8/20 Game Review
Louisville lost 10-1. Box Score
- Neftali Soto went 1-3.
- Denis Phipps went 1-3 with a solo HR (14).
- Cody Puckett went 1-3 with a double.
- Carlos Fisher threw 2 shutout innings with a walk and 2 strikeouts.
- Jordan Smith threw a shutout inning with 2 strikeouts.
Game notes
Aside from Denis Phipps remaining hot there isn’t much to write about this game. Phipps is 8 for his last 14 with 2 doubles and 4 home runs.
Pensacola was postponed. Double header today at 7pm.
Bakersfield lost 16-6. Box Score
- Kurtis Muller went 2-5 with a double, HR (2), 2 RBI and 2 runs.
- Ryan Wright went 2-5 with a double, HR (9) and 2 RBI.
- Devin Lohman went 2-3 with a walk and RBI.
- Niko Vasquez went 2-4 with a double and a run.
- Daniel Wolford threw 2.2 shutout innings with a walk and a strikeout.
Game notes
16-6 loss, not so much to write about here.
Dayton won 11-1. Box Score
- Sammy Diaz went 1-4 with a double, walk and 2 runs.
- Yorman Rodriguez went 2-4 with a double, HR (4), walk, 2 RBI and 3 runs.
- Kyle Waldrop went 1-2 with a double.
- Jefry Sierra went 2-3 with an RBI and 3 runs.
- Sean Buckley went 3-5 with a double, HR (11), 4 RBI and 2 runs.
- Juan Silva went 3-5 with a double, 3 RBI and a run.
- Jacob Johnson threw 5 shutout innings with 4 walks and 2 strikeouts.
- Dan Jensen threw 3 innings and gave up a run with a walk and a strikeout.
- Lucas O’Rear threw a perfect inning with a strikeout.
Game notes
The Dragons offense went all out in the game. Kyle Waldrop left the game after a leg injury on his double. Hopefully it isn’t serious. He pushed his average up to .284 on the year.
Billings won 12-3. Box Score
- Beau Amaral went 2-5 with an RBI and a run.
- Brandon Dailey went 2-4 with a double and 4 runs.
- Carlos Sanchez went 4-5 with 4 doubles, 3 RBI and 4 runs.
- Daniel Pigott went 1-4 with a double, 3 RBI and a run.
- Zach Vincej went 2-5 with an RBI.
- Robert Ramirez went 2-5 with an RBI and a run.
- Julio Morillo went 1-4 with a double and an RBI.
- Mike Saunders threw 3 shutout innings with 2 strikeouts.
- Nolan Becker threw a perfect 9th inning with a strikeout.
Game notes
Carlos Sanchez hit 4 doubles in the game and one of them was almost a league record tying triple, but there was an error on the relay throw that kept Sanchez one off of the league record. He is hitting .311/.349/.591 on the year. He could sure up his plate discipline, but his power is playing quite well. Zach Vincej is hitting .418 in 22 games so far as a professional. The Mustangs faced the leagues best starter, who came in with an ERA of 1.33 and left with an ERA of 2.05. The game tonight will be on Milb.tv if you are a subscriber.
AZL Reds lost 7-0. Box Score
- Adam Matthews went 2-4.
- Jonathan Reynoso went 2-3.
- Jose Williams allowed 2 runs in 5 innings with a walk and a strikeout
- Ryan Fennell threw a perfect inning with a strikeout.
Game preview
| Team | 1st half | 2nd half | Time | Probable | Box Score | Listen Live | Watch Live |
| Louisville | 50-81 | N/A | 7:05pm |
Gustafson | Here | Here |
Here |
| Pensacola | 34-35 |
29-27 | 7:00pm |
Rogers/Cingrani |
Here |
Here |
Here |
| Bakersfield | 41-29 | 22-34 | 10:15pm |
TBA |
Here |
Here |
N/A |
| Dayton | 30-40 | 24-30 |
7:05pm |
Quezada |
Here | Here |
N/A |
| Billings | 21-17 | 16-6 |
9:15pm |
Moscot |
Here | Here |
Here |
| AZL Reds |
15-32 | N/A |
10:00pm | TBA |
Here | N/A |
N/A |
Sean Lucas promoted to Dayton. First 2012 draftees promoted that high.
Wow, he is the reliever from my region. If I remember correctly he was a fifth year senior. So age wise it makes sense. A future loogy specialist. Born 4/6/1989.
Saunders promoted to Billings too. 22 yr old Matthews should be promoted to Billings too but would that make too many outfielders there?
If Matthews is having good success I would leave him there and allow him to have personal success for his mental outlook.
Hey Doug, Smith’s tonights Blaze starter.
Hey fans, news articles
Louisville: http://www.courier-journal.com/article/20120820/SPORTS07/120821006/Louisville-Bats-allow-8-runs-worst-start-year-lose-10-1-Clippers
Pensacola: No game but a Billy article http://www.pnj.com/article/20120821/SPORTS/308210020/Hamilton-Mr-Strat-O-Matic?odyssey=tab|topnews|text|Sports
Bakersfield: http://www.bakersfieldcalifornian.com/sports/x290598086/Inland-Empire-scores-8-runs-in-4th-rips-Blaze
Dayton: no news article in spite of the Dragons doing better lately. Hope they cover more next year as they’ll have this years peaking Billings team!
