The Big Blue Wrecking Crew

Preston Mattingly went 0-for-4 on Monday, leaving him with a .163 average for low-A Great Lakes.

Mattingly, who hit just .210/.251/.297 in 404 at-bats for Great Lakes last season, is playing even worse so far this year. He's currently sporting a 172/33 K/BB ratio in 633 at-bats as a pro, and it's not like he makes up for it with power or defense. It looks like he was a pretty extreme overdraft when the Dodgers took him 31st overall in 2006.

[quote]

Mike Scioscias tragic illness:

Preston Mattingly went 0-for-4 on Monday, leaving him with a .163 average for low-A Great Lakes.

Mattingly, who hit just .210/.251/.297 in 404 at-bats for Great Lakes last season, is playing even worse so far this year. He's currently sporting a 172/33 K/BB ratio in 633 at-bats as a pro, and it's not like he makes up for it with power or defense. It looks like he was a pretty extreme overdraft when the Dodgers took him 31st overall in 2006.

Well, it wasn't just us who had him rated so high. The Red Sox and Yankees were both excited about the kid, also. It looks like he will be Logan White's Omar Moreno, Jr. I guess every scouting director gets one mulligan.

How about James McDonald last night? 9Ks in 5.1?

Good morning, Campers. Sorry about being so late with the farm reports, couldn't get into the site until just about a minute ago. Anyway, enough about that, not a good day for the bullpens in Las Vegas and Jacksonville. Plus, a lousy day defensively for the Loons, as they gave up four unearned runs to the Kernels, it wouldn't be so bad, but the Kernels only scored four runs. Poor Justin Miller, another good start and an ERA under one, but he is only 1-1, this year. If James McDonald didn't have bad luck, he would have no luck at all. A misplayed fly ball allowed two runs to score in the top of sixth and McDonald left with a 2-2 tie. Unfortunately for Brian Akin, the defense failed him as the Mudcats added four more runs (only one earned) to beat the Suns, 6-3. I really don't want to get into how bad the pitching was for the 51's. Jason Johnson was beaten about the head and face, but left with a 5-5 tie after five innings. Too bad BJ LaMura decided to match him by giving up five runs in less than an inning. When it was all said and done, Sacramento took an 11-5 victory. The only win on the farm was a combined strong effort by Tim Sexton, Given Kutz and Brent Leach as they shut down the Oaks for a 3-1 win for the 66ers.

There were some good efforts with the stick, though. Lucas May went 3-4 with a homer and a double, Eduardo Perez homered and singled for the 66ers, Danny Ardoin and Kevin Howard launched bombs for the 51's, Ivan DeJesus, Terry Tiffee and Jovanny Rosario all had two hits yesterday, but Nomar got his act together with three hits, including a double and an rbi, but the most shocking was that Nomar got an unintentional walk - wonders will never cease.

Sacramento 11, Las Vegas 5
Nomar (.300) 3-3, 2b(1), r, rbi(1), bb
Terry Tiffee (.545) 2-5, rbi(10)
Danny Ardoin (.167) 2-4. hr(1), 2r, rbi(2), k
Kevin Howard (.385) 1-4, hr(2), r, rbi(7), k
Jason Johnson (13.50) 5ip, 6h, 5r, 4bb, 4k
BJ LaMura (0-1, 67.50) .2ip, 3h, 5r, 2bb, 1k

Carolina 6, Jacksonville 3
Lucas May (.364) 3-4, 2b(5), hr(2), 2r, rbi(6)
Ivan DeJesus (.368) 2-5, k
James McDonald (2.92) 5.1ip, 3h, 2r, 2bb, 9k
Brian Akin (5.68) 2.1ip, 3h, 4r, 1er, 4bb, 1k

Inland Empire 3, Visalia 1
Eduardo Perez (.280) 2-4, hr(1), 2r, rbi(3), sb(1)
Travyon Robinson (.209) 1-2, r
Tim Sexton (1-2, 3.94) 6ip, 5h, 1r, 2bb, 4k
Brent Leach (1.23) sv(1), 2.1ip, 1h, 2k

Cedar Rapids 4, Great Lakes 0
Jovanny Rosario (.349) 2-5, k, sb(4)
Andrew Lambo (.300) 1-3, bb, k
Justin Miller (1-1, 0.63) 4.1ip, 4h, 3r, 0er, 2bb, 5k
John Dutton (4.91) 3.2ip, 0h, 1r, 0er, 3bb, 5k

When do we begin considering Miguel Pinango a legit prospect? And WHY the hell is Jovanny Rosario not at Inland Empire?

Kershaw went six, gave up one run on four hits, struck out six and walked two. Jax trailing 2-0 in the ninth.

Kershaw picked off TWO runners in the fourth inning. Dude came up, first and second, nobody out, CK picked off both runners then struck the dude out for good measure.

[quote]

TheSleaze:

When do we begin considering Miguel Pinango a legit prospect? And WHY the hell is Jovanny Rosario not at Inland Empire?

It would work for me, Corey. Rosario for the 66ers would give Erik Kanaby more at bats and games in centerfield.

Good morning, Campers. If your name isn't Clayton Kershaw, you had a pretty decent day on the farm. If your name is Kershaw, you will begin proceedings to sue your team for non-support. Kershaw extended himself to six innings, only gave up four hits, but also allowed one run, more than enough to crush the feeble offense of the Suns. Of course, we can revel in Kershaw picking off two baserunners on back to back plays.

Otherwise, a good day on the farm. James Adkins went five as the 66ers managed to push across three runs and defeat the Oaks, 3-1. While Adkins put up a good start, Francisco Felix turned in a dominating three inning relief stint, striking out eight of the nine hitters he faced. Matter of fact, the Oaks had the tying run at second base when Felix came in and he proceeded to strike out the side and save Jordy Pratt's bacon.

In Cedar Rapids, Jaime Ortiz' one out, two-run homer was the difference as the Loons beat the Kernels, 5-3. Bryan Morris had a good start, tossing a no hitter for the first five innings, before the wheels fell off and he gave up a three-run homer to tie the score. Ortiz' homer, the second of the day for the Loons - Andrew Lambo added a two run shot, earlier in the game - came after a Pedro Baez single. Matthew Sartor picked up the win, going two strong innings and Miguel Ramirez picked up his fourth save of the season.

No game for the 51's as they were snowed out in Salt Lake City.

Carolina 2, Jacksonville 0
Jamie Hoffman (.184) 2-4, k
Shane Justus (.222) 1-3, 2b(1), k
Clayton Kershaw (0-3, 2.57) 6ip, 4h, 1r, 2bb, 6k, 2 pick offs.
Yhence (0.00) 1ip, 2k

Inland Empire 3, Visalia 1
Carlos Santana (.314) 1-3, 3b(2), r, rbi(12), 2k
Eduardo Perez (.288) 1-2, r, bb
James Adkins (1-0, 2.77) 5ip, 4h, 1r, 3bb, 5k
Francisco Felix (2.13) sv(1), 3ip, 8k

Great Lakes 5, Cedar Rapids 3
Pedro Baez (.143) 2-4, r, error(5)
Andrew Lambo (.295) 1-4, hr(1), r, 2-rbi(11)
Jaime Ortiz (.111) 1-3, hr(1), r, 2-rbi(3)
Bryan Morris (5.17) 6ip, 4h, 3r, 2bb, 5k
Matthew Sartor (1-1, 2.08) 2ip, 1h, 1bb, 3k
Miguel Ramirez (0.00) sv(4), 1ip, 1h, 1k

Poor Clayton. That's pretty sad. The guy is 0-3 with a mid-2 ERA.

It seems like we're bottom-heavy with some very good bats and top-heavy with very good pitching - more or less.

Morris was drafted and immediately had TJ, right? Or was that Atkins?

Oh, also - any news on Elbert? He's in extended ST, I'd imagine. Is his recovery not going well?

[quote]

DoppelgangBang:

Poor Clayton. That's pretty sad. The guy is 0-3 with a mid-2 ERA.

It seems like we're bottom-heavy with some very good bats and top-heavy with very good pitching - more or less.

Morris was drafted and immediately had TJ, right? Or was that Atkins?

Morris was drafted between Kershaw and Mattingly. Seeing as he is less than eighteen months since TJ surgery, I think he is doing great. Adkins was drafted last season with our sandwich pick.

Regarding Elbert, I remember DeJon Watson saying he would be pitching in May, probably in relief for Jacksonville. I keep on thinking that his future may be as a closer. He had only two plus pitches - fastball and a curve. I would think that might be enough to be a closer, but not enough to be a starter. Of course, Koufax made it work for himself.

[quote]

grabarkewitz:

[quote]

DoppelgangBang:

Poor Clayton. That's pretty sad. The guy is 0-3 with a mid-2 ERA.

It seems like we're bottom-heavy with some very good bats and top-heavy with very good pitching - more or less.

Morris was drafted and immediately had TJ, right? Or was that Atkins?

Morris was drafted between Kershaw and Mattingly. Seeing as he is less than eighteen months since TJ surgery, I think he is doing great. Adkins was drafted last season with our sandwich pick.

Regarding Elbert, I remember DeJon Watson saying he would be pitching in May, probably in relief for Jacksonville. I keep on thinking that his future may be as a closer. He had only two plus pitches - fastball and a curve. I would think that might be enough to be a closer, but not enough to be a starter. Of course, Koufax made it work for himself.

