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July 14, 2006 - International League (IL1) News Release


BUFFALO BISONS
DERBY CHAMPION: Bisons' All-Star Andy Marte may be the reason for some sore necks in the Toledo, OH-area. Marte put on a power display on Monday and won the Triple-A Home Run Derby in impressive fashion. He launched 10 home runs in the first round and 13 more in the second round, peppering the Fifth Third Field scoreboard in left with several towering blasts. Marte then hit six home runs in the final round to defeat former Bison, Ryan Ludwick for the championship.

GUTIERREZ RETURNS: The Bisons received a nice boost to start the second half as outfielder Franklin Gutierrez was optioned from Cleveland. The outfielder was with the Tribe from June 16-July 12, and hit .258 (17-66) with four doubles and four RBI in 20 games. That included his first Major League hit on June 17 at Milwaukee. Gutierrez began the season with the Herd and was leading the team in hits (66), doubles (17) and runs scored (42, T-2nd in the International League) when he was recalled.

STREAK SNAPPED: Outfielder Ben Francisco saw his hit streak come to an end in the final game before the All-Star break. Francisco hit in 24 consecutive games, the longest streak in the International League this season. During the stretch, he averaged .330 (33-100) with six doubles, two triples, three home runs and 15 runs scored. The streak fell just four games shy of the Bisons Modern Era record, set at 28 by Alex Ramirez in 1998.

CHARLOTTE KNIGHTS
MOVING RIGHT ALONG: On Sunday, July 9, the Charlotte Knights picked up their 58th win of the season. This exceeds the total number of wins during the 2005 season going 57-86. So far this season when the Knights are ahead after six innings, they have a 45-3 record. The Knights also have a winning record when ahead after seven innings going 48-1, and when ahead after 8 innings, with a record of 46-0. They have a total of 23 come-from-behind wins and are 39-13 when scoring first.

ALL-STAR GAME RECAP: Six members of the Charlotte Knights were a part of the 2006 Triple-A All-Star game. Charlie Haeger, Heath Phillips, Ernie Young, Josh Fields, Jeff Farnsworth, and Jorge Velandia all made the trip up to Toledo for Wednesday night's game. Three of the Knights pitchers played a major role in the 6-0 win over the Pacific Coast League. Haeger started the game, pitching a total of two innings, allowing no hits or runs. Phillips also pitched a total of two innings with no hits or runs while striking out one batter and picking up the win. Farnsworth closed out the game, pitching one inning, while striking out a batter and walking one. Young drew two walks. Velandia had only two at-bats, but managed to get a hit, and score a run. Fields, however, was unable to get on track as he struck out twice in three at-bats.

HOME SWEET HOME: The Knights return home on July 17 to battle the Columbus Clippers; this will mark the first game of an eight-game homestand. Returning to the friendly confines of Knights Castle is especially good news to three Knights in particular, who have swung a very hot bat at the Castle to this date in the season. Josh Fields (.353), Jorge Velandia (.321), and Ryan Sweeney (.302) have all batted over .300 thus far at the Castle, and have combined for 129 hits, 67 RBI, and 17 home runs.

COLUMBUS CLIPPERS
CLIPPERS ROSTER A REVOLVING DOOR: When Jeff Karstens was put back on the Clipper roster yesterday it marked the 102nd roster move of the season for Columbus. In 11 games for Trenton, Karstens was 6-0 with a 2.31 ERA and had notched a quality start in 9 of 11 games. With the move the Clippers are on pace to make 164 roster moves this season. Last year the Clippers set a team record with 122 roster moves.

BEAN COUNTING: Reliever Colter Bean is inching closer to Columbus baseball history. To this point in the season he has appeared in 33 games out of the bullpen and is just off the pace to tie his single season Clipper record of 65 appearances, set last year. In his career Bean has pitched in 201 games for Columbus, tied for third all-time with Sam Jones (Columbus Jets 1964-69). Bean is 11 games behind Bumpus Jones (Columbus Senators 1897-1899) for the all-time Columbus record.

