Wednesday Pebble Report: Nolan Arenado Homers Twice as Nuts Grab First Place
by Andrew T. Fisher on Aug 3, 2011 7:59 AM MDT
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PrintAAA Colorado Springs - L 6-8 (51-60, t-3rd, 12.5 GB)
Joe Mather (2011, MiLB FA) hit a 3-run home run in the top of the first inning as part of a 4-run first for the Sky Sox, but it was all downhill from there. Billy Buckner (2011, MiLB FA) allowed seven runs in five innings of work, and Sean White (2011, MiLB FA) escaped his two innings of work with just one run allowed, despite permitting six baserunners. Former Rockie farmhand Bruce Billings (2007, 30th round) worked a scoreless inning against the Sox for Sacramento. Mike Jacobs (2011, MiLB FA) had three hits, and Jorge Cantu (2011, MiLB FA) went 0-for-4; Cantu is 0-for-11 since joining Colorado Springs. Video highlights are available if you have MiLB.tv
AA Tulsa - W 6-2 (15-15, t-2nd, 1.0 GB)
After hitting home run number 29 on July 29, the last day of a homestand, #10 PuRP Tim Wheeler (2009, 1st round) has failed in eight straight games to notch #30. Good news - a homestand starts tonight. His 0-for-3 night dipped his batting average under .300. #27 PuRP Thomas Field (2008, 24th round) and Michael Mitchell (2007, 25th round) had two hit nights for the Drillers, while Joey Williamson (2007, 36th round) extended his scoreless innings streak to 13 with six blank frames, allowing just three baserunners in the process. Video highlights are available if you have MiLB.tv
High-A Modesto - W 11-5 (22-16, t-1st)
There is still a month left of games, but the Nuts didn't want to wait. They came into their series with the Stockton Ports needing a sweep to tie Stockton for first place in the CAL North Division. With an 11-5 victory last night, they did just that. Trailing 4-2 in the sixth, Modesto's offense went Nuts, scoring nine runs over the rest of the game, with eight being driven in by #5 PuRP Nolan Arenado (2009, 2nd round) and Kent Matthes (2009, 4th round)
Arenado started the scoring burst in the sixth by unloading the first of his two home runs on the night, this a solo shot. Leuris Gomez (2006, DR) gave the run right back, but Modesto came roaring back. The Nuts took the lead in the seventh with a #30 PuRP Delta Cleary Jr (2008, 37th round) RBI groundout and 2-run shot from Arenado. A bases loaded walk for Arenado in the eighth preceded a grand slam for Matthes.
This was the third time in Arenado's career he hit 2HR in a game, all of them coming this season. He has matched last season's total of 12 HR despite moving up a level and moving to a much less friendly HR environment. Kent Matthes has 22 hits (13 for XBH) as part of his 11-game hit streak, and #24 PuRP Josh Rutledge (2010, 3rd round) improved his hitting streak to 26 games with a double and single.
Low-A Asheville - W 10-5 (20-18, 4th, 4.0 GB)
#12 PuRP Rafael Ortega (2009, VZ) hit two solo home runs (his first 2-HR game of his career) and drove home two more with a single as the Tourists trounced the Charleston RiverDogs. #15 PuRP Corey Dickerson (2010, 8th round) and Helder Velazquez (2006, 4th round) also went yard, as every member of the line-up got a hit. Peter Tago (2010, 2nd round) was solid, striking out six, inducing nine ground outs and allowing 3 runs in 6.2 IP.
Short Season-A Tri-City - L 4-9 (5-2, 1st)
Ben Alsup allowed a 3-run sixth and Chris Dennis allowed two more in the 8th to turn a 4-4 tie into a 9-4 loss. Chris Jensen got the start and left in the fourth inning, charged with four runs, three earned. Catcher Ryan Casteel collected three hits and stole a base and was the only Dust Devil not to strike out that also got a base hit.
Rookie Casper - W 4-1 (3-0, 1st)
The Ghosts pitchers have started to figure things out. Casper won their fourth consecutive game to improve to 3-0 in the season's second half, with the pitchers allowing 4 runs total in their last 3 games. Daniel Winkler was the winner this time, striking out five in six innings, allowing just one run on three hits. Rosell Herrera (2009, DR) rose his average to .311 with a 4-for-4 night, and Will Swanner doubled home two for the Ghosts. Video highlights are available if you have MiLB.tv
DSL Rockies - L 1-4 (33-22, 2nd, 3.5 GB)
Joel Payamps pitched well, allowing two runs in five innings, but the offense was completely absent in the loss. The Rockies had just three hits on the night - singles by Cesar Galvez, Raimel Tapia and Miguel Dilone.
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I'm going to spend my money on Milbtv next year..
Its a better value than the alternative.
Kurt Yacko tweeted Matthes was the Modesto HR record holder. Can anyone verify this? I assume its for a single season?
by Charlie77 on Aug 3, 2011 8:05 AM MDT via mobile reply actions
I think he does hold the record
This article on the Nuts site says he’s hit the most HR since ‘05, so that leads me to believe it’s a Modesto Nuts record but not necessarily a Modesto pre-Nuts record.
