Ready for another game tonight here at Ogren Park Allegiance Field, as the Osprey get ready to take on the Orem Owlz in a few minutes. More info below as well …

		Orem Owlz
		Overall: 11-14
		Manager: Tom Kotchman
	No.	Player					Pos.	Avg.	HR	RBI
	17	Joel Capote					LF	.514	0	8
	4	Sherman Johnson					2B	.259	1	8
	35	Wade Hinkle					1B	.301	6	25
	40	Michael Snyder					DH	.349	2	16
	33	Jonathan Walsh					RF	.260	3	13
	2	Wendell Soto					SS	.356	3	17
	57	Michael Bolaski					3B	.274	4	14
	25	Chevy Clarke					CF	.333	0	1
	48	Adrian Gutierrez					C	.286	0	3
	39	Aaron Newcomb	0-0	4.91	4-3		RHP
		Starting Pitcher Stats	W-L	ERA	G-GS
		(BOLD: Special Jersey Number for Welcome to the Major Leagues Night)
		Missoula Osprey
		Overall: 13-12
		Manager: Andy Green
	No.	Player					Pos.	Avg.	HR	RBI
	6	Evan Marzilli					CF	.424	0	3
	16	Danny Pulfer					2B	.240	1	9
	35	Jake Lamb					3B	.340	1	13
	7	Michael Perez					C	.353	3	18
	19	Socrates Brito					RF	.241	0	10
	9	Yosbel Gutierrez					DH	.366	1	5
	34	Rudy Flores					1B	.276	0	11
	25	Breland Almadova					LF	.317	0	8
	9	John Leonard					SS	.200	0	3
	36	Ross Gerdeman	1-2	5.74	5-4		RHP
		Starting Pitcher Stats	W-L	ERA	G-GS
		Umpires:	Home Plate				Mitchell Morgan
			First Base				Clinton Vondraic

The Skinny:
The Osprey open a four-game series against the Orem Owlz after losing their second straight series, the first time that has happened this season. The O’s have lost four of their past six games, and will attempt to get back on track against an Owlz squad who has bounced back from a 1-8 start to win 10 of their last 16 games.

Last Time Out:
Yosbel Gutierrez had a pair of hits, but the Missoula Osprey could not muster enough offense to keep up with Grand Junction on Friday at Ogren Park Allegiance Field, as the Rockies took down a 10-1 win in front of 2,329 fans. Grand Junction (12-13) batted around and scored seven runs in the top of the sixth inning off of Missoula pitchers Jared Ray (1-2) and Dexter Price to turn a 3-0 lead into a 10-0 cushion, and did not look back in taking two of three games in the series. The Osprey were held to just five hits, two of which were singles by Gutierrez. Ty Linton singled and scored the lone Osprey run in the bottom of the eighth inning, ending a span of 13 scoreless frames for Missoula. Justin Bianco and Jake Lamb also singled for the Osprey. Vince Spilker delivered the best pitching performance of the night, allowing just one hit while pitching a scoreless inning of relief.

Next up: Orem Owlz (11-14):
The Orem Owlz come calling on Ogren Park Allegiance Field for the next four games. Orem started the season by losing eight of its first nine games, but has bounced back and looked to make a run in the first half, only to drop two of three games at Billings – including a 22-6 contest on Friday which got out of hand late, as the Mustangs scored 16 runs from the seventh inning on. One stat oddity on the Owlz – they have been involved in a tie game from the fifth inning on only once this season. They are unbeaten when leading after seven innings (11-0) and winless when trailing after seven innings (0-14).

 

Hits=Wins?? Yes, indeed:
There are a bunch of different barometers you can use to see how a team’s wins relates to their performance in a certain stat category. For example – 10 or more hits for teams usually ends up in wins. The Osprey can attest to that theory, since they are 8-4 when they collect 10 or more hits. More than that, though, comes this nugget – entering the Orem series, if the O’s get 11 or more hits so far in 2012, they are 8-0.

On the Mound Tonight:
Missoula will send right-hander Ross Gerdeman to the hill as he looks to bounce back from a rough outing in Helena. Gerdeman (1-2, 5.74) pitched five innings of relief at Kindrick Legion Field on Sunday, allowing five hits and three walks, and five earned runs in a 6-2 setback. Gerdeman has been roughed up a bit in the month of July, to the tune of a 9.90 ERA in his two post-June outings. Before that, Gerdeman was 1-0 with a 3.24 ERA.

