Mark Maloney on Kentucky sports

Three teams from Kentucky are among the top 10 ranked cross country squads in the Southeast Region, both on the men’s and women’s lists compiled by the U.S. Track & Field and Cross Country Coaches Association.

Cory Thorne

The top ranking among state schools came from the Louisville men at No. 4. William & Mary is No. 1, followed by North Carolina State, Virginia and Louisville.

The Cardinals, who will host the NCAA Southeast Regional on Saturday, Nov. 14, are coming off a fourth-place finish in the Big East Conference championships. Cory Thorne, a senior, became U of L’s first-ever Big East cross country individual champion.

After Louisville comes No. 5 Duke, Virginia Tech, North Carolina, Eastern Kentucky and, at No. 10, Kentucky.

Wesley Ruttoh

EKU, led by individual champion Wesley Ruttoh, captured its fourth consecutive Ohio Valley Conference championship last weekend.

UK, paced by Luis Orta in 13th place, finished seventh at the Southeastern Conference championships.

Ranked women’s teams from the Bluegrass are Western Kentucky, Kentucky and Louisville at 7-8-9.

Duke leads the women’s rankings, trailed by Virginia, N.C. State, North Carolina, William & Mary, James Madison and the three Kentucky teams. Charlotte completes the top 10.

Janet Jesang

Chelsea Oswald

Western got a 1-2 finish from Janet Jesang and Marion Kandie to run away with its fourth consecutive Sun Belt Conference title.

UK, led by freshman Chelsea Oswald in 14th place, took eighth in the SEC meet.

Sixth-place individual Tarah McKay helped U of L’s team take seventh at the Big East meet.

Astros add pair of former Legends to 40-man roster

The Houston Astros announced Thursday that they have purchased the contracts of left-handed pitcher Fernando Abad and infielder Wladimir Sutil, and added the pair to the 40-man roster.

Fernando Abad

Wladimir Sutil

Both former Lexington Legends were eligible to become minor-league free agents if they had not been added to the 40-man roster by Monday.

Abad, 23, has been in the Astros system for seven seasons. The Dominican spent most of the 2009 campaign with High-A Lancaster, where he was 4-6 with a 4.14 ERA over 41 relief appearances. He struck out 79 and walked only eight. He also made three starts for Double-A Corpus Christi, where he was 0-1 with a 3.21 ERA, 13 strikeouts and three walks.

With the 2008 Legends, Abad was 2-7 with a 3.30 ERA over 45 relief outings. He struck out 94 and walked 13 over 76 1/3 innings. Over his seven seasons in the minors, spanning 410 2/3 innings, Abad has struck out 437 and walked only 59.

Sutil, a Venezuelan who played 66 games over parts of two seasons with the Legends, earned Texas League post-season all-star honors with Corpus Christi in 2009. The shortstop hit .273 over 125 games, with a homer, 37 RBI, 77 runs scored and a club-best 19 stolen bases. He had more walks (44) than strikeouts (42).

Sutil played six games for Lexington in 2005, going 6-for-23 (.261) and driving in three runs. In 2006, he played 60 games with the team before being promoted to High-A. He hit .272 for the Legends, with 12 RBI, 31 runs and 20 stolen bases. Over seven seasons in the Astros system, Sutil has 161 stolen bases.

Coming up

Lexington Legends vs. Bowling Green Hot Rods

What: Four-game series (Final series of the 2009 season)

When: Friday through Monday (7:05 Friday and Saturday nights; 5:05 Sunday; 1:05 Monday)

Where: Bowling Green Ballpark, Bowling Green, Ky.

Probable pitchers (Legends listed first): Friday, RH Kyle Greenwalt (8-13, 4.10) vs. RH Chris Andujar (10-4, 2.74); Saturday, RH Jordan Lyles (6-11, 3.31) vs. TBA; Sunday, LH Brad Dydalewicz (7-5, 3.87) vs. LH Frank De Los Santos (4-10, 3.79); Monday, RH Robert Bono (8-8, 3.41) vs. TBA.

