string some hits together until the seventh inning, when they tacked on three runs. Tim Wheeler, Orlando Sandoval, Jose Gonzalez, and Joey Wong each had two hits. Rod Scurry got into some trouble during his three innings of work, but a couple of key strikeouts helped him escape without too much damage being done. Charles Ruiz notched his 4th save with a scoreless ninth.

Casper: W 3-1 (4-12, last place)

20-year old Chris Balcom-Miller increased his scoreless innings streak to 12 to start the season, as he tossed 5 innings of no-hit ball, while allowing just one walk and striking out 5. It's obviously a small sample size, but Balcom-Miller has allowed just four hits and two walks in those 12 innings - good for a 0.50 WHIP. Although he lost the no-hitter and the shutout, Clint Tilford still pitched well as he allowed a run on three hits in 4 innings, while striking out two. Eliezer Mesa picked up three hits to raise his average to .317; Avery Barnes and Jeffery Squier added two hits apiece for the Ghosts.

Sunday Pebble Report: Matt Murton continues his hitting streak, Tri-City debuts, more.

theoldgrizzlybear — Sun, 21 Jun 2009 07:17:31 -0000

Colorado Springs: L 8-7 (39-30)

Fresno's Jesus Guzman hit an infield single off of Damian Moss in the bottom of the ninth inning to win the game for the Grizzlies. Guzman was one of four baserunners allowed by Moss in just two-thirds of an inning. This came after a poor start by Jason Hirsh, in which he lasted five innings while giving up seven runs on seven hits - three of which were home runs.

Matt Murton extended his hitting streak to a Sky Sox franchise record-tying 28 games, as he went 2-for-4 with a homer. Matt Miller added a home run as well, while Murton, Eric Young, Mike McCoy, Daniel Ortmeier, Christian Colonel, and Jonathan Herrera each added two hits. Still, it was not enough for the Springs to overcome.

Tulsa: L 6-4 (36-31)

Brandon Durden was effective for 7.1 innings, allowing just two runs on four hits while striking out a batter, but the bullpen cost him a win, as Jarrett Grube and Adam Bright were roughed up for four runs on four hits and two walks in just two-thirds of an inning. Anthony Jackson and Darin Holcomb each had two hits, and Ryan Harvey hit his 10th home run of the season in the losing effort.

Modesto: W 7-3 (39-30)

The Nuts scored four runs in their last two sets of at-bats to break a tie that had been going on since the fourth inning. Charlie Blackmon pounded out three htis, while Rhadames Nazario and Wilin Rosario each contributed two. The bullpen, led by the nasty duo of Edgmer Escalona and Matt Reynolds, threw 4.1 innings of hitless ball to pick up starter Joey Williamson, who allowed three runs on six hits in 4+ innings.

Asheville: L 7-6 in 12 innings (26-42)

David Christensen hit his 10th home run of the season and he, along with Jordan Pacheco, James Cesario, Ryan Piesel, and Tyler Massey each had a multi-hit game, but it was not enough to give the Tourists the victory. That last part is unfortunate for Juan Ncasio, who pitched seven scoreless innings, allowing six hits while striking out eight, as Kurt Yacko and Adam Jorgenson fell apart over the next couple of innings. They combined to give up five runs on five hits and three walks to effectively prevent Asheville from winning.

Tri-City: W 14-8 (1-0)

The Dust Devils won their first game of the 2009 season in convincing fastion over Boise. Brand new draft pick Kent Matthes (an OF taken in the fourth round out of Alabama) looked GOOD in his first pro game, as he went 3-for-5 with an RBI and a couple of runs scored. Pitcher Sheng An-Kuo pitched four innings of sub-par ball, but a couple of guys out of the bullpen were able to seal it off for Tri-City.