text:
Results tagged ' Yeyson Yrizarri '
Series Preview: Kannapolis at Hickory July 4-6
Kannapolis Intimidators (Chicago White Sox) (43-37 overall, 4-8 second half, tied for 6th South Atlantic League Northern Division) at Hickory Crawdads (Texas Rangers) (34-48 overall, 7-5 3rd SAL Northern)
The Hickory Crawdads begin a weeklong homestand with a three-game series against in-state rival Kannapolis.
If you plan to go:
GAME TIMES: Tuesday – Thursday at 7:00 p.m.
Tuesday – Independence Day Celebration and Post-Game Fireworks
Wednesday – Kids Win Wednesday: All kids 12 and under admitted free, also get vouchers for free meal, bounce house, speed pitch and carousel;
Thursday – Thirsty Thursday; Rudy Wright Night
TICKETS: $9 dollars for regular seats, $14 for VIP section. NOTE: Tickets for July 4 are $12 for regular seats, $17 for VIP section… while supplies last!
WHERE IS IT?: Clement Blvd., 1 mile west of U.S. Hwy 321, near entrance to Hickory Airport.
PARKING: All parking is $3.
CONCESSIONS: L.P. Frans Stadium has two main concession areas plus the Crawdads Café. The concession stands have your basic ballpark food: Hot dogs, burgers, chicken sandwich, BBQ, etc. The Crawdad Café has a menu that features more diverse items, including the Mac & Crawdog, Banana Foster Bites, Fried Pickles, Sloppy Burger, and more. Click here for the menu http://www.milb.com/documents/3/3/4/185907334/cafe_menu_6eeko6n2.pdf
Probables (Kannapplis/ Hickory):
Tuesday: RHP Yelmison Peralta vs. RHP Walker Weickel
Wednesday: RHP Blake Hickman vs. RHP Edgar Arredondo
Thursday: RHP Luis Martinez vs. RHP Reid Anderson
Recent Series History:
In 2017, Hickory is 10-9 as the teams enter the final series vs. Kannapolis this season. The Crawdads have not lost a season series against Kannapolis since 2010 (7-9). The Intimidators hold a 4-3 edge in games played at L.P. Frans this season and are looking to win its season-series at Hickory since 2008 (3-1).
About the Crawdads:
The Crawdads hope to springboard off a successful road trip and use that momentum to improve upon a 15-24 home record. They return home after their first winning road trip (5-3) of the season. Hickory won 3 of 4 at Kannapolis last week and then earned a split of a four-game series at West Virginia by winning Monday night's finale… At the plate, the Crawdads are fourth in the SAL in total bases, supported by a league-leading 28 triples and 56 homers, which is fourth in the league. However, that has not added up to tallies on the scoreboard as the Crawdads are ninth in runs scored. Some of that has been due to impatience at the plate. Hickory is tied for last in walks received and next to last overall in on-base percentage (.305) …The Crawdads remain last in the SAL in ERA, but the trend continues towards improvement as the club is under five (4.87) and is no longer on pace to set a club record. Hickory is last in WHIP, and next to last in both walks and hits allowed.
Prospects to watch- Hickory:
CF Leody Taveras (No. 1 MLB.com and Baseball America, No. 43 Baseball America top-100 prospects, No. 51 MLB.com top-100): Signed as international free agent 2015 out of Tenares, Dominican Republic. Went 3-for-11 at West Virginia and has a .302/.415/.372 slash for the second half. Has just four extra-base hits since May 30. Tied for first in triples (5), second in ABs, 5th in games played, 8th in runs scored, tied for 9th in hits
SS Anderson Tejeda (No. 7 MLB.com). Signed as an international free agent in 2015 out of Bani, D.R. Went 2-for-11 in series at West Virginia. Has shifted mostly to 2B, playing just four games at SS since May 30. Tied for 6th in SAL with 4 triples. Is tied for 4th in Ks and has 13 in 52 plate appearances (31%) in the second half.
2B Yeyson Yrizarri (No. 17 MLB.com): Signed as an international free agent in 2013 out of the D.R. Went 6-for-15 at West Virginia with a homer and 5 RBI. Has hits in 9 of 11 games in the second half, including the last six. Hitting .325/.333/.550 in the second half.
RF Jose Almonte (No. 28 MLB.com): Signed as an international free agent in 2013 out of Santo Domingo, D.R. Has struggled all season (.186/.248/.305) and is now losing playing time, seeing action in just 7 of 12 games. Went 1-for-14 on the road trip and is 2-for-22 with 7 Ks in the second half.
Others to watch – Hickory:
C Ricky Valencia: Signed as an international free agent in 2011 out of Valencia, Venezuela. Named to the SAL All-Star Game as a reserve catcher. Went 4-for-11 at West Virginia and has hits in 6 of his last 8 games. Looking for his first extra-base hit since June 12.
1B Carlos Garay: Signed as an international free agent in 2012 out of La Victoria, Venezuela. Has settled into the starting first base slot since joining the Crawdads on May 20. Has hits in 10 of his last 11 games and multi-hit games in five of the last seven (14-for-32). Very much a contact hitter, has just 3 Ks over the last 11 games, but no walks. Overall, he has just 4 walks in 40 games, but just 14 Ks.
3B Ti'Quan Forbes: Second-round pick in 2014 out of Columbia High (MS). Has missed just three of 82 games. Went 5-for-15 at West Virginia and has 9 hits in 20 ABs. Is hitting just .217/.255/.319 at home.
C Alex Kowalczyk: 12th-round pick in 2016 out of Pittsburgh. Went 3-for-13 at West Virginia. Is at .333/.368/.417 in the second half. At home, Kowalczyk is .368/.403/.559. Has had trouble however behind the plate with a SAL-high of 9 errors and four passed balls in just 28 games.
RHP Walker Weickel: Signed as a free agent in 2017 out of the San Diego Padres organization with which he was a first-round pick. In his last start at Kannapolis, allowed three hits, a walk and struck out seven over 6.2 innings.
RHP Edgar Arredondo: Signed as an international free agent in 2013 out of Culiacan, Sinaloa, Mexico. Allowed two earned runs over five innings with five hits and three Ks at Kannapolis in his last starter. Has given up one for fewer earned runs in five of his last eight starts.
RHP Kaleb Fontenot: 21st-round pick in 2016 out of McNeese St. Pitched in three of the four games (2 saves) at West Virginia and has four straight scoreless outings.
About the Drive:
Managed by former Kannapolis infielder Justin Jirschele. The Intimidators won six of seven to close out the first half, which included a four-game sweep of then-first place Hagerstown (Md.) to claim the first half Northern Division title. Kannapolis will make its first playoff appearance this September since 2009…Winning the first half earned promotions for several players (six of the seven all-stars received promotions) and for now it has left Kannapolis scrambling for answers. At the plate, about 40% of the homers (21 of 52), one-third of the RBI, and nearly one-third of the hits are elsewhere. In losing the final seven games of its just-concluded homestand, Kannapolis scored 16 runs. It's a team that doesn't run much – a league low 50 steal attempts – and relies on station-to-station and situational hitting… The same holds true on the mound as players that made 48 of the 80 starts for Kannapolis are now elsewhere. Only one pitcher currently on the roster (Yosmen Solorzano) has made more than six starts (15).
Prospects to watch – Kannapolis:
RF Micker Adolfo (No. 21 mlb.com): Signed as an international free agent in 2013 out of San Pedro de Macoris, D.R. Went 3-for-16 vs. Delmarva in the last series. Had a 16-game hitting streak (24-for-66) in May and was named the White Sox minor-league player of the month in May and June. He had ten homers, 19 doubles and 37 RBI during that stretch. He is tied for first in the SAL with 24 doubles, fifth in total bases and ninth in slugging (.483).
RHP Luis Martinez (No. 22 mlb.com): Signed as an international free agent in 2012 out of Carupano, Venezuela. Had a dominant first start of the season vs. Hickory on May 19 with 9 Ks and one run allowed on four hits over five innings. Bumped up to high-A Winston-Salem, he struggled (16 ERs, 25 hits, 10 BBs over 16 innings), then returned to Kannapolis on June 26 to again dominate Hickory (1 ER, 3 H, 5 K, 6 IP).
Others to watch – Kannapolis:
2B Mitch Roman: 12th round pick in 2016 out of Wright St. Went 3-for-19 vs. Delmarva. Named to the SAL all-star game. Shifted to SS after the promotion of Grant Massey. Currently fourth in the SAL in hits.
RHP Blake Hickman: 7th round pick by the White Sox in 2015 out of Iowa. Made his first pro start vs. Hickory on 5/31/17 and allowed one run on five hits and fanned two over six innings. Had a rough outing vs. Delmarva in his last start on June 30 (5.1 IP, 5 H, 6 R, 5 ER, 2 BB, 2 HBP, 4 K.).
Weird Baseball: Hickory outlasts Lexington 6-5
When you have a pre-game that has the Red Power Ranger and Dale Murphy throwing out first pitches back-to-back and the box manager announces the attendance dressed in a Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtle costume, the game itself must be weird.
After the offenses were dormant early, the Hickory Crawdads and the Lexington (Ky.) Legends battled back-and-forth until a play at the plate settled the contest, which the Crawdads won 6-5 on Saturday at L.P. Frans Stadium.
The win snapped the Crawdads (24-38) losing streak at three and sent the Legends (30-32) to their fourth loss in five games on the current road trip.
What happened?:
Well, not much in the first 5 ½ innings. Lexington's Jace Vines (KC's 2016 4th round pick from Texas A&M) held the Crawdads without a baserunner until the fifth and a hit until the sixth. Meanwhile, his counterpart Walker Weickel allowed two hits, walked two and struck out five over his four innings.
Lexington scored in the fifth against reliever Christian Torres. Rudy Martin walked, stole second and scored on Angelo Castellano's single to left.
Alex Kowalczyk broke up the fledgling perfect game with a leadoff walk in the fifth. In the sixth, Jose Almonte laid to rest Vines's no-hit bid with a clean single through the left side of the infield. Yeyson Yrizarri singled up the middle before Vines walked Anderson Tejeda to load the bases. After Vines fanned Eric Jenkins, Leody Taveras ambushed a first-pitch fastball and drove it over the funeral home sign in center for a grand slam, his fifth homer of the season to make it 4-1.
"It happens in the game," said Crawdads manager Spike Owen. "(Vines) was throwing well against us the first five innings. We got to the sixth inning and finally had some quality at bats and got the no-hitter out of the way with Almonte's single and Yrizarri had a great at-bat. Obviously, Taveras get the first-pitch fastball for the grand slam. Up to that point, we didn't have anything going, but you've got to play nine innings. That's what we've been preaching to them all year."
Matt Smoral picked up for Torres in the seventh and after striking out the first two hitters, he walked the bases loaded. C.D. Pelham entered to face Emmanuel Rivera, who hit the lefty's second pitch out to left for his fifth homer of the season.
The Crawdads fought back to tie it a 5-5 in the seventh, when Ti'Quan Forbes and Yrizarri pieced two doubles together for the tying run.
Lexington threatened in the eighth when it put Gabriel Cancel on second with one out. Yeison Melo ripped a Pelham pitch to left – or it would have landed there if not for the diving play of Forbes at third, who made the catch and fired to second to complete an inning-ending double play.
What turned out to be the winning tally started in the eighth when Eric Jenkins had a hustle double and moved to third on Taveras's infield hit. Yanio Perez hit into a fielder's choice to erase Taveras, but Jenkins inexplicably stayed at third. After Kowalczyk lined out to short, Forbes brought in Jenkins with a single.
