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CSR Minor League Report
July 30, 2010 By Todd Shapiro
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COLUMBUS
Last Saturday night the Clippers became the first team in the International League to reach the 1,000 hit mark in the 2010 season. Columbus is on a pace to set the franchise records in hits and team batting average in a season, both of which were set in 1999 when they were a New York Yankees farm club.
The Clippers had a season high 12, 517 fans at Huntington Park on Monday night as they defeated Pawtucket 11-7 to complete a four-game sweep of the Red Sox. Luis Valbuena had two home runs and Jordan Brown had a home run and four RBIs on dime hot dog night.
Columbus will have one more 10-cent hot dog night this season when they host the Toledo Mud Hens on August 23.
AKRON
Alex White, the Indians first-round selection in the 2009 draft, is continuing to have an impressive season with the Aeros. White is now 6-4 with 1.48 ERA in Akron. White who started the season in Kinston in nine innings shy of qualifying for the Eastern League pitching leaders. Currently, Trenton's David Phelps has the top ERA with a 2.04.
Cleveland Indians starter Anthony Reyes, who hasn't pitched since May 22, 2009 after undergoing Tommy John surgery on his right elbow, made a rehab start for the Aeros on Tuesday. Reyes went three innings, allowing one-hit while walking one and striking out one as four Akron pitchers combined for a 4-0 shutout win over Bowie.
KINSTON
K-Tribe starter T.J. McFarland picked up his Carolina League leading 10th win Tuesday night as Kinston defeated Winston-Salem 8-1. The 21-year-old left-hander hasn't lost in his last seven starts and is 3-0 since the CL All-Star break.
Catcher Chun Chen has had an easy time adjusting to Carolina League pitching. In his first 16 games since being promoted from Lake County, Chen is hitting .276 and he has a hit in five of his last six games. Chen has already hit two home runs for the Indians.
LAKE COUNTY
Right-handed pitcher Brett Brach earned Midwest League Pitcher of the Week honors after pitching the first nine-inning complete game shutout in franchise history last Saturday in Lake County's 3-0 win against Peoria. Brach is just 2-5 with the Captains this season but he has an ERA of 3.23 and has allowed two or fewer runs in seven of his last 10 starts.
Lake County drew 5, 357 fans on Sunday for Skipper Leg Lamp bobblehead night as part of their Christmas on July promotion.
MAHONING VALLEY
The Scrappers are still having a tough time getting their offense in gear. They went through a stretch last weekend where they lost four consecutive games at State College and Williamsport while scoring just three runs. Although the New-York Penn League season is just 36 games old, the Scrappers have already been shutout seven times.
One bright spot for Mahoning Valley has been the play of third baseman Giovanny Urshela. The 18-year-old native of Colombia leads the Scrappers with 18 RBIs and, going into Thursday's play, had multiple hits in three of his last five games.
LAKE ERIE
The Crushers lost the first four games of their current six-game road trip to drop to the .500 mark (30-30) for the first time since June 18. Lake Erie, who is 1-9 in its last 10 games going into Thursday's play, is now 3.5 games behind Traverse City for the final wild card spot.
After completing the three-game series in Washington, the Crushers will come home Saturday to open up a series against Kalamazoo. Lake Erie is 19-16 at All-Pro Freight Stadium this season.
