May 2012
Yesterday’s 22-Run Offensive Onslaught
After scoring 19 total runs in the first five games of the roadtrip, the Sky Sox exploded for 22 runs in a 22-8 win at Salt Lake City, the most runs scored by the Sky Sox in a regular season road game in team history and fifth most overall. The Sky Sox scored 23 runs in their playoff win at Las Vegas on September 13, 1992, and the previous regular season record was 21 runs set on May 28, 1997 at Las Vegas. The 27 hits by the Sky Sox was the most hits ever by Colorado Springs in a road game. The 22 runs and 27 hits are the most by any team in the Pacific Coast League this season (and most by any Triple-A team in 2012), and every player in the lineup except one (Chad Tracy) tied or set a season high in hits. The Sox did not hit a home run in the game, and the 22 runs without a homer are the most in team history.
5/24 Sky Sox Lineup vs OKC (Game 1 of Doubleheader)
1 – #6 Brandon Roberts – CF
2 – #5 Tommy Field – SS
3 – #2 Hernan Iribarren – RF
4 – #12 Andrew Brown – LF
5 – #29 Brendan Harris – 3B
6 – #23 Brandon Wood – 2B
7 – #28 Chad Tracy – 1B
8 – #33 Wil Nieves – C
9 – #51 Drew Pomeranz – LHP (2-0, 0.00 ERA)
SOX AND HAWKS IN DOUBLEHEADERS: Colorado Springs and Oklahoma City have both played a doubleheader this season, and both have swept their only twin bill this season. The Sky Sox defeated the Las Vegas 51s on April 16th 2-1 with a walk-off home run by Andrew Brown in the first game, in which Christian Friedrich pitched a complete game allowing only four baserunners, and 3-2 in the second game with Brown accounting for all three runs in the game (2 runs, 1 RBI). Oklahoma City starter Jordan Lyles picked up the win in the first game of their doubleheader in Nashville on April 19th by going 5.2 innings while striking out six, and Redhawks infielder Jimmy Paredes’ provided all four runs in Oklahoma City’s 4-2 win in the second game with his 2-run homer in the 3rd inning and his go-ahead 2-run single in the top of the 7th that broke up a 2-2 tie.
POMERANZ ROCKIES MINOR LEAGUE DOMINANCE: Sky Sox starter Drew Pomeranz tossed 5.2 shutout innings in his debut at Security Service Field on May 18th against the New Orleans Zephyrs, and has yet to allow a run in any start for a Rockies Minor League affiliate in his 25.2 total innings while with the Sky Sox and the Tulsa Drillers in the last two seasons. Pomeranz threw six shutout innings in his Sky Sox debut, also his first Triple-A appearance, a part of the Sky Sox fourth team shutout this season against Memphis on May 13th.
SOX STRIKEOUTS: The Sky Sox enter today’s game leading the PCL in team strikeouts at 369 by posting their twelfth double-digit strikeout performance as a team this season in Tuesday’s loss. The Sky Sox also have posted the highest strikeout per nine inning mark as a team with 8.56 strikeouts per nine innings. In the last nine games, Colorado Springs starters have struck out 60 batters and have only walked nine in a combined 58.1 innings.
Sky Sox Lineup 5/23 vs Oklahoma City
1 – #6 Brandon Roberts – CF
2 – #5 Tommy Field – SS
3 – #2 Hernan Iribarren – RF
4 – #12 Andrew Brown – LF
5 – #29 Brendan Harris – 3B
6 – #23 Brandon Wood – 2B
7 – #28 Chad Tracy – 1B
8 – #33 Wil Nieves – C
9 – #51 Drew Pomeranz – LHP (2-0, 0.00 ERA)
HOMER SHOWDOWN: The Redhawks blasted three home runs in their victory against the Sky Sox yesterday, the first time the Sky Sox had allowed multiple home runs in a game since the 2012 home opener on April 13th against the Las Vegas 51s. Oklahoma City leads the Pacific Coast League with 53 home runs, while Colorado Springs leads the PCL with the least home runs allowed this season at 26.
