Local hosmer's hit streak reaches 10 games in loss
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Daily ClipsMay 7, 2017 LOCAL Hosmer's hit streak reaches 10 games in loss May 6, 2017 By Jeffrey Flanagan and Robert Falkoff/MLB.com http://m.royals.mlb.com/news/article/228681534/indians-hit-back-to-back-homers-in-9th-to-win/
May 7, 2017 By Robert Falkoff/MLB.com http://m.royals.mlb.com/news/article/228682712/royals-indians-honor-negro-leagues-in-finale/?topicId=26688732
May 7, 2017 By Jeffrey Flanagan/MLB.com http://m.royals.mlb.com/news/article/228739068/royals-bullpen-gives-up-three-runs-in-loss/
Option Almonte to Double-A Northwest Arkansas May 6, 2017 By Jeffrey Flanagan/MLB.com http://m.royals.mlb.com/news/article/228668476/royals-reinstate-jorge-soler-from-10-day-dl/ Royals’ bullpen crumbles, offense produces little in 3-1 loss to Indians May 6, 2017 By Rustin Dodd/KC Star http://www.kansascity.com/sports/mlb/kansas-city-royals/article149090309.html
May 6, 2017 By Rustin Dodd/KC Star http://www.kansascity.com/sports/mlb/kansas-city-royals/article149037674.html
May 6, 2017 By Sam Mellinger/KC Star http://www.kansascity.com/sports/spt-columns-blogs/sam-mellinger/article149080414.html
May 6, 2017 By Maria Torres/KC Star http://www.kansascity.com/sports/mlb/kansas-city-royals/article149084749.html
Ramon Torres homers, but Chasers held in check in defeat May 6, 2017 By Omaha Storm Chasers https://www.milb.com/storm-chasers/news/bees-sting-omaha-5-2-in-road-trip-opener/c-228749570/t-196093384 Naturals Blank Travelers in Series Opener May 6, 2017 By Naturals PR Department https://www.milb.com/naturals/news/naturals-blank-travelers-in-series-opener/c-228778946/t-196093316
Rocks Wiggle Out of Ninth Inning Trouble May 6, 2017 By Cory Nidoh/Wilmington Blue Rocks https://www.milb.com/blue-rocks/news/wilmington-escapes-with-victory/c-228765664/t-196097164 Down six, Legends rally to win 9-8 May 6, 2017 By Lexington Legends https://www.milb.com/legends/news/down-six-legends-rally-to-win-9-8/c-228754172/t-196097274
May 6, 2017 By Jeffrey Flanagan and Robert Falkoff/MLB.com http://m.royals.mlb.com/news/article/228681534/indians-hit-back-to-back-homers-in-9th-to-win/
It was Santana's first homer since April 15 and his eighth career go-ahead homer in the ninth inning or later. "We're fighting," Santana said. "We're fighting every game. There's a lot of competition here, and everybody wants to win. It's a tough game." Santana was in a 0-for-14 drought against Herrera when he put Cleveland ahead in the ninth. "The one thing with velocity, he can hit anybody's velocity," Indians manager Terry Francona said. Indians starter Josh Tomlin, who entered the game with an 8.87 ERA, dominated the Royals through seven innings, giving up three hits and one run. He walked none and struck out three. Royals starter Jason Vargas went six-plus innings and gave up four hits and no runs. He walked two and struck out six. "Vargy was awesome again," Royals manager Ned Yost said. "Tremendous job getting us through six innings. Kept us in the game. Didn't give up anything." Royals first baseman Eric Hosmer extended his hitting streak to 10 games with an RBI single in the fourth, scoring Lorenzo Cain, who had doubled. MOMENTS THAT MATTERED The Gordon catch: The Indians, down 1-0 in the seventh, were in position to take the lead. With runners on second and third and left-hander Matt Strahm in to relieve Vargas, Santana got jammed but sent a blooper toward short left that appeared would drop in for a two-run single. But Royals Gold Glove left fielder Alex Gordon made a sensational diving grab to rob Santana -- Statcast™ had the hit probability at 76 percent. Earlier in the inning, Hosmer made a superb play going toward the line to grab a tough grounder from Abraham Almonte. Hosmer tossed to Strahm covering first for the out. Strahm gave a huge fist pump after the Gordon catch. "I was pumped up," Strahm said. "That saved us two runs. When it was hit, I thought Esky (shortstop Alcides Escobar) had the best chance, maybe an over-the-shoulder catch like he's done so many times. But then Gordo came out of nowhere." Tough-luck run: The Indians tied the game in the eighth off Joakim Soria, but it was a tough-luck inning for the Royals' reliever. With one out, Michael Brantley singled on a carom off Soria's leg that Statcast™ said had a 33 percent chance of being a hit. Edwin Encarnacion then singled with a weak grounder to the right side that had a 14 percent chance of being a hit according to Statcast™. Soria fanned Jose Ramirez to leave runners at first and third with two outs before Jason Kipnis singled home the tying run. "At the time, [Soria] is probably the last guy you want to face when the shadows are coming over the stadium," Francona