Chris Andujar

Hot Rod to watch: All-star RHP Chris Andujar (6-foot, 182 pounds, from San Pedro de Macoris, Dominican Republic) gets the start Friday. Andujar’s 10 victories are tied for third-best in the league (through Tuesday) and his 2.74 ERA ranks fourth. Over 30 appearances, including 16 starts, Andujar has worked 115 innings, striking out 76 and walking 39. Signed by Tampa Bay as a free agent on April 25, 2006. With Hudson Valley of the New York-Penn League last year, Andujar went 3-4 with a 5.65 ERA. He averaged nearly a strikeout per inning, fanning 57 over 65 2/3 innings.

Brian Pellegrini

Legends to watch: 1B/LF/DH Brian Pellegrini (6-1, 240, from Willoughby, Ohio) smashed the franchise records for career homers (28, by Tommy Whiteman and Justin Humphries) earlier this season and needs just one more to take sole possession of the team’s single-season record. He goes into the series with 46 bombs as a Legend. His 25 this season lead the league and match the single-season record set by Beau Hearod and tied by Hunter Pence. Pellegrini played his first 30 games of the season for High-A Lancaster, hitting another seven homers. Through Wednesday, Pellegrini is hitting .290, with 68 RBI and 60 runs scored, over 98 games with the Legends. He was selected by the Houston Astros in the 12th round of the 2007 draft, out of St. Bonaventure University, where he was the Atlantic 10 Player of the Year in 2006. He played five games for Tri-City in 2007. Last year, in 87 games with the Legends, Pellegrini hit .226 with 21 homers 69 RBI and 50 runs scored. Despite his linebacker-type build, Pellegrini is surprisingly quick. He stole 13 bases last season and has nine this year. 

Radio: WLXG AM-1300

Bud Norris

Henry Villar

Matt Nevarez

Also of note: Former Legend RHP Bud Norris, now with the Astros, has been named Pitcher of the Year in the Pacific Coast League, where he played for the Round Rock Express. Norris went 4-9, but led the PCL with a 2.63 ERA over 19 starts. Since being called up by the Astros, Norris is 3-3 with a 6.61 ERA over six starts. … Mike Tauser’s “Farmstros Five” for the week, all RHPs, includes Legends Henry Villar and Matt Nevarez. Corpus Christi’s Chia-jen Lo tops the list, joined by Jose Cisnero of Greeneville and Kirk Clark of Tri-City. For more on the Farmstros, see Tauser’s blog: http://farmstros.blogspot.com/

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

Coming up

Lexington Legends vs. Asheville Tourists

What: Four-game series

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

Where: Applebee’s Park

Tickets: Call (859) 422-7867

Probable pitchers (Legends listed first): Saturday, RH Ross Seaton (8-8, 2.67) vs. RH Dan Houston (5-8, 3.95); Sunday, LH David Duncan (1-3, 4.40) vs. RH Jonnathan Aristil (2-6, 4.70); Monday, RH Kyle Greenwalt (7-10, 3.81) vs. TBA; Tuesday, Jordan Lyles (6-10, 3.44) vs. TBA.

Tourist to watch: LF Scott Robinson (6-foot, 185 pounds, from McDonough, Ga.) leads the Tourists in runs (71), hits (124), doubles (27), stolen bases (37), games (97) and at-abats (391). He’s batting .317 with three homers and 31 RBI. Selected by the Colorado Rockies in the 30th round of the 2006 draft, Robinson played the 2007 season for the Casper Ghosts of the Pioneer League, compiling a .240 average, five homers, 25 RBI and 10 steals over 50 games. Last year, with the Tri-City Dust Devils of the Northwest League, he hit .268 with six homers, 25 RBI and 15 steals over 59 games.

