Link Report for Sun. 6/6

[battlekow]

Forgot to mention that Heckathorn got 12 ground outs against only five air outs; he's at over 2 in that department on the year, which does mitigate somewhat the need for strikeouts.

[sfl2hnq17]

bump gennett up to AA and have him play SS. that lineup would be ridiculously dangerous.

[TheCrew07]

Ha... how about we let the high school kids get a full season in low A before throwing them in AA, there's no reason to rush any of them. Furthermore if Gennett only projects as a league average defender at 2B, how far below average will he be at SS?

 

edit. Corrected grammar and I meant AA

[sfl2hnq17]

that was only a half-hearted idea. i just dont know why you wouldnt try and see what happens. i meant they bumped lawrie up and gennett is hitting better then lawrie did and gennett's defense is better then brett's. brett was also younger then scooter.

 

i really hope it isnt because lawrie was a first rounder and gennett was a 16th rounder.

[battlekow]

Final: Huntsville 8, Tennessee 6

 

Stars outlast Smokies

Connor Shreve/Huntsville Stars

 

A rain delay which pushed back the start of Sundays game an hour and

twenty minutes was not enough to slow the offense in an 8-6 victory for

Huntsville (26-31). The Stars proved resilient in weathering a late

surge from the Smokies (34-22) to snap a season long losing streak at

four games. Neither Huntsville nor the opposition took much time in

scoring right out of the gate.

 

In the Stars first, Lorenzo Cain

made it aboard with a single before swiping second base for his team

leading 13th stolen base of the year. Caleb Gindl brought in Cain and

picked up a double on a misplayed ball in left field. Ty Wright

initially broke in on the ball before making an ill fated attempt to

retreat as it bounced over his head and rolled all the way to the wall.

Huntsville lost the lead in the bottom of the first as Wright and Blake

Lalli singled with two outs, which set up a two RBI triple off the bat

of Matt Spencer.

 

Cain again took center stage in the second

inning when Huntsville scored three runs to retake the lead. Anderson

Machado started the frame by doubling on a deep fly to center.

Huntsville’s newest Star Dayton Buller smacked a single before Brett

Lawrie doubled both runners home. Cain proceeded to mark the inning

with a run scoring triple before the second came to a close.

 

Buller,

whose contract was purchased from Camden (NJ) of the independent

Atlantic League on June fifth, added a three run home run in the third

inning.

 

Though Tennessee trailed by five runs after three

innings, the Smokies continually ate away at the Stars lead with two

unanswered runs in the fourth and two in the seventh. The first run

across in the seventh came before Stars starter Michael Bowman (5-4, 5.54) departed and reliever Eduardo Morlan inherited a runner on third

that scored thanks to Marwin Gonzales’ sacrifice fly.

 

Bowman

was charged with both of the seventh inning runs; all six against him

were earned. He worked one out in to the seventh, allowed eight hits,

struck out five, walked one and departed after having thrown 92 pitches.

Huntsville closer Brandon Kintzler entered in the eighth and pitched

to five batters in the extended save. Kintzler’s ten saves is the third

best in the Southern League.

 

Austin Bibens-Dirkx (4-2 2.85)

struggled throughout his three innings on the mound. The Stars scored

six earned runs and seven in total over the first three innings. His

outing was nothing like the last time he faced Huntsville. On May 15 at

Joe Davis Stadium Bibens-Dirkx picked up his first win going six

innings and allowing only one unearned run in an 8-2 Tennessee victory.

On Sunday though, his control was absent and he walked three Stars

batters and struck out only one.

 

Game three of Huntsville’s

current North Division road trip is Monday night at Smokies Park in

Kodak, TN. First pitch for all three remaining games against the

Smokies is 6:15 pm (CDT). Monday's contest will be broadcast online at

www.huntsvillestars.com.

Huntsville box score

Gindl also doubled a second time and also walked, and Taylor Green chipped in with a double of his own. Lee Haydel came in on a double switch and had an RBI single in the 8th to give the Stars a much-needed insurance run.

