Owen's Baseball Blog

Goodbye from South Bend

2011-09-02T15:52:00.000-04:00

Now that the team has been eliminated from playoff contention, I wanted to address something that has been floating around for the last few weeks. Unfortunately, the rumors are true and I will be leaving the South Bend Silver Hawks at the end of this season.

Without going into too much detail, this was not entirely my decision. The team is moving in a different direction in regards to the broadcast position, turning it from a full-time job into a seasonal one and I'm the odd man out. Rather than complain and argue about it, I've accepted their decision and look forward to pursuing other opportunities in the near future.

I came to South Bend in March of 2009 eager to begin my first job as the play-by-play voice of a Minor League Baseball team. After spending three years as an assistant with the Dayton Dragons, I felt that I was ready to assume control of a broadcast position, and I was honored to be given that chance by the Silver Hawks.

Now, three seasons later, I leave the team knowing that my talents as a broadcaster and Media Relations Director are much stronger and I am still very thankful for the opportunity provided to me by the Silver Hawks.

More than that, however, I am thankful for the wonderful people I've been in contact with over the past three seasons. From the coaching staff to the players, from the front office of South Bend to those in other cities around the league, and from the fans both locally and afar, everyone has welcomed me (or at least my voice) with open arms (and ears).

As a special note to the families of the players and to the loyal listeners of my broadcasts, I hope that in some way I was able to make the games come alive for you. I hope that my words became your eyes. I hope that my voice allowed you to "watch" as your sons, or your grandsons, or your brothers, or your friends, or your favorite players came alive on the radios and computers at your home. In short, I hope that I provided the connection between fans and players that is the main reason why baseball on the radio has been so successful for so long.

I hope that the Silver Hawks realize what a great marketing tool radio can be and continue to be broadcast both online and on local radio in future years. It was disappointing to be online only this season, but I'm glad that I was still able to serve as the voice of the Silver Hawks.

I don't know what the future holds for me from a professional standpoint. I will pursue other broadcasting jobs this offseason and hope to continue my dream of being a baseball broadcaster. From a personal standpoint, I am blessed to be marrying the love of my life on October 15th. Trust me when I say that I am the luckiest man to have found Jenny, the most caring and supportive person I've ever met.

Finally, this will be the final post on this blog for this season as it relates to the South Bend Silver Hawks. There is always a chance this blog continues should I land with another team, but that remains to be seen as it will be an interesting offseason to say the least.

And with that, I say good bye. Thank you for your support, your comments, and for listening for the past three seasons. Let's enjoy the final few games and may God bless you all.

Tonight's Lineup - September 1st at Fort Wayne

2011-09-01T18:18:00.000-04:00

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

Mike Bolsinger - P

Pregame interview is with Randy Hamrick. First pitch at 7:05 PM. Pregame coverage at 6:45 PM

Arbelo Suspended for Three Games

2011-09-01T16:10:00.000-04:00

Yazy Arbelo has been suspended three games for his role in Tuesday's brawl with Lake County. He will begin serving that suspension today and will miss through Saturday's game at Great Lakes.

The suspension will keep Arbelo from setting the franchise record for most games played in a season.

Playoff Race - 5 To Play

2011-09-01T14:13:00.000-04:00

West Michigan keeps winning, so that's hurting the Silver Hawks a bit more right now since the Whitecaps hold the tiebreaker and they play the TinCaps for the final three games. If the Silver Hawks lose either of the next two games, or if West Michigan wins either of the next two, it will eliminate the Silver Hawks due to the tiebreaking scenarios and those final three games with the Whitecaps and TinCaps going head-to-head.

(If South Bend wins the next two, they'll be one game behind Fort Wayne. However, if West Michigan wins one of the next two, then the Whitecaps will remain at least two games ahead of the Silver Hawks. Thus, in order to surpass the Whitecaps over the final three, Fort Wayne would have to sweep the head to head series. If Fort Wayne does that, the Hawks will jump West Michigan but stay behind the TinCaps by a game. A bit confusing, but that's how it works.)

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 and Kane County have clinched spots, but it's not determined which one will be the champion yet.

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

Team	W	L	GB
Fort Wayne	35	30	--
West Michigan	35	30	--
South Bend	32	33	-3.0

Lake County and Great Lakes have been mathematically eliminated from postseason contention.

Western Division (Both Clinton and Kane County have clinched a playoff spot, they are now fighting for who will be the champ and who will be the wild card)

Team	W	L	GB
Clinton	37	27	--
Kane County	35	30	-2.5

Peoria, Wisconsin, Beloit, and Cedar Rapids have all been mathematically eliminated.

Tonight's Lineup - August 31st at Fort Wayne

2011-08-31T17:24:00.000-04:00

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

2011-08-31T11:07:00.000-04:00

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)

Team	W	L	GB
Fort Wayne	35	29	--
West Michigan	34	30	-1.0
Great Lakes	31	33	-4.0
South Bend	31	33	-4.0

Lake County has been mathematically eliminated from postseason contention.

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

Team	W	L	GB
Clinton	37	26	--
Kane County	34	30	-4.0
Beloit	28	35	-9.0

Peoria, Wisconsin, and Cedar Rapids have all been mathematically eliminated.

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

2011-08-30T16:34:00.000-04:00

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

2011-08-30T15:23:00.001-04:00

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

2011-08-30T13:22:00.000-04:00

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)

Team	W	L	GB
Fort Wayne	35	28	--
West Michigan	34	29	-1.0
Great Lakes	31	32	-4.0
South Bend	31	32	-4.0

Lake County has been mathematically eliminated from postseason contention.

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

Team	W	L	GB
Clinton	37	26	--
Kane County	34	29	-3.0
Wisconsin	28	35	-9.0
Beloit	28	35	-9.0

Peoria and Cedar Rapids have been mathematically eliminated from postseason contention.

Today's Roster Move - August 30th

2011-08-30T11:15:00.000-04:00

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.

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

2011-08-29T17:24:00.002-04:00

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

2011-08-29T14:29:00.000-04:00

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

2011-08-29T09:36:00.001-04:00

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)

Team	W	L	GB
Dayton	43	19	--
Fort Wayne	35	27	-8.0
West Michigan	33	29	-10.0
Great Lakes	31	31	-12.0
South Bend	30	32	-13.0

Lake County has been mathematically eliminated from postseason contention.

Western Division (Top Two Make Playoffs)

Team	W	L	GB
Clinton	37	25	--
Kane County	33	29	-4.0
Wisconsin	28	34	-9.0
Beloit	27	35	-10.0
Cedar Rapids	25	37	-12.0

Peoria has been eliminated from playoff contention.

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

2011-08-28T12:18:00.001-04:00

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.

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

2011-08-27T15:23:00.000-04:00

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

2011-08-27T14:05:00.000-04:00

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)

Team	W	L	GB
Dayton	41	19	--
Fort Wayne	34	26	-7.0
West Michigan	33	27	-8.0
Great Lakes	30	30	-11.0
South Bend	27	32	-13.0

Lake County has been mathematically eliminated from postseason contention.

Western Division (Top Two Make Playoffs)

Team	W	L	GB
Clinton	35	25	--
Kane County	33	27	-2.0
Beloit	27	33	-8.0
Wisconsin	26	34	-9.0
Cedar Rapids	25	35	-10.0

Peoria has been eliminated from playoff contention.

