Radio convergencePosted Jul01, 2008 at 06:08 PMSalem and Lynchburg's radio broadcasting teams are joining together for Thursday's game, putting the game on both team's stations -- WFIR in Roanoke and KD Country in Lynchburg. The two play-by-play crews -- Jason Benetti and Joel Godett for Salem and The broadcast can be heard via milb.com’s Gameday Audio and will begin at -- katrina waugh
Triple threatPosted Jun29, 2008 at 07:24 PMWinston-Salem's Paulo Orlando led off Sunday's game with his 10th triple of the season. The Carolina League record for triples is 17, held by Mike Cameron (Prince William 1994) and David Arrington (Salem 1968). Arrington's triples came at the old Salem Memorial, now Kiwanis Field, better known for homers than triples. Chone Figgins, now with the Los Angeles Angels, had an-Avalanche record 14 triples at Salem Memorial Baseball Stadium in 2000. -- Katrina Waugh Timesland stretches northPosted May14, 2008 at 07:08 PMIt turns out Frederick Keys manager Tommy Thompson is a fan of the Roanoke Times. Or at least a fan of one particular page --- last summer's Time's sport's page with the picture of Wladimir Sutil slamming his batting helmet to the ground as the Keys beat the Salem Avalanche for the Carolina League championship. Keys broadcaster Adam Pohl (formerly the voice of the Avalanche) reports Thompson has the page posted on the wall of his office in the clubhouse at Frederick's Harry Grove Stadium.
Moresi breaks armPosted May13, 2008 at 07:07 PMHit in the forearm by a pitch from Frederick's Brandon Erbe on Monday, Salem Avalanche outfielder Nick Moresi has fractured his ulna and will be out indefinitely.
Moresi breaks armPosted May13, 2008 at 07:07 PMHit in the forearm by a pitch from Frederick's Brandon Erbe on Monday, Salem Avalanche outfielder Nick Moresi has fractured his ulna and will be out indefinitely.
$1 Hot chocolatePosted May12, 2008 at 05:59 PMEver the helpful general manager, John Katz sent out an email this afternoon pointing out that hot chocolate is one of the many items on the menu that are available on the dollar menu at Salem Memorial Baseball Stadium tonight as part of Dollar Monday. Hot chocolate might come in handy tonight. But Frederick Keys broadcaster -- webcaster? -- Adam Pohl (the former voice of the Avalanche) says the Keys are worth weathering the, um, weather to see. Especially for Orioles fans hoping for an exciting glimpse of the future.
$1 Hot chocolatePosted May12, 2008 at 05:59 PMEver the helpful general manager, John Katz sent out an email this afternoon pointing out that hot chocolate is one of the many items on the menu that are available on the dollar menu at Salem Memorial Baseball Stadium tonight as part of Dollar Monday. Hot chocolate might come in handy tonight. But Frederick Keys broadcaster -- webcaster? -- Adam Pohl (the former voice of the Avalanche) says the Keys are worth weathering the, um, weather to see. Especially for Orioles fans hoping for an exciting glimpse of the future.
Jody Gerut makes it big -- againPosted May10, 2008 at 12:16 AMFormer Salem Avalanche outfielder Jody Gerut was called up by the San Diego Padres on Friday, playing in something of a Salemite reunion against the Colorado Rockies. The Rockies were Salem's major league affilate for 10 years, and on the Colorado side of the diamond on Friday were starting pitcher Aaron Cook (Avs 2000-01), left fielder Matt Holliday (2000-01), third baseman Garrett Atkins (2001), right fielder Brad Hawpe (2002) and shortstop Clint Barmes (2001). On the Padres' side, was catcher Josh Bard (2000) and Gerut. Gerut, a second round draft pick by the Rockies in 1998, hit .289 with 33 doubles, 63 RBI and 25 steals as an outfielder for the Avalanche in 1999. The Rockies traded Gerut and Bard to the Indians and he made his major league debut with Cleveland in 2003 and played two full seasons before he tore his ACL in Sept. 2004. He was bartered about in 2005 and then was out of baseball for nearly two seasons. He made ripples in the Venezuelan Winter League and was invited to the Padres' training camp this spring.
-- Jody Gerut Pankovits returns to Salem AvalanchePosted Nov30, 2007 at 02:53 PMJim Pankovits will be back for a third season as the manager of the Salem Avalanche, the Houston Astros announced on Friday. Trainer Eric Montague is also back for another season. The new hitting coach for 2008 will be Alex Eckleman -- an all-Big Ten performer as a second baseman for Ohio State who played nine seasons of minor-league ball. No word yet on the new pitching coach.
