Mark Maloney on Kentucky sports

Baseball

South Atlantic League

Lexington Legends
vs. Savannah Sand Gnats

What: Five-game series

When: Thursday through Monday (5:05 Thursday and Sunday, 7:05 Friday and Saturday nights, 12:05 p.m. Monday)

Where: Whitaker Bank Ballpark

Tickets: Call (859) 422-7867

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

Foltynewicz

Cruz

Quevedo

Martinez

Alaniz

Probable pitchers (Legends listed first): Thursday, RH Mike Foltynewicz (5-11, 4.88) vs. LH Angel Cuan (10-3, 3.71); Friday, LH Luis Cruz (4-4, 4.71) vs. RH Erik Goeddel (3-4, 3.22); Saturday, RH David Martinez (5-6, 3.94) vs. RH Yohan Almonte (7-8, 4.11); Sunday, RH Carlos Quevedo (8-6, 4.56) vs. RH Gonzalez Germen (7-7, 3.93); Monday, RH Ruben Alaniz (6-10, 4.64) vs. RH Taylor Whitenton (5-4, 2.51)

Hamilton Bennett

Sand Gnat to watch: LHP Hamilton Bennett (6-foot-1, 180 pounds, from Tega Cay, S.C.) has been lights out coming out of the bullpen. Over 32 games and 52 innings, Bennett is 2-0 with 13 saves, a 1.90 ERA, 0.85 WHIP and while holding opponents to a .167 batting average. He has struck out 54 and walked 15. In two games against the Legends, Bennett has struck out three over two innings, earning a save. Bennett also played one game for St. Lucie of the Florida State League, striking out one and getting the win in a three-inning relief effort. Selected by the Mets in the 29th round of the 2010 draft, out of Tennessee Wesleyan, he broke into pro ball last year with the Brooklyn Cyclones of the New York-Penn League. He worked 19 games and 28 1/3 innings, going 2-2 with a 3.49 ERA, 24 strikeouts and nine walks. At Tennessee Wesleyan, he became the 20th player in NAIA history to throw a perfect game, shutting down Virginia-Wise on May 1, 2010. 

Emilio King

Legend to watch: OF Emilio King (6-0, 208, from Samana, Dominican Republic) is reigning SAL Player of the Week. He is 19-for-26 (.528), with three homers, nine RBI and seven runs over his last nine games. Included were multi-hit games of 5, 4, 3 and a trio of two-hit games. In 24 August games, King hit. 337 with four homers, 12 RBI and 13 runs. Overall, he is batting .294 with nine homers, 39 RBI, 47 runs, 23 doubles and three stolen bases. He’s hitting .349 with runners on base. Signed by the Astros as a non-drafted free agent July 5, 2006, King spent the 2007 and 2008 seasons with the Dominican Summer League Astros, 2009 with the Gulf Coast League Astros and 2010 with the Greeneville Astros of the Appalachian League. Totals for those first four seasons included a .214 average, 4 homers, 44 RBI, 70 runs, 25 doubles, 7 triples and 11 stolen bases over 159 games. King, who bats and throws right-handed, was Greeneville’s Offensive Player of the Month for July 2010.

Tommy Manzella

Notes: The Legends, in partnership with St. Catherine College men’s soccer team, will collect new and used shoes throughout the five-game series for the Edge Outreach Program. The program recycles the shoes and uses the money to buy water pumps and purification systems for developing countries. Collection boxes will be located near the ball park entrances. … Following Thursday’s game, fans are invited to stay and watch the Kentucky-Western Kentucky football game on screens located throughout the park, including the outfield video boards. … Friday is Fan Appreciation, Back to School and PTO night, with a Legends cap giveaway. NBA standout and former University of Kentucky standout Tayshaun Prince will be on hand on behalf of the Kentucky Department of Agriculture’s Eat to Win program. Fireworks will follow the game. … Tommy Manzella, an SAL all-star shortstop in 2006, will be inducted into the Legends Hall of Fame before Saturday’s game. The ceremony is set for 6:45 p.m., with first pitch scheduled for 7:05. Manzella, who made it to the Major League in 2009 with the Astros, played 99 games for the Legends, batting .275 with 22 doubles, seven homers, 43 RBI and 16 stolen bases. He now plays for Arizona’s Triple-A affiliate in Reno, Nev., and will address the crowd via video. Basketball Hall of Famer Cliff Hagan will throw a ceremonial first pitch. The game jerseys worn by the Legends will be auctioned to benefit the St. Joseph Healthcare Foundation. … Neither the Legends nor the Sand Gnats have any players on the SAL post-season all-star team. However, Savannah has the manager of the year in Ryan Ellis and coach of the year in Glenn Abbott.