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

2011-08-26T16:11:00.000-04:00

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

2011-08-26T12:56:00.000-04:00

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)

Team	W	L	GB
Dayton	40	19	--
Fort Wayne	34	25	-6.0
West Michigan	32	27	-8.0
Great Lakes	30	29	-10.0
South Bend	27	32	-13.0

Lake County has been mathematically eliminated from postseason contention.

Western Division (Top Two Make Playoffs)

Team	W	L	GB
Clinton	34	25	--
Kane County	33	26	-1.0
Beloit	26	33	-8.0
Cedar Rapids	25	34	-9.0
Wisconsin	25	34	-9.0
Peoria	22	37	-12.0

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

2011-08-25T17:17:00.000-04:00

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

2011-08-25T11:18:00.000-04:00

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)

Team	W	L	GB
Dayton	39	19	--
Fort Wayne	33	25	-6.0
West Michigan	31	27	-8.0
Great Lakes	30	28	-9.0
South Bend	27	31	-12.0
Lake County	21	37	-18.0

Western Division (Top Two Make Playoffs)

Team	W	L	GB
Kane County	33	25	--
Clinton	33	25	--
Beloit	26	32	-7.0
Cedar Rapids	25	33	-8.0
Wisconsin	24	34	-9.0
Peoria	22	36	-11.0

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

2011-08-24T17:14:00.000-04:00

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

2011-08-24T13:41:00.000-04:00

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).

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

2011-08-23T18:05:00.000-04:00

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

2011-08-23T10:53:00.000-04:00

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)

Team	W	L	GB
Dayton	38	18	--
Fort Wayne	32	24	-6.0
Great Lakes	29	27	-9.0
West Michigan	29	27	-9.0
South Bend	26	30	-12.0
Lake County	21	35	-17.0

Western Division (Top Two Make Playoffs)

Team	W	L	GB
Kane County	32	24	--
Clinton	31	25	-1.0
Beloit	26	30	-6.0
Cedar Rapids	24	32	-8.0
Wisconsin	23	33	-9.0
Peoria	22	34	-10.0

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

2011-08-22T18:02:00.002-04:00

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

2011-08-22T16:01:00.000-04:00

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

2011-08-22T09:41:00.000-04:00

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)

Team	W	L	GB
Dayton	37	18	--
Fort Wayne	31	24	-6.0
Great Lakes	29	26	-8.0
West Michigan	28	27	-9.0
South Bend	26	29	-11.0
Lake County	21	34	-16.0

Western Division (Top Two Make Playoffs)

Team	W	L	GB
Kane County	32	23	--
Clinton	30	25	-2.0
Beloit	26	29	-6.0
Wisconsin	23	32	-9.0
Cedar Rapids	23	32	-9.0
Peoria	22	33	-10.0

Today's Lineup - August 21st at West Michigan

2011-08-21T11:16:00.000-04:00

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

2011-08-21T09:01:00.000-04:00

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)

Team	W	L	GB
Dayton	37	17	--
Fort Wayne	31	23	-6.0
Great Lakes	29	25	-8.0
West Michigan	27	27	-10.0
South Bend	26	28	-11.0
Lake County	20	34	-17.0

Western Division (Top Two Make Playoffs)

Team	W	L	GB
Kane County	32	22	--
Clinton	29	25	-3.0
Beloit	26	28	-6.0
Wisconsin	22	32	-10.0
Peoria	22	32	-10.0
Cedar Rapids	22	32	-10.0

Tonight's Lineup - August 20th at West Michigan

2011-08-20T17:31:00.000-04:00

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

2011-08-20T16:03:00.001-04:00

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

2011-08-20T14:01:00.001-04:00

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)

Team	W	L	GB
Dayton	36	17	--
Fort Wayne	30	23	-6.0
Great Lakes	28	25	-8.0
West Michigan	27	26	-9.0
South Bend	25	28	-11.0
Lake County	20	33	-16.0

Western Division (Top Two Make Playoffs)

Team	W	L	GB
Kane County	31	22	--
Clinton	29	24	-2.0
Beloit	25	28	-6.0
Wisconsin	22	31	-9.0
Peoria	22	31	-9.0
Cedar Rapids	21	32	-10.0

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

2011-08-19T16:27:00.002-04:00

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

2011-08-19T12:45:00.002-04:00

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

2011-08-19T11:22:00.000-04:00

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)

Team	W	L	GB
Dayton	35	17	--
Fort Wayne	29	23	-6.0
Great Lakes	28	24	-7.0
West Michigan	27	25	-8.0
South Bend	24	28	-11.0
Lake County	20	32	-15.0

Western Division (Top Two Make Playoffs)

Team	W	L	GB
Kane County	31	21	--
Clinton	28	24	-3.0
Beloit	24	28	-7.0
Wisconsin	22	30	-9.0
Peoria	21	31	-10.0
Cedar Rapids	20	32	-11.0

Playoff Race - 19 To Go

2011-08-18T10:40:00.001-04:00

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)

Team	W	L	GB
Dayton	34	17	--
Great Lakes	28	23	-6.0
Fort Wayne	28	23	-6.0
West Michigan	27	24	-7.0
South Bend	23	28	-11.0
Lake County	20	31	-14.0

Western Division (Top Two Make Playoffs)

Team	W	L	GB
Kane County	30	21	--
Clinton	27	24	-3.0
Beloit	24	27	-6.0
Wisconsin	22	29	-8.0
Cedar Rapids	20	31	-10.0
Peoria	20	31	-10.0

Tonight's Lineup - August 17th

2011-08-17T16:52:00.000-04:00

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

2011-08-17T12:32:00.000-04:00

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.

Wade Miley to Diamondbacks

2011-08-16T16:01:00.000-04:00

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

2011-08-16T14:21:00.000-04:00

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)

Team	W	L	GB
Dayton	33	17	--
Great Lakes	28	22	-5.0
Fort Wayne	28	22	-5.0
West Michigan	26	24	-7.0
South Bend	22	28	-11.0
Lake County	20	30	-13.0

Western Division (Top Two Make Playoffs)

Team	W	L	GB
Kane County	30	20	--
Clinton	27	23	-3.0
Beloit	23	27	-7.0
Wisconsin	21	29	-9.0
Cedar Rapids	20	30	-10.0
Peoria	20	30	-10.0

Tonight's Lineup - August 15th at Bowling Green

2011-08-15T18:59:00.000-04:00

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

2011-08-15T17:29:00.001-04:00

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.

Today's Lineup - August 14th at Bowling Green

2011-08-14T14:14:00.000-04:00

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

2011-08-14T10:20:00.000-04:00

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)

Team	W	L	GB
Dayton	31	16	--
Great Lakes	27	21	-4.5
Fort Wayne	26	22	-5.5
West Michigan	25	23	-6.5
South Bend	21	27	-10.5
Lake County	19	28	-12.0

Western Division (Top Two Make Playoffs)

Team	W	L	GB
Kane County	28	20	--
Clinton	25	23	-3.0
Beloit	23	25	-5.0
Peoria	20	28	-8.0
Cedar Rapids	20	28	-8.0
Wisconsin	19	29	-9.0

Tonight's Lineup - August 13th at Bowling Green

2011-08-13T18:53:00.000-04:00

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

2011-08-13T17:41:00.000-04:00

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.

Tonight's Lineup - August 12th vs. Lansing

2011-08-12T16:32:00.004-04:00

Ender Inciarte - CF

David Narodowski - DH

Raywilly Gomez - C

Yazy Arbelo - 1B

Matt Helm - 3B

Gerson Montilla - 2B

Roberto Ortiz - RF

Marc Bourgeois - LF

Niko Gallego - SS

Jeff Shields - P

No pregame interview tonight. Instead, we'll talk about life in the Minor Leagues. Pregame show begins at 6:40 PM. First pitch at 7 PM.