Avalanche honors Virginia Tech victimsPosted Apr17, 2007 at 11:54 AMFans and players for both teams paused and bowed their heads 32 seconds in honor of the “innocent lives taken tragically and senselessly by one individual for reasons unknown and without remorse,” at Virginia Tech on Monday before the Salem Avalanche played a doubleheader against the Potomac Nationals at Salem Memorial Baseball Stadium on Tuesday. The Avalanche had postponed Monday’s Carolina League game against the Nationals in honor of the victims. 2007 Salem AvalanchePosted Apr02, 2007 at 10:59 AMThe Avalanche roster was released today. Opening day is Thursday.
2007 Salem AvalanchePosted Apr02, 2007 at 10:59 AMThe Avalanche roster was released today. Opening day is Thursday.
Orioles TV updatePosted Apr01, 2007 at 05:24 PMMark Berman here with an update on Baltimore Orioles telecasts. We had this update in Saturday's paper but it didn't get online, so here it is: Paging unhappy Orioles fansPosted Mar28, 2007 at 07:08 PMAre you a Baltimore Orioles fan in this area unhappy that you won't be able to watch your team on TV this season, now that the games have moved from CSN to the Mid-Atlantic Sports Network? Only Cox customers and DirecTV customers will be able to see MASN. Pulaski Baseball Inc. needs Christmas miraclePosted Dec23, 2006 at 08:05 PMAppalachian League president Lee Landers is an optimist. He's not ready yet to say there won't be minor-league baseball in Pulaski next summer, and he's ready to consider any idea. But with no club or clubs willing and able to put a team together, Calfee Park could be empty for at least one season, Landers acknowledged in a Dec. 19 interview: Last we spoke, you were waiting on a proposal from Joe Garagiola Jr., MLB's senior vice president of baseball operations. What was he was so excited about? Won't all major-league clubs have their budgets fairly set by now? Continue reading "Pulaski Baseball Inc. needs Christmas miracle" » 'Not as optimistic' for Pulaski baseballPosted Oct02, 2006 at 02:37 PMAppalachian League president Lee Landers said Friday he is having trouble finding a major-league club that wants to replace the Toronto Blue Jays in Pulaski. "We’ve had numerous discussions [with clubs]," Landers said, "but nothing concrete yet. … I’m not as optimistic as I once was.” Landers clarified that statement, saying he hasn't yet begun to explore the potentially fruitful possibility of getting multiple clubs to operate a team together in Pulaski. He is less optimistic only about "attracting a full club in there.” “We’ll see what happens,” Landers said. “I hope to know something within the next two weeks.” For background info, click here. The future of baseball in PulaskiPosted Sep28, 2006 at 11:49 PMIn 1992, the Atlanta Braves moved their rookie-league team to Danville after 11 seasons in Pulaski. In 2002, the Texas Rangers moved out west after 6 seasons in Pulaski. And now, after 4 seasons in Pulaski, the Toronto Blue Jays have decided to save money by cutting from six minor-league teams to five. Pulaski gets the axe again. Pulaski Baseball Inc. and the Appalachian League are working the phones to find a fourth team in 15 seasons, as I detailed last week. They also could end up with a co-op team from more than one parent club or, of course, no team at all. While that process plays out, here are some expanded highlights from my recent conversations with the men making the decisions. But first, a sketch of the candidates: There are 30 major-league clubs. Right off the top, we can dismiss as possibilities the nine clubs that already have teams in the Appalachian League – the Braves, Orioles, White Sox, Astros, Twins, Mets, Cardinals, Devil Rays and newly-added Royals – and the Indians and Blue Jays, who just pulled out of the league. So that leaves us with 19. Carolina LeaguePosted Sep07, 2006 at 09:38 PMIt's over. Salem falls 5-0 in Kinston to lose the Southern Division championship series two games to none.
