Rancho Cucamonga wins the series 3-1
Series MVP: Gabe Jacobo
Game One: Quakes commit seven errors in shutout loss
Chris Young made a rehab start for Lake Elsinore, and he combined for a shutout with regular starter Anthony Bass. The Storm won 5-0, but they only had two more hits than the Quakes. However, Rancho Cucamonga committed an astounding seven errors which led to four unearned runs. It was very uncharacteristic for the Quakes who set numerous league records for fielding stats. Lake Elsinore drew eight walks, and Anthony Bass earned a save pitching the final 3.1 IP of the game.
Game Two: Pineiro solid as Quakes even series
In game two, Rancho Cucamonga answered with their own ringer in Angels' starter Joel Pineiro. He wasn't quite as good as Chris Young, but he no hit Lake Elsinore through five innings and finished with six solid innings pitched. The Quakes offense banged out 14 hits, and their three insurance runs in the top of the 9th were huge. In the bottom of the 9th, former Padres' first rounder Allan Dykstra hit a three run home run off closer Eddie McKiernan to cut the lead to 7-5, but the Storm couldn't get any closer.
Game Three: Chaffee, Quakes staff limit Lake Elsinore
For the second straight game, a Quakes started pitched a very good game, but this time it was a regular Cal League pitcher. Ryan Chaffee continued a string of strong starts and struck out five over seven one-run innings. He walked four, but overall Lake Elsinore was limited to three hits, only one of which went for extra bases. The majority of the game was close, but Rancho Cucamonga got four late runs against the Storm bullpen to cruise to their second straight win. Jeremy McBryde pitched very well, but the offense didn't support him.
Game Four: Brach's blown save sends Quakes to championship
This game could end up being the most memorable of the 2010 playoffs. The Quakes committed two more errors to bring their series total to 11, and a baserunning mistake also took a run off the board. The big Matt Lollis struck out seven in a very good Cal League debut, and it would be up to the bullpen to get the last 11 outs. Rancho Cucamonga chipped away but looked to be in trouble down two with no one on base in the 9th against super closer Brad Brach. However, the Quakes loaded the bases, and Angel Castillo hit a walkoff double to send the Quakes to their first Cal League Championship since 2008.
Starting the series against Chris Young was a tall task, and he dominated as a lot of Major League rehabbers do on their assignments in the lower levels of the minors. They rebounded in game two with their own ringer, and teams that start the series on the road always want to split the road games and take care of business at home. That's obviously what they did, and it's not surprising considering they had success at Lake Elsinore this year. Despite the numerous gaffes throughout the series, they maintained their momentum with good pitching and timely hitting and defeated a very good Storm team.
In the first game, Lake Elsinore drew eight walks, which was pretty par for the course for their hitters. In games two and three, Rancho Cucamonga continued to walk a few more batters than they would've liked with three in three innings (not counting Joel Pineiro's work) in game two and five in game three. The difference in those games was their staff didn't allow many hits, so the walks didn't have as big of an impact. Ryan Chaffee had four of the five game three walks, but he was able to work around them like he has been in his last few starts. Manny Flores settled things down in game four with only one walk, and oddly enough it became the highest scoring game of the series for Lake Elsinore.
Lake Elsinore really didn't take advantage of their opportunities that were few and far between. They were just 8/39 with runners in scoring position and left 28 runners on base in the four game series. Admittedly, those numbers look a little better when game one's ridiculous 1/18 and 13 LOB are taken out, but the point is the lineup struggled. Among players that played more than one game in the series, only three players, Vince Belnome, Allan Dykstra and Jesus Lopez had an OPS over the league average for the series, and that's just not good enough. The game four additions of Chris Tremblay and Rico Noel to the lineup were too little, too late.
Overall, I'd say Lake Elsinore's starters were good enough to win. Juan Oramas allowed three runs in five innings which doesn't live up to the Oramas standard, but in the Cal League with a solid bullpen, that should still be good enough to give them a chance to win. Jeremy McBryde was a tough luck loser in game three, and they couldn't have asked anything more of Matt Lollis in his Cal League debut. Again, overall they did a good job, but I still wonder if things would've been different had Anthony Bass gotten a start. The bullpen caused some problems late in games, and I don't think anyone expected Brad Brach to blow a save.
Wednesday, September 15, 2010
Tuesday, September 14, 2010
Cal League Condensed: 9/14 Review
Brach's blown save sends Quakes to championship
Rancho Cucamonga 6, Lake Elsinore 5
Recap | Box
W: Matt Oye (1-0)
L: Brad Brach (0-1)
BS: Brad Brach (1)
Player of the game: Angel Castillo
Notes: Angel Castillo hit a two run walkoff double with two outs in the 9th... Castillo had three hits and three RBI... Brad Brach struck out three in one inning but allowed four hits and three runs in the blown save... Matt Lollis struck out seven and allowed one run in 5.1 IP in his Cal League debut... Gabe Jacobo scored three times... Dillon Baird hit two doubles... Manny Flores allowed three earned runs in six innings... Chris Tremblay had three hits, two RBI and two runs in his first game of the series... Jesus Lopez scored twice... Attendance was 1,254...
Rancho Cucamonga 6, Lake Elsinore 5
Recap | Box
W: Matt Oye (1-0)
L: Brad Brach (0-1)
BS: Brad Brach (1)
Player of the game: Angel Castillo
Notes: Angel Castillo hit a two run walkoff double with two outs in the 9th... Castillo had three hits and three RBI... Brad Brach struck out three in one inning but allowed four hits and three runs in the blown save... Matt Lollis struck out seven and allowed one run in 5.1 IP in his Cal League debut... Gabe Jacobo scored three times... Dillon Baird hit two doubles... Manny Flores allowed three earned runs in six innings... Chris Tremblay had three hits, two RBI and two runs in his first game of the series... Jesus Lopez scored twice... Attendance was 1,254...
Modesto Nuts v. San Jose Giants Review
San Jose wins the series 3-0
Series MVP: Jose Flores
Game One: Giants win playoff opener behind Fitzgerald
The Giants struggled in most of the second half, but they started to play okay in September. That momentum carried over despite an opening round bye, and San Jose scored a first run inning. The difference in starting pitching this game was evident; Justin Fitzgerald cruised through seven innings, only allowing one run, and Josh Sullivan struggled with his control and allowed five runs in 4.1 IP. San Jose scored three more in the 3rd and added a couple runs against Modesto's bullpen late and won this one comfortably.