Playoff Race - 24 To Play

2011-08-12T11:44:00.000-04:00

The Silver Hawks lost a game to everyone except West Michigan last night on the roughest night for the team in quite some time (in terms of playoff race)
Here are the standings with 24 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)

Team	W	L	GB
Dayton	30	15	--
Great Lakes	26	20	-4.5
West Michigan	24	22	-6.5
Fort Wayne	24	22	-6.5
South Bend	21	25	-9.5
Lake County	18	27	-12.0

Western Division (Top Two Make Playoffs)

Team	W	L	GB
Kane County	27	19	--
Clinton	24	22	-3.0
Beloit	21	25	-6.0
Wisconsin	19	27	-8.0
Cedar Rapids	19	27	-8.0
Peoria	19	27	-8.0

Tonight's Lineup - August 11th vs. Lansing

2011-08-11T16:38:00.003-04:00

Ender Inciarte - CF

David Narodowski - 3B

Raywilly Gomez - C

Yazy Arbelo - 1B

Matt Helm - DH

Gerson Montilla - 2B

Marc Bourgeois - LF

Roberto Rodriguez - RF

Niko Gallego - SS

Mike Bolsinger - P

The pregame interview is with David Narodowski. Pregame show begins at 6:40 PM. First pitch is at 7 PM.

Playoff Race - 25 To Go

2011-08-11T12:48:00.000-04:00

The Hawks are still hanging around in the playoff race, but not making up any ground right now.

Here are the standings with 25 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)

Team	W	L	GB
Dayton	29	15	--
Great Lakes	25	20	-4.5
West Michigan	24	21	-5.5
Fort Wayne	23	22	-6.5
South Bend	21	24	-8.5
Lake County	18	26	-11.0

Western Division (Top Two Make Playoffs)

Team	W	L	GB
Kane County	27	18	--
Clinton	24	21	-3.0
Beloit	20	25	-7.0
Wisconsin	19	26	-8.0
Cedar Rapids	18	27	-9.0
Peoria	18	27	-9.0

Tonight's Lineup - August 10th vs. Lansing

2011-08-10T17:39:00.003-04:00

Ender Inciarte - CF

David Narodowski - SS

Raywilly Gomez - C

Yazy Arbelo - DH

Matt Helm - 3B

Gerson Montilla - 2B

Roberto Ortiz - RF

Ramon Castillo - 1B

Roberto Rodriguez - LF

Tyler Green - P

The pregame interview is with South Bend manager Mark Haley. Pregame show begins at 6:40 PM. First pitch at 7 PM.

Graduation Day

2011-08-10T14:07:00.000-04:00

Today was graduation day for the Latin players who have been taking English classes all season. Many people don't realize that they take classes in the morning all summer long, well before the rest of the players arrive to the ballpark. The dedication from these players is remarkable, not only towards baseball but in becoming engrained in the American culture that they are very much a part of.

Congratulations to the guys who have done an excellent job learning the English language and culture, and well done on their presentation today.

Those that were part of the ceremony today include:

Victor Capellan
Eury De La Rosa
Raywilly Gomez
Jhoan Pimentel
Ramon Castillo
Gerson Montilla
Ender Inciarte
Roberto Rodriguez

Today's Roster Move - August 10th

2011-08-10T11:56:00.000-04:00

OF Marc Bourgeois has joined the Silver Hawks from Yakima.

He takes the place of Chris Jarrett, who retired from professional baseball on Sunday. Bourgeois is a left-handed bat and was hitting .268 for the Bears. He didn't have a homer, but eight doubles and five triples isn't too shabby.

I'm guessing his name is pronounced Boo-zhwah (the French Canadian pronounciation), but I'll find out for sure when he arrives this afternoon.
Full story on www.silverhawks.com in the headlines section.

Today's Lineups - August 9th DH vs. Bowling Green

2011-08-09T10:45:00.000-04:00

Ender Inciarte - CF

Niko Gallego - SS

Matt Helm - 3B
Yazy Arbelo - 1B
Gerson Montilla - 2B
Roberto Ortiz - RF
Roberto Rodriguez - LF
Jhoan Pimentel - C
David Narodowski - DH

J.R. Bradley - P

The pregame interview is with Kable Hogben (recorded but not played yesterday). Pregame show begins at 11:40 AM. First pitch at 12 Noon.

Game Two Probable Lineup (Not official until confirmed between games)

Ender Inciarte - CF

David Narodowski - SS

Raywilly Gomez -DH

Yazy Arbelo - 1B
Matt Helm - 3B
Gerson Montilla - 2B
Roberto Ortiz - RF
Roberto Rodriguez - LF
Ramon Castillo - C

Patrick Schuster - SP

Doubleheader Scheduled for Tuesday

2011-08-08T19:54:00.002-04:00

Monday's scheduled game between the South Bend Silver Hawks and Bowling Green Hot Rods at Coveleski Stadium has been postponed due to rain in the South Bend area. The game has been rescheduled as part of a doubleheader on Tuesday beginning at 12:00 PM Eastern Time. The gates will open for Tuesday's game at 11:30 AM Eastern Time.

Both games will be seven innings in length, per Midwest League rules. Starting pitchers for tomorrow's doubleheader are still to be announced.

Pregame show on Sportsjuice.com scheduled to begin at 11:40 AM.

Tonight's Lineup - August 8th vs. Bowling Green

2011-08-08T17:31:00.004-04:00

Ender Inciarte - CF

Niko Gallego - SS

Matt Helm - 3B

Yazy Arbelo - 1B

Gerson Montilla - 2B

Roberto Ortiz - RF

Roberto Rodriguez - LF

Ramon Castillo - C

David Narodowski - DH

J.R. Bradley - P

The pregame interview is with Kable Hogben. Pregame show begins at 6:40 PM. First pitch at 7 PM.

Playoff Race - 28 To Play

2011-08-08T12:34:00.000-04:00

The Hawks are hanging around in the playoff race, hoping to get hot and make a run.

Here are the standings with 28 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)

Team	W	L	GB
Dayton	27	15	--
Great Lakes	23	19	-4.0
West Michigan	23	19	-4.0
Fort Wayne	22	20	-5.0
South Bend	19	23	-8.0
Lake County	18	24	-9.0

Western Division (Top Two Make Playoffs)

Team	W	L	GB
Kane County	25	17	--
Clinton	22	20	-3.0
Beloit	19	23	-6.0
Cedar Rapids	17	25	-8.0
Wisconsin	17	25	-8.0
Peoria	17	25	-8.0

Today's Lineup - August 7th vs. Bowling Green

2011-08-07T12:17:00.000-04:00

Ender Inciarte - CF

Niko Gallego - SS

Matt Helm - 3B
Yazy Arbelo - 1B
Gerson Montilla - 2B
Roberto Ortiz - RF
Roberto Rodriguez - LF
David Narodowski - DH
Jhoan Pimentel - C

Bradin Hagens - P

There are some thunderstorms in the South Bend area that may impact the pregame show schedule. We'll play along as the weather dictates. They are saying that they should be cleared out by about 2, so we'll see what happens. Pregame show begins at 1:40 PM. First pitch at 2:00 PM.

