Minor League Recap

[Chisoxfn]

Minor League Recap

By Jason Gage

April 18, 2003

SoxNet.net

 

Dan Wright, making a rehabilitation start, pitched extremely well in his three innings of work. The Knight's bullpen and offense would lay the finishing touches en route to a 7-1 victory over Indianapolis.

 

Dan Wright pitched hitless innings, striking out five. This was Wright's first outing since being placed on the disabled list a few weeks a go. Felix Diaz (1-0) earned his first victory, giving up one run in four innings of relief.

 

Willie Harris was the offensive star, collecting four hits with three RBI's. One of those hits was Harris' third homer of the season. He also had a two run single.

 

Anthony Sanders picked up two hits for the Knights. Harris and Sanders combined for six of the Knights eight hits.

 

Struggling catcher Jamie Burke had two RBI's on the evening. Gary Majewski finished the game with two hitless innings of work. Charlotte held Indianapolis to just four hits.

 

Dan Wright expects to make three to five starts for the Knights. The Knights game against Indianapolis, supposed to be played on Friday, was postponed. Jon Rauch was expected to face Jamey Wright. The game will be made up as part of a doubleheader on Saturday.

 

Dennis Ulacia's (0-3) woes continued on Thursday when he was touched up for four runs and ten hits in a 5-1 loss to the Mobile Bay Bears.

 

Ulacia lasted a mere 4/2/3 innings and has a staggering 6.89 ERA. The Baron's bullpen did the best they could to keep it close, giving up just one run over 3/1/3 innings, but the Baron's offense once again struggled to get things going with just four hits.

 

Chris Rojas (1-1) pitched very well for the Bears, picking up his first win of the season. He gave up just one run in six innings of work. Former Baron, Alex Fernandez had a big day at the plate, going 2-4 with two RBI's.

 

Lefty Jim Bullard made his debut out of the bullpen this season giving up one run in 1/1/3 innings of work. Bullard, expected to be a starter, has requested to be moved to the bullpen after two starts. Emenencio Pacheco struck out the side in his one innings of work, lowering his ERA to 0.71.

 

Birmingham will start a four game series in Huntsville tonight. Clay Eason (0-1) will make his first start of the season for the Barons against Pedro Liriano (0-2).

 

The Warthogs would blow a lead, only to comeback late in the game to defeat Frederick 8-7.

 

The Hogs would grab the lead in the second inning on a RBI single by Brian Becker, which scored Casey Rogowski.

 

Frederick took the lead away in the third inning, scoring a pair of runs off Warthogs starter Wyatt Allen. Allen 5/2/3 innings giving up six hits and three runs, while striking out seven.

 

Allen left the game expecting a win after the Warthogs put up a five spot on Frederick in the fifth inning to take the lead. Eric Storey started the inning with a leadoff homer, his second of the season. Edwin Yan followed him up by drawing a walk and stealing his ninth base on the season. Yan would get sacrificed over and then score on a wild pitch, giving Winston Salem a 3-2 lead. A walk and an error put runners on first and second for Brian Becker, who hit his third homer of the season, a three run shot, which gave him 4 RBI's on the night and the Warthogs a 6-2 lead.

 

Allen would give up a run in the sixth inning before being pulled in favor of Ryan Meaux. Meaux did his job pitching 1/1/3 scoreless innings. Rolando Garza replaced Meaux in the eighth inning giving up two runs in just 2/3 of an inning. Josh Fields came in and blew the lead giving up an additional two runs.

 

The Warthogs didn't panic and the offense went right back on the attack taking the lead back for good in the bottom half of the inning. With a runner on second, Ruddy Yan tied the game up with an RBI double. Frederick pitcher Normand Martel would walk the bases loaded and then walk Casey Rogowski to give the Warthogs a 8-7 lead. Fields came back out in the ninth and shut Frederick down, picking up his second win.

 

Kris Honel will go up against Dave Crouthers tonight in the second game of the four game series.

 

The Intimidator bats caught fire on Thursday hammering out 16 hits en route to an 11-3 victory over the Blue Craws.

 

Lakewood jumped out to a lead in the first inning of Kannapolis starter B.J. Lamura (2-1), but that was all they could muster against Lamura. Lamura dominated striking out ten hitters in five innings, giving up four hits and a run, while walking four.

 

Kannapolis tied the game in the bottom of the second when Julio Reyes scored on an error.

 

Pedro Lopez put the Intimidators on top for good with a bases loaded single in the fifth that scored a run. Kannapolis scored two more runs in the inning making it 4-1. Kannapolis would score five runs in the seventh and a run in the sixth and eighth inning.

 

Adam Larson pitched three scoreless innings in relief of Lamura. Todd Deininger gave up two runs in the ninth. The Intimidators pitchers combined for a season high 15 strikeouts.

 

Darren Cirraco had a huge game going 4-4 with a run scored while Julio Reyes went 3-3 with three runs scored and an RBI. Anthony Webster seemed to come out of his slump, going 3-5 with a run and RBI. Pedro Lopez was 2-4 with 2 RBI.

 

Kannapolis game against Lakewood scheduled for tonight has been postponed. It will be made up as part of a double-header on Saturday.