BROWN BARRELLING IT: Sky Sox outfielder Andrew Brown notched two more RBI in last night’s loss, upping his team leading total to 28 this season. In the month of May Brown has collected 21 RBI, which is tied with Tacoma’s Luis Antonio Jimenez and Reno’s Randy Ruiz for the most RBI in all of Triple-A this month. Brown leads the Sky Sox in extra-base hits in May with 12 by adding a double in last night’s game, and is tied for the second most doubles in all of Triple-A in the month of May at 9.
Pomeranz Scoreless Streak with Rockies Affiliates
Colorado Springs Sky Sox left-hander Drew Pomeranz (2-0, 0.00 ERA) not only will put his 11.2 scoreless innings streak since joining Colorado Springs on the line tonight against the Oklahoma City Redhawks, but Pomeranz has another scoreless streak that dates all the way back to August of 2011 that will be in play tonight as well.
Since he was traded from the Cleveland Indians in exchange for Ubaldo Jimenez along with 2012 Sky Sox Alex White and Matt McBride last July, Pomeranz has made five starts for the Sky Sox as well as the Tulsa Drillers. In his five starts for Rockies Minor League affiliates, Pomeranz has not allowed a single run in 25.2 combined innings.
The streak began August 17th as the left-hander tossed seven shutout innings for the Drillers against the Midland Rockhounds, and Pomeranz made one other scoreless start for Tulsa lasting three innings last year before making his Major League debut with the Rockies on September 11th. This season Pomeranz made one start for the Drillers on April 10th lasting four innings, and in his three career starts for Tulsa he has totaled 11 strikeouts while allowing six hits and one walk in 14 innings.
After being optioned down from the Rockies to the Sky Sox on May 13th Pomeranz made his Triple-A debut and did not allow a run in six innings of work, a part of the Sky Sox Pacific Coast League-leading fourth shutout of the 2012 season. In his first career start at Security Service Field, he allowed only four baserunners in his 5.2 innings.
Sky Sox Lineup 5/22 vs Oklahoma City Redhawks
1 – #6 Brandon Roberts – CF
2 – #32 DJ LeMahieu – 2B
3 – #9 Chris Nelson – 3B
4 – #12 Andrew Brown – LF
5 – #2 Hernan Iribarren – RF
6 – #29 Brendan Harris – SS
7 – #28 Chad Tracy – 1B
8 – #33 Wil Nieves – C
9 – #26 Edgar Gonzalez – RHP (2-1, 4.99 ERA)
Current Streaks: DJ LeMahieu’s Pacific Coast League leading 22-Game On-Base streak (the third longest in the PCL this season) as well as his team-high 11-game hitting streak, the longest by any Sky Sox player this season.
Starting Pitcher Notes: Sky Sox right-hander Edgar Gonzalez has made four starts this season after beginning the year in the Colorado Springs bullpen, and the Sky Sox are 4-0 in his four starts with Gonzalez striking out 17 and walking three as a starter this season. Gonzalez gave up only three earned runs in his first three starts of the season in a combined 14 innings. He is the only Sky Sox pitcher to make both relief appearances and starts this season.
Scahill’s Strikeouts Make Sky Sox History
Even though the Sky Sox lost their second straight game and fell out of first place in the Pacific Northern Division, Colorado Springs starting pitcher Rob Scahill made Sky Sox history last night with his ten strikeout performance. It was Scahill’s second double-digit strikeout start already this season at home, with the right-handed Rockies prospect fanning 11 Tucson Padres on April 19th, making Scahill the FIRST player in Sky Sox history to have two 10-strikeout appearances at Security Service Field. Prior to last night, 16 different pitchers had a 10-strikeout game at home, but Scahill is the first to repeat the feat.
Scahill is also now the third pitcher in Sky Sox history to have at least two 10-strikeout games in a season. Mike Saipe was the first notch two double-digit strikeouts starts, with 10 K’s in 7 IP at Tucson on May 5th, 1998 and 12 K’s in 9IP home vs. Vancouver ten days later on May 15th, 1998. The other pitcher was former Sky Sox Pitching Coach Doug Linton, who did it three times in the 2000 season. Linton struck out 12 batters in 9 IP on May 14th, 2000 at Nashville, then had 10 strikeouts at home vs. Calgary on July 4th, 2000, then struck out 11 batters in 9 IP in New Orleans on August 15th, 2000. One other Sky Sox pitcher, Jason Young, had two 10-strikeout games,b ut over the span of two seasons. Young had a 11-strikeout game in 6 IP at home vs. Iowa on August 29th, 2002, then the next season, Young struck out 10 batters in 6 IP at Autozone Park in Memphis on July 24th, 2003.