said. "Because of his change of speed and deception. Kip stayed on it. Once we got it tied, it was like 'OK, at least we can keep playing."' SALVY EXITS All-Star catcher Salvador Perez left in the ninth inning after getting hit by a foul tip while catching in the eighth inning. X-rays were negative, and Yost said he did not believe it was serious. More > SOUND SMART WITH YOUR FRIENDS When Indians right-hander Cody Allen picked up the save on Saturday, it marked the 100th of his Major League career. WHAT'S NEXT Indians: Right-hander Mike Clevinger has been summoned from Triple-A Columbus to make his Major League season debut in the 2:15 ET rubber game on Sunday. Clevinger went 3-1 at Columbus with a 1.50 ERA, prompting the promotion. Royals: Left-hander Danny Duffy (2-2, 3.89 ERA) takes the mound for the Royals to wrap up the three-game set with the Indians at 1:15 p.m. CT. Duffy gave up six runs and a season-high 10 hits in five-plus innings Tuesday against the White Sox. Royals, Indians honor Negro Leagues in finale May 7, 2017 By Robert Falkoff/MLB.com http://m.royals.mlb.com/news/article/228682712/royals-indians-honor-negro-leagues-in-finale/?topicId=26688732
May 7, 2017 By Jeffrey Flanagan/MLB.com http://m.royals.mlb.com/news/article/228739068/royals-bullpen-gives-up-three-runs-in-loss/
That gave the Tribe a 2-1 lead. At first, Herrera didn't think Santana got it all. But the ball crept over the right-center-field wall. "I fell behind in the count," Herrera said. "Obviously, I throw hard. It's just bad location. He started running hard. I thought it was in, but obviously, it was out." Herrera then gave up another home run, this one to Francisco Lindor. "Bad changeup," Herrera said. "It was poor location today." The inning that perplexed Royals manager Ned Yost, though, was the eighth. With the Royals leading 1-0, Soria gave up a one-out single to Michael Brantley on a grounder that Soria tried to stop with his right foot. But the ball, instead of rolling harmlessly to shortstop Alcides Escobar for a likely out, caromed off Soria's foot into short left field. Edwin Encarnacion followed with a broken-bat blooper that squibbed just past the vacant right side of the Royals' infield, and the Indians had runners at the corners. After a strikeout of Jose Ramirez, Jason Kipnis flipped an RBI single into center and the Tribe tied it, 1-1. "Ball off his foot. Then a freaking jam shot," Yost said, shaking his head. "We were playing all around to the left on Encarnacion. Just a jam shot. I don't think we would have got that if we were playing straight up. Then the big strike out of Ramirez. "And some good hitting from Kipnis. I didn't think it was a bad pitch. Changeup outer half, and he just went with it." Royals activate Soler from 10-day disabled list Option Almonte to Double-A Northwest Arkansas May 6, 2017 By Jeffrey Flanagan/MLB.com http://m.royals.mlb.com/news/article/228668476/royals-reinstate-jorge-soler-from-10-day-dl/ One day after being recalled from Double-A Northwest Arkansas, right-hander Miguel Almonte was optioned back there to make room for outfielder Jorge Soler, who was activated Saturday from his rehab assignment at Triple-A Omaha. The move was somewhat surprising considering Almonte was recalled Friday, and because the Royals had been hinting strongly that they wanted Soler to use up his entire rehab stint through next Wednesday. Royals manager Ned Yost had a somewhat playful response from inside his office prior to Saturday's game: "As always, we are allowed to change our mind or our thoughts day to day… it's called the ability to have creative thinking and being able to evaluate what we're doing. "We brought Almonte up to be a backup in the 'pen. Our thought process was maybe we would send [Jorge] Bonifacio out after the game and have him keep playing [in the Minors]. But he has played so well, Dayton [Moore] and I talked about it, there are spots we can get [Bonifacio] in." Yost said earlier in the week that he could envision a scenario where both Soler and Bonifacio are on the same roster, even though they are both right fielders primarily. "When we got to Spring Training our thought process was we had [Paulo] Orlando, [Brandon] Moss and Soler as [right fielders], and they could rotate in right or DH. So Boni just has replaced Orlando. You know, Moss has been struggling, [Alex Gordon] has been struggling. We can mix and match with all those guys." Moving Almonte back to the Minors leaves the Royals with seven relievers again. Yost said that's not a concern. "That's where we were when we started the season," Yost said. "I can always make a move. If I need a reliever, I can have one here the next day." Soler, 25, hit .308 in 11 games at Omaha with three home runs. "He's been