Minor League Thread

[volzok]

BTW, very nice job on the updates again this season volzok! Keep it up bro! +rep

Thanks redsrbetter, I appreciate it. I enjoy doing it. It will really help keep everyone up with the minors. Here is another article and its about Travis Wood's outing last night in Dayton. These articles can be important b/c sometimes pitching lines can be deceiving. Especially in the minors:

Wood won't dwell on one game
Reds pitching prospect has control problems in opener
By Kevin T. Czerwinski / MLB.com

DAYTON, Ohio -- Travis Wood doesn't want to dwell on his performance Thursday night during Dayton's Midwest League opener against South Bend. Not the good, not the bad, not the mediocre.

Rather, he says he'll try to learn from his frenetic outing, working to improve on the control issues that plagued him during the latter part of his 3 2/3 innings he tossed at Fifth Third Field. While Wood was long gone by the time the Silver Hawks finished off Dayton, 7-5, in 11 innings, his effort was noteworthy for several reasons.

First, the good. Wood worked his way through the first two innings with relative ease, retiring six of the first seven he faced. He struck out three during that stretch, getting ahead in the count against four of the seven.

Secondly, the bad. He ran into trouble in the third and fourth innings, falling behind in the count, struggling with his control, particularly during his final inning of work.

As for the mediocre, that would constitute his final overall line. Wood scattered six hits while striking out five and walking one. He allowed three runs, all earned, on 78 pitches, discovering quickly that it will take a bit more effort to dominate the way he did last season in the rookie leagues.

click here for the rest

[redsrbetter]

Yeah, the line wasn't bad but this does illustarate his position as of now. Good to see he is aware of what he has to work on. Lets look for this to get even better as the season moves on.

[homerun21]

Nice to see Bruce off to a good start.

[homerun21]

Random things I noticed tonight...

AAA Louisville rained out.

AA Lookouts

Joey Votto is 2-3, HR, 3 RBI tonight.
Chris Dickerson is 3-3 with 2 3B, and 2 RBI
Travis Chick 3 IP, H, 0 BB, 3 K

A Sarasota

Rosales 1-2 with a double tonight
LeCure was decent tonight, but did give up 3 runs in 4 innings. Did strike out six however.

A Dragons

Could be the funnest team to watch this summer.

Szymanski 2-2 with a homer.
Bruce 1-2 with a 2B

All I have for now.

[homerun21]

Dayton won 6-4.

Keep an eye on Phillip Valiquette. Hard throwing lefty who struggled big time last year, but was only 17. Looked real good tonight, 5 IP, 3 H, 0 ER, 2 BB, 2 K.

Jay Bruce 2-4 with a 2B, RBI again tonight. Man is a doubles machine.

Louisville/Chattanooga both rained out.

Sarasota down 6-4 last I heard, Rosales 1-3 with an RBI single.

[volzok]

Chattanooga was suspended, but was tied at 3 in the 5th. The game will be completed Sunday, weather permitting.
Box score so far

Dickerson was 0-3 with a K
Votto went 2-3 with a solo HR and a double
Pelland started going 4.2 inn, 8 hits, 3 runs, 3 BB, 2 K

[volzok]

Sarasota lost 11-7
Box score

Rosales went 1-4 with a RBI, run, BB and 2 K
Hernandez went 2-4 with a RBI, run and a K
Sarasota's defense continues to struggle with 5 errors. Avery got the start going 5 inn, 3 hits, 5 runs, 2 earned, 2 BB, 3 K. He got a no decision though b/c Edens gave up 5 in 2/3 inn later in the game.

[volzok]

Dayton won 6-3
Box score

Bruce went 2-4 with a double and RBI
Szymanski continues his struggle going 0-4 with 2 K
Reininger went 1-2 with 2 runs and 2 BB

[volzok]

Article about Dayton's win in the DDN

Dragons' win warms chilly night
By Marc Katz
Dayton Daily News

DAYTON | After two days of leading but losing, the Dayton Dragons Saturday night constructed a lead and held it for their first Class A Midwest League victory of the season.

They led all the way on the way to an eventual 6-3 victory on a chilly night at Fifth Third Field, where hot chocolate was the beverage of choice.

Dayton left-handed starter Philippe Valiquette not only had run support, he supported himself allowing just three singles, two walks and a run in five innings.

"I came in this year with a different mindset," said Valiquette, who began last season with the Dragons and eventually was sent to rookie Billings, Mont.

"This year, I knew what to expect. I didn't have fun last year. I was trying to do too much. This year, there is no panic. I stayed smooth in my delivery."

Dragons manager Billy Gardner Jr. didn't see the 19-year-old Valiquette last season, but he likes what he sees now.

"He has a live arm," Gardner said. "And he did a pretty good job hitting both side of the plate."

Gardner also liked the way the Dragons scored — no homers, but three doubles (two by shortstop Eric Eymann) and plenty of good baserunning.

"It was good situational hitting," Gardner said. "Get them on, get them over and get them in."

• For the second straight night, strong winds blowing in from left field held up a potential homer. B.J. Szymanski's drive in the third was caught on the warning track, the same as Bobby Mosby's drive Friday.

