Mark Maloney on Kentucky sports

Baseball

South Atlantic League

Lexington Legends
vs. Charleston RiverDogs

What: Four-game series

When: Thursday through Sunday (7:05 Thursday through Saturday nights, 1:35 Sunday afternoon)

Where: Whitaker Bank Ballpark

Tickets: Call (859) 422-7867

Major League affiliates: Houston Astros (Legends), New York Yankees

Probable pitchers (Legends listed first): Thursday, RH Luis Ordosgoitti (5-5, 5.22) vs. RH Brett Gerritse (4-5, 3.95); Friday, RH Jonas Dufek (6-3, 5.62) vs. TBA; Saturday, LH David Rollins (1-2, 4.42) vs. RH Corey Black (1-2, 6.59); Sunday, RH Chris Devenski (7-7, 4.44) vs. RH Scottie Allen (4-7, 4.33).

RiverDog to watch: 3B Dante Bichette Jr. (6-foot-1, 215 pounds, age 19, bats/throws right, from Orlando, Fla.), son of a former Major League all-star outfielder, was a first-round supplemental draft pick of the Yankees in 2011, having batted .641 as a senior at Orangewood Christian High School in Maitland, Fla. He signed for $750,00 and, coming into the season, he was rated by Baseball America as the sixth-best prospect in the Yankees system. He earned top prospect and MVP honors in the Gulf Coast League last year, leading the Yanks to a championship while batting .342 with three homers, 47 RBI and 33 runs over 52 games. He leads Charleston with 111 games and 430 at-bats, although he is batting only .235 with three homers, 39 RBI and 61 runs. He’s batting .280 against left-handers, .216 versus righties.

Legend to watch: Saturday starter David Rollins (6-1, 195, age 22, b/t left, from Deberry, Texas) was acquired by the Astros on July 20, along with six other players, from Toronto in exchange for pitchers David Carpenter, J.A. Happ and Brandon Lyon. Rollins spent most of this season with the Lansing Lugnuts of the Midwest League, going 6-1 with a 2.78 ERA over 18 starts, striking out 75 over 77 2/3 innings. Last year, he went 4-0 with a 1.77 ERA, with 29 strikeouts and only three walks, in seven combined starts between rookie-level Bluefield and short-season A Vancouver. The Blue Jays selected him out of San Jacinto (Texas) Community College North in the 24th round of the 2011 draft. Three of Rollins’ four starts with the Legends have come on the road. That includes his win, Aug. 4 at Hagerstown, when he tossed five innings of two-hit, shutout ball, striking out two.

Radio: WLXG-AM 1300

Baseball

                                     South Atlantic League

Lexington Legends vs. Charleston RiverDogs

What: Three-game series

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

Where: Joseph P. Riley Jr. Park, a.ka. The Joe (Charleston, S.C.)

Major League affiliates: Houston Astros (Legends), New York Yankees

Cruz

Alaniz

Foltynewicz

Probable pitchers (Legends listed first): Wednesday, RH Mike Foltynewicz (5-7, 4.19) vs.  RH Jose Ramirez (4-3, 4.50); Thursday, RH Ruben Alaniz (5-7, 4.74) vs. RH Zach Nuding (6-6, 4.58); Friday, LH Luis Cruz (1-2, 4.27) vs. RH Nathan Forer (1-4, 4.50).

Bryce Lane

Legend to watch: OF Bryce Lane (6-foot, 180 pounds, from Phenix City, Ala.) is having his best month at the plate, batting .286 (8-for-28), with two homers, three RBI and nine runs scored over nine games. Lane, who has seen action at all three outfield positions this season, is batting .222 overall over 43 games and has stolen five bases in six attempts. He also played five games for the High-A Lancaster JetHawks during a late May/early June callup, going hitless in 14 at-bats. A right-handed batter and thrower, Lane was selected by the Astros in the 41st round of the 2010 draft. A junior-college All-American for Gulf Coast Community College, he opted to sign with the Astros rather than continue college ball at Auburn. With Gulf Coast, he set school records of 26 homers and 90 RBI his sophomore season. Last year, he played for three Astros affiliates – Gulf Coast League Astros (.333 over eight games), Greeneville Astros (.202 over 37 games) and Lancaster (.356 over 15 games. His overall totals for 2010 included a .268 average, a homer, 20 RBI, 17 runs and four stolen bases.

