Wednesday, August 31, 2011

Tonight's Lineup - August 31st at Fort Wayne

Happy Birthday to my Dad! 

Ender Inciarte - CF
Niko Gallego - SS
Raywilly Gomez - DH
Yazy Arbelo - 1B
Matt Helm - 3B
Gerson Montilla - 2B
Roberto Rodriguez - RF
Ramon Castillo - C
Marc Bourgeois - LF

Tyler Green - P
Pregame interview is with manager Mark Haley.  First pitch at 7:05 PM. Pregame coverage at 6:45 PM

Playoff Race - Six Games Remain

A golden opportunity missed last night, as West Michigan and Fort Wayne both lost, but so did the Silver Hawks in extra innings.  Technically the elimination number is 3, but because of the tiebreakers, if the Hawks lose one game to Fort Wayne, they would be mathematically eliminated.  (If South Bend only took 2 out of 3 from Fort Wayne, they'd be 3 games back of the TinCaps, but they'd also be at least one game back of West Michigan.  Since West Michigan plays Fort Wayne over the final weekend, the Hawks would need a Whitecaps sweep to tie Fort Wayne, but that would then leave South Bend a game back of West Michigan.  Understand?   Good).

The playoff picture is listed below...
Eastern Division First Round
Dayton (Second Half Champ) vs. Lansing (First Half Wild Card)
Bowling Green (First Half Champ) vs. TBA (Second Half Wild Card)

Western Division First Round
Burlington (First Half Champ) vs. TBA (Second Half Wild Card)
Quad Cities (First Half Wild Card) vs. TBA (Second Half Champ)
*Clinton has clinched one of the two remaining spots, but it is not decided which one yet.

**Eastern Division Wild Card Race** (Note, this is only for the wild card since Dayton has clinched the championship)

TeamWLGB
Fort Wayne3529--
West Michigan3430-1.0
Great Lakes3133-4.0
South Bend3133-4.0
Lake County has been mathematically eliminated from postseason contention.

Western Division (Top Two Make Playoffs - Clinton has clinched at least one spot)

TeamWLGB
Clinton3726--
Kane County3430-4.0
Beloit2835-9.0
Peoria, Wisconsin, and Cedar Rapids have all been mathematically eliminated.

Tuesday, August 30, 2011

Tonight's Lineup - August 30th vs. Lake County

Ender Inciarte - CF
David Narodowski - 3B
Raywilly Gomez - C
Yazy Arbelo - 1B
Matt Helm - DH
Gerson Montilla - 2B
Roberto Rodriguez - LF
Roberto Ortiz - RF
Niko Gallego - SS

J.R. Bradley - P
No pregame interview tonight.  We'll update the playoff race and talk about today's roster move. First pitch at 6:30 PM. Pregame coverage at 6:10 PM

Midwest League Post-Season All-Stars

As promised, below is the list of Post Season All Stars in the Midwest League.  These are voted on by the 16 league managers and managers cannot vote for their own players.  Unfortunately, South Bend was shut out.

Catcher - Rob Brantly (West Michigan)
First Base - Jesus Aguilar (Lake County)
Second Base - Hernan Perez (West Michigan)
Third Base - Nick Castellanos (West Michigan)
Shortstop - Billy Hamilton (Dayton)
Outfielder - Michael Crouse (Lansing)
Outfielder - Jake Marisnick (Lansing)
Outfielder - Rymer Liriano (Fort Wayne)
Designated Hitter - Josh Whitaker (Burlington)

RHP Starter - Greg Billo (Kane County)
LHP Starter - C.J. Riefenhauser (Bowling Green)
RHP Reliever - Drew Hayes (Dayton)
LHP Reliever - Chris Rearick (Bowling Green)     

MVP - Rymer Liriano (Fort Wayne)
Prospect of the Year - Rymer Liriano (Fort Wayne)
Manager of the Year - Mike Redmond (Lansing)

Playoff Race - One Week Remains

A little bit of a different format today, since some things we already know:

Eastern Division First Round
Dayton (Second Half Champ) vs. Lansing (First Half Wild Card)
Bowling Green (First Half Champ) vs. TBA (Second Half Wild Card)

Western Division First Round
Burlington (First Half Champ) vs. TBA (Second Half Wild Card)
Quad Cities (First Half Wild Card) vs. TBA (Second Half Champ)
*Clinton has clinched one of the two remaining spots, but it is not decided which one yet.

**Eastern Division Wild Card Race** (Note, this is only for the wild card since Dayton has clinched the championship)

TeamWLGB
Fort Wayne3528--
West Michigan3429-1.0
Great Lakes3132-4.0
South Bend3132-4.0
Lake County has been mathematically eliminated from postseason contention.

