Link Report for Tue. 5/18 -- Rivas and Bucci lead their squads to victory

[battlekow]

Rivas dominates Smokies as Stars break three-game skid

Huntsville Stars

 

HUNTSVILLE, ALA. - Amaury Rivas went eight nearly flawless innings and the Huntsville Stars (19-20) played some small ball to prevail 2-1 over the Tennessee Smokies (24-15) Tuesday night at Joe Davis Stadium.

 

The Stars provided Rivas (5-2) with some early offense in the first inning on a night where runs would be scarce. Lorenzo Cain drew a walk from Smokies’ starter Hung-Wen Chen. Brett Lawrie followed that with a ringing double down the left field line to put runners at 2nd and 3rd. One out later, Zelous Wheeler was plunked, loading the bases for Chris Errecart. Errecart hit a slow chopper to third that scored Cain, but Chen was able to work out of the jam without allowing anymore runs in the frame.

 

Rivas didn’t even have to break a sweat on the mound through the first five innings. In the bottom of the fifth that the Stars got him a much-needed insurance run. Once again it was Cain providing the spark as he tripled off Chen to right-center field. One out later Caleb Gindl showed why he’s the Stars RBI leader as he drove a ball to deep right that scored Cain from third. The sacrifice fly was Gindl’s 22nd RBI of the year.

 

In the bottom of the fifth, Rivas found himself in the only trouble of the night, provided by none other than the opposing pitcher. Chen made the most solid contact of the night as he crushed a double to left-center field. Speed demon Tony Campana followed up with a perfect bunt to put runners on 1st and 3rd with no outs. Marwin Gonzalez bunted Campana over to second base, holding Chen at third. Rivas caught a break when Ty Wright hit a hot smash to third, caught by Wheeler. The shortstop threw to home to get Chen out at the plate. Campana advanced to third on the play and scored the Smokies’ lone run of the game on a balk by Rivas.

 

Chen departed after six strong innings, as he only gave up two hits and two runs, while walking three and striking out four. However, the night belonged to Rivas, who finished with an impressive line of eight innings, six hits, one run, no walks and five strikeouts. Brandon Kintzler kept his ERA at 0.00 with a scoreless ninth inning to pick up his 6th save of the year.

 

Offensively the Stars’ top of the order got the job done as Cain went 1-2 with both their runs scored. Lawrie was 1-3 with a double and Gindl and Errecart provided the RBIs.

 

With the victory, the Stars move to within five games of the Smokies in the Southern League’s North Division and gain a game on the 2nd place West Tennessee Diamond Jaxx. Huntsville sends Alex Periard (1-2, 4.08) to the mound in Wednesday’s finale of the five-game series. He’ll be opposed by Alberto Cabrera (0-0, 7.94) for Tennessee. Game time is set for 1 p.m. For more information, visit www.huntsvillestars.com. 

[battlekow]

Rivas' strong outing helps Stars stop skid at three

Bill Bryant/Huntsville Times

 

HUNTSVILLE, AL - An ace's role on a pitching staff consists of a

couple of things. Win a lot of games, and win them when they count.

Huntsville's Amaury Rivas played his part well Tuesday night at Joe

Davis Stadium against first-place Tennessee. The 24-year-old

right-hander stopped the Stars' losing streak at three by giving up only

one run in eight innings as they squeaked by the Smokies 2-1.

 

"Every time you have a pitcher with his type of ability, you have a

good chance to come out with a win," said Huntsville manager Mike

Guerrero, whose team is now 19-20 in the Southern League North. "He

showed that tonight."

 

Rivas, for his part, didn't give the mini-slump a second thought

during his longest stint of the season.

 

"I didn't feel any pressure," he said. "I'm pitching pretty well

right now."

 

Indeed, the Milwaukee Brewers' Minor League Pitcher of the Month for

April continued his strong start by allowing only six hits and not

walking a batter. Rivas (5-2) has given up one earned run or less in six

of his eight starts.

 

His counterpart from Tennessee, Hung-Wen Chen, proved to be pretty

stingy himself, allowing just two hits in his six innings of work. But

Huntsville made them count.

 

A Brett Lawrie double in the top of the first followed a walk to

leadoff hitter Lorenzo Cain. One out later, a Chris Errecart fielder's

choice brought in the first run. In the fifth, a Caleb Gindl sacrifice

fly brought in Cain again after he had tripled to right-center.

 

"I have to be honest, we haven't been swinging the bats very well at

all lately," Guerrero said of the Stars, who had just 16 hits in the

four-game series with the Smokies (24-15).

 

"When you get good pitching like we did tonight, it doesn't show up

as much, but when you don't get the pitching it really stands out."

 

Rivas found himself in only a couple of sticky situations against

Tennessee. A Chen double and Tony Campana bunt hit put runners on first

and third with no one out in the sixth, but a sacrifice and an

ill-advised decision by Chen to try to score on a grounder to third kept

Rivas out of a big inning.