Carolina League playoffsPosted Sep07, 2006 at 08:39 PMFrederick beat Wilmington 2-1 tonight to even the Northern Division championship series 1-1. They'll play Friday in Wilmington to decide the series. ... Salem is down 5-0 through six innings here in Kinston. If the Avalanche loses tonight the season is over. So long, farewellPosted Aug31, 2006 at 06:04 PMWith a 35-33 season in the books – their eighth straight year with a winning record – let’s wrap up a summer of Blog Fever with some postseason awards for the Pulaski Blue Jays. Best hitter Best pitcher Best entrance music Avalanche playoffsPosted Aug30, 2006 at 12:27 PMSalem hosts Kinston for the first game of the Southern Division championship series on Wednesday, Sept. 6. The division series is best-of-three with the second and third (if needed) games in Kinston on Thursday and Friday, Sept. 7-8. The Carolina League championship series is best-of-five, beginning with two games at the site of the Southern Division winner on Sat. and Sun. Sept. 9-10, then the final three (or two or one if needed) at the home of the Northern Division leader. Frederick and Wilmington will be duking it out for the Northern Division championship. Wilmington won the first half. Frederick is leading Wilmington for the second half title and could clinch today. Better KnowPosted Aug29, 2006 at 05:52 PMSadly, our derivative, six-part series, “Better Know a Blue Jay,” has reached its end. Like the Jays’ playoff chances. Let’s exit with a bang. Drew Taylor Tapping on a laptop at his stall in the Pulaski clubhouse, left-hander Drew Taylor isn’t playing mp3’s or fiddling around on MySpace. He’s working on his application to medical school. “Setting myself up just in case,” said Taylor, who received an undergraduate degree in biology and a doctorate in molecular, cellular and developmental biology at the University of Michigan. The plan is to gain admission for next fall and then defer to 2008. You can only defer for one year, he said, but that still will give him up to three seasons of baseball before he would have to choose a profession. “I figure after three years,” he said, “I’ll have a pretty good idea … if it’s going to pan out for me.” Baron, BarronPosted Aug28, 2006 at 11:57 PMPlaying again without Appalachian League MVP Travis Snider, the Pulaski Blue Jays mustered just six hits Monday night at Bristol, kicking off their final series of the season with a 1-0 loss, despite strong pitching from Mike Barbara and Alan Stidfole. Among the hitless was DH Baron Frost, announced earlier in the day as the league's offensive player of the week. Frost raised his batting average 66 points, taking over the team lead, with a 14-for-23 week that included 10 RBIs. Monday's 0-for-3 dropped him to .322, just behind Snider, who is out because of a sore tendon in his left wrist. Pulaski (34-32) is playing out the string for two more games, and I'm in the mood to clear out my notebook. Stay tuned for the last two installments of our derivative, shortened-to-six-parts series, "Better Know a Blue Jay." Raul Barron Avalanche pennant chasePosted Aug27, 2006 at 04:52 PMNo champagne yet. Myrtle Beach's 7-6 10th-inning win at Frederick Sunday afternoon means Salem cannot clinch the Southern Division title today. Snider wins Appy League MVPPosted Aug23, 2006 at 02:11 AMPulaski Blue Jays right fielder Travis Snider might not win the Appalachian League triple crown, but he'll have a nice consolation prize: the player of the year award. Snider, an 18-year-old picked in the first round of June's draft, was the lone Jay on the all-star team selected by coaches, media and front office personnel from throughout the league. He is sixth in the league with a .325 batting average, tied for first with 11 home runs and tied for second with 41 RBIs. His OPS (on-base percentage plus slugging percentage) is a league-high .979. Snider has missed the past three games because of a sore wrist, as Ray Cox explains. Danville Braves right-hander Jamie Richmond was voted pitcher of the year and Elizabethton's Ray Smith was manager of the year. The rest of the team: C Nevin Ashley, Princeton Devil Rays Jays all but deadPosted Aug23, 2006 at 02:06 AMA week ago at Calfee Park, minutes after an extra-inning loss to Bluefield, Pulaski infielder Raul Barron considered his team’s position in the playoff chase. That loss dropped the Jays three games behind Danville in the winner-take-all East Division of the Appalachian League, but as Barron pointed out, they had six games coming up against sub-.500 Greeneville. The first-place Braves had a three-game series at defending champion Elizabethton, which again leads the West Division. It hasn’t helped so far. Greeneville beat the Jays for the third straight time Tuesday night in Pulaski, winning 3-2 after Nathan Starner allowed two runs in the ninth and Adam Rogers allowed one run in the 10th. Another scoreless, seven-inning stint by