Lineups, notes and news …

News ….

– Paul Goldschmidt a Southern League All-Star. No surprise. Especially since, after leaving for the Major Leagues on Aug. 2, he still leads the Southern League in Home Runs (30, tied for the lead), RBIs (94, up by two), On-Base (.435) and Slugging Percentage (.626), as well as OPS (1.061) and walks (82, leads by eight), and is still in the top 5 in extra-base hits, total bases, runs scored and batting average. That’s domination … when you can leave for a month and still have your name all over the place on the leaders’ sheet.

Starting Lineups:

Great Falls Voyagers (18-11, 35-32)
1 Randall Thorpe CF
7 Joe De Pinto 2B
21 Kevan Smith DH
25 Mark Haddow RF
20 Jimmy Jacquot C
11 Michael Earley LF
2 David Herbek SS
30 Martin Medina 1B
18 Kyle Eveland 3B
41 Pete Gehle LHP

Missoula Osprey (14-15, 39-28)
30 Chris Ellison CF
23 Fidel Pena 2B
12 Eric Groff 3B
35 Jon Griffin DH
38 Stephen Cardullo SS
11 Tom Belza 1B
24 Roidany Aguila C
7 Jeremia Gomez RF
17 Ty Linton LF
29 Conrad Flynn RHP

Game notes:

Last Time Out: A day off and playing at home did not snap the Missoula Osprey out of their current slump, as they dropped a 13-7 decision to the Great Falls Voyagers on Tuesday at Ogren Park Allegiance Field in front of 2,169 fans. The Osprey, who have dropped three straight games, and have lost six of their past eight contests, fell behind early by a 4-0 score, before scoring four runs in the bottom of the second inning. Ryan Court and Stephen Cardullo hit back-to-back solo home runs, while Ty Linton added a two-run double to tie the game at 4-all. The Voyagers answered with their own four-run inning in the top of the fourth off of Osprey starter Robby Rowland (2-6) to take the lead for good. Missoula finished with 11 hits, paced by a three-hit, one-RBI night by Fidel Pena, and two hits and a RBI by Jeremia Gomez. Eight of the nine Osprey starters collected at least one base hit in the contest.

K Watch: The Osprey pitching fanned 11 Voyager batters in the loss, and moved within 39 strikeouts of setting a new Pioneer League record for total strikeouts by a pitching staff, set last season by both Orem and Great Falls, who each collected 697 strikeouts for the 2010 campaign. Missoula currently has 659 strikeouts – 29 shy of the club record, set in 2005. With 659 strikeouts, another goal is also within reach, as the Osprey have nine games to collect 41 strikeouts – which would make them the first club in the 76-game season format in Pioneer League history to collect 700 strikeouts as a pitching staff. Plus, with an 9.87 strikeouts per 9 Innings pitched ratio, the Osprey staff would also likely take that team mark down. The 2005 Osprey staff – which featured left-hander Greg Smith, who was Pioneer League Pitcher of the Year that season – posted a 9.18 Ks per 9 IP ratio.

On the Mound Tonight: Missoula will send right-hander Conrad Flynn to the mound as he will make what stands to be his final start of the 2011 regular season, pending any situations developing. Flynn (4-2, 5.40) has struggled this month, posting a 1-1 record with a 6.35 ERA in August, and that includes his last outing – allowing seven earned runs on eight hits over 5 2/3 innings pitched in a loss at Ogden. Flynn will be making his first start of the season against Great Falls after four relief outings, spanning 12 innings, with a 1-0 record and 3.00 ERA, fanning 16 Voyagers in 12 innings of work. Great Falls has hit just .171 off of Flynn this season. Flynn will be used out of the bullpen during the playoffs, and may see an appearance before the end of the regular season.

