Game 41: Post-Game Notes

Kevin Gausman. He’s good. (Photo: Mike Ashmore)

As was the case when Jose Ramirez squared off with Binghamton’s Rafael Montero earlier this month, the focus was on the pitching matchup tonight, and Ramirez was involved once again.  Ramirez and Kevin Gausman made up both sides of the most recent installment of “best pitching matchup you’ll see all year,” and neither disappointed.

Ramirez: 5 IP, 3 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 1 BB, 7 K, 1 HR (79/52)

Gausman: 6 IP, 4 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 1 BB, 10 K (90/60)

Gausman, the fourth overall pick in 2012, was particularly outstanding.  There was a lot to like about the 22-year-old righty; from the way he was able to reach back for a little extra on his fastball when he needed it (he sat at 95-96 MPH, but reached back for 98 on several strikeouts, and hit 99 on occasion) and made some serious adjustments the second time through the order, relying on his offspeed pitches a lot more.

“I felt good,” said Gausman after the game.

“I didn’t really mix in many sliders, probably because they have so many lefthanded hitters in their lineup.  My strength is fastball, changeup and going into the game, I knew I was going to throw a lot of changeups to their lefthanded hitters.  That was the pitch for me the entire night, and I threw it to their righthanded hitters too.  I think that was something they really weren’t expecting.  I had great fastball command too on both sides of the plate.  It was just one of those nights.”

The offense against each man is relatively easy to recap.  In the bottom of the second, Slade Heathcott laced a triple to left center off of Gausman, and scored one batter later when, after Ali Castillo hit a little chopper in front of the plate, Heathcott sprinted home after the throw went to first base.

Ramirez gave up a long solo home run to Caleb Joseph, brother of former Thunder infielder Corban Joseph, in the fourth inning.

That’s about it.

“He’s great.  Going into the game, I didn’t know anything about him,” said Gausman of Ramirez.  “This is my first year in pro ball, so all these guys that I face — they tell me I’m facing this and that, I didn’t really know anything about him.  But obviously, he’s got the velocity there.  He was throwing a lot of strikes and getting a lot of strikeouts with his changeup and slider.  It’s good when you have three pitches you can work in like that.”

The game was decided in the sixth inning, after Ramirez was out of the game.  With Danny Burawa pitching in relief, he induced a hard groundball to second baseman Casey Stevenson…Stevenson couldn’t make the play, a run scored and that was that.  Gausman pitched the sixth, got the win, and walked away with a lot of new admirers.  But even with that said, and with expectations that he could help the Orioles as early as later on this season, he realizes there’s still a lot to work on before he gets there.

“To be honest, I’m not really expecting anything too soon,” he said.  “I’m just trying to go out there and compete and win ballgames.  Coming into the game, I was 1-4.  To me, I had some good stats and stuff like that, but I never want to have a losing record…going forward, I always want to pitch well enough for my team to win.  I just want to try to have fun, and enjoy pitching in places I’ve never been before.”

Mike Ashmore, mashmore98 AT gmail.com

VIDEO: Kevin Gausman vs. Jose Ramirez

Game 41: Pre-Game Notes

3:25 PM — Lineups…

Thunder lineup: Flores CF, Austin RF, Roller 1B, Murphy C, Heathcott DH, Castillo SS, Medchill LF, Mahoney 3B, Stevenson 2B, Ramirez P

Bowie lineup: Avery CF, Kelly 3B, Romero SS, Joseph DH, Urrutia RF, Waring 1B, Rosa 2B, Ward C, Hudson LF, Gausman P

But the pitching matchup is where your interest should be.  Kevin Gausman, universally regarded as one of the game’s top 50 prospects, will be on the bump for the Baysox.  Opposing him will be Jose Ramirez, who is considered one of the top arms in the Yankees system…and he’s done quite well for himself in Trenton so far.

Mike Ashmore, mashmore98 AT gmail.com

Heathcott, Medchill Homer In Thunder Loss

(PR) Altoona, PA) – Reliever David Bromberg combined with MLB-rehabbing Charlie Morton to limit Trenton to two hits on two solo home runs and the Altoona Curve defeated the Thunder 6-2 Thursday morning at Peoples Natural Gas Field in the rubber match of a three-game series. Bromberg (2-4) entered with the score tied 2-2 in the fifth inning and worked the final five frames without allowing a run or a hit.

The Curve took control of the game with a four-run rally in the fifth against Trenton starter Matt Tracy (4-3). After Tracy struck out the leadoff batter, five straight Altoona hitters reached base with four of them eventually scoring. Alex Dickerson (triple), Charlie Cutler (single) and Adalberto Santos (single) collected RBI hits in the frame.

Bromberg retired 15 of the 16 batters he faced, allowing only a ninth-inning walk to Ramon Flores. He struck out six and earned the victory.

Morton, working his way back to the Pittsburgh Pirates starting rotation following Tommy John surgery, worked a planned four-inning outing and left with the score even at 2-2. Neil Medchill (4th of the season) and Slade Heathcott (2nd) each hit line drive home runs against Morton.