Today's Roster Move - August 7th

2011-08-07T10:24:00.000-04:00

Pitcher Blake Cooper has been promoted to high-A Visalia. No corresponding move has been announced yet.

Full story can be found on www.silverhawks.com in the headlines section.

Analysis: They needed a reliever in Visalia, and Cooper has some of the better numbers with South Bend. Aside from a rough spell in early July, he's been solid -- particularly at the back end of the bullpen.

I would assume South Bend would add someone tomorrow.

Tonight's Lineup - August 6th vs. Bowling Green

2011-08-06T14:16:00.002-04:00

Ender Inciarte - CF

David Narodowski - SS

Matt Helm - 3B

Yazy Arbelo - DH

Gerson Montilla - 2B

Roberto Rodriguez - LF

Roberto Ortiz - RF

Ramon Castillo - 1B

Jhoan Pimentel - C

Jeff Shields - P

No pregame interview tonight. Instead, we'll do a Midwest League standings update and take a look at the Major League scoreboard. Pregame show begins at 5:10 PM. First pitch at 5:40 PM.

Tonight's Lineup - August 5th at Lansing

2011-08-05T18:11:00.000-04:00

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

Mike Bolsinger - P

The pregame interview tonight will be with Tyler Green. First pitch at 7:05 PM Eastern Time. Pregame show at 6:45 PM.

From the Notes - August 5th

2011-08-05T11:16:00.000-04:00

South Bend Silver Hawks (17-22 Second Half, 51-57 Overall)
@ Lansing Lugnuts (25-14 Second Half, 63-43 Overall)

Cooley Law School Stadium, Lansing, Michigan – 7:05 PM Eastern Time

Season Series: 7-6 Lugnuts
@ Coveleski Stadium: 4-3 Lugnuts
@ Cooley Law School Stadium: 3-3 Tie

Silver Hawks Team Hitting: .242 – 14th
Silver Hawks Team Pitching: 3.63 ERA – 5th

Lugnuts Team Hitting: .254 – T-6th
Lugnuts Team Pitching: 3.85 ERA – T-10th

LAST GAME: Michael Crouse doubled to start the bottom of the tenth inning and later scored the game winning run on a K.C. Hobson sacrifice fly as the Lansing Lugnuts knocked off the South Bend Silver Hawks 2-1. The late rally against Jeremy Erben (LP, 3-2) improved Lansing to 8-0 in extra inning contests while the Hawks fell to 4-1. Yazy Arbelo provided South Bend’s lone run with a solo homer in the second inning – his 25th of the year. Shawn Griffith (WP, 4-0) earned the win in relief for Lansing. Tyler Green (ND) tossed 5.0 scoreless innings for South Bend.

TEAM NOTES:

· Last night was the first extra inning loss for the Silver Hawks in five tries this season.

· South Bend has lost six of the last seven home series dating back to the final series of the first half.

· South Bend is just 11-for-66 (.167) with RISP over the last nine games, but have managed a 5-4 record in that time.

· The Silver Hawks are in a stretch of 14 straight games against Lansing & Bowling Green – both playoff qualifiers already (currently 1-2).

INDIVIDUAL NOTES:

· Roberto Ortiz is on an eight game hitting streak – his highest of the year. He’s also hit in 13 of his last 14, raising avg from .180 to .223.

· Gerson Montilla has committed just one error in 33 games for the Silver Hawks this season.

· Yazy Arbelo has hit in five straight games, including his league leading 25th homer on Thursday night.

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 two RBIs to tie for ninth on the single season RBI leader board with 82. The team record is 108.

Today's Roster Move

2011-08-04T18:34:00.002-04:00

Just was told Raywilly Gomez was put on the DL, retroactive to August 1st, with a sore wrist.

No corresponding move is expected.

Tonight's Lineup - August 4th at Lansing

2011-08-04T18:03:00.000-04:00

A bit of a change at the top tonight...

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

Tyler Green - P

The pregame interview tonight will be with Niko Gallego. First pitch at 7:05 PM Eastern Time. Pregame show at 6:45 PM.

Niko Gallego the Movie Star

2011-08-04T14:12:00.000-04:00

Curt Rallo of the South Bend Tribune published this piece in today's paper about Niko Gallego and his role in the movie Moneyball.

Always an interesting story when you talk about ballplayers being actors and actors playing sports. My goal is to grab Niko for a pregame interview today as well, so we may dive into this more on the pregame show if he's available for an interview after batting practice.

A Mention of the Hawks in Crooked Numbers

2011-08-04T10:43:00.000-04:00

Every month, Benjamin Hill of MiLB.com does a column titled Crooked Numbers with all the oddities that happened around Minor League Baseball over the past month.

In the latest column, I noticed that the Silver Hawks were mentioned for having five batters hit by a pitch in the game against Dayton on July 5th. What wasn't mentioned is the fact that technically Niko Gallego was hit twice -- remember that was the game where Mark Haley got ejected because they ruled Gallego made no effort to get out of the way of the ball.

Being the astute Media Relations Director that I am, I felt that Mr. Hill needed this information. Not only did he add it to his column, he gave me a mention as well. I can now cross "getting mentioned in a MiLB.com column by Ben Hill" off of my baseball bucket list. Combine that with meeting Dan Shulman from ESPN's Sunday Night Baseball at the stadium yesterday, and I'm having a solid week.

Tonight's Lineup - August 3rd at Lansing

2011-08-03T17:58:00.000-04:00

Ender Inciarte - CF
Niko Gallego - DH
Matt Helm - 3B
Yazy Arbelo - 1B
Gerson Montilla - 2B
Roberto Ortiz - RF
David Narodowski - SS
Ramon Castillo - C
Chris Jarrett - LF

J.R. Bradley - P

Tonight's pregame interview is with manager Mark Haley. Pregame show begins at 6:45 PM. First pitch at 7:05 PM.

Update on 2011 Silver Hawks on Different Teams Now

2011-08-03T15:17:00.000-04:00

Originally I was just going to post about Zach Walters and update you on what he did, but I figured I should turn this into an update on all the players who have played with South Bend that are now on different teams.

Keon Broxton - .233, 4 HR, 27 RBIs, 20 SB, but 96 K's with high-A Visalia.

Raul Navarro - .197, 0 HR, 8 RBIs in 33 games with short-season A Yakima.

Zach Walters - Went 1-for-3 in his debut with the high-A Potomac Nationals yesterday.

Brian Budrow - 4-2, 5.35 ERA in 20 relief appearances for high-A Visalia.

Enrique Burgos - 3-3, 7.07 ERA in 8 starts for rookie Missoula. 38 K's in 35.2 IP.

David Holmberg - 2-2, 5.01 ERA in 6 starts for high-A Visalia. 28 K's in 32.1 IP.

Greg Robinson - 0-4, 6.75 ERA in 13 relief appearances for short-season A Yakima.

Dan Taylor - 0-0, 4.73 ERA in 6 appearances (1 start) for high-A Visalia. 12 K's in 13.1 IP.

Playoff Race - 33 To Play

2011-08-03T11:33:00.000-04:00

The Hawks have won five of their last seven and trying to make some noise in the playoff race.