Radio: WLXG AM-1300

Baseball

                                    South Atlantic League

Lexington Legends
vs. Savannah
Sand Gnats

What: Four-game series

When: Saturday through Tuesday (6:05 p.m. Saturday, 2:05 p.m. Sunday, 7:05 p.m. Monday and Tuesday)

Where: Grayson Stadium (Savannah, Ga.)

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

Quevedo

Sogard

Alaniz

Foltynewicz

Probable pitchers (Legends listed first): Saturday, RH Carlos Quevedo (6-4, 4.25) vs. RH Ryan Fraser (6-6, 3.26); Sunday, LH Alex Sogard (1-3, 4.39) vs. RH Michael Hebert (0-0, 9.00); Monday, RH Mike Foltynewicz (5-8, 4.29) vs. RH Gonzalez Germen (6-5, 3.61); Tuesday, RH Ruben Alaniz (5-8, 4.93) vs. LH Angel Cuan (8-1, 3.26).

Ben Heath

Legend to watch: C Ben Heath (6-foot-2, 220 pounds, from Martinsville, Va.), through Thursday, is 10-for-29 (.345) over his last nine games, raising his average from .156 to .230 over 21 games with the Legends. Included during that nine-game span are his first two homers with the team, half of his 12 RBI and five of his eight runs. Before joining the Legends, Heath played 40 games with the Lancaster JetHawks of the California League, batting .262 with five homers, 23 RBI and 23 runs. Selected by the Astros in the fifth round of the 2010 draft, out of Penn State University, Heath divided 61 games last season between the New York-Penn League’s Tri-City ValleyCats (37 games), Legends (20 games) and the Corpus Christi Hooks (four games) of the Texas League. Combined, he batted .276 with 10 homers, 38 RBI and 29 runs. The individual highlight came Aug. 13, when Heath belted three homers and drove in seven runs during a 10-8 loss to West Virginia. As a junior at Penn State, the right-handed batter and thrower led the team in batting (.369), doubles (16), homers (school-record 19), RBI (57), total bases (148), slugging (.747), on-base percentage (.451) and runs (53).

Aderlin Rodriguez

Sand Gnat to watch: 3B Aderlin Rodriguez (6-3, 210 pounds, from Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic) leads Savannah in games (93), at bats (363), hits (81), homers (12), RBI (60) and total bases (136) through Thursday. Batting .223, he’s also second on the team in runs (43), third in doubles (17) and fifth in slugging (.375). On the down side, he leads the team in errors (31), is second in strikeouts (78) and so lacks speed that he hasn’t even attempted a steal. Rated as the ninth-best prospect in the Mets system by Baseball America, which writes in part: “Rodriguez has more raw power than any player in the system and could mature into a 25-30 homer threat. His wrists are strong and quick, producing elite bat speed.” The righty signed as a free agent for $600,000 in 2008. He missed much of the 2009 season due to a wrist injury, batting .290 over 17 games. Last year, in 61 games with Kingsport of the Appalachian League, Rodriguez hit .312 with 13 homers, 48 RBI and 44 runs. He also went 6-for-30 (.200) over eight games with the Gnats.

Radio: WLXG AM-1300

Baseball

                                      South Atlantic League

Lexington Legends
vs. Savannah
Sand Gnats

What: Four-game series

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

Where: Whitaker Bank Ballpark

Tickets: Call (859) 422-7867

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

Sogard

Foltynewicz

Cruz

Alaniz

Probable pitchers (Legends listed first): Tuesday, LH Alex Sogard (1-3, 4.40) vs. RH Taylor Whitenton (4-1, 2.69); Wednesday, RH Mike Foltynewicz (4-7, 4.37) vs. RH Gonzalez Germen (6-4, 3.83); Thursday RH Ruben Alaniz (5-7, 5.00) vs. LH Angel Cuan (7-1, 3.44); Friday, LH Luis Cruz (1-1, 4.28) vs. RH Yohan Almonte (3-5, 3.74).