 

Huntsville play-by-play

[TheCrew07]

I'm really not down with trying guys at positions anymore hoping they make it. The team defense is horrible at pretty much every level of the system including MLB.

 

I have a feeling they knew Cline was coming back and that's why Lawrie was bumped all the way to AA, and I wasn't sure that was the best decision, but he's been hitting well over his last 10 games and has that OPS up over .810 now. Lawrie only had Farris in front of him this time last year, Gennett has Cline, Farris, and Lawrie in front of him.

 

Do I think Lawrie sticks at 2nd? No, but not because he couldn't play their, he's a good enough athlete he could play anywhere he wanted. I saw him make some incredibly athletic plays in person for WI last year. I see no reason to push Gennett up as a SS since that position is covered adequately by Escobar, I'd rather they draft another true SS and start the process over again. We have Weeks for at least one more season, we have some capable stop gaps in Farris and Cline, and we have a potential impact bat already at the position. I have feeling this situation will shake itself out as the players progress, there's really no reason to prematurely force anything at this time.

 

For example if Lawrie will buckle down defensively then maybe when Gennett is ready he could slide over 3B allowing Gennett to take over 2B. If Lawrie doesn't improve in the field he'll find himself in the outfield and I like Gennett's upside the best out of the 3 remaining players at that position.

[DHonks]

TheCrew07,

I asked before, but don't think it was answered...where was Cline last year? How did he suddenly become good?

 

I think they skipped Lawrie past A+ for the same reason they used to skip some pitchers past High Desert.

[TheCrew07]

I don't know that anyone knows, I certainly haven't read anything about Cline's whereabouts last season, we probably won't until AA when there is limited media coverage again.

 

Lawrie really didn't perform like the position players that jumped past HD though, I would term what he did last season as simply holding his own. Like I said he's making them look pretty smart lately pushing that OPS north of .800 as a 20 year old.

[sfl2hnq17]

TheCrew07,

im not advocating them sending gennett all the way to AA. im just saying that scooter is playing well enough to be bumped.

[YoungGeezy]

Lol Gennett has is only two months worth of hitting removed from high school. Lawrie is 20 and already is like the 3rd youngest player in the SL. I think they both are perfectly fine where they are. Come August I think if they are both still killing it and help is needed for a playoff push (like last year when Lawrie and Scarpetta got the bump to AA) I think that is fine and dandy to get there feet a little wet. But right now to get them playing everyday could do some damage if they struggle and even more if they are sent back down for struggling. Both are very confident young kids which help makes them as good as they are if they struggle bad and loss that, we couldjave another Parra situation. Main point is no need to rush. It is not like their is a position in the majors that they need to fill asap and be rushed for. We know both can hit, know it is time for them to learn how to field a ball....Gennett is no gold glover and Lawrie is far from one.

 

I haven't had a chance to see Heckathorn pitch in person but I am curious if his low strike out rate is due to him taking a Jimenez approach and pitching to contract instead of going for the K's. From what I read on him it sounded like he could be a strikeout pitcher so I am curious on that. Eighter way his last 5 games have been pretty impressive!

 

Last 5 games

3-0 - 34IP - 29H - 1.33ERA - 2BB - 22K - .91WHIP - 2.56 GO/AO

 

Not to shabby, not to shabby at all

 

Edit:

 

sfl2hnq17- alright I get what your saying and I think a bumb to BC wouldn't be so bad (even though it is not to hitter friendly) but when you said to AA that just was like, what? ha

[sfl2hnq17]

like i said i was just throwing it out there to hear what other people had to say.

[YoungGeezy]

Man I really hope Mike Jones can fix his K/BB ratio because outside of that he has been pitching rather good and I can't help but to continue to pull for him to finally make it to the majors. Does anyone know what he is throwing these days, I thought the last I heard was that he was still hitting 93-94 mph but not sure if that is still so..

