Category: Alumni Update
Goldy’s First MLB HR
If you missed it … here’s the video of Paul Goldschmidt just crushing a Tim Lincecum fastball about halfway up the left-field bleachers at AT&T Park. Obviously, getting the first hit out of the way in his debut helped him relax a bit.
That 2-run jack was the game-winning RBI, as it turned out, so chalk one of those up for him, too. Goldschmidt goes from one team running away with a playoff spot in Mobile, to being on a team now tied for the lead in the National League West. It fits his career just as much as hitting home runs – Goldy helped the Osprey to the Pioneer League Championship series in 2009, helped keep Visalia in the hunt for a playoff spot until the final weekend of the 2010 season, and was helping the BayBears run away and hide from the rest of the Southern League Southern Division. So him being part of this run only makes sense.
Debuts, hit streaks and knocking off old friends (Take 2)
Somehow, Take 1 did not include anything … except a headline. Let’s try this again …
– First, former Osprey pitcher Kevin Eichhorn (2008-10) tossed his first-ever nine-inning complete game against … the South Bend Silver Hawks … on Monday. Eichhorn should have been in South Bend this season, but a trade sent him to the Detroit Tigers organization instead.
– Former Osprey first baseman Paul Goldschmidt (2009) went 1-for-4 in his debut with the Arizona Diamondbacks on Monday. The D-backs won the game, 5-2, while Goldy collected a single in his first MLB at-bat, which came against Matt Cain. Tuesday, it will not get any easier, as the D-backs will face … Tin Lincecum.
Now on to Hit Streaks … Eric Groff is currently at 18 games, which is the third-best in Osprey history. The list of the top streaks:
20 – Will Crouch (8/13-9/4/2005)
19 – Scott Hairston (8/14-9/2/2001)
19 – Kyle Greene (6/21-8/1/2008)
18 – Eric Groff (7/13/11-current)
17 – Tyler Jones (6/28-7/19/2006)
16 – Ricardo Cruz (8/2-8/23/2005)
15 – RayWilly Gomez (7/1-17/2009)
13 – Pedro Ciriaco (8/10-8/24/2005)
13 – Rusty Ryal (8/6-8/21/2005)
13 – Jeramy Janz (6/17-7/3/2001)
13 – Corey Myers (6/18-7/1/1999)
13 – Richie Rowland (6/24-7/6/2010)
Groff also joins Lyle Overbay (1999) and Andrew Fie (2006) as the only Osprey players to have at least two 10-game hitting streaks in the same season. Overbay and Fie each had hit streaks of 12, 10 and 9 games in their first seasons. Fie played again in Missoula in 2007.
It’s Official …
The Arizona Diamondbacks have announced that they have purchased the contract of first baseman Paul Goldschmidt (2009) and have added him to the 25-man roster. Goldschmidt will be available when the D-backs play tonight in San Francisco.
Narodowski back with Silver Hawks
Former Osprey utility player David Narodowski (2009) has been promoted from Class A-Short Season Yakima to Class A South Bend. Narodowski takes over for Zach Walters, who was traded to the Washington Nationals’ organization when the Arizona Diamondbacks acquired pitcher Jason Marquis.
Narodowski hit .233 in 66 games with the Osprey in 2009, with seven home runs and 22 RBIs. He played at second base, third base, shortstop and also played two games in left field while in Missoula, and was part of the squad that played for the Pioneer League championship in 2009.
Goldschmidt? Probably
Good reads from Nick Piecoro of the Arizona Republic on the first base situation with the Arizona Diamondbacks. To the point that Paul Goldschmidt (2009) is headed to San Francisco. The chances have been given often to other guys, as described here, but it’s now apparently time to bring the future to the forefront.
There will apparently be several moves made by the D-backs tomorrow – two to make way for new pitchers Jason Marquis and Brad Ziegler, as well as internal moves to fill out other situations.
So tomorrow may be a fun day.
