Results tagged ‘ Carolina Mudcats ’
Game #69 Preview – Winston-Salem at Wilmington
With two days remaining in the first half, the Dash are two games behind Myrtle Beach in the Southern Division standings. Thus, we will have a game preview available for every game until either the Dash or the Pelicans claim the first-half crown.
Game #68 – Road Game #32
Winston-Salem Dash at Wilmington Blue Rocks
Friday, June 14 – 7:05 p.m.
Current Position: 2nd (2.0 GB)
The Dash are counting on you, Muddy the Mudcat (photo via the Carolina Mudcats).
GAME BACKGROUND:
It’s simple now for Winston-Salem. The Dash need to win two, and Myrtle Beach needs to lose three. Winston wraps up the first half with games against Wilmington tonight at tomorrow afternoon, while the Pelicans have a twin bill against Carolina this evening before a first half finale tomorrow night. Myrtle’s magic number sits at one, while the Dash must have five games go their way to punch a postseason ticket.
STARTING PITCHERS:
Winston-Salem – RHP Myles Jaye (3-1, 6.42 ERA): Jaye began his High-A career with four strong outings. In all of them, he pitched into the sixth inning and surrendered three runs or less. However, the former Toronto farmhand has struggled in his last two efforts (9.1 IP, 13 R/ER, 17 H). Jaye shined with Low-A Kannapolis before his promotion on May 14 (4-1, 2.20 ERA in seven starts). This will be his first showdown with Wilmington.
Wilmington – LHP Sam Selman (4-5, 5.19 ERA): Selman looks to rebound from the worst start of his minor league career. On Monday at Salem, he did not retire a batter and allowed eight runs (five earned) on four hits. Prior to that outing, the Austin, Texas, native had turned in four straight starts of five innings and two runs or less. His lone outing against Winston-Salem resulted in a loss on April 27, but he twirled a quality start (6.0 IP, 2 R, 1 ER, 3 H). The Dash are 11-6 against southpaws this season.
Bryan Blough is 3-0 with a 1.35 ERA in three outings against Wilmington in 2013 (Jody Stewart/W-S Dash).
DASH DOTS:
- Winston-Salem is tied with Frederick for the Carolina League lead in home runs with 60. The Dash, who pace the circuit with 20 long balls thus far in June, went yard three times on Friday for the fifth time this season.
- Three of the top ten home run hitters in the Carolina League are on the Dash’s roster: Courtney Hawkins (13, 2nd), Chris Curley (12, 3rd) and Jeremy Farrell (9, T-8th). Both Hawkins and Curley hit a solo homer last night.
- The Dash continued their domination against the Blue Rocks thanks to yesterday’s one-run win. Winston-Salem have won 11 of the 12 matchups in 2013. Since last season, the Dash are 26-6 versus Wilmington. Winston now owns an eight-game winning streak at Frawley Stadium dating back to August of last year.
- Bryan Blough earned his third straight win and quality start against the Rocks last night. In 20 innings versus the Blue Crew, he has allowed just three earned runs, which calculates to a 1.35 ERA.
- Curley, who is heading to the Home Run Derby next week, has hit safely in nine consecutive games dating back to June 9. During this run, Curley is hitting .385 (15-for-39) with three homers and eight RBIs.
- With a knock Saturday, Curley would become the fifth Winston batter to string together a hitting streak of 10 or more games. Lynchburg is second in that category with three such runs, while no other team has more than two double-digit streaks.
BIRD’S-EYE VIEW:
What a turnaround by the Pelicans. Myrtle Beach lost 12 of 13 from May 25 to June 5 to fall to 30-28. Then, Myrtle and Potomac played to a 5-5 tie on June 6. Since then, the Birds have won eight in a row by a combined score of 49-23. Tonight, the Pelicans entertain Carolina, the CL’s worst club, for a doubleheader at 6:05. If the Muddies do not sweep the twin bill, Myrtle Beach will return to the playoffs for the third consecutive year.
BROADCAST INFORMATION:
Join me for the Pregame Dash here at 5:50 in advance of a 6:05 first pitch between the Dash and the Blue Rocks. Also, Myrtle Beach’s twin bill is viewable online at MiLB.tv here.