Here's the playoff chase with 33 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)

Team	W	L	GB
Dayton	23	14	--
Great Lakes	21	16	-2.0
West Michigan	20	17	-3.0
Fort Wayne	19	18	-4.0
Lake County	17	20	-6.0
South Bend	17	20	-6.0

Western Division (Top Two Make Playoffs)

Team	W	L	GB
Kane County	22	15	--
Clinton	19	18	-3.0
Beloit	17	20	-5.0
Cedar Rapids	16	21	-6.0
Wisconsin	15	22	-7.0
Peoria	13	24	-9.0

Tonight's Lineup - August 2nd at Lansing

2011-08-02T17:54:00.000-04:00

Ender Inciarte - CF

Niko Gallego - SS

Matt Helm - DH

Yazy Arbelo - 1B

Gerson Montilla - 2B

Roberto Rodriguez - LF

David Narodowski - 3B

Jhoan Pimentel - C

Roberto Ortiz - RF

Bradin Hagens - P

For tonight's pregame interview, we'll get a scouting report on the Lugnuts from their broadcaster Jesse Goldberg-Strassler. Pregame show begins at 6:45 PM. First pitch at 7:05 PM.

What Happened to the Field?!?!

2011-08-02T17:10:00.000-04:00

Never a good sign when you are greeted by a field that looks like this:

Apparently they left the tarp on too long on a couple of hot, rainy days last week and burnt it out badly. A little part of me dies when I see a field look this poorly.

From the Notes - August 2nd

2011-08-02T12:58:00.000-04:00

South Bend Silver Hawks (16-20 Second Half, 50-55 Overall)
@ Lansing Lugnuts (23-13 Second Half, 61-42 Overall)

Cooley Law School Stadium, Lansing, Michigan – 7:05 PM Eastern Time

Season Series: 5-5 Tie
@ Coveleski Stadium: 4-3 Lugnuts
@ Cooley Law School Stadium: 2-1 Silver Hawks

Silver Hawks Team Hitting: .244 – 13th
Silver Hawks Team Pitching: 3.64 ERA – 5th
Lugnuts Team Hitting: .254 – 6th
Lugnuts Team Pitching: 3.90 ERA – 10th

LAST GAME: Former Diamondbacks farmhand Kevin Eichhorn (WP, 8-3) baffled his former teammates in a complete game four-hitter, leading the West Michigan Whitecaps to a 6-1 victory over the Silver Hawks on Monday evening. Eichhorn allowed just one run in defeating the Silver Hawks for the second time this season. Jeff Shields (LP, 7-10) pitched well for South Bend, allowing just three runs (one earned) over 7.0 innings. Clay Jones had three hits for the Whitecaps, and Steven Moya added a two run homer. Ender Inciarte had two hits for South Bend.

TEAM NOTES:

· South Bend has lost six of the last seven home series dating back to the final series of the first half.

· The Silver Hawks had 19 homers in July, the most of any month. They had 10 each in April and June, and 15 in May.

· South Bend is just 9-for-53 (.170) with RISP over the last six games, but have managed a 4-2 record in that time.

· The next 14 games are against Lansing and Bowling Green, playoff qualifiers from the first half.

INDIVIDUAL NOTES:

· Matt Helm homered in three straight games both July 15-17 and July 24-27. All seven of his home runs have come in the second half.

· Roberto Ortiz is on a five game hitting streak – tying his season high.

· Yazy Arbelo had two singles in Sunday’s game – the first time he’s had two singles since May 22nd.

Tonight's Lineup - August 1st vs. West Michigan

2011-08-01T17:19:00.002-04:00

Ender Inciarte - CF

Niko Gallego - SS

Matt Helm - 3B

Yazy Arbelo - DH

Gerson Montilla - 2B

Roberto Rodriguez - RF

Ramon Castillo - 1B

Chris Jarrett - LF

Jhoan Pimentel - C

Jeff Shields - P

Tonight's pregame interview is with Mike Bolsinger. Pregame show begins at 6:40 PM. First pitch at 7 PM.

Today's Roster Move - August 1st

2011-08-01T13:28:00.003-04:00

With Saturday's trade of Zach Walters to the Washington Nationals organization, the Arizona Diamondbacks have announced today the promotion of infielder David Narodowski to the South Bend Silver Hawks. Narodowski joins the Hawks from short-season A Yakima.

Full story here.

Article on Bolsinger

2011-07-31T21:51:00.000-04:00

As expected, MiLB.com wanted to talk to Mike Bolsinger after today's outstanding performance. And why not, he tossed eight innings of one-hit ball. You can read the article here.

Also, you heard me talk a lot on the air about the one hit and the debate over hit versus error. To be honest, it was absolutely a hit as Ender Inciarte dove for it and had it go off his glove. The only debate is because there was a potential no-hitter in progress, but the right call was made. Everyone in the locker room agreed that it was a hit.

Today's Lineup - July 31st vs. West Michigan

2011-07-31T12:48:00.000-04:00

Ender Inciarte - CF
Niko Gallego - SS
Matt Helm - 3B
Yazy Arbelo - DH
Gerson Montilla - 2B
Roberto Rodriguez - RF
Ramon Castillo - 1B
Chris Jarrett - LF
Jhoan Pimentel - C

Mike Bolsinger - SP

No pregame interview todayt, but we'll update the standings and do a MLB scoreboard look. Pregame show begins at 1:40 PM. First pitch at 2:00 PM.

Walters Traded

2011-07-31T11:01:00.000-04:00

Obviously by now most of you have heard that Zach Walters was traded yesterday to the Washington Nationals organization in exchange for Major League pitcher Jason Marquis. The full story can be found on www.silverhawks.com in the headlines section.

South Bend is expected to announce a corresponding move tomorrow.

This is a huge blow to the team offensively. Already struggling to score runs, the Diamondbacks just traded away the best offensive player for the Silver Hawks. However, as we all know, winning at the big league level takes precedent over winning in single-A and these things happen from time to time. Now, more than ever, the other players need to take a look around and figure out who is going to step up and lead this team.

Tonight's Lineup - July 30th vs. West Michigan

2011-07-30T16:09:00.000-04:00

Sorry for a lack of posts today...didn't get back in until after 3 AM and had to catch up on a lot of stuff with the first day of a home stand.

Ender Inciarte - CF
Gerson Montilla - 2B
Zach Walters - DH
Matt Helm - 3B
Ramon Castillo - 1B
Roberto Ortiz - RF
Chris Jarrett - LF
Niko Gallego - SS
Jhoan Pimentel - C

Tyler Green - SP

No pregame interview tonight, but we'll update the standings and do a MLB scoreboard look. Pregame show begins at 5:10 PM. First pitch at 5:30 PM.

Tonight's Lineup - July 29th at Great Lakes

2011-07-29T18:00:00.000-04:00

Ender Inciarte - CF
Gerson Montilla - 2B
Zach Walters - SS
Matt Helm - DH
Raywilly Gomez - C
Ramon Castillo - 1B
Roberto Rodriguez - LF
Roberto Ortiz - RF
Niko Gallego - 3B
J.R. Bradley - SP

Tonight's pregame interview is with manager Mark Haley. Pregame show begins at 6:45 PM. First pitch at 7:05 PM.

The Joys of Midland

2011-07-29T14:19:00.000-04:00

Normally when I title a post like the above, it's some sarcastic remark about a miserable hotel or a terrible ballpark. But today, I actually mean that I am really enjoying this trip.

First of all, the hotel here is one of the best in the league with a great restaurant (Big E's Sports Bar) attached to it.

Secondly, the Silver Hawks are winning here with a 6-3 mark against the Loons at Dow Diamond this season.

Thirdly, I had a chance to get out and golf this morning at the Midland Country Club with Loons broadcasters Brad Golder and Matt Park. Awesome course, but very challenging. Unfortunately, my score ended up in the triple digits (ouch!)