Starting Lineups, notes and DL updates
First, tonight’s starting lineups in Great Falls:
Missoula (24-12)
Ellison RF
Parr SS
Court 3B
Griffin 1B
Groff 2B
Cardullo DH
Linton LF
Bianco CF
Henry C
Burgos RHP
Great Falls (16-20)
Millender CF
Herbek SS
De Pinto 2B
Haddow RF
Earley DH
Smith C
Medina 1B
Patino 3B
Thorpe LF
Walters LHP
Josh Parr is the pre-game show guest. We’re on the air at 6:40 tonight.
Now to the notes of the day:
– Jeremia Gomez has been placed on the 7-day Disabled List with an injured left hand. There is something more to the injury than what was originally thought, so the D-backs’ training staff wanted to take a closer look at the situation.
Looking at the minor league leaders in the top stat categories, you’ll find the following current/former Osprey:
– Paul Goldschmidt (2009) leads the minors in not only home runs, but entering tonight’s games, he also leads in RBIs (93).
– Eric Groff is tied for the lead in all of rookie ball with a .689 slugging percentage.
– Raymond Hernandez is in the top 5 in all of rookie ball in both WHIP and Average Allowed.
Notes and more to share …
Ahh, to know that you will be in the playoffs … well, another team headed to the postseason could be the Mobile BayBears. More here on former Osprey pitcher Jarrod Parker (2007) in his comeback from Tommy John surgery.
| The Skinny: The Osprey, who have won six in a row, eight of nine and nine of their last 10 at home, finish up a three-game series with the Idaho Falls Chukars. The Osprey will also be looking for their first seven-game win streak in nearly a decade.Last Time Out: Roidany Aguila’s single with one out in the bottom of the ninth inning scored Eric Groff with the game-winning run as the Missoula Osprey rallied from a 3-0 deficit to beat the Idaho Falls Chukars, 4-3, and clinch the Pioneer League North Division First-Half title in front of 2,226 fans. The Osprey trailed 3-0 before mounting a comeback with a run in the eighth, which scored on a Justin Bianco groundout, and three runs in the bottom of the ninth inning. Jon Griffin plated a run with a groundout and Fidel Pena tied it with a RBI single before Aguila hit a 0-2 pitch just inside the third-base bag for a fair ball and the walk-off winner. Another pitcher’s duel broke out, as was the case in the opener of the series, as Idaho Falls left-hander Brennon Martin and Missoula right-hander Dexter Price spent the first four innings matching zeroes on the scoreboard. The Chukars finally broke through in the fifth, on a three-run home run by Runey Davis, to take the 3-0 lead. Seth Simmons (1-0), the last of the three Missoula pitchers used, pitched a scoreless inning of relief to pick up the win. Price allowed just five hits in five innings of work, while Raymond Hernandez struck out four in three hitless innings of relief. The Osprey out-hit the Chukars, 11-5, including three hits each for Groff and Pena. The streak continues … : Eric Groff extended his current hitting streak to 14 straight games with a base hit in the bottom of the second inning, then added two more hits for a 3-for-4 night. During the 14-game streak, Groff is 26-for-57 at the plate (.456), with seven doubles, a triple, six home runs and 15 RBIs. Groff has also collected eight multi-hit games during what is now his longest career hitting streak. Groff put together a 10-game streak from June 23-July 6 earlier this season, and has hit in 26 of the 30 games he has played in this season. Groff will have an off-day on Wednesday. On the Mound Today: Missoula will send out right-hander Robby Rowland to the mound to wrap up the homestand. Rowland (2-2, 7.31) picked up a win in his latest outing, on Friday night over Casper, where he allowed three runs on six hits and two walks over five innings of work. It was the first time since June 20 – the season-opener at Helena – that Rowland had not allowed five runs in a start. Teams have hit .371 against Rowland, but he