Link Report for Mon. 8/6 -- Rattlers fall, but Cameron Garfield's big season goes on

[TheCrew07]

Numerous divisional mentions this week.

Top Prospect Performers Over The Weekend, Aug. 3-5

[TheCrew07]

BA Hot Sheet Aug 3, 2012

 

No. 8 GERRIT COLE, RHP

PIRATES

Team: Double-A Altoona (Eastern)

Age: 21

Why He's Here: 0-0, 0.00, 6 IP, 3 H, 0 R, 6 SO, 1 BB

The Scoop: It's fair to expect a pitcher with an elite fastball and two legit plus offspeed pitches to thoroughly dominate minor league competition, but that hasn't really been the case with Cole, the top pick in last year's draft. Sure, he's been effective—witness his mastery of Trenton this week—but his 3.94 ERA in the Eastern League is merely average. Same with his 1.31 WHIP. Watch Cole pitch, though, and visions of Justin Verlander might dance in your head. It may not happen this season for Cole, but he's one minor adjustment away from having the necessary command to dominate even big league competition.

 

No. 10 RONALD TORREYES, 2B

CUBS

Team: high Class A Daytona (Florida State)

Age: 19

Why He's Here: .483/.545/.828 (14-for-29), 7 R, 2 2B, 1 3B, 2 HR, 13 RBIs, 3 BB, 0 SO, 1-for-1 SB

The Scoop: When Torreyes was hitting .184/.250/.259 at the end of May, it looked like the Reds had sold high on Torreyes by trading him to the Cubs in December in the Sean Marshall deal. Yet even while Torreyes was struggling, his contact rate still was superb. Whether it was a change in skill or just better luck, Torreyes has been one of the best hitters in the Florida State League the last two months, and he's batted .342/.402/.515 in 52 games since June 1. He may look like he'd be more at home atop a racehorse than atop a big league lineup, but don't underestimate Torreyes' ability to square up a baseball. He's one of the few players in the game who has not only more walks (25) than strikeouts (23), but also more extra-base hits (29) than whiffs. He's an unusual prospect, but he's also one of the most fun to follow.

 

No. 13 JAMESON TAILLON, RHP

PIRATES

Team: high Class A Bradenton (Florida)

Age: 20

Why He's Here: 0-0, 0.00, 1 GS, 7 IP, 2 H, 0 R, 4 SO, 3 BB

The Scoop: After the Pirates carefully managed his innings in 2011 and early this season, Taillon threw seven innings for just the second time in his career on Monday. He didn't allow a run and struck out four against Lakeland. The 6-foot-6 righthander showcased his power arsenal—mid-90s heat, mid-80s curve and developing change—in July's Futures Game, so while his strikeout rate has fallen to 5.6 per nine in his seven starts since then, his ceiling remains one of the highest in the minors.

 

In The Team Photo

Pirates SS Alen Hanson has gotten a lot of deserved attention this year, but his low Class A West Virginia teammate Gregory Polanco is just as intriguing as a prospect. The center fielder batted .379/.400/.448 this week and stole his 39th bag . . .

Pirates command-and-control LHP Jeff Locke has been a consistent performer in the International League all season, ranking fifth in ERA (2.83) and 10th in strikeout rate (7.9 per nine), all while boasting a 3-to-1 strikeout-to-walk ratio. He had one of his best starts against Buffalo this week, striking out four in seven shutout innings . . .

 

BLAST FROM THE PAST

• Chris Volstad, rhp, Cubs. The 16th pick in the 2005 draft, Volstad seemed like at least a safe mid-rotation bet for the Marlins after a strong age-21 big league debut in 2008. He showed three average pitches back then, and he shows three average pitches today. The problem is that Volstad's location is worse today and his margin for error smaller because batters don't have to gear up for his 88-92 mph sinker. The 25-year-old Volstad flashed the promise this week that enticed the Cubs to trade Carlos Zambrano for him last offseason. He went eight innings for Triple-A Iowa, allowing four hits and no runs while striking out five.

[TheCrew07]

too many questions about the Cubs... we need to start asking Brewer questions

BA Hot Sheet Chat August 3, 2012

 

Itto (PR): Will we see Cubs RHP JC Paniagua pitching this year?

 

 

Ben Badler: His contract still has to be approved by MLB, so 2013 is more likely.

