Memphis on the late side of the country (updated) and Batavia rained out.
On to the DFR!
Memphis 7, Reno 8 (13 innings)
- Shane Robinson and Tyler Greene both homered in 4 at bats.
- Nick Stavinoha was 3-for-6 with a double and a HR.
- Matt Carpenter was 3-for-6 with a triple.
- On a night where the game went 13 innings, the starter, Adam Ottavino, was pulled after 1.2 IP. He allowed 6 runs on 6 hits and 4 walks while striking out 3. Not a good night for Ott.
- Five relievers would proceed to pitch the next 10.1 scoreless innings to turn the game over to closer Victor Marte with a one run lead in the 13th. Marte blew the save allowing 4 hits and 2 runs.
- James Rapoport went 1-for-5.
- Matt Adams went 2-for-4 with a RBI.
- Zack Cox went 1-for-4 with a 2B and 2 RBI as he continues to flirt with .300.
- Audry Perez entered the game and went 1-for-2 with a HR and RBI.
- Eric Duncan went 2-for-4 with a 2B, HR and RBI.
- Chris Swauger went 1-for-3 with 2 RBI.
- Michael Blazek only lasted 3 IP, handing out 6 BB and 4 H for 5 R (3 ER). He struckout 1.
- Jeff Lyman gave up 2 more ER on 2 H and 1 BB. He struckout 2 in 1 IP.
- Scott Schneider went 2.0 IP with 4 H, 4 ER and 1 BB.
- Francisco Samuel gave up a BB and a K in 1 IP.
- Samuel Freeman threw a clean IP with 1 K.
Riverbandits 8, Cedar Rapids 4
- Ronny Gil went 2-for-3 with a RBI.
- Colin Walsh hit a HR in his 4 ABs, a solo shot.
- Christopher Edmondson went 3-for-4 with a 2B, 2 3Bs and 2 RBI.
- Mike O’Neill went 2-for-4 with 2 2Bs and 2 RBI.
- Seth Blair went 2 IP with 4 R (3 ER) on 3 H and 2 BB. He struckout 3.
- Drew Benes picked up the win with 3 IP of 1 H, 1 BB baseball. He struckout 5.
- Cale Johnsons threw 2 IP with 3 K.
- Dean Kiekhefer recorded the 2 inning save allowing 1 H and striking out 5.
- Anthony Garcia went 1-for-5.
- Gary Apelian went 2-for-4.
- Robert De La Cruz started, going 1-for-3 with a 2B and 2 RBI.
- Hector Garcia entered the game and went 1-for-2 with a RBI.
- Matthew Williams went 3-for-3 with a 2B.
- David Washington went 1-for-4 with a 3-R HR.
- Ronard Castillo went 3-for-3 with a 2B and RBI.
- Benjamin Freeman threw 5 IP and struckout 6. He gave up 3 H and 3 BB.
- Roberto Canache threw 2 IP with 2 H, 1 ER and 3 K.
- Logan Billbrough pitched an inning, giving up a H, a BB and 2 K.
- Nicholas Gillung closed things out with a 2 H inning pitched.
- Alan Ahmady went 1-for-3 with a RBI.
- Starlin Rodriguez went 2-for-5 with a 3B and RBI.
- Domnit Bolivar went 1-for-5.
- Rainel Rosario went 2-for-5 with 2 RBI.
- Luis De La Cruz went 4-for-5 with a 2B, RBI and 3 R.
- Niko Vaquez and Xavier Scruggs (HR) went 1-for-3. Vasquez had 2 RBI, Scruggs with 3.
- Edgar Lara went 1-for-4.
- Tyler Lyons recorded the win going 5 IP. He gave up 4 ER on 8 H and 3 K.
- Daniel Calhoun threw 3 innings in relief, scattering 2 H and 2 K.
- Justin Smith pitched the final frame, getting a strikeout.
Entries (RSS)
Love how Ronny Gil has been swinging the bat lately.
Intrigued by Ronard Castillo — a 6’5″, 19-year-old corner outfielder with some pop and perhaps some speed (love those triples).
