Manny Pina tallied three hits in the two games yesterday and extended his hitting streak to 12 games. He’s picked up 19 hits over that stretch and is currently 5th in the league in hitting with a .356 average. (Bobby Stevens/MiLB.com)
Colorado Springs welcomed in the first-place Omaha Storm Chases for a doubleheader yesterday and sent them packing with a pair of losses 6-5 and 5-0. It was the first time since August 15, 2013 against Memphis that the Sox had swept a doubleheader. With the two wins, the Sky Sox are now just 1.5 games out of first place behind Omaha and Oklahoma City. Michael Reed drove home Will Middlebrooks with a fielder’s choice to win the opener and Brent Suter induced four double plays in six scoreless innings, while his offense gave him five runs of support in the night cap. The Sky Sox have strung together three wins in the row (the tie not counting of course) for just the second time this season.
Let’s take care of a few errands before we dive into tonight’s tilt –
The Brewers and Sky Sox announced the following roster moves –
ADD: RHP David Goforth optioned from Milwaukee
DEL: RHP Jacob Barnes recalled to Milwaukee
Congrats to Barnes on his first call-up to the BIGS!
VOTE YOUR FAVORITE SKY SOX TO THE TRIPLE-A ALL-STAR GAME
The Sky Sox will look to keep it rolling tonight and send lefty Sam Freeman to the hill in hopes of getting off to a good start. Omaha will trot out fellow left-hander Jonathan Dziedzic (pronounced: Jed-jick) for his 10th start of the season. Freeman will make his fourth appearance in a Sky Sox uniform and his third career start after opening the season with seven appearances in Milwaukee’s bullpen, he’s 0-0 with a 4.26 ERA in 6 1/3 innings. Dziedzic is 1-5 with a 4.25 ERA through his first 9 starts with the Royals’ affiliate. The Sky Sox and Chasers split a 16 game season series in 2015 and have split the first six meetings of the 2016 campaign as well. Overall Colorado Springs has not fared well against Omaha going 73-112 against them and 42-51 here at Security Service Field.
Today’s Game Notes / Listen Live at 6:30 MDT / Lineups
Colorado Springs Sky Sox (23-25) vs. Fresno Grizzlies (26-25) – 7:05 p.m. – Security Service Field – Colorado Springs, Colorado
Pitching Matchup: LHP Sam Freeman (0-0, 4.26) vs. LHP Jonathan Dziedzic (1-5, 4.25)
Sky Sox Pitcher: LHP Sam Freeman is set to make his third start in a row (and of his career) for the Sky Sox tonight against the Storm Chasers. Freeman has put together 6 1/3 innings with the Sky Sox in three outings, over which he has allowed 3 runs on 7 hits, 4 walks, and 5 strikeouts. The last time out he lasted a season-high 2 2/3 innings against the Grizzlies. Freeman is with his third organization after he was selected by the Cardinals in the 32nd round of the 2008 draft he moved to the Rangers last year and finds himself with the Brewers this season. Prior to Milwaukee optioning him to Colorado Springs he made seven appearances out of the pen and compiled a 12.91 ERA in 7 2/3 innings allowing 11 runs on 13 hits, 9 walks, and 8 strikeouts.
Last Time Out: 5/28/16 at Fresno – Freeman started and was slated to only go 40 pitches or 2 innings, whichever came first. However, he since he only threw 25 or so pitches over the first two scoreless innings, he was given a third. It was in that third inning where he was tagged for a pair of runs. He left with two outs in the inning after throwing 37 pitches. Freeman’s final line read 2 2/3 innings, 4 hits, 2 runs, and 3 strikeouts.
2016 Game Log:
Storm Chasers Pitcher: LHP Jonathan Dziedzic gets his second start of the season against the Sky Sox after he limited them to 3 runs on 6 hits back on April 25 at Werner Park. Over his first 9 outings the lefty has compiled a 1-5 record with a 4.25 ERA allowing 28 runs, 23 earned, on 46 hits, 21 walks, and 44 strikeouts across 48 2/3 innings. In the April 25 contest the Sky Sox took advantage of four walks from Dziedzic and picked up three runs on six hits while he struck out five. Keon Broxton took him deep for two in the fifth inning. Homers have plagued the lefty as he has been take deep at least once in five of his nine start. He was selected by the Royals in the 13th round of the 2013 draft out of Lamar and has a career minor-league record of 19-19 with a 3.18 ERA over his first 72 outings. The Houston, Texas native is in his first full season with the Storm Chasers after making one start in May for Omaha last year and getting rocked to the tune of 8 runs on 10 hits in 3 1/3 innings to the Round Rock Express.
Last Time Out: 5/27/2016 vs. El Paso – Dziedzic went the first seven innings against the El Paso Chihuahuas and limited the league’s best offense to 2 runs on 5 hits, 2 walks, and 3 strikeouts. The runs came around to score on a two-run homer by Hunter Renfroe in the fourth inning. The southpaw threw a career-high 109 pitches, 67 for strikes.
2016 Game Log:
Dan Karcher (@SkySoxKarch) continues his 27th season behind the mic for Sky Sox games, he and I will have the call of tonight’s game from Security Service Field at 7:05 p.m. Sky Sox Warmup gets all fired up at 6:30 MDT on XTRA Sports 1300.
Brewers Family Roundup
The Brewers rode Zach Davies’ best career start to the 3-1 win over Cincinnati yesterday at Miller Park…Davies did not allow a runner past first base across eight innings and earned his second win at Miller Park…Chase Anderson gets the start against the Phillies tonight in the opener of the Crew’s four-game road trip to the City of Brotherly Love…The Shuckers dipped into second place in the Southern League’s South Division with a 6-2, 14-inning loss to the Braves yesterday…Adrian Houser gave up a run on seven hits across six innings…Garrett Cooper went 4-for-6 with an RBI at the plate…Brevard County lost 5-2 to the Flying Tigers…Johnny Davis and Jose Cuas tallied two hits apiece in the loss…Wisconsin lost 7-2 at the Chiefs…Blake Allemand extended his hitting streak to 10 games with a two-hit performance.
Thanks for reading – See you on the radio,
Dan
Colorado Springs Sky Sox Official Team Blog 