Things got harrowing for the Crawdads in the ninth as Pelham hit Martin with a pitch with one out. After Pelham struck out Khalil Lee, Castellano singled Martin to second. Rivera hit a grounder up the middle that SS Tejeda knocked down, which seemingly would've kept Martin at third. Except, Martin ran with his head down and either didn't see manager Scott Thorman with a stop sign, or Thorman didn't throw one up. Martin circled around third and sprinted for home. Tejeda's throw to the plate was in plenty of time to allow Ricky Valencia tag Martin sliding in.
Yes, Taveras is back.
I thought Taveras was on the way to his usual pest-like self again on Friday. When he's on, Taveras is marvelously skilled at picking out his pitch. Whether it's a first-pitch fastball, like on the grand slam, or a 9-pitch AB as in the first inning, he will seek out his pitch, and more often than not, smack it hard somewhere.
But he's bunting?
After Friday night's ninth-inning loss Spike Owen was pulling out the stops to get a win. AFter Jenkins double in the eighth, Taveras fouled off the first two pitches on failed bunt attempts before connecting on a slow roller that set up the final run of the game. Hickory has only 8 sac bunts this season – Tejeda has 3 of them – it just seemed a weird strategy to take the bat out of your second-best hitter.
Forbes making noise like a duck:
Or he could if he gets a promotion to the Down East Wood Ducks. He offers stellar defensive play every night, but it's been the stick that has held him back. He continues to see fastball and is willing to drive it where it's pitched. Tonight, he got pitches in and he knows what to do with them. A great play at third deprived him of three hits.
Eric, oh Eric:
There is so much raw talent, but wow, there seems to be some baseball acumen missing at times. In the sixth with the bases loaded, he swung through a fastball up – a big swing, when just putting the ball in play most likely gets a run. Later in the AB, he fouled off a high slider that screamed "hit me". Jenkins did work the count in the AB, but eventually flew out to shallow left. When he is in a key situation in an inning, he tends to overswing.
Him holding at third with runners on the corners and no outs was just odd – just as odd as it was for the Legends to play back for a double play with no outs and the go-ahead runner at third in the eighth.
Legendary Rally Sinks Crawdads 4-3
It's been a tough season for the Hickory. The pitching staff has taken its lumps. The defensive play has been iffy. There has been time the two aspects have performed well, but the bats went silent.
Friday night had all the makings of a good team win. Solid pitching, nearly flawless defense, and timely hitting added up to a 3-1 lead. And then the ninth…
Taking advantage of a key error, the Lexington (Ky.) Legends tallied three runs in the top of the ninth and claimed a 4-3 victory over the Crawdads in front of 3,025 fans at L.P. Frans Stadium.
The Legends (30-31) snapped a three-game losing streak and picked up their first win during a weeklong road trip after being swept at Columbia (S.C). The win was also the first of the season after trailing in the eighth inning. Lexington was 0-25 in such games before Friday's rally.
Meanwhile, Hickory (23-38) dropped its third straight, all at home where the Crawdads are 11-21. It was first loss (14-1) when leading after eight innings.
What happened?:
Crawdads starter Matt Ball held the Legends in check for six innings and Nick Dignacco added two more solid innings to help get the Crawdads to the ninth with the lead.
Ball allowed one run on seven hits and struck out ten before Dignacco tacked on three Ks over two scoreless innings.
Meanwhile, the Crawdads put up two runs in the second against Andre Davis. With two outs, Jose Almonte singled and Yeyson Yrizarri doubled him in. Anderson Tejeda reached on an infield hit and Yrizarri scored when second baseman John Brontsema's throw to first went into the dugout.
Khalil Lee hit his ninth homer of the season in the third to trim the Legends deficit in half.
Hickory got the run back in the fourth when Alex Kowalczyk singled and came around to score on Carlos Garay's doubled to the track in center to make it 3-1. And then the ninth…
Rudy Martin and Lee opened the inning with singles to chase Dignacco. Reid Anderson entered to face Angelo Castellano and this was the key sequence of the inning. Castellano sent a 2-1 fastball on a liner to left, which scored Martin from second. On the play, LF Eric Jenkins charged the ball aggressively, but it skipped to Jenkins left and that allowed Lee to go to third and Castellano to second.
Gabriel Cancel atoned for a four-strikeout night with a sacrifice fly to the track in left that easily scored Lee from third and was deep enough to allow Castellano to move to third. With the infield in to try and keep the go-ahead run from scoring, the next hitter, Emmanuel Rivera, hit a grounder to Yanio Perez at first. He made the quick grab of the ball and fired home, but Castellano was able to slide under the tag of the catcher Kowalczyk to make it 4-3.
Anderson pitched out of further trouble, but aside from Yrizarri's second double of the game with two outs, Gavin Grant had little trouble setting down the Crawdads to close out the game.
Matt was Ballin'
With a decent arsenal of four pitches (fastball 91-92, change, curve and a slider I don't remember seeing last year), I was a bit surprised the Rangers hadn't given him much of a look in the starting rotation other than as a spot-starter. With Demarcus Evans going on the DL, and Tyler Phillips and Jonathan Hernandez moving to different affiliates, Ball has picked up a rotation spot. The results up till Friday in the rotation have been not good: 14 earned runs in his last 14 innings (three starts) with 7 walks. But the Ks have increased. He had eight in 6.1 innings at Delmarva and posted 14 over the last three starts.
He hadn't been much of a strikeout pitcher, but more of a groundball hurler. The SAL hit .266 against him last year, but when he keeps his sinking fastball down and throws his secondaries for strikes, he's tough. Friday was one of those nights.
He got Ks on all four pitches – spotting the fastball on corners for looking Ks. He threw a few changes early to good effect, but started leaving some pitches up.
Lee's homer was a rope that skipped off the top of the 32' billboard in right – a true liner. In the fourth, Rivera lined to right, Meibrys Viloria then nearly decapitated Ball with a liner up the middle and Brontsema added a hard-hit single. From there, Ball began to amp up the breaking ball arsernal and K'd both Joe Dudek and Marteen Gasparini on good sliders.
Running out of gas in the sixth – a walk and hit batter – Ball got his final K on a slider to Dudek and later returned to the change for a fielder's choice.
Digging Dignacco
The 40th round pick in 2014 finally returned to action after serving out his commitment to West Point and he's not messing around. Dignacco has a quick pace and brings an 88-90 mph fastball and a curve that seems to have two speeds. It was especially tough on lefties as a couple of them bailed on the bender. He also got a couple of hitters to chase changeups, with which he used to expand the strike zone to righties looking for the curve to come over the plate.
Eerie Yrizarri:
Yeyson Yrizarri was moved to second for this season with most of the playing time going to Anderson Tejeda. Occasionally the two will switch, as they have for the last couple of games. Personally, I like Yrizarri more at short. Cannon of an arm and the range to play the position, I thought he made the position look easy last year and continues to do so this year. The issue of him taking his time to make plays has seemed to vanish this season.
One such play on Friday showed his prowess at the position. In the second, Brontsema hit a grounder that seemed destined for a single to center. Cheating up the middle prior to the pitch, Yrizarri fielded the ball to the first-base side of the bag at the cut of the outfield grass. He quickly twirled and fired a bullet to first for the out.
But there were a couple sequences on force plays that seemed to tax him mentally. In the sixth with runners at first and second, Gasparini hit a ball up the middle that Yrizarri fielded near the bag. What looked like a routine step-on-the-bag-at-second play to end the inning, turned into a throw to first that the speedy Gasparini beat out. One inning later, a similar play occurred when Yrizarri fielding the ball near the bag, but there seemed almost a mindset of, "I won't mess that up again". He looked up to Tejeda covering at second and the ball kicked off the glove for an error.
Taveras back?:
A 1-for-18 at Delmarva (Md.) last weekend seemed to be a cry for help in the form of time off for the 18-year-old. With Monday's off day, he got three days of R&R before returning to the lineup Thursday. He looked a little rusty last night, but seemed back on track again. In the first, a 9-pitch AB right-handed AB turned into a hard out to right. He waved through a breaking ball for an out in the third, then in the fifth Taveras slapped a pitch away to the RF corner for a double. Batting lefty in the eighth, he turned on a fastball in and again peppered the right fielder with a liner.
Greenville Rallies, Defeats Hickory 5-3
The Greenville (S.C.) Drive rallied with two runs in the fifth and one in the sixth to defeat the Hickory Crawdads in front of 3,625 fans, many of whom spent the 10:30 a.m. matinee in line at the lemonade stand at L.P. Frans Stadium.
The win for the Drive (35-23) snaps both their three-game losing streak and the Crawdads (23-36) three-game winning streak. Pending today's other action in the South Atlantic League's Southern Division, the Drive is guaranteed at least a three-game lead with 11 games to play in the first-half title chase. Columbia (S.C.) already defeated Lexington (Ky.) today and is three back. Rome (Ga.) will play at in-state rival Augusta this evening. The Braves started the day 2 ½ games behind the first-place Drive.
The loss assured the Crawdads first sub-.500 record for a half-season since the second-half of the 2009 season. Hickory is now simply trying to avoid its first last-place finish since their affiliation with the Pirates ended in 2008. They entered the day two games behind sixth-place Delmarva (Md.). The Crawdads worst half-season record as a Rangers affiliate came in the 2009 second half with they finished 30-40.
What happened?:
The Greenville started the game with a single by Chris Madera and a walk issued by Edgar Arredondo (2-3) to Santiago Espinal. One out later, Tyler Hill doubled to left to score Madera.
Hickory pounced back with two of its own in the bottom of the first against Darwinzon Hernandez. With two outs and the bases empty, Yanio Perez singled and then walks to Ti'Quan Forbes and Alex Kowalczyk loaded the bases. Carlos Garay hit a broken-bat, jam-shot blooper into shallow center to score both Perez and Forbes.
That turned out to be almost the last of the Crawdads offense as Robby Sexton replaced Hernandez in the second and was nearly unhittable in earning his first pro win (1-5). The lefty, a 14th-round pick of the Boston Red Sox in 2016 out of Wright State, retired the first 11 and 18 of the 20 hitters he faced.
Greenville vaulted ahead 3-2 in the fifth with two runs that came after the Crawdads missed a chance for the third out. Mitchell Gunsolus doubled and one out later moved to third on Arredondo's wild pitch. Madera joined him on the bases when he was hit by a pitch. The key play of the inning occurred when Espinal flew out to shallow right. Jose Almonte made the catch and while Gunsolus held at third, Madera, for some unknown reason, tagged up from first and tried to advance to second. 1B Yanio Perez cut the ball off, but his throw to second to cut down Madera was high and the runner slid in safely. Ryan Scott singled in both runners to give the Drive a lead they would never relinquish.
Greenville used a two-out rally for a run in the sixth. Reliever Christian Torres loaded the bases by sandwiching walks to Gunsolus and Madera around a single by Carlos Tovar. Espinal hit a liner that was initially caught when SS Yeyson Yrizarri made a leaping grab. However, the ball tumbled out as he fell to the ground and that scored Gunsolus.
Franklin Rollin hit his third homer of the season in the eighth off closer Stephen Nogosek (11th save). However, Madera returned serve with his third homer of the season to start the ninth and accounted for the final score.