But over 30 games his K:BB ratio is 10:1. Last year in the DSL it was closer to 1:1. Next to him, Roberto de la Cruz looks disciplined!
Noticing Kiekhefer with a lot of good lines lately. Strike outs have been up. Looks like another small lefty relief prospect like Copeland.
Really nice to see Cox hitting for extra bases and driving in runs. I can live with low HR totals at 3B so long as he can consistently hit gappers and drive in runs. Very satisfied with his first pro season.
Ottavino sucks more with every start. Show him to the bullpen.
How about just releasing him? As nice as it would have been if he’d been a useful contributor, let’s face it, after the injury it just isn’t happening. Very sad, but the results speak for themselves.
He was good earlier in the year and there have been reports that his elbow has been tight the last 4 or 5 starts. They need to just shut him down for the year.
Source?
Let me try to find it again, I think it was from a report here on FR.
3 weeks ago it was reported in the STL post that he was being put on the DL with elbow tightness and never was. He apparently is trying to pitch through it. This has corresponded with his last 3 horrible outings. The guy is hurt.
I checked it out Ottavino was actually put on the DL on July 7th and come off of it on the 18th. If Post Dispatch said he was going back on the DL after that then obviously he’s still hurt. I think he probably hurt anyway even if your time table on when the Post article was.
I’m reminded of last year, when he was diagnosed with a shoulder injury (variously reported as a “strain” or a “SLAP tear” — if the latter, he’s screwed, IMO), but decided to rehab it rather than undergo a comparatively risky surgery. It is not obvious to me that he made the right decision then, and it is not obvious to me that he has ever been right since.
The guy seems, understandably, to be resistant to being put in a position of going under the knife. I think it’s time, though, for the team to get tough with him. He’s not going to have any chance at a major-league career unless these problems get FIXED. If they can only be fixed surgically, well, so be it. Declining the surgical option only works if there really is an option.
The concern is, from his point of view, that I guess he won’t make it as a major leaguer at all if he goes under the knife now, at his age. Perhaps he’s hoping he can get SOME service time. From a financial and career point of view, you can sort of see why, although it’s pretty clear at this point (as you said) that if there’s a problem, it needs fixing.
He still has reasonable numbers against righties so I wonder if there’s still not a glimmer of hope that he end up as a Russ Springer-esque ROOGY. They should’ve moved him to the pen already, though.
I have been saying it all year that Ottavino is better suited for the bullpen. I think for 1-2 innings at most he could be dominate. With some bullpen challenges we have had this year I openly wondered why they didn’t give him a try like they did Lynn.
Same with Cleto, the dream of him being a SP just isn’t going to happen
Cleto just turned 22, he has time. Ottavino is another story.
Ottavino has a good start to the season and matched Lynn game for game until the last few momtns where he has just fell off. If you go to http://www.milb.com and check Ottavinos last 10 games you can see he just lost it it appears.
And what do suggest that I conclude from that?
Fair warning, I’m about to make a comparison some of you might find ridiculous. The pace that Oscar Taveras has set so far in the minor leagues isn’t too far off where Mike Trout was a year ago. They’ve both been very young for their level (Trout is about 10 months older than Taveras and split last year between low and high A and the year before in rookie ball) and they both hit ridiculously well. Trout had a much better walk rate and a crazy amount of steals (and a slightly higher wOBA and wRC+), while Taveras has shown a bit more power. For those worried about Taveras high BABIP this year, Trout’s was extremely high while he was crushing these leagues as well. Last year in the Midwest League Trout had a .420 BABIP and a .362 BA while Taveras in the MWL has put up a .453 BABIP and a .389 AVG. If you’re crushing the competition and hitting over .360, you’re going to have a high BABIP.
There are some important caveats, Trout is considered a true 5 tool player who will be able to stick at CF long term. I’m a little more unsure about Taveras’ defense (really just because I know less about it). Also Trout stayed healthy for his first 2 years while Taveras missed significant time this year due to injury. Hopefully that was just a one time thing and won’t be a concern with Taveras moving forward.