Gary Sanchez

RiverDog to watch: 18-year-old C Gary Sanchez (6-2, 220, from Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic) is batting .243 with nine homers, 34 RBI and 35 runs over 65 games. Sanchez, who bats and throws righty, came into the season ranked by Baseball America as the No. 2 prospect in the Yankees system. MLB.com put him No. 32 among the top 50 prospects. Sanchez signed for $3 million — the largest bonus ever given by the Yankees to a teenager — in July 2009. He made his pro debut last year, playng 31 games with the Gulf Coast League Yankees and 16 games with Staten Island of the New York-Penn League. Combined, he batted .329 with eight homers, 43 RBI and 33 runs scored, earning GCL all-star honors.

Radio: WLXG AM-1300

Baseball

South Atlantic All-Star Game

Northern Division vs. Southern Division

Where: Arthur W. Perdue Stadium (Salisbury, Md.)

When: Tuesday, 7:30 p.m.

Probable pitchers: RH David Buchanan, Northern/Lakewood BlueClaws (8-4, 3.21) vs. RH Taylor Whitenton, Southern/Savannah Sand Gnats (3-1, 3.34)

Legends to watch

Adam Bailey

RF Adam Bailey (6-foot-1, 192 pounds, from Monument, Colo.) is one of the Southern Division’s five participants in the pre-game Home Run Derby. Bailey leads the Legends in runs (40), hits (79), total bases (135) and games played (68). Overall, he is batting .293 with 13 homers, 44 RBI, .337 on-base percentage and .500 slugging percentage. He’s not all offense, either, as he has a league-leading 12 outfield assists. A 38th round draft pick in 2009, Bailey opted to play his senior year at the University of Nebraska and became a 23rd round draft pick in 2010. At Nebraska, he was All-Big 12 while batting .368 with 18 homers, 69 RBI and 57 runs over 54 games. In the Astros system last year, he went 55-for-234 (.235) over 66 games with the Tri-City ValleyCats of the New York-Penn League. Included were four homers, a triple and 15 doubles, with 33 RBI, 20 runs and three stolen bases.

Mike Kvasnicka (Maloney photo)

Mike Kvasnicka

3B Mike Kvasnicka (6-2, 208, from Lakeville, Minn.) became a late addition to the all-star roster due to an injury suffered by Charleston RiverDogs infielder Kyle Roller. Kvasnicka leads the Legends in doubles (17) and is tied for the lead in triples (3). A switch-hitter, Kvasnicka is batting .286 with three homers, 37 RBI and 37 runs over 64 games, with a .346 on-base percentage and .419 slugging. A first-round suplemental draft pick (33rd overall) in 2010, Kvasnicka followed in the footsteps of his father Jay by playing collegiate ball for Minnesota. (Jay was an eighth-round pick of the Twins in 1988 and advanced to Triple-A ball.) Mike was a three-year starter for the Golden Gophers, a two-time All-Big Ten outfielder and led the conference in doubles as a junior. He also has significant experience as a catcher. Signed for $936,000, he reported to Tri-City last summer and hit .234 with five homers, 36 RBI and 31 runs over 68 games. Coming into the season, Baseball America rated him as the 14th-best prospect in the Astros system.

Jiovanni Mier (Maloney photo)

Jiovanni Mier

SS Jiovanni Mier (6-2, 180, from Las Vegas) is tied for the league lead in double plays turned by a shortstop (35). With 10 errors in 266 total chances, Mier has a .962 fielding percentage. On offense, he leads Legends in walks 37, while carrying a .245 batting average. Over 57 games, Mier has five homers, 29 RBI, 39 runs, 14 doubles, six stolen bases, a .354 on-base percentage and .380 slugging percentage. Houston’s 2009 first-round draft pick (21st overall), he came into this season rated by Baseball America as the fifth-best prospect in the Astros system. Wrote Baseball America: “The first prep shortstop drafted in 2009, Mier signed for $1.358 million, then ranked as the top position prospect in the Rookie-level Appalachian League after hitting .276/.380/.485 (average, on-base percentage, slugging with Greeneville). His first full pro season was rougher, as he was hitting .199 as late as June 17. He grinded his way through the season, however, batting .260 in the second half and rankein sixth in the low Class A South Atlantic League with 63 walks.”

