The International League announced today that Richmond Braves infielder Jonathan Schuerholz and pitcher Lance Cormier have been named the League's Batter and Pitcher-of-the-Week for the period from July 31-August 6. Schuerholz and Cormier become the first pair of teammates to sweep the IL weekly awards since Louisville's Pedro Swann and Alex Graman turned the trick during the final week of 2005 (Aug. 29-Sept. 5).
Richmond Braves infielder JONATHAN SCHUERHOLZ probably wasn't anyone's favorite to be named IL Batter-of-the-Week seven days ago, as he entered the week hitting just .162 with no home runs and 13 RBI in 80 games. Schuerholz got things going in the right direction starting on Monday against Norfolk by going 3-4, just his second 3-hit game of the season. He followed that up with a 2-4 night Tuesday that included a 2-run homer, his first long ball of the year. Wednesday he single-handedly carried the Braves to a series sweep of the Tides, going 2-4 with a double, another homer, and 4 RBI in a 5-3 victory. Entering the week, Schuerholz had collected multiple RBI in a game just once in 2006. Friday night he did it for the third time in four days, collecting a single, double, and triple - driving home a run on each hit. Two more doubles Sunday clinched the IL Batter-of-the-Week award for Schuerholz, giving him 12 hits in seven days, seven of them being of the extra-base variety. Most importantly he helped spark his Braves to a 6-1 record over the stretch. In a single week he improved his batting average 27 points and nearly doubled his season's RBI output. He also made the move to shortstop for the first time all year after Atlanta recalled Tony Pena, Jr. on July 29.
Jonathan Schuerholz, the son of Atlanta Braves General Manager John Schuerholz, is in his second year with the organization's top farm club. Last year he hit .278 with a career-high 4 HR in 86 games at Double-A Mississippi before joining the Richmond club, where he hit .175 in 44 contests. The 26-year-old has spent the entire 2006 campaign with the R-Braves, playing second base, third base, and now shortstop in the Richmond infield.
Another key member of Richmond's big week was right-handed pitcher LANCE CORMIER. In his second Triple-A stint after starting the year with Atlanta, Cormier took the hill Thursday night against Durham looking to end a personal three-game losing streak. Lance delivered what may have been Richmond's best performance in three years, tossing a complete game shutout against the Bulls. Cormier scattered seven hits and struck out four without allowing a walk in a 7-0 victory to improve his record in Triple-A this year to 4-3. It was the third complete game and first shutout of Cormier's career. For the R-Braves, it was the club's first complete game by any hurler since June 16, 2005 when Seth Gresinger tossed a six-inning complete game in a loss to Ottawa. It was the team's first nine-inning complete game since July 9, 2003, when Jason Marquis went the distance versus Rochester. Until Thursday, Marquis also owned the franchise's most recent complete game shutout, which he earned on May 29, 2003 against Syracuse. Thursday's victory was especially gratifying for Cormier, who had allowed 15 ER in his prior three outings.
25-year-old Lance Cormier was acquired by Atlanta this past offseason in the trade that sent catcher Johnny Estrada to Arizona. From 2004-05, Cormier went 8-7 with a 6.21 ERA for the Diamondbacks. He began the 2006 campaign in the Major Leagues, and currently has a 2-3 record with a 6.12 ERA for Atlanta this year.
RICHMOND, VA- The International League announced today that Richmond Braves infielder Jonathan Schuerholz and pitcher Lance Cormier have been named the League's Batter and Pitcher-of -the-Week f or the period from July 31-August 6. Schuerholz and Cormier become the first pair of teammates to sweep the IL weekly awards since Louisville's Pedro Swann and Alex Graman turned the trick during the final week of 2005 (Aug. 29-Sept. 5). They helped lead the Braves to a 6-1 record last week.
Schuerholz hit .444 with two home runs and 10 RBI and helped lead the Braves to a season long five game winning streak. The second year R-Brave took over at shortstop following Tony Pena's promotion to Atlanta and is hitting .390 as a shortstop this season (16-41). Schuerholz hit home runs Tuesday and Wednesday that drove in what proved to be winning runs.