managed to keep the ball down for much of his outing on Friday, a sign that things could be getting back into form for the former 3rd-round pick in the 2010 MLB Draft. Rowland’s now part of a staff which leads the Pioneer League in ERA. The Chukars counter tonight with right-hander Kellen Moen, who has a win over Missoula already this season, and who has overcome a shaky opening start – six of the seven batters he faced in his first start of the season, vs. Orem, reached, with five of them scoring – to post a 1-1 mark with a 4.50 ERA. In his outing against the Osprey at Melaleuca Field on July 16, Moen allowed five hits in a walk in five innings of work, allowing three runs (two earned) in five innings of work, with eight strikeouts. Stat of the Day: Former Osprey infielder Emilio Bonifacio (2003) is currently enjoying a 24-game hit streak for the Florida Marlins. Florida did not play on Monday. Bonifacio is hitting .400 (36-for-90) during the hitting streak, which is the third-longest in Marlins history, and the second-longest hit streak in the Major Leagues this season (Andre Ethier, 30 games). Pitching Probables Friday-Sunday, July 29-31 Tidbits: The Osprey lead the Pioneer League in ERA (4.50), edging ahead of Billings, Ogden and Helena … Ty Linton had over a month between hits, but has a hit in each of his first six games played this season … Missoula is 11-2 in their first 13 games against the South Division … The Osprey now have the second-best home (12-6) and best road (11-6) records … Missoula now carries the best record in the Pioneer League by two games over Ogden, who lost to Billings again on Tuesday … The Osprey are 19-5 in the month of July, and are two wins away from tying the club record for most wins in a month (21, set in July and August, 2001) and have to go just 2-2 over the final four games of the month to set a new mark via win percentage (.734, set in June 1999). Coming Soon: Osprey Alumni Update/Minor League Report: The DSL D-backs (19-30) rallied past the DSL Padres on Tuesday, 6-3. Yakima (0-1, 13-26) lost to Tri-City on Tuesday, 6-3. Raul Navarro (2010) and David Narodowski (2009) each drove in a run, while Alex Capaul (2011) pitched well enough, allowing three runs in six innings of work, but took the loss. Sammy De Los Santos (2009-10) pitched 2 1/3 innings of one-hit relief, with three strikeouts. South Bend (12-18, 46-53) took Tuesday off, as they get ready for their latest venture out on the road. Visalia (12-19, 43-58) also had an off-day as they prepare to start a homestand, opening up against the current North Division wild-card leaders, the Stockton Ports, who also lead the North in the second half. Mobile (23-8, 61-40) crushed Mississippi on Tuesday, 14-6, scoring eight times in the top of the third inning to blow the game open. Paul Goldschmidt (2009) hit his minor-league leading 30th home run, a two-run shot in the top of the first inning. Goldy walked three times and scored three runs on the evening. Adam Eaton (2010) had two hits, two runs scored and three RBIs, Taylor Harbin (2007) had two hits and scored twice, while Jake Elmore (2008) also drove in a run. Reno (62-41) broke a 4-4 tie with a three-run rally in the bottom of the third inning and rolled to a 10-5 win over Las Vegas on Tuesday. Randy Hamrick (2010) and Jordan Norberto (2006) combined for three shutout innings of relief. Schedule: |
Game Notes for July 26
Earlier with this than usual … but we’re trying to get the docket cleared so that we can focus on more stat analysis, and other things of note.
So … on with the show ….
| The Skinny: The Osprey, who have won five in a row, seven of eight and eight of their last nine at home, continue a three-game series with the Idaho Falls Chukars, who had a three-game win streak snapped on Monday by Missoula. The Osprey also will attempt to clinch the Pioneer League North Division First-Half title with either a win or a Billings loss.