Western Division (Top Two Make Playoffs - Clinton has clinched at least one spot)

TeamWLGB
Clinton3726--
Kane County3429-3.0
Wisconsin2835-9.0
Beloit2835-9.0
Peoria and Cedar Rapids have been mathematically eliminated from postseason contention.

Today's Roster Move - August 30th

We start today's posts with a roster move.

LHP Eury De La Rosa promoted to high-A Visalia.

No corresponding move has been announced, nor is one expected.  This move is a bit of a head scratcher for me.  Visalia is not in the playoff hunt, and while the Silver Hawks chances are slim, they are still mathematically alive.  Why take the closer and arguably best reliever from this team at this point in the season?

Obviously, there are reasons for everything, and congratulations to Eury on the promotion. 

Monday, August 29, 2011

Tonight's Lineup - August 29th vs. Lake County

Ender Inciarte - CF
David Narodowski - SS
Raywilly Gomez - C
Yazy Arbelo - 1B
Matt Helm - 3B
Gerson Montilla - 2B
Jhoan Pimentel - C
Marc Bourgeois - LF
Roberto Ortiz - RF

Bradin Hagens - P
Pregame interview with Ender Inciarte.  First pitch at 6:30 PM.  Pregame coverage at 6:10 PM.

From the Notes - August 29th

South Bend Silver Hawks (30-32 Second Half, 64-67 Overall)
vs. Lake County Captains (21-41 Second Half, 49-82 Overall)


Coveleski Stadium, South Bend, Indiana – 6:30 PM Eastern Time


Season Series: 11-2 Silver Hawks
@ Coveleski Stadium: 7-0 Silver Hawks
@ Classic Park: 4-2 Silver Hawks

Silver Hawks Team Hitting: .244 – T-12th                           
Silver Hawks Team Pitching: 3.64 ERA – T-4th

Captains Team Hitting: .247 – 10th                                     
Captains Team Pitching: 4.15 ERA – 16th

LAST GAME:  The Silver Hawks extended their winning streak to three games, holding on to defeat the Lake County Captains 3-2 on Sunday afternoon.  Ender Inciarte homered and Raywilly Gomez added a RBI single to lead the offensive attack for South Bend.  Jeff Shields (WP, 9-12) allowed only one run on three hits in 6.0 innings for the victory.  The Captains rallied in the ninth, scoring one run but left the tying run at third when Kable Hogben (SV, 2) pitched out of the jam.  Aaron Fields had three hits to lead Lake County.

TEAM NOTES:

·          Playoff Race: The Silver Hawks are five games out of the wild card spot with eight to play in the second half. 

·          Silver Hawks pitchers have issued only 356 walks this season – the second fewest in the MWL.  They have the second fewest strikeouts.

INDIVIDUAL NOTES:

·          Yazy Arbelo leads the league in homers, RBIs, extra base hits, and games played.  He is second in TB, third in walks, fourth in slg.

·          Raywilly Gomez has 35 walks and 34 strikeouts in 2011.  He has the best K to PA ratio in the MWL this season (11.76 PA per K).


Playoff Race - 8 To Go

South Bend has won four out of five, so the playoff hopes remain alive.  The elimination number is still four, meaning any combination of South Bend losses or Fort Wayne wins that total up to four would eliminate the Hawks.

By the way, Dayton has clinched a playoff spot, and have a magic number of one to clinch the second half title.  Also, in the West, Clinton has clinched a playoff spot as well.

Here are the standings with eight games to go in the second half.  Remember, Lansing and Bowling Green have already qualified in the East, while Quad Cities and Burlington made it in the West, so they've been taken out of the mix.

Eastern Division (Top Two Make Playoffs)

TeamWLGB
Dayton4319--
Fort Wayne3527-8.0
West Michigan3329-10.0
Great Lakes3131-12.0
South Bend3032-13.0
Lake County has been mathematically eliminated from postseason contention.

Western Division (Top Two Make Playoffs)

TeamWLGB
Clinton3725--
Kane County3329-4.0
Wisconsin2834-9.0
Beloit2735-10.0
Cedar Rapids2537-12.0
Peoria has been eliminated from playoff contention.

Sunday, August 28, 2011

Today's Lineup - August 28th vs. Lake County

Ender Inciarte - CF
David Narodowski - 2B
Raywilly Gomez - C
Yazy Arbelo - DH
Matt Helm - 3B
Roberto Rodriguez - RF
Ramon Castillo - 1B
Marc Bourgeois - LF
Niko Gallego - SS

Jeff Shields - P

No time to update the playoff race on the blog today, so we'll do that in the pregame show instead.  First pitch at 2:00 PM.  Pregame coverage at 1:40 PM.