swinging the bat well," Yost said. "He's ready now." Soler said through interpreter Pedro Grifol that he was a bit cautious when his rehab assignment started, based on concern for his left oblique injury. "At first when I went down there, I felt something [hurt on that side], and I didn't know if it was the same injury," Soler said. "But after a few days, I could tell it wasn't the same [injury], and it felt fine and I could let it fly." Royals’ bullpen crumbles, offense produces little in 3-1 loss to Indians May 6, 2017 By Rustin Dodd/KC Star http://www.kansascity.com/sports/mlb/kansas-city-royals/article149090309.html Before the end, before the bullpen broke down Saturday in a 3-1 loss to the Cleveland Indians, before Joakim Soria coughed up a lead in the eighth and Kelvin Herrera served up consecutive homers in the ninth, the Royals went about losing a baseball game in a less dramatic, more subtle way. They did not score. They managed one run off Indians starter Josh Tomlin, who entered the afternoon with an 8.87 ERA in five starts and was troubled to throw just 76 pitches in seven innings at Kauffman Stadium. They came up with nothing against the Indians’ vaunted bullpen duo of Andrew Miller and Cody Allen. On a perfect sunlit afternoon, the song remained the same. The Royals (10-19) scored two runs or fewer for the 14th time in 29 games. They dropped to 2-17 in games in which their opponent has scored more than one run. Their league-worst offense continued to fall further away from baseball’s peloton, totaling 81 runs in 29 games, more than 20 runs behind the 29th ranked offense. “You got to put up runs to win ballgames,” center fielder Lorenzo Cain said. “And we definitely haven’t been doing that.” The lack of production has put stress on all corners of the team, from the rotation to the relief corps, and on Saturday afternoon, the weight produced cracks in the bullpen, which allowed three runs in the eighth and ninth innings. Four outs from a series victory over the defending American League champions, the back end stumbled and then collapsed. Soria surrendered a 1-0 lead in the eighth, allowing a run on two soft singles and a sharp RBI single from Jason Kipnis. Herrera was blindsided by back-to-back solo homers from Indians designated hitter Carlos Santana and shortstop Francisco Lindor in the ninth. In moments, a nearly perfect day at Kauffman Stadium — nice weather, good pitching, crisp pace — had been set ablaze. “It was poor location today,” Herrera said. With the score tied 1-1, Herrera fell behind 2-0 on Santana and hurled a 98 fastball that stayed in the zone. Santana hammered the baseball 412 feet into the porch in right-center. Moments later, Lindor yanked a 91 mph change-up to right field. As he returned to the Royals’ clubhouse, Herrera couldn’t help but feel a little snakebit. In his career, Santana had been 0 for 14 with seven strikeouts against Herrera, a statistic the reliever noted during a postgame interview. “First hit he got is a homer,” Herrera said. “Bad luck.” In the other clubhouse, Santana complimented Herrera’s stuff, his velocity — but perhaps he was due. “These things happen,” Santana said. “I tried to just make good contact.” In a season defined by a miserable offensive start and a nine-game losing streak in late April, Saturday could be filed under Missed Opportunity. The Royals had a chance to secure a series victory over the Indians entering Sunday’s finale. They could have pulled within four games of Cleveland, the team that dethroned them in the American League Central last season. Instead, they failed to capitalize on another sterling performance from starting pitcher Jason Vargas, who tossed six scoreless innings and lowered his ERA to 1.19. They also wasted a brilliant defensive moment from Alex Gordon in the seventh. With two men on and two out, Gordon laid out in left field to save two runs and preserve a 1-0 lead. The moment drove a jolt of adrenaline through reliever Matt Strahm and excited the Royals’ dugout. By late Saturday, it became a footnote in another defeat. “Vargy was awesome again,” Royals manager Ned Yost said. “Tremendous job getting us through six innings. Kept us in the game. Didn’t give up anything.” Didn't get much support, either. The Royals put two men on with one out in the ninth against Indians closer Allen. But first baseman Eric Hosmer, who delivered an RBI single in the fourth, hit into a fielder’s choice and catcher Drew Butera popped out. Butera had replaced catcher Salvador Perez after Perez took a foul ball to the left arm in the late innings. Perez stayed in the game momentarily, but the bruise continued to swell and stiffen. Yost expressed little concern. The Royals said Perez was day to day. For now, the true concern