- Brian
More on the first half’s final weekend
With the first half wrapping up on Sunday, the Southern Division race between the Winston-Salem Dash and the Myrtle Beach Pelicans is coming down to the wire. Currently, the Pelicans own a two-game lead over the Dash heading into the final series of the first half for each team.
The Pelicans play a five-game, four-day series against Carolina, while the Dash kick off a four-game set in Wilmington tonight. Myrtle Beach has a magic number of three, so here is what the Dash need to do to clinch a division title, based on the Pelicans’ six possible results this weekend:
- If Myrtle Beach goes 0-5, the Dash need to go 2-2
- If Myrtle Beach goes 1-4, the Dash need to go 3-1
- If Myrtle Beach goes 2-3, the Dash need to go 4-0
- If Myrtle Beach goes 3-2, 4-1 or 5-0, the Dash cannot finish in first place
So, with all the possibilities on the table, here is a closer look at both clubs’ final set of the first half.
Winston-Salem at Wilmington (Tonight-Sunday):
After sweeping the Blue Rocks at BB&T Ballpark last weekend, the Dash traveled up to Wilmington after last night’s game for a return trip. Winston is 9-1 against the Blue Crew in 2013, including a three-game sweep at Frawley Stadium from April 26-28. Wilmington was also the site of the Dash’s first-half clinch last year thanks to a 9-5 victory on June 16. Hopefully, there will be more celebrations on the field at Frawley Stadium this weekend.
Carolina at Myrtle Beach (Tonight-Sunday, Doubleheader on Saturday):
The final series of the first half for Myrtle Beach sees the Carolina League’s worst team, the Carolina Mudcats, travel to TicketReturn.com Field. The two teams will play a five-game series, with a doubleheader scheduled for Saturday due to a rain out on May 23. So far this season, the Pelicans are 8-1 against the Muddies and have won eight straight against them since dropping the season’s first meeting between the two clubs.
- Rob
Putting a bow on Opening Weekend
BB&T Ballpark hosted some great crowds for Opening Weekend 2013 (Brian Westerholt/Four Seam Images).
Before we recap this weekend, our thoughts go out to all those affected by the tragedy at today’s Boston Marathon. Baseball takes a back seat to things like that.
The Dash took two out of three games at BB&T Ballpark this weekend against the Carolina Mudcats, giving them a 5-4 record so far this season, and tying them with the Mudcats at the top of the Carolina League’s Southern Division. Some quick notes from a great Opening Weekend:
- The attendance at Friday and Saturday’s games marked the fourth highest two-game total in the history of BB&T Ballpark with 13,874 fans in attendance. A tremendous crowd of 6,963 fans took in Friday’s home opener, while 6,911 fans watched the Dash’s first home victory of the season on Saturday night.
- In yesterday’s series finale, the Dash set season highs in runs (15) and hits (17) in a 15-2 romp over the Mudcats. The 15 runs is one shy of the Dash team record, which was set against Salem on May 8, 2010, and matched at Potomac on June 23, 2012.
- Chris Beck (six innings, no runs Saturday) and Terance Marin (six and two-thirds innings, one run Sunday) became the first two Dash starters to post quality starts in 2013, and both picked up their first win of the season over the weekend.
Courtney Hawkins hit a pair of long balls for the Dash this weekend to give him four already this year (Jody Stewart/W-S Dash).
- After hitting three home runs (including a Jeremy Farrell grand slam) yesterday, the Dash have now hit home runs in seven consecutive games and lead the Carolina League with 12 long balls. Courtney Hawkins hit two home runs this weekend to bring his season total to four, which is tied for second in the CL.
- While the Dash kicked off their fourth season at BB&T Ballpark over the weekend, Double-A Birmingham opened new Regions Field with a bang. Dash alums Spencer Arroyo, Erik Johnson, Steve McCray and Scott Snodgress all started for the Barons this weekend, and all four were victorious during the Barons’ five-game sweep of Mississippi.
The Dash are back on the road again today, traveling to Myrtle Beach to battle the Pelicans for the first time this year. First pitch for tonight’s series opener is set for 7:05. Join Brian here at 6:50 for the Pregame Dash!
- Rob
Only three games
The Dash are 0-3 to start the season, but there are many reasons for optimism. Don’t fret, Dash fans. Here’s why:
- The Dash were swept for the first time since July 9-11 of 2011. After 57 consecutive series without a sweep, the law of averages seems to have finally caught up with the Dash.