Chris Wallace (Maloney photo)

Chris Wallace

C/DH Chris Wallace (6-0, 212, from Cypress, Texas) will join Bailey in Tuesday’s Home Run Derby. Wallace leads the Legends and is tied for third in the league with 14 homers. He also leads Legends in RBI (49) and extra-base hits (33), and is tied with Kvasnicka for the lead in triples (3). Overall, Wallace is batting .285 with 37 runs, 16 doubles and 133 total bases over 66 games. He has a .356 on-base percentage and .550 slugging. In April, he hit .398 with seven homers. A 16th round pick in the 2010 draft, he hit a team-leading 10 homers with a .388 on-base percentage and .486 slugging as a senior at the University of Houston. He then reported to Greeneville, earning Appalachian League all-star honors while batting .310 with eight homers and 32 RBI over 47 games. He also had three stolen bases and three triples, and was the team’s Offensive Player of the Month for July. Wallace also played 20 games with Tri-City, batting .250 with two homers and eight RBI.

Mike Kvasnicka

Lexington Legends third baseman Mike Kvasnicka has been added to the Southern Division roster for next week’s South Atlantic League All-Star Game.

The 52nd annual all-star contest will be played Tuesday at Salisbury, Md., home of the Delmarva Shorebirds.

Kvasnicka was named Friday as a replacement for Kyle Roller. The Charleston RiverDogs utility infielder is injured.

Kvasnicka, batting .292 with three homers, 37 RBI and 35 runs over 61 games, will join three Legends at Delmarva — shortstop Jiovanni Mier, catcher/designated hitter Chris Wallace and right fielder Adam Bailey.

Also added to the Southern roster Friday were Augusta pitcher Shawn Sanford, Asheville infielder Brett Tanos and Charleston outfielder Ramon Flores.

Sanford replaces Savannah’s Josh Edgin and Tanos takes the place of Savannah’s Robbie Shields. Both Sand Gnats have been promoted to the High-A St. Lucie Mets of the Florida State League.

Charleston’s Slade Heathcott will miss the all-star game due to injury, so Savannah’s Cory Vaughn will move into the starting lineup in center field. Flores takes the reserve spot that Vaughn had occupied.

No changes have been made to the Northern roster.

J.D. Martinez did just about everything he could for the Lexington Legends during his half-season-plus with the team.

J.D. Martinez

He did so well enough that he has been named Most Valuable Player in the South Atlantic League.

Martinez is joined on the SAL post-season all-star team by another since-promoted Legend, second baseman Jose Altuve.

Martinez, a right fielder and designated hitter during his time with the Legends, hit .362 over 88 games, with 15 homers, 31 doubles and three triples among his 126 hits. He drove in 64 runs and scored 83. He finished with a .433 on-base percentage, .598 slugging and 1.030 OPS.

Promoted to Class Double-A Corpus Christi on July 16, Martinez is batting .302 with three homers, 25 RBI and 24 runs scored over 47 games.

Jose Altuve

Altuve stayed with the Legends through July 30, batting .308 with 11 homers, 45 RBI, 75 runs, 39 stolen bases and an .809 OPS.

Since being promoted to High-A Lancaster, Altuve is batting .272 with three homers, 18 RBI, 15 runs and three stolen bases.

The SAL post-season awards were determined by a vote of league field managers, general managers, sportswriters and broadcasters.

Most Outstanding Pitcher honors went to James Fuller (8-3, 1.93 ERA, 19 games) of the Savannah Sand Gnats.

Lakewood BlueClaws first baseman Jonathan Singleton is the Most Outstanding Major League Prospect, hitting .297 with 107 hits and 14 homers over 98 games.

Lakewood’s Mark Parent is Manager of the Year and Marc Valdes of Savannah is Coach of the Year.

All-star selections included Augusta GreenJackets third baseman Chris Dominguez, out of the University of Louisville.

