RedHawks pregame notes: August 16
By Ryan Aber
raber@opubco.com
Another hot one today at AT&T Bricktown Ballpark (although slightly less so today) as the RedHawks prepare for the series finale against Las Vegas at 7:05 tonight. A few notes heading into the game:
-Matt Treanor has joined the team to start his rehab stint and is in the lineup at catcher tonight, hitting eighth. Treanor has been on the disabled list since July 24 with a strained posterior cruciate ligament in his right knee. Since Treanor’s injury, Taylor Teagarden has been backing up Rangers starting catcher Bengie Molina.
-Willy Taveras has also joined the RedHawks and is in tonight’s lineup, starting in center. James Tomlin moves over to right after starting in center yesterday in his Triple-A debut. Hernan Iribarren moves from right to left.
-Treanor and Taveras aren’t the only new faces for the RedHawks today. Elizardo Ramirez rejoins the team after spending the last 17 days with Frisco. Also, the Rangers signed veteran pitcher Jesus Colome. Colome was most recently playing for Albuquerque after spending some time in the majors this season with Seattle.
-Today’s RedHawks starter, Doug Mathis, has been searching for consistency on the mound after not having much, either in results or role, lately. He’s struggled in his last two starts, giving up eight earned runs in a combined 6 1/3 innings against Salt Lake and Colorado Springs. Mathis has been much better at home, though, going 2-2 with a 3.52 ERA. His road record is the same, but he’s done it with a 6.63 ERA.
-July was brutal for RedHawks catcher Kevin Richardson. He spent much of the month buried with both Max Ramirez and Jarrod Saltalamacchia on the roster and getting the majority of the playing time. And in the chances he did get, Richardson didn’t produce, hitting just .100 for the month (2 for 20). But already in August, with Saltalamacchia gone and playing time increased, Richardson has more at bats than he did all of last month and is earning them. Heading into tonight’s game, Richardson is hitting .423 (11 for 26) for the month. He’s also driven in more runs (7) than he did combined in June and July (6).
RedHawks pregame notes: August 15
By Ryan Aber
raber@opubco.com
Pregame notes before the RedHawks take on Las Vegas at 4:05 today:
-Brandon McCarthy threw a simulated game this afternoon, throwing about 65 pitches to some college hitters. McCarthy said he felt great after the session and that things were on track for him to throw 4-5 innings Friday against Reno in the homestand finale.
-Justin Tomlin will make his first Triple-A start today, starting in centerfield. Tomlin is in his 11th minor-league season but is making his first appearance in Triple-A. Look for more on Tomlin in Monday’s paper.
-Brandon Boggs has been called up to Texas to take Rich Harden‘s spot on the roster. Boggs’ callup is more of a reaction to what happened to Nelson Cruz last night. Harden’s move was retroactive to Aug. 8. Cruz will have an MRI on Monday on his hamstring.
-With Boggs up and Gentry on the DL, Tomlin is the only outfielder on the roster for today’s game. So a pair of infielders, Matt Brown (left) and Hernan Iribarren (right) will be in the corners today. In response to the lack of outfield depth, the Rangers signed Willy Taveras to a Triple-A contract. Taveras, who spent some time this season with the Nationals, had most recently been playing for Gwinnett, Atlanta’s Triple-A team.
-Matt Treanor is not with the team today. Instead, the Rangers catcher will join the RedHawks tomorrow as he begins his rehab assignment.
-Tanner Scheppers pitched back-to-back games for the first time in the first two games of the series. He allowed a run last night but still has saves in each of the two games.
-Five consecutive games for the RedHawks have been decided by one or two runs.
RedHawks pregame notes: August 14
BY RYAN ABER
raber@opubco.com
A couple tidbits before the RedHawks take on Las Vegas at 7:05 tonight:
-Craig Gentry‘s time with the RedHawks this season is done after he suffered a broken right wrist last night making a play at the wall. Gentry will travel to Arizona tomorrow and will have surgery on the wrist Tuesday. He’ll have a pin placed in the wrist, hoping to return to Texas late in the season as a pinch runner of possible defensive replacement.
-Longtime minor leaguer Justin Tomlin has been called up to take Gentry’s place on the roster and is likely to be in centerfield Sunday. Hernan Iribarren will play right tonight, with Brandon Boggs in center. Tomlin is in his 11th minor league season and will be making his first appearance in Triple-A. He was a Rule 5 pick by the Rangers last year.
-Matt Treanor is likely to join the RedHawks on Sunday for a rehab assignment as he works his way back from a strained posterior cruciate ligament.
-Pedro Strop has been called up by the Rangers after they placed Cristian Guzman on the DL with a strained right quad.