Game Two: Giants take 2-0 series lead on wild pitch
San Jose took another early lead in game two, but Modesto was able to battle back. The Nuts never led, but they never fell too far behind and stayed in the game. Neither starter was very good, but Ethan Hollingsworth hung in there for six innings and gave the Nuts a chance to even the series. Each team had 12 hits, and San Jose leadoff hitter Francisco Peguero extended his hitting streak with another multi-hit game. Sloppy play by Modesto reliever Casey Weathers in the 9th led to a San Jose walkoff win. Weathers committed an error and later threw a wild pitch that allowed Peguero to score the winning run.
Game Three: Five run 5th propels San Jose to second straight championship
Modesto finally took their first lead of the series in the 1st inning on a Jimmy Cesario triple that scored two unearned runs. Unfortunately for the Nuts, that would be the last time they would score this season. Kenny Durst, making his return to the rotation after nearly two months in the bullpen, started off well but run into trouble in the 5th. San Jose scored five in the inning, and they were well on their way to another championship berth. The Giants scored individual runs in the 6th through 8th innings and swept the Nuts out of the playoffs.
The Giants showed no rust despite having nearly a whole week off. They scored a run right off the bat in the first inning Saturday and finished with seven in game one. San Jose averaged seven runs per game in the series, and they had plenty of baserunners too. They had 36 hits in the three game series, and the pressure was on Modesto's pitching staff all series long. The onslaught was led by mainly three players. Francisco Peguero, in the midst of a long hitting streak, had a couple multi hit games, and Jose Flores completed an eight hit series with four singles in the clincher. The rehabbing Brandon Crawford picked up where he left off after a dominant stint with San Jose last year.
In two of the three games, San Jose's starter gave the team what they needed and more. Justin Fitzgerald did what he's done all year and easily secured a win in the series opener. Fitzgerald was the lone starter standing from the team's rotation to start the season after Craig Westcott was promoted and Eric Surkamp and Kyle Nicholson recently went down with injuries. Alfredo Marte struggled again, but Kyle Woodruff continued his successful transition from relieving to starting. Oliver Odle didn't get a chance to pitch, but the team obviously played well enough they didn't need a 4th starter this series.
The Nuts weren't able keep up the momentum they had in San Jose. After having success at Municipal Stadium during the regular season, they went cold in the playoffs and obviously didn't win a game there. Pretty much every team struggles against the Giants in most seasons, and this year was no exception as Modesto was the only team up North with a winning record against them. In addition, the Nuts weren't able to continue their overall momentum, riding a season long eight game winning streak into this series. they went cold at the wrong time, and San Jose had no problem sending them home quickly.
I had concerns about Josh Sullivan and Kenny Durst's spots in the rotation. It turns out, Ethan Hollingsworth wasn't as sharp as usual too, and their starting pitching just wasn't good enough to win this series. Sullivan's control issues continued with four walks in 4.1 IP, and Kenny Durst wasn't able to finish effectively through five innings in his return to the rotation. In games one and two, San Jose got early leads and were able to hold on to win both times. Modesto showed the ability to battle with their backs against the wall this season, but it became too much to do it time after time against the Giants this series.
Series MVP: Jose Flores
Game One: Giants win playoff opener behind Fitzgerald
The Giants struggled in most of the second half, but they started to play okay in September. That momentum carried over despite an opening round bye, and San Jose scored a first run inning. The difference in starting pitching this game was evident; Justin Fitzgerald cruised through seven innings, only allowing one run, and Josh Sullivan struggled with his control and allowed five runs in 4.1 IP. San Jose scored three more in the 3rd and added a couple runs against Modesto's bullpen late and won this one comfortably.
Game Two: Giants take 2-0 series lead on wild pitch
San Jose took another early lead in game two, but Modesto was able to battle back. The Nuts never led, but they never fell too far behind and stayed in the game. Neither starter was very good, but Ethan Hollingsworth hung in there for six innings and gave the Nuts a chance to even the series. Each team had 12 hits, and San Jose leadoff hitter Francisco Peguero extended his hitting streak with another multi-hit game. Sloppy play by Modesto reliever Casey Weathers in the 9th led to a San Jose walkoff win. Weathers committed an error and later threw a wild pitch that allowed Peguero to score the winning run.
Game Three: Five run 5th propels San Jose to second straight championship
Modesto finally took their first lead of the series in the 1st inning on a Jimmy Cesario triple that scored two unearned runs. Unfortunately for the Nuts, that would be the last time they would score this season. Kenny Durst, making his return to the rotation after nearly two months in the bullpen, started off well but run into trouble in the 5th. San Jose scored five in the inning, and they were well on their way to another championship berth. The Giants scored individual runs in the 6th through 8th innings and swept the Nuts out of the playoffs.
The Giants showed no rust despite having nearly a whole week off. They scored a run right off the bat in the first inning Saturday and finished with seven in game one. San Jose averaged seven runs per game in the series, and they had plenty of baserunners too. They had 36 hits in the three game series, and the pressure was on Modesto's pitching staff all series long. The onslaught was led by mainly three players. Francisco Peguero, in the midst of a long hitting streak, had a couple multi hit games, and Jose Flores completed an eight hit series with four singles in the clincher. The rehabbing Brandon Crawford picked up where he left off after a dominant stint with San Jose last year.
In two of the three games, San Jose's starter gave the team what they needed and more. Justin Fitzgerald did what he's done all year and easily secured a win in the series opener. Fitzgerald was the lone starter standing from the team's rotation to start the season after Craig Westcott was promoted and Eric Surkamp and Kyle Nicholson recently went down with injuries. Alfredo Marte struggled again, but Kyle Woodruff continued his successful transition from relieving to starting. Oliver Odle didn't get a chance to pitch, but the team obviously played well enough they didn't need a 4th starter this series.
The Nuts weren't able keep up the momentum they had in San Jose. After having success at Municipal Stadium during the regular season, they went cold in the playoffs and obviously didn't win a game there. Pretty much every team struggles against the Giants in most seasons, and this year was no exception as Modesto was the only team up North with a winning record against them. In addition, the Nuts weren't able to continue their overall momentum, riding a season long eight game winning streak into this series. they went cold at the wrong time, and San Jose had no problem sending them home quickly.
