posted July 4, 2009
Chattanooga Lookouts (Los Angeles Dodgers)
THE WEEK THAT WAS: The Lookouts went 2-4 at Huntsville to start the second half. Chattanooga was 30-39 in the first half.
WHO'S HOT, WHO'S NOT: RHP Travis Chick allowed a run on three hits over seven innings in his second start against Huntsville on June 27, improving to 6-3. ... LHP Scott Elbert (2-3) and RHP Josh Lindblom (3-5) were promoted to Triple-A. Elbert led the league in strikeouts. ... 2B Ramon Nivar had two hits in his first start June 27 and again in his second start June 28. ... 1B Russ Mitchell had a three-hit game June 24, but was still batting just .183. ... LHP James Adkins fell to 2-6.
PLAYER TO WATCH: OF Tommy Giles had a 3-for-3 game with two homers and a walk. He was hitting .297 with five homers and 13 RBIs in 33 games after starting the season in the California League. Giles, 25, hit .344 with four homers and 17 RBIs in 16 games for Inland Empire. He was an eighth-round Draft choice out of the University of Miami in 2006.
PERFORMANCE OF WEEK: OF James Tomlin had four hits June 24 and three hits June 26 while going 10-for-24 in the Huntsville series. The leadoff hitter had a double, two RBIs and two walks while lifting his average to .308. Tomlin, 26, was batting .338 in June. He had a .403 on-base percentage with 27 walks to 31 strikeouts. Tomlin hit .313 last season when the Dodgers' Southern League franchise was in Jacksonville.
Birmingham Barons (Chicago White Sox)
THE WEEK THAT WAS: The Barons, who won the first-half title in the South Division with a league-best 48-21 record, started the second half by going 2-3 at Mississippi. The final game of the series was suspended by rain.
WHO'S HOT, WHO'S NOT: RHP Lucas Harrell was promoted to Triple-A Charlotte along with 1B Brandon Allen. Harrell (8-2) was tied for the league lead in wins, while Allen was batting .290. ... C Tyler Flowers will play for the U.S. and 3B Dayan Viciedo for the World in the All-Star Futures Game. ... RHP Justin Cassel was sent down from Charlotte.
PLAYER TO WATCH: RHP Daniel Hudson struck out 16 over 12 innings in his first two Double-A starts, going 1-0 with five walks and a 2.25 ERA. He had 79 strikeouts to 15 walks in 67 innings for Kannapolis and Winston-Salem before being promoted. Hudson, 22, was 1-2 at Class A and 4-3 at Class A Advanced. The White Sox drafted him in the fifth round last year out of Old Dominion.
PERFORMANCE OF WEEK: OF David Cook was 5-for-11 with two homers and five RBIs over two consecutive games, tying for the league lead in homers and RBIs with 15 and 51, respectively. He was batting .251 and also had 11 doubles and three triples. Cook, 27, had drawn 36 walks compared to 35 strikeouts and had a .363 on-base percentage. He was slugging .522.
Carolina Mudcats (Cincinnati Reds)
THE WEEK THAT WAS: The Mudcats started the second half by going 1-5 at home against Jacksonville. Carolina was 37-32 during the first half, finishing a game behind first-place Huntsville in the North Division.
WHO'S HOT, WHO'S NOT: OF Chris Heisey, batting .347 and leading the league in hits, slugging and runs, was promoted to Triple-A Louisville. He will play for the U.S. in the Futures Game. ... OF Todd Frazier had a three-hit game with his league-leading 28th double on June 23. ... 3B Juan Francisco spent time on the DL because of a strained right hamstring. ... RHP Jordan Smith (4-3) also came off the DL but lost his third straight start June 27.
PLAYER TO WATCH: OF Carson Kainer was 2-for-3 with a double and homer, driving in two runs, in his first game after coming up from Sarasota. He also had two hits in his fourth game and was 4-for-12 with a homer and three RBIs. Kainer, 24, hit .266 for Sarasota in the Florida State League. He was a 14th-round Draft choice out of Texas in 2006 and had to undergo a kidney transplant later that year.
PERFORMANCE OF WEEK: LHP Travis Wood (8-3) allowed four hits in six scoreless innings June 23, lowering his league-best ERA to 1.27. Opponents were batting just .193 with one homer. On June 28, he allowed two runs over seven innings, boosting his ERA to 1.36 and his opponents' average to .194. He had 82 strikeouts to 35 walks in 99 innings. Wood, 22, started the season 0-3 but is undefeated since, not allowing a run in four of his six June starts. The 2005 second-round Draft choice has enjoyed a complete turnaround from last season, when he had a 7.09 ERA over 17 starts in the Southern League.
Huntsville Stars (Milwaukee Brewers)
THE WEEK THAT WAS: The Stars went 4-2 at home against Chattanooga to start the second half. Huntsville won the first-half title in the North Division with a 38-31 record.