Tracy allowed six runs on seven hits and three walks in 4.1 innings of work. Cutler went 3-for-3 to pace Altoona’s nine-hit attack, driving in three of the team’s six tallies. Left-fielder Drew Maggi went 3-for-4 on his 24th birthday.

Trenton next returns to ARM & HAMMER Park for a three-game series against the Bowie Baysox, with game one scheduled for Friday at 7:05 pm. Right-hander Jose Ramirez (0-1, 1.42) is expected to start for the Thunder against righty Kevin Gausman (1-4, 3.35) in the opener. Limited tickets are available through the Thunder box office at (609) 394-3300 or online at http://www.trentonthunder.com. Radio coverage on 91.3 FM (WTSR) and also streaming online begins at 6:45 pm.

Goose Egg.

(PR) TRENTON, NJ – The Thunder offense couldn’t get the bats going against the New Hampshire Fisher Cats Sunday afternoon and they drop a Mother’s Day matinee at ARM & HAMMER Park, 4-0.

Trenton out-hit New Hampshire 6-4, but the Fisher Cats used a timely 5th-inning homerun to strike first on the scoreboard. A lead-off fly ball dropped in front of right fielder Shane Brown to begin the inning. Then starting pitcher Jose Ramirez let a chopped back to the mound squirt through his legs with one out to put runners at first and third base. The next batter was Jack Murphy who cracked a homerun to center field- his first of the season- to make it a 3-0 lead for the Fisher Cats.

The final run of the game for New Hampshire was added in the 8th inning on a blast to right by Ryan Schimpf who is tied for the league lead in homeruns after the homer.

Ramirez went 6.0 innings and struck out a season-high nine batters while throwing just 79 pitches. He allowed just two hits, but one of them was the costly homer to Murphy to spoil what was an otherwise strong start.

The Thunder head to Curve, PA following Monday’s day-off to begin a brief three-game road trip Against the Altoona Curve. Tuesday night’s game begins at 6:30 p.m. and features RHP Zach Nuding (1-4, 2.63) against RHP Luis Sanz (1-1, 3.78) for the Curve. Radio coverage on 91.3 FM (WTSR) and also streaming online begins at 6:15 p.m.

Cat Adopts Dog

(PR) (TRENTON,  NJ) – Some dogs “roll over”, some can “shake hands” and others “speak”, but you can bet that newly adopted “Dee Dee’s” favorite trick will be fetching baseballs. 

 Pitching Coach Tom Signore of the visiting New Hampshire Fisher Cats has adopted “Dee Dee”, a year old Yorkshire Terrior, who was featured at ARM & HAMMER Park as the Trenton Thunder and Northstar VETS “Dog of the Day” on Thursday, May 9.  The adoption paperwork with Res-Q-Pets of Trenton was finalized today and “Dee Dee” will be making her first baseball road trip after the game as she rides the team bus back to New Hampshire.  Tom said he’s considering re-naming his new puppy “Thunder”.   

At all 71 Thunder home  games, a different “Dog of the Day” is paraded around the field in front  of the crowd and a description of the potential pet is read over the  public address system.  Fans are invited to “meet” the dog in person or  to pick up a flyer at the NJM Fan Services Center on the concourse.  After the game, the  dog’s picture is posted on the “Dog of the Day” photo gallery accessed  through the team’s facebook page.

The NorthStar VETS “Dog of the Day” program, now in its seventh season, has helped hundreds of dogs find homes with Thunder fans and staff  members over the years but this is the first time a member of one of the  teams has adopted.

NorthStar VETS is a 24 hour emergency vet hospital located in Mercer County, New Jersey. They are revolutionizing traditional hospital visits by not only focusing on specialized patient care but also rolling out the red carpet and providing five star service for everyone who walks through the doors. As part of their commitment to leading the way, NorthStar VETS is currently the only AAHA Accredited Referral Hospital in NJ that provides veterinary emergency, trauma and specialty services for animals and pets including dogs, cats, avian, and exotics.

NorthStar VETS proudly provides emergency veterinarians, board-certified surgeons and internists 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, 365 days a year throughout the New Jersey, New York, Philadelphia, and Delaware region to ensure that pets get the care they deserve.

Bleich And Tracy Shut Down New Hampshire

(PR) TRENTON, NJ – Making his first start since May 16, 2010, Thunder lefty Jeremy Bleich anchored the first few innings of Saturday night’s 6-2 victory over the New Hampshire Fisher Cats.

In front of 5,859 fans at ARM & HAMMER Park, Trenton led 6-0 in the 8th inning before New Hampshire got on the board with single runs in the 8th and 9th innings. Bleich was pressed into starting duties less than an hour before first pitch due to pending weather concerns with storms circling the Trenton area. The park never experienced more than a few moments of moderate rain, and the game was played, un-delayed, in 2-hours 36-minutes.