I had concerns about Josh Sullivan and Kenny Durst's spots in the rotation. It turns out, Ethan Hollingsworth wasn't as sharp as usual too, and their starting pitching just wasn't good enough to win this series. Sullivan's control issues continued with four walks in 4.1 IP, and Kenny Durst wasn't able to finish effectively through five innings in his return to the rotation. In games one and two, San Jose got early leads and were able to hold on to win both times. Modesto showed the ability to battle with their backs against the wall this season, but it became too much to do it time after time against the Giants this series.
Mariners Extend High Desert Through 2012
Earlier today it was announced that that Seattle extended High Desert's player development contract through 2012. It was one of four remaining Cal League PDC's still set to expire after this season.
High Desert has been Seattle's Cal League affiliate since 2007. Before the Mariners picked them up, the Mavericks have been affiliated with six different parent clubs since the franchise started in 1988 in Riverside. By the time this extension ends, Seattle will be the team High Desert has been affiliated with the longest in franchise history. In the four seasons these two have teamed up, the Mavericks are 270-290. They've made the postseason in two straight years, losing in the league championship to San Jose last year and Rancho Cucamonga in the first round this season.
Three Mavericks have reached the majors since their partnership with Seattle began. This number doesn't seem very good, but since they've only been together since 2007, and their players need time to develop. Those players are catcher Adam Moore, outfielder Michael Sanders and reliever Shawn Kelley. The Mariners are hoping these young players can be part of a core for the future, but they all have some work to do to prove they can stick in the majors. With a renewed focus on homegrown talent and player development, more future Mariners should be passing through High Desert.
Now that High Desert is out of play, there are three teams left whose PDC's are set to expire after this year: Bakersfield, Inland Empire and Rancho Cucamonga. At this point, I believe Texas will be leaving Bakersfield and hooking up with Myrtle Beach in the Carolina League. The Los Angeles area parent clubs will split Inland Empire and Rancho Cucamonga.
High Desert has been Seattle's Cal League affiliate since 2007. Before the Mariners picked them up, the Mavericks have been affiliated with six different parent clubs since the franchise started in 1988 in Riverside. By the time this extension ends, Seattle will be the team High Desert has been affiliated with the longest in franchise history. In the four seasons these two have teamed up, the Mavericks are 270-290. They've made the postseason in two straight years, losing in the league championship to San Jose last year and Rancho Cucamonga in the first round this season.
Three Mavericks have reached the majors since their partnership with Seattle began. This number doesn't seem very good, but since they've only been together since 2007, and their players need time to develop. Those players are catcher Adam Moore, outfielder Michael Sanders and reliever Shawn Kelley. The Mariners are hoping these young players can be part of a core for the future, but they all have some work to do to prove they can stick in the majors. With a renewed focus on homegrown talent and player development, more future Mariners should be passing through High Desert.
"The relationship we have developed with the High Desert organization has been a very positive one for all those involved," said Pedro Grifol, Mariners Director of Player Development. "Our players will continue to be in an environment where they can succeed personally and collectively."
It's somewhat surprising that this extension was taken care of so soon. It's no secret that the High Desert franchise is kind of in limbo right now. The ownership situation has been cloudy for a couple years now, but as I mentioned a couple weeks ago, they're apparently close to finding an owner. Even if they successfully sell the team, there are still questions about whether or not they'll remain in Adelanto. The stadium isn't great, and fan support has been dwindling in recent years. Like the article said, they'll be in Adelanto for now, but for how long? It's definitely possible this team is playing somewhere else soon. There was some speculation that Seattle would try to get back together with Inland Empire, but perhaps they found out that it wasn't very likely.Now that High Desert is out of play, there are three teams left whose PDC's are set to expire after this year: Bakersfield, Inland Empire and Rancho Cucamonga. At this point, I believe Texas will be leaving Bakersfield and hooking up with Myrtle Beach in the Carolina League. The Los Angeles area parent clubs will split Inland Empire and Rancho Cucamonga.
Cal League Condensed: 9/14 Preview
Flores makes second playoff start with chance to win series
Lake Elsinore Storm v. Rancho Cucamonga Quakes 7:05 PM PT
Game Four (RC leads 2-1)
Matt Lollis v. Manny Flores
Radio Broadcast: 1510 AM (Rancho Cucamonga), 92.9 FM (Lake Elsinore), www.rcquakes.com, www.stormbaseball.com and www.milb.com
Flores v. Lake Elsinore:
Notes: Matt Lollis will be making his Cal League debut... Lollis had a 1.66 ERA in 54.1 IP with Fort Wayne this year... Lollis threw six scoreless innings in a Midwest League playoff game... Allan Dykstra is just 3/32 at the Epicenter this season... Manny Flores allowed four runs in 3.1 IP in a first round playoff start against High Desert... Flores' last win this season was that 8/10 start against Lake Elsinore... Quakes closer Eddie McKiernan gave up runs in all four home appearances against Lake Elsinore this year... Luis Jimenez hit three doubles and drove in three runs on 8/22 against the Storm...
Lake Elsinore Storm v. Rancho Cucamonga Quakes 7:05 PM PT
Game Four (RC leads 2-1)
Matt Lollis v. Manny Flores
Radio Broadcast: 1510 AM (Rancho Cucamonga), 92.9 FM (Lake Elsinore), www.rcquakes.com, www.stormbaseball.com and www.milb.com
Flores v. Lake Elsinore:
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Notes: Matt Lollis will be making his Cal League debut... Lollis had a 1.66 ERA in 54.1 IP with Fort Wayne this year... Lollis threw six scoreless innings in a Midwest League playoff game... Allan Dykstra is just 3/32 at the Epicenter this season... Manny Flores allowed four runs in 3.1 IP in a first round playoff start against High Desert... Flores' last win this season was that 8/10 start against Lake Elsinore... Quakes closer Eddie McKiernan gave up runs in all four home appearances against Lake Elsinore this year... Luis Jimenez hit three doubles and drove in three runs on 8/22 against the Storm...