DURHAM BULLS
TOP ALL-STAR: Kevin Witt's return to Toledo was a happy one. Witt, who played for Toledo in 2003 prior to his most recent stint in the big leagues with Detroit, went 3-3 with a double, homer and three RBI in the Triple-A All-Star Game, to win the IL's Top Star Award. The IL Beat the PCL 6-0. Witt still leads the IL in HR (23), RBI (63) and extra-base hits (42).

OTHER ALL-STARS: Shortstop B.J. Upton went 0-1 with a walk, while catcher Shawn Riggans went 0-2 for the IL. In addition, RHP Juan Salas retired the only batter he faced on Sunday for the World Team in the Futures Game.

MAC ATTACK: Darnell McDonald wasn't named to the IL All-Star team, but sure is playing like an All-Star. McDonald is tops in the IL in hits (105), and 4th in runs scored (54). He has a 18-game hit streak after going 3-4 last night, and is batting .414 (29-70) during that stretch.




CHANGES: For the first time in two full seasons, Durham will have a different every-day shortstop. B.J. Upton has been moved to third base, a move designed to get him to Tampa more quickly after Aubrey Huff's trade to Houston. Ben Zobrist, acquired in that deal, will now play shortstop for Durham. Zobrist was a Texas-League All-Star, and was top five in that League in batting average, hits, doubles, and on-base percentage (.434). He entered last night's game in the 7th, and hit a bases-loaded single, capping a four-run 8th in a 7-4 win over Columbus.

INDIANAPOLIS INDIANS
FLASHING THE LEATHER: Indianapolis leads the International League with a .983 fielding percentage (2,392 PO, 933 A, 56 E). The Indians have collected 47 errorless games this season, going 27-20 in those contests.

WHEN IS OUR BREAK?: Indianapolis RHP Josh Sharpless and OF Rich Thompson stayed busy over the 2006 All-Star break. Sharpless participated in the XM Satellite Radio Futures game, tossing 1.1 scoreless innings for the victorious United States squad. Thompson represented Indianapolis in the Triple-A All-Star Game, going 0-2 as the International League blanked the Pacific Coast League, 6-0.

CALLING CARLOS: Indians C Carlos Maldonado enters Friday evening's contest with a season-best eight-game hitting streak (.429, 12-28,
3 R, 3 RBI). The 27-year-old is hitting .306 with four dingers and 27 RBI in 59 Triple-A games this season.

I'M BAAAAAAACK: Tribe OF Chris Duffy enters Friday with a base knock in eight of his first nine Triple-A games. The 26-year-old is batting .316 with six RBI for Indianapolis. He hit .194 with four RBI in 31 games for the Pirates before accepting a Triple-A assignment July 2.

DE CASTER IS HOT: Indianapolis INF Yurendell de Caster enters Friday night's tilt with a seven-game hitting streak (.400, 10-25, 6 R, 6 RBI). The 26-year-old is hitting .267 with eight long balls and 32 RBI in 73 games this season.

WE LIKE PLAYING AT HOME: Three Indians are hitting .300-or-better (with 75 or more at-bats) at Victory Field in 2006. C Carlos Maldonado leads the way with a .330 BA, one homer and 12 RBI. INF Yurendell de Caster sits at .326 with four round trippers and 18 RBI, while OF Adam Boeve checks in at .313 with three dingers and seven RBI.