Strikes matter:
A missed opportunity for the final out in the fifth aside, the game came down to the ability of the pitchers to throw strikes. When Hernandez couldn't throw strikes in the first (32 pitches, 16 strikes), the Drive moved quickly to shuffle in Sexton and he was brilliant. He mixed in a few breaking balls to miss bats – especially to Jose Almonte and Alex Kowalczyk – but it appeared he stayed with a fastball that was 88-90 according to the pitch trackers with a few changeups mixed in. Sexton (65 pitches, 46 strikes) moved the ball around well, hit spots and the Crawdads never really made solid contact against him.
Arredondo's fastball was in the 90-92 range with iffy command and he had difficulty getting any of his secondary pitches (change, curve, slider) over the plate. He finished with just 57 strikes out of 87 pitches through 4 2/3 innings.
Christian Torres walks (32 pitches, 19 strikes) cost him a run in the sixth, though he used his change effectively in getting out of Arredondo's jam in the fifth.
Early-run woes continue:
The first-inning run by Greenville was the 30th time in 59 games that an opponent has performed that feat. Further, Hickory has kept the opposition off the scoreboard over the first three innings just nine times.
Center field prospects take the day off:
Hickory's Leody Taveras – the Texas Rangers No. 1 prospect – had his second straight off day on Wednesday. He had missed only one game this season prior to this week and on the heels of a 1-for-18 weekend at Delmarva (Md.) a chance to rest and regroup could be what is needed for now.
Greenville's Lorenzo Cedrola – the Boston Red Sox No. 15 prospect – sat out on the heels of getting pulled from Tuesday's game for not running out a groundball.
Series Preview Hickory at Delmarva (Md.) June 1-4
Hickory Crawdads (Texas Rangers) (20-33, 7th place South Atlantic League Northern Division) at Delmarva (Md.) Shorebirds (Baltimore Orioles) (21-30, 6th place Northern)
The Hickory Crawdads make the trip to Salisbury, Md. to take on the Delmarva Shorebirds in a four-game series.
If you plan to go:
GAME TIMES: Thursday – Saturday 7:05 p.m., Sunday 2:05 p.m.
Promotions: Thursday – Thirsty Thursday. Friday – Orange Friday Jersey Draw String Bag Giveaway. Saturday: Post-Game Fireworks. Sunday – Strike Out Hunger Sunday (Bring 2 canned food items and get an upper-reserved ticket for $3
TICKETS: $8 Upper Reserved for children, seniors or military, other tickets $9-14. Add $1 on game day.
Where is it?: From U.S. 13, takes U.S. 50 East toward Ocean City. Turn right onto Hobbs Rd.
CONCESSIONS: Hot Corner Grill, Scoop It Up, Angus Stand, Bird's Eye Café, Sweet Shop, Dip N Dots, Pizza Stand.
PROBABLES (Hickory/ Delmarva):
Thursday: LHP Sal Mendez vs. LHP Alex Wells
Friday: RHP Matt Ball vs. RHP Lucas Humpal
Saturday: TBA vs. LHP Travis Seabrooke
Sunday: RHP Kyle Cody vs. LHP Zach Muckenhirn
Recent Series History: The Crawdads went 7-6 against the Shorebirds in 2016, including a 3-2 record at Purdue Stadium. Hickory has dominated the series since the affiliation with the Rangers began in 2009 with a 65-41 overall record. The Crawdads are 29-23 in Maryland. Hickory has won every season-series against the Shorebirds since 2009, except for the 2015 season when Delmarva edged Hickory 5-6.
About the Crawdads:
Hickory enters the series on a 3-9 skid, which includes a 2-5 homestand that ended on Wednesday… The SAL-worst pitching staff took a hit on the roster when No. 1 starter Jonathan Hernandez and arguably its best reliever Tyler Ferguson were promoted to High-A Down East. Hickory finished May with the league's worst ERA for the second straight month. The Crawdads are last in the SAL in ERA (5.36), WHIP (1.51), hits allowed, runs allowed and earned runs allowed… The hitters found it rough going against the Intimidators, scoring five runs in three games. The lone win of the series with Kannapolis was a 1-0 win. As a team, the Crawdads showed improvement in May (.268/.314/.381) compared to April (.235/.306/.394). Hickory is tied for second in HRs (43), but next to last in walks received. Two big bats return to the lineup as 1B/ OF Yanio Perez (finger) and 2B Yeyson Yrizarri (hamstring) recovered from injuries.
Prospects to watch- Hickory:
CF Leody Taveras (No. 1 MLB.com and Baseball America, No. 43 Baseball America top-100 prospects, No. 51 MLB.com top-100): Signed as international free agent 2015 out of Tenares, Dominican Republic. After 4 straight games without a hit, Taveras has hits in eight of the last nine games, including the last five, during which he has not struck out. He is 11-for-34 in that stretch with a double and a triple.
SS Anderson Tejeda (No. 7 MLB.com, No. 16 Baseball America). Signed as an international free agent in 2015 out of Bani, D.R. After a .204/.257/.347 May at the plate and 9 errors in the field, he is ready to turn the page of the calendar. Though he remains fourth in the SAL in Ks (62), the rate he is striking out has decreased. After whiffing at a 40% rate in April, that dropped to 29% in May.
LF Miguel Aparicio (No. 14 Baseball America, No. 29 MLB.com). Signed as an international free agent in 2015 out of San Carlos, Venezuela. Is 4-for-25 (.160) over the last 8 games and is at .186/.278/.271 in 21 games. However, he has making adequate contact with a 20% K rate to go with seven walks in 79 plate appearances.
OF Yanio Perez (No. 15 MLB.com, 27 Baseball America): Signed as an international free agent out of Havana, Cuba. Back after missing over a week with a finger injury, Perez looks to pick up where he left off. He leads the SAL in slugging (.621) and OPS (1.050) and is second in batting avg. (.357) and on-base pct. (.429).
2B Yeyson Yrizarri (No. 17 MLB.com): Signed as an international free agent in 2013 out of the D.R. Missed five days from a hamstring injury. Went 0-for-5 in his return on Wednesday. Posted a .321/.357/.385 slash in May.
RF Jose Almonte (No. 28 MLB.com): Signed as an international free agent in 2013 out of Santo Domingo, D.R. Has a hit in each of his last four games and poked two of his three homers during the homestand.
About the Shorebirds:
Managed by Damon Minor in his seventh season (397-488) with the Shorebirds over two stints… The Shorebirds return home after taking two of three at first-place Hagerstown and splitting a four-game series at Lakewood (N.J.)… Offensively, Delmarva has struggled to find runs. The Shorebirds have scored two runs total in their last four losses. The strike zone has been a problem as Delmarva is strikeouts and third from the bottom in walks.
Prospects to watch – Delmarva:
LHP Alex Wells: (No. 15 MLB.com, No.25 Baseball America) Signed as an international free agent in 2015 out of Newcastle, New South Wales, Australia. Named an Orioles organizational all-star by MLB.com in 2016. Was roughed up in his last outing on May 26, but much of it came as the result of five errors, which led to eight unearned runs. With the exception of a six-run outburst on May 15 (three homers allowed), Wells has given up two or fewer runs in all other eight starts. Has 35 Ks to just 8 walks over 44.1 innings. His 2.01 ERA is seventh in the SAL.
LHP Zach Muckenhirn (No. 26 MLB.com, No. 28 Baseball America) 11th-round pick in 2016 out of North Dakota. Despite allowing 17 hits over his last two starts, he has allowed just four earned runs over those 12 innings. SAL have hit him at a .314 clips this season. His 70 hits allowed are a SAL high.
Series Preview: Kannapolis at Hickory May 29-31
Kannapolis Intimidators (Chicago White Sox) (26-22, 4th South Atlantic League Northern Division) at Hickory Crawdads (Texas Rangers) (19-31, 7th SAL Northern)
The Hickory Crawdads continue the second part of a weeklong homestand with a three-game series against the Kannapolis Intimidators.
If you plan to go:
GAME TIMES: Monday-Tuesday at 6:00 p.m., Wednesday at 10:30 a.m.
PROMOTIONS: Monday – Make a Difference Monday: Donate a requested item of $5 or more to Foothills House of Hope and receive a free ticket. Click here for requested items: http://m.foothillshouseofhopeministriesinc.com/Donation-Needs-List.html
Tuesday – Dollar Dog Tuesday: Bring pet to the game for $1 each. Dog show each Tuesday night. $1 hot dogs, $2 craft pints and Pepsi products.
Wednesday – Business Card Special: Show your business card at the Ticket Office for a $5 ticket.
TICKETS: $9 dollars for regular seats, $14 for VIP section.
WHERE IS IT?: Clement Blvd., 1 mile west of U.S. Hwy 321, near entrance to Hickory Airport.
PARKING: All parking is $3.
CONCESSIONS: L.P. Frans Stadium has two main concession areas plus the Crawdads Café. The concession stands have your basic ballpark food: Hot dogs, burgers, chicken sandwich, BBQ, etc. The Crawdad Café has a menu that features more diverse items, including the Mac & Crawdog, Banana Foster Bites, Fried Pickles, Sloppy Burger, and more. Click here for the menu http://www.milb.com/documents/3/3/4/185907334/cafe_menu_6eeko6n2.pdf
Probables (Kannapolis / Hickory):
Monday: LHP Bernando Flores vs. RHP Kyle Cody
Tuesday: TBA vs. RHP Michael Matuella
Wednesday: RHP Jimmy Lambert vs. RHP Edgar Arredondo
Recent Series History:
So far in 2017, the teams have split the 12 previous games played, including a 2-2 series at L.P. Frans in April. Hickory has not lost a home series to the Intimidators since 2014 and are 42-28 there since 2009. The Crawdads won three of five at Kannapolis earlier in May.
About the Crawdads:
Hickory opened the homestand by losing three of four and dropped to 9-16 at Frans this season. The Crawdads enter the series losers of 7 out of 8 and 8 of 10… Hickory is often playing catch-up and often in a big way. The Crawdads have been outscored 139-88 over the first three innings. Opponents have scored in the first inning 24 times, while the Crawdads have 25 total runs in the first inning. In 43 games, opposition has scored at least one run in the first three innings… Pitching continues to make its effects felt on a disappointing first half. Hickory is last in the SAL in ERA (5.45), WHIP (1.54), hits allowed, runs allowed, earned runs allowed and are next to last in walks allowed. For the season, Hickory has given up seven or more runs 21 times in 50 games, 15 of those during the last 29… The Crawdads continues to slug their way into runs. They are second in the SAL in homers with 42, but are eighth out of 14 teams in runs scored. They are fourth in slugging (.391), but 10th in on-base pct. (.313). They are next to last in walks accepted, but third in total bases.
Prospects to watch- Hickory:
CF Leody Taveras (No. 1 MLB.com and Baseball America, No. 43 Baseball America top-100 prospects, No. 51 MLB.com top-100): Signed as international free agent 2015 out of Tenares, Dominican Republic. Has missed one game this season, leads SAL in at-bats, 10th in hits. After sitting out a game during the midst of four-straight games without a hit, Taveras has a hit in five of the last six. He's also starting to get his patience back with a walk in each of the last two games. After ten walks in April, he has just five in May.
SS Anderson Tejeda (No. 7 MLB.com, No. 16 Baseball America). Signed as an international free agent in 2015 out of Bani, D.R. Tied for third in Ks (59). Both his K-rate and walk-rate have declined in May compared to April. Went 4-for-13 in his last three games with a run scored in each. Has two strikeouts in three of the last four games.