Antonio Noguera

Legend to watch: LHP Antonio Noguera (6-3, 194, from Caracas, Venezuela) joined the Legends last week, promoted from the Tri-City ValleyCats of the New York-Penn League. The southpaw has made a pair of one-inning, shutout relief appearances for the Legends, with combined totals of one hit, one walk and one striketout. In 14 games with the ValleyCats, Noguera compiled a 2-0 record and 3.62 ERA, with eight walks to 21 strikeouts over 27 1/3 innings. Signed by the Houston Astros as a non-drafted free agent in September of 2004, when he was 16, Noguera also pitched for Tri-City last season. There, he was 2-8 with a 7.59 ERA over 15 games, including 13 starts. He walked 21 and struck out 24 over 53 1/3 innings. 

Radio: WLXG AM-1300

Jordan Lyles

Also of note: Jordan Lyles, scheduled to start Tuesday’s game for the Legends, is on Baseball America’s “Prospect Hot Sheet” this week. … Members of the Breathitt County Junior Red Cross Club will attend Saturday’s game. When massive flooding took place in Eastern Kentucky last May, club members voted to use all available funds to help those affected by the floods. That included money for the club’s annual trip to a Legends game, which is a reward to students for their service. Officials from several agencies, including the Legends, Central Bank and

Patrick Urckfitz

Jay Austin

Trust, Aramark and the Bluegrass Chapter of the American Red Cross stepped in to fund Saturday’s trip. … Fans are invited to come early for Tuesday’s game and take part in the Family Fun Fest, just outside the ballpark gates. The Fun Fest, free to the public opens at 4 p.m. More than 20 attractions will be available, including batting and pitching cages, bungee runs, super slides, bounce houses, video arcade, a “rookie

Andy Simunic

zone” and a minor-league museum. Fans also can put their own photos on free souvenir baseball cards or on a Sports Illustrated for Kids magazine cover. … Legends players of the month for July, as selected by the coaching staff, are LH Patrick Urckfitz (Pitcher), CF Jay Austin (Offensive) and IF Andy Simunic (Defensive). Urckfitz was 1-0 with a 0.77 ERA over 10 relief appearnaces. Austin was 31-for-107 (.290) with nine extra-base hits, 10 RBI and eight steals over 26 games. Simunic has a .973 fielding percentage (five errors in 184 chances) over 51 games this season. … Former Legends picking up team Player of the Month honors in the Astros system include: Round Rock Express OF Brian Bogusevic (Offensive); Corpus Christi Hooks IF Jhon Florentino (Defensive); and Lancaster JetHawks RH Leandro Cespedes (Pitcher). … Mike Tauser’s “Farmstros Five” of the week: Gulf Coast League Astros IF Enrique Hernandez; Lyles; Lancaster OF/C Koby Clemens; Corpus Christi OF Drew Locke; and “top performer” Wilton Lopez, RHP for Corpus Christi.

John Buck

The Kansas City Royals already have one member of the Lexington Legends Hall of Fame, catcher John Buck.

Now they have a second, and indisputedly the most popular player in the Legends’ nine seasons, outfielder Josh Anderson.

Josh Anderson

The Detroit Tigers sent Anderson, 26,  to the Royals for cash Thursday.

Anderson, a native of Eubank in Pulaski County and a collegiate standout at Eastern Kentucky, hit .242 with 16 RBI and 13 stolen bases in 15 attempts for the Tigers this season.

The Houston Astros selected Anderson in the fourth round of the 2003 draft.

At Eastern, Anderson led the Colonels to a second-place finish in the 2003 Ohio Valley Conference Tournament. He led the nation with 57 stolen bases, was named OVC Player of the Year and became EKU’s first Louisville Slugger First Team All-American.

After earning New York-Penn League all-star honors with the Tri-City ValleyCats in 2003, Anderson landed on the Legends roster to open the 2004 season.

He stayed only half a season, then promoted to High-A Salem.

In 73 games with the Legends, Anderson hit .324 with four homers, 31 RBI and 47 stolen bases in 56 attempts. He scored 69 runs, and his strikeout total matched his stolen-base total — 47.

Including his time with Salem that season, Anderson was 78-for-91 on the basebaths.