 

Then, with the Stars ahead 2-1 in the eighth, a Blake Lalli double

was erased when Campana lined into a double play.

Brandon Kintzler came on in the ninth to close things out,

striking out one and earning his sixth save in as many tries.

http://media.al.com/huntsville-times-sports/photo/amauryjpg-84a9a54c50433a5a_small.jpg

(Bob Gathany/Huntsville Times)

 

[JohnBriggs12]

Rivas, 86 pitches in 8 innings?

 

Best stat of the night. Hopefully, somebody in the organization is taking notice.

[Mass Haas]

Third inning mistakes costly in Manatees loss

By Frank Longobardo / Brevard County Manatees

 

A wild pitch and a throwing error in the third inning proved to be costly as the Brevard County Manatees dropped Tuesday night's game to the Palm Beach Cardinals 6-2 at Space Coast Stadium.

 

The third started with Cardinals left fielder Devin Shepherd led off the third with a triple to right off of Manatees starter Cody Scarpetta. Shepherd then scored on an Oliver Marmol single to put Palm Beach on top 1-0.

 

Following another single and a sacrifice bunt, with runners on second and third with one out, Scarpetta struck out Tony Cruz swinging, but with the third strike being a wild pitch, Cruz reached first and Marmol scored. Cruz then tried to take second and was able to thanks to a throwing error from Scarpetta that scored Jose Garcia to make it 3-0 in favor of Palm Beach.

 

Scarpetta would get into another jam in the fourth as he walked the first two batters, but he was able to retire the side to end the Cardinal threat.

 

Brevard County's offense got going in the bottom of the fourth as Erik Komatsu led off the inning with a single straight up the middle. Kentrail Davis then grounded a ball to third and that went right through Richard Racobaldo's legs as Komatsu hustled to third and Davis beat the throw to second to put runners in scoring position.

 

Sergio Miranda lifted a sacrifice fly to left to drive in Komatsu and cut the lead to 3-1. After Sean Halton lined out, Brock Kjeldgaard walked and Shawn Zarraga got hit by a pitch to load the bases with two outs.

 

Anderson De La Rosa worked a 2-2 count but flew out to left field to end the inning and leave the bases loaded.

 

Daniel Meadows relieved Scarpetta in the sixth and on his second pitch of the night, Xavier Scruggs hit a bomb over the left field fence to give Palm Beach a 4-1 lead.

 

The Manatees threatened again in the seventh as Zarraga led off the inning with an infield single. De La Rosa then reaches as Zarraga is out at second on a force out.

Josh Prince gets on after Jose Garcia can't handle the ball as he was looking for the inning-ending double play. Matt Cline then reaches on a fielder's choice to put runners at first and third with two outs.

 

Komatsu proceeded to single up the middle on a 1-2 pitch, to score De La Rosa and cut the lead in half at 4-2. Matthew Frevert then took the hill for Palm Beach and he hit Davis with a pitch to load the bases.

 

With a chance to tie the game with a hit Miranda grounded out to second to end the inning and leave the bases loaded.

 

Palm Beach would pad their lead to 6-2 in the eighth, with a sacrifice fly from Scruggs and a RBI double off the bat of Thomas Pham.

 

Scarpetta went five innings and allowed three runs on five hits while walking two and striking out six. Meadows pitched the rest of the way as he threw four innings and allowed three runs on four hits, while fanning five.

 

Komatsu and Miranda were the only Manatees to record more than one hit as they each had two.

 

Brevard County and Palm Beach will close out their four-game series on Wednesday night at 7:05 PM (6:05 Central) in Viera.

 

Brevard County starting pitcher Cody Scarpetta threw five innings and allowed three runs on five hits, while striking out six. His wild pitch and throwing error in the third inning led to two runs as the Manatees lost to the Palm Beach Cardinals 6-2 on Tuesday night at Space Coast Stadium. (Dennis Greenblatt/Hawk-Eye Sports Photography)

 

http://www.minorleaguebaseball.com/images/2010/05/18/PrOgoWpL.jpg

[bork]

Rivas, 86 pitches in 8 innings?

 

Best stat of the night. Hopefully, somebody in the organization is taking notice.

And Capuano with 84 pitches and no walks in 6 1/3 innings. At least there are a couple guys who can throw strikes.

[twobrewers]

I'm fearful that Bucci is getting lucky. His numbers just don't support that ERA.

[TheCrew07]

I was thinking that as well but then it occurred to me that I've listened to him pitch 5 times or so now (the only time my audio choice changes is typically when Rivas pitches), and even when he's in trouble, I'm not concerned about him getting out of the inning. Then it occurred to me that maybe that's just the way Mehring and Wendt call the game when Bucci is on the mound. What I mean to suggest is because they don't seem overly concerned, I don't get anxious for him, then again maybe it's just the nickname.

 

He doesn't give up many hits, only 17 so far in 32.2 IP, but 21 BBs is an avalanche of walks in such a short period of time. In fact he has exactly as many BBs already this season as he had last season with Helena in 69.1 IP.