The only bad part of this trip? My hotel room had a terrible view. See below!

Tonight's Lineup - July 28th at Great Lakes

2011-07-28T17:58:00.000-04:00

Ender Inciarte - CF
Gerson Montilla - 2B
Zach Walters - SS
Yazy Arbelo - 1B
Matt Helm - DH
Roberto Rodriguez - RF
Niko Gallego - 3B
Chris Jarrett - LF
Jhoan Pimentel - C

Bradin Hagens - SP

Tonight's pregame interview is with Gerson Montilla (with an assist from Roberto Rodriguez as translator). I don't do translated interviews often because they are long and difficult, but Monty's been playing so well that I wanted to get him on. Pregame show begins at 6:45 PM. First pitch at 7:05 PM.

From the notes - July 28th

2011-07-28T16:05:00.000-04:00

South Bend Silver Hawks (13-18 Second Half, 47-53 Overall)
@ Great Lakes Loons (18-13 Second Half, 57-43 Overall)

Dow Diamond, Midland, Michigan – 7:05 PM Eastern Time

Season Series: 8-6 Loons
@ Coveleski Stadium: 4-1 Loons
@ Dow Diamond: 5-3 Silver Hawks

Silver Hawks Team Hitting: .244 – T-12th
Silver Hawks Team Pitching: 3.69 ERA – 5th
Loons Team Hitting: .246 – 11th
Loons Team Pitching: 3.60 ERA – 3rd

LAST GAME: Jeff Shields (WP, 7-9) threw 7.0 scoreless innings and the South Bend Silver Hawks shut out the Great Lakes Loons 5-0 on Wednesday night. Shields struck out three and walked three, allowing only five hits. Meanwhile, Gerson Montilla and Zach Walters both had three hits and a RBI to lead the offensive attack. Montilla had a solo homer in the ninth inning and Matt Helm had a two run homer in the second. Garrett Gould (LP, 10-5) suffered the loss, allowing three runs on eight hits over 3.1 innings.

TEAM NOTES:

· South Bend will play only divisional opponents for the remainder of the season. The Silver Hawks went 11-13 versus the West.

· The Silver Hawks have 18 homers in July, the most of any month. They had 10 each in April and June, and 15 in May.

· Even with two homers last night, the Hawks still rank tied for last in the league in terms of total homers (53)

INDIVIDUAL NOTES:

· Matt Helm has homered in three straight games for the second time in the last two weeks. He also had homers in three straight games July 15-17. All seven of his home runs have come in the second half.

· Gerson Montilla had eight total bases last night (one homer, two doubles) – tying for the most by a Silver Hawks player this season.

· Zach Walters ranks T-1st in hits, 7th with a .307 average, second in runs, T-3rd in total bases and 4th in XBH.

Playoff Race - 39 To Go

2011-07-28T10:12:00.000-04:00

Did you realize that last night was game number 100? Granted it should have been game 101, but with one rainout, last night was the 100th game played by the Silver Hawks. That means there are 39 remaining in the regular season and it also means that these playoff race updates will become a bit more frequent on the blog.

Without further ado, here's the playoff chase with 39 games to go in the second half. Remember, Lansing and Bowling Green have already qualified, so they've been taken out of the mix.

Eastern Division (Top Two Make Playoffs)

Team	W	L	GB
Dayton	22	9	--
Great Lakes	18	13	-4.0
Fort Wayne	17	14	-5.0
West Michigan	16	14	-5.5
Lake County	13	18	-9.0
South Bend	13	18	-9.0

As you can see, it's time to start winning some more!

Tonight's Lineup - July 27th at Great Lakes

2011-07-27T18:12:00.000-04:00

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

Jeff Shields - SP

No pregame interview tonight...instead there was a lot going on in MLB the last 24 hours, so we'll review some news and notes from the Majors. Pregame show begins at 6:45 PM. First pitch at 7:05 PM.

Collin Cowgill to Majors

2011-07-27T08:44:00.000-04:00

Last night, former Silver Hawks outfielder Collin Cowgill was called up to the Major Leagues with the Arizona Diamondbacks. He made his pro debut last night, but went 0-for-4.

Cowgill played with South Bend for 50 games in 2008, hitting .249 with one homer and 17 RBIs.

Cowgill is the 125th former South Bend White Sox/Silver Hawks players to make the Majors. He joins Josh Collmenter, Evan Scribner, Bryan Shaw, and Ryan Cook as former Hakws to debut in the Majors this season.

Tonight's Lineup - July 25th vs. Kane County

2011-07-25T18:29:00.000-04:00

Ender Inciarte - CF

Niko Gallego - 3B

Zach Walters - SS
Yazy Arbelo - 1B
Raywilly Gomez - C
Matt Helm - DH
Roberto Ortiz - RF
Gerson Montilla - 2B
Chris Jarrett - LF

Mike Bolsinger - SP

Pregame interview with manager Mark Haley. Pregame show begins at 6:40 PM. First pitch at 7:00 PM. Also, don't forget to look at the post below for former Silver Hawks updates.

Former Silver Hawks Playing in Organizations other than Arizona

2011-07-25T17:57:00.003-04:00

This week we’ll focus on former Hawks’ players who play for other Major League organizations besides the Arizona Diamondbacks.

Orlando Mercado (Catcher) – AA Arkansas Travelers (Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim)

Played for South Bend in 2006. Mercado began the season with the Arkansas Travelers (AA), but joined Salt Lake on June 5^th. Now back with the Travelers, Mercado hit .250 for AAA Salt Lake in 5 games. He is currently batting .269 with 2 HR’s and 18 RBI’s at AA Arkansas.

Pedro Ciriaco (Shortstop) – AAA Indianpolis Indians (Pittsburgh Pirates)

Played for South Bend in 2006. Recalled from AAA Indianapolis on May 21^st when Pedro Alvarez was placed on the 15-day Disabled List. Ciriaco was reassigned to AAA Indianapolis on July 22. In 7 games with the Pirates, he went 0-6 at the plate.

Leyson Septimo (Pitcher) – AA Birmingham Barons (Chicago White Sox)

Played for South Bend in 2006. Septimo began his professional career as an outfielder, but was converted to pitcher in 2008. He played outfield in his only season with the Silver Hawks. Claimed by Chicago White Sox on June 13, the lefty is 2-0 with a 3.00 ERA in 15 innings for the AA Birmingham Barons.

Danny Perales (Outfielder) – AAA Las Vegas 51s (Toronto Blue Jays)

Played for South Bend in 2007. Perales has split time between AAA Las Vegas and AA New Hampshire this season. Currently at the AAA level, he is batting .306 with 9 doubles and 27 RBI’s in 46 games for the Las Vegas 51s.

Brett Anderson (Pitcher) – Oakland Athletics

Played for South Bend in 2007. The lefty is 3-6 with a 4.00 ERA in 13 starts on the mound for the A’s, which includes one complete game. Anderson has struck out 61 and walked 25 batters, but was placed on the 15-day disabled list on June 7^thdue to left elbow soreness. He underwent season-ending Tommy John surgery on July 14^th.

Chad Beck (Pitcher) – AAA Las Vegas 51s (Toronto Blue Jays)

Played for South Bend in 2007 and 2008. Beck has started one game for AAA Las Vegas after being called up from AA New Hampshire on July 24. He went 5.1 innings, giving up 4 hits , 1 earned run and striking out 7 to pick up a no-decision. He was 7-4 with a 3.69 ERA in 14 starts (22 appearances) at the AA level.