Last Time Out: The Osprey were glad to see Brian Peacock leave the game on Monday night at Ogren Park Allegiance Field, and celebrated with a four-run seventh inning to beat the Idaho Falls Chukars, 4-1, and clinch at least a tie for the Pioneer League North Division First-Half title. The 2,021 fans in attendance watched quite the pitcher’s duel for six innings, as Peacock – who had held Missoula hitless for a 10-inning stretch in two appearances, spanning two seasons – was at it again on Monday, baffling Osprey hitters to the tune of allowing just four hits and a walk while striking out seven. Taylor Siemens nearly equaled his left-handed counterpart, allowing just two hits and a walk in five innings of work, but Darian Sandford hit a bloop single to lead off the third inning, stole second base, moved to third on a fly ball and scored on a wild pitch to give the Chukars (15-19) a 1-0 lead. That score held up until the home half of the seventh, when the Idaho Falls bullpen was called upon to hold the Osprey in check. Stephen Cardullo induced a leadoff walk from reliever Robert Penny (1-4), moved to second on a ground ball and scored on Ty Linton’s RBI single to knot the game at 1-all. Linton then rode home on Fidel Pena’s two-run home run to deep right field, giving the Osprey the lead for good. Missoula would add a run on a double steal by Josh Parr and Chris Ellison. Parr scored when Chukars catcher Edul Escobar threw off target to third base, allowing Parr to score and give the Osprey the 4-1 lead. Conrad Flynn (3-1) pitched three innings of two-hit relief, striking out a pair of batters along the way to pick up the win, while DJ Johnson pitched around a two-out walk in the ninth to collect his second save of the season. The streak continues … : Eric Groff extended his current hitting streak to 13 straight games with a double in the bottom of the second inning, then added another double in the fourth. During the 13-game streak, Groff is 23-for-53 at the plate (.434), with seven doubles, a triple, six home runs and 15 RBIs. Groff has also collected seven multi-hit games during what is now his longest career hitting streak. Groff put together a 10-game streak from June 23-July 6 earlier this season. On the Mound Today: Missoula will send out right-hander Dexter Price, to the mound as they look to clinch the Pioneer League North Division First-Half title. Price (1-0, 6.26) has been splendid since giving up seven runs in a July 4 start at Billings. In three appearances since, including one start, Price has allowed just three runs in 11 innings of work (2.45 ERA), allowing just four hits and two walks while fanning 11 batters. Price will be followed by Raymond Hernandez, who held the league lead in ERA until he fell out of qualifying – and teammate Taylor Siemens (1.95) took over the lead following his start on Monday. The Chukars counter tonight with left-hander Brennon Martin, who is still trying to recover from a rough outing on July 9 at Orem, in which he allowed 10 runs (seven earned). In two starts against Helena, Martin went 1-1 with a 4.09 ERA, winning his road start in his latest outing. He has the capability to go deep into a game – in two June starts (1-0, 3.21) Martin pitched seven innings in each outing. Stat of the Day: Former Osprey infielder Emilio Bonifacio (2003) is currently enjoying a 23-game hit streak for the Florida Marlins. Florida did not play on Monday. Bonifacio is hitting .386 (34-for-88) during the hitting streak, which is the third-longest in Marlins history, and the second-longest hit streak in the Major Leagues this season (Andre Ethier, 30 gms.). Tidbits: Coming Soon: Osprey Alumni Update/Minor League Report: The DSL D-backs (18-30) beat the DSL Twins on Monday, 11-1. Alan Santiago (2009) was held hitless, but still drove in a run, his 19th of the season. Santiago has tailed off a bit at the plate, as his average has fallen to .237 on the season. Yakima (13-25) dropped a 9-3 decision to Tri-City on Monday. Westley Moss (2011), Raul Navarro (2010) and David Narodowski (2009) each had a base hit for the Bears. South Bend (12-18, 46-53) lost to Kane County on Monday, 4-2. Matt Helm (2009-10) homered in the setback for the Silver Hawks, while Kable Hogben (2009) and Eury De La Rosa (2009) combined for three shutout innings of one-hit relief. Visalia (12-20, 43-58) fell to San Jose, 8-6, on Monday. Chris Owings (2009) had two hits and a run scored, while Bobby Borchering (2009) hit a three-run homer in a five-run, ninth-inning rally that fell short. David Nick (2009) added a hit and a RBI, while Rossmel Perez (2008) and Keon Broxton (2009) added base hits for the Rawhide, who also received two scoreless innings of relief from left-hander Mike Belfiore (2009). Mobile (22-8, 60-40) had an off-day on Monday. The BayBears start a five-game series at Mississippi on Tuesday. Reno (61-41) was rocked by Sacramento on Monday, 10-1. Tom Layne (2007) surrendered eight runs on nine hits and four walks in six innings of work to suffer the loss. Schedule: |
Game notes for July 25
Off the top … OF Breland Brown is in good spirits, but sore after getting hit in the face by a pitch during Sunday’s game against Casper. The good news is that there were no broken bones, but Brown’s cheek and eye remain swollen, and will be for a few days.