[battlekow]

Final: Round Rock 8, Nashville 2

Round Rock drops Nashville, 8-2
Nashville Sounds

 

ROUND ROCK, Tex. - The Nashviille Sounds lost to the Round Rock Express,

8-2, on Sunday night at The Dell Diamond in the second game of a

four-game series.

 

In a quality start, Sergio Perez (2-0) earned the win after surrendering

two runs on four hits while fanning five in seven innings. Jonah

Bayless added two shutout innings while striking out four.

 

 

The Express jumped on the board scoring four runs off Sounds starter

Mike McClendon in the opening inning. After a throwing error by third

baseman Mat Gamel that brought home Round Rock's first two runs, Express

catcher Jason Castro crushed a two-run home run to right field for a

4-0 lead, his second long ball of the year.

 

 

Perez held the Sounds without a hit through the first four frames, until

outfielder Brendan Katin belted a solo home run in the top of the fifth

inning. It was his fifth homer of the season and first home run since

April 11 at Iowa. After Luis Cruz singled, Johnny Raburn doubled home

Cruz from first base that reduced the Express lead to 4-2.

 

 

After loading the bases, the Express got three more runs for a 7-2 lead

in the next frame. Reliever Mike Jones replaced McClendon and then

walked home the first run of the inning on four pitches. Yordany Ramirez

then brought home the second run on an infield groundout, followed by

an RBI-base knock by Michael Garciaparra.

 

 

Round Rock extended its lead to 8-2 on a Matt Kata sacrifice fly in the

bottom of the eighth inning.

 

 

McClendon (2-1) took the loss after being touched up for seven runs (six

earned) on nine hits and one walk with five strikeouts in 4 1/3

innings. Jones added 1 2/3 innings in relief, walking one and striking

out two.

 

 

Left-hander Mitch Stetter threw a scoreless frame while giving up one

hit and striking out one. Right-hander Jeff Bennett gave up one run on

one hit in an inning pitched.

 

 

The Sounds and Express are scheduled to play the third game of a

four-game set at 7:05 pm CT on Monday evening at The Dell Diamond. After

having his contract purchased by the Brewers from the Camden

Riversharks of the independent Atlantic League, left-hander Sam Narron

(NR) -- who spent parts of the 2008 & 2009 seasons with the Sounds -

makes the start for Nashville against Round Rock lefty Andy Van Hekken

(2-3, 3.97).

 

Nashville box score

With three hits, Cruz was the only Sound to reach base more than once. Gamel was 0-4 with two strikeouts. Garciaparra was on the Sounds last year.

 

Nashville play-by-play

 

 

[homer]

They might give Scooter a cup of coffee at Brevard towards the end of the season. They've done that with young players before although it's typically been Rookie ball to A ball.

[DHonks]

YoungGeezy...no idea on Jones' velocity. They said 91-93 last year as a starter, but it could be more as a reliever. Also, he wasn't walking many in AA, so I wonder if the early AAA walks were just because AAA hitters are more advances and have tighter strikezones. If so, hopefully he can adjust. But for a guy known for his pitchability with multiple pitches as a 19-year old, I wonder if his curve and change are ok still

[YoungGeezy]

YoungGeezy...no idea on Jones' velocity. They said 91-93 last year as a starter, but it could be more as a reliever. Also, he wasn't walking many in AA, so I wonder if the early AAA walks were just because AAA hitters are more advances and have tighter strikezones. If so, hopefully he can adjust. But for a guy known for his pitchability with multiple pitches as a 19-year old, I wonder if his curve and change are ok still

Well he had 19/16 K/BB in 27IP in Huntsville and that seemed pretty high for me and that one game in AAA where he walked 5 was pretty rough. K's need to go up and BB's need to go down but it will be a great day if he ever gets his shot.

 

[TooLiveBrew]

i just dont know why you wouldnt try and see what happens. i meant they bumped lawrie up and gennett is hitting better then lawrie did and gennett's defense is better then brett's. brett was also younger then scooter.

