There's a story in the Des Moines Register today on Jake Fox's hot start. His hitting streak ended tonight. Thanks for cursing it, DMR.
In case you were wondering, the Ozzy Osbourne "Worlds of Warcraft" commercial is about the scariest thing a one year-old girl has ever seen.
If you were at the game tonight and missed it, Bob Brenly plugged the "Border Battle" game on Friday between the Peoria Chiefs and the Wisconsin Timber Rattlers at Miller Park, urging fans to go. I think enough of you are planning to go that I'll post a special story Friday morning so that you can give us your thoughts before and after the game.
Also, Bob announced he was playing hooky from the game in St. Louis to go to Miller Park that night. So say hi to Bob if you go.
Iowa Cubs
The Iowa Cubs were nuked by the Albuquerque Isotopes, 7-0.
Starter Esmailin Caridad had a rough outing. By the time Caridad left the game after throwing 4.2 innings, he had given up six runs on seven hits and five walks. He struck out four.
The Isotopes pitching staff of Eric Milton, Jeff Weaver and Tanyon Sturze held the I-Cubs to three singles and a walk.
Tennessee Smokies
The Smokies polished off the West Tennessee Diamond Jaxx, 8-7.
Starter James Russell continues to struggle in AA. Tonight he lasted only 4.1 innings. In that time he managed to allow six runs on ten hits, two of which were home runs. Russell walked one and struck out three.
Jayson Ruhlman got the win in relief. Ruhlman didn't allow a run over 1.1 innings. He did allow one hit, walked a batter and struck out one. Brian Schlitter was impressive in recording his second save of the year. Schlitter was perfect over 1.2 innings. He struck out three of the five DJ batters he faced.
Catcher Steve Clevenger was the hitting hero tonight for the Smokies. Clevenger had a home run and a triple in a 2 for 3 night. Clevenger also walked once, had the one RBI and scored three times.
First baseman Blake Lalli was 2 for 3 with a walk and an run scored. Lalli is off to a .519 start on the season.
Daytona Cubs
The Daytona Cubs decimated the Dunedin Blue Jays, 12-0.
Starter Ryan Searle was dominating tonight, allowing only one hit over six innings. He didn't walk a batter and struck out two.
Henry Williamson, Alberto Alburquerque and Luke Sommer each tossed a scoreless inning of relief.
The D-Cubs banged out 16 hits tonight, so forgive me if I miss someone who did well tonight. Right fielder Dylan Johnston had his second home run of the season. Johnston was 2 for 4 with a walk and two RBI. Marquez Smith continued his hot streak, and he didn't even start the game. Smith hit his fourth home run in six games when he pinch-hit in the sixth inning. It was a three-run shot. Smith stayed in the game and was 1 for 2 overall.
DH Tyler Colvin kept on getting on base with a 2 for 3 night that included two walks. Colvin scored twice and knocked one in. Shortstop Starlin Castro may have snapped out of his slump with a 2 for 5 evening. Castro scored once.
Second baseman Nate Samson was 2 for 5 with a triple, two runs scored and two RBI. First baseman Russ Canzler also went 2 for 5. Canzler had a double, scored once and had one RBI. Left fielder Jonathan Wyatt was the last 2 for 5 guy. Wyatt scored twice.
Peoria Chiefs
Were rained out again tonight. I can promise you they won't be rained out at Miller Park.
0 recs | 34 comments
Report from Sec Taylor
A painful night at Sec Taylor in more ways than one. Dollar dog night and I are going to need to come to a mutual understanding. And a 7-0 shutout (our offense was sterilized by the Isotopes’ pitching) doesn’t help.
Nice night for a game. Wind strong at game time from the LF foul pole to his RF counterpart, dying down to still by the 5th. 60 degrees or so, 4198 attending. 4 umpires, which is one more than I thought they were supposed to have, but maybe I missed a memo.
Three singles, an error resulting in a double, and a walk were the total offense produced by the I-Cubs. Jake Fox grounded out 3 times and struck out once to end his hitting streak. The defense looked good, though the outfielders are still adjusting to playing balls off the wall.
