Mark Maloney on Kentucky sports

South Atlantic League baseball

Coming up

Lexington Legends vs. Greenville Drive

What: Three-game series

When: Saturday through Monday (7:05 Saturday and Monday nights, 2:05 Sunday afternoon)

Where: Applebee’s Park

Tickets: (859) 422-7867

Probable pitchers (Legends listed first): Saturday, RH Kyle Greenwalt (8-12, 3.85) vs. RH Stolmy Pimental (9-7, 3.76); Sunday, RH Jordan Lyles (6-11, 3.23) vs. LH Fabian Williamson (10-4, 2.30); Monday, LH Brad Dydalewicz (7-5, 3.87) vs. RH Jeremy Kehrt (1-1, 3.51).

Will Middlebrooks

Drive to watch: 3B Will Middlebrooks (6-foot-3, 197 pounds, from Wake Village, Texas) took a 12-game hitting streak into Friday’s game against Kannapolis. Overall, Middlebrooks is batting .265 with seven homers and 54 RBI over 94 games. He has scored 49 runs and stolen five bases. Selected by the Boston Red Sox in the fifth round of the 2007 draft, he was 61-for-110 (.555) with five homers, 48 RBI and 22 steals in 38 games that year for Liberty-Eylau High School in Texarkana, Texas, and also went 13-0 pitching. With the Lowell Spinners last year, Middlebrooks hit .254 and led the team with 17 doubles. He also ranked second or third on the team in games (59), steals (10-for-10), hits (53) and extra-base hits (20). He led third basemen in the New York-Penn League with a fielding percentage of .927. Rated by Baseball America as having the “best infield arm” in the Red Sox system the last two years.

Russell Dixon

Legend to watch: RF Russell Dixon (6-2, 205, from Houston) has come alive at the plate, with hits in seven consecutive games until going 0-for-4 Thurday. Over those seven games, Dixon went 10-for-25 (.400), with six RBI and four runs scored. Included in that span were a two-hit game and a three-hit game — all five hits being doubles. Dixon struggled early in the season, hitting .134 over 30 games with the Legends. That earned him a demotion to extended spring training. He then moved to Tri-City of the New York-Penn League, where he hit .302 with a homer and 11 RBI over 38 games. In 12 games since rejoining the Legends, Dixon is hitting .244. Selected by the Houston Astros in the seventh round of the 2007 draft, out of Auburn University, Dixon hit .237 for the Legends last season, with three homers, 33 RBI and 15 stolen bases in 19 attempts.

Radio: WLXG AM-1300

Travis Driskill

Also of note: CF Jay Austin and LHP Michael Hacker have been activated from the disabled list. OF Steve Brown has been promoted to High-A Lancaster, while LHP Antonio Noguera moves to the inactive list. … The Astros have ticketed 10 Legends for Instructional League work, starting in mid-September: Austin, 2B Albert Cartwright, LHP Brad Dydalewicz, C Federico Hernandez, RHP Arcenio Leon, RHP Jordan Lyles, RHP Matt Nevarez, RHP Ross Seaton, RHP Henry Villar and SS Brandon Wikoff. Also scheduled to attend is LHP Patrick Urckfitz, who was recently promoted to High-A Lancaster. Instructors include Legends pitching coach Travis Driskill and two former Lexington staffers: Stubby Clapp (hitting coach) and Mike Smith (strength and conditioning coordinator). Pitching coach Charley Taylor, who missed this season due to bladder-cancer surgery, also plans to attend. … Mike Tauser’s most recent “Farmstros Five” players of the week is topped by Corpus Christi OF Drew Locke. The other four: Wikoff, Greeneville RHP Abraham Gonzalez and a pair of former Legends — Round Rock LHP Josh Muecke and Lancaster DH/OF/C Koby Clemens. For more details, see http://farmstros.blogspot.com/

South Atlantic League baseball

UPDATED ROTATION

Coming up

Lexington Legends vs. Greenville Drive

What: Four-game series

When: Tuesday through Friday (7 o’clock each night)

Where: Fluor Field at the West End (Greenville, S.C.)