Well, nothing wrong with having a stud LH Closer-in-the-wings with two super plus pitches.

Plus, what's our list of serious pitching prospects look like now?

Kershaw
McDonald
Meloan
Morris
Pinango
Withrow
and more?

We could be fine moving Elbert to closer to make a knockout 1-2 punch with Johnny the Bull.

[quote]

grabarkewitz:

[quote]

DoppelgangBang:

Poor Clayton. That's pretty sad. The guy is 0-3 with a mid-2 ERA.

It seems like we're bottom-heavy with some very good bats and top-heavy with very good pitching - more or less.

Morris was drafted and immediately had TJ, right? Or was that Atkins?

Morris was drafted between Kershaw and Mattingly. Seeing as he is less than eighteen months since TJ surgery, I think he is doing great. Adkins was drafted last season with our sandwich pick.

Regarding Elbert, I remember DeJon Watson saying he would be pitching in May, probably in relief for Jacksonville. I keep on thinking that his future may be as a closer. He had only two plus pitches - fastball and a curve. I would think that might be enough to be a closer, but not enough to be a starter. Of course, Koufax made it work for himself.
Pshh! Koufax threw 97 MPH though. Not to mention his curve would make Bert Blyleven blush!

I agree though that Elbert is in a very crucial stretch in his development for us. If what he is, is what he's going to be, then the bullpen it probably will be for him. If he wants to challenge for a rotation spot moving forward, he'd better develop not only a third pitch, but better control as well.

This season should begin to tell us where his future lies.

Morning, campers! Sorry about the late hour of the report, kid was sent back to the JV's. The kid he replaced on the varsity got his gpa up to 2.5 and is able to play today. Kid seemed to be happy, he will get some playing time. Still, 2-2 as a varsity player ain't bad.

Anyway, Jonathan Meloan can share the feeling of having a popgun offense with Clayton Kershaw. Meloan tossed six innings of one hit ball, only to leave with a tie score. Bottom of the seventh, Sean Rodriguez hits on that barely clears the fence in left and the game is over. The legend of Terry Tiffee continues to grow, another hit and his average is still above .500. Luis Maza had two hits, a double and a single, but that was about it for the 51's offense.

The Suns took advantage of a multitude of walks and made seven hits count as they defeated the Mudcats, 7-4. Marlon Arias also had control issues as he only lasted three innings with four walks and five hits. Cory Wade worked three shutout innings, while Zach Hammes and Rick Asadoorian shut down the Mudcats over the last three innings with Asadoorian getting his first save of the season. Rene Rivera homered for the Suns, while Jamie Hoffman and Adolfo Gonzalez each had two hits. Ivan DeJesus reached base four times, three walks and a double.

Despite a three rbi game by Matt Berezay and a solo homer by Josh Bell, the 66ers fell to the Oaks, 8-4. Javy Guerra started, but had control issues as he walked four in a little over two innings. The pen didn't do much better as control was an issue all night long. Berezay's two hits were a home run, his first of the season, and a double. The only other extra base hit was Bell's first bomb of the season.

In a tight little affair, the Loons' Erik Kanaby singled, stole second and then came home after an overthrow by the catcher and the centerfield overran the ball in center to score the winning run. Not a good day for Kyle Smit, he couldn't find the plate as he walked three and was behind on about every hitter he faced in his three plus innings. Robert Blevins picked up the win, pitching three innings of shutout ball. The offense wasn't spectacular, a clutch three-run triple by Jovanny Rosario paced the offense.

Salt Lake 1, Las Vegas 0
Luis Maza (.267) 2-4, 2b(1), k
Terry Tiffee (.532) 1-3, bb
Jonathan Meloan (1.69) 6ip, 1h, 4bb, 4k
Greg Jones (2-1, 2.35) 1ip, 2h, 1r, 1bb, 1k


Jacksonville 7, Carolina 4
Jamie Hoffman (.209) 2-5, r, rbi(3)
Adolfo Gonzalez (.235) 2-3, 2b(1), r, rbi(2), bb, error(1)
Ivan DeJesus (.349) 1-2, 2b(4), r, 3bb
Rene Rivera (.143) 1-4, hr(2), r, rbi(4)
Marlon Arias (8.10) 3ip, 5h 4r, 3er, 4bb, 4k
Cory Wade (5.11) 3ip, 3h, 2k
Zach Hammes (1-1, 1.00) 1ip, 1bb, 1k
Rick Asadoorian ((6.00) sv(1), 2ip, 1k

Visalia 8, Inland Empire 4
Matt Berezay (.226) 2-4, 2b(2), hr(1), r, 3-rbi(10), k
Josh Bell (.291) 1-4, hr(1), r, rbi(4), 2k
Javy Guerra (0-1, 4.35) 2.1ip, 4h, 4r, 4bb, 3k
Alberto Bastardo (8.10) 1.2ip, 3h, 1r, 1k

Great Lakes 8, Cedar Rapids 7
Jovanny Rosario (.321) 1-5, 3b(3), 3-rbi(5), k
Andrew Lambo (.295) 1-4, 2b(5), rbi(12), 2k
Kyle Smit (6.75) 3.2ip, 5h, 5r, 3bb
Robert Blevins (1-1, 0.84) 3ip, 1h, 2bb, 4k

Morning, Campers! Really crappy day on the farm. Nearly bad enough for me to take a day off and fume. When I look at the reports and stats, there is hardly anything noteworthy to report. I guess Luis Maza gets a gold star for his three hit day, but after that, there isn't much to be cheerful about. Now, on the down side, we have volumes. Greg Miller gets the red mark, along with most of the Jacksonville Suns, the offense of the 66ers and the same could be said for the 51's as they brought out the wet noodles to hit with.

Here is how bad the offenses were. Inland Empire scored the most runs, yesterday, in their three run third inning. The worst part about it, not a single 66er got a hit and it took two hit batsmen, four walks and a sac fly to make all of this happen. That is beyond pathetic. Back to Greg Miller, after the 51's pitchers had managed to hold the Buzz to two runs through ten innings (a masterful undertaking), it only took Greg Miller five pitches to end the game, a 3-1 fastball to Terry Evans that he deposited over the left field fence as the Buzz took the win, 3-2.

In Jacksonville, the Suns managed seven hits, all singles, but must've thought Clayton Kershaw was on the hill, because they didn't plate a run in their 7-0 shellacking from the Mudcats. Not that the pitching was bad, just unlucky. Jesus Castillo tossed a decent five innings and Kyle Wilson only gave up an unearned run in his two innings. Juan Gonzalez was the only Sun with multiple hits and Jamie Hoffman extended his hitting streak to five games.

In San Bernardino, the 66ers managed to score three runs on no hits, but couldn't do anything with the four hits they did manage. Again, the pitching wasn't awful, but with no room for error, it didn't really matter. Andrew Locke managed to get on base three times and Ryan Rogowski got a hit, rbi, walk and stolen base, making him the offensive star for the 66ers.

The Loons had the best idea, they took the day off.

Salt Lake City 3, Las Vegas 2 (11 innings)
Luis Maza 3-5, 2b(2), rbi(2), 2k
George Lombard (.097) 1-4, hr(1), r, rbi(2), bb, 2k
Eric Stults (5.02) 5ip, 2h, 2r, 4bb, 3k
Mike Koplove (1.04) 2ip, 2k
Greg Miller(0-2, 8.31) 0ip, 1h, 1r

Carolina 7, Jacksonville 0
Juan Gonzalez (.257) 2-4
Russell Mitchell (.289) 1-4
Jesus Castillo (0-1, 3.55) 5ip, 3h, 3r, 5k
Kyle Wilson (1.13) 2ip, 3h, 1r, 0er, 2k

High Desert 5, Inland Empire 3
Andrew Locke (.250) 1-2, r, 2bb, 1k
Ryan Rogowski (.250) 1-4, rbi(6), bb, sb(2)
Josh Wall (3.97) 3ip, 4h, 2r, 3bb, 2k
Joe Jones (1-2, 4.63) 4ip, 3h, 3r, 1bb, 2k

Morning, Campers! I gotta race through this because we are supposed to be on the road chasing the bus to Petaluma to watch the kid play a double dip. First game is at 11. I haven't been to Petaluma since 1975, so I am trying to remember how the town is situated. Anyway, not a bad day on the farm, although John Ford Griffin and Mario Alvarez would do well to forget this day and hope that no one else remembers.

Big day for Tommy Giles and Andrew Locke as they combined for six hits and five rbis in Inland Empire's victory over the Mavericks. Jordy Pratt, famed for his inability to find the plate, tossed three plus perfect innings to pick up the win. Brent Leach, who needs to be moved up the ladder, shortly, picked up his second straight save and pushed his ERA under one. The much maligned Preston Mattingly (aka Omar Moreno, Jr. Part Deux) stroked a homer and added a single to near the Mendoza Line as the Loons rode a superb pitching performance by Steve Johnson to crush the Chiefs, 7-4. Andrew Lambo belted a pair of doubles and added two rbis.