The Voyagers will counter tonight with left-hander Pete Gehle, who is looking to change his luck with the Osprey this season. Gehle (3-7, 5.06) has a 1-3 mark with a 5.23 ERA against Missoula this season, including a hard-luck, 2-1 loss in his last outing against the Osprey on August 9, where he allowed just two runs on a hit and a walk, while fanning five batters. Gehle has thrown 20 2/3 innings against the Osprey (second most to Blair Walters) and has fanned 20 while allowing 18 hits and 12 earned runs, including three home runs. The Osprey hit just .222 against him this season. In August, Gehle is 1-2 with a 6.16 ERA, with 16 strikeouts in 19 innings pitched.

Defense: The Osprey currently have a .970 fielding percentage. If that holds, it would also set a new club standard.

By The Numbers:

Current Streak:

L3

 Extra Innings:

1-5

 Team Hitting:

.280
First Half:

25-13

 Lead After 5:

32-4

 PL Rank:

4th
Second Half:

14-15

 Tied After 5:

3-4

 Team Pitching:

4.83
June:

4-7

 Trail After 5:

4-20

 PL Rank:

4th
July:

21-7

 One-run games:

11-9

 Longest W Streak:

7 games
August:

14-14

 Two-run games:

3-1

 Longest L Streak

3 games
September:

0-0

 Three-run games:

9-5

 HR total at home:

45
Score First:

30-11

 +3-run games:

16-13

 Pitching K total:

659
Score Last:

19-12

 Shutout Record:

2-1

  K/9IP Ratio:

9.89

D-backs Minor League Report/Osprey Alumni Update (PS – Team playing in
Postseason):

AZL D-backs Alumni Briefing: Domingo Soriano (2010) ended his season with a .269 batting average with eight doubles, two triples, two home runs and 16 RBIs in 50 games played. Jason Postill (2011) managed to get 26 1/3 innings of work in, posting a 1-2 mark and a 6.23 ERA.

 
Record: 20-36
Next: Season over
DSL D-backs Alumni Briefing: The DSL D-backs had their final game cancelled against the DSL White Sox. Alan Santiago (2009) played in 60 of the 69 games for the DSL D-backs, hitting .253 with eight doubles, a team-high 36 RBIs, and a .385 on-base percentage.
Record: 24-45
Next: Season Over
SS-A Yakima Alumni Briefing: Blake Perry (2010) went seven strong innings, allowing just a run on a hit and two walks, while Jae Yun Kim (2009-10) had two hits as the Bears rolled past Eugene on Tuesday, 7-1. The win keeps the Bears within a game of Tri-City in the Northwest League East Division race, and two back of Boise for a potential wild-card scenario.
Record: 18-16, 31-41
Next: vs. Eugene
Class A South Bend Alumni Briefing: JR Bradley (2010) pitched seven solid innings, allowing just five hits and two walks while surrendering two unearned runs and striking out nine batters in what became a 4-3, 11-inning loss by the Silver Hawks to Lake County on Tuesday. Keith Cantwell (2009) pitched two shutout innings of one-hit relief. Raywilly Gomez (2009) doubled and scored on a double-play ball in the bottom of the 9th to tie the game.
Record: 31-33, 65-68
Next: at Fort Wayne

 
Class A Adv. Visalia Alumni Briefing: The Rawhide had their game with the Lancaster JetHawks postponed due to rain. They will play a doubleheader on Wednesday, with David Holmberg and Derek Eitel (both 2010) expected to make the starts.
Record: 30-33, 61-72
Next: at Lancaster
Double-A Mobile (PS) Alumni Briefing: Jake Elmore (2008) provided the lone highlight for former Osprey participating for the BayBears on Tuesday night, collecting a single and a RBI as Mobile was hammered by Chattanooga, 14-2. Top pick Trevor Bauer was shelled for 10 runs and did not make it out of the second inning.
Record: 44-21, 82-53
Next: vs. Chattanooga
Triple-A Reno (PS)

Record: 74-64
Next: vs. Fresno
Alumni Briefing: The Aces received a pair of decent performances from former Osprey pitchers Esmerling Vasquez (2004) and Tom Layne (2007), but lost to Fresno on Tuesday, 5-2. The former Osprey combined to allow two runs on five hits and a walk while fanning two batters. However, Reno still clinched the Pacific Northern Division title as Tacoma lost to Tucson.

 

Leave a comment