ROSTER MOVE — INF Kevin Russo activated, INF Carlos Mendoza sent to Staten Island.
NOTE — Photo gallery from this game is in the post directly under this one.
Game 10 - Harrisburg Senators @ Trenton Thunder
April 12, 2008
Waterfront Park - Trenton, NJ
Pitching Matchup: HAR Marco Estrada (1-0, 5.40) vs. TRE Jason Jones (1-0, 0.00)
Starting Lineups: It’s 12:45, just got here. Sorry for the late lineups.
Harrisburg (6-2) (2-0 road record, 2-0 vs. Trenton)
1 - Roger Bernardina
2 - Mike Daniel
3 - Jorge Padilla
4 - Luis Jimenez
5 - Yurendell De Caster
6 - Andrew LeFave
7 - William Bergolla
8 - Javy Herrera
9 - Ian Desmond
Trenton (4-5) (0-2 home record, 0-2 vs. Senators)
1 - Reegie Corona
2 - Austin Jackson
3 - Jose Tabata
4 - Colin Curtis
5 - Matt Carson
6 - Chris Malec
7 - Joe Muich
8 - Marcos Vechionacci
9 - Kevin Russo
Pre-Game Notes: I’ve got the projected starters, but the projected media spread is hot dogs. Three different kinds, I’m told.
For things you may actually care about, Matt Carson is now hitless in his last 19 at-bats, lowering his average to .121 this year.
Last year, he hit .319 in April, which was actually his best batting average out of any month. Doesn’t seem like he’s a notoriously slow starter or anything, just seems like a slump.
Also, someone asked why I didn’t have any quotes from McCutchen yesterday if I said I talked to him. I did talk with for about a minute, but it was just a quick talk without my recorder on. Keep in mind, not every conversation a reporter has with a player, coach or manager is done with a notebook or recorder in hand.
River Ave. Blues says that J.B. Cox is set to make his season debut for the Tampa Yankees today. Haven’t heard if he’s scheduled to go to Trenton, but I’d imagine that’s a possible scenario.
So much for Kevin Russo needing 3-4 days. He’s in the lineup today.
Radio Links: Click here for the links to each team’s broadcast.
Live Box Score: The MILB.com direct link is here.
Around the Eastern League: For scores from around the EL, go here.
Fearless Prediction: 2-0, Harrisburg. I’m thinking six strong from Jason Jones, but he gives up a run and the Thunder put on a performance like they did for the first eight innings last night and can’t get him off the hook. With that said, I’m sure this will be some ridiculous 12-10 game that makes me look like a moron.
In-Game Updates (LIVE from the ballpark):
** JJ looking real sharp through the top of the second. He struck out the side in order, and retired the side 1-2-3 in the second.
** 0-0 going into bottom 4. Jones has only allowed one hit — to Mike Daniel, and Joe Muich threw him out at second.
** Kevin Russo with the two-run home run to left. Good for him. Must be nice to do that after all he’s been through. 2-0 through 4.
** Six strong so far from JJ, with no signs of bullpen activity. I got the score right, I got the amount of innings right for Jones (so far) but the Thunder have the two, not Harrisburg. 2-0 Trenton, bottom 6.
** Josh Perrault now pitching for the Sens to start the sixth.
** And the waiting is over! Matt Carson got a base hit! And this one will last a lifetime! Replicating the call of the Rangers 1994 Stanley Cup win aside, that snaps an 0-for-21 streak for the outfielder.
Carson scored on a little jam shot single to the left side by Joe Muich to make it 3-0.
** Jason Jones is coming out for the seventh. In case anyone was curious, Carlos Mendoza didn’t actually go to Staten Island. He caught Jason Jones’ first few warmup pitches while Joe Muich was getting his gear on.
** Three hits allowed through seven for JJ. A really nice, efficient start out of him. 3-0 going into bottom 7.
** 3-0 in top 8. Michael Gardner coming in.
** One walk for Gardner, but he looked good otherwise. Mike Hinckley in the game for Harrisburg in the bottom of the 8th. 3-0 Thunder.
** A Vechionacci sac fly scored Chris Malec on a very close play at the plate, giving Trenton a 4-0 lead heading into the top of the 9th. Very nice game for Malec, by the way, 3-for-4 with a single and two doubles.
** Gardner is coming out for the ninth.
** The Thunder nearly ended the game on a dazzling double play attempt by shortstop Reegie Corona, who ranged to his left and flipped the ball backhand to Kevin Russo, but Jorge Padilla just barely beat the throw at first. Padilla advanced to second on the ever-popular defensive indifference, then Luis Jimenez hit a ball that deflected off of Gardner for an infield hit.
With runners on the corners, deCaster grounded to short. Corona bobbled it, but Jimenez is not the fleetest of foot, and was out at second. Game over.
Final Score: 4-0, Trenton.
Downloadable In-Game Video: Jason Jones VIDEO, Joe Muich VIDEO, Michael Gardner VIDEO, (HAR) Marco Estrada VIDEO,
All videos are in .mpeg format. If you’re going to use them on your site, just ask and I’ll generally let you as long as I receive some sort of credit.
Post-Game Notes: That was the Thunder’s second shutout of the season, and the win gets them back to .500 (5-5) on the year.
Did my sit behind a scout routine. Jones was consistently hitting 88 on the gun. If anybody has $900 they wanna give me a for radar gun, be my guest…
Post-Game Quotes: Coming later tonight or early tomorrow. From Tony Franklin, Jason Jones and Kevin Russo.
Thunder Thoughts: Bet you’d be curious to know how the MILB.com updates get done at the Double-A level. I think in Triple-A, since they have the Gameday feature, there’s someone specifically there to do that. Here? There’s a guy to my left, who also keeps track of the box score, who calls MILB after every half inning.
Not very interesting, I know…but just trying to give you insight on things that you might not hear about too often.
“Fearless Prediction” is either going to get scrapped or get a new name. Predicting the results of a minor game are pretty much impossible…at least I sure make it look that way.
All 13 pitchers on the staff, including the DL’d Brett Smith, are from the USA. Two guys from California, two from Florida, and one each from Kentucky, South Carolina, Maryland, Illinois, Nebraska, Oklahoma, Alabama, Texas and Iowa.
Don’t miss the four video files in this post, and the seven photos in the gallery that can be found in the one below it.
Promotion-o-meter: Figured I’d try a gimmicky 1-10 rating of the day’s promotion. This won’t be an everyday thing, mainly because I know you’ll all hate it. That, and I know that Thunder management will (hopefully) notice my increasingly obnoxious pleas (ha-ha) to set up the press with some of these things…
The giveaway today is a magnet schedule for the first 2,000 fans. Joba Chamberlain’s pictured on the left side of it, holding up an Eastern League Champions t-shirt at Yankee Stadium.
I give this a 5. I have more magnet and pocket schedules than I know what to do with at my house, but the magnet skeds have been known to occupy some space on my fridge. It’s…uhhh, nice. And you know…magnetic. So yeah.
Mike Ashmore, mashmore98 AT gmail.com
