Mark Maloney on Kentucky sports

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.

South Atlantic League baseball

Coming up

Lexington Legends vs. Greenville Drive

What: Three-game series

When: Friday through Sunday (7 Friday and Saturday nights; 4 Sunday)

Where: Fluor Field at the West End (Greenville, S.C.)

Probable pitching matchups (Legends listed first): Friday, RH Robert Bono 6-3, 2.21) vs.  RH Brock Huntzinger (0-0, 0.00); Saturday RH Kyle Greenwalt (4-6, 3.38) vs. RH Hunter Strickland (3-4, 2.78); Sunday, RH Jordan Lyles (3-6, 3.34) vs. RH Stephen Fife (0-1, 0.60).

Tim Federowicz

Drive to watch: All-Star C Tim Federowicz (5-foot-10, 213 pounds, from Apex, N.C.) leads Greenville in batting (.338 over 53 games), slugging (.543), OPS (.926), hits (74), doubles (18), homers (9) and total bases (119). He’s second in RBI (32) and on-base percentage (.382), third in runs scored (30). Selected by the Boston Red Sox in the seventh rounds of the 2008 draft, out of the University of North Carolina, Federowicz spent last season with short season-A Lowell, where he hit .244 with a homer and 15 RBI, and tied for second on the team with 10 stolen bases in 13 tries. He threw out 16 of 49 attempted base-stealers. This season, he hit .246 (16-for-65) in April, .348 (32-for-92) in May and is .419 (26-for-62) thus far in June.

Kyle Miller

Legend to watch: IF/DH Kyle Miller (6-1, 200, from Jacksonville, Fla.) continues to recover from a miserable start. Miller was hitting .161 for the Legends when he was demoted to extended spring training on May 10. He returned 20 days later looking more like the player who hit seven homers in 32 games for the 2008 Legends. Since returning to the club, Miller is hitting .256 (10-for-39). Thursday night, he extended his hitting streak to five games. During the streak, Miller is hitting .353 (6-for-17), with a double in four of the five games. For the full season, Miller is hitting .214 with a homer and nine RBI (including one in each of his last three games). Selected by the Houston Astros in the 21st round of the 2007 draft, out of Central Florida Community College, Miller led the Greeneville Astros in 2007 and tied for eighth in the Appalachian League with seven homers. He split the 2008 season between Greeneville (.274, 1 HR, 13 RBI, 19 games) and Lexington (.234, 7 HR, 24 RBI, 32 games).

Radio: WLXG AM-1300

The Legends call on their closer, Patrick Urckfitz, to pitch the ninth inning. Urckfitz retires the first two batters, but Mike McCormick singles to center. That brings Jeremy Beckham to the plate with the potential tying run. Urckfitz closes it out, though, getting Beckham to ground out to short. FINAL SCORE: LEGENDS 5, HOT RODS 3.

* * * * * * *

In the eighth inning, Ashton Mowdy sets down Bowling Green 1-2-3. Hot Rods reliever Josh Satow does likewise to Lexington. Going to the ninth inning: Legends 5, Hot Rods 3.

* * * * * * *

Jordan Lyles

Bowling Green scores a pair of runs in the seventh inning. Mike McCormick draws a one-out walks, then scores on Jeremy Beckham’s triple to center. That knocks out Legends right-hander Jordan Lyles, who is replaced by Ashton Mowdy. Robi Estrada’s slow grounder to short scores Beckham. Anthony Scelfo takes a called third strike. Lyles’ final line: 6.1 innings, 3 runs, 5 hits, 2 walks, 6 strikeouts. With the Legends coming to bat, the Hot Rods dip into the bullpen and call on left-hander Josh Satow. He retires the Legends in order, striking out two. Through seven innings: Legends 5, Hot Rods 3.

* * * * * * *

In the sixth inning, the Hot Rods get a leadoff double from Tim Beckham. He gets to third on a groundout, but is stranded as third baseman Ebert Rosario makes an over-the-shoulder catch of a foul fly and then throws out John Mollicone on a grounder. The Legends get a leadoff single by Kyle Miller and a bunt single by Jorge De Leon. Eric Suttle bunts the runners to second and third. With the infield in, Jay Austin grounds to second baseman, who throws to catcher Jake Jeffries in time to cut down Miller. Austin steals second, and Michael Diaz walks on a full count to load the bases for cleanup hitter Brian Pellegrini. After falling behind in the count 1-2, Pellegrini beat out an infield single to Tim Beckham, in the hole at shortstop. Not only does De Leon score, so does Austin, all the way from second. The inning ends on Ebert Rosario’s fly to right. At the end of six innings: Legends 5, Hot Rods 1. 

* * * * * * *

Jordan Lyles retired Bowling Green in order in the fifth inning. The Hot Rods changed pitchers to open the bottom of the inning, bringing in left-hander Michael Jarman. With one out, Brian Pellegrini walked on four pitches. One out later, Pellegrini advanced on a Jarman balk. He scored from second when second baseman Robi Estrada lost Steve Brown’s high fly against a dark background of storm clouds. Going to the sixth: Legends 3, Hot Rods 1.

* * * * * * *

The Legends make a defensive change to open the fourth inning, Michael Diaz taking over from Albert Cartwright at second base. Cartwright was playing in his fourth game since coming off the disabled list (broken bone in forearm). His first three games came as DH. Kyeong Kang gets the Hot Rods in gear with a leadoff double. A wild pitch puts him on third with nobody out. After John Mollicone pops out to Diaz, Kang scores on Jason Tweedy’s groundout. In the bottom of the inning, the Legends get a two-out walk by Eric Suttle, but nothing else. After four innings: Legends 2, Hot Rods 1.