--Your 2012 Colorado Rockies lineup--
1.----- 2.----- 3.Carlos Gonzalez 4.Troy Tulowitzki 5.Todd Helton 6.----- 7.----- 8.----- 9.[scene missing]
Is anyone else surprised that Delta Cleary is only 21?
it seems like he has been around forever
~ Love is the most important thing in the world, but baseball is pretty good too ~
Does anyone know why Zuanich came out (as DH) after only one at bat last night?
I hope he didn’t get hurt again.
After April, Matthes' numbers are simply ridiculous.
I mean, the guy’s got 65 XBH in 92 games . . . that’s on pace for 114 over a 162 game season!
This makes me think that:
- Despite the fact that he’s old for high-A (24), it’s going to be hard to leave him off the bottom part of my PURPs list in the fall.
- Unless the Nuts are competing for a playoff berth and the Drillers are way out, I think he should get a promotion in the next couple of weeks.
- Also of note is the crazyness of his numbers this year at Modesto (not hitter friendly) compared to those at Ashville last year (more hitter friendly).
He was injured for much of last year.
He’s a legitimate choice for a PuRPs list, I actually like him about as much as Dickerson. Much higher offensive potential with Matthes, but Dickerson has the fielding edge.
1B?
I know Matthes’ success has been fairly recent, but has there been any talk of moving him to first?
By the same token, at what point does our corner outfield depth cause some position switches (as opposed to trades)? Perhaps at this level piling up ABs is the most important thing, but I still go to bed at night thinking about the infield corners on the big club.
Should add that I realize there aren’t too many non-OF spots you can move guys to, but first base is the most obvious.
Skip Shumaker and Craig Biggio disagree
~ Love is the most important thing in the world, but baseball is pretty good too ~
as would Jordan Pacheco, Jose Morales (MI -> C)
"There have been only two geniuses in the world. Willie Mays and Willie Shakespeare." ~Tallulah Bankhead
"Love is the most important thing in the world, but baseball is pretty good too." ~Greg, age 8
JFK
Possibly.
I think the Rockies still see him having more trade value in the OF, that’s why they’re keeping him there. As he gets closer, they’ll move him to wherever he fits their purposes best, but it probably doesn’t have to happen until after 2012.
I would really like to see Matthes start to get time at first
Rox Girl makes a good point that it may impact his trade value if it’s a full-time move, but it certainly enhances his potential value to the Rox. If the power transfers to the Major League level, he could carve out a nice niche as power RH bench bat that could see time at the corner OF positions and 1B, as well as a PH.
Arenado now has 93 RBI's
I know its not a sabermetric stat, but it seems quite impressive, especially for a 20 year old. The Rockies could certainly do with a 3B that can hit with RISP!!
RBI's are always a team stat. You have to give a lot of credit to Rutledge and Cleary for that.
Also Angelys Nina at times hitting ahead of him and getting on base at a good clip. Having lots of RISP opportunities allows for lots of RBI. Also, Matthes’ season probably has something to do with Arenado getting good pitches to hit. You can’t pitch around him right now.
Not to mention that Matthes has 95 RBI as well.
Lot’s of credit for people above them in the lineup.
by blooming rock on Aug 3, 2011 2:51 PM MDT up reply actions
One thing I really like about about Arenado
Is the number of SF’s he hits. He’s up to 12 on the year. He makes such consistent contact, and really drives the ball, making him really valuable when you have a runner on third and less than 2 outs. The Rox have struggled so badly in these situations this year, it would be nice to have someone who can consistently execute.
Yep, he didn't get enough AB's to exhaust his rookie eligibility.
I’m expecting he’ll drop quite a bit on ballots due to Wheeler’s breakout and the Jimenez trade, not to mention the lack of power he had while in Denver.
What does the Jimenez trade have to do with Blackmon?
You mean because White and Pom are likely to enter the rankings ahead of Charlie?
Yep, that's all I meant. That trade, the draft, and the emergence of Rosell Herrera have added four or five players
that I’m guessing will edge out Blackmon.
I'm really looking forward to the next PuRPs poll
I struggled a little bit with that 25-30 range this spring. Between the Ubaldo trade, this year’s draft, and the number of breakout performances this year, I don’t see that being a problem again this fall. In fact, I’m pretty sure there will be a handful of really deserving prospects that get left out.
this years PuRPs list is going to be ridiculous.
making my list, I wanted to raise Edwar Cabrera. But there are just too many good prospects in front of him to raise him much higher.
Check out my blog about undergraduate science research
by black_knight101 on Aug 3, 2011 5:53 PM MDT up reply actions
yep...I started drafting mine and Blackmon fell around #12
This will be the most exciting group of PuRPs I will have voted on, and 3 of the spring’s top
13 will have used up their eligibility (Nelson, Brothers, Nicasio)
"I have no special talents. I am only passionately curious." - Albert Einstein
by Andrew T. Fisher on Aug 3, 2011 4:16 PM MDT via mobile up reply actions
I may have to try my hand at a PuRPs list this time around
Never done one before, so it probably wouldn’t be great, but it would help me learn about some guys in the organization.
Anxiously waiting the arrival of Drew Pomeranz.
Rutledge at 26 games
Does anyone know what the Rockies’ franchise (Major league and Minor league teams) record for consecutive games with a hit?
i know joe dimaggio has the PCL record, and it's either in the 40s or 60s
i think todd helton has a lengthy streak as well
the only organization of humans responsible for more evil in the universe than the philadelphia phillies is the boston red sox
lets just use our 2012 money for something good and not another wigginton
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