- Winston-Salem is 0-3 for the first time since 2005. That season, the club rebounded after its slow start to win 77 games and make the Carolina League playoffs. The season is not lost.
- Grant Buckner had a great weekend at the plate, going 4-for-10 (.400) with three doubles, a run scored and an RBI. Although must of his teammates scuffled at the plate throughout the weekend, he remains optimistic: “I feel like offensively we have a great team. Some guys may not show in their stats that they’ve been swinging the bat well, but it’s going to come. I think it’s all going to come together.”
- Chris Curley had a solid weekend as well, going 3-for-10 (.300) with the Dash’s lone home run of the weekend. He also drove in a team-high three runs.
- Making his high-A debut yesterday, right-hander Chris Beck did not give up an earned run in four and two-thirds innings.
Chris Bassitt had a solid 2013 debut on Saturday in Zebulon. (Steve Orcutt/W-S Dash).
- On Saturday, fellow righty Chris Bassitt gave up just one run and struck out six in five innings. Despite the team’s early struggles, Bassitt believes it’s just a matter of time before this group hits its stride: “We have a lot of talent still on this team and we have a lot of guys that can really step up. It’s all about coming together and learning how to win with the group of guys that we have.”
- Finally, this isn’t the 2012 version of the Carolina Mudcats. The Dash’s division rivals have two of the top five prospects in the Indians’ organization and five of the top 30 on their roster, according to Baseball America. The duo in the top five (Francisco Lindor and Tyler Naquin) combined to go 10-for-22 (.455) with five runs scored and six RBIs. The Muddies look like a formidable squad in the Southern Division race.
The Dash are enjoying a rare off-day today before starting a stretch of 30 games in 30 days, which begins tomorrow with the first of a three-game set at Frederick. Tomorrow’s game starts at 7 p.m. with Brian on the air at 6:45 for the Pregame Dash.
- Rob
Prospecting for Carolina League prospects
With the season starting tomorrow night, it’s time to see who could make an impact on the seven other teams in the Carolina League. The prospect rankings used for this post are from Baseball America.
Francisco Lindor ranks among the best defensive infielders in the minors (lakecounty-sentinel.com).
Carolina Mudcats: For the second straight season, shortstop Francisco Lindor is the top prospect in the Indians’ organization. The 2011 first-round pick spent all of 2012 with Low-A Lake County, where he was the youngest everyday player in the league at 18.
Scouts say Lindor has an above-average arm and great instincts and rate him as one of the best defensive infielders in the minors. Lindor was given some spring training action for the Indians, hitting .292 while appearing in 10 games. He won’t turn 20 until after the season, meaning his best days are surely ahead of him.
Others to watch for: Outfielder Tyler Naquin (#3 prospect), infielder Tony Wolters (#17), right-handed pitcher Cody Anderson (#29) and outfielder Jordan Smith (#30).
Frederick Keys: After spending all of 2012 with Low-A Delmarva, left-hander Eduardo Rodriguez could be set to make an impact for the Keys this summer. In 2012, the southpaw pitched 107 innings for Delmarva and posted a 3.70 ERA.
Rodriguez, listed as Baltimore’s number five prospect, was signed as an international free agent out of Venezuela when he was 17. He will turn 20 during the Carolina League’s opening weekend, and the Orioles hope he will continue to climb toward his very ceiling in his age 20 season.
Others to watch for: Infielder Nick Delmonico (#4 prospect), left-handed pitcher Tim Berry (#11), outfielder Glynn Davis (#14), right-handed pitcher Devin Jones (#18), right-handed pitcher Zach Davies (#20), right-handed pitcher Tyler Wison (#26) and outfielder Brenden Webb (#27).
Lyncburg Hillcats: After his 2012 season was cut short by injuries, outfielder Matt Lipka will be back in Lynchburg to start 2013. The 14th-rated prospect in the Braves’ system, Lipka hit .271 in 51 games for the Hillcats before a hamstring injury sidelined him for the rest of the season.
A former shortstop, Lipka was playing center field for the first time as a professional last year, and scouts say he showed good instincts. With his above-average speed, Lipka could turn into a very good defensive center fielder, but the Braves want him to prove he is healthy and continue to improve before giving him a shot at Double-A.
