Salem
Let’s get the weekend wrap up started in the far eastern section of the farm. The Avs played a bunch of ball this weekend.
Friday night, they completed a suspended game from May 6th. It was scoreless when they continued the game. David Qualben was pressed into service because the planned opening pitcher was Chad Wagler but he tweaked his side in warm ups. Qualben didn’t get enough time to warm up but the Winston Salem batters did. They sent the second pitch from Qualben over the fence and that would be enough for the win as Salem only scratched out one hit.
The second game on Friday night also got off to a rough start. Casey Hudspeth had a rough first but still ate a bunch of innings to save the bullpen. The Avs lost both games on Friday but the manager praised Hudspeth for his ability to bounce back and eat the innings.
Avalanche manager Jim Pankovits said, “We had no choice. He had to go deep in the game. He did a good job after that first inning. [Falling apart] was probably what everybody expected him to do but he got better as the game went along. He pitched well enough to win.”
Saturday the Avs swept a double header from Winston Salem. In Game one, Douglas Arguello, pitched a 7 inning complete game shut out as the Avs won 4-0. Game two was a high scoring affair as salem won 9-7. Sergio Severino had a rough welcome to the Carolina league. He lasted only 3 innings giving up 5 earned runs off 7 hits and 3 walks.
Jimmy Van Ostrand made a few adjustments and it is paying off. He has a 11 game hitting streak. He is hitting .462 over those games and he hit .349 for the month of May to bring his average up to .308.
“A lot of guys have been successful in the past and they’re reluctant to make a change,” Salem manager Jim Pankovits said.
“But in this league, when you face teams as many times as you do, you have to learn to make adjustments.”
Another hitter who is hot of late is Jhon Florentino, who was a homer away from the cycle in game two Saturday night. He has a 10 game hitting streak where he is hitting .474 over the 10 games. He has hit .339 for the month of May.
Sunday, Jim Pankovits took exception to the home plate umpires strike zone. While taking starter Cory Bass out of the game, he decided to let his feelings be known.
After taking the ball from Bass and handing it to reliever Josh Appell, Pankovits waited for plate umpire Drew Ashcraft to come break up the mound visit.
He hollered at Ashcraft on the mound. He hollered at him on the way toward the dugout. He hollered with plenty of gusto and presumably with at least one unacceptable morsel of terminology because Ashcraft tossed him from the game.
That spurred more hollering from Pankovits, and a visit from base umpire John Saphire, who comically tried to step between his statuesque umpiring partner and the more compact manager.
Saphire would step between the warring parties, then Pankovits would simply step around to Ashcraft’s other side and continue sharing his feelings.
Once he had said all he was going to say on the matter — he declined to elaborate after the game — Pankovits left the field.
Salem mounted a comeback but it fell short and they are now 4-13 in series ending games. Van Ostrand’s hitting streak was snap but Florentino’s was stretched to 11.
Corpus Christi
Friday night, Polin Trinidad made his AA debut. He was solid for 4 innings but gave up two HR in the 5th. He took the loss as the Hooks lost their 6th straight 6-5.
Saturday night, the Hooks snapped their losing streak. Not having a win in a week is nothing compared to not having won in almost two years. Tip Fairchild, who got his first win since August 2006, pitched 5 innings giving up 2 runs. Ryan McKeller got out of a bases loaded jam in the 8th to preserve the win.
Were not half way through the season and the Hooks are already approaching a team record. It’s not one to be proud of either. They were shut out for the 8th time this year Sunday night. The record for most shutouts of a Hooks team in a season is 10.
Round Rock
Friday Night, Runelvys Hernandez continued to turn some heads. He pitched a complete game and took a shut out into the ninth before giving up a solo HR. The Express won 7-1.
Saturday, Mark Saccamanno and Ray Sadler hit game tying and game winning homer runs in the 10th inning to lead the Express to a 7-6 victory.
Sunday, Mark Saccamanno hit two more solo homers giving him 4 in 3 days but the Express couldn’t pull out a victory. Saccamanno hit the game tying homer in the 10th Saturday night and then hit homers in his first two at bats in Sunday’s game tying a team record for consecutive at bats with a home run.
I’ve been feeling good at the plate,” Saccomanno said. “I’ve been adjusting well to what they do. If I hit a home run then I figure they’re not going to throw that pitch again so I look for something else, and it’s just worked out well for me recently.”
Lexington
Break up the Legends – the won 3 games this weekend.
Friday night, Cat Everett, Ronald Ramirez and Craig Corrado all had 3 hits. Brian Pellegrini and Eric Taylor hit home runs to give plenty of run support in an 8-1 win.
Tommy Vessella was solid in his second start for the Legends on Sunday. The offense also provided plenty of run support in a 8-3 romp. Vessella went 7 allowing only one run on three hits and no walks. It will be interesting to see how Sally League teams adjust to the 6′ 6″, 23 year old lefty. In his first 11 innings, he has allowed just one run for a 0.82 ERA and has struck out 9 while only walking 1.
Sunday, the Legends didn’t score 8 runs but they did score 7 and it was enough. That is 23 runs scored in a weekend after only scoring 4 in the previous 5 games. Brian Pellegrini hit his 4th homer of the season to start things off and lead the Legends to a 7-6 victory.
”We had a great series,“ Pellegrini said. ”The last three games, we’re coming around. I think we’re all starting to get settled in and getting used to playing with each other. Hopefully we’ll continue to win a few ball games.“
In his 16 games with Lexington, Pellegrini is hitting .281 with 3 doubles, 1 triple and 4 HR. In his 5 games in Tri Cities last year, he went 1 for 14 with no extra base hits. He has been a pleasant addition to the team since he replaced the demoted Brandon Barnes.