LF Miguel Aparicio (No. 14 Baseball America, No. 29 MLB.com). Signed as an international free agent in 2015 out of San Carlos, Venezuela. Hitting just .194/.286/.290 since joining the Crawdads on May 10. Has 14 Ks in 70 plate appearances.
2B Yeyson Yrizarri (No. 17 MLB.com): Signed as an international free agent in 2013 out of the D.R. Sat out the final two games of the series with Asheville. Has hits in 17 of the last 20 games, which boosted his average from .155 on May 4 to its current .245.
RHP Michael Matuella (No. 19 Baseball America, No. 20 MLB.com). Third-round pick in 2015 out of Duke Univ. After a rough start, Matuella is coming off two straight strong outings with just one hit and a walk over his last six innings and 8 Ks. He will be limited to 60 to 70 pitches.
RF Jose Almonte (No. 28 MLB.com): Signed as an international free agent in 2013 out of Santo Domingo, D.R. Hit a pair of homers over the weekend, but K'd 8 times in 16 ABs. Now with 42 Ks in 15 plate appearances this season (28%).
RHP Tyler Ferguson (No. 30 Baseball America, No. 30 MLB.com): Sixth-round pick in 2015 out of Vanderbilt. After a hiccup in mid-May, Ferguson has two scoreless outings with three Ks over 3 innings and one hit allowed. Control is his key. He has walked or hit 12 of the 58 batters he has faced, but has fanned 24.
Others to watch – Hickory:
3B Ti'Quan Forbes: Second-round pick in 2014 out of Columbia High (MS). Played in all 50 games, second in ABs in the SAL. Has posted a .333/.373/.500 slash vs. Kannapolis in 12 games. Hit a three-run homer vs. Asheville on Saturday, his first since mid-April. Has reached base in 12 straight games and is 12-for-41 in that stretch with four walks and two hit batters. Approach of late has been to take pitches up the middle and away.
C Ricky Valencia: Signed as an international free agent in 2011 out of Valencia, Venezuela. Is 10-for-28 with six RBI in 8 games vs. Kannapolis in 2017
C Alex Kowalczyk: 12th-round pick in 2016 out of Pittsburgh. Had three hits on Sunday and is 5-for-13 with two homers in his last three games. He is the leading Crawdads hitter in May, posting a .431/.484/.690 slash in May.
OF Franklin Rollin: Signed as an international free agent in 2013 out of La Romana, D.R. Is 15-for-36 with two homers and 9 RBI in 8 games vs. Kannapolis.
RHP Kaleb Fontenot: 21st-round pick in 2016 out of McNeese St. Currently third in SAL among relievers in Ks per 9 innings (13.50). Has 11 Ks in his last 7 innings over two outings.
About the Intimidators:
Managed by Justin Jirschele in his first season with the Intimidators… Kannapolis split a four-game series at Greensboro and are coming to Hickory after striking out 20 hitters in Sunday's game. The Intimidators are in fourth place, but sit just 3.5 games behind first-place Hagerstown (Md.). Kannapolis will have a chance over the next 17 games to put itself squarely in the division chase. After the Crawdads series, Kannapolis plays four games vs. third place Greensboro, then travels to second-place Lakewood (NJ) for three and sixth-place Delmarva (Md.). The run is capped with a three-game home series vs. Hagerstown… At the plate, Kannapolis is hitting .279 in May, which is second in the SAL. The Intimidators have scored eight or more runs in five of the last ten games. Overall, Kannapolis is third in the league in batting (.264) and OPS (.719)… On the hill, Kannapolis relies on strong starting pitching to eat up innings and get the game to its bullpen. The Intimidators are 18-8 when scoring first and an SAL-best 19-5 when scoring last. When leading after five innings Kannapolis is 20-3… Statistically, both teams should be able to use the running game to generate offense as Hickory and Kannapolis are at the bottom of the SAL in nabbing baserunners trying to steal. However, his is not the Intimidators game. They have just 21 steals in 36 attempts, both SAL lows. Joel Booker has ten of those… Defensively, Kannapolis is third from the bottom in fielding pct.
Prospects to watch – Kannapolis:
LF Jameson Fisher (No. 14 Baseball America, 16 mlb.com): Fourth-round pick out of SE Louisiana. As a redshirt-junior in 2016, led NCAA D-I in on-base pct. and was second in batting average. Tied for 9th in SAL with 12 doubles. Saw a 12-game hitting streak end on Saturday (19-for-47), he still owns a 14-game on-base streak. Has posted a .338/.422/.606 slash in May.
LHP Bernardo Flores (No. 19 mlb.com, 23 Baseball America): Seventh-round pick out of Southern California. Struggled in college, has mid-to-upper 90s fastball. Allowed one run on four hits over six innings in his last start. Has split his two decisions vs. Hickory, gave up four runs on eight hits over 4 innings vs. Hickory on 5/18.
RF Micker Adolfo (No. 21 mlb.com, 24 Baseball America): Signed as an international free agent in 2013. Tied for 3rd in the SAL with 14 doubles. Had a 16-game hitting streak (24-for-66) earlier this month. Currently in the midst of a 4-for-22 stretch.
P Victor Diaz (No. 23 mlb.com, No. 26 Baseball America): Traded to the White Sox from Boston in the Chris Sale trade. The Dominican native made his season's first appearance on May 26. Has retired all nine batters he faced in two outings with six Ks. With an upper-90s fastball, his stay in Kannapolis could be brief.
Others to watch – Kannapolis:
CF Joel Booker: 22nd round pick out of Iowa. Attended Polk County High in Columbus, NC. Quietly putting together a nice season as the Intimidator leadoff hitter. Currently second in the SAL in hits and runs scored, sixth in batting avg. (.318) and tenth in total bases.
RHP Mike Morrison: 27th round pick out of Coastal Carolina. Pitched for last year's College World Series champions. Has allowed the fewest baserunners per 9 IP (3.96) among SAL relievers and is second in saves (8). He has yet to allow a run in 25 innings with 34 Ks to just 11 baserunners. He has given up four hits this season; Hickory has three of them.
RHP Jimmy Lambert: Fifth round pick in 2016 out of Fresno St. Is third in the SAL in innings pitched and has a 1.13 walk-per-nine-inning ratio, the best among starters in the SAL. Relies on defense to make plays, has allowed 57 hits in 55.2 innings. He is 2-1 vs. Hickory with a 2.05 ERA in 22 innings.
C Seby Zavala: 12th-round pick in 2015 out of San Diego St. Tied for second in the SAL with 10 homers and eighth in slugging (.520). Once a top-15 prospect with the White Sox, he's struggled to make contact. Four of his HRs are against Hickory.
RHP Kyle Kybat: Non-drafted free agent out of Nebraska. Allowed 6.18 baserunners per 9 innings, third among SAL relievers, 0.65 BB per 9 innings 5th among relievers. Has a 0.59 ERA over 30.2 innings. Given up two earned runs, one of those surrendered to Hickory.
2B Mitch Roman: 12th round pick in 2016 out of Wright St. Tied for seventh in the SAL in hits. Slash line of .242/.279/.293 in May.
Series Preview Hickory at Lexington (KY) May 22-24
Hickory Crawdads (Texas Rangers) (18-25, 6th place South Atlantic League Northern Division) at Lexington Legends (Kansas City Royals) (19-24, 5th place Southern)
The Hickory Crawdads play the last three games of an eight-game road trip at Whitaker Bank Ballpark
If you plan to go:
GAME TIMES: Monday-Tuesday at 7:05 p.m., Wednesday at 12:35 p.m.
Promotions: Monday: Kids Eat N' Play for Free (Kids 12 and under eat and play in the kids play area for free); Mommy/ Son Date Night; Super Hero Night. Tuesday: $1 day (Dollar hot dogs, popcorn, ice cream sandwiches, Pepsi products). Wednesday: Hunt Brothers ½ price pizza
TICKETS: $6 for bleacher seats. $9-$23 in advance, add $2 the day of the game.
Where is it?: I-75 North/I-64 Wast to exit 113. Turn right at the end of the ramp onto North Broadway toward downtown Lexington. Follow North Broadway for approximately one and a half miles, past New Circle Road (Highway 4). Turn right into the stadium located adjacent to the Northland Shopping Center.
PARKING: $3-$5. Parking is available at the ballpark as well as other spaces within a 10-minute walk.
CONCESSIONS: Whitaker Bank Ballpark offers a wide variety of food items for fans including Big L's Gourmet Dogs, Hunt Brothers Pizza, Colonel Cobb, Kona Ice, Kettle Cory, Broadway Cantina and more. For dining, there is the Kentucky Ale Taproom. http://www.milb.com/documents/2/4/0/46314240/Legends_2013_Tap_Room_Menu_v3_opt_0evaa6fd.pdf
Probables (Hickory/ Lexington):
Monday: RHP Jonathan Hernandez vs. RHP Travis Eckert
Tuesday: RHP Kyle Cody vs. LHP Andre Davis
Wednesday: RHP Michael Matuella vs. RHP Jace Vines
Recent Series History: The Crawdads went 10-5 against the Legends in 2016, which included 5-of-7 at Whitaker Bank Ballpark. The teams played sporadically for several years prior to 2016. In 2015, Hickory all four games, which were all played at Lexington. Before that, the teams played all games for three seasons at Hickory, with the Legends edging the Crawdads 9-7.
About the Crawdads: Hickory dropped the final game of a five-game series at Kannapolis, but won the weekend series 3-2. It is the third series the Crawdads won this season, the first against a team other than Columbia (S.C.). Overall, the Crawdads have won 5 of 7 over the past week and climbed out of the cellar of the Northern Division… The Crawdads are in danger of snapping a streak of 14 straight half-seasons above .500, stretching back to the second half of the 2009 season. Hickory will have to win 17 of the final 27 to avoid a losing record… The Crawdads lineup has been humming in May, but will have to do so for a while without Yanio Perez, who is on the disabled list with an undisclosed injury. Perez (.356/.429/.630) leads the SAL in batting average and is in the top three in on-base pct., slugging pct. OPS, hits, homers and total bases. Still, Hickory's .284 average is the second highest in the SAL for May and the lineup scored 4+ runs in three of the four games since losing Perez. The Crawdads are third in the SAL in homers, OPS (.715) and slugging (.397), fourth in RBI and total bases. However, they are near the bottom in walks received and on-base pct. (.318)… On the mound, Hickory remains well entrenched at the bottom of the SAL in ERA (5.52), and WHIP (1.55), runs and earned runs allowed, and next to last in hits and walks allowed. However, this past week has arguably been the best for the staff and the Crawdads will run the two hottest starters for the first two games. During the five wins this past week, Hickory allowed just 11 total runs. In the two losses, it gave up 18. Hickory has allowed seven or runs 18 times in 43 games, 12 of those during the last 23.
Prospects to watch- Hickory:
CF Leody Taveras (No. 1 MLB.com and Baseball America, No. 43 Baseball America top-100 prospects, No. 51 MLB.com top-100): Signed as international free agent 2015 out of Tenares, Dominican Republic. Went hitless in three straight games for just second time this season during the Kannapolis series and sat out his first game of the season on Sunday. His slash for May is still .300/.324/.457.
SS Anderson Tejeda (No. 7 MLB.com, No. 16 Baseball America). Signed as an international free agent in 2015 out of Bani, D.R. The rate of strikeouts has lessened (40% in April, 29% in May), but so has the rate of walks (14.3% in April, 8.8% in May). Went 4-for-18 during Kannapolis series with 7 Ks, but three of the hits were doubles.
