6/13/2008

June 12 Game notes

ABOUT LAST NIGHT: The Rattlers lost 5-0 at Burlington. Alex Caldera, Zach Peterson, and Chris Chavez combined on the six hit shutout. Clint Robinson homered, doubled, and drove in two runs for the Bees.

SWEPT AWAY: The Burlington win completed a four-game sweep of Wisconsin. This is the second four-game losing streak of the season for the Rattlers.

FIRST INNING BLUES: Burlington scored two unearned runs in the bottom of the first inning last night. In the four game series, the Rattlers were outscored by the Bees 14-0 in the first inning.

TO ERR: The Rattlers committed a pair of errors in the bottom of the first inning last night. The first occurred on a play at the plate. Wisconsin had the infield in with a runner at third and one out. Mike Moustakas sent a grounder to second baseman Edilio Colina. Colina threw wildly to the plate, the run scored, and Moustakas wound up at second. After a hit batsman, Robinson sent a sharp grounder to first. Joe Dunigan’s throw to second was wild and Moustakas scored for a 2-0 lead.

ROAD WOES: The Rattlers have lost six straight road games. Wisconsin is 3-13 in their last 16 games away from Time Warner Cable Field at Fox Cities Stadium.

BUBBLING CALDERA: The Burlington starting pitcher pitched 5-2/3 innings, gave up four hits, walked two, and struck out two. He has pitched 12-2/3 innings against the Timber Rattlers this season and has not allowed a run.

LACK OF POWER: The Rattlers were out-homered in the series with Burlington 6-1.

A QUIET HITTING STREAK: Blake Ochoa doubled in the third inning last night. He has a 10-game hitting streak that began on May 23. He is 11-for-29 (.379) during the streak.

STARTING OVER: In the four games of the series with Burlington, Wisconsin starting pitchers went a total of 11 innings. Edward Paredes was the starter last night and his 4-1/3 innings was the longest by a Rattler starter at Burlington. In the series at Community Field, Wisconsin starters allowed 21 runs (17 earned) on 24 hits; walked seven; and struck out seven.

ABOUT THE OPPONENTS: The Clinton LumberKings are the Midwest League affiliate of the Texas Rangers. They are 40-22 and currently in first place in the Midwest League Western Division. The LumberKings have clinched a first half playoff spot and currently lead the second place Kane County Cougars by 2.5 games. Clinton is 21-10 at home this season.

COMPARE AND CONTRAST: The Timber Rattlers are hitting .239 as a team and have scored 206 runs (3.4/game). Wisconsin has hit 15 home runs this season. The Timber Rattler pitching staff has a combined ERA of 3.47. The LumberKings are hitting .282 as a team to lead the League in that category. They have scored 340 runs (5.5/game). Clinton has hit 48 home runs this season. The LumberKings pitching staff has a combined ERA of 3.43.

WHOA! The LumberKings have four of the top six hitters in the Midwest League. Renny Osuna is second in the league at .362. Ian Gac (.321), Mitch Moreland (.313), and Tim Smith (.305) are in 4th through 6th place. Gac leads the Midwest League in homers (17) and RBI (52). Pitcher Neftali Feliz is tied for the league lead in wins with eighth and is fourth in the league in strikeouts with 72.

2007 SEASON SERIES: The Rattlers won the season series with the LumberKings last season. Wisconsin was 5-3 against Clinton in 2007. They were 3-1 at Alliant Energy Field last year.

2008 SEASON SERIES: The LumberKings won the only game played between the teams at Time Warner Cable Field at Fox Cities Stadium this season. Clinton won 8-1 on April 7. The next three games were either rained out or snowed out.

PROSPECTING: Baseball America’s Prospect Handbook has placed four members of the current Clinton roster on their list of top 30 prospects in the Texas organization. Three of the players are in the top 10. Pitcher Neftali Feliz (#5) is the highest rated player. Pitcher Blake Bevan is next at #8. Outfielder Engel Beltre (#10) and pitcher Fabio Castillo (#14) are the other two LumberKings on the list.

OUT OF THE 2007 DRAFT: The LumberKings have nine members of their current roster who were members of the Texas draft class in 2007. Pitcher Blake Bevan was the first round pick of the Rangers last year. Pitchers Hector Nelo (15th) and Ryan Tatusko (18th); infielders Jonathan Greene (8th), Jacob Kaase (23rd), Matt Lawson (14th), Mitch Moreland (17th), and Renny Osuna (32nd); and outfielder Tim Smith (7th) were also members of the 2007 Ranger draft class.

GAME ONE CLINTON STARTING PITCHER: Fabio Castillo was signed as a non-drafted free agent out of the Dominican Republic by the Rangers in 2005. He was 3-5 with a 5.92 ERA in 14 starts for the Spokane Indians of the Northwest League last season. He made two appearances against Everett – Seattle’s Northwest League affiliate – last season and was 1-1. He allowed seven earned runs on 13 hits with one walk and 13 strikeouts over 11 innings. Castillo pitched three scoreless innings of relief with a walk and two strikeouts against the Timber Rattlers on April 7. In his start prior to this evening for Clinton, Castillo picked up a no decision against the Peoria on June 8. He pitched five innings and allowed four runs (three earned) on six hits with three walks and five strikeouts.

GAME TWO CLINTON STARTING PITCHER: Mike Kirkman was a 5th round pick of the Rangers out of Columbia High School in Lake City, Florida in the 2005 draft. In his first three seasons as a professional, Kirkman went 5-11 with a 6.31ERA and 124 strikeouts over 127 innings. He has a record of 0-4 in 11 appearances (eight starts) over two stints with the LumberKings before this season. Kirkman made two appearances against Seattle affiliates last season. He picked up a win over Everett on July 25 with two scoreless innings as a reliever. Kirman pitched three scoreless innings in relief against the Rattlers on August 28. His start prior to this evening for the LumberKings was his first appearance of 2008. Kirkman allowed three hits on six hits with two walks and one strikeout over three innings for a no decision at Peoria on June 7.

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