The Owlz will counter tonight with right-hander Aaron Newcomb, who has been solid at home but will be making only his second start on the road. Newcomb (0-0, 4.91) gave up three runs on five hits and a walk in just 2 2/3 innings pitched in that lone road outing at Grand Junction. He has not pitched more than three innings in an outing this season, doing that twice against Idaho Falls. The Delta State product was picked in the 19^th round by the Angels in the 2012 MLB Draft.

By The Numbers:

Current Streak:	L2	Extra Innings:	3-2	Team Hitting:	.280
First Half:	13-12	Lead After 5:	9-3	PL Rank:	3rd
Second Half:	0-0	Tied After 5:	3-2	Team Pitching:	4.20
June:	7-6	Trail After 5:	1-7	PL Rank:	3rd
July:	6-6	One-run games:	4-4	Longest Winning Streak:	3 games
August:	0-0	Two-run games:	0-1	Longest Losing Streak	3 games
September:	0-0	Three-run games:	3-1	HR total at home:	7
Score First:	8-5	+3-run games:	6-6	Pitching K total:	223
Score Last:	7-3	Shutout Record:	1-1	Pitching K/9IP Ratio:	8.83

D-backs Minor League Report/Osprey Alumni Update:

AZL D-backs	Alumni Briefing: The AZL D-backs lost to the Athletics in Arizona League play on Friday, 12-11.
Record: 7-10
Next: vs. AZL Royals
DSL D-backs	Update: The DSL D-backs picked up a game and are now just a game back of the DSL Rockies in the DSL Boca Chica Baseball City standings, beating the Rox 1-0 on Friday.
Record: 20-16
SS-A Yakima	Alumni Briefing: The Bears lost to Salem-Keizer on Friday, 6-4, but they still have a 3.5 game lead on Tri-City in the East Division of the Northwest League.
Record: 17-11
Next: at Salem-Keizer
Class A South Bend	Alumni Briefing: Eric Groff (2010-11) drove home Matt Helm (2009-10) with a double for the Silver Hawks’ lone run in a 2-1 setback at Kane County on Friday. Ryan Court (2011) and Tom Belza (2011) added a base hit each.
Record: 11-10, 46-45
Next: at Clinton
Class A Advanced Visalia	Alumni Briefing: The Rawhide split a doubleheader with Lancaster on Friday, winning Game 1, 7-2, and dropping a 13-3 decision to the JetHawks in the nightcap. In Game 1, Ender Inciarte (2009) had two hits, two runs scored and a RBI, while Jon Griffin (2011) added a base hit and a RBI. Raywilly Gomez (2009) also singled in the win. Blake Cooper (2010) pitched the final two innings to seal the win. In Game 2, Andrew Chafin (2011), Ray Hernandez (2011) and Conrad Flynn (2011) all were touched up for runs, while Inciarte had three hits, a run scored, a stolen base and a RBI, improving his average to .355 on the season. Inciarte also now has 12 stolen bases.
Record: 13-6, 44-45
Next: at San Jose, with Taylor Siemens (2011) getting the start for the Rawhide
Double-A Mobile	Alumni Briefing: The BayBears split a twinbill with the Huntsville Stars on Friday, winning game one, 2-1, while dropping a 4-2 decision in the nightcap. In Game 1, Chris Owings (2009) went 2-for-3 with a single and triple, while David Nick (2009) added a base hit. Chase Anderson (2009) pitched the first three innings, surrendering just two hits and collecting two strikeouts, while Eury De La Rosa (2009) pitched the seventh, striking out two of the three batters he faced, to pick up the save. In Game 2, Owings went 1-for-3 with a run scored, while Yonata Ortega (2007) pitched a scoreless inning of relief, striking out a pair of batters.
Record: 10-12, 50-42
Next: at Montgomery
Triple-A Reno	Alumni Briefing: Adam Eaton (2010) had three hits, including a leadoff home run, and scored three times in the Aces’ 7-2 win over Salt Lake on Friday. He also drew a pair of walks and stole three bases. The effort lifted Eaton’s batting average back to .390 for the season. Rusty Ryal (2005) went 1-for-4 and also stole a base, one of five the Aces would have on the night.
Record: 55-38
Next: vs. Salt Lake, with Charles Brewer (2009) getting the start for the Aces

Former Osprey with the Arizona Diamondbacks:

