Mark Maloney on Kentucky sports

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

South Atlantic League baseball

Coming up

Lexington Legends vs. Savannah Sand Gnats

What: Four-game series

When: Friday through Monday (7:05 p.m. Friday, Saturday; 2:05 Sunday; 10:05 a.m. Monday)

Where: Applebee’s Park

Tickets: Call   (859) 422-7867  

Probable pitchers (Legends listed first): Friday, Arcenio Leon (3-1, 3.26) vs. RH Jeffrey Kaplan (3-1, 1.13); Saturday, RH Robert Bono (4-1, 1.91) vs. LH Robert Carson (2-3, 2.20); Sunday, RH Kyle Greenwalt (2-3, 2.38) vs. RH Eric Beaulac (2-1, 2.81); Monday, RH Jordan Lyles (1-4, 4.04) vs. RH Elvin Ramirez (2-2, 3.41).

Sean Ratliff

Sand Gnat to watch: LF Sean Ratliff (6-foot-3, 185 pounds, from Oklahoma City) was a fourth-round draft pick of the Mets last June, out of Stanford. With Brooklyn of the New York-Penn League last season, the left-handed hitter and thrower batted .229 with seven homers and 22 RBI over 59 games. He hit . 208 before the all-star break, .288 the rest of the way. This season, through Wednesday, Ratliff is hitting .346 with four homers and 18 RBI. Of his league-leading 45 hits, 19 have been for extra bases. He also leads the league in total bases (74) and ranks in the top 10 in average, doubles, homers, slugging percentage and OPS (on-base-plus-slugging percentages).

Jorge De Leon

Legend to watch: SS Jorge De Leon (6-0, 168, from Azua, Dominican Republic) burst onto the Lexington scene Monday, when he made his team debut against Charleston. All he did was go 3-for-5 and drive in the winning run with a two-out single in the 14th inning. (He also reached base when hit by a pitch.) De Leon, 21, hit .235 with a homer and 14 RBI over 32 games last season with Greeneville of the Appalachian League. He hit .343 over 43 at-bats in July. He spent the previous two seasons playing for the Dominican Summer League Astros. De Leon reported to the Legends from extended spring training to plug the hole left when Ricardo Bonfante (dislocated shoulder) went on the disabled list.

Radio: WLXG AM-1300

The Lexington Legends are back in town for eight games, tied for first place in the South Atlantic League’s Southern Division and itching to snap a four-game losing streak.

Things are off to a fast start on a Monday night at Applebee’s Park.

The Charleston RiverDogs package three hits and a walk in the first inning. Abraham Almonte’s bases-loaded single to center gives the New York Yankees affiliate a 2-0 lead.

Jay Austin

Federico Hernandez

The Legends come back with two in the bottom of the inning.

Jay Austin leads off with a double to the right-field corner. One out later, Federico Hernandez rips an Andrew Brackman fastball for a home run off of the awning over the right-field deck.

Legends right-hander Robert Bono, who wasn’t missing his spots by much in the first inning, settles down to blank the RiverDogs in the second and third, although yielding three more singles.

Robert Bono

The first of those hits, by Mike Lyon, nearly turned into a spectacular out. Shortstop Jorge De Leon made a diving stop of a hard-hit ball up the middle, but was unable to make a clean glove-to-hand transfer.

Jorge De Leon

DeLeon and DH Michael Diaz are making their Legends debuts Monday. A third, second baseman Andy Simunic, is making his home debut.

More on the newcomers coming up. The Legends have just been retired, so the totals after three innings:

Charleston: 2 runs, 6 hits, 1 error. Lexington: 2 runs, 3 hits, 0 errors.

* The arrival of new players reflects the team health, rather than any player promotions.

Simunic was called from extended spring training when 2B Albert Cartwright suffered a broken forearm.

De Leon is filling in at short for Ricardo Bonfante, who has been placed on the DL due to a dislocated left shoulder.

Kyle Miller

Diaz trades places with infielder Kyle Miller, who has been sent to extended spring training.

* Meanwhile, both teams put up zeroes in the fourth inning.

Charleston shortstop Carmen Angelini, called out on strikes to end the top half of the inning, was ejected for arguing the call.

Michael Diaz

De Leon, a 6-foot, 168-pound 21-year-old from the Dominican Republic, signed with the Houston Astros in 2006. He spent two seasons in the Dominican Summer League and spent last season with the Greeneville Astros of the Appalachian League. His three-year totals include a .216 average, six homers, 50 RBI and nine stolen bases.

Diaz (5-10, 180, age 22), from Monroe, Conn., was selected by the Astros in the 30th round of last June’s draft, out of Southern Connecticut State University. He broke in with Tri-City of the New York-Penn League last summer, hitting .282 with five homers and 22 RBI over 48 games. He also stole six bases.

Andy Simunic

Ashton Mowdy

Simunic (6-0, 175, 23), from Collierville, Tenn., was taken in the 17th round of last year’s draft, out of the University of Tennessee. He hit .234 for Tri-City last summer, with 14 RBI and four stolen bases over 53 games. He was the ValleyCats’ Defensive Player of the Month for July.

* Back to the game … Still 2-2 through five innings.

To open the sixth, the Legends have turned to right-hander Ashton Mowdy. Bono went five innings, giving up two runs, eight hits and a walk, while striking out three.