Evan Scribner (Pitcher) – AAA Tucson Padres (San Diego Padres)

Played for South Bend in 2007 and 2008. The right-hander appeared in ten games out of the bullpen for the Padres. Scribner had a 7.07 ERA in 14 innings before being reassigned to AAA Tucson. He is 2-3 with a 4.71 ERA in 28 relief appearances for the Tucson Padres.

Cesar Valdez (Pitcher) – AAA New Orleans Zephyrs (Florida Marlins)

Played for South Bend in 2007. Valdez was traded by the Pittsburgh Pirates on July 5^th to the Florida Marlins for a player to be named later or cash considerations. With AAA New Orleans, he has a 8.38 ERA in 7 relief appearances.

Bryan Augenstein (Pitcher) – AAA Memphis Redbirds (St. Louis Cardinals)

Played for South Bend in 2008. Augenstein was placed on the 15-day DL on April 13^th due to a right groin strain and was later transferred to the 60-day disabled list on May 16^th. He was activated from the DL on June 23 and assigned to AAA. With the Memphis Redbirds, he is 2-0 with a 6.75 ERA in 12 games (1 start).

Daniel Schlereth (Pitcher) – Detroit Tigers

Played for South Bend in 2008. In 24 games out of the bullpen for the Tigers, Schlereth was 0-1 with a 4.91 ERA, 24 strikeouts, and 19 walks. He was reassigned to AAA Toledo on June 30. With the Mud Hens, Schlereth has posted a 0.87 ERA in 10.1 innings.

Reynaldo Navarro (Infielder) – AA Northwest Arkansas Natural (Kansas City Royals)

Played for South Bend in 2009. Navarro is hitting .293 with 9 RBI’s in 22 games at the AA level. He was called up from High-A Wilmington on June 30. For High-A Wilmington, Navarro hit .285 with 8 homers, 17 doubles, and 41 RBI’s in 72 games.

Scottie Allen (Pitcher) – A Charleston RiverDogs (New York Yankees)

Played for South Bend in 2010. Allen has started 6 games for the Charleston RiverDogs posting a 4-1 mark and 5.29 ERA. He was called down from High-A Tampa on June 24^th after struggling to a 7.21 ERA in 16 games (9 starts).

From the Notes - July 25th

2011-07-25T12:29:00.000-04:00

South Bend Silver Hawks (12-17 Second Half, 46-52 Overall)
vs. Kane County Cougars (17-12 Second Half, 45-53 Overall)

Coveleski Stadium, South Bend, Indiana – 7:00 PM Eastern Time

Season Series: 1-1 Tie
@ Coveleski Stadium: 1-1 Tie
@ Elfstrom Stadium: 0-0 Tie

Silver Hawks Team Hitting: .244 – 12th
Silver Hawks Team Pitching: 3.73 ERA – 6th

Cougars Team Hitting: .243 – T-13th
Cougars Team Pitching: 3.79 ERA – T-7th

LAST GAME: The Kane County Cougars jumped out to an early 6-0 lead and held on for a 7-5 victory over the South Bend Silver Hawks on Sunday afternoon. Tyler Green (LP, 3-6) was roughed up for six earned runs over 3.0 innings and fell to 1-4 in the second half. Cheslor Cuthbert had four RBIs to lead the early explosion offensively for Kane County. Niko Gallego and Zach Walters each had two RBIs and Matt Helm hit a solo homer to lead the Silver Hawks charge, but it came up short as Jason Mitchell (WP, 1-0) and Chase Boruff (SV, 3) led the way on the mound.

TEAM NOTES:

· Tonight’s game represents the final game against the Western Division this season. South Bend will play only Eastern Division foes for the final 40 games of the year. The Silver Hawks are 11-12 versus the Western Division this season.

· At 12-17, the Silver Hawks have matched their start in the first half.

· The Silver Hawks have 15 homers in July, matching their total from May. They had 10 each in April and June.

INDIVIDUAL NOTES:

· Matt Helm has homered five times in the second half after going homerless before the all-star break. All his HRs are solo shots.

· Yazy Arbelo ranks 1st with 23 home runs, 76 RBIs, and 47 XBH. He is third in total bases and walks and fourth in slugging.

· Zach Walters ranks 8th with a .303 average, second in runs, third in hits and fourth in total bases and XBH.

MILESTONE WATCH:

· Yazy Arbelo is 2nd on Hawks single season leader board with 23 homers. He needs three to break Billy Martin’s (2000) record of 25.

· Arbelo is also T-4th on Hawks’ career home run leader board. Nilson Robledo has the career record with 36 from 1991 - 1995.

Today's Lineup - July 24 vs. Kane County

2011-07-24T12:22:00.002-04:00

Ender Inciarte - CF

Niko Gallego - 2B

Zach Walters - SS

Yazy Arbelo - 1B

Raywilly Gomez - C

Matt Helm - 3B

Roberto Rodriguez - RF

Ramon Castillo - DH

Chris Jarrett - LF

Tyler Green - SP

No pregame interview today. Instead, we'll take a look at the Midwest League standings and the scoreboards for both the Midwest League and Major Leagues. Pregame show begins at 1:40 PM. First pitch at 2:00 PM.

Tonight's Lineup - July 23 vs. Kane County

2011-07-23T16:01:00.004-04:00

Ender Inciarte - CF

Gerson Montilla - 2B

Raywilly Gomez - C

Yazy Arbelo - 1B

Matt Helm - 3B

Roberto Rodriguez - LF

Ramon Castillo - DH

Roberto Ortiz - RF

Niko Gallego - SS

J.R. Bradley - SP

The pregame interview is with outfielder Roberto Ortiz. Pregame show begins at 5:10 PM. First pitch at 5:30 PM.

Yazy Arbelo HR Breakdown

2011-07-23T11:47:00.009-04:00

Yazy Arbelo has hit 23 home runs through 96 games this season, so who hasn't he homered against? As you might expect, there aren't many teams he hasn't taken deep.

Bowling Green Hot Rods: 2 (5/15, 6/18)

Dayton Dragons: 3 (5/4, 5/5, 7/9)

Fort Wayne TinCaps: 2 (4/10, 4/23)

Great Lakes Loons: 2 (4/20, 5/1)

Lake County Captains: 3 (4/28, 4/30, 7/2)

Lansing Lugnuts: 3 (5/17, 2 on 5/18)

West Michigan Whitecaps: 3 (5/10, 6/25, 6/27)

Beloit Snappers: 1 (7/14)

Burlington Bees: 1 (6/8)

Cedar Rapids Kernels: 1 (6/1)

Quad Cities River Bandits: 1 (6/5)

Wisconsin Timber Rattlers: 1 (7/16)

That leaves the Clinton LumberKings and Peoria Chiefs as the only Midwest League teams that have not given up a home run to Yazy Arbelo. Of course, the Kane County Cougars have also not allowed a Yazy Arbelo homer, but that's because they play the Silver Hawks for the first time this season tonight. We'll see in the next three days if Arbelo can make it 13 teams that he's taken deep in the Midwest league.

Tonight's Lineup - July 22nd vs. Clinton

2011-07-22T18:24:00.000-04:00

Ender Inciarte - CF
Gerson Montilla - DH
Zach Walters - SS
Yazy Arbelo - 1B
Raywilly Gomez - C
Matt Helm - 3B
Roberto Ortiz - RF
Chris Jarrett - LF
Niko Gallego - 2B

Jeff Shields - SP

The pregame interview is with manager Mark Haley. Pregame show begins at 7:10 PM. First pitch at 7:30 PM.