Taylor Whitenton

Sand Gnat to watch: Tuesday starter and all-star Taylor Whitenton (6-foot-3, 190 pounds, from Conyers, Ga.) has held opposing batters to the lowest average in the league (.183) and ranks fifth in the league in ERA (2.69). With a 4-1 record and one save, the right-hander has appeared in 17 games, including 13 starts, spanning 73 2/3 innings. He has struck out 81 and walked 35. Whitenton is 3-0 with an 0.66 ERA at home, 1-1 with a 5.23 on the road. In three starts since the all-star break, he is 1-0 with a 0.53 ERA over 17 innings, holding batters to a .156 average. Selected by the Mets in the 39th round of the 2009 draft, out of Darton (Ga.) College, he appeared in four games that year with the Gulf Coast League Mets, working five innings and picking up a save while yielding one hit and no runs. Last year, with Savannah, Whitenton finished 8-9, 4.57 over 26 games, including 18 starts, and 108 1/3 innings.

Telvin Nash

Legend to watch: 1B Telvin Nash (6-2, 220, from Belleview, Fla.) has been limited to 28 games with the Legends and five rehab appearances with the Gulf Coast League Astros this season due to injuries. He is hitting .298 with six homers, 16 RBI, 19 runs, .388 on-base percentage and .510 slugging with the Legends. Including his time in the GCL, he is batting .308 overall. Nash, who bats and throws righty, was selected by the Astros in the third round of the 2010 draft out of high school in Griffin, Ga., where he was a teammate od 2008 overall No. 1 pick Tim Beckham. Nash also played offensive and defensive end for his high school football team. Coming into this season, Baseball America rated him as the 13th-best prospect and with the “best raw power” in the Houston system. He also is capable of playing left field. After hitting .218 with a homer and 20 RBI over 40 games with the GCL Astros in 2008, he blossomed last year. Over 57 games with the Greeneville Astros of the Appalachian League, Nash hit .265 with 12 homers and 39 RBI, earning team Offensive Player of the Month honors for August. He also played four games with the New York-Penn League’s Tri-City ValleyCats, going 4-for-13 (.308) with a homer, triple and double.

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.

Baseball (statistics updated through Monday’s games)

South Atlantic League

Lexington Legends vs. Savannah Sand Gnats

What: Five-game series

When: Tuesday through Saturday (7:05 each night, except Saturday at 6:05)

Where: Grayson Stadium (Savannah, Ga.)

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

Bushue

Dydalewicz

Quevedo

Minaya

Foltynewicz

Probable pitchers (Legends listed first): Tuesday, RH Tanner Bushue (2-0, 2.57) vs. RH Ryan Fraser (0-1, 2.57); Wednesday, LH Brad Dydalewicz (0-1, 1.93) vs. RH Yohan Almonte (1-1, 2.25); Thursday, RH Carlos Quevedo (2-0, 6.55) vs. RH Erik Goeddel (0-1, 6.43); Friday, RH Juan Minaya (0-1, 9.00) vs. RH Gonzalez Germen (1-1, 9.45); Saturday, RH Mike Foltynewicz (0-3, 4.76) vs. RH Greg Peavey (1-1, 3.86).

Chris Wallace

Legend to watch: C/DH Chris Wallace (6-foot, 205 pounds, from Pasadena, Texas) has been en fuego. Through Monday, Wallace is 17-for-40 (.425) in his first 11games, with at least one hit in each game. Already he has five homers, five doubles, 17 RBI and 12 runs scored, with three multi-hit games. He leads the league in homers, RBI, extra-base hits (10), total bases (37) and slugging percentage (.925). He had a 5-for-6 game Sunday, with a grand slam among his three homers, plus a team-record nine RBI. (John Buck held the former record of seven, set in the SAL-championship and Legends-inaugural season of 2001.) With five walks to 10 strikeouts, Wallace has a .511 on-base percentage. A 16th round draft pick last June, out of the University of Houston, Wallace earned Appalachian League all-star honors, as well as Topps short-season all-star recognition. The former award was achieved over 47 games with the Greeneville Astros, where he hit .310 with eight homers, 32 RBI and 29 runs scored. He earned a promotion to the Tri-City ValleyCats of the New York-Penn League, where he hit .250 with two homers, eight RBI and 10 runs over 20 games.