He was named a South Atlantic League all-star.

The highlight of his short stay in Lexington was a still-standing club-record 6-for-6 game in a 13-6 rout of the Greensboro Bats. Facing four pitchers that day, Anderson had five singles and a double, scored five times, drove in a pair of runs and stole four bases.

From Salem, Anderson advanced the Double-A Corpus Christi (2005-06) and Triple-A Round Rock (2007), then joined the Astros for 21 games late in 2007. He hit .358 for Houston, with 11 RBI and a stolen base in his lone attempt.

The Astros traded Anderson to the Atlanta Braves after the 2007 season for pitcher Oscar Villarreal. Anderson split time between Atlanta and Triple-A, setting a Richmond (Va.) Braves and International League-record 27-game hitting streak. He hit .314 at the Triple-A level that season, with 155 hits, 77 runs, four triples and 42 stolen bases.

In 40 games with Atlanta, Anderson hit .294 with three homers, 12 RBI and 10 steals.

The Tigers acquired Anderson last March 30 in exchange for minor-league pitcher Rudy Darrow.

A left-handed hitter, Anderson’s big-league totals include a .283 batting average, three homers and 39 RBI.

Lexington Legends Brian Wabick, Brian Pellegrini and Jay Austin have earned organizational Player of the Month honors for June.

The Houston Astros player development department announced Monday the awards for each of the club’s minor-league teams, as determined by each field staff.

Brian Wabick

Wabick, a right-hander, was the Legends’ pitcher of the month. He appeared in six games, including a spot start, going 2-0 with a 2.76 ERA. Wabick gave up five earned runs of 16 1/3 innings.

Brian Pellegrini

Pellegrini, who has seen action at DH, left field and mostly first base, earned his second straight offensive player of the month award. Pellegrini hit .437 (38-for-87) in June, with nine homers and 26 RBI over 24 games.

Jay Austin

Austin, a center fielder, is the Defensive Player of the Month. He has a season fielding percentage of .985 (one error, 130 total chances).

Other players of month in the Astros organization include former Legends Bud Norris and J.R. Towles of Triple-A Round Rock, Polin Trinidad and Wladimir Sutil of Double-A Corpus Christi, and Fernando Abad of High-A Lancaster.

Bud Norris

J.R. Towles

RHP Norris made four starts in June, going 1-1 with a 0.96 ERA over 28 innings. He leads the Pacific Coast League in ERA (2.52) and strikeouts (92).

Towles, a catcher, took offensive honors with a .441 on-base percentage — 11-for-43 (.256) with 12 walks.

Polin Trinidad

Wladimir Sutil

LHP Trinidad was 3-2 with a 0.72 ERA in June, totaling 37 1/3 innings. With an overall record of 7-5 with one save and a 2.94 ERA over 13 games, Trinidad has been promoted to Round Rock.

Sutil, an infielder, snagged offensive honors with the Hooks by hitting .312 (34-for-109) with 16 runs, nine RBI and eight doubles.

Fernando Abad

LHP Abad worked seven games for the JetHawks, going 1-0 with a save and 1.06 ERA over 17 innings.

Other players recognized include Round Rock OF Yordanny Ramirez, Corpus Christi IF Drew Meyer and Lancaster OF J.B. Shuck (defense), and Lancaster OF Jon Gaston (offense). Recognized by the rookie-level Dominican Summer League Astros: RHP Leonardo Alayon, OF Ricardo Heredia (offense) and IF Hector Rodriguez (defense).

South Atlantic League baseball

Coming up

What: 4-game series

When: REVISED after Thursday’s rainout: Friday through Sunday (5:05 p.m. doubleheader Friday, 7:05 Saturday night, 2:05 Sunday afternoon)

Where: Applebee’s Park

Tickets: Call (859) 422-7867

Probable pitchers (Legends listed first): Friday, game one, RH Kyle Greenwalt (4-7, 3.87) vs. LH Frank De Los Santos (3-5, 4.08); Friday, game two, RH Jordan Lyles (4-6, 3.09) vs. RH Nick Barnese (1-1, 1.59); Saturday, LH Brad Dydalewicz (4-1, 2.59) vs. LH Matt Moore (3-3, 3.41); Sunday, RH Robert Bono (6-4, 2.27) vs. RH Shane Dyer (1-5, 4.65).