The performance by Scahill also marks the third time already this season that a Sky Sox starter has notched a double-digit strikeouts, with Guillermo Moscoso striking out ten April 17th vs. Tucson. The only other season where there were three 10-strikeout games at home in the same season was in 2002, and all were at home just like this season. Bryan Rekar had a 10-strikeout game in 7 1/3 IP vs. Omaha on July 14th, 2002, then Victor Santos had a 11-strikeout game in 5 IP on July 26th, 2002 against Iowa, then Jason Young had a 11-strikeout game in 6 IP vs. Iowa on August 29th, 2002. Scahill and Moscoso also set a Sky Sox record with their strikeouts performances against Tucson earlier in the season being only three days a part, breaking the previous record of ten days set in 1998.
Sky Sox Notes 5/11 @ Nashville
- LeMAHIEU’S HOT START TO MAY: Sky Sox infielder DJ LeMahieu was the only player in last night’s game to record multiple hits, and has totaled 13 hits in his eight May games while also knocking in 8 RBI so far this month. LeMahieu ranks seventh in all of Triple-A with 42 hits, and is one of two Sky Sox players that has totaled 20 RBI this season and one of three current Sky Sox players with an average above .300 (.318).
- SOX AND LAST AT-BATS: With the Sounds scoring the game-winning run in the bottom of the ninth inning last night, it now makes four straight games for the Sky Sox where the game-winning run (or runs) have been scored in the winning team’s last at-bat, and five of the last six games for Colorado Springs. The Sox are 2-4 in their last six games.
Tonight’s Sky Sox Starter: RHP Edgar Gonzalez
- The only pitcher who has made both a start and a relief appearances this season for the Sox
- Gonzalez has made two starts this season, one tossing four scoreless innings, but has received a no decision in both starts (Sky Sox are 2-0 in games he has started). Has allowed three earned runs in his nine innings as a starter.
- Only pitcher on 2012 roster who has previous starts for Sky Sox, has pitched five seasons in the PCL
- Has played in the Majors with Arizona and Oakland and owns a career Major League record of 14-25 with a 5.90 ERA in 109 appearances (41 starts)
Sky Sox Notes for 5/10 @ Nashville
Observations from yesterday’s game: 6-2 Loss in Nashville, Series at 1-1
- RECORD-SETTING RELIEVER: Before he allowed three runs in the bottom of the eighth inning yesterday, the 1-2-3 seventh inning by Colorado Springs reliever Mike Ekstrom set a new Sky Sox record for scoreless innings to start a season at 19.1 innings. The previous record was 18.2 innings, set by Matt Reynolds in 2010.
- TRIPLE-A LEADER McBRIDE: Even though Sky Sox utility player Matt McBride has gone 0-for-9 in the first two games of this series, he continues to lead all of Triple-A with 46 hits this season. McBride’s .359 batting average ranks fifth in all of Triple-A, and also fifth in the PCL. McBride has appeared in every Sky Sox game this season.
- SOX ROTATION TO ROX ROTATION: In back-to-back days, 2012 Sky Sox starters Alex White and Christian Friedrich posted quality starts for the Rockies after being recalled to Colorado in their series with the San Diego Padres. White tossed 6.1 innings and allowed two runs while striking out five, but suffered the loss as the Rockies posted one run of support. In his MLB debut, Friedrich allowed one earned run (two runs) while striking out seven Padres in his six innings of work to notch his first MLB win. Four of the five pitchers in the original Sky Sox rotation have been called up to the Rockies.
- FEW HOMERS FOR SOX AND SOUNDS: Colorado Springs and Nashville have allowed the least home runs in the league, at 18 and 22 respectively. The two teams have also hit the least home runs, with the Sox hitting 21 and the Sounds hitting 18 so far this season.
Tonight’s Sox Starter: Rob Scahill (3-3, 6.00 ERA)
- Team leader in strikeouts with 36, team leader in walks with 16
- Only starter from the original 2012 Sky Sox rotation that has yet to be called up to the Rockies
- Undefeated in his three road starts, with 3.31 ERA compared to his 9.22 ERA at Security Service Field
mlblogscoloradospringsskysox1
Recent Comments