MiLB roundup: Bats sweep DH; Legends split DH; Hot Rods lose; Lee, Ray homer; Cowgill slugs two HRs

Drew Lee; BluGrass Baseball photos

Highlights from Thursday Kentucky MiLB action:

The Louisville Bats swept a double-header from Durham with a 3-2 win in game one and an 11-5 win in game two. Offseason Louisville resident Matt Maloney surrendered one run on three hits in his first start of the season for the Bats in game one. Center fielder Dave Sappelt was 2-4 with one home run, three RBI and one run scored in game two.
The Lexington Legends split a double-header with Kannapolis with a 3-2 win in game one and a 3-1 loss in a rain-shortened game two. Right-handed pitcher Carlos Quevedo surrendered two runs on five hits in five innings while striking out eight batters and walking none in game one. Right-handed pitcher Ruben Alaniz took the loss in game two after surrendering two runs in three innings.
Mt. Sterling native and former Morehead St. infielder Drew Lee was 3-6 with one home run, one double, one RBI and two runs scored for Kannapolis in the double-header.
The Bowling Green Hot Rods never overcame a five-run first inning from Great Lakes in a 12-5 loss. Third baseman Robi Estrada was 3-4 with one home run, one double, two RBI and two runs scored.
Lexington native and former UK outfielder Collin Cowgill was 4-7 with two home runs, two RBI and four runs scored for AAA Reno.
Walton native and former NKU outfielder Jake Shaffer extended his hitting streak to 12 games with a 1-5 performance for AA Jackson.
Lexington Catholic alum Ben Revere was 4-4 with one run scored for AAA Rochester.
Former UK outfielder Lance Ray was 2-4 with one home run, one double, one RBI and one run scored for low A Beloit.
Lexington native and former UK outfielder John Shelby was 3-4 with one RBI for AA Montgomery.
Former UK left-handed pitcher Logan Darnell took a no decision after surrendering two runs on two hits in six and one-third innings while striking out four batters and walking one.
Former UK first baseman Ryan Strieby was 2-5 with one run scored for AAA Toledo.
Former UofL third baseman Chris Dominguez was 2-4 with two runs scored for high A San Jose.
Former UofL outfielder Boomer Whiting was 2-5 with one run scored for AAA Syracuse.
Hawesville native and former WKU infielder Wade Gaynor was 2-5 for high A Lakeland.
Louisville native Zack Cox extended his hitting streak to five games with a 2-4 performance for high A Palm Beach.
Trinity alum Tyler Kuhn was 2-3 with one RBI for AA Birmingham and his hits in four consecutive games.
Lexington native Robbie Ross took a loss for high A Myrtle Beach after surrendering six runs on eight hits in four innings.
Danville native Patrick Cooper took a loss in his first start of the season for low A West Michigan after surrendering three runs on one hit in three and one-third innings.

Phil Wunderlich headlines Hot Rods’ Opening Day roster

The Bowling Green Hot Rods have released the team’s 2011 Opening Day roster, which is headlined by a former UofL slugger. Check out the roster below with the town where the player resides and information about how he was acquired by the Rays:

Pitchers

RHP Jairo De La Rosa — Santo Domingo, DR — FA (2002)
RHP Nate Garcia — San Jose, Cal. — 16th round (2010)
RHP Stephen Hiscock — Beacon Falls, Conn. — FA (2010)
RHP Austin Hubbard — Auburn, Ala. — 14th round (2010)
RHP George Jensen — Eagen, Minn. — 46th round (2010)
RHP William Kline — Belden, Miss. — 2nd round (2007)
LHP Braulio Lara — San Pedro de Macoris, DR — FA (2008)
RHP Victor Mateo — Santo Domingo, DR — FA (2006)
LHP Jimmy Patterson — Tempe, Ariz. — 18th round (2010)
LHP Chris Rearick — Pooler, Ga. — 41st round (2010)
LHP C. J. Riefenhauser — Mahopac, N.Y. — 20th round (2010)
RHP Wilking Rodriguez — Puerto Cabello, VZ — FA 2007
LHP Enny Romero — Santo Domingo, DR — FA 2008
LHP Matthew Stabelfield — Turlock, Cal. — 41st round (2009)
RHP Eliazer Suero — Haina, DR — FA 2007

Catchers

Lucas Bailey — LaGrange, Ga. — 4th round (2009)
Kyle Holloway — Deerfield Beach, Fla. — FA (2001)
Alejandro Torres — Caracas, VZ — FA (2006)

Infielders

Phil Wunderlich — Louisville, Ky. — 12th round (2010)
Derek Dietrich — Clermont, Fla. — 2nd round (2010)
Robi Estrada — El Segundo, Cal. — 19th round (2006)
Hector Guevara — San Felix, VZ — FA (2008)

Outfielders

Todd Glaesmann — Woodway, Tex. — 3rd round (2009)
Kevin Klermaier — Ft. Wayne, Ind. — 31st round (2010)
Cody Rogers — White Oak, Tex. — 7th round (2009)
Nick Schwaner — Slidell, La. — 30th round (2010)