Anthony Scelfo

Hot Rod to watch: CF Anthony Scelfo (5-foot-10, 195 pounds, from New Orleans) leads Bowling Green in runs (33), walks (26) and stolen bases (7). Over 62 games, he’s batting .247 with two homers and 17 RBI. After batting .195 in May, he has improved to .289 this month. Selected by Tampa Bay in the eighth round of the 2008 draft, out of Tulane University, where he was on a football scholarship. He started in both sports his final academic year, 2007-08. He quarterbacked in all 12 football games, including eight starts over the last nine games, and finished with 1,396 yards and six touchdowns on 111-for-205 passing. He also was second on the team with 171 rushing yards and a score on 57 carries. The following spring, he hit .322 and led the Green Wave in homers (12), triples (7), runs (72), total bases (133), walks (54), slugging (.578) and on-base percentage (.453). Scelfo was named to the New York-Penn League all-star team in his first pro season, last year with Hudson Valley. He hit .281 with four homers and 24 RBI over 61 games, and led the league with eight triples.

Michael Diaz

Legend to watch: IF/DH Michael Diaz (5-10, 180, from Bridgeport, Conn.) has hits in nine of his last 10 games (12-for-35, .343). Overall, he’s hitting .264 with three homers, 10 RBI, eight runs and four stolen bases over 36 games. With runners in scoring position, he’s 11-for-26 (.423). Selected by the Houston Astros in the 30th round of the 2008 draft, out of Southern Connecticut State, he played 48 games for Tri-City in the New York-Penn League last summer. He went 50-for-177 (.282) with five homers, 22 RBI, 29 runs and six stolen bases. This season, he played one game with Double-A Corpus Christi (0-for-1) before being assigned to the Legends. Oddly, he is hitting .348 on the road and .169 at Applebee’s Park. The same was true with Tri-City, as he hit .351 on the road and .205 at home.

Radio: WLXG AM-1300

Also of interest: Blogger Mike Tauser has named his “Farmstros Five” for the week: Top performer LHP Luis Cruz of Greeneville; RHP Jordan Lyles of Lexington; OF T.J. Steele of Lancaster; and a pair of former Legends, LHP Polin Trinidad of Corpus Christi and RHP Bud Norris of Round Rock. You can find the blog at: http://farmstros.blogspot.com/

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. Rome Braves

Jordan Lyles

Kyle Greenwalt

What: Four-game series

When: Wednesday through Saturday (Wednesday, Friday, Saturday at 7 p.m.; Thursday at 10:30 a.m.)

Where: State Mutual Stadium (Rome, Ga.)

Probable pitchers (Legends listed first): Wednesday, RH Kyle Greenwalt (2-1, 0.78)

Ross Seaton

Henry Villar

vs. RH Jacob Thompson (0-2, 4.28); Thursday, RH Jordan Lyles (1-2, 4.94) vs. LH Brett DeVall (0-1, 4.91); Friday, RH Ross Seaton (4-1, 0.91) vs. RH Zeke Spruill (4-0, 2.39); Saturday, RH Henry Villar (0-0, 2.37) vs. RH Randall Delgado (1-3, 4.03).

Brave to watch: 1B Gerardo Rodriguez (6-foot-1, 195 pounds, from Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic) leads the Braves in hits (28), triples (3), homers (5), RBI (15) and total

Gerardo Rodriguez

bases (54), and shares the team lead in doubles (5). Also has played error-free ball at first base. Originally signed by the Yankees after the 2004 season, when he was 17. Joined the Braves in 2008, leading Danville in homers (13) and RBI (49). the latter total ranking third in the Appalachian League. 