Chris (NJ): Is Gregory Polanco on pace to be a top 100 prospect next year? Could you give us a quick run down of his tools?

 

 

Ben Badler: Absolutely. Potential to hit for average and power, with 60-70 speed and average defense. Huge breakout guy.

Diego (Portland): Great to see Torreyes' bat coming around. How does his glove rate, and is Altuve a fair comp for what we might expect to see from him?

 

Ben Badler: He's a good defender at second base. There are some similarities to Altuve, but there just really aren't any comps for a guy who's maybe 5-6, makes contact like he's hitting off a tee and can do some decent damage when he connects too. At the same age, Torreyes is more advanced than Altuve was, both offensively and defensively.

Itto (Puerto Rico): Christian Villanueva hit 2HR in his first game with Daytona. Is he still a BA top 100 player by the end of the year? Is his prospect status increase this year?

 

 

Ben Badler: Solid prospect, but there's enough questions from scouts on how much impact is there with the bat that I think he's on the periphery of that list going into next year.

Ryan (Chitown): Once Vizcaino recovers, do you believe he'll be a SP or RP? Would you consider him the Cubs' top minor league arm at present?

 

Ben Badler: The track record of his inability to stay healthy just screams reliever. That said, his stuff is absolutely filthy, so there's potential for him to be a dominant reliever. Given the lack of pitching in that system, yeah, I'd say he's the Cubs top pitching prospect.

Mike (Orlando): Do you see Oscar Taveras getting a call up this year?

 

 

Ben Badler: Seems unlikely. Triple-A time maybe, but sounds like he may just finish the year in Double-A.

Matt (Jacksonville,FL): Hi, Where do you think Billy Hamilton would start 2013 at: back at Pensacola, Triple-A, or leadoff for Cincinnati?

 

 

Ben Badler: It's going to depend on what they do with Gregorius and whether they're going to leave Hamilton at shortstop. I would just stick Hamilton in center field and let him fly, but the Reds want to let him figure it out at shortstop. So if Gregorius is in Triple-A next year, Hamilton's probably going back to Double-A unless they want to put him in the outfield.

esteban (miami): ive heard some good things about baez's power.. would you call me crazy if i compared it to sano's power?

 

 

Ben Badler: I've gotten 70 grades on his power, but I'd still give the edge to Sano there. As a complete hitter, Baez all day.

Brian (Chicago): Jorge Bonifacio or Gregory Polanco?

 

 

Ben Badler: You know I love Bonifacio, but Polanco has the greater range of skills and projectable tools at this point. With Bonifacio, its all in the bat, but yeah, it's a good bat

Michael (West Virginia): Hanson and Polanco get the all the hype as far as WV Power players and deservedly so, but what about 1b Jose Osuna? He's younger than both (few months on Hanson) and had a monster July to follow a solid showing last year in the GCL. Is he a top 20 prospect in the Pirates system? 15? 10? Is he the best 1b prospect in the system, with Alex Dickerson and Matt Curry being the other candidates?

 

 

Ben Badler: Osuna's a hard guy to figure out. It's a very limited profile, the hit tool is there, but the question scouts have is whether the power will be enough to carry him at first base. Then he goes out and hits nine home runs last month. You've got to be a monster at the plate to be a first base prospect, but Osuna is definitely intriguing.

jb (Iowa): Any chance Cubs could have a top 5 system by next spring ? t hanks

 

 

Ben Badler: That would surprise me.

[TheCrew07]

Sounds Even Series With River Cats With 5-3 Win

Nashville Comes From Behind To Defeat PCL Frontrunners

 

WEST SACRAMENTO, Calif. - The Nashville Sounds evened their series against PCL-leading Sacramento with a come-from-behind 5-3 victory on Monday evening at Raley Field.

 

Trailing 3-2 in the seventh, red-hot outfielder Khris Davis (2-for-3) delivered a two-out, two-run single to push the visitors into the lead and Jeff Bianchi belted a ninth-inning homer to provide the final two-run cushion.

 

The Nashville bullpen worked around several Sacramento baserunners in the final two innings, stranding the bases loaded in the eighth and leaving a pair of runners on in the ninth to keep the Cats at bay with a pair of scoreless frames to preserve the win.

 

Jordan Brown went 3-for-5 and missed the cycle by a triple to pace the Sounds' offense. The veteran is batting .411 (23-for-56) over his past 16 contests.

