Game recaps

Columbus vs. Louisville: Tuesday, May 22, 2007

Louisville (25-23 as of Sunday) relied on 12 hits and great pitching by Homer Bailey to lead the Bats past the Clippers in Columbus 6-5.  Center fielder Chris Dickerson was the offensive player of the game for the Bats, getting three hits and was only a home run shy of a going for the cycle. He also forced a walk in the ninth inning, giving him a .800 on-base percentage for the day. Dickerson also displayed his speed by stealing two bases, avoiding good throws by Clipper catcher Erick San Pedro. Dickerson is a complete player who can compete for a starting position right away on many major league teams. He possesses a rare combination of speed and power, something that could lead to many .300, 30 home run, 30 steal seasons. Third basemen Earl Snyder also did damage against Clipper pitching, having two hits and a home run in the seventh inning off of Clipper pitcher Edward Valdez. The home run was a devastating shot to left field, driving in two pivotal runs to contribute to the win. Snyder has a tall, broad frame with a very solid swing. He resembles a younger Brian Giles, and could put up the same numbers Giles did when he was with his prime in Pittsburgh. The best overall performance was earned by first basemen Joey Votto. He not only contributed with two hits, but also made several big plays with his glove to shut down potential Clipper runs. The biggest play came in the eighth inning, when Votto fielded a Kory Casto line drive, threw back to second base to tag out Brent Abernathy, then caught second basemen Mark Bellhorn’s throw to finish off the double play. That kind of solid play on both offense and defense makes him a very valuable asset to the Cincinnati Reds, the major league affiliate of the Bats.

A man who also went one for three with a walk, Bailey made even more noise Tuesday with his glove. Bailey threw 88 pitches through five and two third innings, allowing only one hit, two walks, no earned runs, and striking out seven. “I felt good the whole time,” Bailey said. “I wish I could of pitched more.” Homer never showed any signs of fatigue Tuesday, despite weather that dipped into the mid-80’s as the game drew on. “This was good to pitch in this weather, to get ready for what it will be like the rest of the year,” Bailey said. “I did things to stay lose on the bench, walking in place, keep the blood flowing in my legs.” Homer also credits his success in the heat to the rigorous conditioning programs he endures when not pitching. “It’s important to get those miles in between starts, to be in the best shape possible to be able to pitch your best,” Bailey said. Overall, Bailey has enjoyed the season and feels like he has made vast improvements in his short time on the Triple-A level. “It has been going really good. I just need to continue to work on limiting my walks, staying in the game mentally,” Bailey said.

For the Clippers, Brandon Watson continued his streak of consecutive games with a hit in the third inning off of Bailey. The hit extended Watson’s streak to 21 games, good for second all-time in Clipper history. Left fielder Michael Restovich got out of his current hitting slump with a monstrous right field home run in the eighth inning off of reliever Gary Majewski. The homer was good for two RBI, as Restovich again resembled the powerful outfielder that was called up by the Washington Nationals just three weeks ago.

Columbus vs. Toledo: Friday, May 25, 2007

While it was “Fireworks Night” at Cooper Stadium this past Friday, the visiting Mud Hens provided all the necessary ammunition in an 8-1 victory. Clipper pitcher Tim Redding, who had been tied for the lead for wins in the minor leagues with six, was stymied early on by Toledo. The Mud Hens scored six runs in the second inning alone, with five hits, three doubles, and a triple. The biggest throne in Redding’s side was David Espinosa, who recorded a pair of doubles in the first two innings, to go with his second inning RBI. Center fielder Ryan Raburn’s speed led to his hit into right center being stretched into a triple, leading to two more RBI for the visitors. Raburn also utilized his speed in the outfield, robbing Clipper centerfielder Darnell McDonald a hit with his diving catch in the first inning. Redding would eventually settle down in the latter innings, shutting out the Mud Hens the remaining four innings he pitched. Despite those early struggles, Redding ended up allowing five earned runs, (.5 runs below his average) and six strikeouts. Redding still shows flashes of the brilliance that enabled him to be a force in major leagues, but needs more consistent showings and games to really fare well on the next level.

