Monday Pebble Report

Colorado Springs: W 11-2

Greg Reynolds is definitely coming around to being the pitcher we expected him to be this year. He still has some refinement needed, but he won his second game yesterday with an eight inning outing. There were a lot of baserunners, he gave up eleven hits and walked two at Security Service Field -but the efficiency was superb nonetheless- just 107 pitches thrown allowed him to go so deep. That's just a smidgen over three pitches per batter faced. He's going to be a bullpen saving workhorse along the lines of Aaron Cook, which is something we need right now with Jimenez and Morales being so inefficient.

Ian Stewart stayed hot, getting three more hits yesterday, including his third triple. I can't decide if Seth Smith's season at the plate thus far is better than it appears because his OBP is so high (.436) and he's just not been lucky with his contact, or worse than it appears because what contact he's had has been so weak (.333 SLG). It's definitely not what I was expecting, regardless. Smith, Jonathan Herrera and Omar Quintanilla combined to go just two for thirteen with a walk at the top of the Sky Sox order yesterday, from the cleanup slot (Stewart) on, the rest of the team went fifteen for twenty-six. That kind of explains why Ian scored three but had no ribbies.

Tulsa: L 5-2

Ching Lung Lo picked up his fifth loss of the season yesterday, and his ERA is still in the double digits, but he actually pitched well and had his best start of the year with six innings, three runs allowed, four hits, a walk and an HBP and five K's. Three of the hits were doubles, but he at least kept things in the yard this time. Tulsa's issue was mainly on offense, as Dexter Fowler and Jeff Dragicevich were the only Drillers to have more than one hit. Corey WImberly had his eighth error of the season in the loss.

Modesto: W 5-2

Keith Weiser also appears to be settling in after a rough start to the season, he pitched seven innings yesterday, giving up just five hits and no walks. He struck out three. Michael McKenry's bat has been dormant of late, a zero for three day leaves his average at an uninspiring .203 so far. Meanwhile Anthony Jackson had three hits, and Michael Paulk and Victor Ferrante two apiece. Daniel Mayora's two run double highlighted a four run sixth inning that did most of the damage against Visalia after a protest by Nuts manager Jerry Weinstein rattled the Oaks pitcher.

Brian VanderBeek explains that and asked Weiser to make a comparison between himself and Brandon Hynick, noting the similarities between the two control artists.

Asheville: W 8-4

The T's won their fourth in a row. Brian Rike hit his fifth homerun of the season, four of which have been on the road. For the year, Rike has a .298/.400/.617 line away from McCormick Field, but just a .257/.395/.343 line at the park that likes most other hitters. Apparently these two just don't get along. At any rate, Darin Holcomb, Warren Schaeffer and Everth Cabrera each chipped in two hits. Spence Nagy scored twice, but he also contributed three errors, which is why just one of the four runs he allowed were considered earned by Connor Graham. Graham lasted five innings,
and got plenty of support from Joey Williamson, Craig Baker and Edgmer Escalona.