Mark Maloney on Kentucky sports

Baseball

South Atlantic
    League
 

Lexington Legends vs. Delmarva Shorebirds

What: Five-game series

When: Friday through Tuesday (7:05 each night except Sunday, 5:05 p.m.)

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

Major League affiliates: Houston Astros (Legends), Baltimore Orioles

Juan Minaya

Jose Cisnero

Luis Cruz

Zach Grimmett

Tanner Bushue

Probable pitchers (Legends listed first): Friday, RH Juan Minaya (4-10, 5.17) vs. RH Brent Allar (2-1, 4.50); Saturday, RH Jose Cisnero (6-5, 4.00) vs. RH Kenny Moreland (6-5, 3.33); Sunday, LH Luis Cruz (5-3, 3.60) vs. RH Jesse Beal (7-6, 3.86); Monday, RH Zach Grimmett (4-2, 3.81) vs. RH Pat Kantakevich (0-4, 3.98); Tuesday, RH Tanner Bushue (5-6, 4.32) vs. RH Bobby Bundy (2-4, 3.96).

Michael Flacco

Shorebird to watch: 1B/3B Michael Flacco (6-foot-5, 220 pounds, from Audobon, N.J.) is 11-for-32 (.344) with an RBI and a run scored in nine games since being promoted from the Aberdeen IronBirds of the New York-Penn League. Over 30 games with Aberdeen, Flacco hit .250 with 16 RBI and 12 runs. The younger brother of Baltimore Ravens quarterback Joe Flacco, he was selected by the Orioles in the 31st round of the 2009 draft, out of the Community College of Baltimore County-Catonsville. Flacco played 65 games last season — 60 with the Bluefield Orioles of the Appalachian League and five with Delmarva — and hit a combined .263 with three homers, 35 RBI and 28 runs. Before turning pro, he missed two seasons of athletic competition due to a stress fracture in his back.

Bubby Williams

Legends to watch: C David “Bubby” Williams (6-0, 190, from Las Vegas, Nev.) joined the Legends on Thursday, taking the roster spot vacated when C Jordan Comadena was transferred to the Lancaster JetHawks of the California League. Williams, an 11th round draft pick of the Astros last year, hit .244 with five homers, 12 RBI and 14 runs scored over 25 games this season with the Greeneville Astros of the Appalachian League. Over 11 road games, Williams hit .429, but over 14 home games his average was .093. Drafted out of Crowder (Mo.) Community College, Williams played 39 games with Greeneville last year, hitting .202 with four homers, 16 RBI and 17 runs scored. A free swinger, over his 64 pro games, Williams has struck out 60 times while drawing five walks.

Radio: WLXG AM-1300

Baseball

South Atlantic League

Lexington Legends vs. West Virginia Power

What: Four-game series

Where: Appalachian Power Park (Charleston, W.Va.)

When: Monday through Thursday (7:05 Monday and Thursday nights; 11:05 Tuesday and Wednesday mornings)

Major League affiliates: Houston Astros (Legends); Pittsburgh Pirates

Juan Minaya

Jose Cisnero

David Duncan

Tanner Bushue

Probable pitchers (Legends listed first): Monday, RH Jose Minaya (0-5, 6.19) vs. LH Nathan Baker (2-3, 3.99); Tuesday, RH Jose Cisnero (2-2, 5.70) vs. RH Kyle McPherson (2-4, 4.32); Wednesday, RH Tanner Bushue (3-2, 2.88) vs. RH Jason Erickson (3-3, 2.96); Thursday, LH David Duncan (2-0, 1.80) vs. RH Victor Black (0-0, 9.64).

Victor Black

Power to watch: Thursday starter Victor Black (6-foot-4, 220 pounds, from Amarillo, Texas) has pitched all of 4 2/3 innings over two games with the Power, having started the season rehabbing a left oblique injury. He made his first appearance with West Virginia on May 16. A supplemental first-round draft pick (49th overall) last June, out of Dallas Baptist and signed for $717,000, he is rated by Baseball America as the 12th-best prospect in the Pirates system. According to Baseball America, “Black’s fastball sitas at 91-95 mph and resisters a tick higher when he reaches back for more. He throws his slider at 84 mph and it completely locks up hitters when he has command of it. His changeup is lacking, which leads some scouts to wonder if his hard stuff would better serve him as a late-inning reliever.” Black broke in last season with the State College Spikes of the New York-Penn League, going 1-2 with a save and a 3.45 ERA. He struck out 33, walked 15 and held opposing batters to a .213 average.

Brian Kemp

Legend to watch: OF Brian Kemp (5-9, 180, from East Rockaway, N.Y.) played two games this season before suffering an ankle injury that kept him sidelined for nearly a month. He returned to the lineup May 7. In 10 games since returning, Kemp has hit safely in seven games and reached safely in nine. Overall, he is batting .302 with four RBI over 12 games. Drafted by the Astros in the 19th round of last June’s draft, Kemp hit .379 with three homers, 35 RBI and as many walks as strikeouts (25) as a junior at St. John’s University. He also stole 16 bases in 20 attempts, spread over 52 starts. He hit .360 as a sophomore and .348 when he was a Louisville Slugger freshman All-American. He made his pro debut last summer with the Tri-City ValleyCats of the NYPL, hitting .259 with 11 RBI and 16 stolen bases over 66 games. He earned league all-star honors and was Tri-City’s Offensive Player of the Month in July.

Also of note: Legends C Jonathon Fixler has been promoted to Double-A Corpus Christi to fill in for J.R. Towles (broken hand). Jordan Comadena has been reassigned from High-A Lancaster to give the Legends a second catcher.

Radio: WLXG AM-1300