 

Sacramento took a 2-0 lead in the bottom of the second when left fielder Shane Peterson delivered a two-out, two-run single off Sounds starter Brian Baker. Michael Taylor (walk) and Grant Green (double) each scored on the go-ahead knock.

 

The Sounds rallied to tie the game at 2-2 in the fourth against Sacramento starter Graham Godfrey. Brown led off the frame with his seventh home run of the year, a solo shot to right that halved the deficit. Following the longball, Nashville loaded the bases with one out on a Davis walk and singles by Taylor Green and Jason Jaramillo. Edwin Maysonet followed with a game-tying sacrifice fly to left.

 

· AUDIO: Jordan Brown Solo HR

 

The River Cats reclaimed the lead at 3-2 in the sixth on a Grant Green two-out RBI single that chased Baker from the contest before the Sounds responded in the next half-inning and grabbed their first lead of the night.

 

Bianchi drew a one-out walk from Sacramento reliever Jim Miller (0-3) and moved to third on a two-out Brown double before both baserunners scored on a two-out, two-run single off the bat of Davis, who has hit safely in 20 of his last 21 contests.

 

· AUDIO: Khris Davis Go-Ahead Two-Run Single

 

Sounds reliever Fautino De Los Santos, a member of the Sacramento club for most of the season before being acquired by the Brewers at the trade deadline, worked out of a bases-loaded jam unscathed in the bottom of the eighth to keep the one-run Nashville advantage intact.

 

After Juan Perez allowed a leadoff single to open the Sacramento eighth, De Los Santos gave up a single and a walk to fill the bags with none down. After popping up Daric Barton for the first out, the hard-throwing right-hander struck out Grant Green and Peterson in succession to escape the jam.

 

Bianchi provided the Sounds with an insurance run in the ninth when he extended his longest hit streak of the year to six games with a one-out solo homer to center off Justin Souza. The blast, the infielder's second of the year, increased the Nashville cushion to 5-3.

 

· AUDIO: Jeff Bianchi Solo HR

 

Nashville had a chance to further increase the lead later in the frame after loading the bases against Souza with two outs but the right-hander popped up Sean Halton to end the inning.

 

Rob Wooten took over on the hill for the Sounds in the bottom of the ninth and allowed a double and a walk to bring the potential winning run to the plate before inducing a game-ending groundout from Jermaine Mitchell to nail down his second save.

 

Perez (3-0) picked up the win in relief for the Sounds after working 1 1/3 scoreless frames with three strikeouts.

 

The teams continue the series with another 9:05 p.m. CT meeting on Tuesday. Right-hander Tyler Thornburg (1-0, 1.80) will toe the slab for the Sounds to face Sacramento right-hander Tyson Ross (4-2, 2.72).

 

Nashville Box Score

At one point Khrush Davis didn't have an official AB after being HBP and walked but then he got hits in 2 of his next 3 appearances, he's on some kind tear. Rob Wooten has been shakey all year but got the job done, I'm still holding out hope that he can be a viable bullpen guy in the bigs.

 

Nashville Play By Play

[Mass Haas]

Audio from SacTown — “Mondays with Mike (Guerrero)”

 

Jeff Hem's note -- Here is this week’s installment of “Mondays with Mike” with Sounds manager Mike Guerrero, who discusses the Sounds’ road trip so far in California, the pitching and influence of veteran Claudio Vargas, the outing that Wily Peralta had last night, Sacramento’s dangerous lineup, how Khris Davis has performed so far with the Sounds, the status of injured outfielder Logan Schafer and the Sounds’ having 21 games in a row against American League-affiliated clubs (meaning the DH is used).

[battlekow]

Final: AZL Brewers 10, @AZL Cubs 8 (10 innings)

 

AZL Brewers box score

Beat the Cubs!

 

You gotta love how Clint Coulter is coming alive with the stick lately. He'd been hitting well for average for a while, but as Keith Law noted a few weeks back, he was just trying to make contact and thus wasn't tapping into his prodigious power. Well, after a 3-5 night that included two doubles, he's got his line up to .313/.432/.464. All three of his doubles and three of his four homers have come in the last eight games. My favorite stat, though? His 22/21 BB/K ratio. He even threw a guy out stealing!

