It doesn’t matter where we being our weekend update, it’s not too pretty regardless.
Let’s start in Lexington. Is there a chance we could get Stubby Clapp to play for Lexington?
”Stubby’s a solid player. I play in (Class 3A) Memphis right now, and his name’s retired on the outfield fence. Just being able to play against him is a great honor, and I’ve heard a lot of great things about him,“ Barden said. ”And seeing where he’s at now — he’s able to come out here, and he’s one of the better players out here. He’s making all the plays, putting solid at-bats together.
”He’s always a guy that you’re worrying about when he comes up to hit. He’s definitely a guy that can slap the ball around the yard, and there’s not one pitch that he can get out on. So, all around, he’s a solid player.“
Clapp & Jimmy Van Ostrand’s Olympic odyssey got more local coverage in Lexington than the 7-0 loss they had on Friday night in Augusta. Saturday, the Legends were stomped 11-2. Sunday it got even worse in a 14-2 debacle. That makes the combined score for the weekend 32-4. Simply Awful.
Salem started the weekend finishing a game started Thursday night. They lost that suspended game but came back to win the regularly scheduled game Friday night. Super utility guy, Tim Torres played center & first base in the games.
“If somebody’s injured, if the team needs it, I can play any position,” he said Wednesday night, shortly after his first start of the season at first base.
Saturday night, the Av pitching staff didn’t allow a base runner for 5+ innings. The only problem was, 5 base runners had already crossed the plate by then. Sunday, Jhon Florentino went 3-5 with a double & a triple to lead the Avs to a 8-3 victory and salvage a split on the weekend.
Tri Cities is getting ready to host the NYPenn League All Star Game tomorrow night. Goose Gossage will speak at the banquet and Eddie Money will perform at Fan Fest. Friday’s game was rained out so they played two on Saturday. The ValleyCats split the double header. Sunday, they went into the All Star Break on a losing note as errors lead to a 10th inning loss.
Corpus Christi got a strong performance from Bud Norris, who struck out 9 batters in 5 innings Friday night. It wasn’t enough as CC was shut out for the 14th time this season. Saturday night, they faced rehabbing Adam Wainwright and were defeated 5-2. Wainwright fanned 7 Hooks in 4 2/3 innings. Sunday, the Hooks blew another good pitching performance. Polin Trinidad allowed 2 runs in 7 innings but the bullpen allowed 7 runs in the last 3 innings to lose 9-8 in 11.
Round Rock was rained out of their last game in Memphis. Saturday, they hosted Nashville. They were too generous of host as they lost 11-4 . Ron Chiavacci was saddled with this loss giving up 10 runs in the first two innings. Sunday, the Express won 6-5 in a come from behind effort.
Greeneville rallied from a deficit to win Friday’s game with East division leading Pulaski 7-5. Young Rene Garcia, who is learning to catch in Greeneville, went 2 for 5 with 3 RBI. Saturday night, the Astros couldn’t come back from an early 5-0 hole. The Astros battled against the much older Mariners, plating 3 in the 8th to pull to 8-4 and getting two men on in the 9th before the game was slammed shut by 22 year old Kyle Brown. The big blow for Pulaski was a 2 run homer in the 3rd for 24 year old Kris Sanchez. The Mariners have 8 players under 20 on their team and 10 players over 21. The Astros have 14 players under 20 and only 1 over 22. Not a level playing field for the young Astros who had Sunday off to travel to face Pulaski on the road.