Link Report for Friday 7/20 - TGIF!

[Mass Haas]

VIDEO: Trent Grisham's go-ahead three-run opposite-field shot

[Mass Haas]

Final: Dayton 12, Wisconsin 5

 

Rattlers Drop Series Finale to Dragons

By Chris Mehring / Wisconsin Timber Rattlers

 

 

Kenny Corey went 4-for-5 with two doubles and two runs scored for the Timber Rattlers on Friday night.

 

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AUDIO via the Rattler Radio Soundcloud: "In Friday's postgame podcast, Chris Mehring & Kyle Lobner discuss a very long night at the ballpark, where it all went wrong, and were it could have gone right. Plus, hear clubhouse comments from Matt Erickson and Kenny Corey, who had four hits in five trips to the plate in the loss to the Dragons."

 

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Box Score / Game Log

 

T: 3:27 (1:20 delay).

 

Ugh.

 

Wisconsin actually had 20 at-bats with runners in scoring position (four hits).

[Mass Haas]

Final: Idaho Falls 18, Helena 5

 

Remember I was wondering where those usual high-flying Pioneer League box scores were a few weeks ago? Yeah, about that...

 

Brief game summary here -- the H-Crew hasn't posted a formal summary (at least as of yet), can't blame them.

 

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PHOTOS: Five in all, the 2nd is RHP Victor Castaneda, name was omitted.

 

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Box Score / Game Log

 

Brewer pitchers put 28 men on base via hits allowed, walks, and HBP's.

 

A 2.01 WHIP in his six starts - I was off-the-mark (at least so far) in my pick-to-click RHP Victor Castaneda.

 

Credit where due -- two RHP's who had been struggling, Tyler Tungate and Brandon Presley, had solid multi-inning efforts. Imagine if they had not on this night.

 

It's been a brutal pro debut season for University of Iowa 27th round pick Brady Schanuel (3.11 WHIP), and 2017's 20th rounder, RHP Austin Rubick from the University of Arizona, has put 20 men on base via walk or HBP in just 7.2 IP.

 

Toby makes a valid point here.

 

OF/1B Bryan Connell is now 3-for-7 after two stateside games (played 1B in this one), and the Panamanian now doesn't have the shadow profile pic on his MiLB page but an actual photo.

 

Three-hit night for 19-year-old Venezuela product RF Jesus Lujano, one a triple.

[Mass Haas]

Final: AZL Royals 7, AZL Brewers 6

 

Box Score / Game Log

 

Now 10-14, the A-Crew scored four in the top of the 8th to grab a 6-5 lead, but gave it up in the next half-inning.

 

So all eight of his hits have been singles, but that's the only nitpick on SS Brice Turang thus far, 4-for-4, walk, two stolen bases (now 5-for-5 in that department after five games). Imagine where the .990 OPS will go when the extra-base hits start to rack up.

 

CF Micah Bello celebrated his 18th birthday eve (Happy Saturday b-day!) with his first pro home as well as a double.

 

First baseman Ernesto Martinez and his 6'6", 225 pound LH swinging frame, doubled, singled twice, and walked. The just-turned 19-year-old Cuban could eventually be a monster prospect.

 

Korry Howell (playing third base) and Kekai Rios (as the DH), both reached base three times.

 

Is that a platinum sombrero for 2B Orveo Saint? (Now 30 K's in 44 AB's).

 

Nothing really stands out among the four pitching efforts in this one.

[Mass Haas]

And now for a completely different box score experience!

 

Final: Colorado Springs 1, Memphis 0

 

Your only online home for the Sky Sox road game summary --

 

BETHANCOURT'S SOLO HOMER ONLY RUN IN SKY SOX 1-0 SHUTOUT VICTORY

 

MEMPHIS, Tenn. – The Sky Sox kicked off their three-game series in Memphis versus the Redbirds with a 1-0 shutout victory for their seventh shutout of the season. The only run of the game came via a Christian Bethancourt solo home run in the sixth inning.

 

After finishing a tightly-contested four-game home series against the Round Rock Express last night that saw Colorado Springs split the series 2-2, the Sky Sox began game one tonight of this three-game series against the Memphis Redbirds with five scoreless innings to initiate the Friday night contest.

 

Through five innings, both starting pitchers had similar lines. Aaron Wilkerson of the Sky Sox had no runs on five hits with a pair of walks, while striking out four Express batters. Conversely, Chris Ellis had also allowed no runs, on six hits with no walks and seven strikeouts.

