Mark Maloney on Kentucky sports

Baseball

South Atlantic
     League

Lexington Legends vs. Kannapolis Intimidators

What: Four-game series

When: Wednesday through Saturday (7:05 each night)

Where: Fieldcrest Cannon Stadium (Kannapolis, N.C.)

Major League affiliates: Houston Astros (Legends), Chicago White Sox

Zach Grimmett

Juan Minaya

Tanner Bushue

Luis Cruz

Probable pitchers (Legends listed first): Wednesday, RH Zach Grimmett (5-2, 3.86) vs. RH Cameron Bayne (11-9, 3.90); Thursday, LH Luis Cruz (7-3, 3.14) vs. RH Justin Collop (8-10, 4.62); Friday, RH Tanner Bushue (7-8, 4.07) RH Andre Rienzo (7-4, 3.90); Saturday, RH Juan Minaya (4-10, 5.02) RH Ryan Buch (4-2, 3.19).

Ian Gac

Intimidator to watch: SAL all-star 1B Ian Gac (6-foot-3, 245 pounds, from Seattle) is hitting .286 and leads Kannapolis in hits (132), doubles (32), homers (20), RBI (86), runs (61), walks (42) and a league-leading 224 total bases. Signed by the White Sox last December as a free agent, Gac was selected out of Edmons-Woodway (Wash.) High School by the Texas Rangers in the 26th round of the 2003 draft. Baseball America wrote that Gac had the “best raw power” among that Texas draft class. However, his highest batting average over his first five seasons of pro ball came in his first year, .242. In 2008, he blossomed and earned Midwest League all-star honors with the Clinton LumberKings. In 67 games with the Kings, he hit .310 with 19 homers and 60 RBI. That earned him a promotion to Bakersfield of the California League, where he batted .257 with 13 homers and 49 RBI over 63 games. In 2009, his last season in the Rangers organization, Gac hit .238 with 22 homers and 55 RBI over 104 games with Bakersfield. This season, he’s batting .298 against right-handed pitchers, .259 versus lefties. Since the all-star break, he’s batting .296 overall.

Brenden Stines

Legend to watch: RHP Brenden Stines (6-2, 190, from Mishawaka, Ind.,) has made 11 appearances in relief since joining the Legends in July, compiling a 2-0 record and 4.05 ERA over 20 innings. Selected by the Astros in the 33rd round of last year’s draft, out of Ball State University, Stines began this season with the Tri-City ValleyCats of the New York-Penn League. There, in five outings spanning 7 1/3 innings, Stines was 0-1 with a 4.91 ERA. He also spent 2009 with Tri-City, going 3-0 with a 4.93 ERA over 24 games and 38 1/3 innings. Control has been his bugaboo, as he has had identical totals for strikeouts and walks this season both at Tri-City (7) and Lexington (13). He has performed best at home (1-0, 2.89, 6 games) for the Legends. Overall with Lexington, he is holding opponents to a .247 batting average.

Radio: WLXG-AM 1300

Baseball

South Atlantic
    League

 * * * *

Lexington Legends vs. Hickory Crawdads

What: Five-game series

When: Wednesday through Sunday (7:05 each night except Sunday, 2:05 p.m.)

Where: Applebee’s Park

Tickets: Call (859) 422-7867

Affiliations: Houston Astros (Legends), Texas Rangers (Crawdads)

Juan Minaya

Jose Cisnero

Luis Cruz

Brad Dydalewicz

Robby Donovan

Probable pitchers (Legends listed first): Wednesday, RH Juan Minaya (3-8, 5.72) vs. RH Matt Thompson (6-6, 4.06); Thursday, RH Jose Cisnero (3-5, 4.46) vs. RH Neil Ramirez (7-5, 5.24); Friday, LH Luis Cruz (4-1, 2.88) vs. RH Braden Tullis (3-0, 2.18); Saturday, LH Brad Dydalewicz (0-2, 8.06) vs. LH Robbie Erlin (4-2, 1.63); Sunday, RH Robby Donovan (7-5, 3.65) vs. RH Jake Brigham (1-1, 2.00).