the combo of Kyle Walter (two innings) and Kyle Ginley (five innings) fell by the wayside. At 31-29, the Jays are five games back with only eight remaining. They’ll need a miracle to overtake Danville and second-place Burlington, which is four games out. To cheer you, here’s the fourth installment in what looks like it’ll be a six-part series, “Better Know a Blue Jay.” Jays notesPosted Aug15, 2006 at 12:18 PMWhile Travis Snider enjoys a second consecutive Appy League hitter of the week award, a few notes on the Pulaski Blue Jays: - Luis Sanchez finally has been cleared to play. Contract issues sorted out, the former Lake City (Fla.) Community College infielder debuted in Friday’s loss to Johnson City and is 1 for 7 with two walks so far. The Jays had been rotating Wes Stone, Raul Barron, Luis Fernandez, Leance Soto and Jonathan Del Campo among second, third and short. - Stone said he was disappointed but not upset to be bumped back to Pulaski after a week at Class-A Auburn. There’s more playing time to be had here. “As long as I get to play somewhere, I’m fine with that,” he said last week. “I’m happy with that. I’m kind of happy to come down because we’re actually in the race still. That’s pretty exciting.” Drafted last year as a high school shortstop, Stone had played second base nearly exclusively for the Jays until trying some third base in recent days. “They kind of want to make me more versatile,” he said. - A 6-4 loss last night kept the second-place Jays (28-25) from sweeping three games at Bluefield and dropped them two games behind East-leading Danville -- and only one ahead of third-place Burlington -- as they open a three-game home series against those same Bluefield Orioles. If the rotation holds, Pulaski will go tonight with right-hander Rey Gonzalez (2-4, 3.80), who is coming off his best two starts of the summer. Left-hander Kyle Walter (0-3, 6.19) and right-hander Mike Barbara (2-1, 4.24) would follow Wednesday and Thursday. TwinkiesPosted Aug09, 2006 at 05:03 PMBreaking into our wall-to-wall Travis Snider coverage, I direct your attention to the Appalachian League standings, where the Pulaski Blue Jays can be found in second place in the East Division after taking four of six games from first-place Danville. The Braves, 6-4 losers last night at Calfee Park, lead Pulaski and Burlington by two games as we hit the home stretch. The Jays have 21 games left, including 12 home games. Tonight they begin a three-game series against Johnson City. Also, in unconfirmed, Net-based news, saves leader Patrick McGuigan is listed today on Auburn’s roster, not Pulaski’s roster. Another promotion? We’ll check on it at tonight’s game. LHP Nathan Starner pitched the ninth inning for the second straight time last night, allowing one run but picking up his second save. And now, the long-awaited third installment of our derivative, 30-something-part (OK, there’s no way we’re getting to 30-something parts) series “Better Know a Blue Jay.” Baby bullPosted Aug08, 2006 at 12:24 PMPulaski right fielder Travis Snider was named Appalachian League offensive player of the week before last night's game, honoring him for a span of six games (July 31-Aug. 6) in which he went 9-for-26 with 3 runs, 3 doubles, 3 home runs, 6 RBIs, 21 total bases, a .433 on-base percentage and an .808 slugging percentage. And that was before he tore apart the Danville Braves with two long home runs and two doubles in five at-bats in last night's 10-6 win. Tonight Pulaski will play the last of six straight games against the East-leading Braves. After taking two of three at Danville, the Blue Jays can take two of three at home. They are tied for second with Burlington, three games behind the Braves. "They're the team to beat," Snider said last night. Pitcher of the week honors, incidentally, went to Danville right-hander Jamie Richmond, who scattered seven hits in 4 1/3 scoreless innings in Sunday's 14-1 win at Calfee Park. Richmond leads the league with a 7-0 record, a 0.74 ERA and a 0.78 WHIP. And if you didn't notice the item in today's article, the Braves are playing without one of their top hitters. First baseman and catcher Tyler Flowers was suspended 50 games, including the first 22 games of next season, for violating Minor League Baseball's drug policy. An article in the Danville Register & Bee quotes Braves minor-league officials as saying Flowers used performance enhancers while at Chipola (Fla.) Junior College this spring. Another Appy League player, Bristol pitcher Wascar Segura, was suspended for a similar offense July 24. The Beautiful OccupationPosted Aug02, 2006 at 04:19 PMIf you haven’t been to Calfee Park to see Travis Snider this summer, people, you really need to get on that. Pulaski’s baby bull has only 15 home games left in his rookie-league career and there’s a good chance you’ll want to be able to say you saw him when. After going 4-for-5 with a home run, two