2010 South Atlantic League All-Star Team

Manager – Mark Parent (Lakewood BlueClaws)
Coach — Marc Valdez (Savvanah Sand Gnats)
Right-handed pitcher — Jorge Bucardo (Augusta GreenJackets)
Left-handed pitcher — James Fuller (Savannah)
Catcher — Sebastian Valle (Lakewood)
First baseman — Jared Clark (Asheville Tourists)
Second baseman — Jose Altuve (Lexington Legends)
Shortstop — Jonathan Villar (Lakewood)
Third baseman — Chris Dominguez (Augusta GreenJackets)
Utility infielder — Robert Lyerly (Charleston RiverDogs)
Outfielder — J.D. Martinez (Lexington Legends)
Outfielder — Eliezer Mesa (Asheville)
Outfielder — Jeremy Hazelbaker (Greenville Drive)
Utility outfielder — Destin Hood (Hagerstown Suns)
Designated hitter — Justin Bloxom (Hagerstown)

Most Valuable Player – J.D. Martinez (Lexington Legends)
Most Outstanding Pitcher — James Fuller (Savannah)
Most Outstanding MLB Prospect — Jonathan Singleton (Lakewood)

Baseball

South Atlantic
     League

UPDATED ROTATIONS (Monday p.m.)

Lexington Legends vs. Hagerstown Suns

What: Four-game series

When: Monday through Thursday (7:05 each night)

Where: Municipal Stadium (Hagerstown, Md.)

Affiliations: Houston Astros (Legends), Washington Nationals

Note: After four games at Hagerstown, the Legends move to Salisbury, Md., for five games against the Delmarva Shorebirds.

Jose Cisnero

Luis Cruz

Zach Grimmett

Tanner Bushue

Probable pitchers (Legends listed first): Monday, RH Jose Cisnero (5-5, 4.03) vs. RH Paul Demny (6-3, 3.58); Tuesday, LH Luis Cruz (5-2, 3.25) vs. LH Graham Hicks (1-4, 4.85); Wednesday, RH Zach Grimmett (4-1, 4.00) vs. RH Garrett Mock (rehab start, from Nationals); Thursday, RH Tanner Bushue (5-6, 4.32) vs. LH Josh Smoker (3-10, 7.38).

Justin Bloxom

Sun to watch: 1B Justin Bloxom (6-foot-1, 205 pounds, from Phoenix) ranks fifth or better in SAL batting (.310), RBI (68), hits (126), doubles (29) and total bases (193) through Saturday’s games. He’s also among the top 10 in runs (65), slugging (.474) and OPS (.829). Bloxom also has 10 homers, four triples and 10 stolen bases over 101 games. A 2009 11th-round draft pick of the Washington Nationals, out of Kansas State University, Bloxom broke in as a pro last year with the Vermont Lake Monsters of the New York-Penn League, hitting .228 with three homers, 24 RBI and 31 runs scored over 67 games.

Jimmy Paredes

Legend to watch: 2B Jimmy Paredes (6-1, 178, from Haina, Dominican Republic) joined the Legends on Saturday, moving from the Charleston RiverDogs as part of the Houston Astros’ trade of Lance Berkman to the New York Yankees. (The Astros also got pitching prospect Mark Melancon.) Paredes takes over for  all-star 2B Jose Altuve, who has been promoted to High-A Lancaster of the California League. Paredes made his first start for the Legends on Sunday, contributing an RBI double. He played 99 games with the RiverDogs, hitting .282 with five homers, 48 RBI, 59 runs, 24 doubles, six triples and 36 stolen bases. Paredes signed as a non-drafted free agent with the Yankees on July 2, 2006. He spent 2007 with the Dominican Summer League Yankees, 2008 with the Gulf Coast League Yankees and last year Staten Island of the New York-Penn League. With the DSL Yankees, he led the club with 42 RBI over 64 games, ranking second in hits (69) and doubles (14). A year later, he led the GCL Yanks in hits (45) and stolen bases (6). He earned NYPL all-star honors last year, batting .302 with two homers, 17 RBI, 36 runs and 23 stolen bases over 54 games.

Radio: WLXG AM-1300

Coming up

South Atlantic League baseball

Lexington Legends

at Charleston RiverDogs

What: Four-game series

Where: Joseph P. Riley Jr. Park (a.k.a. The Joe), Charleston, S.C.

When: Thursday through Sunday (7:05 p.m. Thursday, Friday and Saturday; 5:05 p.m. Sunday)

Tanner Bushue

Juan Minaya

Probable starters (Legends listed first): Thursday, RH Tanner Bushue vs. LH Shaeffer Hall; Friday, RH Juan Minaya vs. RH Graham Stoneburner; Saturday, RH Robert Donovan vs. RH Sean Black; Sunday, RH Jose Cisnero vs. RH Jose A. Ramirez.