LF Miguel Aparicio (No. 14 Baseball America, No. 29 MLB.com). Signed as an international free agent in 2015 out of San Carlos, Venezuela. Is 8-for-43 (.186) since joining the Crawdads on May 10, but had a three-run double at Kannapolis on Sunday.
RHP Michael Matuella (No. 19 Baseball America, No. 20 MLB.com). Third-round pick in 2015 out of Duke Univ. After two rough starts, he gave up just one run on three hits and fanned four at Kannapolis on Thursday. Pitches have tended to catch a lot of the plate far as the SAL is hitting .410 against him over 8.1 innings (16 hits to 45 hitters faced).
RHP Jonathan Hernandez (No.17 Baseball America, No. 18 MLB.com): Signed as an international free agent in 2013 out of the Dominican Republic. Pitched one-hit ball over seven innings and fanned six last Monday against Greensboro. Over his last four starts totaling 25.1 innings, Hernandez has allowed five runs on 20 hits with five walks and 26 Ks.
2B Yeyson Yrizarri (No. 17 MLB.com): Signed as an international free agent in 2013 out of the D.R. Saw a 10-game hitting streak come to an end on Sunday. A stretch of at least one hit in 13 of 14 games moved his batting average from .155 on May 4 to .250.
RF Jose Almonte (No. 28 MLB.com): Signed as an international free agent in 2013 out of Santo Domingo, D.R. Has perhaps begun to heat up after a prolonged slow start with an injury mixed in. Is 6-for-17 over his last five games with two walks on Sunday. His nine walks so far this season equals his entire output for 2016.
RHP Tyler Ferguson (No. 30 Baseball America, No. 30 MLB.com): Sixth-round pick in 2015 out of Vanderbilt. After two straight outings which yielded runs, Ferguson allowed just one hit in a scoreless outing on Saturday. Has fanned 22 of the 65 batters he faced, but walked or hit 12.
Others to watch – Hickory:
RHP Kyle Cody: Sixth-round pick in 2016 out of Kentucky. Returning to the city where he started for the Wildcats in college. Save for a poor start vs. Charleston (S.C.) on May 10, Cody has had a decent run this season. In his last outing on Tuesday, Cody pitched a four-hitter over seven innings and fanned 10. Held the opposition to fewer than two earned runs in four of seven starts.
1B Carlos Garay: Signed as an international free agent in 2011 out of La Victoria, Venezuela. Played this season at high-A Down East before he was assigned to Hickory this weekend due to the injury to Perez. Went 4-for-9 with an RBI in his first two games.
C Ricky Valencia: Signed as an international free agent in 2011 out of Valencia, Venezuela. Enters the series with a five-game hitting streak (7-for-19) and four RBI in that stretch.
LHP C.D. Pelham: 33rd-round pick in 2015 out of Spartanburg Methodist College. Has become a reliable arm out of the pen. Over his last seven outings (13 innings), Pelham has fanned 17 of the 59 hitters he's faced (29%) and allowed just two earned runs on 17 total baserunners.
About the: Legends
Managed by Scott Thorman in his first season with the Legends after two years as the skipper at the Royals rookie-level club at Burlington (73-63) …Lexington returns home after a 5-3 Georgian-road trip to Augusta and Rome. The Legends are tied for the worst home record in the SAL at 5-12. Lexington has played just three home games this month (1-2)… Despite winning two of three from the Braves, the Legends pitching took it on the chin in surrendering 24 runs and playing an 18-inning affair on Friday. Earlier this season, the Legends gave up a SAL record 30 hits during a 22-4 loss to Hagerstown (Md.). Lexington has given up 46 homers in 43 games, seven more than Greensboro. The Legends are also last in hits allowed, next to last in runs allowed, and 12th out of 14 teams in ERA (4.85), WHIP (1.47) and walks allowed… A free-swinging team at the plate, the Legends can run up some numbers. They are second in runs and homers, RBI, total bases, third in hits, doubles, and OPS. Lexington is also second in Ks… The Legends have done well at shutting down the running game with catchers combining to nab 42.9% of runners trying to steal.
Prospects to watch – Lexington:
RF Khalil Lee: (No. 12 Baseball America, No. 13 MLB.com) Third-round pick in 2016 out of Flint Hill High (Oakton, VA). Was the Gatorade player of the year in Virginia last year. The Legends leadoff hitter takes a lot of pitches as he leads the SAL in Ks and is fourth in walks. Tied for 9th in runs. Posted a .213/.338/295 slash in May. A threat on the bases with 11 steals (5th in the SAL), though he has been caught six times.
C Meibrys Viloria (No. 14 MLB.com, No. 18 Baseball America) Signed as an international free agent in 2013 out of Cartagena, Colombia. Was the MVP in the Pioneer League (rookie) at Idaho Falls in 2016 after posting a .376/.436/.606 slash. After a .186 average in April, Viloria has been hot in May at .339.422/.679 with four homers and 16 RBI in 15 games. Enters the series with an RBI in six straight games and seven of eight. Behind the plate has thrown out 17 of the 40 runners trying to steal.
CF Marten Gasparini: (No. 19 MLB.com, No. 22 Baseball America) Signed as an international free agent in 2013 out of Ruda, Italy. Signed the largest contract given to a European prospect. Hit .196 as the Legends starting shortstop last year and has not been much better (.186) in 2017. Committed 48 errors last year precipitating the move to center. Has just four extra-base hits this year in 35 games.
SS Ricky Arcena (No. 27 MLB.com) Signed as an international free agent in 2014 out of San Francisco de Macoris, D.R. Like Gasparini, the stick has been light and the game a bit fast in the field (60 errors in 115 pro games). Started the last road trip with hits in five of the first six games, before an 0-for-7 with 6 Ks over the final two games.
Others to watch – Lexington:
LF Kort Peterson: 23rd-round pick in 2016 out of UCLA. Tabbed to the Appalachian League post-season All-Star team in 2016, as well as a Royals organizational All-Star by MLB.com. Fifth in the SAL in OBP (.405) and tied for 10th in hits. Enters the series with a seven-game hitting streak and hits in 16 of the last 18 games (26-for-77, .338). Is 8 for his last 17.
RHP Jace Vines: Fourth-round pick in 2016 out of Texas A&M. Expected to make his third straight appearance as a starter on Wednesday (10 IP, 11 H, 3 ER, 1 HB, 1 BB, 4 K). Enters the series with a 1.67 ERA as a starter. Relies on defense to make plays (1.81 GO/AO) with just 24 Ks in 40.1 innings overall.
RHP Grant Gavin: 29th-round pick in 2016 out of Central Missouri. Has struck out 23 of 81 batters faced (28%). Has allowed one earned run over 21 innings (0.43 ERA) and the league is hitting .130 against him.
1B Joe Dudek: Non-drafted free agent in 2016 out of Kentucky. Enters series with seven-game hitting streak (10-for-26, .385) with three walks. Has reached base in all ten games since he joined the Legends. Was teammate of Crawdads P Kyle Cody.
Series Preview: Hickory at Kannapolis May 18-21
Hickory Crawdads (Texas Rangers) (15-23, 7th place South Atlantic League Northern Division) at Kannapolis Intimidators (Chicago White Sox) (20-16, Tied for 3rd place Northern)
The Hickory Crawdads start a road trip with a five-game series at Intimidators Stadium.
If you plan to go:
GAME TIMES: Thursday 7:05 p.m., Friday Doubleheader 5:05 p.m., Saturday 7:05 p.m., Sunday 5:05 p.m.
Promotions: Thursday: Motorsports Night with a Bank of America 500 ticket giveaway; Thirsty Thursday. Friday: Daddy-Daughter Date night with Pre-game Princess Parade. Saturday: Faith and Family Night with post-game fireworks; Sunday: Team Photo Giveaway, Bark at the Park; Pre-Game Autographs; Picnic in the Park (All-you-can-eat for $10).
TICKETS: $5-$7 for children, $6-8 for adults in advance. $2 more per ticket the day of the game.
Where is it?: Ballpark is off I-85 at exit 63. Exit ramp to Lane Street and head west. Turn right onto Stadium. NOTE: There is heavy construction along I-85, so allow extra time.
PARKING: All parking is $2
CONCESSIONS: Intimidators Stadium has the basic ballpark food at a main concession area behind home plate. Other items include Chicken Tenders, Chicken sandwiches, Pretzel Dogs, Wings, and Turkey Wraps. The Hot Dog Hut has footlongs, brats, burgers, Italian sausages, as well as Dale's Mater Sandwiches, and Veggie Burgers. BBQ Stand has pulled pork and turkey sandwiches.
Probables (Hickory/ Kannapolis):
Thursday: RHP Michael Matuella vs. RHP Chris Comito
Friday (DH): RHP Edgar Arredondo and RHP Reid Anderson vs. LHP Bernardo Flores/ TBA
Saturday: RHP Demarcus Evans vs. RHP Jimmy Lambert
Sunday: RHP Matt Ball vs. RHP Yosmer Solorzano
Recent Series History:
Kannapolis is 5-3 against Hickory this season, which includes a 3-1 series win at home back in April The Crawdads were 12-4 in 2016 against Kannapolis with a dominant 7-1 record at Intimidators Stadium. Since the Crawdads began the affiliation with the Rangers in 2009 they are 87-58 overall, 45-30 at Intimidators Stadium.
About the Crawdads: After a horrendous start to a just-concluded home stand, the Crawdads won the final two games vs. Greensboro to split that series and salvaged a 3-4 record. Hickory is 7-10 in road games… For the most part, the team's pitching has posted some ugly numbers. Their 5.52 ERA is nearly .60 higher than the next lowest team (Hagerstown) and the 1.56 WHIP is .12 higher than Lexington. Hickory is second in the SAL in hits allowed and walks issued. The Crawdads team ERA would be worse if not for No. 1 starter Jonathan Hernandez (2.80) and No. 2 starter Kyle Cody (3.41). Neither are scheduled to pitch during the series. Ball and Anderson will each make their first start in the series. Hickory has allowed seven or runs 16 times in 38 games, ten of those during the last 18… The lineup continues to hum along, hitting .281/.331/.394 in May after a .235/.306/.394 slash in April. After hitting 25 dingers in April, Hickory has just eight so far this month. Overall, the Crawdads are tied for third in homers, and fourth in slugging and OPS (.709)… Hickory stole a single-game record of 8 in a game at Kannapolis in April and may again wish to take advantage of catcher Seby Zavala, who has thrown out just 7 of 37 base stealers.
Prospects to watch- Hickory:
CF Leody Taveras (No. 1 MLB.com and Baseball America, No. 43 Baseball America top-100 prospects, No. 51 MLB.com top-100): Signed as international free agent 2015 out of Tenares, Dominican Republic. Hitting .345/.362/.545 in May with seven extra-base hits. Prior to an 0-for-4 on Wednesday, he had at least one hit in 15 of 16 games, seven of those with 2+ hits. Along with 3B Ti'Quan Forbes, has played in all 38 of the Crawdads games and leads the SAL in at bats. He is also 6th in total bases.
SS Anderson Tejeda (No. 7 MLB.com, No. 16 Baseball America). Signed as an international free agent in 2015 out of Bani, D.R. Still among the leaders in the SAL in strikeouts, but the rate of his strikeouts is shrinking. Tejeda fanned in 40% of his plate appearances during April, but is down to 26.5% in May.