doubles, two walks and a steal in last night’s extra-inning win, Snider is hitting .315 with 6 home runs and 25 RBIs in 35 games. The 18-year-old outfielder (Toronto’s first-round pick in June) also made two diving catches and a nice running catch in Monday’s 5-2 win. “He’s been selective at the plate,” Charlie Wilson, Toronto’s manager of minor-league operations, said last week. “He’s hit for power. He’s played defense just fine. He’s showed everything that we thought he was going to show and more.” Last night’s highlights: Bottom of the first: Batting fifth – a change from his usual cleanup spot, perhaps to give the struggling Josh Lex some protection at cleanup – Snider worked the count to 3-1 against Princeton’s Chad Pendarvis, one of the Appalachian League’s best pitchers. (And a 6-foot-7 left-hander, just to make it a little tougher on a lefty hitter.) Snider missed with a mighty swing, took a moment to compose himself and yanked a solo home run, his sixth, over the 23-foot fence in rightfield. W.O.E.Posted Jul28, 2006 at 04:30 PMWondering why the P-Jays lost for the 11th time in 12 games last night? Well, because of injuries and guys just not hitting well, they ran out a lineup that included the following batting averages: .225, .263, .211, .260, .190, and .255. Chris Emanuele (.309), Jonathan Jaspe (.289) and Travis Snider (.297) are the only ones swinging the bat these days. Manager Dave Pano remains sanguine. The 13-1 start that propelled Pulaski to the top of the Appalachian League is long gone, but all is not yet lost. “We’ve just got to get back to doing what we do,” he said Friday from Burlington, N.C., where the Jays conclude a mammoth road trip with games tonight and tomorrow against the Indians. That “brutal” road trip – 14 games in 12 days, with two makeup games in Elizabethton – has Pano none too pleased. “There’s no other team in this league that has had to do that,” he said, and he’s right. Bluefield starts a 10-game trip Sunday and Princeton just started a nine-gamer, but most teams don’t leave home for more than six or seven games. Still, Pano said, “it’s not an excuse. We have not played well, and we’re really working hard to get back to playing like we did.” Wind Beneath WingsPosted Jul26, 2006 at 03:46 PMDo-gooder alert! The Pulaski Blue Jays have partnered with the New River Valley chapter of the American Red Cross to honor local residents who give back to their communities. They will take nominations for "Hometown Heroes" through Aug. 14. P.R. dynamo Marty Gordon explains: Criteria is simple: the individual has given back to the community in some form over the past year. This includes and is not limited to non-profit organizations through the NRV region. Examples: Someone that has given hours to help build a Habitat for Humanity home; the person that delivers home cooked meals to the elderly; the police officer that helped deliver a baby; the woman that has volunteered at her local hospital for numerous years; or the churchgoer that helped organize a fundraiser for the family of a cancer victim. Two is the loneliest numberPosted Jul26, 2006 at 11:56 AMYour Pulaski Blue Jays have dropped for the first time this season to second place in the East Division of the Appalachian League. Danville (21-13) has a two-game lead after dealing the visiting Jays (19-15) a second straight loss Tuesday, 12-1. Carnage update: Pulaski, which won 13 of its first 14 games, is 6-14 since and 1-9 in its past 10 games. And that's not the worst part. Last night they committed SEVEN errors, making 7 of Danville's 12 runs unearned. The lowlights: First inning: Josh Lex, not really a first baseman by trade, drops the throw on a potential inning-ending double play. The Braves go on to score three runs. Baron Frost, the best hitter and by far worst fielder among Jays outfielders, also bobbled a ball in left field that allowed two runners to advance, though Rey Gonzalez ended the inning by striking out the next hitter, the wonderfully named Concepcion Rodriguez. (He's a center fielder, not a shortstop.) Third inning: Jays baby bull Travis Snider displays his arm in right field, but the off-line throw allows runners to move up to second and third. Third baseman Leance Soto, no stranger to errors he, commits his first of the game with another bad throw. Gonzalez leaves with one out and Danville increases its lead to 9-1. Sixth inning: Calm for a while until throwing errors by Snider and reliever John Zinnicker on the same play spark a two-run burst. Soto throws in a fielding error for good measure, his 10th in only 20 games this summer. Yeesh. Welcome backPosted Jul22, 2006 at 10:18 PMDays after being promoted to Class-A Auburn, 19-year-old second baseman Wes Stone was sent back to rookie ball for Pulaski's five-games-in-three-days visit to defending champion Elizabethton. The California native returned to his familar No. 2 spot in the order for the first game