Monday, September 13, 2010
Cal League Condensed: 9/13 Review
Chaffee, Quakes staff limit Lake Elsinore
Rancho Cucamonga 6, Lake Elsinore 1
Recap | Box
W: Ryan Chaffee (1-0)
L: Jeremy McBryde (0-1)
HR: Gabe Jacobo (2) Dillon Baird (3)
Player of the game: Ryan Chaffee
Notes: Ryan Chaffee allowed one run in seven innings on just two hits and four walks while striking out five... Jose Perez struck out the side in one inning of relief... Three Quakes had two hit games... Gabe Jacobo and Dillon Baird each hit a hope run and drove in two runs... Lake Elsinore was held to just three hits, all by different players... Cody Decker's double was his first hit of the series... Vince Belnome walked three times... Jeremy McBryde struck out seven in six innings and allowed two runs... Attendance was 1,080...
Five run 5th propels San Jose to second straight championship
San Jose 8, Modesto 2
Recap | Box
W: Kyle Woodruff (1-0)
L: Kenny Durst (0-1)
HR: Ehire Adrianza (1) Michael Sandoval (1)
Player of the game: Michael Sandoval
Notes: San Jose sweeps the series... San Jose is going to their second straight championship... Modesto scored both unearned runs in the 1st inning... San Jose scored five in the 5th... Modesto was outhit 15-7... Jose Flores hit four singles... Francisco Peguero was 1/5 to continue his hitting streak... Michael Sandoval had three hits, including a home run, scored twice and drove in two runs... Kyle Woodruff struck out five and didn't allow an earned run in five innings... San Jose's bullpen pitched four scoreless innings... Kenny Durst allowed five runs in 4.1 IP... No player for Modesto had more than one hit... Jimmy Cesario had two RBI... Attendance was 1,406...
Rancho Cucamonga 6, Lake Elsinore 1
Recap | Box
W: Ryan Chaffee (1-0)
L: Jeremy McBryde (0-1)
HR: Gabe Jacobo (2) Dillon Baird (3)
Player of the game: Ryan Chaffee
Notes: Ryan Chaffee allowed one run in seven innings on just two hits and four walks while striking out five... Jose Perez struck out the side in one inning of relief... Three Quakes had two hit games... Gabe Jacobo and Dillon Baird each hit a hope run and drove in two runs... Lake Elsinore was held to just three hits, all by different players... Cody Decker's double was his first hit of the series... Vince Belnome walked three times... Jeremy McBryde struck out seven in six innings and allowed two runs... Attendance was 1,080...
Five run 5th propels San Jose to second straight championship
San Jose 8, Modesto 2
Recap | Box
W: Kyle Woodruff (1-0)
L: Kenny Durst (0-1)
HR: Ehire Adrianza (1) Michael Sandoval (1)
Player of the game: Michael Sandoval
Notes: San Jose sweeps the series... San Jose is going to their second straight championship... Modesto scored both unearned runs in the 1st inning... San Jose scored five in the 5th... Modesto was outhit 15-7... Jose Flores hit four singles... Francisco Peguero was 1/5 to continue his hitting streak... Michael Sandoval had three hits, including a home run, scored twice and drove in two runs... Kyle Woodruff struck out five and didn't allow an earned run in five innings... San Jose's bullpen pitched four scoreless innings... Kenny Durst allowed five runs in 4.1 IP... No player for Modesto had more than one hit... Jimmy Cesario had two RBI... Attendance was 1,406...
Cal League Condensed: 9/13 Preview
Chaffee looks to continue success in game three
Lake Elsinore Storm v. Rancho Cucamonga Quakes 7:05 PM PT
Game Three (Series tied 1-1)
Jeremy McBryde v. Ryan Chaffee
Radio Broadcast: 1510 AM (Rancho Cucamonga), 92.9 FM (Lake Elsinore), www.rcquakes.com, www.stormbaseball.com and www.milb.com
Jeremy McBryde v. Rancho Cucamonga:
Ryan Chaffee v. Lake Elsinore:
Notes: Jeremy McBryde allowed 12 runs in nine innings over his last two starts, posting an 0-1 record... All four of McBryde's wins came on the road, including his one start against Rancho Cucamonga... Cody Decker is 0/9 with five strikeouts this series... No player for Lake Elsinore has more than two postseason hits yet... Ryan Chaffee finished the season with three straight quality starts... Chaffee had 16 strikeouts and three walks in 20.1 IP in those starts... Dillon Baird leads the Quakes in postseason hits with eight, four of which went for extra bases... Baird's postseason OBP is .500 and he's slugging .941...
Durst returns to rotation in must win game three
San Jose Giants v. Modesto Nuts 7:05 PM PT
Game Three (SJ leads 2-0)
Kyle Woodruff v. Kenny Durst
Radio Broadcast: 970 AM (Modesto), www.modestonuts.com, www.sjgiants.com and www.milb.com
Woodruff v. Modesto:
Durst v. San Jose:
Notes: None of Kyle Woodruff's appearances against Modesto were starts... Woodruff had a 3.32 ERA in 43.1 IP over eight starts at the end of the season after being moved into the rotation... Francisco Peguero has five hits and three runs in this series... Brandon Crawford is 4/7 with two walks, two steals and two RBI... Kenny Durst hasn't made a start since 7/19, a win against Lake Elsinore... Durst had a 2.96 ERA between August and September combined, all out of the bullpen... 13 different players have batted for Modesto this postseason... Leadoff hitter Erik Wetzel is just 2/15 in the postseason...
Lake Elsinore Storm v. Rancho Cucamonga Quakes 7:05 PM PT
Game Three (Series tied 1-1)
Jeremy McBryde v. Ryan Chaffee
Radio Broadcast: 1510 AM (Rancho Cucamonga), 92.9 FM (Lake Elsinore), www.rcquakes.com, www.stormbaseball.com and www.milb.com
Jeremy McBryde v. Rancho Cucamonga:
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Ryan Chaffee v. Lake Elsinore:
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Notes: Jeremy McBryde allowed 12 runs in nine innings over his last two starts, posting an 0-1 record... All four of McBryde's wins came on the road, including his one start against Rancho Cucamonga... Cody Decker is 0/9 with five strikeouts this series... No player for Lake Elsinore has more than two postseason hits yet... Ryan Chaffee finished the season with three straight quality starts... Chaffee had 16 strikeouts and three walks in 20.1 IP in those starts... Dillon Baird leads the Quakes in postseason hits with eight, four of which went for extra bases... Baird's postseason OBP is .500 and he's slugging .941...