For the 22^nd straight game, Clipper Brandon Watson got a hit with his standing double into left field in the eighth inning. Shortstop D’Angelo Jimenez got Columbus their lone run on a right center home run in the fifth inning off of Toledo starter Ron Chiavacci. Jimenez also smacked a standing double into left field in the seventh inning. Jimenez has a quick but patient bat (hitting .388 as of Sunday), as well has good base running skills, knowing when to try to make singles doubles, and when not to test outfielders. Darnell McDonald continues to improve at the plate, and (along with Watson) has become the most consistent hitter on the club. In an 8-5 win over Toledo Saturday night, McDonald went 3 for 4 with a two-run double. Darnell also added an RBI single later in the game. As of Sunday, McDonald is batting .354, good for second on the club.

By David Malamut

A 19-year-old prospect for the A's, Cahill was drafted in the second round, 66th overall, of the 2006 draft out of Vista High School in Oceanside, California, and he entered the season ranked tenth in the Athletics system by Baseball America. Cahill made four starts last year in Arizona, and he is 1-1 through four starts so far with the Cougars. His outings have been a mixed bag, with two good and two bad. His first outing of the year was a start and he only lasted 0.2 of an inning in Game Two of a doubleheader in Beloit. His other bad outing, you could almost blame on the weather. He had come out to pitch after a power outage on a cold, rainy night, and he got hit around in his 1 2/3 innings. His latest outing in Beloit, he pitched six innings, and gave up four hits and one earned run. His one big mistake was taken out of the park in the sixth inning. In his two good outings, Cahill has been able to throw the fastball anywhere he wants it, and able to mix in a very good curve. In those outings he has struck out six and seven hitters respectively. In the two bad outings, he had one strikeout total.

Andrew Bailey has been very impressive so far for the Cougars.  He is a 23-year-old right-hander, out of Wagner College drafted in the sixth round of last year’s draft. Last year in Vancouver he went 2-5 despite having an ERA of just 2.02. This year, he struggled in his first two outings as a Cougar, but has settled down nicely in his last three. In back to back outings against Wisconsin, he went a combined 10 2/3 innings, allowing six hits, four walks, and one run, and he struck out 17. However, all that netted him was one loss and one no-decision. His last two starts have resulted in 21 strikeouts in just 11 1/3 innings, and his control numbers have been very solid as well. One area of concern is the long ball though, as he has allowed four homers so far this year.

Possessing solid stuff, Henry Rodriguez has finally broken into the starting rotation. On the 24^th, facing Wisconsin, Rodriguez was able to avoid damage despite allowing four walks thanks to his holding the Timber Rattlers to just two hits.

Wisconsin Timber Rattlers (Seattle Mariners)

Left-handed starting pitcher Tony Butler was a third round selection by the Mariners last year. The 19-year-old’s fastball was too straight in his outing against the Cougars, as he was knocked around to the tune of seven hits and five runs. Only two of the runs were earned, but he also walked four and struck out none while also throwing a wild pitch and hitting a batter. Butler simply did not look that comfortable on the mound, and he kept going back and forth as to which side of the rubber he was going to pitch from.

17-year-old shortstop Carlos Triunfel is definitely a player to watch as he rises through the ranks. Triunfel comes in at 6-2 and 180 pounds, and could end up moving elsewhere as he continues to develop. This kid can hit, and he nailed the Cougars, as he was able to hit some gaps and with his speed was able to stretch the defense. Defensively, Triunfel is okay; he did not go to his right that much, but up the middle looked great.

19-year-old third baseman Alex Liddi looked incredibly raw this series, especially on the defensive side of things. That’s not to say that his offense was much better, as he swings at just about everything and simply is not hitting right now.
  
Carlos Peguero, the main power source for the Timber Rattlers, he is hitting fourth behind Triunfel. Carlos has gap power mostly but did turn on one in the series.

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