• Szymanski was working on his final dissertation for graduating from Princeton. He had his laptop open prior to the game, and a copy of the book, "Psychological Dynamics of Sport and Exercise" nearby.

• Striking umpire John Saphire handed out leaflets in front of the ballpark asking fans not to go in because of a minor-league umpires strike in progress. The umpires — about 220 throughout the minors — have been on strike since the beginning of the season.

Minor-league teams are using amateur umpires to fill in until the contract dispute is reconciled.

They are striking over, among other things, benefits. Umpires in the Midwest League make about $10,000 a season.

Saphire and several umpires are planning a larger picket line at Class AAA Toledo today.

[volzok]

Louisville lost both games in a doubleheader to Ottawa:
Game one 3-2 box
Game two 3-1 box

Game one notes of interest:
Stratton went 2-2 with solo HR, double, 2 runs and one walk
Gosling started and got a no decision going 5 inn, 6 hits, 2 runs, 1 earned, 0 BB, 5 K
Shackelford pitched 1 inn and only gave up a hit
Standridge got the loss going 2/3 inn, 2 hits, 1 run, 1 BB, 0 K

Game two notes of interest:(only 7 inning game)
Gutierrez went 1-3 with a double and the only RBI
Stratton went 1-3 with 2 K
Lizard got the loss going 5 inn, 6 hits, 3 runs, 0 BB, 4 K

I know its early, but it has been good to see most of the starters in Louisville havent walked many. Hopefully that is a continuing trend.

[volzok]

Chattanooga won the suspended game 5-4 (box in earlier post).
Wrap: Joey Votto's two-run homer in the eighth inning gave the visiting Lookouts a 5-4 victory over the Suns on Sunday in the completion of a suspended game.

Chattanooga trailed, 4-3, before Votto connected off reliever Thomas Nall (0-1) for his second homer of the game and third this season. The 22-year-old first baseman also hit a solo shot in the third to break a 2-2 tie.

Guevara went 1.1 inn, 0 hits, 1 BB, 3 K
Shaffer with the save going 1 inn, 0 hits, 0 BB, 0 K

Chattanooga won a 7 inning game two: 2-0 Box score

Dickerson went 2-4 with a K and 2 SB
Votto went 0-2 with 2 BB
Kelly got the win going 5 inn, 1 hit, 1 BB, 1 K. The one hit was the only hit of the game. The hit came from, oddly enough, the bat of AJ Zapp

[volzok]

Sarasota lost 8-4
Box score

McCracken led off and went 2-3 with a run
Garthwaite went 3-4 with a HR, 3 RBI and a double
Vazquez got a no decision going 4 inn, 8 hits, 4 runs, 1 earned, 2 BB, 4 K
Sarasota's defense continues to be horrible with another 5 errors today and 11 on the young season.

[volzok]

Dayton lost 7-0
Box score

Janish is back and went 1-4 with a K
Bruce went 0-4 with a K
Szymanski went 1-4 with 2 K
Ward got the no decision going 6 inn, 2 hits, 0 runs, 3 BB, 3 K

[volzok]

Dragons' pitching solid despite record
By Marc Katz
Dayton Daily News

DAYTON | Just four games into the Class A Midwest League season, it looks like the Dayton Dragons are off to a bad start.

They are if you're only measuring wins and losses, because they stand 1-3.

However, there is a lot to like about this team, and some of it is even pitching, a problem in the recent past in the Reds' chain.

Take Sunday's game, for instance, where Zach Ward made his professional debut, allowing no runs over six innings despite throwing very few first-pitch strikes.

Ward was taken by the Reds in the third round of last year's draft and sent to rookie Billings, Mont., but his arm was a little sore from playing college ball at Gardner-Webb and he was shut down without making it into a game.

That made Sunday a special outing.

"Before the first batter, my blood pressure probably was off the roof," Ward said. "I think I was being a little fine with my pitches."

Ward walked the first batter, but the first of two Dragons' double plays erased him, and it was game on.

"I was happy with Ward," Manager Billy Gardner Jr. said. "It didn't get too far into the count and when he throws that many ground ball outs (10), he's on."

So far, Ward and previous starters Travis Wood, Carlos Fisher and Philippe Valiquette have looked good. Johnny Cueto, as the fifth starter, goes tonight against Lansing, and the Reds think he has a strong arm.

As for the relief pitchers, there have been some extenuating circumstances, but they'll have to be more consistent.

• New Reds director of development Johnny Almarazwas in town for the first time since spring training and pledges help if needed. He doesn't want to see the Dragons finish last again. Over the last three seasons, the team was last five of six times in the 70-game half-season format.

• Gardner thought he had the eighth inning set up for a run when pinch-hitter Bobby Mosby singled and was sacrificed to second on a bunt by Mike DeJesus. A ground out and foul pop ended the threat.

• In their first four games last year, the Dragons were also 1-3 with 10 doubles, no triples and two homers. They struck out 33 times and walked 12 times.

This year, they have collected nine doubles, three triples (all by second baseman Mike Griffin) and two homers. They have struck out 43 times and walked six. That may say more about the South Bend pitching staff than about the Dayton batters.

[redsrbetter]

Thanks for the updates once again volzok and homer 21.

My favorite look for the night is Guevera. He was awesome last season and I hope he continues. He should move up to Louisville soon if he does.