Saturday, August 27, 2011

Tonight's Lineup - August 27th vs. Lake County

Ender Inciarte - CF
David Narodowski - DH
Gerson Montilla - 2B
Yazy Arbelo - 1B
Matt Helm - 3B
Jhoan Pimentel - C
Roberto Ortiz - RF
Roberto Rodriguez - LF
Niko Gallego - SS

Mike Bolsinger - P

Tonight's pregame interview is with Fran McDonald, a sponsor of tonight's game. First pitch at 5:30 PM Eastern Time. Pregame coverage at 5:10 PM Eastern Time.

Playoff Race - 10 To Go

The Silver Hawks took two out of three from Fort Wayne, and have kept the very slim playoff hopes alive for another few days.  The elimination number is 5, meaning any combination of Fort Wayne wins or South Bend losses that total up to 5 would eliminate the Hawks.

Here are the standings with 10 games to go in the second half.  Remember, Lansing and Bowling Green have already qualified in the East, while Quad Cities and Burlington made it in the West, so they've been taken out of the mix.

Eastern Division (Top Two Make Playoffs)

TeamWLGB
Dayton4119--
Fort Wayne3426-7.0
West Michigan3327-8.0
Great Lakes3030-11.0
South Bend2732-13.0
Lake County has been mathematically eliminated from postseason contention.

Western Division (Top Two Make Playoffs)

TeamWLGB
Clinton3525--
Kane County3327-2.0
Beloit2733-8.0
Wisconsin2634-9.0
Cedar Rapids2535-10.0
Peoria has been eliminated from playoff contention.

Friday, August 26, 2011

Tonight's Lineup - August 26th vs. Fort Wayne

Ender Inciarte - CF
David Narodowski - 3B
Raywilly Gomez - C
Yazy Arbelo - 1B
Matt Helm - DH
Gerson Montilla - 2B
Roberto Ortiz - RF
Marc Bourgeois - LF
Niko Gallego - SS

Tyler Green- P

Tonight's pregame interview is with official scorer Pete Yarbro. First pitch at 6:30 PM Eastern Time. Pregame coverage at 6:10 PM Eastern Time.

Playoff Race -- 11 To Go

Tough day yesterday. 
Here are the standings with 11 games to go in the second half.  Remember, Lansing and Bowling Green have already qualified in the East, while Quad Cities and Burlington made it in the West, so they've been taken out of the mix.

Eastern Division (Top Two Make Playoffs)

TeamWLGB
Dayton4019--
Fort Wayne3425-6.0
West Michigan3227-8.0
Great Lakes3029-10.0
South Bend2732-13.0
Lake County has been mathematically eliminated from postseason contention.

Western Division (Top Two Make Playoffs)

TeamWLGB
Clinton3425--
Kane County3326-1.0
Beloit2633-8.0
Cedar Rapids2534-9.0
Wisconsin2534-9.0
Peoria2237-12.0

Thursday, August 25, 2011

Tonight's Lineup - August 25th vs. Fort Wayne

Ender Inciarte - CF
David Narodowski - SS
Raywilly Gomez - C
Yazy Arbelo - 1B
Matt Helm - 3B
Gerson Montilla - 2B
Roberto Ortiz - RF
Ramon Castillo - DH
Roberto Rodriguez - LF
J.R. Bradley - P

Tonight's pregame interview is with pitching coach Wellington Cepeda. First pitch at 6:30 PM Eastern Time. Pregame coverage at 6:10 PM Eastern Time.

Playoff Race - A Dozen Remain

A good win yesterday kept the very slim playoff hopes alive for South Bend.  The elimination remains at 7 with 12 to play (and combination of a Fort Wayne win or a South Bend loss that adds up to seven eliminates the Hawks).

Here are the standings with 12 games to go in the second half.  Remember, Lansing and Bowling Green have already qualified in the East, while Quad Cities and Burlington made it in the West, so they've been taken out of the mix.

Eastern Division (Top Two Make Playoffs)

TeamWLGB
Dayton3919--
Fort Wayne3325-6.0
West Michigan3127-8.0
Great Lakes3028-9.0
South Bend2731-12.0
Lake County2137-18.0

Western Division (Top Two Make Playoffs)

TeamWLGB
Kane County3325--
Clinton3325--
Beloit2632-7.0
Cedar Rapids2533-8.0
Wisconsin2434-9.0
Peoria2236-11.0

Wednesday, August 24, 2011

Tonight's Lineup - August 24th vs. Fort Wayne

Ender Inciarte - CF
David Narodowski - DH
Raywilly Gomez - C
Yazy Arbelo - 1B
Matt Helm - 3B
Gerson Montilla - 2B
Roberto Rodriguez - LF
Roberto Ortiz - RF
Niko Gallego - SS

Bradin Hagens - P

No pregame interview tonight. First pitch at 6:30 PM Eastern Time. Pregame coverage at 6:10 PM Eastern Time.