Durst returns to rotation in must win game three
San Jose Giants v. Modesto Nuts 7:05 PM PT
Game Three (SJ leads 2-0)
Kyle Woodruff v. Kenny Durst
Radio Broadcast: 970 AM (Modesto), www.modestonuts.com, www.sjgiants.com and www.milb.com
Woodruff v. Modesto:
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Durst v. San Jose:
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Notes: None of Kyle Woodruff's appearances against Modesto were starts... Woodruff had a 3.32 ERA in 43.1 IP over eight starts at the end of the season after being moved into the rotation... Francisco Peguero has five hits and three runs in this series... Brandon Crawford is 4/7 with two walks, two steals and two RBI... Kenny Durst hasn't made a start since 7/19, a win against Lake Elsinore... Durst had a 2.96 ERA between August and September combined, all out of the bullpen... 13 different players have batted for Modesto this postseason... Leadoff hitter Erik Wetzel is just 2/15 in the postseason...
Sunday, September 12, 2010
Cal League Condensed: 9/12 Review
Giants take 2-0 series lead on wild pitch
San Jose 6, Modesto 5
Recap | Box
W: Jason Stoffel (1-0)
L: Casey Weathers (0-1)
BS: Brian Anderson (1)
HR: Mike Zuanich (2) Joe Sanders (1)
Player of the game: Francisco Peguero
Notes: Francisco Peguero scored a walkoff run on a Casey Weathers wild pitch... Modesto tied the game twice but never led... Three of San Jose's runs were unearned due to three Modesto errors, including two by Joe Sanders... Francisco Peguero had three hits to continue his hitting streak and also scored three times... Brandon Crawford had a three hit game... Ethan Hollingsworth allowed four earned runs in six innings... Kelvin Marte was charged with three runs in 4.2 IP... Wilman Rodriguez struck out the side in one inning of relief... Ben Paulsen and Jimmy Cesario each had three hit games... Attendance was 2,112...
Pineiro solid as Quakes even series
Rancho Cucamonga 7, Lake Elsinore 5
Recap | Box
W: Joel Pineiro
L: Juan Oramas (0-1)
HR: Darwin Perez (1) Allan Dykstra (1)
Player of the game: Darwin Perez
Notes: Joel Pineiro allowed two runs on three hits and one walk in six innings while striking out three... Rancho Cucamonga had two three-run innings... Rancho Cucamonga outhit Lake Elsinore 14-6... Seven of Rancho Cucamonga's hits went for extra bases... Mike Trout and Darwin Perez each had three hits... Perez his a solo home run in the 9th to provide insurance... Dillon Baird hit two doubles... Rancho Cucamonga turned three double plays and committed two errors... Juan Oramas allowed three runs on eight hits in five innings... Vince Belnome committed two errors... Allan Dykstra's three run home run in the 9th against Eddie McKiernan cut the lead to 7-5... Attendance was 3,223...
San Jose 6, Modesto 5
Recap | Box
W: Jason Stoffel (1-0)
L: Casey Weathers (0-1)
BS: Brian Anderson (1)
HR: Mike Zuanich (2) Joe Sanders (1)
Player of the game: Francisco Peguero
Notes: Francisco Peguero scored a walkoff run on a Casey Weathers wild pitch... Modesto tied the game twice but never led... Three of San Jose's runs were unearned due to three Modesto errors, including two by Joe Sanders... Francisco Peguero had three hits to continue his hitting streak and also scored three times... Brandon Crawford had a three hit game... Ethan Hollingsworth allowed four earned runs in six innings... Kelvin Marte was charged with three runs in 4.2 IP... Wilman Rodriguez struck out the side in one inning of relief... Ben Paulsen and Jimmy Cesario each had three hit games... Attendance was 2,112...
Pineiro solid as Quakes even series
Rancho Cucamonga 7, Lake Elsinore 5
Recap | Box
W: Joel Pineiro
L: Juan Oramas (0-1)
HR: Darwin Perez (1) Allan Dykstra (1)
Player of the game: Darwin Perez
Notes: Joel Pineiro allowed two runs on three hits and one walk in six innings while striking out three... Rancho Cucamonga had two three-run innings... Rancho Cucamonga outhit Lake Elsinore 14-6... Seven of Rancho Cucamonga's hits went for extra bases... Mike Trout and Darwin Perez each had three hits... Perez his a solo home run in the 9th to provide insurance... Dillon Baird hit two doubles... Rancho Cucamonga turned three double plays and committed two errors... Juan Oramas allowed three runs on eight hits in five innings... Vince Belnome committed two errors... Allan Dykstra's three run home run in the 9th against Eddie McKiernan cut the lead to 7-5... Attendance was 3,223...
Cal League Condensed: 9/12 Preview
Hollingsworth tries to even series at one
Modesto Nuts v. San Jose Giants 5:00 PM PT
Game Two (SJ leads 1-0)
Ethan Hollingsworth v. Kelvin Marte
Radio Broadcast: 970 AM (Modesto), www.modestonuts.com, www.sjgiants.com and www.milb.com
TV Broadcast: CHN (San Jose)
Hollingsworth v. San Jose
Marte has not pitched against Modesto this year.
Notes: Ethan Hollingsworth won five straight starts to finish the regular season, all of which were quality starts... Hollingsworth didn't walk more than nine in any month this season... Tim Wheeler had hits in 10 of his 13 games at Municipal Stadium... Jimmy Cesario only had two multi hit games against San Jose this year... Kelvin Marte pitched 3.2 scoreless innings against Colorado's A affiliate Asheville in August... Marte allowed six runs in 3.2 IP against Visalia in his only previous Cal League start... Juan Perez had a .792 OPS at home this year... Jose Flores went 0/7 in a game against Modesto in June...
Quakes counter with their own ringer in Joel Pineiro
Rancho Cucamonga Quakes v. Lake Elsinore Storm 5:05 PM PT
Game Two (LE leads 1-0)
Joel Pineiro v. TBA
Radio Broadcast: 1510 AM (Rancho Cucamonga), 92.9 FM (Lake Elsinore), www.rcquakes.com, www.stormbaseball.com and www.milb.com
Oramas (my predicted starter) v. Rancho Cucamonga:
Notes: Joel Pineiro is expected to throw 65-70 pitches for Rancho Cucamonga... My speculation is that Kyle Hurst will piggyback him and not Ryan Chaffee since Hurst came out of the bullpen most of the season... Gabe Jacobo had 15 RBI in his last 10 games in the regular season... Angel Castillo had four multi hit games at The Diamond this season... Juan Oramas pitched five innings in his last two starts of the regular season... Jeremy McBryde could also make this start... Dan Robertson scored 12 runs against Rancho Cucamonga this season... Vince Belnome posted a .976 OPS in the last 10 games of the regular season...
