Kinston scores 2 runs after 2 shutout losses, but falls again 4-2 on Pomeranz' performance cited above. Holt singles.

http://web.minorleaguebaseball.com/milb ... a_myrafa_1

Captains complete the perfect day for the Tribe, falling 3-2. 26-year-old Steven Wright with 6 shutout innings, fans 9; is he working on a knuckle ball or something strange? Levon Washington with a double and 2 K. Alex Lavisky doubles twice. Fellow Clevelander Gallas with a single and homer is batting 353. Better than usual day for Nick Bartolone: no errors, along with the usual no hits; he's at 153 with 15 errors. My future HOF Giovanny Urshela in a rough patch; hitless day drops him to 231

http://web.minorleaguebaseball.com/milb ... x_dayafx_1

This is two weeks old

May 07, 2011 12:00 AM
David Hall
Staff Writer

Adam Miller’s memories of Kinston are pretty sweet. That he has a chance to make more of them is even sweeter.

Once the Cleveland Indians’ top prospect, Miller is back with the K-Tribe for the first time since 2005 as he tries once again to overcome a strange finger injury that derailed his promising career.

The 6-foot-4-inch right-hander underwent four surgeries to repair what began as a ligament strain in his right middle finger and hadn’t pitched in an official game since 2008 before he was assigned to Kinston from extended spring training last week.

Miller called returning to Kinston, where he led the Indians to a Carolina League title in 2004 during his first full pro year, “a little weird,” adding that things were the way he remembered them.

“It’s pretty similar, I’d say,” he said. “I think there’s a couple more Chinese restaurants, but everything else is pretty much the same.”

Miller, 26, pitched at the Triple-A level for part of the ’06 season, all of ’07 and part of ’08, when he first experienced trouble with his finger.

He was on the verge of making the big league club as a reliever during the spring of ’09 before feeling pain again, and he underwent a pair of surgeries that year.

Once a premier starter who touched 101 mph during the ’04 playoffs, Miller now tops out around 95 mph. He will be used out of Kinston’s bullpen for the foreseeable future.

After a rough debut at Lynchburg last Saturday in which he gave up four earned runs in his first inning of action since May 20, 2008, Miller pitched a scoreless inning at Salem on Tuesday.

He’s working on getting a better feel for his slider, which is affected by his surgically altered finger, while learning to use a fastball that’s not quite as fast.

“Obviously, it’s not what it was, but I feel pretty comfortable about it,” Miller said of his heater.

“(Ninety-five) is plenty hard to get it by hitters. Some people throw high 80s and get it by people. Some people throw 95 and they can’t sneak it by you. It’s just deception.”

Question to Baseball America: Jason Kipnis is ready now to help Cleveland and their playoff push. When are they going to trade O Cabrera and give him a chance!


Ben Badler: Cabrera doesn't have any trade value, but if Kipnis is still hitting like this in a month, it's going to be tough to keep him in Triple-A.

since Cord Phelps is hitting better than Kipnis I'm wondering if he'll get the call to replace Everett soon. This is Phelps' second year in AAA and he has little more to prove.

Clippers have been scuffling this week, dropped last night's game 9-5 as David Huff continued to prove he's not ready for Cleveland. Mauled for 12 hits and 7 runs, 4 earned in 4 2/3. Frank Herrmann roughed up for 2. If we seriously want to bring up another reliever to replace Germano, Putnam should get the call.

Chisenhall singled and doubled. Kipnis singled. Huffman doubled, Buck singled homered 3 rbi.

Buck is hitting up a storm in Columubs, 353/453/621. Huffman 289/406/474 has another stat going for him: he bats from the right side, making him the logical replacement for Austin Kearns.

http://web.minorleaguebaseball.com/milb ... x&did=milb

Chisenhall 285/373/446
Kipnis 281/376/463

Aeros win 4-0 behind Austin Adams, 5 innings, and vet Paolo Espino 4. Adams tagged for just one hit and fans 6, but he walks 5. AVG against the hard-thowing 5-11 RH is only 210 but WHIP is 1.3.

Juan Diaz leads with 3 hits, Goedert adds 2. Spark as usual by Jordan Henry with 2 walks and 2 steals. Pure leadoff man is 14/15 in steals; he's walked 18 times vs 15 k. He has only 3 xb hits. Also called a solid defensive cf. He and Chun Chen are the only prospects in this lineup.

http://web.minorleaguebaseball.com/milb ... x_bowaax_1

A good night for Michael Goodnight and the Captains. The 6-4 RH tosses six innings, touched for only 3 hits, one a solo homer, walks none, fans six. For the season Goodnight has this fine line:

40 innings, 25 hits, 10 walks, 36K. The 4 HR are not so great.

Tony Gallas with his 16th double already, and he walks. OPS is 1009. He's also 23 years old and a NDFA. Trey Haley reappears and pitches a shutout inning of relief

http://web.minorleaguebaseball.com/milb ... x_lcoafx_1

A typical loss for the talentless Kinston Indians, 4-2 as Clayton Cook is OK but unimpressive, 9 hits and 3 runs over 7 innings. As usual the only note of significance for the box score is from Tyler Holt who singles twice. Sort of like Jordan Henry but with some more power, but less effective basestealer and I have read his defense is more suspect. Holt is hitting 297, 20 walks vs 22 strikouts, 9/13 in steals. He has six doubles and a homer.

http://web.minorleaguebaseball.com/milb ... a_kinafa_1

I've made a chart summarizing pitchers performances but don't know how to post it so it lines up neatly.

Another No. 1 draft choice success for the Tribe:

Nats farmhand Michael Aubrey went yard four times in four at-bats for the Chiefs, knocking in seven runs in an 11-0 win over Durham. [he had no homers in his first 21 games]

Don't see Phelps being brought up to replace Everett, they're not going to bring him up to sit on the bench.

Was at the Akron/Bowie game last night. Jordan Henry can motor, I hope he can develop some punch in his bat.

Goedert has AAAA slugger written all over him. They guy has power but he swings at anything that is remotely close to the strike zone. It seemed like he was always down 0-2.

Matt McBride is a stiff.

Old friend Einar Diaz is a field coach for the Bowie BaySox.

Mitch Talbot debuts in his rehab at Columbus, pitches a decent 5 innings, allows 2 runs on 6 hits, 3 K no walks. What do we do with him when he's ready to go? Who exits the rotation?

Kipnis with a 2-run double.

http://web.minorleaguebaseball.com/milb ... x&did=milb

Chun Chen's 2 homers, one in the 10th, power Aeros to a 4-2 win. 22-year-old catcher has 6 homers and 20 RBI. Not so impressive are his 32/8 K/BB totals; and how's his defense? TJ McFarland with a fine 6 innings start, 1 run on 4 hits, no walks and 5 K. Hagadone with a scoreless inning, walks 1.

http://web.minorleaguebaseball.com/milb ... x_bowaax_1