LOUISVILLE BATS
ROSTER MOVES: The Cincinnati Reds trade with the Washington Nationals Wednesday had a trickle down effect on the Bats with three players being moved off Louisville's roster: OF Chris Denorfia, INF William Bergolla and RHP Ryan Wagner. Denorfia, who is leading the IL with a .347 batting average, and Bergolla were promoted to Cincinnati while Wagner was one of three players (Austin Kearns and Felipe Lopez) the Reds sent to Washington. In return, the Bats are expected to receive INF Brendan Harris, a former 5th round draft pick by the Chicago White Sox in 2001. Harris was sent to the Nationals on July 31, 2004 as part of a 4-team deadline deal that also sent SS Nomar Garciaparra to the Cubs and SS Orlando Cabrera to the Red Sox.

CHIASSON ON FIRE: RHP Scott Chiasson started the 2006 season slowly (0-1 with two saves and a 5.56 ERA), but has steadily improved since taking over the closer's role in May. He leads the IL with 40 appearances and his 16 saves are 3rd best in the League. Chiasson has recorded a win or a save in 12 of his last 14 appearances and batters are hitting just .207 off the right-hander. His last loss came during Game 2 of Louisville's doubleheader in Charlotte on May 6.

AT THE ALL-STAR BREAK: The Bats record of 48-42 at the break is the fifth time in the past seven years of being affiliated with the Reds that the team has had a winning record at the break. The past two years (2004, 43-48 and 2005, 45-46) were the only losing seasons.

NORFOLK TIDES
RINGING TRUE IN TOLEDO: Tides' reliever Royce Ring was one of seven International League pitchers that combined on a 6-0 shutout win for the IL in the Triple-A All-Star game Wednesday night in Toledo, Ohio. Ring pitched a scoreless 6th inning, retiring Tucson's Stephen Drew on a flyout and walking Iowa's Geovany Soto before inducing a ground ball double play off the bat of Nashville's Tony Gwynn, Jr.

STREAKING BACKSTOPS: Both of Norfolk's catchers have had hot streaks at the plate as of late. Sandy Martinez currently has a season-high six-game hitting streak over which he is hitting .381 (8-21) with two RBI, and he has hit safely in 11 of his past 13 starts. Over that 13-game stretch, Martinez is hitting .348 (16-46) with one home run and six RBI, and he has increased his average from .195 to .234. Joe Hietpas has also been hot at the plate lately, hitting safely in ten of his last 13 games. Hietpas had a career-high tying nine game hitting streak during that stretch, and the 27-year-old has hit .316 (12-38) with two home runs and six RBI over his 13-game stretch.

ON THE ROAD AGAIN: The Tides are currently in the midst of a season-high 12-game road trip, with four game series in Louisville, Indianapolis and Ottawa on the schedule. The Tides have a better mark away from home this season, having gone 18-24 on the road compared to 17-32 at home. Norfolk is hitting .250 with 33 home runs and has averaged 4.05 runs a game (170 runs in 42 games) on the road this season, compared to a .228 average with 11 home runs and 2.88 runs scored per contest at home (141 runs in 49 games).

OTTAWA LYNX
PENN BACK ON REHAB: On Thursday, the Lynx added RHP Hayden Penn to their roster on a Major League rehabilitation assignment. Penn, who will start for the Lynx tonight, went 2-2 with a 1.48 ERA in five starts. Penn was recalled to Baltimore on May 22 to make a start, but suffered from appendicitis on the eve of his start and had surgery. On July 9 Penn pitched 2.0 innings for Double-A Bowie (giving up two runs on three hits) in his first rehab appearance. The right-hander was ranked the Orioles third best prospect prior to the 2006 season, and now gives Ottawa two of Baltimore's top three prospects (#2 prospect LHP Adam Loewen) in their starting rotation.



LEADERBOARD WATCH: The Lynx have a few names to look for on the IL leaderboard. Keith Reed leads the IL in doubles with 29, only nine away from a franchise record total of 38. Julio Manon's 19 saves are good for second in the IL. LHP Brian Burres is tied for 4th in the IL in wins with eight , while 3B Fernando Tatis' .310 batting average has him 7th in the IL. Lynx 1B Andy Tracy is 2nd in the IL with 18 homers, tied for 4th in the IL with 56 RBI and is tied for 4th in extra base hits with 39. Tracy has also walked 47 times, tied for 4th most in the IL.