* * * * * * *

Legends right-hander Jordan Lyles retires the Hot Rods in order in the third inning, thanks to an outstanding play by Albert Cartwright. The second baseman ranged far towards the right-field line to glove Jake Jeffries’ grounder and then made the throw to first. In the bottom half of the inning, Cartwright drew a two-out walk and stole second base. Brian Pellegrini lined a single off the glove of 1B John Mollicone. Mollicone’s leap prevented the ball from going through to the outfield and held Austin to a one-base advance. But Ebert Rosario followed with a run-scoring single through the right side, Pellegrini stopping at second. Steve Brown walked, loading the basees. Federico Hernandez was retired on a comebacker to pitcher Nick Barnese. After three innings: Legends 2, Hot Rods 0.

* * * * * * *

Federico Hernandez

Kyle Miller

Lexington draws first blood in the second inning, taking a 1-0 lead. Bowling Green wasted a two-out single by Jeremy Beckham. The Legends got back-to-back, opposite-field, two-out doubles by Federico Hernandez and Kyle Miller. Hernandez, batting lefty, put his hit just inside the left-field line. Miller, a righty, hit one over the head of right-fielder Kyeong Kang. After two innings: Legends 1, Hot Rods 0.

* * * * * * *

Under a light drizzle, the game began at 7:46 p.m. — a rain delay of 41 minutes.

Neither team scored in the first. Bowling Green got a one-out single from Tim Beckham, plus a walk to Jake Jeffries. But Steve Brown made a tough running catch of Kyeong Kang’s foul fly down the left-field line and John Mollicone bounced out to pitcher Jordan Lyles. The Legends got a one-out double from Jay Austin. One out later, a wild pitch moved Austin to third. But Brian Pellegrini bounced back to pitcher Nick Barnese.

* * * * * * *

Starting lineups for Tuesday’s game:

Bowling Green — Anthony Scelfo, cf; Tim Beckham, ss; Jake Jeffries, c; Kyeong Kang, rf; John Mollicone, 1b; Jason Tweedy, lf; Mike McCormick, dh; Jeremy Beckham, 3b; Robi Estrada, 2b. Pitching: RH Nick Barnese.

Lexington — Eric Suttle, rf; Jay Austin, cf; Albert Cartwright, 2b; Brian Pellegrini, 1b; Ebert Rosario, 3b; Steve Brown, lf; Federico Hernandez, c; Kyle Miller, dh; Jorge De Leon, ss. Pitching: RH Jordan Lyles.

Umpires — Erik Hill, plate; Chris Graham, field.

* * * * * * *

The tarp has been pulled at Applebee’s Park. The rain-delayed start between the Lexington Legends and Bowling Green Hot Rods now is estimated to be 7:40 p.m.

* * * * * * *

Of course it’s raining at Applebee’s Park.

With a schedule like this, it figures. One has to wonder what, if anything, was going through the mind(s) of the schedule-maker(s) when the Lexington Legends were assigned to:

* Wrap up a series at Asheville, N.C., Monday night;

* Open a three-game series Tuesday at Lexington (vs. Bowling Green);

* Then head to Greenville, S.C., to open a three-game series Friday.

The homestand includes a 12:05 p.m. start. But, no, it’s not Thursday, when a day game would give the team an early getaway. The early game is scheduled Wednesday.

Tuesday is Latino Night at the park, as well as Quarter Hot Dog Night.

This could help boost program sales

Jose Trinidad

Kirkland Rivers

Pedro Gonzalez

Meanwhile, the Legends made several roster changes Tuesday.

* Jose Trinidad has been activated from the disabled list, with LHP Kirkland Rivers moving to the inactive list.

* C Reinaldo Pestana has

Andy Simunic

Marques Williams

been added to the roster, coming from extended spring training. He replaces C Pedro Gonzales, who has been assigned to Tri-City of the New York-Penn League.

* IF/OF Andy Simunic comes off the inactive list, with OF Marques Williams going on the disabled list.

Trinidad has not pitched since May 20 due to a shoulder strain. He had appeared in 12 games, all in relief, compiling an 0-3 record with one save and an ERA of 4.05. Over 20 innings, Trinidad gave up nine earned runs on 20 hits and 12 walks, striking out 15.

Rivers made his first appearance for the Legends on May 24, having started the season in extended spring training. Six relief outings spanning 7 1/3 innings have Kirkland with no decisions or saves, one hold and a 2.45 ERA. He has struck out seven and walked five.

Pestana, 22, is a 6-foot-1, 180-pounder from Guatire Miranda, Venezuela, signed by the Astros in March 2004.

He spent two seasons with the Venezuelan Summer League Astros, 2006 and part of 2007 with Greeneville of the Appalachian League, and part of 2007 and all of 2008 with Tri-City. For his career, Pestana is 88-for-434 (.203) with three homers, 46 RBI and 44 runs over 147 games.

Gonzalez spent the first week and a half of the season with High-A Lancaster before joining the Legends on April 20. He was used sparingly, batting .114 with four RBI over 17 games.

Simunic was placed on the inactive list when 2B Albert Cartwright was activated from the DL last week. Simunic is batting .229.

Williams, batting .317 over 16 games, has not played since June 7. He is sidelined due to a broken left hand, the result of a slide at second base.