Elimination Number

I got to talking about elimination numbers on the air last night.  For those of you that don't know what that is, it's basically the magic number in reverse -- or the number of wins/losses that would eliminate a team from postseason contention.

The Silver Hawks elimination number is currently seven, which means that any combination of Fort Wayne wins or Silver Hawks losses that total up to seven would eliminate the Hawks from postseason contention.

In other words, South Bend desperately needs to sweep this series because any loss would reduce that number by two (because it would be BOTH a Fort Wayne win and a South Bend loss).

Tuesday, August 23, 2011

Tonight's Lineup - August 23rd vs. West Michigan

Ender Inciarte - CF
David Narodowski - 3B
Raywilly Gomez - C
Yazy Arbelo - 1B
Matt Helm - DH
Gerson Montilla - 2B
Roberto Rodriguez - RF
Marc Bourgeois - LF
Niko Gallego - SS

Jeff Shields - P

Tonight's pregame interview is with outfielder Marc Bourgeois. First pitch at 7:00 PM Eastern Time. Pregame coverage at 6:40 PM Eastern Time.

Playoff Race - 14 To Play

Yesterday was a crushing blow to the playoff hopes for South Bend. 
Here are the standings with 14 games to go in the second half.  Remember, Lansing and Bowling Green have already qualified in the East, while Quad Cities and Burlington made it in the West, so they've been taken out of the mix.

Eastern Division (Top Two Make Playoffs)

TeamWLGB
Dayton3818--
Fort Wayne3224-6.0
Great Lakes2927-9.0
West Michigan2927-9.0
South Bend2630-12.0
Lake County2135-17.0

Western Division (Top Two Make Playoffs)

TeamWLGB
Kane County3224--
Clinton3125-1.0
Beloit2630-6.0
Cedar Rapids2432-8.0
Wisconsin2333-9.0
Peoria2234-10.0

Monday, August 22, 2011

Tonight's Lineup - August 22nd vs. West Michigan

Ender Inciarte - CF
David Narodowski - SS
Raywilly Gomez - DH
Yazy Arbelo - 1B
Matt Helm - 3B
Gerson Montilla - 2B
Roberto Ortiz - RF
Marc Bourgeois - LF
Jhoan Pimentel - C

Mike Bolsinger - P

Tonight's pregame interview is with manager Mark Haley.  First pitch at 7:00 PM Eastern Time. Pregame coverage at 6:40 PM Eastern Time.

From The Notes - August 22nd

South Bend Silver Hawks (26-29 Second Half, 60-64 Overall)
@ West Michigan Whitecaps (28-27 Second Half, 60-64 Overall)
 
Fifth Third Ballpark, Comstock Park, Michigan – 7:00 PM Eastern Time

Season Series: 10-7 Whitecaps
@ Coveleski Stadium: 6-2 Whitecaps
@ Fifth Third Ballpark: 5-4 Silver Hawks

Silver Hawks Team Hitting: .243 – T-13th                           
Silver Hawks Team Pitching: 3.74 ERA – 7th

Whitecaps Team Hitting: .256 – 3rd                                    
Whitecaps Team Pitching: 3.87 ERA – 13th

LAST GAME:  West Michigan’s Kyle Ryan (WP, 5-9) combined with Kevan Hess (ND) and Michael Torrealba (SV, 6) on a four-hit, 2-0 shutout of the South Bend Silver Hawks on Sunday afternoon.  The Whitecaps basicially dominated from the start, but had trouble scoring runs with 12 runners left on base as they went just 1-for-13 with RISP.  Dixon Machado picked up the lone RBI for the Whitecaps while Nick Castellanos had three hits.  Tyler Green (LP, 3-8) suffered a tough loss, allowing only one earned run in 5.0 innings on the hill.

TEAM NOTES:

·          Playoff Race: The Silver Hawks are five games out of the wild card spot with 15 to play in the second half.

·          Silver Hawks pitchers have issued only 341 walks this season – the third fewest in the MWL.  They have the second fewest strikeouts.

·          South Bend has been held to just four hits twice over the past three games (won on Friday vs. Lake County, lost Sunday @ WM).

INDIVIDUAL NOTES:

·          Yazy Arbelo leads the league in homers, extra base hits, games played, and strikeouts.  He is second in RBIs and walks and third in TB.

·          Arbelo’s current seven game hitting streak ties his season’s best.

·          Raywilly Gomez has 32 walks and 32 strikeouts in 2011.  He has the best K to PA ratio in the MWL this season (11.72 PA per K).

MILESTONE WATCH:

·          Yazy Arbelo has set a new franchise single season record with 27 homers.  He’s tied for second on the career home run leader board.

·          Arbelo also is seventh on the single season RBI leader board with 86 this season.  Billy Martin (2000) ranks sixth with 90. 