Bleich allowed two hits but no runs in his three innings of work before giving way to original-scheduled starting pitcher Matt Tracy. Tracy, who made his first career Double-A relief appearance, retired the first 12 batters he faced in the 4th – 7th inning before allowing lead-off home run in the 8th to New Hampshire shortstop Kevin Nolan. Tracy finished the night with 5.1 IP, 2 H, 2 R (2 ER), 3 BB, 2 K and his fourth win of the season—his record now stands at 4-2.

In a game that was followed by post-game fireworks at the stadium, the big offensive firework in the game for Trenton came in the 7th inning. Designated Hitter Kyle Roller dug-in and crushed a ball to right-center field that cleared the 32-feet of wall and billboards for a home run deep into the Trenton night.

The Thunder and New Hampshire Fisher Cats continue their four-game series Saturday at 1:05 p.m. The game features RHP Jose Ramirez (0-0, 0.69) making his first start of the season for Trenton against LHP Sean Nolin (0-0, 5.40) for the Fisher Cats. Limited tickets are available through the Thunder box office at (609) 394-3300 or online at http://www.trentonthunder.com/tickets. Radio coverage on 91.3 FM (WTSR) and also streaming online begins at 12:45 p.m.

The Daley Show Debuts In Trenton

Former Colorado Rockies pitcher Matt Daley debuted with the Thunder on Thursday.

Back in 2009, things were going pretty well for right-handed reliever Matt Daley. He was in his first big league season with the Colorado Rockies, made their postseason roster, pitched in the NLDS and looked like he was on his way to a long Major League career.

Fast forward four years, and he’s going through the lower levels of the minors all over again, recovering from surgery on a torn labrum and follow-up procedure that cost him all of 2012. Finally back, he’s maintained a good attitude about having to climb the rungs of the baseball ladder one more time.

“It’s different,” Daley said. “I was telling these guys that I just came from Tampa, and the last time I was in High-A was 2006. Most of these guys were still in high school then or some of them probably in middle school. So it’s definitely a different feel, but it’s kind of cool to go back to that and see the energy that these kids have. It’s been fun for me, actually.”

On December 13, 2011, Daley signed with the New York Yankees. The understanding was that all of last year would be spent rehabbing, and he’d get every opportunity to make a team in 2013. But while it was comforting to know that he would have the chance to find a spot somewhere when he was healthy, Daley made it clear that there were no promises made.

“If I was back at the end of last year, that would be a plus for then, but if not, 2013 was probably going to be the year to get it going and pitch again,” Daley said.

“After becoming a minor league free agent after being with the Rockies for eight years, to have interest right away was a huge relief. I didn’t want to go the whole offseason and get into February and spring training and not know where I was going to be. So when the Yankees were the most interested, I just wanted to jump on that opportunity.”

And that he has, although perhaps not at the pace he might have liked. Daley attended spring training with the Yankees with the hopes to make an Opening Day roster, but was instead assigned to extended spring. He joined High-A Tampa late last month and, after four scoreless outings, was promoted to Double-A Trenton. He made his Thunder debut on Thursday night, spinning a scoreless frame bookended by two strikeouts. After enduring a tough 2012, Daley was just happy to be on any mound, no less the one at Arm & Hammer Park.

“Last year was not fun at all,” he said. “It was very tough, mentally more than anything. Physically, I kind of expected to not feel that good. But mentally, it was just tough having competed the last eight years of my life to just sit there and watch other people. It was not fun at all, but this year has been a lot better, and I’m excited to prove what I have to them.”

Daley says what he has about 90-95 percent of what he used to, with the final five or ten percent not too far off from returning.

“The command is there, the health is there, but now it’s just building up the velocity,” he said.

“I’ve been sitting 86-88, where before I was 88-91. So I’m getting very close to where I was. I’m just trying to build that arm strength back to where it was. Going to big league camp and getting in a few games, it was good to get the adrenaline going and face some good hitters. I sat in the meeting with Larry (Rothschild) and Joe (Girardi) and they just said, ‘We know what you are when you were healthy, and we just want you to get back to that. So that’s why we’re going to send you down now and build up the arm strength that you need.’ And it’s coming along. Going step-by-step is going to help me a lot. So getting here and facing better competition again is going to be good.”

Daley is built up to where he can pitch on back-to-back days if necessary (unlikely in Trenton) and had thrown as many as 40 pitches with Tampa. He’ll be coming out of the Thunder bullpen for now…and, if he has his way, any bullpen for the rest of his career.

“I started ten games in Double-A and hated every second of it,” he said through a chuckle. “I love being in the bullpen, so I’ll definitely be a bullpen guy. If I can get called up at some point this year, I’ll probably be a middle relief guy; come into the game in the sixth or seventh and get some righties out. But if I need to, I can go longer than that.”

Mike Ashmore, mashmore98 AT gmail.com

2013 VIDEO: Tommy Kahnle

Mike Ashmore, mashmore98 AT gmail.com

2013 VIDEO: Nik Turley

Mike Ashmore, mashmore98 AT gmail.com