LET'S SPEAKLY FRANKLYN-LY: Lynx LHP Franklyn Gracesqui has been terrific of late. Since returning from the disable list (strained groin) on June 13, he has thrown eight consecutive scoreless appearances, (10.0 innings). Over that stretch he has given up only eight hits and has struck out 14. The lefthander struck out four in 2.0 scoreless innings last night, and has now struck out 12 in his last 6.0 innings of work.

PAWTUCKET RED SOX
THE BREAK IS OVER: The PawSox have just one scheduled off-day for the remainder of the season (August 2). Beginning last night they will play their final 56 games in 54 days from July 13 - September 4. Pawtucket was 42-46 and in 5th-place in the IL North (-8 GB) at the break. Last year at the All-Star break the PawSox were 44-46 and in a tie for 5th-place (-7½ GB). They went 31-23 for the remainder of the year and finished in a tie for 2nd-place (-7 GB). In 2004 the Sox were 40-51 at the All-Star break (5th, -13 GB) but recovered to go 33-20 after the break and finish in a tie for 2nd-place (-10 GB). And in 2003 the PawSox were 53-42 at the All-Star break and in 2nd-place (-1½ GB). They went on a nice roll in the second half (30-19) and moved into 1st-place for good on July 28 before finishing atop the IL North (+4-games) with an 83-61 record.

NO REST FOR THE WEARY: Since the All-Star break began the PawSox have made the following roster moves. On Monday they placed 1B Hee-Seop Choi on the 7-day disabled list (retroactive to July 7) with a left knee sprain. On Wednesday the PawSox transferred RHP Kyle Snyder to Lowell and INF Keoni De Renne to Double-A Portland. On Thursday the PawSox reinstated INF Enrique Wilson from the disabled list and added RHP T.J. Large from Lowell (Short-Season A). The Boston Red Sox on Thursday promoted lefty reliever Craig Breslow from Pawtucket. Breslow, the lone PawSox All-Star in the Triple-A All-Star Game, did not pitch in the game on Wednesday night in Toledo in anticipation of his imminent call-up. He was 5-1 with a 3.40 ERA and 5 SV in 26 RA for the PawSox this season with 50 SO in 45 IP. Finally on Thursday the Red Sox transferred RHP Jason Johnson from Wilmington (A) to Pawtucket. The 32-year old veteran was acquired by Boston from Cleveland on June 21 and went 0-2 with a 10.13 ERA in two starts for the Red Sox. He was optioned to Single-A Wilmington on Monday and was the starter and winner for the Blue Rocks on Wednesday night in a 5-4 victory over Frederick - 7 IP, 10 H, 4 R, 4 ER, 0 BB, 1 SO. He is expected to start for the PawSox on Monday night at home vs. Toledo. Overall this season he is 3-8 with a 5.96 ERA in 14 starts combined with Cleveland and Boston. He came into this season with a career mark of 52-86 with a 4.88 ERA in parts of nine big league seasons. And then on Friday the Boston Red Sox sent LHP Lenny DiNardo to Pawtucket to begin a 30-day injury rehab assignment. DiNardo, who has been on Boston's DL since May 22 with a neck strain, was 1-2 with a 7.11 ERA in 7 games (5 starts) for the Red Sox this season. He will make his first rehab start tonight vs. Charlotte at McCoy.