·          He is also fourth with 56 extra base hits.  He needs two to tie Daniel Perales for third on the single season leader board.

Playoff Race - 15 Left

Yesterday was a missed opportunity for South Bend, with all the teams they are chasing losing as well.  The Silver Hawks are still five games out of the wild card spot.

Here are the standings with 15 games to go in the second half.  Remember, Lansing and Bowling Green have already qualified in the East, while Quad Cities and Burlington made it in the West, so they've been taken out of the mix.

Eastern Division (Top Two Make Playoffs)

TeamWLGB
Dayton3718--
Fort Wayne3124-6.0
Great Lakes2926-8.0
West Michigan2827-9.0
South Bend2629-11.0
Lake County2134-16.0


Western Division (Top Two Make Playoffs)

TeamWLGB
Kane County3223--
Clinton3025-2.0
Beloit2629-6.0
Wisconsin2332-9.0
Cedar Rapids2332-9.0
Peoria2233-10.0

Sunday, August 21, 2011

Today's Lineup - August 21st at West Michigan

Ender Inciarte - CF
David Narodowski - DH
Raywilly Gomez - C
Matt Helm - 3B
Gerson Montilla - 2B
Roberto Ortiz - RF
Ramon Castillo - 1B
Marc Bourgeois - LF
Niko Gallego - SS

Tyler Green - P

Yazy Arbelo is out with a sore hand after being hit by a pitch last night.  Hopefully he only misses one game.

In the pregame show this afternoon, we'll update the playoff race for both the Midwest and Major Leagues.. First pitch at 1:00 PM Eastern Time. Pregame coverage at 12:40 PM Eastern Time.

Playoff Race - 16 Remain

Yes another mixed day for South Bend on Saturday, as the Silver Hawks won but so did Great Lakes and Fort Wayne.  South Bend remains five games out of the wild card.

Here are the standings with 16 games to go in the second half.  Remember, Lansing and Bowling Green have already qualified in the East, while Quad Cities and Burlington made it in the West, so they've been taken out of the mix.

Eastern Division (Top Two Make Playoffs)

TeamWLGB
Dayton3717--
Fort Wayne3123-6.0
Great Lakes2925-8.0
West Michigan2727-10.0
South Bend2628-11.0
Lake County2034-17.0

Western Division (Top Two Make Playoffs)

TeamWLGB
Kane County3222--
Clinton2925-3.0
Beloit2628-6.0
Wisconsin2232-10.0
Peoria2232-10.0
Cedar Rapids2232-10.0

Saturday, August 20, 2011

Tonight's Lineup - August 20th at West Michigan

Ender Inciarte - CF
David Narodowski - SS
Raywilly Gomez - C
Yazy Arbelo - 1B
Matt Helm - 3B
Gerson Montilla - 2B
Roberto Ortiz - RF
Roberto Rodriguez - LF
Ramon Castillo - DH

J.R. Bradley - P

For tonight's pregame interview, we'll talk to West Michigan broadcaster Ben Chiswick to get a scouting report on the Whitecaps.   First pitch at 7:10 PM Eastern Time. Pregame coverage at 6:50 PM Eastern Time.

Important Reminder

We are back in Grand Rapids to take on West Michigan, and while I typically love this trip, it is a place where we've had connection problems in the past.

If you lose the feed, please email me at oserey@silverhawks.com so I know and can get it back on as quickly as possible.  Hopefully there will be no problems, but I just want to be prepared. 

Thanks!  And don't assume someone else will email.  I'd rather receive 100 than none.

Also, tonight's game will start at 7:10 PM, rather than 7:00 PM.

Playoff Race - 17 Remaining

Another mixed day for South Bend on Friday, with the Silver Hawks winning but Fort Wayne routed West Michigan.  South Bend remains five games out of the wild card.

Here are the standings with 17 games to go in the second half.  Remember, Lansing and Bowling Green have already qualified in the East, while Quad Cities and Burlington made it in the West, so they've been taken out of the mix.

Eastern Division (Top Two Make Playoffs)

TeamWLGB
Dayton3617--
Fort Wayne3023-6.0
Great Lakes2825-8.0
West Michigan2726-9.0
South Bend2528-11.0
Lake County2033-16.0

Western Division (Top Two Make Playoffs)

TeamWLGB
Kane County3122--
Clinton2924-2.0
Beloit2528-6.0
Wisconsin2231-9.0
Peoria2231-9.0
Cedar Rapids2132-10.0

Friday, August 19, 2011

Tonight's Lineup - August 19th vs. Lake County

Ender Inciarte - CF
David Narodowski - 3B
Raywilly Gomez - C
Yazy Arbelo - 1B
Matt Helm - DH
Gerson Montilla - 2B
Marc Bourgeois - LF
Roberto Ortiz - RF
Niko Gallego - SS

Bradin Hagens - P

Pregame interview will be with reliever Chris Odegaard.  First pitch at 6:30 PM Eastern Time. Pregame coverage at 6:10 PM Eastern Time. 