RiverDog to watch: Game four starter Jose A. Ramirez (6-foot-1, 155 pounds, from Yaguate, Dominican Republic) won “Short-Season Starting Pitcher of the Year” from MLB.com last season. In 11 games (10 starts) with the Gulf Coast League Yankees, Ramirez went 6-0 with a 1.48 ERA. Over 61 innings, he struck out 53, walked 16 and held opponents to a .159 batting average. Ramirez, signed as a free agent June 10, 2007, also played one game with Tampa of the Florida State League. In three innings, he gave up one hit and struck out two. Baseball America rates Ramirez as the 20th-best prospect in the Yankees system. His fastball consistently hits 92-95 mph, according to Baseball America.

Jonathan Meyer

Legend to watch: 3B Jonathan Meyer (6-1, 195, from Simi Valley, Calif.) was a third-round supplemental draft pick of the Houston Astros last June. In 62 games with the Greeneville Astros, he hit just .190 with three homers, 27 RBI and 69 strikeouts. Nevertheless, he is highly regarded. Baseball America puts him at No. 18 on its list of prospects in the Astros system. He had several changes coming out of high school, where he played shortstop and tried switch-hitting as a senior. Baseball America says Meyer has “good bat speed, strong hands and patience, as he led the Appalachian League with 36 walks.”

Radio: WLXG AM-1300 

South Atlantic League baseball

Coming up

Lexington Legends vs. Asheville Tourists

What: Three-game series

When: Tuesday through Thurday (7:05 each night)

Where: McCormick Field (Asheville, N.C.)

Robert Bono

Legends RHP Ross Seaton is set to start Wednesday. (Staff photo/Mark Cornelison)

David Duncan

Probable pitchers (Legends listed first): Tuesday, RH Robert Bono (8-8, 3.41) vs. RH Alan DeRatt (2-3, 4.91); Wednesday, RH Ross Seaton (8-10, 3.31) vs. RH Carlos Luna (0-0, 7.56); Thursday, LH David Duncan (4-3, 4.24) vs. RH Juan Nicasio (8-3, 2.41).

Tourist to watch: Switch-hitting CF Delta Cleary Jr. (6-foot-3, 180 pounds, from Jonesboro, Ark.) entered the season as the 11th-best prospect in the Rockies system, according to Baseball America. Through Sunday, he is hitting .258 with seven homers and 43 RBI over 100 games. He has stolen 31 bases in 42 attempts and scored 50 runs. He had three hits in each game, Saturday and Sunday, at Bowling Green. Rated by Baseball America as “best athlete” in the Rockies system, Cleary is a cousin of NBA pro Shawn Marion. Cleary, a guard, averaged 13 points a game to help his high school to the Arkansas Class 6A state title. He also quarterbacked the football team. Cleary then led his junior-college baseball team to the Division II national championship. Selected by Colorado in the 37th round of the 2008 draft, out of Louisiana State-Eunice JC, Cleary broke in to pro ball last year with Casper of the Pioneer League. There, he hit .276 with three homers, nine RBI and four stolen bases in 27 games.

Michael Hacker

Legend to watch: LHP Michael Hacker (5-9, 175, from Folsom, Calif.) struck out two Saturday in a scoreless inning of relief against the Hickory Crawdads. That was his first appearance since July 16 and bodes well after a horrendous season up to that point. His numbers: 0-1, 2.69 ERA, 20 strikeouts, 15 walks. Selected by the Houston Astros in the 25th round of the 2008 draft, out of Cosumnes River (Calif.) Junior College, Hacker played for the Tri-City ValleyCats of the New York-Penn League last year. Over 23 appearances, all in relief, Hacker went 1-3 with five saves and a 2.73 ERA. He worked 26 1/3 innings, striking out 27 and walking 17. He held opposing batters to a .187 average and did not allow an earned run in his first 17 games. He was especially tough on the road, with an ERA of 1.08.