WHO'S HOT, WHO'S NOT: C Jonathan Lucroy had a four-RBI game with a home run June 23 and repeated the feat June 25. ... OF Drew Anderson, hitting .293, was promoted to Triple-A Nashville. ... RHP Mark Holliman improved to 6-2 with a win on June 26. ... SS John Raburn had a three-hit game with three RBIs on June 26. ... 3B Taylor Green went on the DL. ... RHP Patrick Ryan was released.
PLAYER TO WATCH: RHP Donovan Hand improved to 6-1 overall and 4-0 as a starter, allowing three hits and a run over seven innings June 23. His ERA was 2.34. Hand, 23, had made 20 relief appearances and five starts. Opponents were batting .230 and he had 37 strikeouts to 15 walks in 68 1/3 innings. He was a 14th-round Draft choice in 2007 out of Jacksonville State.
PERFORMANCE OF WEEK: LHP Zach Braddock hit a grand slam on the first pitch he saw as a professional hitter June 25. He pitched 1 2/3 hitless innings in his Double-A debut, striking out three. Braddock, 21, was 1-1 with a 1.09 ERA in 14 appearances for Brevard County in the Florida State League before being promoted. He had 40 strikeouts to four walks in 24 2/3 innings.
Jacksonville Suns (Florida Marlins)
THE WEEK THAT WAS: The Suns went 5-1 at Carolina to start the second half, taking first place in the South Division. Jacksonville was 36-35 in the first half.
WHO'S HOT, WHO'S NOT: OF Bryan Peterson broke out of a slump with a three-hit game, then had two hits in each of the next three contests. ...RHP Cristhian Martinez improved to 6-2 with a 1.96 ERA. ... RHP Kasey Olenberger was 6-1 with a 1.46 ERA in relief. ... OF Mike Stanton, named to the Futures Game, hit two homers during the Carolina series. ... 3B Lee Mitchell had a two-homer game, raising his total to 11. ... RHP Willie Glen fell to 1-7.
PLAYER TO WATCH: OF Scott Cousins had a four-RBI game with a homer and double June 24, and he had a three-hit game with two doubles June 27 at Carolina. He was hitting .350 in his past 10 games and .326 in June. Cousins, 24, needed the spurt to get his average to .258 after a slow start. He had 18 doubles, seven homers and 40 RBIs. He was a third-round Draft choice in 2006.
PERFORMANCE OF WEEK: RHP Nic Ungs lowered his ERA to 1.58 as he won back-to-back starts against Carolina June 22 and June 27 to improve to 4-1. He allowed three hits over six scoreless innings in his second start against the Mudcats after giving up four hits and two runs over seven innings in the series opener. Ungs, 29, was also batting .300. He was in the Marlins organization before pitching in the Milwaukee chain last year at Huntsville and Triple-A Nashville.
Mississippi Braves (Atlanta Braves)
THE WEEK THAT WAS: The Braves started the second half 3-2, with the final game of their home series against Birmingham suspended by rain. Mississippi was 31-39 and last in the South Division during the first half.
WHO'S HOT, WHO'S NOT: OF Matt Young started the second half 5-for-14 with six walks, pushing his league-leading total to 54. ... SS Brandon Hicks had a three-hit game June 25. ... OF Willie Cabrera had five RBIs over a three-game stretch. ... LHP Bryan Dumesnil had two straight rough appearances out of the bullpen, falling to 1-5.
PLAYER TO WATCH: RHP Stephen Marek didn't allow a run during 10 relief appearances in June, posting a 2-0 record and getting his first save. He gave up just four hits over 11 2/3 innings while striking out nine and walking six, earning a promotion to Triple-A Gwinnett. Marek, 25, struggled until June and was 3-3 with a 5.08 ERA overall. He was acquired by Atlanta from the Angels last July as part of the Mark Teixeira trade.
PERFORMANCE OF WEEK: RHP Ryne Reynoso (4-4) allowed three hits over eight scoreless innings June 23. He walked three and struck out three while lowering his ERA to 3.52. It was his first victory since May 21. Reynoso, 24, was limiting opponents to a .226 average. He had 49 strikeouts to 35 walks in 76 2/3 innings. Reynoso was 10-6 for Myrtle Beach in the Carolina League last season.
Mobile BayBears (Arizona Diamondbacks)
THE WEEK THAT WAS: The BayBears started the second half by splitting a six-game home series with West Tenn. Mobile was 37-33 in the first half, finishing second in the South Division.
WHO'S HOT, WHO'S NOT: OF Cyle Hankerd, hitting .314, broke a skid with consecutive two-hit games and had five RBIs in the West Tenn series. ... 3B Ricardo Sosa broke his slump by going 5-for-6 with three RBIs over two games. ... 1B Bryan Byrne returned from Triple-A. ... RHP Cody Evans fell to 3-8.
PLAYER TO WATCH: Named to the Futures Game, RHP Jarrod Parker (4-3) came off the DL and pitched five innings while improving to 4-3 and lowering his ERA to 3.04 on June 24. He allowed three hits and a run, striking out three and walking two. Parker, 21, had 49 strikeouts to 22 walks in 47 1/3 innings since being promoted from the California League, where he was 1-0 with a 0.95 ERA. The 2007 first-round Draft choice was hit on the right wrist by a line drive June 13.