resides where it has for the last month. For another day, the offense struggled. Hosmer extended his hitting streak to 10 games. Cain finished with two hits. Yet, the team finished with just five base runners against Tomlin, who was batted around like a beach ball for most of April. “I knew all four pitches were working well,” Tomlin said. “I was able to locate for the most part today.” For now, there are few obvious solutions. In his Royals debut, right fielder Jorge Soler finished 0 for 3. Gordon continues to struggle. So does designated hitter Brandon Moss. So on late Saturday, Cain slumped in a leather chair inside the clubhouse, his hands near his hips, explaining how another pitcher had managed to find success against the Royals. This time, it was Tomlin. It could have been a number of others. “He just works with what he has,” Cain said. “He has a baby cutter, a nice little two-seamer, a nice curveball. He just uses all his pitches faithfully and makes us swing at them. Another tough outing.” Jorge Soler makes Royals debut after being activated from disabled list May 6, 2017 By Rustin Dodd/KC Star http://www.kansascity.com/sports/mlb/kansas-city-royals/article149037674.html The Royals decided to activate outfielder Jorge Soler from the disabled list before Saturday afternoon’s game against Cleveland. To create room on the roster, the club was prepared to option outfielder Jorge Bonifacio back to Class AAA Omaha. But they changed course at the last moment, choosing to option right-handed pitcher Miguel Almonte, who had been summoned from Class AA Northwest Arkansas earlier in the day. By early Saturday morning, the roster pruning shaped up like this: Soler rejoined his teammates at Kauffman Stadium and finished 0 for 3 in his Royals debut. Almonte headed back to the minors. Bonifacio remained in Kansas City, prepared to rotate into the lineup with Soler and designated hitter Brandon Moss. “Our thought was that we were going to maybe send Boni out after the game and just let him continue to play,” Yost said on Saturday. “But he’s been doing so well up here. Dayton and I sat back and realized: There’s spots we can still move him in. “When we first went to spring training, our mind-set was we had (Paulo) Orlando, we had Moss, we had Soler that could kind of intermingle. One could play right field. The other could DH if it’s a platoon situation. It’s the same type thing … Bonifacio has taken over for Orlando now.” On his first day back, Soler started in right field and Bonifacio went to the bench. He struck out in his first at-bat. Acquired in early December in a trade that sent closer Wade Davis to the Chicago Cubs, Soler was expected to begin the season as the Royals' starting right fielder. But one awkward swing in a spring training minor-league game on March 26 resulted in a strained oblique muscle. Soler missed the final week of spring training and opened the season on the 10-day disabled list, beginning a lengthy rehab. Soler, 25, flashed a smile Saturday as he returned to the Royals clubhouse. He hit .308 with a .400 on-base percentage and three homers in 11 games for Omaha. He appeared to lock in at the plate in his second week of rehab games. Soler said he began to feel 100 percent “four or five days ago.” “At first, when he went down there, he was a little tentative,” said Royals catching coach Pedro Grifol, who served as an interpreter for Soler. “Because he felt something and he didn’t realize if it was the same thing he was feeling before or the start of it. But once he took a few swings, he was able to let it go, and he realized it wasn’t the same injury. Then he just felt comfortable and was able to let it fly.” For now, Yost said he would “mix and match” with Soler, Bonifacio and Moss. The extra outfielder could also allow him to offer more time off to outfielder Alex Gordon, who has provided limited production at the plate. “Mossy has been struggling a little bit,” Yost said. “Gordon has been struggling a little bit. We can mix and match maybe a little bit more with Boni. Because he’s been swinging the bat well.” It remains possible that the Royals will need another reliever in the next week. The club is in the midst of a stretch of 15 games in 15 days. Starting pitcher Ian Kennedy went on the disabled list on Friday with a hamstring strain, which prompted the promotion of Almonte. Their next day off is May 15, the same day Kennedy could return from the DL. For now, Chris Young is the favorite to start in place of Kennedy on Tuesday at Tampa Bay. “I can always make a move,” Yost said. “If I need a reliever, I can have one here the next day.” Here’s what a Royals fire sale would mean, and look like, if it gets to that point May 6, 2017 By Sam Mellinger/KC Star