Paul Goldschmidt (2009)	.301 BA, 12 HR, 42 RBI, .914 OPS	Gerardo Parra (2006)	.279 BA, 6 HR, 25 RBI, .780 OPS
Miguel Montero (2002-03)	.268 BA, 8 HR, 45 RBI, .796 OPS	Bryan Shaw (2008)	1-3, 2 saves, 3.38 ERA, 26 K in 34.2 IP
Lyle Overbay (1999)	.317 BA, 2 HR, 10 RBI, .900 OPS	TEAM: 42-44, 3rd in NL West, 5 GB … 6 GB in wildcard

Today, we feature a video on Adam Eaton and what adjustments he has made in his professional baseball career to become the hitter he is today (read the Alumni Update section for the link), as well as our usual game-day fare, including a focus on defense.

At the moment, the park is quiet, sans the music and the sounds of leather catching rawhide. Shortly, the Osprey will begin batting practice, and the place will get a little more lively. Gates open at 5:30 tonight for Happy Hour Night, and remember it’s also T-Shirt Night, with the first 750 fans getting an Ollie Opsrey 10th Birthday T-Shirt, courtesy of Missoula Federal Credit Union and KPAX-TV. Continue reading →

by Ben Catley

It’s a warm one again tonight at Ogren Park Allegiance Field, as the Osprey get ready for game two of their three-game set with the Grand Junction Rockies. Fans are encouraged to head to the Osprey Online Box Suite, especially if you are listening online, to check in with other Osprey fans from around the globe, as well as participate in the “You Make the Call” as well as other fun things.

Tonight, we’re on the air at 6:50, with the first pitch at 7:05 on AM 930 KMPT and online here. We’ll have the second part of the interview with D-backs Field Coordinator Jeff Pico in the pre-game.

	Grand Junction Rockies
	Overall: 10-13
	Manager: Tony Diaz
No.	Player					Pos.	Avg.	HR	RBI
18	Max White					CF	.123	1	2
2	Juan Ciriaco					2B	.387	0	8
12	Matt Wessinger					3B	.301	2	11
40	Ben Waldrip					1B	.258	4	12
32	Ryan Garvey					LF	.306	2	9
10	Julian Yan					RF	.253	3	12
35	Jose Briceno					DH	.167	0	0
11	Jason Stolz					SS	.263	0	11
15	Franmy Pena					C	.125	1	5
46	Eddie Butler	1-1	5.00	3-2		RHP
	Starting Pitcher Stats	W-L	ERA	G-GS
	Missoula Osprey
	Overall: 13-10
	Manager: Andy Green
No.	Player					Pos.	Avg.	HR	RBI
14	Pedro Ruiz					SS	.359	1	5
35	Evan Marzilli					RF	.464	0	2
18	Jake Lamb					3B	.333	1	12
7	Michael Perez					C	.344	3	17
19	Socrates Brito					CF	.250	0	10
33	Rudy Flores					1B	.296	0	11
17	Ty Linton					LF	.203	4	12
15	Justin Bianco					DH	.224	2	10
12	John Leonard					2B	.203	0	3
48	Yoimer Camacho	0-1	2.35	2-2		RHP
	Starting Pitcher Stats	W-L	ERA	G-GS
	Umpires:	Home Plate				Mitchell Morgan
		First Base				Clinton Vondraic

The Skinny:
The Osprey and Rockies continue their three-game series at Ogren Park Allegiance Field after playing a tough nip-and-tuck affair in the opener on Wednesday, won late by the home club.

Last Time Out:
Socrates Brito hit a two-run triple that broke an eighth-inning tie as the Missoula Osprey beat the Grand Junction Rockies on Wednesday, 6-3, at Ogren Park Allegiance Field in front of 2,419 fans. With the win and a Great Falls loss to Ogden, the Osprey (13-10) jumped into a tie for first place in the Pioneer League’s North Division with both the Voyagers and the Billings Mustangs, who beat Orem on Wednesday. Brito lined a 0-1 pitch deep to center field to chase home Pedro Ruiz and Michael Perez with two out in the bottom of the eighth inning, snapping a 3-3 tie. Brito would then score on a balk by Rockies pitcher Raul Fernandez (0-1) to account for the final margin. After Julian Yan homered to give Grand Junction (10-13) a 1-0 lead, the Osprey answered with a pair of runs in the second, on a Justin Bianco two-run single. Michael Perez plated a run with a single in the bottom of the third to push the lead to 3-1. Grand Junction would scratch across a run in the top of the fifth and tied the game in the top of the eighth on a solo home run by Matt Wessinger. Karl Triana pitched a solid five innings, scattering five hits and two walks, surrendering two runs (one earned) while striking out five batters. Michael Rivera pitched two shutout innings of relief. Chris Capper (1-1) allowed the Wessinger homer in the eighth, but minimized the damage with a pair of strikeouts to pick up the win. Justin Thompson struck out the side in the top of the ninth to earn his third save in four chances. The Osprey had just seven hits on the night, three of them by left fielder Evan Marzilli. Breland Almadova added a single to the Osprey effort at the plate.