PERFORMANCE OF WEEK: RHP Wes Roemer allowed three hits and two runs in 6 1/3 innings June 23 to improve to 3-4. He struck out seven and walked three. Roemer, 22, had a 3.78 ERA in nine starts since being promoted from the California League. He was 3-1 with a 2.05 ERA for Visalia. Roemer was a sandwich pick out of Cal State-Fullerton between the first and second rounds of the 2007 Draft.
Montgomery Biscuits (Tampa Bay Rays)
THE WEEK THAT WAS: The Biscuits opened the second half by splitting a six-game home series against Tennessee. Montgomery was 33-37 in the first half.
WHO'S HOT, WHO'S NOT: OF Desmond Jennings, who will play for the U.S. in the Futures Game, had consecutive two-hit games, raising his average to .323. ... OF Rashad Eldridge returned from Triple-A Durham and had two hits in his first game June 27. The next day, he doubled, knocked in two runs and scored. ... RHP Brian Baker improved to 4-1 and had a 3.13 ERA. ... RHP Neal Frontz had pitched 14 2/3 scoreless innings before giving up a home run. ... 2B Drew Anderson hit his first homer June 27 after 202 at-bats. ... SS Brandon Chavez was hitting .167 in June. ... LHP Ryan Morse, who moved to the bullpen, fell to 2-6.
PLAYER TO WATCH: RHP Jeremy Hellickson came off the DL, pitching four and five innings in two starts. He gave up eight hits and two runs over the nine innings, striking out 12 and walking one. Hellickson, 22, hadn't pitched since May 5, when he left a start in the first inning. He was 2-1 with a 2.08 ERA and had 48 strikeouts to nine walks in 39 innings.
PERFORMANCE OF WEEK: LHP Brandon Mann pitched 6 2/3 scoreless innings in a no-decision June 23, allowing four hits, walking none and striking out six. He was 4-4 with a 4.62 ERA, making nine starts and six relief appearances. Mann, 25, had struggled in his previous three starts after going 3-2 with a 2.42 ERA in June.
Tennessee Smokies (Chicago Cubs)
THE WEEK THAT WAS: The Smokies were 3-3 at Montgomery to start the second half. Tennessee finished 32-38 in the first half.
WHO'S HOT, WHO'S NOT: OF Tyler Colvin, batting .300, had a three-hit game with a homer and double June 24. ... OF Doug Deeds was hitting .341 since being sent down from Triple-A Iowa. ... RHP John Gaub, who was 3-1 with a 2.83 ERA and four saves, was promoted to Iowa. ... RHP Marcos Mateo fell to 1-5.
PLAYER TO WATCH: RHP Jay Jackson threw five scoreless innings in a win over Montgomery in the June 22 opener, allowing just one hit. He had five strikeouts and no walks in that game, but he didn't do as well when facing the Biscuits again in the finale June 27. Jackson, 21, gave up five hits and three earned runs over 4 2/3 innings in the no-decision, walking four and striking out two. He was 4-3 with a 3.15 ERA.
PERFORMANCE OF WEEK: RHP Casey Coleman (7-3) allowed four hits over six scoreless innings June 24, walking one and striking out four while lowering his ERA to 2.80. He was 4-0 on the road compared to 3-3 at home despite almost identical ERAs. Coleman, 21, was 3-1 with a 2.01 ERA in June.
West Tenn Diamond Jaxx (Seattle Mariners)
THE WEEK THAT WAS: The Diamond Jaxx split a six-game series at Mobile to start the second half. West Tenn was last in the North Division during the first half, going 27-43.
WHO'S HOT, WHO'S NOT: OF Johan Limonta had a four-hit game June 26. ... C Colt Morton hit a pair of homers and four RBIs in the Mobile series. ... RHP Steven Shell allowed two hits over six scoreless innings June 25, improving to 2-0 with a 0.60 ERA. ... 3B Matt Mangini had a three-hit game June 25, and collected two homers and five RBIs in the Mobile series. ... OF Gavin Dickey went on the DL with a strained quad. ... Leury Bonilla, who was 7-for-71 previously, went 4-for-6 in each of two consecutive games.
PLAYER TO WATCH: OF Greg Halman was 5-for-12 with three doubles, a homer and five RBIs in his first three games after coming off the DL. The homer was his 14th, and he had 39 RBIs. But the season had been a struggle for Halman, 21. He was hitting .195 and had 104 strikeouts to 15 walks in 231 at-bats for West Tenn. Halman had one strikeout in each of his three games since coming off the DL.
PERFORMANCE OF WEEK: OF Ezequel Carrera started the second half with a three-hit game and his first homer June 22. He was leading the league with a .356 average despite spending nearly a month on the DL. Carrera, 22, was 8-for-19 with five RBIs in the Mobile series, and was batting .385 in eight games since his return. He had 16 steals in 46 games.
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