 

It wasn't until there were two outs in the top of the sixth inning that either team would score. Bethancourt, who came into tonight leading all Colorado Springs batters in home runs with 14, hit his 15th of the season with two outs and no one on in the sixth for the first run of the series, giving the Sky Sox a slim 1-0 advantage.

 

Erik Davis replaced Wilkerson on the mound for the Sky Sox in the bottom of the sixth inning, recording a line out, a ground out, and a fly out in his first inning of work. In the top of the seventh inning, Davis had an at-bat and actually reached on Memphis' first error of the night. Davis then recorded another three-up, three-down inning in the bottom of the seventh, finishing his night with two innings of work out of the pen, surrendering no hits and not allowing a single baserunner.

 

Ellis was pulled after the seventh inning, having allowed just the sole run on the Bethancourt homer in the sixth, with no walks and eight strikeouts in his strong start. He was replaced on the mound by Conner Greene in the eighth frame. Greene gave up a hit to the first batter he faced, in the form of an Orlando Arcia single. He then hit Tyrone Taylor with a pitch to put the first two batters he faced on first and second, before Domingo Santana hit into a double play and Bethancourt flew out to quickly stifle the late offense.

 

Tristan Archer then replaced Davis on the mound for Colorado Springs, walking Rangel Ravelo on four pitches before recording three swift outs to send the tight 1-0 game into the ninth inning. The Sky Sox would go three up and three down on just ten pitches in the top of the ninth to give Memphis a chance in the bottom half of the inning, with Archer coming back out to try to close out the game for Colorado Springs.

 

Adolis Garcia flew out for the first out of the inning, but Edmundo Sosa then doubled to put the tying run in scoring position with the winning run at the plate. However, Wilfredo Tovar struck out to put the Redbirds down to their final out, before Alex Mejia grounded out to end the game.

 

The Sky Sox are on the road in Memphis for a three-game set against the Redbirds. They return home on the 24th to host the El Paso Chihuahuas for three games, followed by a four-game set against the Albuquerque Isotopes. It will be the first and only time this season Colorado Springs plays El Paso and Albuquerque.

 

Saturday's Preview: In the second game of a three-game series against the Redbirds in Memphis, the Sky Sox are sending southpaw Nick Ramirez to the mound to face off against the right-handed Jake Woodford for the Redbirds. Ramirez is in search of his third win of the season, whereas Woodford is still looking for his first.

 

Bethancourt Leads: Christian Bethancourt—who went into Friday night's contest against Memphis leading all Colorado Springs batters in home runs with 14—hit his 15th of the season with two outs and no one on in the sixth inning for the first run of the series, giving the Sky Sox a slim 1-0 advantage in doing so. The next closest Sky Sox batter in the homers category prior to Friday night's game was Tyrone Taylor, with a dozen longballs in the 2018 campaign at the onset of the three-game set versus the Redbirds.

 

Shut 'em Out: The Sky Sox shut out the Memphis Redbirds on Friday night to kick off their three-game series in Tennessee, marking the second time in as many nights the Redbirds had been shut out. It was Colorado Springs' seventh shutout of the season, with their last coming on 6/24 in Iowa against the Cubs (2-0). All seven of the Sky Sox shutouts have come on the road, and all three times the Sky Sox have been shut out this year have also come on the road.

 

1-0: Friday night's 1-0 Sky Sox win at Autozone Park marks the first time the Sky Sox have won a 1-0 game in Memphis. The last 1-0 win for the Sky Sox with the lone run scoring on a homer was on June 24th, 2017, when Kyle Wren hit a lead-off homer to start the game at the Shrine on Airline, as the Sky Sox blanked the New Orleans Baby Cakes, 1-0.

 

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Box Score / Game Log

 

Both Orlando Arcia and Domingo Santana were 2-for-4, all singles, but still.

 

Rymer Liriano 1-for-4, one K, played LF in his 2018 Sky Sox debut.

 

Aaron Wilkerson's double was among the eight Sky Sox hits.

[Mass Haas]

As also posted in our season-long Helena / Maryvale archive thread of feature articles --

 

Cool feature story on 2018 undrafted free agent RHP Tate Budnick out of the University of Portland, provides a behind-the-scenes look at the post-draft signing process.

 

Edmonds-Woodway grad chasing his dream on the baseball diamond

After not being picked in the MLB draft, Tate Budnick signed with the Milwaukee Brewers organization

By Andrew Lang, HeraldNet (Everett, WA)

[Mass Haas]

Helena has posted their summary:

 

Chukars Throttle Brewers To Take Series

Helena Allows Season High 18 Runs