LF Miguel Aparicio (No. 14 Baseball America, No. 29 MLB.com). Signed as an international free agent in 2015 out of San Carlos, Venezuela. Is 5-for-23 since joining the Crawdads on May 10.
OF Yanio Perez (No. 15 MLB.com, 27 Baseball America): Signed as an international free agent out of Havana, Cuba. Leads the SAL in OBP (.430), and is tied for first with 46 hits. Other top-ten rankings: 2nd in batting avg. (.354), OPS (1.030), third in homers (8), slugging pct. (.600) and total bases, tied for third in RBI (26).
RHP Michael Matuella (No. 19 Baseball America, No. 20 MLB.com). Third-round pick in 2015 out of Duke Univ. In many ways, he is still on the mend from injuries (back and Tommy John surgery) suffered in 2015, but would like to see results. Has given up 9 runs over 5.1 innings with SAL hitters pasting him for a .481 batting avg. Is limited to 60-70 pitches per outing.
2B Yeyson Yrizarri (No. 17 MLB.com): Signed as an international free agent in 2013 out of the D.R. After a 1-for-39 funk (.065) to start the season, he is more than making up for lost time with a .425/.452/.475 slash in May. Was at .155 for the season on May 4, but with hits in 9 of the last 10 games (17-for-33) – including two four-hit tilts in that stretch – he is up to .246.
RF Jose Almonte (No. 28 MLB.com): Signed as an international free agent in 2013 out of Santo Domingo, D.R. Enters the series 4-for-8 in the last two games, which included a walk-off homer vs. Greensboro.
RHP Tyler Ferguson (No. 30 Baseball America, No. 30 MLB.com): Sixth-round pick in 2015 out of Vanderbilt. After five straight scoreless outings, he has given up three runs over 2.1 innings during his last two outings. He has hit or walked 12 of the 61 hitters he has faced.
Others to watch – Hickory:
RHP Edgar Arredondo: Signed as an international free agent in 2013 out of Culiacan, Sinaloa, Mexico. Had his best outing of the season last Friday when he allowed one run on five hits and fanned three over five innings for the win. The Intimidators has touched him up for 16 hits over nine innings in two starts.
RHP Matt Ball: Acquired from the Chicago White Sox in a trade in 2016. Expected to make his first start of the season against his old team. Has allowed two runs over five relief appearances (8.1 innings) since joining the Crawdads on 4/27/17. Fanned 12 and walked just one during that stretch.
C Ricky Valencia: Signed as an international free agent in 2011 out of Valencia, Venezuela. Returned to the team after a disabled list stint with an injured hamstring. Will split time with Alex Kowalczyk.
About the Intimidators:
Managed by Justin Jirschele, who played in 15 games for the Intimidators in 2013. He was the team's hitting coach last year… A Shermanesque march through Georgia has placed Kannapolis in the thick of the Northern Division chase. The Intimidators won three of four at Rome after taking two at Augusta… Pitching has been a strong suit with the I's allowing just 8 total runs during their five wins on the trip. Their 3.32 ERA in May is fourth in the SAL… At the plate, Kannapolis' .282 average for May is just behind Charleston for the league lead… Speed is not their game. The Intimidators have just 17 steals in 27 attempts, both SAL lows.
Prospects to watch – Kannapolis:
LF Jameson Fisher (No. 14 Baseball America, 15 mlb.com): Fourth-round pick out of SE Louisiana. As a redshirt-junior in 2016, led NCAA D-I in on-base pct. and was second in batting average. Has hits in each of his last three games, but is at .226/.333/.419 for May. Hickory struck him out ten times in 33 plate appearances in April.
LHP Bernardo Flores (No. 18 mlb.com, 23 Baseball America): Seventh-round pick out of Southern California. Struggled in college, has mid-to-upper 90s fastball. Pitched four-hit ball over six innings in his last start with six Ks.
RF Micker Adolfo (No. 20 mlb.com, 24 Baseball America): Signed as an international free agent in 2013. Saw his 16-game hitting streak (24-for-66) end with an 0-for-5, four-strikeout game at Rome.
Others to watch – Kannapolis:
CF Joel Booker: 22nd round pick out of Iowa. Attended Polk County High in Columbus, NC. Is tied for 7th in hits, tied for 8th in runs scored. He tortured the Crawdads pitching staff in April with 9 hits in 26 ABs and scored seven runs.
RHP Mike Morrison: 27th round pick out of Coastal Carolina. Pitched for last year's College World Series champions. Currently tied for second in the SAL with seven saves. Over his 14 appearances spanning 17.1 innings, he has allowed eight baserunners and struck out 26 with no runs allowed.
Progress Report: An Interview with Crawdads Hitting Coach Kenny Hook
The Hickory Crawdads had a rough start at the plate. April rains in the area often limited the hitters work to the batting cage and on the field the Crawdads as a unit struggled to put an offense together other than homers.
Hickory jumped to the South Atlantic League's lead in homers in April and still remain near the top. However, hitters too often missed in-game opportunities during individual at bats and wasted scoring chances as a team.
But, the season is long and as the sunshine returned to the area, the team perked up as well, especially during a late-April series against Columbia (S.C.). Yanio Perez tortured Fireflies pitching and won the Sally League hitter-of-the-week award as a result of that work and hasn't looked back. Leody Taveras – the Texas Rangers top prospect – has been as advertised. He went through a 15-game stretch during which he had more hits (20) than swings-and-misses (15). Yeyson Yrizarri woke out of a 1-for-39 slump and has had two four-hit games this month. Anderson Tejeda has cut his strikeout rate.
The talent is here and, more importantly, it is developing. I had a chance to speak with Crawdads hitting coach Kenny Hook during the recent home stand about the young hitters and how that development is coming along.
Let me ask you first of all, the team, started really slow. You and I talked a little bit on the side about all the rain we had and guys not being able to get into a routine. Suddenly, a lot of guys have found a stroke of genius that you've given them, or whatever. What about that turnaround and where the guys have come from?
Hook: The weather and not being able to spend a lot of time out on the field. The main thing is, you can get kind of fooled inside a cage sometimes. Being out on the field and seeing the flight of the ball offers you some pretty valuable feedback. So, that did play a factor, but some of it is being able to get locked in on a routine, develop more of a plan and an approach at the plate, and then getting a good understanding of how they're going to get pitched in certain situations.
I think that's been the biggest thing is the ability to get a better pitch earlier in the count, to not be afraid to get deep into a count, then be a little more refined in a two-strike approach. I think you saw that really with our last road trip. That was really good with two outs and two strikes was a big difference.
One of the things I noticed up front – and that turned around in the second home stand – is when guys would get in hitter's counts, they almost seemed jumpy to try and do something, rather than waiting on the next pitch. That 2-1 or 3-0 pitch wasn't the one you wanted and they weren't ready for a fastball. That seems to have come around.
Hook: Yeah, I think some of that is having to do with their youth. I think a lot of them really want to get big hits instead of just getting a good pitch and putting a good swing on it. They're trying to do too much at those times. I think they get excited and a little anxious when they work themselves into good counts. They kind of anticipate something good is coming pitch wise and then maybe they chase a little bit and swing at a pitcher's pitch in those counts.
That's gotten a lot better. We've slowed it down and allowed pitchers to make mistakes more often. But, I think that's going to come and go because we're young. These guys get really high and then they get down on themselves because they all want to perform and they put a little too much pressure on themselves at the plate in certain situations. They'll get better at the more games and the more times they are in those situations.
I'm going to do a little name association and start with Leody Taveras. As an 18-year-old, he brings a lot. I know you've watched the twitter things I've posted of him having more hits that missed bats over the last couple of weeks. For an 18-year-old, that's pretty rare.
Hook: You know what, I would say, other than his baseball skills, I've been most impressed with just his preparation, how intense he is. He shows up and performs every night and he is really locked in as far as playing one pitch at a time. He really understands what he needs to do in certain situations in the game. He understands that guys aren't just going to just attack him and allow him to get good pitches in certain situations.
I think the switch to the three hole has really kind of changed his mindset there. He's been more patient and he's really refined his play, as far as looking for a really small zone early in the count, something he can do some damage on, and then later in the count being able to use the whole field. I think shrinking the zone early has allowed him to work into deeper counts and get ahead in counts, and then trust that he can drive the ball the other way later in counts is huge for him.
You mentioned his preparation, what does he do differently than the average 18-year-old that stands out to you?
Hook: I think it's just mentally. I don't think it's something you can really see as far as that. I think all the guys prepare physically. I think he has a certain way, as far as his demeanor and really processing whatever it takes to win. He's a fierce competitor. I think a lot of them are competing and are great competitors, but he just has a knack for being able to stay in the moment and not get too outside of himself or try to do too much in certain situations. Where I think he's built a little different, as far as being able to control his emotions at such a young age, is what stands out for me the most.
Yanio Perez started slow, but man did he find a stick in the Columbia series. He pretty much tortured anything they threw up there. He was one of those that seemed a little jumpy in hitter's counts early, but has found a groove.
Perez: For him, I think it's just his mind set as a hitter. He's so good at kind of being able to hit breaking balls and offspeed pitches up the middle and the other way to where, he was seeing a lot of them and he was just giving up on fastballs and looking to drive the breaking stuff the other way and get his hits that way.
What you saw in the Columbia series, and kind of the ongoing thing with him as far as what he needs to improve on, and what we're preaching is, stay on the fastball timing all the time. Because, at any point, he recognizes well enough to where he can still hit the offspeed the other way. What you saw in that series is, he was looking fastball and he was committed to it, so when they did hang a slider or offspeed, you saw him get the bathead out and pulled more baseballs in that series. When he gets extended and pulls the ball, obviously you're going to do more damage. So, you saw big power numbers in that series.
When Andy Ibanez came here last year, one of things that the Rangers wanted him to do was having him get used to how baseball is played here. How has Perez coming here and playing here made those adjustments at this level, in this country, at this setting, etc.?
Hook: I think he's done a really good job, especially for a guy that's played multiple positions and is getting moved around a lot. He's transitioned pretty well. Offensively, that's been the easiest aspect. The defensive stuff at first base – he may be in right field, left field, third base, first base – I think that's something that's his biggest asset, as far as being able to move around. But at the same time, it does take a certain understanding that you have to get your groundballs during BP, you have to get fly balls. There's a lot of work to stay ready to play those positions.
I would say is, what you're seeing is that he's a pretty sound defender when he's on the dirt and he can always go play corner outfield, but I think being able to do both is a huge asset, I would think in the industry as a whole and obviously, for our club.
Ti'Quan Forbes has gone the opposition direction. He started real hot and has cooled off. But the thing I noticed about him last year and the start of this year is that his confidence is so much above when he started here last year. What you do you see in him, even now when he is slumping, what he is bringing to the plate?
Hook: What I think is that it's a trust in himself and maturing and understanding his body and his swing, and he realizes if he sticks to his plan and stays and gets ready to hit fastballs, he's athletic enough to where good things are going to happen. That confidence and I think it's a matter of maturing.
As kids mature, they start to understand what kind of player they are, what's important for them to have success. You've seen that and even through not getting hits, he's still hitting the ball hard every night. He's still a threat in our lineup. He spent a lot of time in that four hole where you go into a series and you put that batting average and those power numbers up on the board, they're going pitch him a little different. I think he's shown how much he's grown up by the way he's handled that.
He'll come out of it and they'll start falling. He hit two balls last that were right on the barrel and hit them over 90 miles an hour. That's all you can ask for as a hitter is hard contact and eventually those are going to turn into hits.