Now for the depressing. Mario Alvarez got shelled again. Someone explain to me why we protected this guy and let Wesley Wright be available for the Rule V? Any rational answer will do. Just reminds me that Ned Colletti is working on his degree in stupidity. Of course, the Suns erupted for five runs (more runs than Clayton Kershaw has seen all year) behind Ivan DeJesus' two hits and timely singles by Russell Mitchell and Jamie Hoffman (six game hitting streak). But Alvarez gave up six quick runs, although he did strike out five in six innings (huzzah!). The Yhence continues to mesmerize the Southern League hitters, although I am thinking that most of the kids who are facing him are wondering when the baby is due.

Now, to the frustration portion of our report. John Ford Griffin did it all for the Buzz. His, eighth inning error allowed the Buzz to get runners to second and third and set up the winning run, while his no-out, double play grounder (with runners on first and second) pretty much killed the 51's attempt at tying or winning the game. All in all, young Griffin deserved a cold one from the Buzz. Despite all this, Terry Tiffee's legend continues to grow. Two more hits, two more rbis and his average is still north of .500. Justin Orenduff pitched a decent six innings, although he continues to walk way too many hitters. Ramon Troncoso made his AAA debut and kept the game tied until Griffin's nefarious plan came to fruition.

Salt Lake City 3, Las Vegas 2
Terry Tiffee (.509) 2-4, 2b(9), 2-rbi(12), k
Luis Maza (.316) 1-3, 2b(3), r, k
John Ford Griffin (.170) 1-3, GIDP, error(2)
Justin Orenduff (4.85) 6ip, 5h, 2r, 4bb, 3k
Mike Myers (1-1, 2.16) 1ip, 2h, 1r, 0er, 1bb, 1k

Carolina 9, Jacksonville 5
Ivan DeJesus (.333) 2-4, 2b(5), r, bb
Russell Mitchell (.292) 1-3, r, rbi(10), k
Jamie Hoffman (.216) 1-4, r
Mario Alvarez (0-2, 6.75) 6ip, 4h, 6r, 4er, 2bb, 5k, error(1)
Yhence (0.00) 1ip, 1k

Inland Empire 8, High Desert 4
Tommy Giles (.286) 4-4, 2b(2), 2r, 2-rbi(7)
Andrew Locke (.286) 2-3, 2b(1), 2r, 3-rbi(4), bb, k
Carlos Santana (.298) 1-4, r, rbi(13), 2k
Cody White (4.91) 2.2ip, 8h, 4r, 2bb, 1k
Jordy Pratt (1-0, 2.53) 3.1ip, 3k
Brent Leach (0.96) sv(2), 2ip, 2k

Great Lakes 7, Peoria 4
Preston Mattingly (.193) 2-4, hr(2), 2r, rbi(5), k, error(2)
Andrew Lambo (.308) 2-4, 2-2b(7), 2-rbi(14), k
Pedro Baez (.186) 2-4, 2r, rbi(1), error(6)
Steve Johnson (1-0, 1.72) 6ip, 2h, 1r, 0er, 7k, error(1)
Miguel Ramirez (0.00) .2ip, 1h, 1bb, 1k

How long does Tiffee have to keep this up before we can start clamoring for him to come up to the bigs? He had a .286/.325/.421 career MiLB coming into this season... but .509 BA is pretty impressive.

[quote]

Mike Scioscias tragic illness:

How long does Tiffee have to keep this up before we can start clamoring for him to come up to the bigs? He had a .286/.325/.421 career MiLB coming into this season... but .509 BA is pretty impressive.

I figure three or four more Mark Sweeney strikeouts or a Nomar trade. Granted, Tiffee is no glove guy, but he is a natural third baseman, who can play first. Makes more sense than Nomar who is an average first baseman and very bad third baseman. Of course, Tiffee can hit, Nomar has forgotten how. Don't even get me started on Sweeney. I am sure he is a nice guy, but he is a Colletti acquistion and those, on average, don't work out well.

Check out the Inland Empire tilt. Tim Sexton, fifteen up, fifteen down. Plus the 66ers are actually winning.

Eighteen up, eighteen down. Getting giddy.

GASP!

Sexton's been lifted?!

I can't believe John Valentin. You don't pull a kid who is working on a perfecto. He can't of thrown that many pitches. The kid may never get this close to a no hitter or a perfect gamer ever again. Geez.

A Christian Lara error ended the perfecto, but Paul Koss kept the no hitter going. Might as well go with that.

Through eight, two more base runners (walks), but still no hits. Should be an exciting ninth.

Francisco Felix will pitch the ninth.

Felix strikes out McOwen for the first out.

Crap! Eduardo Perez lets a ball go off of his glove and the scorekeeper calls it a hit. Must be Bill Plaschke.

Felix walks Johan Limonta, runners on first and second.

Felix strikes out Carlos Peguero for the second out.

Felix strikes out the side, again. He has now struck out eleven hitters in his last four innings. Still think the scorekeeper robbed the 66ers of the no hitter.

Morning, Campers! Sorry about the lateness of the report. Things couldn't be helped. Pretty damn good day on the farm, would've been better if Daigoro Rondon hadn't been channelling Matthew Gomez y Morticia. Seven runs in the first two innings does put a team behind the eight ball. While we are at it, Greg Miller needs to be sent to extended spring training because his control is entering Steve Blass territory. Three walks, three runs, no hits in two-thirds of an inning is not how you get to the majors.

Anyway, let's dwell on the positive. The biggest positive was Tim Sexton's flirtation with immortality. Sexton was working on perfection when John Valentin pulled him after six innings - still can't find a reason why, but it is early in the season and the thinking now is to protect young arms. Sexton struck out six and was in control the whole time he was on the mound. Paul Koss relieved him and the perfecto was lost on a Christian Lara error. Koss got through the eighth with the no-no intact, even though he walked two. With Francisco Felix on the hill and one out, Carlos Triunfel hit a grounder to Eduardo Perez that glanced off of his glove. Most scorekeepers would call it an error, but the clown holding the book, called it an infield hit. After a walk to the next hitter, Felix proceeded to strike out the next two hitters on filthy change ups. Of course, the call can't be changed, but it was pure horse flop.

Other good news, the legend of Terry Tiffee is taking on mythic proportions. Tiffee had four more hits, but his biggest was his two-out double which plated Jason Repko in the bottom of the tenth as the 51's came back from behind to take a game from their rivals, the RiverCats, 9-8. Xavier Paul and Luis Maza also had three hits, while Danny Ardoin added his second homer of the season. Miguel Pinango tossed a very good first five innings, but the pen (Greg Miller and The Borg) couldn't hold a lead. Of course, the 51's needed a break to tie the score as Angel Chavez scored on a two-out, two-strike wild pitch to tie the game in the ninth.

James McDonald didn't have his best game, but the Suns' offense came to life for eleven runs as the Suns defeated the Biscuits, 11-7. Rene Rivera's bat woke up as he had three hits, including a homer to lead the Suns' offense. Juan Gonzalez, James Tomlin, Ivan DeJesus, Jamie Hoffman (seven game hitting streak) and Adam Godwin all added two hits, with Gonzalez belting his second homer of the season. Corey Wade and the Yhence held the Biscuits down over the last three innings to close out the win.

Finally, the Loons made a great attempt at a comeback after being down by nine after three innings, but it wasn't to be, as the Loons fell to the Chiefs, 9-7. Andrew Lambo's three hit, two-homer game was wasted, as were the two hit games by Erik Kanaby and Kenley Jansen. There was some nice pitching for the Loons as John Dutton shut down the Chiefs over the last three innings to keep it close.

Las Vegas 9, Sacramento 8
Terry Tiffee (.533) 4-6, 2b(10), r, 2-rbi(14), bb
Luis Maza (.341) 3-6, 3b(1), r, 2-rbi(4), k
Xavier Paul (.185) 3-5, 2b(5),
Danny Ardoin (.176) 1-4, hr(2), r, 2-rbi(4), bb, k
Miguel Pinango (3.04) 5.2ip, 6h, 2r, 1bb, 7k
Greg Miller (10.81) .2ip, 0h, 3r, 3bb
David Pollok (1-0, 2.40) 2ip, 1h

Jacksonville 11, Montgomery 7
Rene Rivera (.200) 3-4, hr(3), 3r, 2-rbi(7), bb, k
Juan Gonzalez (.279), 2-5, hr(2), 2r, 3-rbi(6), error(3)
Adam Godwin (.220) 2-4, 2r, 2-rbi(3), bb, 4-sb(4)
James McDonald (1-0, 3.93) 6ip, 8h, 4r, 2k
Corey Wade (4.40) 2ip, 2h, 3k

Inland Empire 5, High Desert 0
Josh Bell (.277) 2-4, r, k, sb(2)
Ryan Rogowski (.263) 2-4, r, rbi(7), sb(3)
Tim Sexton (2-2, 2.86) 6ip, 6k
Paul Koss (0.82) 2ip, 2bb, 2k
Francisco Felix (1.98) 1ip, 1h, 1bb, 3k

Peoria 9, Great Lakes 7
Andrew Lambo (.333) 3-5, 2-hr(3), 2r, 4-rbi(18), k
Kenley Jansen (.189) 2-5, hr(2), 2r, rbi(2), k
Erik Kanaby (.211) 2-4, r, bb
Daigoro Rondon (2-2, 8.49) 2.1ip, 9h, 7r, 2bb, 2k
Thomas Melgarejo (5.06) 3.2ip, 6h, 2r, 1bb, 3k

Evening, Campers. Thought I would get an early start on tomorrow's report as I am going to be chasing dimpled white balls all over Pebble Beach, tomorrow. Something looks to have gotten into the Gatorade that the 66er pitchers' are drinking as they racked up another shutout behind six strong innings from James Adkins and even better relief work from Given Kutz and Brent Leach, in the 66ers' 6-0 victory over the Mavericks. Adkins went six, gave up only three hits, walked one and struck out eleven. With that kind of pitching, they got enough offense from Carlos Santana, Josh Bell and Ryan Rogowski, as each had two hits and an rbi apiece.

