Mark Maloney on Kentucky sports

Baseball

South Atlantic
     League

Lexington Legends vs. Kannapolis Intimidators

What: Four-game series

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

Where: Fieldcrest Cannon Stadium (Kannapolis, N.C.)

Major League affiliates: Houston Astros (Legends), Chicago White Sox

Zach Grimmett

Juan Minaya

Tanner Bushue

Luis Cruz

Probable pitchers (Legends listed first): Wednesday, RH Zach Grimmett (5-2, 3.86) vs. RH Cameron Bayne (11-9, 3.90); Thursday, LH Luis Cruz (7-3, 3.14) vs. RH Justin Collop (8-10, 4.62); Friday, RH Tanner Bushue (7-8, 4.07) RH Andre Rienzo (7-4, 3.90); Saturday, RH Juan Minaya (4-10, 5.02) RH Ryan Buch (4-2, 3.19).

Ian Gac

Intimidator to watch: SAL all-star 1B Ian Gac (6-foot-3, 245 pounds, from Seattle) is hitting .286 and leads Kannapolis in hits (132), doubles (32), homers (20), RBI (86), runs (61), walks (42) and a league-leading 224 total bases. Signed by the White Sox last December as a free agent, Gac was selected out of Edmons-Woodway (Wash.) High School by the Texas Rangers in the 26th round of the 2003 draft. Baseball America wrote that Gac had the “best raw power” among that Texas draft class. However, his highest batting average over his first five seasons of pro ball came in his first year, .242. In 2008, he blossomed and earned Midwest League all-star honors with the Clinton LumberKings. In 67 games with the Kings, he hit .310 with 19 homers and 60 RBI. That earned him a promotion to Bakersfield of the California League, where he batted .257 with 13 homers and 49 RBI over 63 games. In 2009, his last season in the Rangers organization, Gac hit .238 with 22 homers and 55 RBI over 104 games with Bakersfield. This season, he’s batting .298 against right-handed pitchers, .259 versus lefties. Since the all-star break, he’s batting .296 overall.

Brenden Stines

Legend to watch: RHP Brenden Stines (6-2, 190, from Mishawaka, Ind.,) has made 11 appearances in relief since joining the Legends in July, compiling a 2-0 record and 4.05 ERA over 20 innings. Selected by the Astros in the 33rd round of last year’s draft, out of Ball State University, Stines began this season with the Tri-City ValleyCats of the New York-Penn League. There, in five outings spanning 7 1/3 innings, Stines was 0-1 with a 4.91 ERA. He also spent 2009 with Tri-City, going 3-0 with a 4.93 ERA over 24 games and 38 1/3 innings. Control has been his bugaboo, as he has had identical totals for strikeouts and walks this season both at Tri-City (7) and Lexington (13). He has performed best at home (1-0, 2.89, 6 games) for the Legends. Overall with Lexington, he is holding opponents to a .247 batting average.

Radio: WLXG-AM 1300