Others to watch for: Right-handed pitcher Navery Moore (#15 prospect), right-handed pitcher Juan Jaime (#20), third baseman Kyle Kubitza (#25), right-handed pitcher Nate Hyatt (#26) and outfielder Robby Hefflinger (#29).
Like Lindor, Sardinas is among the top defensive infielders in the minors (dallasnews.com).
Myrtle Beach Pelicans: On July 2, 2009, the Rangers signed two 16-year old shortstops from Venezuela. The first one, Jurickson Profar, is one of the top prospects in all of baseball and is close to breaking into the big league lineup. The other signing that day, Luis Sardinas, will be a member of the 2013 Pelicans.
While injuries slowed his progress at the start of his minor league career, Sardinas was mostly healthy last year while playing for Low-A Hickory. He hit .291 and stole 32 bases in 2012 while also showing off a strong arm and overall plus skills in the field. He played mostly shortstop last season, but with Profar ahead of him, he could move permanently to second base, where he played 14 games in 2012.
Others to watch for: Right-handed pitcher Luke Jackson (#6 prospect), infielder Rougned Odor (#11), infielder Drew Robinson (#21), outfielder Zach Cone (#24) and right-handed pitcher Nick Martinez (#27).
Potomac Nationals: After 109 games with Potomac, outfielder Michael Taylor earned himself the number 11 slot on the Nationals’ prospect list. Taylor was drafted as a shortstop, but was quickly moved to center field after turning pro. He is a very good defensive outfielder, but his bat trails behind his defensive skills.
Taylor hit just .242 last year and struck out more than 100 times for the second straight year, two big reasons why scouts believe he will repeat High-A this year. With improvements in his offensive game, though, Double-A should be within his reach before too long.
Others to watch for: Right-handed pitcher A.J. Cole (#4), right-handed pitcher Taylor Jordan (#13), infielder Jason Martinson (#14), left-handed pitcher Robbie Ray (#18) and outfielder Billy Burns (#26).
Salem Red Sox: The Red Sox number five prospect, left-hander Henry Owens, won 12 games for Low-A Greenville in his first professional season last year. Armed with a fastball, changeup, and two different types of breaking ball, the 2011 first rounder led all Red Sox farmhands with those 12 wins and finished second in strikeouts with 130.
The southpaw’s walk numbers were high in 2012, but improved control could limit his time in Salem and quickly send him up to Double-A before all is said and done. If the Red Sox struggle again in 2013, a September call-up to the big leagues may not be out of the question to get Owens’ feet wet.
Others to watch for: Catcher Blake Swihart (#6 prospect), third baseman Garin Cecchini (#7), shortstop Deven Marrero (#10), outfielder Brandon Jacobs (#13), second baseman Sean Coyle (#24), outfielder Keury De La Cruz (#25) and left-handed pitcher Miguel Pena (#30).
Zimmer will start the season with Wilmington but could elevate through the system quickly (mwltraveler.com).
Wilmington Blue Rocks: The top prospect in the Kansas City organization after the big Wil Myers-James Shields trade is right-handed pitcher Kyle Zimmer. Last year’s fifth overall pick, Zimmer has been confirmed as a member of the Blue Rocks’ 2013 staff.
After a giving up just one run in 10 innings for the AZL Royals after signing, Zimmer was promoted to Low-A Kane County and made six starts. He pitched 30 innings for the Cougars, posting a 2.43 ERA. With a fastball that reached 99 mph in college, Zimmer may be on the fast track to the big leagues if he can build upon his strong professional debut.
Others to watch for: Outfielder Jorge Bonifacio (#4 prospect), left-handed pitcher Sam Selman (#6), third baseman Cheslor Cuthbert (#9), left-handed pitcher John Lamb (#11), right-handed pitcher Kyle Smith (#12), right-handed pitcher Angel Baez (#18), shortstop Jack Lopez (#19) and right-handed pitcher Robinson Yambati (#28).
Make sure to keep your eyes peeled for these players and other top prospects as they make their way to BB&T Ballpark this summer. The Carolina League is loaded in 2013.
- Rob
2013 Carolina Countdown: Carolina Mudcats
The team arrives in Winston-Salem two weeks from today. In 18 days, the Dash will square off with the Carolina Mudcats in the season opener.