 

The maybe-not-so-raw-after-all Edgardo Rivera (should we call him and Tyrone Taylor "rare" instead?) continues to demonstrate an idea at the plate, collecting two hits and a walk. He's hitting .306 with 14 walks against 14 strikeouts in 79 plate appearances, so it doesn't seem like the free passes are just a result of passivity. He was picked off first and committed a fielding error, though.

 

Joses Pena and Sermo also each had two knocks, and Pena "tossed" in an outfield kill at home, too. I've been kinda waiting for Pena's numbers to crash, and while he's certainly cooled off lately, he's hanging in there at .317/.375/.545. I remember voting for him on the Power 50 just after he signed and then feeling pretty foolish after his first DSL campaign and writing him off completely after his second--so don't give up on Juan Ortiz just yet!

 

Let's talk about Taylor Smith-Brennan for a sec. The dude was on three times with a hit and two walks, giving him nine hits on the year--he's hitting .120--but 27 walks. In only 104 plate appearances. With 34 strikeouts. Taylor, I dub thee Sir Two True Outcomes (2TO).

 

As for the pitching, Eduard Reyes' third stateside start didn't go nearly as well as his first two, as he was tagged for ten baserunners and four runs in 4.2 innings, plus a wild pitch and a balk for good measure. Carlos Sosa, despite blowing the save in the 9th, pitched decently, allowing one run on just a walk and a hit over the final three frames.

 

AZL Brewers play-by-play

The seven-run 4th:

 

AZL Brewers Top of the 4th

• Jose Pena singles on a ground ball to right fielder Garrett Schlecht.
  
• Jose Sermo singles on a ground ball to second baseman Daniel Lockhart. Jose Pena to 2nd.
  
• Dustin Houle hits a sacrifice bunt. Throwing error by pitcher Carlos Martinez-Pumarino. Jose Pena scores. Jose Sermo to 3rd. Dustin Houle to 2nd.
  
• Alan Sharkey singles on a ground ball to right fielder Garrett Schlecht. Jose Sermo scores. Dustin Houle to 3rd.
  
• Angel Ortega singles on a line drive to right fielder Garrett Schlecht. Dustin Houle scores. Alan Sharkey to 3rd.
  
• Taylor Smith-Brennan singles on a line drive to right fielder Garrett Schlecht. Alan Sharkey scores. Angel Ortega to 2nd.
  
• Malcolm Dowell out on a sacrifice bunt, pitcher Carlos Martinez-Pumarino to first baseman Trevor Gretzky. Angel Ortega to 3rd. Taylor Smith-Brennan to 2nd.
  
• Edgardo Rivera singles on a ground ball to pitcher Carlos Martinez-Pumarino. Angel Ortega scores. Taylor Smith-Brennan to 3rd.
  
• With Clint Coulter batting, passed ball by Justin Marra, Taylor Smith-Brennan scores. Edgardo Rivera to 2nd.
  
• Clint Coulter doubles (2) on a fly ball to left fielder Shawon Dunston. Edgardo Rivera scores.
  
• Pitching Change: Jin-Young Kim replaces Carlos Martinez-Pumarino.
  
• Jose Pena flies out to center fielder Albert Almora.
  
• Jose Sermo singles on a ground ball to center fielder Albert Almora. Clint Coulter out at home on the throw, center fielder Albert Almora to catcher Justin Marra.

 

Coulter would later leave the game, but I don't think it had anything to do with the play at the plate, but just getting some speed on the bases to try to score an insurance run:

 

AZL Brewers Top of the 9th

• Clint Coulter singles on a line drive to right fielder Garrett Schlecht.
  
• Offensive Substitution: Pinch-runner Renaldo Jenkins replaces Clint Coulter.
  
• Jose Pena singles on a ground ball to left fielder Shawon Dunston. Renaldo Jenkins to 2nd.
  
• Jose Sermo strikes out swinging.
  
• Dustin Houle grounds out, second baseman Daniel Lockhart to first baseman Trevor Gretzky. Renaldo Jenkins to 3rd. Jose Pena to 2nd.
  
• Alan Sharkey flies out to left fielder Shawon Dunston.

 

Clutch two-out double from Coulter's replacement, Joe Andrade to score the game-winning runs:

 

AZL Brewers Top of the 10th

• Angel Ortega flies out to left fielder Shawon Dunston.
  
• Taylor Smith-Brennan walks.
  