From the Notes - August 19th

South Bend Silver Hawks (24-28 Second Half, 58-63 Overall)
vs. Lake County Captains (20-32 Second Half, 28-43 Overall)


Coveleski Stadium, South Bend, Indiana – 6:30 PM Eastern Time

                                                                    
Season Series: 8-2 Silver Hawks
@ Coveleski Stadium: 4-0 Silver Hawks
@ Classic Park: 4-2 Silver Hawks

Silver Hawks Team Hitting: .245 – T-11th                           
Silver Hawks Team Pitching: 3.78 ERA – 7th

Captains Team Hitting: .252 – T-7th                                   
Captains Team Pitching: 4.24 ERA – 16th

LAST GAME:  A sloppy defensive game saw the Silver Hawks outlast the Lake County Captains by a 5-2 final on Thursday night.  Yazy Arbelo had a two run homer to lead the Silver Hawks while Jhoan Pimentel extended his hitting streak to a season-high five games with a two run single in the second inning.  Jeff Shields (WP, 8-11) battled through 5.0 innings, allowing only one run on two hits with three walks and a hit batter.  Jordan Cooper (LP, 2-6) was saddled with the loss, allowing four runsin his 5.0 innings on the mound. 

   
TEAM NOTES:

·          Playoff Race: The Silver Hawks are five games out of the wild card spot with 18 to play in the second half.

·          South Bend has clinched a win in a home series against an Eastern Division opponent for the first time since May 27-30 versus Dayton. 

·          Silver Hawks pitchers have issued only 329 walks this season – the second fewest in the MWL.

·          The Hawks have won three straight games for the first time since July 27-29 at Great Lakes.

INDIVIDUAL NOTES:

·          Yazy Arbelo leads the league in homers, RBIs, extra base hits, games played, and strikeouts.  He is third in total bases, fourth in walks.

·          Matt Helm enjoyed his sixth three-hit game yesterday.  Only Zach Walters with eight has more three-hit games this season.

MILESTONE WATCH:

·          Yazy Arbelo has set a new franchise single season record with 27 homers.  He’s tied for second on the career home run leader board.

·          Arbelo also is seventh on the single season RBI leader board with 86 this season.  Billy Martin (2000) ranks sixth with 90. 

·          He is also fourth with 56 extra base hits.  He needs two to tie Daniel Perales for third on the single season leader board.

Playoff Race - 18 To Play

Yesterday was a good day for South Bend, but it could have been better.  Fort Wayne won, so the Hawks remain five games back of the TinCaps.  However, South Bend has closed to within four of Great lakes and three of West Michigan. 

Here are the standings with 18 games to go in the second half.  Remember, Lansing and Bowling Green have already qualified in the East, while Quad Cities and Burlington made it in the West, so they've been taken out of the mix.

Eastern Division (Top Two Make Playoffs)

TeamWLGB
Dayton3517--
Fort Wayne2923-6.0
Great Lakes2824-7.0
West Michigan2725-8.0
South Bend2428-11.0
Lake County2032-15.0

Western Division (Top Two Make Playoffs)

TeamWLGB
Kane County3121--
Clinton2824-3.0
Beloit2428-7.0
Wisconsin2230-9.0
Peoria2131-10.0
Cedar Rapids2032-11.0

Thursday, August 18, 2011

Playoff Race - 19 To Go

Yesterday was a great day for South Bend:  A Silver Hawks win combined with losses by both of the wild card leading teams, and things have become a bit more interesting.  Still a longshot, but a little closer entering play today.

Here are the standings with 19 games to go in the second half.  Remember, Lansing and Bowling Green have already qualified in the East, while Quad Cities and Burlington made it in the West, so they've been taken out of the mix.

Eastern Division (Top Two Make Playoffs)

TeamWLGB
Dayton3417--
Great Lakes2823-6.0
Fort Wayne2823-6.0
West Michigan2724-7.0
South Bend2328-11.0
Lake County2031-14.0

Western Division (Top Two Make Playoffs)

TeamWLGB
Kane County3021--
Clinton2724-3.0
Beloit2427-6.0
Wisconsin2229-8.0
Cedar Rapids2031-10.0
Peoria2031-10.0

Wednesday, August 17, 2011

Tonight's Lineup - August 17th

Ender Inciarte - CF
David Narodowski - DH
Raywilly Gomez - C
Yazy Arbelo - 1B
Matt Helm - 3B
Gerson Montilla - 2B
Marc Bourgeois - LF
Roberto Rodriguez - RF
Niko Gallego - SS

Mike Bolsinger - P

First pitch at 6:30 PM Eastern Time.  Pregame coverage at 6:10 PM Eastern Time.  Rather than a pregame interview today, I wanted to spend some time talking about the playoff chances for South Bend -- really getting into the numbers of it all and what has to happen for the Silver Hawks to make it.