DOMINIC DIMAGGIO TO BE INDUCTED INTO PCL HALL OF FAME: Legendary outfielder Dominic DiMaggio, a member of the Boston Red Sox Hall of Fame who had a .298 career average for 11 seasons with the Red Sox, will be inducted into The Pacific Coast League Hall of Fame prior to Pawtucket's game with Charlotte at 1:05 p.m. this Sunday at McCoy Stadium. PCL President Branch Rickey will make the presentation in recognition of Dominic's "Excellence Demonstrated during a Stellar Career in the Pacific Coast League and Extraordinary Contributions to Professional Baseball." DiMaggio played three seasons with the San Francisco Seals of the PCL from 1937-39 and hit .326 in 473 games. He was recognized as the Pacific Coast League's MVP in 1939. Dominic will join his brother Joe as the first brother-brother tandem in the PCL Hall of Fame.

RICHMOND BRAVES
LEAD DOGS: Richmond's four wins when trailing after eight innings leads the International League. The Braves have been caught stealing just 23 times, fewest in the IL. Richmond is second in extra inning games played with 14 (already more than in all of 2005 when the Braves played 11 extra-inning games), one behind Rochester with 15. The Braves are 4-10 in extra innings. The Braves are third in the League in fielding percentage. They have played errorless baseball in 10 of their last 12 games.

THREE'S A CROWD: The Braves won three straight games for the third time this season prior to losing Thursday at Syracuse. It was their second three game winning streak in less than two weeks. Richmond is 6-3 in their last nine games. The three game winning streak equals a season high. The last time the Braves won more than three straight games was a five game run from 8/20-8/24 last season.

BACK TO THE OLD SALT MINES: The Braves opened the post-all star game portion of their schedule Thursday. Richmond improved their pre-all star game record of 2005 by 6.5 games. Richmond was 29-63 at the break last season. Last season the Braves were 27-25 after the break. The Braves play 14 of their first 18 post-break games on the road.

ROCHESTER RED WINGS
DOUBLE DIPPING: The Red Wings played their fourth doubleheader of the 2006 season Thursday night. With Thursday's doubleheader sweep the Red Wings have now swept all four (8-0 record) doubleheaders they've played this season. Rochester has an impressive 14-3-15 record in doubleheaders since the Red Wings changed affiliations to the Minnesota Twins in 2003.

CHANGES AT 1 MORRIE SILVER WAY: The Red Wings roster has been changing daily the last week. Outfielder Jason Tyner is the latest as he was promoted to the Minnesota Twins Thursday night. Tyner takes the roster spot of outfielder Lew Ford, who was placed on the disabled list with a strained oblique. Tyner, RHP Pat Neshek and RHP Scott Baker have all been promoted to Minnesota in the last week.


HELP IS ON THE WAY: The Minnesota Twins have reinforcements on the way for Rochester. RHP Matt Garza, the Twins first-round pick in the 2005 draft, was promoted from Double-A New Britain Thursday and will make his first Triple-A start Saturday and Frontier Field. Garza currently ranks 3rd in the entire Minor Leagues in strikeouts with 121 and is a combined 11-3 between Single-A Ft. Myers and Double-A New Britain. In addition, the Twins have signed DH/1B Erubiel Durazo to a free agent contract and he will join the Red Wings Saturday as well. Durazo has a .281 lifetime average with 94 home runs and 330 RBI in 624 Major League games with Oakland and Arizona.

SCRANTON/WILKES-BARRE
NOT MUCH OF AN OFF DAY: Usually not much happens on the All-Star break other than a few days off. Wednesday was quite different with a total of 8 player moves occurring. Joining the team today will be Chris Roberson from Philadelphia, Scott Mathieson, Juan Sosa and Tim Gradoville from Reading. To make room on the roster, Mike Lieberthal ended his rehab assignment, Orlando Guevara was optioned to Lakewood, Dan Giese was sent to Reading and Shawn Garrett was released.

SANDOVAL GETS ANOTHER MULTI-HIT GAME: After a slow start Danny Sandoval has become one of the hottest hitters on the team. He went 3-4 last night giving him his 25th multi-hit game of the season. One unusual note about this is that the first 24 were two-hit games. On
June 3 Sandoval had recorded just six multi-hit games and was batting just .212. Since June 5 he has had 18 multi-hit games and has raised his average to .263. In the month of July he is batting .333 (15-45). He is also working on a seven game hitting streak. During the streak he is batting .382 (13-34).