Radio: WLXG AM-1300

MVP Jordan Pacheco

Derek Norris, top prospect

Also of note: Former Lafayette High School and University of Kentucky standout Michael Bertram is the Eastern League Player of the Week. Bertram, a third baseman for the Double-A Erie (Pa.) SeaWolves, went 9-for-26 (.346) with two doubles, two triples and two homers. He drove in 11 runs, scored eight times, walked three times and finished with an .808 slugging percentage for six games. … No Legends were on the annual list of SAL all-stars revealed Monday. The Charleston RiverDogs led the way with three selections: RHP David Phelps, 3B Corban Joseph and Melky Mesa (utility OF). West Virginia’s Rudy Owens was named Most Outstanding Pitcher, going 10-1 with a 1.70 ERA over 19 games before being promoted to Lynchburg of the Carolina League. Hagerstown Suns catcher Derek Norris, batting .288 with 122 hits and 23 homers in 121 games, was tabbed Most Outstanding Major League Prospect. Asheville catcher Jordan Pacheco, batting .325 with 139 hits and 13 homers through 111 games, was named MVP. Selections came from a vote of SAL field managers, general managers, sportswriters and broadcasters. Lakewood’s Dusty Wathan was selected as manager, Greenville’s Bob Kipper as coach. Other players picked: Asheville’s Scott Robinson (OF); Hagerstown’s Stephen Lombardozzi (2B); Augusta’s Josh Mazzola (1B); Bowling Green’s Tim Beckham (SS); Delmarva’s Ronnie Welty (OF); Hickory’s Erik Morrison (utility IF), and Lakewood’s Anthony Gose (OF).

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. Charleston RiverDogs

What: Four-game series

When: Friday through Monday (7:05 each night except Sunday, 5:05)

Where: Joseph P. Riley Jr. Park, a.k.a. “The Joe” (Charleston, S.C.)

Probable pitchers (Legends listed first): Friday, RH Jordan Lyles (5-9, 3.61) vs. RH Jairo Heredia (0-0, 2.25); Saturday, LH Brad Dydalewicz (5-4, 3.38) vs. LH Manny Banuelos (8-4, 2.60); Sunday, RH Ross Seaton (7-8, 2.82) vs. LH Trent Lare (3-2, 1.07 for Staten Island, New York-Penn League); Monday, LH David Duncan (1-2, 3.60) vs. RH Cory Arbiso (3-7, 3.18).

RiverDog to watch: OF Melky Mesa (6-foot-1, 185 pounds, from Haina, Dominican Republic) ranks second in the league with 20 homers and is fourth with 65 RBI. In addition to homers and RBI, he leads the RiverDogs in runs (63), hits (90), at-bats (370), doubles (22), total bases (184) and walks (41). Hitting .243 with 10 stolen bases over 99 games, he also is among the SAL’s top 10 in triples (6) and slugging percentage (.497). However, he’s also second in the league with 123 strikeouts. Signed by the New York Yankees six years ago, when he was 16, Mesa spent two seasons in the Dominican Summer League and two more in the Gulf Coast League. Last year, with Staten Island, he hit .221 with seven homers and 23 RBI over 46 games. Fourteen of his 27 hits went for extra bases.

Brandon Wikoff

Legend to watch: SS Brandon Wikoff (5-8, 170, from Peoria, Ill.) is the first 2009 draft pick to join the Legends. Up from Tri-City of the New York-Penn League, he swaps roster spots with Jorge DeLeon. Wikoff has hits in his first three games with the Legends, going 5-for-11 (.455) and scoring twice. In 28 games with Tri-City, he hit .287 with two RBI, 12 runs and a pair of stolen bases. Selected by the Houston Astros in the fifth round of last month’s draft, out of the University of Illinois, finished his days with the Illini on a career-best 18-game hitting streak, including nine multi-hit games. An all-Big Ten pick, he had 23 multi-hit games in the season, started all 56 games and reached base in every game except one. He played third base as a freshman (2007), before moving to short. He led his high school team to the Illinois State Tournament in 2005 and 2006.

Radio: WLXG AM-1300

Koby Clemens

Also of note: Mike Tauser’s “Farmstros Five” for the week of July 22-28 include former Legend Koby Clemens, now with the Lancaster JetHawks. The weekly list of top performers in the Astros system (click here: http://farmstros.blogspot.com/) also includes Gulf Coast League Astros IF Luis Bryan, Tri-City ValleyCats RHP Max Fearnow and Round Rock Express RHP Yorman Bazardo. Top performer is plural this week, designated as the Dominican Summer League Astros pitching trio.