Through five innings: Charleston 2 runs, 8 hits, 1 error; Lexington 2 runs, 4 hits, 0 errors.

Andrew Brackman

* We’re through six innings now, and the Legends are hoping 6-foot-8, 240-pound right-hander Andrew Brackman is about at the end of his night’s work. Still tied, 2-2.

Patrick Urckfitz

* Still 2-2 through seven. The Legends changed pitchers with two out and one on (via a walk) in the top of the seventh. Lefty Patrick Urckfitz took over from righty Ashton Mowdy, striking out Taylor Grote.

* Still 2-2, although the Legends threatened in the eighth. With runners on second and third, Brandon Barnes took a called third strike that he clearly thought was outside.

Going to the ninth, the Legends bring in right-hander Jose Trinidad.

Jose Trinidad

* Trinidad retires the RiverDogs in order, getting a foul out to his catcher, Federico Hernandez, then striking out Mike Lyon and Ray Kruml.

In the bottom of the ninth, Charleston goes to right-hander Dan Kapala. Starter Andrew Brackman finishes with a season-long stint of eight innings, giving up two runs, seven hits and a walk, striking out nine.

Kapala gets Russell Dixon on a liner to center. Phil Disher picks up a golden sombrero with his fourth strikeout. Andy Simunic flies to right. So we go to extra innings, tied 2-2.

10th inning

Russell Dixon

Addison Maruszak leads off the top of the 10th with a base hit to right. Dan Brewer bunts him to second. Taylor Grote singles through the right side. Maruszak, running all the way, gets cut down at the plate as the throw from right fielder Russell Dixon arrives on the fly. Maruszak tries to bowl over catcher Federico Hernandez, who holds on to the ball. Grote takes second on the throw. Legends Manager Tom Lawless calls on his closer, Daniel Meszaros, to face Abraham Almonte. A called third strike over the outside corner makes Almonte the latest in a long list of batters to grumble to umpire Joey Amaral.

In the bottom of the 10th, Ebert Rosario and Jorge De Leon ground out. Jay Austin coaxes a full-count walk, but Michael Diaz strikes out.

11th inning

Brandon Barnes

Charleston goes down in order as Corban Joseph strikes out and Neall French flies to right, where Russell Dixon breaks in late but makes a diving catch. Then, left-fielder Brandon Barnes saves the day. Mitch Abeita’s two-out fly ball rockets deep to the power alley in left-center, but Barnes races back to make an outstanding catch at the wall, just below the “K” board.

Federico Hernandez leads off the Legends’ 11th with a single to left. Brandon Barnes pops a foul bunt to catcher Mitch Abeita. Russell Dixon’s potential double-play grounder is bobbled by second baseman Corban Joseph. That gives Hernandez enough time to reach second, although Dixon is nabbed at first. Phil Disher, 0-for-4 with four strikeouts, works the count full but goes down swinging. On to the 12th, tied 2-2.

12th inning

Brian Wabick

Right-hander Brian Wabick becomes the sixth Legends pitcher of the game. Mike Lyon tries to bunt for a hit, but Wabick throws him out. Ray Kruml and Addison Maruszak go down swinging.

Right-hander Cory Arbiso comes in to pitch for Charleston. Andy Simunic and Ebert Rosario ground out. Jorge De Leon strikes out. Through 12 innings: Lexington 2, Charleston 2.

13th inning

Dan Brewer leads off with a single through the left side of the infield. Taylor Grote strikes out. With the hit-and-run on, Abraham Almonte swings and misses — and Brewer is thrown out at second base by Federico Hernandez. Almonte then takes a called third strike.

In the bottom of the 13th, Jay Austin bounces out to pitcher Cory Arbiso. Michael Diaz chops one just over the pitcher to reach on an infield single. Federico Hernandez singles to the left-field corner, moving Diaz to third. Hernandez takes second as left-fielder Taylor Grote bobbles the ball for his first error of the season. Charleston brings its infield in. Brandon Barnes grounds to third baseman Mike Lyon, whose throw to catcher Mitch Abeita is in plenty of time. Diaz comes in with a full body block, but Abeita holds on. Hernandez holds at second. Russell Dixon taps out to Arbiso. On to the 14th!

14th inning

Corban Joseph draws a leadoff walk. Neall French bunts him to second. But Mitch Abeita grounds to third and Mike Lyon strikes out.

Kody Hinze pinch-hits for Phil Disher, who finishes 0-for-5, all strikeouts. Hinze swings and … misses for a sixth strikeout in the slot. Andy Simunic singles sharply to left. He takes second on Ebert Rosario’s bouncer to third. Jorge De Leon singles to right. Simunic never slows and right-fielder Ray Kruml fails to make a clean pick up. Simunic scores standing up, with no play. Final: Legends 3, RiverDogs 2.

Charleston    200 000 000 000 00 — 2  12  2
Lexington     200 000 000 000 01 – 3  12  0
W: Wabick (1-0); L: Arbiso (1-3). HR: Lex, Hernandez 4. LOB: Chas.10, Lex. 10.
Leading hitters:  Hernandez, De Leon (Lexington), 3 hits each; Brewer, Grote, Almonte, Abeita (Charleston), and Simunic, Rosario (Lexington), 2 hits each. Att: 3,076.

Pitching summary