Mark Maloney on Kentucky sports

Baseball

South Atlantic League

Lexington Legends
vs. Kannapolis Intimidators

What: Four-game series

When: Tuesday through Friday (7:05 Tuesday, Thursday and Friday nights, 12:05 p.m. Wednesday)

Where: Whitaker Bank Ballpark

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

Probable pitchers (Legends listed first): Tuesday, RH Mike Foltynewicz (9-2, 2.74) vs. RH Erik Johnson (1-1, 2.54); Wednesday, LH Luis Cruz (5-5, 3.75) vs. RH Chris Devenski (5-3, 4.19); Thursday, RH Luis Ordosgoitti (2-3, 5.43) vs. LH Scott Snodgress (3-3, 3.80); Friday, RH Jonas Dufek (5-2, 5.67) vs. RH Myles Jaye 3-6, 5.70).

Chris Curley

Intimidator to watch: 3B Chris Curley (6-foot-1, 210 pounds, age 25, from Fort Mitchell, Ky., bats/throws R/R) joined the team over the weekend, signed from the independent Florence Freedom. The former Campbellsville University standout went 2-for-4 with a homer and two RBI and two strikeouts Sunday against Greensboro. Originally signed by the Braves three years ago, Curley played for the Danville Braves of the Appalachian League in 2009, then for Danville, the SAL’s Rome Braves and Carolina League’s Myrtle Beach Pelicans in 2010.  Most of his experience came with Rome, where he hit .214 with three homers, 23 RBI and 23 runs over 61 games. With Florence this season, Curley hit .356 with 10 homers, 44 RBI, 35 runs, 12 doubles, two triples and seven stolen bases in 42 games.

Ruben Sosa

Legend to watch: 2B Ruben Sosa (5-7, 160, age 21, from Lawrence, Mass., bats/throws S/R) is 4-for-9 (.444) with two RBI and a run since moving from the Greeneville Astros of the Appy League to the Legends on June 30. Selected by the Astros in the 23rd round of the 2011 draft out of Oklahoma City University, the native of Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic, played 39 games for Greeneville and 11 for the Legends. For the 50 games combined, hit batted .239 with 20 RBI, 31 runs, nine doubles, a triple and 14 stolen bases.

Radio: WLXG-AM 1300

Baseball

South Atlantic League

Lexington Legends
at Kannapolis Intimidators

What: Four-game series

When: Thursday through Sunday (7:05 Thursday through Saturday nights, 5:05 Sunday)

Where: CMC-NorthEast Stadium (Kannapolis, N.C.)

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

Probable pitchers (Legends listed first): Thursday, RH Nick Tropeano (2-2, 2.23) vs. LH Blair Walters (1-2, 3.38); Friday, RH Luis Ordosgoitti (0-1, 10.57) vs. LH Scott Snodgress (1-1, 4.29); Saturday, RH Mike Foltynewicz (4-1, 1.62) vs. RH Kevin Vance (2-1, 4.02); Sunday, LH Luis Cruz (3-1, 2.95) vs. RH Myles Jaye (1-1, 4.02).

Mike Foltynewicz

Legend to watch: Saturday starter Mike Foltynewicz (6-foot-4, 209 pounds, from Minooka, Ill.) is off to a great start. He leads the Legends with eight starts and 44 1/3 innings, has the best ERA (1.62) among the starters and shares the team lead in victories. At 4-1, he has struck out 39 and walked 18, holding opponents to a .235 average. His only loss came in the season opener, when he gave up six runs (two earned) in 2 2/3 innings. In seven starts since, he has given up no more than one earned run in six games. Over three starts this month, he is 1-0 with a 1.06 ERA. Selected by the Astros in the first round (19th overall) of the 2010 draft, Foltynewicz jumped from high school to the Greeneville Astros of the Appalachian League and went 0-3, with a 4.03 ERA over 12 starts. Last year, with the Legends, he worked 134 innings over 26 starts, finishing 5-11 with a 4.97 ERA, 88 strikeouts and 51 walks.

Rangel Ravelo

Intimidator to watch: 3B Rangel Ravelo (6-2, 210, from Hialeah, Fla.) is batting .307 with a homer, 19 RBI and 18 runs through 35 appearances. Among his 42 hits are nine doubles and two triples. He also has not been caught in three stolen-base attempts. Ravelo is batting .313 against right-handers, .289 versus left-handers. Selected out of high school by the White Sox in the sixth round of the 2010 draft, he broke into pro ball with Bristol of the Appalachian League. He hit .254 over 48 games. Last year, playing 20 games for Bristol and 43 for the Intimidators, Ravelo hit .338 with 34 RBI and 21 runs.

Radio: WLXG-AM 1300

Baseball

South Atlantic League

Lexington Legends
vs.
Kannapolis Intimidators

What: Four-game series

When: Thursday through Sunday (7:05 Thursday through Saturday nights; 1:35 Sunday)

Where: Whitaker Bank Ballpark

Tickets: Call (859) 422-7867

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

Probable pitchers (Legends listed first): Thursday, RH Tanner Bushue (0-1, 27.00) vs. RH Daniel Webb (0-1, 15.00); Friday, RH Jonas Dufek (0-0, 9.00) vs. LH Scott Snodgress (0-0, 13,50); Saturday, RH Nicholas Tropeano (0-0, 1.80) vs. RH Kevin Vance (0-0, 2.25); Sunday, LH Kyle Hallock (0-0, 54.00) vs. LH Brandon Parrent (0-0, 6.23).

Daniel Webb

Intimidator to watch: Thursday night starter Daniel Webb (6-foot-3, 210 pounds, from Paducah) was selected by the Toronto Blue Jays in the 18th round of the 2010 draft. Out of Heath High School, he had plans to attend Kentucky until John Cohen left to coach Mississippi State. Webb wound up at Northwest Florida State College, then spent the last two seasons in the Blue Jays system. The White Sox acquired him during the off-season. In 2010, Webb split time between the Auburn Doubledays of the New York-Penn League and Lansing of the Midwest League, going a combined 1-7 with a 4.74 ERA over 15 starts and 68 1/3 innings. He struck out 43 and walked 32. Last year, he played one game for the Gulf Coast League Blue Jays and 18 games for Lansing. With the Lugnuts, Webb went 4-5 with a 5.59 ERA, with 51 strikeouts and 24 walks over 18 games (12 starts) and 66 innings. In one appearance this season, against Hickory, Webb gave up seven runs, five earned, on eight hits over three innings. He struck out three and did not walk a batter.

Zach Johnson

Legend to watch: 1B/DH Zach Johnson (5-11, 200, from San Ramon, Calif.) is 10-for 25 (.400) through six games, with two homers, 11 RBI, a pair of doubles and two runs scored. A 15th-round draft pick of the Astros last June, out of Oklahoma State University, Johnson spent last season with the Tri-City ValleyCats of the NYPL. He played 72 games, batting .262 with five homers, 40 RBI, 12 doubles, a triple and 31 runs scored. In Wednesday’s 3-0 win at Hagerstown, Johnson led the Legends with a single, double and two RBI. The Oakland Athletics drafted Johnson in the 48th round in 2010, but were unable to come to terms. Johnson bats and throws right-handed. His father, not to be mistaken for the PGA Tour’s Zach Johnson, is a former professional golfer who went on to create a golf domain known as protourgroup.

Radio: WLXG-AM 1300