Modesto Nuts v. San Jose Giants 5:00 PM PT
Game Two (SJ leads 1-0)
Ethan Hollingsworth v. Kelvin Marte
Radio Broadcast: 970 AM (Modesto), www.modestonuts.com, www.sjgiants.com and www.milb.com
TV Broadcast: CHN (San Jose)
Hollingsworth v. San Jose
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Marte has not pitched against Modesto this year.
Notes: Ethan Hollingsworth won five straight starts to finish the regular season, all of which were quality starts... Hollingsworth didn't walk more than nine in any month this season... Tim Wheeler had hits in 10 of his 13 games at Municipal Stadium... Jimmy Cesario only had two multi hit games against San Jose this year... Kelvin Marte pitched 3.2 scoreless innings against Colorado's A affiliate Asheville in August... Marte allowed six runs in 3.2 IP against Visalia in his only previous Cal League start... Juan Perez had a .792 OPS at home this year... Jose Flores went 0/7 in a game against Modesto in June...
Quakes counter with their own ringer in Joel Pineiro
Rancho Cucamonga Quakes v. Lake Elsinore Storm 5:05 PM PT
Game Two (LE leads 1-0)
Joel Pineiro v. TBA
Radio Broadcast: 1510 AM (Rancho Cucamonga), 92.9 FM (Lake Elsinore), www.rcquakes.com, www.stormbaseball.com and www.milb.com
Oramas (my predicted starter) v. Rancho Cucamonga:
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Notes: Joel Pineiro is expected to throw 65-70 pitches for Rancho Cucamonga... My speculation is that Kyle Hurst will piggyback him and not Ryan Chaffee since Hurst came out of the bullpen most of the season... Gabe Jacobo had 15 RBI in his last 10 games in the regular season... Angel Castillo had four multi hit games at The Diamond this season... Juan Oramas pitched five innings in his last two starts of the regular season... Jeremy McBryde could also make this start... Dan Robertson scored 12 runs against Rancho Cucamonga this season... Vince Belnome posted a .976 OPS in the last 10 games of the regular season...
Saturday, September 11, 2010
Cal League Condensed: 9/11 Review
Giants win playoff opener behind Fitzgerald
San Jose 7, Modesto 3
Recap | Box
W: Justin Fitzgerald (1-0)
L: Josh Sullivan (0-1)
HR: Mike Zuanich (1) Tim Wheeler (1)
Player of the game: Justin Fitzgerald
Notes: San Jose scored the first five runs of this game including a three run 3rd inning... Justin Fitzgerald allowed one run in seven innings... Francisco Peguero had two hits, including a leadoff double, and extended his hitting streak... Jose Flores had three hits and scored twice... Brandon Crawford's 8th inning two run double extended San Jose's lead to 7-3... Tim Wheeler had two of Modesto's six hits and drove in two runs... Josh Sullivan allowed five runs on six hits and four walks in 4.1 IP... Sullivan threw three wild pitches... Attendance was 2,084...
Quakes commit seven errors in shutout loss
Lake Elsinore 5, Rancho Cucamonga 0
Recap | Box
W: Chris Young
L: Garrett Richards (0-1)
S: Anthony Bass (1)
Player of the game: Chris Young
Notes: Chris Young struck out seven and allowed three hits and one walk in 5.2 scoreless innings... Anthony Bass struck out three in the final 3.1 IP to earn the save and preserve the shutout... Darwin perez and Alberto Rosario were each charged with two of Rancho Cucamonga's seven errors... Teams combined for only 10 hits and two doubles... Vince Belnome had two RBI and was the only player with more than one hit... Dan Robertson scored three times... Garrett Richards allowed one earned run and walked four in five innings... Attendance was 4,204...
San Jose 7, Modesto 3
Recap | Box
W: Justin Fitzgerald (1-0)
L: Josh Sullivan (0-1)
HR: Mike Zuanich (1) Tim Wheeler (1)
Player of the game: Justin Fitzgerald
Notes: San Jose scored the first five runs of this game including a three run 3rd inning... Justin Fitzgerald allowed one run in seven innings... Francisco Peguero had two hits, including a leadoff double, and extended his hitting streak... Jose Flores had three hits and scored twice... Brandon Crawford's 8th inning two run double extended San Jose's lead to 7-3... Tim Wheeler had two of Modesto's six hits and drove in two runs... Josh Sullivan allowed five runs on six hits and four walks in 4.1 IP... Sullivan threw three wild pitches... Attendance was 2,084...
Quakes commit seven errors in shutout loss
Lake Elsinore 5, Rancho Cucamonga 0
Recap | Box
W: Chris Young
L: Garrett Richards (0-1)
S: Anthony Bass (1)
Player of the game: Chris Young
Notes: Chris Young struck out seven and allowed three hits and one walk in 5.2 scoreless innings... Anthony Bass struck out three in the final 3.1 IP to earn the save and preserve the shutout... Darwin perez and Alberto Rosario were each charged with two of Rancho Cucamonga's seven errors... Teams combined for only 10 hits and two doubles... Vince Belnome had two RBI and was the only player with more than one hit... Dan Robertson scored three times... Garrett Richards allowed one earned run and walked four in five innings... Attendance was 4,204...
Cal League Condensed: 9/11 Preview
Be sure to check out the previews and reviews below this entry.
Giants send ace Fitzgerald to hill to start postseason
Modesto Nuts v. San Jose Giants 6:00 PM PT
Game One (Series tied 0-0)
Josh Sullivan v. Justin Fitzgerald
Radio Broadcast: www.modestonuts.com, www.sjgiants.com and www.milb.com
TV Broadcast: CHN (San Jose)
Sullivan v. San Jose:
Fitzgerald v. Modesto:
Notes: Josh Sullivan has six walks and two strikeouts since he struck out a season high seven on 8/25 against Stockton... Sullivan hasn't pitched this many innings (49.1 total) since 2007 with A Asheville... Modesto's bullpen only allowed one unearned run in seven innings of work against Stockton... Mike Zuanich and Ben Paulsen each had four hits in the first round... All of San Jose's wins in Justin Fitzgerald starts against Modesto came in the first half... Fitzgerald only allowed one earned run over his last two regular season starts... None of Francisco Peguero's 16 triples this year came against Modesto... Charlie Culberson has a .303 OPS in his last 10 games...