From the Notes - August 17th

South Bend Silver Hawks (22-28 Second Half, 56-63 Overall)
vs. Lake County Captains (20-30 Second Half, 28-41 Overall)


Coveleski Stadium, South Bend, Indiana – 6:30 PM Eastern Time

                                                                                   
Season Series: 6-2 Silver Hawks
@ Coveleski Stadium: 2-0 Silver Hawks
@ Classic Park: 4-2 Silver Hawks

Silver Hawks Team Hitting: .244 – 12th                                 
Silver Hawks Team Pitching: 3.79 ERA – 9th
Captains Team Hitting: .251 – 9th                                         
Captains Team Pitching: 4.24 ERA – 16th

LAST GAME:  The South Bend Silver Hawks rallied late on Monday night, scoring four runs in the final three innings to knock off the Bowling Green Hot Rods 4-3 and in the process avoided a series sweep.  Gerson Montilla broke a 3-3 tie with a solo homer in the eighth, while Raywilly Gomez and Yazy Arbelo contributed RBIs in the seventh.  Patrick Schuster (WP, 7-4) earned his first win in relief, allowing only one unearned run in 3.0 innings.  Eury De La Rosa (SV, 6) pitched the ninth for the save.  Derek Dietrich had a two-run homer to lead the Hot Rods attack.


TEAM NOTES:

·          Playoff Race: The Silver Hawks are six games out of the wild card spot with 20 to play in the second half.

·          South Bend has not won a home series against an Eastern Division opponent since May 27-30 versus Dayton. 

·          The Silver Hawks finished their stretch of 14 straight games against Lansing & Bowling Green – first half playoff teams – at 6-8.  

·          Silver Hawks pitchers have issued only 321 walks this season – the second fewest in the MWL.

INDIVIDUAL NOTES:

·          Yazy Arbelo leads the league in homers, RBIs, extra base hits, games played, and strikeouts. 

·          Gerson Montilla has provided the game winning RBIs three times since August 5th (twice with homers, once with a double)

MILESTONE WATCH:

·          Yazy Arbelo has set a new franchise single season record with 26 homers.  He’s third on the career home run leader board.

·          Arbelo also is eighth on the single season RBI leader board with 84 this season.  Taylor Harbin ranks seventh with 85. 

·          He also is tied for seventh with 54 extra base hits.  One more and he will tie Craig Ansman, Scott Hairston, and Billy Martin for fourth.

Tuesday, August 16, 2011

Wade Miley to Diamondbacks

Just received word that Wade Miley has been called up to the Arizona Diamondbacks.  He pitched for South Bend in 2009 and becomes the 126th former South Bend White Sox/Silver Hawks player to make the majors.

Congrats Wade!

Playoff Race - 20 To Go

A good win for the Silver Hawks yesterday, but unfortunately, Great Lakes and Fort Wayne also won so the Silver Hawks remain six games out of a playoff spot with 20 to play.

Here are the standings with 20 games to go in the second half.  Remember, Lansing and Bowling Green have already qualified in the East, while Quad Cities and Burlington made it in the West, so they've been taken out of the mix.

Eastern Division (Top Two Make Playoffs)

TeamWLGB
Dayton3317--
Great Lakes2822-5.0
Fort Wayne2822-5.0
West Michigan2624-7.0
South Bend2228-11.0
Lake County2030-13.0

Western Division (Top Two Make Playoffs)

TeamWLGB
Kane County3020--
Clinton2723-3.0
Beloit2327-7.0
Wisconsin2129-9.0
Cedar Rapids2030-10.0
Peoria2030-10.0

Monday, August 15, 2011

Tonight's Lineup - August 15th at Bowling Green

Ender Inciarte - CF
David Narodowski - 3B
Raywilly Gomez - C
Yazy Arbelo - 1B
Matt Helm - DH
Gerson Montilla - 2B
Marc Bourgeois - LF
Roberto Ortiz - RF
Niko Gallego - SS

Tyler Green - P

Tonight's pregame interview is with manager Mark Haley, talking about the success of the Arizona Diamondbacks.  First pitch at 7:35 PM Eastern Time. Pregame coverage at 7:15 PM Eastern Time.

A Tough Break, Literally

I'm sure a lot of you have seen that Jason Marquis broke his leg yesterday after being hit with a line drive on the mound.  Obviously, that's a tough way to lose a pitcher for the season, particularly on a team in the playoff chase.

