AAA
The Bats finished at 74-70, their best record in a couple of years. Winning streaks to end the year helped! Stay tuned for the 2007 Louisville Bats Year in Review, an article I’ll get to at the end of the MLB season.
AA
Chattanooga’s 38-32 second-half record couldn’t atone for a 29-41 start. Total record: 67-73.
High-A
9/4: Game one of the divisional series saw the Reds send lefty Ben Jukich (8-2, 3.65 for the Reds; 11-6, 4.35 on the year) against Clearwater (PHI) and righty Andrew Cruse. The Reds plated runs in the fourth and sixth on RF Cody Strait’s solo homer and 3B Eric Eymann’s sacrifice fly, but this game was all Mr. Jukich. The 24-year-old threw seven no-hit innings, walking two and striking out five, to get the win. Sean Watson lost the no-hitter but not the lead (1 IP, 1 H, 1 K) and Derrik Lutz survived a bases-loaded jam for the save (1 IP, 1 H, 2 BB, 1 K). Sarasota took a 1-0 lead with a 2-0 victory.
9/5: Rained out.
9/6: Daryl Thompson (9-5, 3.77 for the Reds, 14-5, 3.18 overall) started and shut the Threshers out for the first few innings. The Reds took a 1-0 lead on DH Jeremiah Piepkorn’s second-inning RBI single, but Clearwater got to Thompson (5 IP, 4 H, 2 ER, 3 BB, 4 K) for two runs in the fourth. Robert Manuel came on and allowed a single run in the sixth (3 IP, 5 H, 1 ER, 1 BB, 2 K). Sarasota managed a run in the sixth on 1B Tonys Gutierrez’ RBI knock, but Thresher reliever William Savage retired nine straight Reds to end the game, five by strikeout, as Clearwater evened the series with a 3-2 win.
9/7: Again the Reds scored first, grabbing a 1-0 advantage after Strait scored on an error that allowed Gutierrez to reach safely. Clearwater scored two off starter Alex Smit (4.2 IP, 4 H, 2 ER, 3 BB, 4 K) in the top of the fourth, but again the Reds took the lead, 3-2, on Eymann’s two-run double in the bottom of the fourth. Sean Watson came on in relief to get the last out of the fifth and add a scoreless sixth, but permitted two more runs in the seventh (2 IP, 3 H, 2 ER, 2 BB, 2 K). Again the Reds couldn’t mount a series threat late, and Clearwater took the 4-3 win and the 2-1 series victory.
Three closely fought games, but the Reds go home early in their first playoff appearance in year #3 of their Cincinnati affiliation. Sarasota should be proud of its stellar 81-59 season record, however.
Low-A
9/5: Dayton leaped out to a lead in both the game and the series against South Bend (ARI), scoring three runs in the first three innings of this one. They then rode eight innings of four-hit ball from righty Daniel Guerrero (6-4, 3.98 in 19 GS during the season) to a 3-1 victory. Marcos Mateo pitched the ninth for the save. LF Carson Kainer doubled in 3B Juan Francisco for the first run (with DH Brandon Waring thrown out at home on the play) and RF Denis Phipps grounded out to score Kainer and make it 2-0. The next inning, SS Todd Frazier’s double scored 1B Logan Parker.
9/6: Dragons ace Rafael Gonzalez (13-5, 3.53 in 25 starts, albeit with 56 BB and just 75 K in 135 IP) departed in the seventh tied 4-4 (6.1 IP, 7 H, 4 ER, 0 BB, 3 K), but righties Kevin Gunter (1.2 IP, 2 ER, 1 HR) and Misael DeJesus (1 IP, 3 H, 2 ER) both were hit hard as South Bend went on to take it, 8-4. Parker’s three-run homer in the fifth briefly gave the Dragons a 4-2 lead. The other run came in on a Kainer single.
9/7: Anthony Gressick, the Ohio University alumnus who’d allowed just eight earned runs in forty-four innings for Dayton since July 1st (5-8, 4.30 on the year in 26 games, 13 starts), was beaten badly in the first and third innings for a total of seven runs, three coming on a homer. Down 7-1 going to the bottom of the third, the Dragons scored three runs to make it a game, but could get just one more, in the fifth, and lost the game 7-5. Frazier and 2B Zach Cozart hit solo homers, while Kainer (.500 for the series) doubled and scored twice and Francisco doubled twice and drove in one. CF Drew Stubbs was 1-for-5 with a run scored; he hit just .154 for the three games.
This ended the Dragons’ season. South Bend lost in the next round to West Michigan (DET). Dayton finished 34-36 for the second half and 78-62 for the year.
Rookie-Pioneer
9/4: Kyle Lotzkar dazzled by allowing just a solo homer and whiffing eight in four innings (1.13, 1 BB), but Great Falls whacked Matt Klinker (L 2-2, 5.44, 1.2 IP, 5 H, 5 R, 1 ER, 0 BB, 3 K, 1 HR) and won easily, 8-3. The Mustangs committed three errors. 3B Angel Cabrera doubled three times and singled in a perfect 4-for-4 night (.280).
9/5: White Sox 3B CJ Retherford’s second homer of the game, off closer Scott Gaffney (L 1-2, 6.00, 1 IP, 3 H, 1 ER) in the top of the ninth, snapped a 3-3 tie and pushed Great Falls to a 4-3 win. Starter Luis Montano allowed three runs in five innings (3.62, 3 BB, 4 K) and Jeremy Horst pitched three strong in relief (3.18, 2 H, 2 BB, 5 K). Cabrera, playing second base this time, picked up two more hits (.285).
9/6: Rained out.
9/7: Billings finished its season playoffless by splitting a makeup doubleheader, winning 7-5 and losing 8-1. In game one, Josh Ravin got his first win by allowing just two hits in five innings- sure, he also allowed five runs, but four were unearned (W 1-5, 8.55, 5 IP, 2 H, 5 R, 1 ER, 1 BB, 5 K, 1 HR). Curtis Partch pitched the final two of the seven-inning game for the save (3.29). 1B Michael McKennon finished a fine .286/.331/.502 year by slamming a two-run homer, #11. Cabrera was 2-for-3 with two RBI (.291/.360/.374) and 3B Carlos Mendez was 2-for-2 with two RBI.
Four Mustangs error in game two pinned the loss on Scott Carroll (L 0-1, 2.93, 3 IP, 4 H, 4 R, 1 ER, 1 BB, 1 K).
Billings finished the half at 17-21 and 37-38 for the year. They’ll begin 2008 with a new manager and a new ballpark.