• Malcolm Dowell reaches on a fielding error by first baseman Trevor Gretzky. Taylor Smith-Brennan to 2nd.
  
• With Edgardo Rivera batting, wild pitch by Alvido Jimenez, Taylor Smith-Brennan to 3rd. Malcolm Dowell to 2nd.
  
• Edgardo Rivera pops out to second baseman Daniel Lockhart.
  
• Joe Andrade doubles (2) on a line drive to right fielder Garrett Schlecht. Taylor Smith-Brennan scores. Malcolm Dowell scores.
  
• Jose Pena flies out to left fielder Shawon Dunston.

[Mass Haas]

Wisconsin Media Notes

 

Rattler Radio Blog -- Nine after 9

[Tedaldtada]

Perez HRs twice to pace Osprey in win

08/07/2012 1:08 AM ET

Missoula Osprey

 

Michael Perez hit a pair of home runs and drove in five runs as the Missoula Osprey held off the Helena Brewers for a 10-8 win on Monday in front of 2,045 fans at Ogren Park Allegiance Field.

 

Perez hit a three-run shot off of Brewers starter Preston Gainey (0-1) in the middle of a five-run first inning, which was capped off when Socrates Brito hit the next pitch from Gainey for a solo shot. It was the 11th time in Osprey history that teammates hit back-to-back home runs.

 

After Helena (3-6, 16-31) rallied from a 5-1 deficit to cut the lead to 6-5, Perez gave Missoula (7-2, 25-22) more breathing room with a two-run homer off of Brewers reliever Joel Pierce to extend the lead to 8-5. Perez became the 27th Osprey player to have a multi-homer game, and the second this season. Justin Bianco also had a two-homer game against Helena earlier this season.

 

The Osprey added a pair of insurance runs in the bottom of the eighth inning, thanks to an error and a wild pitch, to push the lead to 10-5.

 

Helena would push back, scoring three times off of Missoula reliever Chris Capper to pull within 10-8 with two out in the top of the ninth. However, Justin Thompson managed to induce a flyout from Brewers pinch-hitter Michael Turay to seal the game, and collect his sixth save of the season.

 

That early outburst was enough to give Chris Pack (5-1) the win on the mound. Pack allowed 10 hits and a pair of walks while giving up four runs and striking out five batters to take over the team lead in wins this seson. Michael Rivera added two solid innings of relief, striking out four batters while allowing a run on two hits.

 

The Osprey finished with 12 hits - three for Perez, while Pedro Ruiz and Kyle Koeneman each added two hits. Evan Marzilli, Jake Lamb and Adam McConnell also collected base hits for Missoula.

 

The Osprey and Brewers will now take to Kindrick Legion Field in Helena for the next three games, beginning on Tuesday. The Osprey will send right-hander Karl Triana to the mound, while the Brewers will counter with left-hander Taylor Wall.

 

Tickets are available now at the MSO Hub Box Office, located at 140 North Higgins in Downtown Missoula, online at MissoulaOsprey.com and by phone (406) 543-3300.

[Mass Haas]

AUDIO: Helena Interviews --

 

Field and Catching Coordinator Charlie Greene

 

Helena Video Coordinator Matt Hulsman

 

Infielder Kevin Berard

 

All worth your while...

[Mass Haas]

DVR ALERT!

 

As we like to do, here's some notice for you.

 

This Thursday August 9st, Time Warner Cable Sports 32 TV will broadcast the Rattlers home game vs. Cedar Rapids (Athletics) at 7:05 PM. RHP Matt Miller is the scheduled starter.

 

The big leaguers are idle Thursday.

 

***

 

And suddenly, Sports 32 TV gets Shaun Marcum's first rehab start...

[Tedaldtada]

Brewers lose despite 18 hits in Missoula

Independent Record

 

The Helena Brewers pounded Missoula pitchers for 18 hits but stranded 11 base runners and didn’t have a pitcher last longer than three innings in a disappointing 10-8 Pioneer League road loss on Monday night.

 

Helena jumped on Missoula starter Chris Pack for 10 hits in his five innings of work, but produced just four runs in that span after Brewers starter Preston Gainey got his team in a 5-0 hole in the bottom of the first inning.