http://www.kansascity.com/sports/spt-columns-blogs/sam-mellinger/article149080414.html This is about how the Royals might be able to turn their worst-case scenario into their best-case scenario, but before we go further, let’s all recognize that we don’t yet know if this is their worst-case scenario. The Royals were 10-18 entering Saturday’s game, even after consecutive wins, ranking last in the American League in runs, hits, batting, on-base percentage, slugging, doubles, walks, and run differential. They stink so far, in other words, and if you didn’t know what happened two and three years ago you’d have a hard time imagining this group pushing its way up the standings even if the rest of the American League Central remains mediocre. So two things can be true at once. The first truth is that early May is far too soon to make grand proclamations about a baseball team — particularly doomsday statements about a group with so much past success. The season is five weeks old. Twelve weeks remain until the non-waiver trade deadline. Crazier things have happened, especially if nobody runs away with the division. The second truth is that this group’s struggles, combined with the realities of baseball’s financial structure and the contracts of many stars, mean the Royals front office is in the beginning stages of figuring out what a fire sale would look like and how to best emerge on the other end. Because if they’re going to lose, the Royals are doing it at the right time, and in most of the right ways. Mike Moustakas could be one of baseball’s most valuable trade chips this summer. He is 28 years old, an All-Star with playoff success, a power bat, and good defense at a difficult position to fill. That last part is the most important. The Red Sox will be looking for a third baseman, if Pablo Sandoval continues to struggle. That would make the most sense, though the White Sox’s Todd Frazier could also be on the market. The Angels could be a trade partner, too, particularly if they thought Moustakas would want to stay close to his childhood home long-term. The Mets are desperate for a third baseman, but need to play better before talking trades. Lorenzo Cain would be a fit in a lot of places. He is another All-Star with playoff success, getting on base more than ever before, and would improve any team’s outfield defense. The Dodgers have used five center fielders this year, none to particularly productive results. Nationals center fielder Adam Eaton is out for the season because of a knee injury. If the complications of an intradivision trade could be worked out, the Tigers could join a long list of teams that would improve with Cain. Eric Hosmer could help the right contender. He has been the best version of himself over the last 10 days or so, and if scouts are convinced he’s back to his All-Star form, there is always a market for his talent. The Yankees need a first baseman. The Angels and Marlins could make sense for various reasons. Depending on how various teams’ needs lined up, the Royals could have trade talks involving Jason Vargas, Ian Kennedy, Kelvin Herrera — even Danny Duffy or Sal Perez could be had for the right offer, though either remains a long shot to be dealt in any scenario. The point here: The Royals are beginning to prepare for a major roster overhaul that would require any talk of the championship core to come in the past tense, end any illusion of winning in the near future, and start the long and tedious (ahem) process of building back from the ground up. Because if a team is going to lose, it’s best to lose early, so the front office can break the team down and sell off parts. The Royals took an overly ambitious plan of trying to win now, build for later, and control costs — all at the same time. If the team is not in contention as the trade deadline nears, it gives an opportunity to abort, and better prepare for the future. This will come with major challenges, and enticing potential rewards. First, the challenges. Teams are less willing than ever before to trade young, cheap talent. Even big-money clubs are aware of the value held not just by prospects, but big leaguers who have not yet hit arbitration. That means many deals that may have been available five years ago are now off the table. The deals that remain won’t be as enticing. In the winter before the 2011 season, the Royals made what is likely their single most important decision in developing a world champion — trading Zack Greinke for Cain, Alcides Escobar, and Jake Odorizzi. Cain turned into a star, Escobar was a key piece in the success, and Odorizzi was part of the trade that brought James Shields and Wade Davis. Today, teams making “seller” trades know they are unlikely to receive such a haul. Another challenge is that the current CBA