Arcenio Leon

Legend to watch: RHP Arcenio Leon (6-1, 162, from Maracaibo, Venezuela) has notched wins in his last three appearances, all in relief. Overall, Leon is 3-0 with a 2.12 ERA over seven appearances (one start) and 17 innings. He has held opponents to a .136 batting average. Two of his wins came last week against Rome. Signed by the Astros Feb. 7, 2005, Leon went 3-6 over two seasons in the Venezuelan Summer League. He spent the past two seasons with Greeneville of the Appalachian League, going 0-7, 4.67 in 2007 and 3-1, 3.33 in 2008.

Charley Taylor

Albert Cartwright

Also of interest: Legends pitching coach Charley Taylor continues to recover at his Northern Kentucky home after undergoing surgery to remove his prostate and  cancerous bladder. Taylor says he hopes to be able to visit the team at Applebee’s Park in early June. … Legends 2B Albert Cartwright suffered a broken ulna (left forearm) as a result of being hit by a pitch

Brian McCann

during Monday’s game at Augusta. He is expected to be sidelined six-to-eight weeks. Cartwright hit .316 (25-for-79) over 23 games, with three homers, 13 RBI and 16 runs. … Taking Cartwright’s roster spot is IF Andy Simunic, a 17th-round draft pick out of the University of Tennessee last June. Simunic, 23, had been in the Astros’ extended spring training camp. Last year, he hit .234 with 14 RBI and 20 runs over 53 games with Tri-City of the New York-Penn League. … Atlanta Braves C Brian McCann was scheduled to make a rehab start Wednesday against the Legends, but the Braves changed the assignment Tuesday night to High-A Myrtle Beach. McCann, who helped Rome to the 2003 SAL championship, has been on the disabled list since April 25 due to an infected left eye.

Radio: WLXG AM-1300

Astros Minor League Players of the Month

Legends Players of the Month for April, as announced by the parent-club Houston Astros, are Daniel Meszaros, Ebert Rosario and Albert Cartwright.

Daniel Meszaros

Ebert Rosario

Meszaros is the team’s Pitcher of the Month, converting all seven of his save opportunities without allowing an earned run. Over 7 1/3 innings, he struck out 12.

Rosario, a third baseman, is Offensive Player of the Month. He hit .375 (21-for-56) with seven doubles, eight RBI and 10 runs scored in April.

Cartwright, a second baseman, is the Defensive Player of the Month. Over 20 games and 112 chances, Cartwright compiled a .973 fielding percentage (three errors).

Several former Legends earned organizational Player of the Month honors:

SS Tommy Manzella is Defensive Player of the Month for 3A Round Rock (18 games, .964 fielding percentage).

RH Brad James is Pitcher of the Month for 2A Corpus Christi (1-0, 2.81, 16 innings). 

The Houston Astros announced Thursday that they have agreed to terms with RHP Fernando Nieve on a one-year contract, with a Major League Value of $414,000.

Fernando Nieve

Nieve, 26, is a former Lexington Legend. He was 0-1 with an 8.44 ERA over eight short relief appearances for the Astros last season, and 2-5 with a 5.72 ERA over 36 games (seven starts) for Triple-A Round Rock.

A day earlier, another pair of former Legends agreed to terms with the Astros, both for a one-year deal with a Major League Value of $400,000.

RHP Brad James, 24, was 6-6 with a 4.45 ERA over 19 starts for Double-A Corpus Christi last season.

IF Edwin Maysonet, 27, hit .271 with six homers and 34 RBI over 117 games with Round Rock.

* The University of Kentucky, ranked as high as 19th nationally, opens its baseball season Friday in the Caravelle Resort tournament at Conway, S.C. The Wildcats will meet Troy at 2 p.m. UK will face James Madison and Coastal Carolina on Saturday. Coastal, ranked as high as 22nd nationally, will face the Cats again on Sunday.

* Also opening play Friday is Louisville, in the first of a three-game series at Florida. U of L is ranked as high as No. 8 in the nation, while the Gators top out at No. 23.