-As much as the RedHawks have struggled lately, going 5-8 over their last 13, their lead is the largest of any division in the Pacific Coast League (3.5 games over New Orleans). The RedHawks have been in sole possession of first place since late April.
RedHawks pregame notes: August 13
BY RYAN ABER
raber@opubco.com
Back after a tough road trip to Salt Lake City and Colorado Springs, the RedHawks start and eight-game homestand tonight with Las Vegas, then Reno.
Some notes heading into the next-to-last homestand of the year:
-Michael Kirkman, who has been the RedHawks best starter this season, has been moved to the bullpen. The move came from the Rangers, who want Kirkman to pitch out of the bullpen in anticipation of him pitching in that role in Texas down the stretch.
-Omar Beltre will start tomorrow after missing a start on the trip. Beltre (2-8, 2.67) had some shoulder stiffness on the road trip but is fine.
-RedHawks manager Bobby Jones said he hasn’t heard any more on the status of Chad Tracy, indicating that he’s not close to returning from the strained oblique he suffered in early July.
-Chris Davis didn’t take batting practice after arriving a bit late to the park. Davis has been battling a foot ailment lately but should be fine. Davis also got some work in left field during the trip, his first outfield work since being drafted. Jones said that call also came from Texas and Davis would play two games at first (where he is tonight), two at third, then two at left for the time being.
-Brandon McCarthy isn’t likely to travel to Arizona to face live hitters. Instead, McCarthy will stay with the RedHawks and pitch batting practice sometime in the next few days. The team hopes he’ll be back in the next week-10 days. When he returns, McCarthy is likely to start, throwing 50-60 pitches when he returns.
Chat Recap: Ryan Aber
Beavan, Davis leave RedHawks after Cliff Lee deal
BY RYAN ABER
raber@opubco.com
The Rangers deal to get Cliff Lee on Friday afternoon had plenty of impact on the RedHawks.
Before Friday night’s game at Round Rock, Chris Davis–a Pacific Coast League All-Star and the league’s leading hitter–packed his bags for another call-up to Texas. Blake Beavan, who hadn’t even started yet for the RedHawks and who planned to have his fiancee Allison in the stands Sunday in what was to be his first Triple-A start, prepared to travel to wherever Seattle decides to place him, likely Tacoma.
It’s appropriate that the two are linked, just as they were with the RedHawks. Both are from Texas and grew up dreaming about playing for the Rangers. For Davis, it’s a reality again. For Beavan, his future lies in another organization.
Davis seemed outwardly at least to be the consummate professional in handling his demotion earlier this year when Justin Smoak was called up to take his place.
“He got sent down and understands that you’ve got to perform to get back,” RedHawks manager Bobby Jones said last week. “You never know what could happen, whether it be an injury or a trade, so you’ve just got to keep working hard.”
Davis did. And Friday, because of the trade, it paid off. Before Texas’ game against Baltimore on Friday night, Rangers manager Ron Washington said Davis would be the team’s everyday first baseman.
Instead of heading to Pennsylvania for next week’s Triple-A All-Star Game, Davis is heading for Arlington for what looks to be another long-term stint with the Rangers.
“Anytime you get sent down, it’s real easy to feel sorry for yourself and kind of hang your head but the fact that I went out there and played hard everyday and tried to get myself back up, and I just happened to make the All-Star team, that’s something I’m proud of,” Davis said.
He’s hitting .354 with 10 home runs and 56 RBIs for the RedHawks this year.
While Davis has been to the majors before, Beavan is still working his way there.
He’d just got the call up to Oklahoma City from Double-A Frisco after his start Monday, when Frisco manager Steve Buechele told him he was making the move.
“I was pretty excited,” Beavan said.
Beavan grew up in Irving, Texas, just down the road from Rangers Ballpark. He grew up wanting to play for the Rangers and when Texas selected him No. 17 overall in the 2007 draft, there was little doubt he would sign instead of playing baseball at the University of Oklahoma.
RedHawks manager Terry Clark said Beavan needs to work on his slider and changeup a bit but has the stuff to be a major league pitcher.
Beavan echoed Clark’s statements.
“I’m mainly working on just staying on top of my sldier, throwing strikes, limiting the walks,” Beavan said earlier this week. “I’m getting more comfortable with it.”
With Davis and Beavan gone, Cody Eppley was called up to the RedHawks. Eppley certainly isn’t the name that Beavan was, having been drafted in the 43rd round of the 2008 draft.