Jared Bolden

Crawdad to watch: CF/1B Jared Bolden (6-foot-2, 205 pounds, from Lynchburg, Va.) is 16-for-43 (.372) in 11 games since being demoted from Bakersfield of the California League. He has multiple hits in four of his last five games. Bolden went 1-for-4 against the Legends on July 3. Selected by the Rangers in the ninth round of the 2008 draft, out of Virginia Commonwealth, Bolden hit .263 with three homers and 28 RBI for the Spokane Indians of the Northwest League in 2008. Last year, playing 107 games for the Crawdads and six contests for Triple-A Oklahoma City, Bolden hit a combined .244 with two homers and 35 RBI. This season, over 62 games with Bakersfield, Bolden hit .219 with a homer and 15 RBI.

Renzo Tello

Legend to watch: CF Renzo Tello (6-1, 210, from Puerto Cabello, Venezuela) joined the Legends on Sunday, promoted from Tri-City of the New York-Penn League. Over his first two games, he is 3-for-6 with a double, an RBI and a run scored. With Tri-City, Tello went 10-for-47 (.213) with a homer, five RBI and five runs. Signed at 17 by the Astros as a non-drafted free agent after the 2004 season, Renzo hit .264 with 15 homers, 82 RBI and 88 runs scored over three seasons with the Venezuelan Summer League Astros. He came to the United States in 2008, compiling a .288 average with three homers and 25 RBI over 44 games with Greeneville of the Appalachian League. Last year, Tello dropped to .197 with a homer and 13 RBI over 45 games with Tri-City.

J.D. Martinez (Mark Maloney photo)

Another Legend to watch: RF J.D. Martinez (6-3, 215, from Pembroke PInes, Fla.) is the SAL Player of the Week. For the period of July 5-11, Martinez went 10-for-20 (.500) with four homers, two doubles, eight RBI and seven runs scored. Through Monday, he led the league in batting (.358), hits (122), doubles (31), on-base percentage (.427), slugging percentage (.589), extra-base hits (58), runs (80) and totals bases (201). He ranked second to teammate Kody Hinze in RBI (68-62) and third in the league in homers (14).

Radio: WLXG AM-1300

Homestand highlights

Wednesday — Ladies Night. Sun Tan City club members, with presentation of pass, can buy one ticket and get one free.

Thursday — “Thirsty Thursday” beer and Pepsi, $1 each through the seventh inning.

Friday — Bluegrass State Games “Celebration of Athletes Night,” Fritos Family Friday and ADI post-game fireworks.

Saturday — Marine Night, sponsored by the United States Marine Corps and featuring the Legends in camouflage jerseys. Fans presenting military identification can buy one ticket, get one free. Entertainment throughout the game provided by the Zooperstars, sponsored by LBX. ADI post-game fireworks.

Sunday — Jewish Heritage Day and JIF Kids Club Sunday.

Less than a week before the Hickory Crawdads visit the Lexington Legends, Lexington Christian Academy graduate Robbie Ross has been promoted by the Texas Rangers from the Crawdads to their High-A affiliate in the California League, the Bakersfield Blaze.

Robbie Ross

Ross, a left-hander, compiled an 8-7 record and 2.59 ERA over 16 starts for Hickory. Selected as a starter in  the South Atlantic League All-Star Game, he struck out the side in the first inning. He leads the Crawdads in wins and innings pitched.

A 2008 second-round draft pick, Ross had committed to play for Kentucky before being drafted. Last season, with the Short-A Spokane Indians of the Northwest League, Ross went 4-4 with a 2.66 ERA over 15 starts.

Also making the jump from Hickory to Bakersfield is right-handed pitcher and fellow SAL all-star Trevor Hurley (0-1, 1.43, 11 saves).

The Crawdads open a five-game series at Lexington next Wednesday.