While the 66ers got a good bit of pitching, the Loons did them one better as Justin Miller only gave up two hits in his six innings leading the Loons to a 2-0 victory over the Chiefs. While Miller didn't strike out eleven, he did punch out six while not walking a single batter. The bullpen topped him, though, as Matthew Sartor and Miguel Ramirez tossed three perfect innings for the save. Lucky for the Loons they got a sterling pitching performance as they could only scratch across two runs. One, on a Brian Mathews' solo homer and the other came on a Travis Vetters' single that plated Andrew Lambo.

If Clayton Kershaw didn't have bad luck, he would have none at all. Again, Kershaw was killed by his teammates. This time, errors by Shane Justis and Juan Gonzalez allowed the Biscuits to score two unearned runs in the second, but the Suns managed to tie the score only to see John Shoemaker pull Kershaw with two out in the sixth and nobody on. Of course, the Suns erupt for eight run in the top of the seventh to put the game in the win column, 10-4. Rick Asadoorian vultured the win, with two plus innings of two-run baseball. Rene Rivera paced the offense, getting three hits including a homer. Ivan DeJesus blasted a grand slam and Greg Jacobs followed with a solo shot to put the game out of reach. Shane Justis added three hits, as the Suns totaled thirteen hits.

Finally, the 51's erupted for seventeen hits and thirteen runs as they crushed their rivals, the RiverCats, 13-5. John Ford Griffin, George Lombard and John Lindsey all had two hits, while Jason Repko had his second straight two hit game. Terry Tiffee was limited to one hit in five trips to the plate, but he drove in his fifteenth run of the season. Jason Johnson took the win, holding the Cats to two runs in six innings. Ramon Troncoso's second outing for the 51's was less auspicious as he gave up three runs in less than an inning.

Las Vegas 13, Sacramento 5
John Ford Griffin (.212) 3-5, 2b(2), 3r, 2k
George Lombard (.154) 3-4, 2b(2), 2r, 2-rbi(4), bb
John Lindsey (.345) 3-5, r, rbi(8)
Jason Johnson (1-2, 9.87) 6ip, 6h, 2r, 3bb, 4k
Ramon Troncoso (16.20) .2ip, 3h, 3r, 2bb, k

Jacksonville 10, Montgomery 4
Rene Rivera (.240) 3-5, 2b(2), hr(4), 2r, rbi(8)
Shane Justis (.321) 3-4, 3b(1), 2r, error(2)
Ivan DeJesus (.328) 1-5, hr(1), r, 5-rbi(7)
Greg Jacobs (.231) 1-5, hr(1), r, rbi(7)
Clayton Kershaw (1.83) 5.2ip, 2h, 2r, 0er, 2bb, 5k
Rick Asadoorian (1-1, 6.35) 2.1ip, 4h, 2r, 1bb, 1k

Inland Empire 6, High Desert 0
Carlos Santana (.309) 2-4, 2b(4), r, rbi(15)
Josh Bell (.294) 2-3, 2b(3), r, rbi(6), bb
Ryan Rogowski (.283) 2-3, 2r, rbi(8), bb, 2-sb(5)
James Adkins (2-0, 1.89) 6ip, 3h, 1bb, 11k
Brent Leach (0.87) 1ip, 1h, 1bb, 1k

Great Lakes 2, Peoria 0
Brian Mathews (.224) 2-4, hr(1), r, rbi(7)
Andrew Lambo (.344) 2-4, 2b(8), r
Esteban Lopez (1.000) 2-2, 2bb
Justin Miller (2-1, 0.44) 6ip, 2h, 5k
Miguel Ramirez (0.00) sv(5), 1ip, 1k

51s' new owners plan to change team name in '09

http://www.lvrj.com/sports/16948556.html

Like a moonshot sailing out of Cashman Field, the alien logo and team name of the Las Vegas 51s will be sent back to outer space next season by the ballclub's new owners.

The city's 25-year-old Triple-A baseball franchise will wear new blue hats, bearing a raised blue-and-white LV on the bill, at times this year, and the team will take on a new name after this season.

"We're the 51s for the 2008 season, but after that, I'll be honest, I'm not the biggest fan of the 51s name," said Derek Stevens, CEO of the Stevens Baseball Group, which bought the franchise from Mandalay Baseball Properties in a deal approved last week. "We want to come up with another name, and that's something we'd like to target for the 2009 season."

Stevens said he plans to let the public pick the new name.

Some changes will be made this year, said Stevens, who will be introduced to the media at a news conference today at Cashman Field. Among them are a new scoreboard featuring a 15-by-36-foot video board, and a new left-field party deck that can accommodate 100 people and has its own bar.

"We want to add a few more entertainment options at games and create another alternative entertainment opportunity in Las Vegas," said Stevens, whose family hails from Detroit and manufactures nuts and bolts for the auto industry.

Stevens, 40, and his brother Greg Stevens, 37, owners of Desert Rock Enterprises, recently completed the purchase of 50 percent of the Golden Gate hotel-casino and will institute the "Golden 10-run rule" at 51s games. Every time the 51s score 10 runs at home, all in attendance will receive a free shrimp cocktail at the Golden Gate.

Derek Stevens said he wants to sell about 25 percent of the team within the next few weeks and has had interest from high-profile celebrities he did not name.

Las Vegas' affiliation deal with the Los Angeles Dodgers expires after this season, and a renewal could hinge on plans for a new stadium.

"The Dodgers were very clear with us," Stevens said. "The status of the stadium will be the most significant factor in their willingness to extend our affiliation."

While Stevens said "at some point we're going to need to have a new ballpark" and talked about it in terms of building a dome, he also said "it's still in the relatively early stages to do something like that" and getting a stadium built would take "a community effort."

If the Dodgers decide to break their affiliation, Stevens sounded confident another big league club would replace them.

"There are 30 major league teams and 30 Triple-A teams, and we will be an affiliate to one of them, irrespective of the stadium (issue)," Stevens said. "We're still Las Vegas, and Las Vegas is still one of the foremost desirable locations for a Triple-A team."

The 51s will open the season with an eight-game homestand, starting April 3 against Salt Lake.

They just broke ground on a new AAA stadium in Reno, and the ownership group moving in bought the Tucson franchise several months ago. I believe that their affiliation with the Snakes is also up in a year, so it could get interesting. The locals would prefer an affiliation with the Gnats or A's, but it all comes down to $ in the end.

Good morning, Campers. Sorry, but this is gonna be kind of truncated as I have the stamina of KB after a thirty foot walk. I will start with Monday, to catch up. Decent day, Jonathan Meloan had a busy day, picking up his second win of the season, but giving up ten hits (only one run) in five plus innings. Good control was his saving grace, as he struck out seven, but didn't walk a hitter. Luis Maza paced the offense with two hits, as did John Lindsey. Jason Repko showed a pulse with a solo homer in the 5-2 win over the RiverCats.

The Sun's waited until the eighth inning before scoring, but had plenty of time as Ivan DeJesus drove home three and Lucas May hit a two-run bomb as the Suns dropped the Biscuits, 5-4. Marlon Arias actually didn't walk the state of Bammer, but it did him little good as Suns neglected to score during his six innings of work. Kyle Wilson picked up the win and Corey Wade had to pick up a one out save with the bases loaded and the Biscuits had already scored two runs.

Lastly, Kane County took advantage of several passed balls, balks and errors to take a 6-4 victory over Great Lakes. Another good start in Bryan Morris' comeback. He went five innings, giving up four hits, two runs, one earned. Unfortunately for Geison Aguasviva, the defense and mental errors piled up to allow the Cougars to plate four runs with only one earned. On the offensive end, the Loons scratched out four hits with Kenley Jensen doubling and scoring.

Inland Empire got the Monday off.