From the Notes - July 22nd

2011-07-22T14:31:00.000-04:00

South Bend Silver Hawks (11-15 Second Half, 45-50 Overall)
vs. Clinton LumberKings (13-13 Second Half, 37-59 Overall)

Coveleski Stadium, South Bend, Indiana – 7:30 PM Eastern Time

Season Series: 2-0 Silver Hawks
@ Coveleski Stadium: 2-0 Silver Hawks
@ Alliant Energy Field: 0-0 Tie

Silver Hawks Team Hitting: .244 – T-13th
Silver Hawks Team Pitching: 3.68 ERA – 5th

LumberKings Team Hitting: .230 – 16th
LumberKings Team Pitching: 4.05 ERA – 14th

LAST GAME: Matt Helm had two doubles and four RBIs on Thursday night, leading the South Bend Silver Hawks to an 8-6 win over the Clinton LumberKings. Helm tied his season high in runs batted in and helped the team overcome a deficit with a three-run double in the bottom of the fifth inning. Jeff Shields (WP, 6-9) allowed four solo homers and five runs total, but still managed to walk away with the win. Nate Reed (LP, 2-3) took the loss, allowing seven runs (four earned) in 5.0 innings. Roberto Rodriguez also had two RBIs for the Silver Hawks.

TEAM NOTES:

· The next four games represent the final games against the Western Division this season. South Bend will play only Eastern Division foes for the final 40 games of the year. The Silver Hawks are 10-10 versus the Western Division this season.

· At 11-15, the Silver Hawks have bettered their start through 26 games from the first half when they were just 9-17.

INDIVIDUAL NOTES:

· Helm’s four RBI night yesterday was his second of the season.

· Roberto Ortiz has hits in five straight games, a new season high for him. He did not play in last night’s game.

· Yazy Arbelo ranks 1st with 23 home runs, 76 RBIs, and 46 XBH. He is third in total bases and walks and fourth in slugging.

· Zach Walters is on a 6 game streak and ranks 8th with a .304 average, second in runs, third in hits and fourth in total bases and XBH.

Jersey Photos from Last Night

2011-07-22T12:40:00.001-04:00

Thought some of you might like to see the jerseys that the players wore on Pirate Night at the Cove last night. Photos courtesy of Matt Tomenko. Thanks Matt!

2011-07-21T17:18:00.000-04:00

Ender Inciarte - CF

Gerson Montilla - 2B

Zach Walters - SS
Yazy Arbelo - 1B
Raywilly Gomez - DH
Matt Helm - 3B
Roberto Rodriguez - RF
Jhoan Pimentel - C
Chris Jarrett - LF

Jeff Shields - SP

The pregame interview is with Raywilly Gomez. Pregame show begins at 6:40 PM. First pitch at 7:00 PM.

Tough Debut for Cook

2011-07-21T13:07:00.000-04:00

Last night, former Silver Hawks pitcher Ryan Cook made his MLB debut. Unfortunately, it's one that he would like to forget. He took over in a 2-2 tie in the top of the tenth inning against the Milwaukee Brewers, and here's what happened:

Kotsay singles through the hole at shortstop.
Wild pitch moves Kotsay to second.
Hart walks.
Cook balks moving runners to second and third.
Morgan with a RBI single.
Braun with a RBI single.
Cook taken out.

After he was removed, Morgan ended up scoring on another hit.

So if you're counting, that's 0.0 innings pitched, three runs, all earned, a walk, a wild pitch, and a balk in his MLB debut. I think it's safe to say the nerves got the best of him.

Even still, he's in the majors, which is a lot better than most of us can say. Good luck Ryan the rest of the way!

Former Hawk Called Up to the Majors

2011-07-20T18:05:00.006-04:00

The Arizona Diamondbacks announced today that former South Bend Silver Hawks pitcher Ryan Cook has been called up to the Major Leagues.

When he appears in a game, he will become the 124th former South Bend White Sox/Silver Hawks player to make the Majors. He joins Josh Collmenter, Evan Scribner, and Bryan Shaw as former Hawks to debut this year in the Majors. Cook is also the first player from the 2009 squad to make the big leagues.

Cook was with South Bend for 25 games in 2009, going 11-11 with a 3.66 ERA, all as a starter. He was pitching in relief with double-A Mobile before getting the call.

Tonight's Lineup - July 20 vs. Clinton

2011-07-20T17:08:00.004-04:00

Ender Inciarte - CF

Niko Gallego - 3B

Zach Walters - SS

Yazy Arbelo - 1B

Raywilly Gomez - C

Matt Helm - DH

Roberto Rodriguez - LF

Roberto Ortiz - RF

Gerson Montilla - 2B

Mike Bolsinger - SP

The pregame interview is with Matt Helm. Pregame show begins at 6:40 PM. First pitch at 7:00 PM.

From The Notes - July 20th

2011-07-20T14:23:00.000-04:00

South Bend Silver Hawks (9-15 Second Half, 43-50 Overall)
vs. Clinton LumberKings (13-11 Second Half, 37-57 Overall)

Coveleski Stadium, South Bend, Indiana – 7:00 PM Eastern Time

Season Series: 0-0 Tie
@ Coveleski Stadium: 0-0 Tie
@ Alliant Energy Field: 0-0 Tie

Silver Hawks Team Hitting: .243 – 13th
Silver Hawks Team Pitching: 3.68 ERA – 6th

LumberKings Team Hitting: .229 – 16th
LumberKings Team Pitching: 4.00 ERA – 13th

LAST GAME: The Wisconsin Timber Rattlers used three home runs to rout the South Bend Silver Hawks on Monday afternoon by a 9-3 final score. Greg Hopkins hit two homers and drove in four while Chad Stang added a solo blast to pace the Rattlers attack. Tyler Green (LP, 3-5) suffered the loss with three runs allowed in five innings while Patrick Schuster (ND) was roughed up for six runs in 2.0 innings. Brooks Hall (WP, 5-2) held South Bend to just two hits in seven innings for the win. Zach Walters had a two run homer for South Bend.

TEAM NOTES:

· The next six games represent the final games against the Western Division this season. South Bend will play only Eastern Division foes for the final 40 games of the year.

· At 9-15, the Silver Hawks have bettered their start through 24 games from the first half when they were just 8-16.

INDIVIDUAL NOTES:

· Matt Helm homered in three straight games Friday through Sunday. He was 0-4 in Monday’s finale at Wisconsin.

· Yazy Arbelo ranks 1st with 23 home runs, 74 RBIs, and 46 XBH. He is third in total bases and walks and fourth in slugging.

· Zach Walters ranks 9th with a .302 average. He’s also second in runs, third in hits and fourth in total bases.

· Raywilly Gomez is on a six game hitting streak, tying his season high.

Playoff Race - 46 To Go

2011-07-20T12:42:00.000-04:00

Is it still too early to be doing this? Probably.
Am I still going to do it anyhow? Definitely.

Here's the playoff chase with 46 games to go in the second half. Remember, Lansing and Bowling Green have already qualified, so they've been taken out of the mix.

Eastern Division (Top Two Make Playoffs)

Team	W	L	GB
Dayton	16	8	--
Great Lakes	14	10	-2.0
West Michigan	13	11	-3.0
Fort Wayne	12	12	-4.0
Lake County	9	15	-7.0
South Bend	9	15	-7.0