 

Gainey’s rough start included failing to get out the first seven batters he faced. He walked Pedro Ruiz, surrendered back-to-back singles to Evan Marzilli and Jake Lamb and followed with back-to-back homers to Michael Perez and Socrates Brito. He then allowed a single to Breland Almadova and walked Yosbel Gutierrez before retiring the next three Osprey up.

 

Gainey lasted two innings, allowing six hits, the five earned runs and three walks to take the loss and fall to 0-1 on the year. He also threw a wild pitch.

 

Pack took the win to move to 5-1 while striking out five and allowing two walks.

 

Chris McFarland and Adam Giacalone led the Brewers offense, which featured seven players with multiple hits, by each going 3 for 4.

 

Alfredo Rodriguez and Emmanuel Quiles each had two runs batted in, with both of Quiles’ coming on a one-out, two-run homer during the Brewers’ three-run ninth-inning rally that fell short.

 

Perez was 3 for 4 on the day with five runs driven in and three runs scored to lead the Missoula offense. Perez’s first-inning home run was a three-run shot, and he added a two-run, two-out dinger off Helena reliever Joel Pierce in the bottom of the sixth.

 

The Brewers host the Osprey for a three-game series beginning tonight.

 

Box Score

 

This team could really use an ace. Preston Gainey, who is having a decent season besides this blowup, failed in his attempt to be that ace. Michael Francisco went next and he found success. 3 IP 3 H 1 R 1 ER 1 BB 3 K 5:1 GO:FO for Mike. Joel Pierce continues to get rocked. With Joel, I feel like one of these seasons (hopefully 2013), his body will mature and he will pick up a few ticks on his FB. I am sure the Brewers predicted that as well when they drafted the then 17 year old raw Canadian. If the stuff improves, you can bet the results will as well. Manny Ruiz pitched a scoreless final inning while striking out the side.

 

At the plate, it was the usual suspects leading the way. Chris McFarland (3-4 BB) and Adam Giacalone (3-4) each had 3 hits. Emmanuel Quiles (1-5) hit his 3rd HR, putting him 2nd on the team in long balls. Gross. I guess Nick Ramirez and Yaddy Rivera spoiled us last season in the tater department. Five others had 2 hits including lead off man Yonki Hernandez (2-4 BB SB (13)) and 9-hitter Ruben Ozuna (2-5).

 

Like I said, this team needs an ace.

 

Game Log

[Mass Haas]

VIDEO: Nashville's Caleb Gindl hits his ninth homer of the year, a solo shot in the first inning of the Sounds' 8-3 loss to Sacramento Sunday

[igor67]

Khrush Davis does not make outs, he allows outs to exist.

[TheCrew07]

Southern notes: Reds' Cingrani a steal

Pensacola left-hander continues to dominate after promotion

By Guy Curtright / Special to MLB.com

 

http://www.milb.com/images/2012/08/06/Pj4TtwLn.jpg

Tony Cingrani earned Southern League Pitcher of the Week honors on July 2. (Blue Wahoos)

 

Cincinnati gave up two good pitching prospects to acquire reliever Jonathan Broxton from Kansas City, but the Reds made sure one of them wasn't Tony Cingrani.

 

Pensacola teammate Daniel Corcino is the Reds' No. 1 pitching prospect, and MLB.com's list at the time of the deal had the departed J.C. Sulbaren and Donnie Joseph slightly ahead of the left-hander.

 

But with his success since being taken in the third round of the 2011 Draft, Cingrani remains as intriguing as any pitcher in Cincinnati's Minor League system.

 

"He gets a lot of swings and misses," Pensacola manger Jim Riggleman said.

 

Cingrani had 15 strikeouts over eight innings against Jackson on June 27 in his fifth start for the Blue Wahoos after his promotion from Class A Advanced Bakersfield and has been putting up eye-catching numbers ever since signing with the Reds.

 

It's hard to believe this is the same pitcher who saw little action as a junior at Rice University after transferring from a junior college. He struggled at the start of his senior year as well before moving to the bullpen.

 

But Cingrani flourished in that new role and has kept the same mentality he developed as a closer in his return to the rotation in the Minors. The 23-year-old has a simple but effective approach.

 

"I just try to throw it hard and to a spot," the native of suburban Chicago said. "For the most part, I hit my spots. I elevate the ball and move it in and out. When they swing, they usually miss. That's basically it."