HR KING: Last night Brennan King slugged his team leading 8th home run of the season and his 2nd in the last three games. In his last 32 at-bats he has hit three long balls. For the Red Barons as a team, they hit two home runs last night giving them just their 2nd multi-HR game since June 6.

STREAKS ALIVE: Brennan King also kept his batting streak alive with the home run. He has now hit safely in 9 straight games dating back to July 2 at Pawtucket. During the streak he is 12-35 (.343) with 3 home runs and 8 RBI. Chris Roberson also extended his hitting streak to six games. His streak began on June 30 and was interrupted by a big league promotion. During his streak he is batting .440 (11-25).

SYRACUSE SKYCHIEFS
ROAD DOG: In his lone at-bat in the Triple-A All-Star Game Wednesday night in Toledo Kevin Barker powered a solo home run in the seventh inning to help the IL defeat the PCL 6-0. Barker's currently on a 16-game road hit streak (not including his All-Star appearance). He's batting .324 away from home since the 13th of June and has reached base in 26 successive games not played in Alliance Bank Stadium since May 19. On the road this season, he's shelling opponents at a .318 clip.

POWERFUL SUPPORT FOR A POWERFUL PITCHER: SkyChiefs hitters have given plenty of support to starter Dustin McGowan, scoring 46 runs while he is in the game over his 11 starts, an average of 4.18 runs per game. McGowan's support is almost two more runs then the Syracuse offense provides other starters (2.41). After beginning the season as a reliever, the Blue Jays first round pick in the 2000 draft has settled into the rotation where over his last six starts he is 2-2 with a 4.10 ERA allowing just 34 hits in 37.1 innings pitched, walking 15 and striking out 33. Over those six starts McGowan has lasted seven innings three times, all quality starts.

WAYNE'S WORLD: SkyChiefs centerfielder Wayne Lydon narrowly missed hitting for the cycle Thursday night versus Richmond, going 4-4 with a home run, two doubles and four runs batted in. Lydon led-off the game for the SkyChiefs with a ground-rule double that the speedster would've easily reached third base on had it not bounced over the centerfield wall. Lydon's home run, his sixth of the season, gives him a new career high for long balls in a season. His four runs batted in were the most he's drove home in one game and his four hits tied a career high.

TOLEDO MUD HENS
LUDWICK LOOMS LARGE: Toledo OF Ryan Ludwick was selected to appear, not only in the Triple-A All-Star game, but also the Home Run Derby as part of Triple-A All-Star week. Ludwick did not disappoint the hometown crowd, as he made it all the way to the finals of the Derby. In the finals, he would face some stiff competition in the form of Buffalo Bison Andy Marte. Ludwick had 13 home runs through the first two rounds, while Marte had 23. In the finals, Ludwick led off with five home runs, and Marte quickly topped that, blasting six home runs to take the title, with five outs remaining.

WHAT'S IN A NAME?: Ludwick was not the only Mud Hen named Ryan to put on a power display during the All-Star festivities. OF Ryan Raburn closed out the scoring in the All-Star game with a long home run over the fence in left center field. On the season, Raburn is tied with Mike Hessman for the team lead in home runs with 17. That total also puts them in a tie for third in the International League.

ON THE WAY BACK: Detroit Tigers IF/OF Dmitri Young is trying to work his way back to the top, and on his way he is making a stop in Toledo as part of his rehab assignment. Young made his first appearance in Toledo this year on Thursday, going 1-4 with a single. Young has also made stops in Single-A Lakeland and Double-A Erie prior coming to the Mud Hens. In Lakeland, Young appeared in two games, going 2-5 with a double and a run scored. While at Erie, Dmitri was 3-20 with a double, one RBI and two runs scored in six games.


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