Cormier pitched the Braves first nine inning complete game since July of 2003 and the first nine inning shutout since May of '03 in a dominant effort vs. Durham Thursday. Cormier did not walk a man and threw just 93 pitches to dispatch the Bulls 7-0. In his first year in the Braves organization he has split the season between Richmond and Atlanta.
Schuerholz and Cormier join Michael Ryan, Tony Pena, and Scott Thorman as R-Braves IL weekly award winners this season. The Braves are off today. They return home August 10.
180 Stadium Tour for a Cure Visits Dunn Tire Park Tonight
Documentary filmmaker Cass Sapir will visit Dunn Tire Park for tonight's Buffalo Bisons game against the Ottawa Lynx (7:05 p.m.) as part of his 180 stadium in 180 days Tour for a Cure to raise money for cancer research.
The tour includes 180 of baseball's Major and Minor League Parks. Sapir will start Monday at Toronto's Rogers Center for the Blue Jays' afternoon game against the Baltimore Orioles. He will then travel to Buffalo in time for the Herd's 7:05 p.m. game against Ottawa.
During the game, Sapir will have a table in the concourse area where fans can donate to The Jimmy Fund in order to enter in a raffle for some great Bisons memorabilia.
Nearly 1.4 million Americans will be diagnosed with cancer in 2006, with more than half a million expected to die of the disease. The Jimmy Fund is dedicated to the understanding, diagnosis, cure and prevention of cancer at Boston's Dana-Farber Cancer Institute.
TODAY'S GAME: This evening, the Buffalo Bisons take on the Ottawa Lynx for the first game of a two-game series from Dunn Tire Park (7:05 p.m.). The Herd is coming off winning three games of a four-game set from the Norfolk Tides. The Bisons will send RHP Jake Dittler to the mound. Dittler threw 4.2 innings in a loss in Pawtucket last Tuesday. He will be opposed by LHP Brian Burres, who allowed just one run in 6.1 innings of a no-decision last Monday.
-2005: 173.0IP were 2nd in the Indians' farm system
-2005: went 5.0IP in 25 of his 28 games pitched.
-Selected in the 2nd round (51st overall) in the 2001 First-Year Player Draft.
VS OTTAWA: The Bisons have not faced Ottawa since May 15. The Herd took three of four from the Lynx on May 6-8 in Buffalo before winning two games in a three-game set, May 13-15 at Lynx Stadium. Since 2003, the Bisons are 15-5 against Ottawa in Dunn Tire Park.
FAMILIAR FOES: The Bisons will play the final 29 games of the 2006 regular season against teams within the International League North division. At 30-21 and a .588 winning percentage, the Herd has the best divisional record in the North.
HITTIN' HERD: As a team, the Bisons hit .301 (41-136) with 13 doubles, a triple, eight home runs and 28 runs scored in the recently completed four-game series against Norfolk. The Herd now has 517 runs scored, the second most in the International League. With Jason Cooper's solo home run yesterday, Buffalo has overtaken Toledo for the IL lead in home runs with 115.
STREAKING: Ben Francisco has started another hit streak. He has collected hits in his past six games, hitting .333 (8-24) with four doubles and six RBI. Einar Diaz enters today's game with a five-game hit streak where he has averaged .388 (7-18). Diaz's stretch has included five doubles, one in each game.
SPEED DEMON: Ben Francisco also stole a base yesterday, his team-leading 21st of the season. The total is also tied for 11th in the International League. The outfielder has only been caught only three times for a success rate of 88%.
BIG BAT: Kevin Kouzmanoff has hit in each of his first six games at the Triple-A level. The third baseman is hitting .333 (8-24) with three doubles, three home runs and five RBI, good for a .833 slugging percentage. Added to his great start with Double-A Akron, Kouzmanoff is now hitting .384 (103-268) with 18 home runs and 60RBI in 73 minor league games.
SOLID STAFF: Buffalo enters today's game with the third lowest team ERA (3.39) in the International League. They have allowed seven fewer home runs than any team in the IL (60) and are tied for fifth with 11 shutouts.