Probable pitcher (Legends listed first): Tuesday, RH Kyle Greenwalt (7-10, 3.89) vs. RH Mike Lee (3-4, 4.15); Wednesday, RH Jordan Lyles (6-9, 3.42) vs. LH Fabian Williamson (7-2, 2.13); Thursday, LH Brad Dydalewicz (6-4, 3.12) vs. RH Stolmy Pimentel (9-6, 3.14); Friday, TBA vs. RH Brock Huntzinger (7-8, 4.17).

Ryan Lavarnway

Drive to watch: C Ryan Lavarnway (6-foot-4, 225 pounds, from Woodland Hills, Calif.) leads the team in doubles (27), homers (14), RBI (56) and total bases (153), and is tied for the lead in hits (80). Hitting .278 over 74 games (.299 since the all-star break), he also is slugging .531, has scored 43 runs and hit four sacrifice flies. Selected by the Boston Red Sox in the sixth round of the 2008 draft, out of Yale University, Lavarnway made his pro debut a year ago this week with the short-season A Lowell Spinners, for whom he hit .211 (15-for-71) with two homers, nine RBI and 10 runs over 22 games. At Yale, Lavarnway became the Ivy League career leader in homers, socking 33 over three seasons.

Jordan Lyles

Legend to watch: Wednesday starter Jordan Lyles (6-4, 185, from Hartsville, S.C.) gets another start in his home state coming off a sparkling effort Friday against the Charleston RiverDogs — six innings of three-hit, shutout ball in an 11-0 victory, with eight strikeouts to two walks. Lyles has set career bests across the board, including wins (6), ERA (3.42), games (20) and strikeouts (133). His 110 2/3 innings pitched are exactly double his 2008 total, and he has given up only 32 walks. Selected by the Houston Astros in the supplemental first round of the 2008 draft (38th overall), Lyles came into this season rated by Baseball America as the sixth-best prospect in the Houston syste, projected as the Astros’ 2012 No. 4 starter. Last year, in 13 starts with the Greeneville Astros and two starts for the Tri-City ValleyCats, Lyles was a combined 3-3 with a 4.23 ERA, 68 strikeouts and 17 walks.

Radio: WLXG AM-1300

South Atlantic League baseball

Coming up

Lexington Legends vs. Greenville Drive

What: Three-game series

When: Friday through Sunday (7 Friday and Saturday nights; 4 Sunday)

Where: Fluor Field at the West End (Greenville, S.C.)

Probable pitching matchups (Legends listed first): Friday, RH Robert Bono 6-3, 2.21) vs.  RH Brock Huntzinger (0-0, 0.00); Saturday RH Kyle Greenwalt (4-6, 3.38) vs. RH Hunter Strickland (3-4, 2.78); Sunday, RH Jordan Lyles (3-6, 3.34) vs. RH Stephen Fife (0-1, 0.60).

Tim Federowicz

Drive to watch: All-Star C Tim Federowicz (5-foot-10, 213 pounds, from Apex, N.C.) leads Greenville in batting (.338 over 53 games), slugging (.543), OPS (.926), hits (74), doubles (18), homers (9) and total bases (119). He’s second in RBI (32) and on-base percentage (.382), third in runs scored (30). Selected by the Boston Red Sox in the seventh rounds of the 2008 draft, out of the University of North Carolina, Federowicz spent last season with short season-A Lowell, where he hit .244 with a homer and 15 RBI, and tied for second on the team with 10 stolen bases in 13 tries. He threw out 16 of 49 attempted base-stealers. This season, he hit .246 (16-for-65) in April, .348 (32-for-92) in May and is .419 (26-for-62) thus far in June.

Kyle Miller

Legend to watch: IF/DH Kyle Miller (6-1, 200, from Jacksonville, Fla.) continues to recover from a miserable start. Miller was hitting .161 for the Legends when he was demoted to extended spring training on May 10. He returned 20 days later looking more like the player who hit seven homers in 32 games for the 2008 Legends. Since returning to the club, Miller is hitting .256 (10-for-39). Thursday night, he extended his hitting streak to five games. During the streak, Miller is hitting .353 (6-for-17), with a double in four of the five games. For the full season, Miller is hitting .214 with a homer and nine RBI (including one in each of his last three games). Selected by the Houston Astros in the 21st round of the 2007 draft, out of Central Florida Community College, Miller led the Greeneville Astros in 2007 and tied for eighth in the Appalachian League with seven homers. He split the 2008 season between Greeneville (.274, 1 HR, 13 RBI, 19 games) and Lexington (.234, 7 HR, 24 RBI, 32 games).