OK, now to the rest of the story …
| The Skinny: The Osprey, who have won four in a row, six of seven and seven of their last eight at home, begin a three-game series with the suddenly red-hot Idaho Falls Chukars, who have won three straight and four of their last five games. The Osprey also will attempt to reduce their magic number to clinch a Pioneer League playoff berth, which currently stands at two over Billings and one over Great Falls. Last Time Out: The streak continues … : Tidbits: On the Mound Today: A Club First: Coming Soon: Osprey Alumni Update/Minor League Report: The DSL D-backs (17-30) had Sunday off. Yakima (13-24) lost on Sunday to Tri-City, 10-4. Teo Guiterrez (2010) struggled in the start, allowing eight runs on nine hits and four walks in 4 2/3 innings. David Narodowski (2009) homered, while Henry Zabala (2009) and Raul Navarro (2010) also collected base hits for the Bears. South Bend (12-17, 46-52) dropped a 7-5 decision to the Kane County Cougars on Sunday. Chris Jarrett (2010) led the Silver Hawks at the plate with two hits and two runs scored, while Patrick Schuster (2009-10) had his best relief stint since being moved into the bullpen – 4 IP, 1 H, 2 BB, 2 K – and lowered his ERA to 3.54 for the season. Visalia (12-19, 43-57) lost a pair to San Jose on Sunday, 7-3 and 5-0. David Nick (2009) hit a solo home run, while Keon Broxton (2009) had a base hit and a run scored in the opener. In the nightcap, Chris Owings (2009) and Bobby Borchering (2009) each had a single, while Taylor Sinclair (2008) pitched two innings of scoreless relief. Mobile (22-8, 60-40) lost a 2-1, 10-inning decision to Birmingham on Sunday. Jarrod Parker (2007) pitched a solid game, allowing just a run on four hits while striking out four batters in six innings of work. Clay Zavada (2006) pitched around two hits and a walk to finish off a scoreless seventh inning. Paul Goldschmidt (2009) (single, double, stolen base) and Jake Elmore (2008) (two doubles) each had two hits for the BayBears. By the way, Goldy’s 29th home run of the season, which he hit on Saturday, set a new Mobile franchise record for roundtrippers in a season. Reno (61-40) dropped an 11-10, 11-inning contest to Sacramento on Sunday. Esmerling Vasquez (2004) allowed the first two batters to reach in the bottom of the 11th after 2 1/3 solid innings of relief. Jordan Norberto (2006) then came on and, after getting a strikeout, allowing a walk and inducing a force out, surrendered a base hit for the walk-off setback. Schedule: |
More news and notes …
Catchin’ you up on all things Osprey:
| The Skinny: The Osprey continue their four-game series with the Casper Ghosts tonight, as they seek their fifth win in their last six games overall, and will be seeking their sixth win in their last seven tries at home. They also will attempt to reduce their magic number to clinch a Pioneer League playoff berth.Last Time Out: Jon Griffin hit a tie-breaking home run to snap a 3-3 tie, and the bullpen gave Robby Rowland enough relief to preserve a 4-3 Missoula Osprey win over the Casper Ghosts in front of 2,343 fans on Friday at Ogren Park Allegiance Field. The win, combined with a loss by Billings, gives Missoula (19-12) a four-game lead in the Pioneer League’s North Division over the other three teams – Billings, Great Falls and Helena, who each have a 15-16 mark. Both the Voyagers and Brewers won their games on Friday to jump into a three-way tie for second place. The Osprey now have a magic number of four over all three teams to clinch the first-half division title, which would be their first in the first half since 1999. Rowland (2-2) won for the second time in his last three starts, allowing three runs and six hits in five innings of work. Keith Hessler tossed two innings of one-hit relief, DJ Johnson pitched a perfect eighth and Matt Sample pitched around a leadoff single in the ninth to pick up his second save of the season. Griffin hit a 2-0 pitch from Casper reliever Jeremiah Sammy (1-1) well over 400 feet to deep left field to snap a 3-3 tie and give the Osprey a 4-3 lead.