has made receiving compensation for lost free agents more difficult. In the past, anyone who turned down a qualifying offer and signed elsewhere earned his old team a draft pick. Today, he must turn down a qualifying offer and sign a contract of at least $50 million. But the potential rewards mean Royals general manager Dayton Moore and the rest of the front office will have no choice but to sell, if the losing continues. This is how rebuilds are done in today’s version of major-league baseball. Eleven years ago, when Moore took over with the promise of better support from owner David Glass, it was done with patience and draft picks and supplemental trades. Today, the clubs with the best track records of turnarounds have kick-started the (ahem) process by losing massive amounts of games for a few years. This is the bargain Moore must accept, if he chooses this path. There is a growing acceptance among some in the front office that this should’ve been the plan all along. The Royals will always be operating at a disadvantage compared to richer franchises, which means they need to be happy winning now or building for tomorrow — not sacrificing both by trying to do too much. One more time: This is not yet the point of declaring the Royals need to give up on 2017, in part because this is still early enough in the season that buyers are not yet ready to move. The best scenario remains that this week is the beginning of one more comeback by this group, that they find their 2015 mojo, and push toward the postseason. But as long as that appears unlikely, the Royals could find themselves pursuing the second-best scenario: knowing the window is closed now, rather than later, which would give them the best opportunity to make the most of the struggles and rebuild for the push to the next parade. That last world championship will feel like a long time ago. The Royals will try to sell you on the vision for the next one. Garth Brooks’ foundation will donate press box for the Royals’ Urban Youth Academy May 6, 2017 By Maria Torres/KC Star http://www.kansascity.com/sports/mlb/kansas-city-royals/article149084749.html
Ramon Torres homers, but Chasers held in check in defeat May 6, 2017 By Omaha Storm Chasers https://www.milb.com/storm-chasers/news/bees-sting-omaha-5-2-in-road-trip-opener/c-228749570/t-196093384 Matt Williams had 3 hits and 3 RBIs, and Salt Lake defeated Omaha 5-2 in the opener of a 4-game series on Saturday Night at Smith's Ballpark. Salt Lake jumped ahead in the bottom of the 2nd against Josh Staumont . With 1 out, Shane Robinson was hit by a pitch, Sherman Johnson singled, and Matt Williams tripled both of them home. Bo Way followed with a sacrifice fly to drive Williams home, making it 3-0 Bees. Ramon Torres put the Chasers back in it with a 2-run homer in the top of the 4th. After Ryan O'Hearn drew a 2-out walk, Torres just cleared the fence in right field for his 4th longball of the season, cutting Salt Lake's lead to 3-2. The Bees pushed the lead back to 4-2 in the bottom of the 4th, as Shane Robinson walked, went to 2nd on a sacrifice bunt, and scored on an RBI single by Williams. Troy Scribner (W, 4-0) worked through 5 innings, allowing 2 runs, 3 hits, and 3 walks. He struck out 5. Staumont (L, 2-2) tossed 6.1 frames; he was charged with 4 runs on 4 hits, with 4 strikeouts and 2 walks. He threw 101 pitches (60 strikes). Greg Mahle and Eduardo Paredes held the Chasers off the board in the 6th and 7th, and in the bottom of the 7th, Eric Young Jr. homered against Kevin McCarthy to give the Bees a 5-2 advantage. Paredes returned for a scoreless top of the 8th, and after a scoreless home half from Mark Peterson , Justin Miller (S, 2) tossed the 9th inning for the save, consigning Omaha to their 5th consecutive defeat. The Chasers continue the series in Salt Lake tomorrow afternoon. RHP Jake Junis (1-2, 3.52) takes the ball for Omaha, while the Bees' starter is yet to be determined. First pitch will be at 2:05 Central. Naturals Blank Travelers in Series Opener May 6, 2017 By Naturals PR Department https://www.milb.com/naturals/news/naturals-blank-travelers-in-series-opener/c-228778946/t-196093316