Radio: WLXG AM-1300

South Atlantic League baseball

Coming up

Lexington Legends vs. Greenville Drive

When: Friday through Sunday (7:05 Friday and Saturday nights; 2:05 Sunday).

Where: Applebee’s Park

Tickets: Call (859) 422-7867

Probable pitcher (Legends listed first): Friday, RH Jordan Lyles (2-5, 3.31) vs.RH Stephen Fife (0-0, 0.00); Saturday, LH Brad Dydalewicz (3-0, 0.64) vs. TBA; Sunday, RH Ross Seaton (6-4, 2.44) vs. RH Stolmy Pimentel (3-3, 2.09).

Anthony Rizzo

Drive to watch: 1B Anthony Rizzo (6-foot-3, 220 pounds, from Parkland, Fla.) leads Greenville in runs (29), RBI (26) and walks (21) through Thursday’s games. Over 48 games, the 19-year-old also is hitting .275 with six home runs. Selected by the Red Sox in the sixth round of the 2007 draft, he batted .373 and drove in 11 runs over 21 games with the Drive in April of 2008. He missed the rest of the season when he was diagnosed with limited stage classical Hodgkin’s lymphoma. With the cancer in remission, he is rated by Baseball America as the 22nd-best prospect in Boston’s system.

Patrick Urckfitz

Legend to watch: LHP Patrick Urckfitz (6-4, 190, from Penfield, N.Y.) earned team Pitcher of the Month honors in May, when he went 1-0 with four saves and a 0.71 ERA. Urckfitz gave up one earned run over 10 games in May and 12 2/3 innngs, with 13 strikeouts to one walk, while holding opposing teams to a .178 batting average. Overall, Urckfitz has a 2.82 ERA and also has four saves. A non-drafted free agent out of Monroe (N.Y.) Community College, Urckfitz signed with the Astros last year on June 29. He made 15 relief appearances for Greeneville, going 1-0 with three saves and a 1.40 ERA.

Radio: WLXG AM-1300

Also of note: Thursday, the Houston Astros Player Development Department named Players of the Month for May, as chosen by the field staffs of the Astros minor-league teams.

Brian Pellegrini

Brandon Barnes

From the Legends, LH Patrick Urckfitz (see above) is Pitcher of the Month (POM), 1B/OF Brian Pellegrini is Offensive Player of the Month (OPM) and OF Brandon Barnes is Defensive Player of the Month (DPM).

Pellegrini, demoted from Lancaster, hit .277 (13-for-47) with three homers and nine RBI over 14 games.

Barnes has one error in 98 chances and 53 games this season, fielding at a .990 clip.

Players of the month for Houston’s other minor-league clubs (former Legends underlined):

Triple-A Round Rock — RH Yorman Bazardo (POM, 4-0, 1.49); SS Tommy Manzella (OPM and DPM, .339, 11 w, 11 2b, 2 hr, 12 rbi and .977 fielding through 52 games this season).

Double-A Corpus Christi — LH Doug Arguello (POM, 1-2, 2.28); OF Drew Locke (OPM, .327, 7 2b, 5 hr, 31 rbi); CF Josh Flores (DPM, .990 fielding over 39 games).

High-A Lancaster — RH Jordan Powell (POM, 1-1, 1 save, 3.77 ERA); OF Jonathan Gaston (OPM, .365, 23 ebh, 9 hr, 25 rbi); C Jason Castro (DPM, .984 fielding, 34 assists over 41 games). 

Ross Seaton

The Farmstros Five for  (top performers) the Week of May 27- June 3:

RHP Ross Seaton (Legends); RHP Yorman Bazardo (Round Rock); OF Drew Locke (Corpus Christi); OF Jonathan Gaston (Lancaster); RHP Xavier Baso (Dominican Summer League Astros).

Fan extras as Reds host Cubs in weekend series

Food: Kroger $7 Meal Deal this homestand: hot dog, 16-ounce Coke, chips and Cheez-It crackers.