 

The big difference, to me, is HR power. While Gennett has certainly been raking, he's just a tiny guy that can't project to hit for much more than decent to good gap power at any level. Lawrie, otoh, is a big strong build that both projects to, & has, hit for very real power. I'm all for Gennett getting the call to Brevard County, but there's really no reason to rush it imo. Gennett's line is looking pretty because he's hitting singles & doubles. Lawrie's lines contain a lot of 2B/3B/HR, which Gennett really doesn't come close to matching.

 

As a tangent, my goodness, Lawrie is just a beast. He's got his OPS up now over .800 as a 20-yo in AA (iirc he's younger than most of the Timber Rattlers). To be blunt, I don't care where this kid winds up defensively (though I'd of course love it to be at 2B). His bat will likely play at any position.

[battlekow]

Dykstra follows familiar pattern

David S. Glasier/The News-Herald

 

With Father's Day looming on the near horizon, it's worth noting sons of

two former major-league players were in opposing dugouts this weekend

at Classic Park.

 

Captains left fielder Bo Greenwell, the

21-year-old son of former Boston Red Sox outfielder Mike Greenwell, is

having an outstanding first half for the Captains.

 

With his .318

batting average, four home runs, 34 RBI and team-high 102 total bases in

54 games, Greenwell is close to being a sure-thing selection when the

Midwest League All-Star teams are announced later this week.

 

Wisconsin

third baseman Cutter Dykstra is the 20-year-old son of former New York

Mets and Philadelphia Phillies outfielder Lenny Dykstra.

 

Promoted

to the Timber Rattlers out of extended spring training on May 3,

Dykstra is batting .294 with two home runs and seven RBI in 29 games.

 

Greenwell was the Indians'

sixth-round pick in the June 2007 draft.

Dykstra was the

Milwaukee Brewers' second-round pick in the June 2008 draft.

 

Both

started their pro careers straight out of high school and are upwardly

mobile in the farm systems of the Indians and Brewers, respectively.

 

In

Sunday's sort-of double-header at Classic Park, Greenwell and Dykstra

made their presences felt.

 

Greenwell singled, walked three times

and scored three runs as the Captains breezed to an 8-4 victory in the

opener. The game picked up where Saturday night's game left off when

rain forced a suspension of play as the Captains came to bat in the

bottom of the fourth, leading, 4-2.

 

Dykstra got the Timber

Rattlers rolling toward a 4-1 victory in the seven-inning nightcap when

he slammed a two-run home run in the top of the first inning. The blast

came off Lake County starter and eventual loser Brett Brach.

 

"After

losing the first game, we wanted to jump on them and put up a crooked

number early. I was being aggressive," Dykstra said of the thought he

carried to the plate before connecting off Brach.

 

At 5-foot-11

and 180 pounds, the younger Dykstra bears a strong resemblance to his

father.

 

"It's great to have a dad who played in the big leagues,"

Dykstra said. "Just to be able to talk to him all the time about the

game is a real advantage."

 

Greenwell often has said there has

been no down side for him in growing up as the baseball-playing son of a

famous big-leaguer. Dykstra said his experience mirrors Greenwell's.

 

"I

like having Dykstra on the back of my jersey," Dykstra said. "I want

people to say, ‘He plays the game the right way, the way his dad

played.' "

 

[Mass Haas]

06/06/10 - HSV @ TNS - Gindl double (1-0) - Spencer triple (1-2) - Lawrie double (3-2) - Cain triple (4-2) - Buller homer (7-2) - Thomas double (7-4) - Guyer triple (7-5) - Gonzalez sac fly (7-6) - Haydel single (8-6)

[brewmann04]

I would also like to see Kyle bumped up a Level and see how he performs.

[brewmann04]

Young geezy i agree have been a Fan of Jones since he was drafted and hope to see him in Mileaukee but was dissapointed to see him turned into a reliever.