Notes from the Nest:
The Osprey now have six players with 10 or more RBIs (Perez 17, Lamb 12, Linton 12, Flores 11, Bianco 10, Brito 10) … On their current pace, the 2012 Osprey will set a new team standard for doubles in a season. The current mark of 165 was set in 2005 … The O’s are also on pace to crush the current triples record of 35, set last season … Missoula also leads the league in defense (.975).

On the Mound Tonight:
Missoula will send right-hander Yoimer Camacho to the hill as he makes his Ogren Park Allegiance Field Debut tonight. Camacho (0-1, 2.35) has made both of his starts on the road so far this season, pitching well in each. He last pitched at Helena on Sunday, limited to three innings of work to be able to come back on three day’s rest. It was his first start since his Osprey debut on June 21, when he sprained an ankle while covering home plate in what would be a 3-0 loss at Billings, allowing just one earned run in 4 2/3 innings pitched. In 7 2/3 innings, Camacho has fanned 10 batters.

The Rockies will counter tonight with right-hander Eddie Butler, who is coming off of his best outing of the young season. Butler (1-1, 5.00) pitched four scoreless innings at home against Idaho Falls on Friday, allowing just two hits while collecting three strikeouts. His lone road start of the season came at Orem on July 1, when he surrendered four runs on five hits and a walk in three innings of work in a loss. Butler is one of the 1^st-round picks on the Grand Junction roster (OF David Dahl the other), selected out of Radford University this past June.

By The Numbers:

Current Streak:	W2	Extra Innings:	3-2	Team Hitting:	.285
First Half:	13-10	Lead After 5:	9-2	PL Rank:	3rd
Second Half:	0-0	Tied After 5:	3-2	Team Pitching:	4.00
June:	7-6	Trail After 5:	1-6	PL Rank:	2nd
July:	6-4	One-run games:	4-3	Longest Winning Streak:	3 games
August:	0-0	Two-run games:	0-1	Longest Losing Streak	3 games
September:	0-0	Three-run games:	3-1	HR total at home:	7
Score First:	8-4	+3-run games:	6-5	Pitching K total:	205
Score Last:	7-2	Shutout Record:	1-1	Pitching K/9IP Ratio:	8.81

D-backs Minor League Report/Osprey Alumni Update:

AZL D-backs	Alumni Briefing: Alan Santiago (2009) is hitting just .143 in five games (14 at-bats) for the AZL D-backs.
Record: 6-9
Next: At AZL Indians
DSL D-backs	Update: The DSL D-backs are currently two games back of the DSL Rockies in the DSL Boca Chica Baseball City standings.
Record: 18-15
SS-A Yakima	Alumni Briefing: Blake Perry (2010) pitched six effective innings, with Frank Santana (2011) and Victor Capellan (2009) providing an inning each of scoreless relief in Yakima’s 8-7 win over Samel-Keizer.
Record: 16-10
Next: at Salem-Keizer
Class A South Bend	Alumni Briefing: Andrew Barbosa (2012) allowed three runs in 5 2/3 innings in his Hawks debut, which ended up in a 3-0 loss to Kane County. Matt Sample (2011) and Keith Hessler (2011) pitched 2 2/3 scoreless innings behind Barbosa. Bryan Henry (2011) had two of South Bend’s four hits in the game, while Ryan Court (2011) added a base hit.
Record: 10-9, 45-44
Next: at Kane County, with Archie Bradley (2011) getting the start for the Silver Hawks
Class A Advanced Visalia	Alumni Briefing: The game with Lancaster was postponed due to rain.
Record: 13-6, 44-45
Next: vs. Lancaster, with Andrew Chafin (2011) getting the call for the Rawhide.
Double-A Mobile	Alumni Briefing: David Nick (2009) singled and scored the game-winning run in the bottom of the 10th inning as the BayBears knocked off Huntsville, 3-2. Rossmel Perez (2008) contributed a sacrifice bunt to the key 10th inning, and also was hit by a pitch, scored a run and (along with Nick) stole a base. Eury De La Rosa (2009) came on to pick up a key out in the top of the eighth inning, retiring the only batter he faced.
Record: 9-11, 49-41
Next: vs. Huntsville
Triple-A Reno	Alumni Briefing: Both Jake Elmore (2008) and Adam Eaton (2010) collected a single and a run scored as the Pacific Coast League beat the International League in the Triple-A All-Star Game, 3-0.
Record: 53-38
Next: vs. Salt Lake