However, what makes it even more tough to swallow is that Marquis was a rent-a-player, trying to help the Diamondbacks get over the hump.  And remember, Arizona traded away Silver Hawks shortstop Zach Walters to get him.

So basically, Arizona received Marquis for a grand total of three starts, with an 0-1 record and 9.53 ERA.

Meanwhile, Walters was hitting over .300 in South Bend and ranked second on the team in homers and RBIs. 

Baseball can be a cruel game at times.

Sunday, August 14, 2011

Today's Lineup - August 14th at Bowling Green

Ender Inciarte - CF
David Narodowski - 2B
Raywilly Gomez - C
Yazy Arbelo - DH
Matt Helm - 3B
Roberto Rodriguez - LF
Roberto Ortiz - RF
Ramon Castillo - 1B
Niko Gallego - SS

J.R. Bradley - P

No pregame interview today because of the early Sunday start.  Instead, we'll do our standard Sunday scoreboard and standings update.  First pitch at 3:05 PM Eastern Time.  Pregame coverage at 2:45 PM Eastern Time.

Playoff Race -- 22 To Go

At this point, the Silver Hawks need a miracle to make the playoffs.  Six games out, 22 to play, three teams to jump over.

Here are the standings with 22 games to go in the second half.  Remember, Lansing and Bowling Green have already qualified in the East, while Quad Cities and Burlington made it in the West, so they've been taken out of the mix.

Eastern Division (Top Two Make Playoffs)

TeamWLGB
Dayton3116--
Great Lakes2721-4.5
Fort Wayne2622-5.5
West Michigan2523-6.5
South Bend2127-10.5
Lake County1928-12.0

Western Division (Top Two Make Playoffs)

TeamWLGB
Kane County2820--
Clinton2523-3.0
Beloit2325-5.0
Peoria2028-8.0
Cedar Rapids2028-8.0
Wisconsin1929-9.0

Saturday, August 13, 2011

Tonight's Lineup - August 13th at Bowling Green

Ender Inciarte - CF
David Narodowski - SS
Raywilly Gomez - DH
Yazy Arbelo - 1B
Matt Helm - 3B
Marc Bourgeois - LF
Gerson Montilla - 2B
Roberto Rodriguez - RF
Ramon Castillo - C

Bradin Hagens - P

Tonight's pregame interview will be with reliever Keith Cantwell.  First pitch at 8:05 PM Eastern Time.  Pregame coverage at 7:45 PM Eastern Time. 

From the Notes - August 13th

South Bend Silver Hawks (21-26 Second Half, 55-61 Overall)
@ Bowling Green Hot Rods (24-23 Second Half, 65-52 Overall)

Bowling Green Ballpark, Bowling Green, Kentucky – 8:05 PM Eastern Time
                                                                                   
Season Series: 9-4 Hot Rods
@ Coveleski Stadium: 4-3 Hot Rods
@ Bowling Green Ballpark: 5-1 Hot Rods

Silver Hawks Team Hitting: .245 – 12th                                 
Silver Hawks Team Pitching: 3.73 ERA – 6th
Hot Rods Team Hitting: .252 – T-7th                                     
Hot Rods Team Pitching: 3.91 ERA – 13th

LAST GAME:  The Lansing Lugnuts jumped out to a 6-0 lead on Friday evening and easily held on for a 6-2 victory over the South Bend Silver Hawks to win the series two games to one.  Jake Marisnick went 4-for-5 with a HR to lead Lansing attack, while Jack Murphy added three hits and three RBIs.  Egan Smith (WP, 6-5) allowed only two runs over 5.0 innings for the win, while the loss was pinned on Silver Hawks starter Jeff Shields (LP, 7-11).  David Narodowski had two hits for South Bend.

TEAM NOTES:

·          Playoff Race: The Silver Hawks are five games out of the wild card spot with 23 to play in the second half.

·          South Bend has not won a home series against an Eastern Division opponent since May 27-30 versus Dayton. 

·          The Silver Hawks are in a stretch of 14 straight games against Lansing & Bowling Green – both playoff qualifiers already (currently 5-6).

·          South Bend has been held to six hits in each of the last two games, including only one extra base hit.

INDIVIDUAL NOTES:

·          Yazy Arbelo leads the league in homers, extra base hits, games played, and strikeouts. 

·          Roberto Ortiz had hits in 18 of his last 21 games, raising his average from .180 to .233.

·          David Narodowski had hits in eight of his 11 games and is batting .385 with one homer and three RBIs since joining the Hawks.

MILESTONE WATCH:

·          Yazy Arbelo has tied Billy Martin (2000) for the single season record with 25 homers.  He’s tied for third on the career home run list.

·          Arbelo also needs one RBI to tie for ninth on the single season RBI leader board with 82.  The team record is 108.