I decided to look at some other top young outfielders so I pulled up the Fangraphs pages for Dustin Ackley, Carlos Gonzalez, Domonic Brown and (as a possible worst case scenario) Daryl Jones. In all of their years in the minor leagues, none of these guys put up rate stats nearly as good as Taveras and Trout did in their first two years in the minors.
Now I’m not going to be clamoring for Taveras to be considered a top 10 prospect (though I do think he’s absolutely our #3 prospect, and probably closer in potential to Miller and Martinez than he is to whoever is #4 and below), but if he stays healthy next year and puts up numbers even close to those he’s posted this year and last, I don’t see how he won’t be a top outfield prospect.
“but if he stays healthy next year and puts up numbers even close to those he’s posted this year and last, I don’t see how he won’t be a top outfield prospect.”
Oh absolutely, and I’m a big Taveras fan, but you have to realise that at this point that’s a very significant IF. If Kolten Wong puts up this year’s numbers split between Palm Beach and Springfield next year, he’s also probably a top-30 prospect in all of baseball, but again that’s a big ask for a young player.
Something else I noticed when looking at the minor league numbers for all of these guys is that Daryl Jones’ minor league track record is pretty similar to Carlos Gonzalez. Like Jones, Gonzalez was considered a top talent who hadn’t really put it all together for a full season (until 2009 Gonzalez didn’t have a single year in the minors as good as Jones’ 2008). He didn’t really break through until 2009 with the Rockies’ AAA team (this was his age 23/24 season), then he was called up to the majors and never looked back. Jones is only 24 now and having a bit of a renaissance this season so maybe it’s not too late for him.
It would be great to see DJ materialize into something but I don’t see it happening – he needs to be in AAA making a case for a job next year – he has had success at AA before
Yeah I agree it’s very unlikely he turns things around enough to become as valuable as we thought he might be after 08. I’m just saying it wouldn’t be completely unprecedented.
Since the end of May, Matt Carpenter’s line is roughly .300/.430/.520, with, of course, more walks than whiffs. What if anything does the organization do about the looming logjam at third base? In terms of trade value, who has the most—Freese? Cox? I’m assuming it isn’t Carpenter (though he may have the best glove of them all).
Somebody needs to be shifted to 2nd base. I think it’s Carp. Freese is a good glove and has the bat at 3rd. Cox is still a year away or so. Eventually, we could have a future RF among the group as well. If Zack Cox becomes John Mabry part 2, I would be psyched.
To me, it isn’t a logjam. Just a good problem to have.
Good question. I’d say Freese has the most trade value, but is the least likely to be traded. Carpenter is great and could potentially be even better than Freese for the Cards, but unless Freese gets injured again I don’t see Carp getting the chance to replace him. I wouldn’t be opposed to Carpenter working on 2B this offseason and maybe they could start him there at Memphis next year and see how he does. I know that the coaching staff loves Carpenter (TLR was all over him in Spring Training) and would probably love to find a place for him on the team. With Freese doing as well as he has, though, I just don’t see a place for him right now.
I think Cox might have the most trade value, but I’m not sure how they’d feel about trading him.
My biggest worry all along is that I think Carp is the best of the three and will probably go on to have the best MLB career, if given the chance, but I worry that he won’t be that highly rated due to his unusual skillset and may end up being traded for peanuts. I really hope he gets chance to platoon a little at 3B next year with Freese, perhaps with some starts in RF if he hits. Carpenter looks like the perfect lead-off hitter, and from what I’ve seen and heard is a very competent defender.
I hope you are right about both Oscar and Daryl. That would be swell.
Mark Hamilton hasn’t played since 7/20; anybody know why? Bynum and Stavinoha have been playing 1B. Vuch e-mailed Kary Booher and said Matt Adams would be staying in Springfield because guys on the 40 man at Memphis need to get at-bats. Interesting that T. Greene has been mostly playing SS lately while Kozma has been moved to 2B. Doesn’t seem like they’re switching anymore.
Carpenter is doing an awesome top. Keep up the good work and Duncan is showing power hitting in Springfield aside from Adam
Duncan is like 28 or something. He’s hit nicely this year but he’s a AAAA guy playing in AA.