Sam Honeck

Sand Gnat to watch: 1B Sam Honeck (6-2, 210, from Austin, Texas) leads the SAL in batting through Monday’s games, going 21-for-42 (.500), with a homer, 11 RBI and three runs scored. Honeck leads in hits, doubles (8) and on-base percentage (.553). He has hit safely in 10of 11 games, including the last eight in a row. He has seven multi-hit games, including four three-hit outings. Honeck, who bats and throws left, was a 2009 11th round draft pick of the Mets, out of Tulane University. That summer, he hit .250 with a homer and 29 RBI over 65 games for Brooklyn of the New York-Penn League, and earned mid-season all-star honors. Last year, limited to six games due to a broken leg suffered in a collision at the plate, he went 2-for-22 (.091) with Savannah. 

Radio: WLXG AM-1300

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

Lexington Legends vs. Savannah Sand Gnats

What: Four-game series

Where: Applebee’s Park

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

Tickets: Call (859) 422-7867

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

Zach Grimmett

Tanner Bushue

Jose Cisnero

Juan Minaya

Probable pitchers (Legends listed first): Saturday, RH Zach Grimmett (4-0) vs. RH Armando Rodriguez (5-6, 3.12); Sunday, RH Tanner Bushue (5-5, 4.55) vs. LH Jimmy Fuller (7-3, 2.06); Monday, RH Juan Minaya (4-9, 5.71) vs. LH Darin Gorski (3-5, 3.82); Tuesday, RH Jose Cisnero (5-5, 4.06) vs. RH Taylor Whitenton (5-5, 4.14). 

Cesar Puello

Sand Gnat to watch: RF Cesar Puello (6-foot-2, 195 pounds, from La Romana, Dominican Republic) is hitting .269 with 25 RBI and a team-leading 69 runs scored over 89 games through Thursday. Eighteen of his 87 hits have been doubles, and he leads the Gnats in stolen bases with 36 in 43 attempts. He has hits in 10 of his last 11 games — 14-for-42 (.333) — and drew a walk in the lone hitless game. Since the all-star break, he is batting .313, and .315 in June. Signed by the Mets for $400,000 as a non-drafted free agent on July 2, 2007, Puello hit .305 for the Gulf Coast League Mets in 2008 and .296 for the Kingsport Mets of the Appalachian League in 2009. Over those two seasons, he was 28-for-38 on the basepaths. Coming into this season, Baseball America rated him the 17th-best prospect in the Mets system.

Colton Pitkin

Legend to watch: LHP Colton Pitkin (6-3, 224, from Baytown, Texas) has made 24 of his 25 appearances out of the bullpen, going 0-3 with one save, two holds and a 5.54 ERA. Over his last 10 outings, Pitkin has a 3.18 ERA with no decisions. Since the all-star break, spanning six games and 10 1/3 innings, his ERA is 2.61 with seven strikeouts and two walks. Selected by the Astros in the 41st round of the 2007 draft, Pitkin appeared in 24 games over the 2007-08 seasons with the Greeneville Astros of the Appalachian League, going 2-2 with four saves. Last year, as a starter with the Tri-City ValleyCats of the New York-Penn League, he was 4-8 with a 4.21 ERA.

Radio: WLXG AM-1300

Promotions, etc.: After four games against Savannah, the Legends have a day off Wednesday, then open a four-game home series against the Delmarva Shorebirds. … Saturday is Fireworks Night, with entertainment during the game by guest mascot Rally. Kids Club Sunday also is Ale-8-One Day. Monday is “Kids Eat Free” Night and Cartoon Network Move It Movement. Kraft Singles Tuesday also is Quarter Hot Dog Night. … Mike Tauser’s “Farmstros Five” Players of the Week are posted at: Farmstros

Coming up

South Atlantic League baseball

Lexington Legends at Savannah Sand Gnats

What: Four-game series

Where: Grayson Stadium (Savannah, Ga.)