Billings:http://billingsgazette.com/sports/baseball/professional/minor/pioneer-league/mustangs/sanchez-carries-mustangs-in-win-over-idaho-falls/article_a86a2150-c42f-5c5e-a383-a17ce5e37fc0.html
Dayton Daily News has never been great on road games. In addition,Cox Media has 6 sports reporters to cover Springfield, Dayton, Middletown and Hamilton. I wouldn’t count on anything getting much better.
Neftali Soto is certainly salvaging his season with a white hot August (.388). May (.207) and July (.217) really killed him and yet he’s on pace for 50+ extra base hits. I also like that his splits are nearly even. Let’s face it, this guy is trade bait, so the better he plays the more likely he punches his ticket out of town and we increase our leverage. It’s a win-win.
The fact that he is drawing walks now unlike, well, just about any point in his career, is a good sign that he might be figuring it out.
Yeah, it seems that people have been quick to dismiss Soto this year. But look at his comparison to Todd Frazier.
Soto at Louisville, 2012, age 23:
463 PA, .255 BA, .322 OBP, .421 slg
Frazier at Louisville, 2010, age 24:
538 PA, .258 BA, .333 OBP, .448 slg
for that matter, Frazier at Louisville, 2011, age 25:
359 PA, .260 BA, .340 OBP, .467 slg
Frazier’s numbers are slightly better across the board, but he was a year and two years older. Of course, Frazier is a much better commodity defensively, and he clearly has the personality/confidence to make the transition to the big leagues. But it seems WAY too early to write off Soto as a hitter. The guy has talent in that area.
One more comp with Frazier.
Soto at Carolina, 2011, age 22:
414 PA, .272 BA, .329 OBP, .575 slg
Frazier at Carolina, 2009, age 23:
500 PA, .290 BA, .350 OPB, . 481 slg
Bear in mind that Frazier, right now, is probably the leading candidate for Rookie of the Year among position players.
Can Soto play at all in LF? He has the pop in his bat to produce what you want from that position and now appears to be developing the plate discipline. Any worse than Alonso or Gomes out there?
He is very, very slow. I think he would be as bad as either of those guys.
Not better than Ludwick or Heisey.
Is Hoover a possibility for the playoff roster? I woould think a good mSeptember with the Reds would increase his chances. He could easily step into Ondrusek’s role. Logan is really fading.
I think you’ll see an open competition in September for the playoff roster. You got Bray/Hoover/Ondrusek/Arredondo/LeCure/Leake/Simon for, what, 4 or 5 spots? It’s going to be interesting.
Problem is, Hoover can’t have a spot unless he is up by August 31st or someone gets hurt.
Saying someone is injured is getting easier and easier when the team wants someone to be “injured”.
As I said yesterday if the team thinks Hoover is better than someone already there then why isn’t he there already?
I don’t know why. That doesn’t mean they are right if they do think that though.
Is Jesse Winker Hurt?
No. I was watching/listening to the game last night and the announcer was talking about how Winker was talking about how his plan was to hit a house beyond the outfield wall during this series.
Winker’s line in last ten games is .211/.302/.316. Numbers like these tend to make a player disappear. During this span has only two extra base hits. Would be surprised if he hit that house.
That and the house is about 450 feet away….
I think Doug mentioned him yesterday, but Jonathan Reynoso certainly is intriguing. It’s the AZL, but he is hitting .333, has 27 steals, plays CF, has a very projectable 6’3″ frame (just 177 lbs right now), has shown a bit of pop, and is just 19 years old. He’ll be one to watch for in Billings next year.
In retrospect did the Reds trade the wrong minor league catcher to San Diego? I know people will say Mez was handled poorly but when give the opportunity arose Grandal certainly seized it and has been better offensively and especially defensively.
I’m not ready to admit that yet. Grandal does have 4 errors in only 27 games. I still think Mesoraco is capable of much more based on his minor league stats, but I agree, it has been in the back of my mind.
Dusty said(and I totally agree) in a Enquirer article today(referencing Frazier) that you never know what a rookie is going to be until well into their 3rd year in the majors. I have been preaching that for a while now. Now that is not true in all cases. Some can be so bad or good that you have a pretty good idea.
No, the Reds didn’t. They made the right decision. Time will show that. Grandal is playing every day. Mesoraco is playing 2-3 times a week.
We won’t know for a few years, but watching them both play the last week Grandal would be my choice for this day, this time, this pennant race. are always right.
Doug, going back to your Hoover comment, it doesn’t mean they are always correct.
Hoover fans may have gotten their wish. Mesoraco 2 games starting tonight, Ondrusek optioned, Navarro recalled. Since Ondrusek can’t be recalled for 10 days that would be the 31st. Hoover gets his tryout.
I bet Onrusek won’t be keeping Mez on his X-mas card list. It just cost him some money, if nothing else per Diem money and service credit toward the pension plan.
What is the over under on games Hoover gets into before he is sent back out no matter how he performs in 10 days? I will set the line at 3.
Will tonight be Billy Hamilton’s historic night? Doubleheader, he has got one stolen base already after his first at bat – a walk.