August Awards: Bowling Green Hot Rods

Minor League Baseball

In the third August awards post we’ll look at the month’s best performances from the Bowling Green Hot Rods:

Hitter of the month: 3B Julio Cedeno

Stats: .352/.377/.533, 2 HR, 21 RBI, 13 R
Honorable Mention: Ty Morrison, Robi Estrada, Tomas Francisco, Ty Bortnick

Pitcher of the month: LHP Kyle Lobstein

Stats: 1-3, 3.74 ERA, 34 SO/11 BB, 33.2 IP, 6 GS
Honorable Mention: Aaron Dott, Matthew Stablefeld, Albert Suarez

MiLB Roundup: Ky. teams 0-3 despite Martinez performance; Friedrich, Royse win; Ray, Sellers, Cunningham excel

Minor League Baseball

Christian Friedrich; Photo by Matt McGee via Flickr

Highlights from Thursday Kentucky MiLB action:

Oufielder J. D. Martinez was 5-5 with two home run, six RBI and three runs scored, but the the Lexington Legends still lost 10-9 to the West Virginia Power on a walk-off sacrifice fly in the bottom of the tenth inning.
The Louisville Bats pitching staff was no match for the Toledo Mud Hens in game one of a two-game series as the Bats lost 9-4. Third baseman Juan Francisco was 3-3 with one RBI.
Former UK first baseman Ryan Strieby, playing left field for Toledo, was 2-5 with two RBI and one run scored in the game.
The Bowling Green Hot Rods dropped a 4-1 decision to the Dayton Dragons. Right-handed pitcher Jason McEachern took the loss but surrendered just four runs in seven innings. Shortstop Robi Estrada has a nine-game hitting streak.
Former UK outfielder Lance Ray was a home run shy of the cycle in a 4-4, two runs scored, one RBI performance for rookie-level Elizabethton.
Former EKU left-handed pitcher Christian Friedrich earned his second consecutive win after allowing one run in seven innings. Friedrich struck out 12 and walked just two for AA Tulsa.
Former UofL right-handed pitcher Thomas Royse picked up his first professional win after surrendering one run in five innings for rookie-level Great Falls.
Former WKU infielder Terrence Dayleg was promoted to High A Jupiter, where he went 0-3 in his debut.
Former EKU third baseman Neil Sellers was 3-3 with a double for AAA Lehigh Valley.
Former Murray St. first baseman Wes Cunningham was 3-5 with a home run, RBI and run scored for short-season Eugene.

http://web.minorleaguebaseball.com/milb/stats/stats.jsp?sid=t495&gid=2010_07_08_lexafx_wvaafx_1&cid=495&t=g_box

MiLB Roundup: Legends defeat LCA alum Ross; Bats, Hot Rods lose; Friedrich wins; Rowland still streaking

Minor League Baseball

Christian Friedrich; Photo by Matt McGee via Flickr

Highlights from Thursday Kentucky MiLB action:

The Louisville Bats were shutout 6-0 by the Durham Bulls despite a strong pitching performance from Matt Maloney, who surrendered just three runs on six hits in seven and one-third innings. Maloney struck out four and walked one.
The Bowling Green Hot Rods were blown out 9-2 by the Fort Wayne TinCaps. Shortstop Robi Estrada was 2-3 with a run scored.
The Lexington Legends opened July with a 6-3 win over the Hickory Crawdads and LCA alum Robbie Ross in his return to Lexington. Third baseman Jonathan Meyer was 4-5 with two doubles and three runs scored.
Ross surrendered six runs, four of which were earned, in four and two-third innings. He struck out two Legends and walked one.
Former EKU left-handed pitcher Christian Friedrich earned his first AA win with six strong innings for Tulsa. Friedrich surrendered two runs on four hits and struck out nine while walking three.
Former Campbellsville catcher Richie Rowland extended his hitting streak to eight games with a 3-4 performance for rookie-level Missoula.
Former UofL infielder Phil Wunderlich was 2-4 with one RBI for short-season Hudson Valley to extend his hitting streak to five games. Wunderlich is 8-22 since an 0-4 performance to start his professional career.
Former Murray St. first baseman Wes Cunningham had his best game to-date for short-season Eugene with a 3-4, two RBI performance.
Former Morehead St. shortstop Drew Lee was 3-6 with two RBI and three runs scored for rookie-level Bristol and is five for his last 11.

Bowling Green Hot Rods 2010 Opening Day Roster

Minor League Baseball

The Bowling Green Hot Rods have released their 2010 Opening Day roster for its first season in the Midwest League. The Hot Rods will feature four players, right-handed pitchers Shane Dyer, Jairo De La Rosa and Deivis Mavares and infielder Robi Estrada, who spent part of 2009 with the team. Five 2010 Hot Rods were ranked by Baseball America on the Tampa Bay Rays’ top 30 prospects list, and I’ve included those rankings next to the players’ name below.