Quakes face tall test in Padres' rehabbing Young
Rancho Cucamonga Quakes v. Lake Elsinore Storm 7:05 PM PT
Game One (Series tied 0-0)
Garrett Richards v. Chris Young
Radio Broadcast: 1510 AM (Rancho Cucamonga), 92.9 FM (Lake Elsinore), www.rcquakes.com, www.stormbaseball.com and www.milb.com
Richards v. Lake Elsinore
Notes: Garrett Richards is 3-0 in his last four starts and hasn't lost since 8/14 against Stockton... Richards allowed three earned runs in seven innings on four hits and four walks against San Diego's A affiliate Fort Wayne in July... Rancho Cucamonga's top two hitters, Mike Trout and Alberto Rosario, combined for eight hits against High Desert... Dillon Baird was the only player in the first round to hit two home runs... Chris Young allowed one run over 6.1 IP in two rehab starts with AAA Portland... Young last rehabbed with Lake Elsinore in 2008... Cole Figueroa is hitting .297 at home against Rancho Cucamonga this season... Cody Decker hit .476 with three home runs in six September games...
Transactions
LE: Eric Gonzalez assigned from AAA Portland
LE: Jon Berger assigned from AAA Portland
LE: Rico Noel assigned from A- Eugene
MOD: Ethan Hollingsworth assigned from A- Tri City
LE: Chris Young assigned from Padres
MOD: Parker Frazier placed on DL
LE: Nick Schumaker placed on DL
LE: Rymer Liriano placed on DL
Giants send ace Fitzgerald to hill to start postseason
Modesto Nuts v. San Jose Giants 6:00 PM PT
Game One (Series tied 0-0)
Josh Sullivan v. Justin Fitzgerald
Radio Broadcast: www.modestonuts.com, www.sjgiants.com and www.milb.com
TV Broadcast: CHN (San Jose)
Sullivan v. San Jose:
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Fitzgerald v. Modesto:
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Notes: Josh Sullivan has six walks and two strikeouts since he struck out a season high seven on 8/25 against Stockton... Sullivan hasn't pitched this many innings (49.1 total) since 2007 with A Asheville... Modesto's bullpen only allowed one unearned run in seven innings of work against Stockton... Mike Zuanich and Ben Paulsen each had four hits in the first round... All of San Jose's wins in Justin Fitzgerald starts against Modesto came in the first half... Fitzgerald only allowed one earned run over his last two regular season starts... None of Francisco Peguero's 16 triples this year came against Modesto... Charlie Culberson has a .303 OPS in his last 10 games...
Quakes face tall test in Padres' rehabbing Young
Rancho Cucamonga Quakes v. Lake Elsinore Storm 7:05 PM PT
Game One (Series tied 0-0)
Garrett Richards v. Chris Young
Radio Broadcast: 1510 AM (Rancho Cucamonga), 92.9 FM (Lake Elsinore), www.rcquakes.com, www.stormbaseball.com and www.milb.com
Richards v. Lake Elsinore
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Notes: Garrett Richards is 3-0 in his last four starts and hasn't lost since 8/14 against Stockton... Richards allowed three earned runs in seven innings on four hits and four walks against San Diego's A affiliate Fort Wayne in July... Rancho Cucamonga's top two hitters, Mike Trout and Alberto Rosario, combined for eight hits against High Desert... Dillon Baird was the only player in the first round to hit two home runs... Chris Young allowed one run over 6.1 IP in two rehab starts with AAA Portland... Young last rehabbed with Lake Elsinore in 2008... Cole Figueroa is hitting .297 at home against Rancho Cucamonga this season... Cody Decker hit .476 with three home runs in six September games...
Transactions
LE: Eric Gonzalez assigned from AAA Portland
LE: Jon Berger assigned from AAA Portland
LE: Rico Noel assigned from A- Eugene
MOD: Ethan Hollingsworth assigned from A- Tri City
LE: Chris Young assigned from Padres
MOD: Parker Frazier placed on DL
LE: Nick Schumaker placed on DL
LE: Rymer Liriano placed on DL
Modesto Nuts v. San Jose Giants Preview
After the first round was completed with two sweeps, Friday was an off day for the league. Modesto is coming off a defeat of Stockton, while San Jose has had a few days off thanks to their first half championship. The winner of this five game series will advance to the Cal League Championship series to play the winner of the South division's series.
Game One: Modesto Nuts (Sullivan) v. San Jose Giants (Fitzgerald) Saturday 9/11 6:00 PM PT
Game Two: Modesto Nuts (Hollingsworth) v. San Jose Giants (Marte) Sunday 9/12 5:00 PM PT
Game Three: San Jose Giants (Woodruff) v. Modesto Nuts (Durst) Monday 9/13 7:05 PM PT
Game Four (if necessary): San Jose Giants (Odle) v. Modesto Nuts (Scahill) Tuesday 9/14 7:05 PM PT
Game Five (if necessary): Modesto Nuts (Nicasio) v. San Jose Giants (TBA) Wednesday 9/15 7:00 PM PT
Radio Broadcast: 970 AM (Modesto, games 2-5), www.modestonuts.com, www.sjgiants.com and www.milb.com
TV Broadcast: CHN (San Jose, games 1-2 and 5, if necessary)
Modesto's pitching dominated Stockton as the Nuts easily advanced to this round to face the Giants. They'll compete on the field for the next few days, but without San Jose, Modesto might not have been in the playoffs in the first place. The Giants won three games out of four in a series with Visalia to finish the year, and that along with Modesto's late rally propelled the Nuts into the postseason. The day off didn't affect Modesto's momentum, and their eight game winning streak has them in a position to advance to the Cal League Championship for the first time since 2004.
San Jose's great record in the first half put them in this position, but the second half was a different story. The Giants were 14 games worse in the second half, and their 31-39 record was tied for second worst in the league. They've righted the ship recently, but they're still not the dangerous team they were before the break. Francisco Peguero ended the season on a 20 game hitting streak, the longest of any San Jose player this season. His bat and speed at the top of the lineup has been key in the Giants' turnaround late in the half, and obviously that will need to continue to beat Modesto.