And then there was Caridad. He had a great fastball to start, clocked in as high as 94 mph in the first, but little else to offer. I think I saw maybe a dozen off-speed pitches all night, only one of which sticks in my mind as having good action. He had success as long as his placements were accurate, but wasn’t nailing down his locations right from the start. By the middle of the second (30 pitches in) his velocity had dropped off to high eighties, and his control started to go shortly thereafter, probably indirectly resulting in a run-scoring balk. The third was just ugly, with four hits, two walks, and a total of five runs (all earned). Final numbers: 104 pitches in 4 and 2/3; 4 K’s, 5 BB, 7H, 6ER, and a balk.
For what it’s worth, the relievers looked fairly good. Reinhard threw 2 1/3 good innings, with 6 (!) K’s, 2 BB and a hit. Estrada pitched 2, giving up 2 hits, an ER, and getting a K.
Dollar admission on Thursday, maybe I’ll skip out early on work.
znohitter - April 21, 2009
According to Gameday
Caridad was throwing up, both in and out of the zone, all night. Did you get that sense?
Josh Timmers - April 22, 2009
For the most part.
He looked to be having trouble getting the ball down in the zone, particularly at the end of longer innings. During the third Robinson went out to the mound about four times, IIRC. I was surprised Caridad was allowed to bat in the bottom of that inning after struggling so much. My evalution, based only on this start, is that he either needs to develop a good off-speed pitch he can throw more or nail down his locations.
znohitter - April 22, 2009
if he was 'throwing up'
it’s amazing he got to 104 pitches.
j/k
tim815 - April 22, 2009
I smiled
Josh Timmers - April 22, 2009
Cool report, thanks!
And, yeah, dollar dogs is a dangerous concept.
daver - April 22, 2009
Reinhard
Now has 15 punchouts in 9 Ip’s and not give up an earned run this season.
Slamdog - April 22, 2009
Good observation
Quite honestly, Reinhard has been so far off my radar (as in he hasn’t been touted as much of a prospect) that I didn’t notice he’s off to a good start. Maybe I should start paying a little more attention.
He had six Ks in 2.1 innings tonight. With Jim Hendry in attendance, too.
Josh Timmers - April 22, 2009
He also has given up only 3 BB and 7 H in those 9 IP.
He looked really good last night. His fastball is around 90, IIRC, and he does a good job of mixing pitch locations and speeds and getting ahead early. He’s definitely one I will keep an eye on.
znohitter - April 22, 2009
Report
Here’s a report from the game tonight that was emailed to me.
I got another one that said, essentially, it was a lousy game.
Josh Timmers - April 22, 2009
Looks like the same report that was posted above.
Al Yellon - April 22, 2009
Sorry about that.
I sent it to Josh hoping it would get there before he posted, but it didn’t. I’m not used to the whole ‘deadline’ thing, being a musician and all…. :)
znohitter - April 22, 2009
I just get confused
late at night.
Josh Timmers - April 22, 2009
Bruce Levine said Tuesday that the Cubs are likely to call up Jeff Samardzija within a few days
That can only mean two things.
1. Luis Vizcaino will be whacked, with Spellcheck moving to the pen. .
2. Neal Cotts will be whacked, with Sean Marshall moving to the pen (where I like him best) and Spellcheck moving into the rotation.
BLou - April 22, 2009
I think he's scheduled to start on Thursday here in DSM.
We’ll see what happens. If they’re looking for a pen arm, I would think either Waddell (L) or Reinhard® would be a good choice.
znohitter - April 22, 2009
And in other news,
if you put an “r” inside parens, it turns into a registered trademark symbol. Good to know.
Reinhard is a righty, BTW.
znohitter - April 22, 2009
Maybe he's a registered trademark, too.
Al Yellon - April 22, 2009
Reinhard(r), for all your AAA right-handed bullpen needs.
D98 - April 22, 2009
I guess it only works in the post.
