May 8, 2009: Game Notes

ABOUT LAST NIGHT: The Burlington Bees beat the Timber Rattlers 12-8. Nick Van Stratten drove in seven runs for the Bees.

SEVEN: Van Stratten picked up his seven RBI with a two-run single in the second inning, a three-run homer in the fifth inning, and a two-run double in the seventh inning.

SIX: Burlington scored six runs in the top of the fifth inning. Wisconsin had tied the game 4-4 with four runs in the bottom of the fourth.

FIVE: Of the 12 runs scored by the Bees, only five were earned.

FOUR: Wisconsin committed four errors in a game for the second time this season. Wisconsin was charged with four errors on April 17 at Clinton.

THREE: The Rattlers hit three homers last night. Brock Kjeldgaard hit his team leading fifth. Michael Vass hit his second, a three-run shot that tied the game 4-4. Cutter Dykstra hit his first Midwest League homer in the sixth inning.

TWO: Kjeldgaard has homered in two straight games.

ONE: Wisconsin went 1-2 in the three-game set with the Bees.

ZERO: The Rattlers are 0-7 in road games this season.

TECHNICALITIES*: Due to certain circumstances in the top of the fifth inning, there were two runs that were charged as team unearned runs and a pitcher was charged with a run when a player who reached when the pitcher wasn’t in the game scored. The situation was as follows: Rattler starting pitcher Trey Watten allowed a double and a walk to start the inning and an error loaded the bases. An RBI single and a throwing error allowed two runs to score and ended Watten’s day. Reliever Liam Ohlmann entered the game and allowed an RBI single. Then, a fielder’s choice and a strikeout were the first and second outs of the inning. Van Stratten followed with his three-run homer. Team unearned runs are charged When pitchers are changed in the middle of an inning, and one or more errors have already occurred, it is possible to have a run charged as earned against a specific pitcher, but unearned to the team. Watten was charged with a run that reached after he left the game because A pitcher is only charged with the number of runners that reached base while he was pitching, and this does not include baserunners who reach base as the result of a fielder's choice play that removes an existing runner; such a runner is charged to the pitcher whose baserunner has been removed by the fielder's choice play.

*THANK YOU WIKIPEDIA

HOME STAND WRAP: The Rattlers were 3-6 in their just completed nine-game homestand.

ABOUT THE OPPONENTS: The South Bend Silver Hawks are the Midwest League affiliate of the Arizona Diamondbacks. They are the defending Midwest League Eastern Division Champions. South Bend finished the season with a 76-63 record. The defeated West Michigan and Dayton in the playoffs before losing in the Finals to the Burlington Bees. Mark Haley is back for his fifth season as the manager of the Silver Hawks. South Bend is off to a 14-13 start in 2009. In their most recent series, the Hawks swept the Cedar Rapids Kernels in a three game series at Coveleski Regional Stadium.

COMPARE AND CONTRAST: The Timber Rattlers are hitting .247 as a team. They have scored 109 runs (4.2/game) and hit 16 home runs. The Hawks are hitting .251 as a team. They have scored 125 runs (4.6/game) and hit 10 homers. Wisconsin pitchers have a team ERA of 4.53 while allowing a total of 145 runs (5.6/game). South Bend pitchers have a team ERA of 3.87 while allowing 113 runs (4.2/game). The Timber Rattler defense has committed 37 errors. The Silver Hawks defense has committed 28 errors. Wisconsin is 0-7 in road games this season. The Hawks are 7-3 at The Cove this season.

PROSPECTING: Baseball America’s Prospect Handbook listed five members of the current Silver Hawks team on their list of top 30 Arizona Diamondbacks prospects. Pitcher Wade Miley (#5) and shortstop Reynaldo Navarro (#10) are both in the top ten. Pitcher Trevor Harden (#13), catcher Rossmel Perez (#15), and outfielder Isaias Asencio (#24) are also on the list.

OUT OF THE DRAFT 2008: The Diamondbacks have placed 12 members of their 2008 draft class on the current South Bend team. Miley was a supplemental first round draft pick in ’08. Other top ten draft picks include infielder Justin Parker (6th) and pitcher Brett Moorhouse (9th). Harden (14th), Jordan Meaker (20th), Bryan Woodall (21st), Ryan Cook (27th), and T.J. Hose (36th) are pitchers from Arizona’s 2008 draft picks. Catcher Chris Davis (35th), infielders Jake Elmore (34th) and Nelson Gomez (24th), and outfielder Brendan Duffy (41st) were also picked in 2008.

RETURNING ALUMNI: Infielder Ramon Ramirez is the only player on the current Silver Hawk roster who spent time in South Bend last season.

SOUTH BEND STARTING PITCHER: RHP Trevor Harden was the 14th round pick of the Diamondbacks in the 2008 draft out of New Mexico Junior College, where he was a closer. Harden signed with the Diamondbacks instead of going to the University of Miami. Last season, Harden appeared in 12 games (six starts) for Missoula in the Pioneer League. He was 1-3 with two saves and a 1.91ERA with 11 walks and 64 strikeouts over 42-1/3 innings pitched. Harden has won four straight starts. In his last outing, he beat Kane County on May 3. He gave up three runs on four hits over 6-2/3 innings in that game. Harden has never faced the Timber Rattlers, but he pitched three times (twice as a starter) against Helena, Milwaukee’s Pioneer League affiliate, in 2008. He was 1-0 with a 0.73 ERA. He allowed three runs (one earned) on eight hits over 12-1/3 innings pitched. In those games against the Brewers, he walked three and struck out 16.