Rocks Wiggle Out of Ninth Inning Trouble May 6, 2017 By Cory Nidoh/Wilmington Blue Rocks https://www.milb.com/blue-rocks/news/wilmington-escapes-with-victory/c-228765664/t-196097164 In a game that almost got away, the Wilmington Blue Rocks (11-18) held on to a thrilling 5-4 victory over the Down East Wood Ducks (13-17) Saturday night at Grainger Stadium. In the bottom of the ninth inning, with a run already in and the Blue Rocks clinging to a one-run lead, Down East had the tying-run at third base and winning-run at first base. However, RHP Gabe Cramer induced a game-ending double play to close out the contest. Elier Hernandez provided most of the offense for the Blue Crew with his three-run homer early in the game and finished the contest with four RBI. The Rocks almost had their wire to wire lead dwindle and evaporate in the later stages of the ballgame as the Wood Ducks attempted a rally in the bottom of the ninth inning. Jairo Beras singled to right field to plate Arturo Lora to make it a 5-4 score. Later in the inning with one out, the Wood Ducks pushed the tying-run to third base and winning-run at first after a Carlos Garay single. The next at-bat, Cramer got help from shortstop Nicky Lopez who made a nice ranging play up the middle to complete the game-ending double play. Down East started to chip away at the Blue Rocks 4-0 lead with a pair of runs in the seventh inning. Lora lofted a sacrifice fly to put Down East on the board before Beras singled home the second run of the frame to make it a 4-2 ballgame. In the top of the eighth, Hernandez provided the Rocks a vital insurance run with an RBI single to left field to extend the Rocks lead 5-2. Earlier in the game, the Blue Rocks offense struck first when Anderson Miller smacked a two-out RBI single to score Lopez, who started the game off with a walk, to give Wilmington a 1-0 lead. With the hit, Miller extended his career-high on-base streak to 21 games. In the third inning, Hernandez crushed a three-run homer to pad the Blue Rocks lead 4-0. It was his fourth homer of the year which leads the team. The Blue Rocks and Wood Ducks conclude the four-game series on Sunday, May 7 with first pitch scheduled for 2:00 p.m. at Grainger Stadium. The Blue Rocks will send LHP Cristian Castillo (1-2, 3.90 ERA) to the mound while the Wood Ducks counter with RHP Richelson Pena (2-1, 2.95 ERA). Fans can listen to the game as Matt Janus will have the call on 89.7 WGLS-FM. Pebbles of Knowledge With the one-run victory, the Rocks have now played in 17 one-run affairs through their first 29 games of the season. That mark leads both the Carolina League and all of Minor League Baseball. It was their first one-run win since April 20 when the defeated the Winston-Salem Dash 1-0. However, the Rocks are just 5-12 in games decided by a single tally. Wilmington has also played in five extra innings affairs already in 2017--two more than any other Carolina League club. The Rocks are just 1-4 in those games not completed in regulation. Anderson Miller pushed his on-base streak to 21 games which extends a new career-high. His previous watermark was a 16-gamer set a year ago in Low-A Lexington. Miller has strung together three multi-hit efforts in his last four games and is hitting .394 with seven RBI in his last seven games. His on-base streak marks the longest on-base streak for a Blue Rock hitter since John Whittleman reached in 23 straight games back in 2011. Roman Collins and D.J. Burt both set an early 13-game on-base streak in the opening month of the season, but both had their streaks snapped in the same game back on April 20 against Winston-Salem. Elier Hernandez smacked his team-leading fourth homer in the win Saturday night and drove in four runs to boost his total to 26 RBI on the season which also paces the team. After a tough 2-for-26 start to begin the year, Hernandez has been scorching at the plate. In his last 23 games, the outfielder is hitting .366 with four home runs and 24 RBI. He is in the top-five in the Carolina League with his RBI total and 119 at-bats on the young season. They Said It: Jamie Quirk "Nicky (Lopez) was determined that no ball was getting by him (on great defensive plays late in the game) and he played a great game defensively. Him and (Jecksson) Flores made a couple of good plays, just heads up baseball plays and of course the last one with the double play to end the game. (Lopez) played phenomenal and has played phenomenal all year. You can put him in the Major Leagues right now, he's playing that good." "(Lopez) creates havoc (offensively). He plays me against you and then says the pitching isn't getting him out. He does anything to get on base and when he is on base he creates problems. Even if he doesn't steal a base, he is always ready to steal at any time. When he was at second (Down East) tried to pick him off three or four times. Elier (Hernandez) is hitting and that distracts the pitcher and I don't care what anyone says, you can't have your mind in both places. Lopez does a great job getting the pitchers to worry about him and it helps the hitters." "I love home runs. Three-run home runs are great and Earl Weaver used to say three-run homers I'll take any day. Hernandez is swinging the bat great and had four RBIs tonight. He had a clutch RBI in the eighth, playing great, getting some hits with runners in scoring position