Las Vegas 5, Sacramento 2
Luis Maza (.359) 2-4, 2r, bb
John Lindsey (.362) 2-4, 2b(4), 2-rbi(10), bb
Jason Repko (.222) 1-5, hr(2), r, rbi(6), 2k
Jonathan Meloan (2-0, 1.67) 5.2ip, 10h, 1r, 7k
The Borg (7.04) sv(2), 1ip, 2k

Jacksonville 5, Montgomery 4
Ivan DeJesus (.338) 2-4, 2b(6), r, 3-rbi(10), bb
Adam Godwin (.245) 2-4, k
Lucas May (.325) 1-5, hr(3), r, 2-rbi(8)
Marlon Arias (6.00) 6ip, 7h, 1r, 1bb, 4k
Kyle Wilson (1-0, 1.80) 2ip, 3h, 1r
Corey Wade (4.30) sv(1), .1ip

Kane County 6, Great Lakes 4
Kenley Jansen (.195) 1-4, 2b(1), r, 2k, 2-pb(3)
Jovanny Rosario (.282) 1-5, r, 2k
Bryan Morris (4.35) 5ip, 4h, 2r, 1er, 3bb, 4k
Geison Aguasviva (1-1, 8.18) 2.1ip, 4h, 4r, 1er, 4bb, 2k

Here goes the Tuesday report. We have a full slate of action and plenty of good news to report. Best game of the day was belonged to the Loons as a different kind of pitching duel was showcased. Robert Blevins tossed a strong three plus innings in support of Kyle Smit as the Loons defeated the Cougars, 1-0. The only run of the day came after Pedro Baez reached second on an error and then scored when Joseph Becker reached on a bunt single, which was thrown into the right field corner. Kyle Smit started, but didn't get the decision as he was pulled with one out in the fifth and runners on first and second. Miguel Ramirez picked up his sixth save with an interesting ninth - he loads the bases and ends the game with a double play grounder.

Equally exciting, but for more wrong reasons, the Suns pulled out a 6-4 victory in eleven innings over the Biscuits. Suns went into the ninth with a 4-2 lead, but Brian Akin proceeded to cough up the lead in short order, but righted the ship to pick up the win by going two more innings. The big hit was a James Tomlin, two-run double to propel the Suns to another victory. Jesus Castillo might be even more snakebitten than Clayton Kershaw as he has had two wins stolen from him by shoddy late inning relief. Big game for Russell Mitchell as he went 3-6 with a homer and a double, while Adam Godwin and Jamie Hoffman had two hits each.

Eric Stults didn't have a bad start, but still gave up more runs than the 51's offense could come up with in a 4-3 defeat at the hands of the RiverCats. Stults went seven innings, giving up only three earned runs in his effort. Luis Maza carried the offense with a pair of doubles and scored two runs. Rex Rundgren hit his first homer of the season for the 51's. Greg Jones and Mike Koplove (both of whom should be getting some love if the Dodgers use a twelve man staff) each tossed a shutout inning in relief.

Lastly, the Jordy Pratt we all hate and despise showed up before the first of May. Going into the seventh inning with a 6-2 lead, Pratt proceed to give up three runs in a third of an inning and that opened the damgates as the Oaks beat the 66ers, 10-7. The usually reliable Francisco Felix also gave up three runs, but only one was earned as he took the loss. The worst part was this was Alberto Bastardo's best start of the season. Tommy Giles lead the offense with two doubles and Bridger Hunt matched him in the hits' category, but his two errors at second base gave the Oaks the winning margin.

Sacramento 4, Las Vegas 3
Luis Maza (.373) 2-3, 2-2b(5), 2r, bb, k
Rex Rundgren (.259) 1-2, hr(1), r, rbi(1)
Eric Stults (1-2, 4.64) 7ip, 6h, 4r, 3er, 4k
Greg Jones (2.89) 1ip, 1h, 2k

Jacksonville 6, Montgomery 4 (11 Innings)
Russell Mitchell (.294) 3-6, hr(4), 2b(2), 2r, rbi(11), 2k
Jamie Hoffman (.221) 2-5, 2-2b(4), rbi(4), k
Adam Godwin (.264) 2-4, 2r, bb, sb(6)
Jesus Castillo (2.79) 6.2ip, 6h, 2r, 1er, 2bb, 4k
Brian Akin (1-2, 5.84) 3ip, 7h, 2r, 1bb, 1k

Visalia 10, Inland Empire 7
Tommy Giles (.280) 2-4, 2-2b(4), bb
Bridger Hunt (.231) 2-4, r, 2k, sb(1), 2-error(2)
Alberto Bastardo (6.60) 5ip, 5h, 2r, 1bb, 1k
Jordy Pratt (4.91) .1ip, 3h, 3r, bb, k
Francisco Felix (0-2, 2.35) 1.2ip, 3h, 3r, 1er, 2bb, 2k

Great Lakes 1, Kane County 0
Andrew Lambo (.324) 1-4, k
Joseph Becker (.222) 1-3
Kyle Smit (5.09) 4.1ip, 4h, 3bb, 6k
Robert Blevins (2-1, 0.63) 3.2ip, 2h, 2bb, 5k
Miguel Ramirez (0.00) sv(6), 1ip, 1h, 2bb

Wednesday's action, as the 51's drew a night off. Big offensive doings for the Suns as they exploded for fifteen runs (which they needed) as they defeated the Biscuits, 15-9. Huge game for Shane Justis as he went 4-5 with a double and two rbis. Equally big game for Juan Gonzalez as he hit a pair of bombs, scored three runs and drove home five. Russell Mitchell added three hits and drove home two in support of Gonzalez and Justis. Andy LaRoche, in his first rehab start went 1-6 with a single and a run. Rick Asadoorian picked up the win when Mario Alvarez couldn't manage five innings.

Even though Alvarez' ineptitude is legend, Josh Wall is moving up to his level as he gave up ten runs in two innings and the 66ers couldn't make the comeback as they fell to the Oaks, 10-5. Another fine game by Tommy Giles as he went 2-4 with a home run and a double. Andrew Locked added a pair of hits and a run and Jaime Pedroza hit a solo shot. A nice outing by Joe Jones went to waste as he held down the Oaks for three plus innings.

Steven Johnson has pitched at AA, High A and Low A over the past couple years and maybe it is time to stick him where he belongs, in the Jacksonville rotation as he tossed a nifty five innings of one run ball at the Cougars in the Loons' 3-1 win. Matthew Sartor picked up the save, but made it interesting as the Cougars had the winning run at first before he struck out the last two hitters in the ninth. The reviled Scott Van Slyke (too bad we didn't draft his daddy), drove home a pair of runs and Jaime Ortiz hit a solo bomb for the Loons' run production.

Jacksonville 15, Montgomery 9
Shane Justis (.378) 4-5, 2b(2), 2r, 2-rbi(5), k, sb(2), error(3)
Juan Gonzalez (.298) 3-4, 2-hr(4), 3r, 5-rbi(11), 2bb
Russell Mitchell (.311) 3-6, 2-2b(4), 3b(1), r, 2-rbi(13)
Adam Godwin (.281) 2-4, 2r, rbi(6), bb, k, sb(7)
Andy LaRoche (.167) 1-6, r, k
Mario Alvarez (7.64) 3ip, 7h, 4r, 2bb, 1k
Rick Asadoorian (2-1, 5.28) 4ip, 3h, 1r, 4k

Visalia 10, Inland Empire 5
Tommy Giles (.296) 2-4, hr(1), 2b(5), 2r, 2-rbi(9), k
Andrew Locke (.289) 2-4, r
Jaime Pedroza (.153) 1-4, hr(1), r, rbi(7), k
Josh Wall (0-1, 10.38) 1.2ip, 7h, 10r, 3bb, 2k
Joe Jones (3.38) 4.1ip, 2h, 2bb

Great Lakes 3, Kane County 1
Jamie Ortiz (.171) 1-2, hr(2), r, rbi(6), bb
Scott Van Slyke (.147) 1-3, 2-rbi(4)
Steven Johnson (2-0, 1.74) 5ip, 4h, 1r, 2bb, 5k
Matthew Sartor (1.42) sv(1), 2ip, 2h, 3k, error(1)

Finally, almost home free and not a minute too soon, I am getting the bad mouth from the missus. Last night weren't good for the farm, unless you were a 51 or had the night off like the Loons. So we will start with the 51's. Xavier Paul got it going as he had two doubles and three rbis. Terry Tiffee and John Lindsey added two hits. Justin Orenduff picked up his first win of the season and Mike Koplove tossed two impressive innings for the 51's in their 8-1 win over the Beavers.

The Yhency "Pregnant Sow" Brazoban we all hate and revile came back as he and Zach Hammes combined to give up eight runs in the last two innings as the Suns fell to the Stars, 11-3. Brazoban gave three runs in short order and only a double play grounder kept it from being worse...til the next inning when Hammes gives up five run to turn a nail biter into a laugher. James McDonald didn't have a good start, but he gutted out four innings and kept the Suns in the game. Juan Gonzalez had three more hits including his third homer in two games. Mind you, Gonzalez is not high on the prospect list, but his play has probably pushed him past names like Preston Mattingly and Tony Abreu. Russell Mitchell had another two hit game for the Suns.

Lastly, Cody White didn't have a bad outing, but unearned runs are killers as the 66ers couldn't make the comeback as they fell to the Oaks, 6-4. White lasted five innings, giving up only five hits, four runs, two earned and striking out five. Brent Leach finally gave up a run in the ninth, leading to the Oaks' last score. On the offensive, Andrew Locke seems to have found his stroke as he had three more hits, including a double. Tommy Giles (almost on fire with the stick) belted a pair of doubles and drove home two. Ryan Rogowski nearly matched Giles' output and Trayvon Robinson hit a solo shot for his first homer of the season.