In other words, the 2013 season is almost here. Like last year, we want to break down the rest of the circuit through our “Carolina Countdown” feature. Over the next few days, we will tell you about the other seven squads in the Carolina League. Today, we begin with the Dash’s Opening Night opponent.
CAROLINA COUNTDOWN: Carolina Mudcats
Introduction: The Carolina Mudcats enter their second year in the Carolina League. Located in Zebulon, N.C., the Muddies joined the league from the Double-A Southern League in 2012 to replace the Kinston Indians. Carolina is affiliated with the Cleveland Indians after the K-Tribe enjoyed that role for 24 years (1987-2011).
Current Puerto Rico skipper Edwin Rodriguez led Carolina in 2012 (South Florida Sun-Sentinel).
Last Season: The Mudcats’ first season in the Carolina League did not go so well. The Mudcats finished last in the Southern Division with a 63-77 mark. Despite the poor overall record, Carolina had a few notable prospects play well for the club in 2012. Infielder Tony Wolters recovered from an April batting average of .130 to finish the season with a .260 mark, and the 20-year-old flashed some of the best infield defense in the league throughout the campaign. First baseman Jesus Aguilar played with the Mudcats for most of last season until a promotion to Double-A Akron. While with the Mudcats, Aguilar posted a .277 average to go along with 12 homers and 58 RBI.
Manager: David Wallace (no, not that David Wallace) takes over the managerial duties for the Mudcats in 2012. Wallace was with the Indians’ organization as a player from 2002 to 2008 before becoming a coach/manager. Wallace guided Low-A Lake County to a 71-68 record and a second half division championship last season. Edwin Rodriguez, the Muddies’ 2012 skipper and the topic of our fun fact a bit later in the piece, earned a promotion and will lead Double-A Akron this year.
System: Most publications and experts have ranked the Tribe’s minor league system near the bottom over the last two seasons. However, the Indians did add scrutinized yet talented right-hander Trevor Bauer this offseason. Bauer is considered one of the top 10 pitching prospects in the minors by most experts, but he will be nowhere near Carolina. He will either be in Triple-A Columbus or The Show in 2013.
However, the Indians do feature some solid talent at the lower levels of the minors, including shortstops Francisco Lindor and Dorssys Paulino. Before the acquisition of Bauer, this infield duo was atop the Indians’ prospect rankings according to Baseball America. Cleveland does not boast many upper-level prospects, but there should be some good talent that goes through Zebulon.
It’s a shame that Scooby Doo won’t be back in Zebulon in 2013.
Best Promotion: Last year, Scooby Doo made an appearance at Five County Stadium. This season’s best promotion takes place on May 10, when Ron, Amy, Krazy Dave and Johnny from the hit Tru TV show “Lizard Lick Towing and Recovery” will make a special appearance. Let’s hope Mudcats fans park where they are supposed to at this game!
Fun Fact: Before Edwin Rodriguez begins his first season with Double-A Akron, he will try to guide Puerto Rico to a World Baseball Classic title. So far, so good for the 2012 Carolina skipper, who led Puerto Rico to a victory over two-time defending champion Japan in the semifinals Sunday night. Rodriguez’s Puerto Rico squad will take on either The Netherlands or the Dominican Republic in the finals later this week.
Mudcats in Winston Salem: The Dash open up the 2013 home slate with a three-game set against the Muddies from April 12-14. Carolina will also invade BB&T Ballpark May 31-June 2 and July 24-27.
Tomorrow: The Frederick Keys, who have a new manager with quite a unique place in Orioles history.
- Erika
2013 Schedule Analysis (First Half)
The Dash have the best home record in full-season minor league baseball since 2010.
The Dash released their 2013 schedule today, which is one of the first signs of baseball’s return during the long offseason. You can check out the entire schedule here.
There are many marquee matchups throughout the season, and I highlight five parts of the first half schedule below.
- April 5 at Carolina: The Dash kick off their 2013 campaign in Zebulon against a Mudcats squad that didn’t like Winston-Salem. The feeling was mutual. These two teams had some memorable battles (and a few fights) a year ago, and both teams figure to have a strong squad, especially in the first half. These two teams could be the cream of the crop in the Southern Division in 2013.