and slowing the game down. We talk about it all the time and Elier is learning to do that and then that ball he hit for the three-run homer earlier in the game was huge." "You have to add on and you never have enough runs. Every team makes a little run and even though A.J. Puckett pitched great, (Down East) made that run in the seventh inning. You got to have those extra runs and try to separate yourself. Luckily, they made their run in the bottom of the seventh inning we got that one run back in the eighth to get some momentum. They made another run at us and luckily we had Nicky (Lopez) on our team." Nicky Lopez, Shortstop "It was a fun game. It's fun when you win the one-run games. We haven't been on the winning side of the one-run games lately. To get a win and in that fashion was really cool. I mean we're competing; you can see it too. Just sometimes it hasn't gone our way, but (Saturday) it did." "I think it's just confidence. (On offense having success as of late.) Hitting is kind of contagious. When one person gets a hit, another gets a hit and then someone leaves the yard, they're like I can do that too. So they swing the bat with more confidence and I think that's what we are doing right now." "It's really important being that I'm the leadoff hitter. I just have to get on base anyway I can, reach on an error a walk, or even the little dinking hits I got (Saturday). I have faith in my team that when I get on, they will drive me in. Elier (Hernandez) is playing unbelievable, same with (Anderson) Miller, he's having a great series. (Jecksson) Flores is moving me over every time I get on. It's really clicking right now and like I said, it's really awesome to have these one-run victories." "Definitely. (On extra-base hits giving lineup more confidence.) Early on in the season, we would hit an extra-base hit with no one on base. Right now, we are getting those extra-base hits when runners are on and it's a huge boost of confidence. When you see a guy on second or third base and you see a guy drive them in with a hit in the gap, it's like let me do that too." "To be honest it's in the heat of the moment (on diving plays). You envision the play and think if it's a backhand what do I do, or if it's a forehand what do I do before it even happens. You just want to keep your team in it and save some runs. Our pitchers are competing and you want to be behind them the best you can and make some plays behind them." Down six, Legends rally to win 9-8 May 6, 2017 By Lexington Legends https://www.milb.com/legends/news/down-six-legends-rally-to-win-9-8/c-228754172/t-196097274 Chris DeVito homered and drove in four runs, and the Lexington Legends came back from an early 6-0 deficit for a 9-8 win over the West Virginia Power Saturday night in Charleston. DeVito leads the South Atlantic League with 10 homers and 37 runs batted in. The Power took charge with six runs in the first inning. Logan Ratledge led off with a double. After Ty Moore was hit by a pitch, Hunter Owen doubled, scoring Ratledge and sending Moore to third. Carlos Munoz was hit by a pitch, loading the bases. Trae Arbet drove in two runs with a double. Arden Pabst walked, loading the bases again, and Kevin Mahala grounded into a pitcher-to-home-to first double play, leaving runners at second and third. Clark Eagan followed with a three-run homer, and the Power led 6-0. The Legends began their comeback in the second inning. With one out, Meibrys Viloria and Manny Olloque hit back-to-back home runs. They added a run in the third on a walk to Khalil Lee, a ground-rule double by Kort Peterson and a ground out by DeVito, cutting the margin to 6-3. A five-run fourth inning put Lexington in front. Viloria led off with a walk and moved to second on a wild pitch. Olloque and Marten Gasparini walked to load the bases. Viloria scored as Ricky Aracena grounded out, leaving runners at second and third. Gabriel Cancel popped out, but Peterson and DeVito each delivered two-run singles, giving the Legends an 8-6 lead. A sacrifice fly by Ratledge in the fourth and a leadoff homer by Owen in the fifth tied the score at 8-8. DeVito led off the seventh with a home run to put Lexington in front again, and the 9-8 lead held up. Reliever Geoffrey Bramblett (1-0) got the win in his first appearance as a Legend. Grant Gavin, who allowed one hit and no runs over the last two and two-thirds innings, earned his first save. Gavin struck out five batters and walked none. West Virginia reliever Mike Wallace (0-2) was the losing pitcher. Each team has won one game in the series, which continues Sunday. First pitch is set for 2:05 p.m. MLB TRANSACTIONS May 7, 2017 •.CBSSports.com http://www.cbssports.com/mlb/transactions
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