Give and receive: The Reds and Society of St. Vincent de Paul are sponsoring a food drive during the series. Fans donating a non-perishable food item in designated collection barrels will receive two tickets to the June 17 Reds-Braves game and also can enter a drawing to throw out the ceremonial first pitch at the Braves game.

Individual-game promotions

Friday (7:10 p.m.) — Pre-game concert in the Fan Zone by the Paul Otten Band; game-ball delivery by Miss Teen Ohio, Jessica Paige Byington of Indian Hill; pre-fireworks mini-concert by saxophonist Elan Trotman, who has played with Bronson Arroyo’s band; post-game fireworks with soundtrack.

Saturday (7:10 p.m.) — Pre-game concert in the Fan Zone by the Goshen Brothers; team baseball card set to first 30,000 fans; “Sam” the Bald Eagle trading cards to first 20,000 fans; “Sam” the Bald Eagle flight from the riverboat to the pitcher’s mound during the national anthem.

Sunday (1:10 p.m.) – Joey Votto matted photo to first 30,000 fans (500 random winners receive a signed version); Reds Heads Kids Club members accompany a Reds starter on the field for lineup introduction; Aaron’s Aces — Aaron Harang hosts free ticket program for families with a parent who is serving in the military.

There wasn’t much fence-straddling in Kentucky’s 9-8 win over visiting Eastern Kentucky  — see http://www.kentucky.com/232/story/715068.html

Positives abounded. So did negatives. For both teams. Not much so-so stuff.

UK pulled out the victory on Chris Bisson’s two-run, two out walk-off homer in the ninth — his first collegiate dinger.

EKU battled back from deficits of 4-0 and 7-2 to, with a five-run ninth inning, take an 8-7 lead.

Of course, that means that UK both pitching staffs blew ninth-inning leads.

The Wildcats got the satisfaction of a 24th consecutive home-field, non-conference victory.

The Colonels got a measure of just how good they are — good enough to beat Louisville, the consensus favorite in the Big East, 7-5 on Tuesday, then come within one strike of beating Southeastern Conference neighbor UK the next day.

Alex Meyer

Wildcat pitchers combined to issue 14 walks, but battled well enough to strand 17 runners.

Lost in the late-inning dramatics was Alex Meyer’s first collegiate start.

The 6-foot-8, 205-pound right-hander from Greensburg, Ind., arrived at UK as Baseball America’s second-ranked freshman prospect. The Boston Red Sox took a flier on him last June, drafting him in the 20th round even though he had committed to UK.

In two relief appearances spanning six innings for UK, Meyer earned a save, with two walks, four strikeouts and a whopping 10.50 ERA.

Wednesday, his play mirrored what happened throughout the game. Moments of brilliance offset by moments of futility.

“It’s one I’ll probably never forget,” Meyer said.

Meyer last 4 1/3 innings, giving up two runs on four hits and six walks. He struck out six of the 22 batters he faced.

His control was, for the most part, absent. Of 73 pitches thrown, only 37 were strikes. Many of those were off-speed pitches, rather than his highly touted fastball.

“Yeah, (the off-speed) was working a little better than my fastball tonight,” Meyer said. “I felt like I had to go to that a lot more than I wanted to. But it’s good to have it in your pocket and go to it when you need it.”

Meyer knows his control must improve.

“It’s just something I have to work on. I’ve been erratic before,” he said. “I haven’t been consistent. … Today, I didn’t have necessarily my best stuff. It’s just something I feel I’m going to have to work on in the near future, and be a little better prepared next time.”

That work ethic likely will be needed by all of Wednesday’s participants.

“I’m proud of the way our kids played, and to have that comeback ability,” EKU Coach Jason Stein said. “We want to have that as we continue throughout the season, especially when the start (Ohio Valley) conference play. Because that second, third game in the conference, you get down in the pitching and you’ve got to be able to come back, and your offense has to do some of those things.”

* UK freshman Braden Kapteyn, who began the game at first base, notched his first collegiate win despite giving up EKU’s five ninth-inning runs. He also went 2-for-5 at the plate, making him 7-for-12 overall (.583).