- April 12 v. Carolina: Once again, the Mudcats will be the opponent when the Dash kick off their home slate one week after opening their season at Five County Stadium. Winston-Salem went 48-23 at BB&T Ballpark, which was good for the best home mark in the minors in 2012. Last season, the Dash claimed their home opener over the Muddies 1-0.
- April 22-25 v. Lynchburg: Winston-Salem finished two wins shy of what would’ve been a perfect season. The Dash won both the first- and second-half division titles, hosted the All-Star Game, posted minor league baseball’s best record and went to the Mills Cup Championship Series. The Lynchburg Hillcats prevented the Dash from finishing off the clean sweep in 2012. The ‘Cats bested Winston three games to one in the Mills Cup Finals. Both teams will look much different when they square off for the first time in 2013, but there will be plenty of carryovers from that thrilling Mills Cup Finals to make this late-April clash one of the season’s most intriguing sets.
- May 27 v. Frederick: Memorial Day is always a great holiday during the baseball season, and the Dash will celebrate it at BB&T Ballpark for a third straight year. Winston entertains the Mills Cup champs from 2011 this time around, and the Keys always tend to have a highly-touted prospect in the fold.
- June 13-16 at Wilmington: Once again, the Dash conclude the first half in Wilmington, the site of the club’s first-half clinch last season. If the Dash are in contention for a first-half crown in ’13, it will likely come down to this final set in the First State. Here’s hoping a new crop of White Sox prospects will be celebrating in the visiting clubhouse at Frawley Stadium in seven-and-a-half months.
Stay tuned for our breakdown of the second half tomorrow! Only 154 more days until the season opener in Zebulon. Since we now know the schedule, the countdown can officially begin.
- Brian
High Five?
The Dash kick off their final regular season series with Potomac tonight at 7:05, and Winston-Salem has a chance to continue an extremely impressive trend. From 2005-2011, Winston-Salem had won 14 or more games in one season against a single team only twice, yet the Dash have already done it two times this season.
Winston can make it three against the Nationals. Take a look at Winston-Salem’s top four season series showings, including the potential for a fifth with the P-Nats.
1. 16-4 vs. Lynchburg in 2010
2. 15-5 vs. Wilmington in 2012
3. 14-6 vs. Kinston in 2009
3. 14-6 vs. Carolina in 2012
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5. 13-4 vs. Potomac in 2012
The Dash have a chance to register a regular season for the record books (more on that as we get closer to season’s end), but few statistics prove that more than this one. At least one win in Woodbridge would equal a top-five season series, and a sweep over Potomac would match Winston’s best mark against a single team since 2005.
Join me at 6:50 for the Pre-Game Dash here. Talk to you then.
- Brian
The CL Tour – Five County Stadium
For the final time in the regular season, the Dash are gearing up for a game in Zebulon at Five County Stadium. Including this series, the Dash have seven road sets remaining and seven different ballparks. I will be providing you with pictures from each stop, and we begin today with the newest member of the Carolina League.
The view from behind home plate.
The scoreboard, with an old-school light-up logo above it, is easily the facility’s most eye-popping feature.
Five County Stadium’s seats go up pretty high, with a few rows below the upper deck.
The concourse is a bit dated, but there is plenty of room to walk.
This may be the best graphic used at any visiting ballpark in the Carolina League.
We will wrap up each one of these features with the “view from the booth.” My booth in Zebulon includes that giant speaker you see at the bottom, but it is otherwise a nice look.
The Dash and Mudcats wrap up this four-game series tonight at 7:15. Pre-game begins at 7:00 here. Talk to you then.
- Brian
Dashing Around Baseball-May 1
The baseball season is officially a month old next week, but the changing of the calendar serves as a good marker to take stock of a team’s progression through the season. In edition to highlighting the significant news in the Carolina League and White Sox system, this edition of Dashing Around Baseball will analyze the seven other Carolina League teams and offer a quick prediction for how they will fare this month.
Call-up Season-Minor league teams evolve throughout the season with the inevitable rise and fall of players through their organizations. We have hit the point where early season performers are being rewarded with promotions.
Gattis hit nine home runs and 29 RBI in 21 games with Lynchburg (Jason Getz/Atlanta Journal Constitution)
Lynchburg’s Evan Gattis was leading the Carolina League in batting average, home runs, RBI, hits and extra base hits before being called up to Double-A Mississippi Monday.