Reinhard(r). For all your bullpen needs.
D98 - April 22, 2009
Or, maybe it doesn't.
D98 - April 22, 2009
Let me try.
Reinhard®
Al Yellon - April 22, 2009
My turn.
Reinhard®: C’mon, I can do better than Neal Cotts
daver - April 22, 2009
What is up with the Topes pitching staff?
Are they trying really really hard to win the AAA title? They look like they could plausibly be an MLB expansion team with their collection of moderately-well-known former major leaguers.
Estes, Weaver, Milton, Sturze, Scott Strickland, even our own Stephen Randolph.
And Danny Ardoin, and Jason Repko, Dee Brown, Hector Luna – the Topes seem to be older, to have more MLB experience, and to be less useful to the MLB club than any other AAA team I’ve seen in a while. They have a 39 year old on this team! 14 of their players are over 30, and the rest arent far behind. Odd.
D98 - April 22, 2009
Why does Stephen Randolph have a pitching job in baseball?
He has a major league WHIP of over 1.8. He almost literally cannot throw strikes. He has a 1.50 career MINOR LEAGUE WHIP.
Oh, that’s right. He’s lefthanded. Damn. Wish I were lefty. I could probably have a pitching job somewhere.
Al Yellon - April 22, 2009
The Dodgers
Are just stockpiling arms at this point. I guess they’re hoping one of those old journeymen find something in ABQ.
It’s been pointed out that the Isotopes starting rotation has more career wins than the Marlins starting rotation—and probably a few other teams too.
Josh
Josh Timmers - April 22, 2009
Triple AAA is the land of journeyman and stockpiling of has-beens
Lets be honest. There is very little true quality and projectable young talent that sits in Triple A very long. For an organization’s best prosects Triple A is intended to be merely a short stopping ground. Most top shelf prospects bypass Triple A altogether if they prove ultimately to be bonafide major league material.
Hence example of why there were screaming red flags aplenty when Felix Pie spent three seasons at Triple A.
BLou - April 22, 2009
And Yet
We’re able to ignore the screaming red flags that you’re an incredible tool who loves to distort reality. FP only played 55 games at Iowa one year and 85 the next while the Cubs were jerking him around instead of giving him a decent chance at succeeding. Let’s not let the facts get in the way of another lame attempt at slamming your favorite whipping boy BlueMike.
WayneCampbell08 - April 22, 2009
FWIW,
the I-Cubs nearly shut out Albuquerque today while scoring nine, six off their starter. (Guess the bats just decided to take last night off.) Right back atcha, city with a name I can’t spell right twice!
znohitter - April 22, 2009
Man, Colvin is on fire...
…in both the “getting hits” and “drawing walks” categories. Nice to see.
I do have a question, though: How could he be 2 for 3 with two walks? Wouldn’t that make him 2 of 4? Or am I missing something here?
daver - April 22, 2009
Walks dont count as at-bats.
Colvin had 5 plate appearances. He walked twice, got 2 hits, and made an out.
D98 - April 22, 2009
Ah, OK.
I sorta knew that, but got confused anyway. I should probably eat lunch.
daver - April 22, 2009
Colvin has some catching up to do
So yes, it is good to see him finally delivering on the promise of being a 1st round draft pick by Tim Wilken when many within the baseball fraternity didn’t feel he merited such lofty consideration.
BLou - April 22, 2009
Walks don't count
as At bats. So when he goes 2 for 3 with two walks, it means he went to the plate five times, drew two walks, got two hits and made one out.
What Colvin is doing is nice but 1) I’d like to see more power and 2) I’d like to see him doing it in AA. Still, it’s the first good news we’ve gotten out of Colvin since 2007. Also, it’s amazing how much he’s transformed himself as a hitter. He used to hack at everything—this season, he’s drawing more walks than striking out.
Josh Timmers - April 22, 2009
It's called ADAPT or fall off the prospect radarscope
Colvin is in career survival mode at this stage. Hence why he either adapted or died.
BLou - April 22, 2009
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