It doesn't look like it's hurt him defensively and it didn't last year. He doesn't take it to the field.
Hook: He's got a great routine and he realizes how important his defense is. So, I think that's one other aspect of his maturity. He understand that once it's time to play defense, he really focuses on that and doesn't let his offense affect his defense and vice versa. It's just a matter of being a well-rounded play and understanding his role and his job.
Where does Anderson Tejeda get that power? He's still a bit of a scrawny guy and not much bigger than my 15-year-old?
Hook: Well, I think it's what he generates in his swing. He's got a big leg kick and he really gets a lot of separation, and there's a ton of bat speed in there. He's a guy who's at bats have gotten a lot better because he's been able to control his body a little bit. He's another guy that understands that people aren't going to throw fastballs inside, because that's his strength. So, he's been able to be more selective. He can hit the ball out to any field. I think trusting that has been the key for him. He doesn't have to pull the ball to do damage. He's just a talented, gifted hitter that, at his age, is pretty impressive.
Yrizarri came back and for me, that was a bit of a surprise. He came back here and struggled at the start, but has seemed to find himself again. Did he struggle with all of this coming back and trying to figure out what he's doing here and moving positions?
Hook: I think there's probably something to that, as far as feeling a little disappointed that he didn't move up from here. You know, I think he understands at this point that's what's best for him. He's got to take it for what it's worth, but come out and improve on what he did last year here and play a little more second base and being able to control the strike zone better and really get more of a well-round game. I think what you've seen with him lately is he's got a lot of two-strike hits. He's not chasing as much.
I think what you saw early on was a guy who felt like: I was one swing away every time I went up there, getting big hit and then getting moved out of here as fast as possible. You've just got to do what you can and stay in the present every time and that stuff will take care of itself.
I'm really happy with his work ethic through all his struggles. He's been at it every day and his mindset hasn't changed. He's a great kid that puts a ton of pressure on himself. He's very emotional and cares so much about the team and about his performance that sometimes to a fault. Keeping an even keel is probably the biggest challenge and will directly affect his success.
What happened with Eric Jenkins? He came here and had really good at bats the first couple of games. But there was the Columbia series where the team had a tight game in the ninth, and he had a chance for a big hit and the uppercut swing came back. What mindset do you see with him so far?
Hook: I think it's a work in progress. I think he was on to some really good things and having some plate discipline in there. I think, as it is with any hitter, if you don't start to see the results, as any human would do, you revert back to what you know and what you're comfortable with.
I expect him to go down there (extended spring) and work and be back here soon. He's very talented and a very likable kid and he's got a lot of tools. So, I think it's a matter of giving him a chance to step back and just understand what he needs to do to develop his game. He'll be back here, I'm sure pretty soon.
Who has surprised you the most to this point of the season?
Hook: To this point, I think Ricky Valencia. I've known, but I haven't seen Ricky, though this is my fourth year with Texas. Ricky has never been in a situation where he's been a frontline guy, in my time with the Rangers. His leadership – he's a little bit older – but his ability to hit and to understand having a plan, and being that guy that can teach the younger Latin kids. He's a great role model and a great leader for them. He's a solid, solid guy. Every night, you know what you're going to get. Whether he's 0-for-4 or 4-for-4, he's pretty much the same.
He's probably been the most impressive because I've never seen him in that role and it looks like he's talking full advantage of that chance and opportunity.
Kowalczyk is taking advantage of his opportunity.
Hook: Yeah, he's a big strong kid that can obviously generate some bat speed. He just needs experience, I think, learning how to call a game and learning the catching position at this level. He's been impressive since he's gotten here with the bat.
What do we look for in Aparicio?
Hook: A guy that is a lot like Tejeda. He's got a little pop. He can really play the outfield and has a really good and a really food competitor. He's a guy that sprays the ball around. I think he's got some real tools. He can run. He's got the hitability. I think we're getting a player that's exciting, a lot like that players we have here right now, so he should fit in great.
Greensboro continues to punish Crawdads pitching; Wins 8-2
Another game during the homestand, another blowout loss.
The Greensboro Grasshoppers scored the first five runs and went on to an 8-2 win over the Hickory Crawdads Sunday afternoon at L.P. Frans Stadium.
The win for Greensboro (21-15) was an important win as the Grasshoppers are tied with Lakewood (NJ) for second place in the South Atlantic League Northern Division, with both teams a game behind Hagerstown (Md.). The Grasshoppers have won 9 of 10 – including the first two games of the current four-game series – and 12 of 15 to get into the division chase.
Meanwhile, Hickory (13-23) has dropped four of five and 8 of 11. Only Augusta (11-24) has a worst record in the Sally League.
What happened?:
Poor command and untimely defensive play was again the downfall for the Crawdads. Today, it was starter Tyler Phillips that took the brunt of things early.
Greensboro scored two in the first, which started when Eric Gutierrez was hit by a pitch – the first of five on the day. Boo Vazquez followed with a bouncer to SS Yeyson Yrizarri. His feed to start a potential double play was a slow, underhanded toss to 2B Blaine Prescott covering the bag. With the runner sliding in, Prescott's turn and subsequent and relay to first was off the mark, which allowed Vazquez to reach. The misplay proved to be a key part of the inning as Jarett Rindfleisch doubled in Vazquez. One out later, Corey Bird singled in Rindfleisch.
Greensboro added three unearned runs in the fourth. With one out Vazquez lined a single to right and went to second when Rindfleisch was hit by a pitch. The inning began to unravel when a grounder by Luis Pintor was fielded in the hole by Yrizarri, who then attempted a force play at third. However, Ti'Quan Forbes dropped the throw, which allowed the runner to reach and loaded the bases. From there, Bird's sacrifice fly scored Vazquez and Austin Knapp singled in two more. Phillips's (1-2) day was done after he walked Justin Twine.
As has been the case lately, that was more than enough for starter Braxton Garrett. The Miami Marlins top prospect pitched five innings of two-hit ball to pick up his first pro win (1-0). One of the few mistakes Garrett made was a high changeup that Yanio Perez hit high off the billboards in right for his eighth homer of the season.
Matt Ball entered the game in relief of Phillips and after he got the Crawdads out of further damage in the fourth and stranded two more in the fifth, Greensboro tagged him for a run in the sixth when Colby Lusignan singled in Justin Twine.
Tyler Ferguson entered the game in the eighth on the heels of five scoreless outings (7.1 IP), but he too was not immune to the week of wildness. Bird and Knapp both singled and advanced to second and third on a fly to right. James Nelson walked and then Bird scored on a wild pitch. Lusignan was walked and Gutierrez was hit by a pitch to score Knapp and end Ferguson's day. Kaleb Fontenot retired the final two batters of the inning pitched a perfect ninth to prevent further scoring.
Leody Taveras accounted for the final run in the ninth with a towering homer off the batter's eye.
The beat goes on:
This afternoon's game was the 16th time in 36 games the Crawdads have allowed seven or more runs, the tenth in the last 16 games.
In the four games during the homestand that went nine innings, Hickory has combined to throw 750 pitches with just 440 going for strikes. Today's total: 189 pitches with 116 for strikes.
What next?: With the short outings by the starters this week – only Edgar Arredondo reached five innings – the bullpen has been taxed. Only Jake Lemoine has not seen since Thursday, and that outing was the second straight poor one for him (2.1 IP, 8 H, 7 ER, 3 BB). I would not be surprised to see the Rangers make some roster moves to help with a stretched-out bullpen, but then perhaps a rotation spot or two come open for grabs. Argenis Rodriguez (13.80 ERA in 5 appearances, 4 starts) has already been sent to Arizona. Phillips (6.39 ERA in seven outings, four starts) and Demarcus Evans (7.88 ERA in seven outings, 3 starts) could be the next to at least come out of the rotation.
One-quarter of the season is gone and adjustments have not been made. Those adjustments may need to come in Arizona and/ or Spokane.
#1 vs. #1
The matchup I wanted to see was a pair of top-100 prospects squaring off: Garrett vs. the Rangers top prospect, Taveras.
In the first, Taveras ambushed a first-pitch fastball by Garrett that was down, but served hard into right. The southpaw then caught Taveras leaning the wrong way, but Taveras was able to beat the throw to second for the steal.
In the fourth, Garrett used a fastball and change to get ahead 0-2. Taveras ignored a curve and fastball that both went low, fouled off another pitch (Don't remember what it was) before Garrett froze him with a curveball on the 1B corner of the plate.
Impressions of Garrett:
The No. 7 overall pick made his second pro start and from what I could pay attention to – we had computer issues in getting the game info to New York – he impressed. Fastball ran 90-94 mph with some life and he mixed in a changeup liberally that stayed armside, as well as a curveball from the first inning on.
I mentioned to the stringer working the game with me in the third that the curveball seemed very loopy. He must have heard me from the press box because right after that, Garrett tied up the right-handed hitting Franklin Rollin up with back-to-back 11-5 curves that bore in on the hands as he swung through both.
As stated above, the only real mistake was the high change that Perez punished.


text:
Written on September 19, 2016
Dear friends,
I present you with yet another collection about healthy lifestyle and being fit. Because as they say, healthy body is healthy mind. We already had one FIT life collection, so this is a little sequel. This time from whole another continent and with some new cool effects. I love this collection because we managed to create it during few days in San Francisco, near the Golden Gate Bridge.
There are 35 photos on the same topic, but with different styles, from different angles and with different color effects. Do you like it?
And there are also 2 pictures with very very popular duotone effect. Just add white text and you're done!
I hope you will enjoy the pictures; I already have several few great PREMIUM collections ready to ship, so stay tuned!
Thank you for being with picjumbo!
Have a great day,
Hello, I'm Viktor, founder of picjumbo. I'm traveling the world, taking photos and running this project where you can download & use all my stock photos in your creative projects, whether it's designing a WordPress theme, making a keynote or writing a blog post.
Become a member of the picjumbo PREMIUM Membership and get thousands of picjumbo-exclusive, never published stock photos! Just sit back, relax and keep your eyes on your email inbox where all new creativity will be flowing in from today.
Latest PREMIUM collection was published just 4 days ago. Get instant access and do not miss the next one!
Both monthly and annual plans can be cancelled at any time. All prices excluding EU VAT.
Are you a Member? This collection is located in folder "67 Fit Life Vol. 2" in your PREMIUM Library. See FAQ here »
Coming soon to PREMIUM Membership:
@picjumbo Really guys you are one of the best websites that I've found You Save my life, very nice pictures
— Diego Sender (@SenderDiego) Feb 28, 2017
Delighted with @picjumbo @ViktorHanacek premium membership :) gorgeous photography, stunning ... donating soon, thank you! #quality #images pic.twitter.com/NaCjiNroQb
— Sue Cartwright (@soletraderscoop) Oct 7, 2016
Always surprised and the insanely high-quality images at @picjumbo By far one of my favorite places for stock photos.
— Troy Coroles (@TroyCoroles) Sep 15, 2016
See all collections »
Join thousands of creators across the globe that are already using picjumbo PREMIUM images in their templates, websites, keynotes, apps, prints or blogs.

subset: commoncrawl


text:
IF We HAVEN'T MET YET, LET'S GET ACQUAINTED…Jebby Baldwin – Founder
What We Do Best:
Critical 2-Way specializes in two-way radio rental solutions for the Petrochemical industry and other facilities where FM-approved, intrinsically safe communications tools are mandated.
That's it. Really. That is what we do – and we do it very well.