But at the levels he’s been at this year, Eppley has been extremely good out of the bullpen. Combined, he’s 3-1 with a 0.66 ERA in 40 2/3 innings pitches this season in Double-A Frisco (22 2/3 innings) and High-A Bakersfield (18 innings). All 33 of his appearances have been in relief.
Pregame Notes: July 7
BY RYAN ABER
raber@opubco.com
Much the same as yesterday as we hope to get a doubleheader in tonight. The tarp is down as I type this (at 4:40 p.m.) so we’ll see.
-RedHawks pitching coach Terry Clark has seen fans jump out of the upper deck before, but the one he saw was intentional. A fan jumped onto the backstop netting in New York several years ago.
“Hopefully people will think a little bit more where they’re standing when they go jumping after a foul ball,” Clark said.
-Brandon Boggs was placed on the disabled list with a sprained left wrist that had been bothering him for awhile. In his place, Craig Gentry was activated from the DL. That leaves the RedHawks with three catchers still. Gentry is not in the lineup for the opener.
-Chatted briefly with Omar Beltre. He was disappointed with his performance in his first call-up to the Rangers but enjoyed the experience and said it will help him as he works his way back to the majors for the long-term.
-Blake Beavan will make his Triple-A debut on Sunday at Round Rock. Beavan was an OU signee before deciding to sign after being drafted by the Rangers in the first round of the 2007 draft.
-Today’s catcher watch: Jarrod Saltalamacchia behind the plate for the opener. Kevin Richardson will DH.
-Doug Mathis pitched an inning in last night’s Rangers game, so he’s not going to be used as a starter this weekend by Texas. Matt Harrison is scheduled to start for the Rangers on Saturday, the same day he’s penciled in for the RedHawks.
Pregame Notes: July 6
BY RYAN ABER
raber@opubco.com
Here are some pregame notes before the (hopeful) doubleheader tonight against Nashville:
-Omar Beltre is back with the RedHawks after struggling in his start last night. It’s no surprise that Beltre struggled a bit with his first experience in the bigs. He hadn’t pitched in a level above the Dominican Summer League in five years and is still adjusting to facing the type of talent he’s seeing this year at Oklahoma City and at Texas. Beltre will get back to the majors sometime but it might take him a little while.
With Beltre back down, Doug Mathis was called up to the Rangers, likely as a bullpen solution. Mathis (3-4, 5.09) was scheduled to start Wednesday’s series finale. The Rangers are looking for a starter Saturday in what would’ve been Beltre’s place in the rotation. Matt Harrison, who started Monday for the RedHawks in his first start since being optioned, is a likely candidate.
-Blake Beavan, the Rangers first-round pick in 2007 (No. 17) was called up from Double-A Frisco. He last pitched for the Roughriders on Saturday and was 10-5 with a 2.78 ERA in 17 starts. Beavan had 68 strikeouts and just 12 walks in 110 innings pitched. The Irving, Texas, product is likely to remain with the RedHawks for the rest of the season.
-Outfielder Craig Gentry ran around the basepaths at around 3 p.m. and didn’t appear to show any effects from the strained MCL he suffered last week against Omaha. He’ll likely be activated for today’s game.
-Nashville’s 19 hits against the RedHawks on Monday were the most surrendered by the RedHawks this season. Nashville is the only team to score 10 or more runs against the RedHawks this season., The Sounds have accomplished that twice, the first time was June 18.
-Pedro Strop has been removed from the roster for next week’s Triple-A All-Star game. It isn’t likely Strop will be sent back to the RedHawks before the game. Chris Davis and Michael Kirkman (barring either being called up) will represent the RedHawks in the game.
Also around the league: Albuquerque’s John Lindsey, who was leading the PCL in hitting before suffering an injury last month, was activated by the Isotopes today and should play in the All-Star Game. Lindsey’s plate appearances have dipped below the minimum for the league leaders, so Davis (hitting .349 entering tonight’s game) is the official league leader.
Chat with Ryan Aber at 11 a.m.
Moscoso pulled from RedHawks start
BY RYAN ABER
raber@opubco.com
With Texas already running low on pitching depth, Tommy Hunter’s early departure from Wednesday night’s game with Florida forced the Rangers to at least prepare to have to call in reinforcements.
Because of that, Thursday’s scheduled starter for the RedHawks, Guillermo Moscoso, was pulled from the lineup to keep him fresh for a possible call-up today.
Rangers starters Rich Harden and Derek Holland are already on the disabled list.
Texas’ starting pitching woes also have altered the plans for RedHawks pitcher Brandon McCarthy. McCarthy, on the disabled list with right shoulder inflammation, was scheduled to return to the bullpen soon.,
Instead, he will be moved into the rotation upon his return.