Dick's Sporting Goods and SkyChiefs to hold blood drive
SYRACUSE (NY) - The Syracuse SkyChiefs announced that Dick's Sporting Goods will be holding a glove drive during Dick's Sporting Goods Night at Alliance Bank Stadium when the SkyChiefs take on the Ottawa Lynx Sunday August 13th at 6:00 PM.
Anyone who donates a used baseball glove will receive a $5 bonus certificate and a coupon for $10 off the purchase of $50 or more at Dick's Sporting Goods. The used gloves will be donated to the Boys and Girls Clubs of Syracuse.
To promote the Glove Drive SkyChiefs' players will be signing autographs at local Dick's locations this week. On Tuesday August 8th, Wayne Lydon will be signing from noon until 1:00 PM at the Fairmount location. On Thursday August 10th a player to be announced will be signing from noon until 1:00 PM at the Dick's location in the Great Northern Mall. On Friday August 11th Manager Mike Basso will be signing from noon until 1:00 PM at the Dick's location in the Shoppingtown Mall.
Fort Mill, SC - The game that was to take place between the Knights and the visiting Durham Bulls this evening (August 7) has been rained out. The Knights and Bulls are set to battle in a double header tomorrow night with the first pitch of game one slated for 5:15 p.m. Both games of the double header will be shortened 7 inning games with the second game starting twenty-five minutes after the conclusion of game one.
For ticket or event information, please contact the Knights Front Office at (704) 357-8071 or (803) 548-8050 or visit Charlotte Knights website at www.charlotteknights.com for more information.
Quinton McCracken's pinch-hit double in the 10th inning propelled the Red Wings to a wild 9-8 win over the Pawtucket Red Sox at Frontier Field Monday night. Terry Tiffee hit two home runs - including a game-tying, ninth inning grand slam - in the win for the Wings; Rochester starter Boof Bonser struck out seven in seven innings, leaving the game with a 4-2 lead. Rochester remains in a first place tie with Scranton for the IL North Division lead.
The Red Wings' 10th inning against Brad Baker played out like this: Chris Heintz reached first on an infield hit, then moved to second on a wild pitch. After Glenn Williams popped out, Alex Romero was walked intentionally to set up McCracken, who drilled a long drive to right-centerfield that short-hopped the wall. Heintz scored easily on what was ruled an RBI double for McCracken, and made a winner out of Beau Kemp (2/3 inning) in a game where the Wings led, then lost the lead, then staged a dramatic game-tying ninth inning rally.
In the second inning, the Wings led off with back-to-back doubles from Heintz and Williams. After driving in Heintz, Williams reached third on Romero's grounder and then scored when Shawn Wooten hit a deep sacrifice fly to left field, giving the Wings an early 2-0 lead.
After two quick outs, Tiffee extended the Wing lead to 3-0 with a solo homer off Sox starter Marc Deschenes in the third inning. Deschenes then walked the next two batters he faced, followed by Williams singling to drive in Garrett Jones for a 4-0 Wing lead.
It took the Sox until the fifth inning just to record a hit off Wings starter Bonser. Bonser had allowed three base runners, all walks, until Tyler Minges lined a double to center. But the Wings stranded Minges and held onto the 4-0 lead. In the sixth, Bonser continued his dominance with two straight strikeouts to end the inning.
In the seventh the Sox got on the board, after Willie Harris tripled and scored off an infield grounder. Andres Torres almost made a spectacular catch in right field, but he was unable to reel in the ball as he nearly ran head first into the right field wall. The Sox put another run on the board when a pop fly dropped in shallow center field, plating Minges and bringing the score to 4-2. Bonser ended the seventh by striking out his seventh Sox, leaving the tying runs at first and third.