of tonight's doubleheader, a 7-2 win that the Jays sorely needed after losing both Friday games. Manager Dave Pano had been feeling a bit shorthanded in the infield, particularly after first baseman Paul Franko left Thursday's game with a thumb injury. He asked for one of Auburn's seven infielders and got Stone, who had earned the promotion but wouldn't have gotten the playing time he gets at Pulaski. Stone did not, it appears, get his old No. 9 jersey back. That was given to newcomer Derek Tate in the interim, so Stone is listed as No. 23, which was worn earlier this summer by a pitcher since promoted. (I don't have my notes with me here over the weekend.) No doubt Franko would have been glad to take the open No. 23 -- he had it last year and was a little miffed the uniform powers-that-be gave him No. 15 instead. Uniform numbers aside, we'll try to catch up soon with Stone, who hit .154 in 13 Class-A at-bats, to see what he thinks of this promotion-demotion. At the moment, he's 1-for-4 with an RBI double in tonight's nightcap. He just caught a Twins pop-up to send the game to extra innings, tied at 6. NotasPosted Jul21, 2006 at 06:54 PMBefore we serve up a steaming helpful of P-Jays news, a mea culpa: Apparently RHP Chase Lirette is not with Pulaski. Manager Dave Pano says he’s at Class-A Auburn. (Just when everyone was rushing out to get their replica Chase Lirette jerseys.) Onward ho. The Jays’ doubleheader at Elizabethton should be underway by now. Thanks to a pair of rainouts last month at Calfee Park, they’ll play five games in three days against the defending champion Twins (19-8), who passed Pulaski for the best record in the league by finishing a three-game sweep of Greeneville last night. “We’re playing the hottest team in the league right now,” Pano said. “And you know, it’s amazing how it works, because when they were at our place [June 24-26] they were not playing well and we blew them out the first game. We probably would have blown them out in all three games. But that’s the way it works.” Scheduled for 12 road games in 12 days, the Jays will now have 14 games. Bully for them. To get through doubleheaders today and tomorrow, Pano will supplement the usual starting rotation with Kyle Ginley, a recently signed 2006 pick who has one of the best arms on the club, and Joe Wice, who had worked long relief after starting all last season. Kyle Walter was slated to start today’s 6 p.m. game, with Ginley in the nightcap. Tomorrow it will be Mike Barbara and Wice, with Alex McRobbie on Sunday. Zut alors!Posted Jul21, 2006 at 11:03 AMHigh drama last night in Bluefield, as the P-Jays rallied from a four-run deficit but fell short when the tying run, in the person of Luis Fernandez, was thrown out at the plate to end the game at 5-4. Kieron Pope’s three-run run homer off Pulaski LHP Derek Tate (11.57 ERA in 2 appearances) helped the Orioles take a 5-2 lead into the ninth, but the Jays put the first two runners on. Victor Santana struck out looking – and then was ejected by home plate umpire Chris Segal – before Fernandez singled to right. C.J. Ebarb scored from second and Heliezer Aguilar came around from first when right fielder Joseph Nowicki bobbled the ball. Fernandez moved up to second on the error and tagged up to go to third when Chris Emanuele cracked a fly ball to deep right-center. Center fielder Richard Oleo made a running catch, Pulaski manager Dave Pano explained, but he “thought there were two outs, so he kind of jogged in and he just flipped it up to the cutoff guy.” Pano, who coaches third base, waved Fernandez around as second baseman Bobby Henson whirled to throw home. Catcher Justin Johnson applied the tag with some ease, Pano said. ”To me, it was worth the risk, because there were two outs,” Pano said. “One out, obviously we wouldn’t have done it.” Santana’s ejection came after he was called out on strikes for a second straight time. “Yeah, Vic’s been struggling,” Pano said. “He had got called out the time before and … they threw him out of the game. I mean, you just can’t do those things. He’s a young kid, he’s struggling right now and it’s kind of getting the best of him a little bit.” Plenty of Jays news going on as they continue their 12-day road trip -- including a Blog Fever mea culpa -- so check back later. Pink CadillacPosted Jul20, 2006 at 07:15 PMDon’t look now, but your Pulaski Blue Jays are slipping. Swept in a doubleheader Wednesday at Bluefield, the Panomen are 5-7 since winning 13 of their first 14 games. They have lost four of five and seen their East Division lead over Danville shrink to two games heading into tonight’s series finale at Bluefield. Maybe this will cheer you: There’s another new pitcher on the roster. RHP Chase Lirette, Toronto’s 16th-round pick last month, was the closer as a junior at the University of South Florida this spring, picking up seven saves with a 2.90 ERA, 8 walks and 45 strikeouts. |