 

Cingrani's fastball doesn't light up radar guns, usually sitting around 93 mph. But that's enough when he complements it with a good changeup and developing slider.

 

The 6-foot-4 Pensacola ace struck out 80 and walked only six while posting a 1.75 ERA in 51 1/3 innings with Billings of the rookie Pioneer League last season. You would think it would be impossible to match those numbers with the move up in competition, but Cingrani has done it.

 

In 21 combined starts with Bakersfield and Pensacola, the 23-year-old is 10-4 with a 1.57 ERA and has 137 strikeouts to 38 walks in 120 1/3 innings. He has given up just 82 hits for a .193 batting average against.

 

Cingrani, now ranked as the Reds' No. 7 prospect, certainly hasn't had any trouble adjusting to being a starter again. But that wasn't the role he expected when the Reds selected him.

 

"I thought I was getting drafted as a reliever," said Cingrani. "But once I sat down with my Reds scout, he said they wanted me as a starter. So they began to build me up and I was on my way."

 

Cingrani uses his height to good advantage, and his delivery helps him slip his fastball by flailing hitters.

 

"They miss pitches in the strike zone and out of the strike zone," Riggleman said.

 

Continued development of his slider will determine if Cingrani remains a starter or moves back to the bullpen in the future. But the pitch has been effective against lefty hitters, and Cingrani has the changeup as his primary second pitch against righties.

 

The three hits he allowed to Jackson in his 15-strikeout game came after the seventh inning, and he followed that effort up by not allowing an earned run in his next three starts.

 

Over the four straight victories, Cingrani scattered 11 hits and an unearned run.

 

Concerned about the buildup of innings in Cingrani's first full season after a seven-inning complete game July 13 at Chattanooga, the Reds had him skip his next start and he lost his last two outings in July. But he bounced back to pitch five scoreless frames in a no-decision at Huntsville on Saturday.

 

Cingrani was 5-3 with a 1.98 ERA for Pensacola after going 5-1 with a 1.18 ERA in the usually hitter-friendly California League with Bakersfield. No wonder the Reds wanted to make sure to hold on to him.

 

Cingrani was the 114th overall pick in the 2011 Draft and received a bonus of just $210,000 as a college senior with no bargaining leverage. And while Billy Hamilton is drawing all the attention with Pensacola as he goes for the Minor League stolen base record, Cingrani might be a steal as well.

 

In brief

 

Run, Billy, run: Pensacola shortstop Billy Hamilton stole three bases for the second time in three games Sunday at Huntsville, running his season total to 125. Cincinnati's No. 1 prospect had 21 steals in 26 attempts for the Blue Wahoos after swiping 104 bases in 125 attempts for Bakersfield. Hamilton, No. 26 among MLB.com's Top 100 Prospects, is pursuing the Minor League record of 145 steals set by Vince Coleman for Class A Macon in 1983.

 

Streak over at 46: Hak-Ju Lee's team-record on-base streak for Montgomery came to an end after 46 games as the Biscuits were held to two hits in a 1-0 loss at Jacksonville on Saturday. Lee, who was 0-for-4 with two strikeouts, had last failed to reach base June 11 against Chattanooga and had set a Montgomery record with a 21-game hitting streak during the stretch. The shortstop is Tampa Bay's No. 1 prospect and ranks No. 35 on MLB.com's Top 100 list.

 

Quick impression: Shortstop Jean Segura was called up to Milwaukee after batting .433 with four stolen bases in his first eight games for Huntsville after being acquired from the Angels in the Zach Grienke trade. Pitchers Johnny Hellweg and Ariel Pena were also obtained in the deal and sent to Huntsville, with Hellweg getting a victory in his first start. Segura, who was batting .294 with 33 stolen bases for Double-A Arkansas of the Texas League, immediately became the Brewers' No. 1 prospect. He is No. 38 on MLB.com's Top 100 List.

 

Brawl aftermath: Four Mississippi players and two from Mobile drew three-game suspensions after the benches-clearing melee in the ninth inning of a game at Mississippi on July 28. Suspended were catcher Christian Bethancourt, infielder Alden Carrithers and relief pitchers Cory Rasmus and Mike Tarsi of Mississippi, as well as catcher Rossmel Perez and outfielder Alfredo Marte of Mobile. Seven players were hit by pitches during the game and the brawl broke out after Perez's hard slide into Tarsi at the plate.