Former Osprey with the Arizona Diamondbacks:

Paul Goldschmidt (2009)	.302 BA, 12 HR, 42 RBI, .920 OPS	Gerardo Parra (2006)	.276 BA, 6 HR, 25 RBI, .774 OPS
Miguel Montero (2002-03)	.272 BA, 8 HR, 45 RBI, .797 OPS	Bryan Shaw (2008)	1-3, 2 saves, 3.38 ERA, 26 K in 34.2 IP
Lyle Overbay (1999)	.317 BA, 2 HR, 10 RBI, .900 OPS	TEAM: 42-43, 3rd in NL West, 4 GB … 4 GB in wildcard

We’re back home, as the Missoula Osprey open a seven-game homestand against the Grand Junction Rockies tonight. It’s three against the Rox and four against the Orem Owlz over the next week at Ogren Park Allegiance Field.

So here are the lineups and such for tonight …

		Grand Junction Rockies
		Overall: 10-12
		Manager: Tony Diaz
	No.	Player					Pos.	Avg.	HR	RBI
	12	Matt Wessinger					3B	.286	1	9
	2	Juan Ciriaco					2B	.394	0	8
	21	David Dahl					CF	.329	1	14
	25	Jeff Popick					LF	.359	3	9
	10	Julian Yan					RF	.254	2	11
	11	Jason Stolz					SS	.250	0	11
	18	Max White					DH	.163	1	2
	39	Correlle Prime					1B	.200	0	1
	29	Chris Cowell					C	.273	0	0
	33	Johendi Jiminian	0-0	4.50	3-3		RHP
		Starting Pitcher Stats	W-L	ERA	G-GS
		Missoula Osprey
		Overall: 12-10
		Manager: Andy Green
	No.	Player					Pos.	Avg.	HR	RBI
	14	Pedro Ruiz					SS	.373	1	5
	35	Evan Marzilli					LF	.417	0	2
	18	Jake Lamb					3B	.349	1	12
	7	Michael Perez					C	.350	3	16
	19	Socrates Brito					CF	.247	0	8
	21	Breland Almadova					DH	.338	0	8
	33	Rudy Flores					1B	.308	0	11
	15	Justin Bianco					RF	.218	2	8
	9	Danny Pulfer					2B	.255	1	9
	29	Karl Triana	2-1	6.28	3-3		RHP
		Starting Pitcher Stats	W-L	ERA	G-GS
		Umpires:	Home Plate				David Marcoe
			First Base				Mitchell Morgan

The Skinny:
The Osprey open up a seven-game homestand against South Division foes Grand Junction and Orem with a three-game series with the newfound Rockies, who moved from Casper during the off-season.

Last Time Out:
Justin Bianco hit a pair of home runs and drove in four runs as the Missoula Osprey snapped a two-game slide with a 12-2 win over the Helena Brewers on Monday in front of 865 fans here at Kindrick Legion Field. Bianco, who finished with three hits and three runs scored, became the 26th player to have a multi-home run game in Osprey history. The right fielder hit a solo shot in the third and a three-run blast in the top of the fourth to give Missoula a 4-2 lead. The Osprey (12-10) then proceeded to score two runs in each of the fifth, sixth, seventh and ninth innings to cruise to the victory. Chris Pack (2-1) pitched five strong innings to get the win on the mound, combining with Dexter Price, Vince Spilker and Chase Stevens on a five-hitter. Pedro Ruiz had four of Missoula’s 15 hits in the contest, and drove in a pair of runs, while Ty Linton and Evan Marzilli added two hits each.

On the Rockies:
Grand Junction comes in on a three-game losing streak, but posted a 4-3 homestand at Sam Suplizio Field heading into the North-South swing. Offensively, they’re lead by second baseman Juan Ciriaco, who is hitting at a .394 clip, while outfielder David Dahl leads the Rox with 14 RBIs while hitting.329. As a team, the Rockies are hitting .282. Their pitching staff has an ERA of 5.80.