Las Vegas 8, Portland 1
Xavier Paul (.215) 2-2, 2-2b(7), r, 3-rbi(10), bb
John Lindsey (.369) 2-4, 2b(5), r, rbi(11), bb, k
Terry Tiffee (.468) 2-5, 2b(11), 2k, error(3)
Justin Orenduff (1-0, 4.00) 5ip, 1h, 1r, 5bb, 5k
Mike Koplove (0.77) 2ip, 1k

Huntsville 11, Jacksonville 3
Juan Gonzalez (.323) 3-5, hr(5), 2-2b(4), r, k
Russell Mitchell (.325) 2-3, bb, k, error(2)
James McDonald (4.43) 4ip, 7h, 3r, 1bb, 5k
Yhence (0-1, 2.79) 1ip, 3h, 3r, 1k
Zach Hammes (6.53) 1ip, 3h, 5r, 3bb

Visalia 6, Inland Empire 4
Andrew Locke (.327) 3-4, 2b(3), r
Tommy Giles (.316) 2-4, 2-2b(7), 2-rbi(11), k
Ryan Rogowski (.284) 2-5, rbi(10), sb(6)
Trayvon Robinson (.176) 1-4, hr(1), r, rbi(5)
Cody White (1-2, 4.63) 5ip, 5h, 4r, 2er, 1bb, 5k
Brent Leach (1.59) 1ip, 3h, 1r, 1k

Kershaw is pitching with LaRoche on a rehab currently airing for free on minorleaguebaseball.com just go to the multimedia section and select the suns game. I listen to a lot of games this way since the blue come on so late here. LaRoche walked in his first at bat.

Morning, Campers! In a happy frame of mind based on two things, the Dodgers take one last night and it is being reported that the Rams will take Chris Long with their first round pick - looks like the Rams' FO got it right...finally. Interesting game in Las Vegas. Got really dicey after Oscar Robles hit a two run bomb off of the Borg to put the Beavers within one run before the Borg managed to get out of the inning for a 12-11 win. Great game by so many hitters. XPaul is 5-5 over his past two games and drove home three runs. Luis Maza and John Lindsey also had three hits, while Terry Tiffee, Danny Ardoin and Angel Chavez each notched two, including the first homer of the season for Chavez. The Rook went 1-2 with a double, three runs and three walks. Manuel Pinango struggled for five innings but walked away with the win. Greg Jones had a bad outing, giving up three runs in the eighth to make the game close.

As it has been said before, if Clayton didn't have bad luck, he would have no luck at all. Leaving the game with a 2-0 lead after six strong innings (like he has had a bad outing this year), the Sun put two more runs across the plate to lead 4-0, when Tanyon Sturtze had an ML flashback and proceeded to give up the lead in short order. Then Brian Akin (another tool who should be hucking vacuum cleaners, door to door) gives up a run on an error, walk and another error to lose the game, 5-4 to the Stars. Nice leather work by Ivan DeJesus and Shane Justis - two players known for their glovework - led to the Suns' demise. James Tomlin had three hits and two doubles to pace the offense, while Lucas May, Jamie Hoffman and Kershaw all had two hits. Andy LaRoche doubled in three at bats, scored a run, drew a walk and had two strikeouts, showing he still has a way to go in his rehab.

What a difference a week makes. Last time Tim Sexton was on the hill, he was nails, tossing six perfect innings at the Mavericks, but last night he was tossing batting practice as the Giants dropped a five spot on him in 7-0 decision. The 66ers could only manage three hits, a pair of doubles by Josh Bell and a single by Carlos Santana. Jordy Pratt was less flammable as he "only" gave up one run over two plus innings after Sexton gave up five in three plus.

The Loons' game was cancelled due to a wet field. They will likely play a double dip today or tomorrow.

Las Vegas 12, Portland 11
Xavier Paul (.250) 3-3, r, 3-rbi(13), bb
Luis Maza (.390) 3-4, r, rbi(5), bb
John Lindsey (.386) 3-5, 2b(6), r, rbi(12)
Terry Tiffee (.463) 2-5, 2b(13), 2r, 2-rbi(18)
Angel Chavez (.300) 2-5, hr(1), 2r, 3-rbi(11), k
Blake DeWitt (.500) 1-2, 2b(1), 3r, 3bb, k
Manuel Pinango (1-0, 4.08) 5ip, 5h, 5r, 2bb, 3k
The Borg (8.00) sv(3), 1.1ip, 2h, 2r, 1bb, 3k

Huntsville 5, Jacksonville 4
James Tomlin (.298) 3-4, 2-2b(5), r, rbi
Lucas May (.315) 2-5, 2b(7), rbi(9)
Jamie Hoffman (.227) 2-4, k
Clayton Kershaw (.333) 2-3, k
Andy LaRoche (.250) 1-3, 2b(1), r, bb, 2k
Clayton Kershaw (1.40) 6ip, 2h, 2bb, 8k
Tanyon Sturtze (18.00) 2ip, 5h, 4r, 1k
Brian Akin (1-2, 5.54) .2ip, 0h, 1r, 0er, 1bb

San Jose 7, Inland Empire 0
Josh Bell (.287) 2-3, 2-2b(5), k
Carlos Santana (.300) 1-3, bb
Tim Sexton (2-3, 4.26) 3.1ip, 10h, 5r, 1k
Jordy Pratt (4.61) 2.2ip, 1h, 1r, 2bb, 3k

Prospect Profile: James McDonald

by John Sickels on Apr 18, 2008 4:35 PM EDT

James McDonald was drafted by the Dodgers in the 11th round in 2002, out of Poly High School in Long Beach, California. He was a first baseman when drafted, but didn't sign right away and went to junior college at Golden West JC. He signed in '03, moved to the mound full-time and posted a 3.33 ERA with a 47/15 K/BB in 48 innings of rookie ball, very credible performance and enough to get him a Grade C rating.

However, a sore arm put his pitching future in enough doubt that the Dodgers moved him to the outfield in 2004. He didn't hit well, just .224/.291/.256 in rookie ball. He followed that with a .229/.312/.289 mark in the Pioneer League in 2005, prompting a return to pitching in '06.

He had mixed results for Columbus in the Sally League in 2006, going 5-10, but with a 3.98 ERA and a 146/65 K/BB in 142 innings, just 119 hits allowed. The K/IP and H/IP were positives. His walk rate was high, but given his pitching inexperience this was understandable. I gave him a Grade C entering 2007, noting his need for better command but also pointing out the posiitve components.

McDonald began 2007 at Inland Empire in the California League, going 6-7, 3.95 but with a 104/21 K/BB in just 82 innings. Promoted to Double-A Jacksonville, he went 7-2, 1.71 with a 64/16 K/BB in 53 innings. Again, very impressive K/IP marks, but with improving command. I gave him a Grade B+ in the book this year and rated him as the Number 13 pitching prospect in baseball. This seems to be a higher ranking than other sources are giving him. He is off to a great start this year: 2.92 ERA with a 15/4 K/BB in his first 12.1 innings, 10 hits allowed.

Here is what I like about McDonald.

Stat-wise, I like the improving ratios. His K/IP has always been impressive, but his walk rate has gone down even while pitching at higher levels, a clear marker that he is making a clean transition from thrower to pitcher. The fact that his K/IP remains strong in Double-A is another positive sign. The trendlines are good, in other words.
Scout-wise, he was throwing 86-89 in the Sally League in '06 according to the reports I have, but was throwing 87-93 last year, continuing a gradual bump up in velocity. His curveball and changeup are very good, and adding the three pitches together with sharper command makes a nice package. I also like his athleticism, a key factor I look for in any pitcher. He hasn't shown any arm problems since his initial bout with trouble back in 2003, and perhaps the fact that he backed off pitching then and essentially rested his arm for two years may prevent a recurrance.

McDonald still isn't getting as much attention as he deserves. While he may not be a number one starter type, if he stays healthy I think he's got a good chance to emerge as a fine number three guy, not bad for a guy who was a complete unknown two years ago.

http://www.minorleagueball.com/2008/4/18/415506/prospect-profile-james-mcd

Morning, Campers. Again, I apologize for the late hour of the report, had to attend Mass and brunch. Not an especially good day on the farm unless you were a position player on the Las Vegas 51's. You are probably still giddy as a schoolgirl after last night's game. The 51's notched eighteen runs and twenty-one hits in demolishing the Beavers, 18-2. Leading the hit parade was the legendary Terry Tiffee with three hits, two doubles, a walk and four runs in four at bats. Let's put it this way, every Dodger position player had at least two hits, except for John Lindsey, who had a home run and three walks. But, the oddest stat was Wilkin Ruan, who had two pinch hits. Yes, that's right, two pinch hits. He led off the bottom of the sixth with a single and when the 51's batted around, he notched his second hit in as many at bats. Jason Johnson was the recipient of this largesse as he picked up the win by going six and holding the Beavers down to three hits and two runs.

After that, it is all bad news. Marlon Arias had another spotty start, giving up four runs in four innings as the Stars prevailed, 7-2. The Suns did manage some offense, but not enough to keep up. Greg Jacobs, Andy LaRoche and James Tomlin all had two hits with Jacobs bringing home both Suns' runs with a two run homer in the ninth. The Yhence pitched a shutout inning, but only after he loaded the bases.

Nearly the same news for the 66ers as they could only scratch across two runs in a 10-2 defeat at the hands of the Giants. James Adkins had a rough start, giving up nine hits and four runs in three plus innings. Also, three players provided most of the offense with Eduardo Perez, Jaime Pedroza and Andrew Locke doing most of the damage. Pedroza drove home both runs, while Perez had a pair of doubles.