The streak continues … : Eric Groff extended his current hitting streak to 10 straight games, thanks to a 2-for-3 night at the plate on Friday, with both hits going for doubles. During the 10-game streak, Groff is 19-for-41 at the plate (.463), with five doubles, a triple, four home runs and 12 RBIs. It was also his sixth multi-hit game in his last 10 games. The streak equals one he had from June 23-July 6 earlier this season. Tidbits: The Osprey have won 15 of 20 games since being a season-low three games under .500 (4-7) after their loss to Great Falls on June 30 … The Osprey have hit six more home runs on the road (22) than at home (16) this season … The Osprey pitching staff has slowed from its previous pace, but is still averaging close to 10 strikeouts per 9 innings pitched. The ratio is 9.95 overall, and 10.77 Ks per 9 innings pitched at home. On the Mound Today: Missoula will send out right-hander Enrique Burgos, who is hoping to find some of the magic he has been able to bring to the mound earlier this season out for tonight’s start. Burgos (2-2, 6.83) allowed just three runs in 11 innings of work during his first two starts of the month, but has been touched up for 12 runs (10 earned) in 7 2/3 innings pitched over his last two starts. The native of Panama had his best start at home on July 1, allowing just three hits and a run in six innings of work against Great Falls. The Ghosts will counter tonight with right-hander Raul Fernandez, who has been streaky at best this season for the Ghosts. Fernandez (2-4, 10.66) is coming off of his best start of the season, against Helena on July 17, when he allowed just three hits and an earned run in five innings of work while picking up the win. Fernandez gave up 16 earned runs in his first two starts of the season, and 12 runs in the two starts prior to the outing against the Brewers. Osprey Alumni Update/Minor League Report: The DSL D-backs (17-30) lost by a 3-2 margin to the DSL Reds on Friday. Yakima (12-22) dropped another close game on Friday, falling 3-2 in 10 innings to Boise. Both Raul Navarro (2010) and Westley Moss (2011) each collected a base hit for the Bears, while Miles Reagan (2008-09) pitched a shutout inning of relief. South Bend (11-16, 45-51) dropped a 6-1 decision to Clinton on Friday. Ender Inciarte (2009) went 3-for-4, while Chris Jarrett (2010) added a base hit for the Silver Hawks, who only managed five hits behind starter Bradin Hagens (2009). Blake Cooper (2010) pitched two innings of shutout relief. Visalia (12-16, 43-54) picked up a 7-3 win over Rancho Cucamonga on Friday. Keon Broxton (2009) doubled and scored a run, while Bobby Borchering (2009) drove in a pair of runs for the Rawhide. Three former Osprey also pitched well – Dan Taylor (2010) went four innings in a rare start this season, while Taylor Sinclair (2008) and Adam Worthington (2009) picked up the final four outs. Mobile (21-7, 59-39) had its four-game win streak end courtesy of Birmingham, 8-7, on Friday. Paul Goldschmidt (2009) hit a two-run homer, tying him for the lead in all of minor league baseball with his 28th roundtripper of the season. He also added a base hit to a 2-for-4 night. Taylor Harbin (2007) added a base hit for the BayBears. Reno (60-38) lost at Sacramento on Friday, 4-2. Derek Eitel (2010) delivered a strong showing, however, surrendering three earned runs (four total) in six innings of work, while striking out five batters. Esmerling Vasquez (2006) added an inning of scoreless relief. Schedule: |
Bird Droppings 