Barbosa heads to the ‘Bend:
Osprey pitcher Andrew Barbosa, who recently claimed the Pioneer League Pitcher of the Week for the week ending July 2, has been promoted to Class A South Bend. Barbosa was 1-0 with a 0.41 ERA, just giving up his first run of the season in a no-decision against Great Falls on July 5, ending a stretch of 16 scoreless innings. In 22 innings of work, Barbosa struck out 28 batters, and still currently leads the PBL in both ERA and strikeouts.

On the Mound Tonight:
Missoula will send right-hander Karl Triana to the hill as he looks to continue his current string of solid starts. Triana (2-1, 6.28) has won each of his last two starts, and is 2-0 with a 2.70 ERA in the month of July. The opposition has hit just .200 off of Triana in his last two starts. Before Triana had a struggle in his Osprey debut against Helena, he fired five innings of four-hit, 10-strikeout ball in his lone start in the Arizona Rookie League last month. Triana is in his second pro season – he was 3-5 with a 3.06 ERA in the Dominican Summer League in 2011.

The Rockies will counter tonight with right-hander Johendi Jiminian, who has worked three innings or less in each of his starts this season. Jiminian (0-0, 4.50) is coming off of a three-inning scoreless stint against Idaho Falls, while allowing two hits and three walks. Jiminian allowed two runs in each of his prior two starts, but has still left the game with his team either tied or in the lead. The Dominican Republic native spent his first two professional seasons in the Dominican Summer League, posting a 9-8 record with a 3.68 ERA for his career entering the season.

By The Numbers:

Current Streak:	W1	Extra Innings:	3-2	Team Hitting:	.287
First Half:	12-10	Lead After 5:	8-2	PL Rank:	3rd
Second Half:	0-0	Tied After 5:	3-2	Team Pitching:	4.09
June:	7-6	Trail After 5:	1-6	PL Rank:	3rd
July:	5-4	One-run games:	4-3	Longest Winning Streak:	3 games
August:	0-0	Two-run games:	0-1	Longest Losing Streak	3 games
September:	0-0	Three-run games:	2-1	HR total at home:	7
Score First:	8-4	+3-run games:	6-5	Pitching K total:	192
Score Last:	6-2	Shutout Record:	1-1	Pitching K/9IP Ratio:	8.63

D-backs Minor League Report/Osprey Alumni Update:

AZL D-backs	Alumni Briefing: Alan Santiago (2009) is hitting just .143 in five games (14 at-bats) for the AZL D-backs.
Record: 6-9
Next: Off-day
DSL D-backs	Update: The DSL D-backs are currently two games back of the DSL Rockies in the DSL Boca Chica Baseball City standings.
Record: 18-15
SS-A Yakima	Alumni Briefing: Josh Parr (2011) is currently hitting .245 with six home runs and 17 RBIs, leading the Bears in both homers and RBIs … Jesus Abreu (2012) is 4-for-10 since moving to Yakima from Missoula … Perry is 1-0 with a 1.71 ERA in four appearances, including three starts, which includes a 9-inning complete game … Victor Acosta (2010) and Victor Capellan (2009) have combined to go 3-1 on the mound and convert three saves in three opportunities.
Record: 15-10
Next: at Salem-Keizer, with Blake Perry (2010) getting the start.
Class A South Bend	Alumni Briefing: Andrew Barbosa (2012) will make his debut tonight for the Silver Hawks … Seth Simmons (2011) has been the most effective former Osprey pitcher in the Silver Hawks staff, going 3-1 with a 1.88 ERA, and 56 strikeouts in 48 innings pitched. Keep an eye out for JR Bradley (2010), who is 4-1 with a 3.28 ERA since June 1 … Ryan Court (2011) has heated up in July, hitting .378 in nine games this month with a team-high seven RBIs.
Record: 10-8, 45-43
Next: at Kane County, with Andrew Barbosa (2012) making his Hawks debut with a start.
Class A Advanced Visalia	Alumni Briefing: Ender Inciarte (2009) and Jon Griffin (2011) are the current cogs of the Rawhide offense, with recent promotions made over the past month. Griffin is hitting .301 with 15 home runs and 57 RBIs, while Inciarte is batting .324 in 18 games since his promotion. The pleasant surprise may be the now-healthy Jeremy Erben (2010), who started the season on the disabled list, but has produced in the Rawhide bullpen, posting a 2.96 ERA and striking out 36 batters in 27 1/3 innings pitched. Also keep an eye on Bradin Hagens (2009), who now has tossed 12 consecutive scoreless innings, including a pair of starts where he has allowed a total of five hits.
Record: 13-6, 44-45
Next: vs. Lancaster, with Andrew Chafin (2011) getting the call for the Rawhide.
Double-A Mobile	Alumni Briefing: Chris Owings (2009) has settled down after a rough start, and is now hitting .258 in 19 games since being called up from Class A Advanced Visalia, with six extra-base hits and 16 RBIs. David Nick (2009), meanwhile, continues to be consistent at second base, hitting .259 with 25 RBIs. Chase Anderson (2009) continues to be strong on the mound, going 2-2 with a 2.61 ERA in 12 starts this season.
Record: 8-11, 48-41
Next: vs. Huntsville
Triple-A Reno	Alumni Briefing: Both Jake Elmore (2008) and Adam Eaton (2010) will be busy tonight, as they will start for the Pacific Coast League in the Triple-A All-Star Game. Both Elmore and Eaton have been at the top of the Pacific Coast League hitting charts for much of the season. Eaton enters the All-Star Break with the lead in batting, toting a .385 batting average. Elmore is second with a .382 mark. The tandem are also 1-2 in on-base percentage with Elmore (.465) just ahead of Eaton (.457); and also the top two in runs scored (Eaton leads, 90-81), and in the top five in stolen bases (Elmore 25, Eaton 23, and are 3rd and 4th in the PCL). Eaton is tied for the PCL lead in doubles (31) and leads the league in hits (121), while Elmore is in the top five in triples (seven) while ranking third in hits (118).
Record: 53-38
Next: Off-Day (All-Star Break)