The Loons played a double dip and dropped both games. They managed to tie the first game in the top of the sixth on Kenley Jansen's second homer of the game, a two-run shot, but then after two outs the River Bandits got an infield single, a bloop single and a massive two run double to take the lead. The Loons could only manage to get the tying run at the plate as the game ended with the River Bandits taking a 6-4 decision. In the nightcap, the Loons could only scratch out two hits and Justin Miller struggled with his control as the River Bandits picked up the 4-0 win. Jovanny Rosario and Alex Garabedian picked up the only hits for the Loons.

Las Vegas 18, Portland 2
Terry Tiffee (.477) 3-4, 2-2b(15), 4r, rbi(19), bb
John Ford Griffin (.254) 3-5, 2-2b(5), 2r, 3-rbi(8), bb
Luis Maza (.400) 3-6, 3r, k
AJ Ellis (.324) 2-4, r, 3-rbi(8), bb
Wilkin Ruan (1.000) 2-2, r, rbi(1)
Xavier Paul (.260) 2-5, r, rbi(14), 2k
Kevin Howard (.298) 2-6, hr(3), 2b(2), 4-rbi(12), 2k, error(3)
Angel Chavez (.304) 2-6, 2-rbi(13), 2k
John Lindsey (.384) 1-3, hr(2), 3r, 2-rbi(14), 3bb
Jason Johnson (2-2, 7.71) 6ip, 3h, 2r, 1er, 1bb, 4k

Huntsville 7, Jacksonville 2
Greg Jacobs (.253) 2-4, hr(2), r, 2-rbi(12), k
Andy LaRoche (.313) 2-4, k
James Tomlin (.314) 2-4, 2b(6), k
Marlon Arias (1-2, 6.16) 4ip, 7h, 4r, 3er, 2bb, 3k
Yhency Brazoban (2.53) 1ip, 2h, 1bb

San Jose 10, Inland Empire 2
Eduardo Perez (.253) 2-4, 2-2b(7), error(3)
Jaime Pedroza (.178) 2-5, 2-rbi(9), k
Andrew Locke (.327) 2-4, error(2)
James Adkins (2-1, 3.18) 3.2ip, 9h, 4r, 1bb, 5k

Quad City 6, Great Lakes 4
Kenley Jansen (.250) 3-3, 2-hr(4), 2r, 4-rbi(6), error(7)
Preston Mattingly (.208) 2-4, error(3)
Daigoro Rondon (8.04) 4ip, 7h, 4r, 3er, 1bb, 2k
Robert Blevins (2-1, 1.76) 1ip, 3h, 2r, 1k

Quad City 4, Great Lakes 0
Jovanny Rosario (.267) 1-3, k
Alex Garabedian (.267) 1-2, k
Justin Miller (2-2, 1.11) 4ip, 3h, 3r, 2er, 3bb, 2k
Victor Garate (4.50) 2ip, 3h, 1r, 1bb, 3k

Afternoon, Campers. Yesterday was almost too rotten a day on the farm to report on, but I will do my best to try to find a positive spin on something....anything. Might as well start at the top, Jonathan Meloan couldn't find the plate and had his first bad outing of the season as the Beavers defeated the 51's, 6-4. Meloan could only last four innings, walking five, giving up four hits and four runs. The one saving grace on the hill was Mike Koplove, who tossed three shutout innings and lowered his ERA to 0.64. On the offensive side of the ball, Terry Tiffee did what he always does - hit. Two more hits, including a double along with a run and a walk. Jason Repko belted a solo homer and Wilkin Ruan had two more hits to keep his average at .800.

In Huntsville, AL, the Suns were rolling along with an 8-4 lead after Lucas May had hit a grand slam, when Zach Hammes proceeded to give up the lead by allowing five runs in the seventh and eighth innings, but the Suns worked a hit batsmen, a pair of walks and a wild pitch to tie the score, where upon Tanyon Sturtze gave up a one-out homer to Chris Errecart to give the Stars the game, 10-9. Jesus Castillo started, worked into the sixth inning and left with the lead, but couldn't pick up the win due to the flammable bullpen. Jamie Hoffman notched three hits for the offense and the aforementioned May had two, along with Ivan DeJesus. Andy LaRoche went 1-3 with two runs, a walk, a stolen base and an rbi.

Despite Trayvon Robinson's 4-5 day, the 66ers fell behind early and couldn't claw back as they fell to the Giants, 7-4. Robinson scored two runs, drove home another and had an rbi. Matt Berezay knocked home a pair of runs and Josh Bell added two hits and an rbi. Alberto Bastardo started and didn't past the fifth inning, again. Bastardo gave up five runs in 4.1 innings. Brent Leach pitched a shutout eighth for the 66ers.

Lastly, the Loons could only manage three singles as they were defeated by the River Bandits, 5-1. Bryan Morris started and looked sharp, but with no margin for error, he took his second loss of the season. Morris is showing signs of improved control as he didn't walk a hitter in six innings. Parker Dalton, Brian Mathews and Scott Van Slyke all had singles for the Loons with Dalton scoring the only run.

Portland 6, Las Vegas 4
Terry Tiffee (.483) 2-3, 2b(16), r, bb, error(4)
Wilkin Ruan (.800) 2-3
Jason Repko (.233) 1-3, hr(3), r, rbi(8), bb
Jonathan Meloan (2-1, 2.45) 4ip, 4h, 4r, 3er, 5bb, 5k
Mike Koplove (0.64) 3ip, 1bb, 1k

Huntsville 10, Jacksonville 9
Lucas May (.328) 2-4, hr(4), 2r, 4-rbi(13), bb, k
Jamie Hoffman (.241) 3-5, 2b(5), r, 2-rbi(6), k
Ivan DeJesus (.306) 2-4, 2r, 2bb, k, sb(3)
Andy LaRoche (.316) 1-3, 2r, rbi(1), 2bb, k, sb(1)
Jesus Castillo (3.65) 5.1ip, 6h, 4r, 2bb, 5k
Zach Hammes (8.62) 2ip, 5h, 5r, 1bb
Tanyon Sturtze (0-1, 19.29) .1ip, 1h, 1r

San Jose 7, Inland Empire 4
Trayon Robinson (.209) 4-5, 2r, rbi(6), sb(5)
Josh Bell (.281) 2-5, r, rbi(8)
Alberto Bastardo (0-1, 7.45) 4.1ip, 7h, 5r, 2bb, 2k
Brent Leach (1.46) 1ip, 1h, 1bb, 1k

Quad City 5, Great Lakes 1
Parker Dalton (.188) 1-2, r, bb, k
Scott Van Slyke (.179) 1-3, bb, k
Bryan Morris (0-2, 4.05) 6ip, 5h, 3r, 2er, 6k, error(1)
Miguel Sanfler (5.00) 2ip, 3h, 2r, 3bb, 2k

Lucas May is playing himself into becoming a pretty big trade chip. He is among the southern league leaders in many offensive categories and he is holding his own throwing out base stealers. He still has to many passed balls and watching him move around the plate is still a little to mechanical. With Martin wearing the tools of ignorance in LA May would be a prime chip for a centerfield prospect.

Morning, Campers. Another pretty nasty day on the farm. Yhency Brazoban can whine that he deserves to be with the Dodgers, but after his effort, last night, he is lucky he is still employed. Comes into a game after Eric Stults left with a lead, but bases loaded and two outs, Yhency proceeds to give up a grand slam and the game. Stults' numbers look bloated and Brazoban slides farther away from Los Angeles. Right now, I gotta guess he is looking way up at Mike Koplove and Greg Jones in the pecking order to be the next Dodger reliever.

We will begin with the good news. Five 66er pitchers combined on a four hit shutout and Trayvon Robinson's third inning homer was enough as the Sixers took a 1-0 decision from the Bees. Josh Wall started and even though his control was spotty at best, he managed to get through five plus innings giving up only two hits. Paul Koss was exemplary, again, while Gabe White and Jordy Pratt maintained the shutout. Brent Leach tossed a perfect ninth to pick up his third save of the season.

Eric Stults pitched good enough to take home the win, but the aformentioned grand slam led the Isotopes to a 7-3 victory. Danny Ardoin (who I would prefer as the Dodger backup) homered and had three hits, while Kevin Howard and Angel Chavez each had two hits. Terry Tiffee went 1-4, to continue his hitting streak. Greg Miller tossed one inning, walking one and giving up a homer to Dustin McPherson.

Another start by Mario Alvarez and another loss. Like death and taxes. I wish DeJon Watson would say why we kept this bp machine while letting Wesley Wright fritter away to Houston. For a guy who is supposed to hit the upper nineties, his strikeout rate is a joke. In four innings, no strikeouts but four walks, as the Stars picked up a 7-2 victory. Jamie Hoffman and James Tomlin each had two hits, while Andy LaRoche went 1-3 with a run and Shane Justis doubled and scored.

Lastly, Kyle Smit is still having issues getting used to Low A ball as he got shelled again as the Lumberkings crushed the Loons, 10-3. Smit gave up seven runs in four plus innings, allowing nine hits before he was mercifully removed from the game. John Dutton didn't cover himself in glory as he gave up three more runs on three hits and four walks. Joseph Becker led the offense with three hits and Brian Mathews belted two doubles and drove home a run.