This next table includes Modesto's two playoff games.
Here's a table of head to head results. The two rows at the bottom cover home and away splits for the matchup.
How will Modesto win?
The head to head chart says it all. For whatever reason, Modesto has just done a good job against San Jose this year. Also for whatever reason, there was a pretty large discrepancy between home games between Municipal Stadium and John Thurman Field, but that's neither here nor there. Modesto is not only 6-1 against San Jose in the second half and 11-4 against them in San Jose. Of course the Giants were 6-2 in Modesto, but those games were all early in the season. The Nuts were the only North division team to have a winning record against the Giants this year.
The Nuts' starting staff also has to keep pitching well. They did a great job against Stockton last round, but Rob Scahill and Juan Nicasio aren't scheduled to pitch until games four and five if the series even gets that far. At this point, Ethan Hollingsworth in game two is the least of their concerns, but I think games one and three are questions. Josh Sullivan has been inconsistent, and his control hasn't been great lately. His one start against San Jose this year was one of his worst appearances with Modesto in 2010. Kenny Durst will be making his first start since 7/19 in game three, and he pitched his most effective innings out of the bullpen.
How will San Jose win?
The Giants' lineup needs to keep hitting well. They've scored five or more runs in eight of their last 10 games and won six games in that span. They have not had that success against Modesto in their seven second half meetings, averaging only three runs per game. As I mentioned earlier, the catalyst recently has been Francisco Peguero. His approach at the plate is still almost as if he's trying to not walk, but the ball is in play and finding holes. Peguero has four three-hit games in September and five multi hit games total. Juan Perez is also returning to first half form after struggling in July.
The rotation has to be a lot better. Over the last 21 games, their rotation has an ERA of 5.42, and even if the rehab start by Chris Ray is taken out, it's still not good. Justin Fitzgerald has been a rock in the rotation, but his fellow All-Stars Craig Westcott and Eric Surkamp are gone. A number of pitchers have tried, but the Giants haven't been able to replace those two yet. Kyle Woodruff has been solid since moving from the bullpen to the rotation but another former reliever, Oliver Odle, has gotten hit hard in the second half. Someone needs to step up because Fitzgerald can't pitch all five games.
Game One: Modesto Nuts (Sullivan) v. San Jose Giants (Fitzgerald) Saturday 9/11 6:00 PM PT
Game Two: Modesto Nuts (Hollingsworth) v. San Jose Giants (Marte) Sunday 9/12 5:00 PM PT
Game Three: San Jose Giants (Woodruff) v. Modesto Nuts (Durst) Monday 9/13 7:05 PM PT
Game Four (if necessary): San Jose Giants (Odle) v. Modesto Nuts (Scahill) Tuesday 9/14 7:05 PM PT
Game Five (if necessary): Modesto Nuts (Nicasio) v. San Jose Giants (TBA) Wednesday 9/15 7:00 PM PT
Radio Broadcast: 970 AM (Modesto, games 2-5), www.modestonuts.com, www.sjgiants.com and www.milb.com
TV Broadcast: CHN (San Jose, games 1-2 and 5, if necessary)
Modesto's pitching dominated Stockton as the Nuts easily advanced to this round to face the Giants. They'll compete on the field for the next few days, but without San Jose, Modesto might not have been in the playoffs in the first place. The Giants won three games out of four in a series with Visalia to finish the year, and that along with Modesto's late rally propelled the Nuts into the postseason. The day off didn't affect Modesto's momentum, and their eight game winning streak has them in a position to advance to the Cal League Championship for the first time since 2004.
San Jose's great record in the first half put them in this position, but the second half was a different story. The Giants were 14 games worse in the second half, and their 31-39 record was tied for second worst in the league. They've righted the ship recently, but they're still not the dangerous team they were before the break. Francisco Peguero ended the season on a 20 game hitting streak, the longest of any San Jose player this season. His bat and speed at the top of the lineup has been key in the Giants' turnaround late in the half, and obviously that will need to continue to beat Modesto.
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This next table includes Modesto's two playoff games.
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Here's a table of head to head results. The two rows at the bottom cover home and away splits for the matchup.
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How will Modesto win?
The head to head chart says it all. For whatever reason, Modesto has just done a good job against San Jose this year. Also for whatever reason, there was a pretty large discrepancy between home games between Municipal Stadium and John Thurman Field, but that's neither here nor there. Modesto is not only 6-1 against San Jose in the second half and 11-4 against them in San Jose. Of course the Giants were 6-2 in Modesto, but those games were all early in the season. The Nuts were the only North division team to have a winning record against the Giants this year.
The Nuts' starting staff also has to keep pitching well. They did a great job against Stockton last round, but Rob Scahill and Juan Nicasio aren't scheduled to pitch until games four and five if the series even gets that far. At this point, Ethan Hollingsworth in game two is the least of their concerns, but I think games one and three are questions. Josh Sullivan has been inconsistent, and his control hasn't been great lately. His one start against San Jose this year was one of his worst appearances with Modesto in 2010. Kenny Durst will be making his first start since 7/19 in game three, and he pitched his most effective innings out of the bullpen.
How will San Jose win?
The Giants' lineup needs to keep hitting well. They've scored five or more runs in eight of their last 10 games and won six games in that span. They have not had that success against Modesto in their seven second half meetings, averaging only three runs per game. As I mentioned earlier, the catalyst recently has been Francisco Peguero. His approach at the plate is still almost as if he's trying to not walk, but the ball is in play and finding holes. Peguero has four three-hit games in September and five multi hit games total. Juan Perez is also returning to first half form after struggling in July.
The rotation has to be a lot better. Over the last 21 games, their rotation has an ERA of 5.42, and even if the rehab start by Chris Ray is taken out, it's still not good. Justin Fitzgerald has been a rock in the rotation, but his fellow All-Stars Craig Westcott and Eric Surkamp are gone. A number of pitchers have tried, but the Giants haven't been able to replace those two yet. Kyle Woodruff has been solid since moving from the bullpen to the rotation but another former reliever, Oliver Odle, has gotten hit hard in the second half. Someone needs to step up because Fitzgerald can't pitch all five games.
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