Loading ...Games played 04/25/08
AAA
Andy Green was 2 for 4 with a 3B. Jay Bruce went 1 for 4.
Homer Bailey takes the loss after going 6 IP giving up 4 R, 6 H, 2 HR, and 3 BB while recording 6 K. Ty Pelland added 2 scoreless IP of relief.
AA
Michael Griffin was 2 for 4 with a 3B. Craig Tatum doubled.
Daryl Thompson took a tough loss going 7.2 IP giving up 3 R, 0 ER, 4 H, and 3 BB while striking out 11. Robert Manuel added 1.1 scoreless IP of relief.
High A
Justin Turner went 3 for 3 with a 2B and a BB. Chris Valaika was 2 for 4 with a HR and a 2B. Carson Kainer went 2 for 4 also with 2 2B. Eddy Rodriguez also went 2 for 4.
Alexander Smit started and tossed 5 IP allowing 1 R, 5 H, and 5 BB with no strikeouts. Kevin Gunter got knocked around giving up 5 R in 1.1 IP. Ruben Medina and Ramon Geronimo both tossed 1.1 scoreless IP of relief.
Low A
Dayton – Kane County (Postponed)
I live in Indy and caught the game. Homer probably threw better than his line would suggest, and he was throwing harder in the sixth than he had earlier in the game. He wasn’t throwing any off-speed stuff, though, and when they hit him, they hit him hard.
The Indians played an exaggerated shift against Bruce, and he didn’t hit well, but made a few solid plays in center.
I don’t know why, but every time I see Homer pitch, I can’t help but think Nuke LaLoosh…
Matt Klinker tonight for the Dragons.
I was at Homer Bailey’s Friday start, too. I don’t think it was all that great a start for Homer. Certainly not as dominate as he had been in his previous starts, but it was good to see that his “off day” was still an effort that kept his team in it.
He seemed to be working behind in the count a lot. 2-0 to each of the three hitters he faced in the first inning. Seemed that he couldn’t locate most of his breaking pitches, and had spotty, but better control of his fastball. Through the first three innings, his fastball was hitting 91-93 on the stadium’s radar gun. I didn’t see a number above 93 until late in the third inning, after giving up the 2 homeruns, he was hitting 95, and he seemed to stay 93-96 most the rest of the game.
Positive news out of the first inning: the 2nd runner reached on a base hit. Bailey threw over once, seemed to have a much better (shorter) delivery to the plate, and the catcher was able to throw the runner out trying to steal 2B.
The wind was blowing out hard to left field. However, I’d say only one of the homeruns he gave up might have been wind assisted. The first homerun to the 3rd inning leadoff batter definitely was not. It was smoked down the left-field line by 21-year old centerfielder, Pirate 2005 1st round draft pick, Andrew McCutchen. In 91 at-bats, McCutchen is sporting a 916 OPS, including 14 extra base hits and 13 walks compared to just 12 K’s.
The 2nd homerun came one out later on a 2-0 count to the Indians 3-hole hitter. That homer was hit a lot higher and could have been aided by the strong winds. It more than barely made it over the fence, so it’s hard to say if the ball would have still cleared the fence on a calm day.
In the 4th inning, Bailey gave up a walk and hit a batter in front of the pitcher’s spot. The opposing pitcher gifted him out #2 of the inning by foul bunting an 0-2 pitch, but McCutchen nailed Bailey again with a double down the left field line, scoring both goes with free passage onto the basepaths, and Bailey and the Bats were down 4-1.
Bailey had a very pitch efficient 7-pitch 5th inning that probably allowed him to go out for a 6th inning.