Mark Maloney on Kentucky sports

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.

South Atlantic League Baseball

Coming up

Lexington Legends vs. Bowling Green Hot Rods

What: Three-game series

When: Tuesday through Thursday (7:05 Central each night)

Where: Bowling Green (Ky.) Ballpark

Tickets:   (270) 901-2121  

Probable pitchers (Legends listed first): Tuesday, RH Robert Bono (5-1, 1.98) vs. pitcher to be named; Wednesday, RH Kyle Greenwalt (2-5, 2.98) vs. LH Frank De Los Santos (3-3, 3.38); Thursday, RH Jordan Lyles (2-5, 3.31) vs. RH Joe Cruz (1-2, 2.08).

Joe Cruz

Hot Rod to watch: Thursday’s starter, RHP Joe Cruz (6-foot-4, 190 pounds, from Baldwin Park, Calif.), hasn’t allowed more than two earned runs in any of his seven starts, and he’s only allowed two runs once. Over 30 1/3 innings, he has 34 strikeouts to eight walks, holding opponents to a .280 average. Selected by Tampa Bay in the 30th round of the 2007 draft, out of East Los Angeles Junior College, Cruz appeared in 16 games over the last season-plus (three games in 2007) for Princeton of the Appalachian League, where he went 3-3 with a 2.71 ERA, 75 strikeouts and 17 walks. Baseball America rates him 23rd among Tampa Bay prospects, noting that he has “demonstrated a live arm with above-average control.” He comes armed with a 90-94 mph fastball, a curveball and changeup.

Brian Pellegrini

Legend to watch: 1B/OF Brian Pellegrini (6-1, 240, from Willoughby, Ohio) joined the Legends on May 16 after starting the season with High-A Lancaster. He was Lexington’s primary power hitter last season, when he hit 21 homers and drove in 69 runs over 87 games. He hit .226, with a .331 on-base percentage and .503 slugging. Selected by the Astros in the 12th round of the 2007 draft, out of St. Bonaventure University, he was Atlantic 10 player of the year and an all-star in 2006. At Lancaster this season, Pellegrini hit .171 with seven homers and 15 RBI over 30 games. In 15 games with the Legends, he is hitting .294 with four homers and 12 RBI. He also has drawn nine walks and struck out 14 times. Monday, his three-run homer in the first inning fueled a 5-0 victory over the Augusta GreenJackets.

Jay Austin

Also of note: The Legends made a roster change Monday. CF Jay Austin was placed on the disabled list. He suffered a concussion when he collided with SS Jorge De Leon during the first inning of Saturday’s game. Taking Austin’s spot on the roster is OF Eric Suttle, who comes from Lancaster. In 12 games with the JetHawks, Suttle hit .375 and drove in 12 runs. He played for Southern Illinois of the Frontier League last season. He made his Legends debut Monday, batting second and playing in left. Suttle was 0-for-2, but drew two walks and scored a run in a 5-0 win over Augusta.

Radio: WLXG AM-1300