Albuquerque 7, Las Vegas 3
Danny Ardoin (.250) 3-4, hr(3), r, rbi(9), k
Kevin Howard (.292) 2-3, 2b(3), 2-rbi(14)
Angel Chavez (.311) 2-3, k
Eric Stults (1-3, 5.33) 5.2ip, 6h, 5r, 2bb, 5k
Yhency Brazoban (6.75) 1.1ip, 1h, 1r, 2k 1 Grand Slam

Huntsville 7, Jacksonville 2
Jamie Hoffman (.253) 2-4, error(1)
James Tomlin (.339) 2-4, rbi(6)
Andy LaRoche (.316) 1-3, r
Mario Alvarez (0-3, 7.48) 4ip, 6h, 4r, 3er, 4bb

Inland Empire 1, San Jose 0
Trayvon Robinson (.222) 2-4, hr(2), r, rbi(7)
Carlos Santana (.286) 1-4, k'
Josh Wall (1-1, 7.23) 5.2ip, 2h, 4bb, 4k
Paul Koss (1.32) 1.1ip, 1h, 1bb, 2k
Brent Leach (1.35) sv(3), 1ip, 2k

Clinton 10, Great Lakes 3
Joseph Becker (.262) 3-5, r, sb(3)
Brian Mathews (.239) 2-4, 2-2b(6), rbi(8)
Kyle Smit (0-2, 6.95) 4.1ip, 9h, 7r, 1bb, 3k
John Dutton (3.94) 3.2ip, 3h, 3r, 4bb, 4k

Wow. Rough stretch our farm has been on. Thanks to Torgy again for writing these. But I'd still love to see more opinion from ya. I love the passion you show for the big club, but it just doesn't seem to be there for the farm this season. Quit being Bill Shelley, Jr. and be the rotten old man who yells at the kids for being in his driveway!

A few thoughts I've had, if you want to discuss them with me...

Why is Andy LaRoche with Jacksonville? Rehabbing in Vegas makes much more sense.

I told you all that letting Wesley Wright go would be a mistake. Scratch one up for the big guy!

Screw you, Jovanny Rosario, for making me look bad.

Despite AJ Ellis' and Lucas May's performance thus far, I still see Carlos Santana as the Dodgers top catching prospect.

Whatever happened to this being Scott Van Slyke's "breakout year?"

Are Justin Orenduff and Greg Miller going to end up being part of the 83% of drafted players that never see the big leagues?

And finally.... Terry Tiffee for President.

[quote]

TheSleaze:

Wow. Rough stretch our farm has been on. Thanks to Torgy again for writing these. But I'd still love to see more opinion from ya. I love the passion you show for the big club, but it just doesn't seem to be there for the farm this season. Quit being Bill Shelley, Jr. and be the rotten old man who yells at the kids for being in his driveway!

A few thoughts I've had, if you want to discuss them with me...

Why is Andy LaRoche with Jacksonville? Rehabbing in Vegas makes much more sense.

I told you all that letting Wesley Wright go would be a mistake. Scratch one up for the big guy!

Screw you, Jovanny Rosario, for making me look bad.

Despite AJ Ellis' and Lucas May's performance thus far, I still see Carlos Santana as the Dodgers top catching prospect.

Whatever happened to this being Scott Van Slyke's "breakout year?"

Are Justin Orenduff and Greg Miller going to end up being part of the 83% of drafted players that never see the big leagues?

And finally.... Terry Tiffee for President.

You must be psychic because LaRoche started in Vegas yesterday taking an 0-3 while the rest of the 51s and specifically Xavier Paul blew up. Check this out

http://web.minorleaguebaseball.com/news/article.jsp?ymd=20080430&content_id=391954&vkey=news_milb&fext=.jsp

Morning, Campers. Rotten old man? You must have me mistaken for KB. For the most part I am giving plenty of stiffs a month before I get too editorial. That being said, the hitting coach for the Loons needs to have his ass handed to him. In last night's lineup, only Jovanny Rosario and Joseph Becker started the game hitting over .250 and five of the nine hitters had an average below the Mendoza Line. I can see one kid or two kids scuffling, but when you have over half of your lineup unable to hit higher than Bob Uecker, the problem lies with the coaching. But, to be fair, we have a fine group of stiffs with the Loons, led by Preston Mattingly and Jaime Ortiz, two kids who were supposed to be offensive juggernauts. It isn't just there, the 66ers are equally challenged with the bat and the Cal League is a hitter's league, if there ever was one. This all lies in DeJon Watson's lap. Scouting is only part of the job, development is also very important and if we can't teach these kids to hit at Midland, MI or San Bernardino, what are they going to do in Jacksonville or Las Vegas? While, I am at it, can someone explain what happened to Christian Lara? He is supposed to be this slick-fielding shortstop we acquired from the Red Sox for Eric Huff. So far, eight errors in less than a dozen games. I think someone sold us a bill of goods, here.

Okay, that should keep LM happy for an hour or so. Big doings in Albuquerque as the light air and lousy pitching led to the 51's dropping a ten spot on the Isotopes in the ninth leading the way to an 18-5 victory. The only bad things were Justin Orenduff continuing on his merry way to DFA City and Andy LaRoche going for 0-3 and grounding into a double play in his initial rehab start for the 51's. Now, to the good news, Xavier Paul is looking to be heating up nicely. A week ago, he was hovering around .150, he is now up to .286 after napalming the Isotope pitchers for five hits, including two doubles and his first two homers of the season. Kevin Howard added four hits, including a pair of doubles. Terry Tiffee and John Ford Griffin both had three hits and the much maligned Wilkin Ruan added a pair of hits. David Pollock picked up the win, going five innings, allowing only two hits and one walk.

Cody White did all he could, leaving the game after five innings with the Storm and 66ers tied, but Given Kutz and David Pfeiffer each gave up a run as the Storm took a 4-2 decision over the 66ers. White did struggle, giving up seven hits and three walks in five innings, but he held the Storm to two runs. The problem is, the 66ers have all the offensive firepower of a kid's broken squirt gun. Christian Lara matched his daily error total (2) with the same amount of hits, including a double and a run. Andrew Locked scored the other 66er run after he doubled. All in all, a pretty pathetic effort for a Cal League team.

Now, with great sadness, I give you the story of Steven Johnson. He is pitching great, but because of the inability of the Loons' hitting coach to teach anything close to professional hitting, he is only 2-1 and his ERA is in the mid twos, even after having a crappy game in which he had to be nigh onto perfect. The Loons managed to total seven hits and to counteract that, they hit into four double plays. Is there any question why this team is in free fall. The only offense was Jaime Ortiz' two run homer in the top of the ninth, after Brian Mathews hit into a double play, as the Lumber Kings took a 4-2 decision. Jovanny Rosario had three hits, a stolen base and scored in front of Ortiz. While, I am here, Matthew Sartor and Miguel Ramirez continue to do a nice impersonation of Eggplant and Sammy as both were nails, again. Pity, they don't get many opportunity for holds and saves as the Loons seem to never have a lead.

Las Vegas 18, Albuquerque 5
Xavier Paul (.286) 5-5, 2-hr(2), 2-2b(9), 3r, 5-rbi(19)
Kevin Howard (.324) 4-6, 2-2b(5), 2r, 5-rbi(19)
Terry Tiffee (.475) 3-5, 3r, 2-rbi(21), bb
John Ford Griffin (.275) 3-5, 2-2b(7), r, 3-rbi(12), 2k
Justin Orenduff (5.57) 3ip, 9h, 5r, 1bb, 2k
David Pollok (2-0, 1.93) 5ip, 2h, 3k

Lake Elsinore 4, Inland Empire 2
Christian Lara (.254) 2-4, 2b(3), r, 2-error(8)
Andrew Locke (.288) 1-3, 2b(4), r, bb
Cody White (4.45) 5ip, 7h, 2r, 3bb, 3k
Given Kutz (0-1, 3.86) 3ip, 3h, 1r, 2bb, 2k

Clinton 4, Great Lakes 2
Jovanny Rosario (.286) 3-4, r, sb(5)
Jaime Ortiz (.143) 1-4, hr(3), r, 2-rbi(8)
Steven Johnson (2-1, 2.55) 4ip, 5h, 4r, 3er, 3bb, 2k
Matthew Sartor (1.15) 3ip, 1h, 1bb, 5k

From Albuquerque, Terry Tiffee is now 4-4, with a two run bomb. He is now hitting .495. I am not kidding you, the guy has played 26 games and has 51 hits in 103 at bats. That is video game baseball. I don't know what this kid has to do to get a shot in LA, but I can't think of much more. Nobody hits .500 after a fifth of the season. That is ridiculous. His obp is Bondslike and he is a switch hitter, you can't be telling me that he isn't better than Mark Sweeney.

Oh yeah, before I forget, the score is 17-15 going into the bottom of the seventh, with the Isotopes leading. Something about nine unearned runs for the Isotopes. Tiffee is slumping, he is now 4-5. Waive the clown.

Whoops, I stand corrected, it is 17 - all after John Lindsey drives home Xavier Paul after he drove home Luis Maza, who cleared the bases with a triple - sounds familiar, doesn't it? Damn, I wish I had this game on the Tivo, it would be fun.