What We Do NOT Do
> We don't prioritize clients by size of company or "big brand" name recognition. All of our clients get the same, top-shelf radios and accessories ordered in clean, peak condition – no broken factory seconds, no dirty earpieces and accessories, no battery packs with an outdated life.
> We will not leave you wondering if or when you will hear back from us should you need immediate support in the event of an equipment malfunction. Let's face it, radios can go down for a variety of reasons. If ours do, we will handle it – personally, fully, and fast.
> We will not recommend additional equipment you do not need.
Who We Are
Chad Knight is most recognized as the face of our Account Management services across the United States. Most of our clients aren't aware of the many technical moving parts that Chad is responsible for when connecting our multiple service facets behind the scenes, as his professionalism and experience in the industry help our Critical 2-Way Team Leaders in a seamless manner – ensuring our clients receive the service and timely attention Critical 2-Way Radio Rentals is known for providing.
In the Petrochemical industry and beyond, everyone knows Jebby Baldwin; in fact, everyone has a great story or funny anecdote involving the sometimes quirky and tenacious entrepreneur…and half of them are true. For over 40 years, Jebby has been involved in the petrochemical industry, beginning his career fulfilling an array of roles for his family's refractory business. Since then, Jebby has successfully conceived, launched, and grown several industrial service companies, including Service Radio Rentals, Industrial Blind Solutions, Turnaround Logistics, and Critical 2-Way Communications.
Greg DeLouise brings his particular expertise in the arena of Petrochemical industry site communications to the Critical 2-Way leadership team. Armed with a 25-year background in Shutdown and Turnaround project communications, he is our "go to" person for leading the continued business development efforts of Critical 2-Way. Greg's specialized skill sets: Two-way radio system design and implementation, radio fleet service, digital encrypted two-way radio equipment, FCC compliance, narrow band compliance, and complete two-way accessory sales experience keep him in-demand.


text:
"Stylish" isn't the word that pops to mind when most people think about medical alert devices. But most people aren't 94-year-old fashion icon Iris Apfel, who has been tapped by a company called WiseWear to bring her bold aesthetic to the wearables market.
Wearable technology, designed to monitor health and send emergency alerts, has been around for decades, but even as the technology has become more advanced, these practical products are not typically the type of thing to show off at a gala event.
WiseWear is attempting to change that by making wearables that double as luxury jewelry, and hiring Apfel to design the next collection in its Socialite line of call-for-help bracelets.
"Imagine a woman is at an event and leaves late at night, walks into a dark parking lot, and someone unusual comes up," Gerald Wilmink, founder and CEO of WiseWear, recently told Fast Company. "She can tap the bracelet three times, and it sends a distress message to loved ones with her location. They know exactly where she is."
In addition to allowing the user to send discrete emergency messages to her chosen emergency contacts, these bracelets also can be used to track fitness measurements such as steps and calories.
However, with fashion comes a price. While standard medical alert systems such as Alert1 can be purchased for as low as $30, these WiseWear bracelets will range from $295 to $345.
Read all about Apfel's involvement with these new wearables here.
Next Avenue brings you stories that are inspiring and change lives. We know that because we hear it from our readers every single day. One reader says,
"Every time I read a post, I feel like I'm able to take a single, clear lesson away from it, which is why I think it's so great."
Your generous donation will help us continue to bring you the information you care about. Every dollar donated allows us to remain a free and accessible public service. What story will you help make possible?
© Twin Cities Public Television - 2020. All rights reserved.


text:
(click for big)
"Reine Berthe et les Fileuses" or "Queen Bertha and the Spinners"
by Swiss painter Albert Samuel Anker (1831-1910) in 1888
Queen Bertha of Swabia (907 - c. 966), sometimes called the "Spinning Queen" and mother of the empress saint Adelaide, was renowned in her own time and beyond for her strong intellect , industry, and noble nature.
As legend has it, Queen Bertha went out from her castle one day into the countryside, riding on her palfrey and spindling as she went as was her wont. She even had a saddle built with a hole in it for seating her distaff so she would not lose spinning time during her rides.
In the course of her ride she and her retinue came upon a young shepherdess who was spinning as she tended her sheep.
Queen Bertha was so impressed with the young shepherdess' industry that she approached the girl and gave her great riches as a reward for her virtue.
Here they are in a 1903 re-enactment.
And here is an 1854 illustration from Historical Pictures of the Middle Ages, in Black and White.
The gentlemen and ladies of the court were so envious of the Queen's gift to the lowly shepherdess that the next day they all showed up a court bearing spindles and distaves, hoping that they, too, could win such a reward.
But Queen Bertha, being wise, was not fooled would not reward them, telling them that only the young shepherdess, virtuous and industrious, would win such a prize.
Queen Bertha's saintly daughter Adelaide. She doesn't look very fiberish to me.
1. http://fr.wikipedia.org/wiki/Berthe_de_Souabe
2. http://www.m-ici.ch/index.php?SECTION=dossier&PAGE=activites&SEARCH=&DOSSIER_ID=28&DOSSIER_PAGE_ID=168
3. http://www.memo-online.com/article.asp?ID=PAY_SUI_MOY_002
4. http://books.google.com/books?id=lNY9AAAAIAAJ&pg=PA272&dq=%22bERTHa+of+swabia%22&lr=&num=50&as_brr=1&ei=bWWUSMjyGJTyiwGRrunDBQ
5. Historical Pictures of the Middle Ages, in Black and White


text:
Rizzoli & Isles: Just Add Soap
Written by : David published Monday 23rd July 2012
I've always considered Rizzoli & Isles to be different than most other police procedurals. While Jane Rizzoli (Angie Harmon) is your typical no-nonsense female detective, and medical examiner Maura Isles (Sasha Alexander) is somewhat stereotypically socially awkward and uncomfortable around the living, the series always emphasised the friendship between Jane and Maura as being key. The crimes themselves has sometimes taken a back seat as struggles in the title characters' personal lives has often taken center stage. I have always found this refreshing, but I can't help noticing that throughout season 3 (as of writing, only 7 out of 10 episodes have aired), Jane and Maura's respective family matters have been increasingly focalized. As a result, many of the storylines have taken on an unrealistic and almost soapish quality.
Although each episode of Rizzoli & Isles often deals with disturbing murders, the show generally takes a light-hearted approach. Jane's family has been omnipresent throughout the series, in fact the opening scene of the pilot was of a basketball game between her and her brother, Frankie (Jordan Bridges), who also works for Boston PD. Jane's mother, Angela (Lorraine Bracco), is often a nuisance to her daughter but it's clear that she always means well. The rest of the Rizzoli family do not get as much screentime - Jane's other brother Tommy (Colin Egglesfield) has been in and out of jail, and her father Frank (Chazz Palminteri) surprisingly left Angela at the start of season 2. Frank hasn't been heard from much since but this has changed during the course of the last few episodes. Frank reappeared during season 3 with a new girlfriend and came to file for divorce from Angela, much to her chagrin.
The soapy twist to the Rizzoli storyline came when Tommy revealed to Jane that he had a fling with Lydia, his dad's new girlfriend. It seemed that arc had been abandoned until episode 7, when Lydia crashed into Angela's new car. We immediately saw that Lydia was 7 months pregnant, and Angela, not knowing who this woman was, was determined to come to her aid. Frankie and Jane couldn't bring themselves to tell their mother who this woman was, especially since they didn't know if Angela would become this child's stepmother and aunt. I can only presume that this arc will be stretched out leading into the finale. I can't honestly say that I'm not interested in this storyline but I can't help feeling that this story arc seems out of character for this series. The show has always dealt with the ups and downs of Jane's family life, but a paternity mystery combined with a love triangle involving a father and son seems a little over the top for this show.
Maura Isles' family life has always been more complicated than that of Jane's. She was adopted at birth and has a frosty relationship with her adoptive mother. During season 2, Maura discovered that her birth father is Paddy Doyle, a leading figure in the Boston Mob and as she becomes a target for Paddy's enemies, she slowly begins to connect with him despite hating the kind of person he is. Her birth mother remained a mystery until this season, when Maura, keeping her real identity a secret, struck up a friendship with her. Again, this Your New Best Friend Is Really Your Biological Daughter storyline is reminiscent of something you'd find in a soap, not Rizzoli & Isles.
It's fair to say that this trend started in the season 2 finale, when Maura was used as bait to catch a criminal. Not only was Jane and the rest of Boston PD waiting in the wings, but so was Paddy Doyle. When Paddy tried to protect his daughter the only way he knew how, with a gun, Jane was forced to shoot him before she herself was shot by him. While Paddy was not killed, season 3 started with the central friendship in ruins and it wasn't until episode 3 that it was truly repaired.
Rizzoli & Isles is still a very enjoyable series. The crimes are still fresh and mysterious and the characters themselves are still likeable. I just hope that the writers don't stray too far from a formula that works by continuing to introduce sensationalist storylines involving the protagonists private lives.
About the author David
I'm a 21 year old English student from Ireland. To put it simply, I love TV, Some of my current favourites include Parks and Recreation, Community, Veep, Parenthood and Revenge. Follow me on Twitter @losingstreak12David's profile | David's RSS feed
TV Reviews
- "Jeff" Supported By COMMUNITY
- HOUSE OF CARDS Season 2 Finale Review
- COUGAR TOWN "Stand" Strong
- The "New" GLEE
- GLEE Stumbles In "New Directions"
- HOW I MET YOUR MOTHER Couldn't "Last Forever"
- "The Last Call" From Will on THE GOOD WIFE
- HELIX's Shadow Falls
- PSYCH's "Breakup" With Us
- BROOKLYN NINE-NINE "Charges" Into Season Finale
- 'Survivor: Cagayan', Episode 6: On the brink of a merge
- "Rides" May Be Bumpy for GIRLS
- THE GOOD WIFE Shocks With "Dramatics"
- HOW I MET YOUR MOTHER Reaches "The End of the Aisle"
- No "Dungeons" for COMMUNITY
David Reviews
TV News
- Meet the cast of 'Survivor: Blood vs. Water', and new twists revealed
- Breaking Bad Season 6 UK Air Date Confirmed For Netflix UK
- Jeff Probst and 'Survivor' snubbed yet again by the Primetime Emmys
- E4 confirm Skins series 7 air date
- Sky Living Supernatural Season 8 UK Air Date
- Hemlock Grove renewed for a 2nd season by Netflix
- The Walking Dead Season 3 UK Channel 5 Air Date
- LoveFilm secure UK rights for Emily Owens M.D.
- Scandal UK air date for season 2 confirmed by More4
- New Girl Season 2 E4 Air Date Confirmed
- The Mindy Project E4 Air Date Confirmed
- 'The Jeff Probst Show' has been cancelled
- The Mentalist Returns To Channel 5 With Series 5 Part 2 This February
- Doctor Who Return For Series 7 Part 2 This March
- FX's The Americans Coming to UK on ITV
TV Buzz
- Can Lightning Strike Twice for...
- Throne Beseiged By Pirates
- Why 'Once Upon a Time' Is ...
- 2013 Disney Blu-ray Gift Guide
- 2013 'Doctor Who' Gift Gui...
- Back to TV's Roots
- ABC's Split Season
- How To Be a TV Reviewer
- R.I.P. Finn Hudson
- TV Neglects Independence Day
- DVD Return Policies Need a Cha...
- Fickle TV Fans
- When Good Shows Go Bad
- Will Amazon Change Television?
- Top 5 British TV dramas