Former Osprey with the Arizona Diamondbacks:

Paul Goldschmidt (2009)	.302 BA, 12 HR, 42 RBI, .920 OPS	Gerardo Parra (2006)	.276 BA, 6 HR, 25 RBI, .774 OPS
Miguel Montero (2002-03)	.272 BA, 8 HR, 45 RBI, .797 OPS	Bryan Shaw (2008)	1-3, 2 saves, 3.38 ERA, 26 K in 34.2 IP
Lyle Overbay (1999)	.317 BA, 2 HR, 10 RBI, .900 OPS	TEAM: 42-43, 3rd in NL West, 4 GB … 4 GB in wildcard

by Ben Catley

Tonight, you have our permission to have your ears on Osprey baseball and your eyes on Carlos Gonzalez (2003), who is participating in the State Farm Home Run Derby tonight.

First though, stop here and vote for Socrates Brito in the 6th Annual MiLB Monkier Madness.

Here are tonight’s lineups from Helena, as the O’s look to salvage one at Kindrick Legion Field. By the way, if attitude won games before you start, then the Osprey would be up 10-0 out of the chute. They are ready to play tonight.

Missoula (11-10)
14 Pedro Ruiz SS
35 Evan Marzilli LF
18 Jake Lamb 3B
21 Breland Almadova CF
33 Rudy Flores 1B
26 Yosbel Gutierrez C
17 Ty Linton DH
15 Justin Bianco RF
12 John Leonard 2B
44 Chris Pack RHP

Helena (7-14)
13 Tyrone Taylor DH
8 Alfredo Rodriguez SS
3 Chris McFarland 2B
9 Adam Giacalone 1B
2 Emmanuel Quiles C
6 Michael Reed CF
5 Raul Mondesi, Jr. RF
29 Mike Nemeth 3B
22 Ruben Ozuna LF
17 Mike Schaub RHP

Pre-game tonight … well, still up in the air. We will hear from someone tonight at 6:40. My secret … listen in on AM 930 KMPT and online at MissoulaOsprey.com.

First to some injury updates … there is good news and better news. The good news is that Michael Perez, who was crossed up on a pitch late in last night’s game in Great Falls, seems to be much better this afternoon. He was hit on the joint of his left thumb. The plan is to take it easy with Perez, but it’s likely that he will not play this weekend in Helena. However, you never know …

The news is much better for Evan Marzilli, who also left last night’s game with a leg injury. He’s getting today off, and will likely be back in the lineup tomorrow.