Pitchers

RHP Alexander Colome (BA #7) — NDFA (2007)
RHP Jairo De La Rosa — NFDA (2002)
RHP Shane Dyer — 6th Round (2008)
LHP Kyle Lobstein (BA #11) — 2nd Round (2008)
RHP Deivis Mavares — NDFA (2007)
RHP Jason McEachern (BA #25) — 13th round (2008)
RHP Wilking Rodriguez (BA #17) –NDFA (2007)
RHP Scott Shuman — 19th Round (2009)
LHP Matthew Stabelfeld — 41st Round (2009)
LHP Jake Sullivan — 22nd Round (2009)
RHP Kirby Yates —

Catchers

Mayobanex Acosta — R/R — NDFA (2006)
Tomas Francisco — R/R — NDFA (2006)
Mark Thomas — R/R — 22nd Round (2006)

Infielders

SS — Tyler Bortnick — R/R — 16th round (2009)
3B — Julio Cedeno — R/R — NDFA (2006)
2B — Robi Estrada — S/R — 19th round (2006)
SS — Diogenes Luis — S/R — NDFA (2006)
1B — Eli Sonoqui — L/L — 9th round (2006)
2B — Kyle Spraker — R/R — 34th round (2009)
1B — Ryan Wiegand — L/R — 25th round (2009)

Outfielders

CF — Dustin Bell — L/R — 5th Round (2007)
LF — Ty Morrison (BA #14) — L/R — 4th Round (2008)
CF — Christopher Murrill — L/L — 35th Round (2009)
RF — Brett Nommensen — L/L — 8th Round (2009)

Game Time Notes

Minor League Baseball

Travis Wood

Louisville Bats @ Lehigh Valley IronPigs

The Bats will send minor-league ERA leader Travis Wood to the mound tonight against the IronPigs. Wood has a 1.14 ERA between Carolina and Louisville. Travis is 1-1 with a 2.89 ERA in three starts for Louisville with 13 strikeouts in 18.2 innings pitched. Wood is finally cashing in on the talent that caused Baseball America to rank him as the third best prospect in the Reds organization in 2006 behind Homer Bailey and Jay Bruce. Wood has struck out 116 in 137 innings on the season, and opponents are only batting .191 against the lefty.
The Bats picked up their 2,000th win since returning to Louisville in 1982 on Sunday. Louisville was a charter member of the National League in 1876, and the city has had a professional team in all but 20 years since.
Bats’ slugger Kevin Barker launched his 22nd home run of the season Monday. Barker’s 22 home runs are second most in the International League, and his 65 RBI rank fifth in the league. Barker is batting .321 with three home runs and 10 RBI in eight games in August.
The IronPigs will try and earn their first win of the season against Louisville with LHP Brian Mazone on the mound tonight. Mazone is 1-4 with a 5.16 ERA for Lehigh Valley on the season and is 1-5 with a 6.31 ERA in 20 games this season between the IronPigs and Albany of the AAA Pacific Coast League. Mazone took the loss in his last start after allowing five runs in four innings against Scranton/Wilkes-Barre.

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Game Time Notes

Minor League Baseball

Lexington Legends vs. Hagerstown Suns

David Duncan looks to continue his resurgence in his fourth start for the Legends tonight. Duncan is 1-1 with a 4.00 ERA in three games with Lexington, including a seven-inning, one-run performance in his last start against Lake County. Duncan struck out seven and walked none in that start. In 18 innings with Lexington Duncan has 19 strikeouts and four walks. David began the season with Lancaster where he was 0-9 with an 8.51 ERA.
Monday’s DH Michael Diaz tied his season high with three RBIs in the 6-5 victory over Hagerstown. Diaz also had three RBI on June 13 and July 9 and has 23 RBI on the season. Diaz drove in the winning run Monday when he was hit by a pitch in the ninth inning with the bases loaded.
First baseman Brian Pellegrini hit his 16th home run of the season for Lexington Monday. Pellegrini has 37 home runs in his Legends’ career, the most of any Legend. He is nine home runs from Hunter Pence’s single-season record of 25 home runs set in 2005.
Hagerstown will send its ace Marcos Frias to the mound tonight. Frias is 6-3 with a 3.02 ERA on the season and 78 strikeouts in 86.1 innings over 17 games. Frias held Bowling Green to one run in six innings in his last start.

Bowling Green vs. Lake County

The Hot Rods send Frank De Los Santos to the mound tonight. The lefty is 4-6 with a 3.77 ERA on the season and is holding opponents to a .260 average on the season including .165 average from left-handed batters. De Los Santos allowed five runs in four and one-third innings against Hagerstown in his last start.
Second baseman Robi Estrada turned in his third consecutive multi-hit game in driving in the winning run with a bunt-single in Monday. Over his last three games, Estrada is 7-12. Estrada also had three consecutive multi-hit efforts in a double header on March 23 and in the following game on the 24th.
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