Gattis also had a slugging percentage of .821, (anything in the .600 range is considered elite). We had already started engraving his name in the Home Run Derby Trophy for the California-Carolina League All-Star Game, alas he likely will not be in Winston-Salem come June 19th.
Myrtle Beach lost reliever Chad Bell to Double-A Frisco after the left-hander compiled a 1-0 record and 1.59 ERA in four appearances with the Pelicans. Bell struck out 12 batters in 11.1 innings.
The Mudcats also lost one of their best arms when southpaw T.J. House was bumped up to Double-A Akron. House went 2-0 with a 1.44 ERA in four starts with Carolina, striking out 26 batters in 25 innings. He is scheduled to debut tonight (Tuesday) for the Aeros.
May Musings-As the month progresses, Brian and I will delve more into first-half division championship contenders and give input on players who will be critical to their team’s chances. For now, here is a quick breakdown of each team:
- Carolina-At the start of the year, the Mudcats had one of the best pitching staffs in the league with Clayton Cook, Mike Rayl and House. Now, Cook is on the DL and House is in Double-A. Center fielder Tyler Holt is hitting .347 and has a league-leading three triples to anchor the Carolina offense.
- Frederick-The defending Mills Cup champions have struggled to emerge from the departure of a core of stars to Double-A. Salvation could arrive in the form of top prospect Dylan Bundy, who has pitched to near perfection at the Low-A level.
- Lynchburg-The Hillcats are tied with the Dash for the fewest losses in the league thanks to a five-game win streak to open the season. Lynchburg has a gaping hole in production with the departure of Gattis, but the middle infield combo of Nick Ahmed and Tommy LaStella have the bats to keep the offense afloat.
- Myrtle Beach-Arguably, the Pelicans have the best rotation in the Carolina League. The Pelicans 3.14 ERA is the lowest in the league. Cody Buckel, following in the form of best friend Trevor Bauer, has compiled a 2-1 record and 1.65 ERA in five starts. The Pelicans offense has talent, but is extremely young and has struggled so far at the plate.
- Potomac-The Nationals are struggling but injuries have stripped this team of its best players. Anthony Rendon was the best player in the league before suffering an ankle injury, while highly touted pitchers Matt Purke and Robbie Ray are rehabbing prior injuries in extended spring training. When healthy, Potomac could be dangerous.
- Salem-The rotation received a huge boost with the recent arrival of Matt Barnes. The Red Sox top pick in 2011 posted a 0.34 ERA in five starts with Low-A Greenville. Barnes also has laser-like control with 42 strikeouts to just four walks in 26.2 innings.
- Wilmington-The Blue Rocks were inept at the plate for most of the month with one of the lowest slugging percentages in all of Minor League Baseball. But Wilmington put together a four-game win streak to climb into second in the Northern Division. The lineup has the ability to break out of its slow start.
Around the Farm
2011 Dash alum Jared Mitchell is batting .341 for the Barons this season (Steve Orcutt/W-S Dash)
- MLB’s White Sox beat writer Scott Merkin provides a comprehensive recap of the first month of the season for the White Sox. Jake Peavy’s dominance has led a reliable Chicago rotation. Peavy turned in back-to-back complete games in his last two outings and is holding batters to a .162 average.
- The Knights have made the biggest news off the field as the proposed stadium in uptown Charlotte is becoming a near reality. The Knights recently announced a founding partner and naming rights deal for the ballpark.
- Jared Mitchell is in the midst of a breakout season for Double-A Birmingham. The former White Sox top draft pick has a league-leading 20 RBI in 24 games. He also leads the league with a .471 on-base percentage and five triples.
- Kannapolis recently lost seven-straight games and has fallen six games back of first in its division. One bright spot is Ross Wilson. The infielder is batting .341 with four home runs and and 13 RBI’s in 11 games with the Intimidators. Wilson also had a career night on Friday, hitting three home runs and driving in eight of the nine Intimidator runs in a 9-5 win.
Thanks for taking the time to Dash Around the Baseball. Keep checking the blog for updates on the Dash’s eight-game win streak. Tune into the Pregame Dash at 6:50 tonight to see if the Dash can continue their streak.
-Mike