With Kevin Cameron relieving Bonser in the top of the eighth, the Sox had a chance to even it up. Adam Stern led off with a single, stole second and moved to third on an infield grounder. Jeff Bailey singled to left, scoring Stern and cutting the Wings lead to one, 4-3. Cameron walked two batters and recorded just one out before Bobby Korecky took the mound with the bases loaded facing Minges. Minges knocked in all three base runners with a double to left field that gave the Sox a 6-4 lead. The trouble continued, as Minges scored off a Tiffee throwing error and the Sox advanced another runner to third. Korecky was able to finally end the inning with a strikeout and a ground out, but the damage was done as the Wings were down 7-4. Willie Harris hit a solo home run in the ninth that put the Sox ahead 8-4
The Wings mounted a threat in the ninth against Jermaine Van Buren, loading the bases with two outs before Tiffee crushed his game-tying grand slam to send the game into extra frames. Romero led off the ninth with a single, Wooten walked and Torres reached on catcher's interference on a play that looked to be the final out of the game before home plate umpire Adrian Johnson's ruling. That set the stage for Tiffee's second homer of the night, in his first game back at Frontier Field since being sent down from Minnesota August 2.
NOTES: Tiffee hit his eighth career grand slam, and is now 10-for-20 with five grand slams while playing with the Wings...Rochester improved to 14-3 in extra-inning games...Boston reliever Keith Foulke, with Pawtucket in an injury rehab assignment, is expected to start Tuesday's game and pitch two innings.
Class A Ft. Myers OF Brandon Roberts (left) was named the Florida State League TOPPS Player of the Month for July. The 21-year-old outfielder hit .394-2-16 in 27 games in the month of July. In 109 at bats he had 43 hits, eight doubles and 17 runs scored and was 12-14 in stolen bases. He is currently first in the league in steals (41), tied for second in runs scored (65), third in hits (127) and tied for sixth in average (.300). Roberts was acquired from the Reds for INF Juan Castro earlier this season.
LOUISVILLE, Ky. -- Indianapolis plated three runs in the top of the ninth to post a 6-4 victory over Louisville Monday evening at Louisville Slugger Field.
The Indians improve to 62-52 on the season, while the Bats fall to 59-56 overall. Indianapolis continues to lead the International League's West Division by two games over Toledo.
Indianapolis 3B Yurendell de Caster got things rolling with a one-out walk in the ninth. He moved to second on RF Adam Boeve's single to left center, advanced to third on a wild pitch and scored when Louisville committed its only miscue of the night -- a dropped ball by the catcher on a flip from the pitcher.
Indians CF Rajai Davis then smashed a two-run double to right center as Boeve and SS Gookie Dawkins came plateward with a pair of much-needed insurance runs.
The Bats attempted to rally in their last at-bat -- scoring once and bringing the tying run to the plate -- but RHP Jesse Chavez (2.2 IP, 2 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 1 BB, 1 SO) slammed the door for his first career Triple-A win.
Louisville RHP Jake Robbins (0.2 IP, 2 H, 3 R, 0 ER, 1 BB, 1 SO) was pinned with the loss, falling to 2-2. Davis (2-for-5, 1 2B, 1 R, 2 RBI) and de Caster (2-for-3, 1 R) had multi-hit games for the Tribe, while 2B William Bergolla (3-for-4, 2 R) and 3B Brendan Harris (2-for-3, 1 HR, 2 RBI) led the Louisville offense.
Indianapolis opened the contest with a bang as Davis drew a lead-off walk before 2B Craig Stansberry belted the second inside-the-park home run in Louisville Slugger Field's seven-year history.
The Bats fought back with runs in the second and fourth. Harris blasted a solo dinger in the second before SS Ray Olmedo roped a single up the middle and eventually scored on a fielder's choice in the fourth.
The division rivals then traded runs -- in the sixth and seventh -- before the visitors went ahead for good in the ninth.
The teams return to Slugger Field Tuesday evening at 7:15 p.m., for game two of the four-game "home and home" series. RHP Matt Ginter is scheduled to start for Indianapolis, while LHP Chris Michalak is expected to get the nod for Louisville.
The game will be carried by ESPN-950 AM and IndyIndians.com as Howard Kellman and Scott McCauley have the call. Tuesday's pre-game show begins at 6:55 p.m.
International League news 8/08
International League news 8/08
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