Game Notes 6/13/15: Thad Lowwwwwwwry, Rockin’ Robbins, and Trexler Tidbits
Kannapolis Intimidators (30–31) at Delmarva Shorebirds (28–31)
Saturday, June 13, 2015–6:35 p.m.
Arthur W. Perdue Stadium — Salisbury, Md.
Game #62 of 140
RHP Yency Almonte (4–3, 4.79) vs. RHP Josh Walker (1–0, 1.00)
Today’s Preview: The Intimidators (A, White Sox) send Yency Almonte to the mound against the Shorebirds (A, Orioles) for the second game of this four-game series against Josh Walker, who shut out Kannapolis over five innings last week. Kannapolis has won its last three road games dating back to the beginning of the month with a pair of wins to wrap up the series in Greenville. The Intimidators, who sit in fifth in the South Atlantic League Northern Division standings, have won 14 of its last 23 games with five series wins in their last six series — the lone series loss coming at home to Delmarva last weekend. The Shorebirds, who rank sixth in the SAL Northern Division, has lost 13 of its last 19 games. Delmarva continues to lead the season series over the Intimdiators, 5–3.
Intimidating Starter: Yency Almonte, 20, makes his 10th start of the season and third against Delmarva. He is coming off a loss to the Shorebirds on June 6 in Kannapolis, allowing five runs on 10 hits over 5.2 innings. He had strung together four straight wins prior to his recent loss to the Shorebirds, the longest winning streak by an Intimidators pitcher since 2010 when Cameron Bayne won six straight starts (July 27-August 25). Almonte put together consecutive scoreless starts May 15 and May 21, tossing 6.0 innings in a pair of home starts. He has struggled on the road, going 1–1 with a 10.95 ERA (15 ER/12.1 IP) in four games (three starts) compared to going 3–2 with a 2.60 ERA (10 ER/34.2 IP) in six home starts. Almonte, who was traded from the Angels to the White Sox in February as the PTBNL in the Gordon Beckham deal, has struck out 39 batters while walking just 12 in 47.0 innings. Last season in Midwest League, Almonte had nine starts with the Burlington Bees (A, Angels), going 2–5 with a 4.93 ERA (23 ER/42 IP). He made his professional debut in 2012 with the AZL Angels. He was drafted by the Angels in the 17th round of the 2012 MLB draft.
Dealing for Delmarva: Josh Walker, 23, makes his third start of the year and his second straight against the Intimidators. He shutout Kannapolis for five innings on June 7, giving up just two hits while striking out three for his first win of the year and second of his career. He spun 4.0 innings in his Class A debut on May 31 against West Virginia, giving up a run on three hits with two strikeouts and no walks in a no decision. Walker made his professional debut in 2014 with Short-Season Aberdeen, going 1–1 with a 3.80 ERA (10 ER/23.2 IP), 17 strikeouts, and one save in 13 relief appearances with the IronBirds. The Orioles drafted Walker in the 22nd round of the June 2014 First-Year Player Draft out of the University of New Mexico. Walker finished his collegiate career with the Lobos with 26 wins, which is second all-time in program history. He also ranks third in winning percentage at .743.
Roster Move: Kannapolis has placed second baseman Christian Stringer on the Disabled List. The second-year Intimidators infielder is batting .288 (63–219) with 16 doubles, four triples, a home run, and 21 RBI in 57 games for Kannapolis. Prior to missing Friday’s game, Stringer went 4–5 with a double, two RBI, and a run scored on Thursday for his first career 4-hit game and the third by an Intimidator this season. The second baseman is off to a hot start to June, batting .385 (15–39) in 10 games with eight of his 15 hits this month going for extra bases. In a corresponding move, the Intimidators have activated outfielder Hunter Jones off the Disabled List. Jones is batting .350 (7–20) with three RBI in five games with Kannapolis in 2015.
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Last Time Out: David Trexler spun three scoreless innings of relief, stranding three men on base in the ninth inning to preserve an Intimidators 4–1 win over the Shorebirds on Friday. Kannapolis kept the ‘Birds off the board over the game’s final eight innings to claim the series opener. Thad Lowry (7–2) settled down from a 3-hit first inning to hold Delmarva scoreless over his final five frames en route to earning the win. The Kannapolis starter spun 6.0 innings, giving up a run on four hits with five strikeouts and two walks. Trexler worked around four hits and a walk while striking out three to earn the save (5). Mason Robbins finished the game 3-for-4 with an RBI and two runs scored, while Eddy Alvarez doubled twice, going 2-for-5 with an RBI.
Rockin’ Robbins: Mason Robbins connected on three hits on Friday, equaling his season high by going 3-for-4 with a triple, an RBI, and two runs scored. He opened the month of June with a nine-game hitting streak by batting .429 (15–35) to equal the longest hitting streak by an Intimidator this season (Christian Stringer, May 16–23). Robbins’ hitting streak ended with a pinch-hit appearance on June 11, going 0-for-1 on the night. He has hit safely in his last 10 starts and is now batting .450 (18–40) in 11 games in June. The 3-hit game for the Intimidators outfielder is his third of the year and first since the Intimidators last game in Delmarva April 15. Robbins set a career-high with four hits with Advanced Rookie Great Falls on August 22, 2014 at Helena.
Thad Lowwwwwwwry: Thad Lowry picked up his seventh win of the season on Friday, the highest win total by an Intimidators pitcher since 2011 when RHP Matt Heidenreich (10–10) and LHP Spencer Arroyo (10–9) each won 10 games. Both Heidenreich and Arroyo needed 27 starts to reach their double-digit win totals while Lowry has won seven games in just 11 starts this season. Lowry has now surpassed the 6-win totals of Jordan Guerrero (2015 and 2014), James Dykstra (2014), Jefferson Olacio (2013), Kyle Hansen (2013), and Chris Devenski (2012).
Alvarez Atop League Leaders: Shortstop Eddy Alvarez ranks second in the SAL in walks (43), tied for second in games played (59), fourth in stolen bases (24), and fifth in on-base percentage (.400) and runs scored (38). The White Sox signed Alvarez in June 2014 just a few months after he won a silver medal in the short-track speed-skating 5000-meter relay at the 2014 Winter Olympics in Sochi.
Double Triples: Delmarva’s Jay Gonzalez became the fourth player to hit two triples against Kannapolis this season, going 3-for-4 on Friday night. Gonzalez joined Lakewood’s Jiandido Tromp (May 14), Rome’s Tanner Krietemeier (May 4), and Rome’s Keith Curcio (May 3) with a pair of triples against the Intimidators in 2015.
Trexler Tidbits: Reliever David Trexler spun 3.0 scoreless innings on Friday for a save (5) against Delmarva, his fifth save in sixth save opportunities this season. Trexler has now converted his last five save chances with his lone blown save coming April 13 in Delmarva. The 3-inning save his Trexler’s third of the season. Trexler ranks second on the Intimidators in saves behind Matt Cooper (6). As a team, Kannapolis has 20 saves.
Broadcast Information: This season, all 140 games will be broadcast live on the Kannapolis Intimidators Baseball Network at IntimidatorsBaseball.com and via TuneIn Radio App with the Josh Feldman, in his fifth season as the “Voice of the Intimidators,” and Nick Nollenberger, in his first year with the team.
