April 13 Game Notes

ABOUT SATURDAY: The doubleheader between the Timber Rattlers and the Dayton Dragons was postponed by snow. The teams will try to play a doubleheader today.


THIS IS GETTING QUITE INCREDIBLY RIDICULOUS: Saturday was the fifth home date in a row lost to weather for Wisconsin in 2008. This is a new record for the most consecutive home dates lost to inclement weather. The old record was at the beginning of the 2003 season, the entire four game series with the Beloit Snappers was called off due to ice and snow. Last season, the Timber Rattlers lost nine home dates at Time Warner Cable Field to the weather. Of those nine cancellations, five occurred in the first week of the season.


LAST GAME ACTION: The LumberKings beat the Timber Rattlers 8-1 last Monday. Each Clinton starter in the order picked up at least one base hit as they collected a total of 12 hits. Wisconsin’s defense added to the pain on the night with seven errors.


TOUGH BEGINNING: Rattler starting pitcher Juan Ramirez walked the first two batters he faced. An error, a ground out, and a wild pitch brought those runners around for an early 2-0 lead.


AFTER TWO THEY WENT: Seven of the eight Clinton runs were scored after there were two outs. The final six Clinton runs were tallied after Rattler pitchers had retired the first two batters of the inning.


FAMILIAR FEELING: Last Monday was the home opener for the Rattlers and they committed seven errors. In the home opener on April 5, 2007, the Rattlers also committed seven errors.


MISSED OPPORTUNITY: The Rattlers trailed 2-1 heading into the bottom of the fourth inning. Gavin Dickey doubled to start the frame and wound up on third with no outs after a wild pitch. However, Wisconsin could not get the tying run home. Clinton added two runs in the top of the fifth.


ACCENTUATE THE POSITIVE: Daniel Carroll had a pair of hits, stole a base, and scored a run for the Timber Rattlers last Monday. Carroll extended his hitting streak to five games. He has also picked up a stolen base in each of the first five games for the Rattlers.


STAYING HOT: Dickey’s double in the fourth gave him a five-game hitting streak to start the season, too. The Rattler outfielder drove in the only Wisconsin run of the night, when he picked up an RBI ground out in the first inning.


ABOUT THE OPPONENTS: The Dayton Dragons are the Midwest League affiliate of the Cincinnati Reds. Last season, the Dragons had a record of 78-62. They made the playoffs in the Eastern Division as the first half wild card, but lost to South Bend in the first round of the playoffs. Donnie Scott is back for his second consecutive season and his fifth overall as the manager of the Dragons. Scott managed the Dragons from 2001 through 2003.


2008 SO FAR: The Dragons are off to a 5-3 start this year. They just completed a four game sweep of the Fort Wayne Wizards at home before heading to Wisconsin for this series.


2007 SEASON SERIES: The Timber Rattlers went 1-7 against the Dragons last season. Dayton swept a dour game series from the Rattlers April 30-May 3. The Dragons took three out of four from Wisconsin July 30-August 2 in Ohio.


PROSPECTING: Baseball America’s Prospect Handbook places two members of the 2008 Dayton roster on their list of the top 30 prospects in the Reds organization. Shortstop Todd Frazier is ranked #7 by BA. Third baseman Brandon Waring checks in at #23.


OUT OF THE DRAFT: There are 12 Dragons on the roster who were selected by Cincinnati in the 2007 draft. Those players are: Pitchers Scott Carroll (3rd), Jeremy Horst (21st), Jeff Jeffords (19th), Matt Klinker (15th), Joseph Krebs (14th), and Curtis Partch (26th); Catcher Jason Bour (23rd); Infielders Brett Bartles (30th), Frazier (1st – supplemental), Jake Kahaulelio (20th), and Waring (7th); and Outfielder Brandon Menchaca (13th).


VETERANS: There are nine members of the 2008 Dayton roster who played for the Dragons in 2007. Phillippe Valiquette spent parts of 2005, 2006, and 2007 with Dragons.


FAMILY REUNION: Dayton infielder Kevyn Feiner is the brother of Timber Rattler catcher Korey Feiner.


DAYTON STARTING PITCHER (GAME ONE): Matt Klinker was the 15th round pick of the Reds in the 2007 draft. He played college baseball for Furman and went 5-6 with a 4.57ERA with 70 strikeouts in 86.2IP in his final season there. On his first pro stop, Klinker went 2-2 with a 5.44ERA for the Billings Mustangs of the Pioneer League. He appeared in 15 games (two starts) for the Mustangs in 2007 and recorded 39 strikeouts with only 10 walks in 41.1IP. Tonight is his Midwest League debut. This is also Klinker’s first appearance against an affiliate of the Seattle Mariners.


DAYTON STARTING PITCHER (GAME TWO): Curtis Partch was the 26th round pickoff the Reds in the 2007 draft out of Merced (CA) Junior College. He had two saves and a 1.29ERA in five relief appearances for the Gulf Coast League Reds on his first pro stop. He was moved to Billings in the Pioneer League and went 1-0 with a save and a 3.29ERA in 12 appearances (one start). Partch made his Midwest League debut on April 7 against Fort Wayne and allowed two runs (one earned) on four hits over five innings, but received a no decision. Today is his first appearance against an affiliate of the Mariners.