Speaking of the lineups, here are the lineups for tonight’s game in Helena:

Missoula (11-8)
14 Pedro Ruiz SS
19 Socrates Brito CF
18 Jake Lamb 3B
33 Rudy Flores 1B
26 Yosbel Gutierrez C
30 Tyler Bream DH
17 Ty Linton LF
15 Justin Bianco RF
12 John Leonard 2B
37 Jared Ray RHP

Helena (5-14)
6 Michael Reed CF
8 Alfredo Rodriguez SS
3 Chris McFarland 2B
9 Adam Giacalone 1B
2 Emmanuel Quiles C
29 Mike Nemeth 3B
5 Raul Mondesi, Jr. RF
15 Michael Turay DH
11 Yonki Hernandez LF
26 Tyler Wagner RHP

Breland Almadova is the pre-game show guest – since we did not really have a pre-game show last night. Unless it rains hard again here in Helena (which is did for about two minutes earlier today), we’ll be starting at 6:40 with the pre-game, and the first pitch will be at 7:05, on AM 930 KMPT and on MissoulaOsprey.com.

 

First, to the news of the day … former Osprey infielder Pedro Ciriaco (2005) has been called back up to the Major Leagues. The Boston Red Sox recalled Ciriaco when they placed second baseman Dustin Pedroia on the 15-day disabled list with a thumb injury. Ciriaco was scheduled to play in the Triple-A All-Star Game, but that appearance will now not happen with the promotion. Ciriaco was among the International League leaders in batting this season, currently 10th in batting with a .301 average.

Here are tonight’s starting lineups in Great Falls, where a storm is trying to settle in … and considering the last two games of the half between these two teams are in Missoula, there will be a push to get this one in, if at all possible.

Missoula (10-8)
35 Evan Marzilli CF
21 Breland Almadova DH
9 Danny Pulfer 2B
18 Jake Lamb 3B
7 Michael Perez C
30 Tyler Bream 1B
17 Ty Linton LF
15 Justin Bianco RF
12 John Leonard SS
29 Karl Triana RHP

Great Falls (10-8)
6 Adam Heisler CF
9 Justin Jirschele SS
3 Micah Johnson 2B
22 Kyle Robinson RF
31 Abe Ruiz 1B
39 Mike Marjama C
34 Patrick Palmeiro LF
10 Tyler Williams 3B
24 Bryce Mosier DH
33 Brandon Parrent LHP

Osprey outfielder Breland Almadova is our guest on the pre-game show, which begins at 6:40 p.m. on AM 930 KMPT and on MissoulaOsprey.com.

Back at Centene Stadium and looking to get the bad taste of a loss out of the mouth, as the Osprey take on the Great Falls Voyagers in game two of their three-game set here.

It also will be the first good test for starting pitcher Andrew Barbosa. For the crafty lefty, he was in a good matchup with both Billings and Helena because they are more aggressive at the plate, and chase more bad pitches. And there is no one on the Osprey staff that can make hitters look bad than Barbosa. Great Falls has a different approach – they have more plate discipline throughout much of the order. So we’ll see how Barbosa adjusts.

At any rate, here are tonight’s lineups:

Missoula (9-8)
Pedro Ruiz SS
Evan Marzilli CF
Socrates Brito RF
Jake Lamb 3B
Michael Perez C
Rudy Flores 1B
Breland Almadova LF
Ty Linton DH
Danny Pulfer 2B
Andrew Barbosa LHP

Great Falls (10-7)
Adam Heisler CF
Justin Jirschele SS
Micah Johnson 2B
Kyle Robinson RF
Brent Tanner C
Yoandy Barroso LF
Abe Ruiz 1B
Tyler Williams DH
Thomas McCarthy 3B
JC Casey RHP

Andy Green is on the pre-game tonight at 6:40, with the first pitch coming at 7:00. You can listen in on AM 930, KMPT, or online at MissoulaOsprey.com.

Here are tonight’s starting lineups from Great Falls …

Missoula (9-7)
Pedro Ruiz 2B
Evan Marzilli CF
Socrates Brito RF
Jake Lamb 3B
Kyle Koeneman 1B
Breland Almadova LF
Yosbel Gutierrez C
Justin Bianco DH
John Leonard SS
Chris Pack RHP

Great Falls (9-7)
Adam Heisler CF
Justin Jirschele SS
Micah Johnson 2B
Kyle Robinson RF
Brent Tanner 1B
Yoandy Barroso LF
Mike Marjama DH
Tyler Williams 3B
Zac Fisher C
Thomas Royse RHP

We’re on the air at 6:40, with Osprey hitting coach JR House tonight’s pre-game show guest. Talk to you in a few …