Minor League Discussion

[volzok]

Bong got the start going 4 inn, 3 hits, 3 runs, 2 earned, 1 BB, 1 K
I cant confirm that this is guy we think it is, but I dont know who else it would be. I just havent read anything about him having a rehab start.

Well I just got confromation. From the Lancaster Blog:
Counting on Jung Keun Bong's return to stabilize the pitching staff? Well, neither was anybody else. Nonetheless, it won't happen anytime soon.

In the fifth inning of his first rehab start for Class A Sarasota today, the lefty broke his pitching hand when he was hit by a comebacker. Bong has been on the DL all year recovering from shoulder surgery last September.

He'll be out three to six weeks, allegedly.

[missionhockey21]

Wow, tough break for the kid. Is it just me or do players seem to experience bad luck so much more when becoming a Red?

[volzok]

I agree mission. Especially pitchers. Look at Gardner who was Reds minor league POY. He has been off and on the DL all year. Its really unbelievable if you think about it.

[volzok]

Bats earn a rare win over Bisons

By Brian Bennett
The Courier-Journal

Two players that Louisville Bats fans hadn't seen in a while helped the home team do something it hadn't done in seemingly forever: beat Buffalo.

Elizardo Ramirez turned in a brief but sturdy starting pitching performance, and William Bergolla returned from a hamstring injury to deliver the winning hit in last night's 4-3 victory at Louisville Slugger Field.

Before last night, Buffalo had beaten Louisville nine straight times, including all five meetings this season.

"You have to play a very good game to beat Buffalo, quite frankly," Louisville manager Rick Sweet said. "They're a very good ball club, and the only way to beat them is to play a solid game all the way around. And for the most part, we did that tonight."

Ramirez was optioned down from Cincinnati on Friday after spending nearly a month in the big leagues. But he had thrown only sporadically in the past couple of weeks because the Reds had moved him to the bullpen. He was on a 70-pitch limit last night.

The 22-year-old right-hander showed the toughness that helped him compile a 3.32 ERA for the Bats earlier this season. He gave up a leadoff single to Brandon Phillips but then picked him off. He escaped a bases-loaded, none-out jam in the second with a strikeout and a double play.

Ramirez allowed one unearned run through four innings, striking out three.

"I was very impressed," Sweet said. "He got some pitches in the middle of plate and he walked some people, but I thought he battled well."

He left with a 2-1 lead thanks to solo home runs by Steve Lomasney and Chris Denorfia.

It was Lomasney's first home run of the season and first in nearly a full year. He is serving as the Bats' starting catcher while Dane Sardinha is in the majors with Cincinnati this week.

The Bisons came back to take the lead on Mike Kinkade's two-out, fifth-inning double off Tom Shearn (4-3).

But the Bats answered in the bottom of the fifth with small ball. Santiago Perez led off with a single and reached second as the ball eluded Kinkade in left field. Ray Olmedo added an infield single, then stole second.

Bergolla then slapped a Francisco Cruceta (5-3) pitch into right field for a two-run single. Bergolla played his first game since straining his left hamstring June 2. He had been itching to return since his injury, especially as he watched the Bats struggle.

"I wanted to play and help the team, but I couldn't do it," he said. "I feel good now and ready to play."

Shearn worked a perfect sixth, and Joe Valentine, Brian Shackelford and Chris Booker combined to close it out. The bullpen had faltered in many of the Bats' recent losses.

"They've had a little bit of a rocky road lately," Sweet said. "But I thought tonight they did an excellent job."

The game ended on an odd -- and possibly unfortunate -- play. With two outs in the top of the ninth, Buffalo's Jake Thrower collapsed in a heap as he got caught up between first and second base on a pitch in the dirt. Lomasney jogged out to the motionless Thrower, softly tagged him out and then patted him on the back.

Thrower had to be helped off the field with what the Bisons were calling a possible sprained knee ligament.

[volzok]

Louisville lost 6-1

Box score

EdE went 2-5 with a double and a RBI. EdE did have his 17th error though as well.
Denorfia went 1-5
Kelly didnt have a good outing going 5.1 inn, 9 hits, 6 runs, 2 BB, 3 K
Kearns did not play

[volzok]

Sarasota had a makeup game and lost 2-1

Box score

Votto went 1-2 with a walk
Moran went 2-3 with a stolen base
Medlock started going 4 inn, 2 hits, 1 run, 1 BB, 4 K

[volzok]

Chattanooga lost 3-2

Box score

DJ went 1-3 with a double, walk and run
Ruiz went 2-4 with a double and a K
Smitherman went 2-3 with a HR, 2 RBI and a walk

[volzok]

Dayton lost another barnburner 12-11

Box score

Szymanski 1-4 with a run, RBI, walk, 2 K and a stolen base
Piepkorn went 2-5 with 2 runs and 2 RBI
Guiterrez went 3-5 with 2 doubles, 2 runs and a RBI

[volzok]

Tidbits from ondeckbaseball

LHP Ben Kozlowski struck out 7 batters in 7 innings of 6-hit, 3-run ball to improve to 4-1 on the season and RHP Bubba Nelson surrendered one unearned run in 2 innings to collect his 9th save, as Chattanooga (CIN) downed Mississippi (ATL), 6-4. Kozlowski and Nelson are both former Atlanta draft picks who could pitch in Cincinnati in September this year. Kozlowski ranks 8th in the SL in ERA (3.12). Nelson has K'ed 40 batters in just 32.1 innings. His ERA is 3.34

[missionhockey21]

Smitherman is with the Lookouts?

Anyway, I really hope they give Nelson just a bit more time before AAA. And then let him rock out in AAA for awhile. The kid is still very young, why rush him?

[volzok]

I agree Mission. Let him really build up his confidence and then maybe he can dominate AAA competition. He did struggle in AAA a little last year. Yes Smitherman is with Chattanooga. He got demoted when they brought up Denorfia to Louisville. You would think that we could trade Smitherman to someone since he could make a good 5th OF for a weak team or a good OF for someones AAA team. But no we will just bury him in AA. Makes no sense to me.

[missionhockey21]

I really wanted to trade him badly after his 2003 season (I think it was 2003.) Never made sense to me to keep a guy who some felt was close to the bigs when we could of sold him off elsewhere since we had the depth. Oh well, talk about your stock falling.

[Sea Ray]

Why aren't we hearing more about Medlock? His numbers are looking great and he was Dayton's best starter last year so this is no fluke.

[Sea Ray]

I really wanted to trade him badly after his 2003 season (I think it was 2003.) Never made sense to me to keep a guy who some felt was close to the bigs when we could of sold him off elsewhere since we had the depth. Oh well, talk about your stock falling.

I guess you are talking about Smitherman. I don't think he ever had much value. He's never had consistently good minor league numbers. That one year he did have a breakout at AAA but I never got the idea that we were pounded for offers for the guy.

[missionhockey21]

I guess you are talking about Smitherman. I don't think he ever had much value. He's never had consistently good minor league numbers. That one year he did have a breakout at AAA but I never got the idea that we were pounded for offers for the guy.

Yep, I was speaking of Smitherman. I agree that from the rumor mill at the time, his name wasn't a hot commodity, nor did I think he would bring back big value. I just figured after his hot season, he was at about his highest in terms of value.

And I agree on Medlock, the guy should be getting a bit more respect than he currently is. His numbers have continued to very solid overall.