When: Wednesday through Saturday (7:05 each night through Friday, 6:05 Saturday)

Major League affiliates: Houston Astros (Legends), New York Mets (Sand Gnats)

Tanner Bushue

Zach Grimmett

Juan Minaya

Robby Donovan

Probable pitchers (Legends listed first): Wednesday, RH Tanner Bushue (1-0, 3.20) vs. RH Armando Rodriguez (0-3, 5.03); Thursday, RH Zach Grimmett (0-0, 0.00) vs. LH Jimmy Fuller (3-1, 1.26); Friday, RH Robby Donovan (1-2, 2.70) vs. LH Mark Cohoon (3-0, 1.90); Saturday, RH Juan Minaya (0-3, 6.75) vs. RH Brandon Moore (0-1, 2.87).

Wilmer Flores

Sand Gnat to watch: SS Wilmer Flores (6-foot-3, 175 pounds, from Valencia, Venezuela) is tied for third in the league in RBI (17) and tied for fourth in hits (26), doubles (9) and total bases (41) through Monday’s games. He also ranks ninth in slugging (.532) and 10th in batting (.338). Flores has a pair of homers, 12 runs and a .378 on-base percentage. Signed by the Mets as a non-drafted free agent Aug. 6, 2007, Flores progressed from the rookie-league Kingsport Mets to the short-season Brooklyn Cyclones and a one-game showing with low-A Savannah in the 2008 season, earning rookie all-star honors from Baseball America. Last year, playing 125 games for the Sand Gnats, he hit .264 with three homers and 36 RBI, and was named to the Futures Game.

Kody Hinze

Legend to watch: 1B/DH Kody Hinze (6-0, 225, from Houston) ranks second in the SAL in RBI (19), third in homers (5), fifth in slugging (.557), seventh in OPS (.938) and is tied for 13th in total bases (34) through Monday. He is batting .295 and has scored nine times. Hinze signed with the Astros as a non-drafted free agent Oct. 5, 2007, out of Angelina (Texas) College. He hit .269 with eight homers and 32 RBI over 55 games with the Greeneville Astros in 2008. Last year, Hinze played 27 games for the Legends (.175-4-14) and 32 games with the Gulf Coast League Astros (.262-1-14). This month, he’s hitting .441 with runners on base, .455 with runners in scoring position.

Radio: WLXG AM-1300

Ashton Mowdy

The Lexington Legends, 9-5 winners over the Savannah Sand Gnats on a beautiful Thursday night at Applebee’s Park, lost one of their top relief pitchers after the game.

Kirkland Rivers

RH Ashton Mowdy has been promoted to High-A Lancaster of the California League. RH Kirkland Rivers comes off the temporary inactive list to fill Mowdy’s spot.

Kyle Miller

A day earlier, IF/DH Kyle Miller was sent down to rookie-league Greeneville. His spot was filled Thursday with the activation of RHP Kyle Godfrey, up from Tri-City.

Two players made their Legends season debuts Thursday — shortstop Chris Jackson and winning pitcher David Duncan. Jackson, down from Lancaster, traded places with Ronnie Ramirez. Duncan, up from Tri-City, took the roster spot that was empty due to RHP Jose Trinidad’s second stint on the disabled list. Trinidad (labrum) likely will miss the rest of the season.

David Duncan in his Lexington debut. (Photo courtesy of Legends)

Mowdy leaves Lexington with no decisions, three saves, six holds and a 1.72 ERA. He appeared in 26 games, all in relief, spanning 36 2/3 innings. He struck out 33, walked eight and held opponents to a .157 batting average.

Rivers last pitched June 15. He has no decisions over six relief outings and 7 1/3 innings, with a 2.45 ERA. He has struck out seven and walked five.

Miller played in 32 games for the Legends, batting .213 with two homers, 10 RBI and six runs scored.

Chris Jackson

David Duncan

Jackson went 2-for-4 with an RBI via a sacrifice fly Thursday night. He also committed a fielding error.

Duncan gave up five runs and nine hits over five innings but got the win. He walked three and struck out five.

For more information about Jackson and Duncan, as well as Ramirez and Trinidad, see earlier blog entries: ramirez-promoted and gnats-visit-legends.

Thanks to Mary Lay for Legends individual head photos.