Coop Scoop

Hen Eggs -- April 25, 2011

The story of the game in a nutshell -- or is that an egg shell? -- for Monday, April 25, 2011 ...

Click here to read the in-game blog for the contest.

Click here to read the game story for the contest.

TWITTER POST: Scott Sizemore's bases-loaded, 2-out single in the bottom of the ninth plates 3 runs and gives Hens a 6-5 walkoff win over Louisville at FTF.

SCORING SUMMARY: Louisville 2nd: With Thad Weber pitching, Devin Mesoraco bloops a double into left-center, and Danny Dorn slams a 3-1 pitch over the fence in right for a two-run homer. Louisville 2, Mud Hens 0.

Mud Hens 3rd: With Dontrelle Willis pitching, Cale Iorg led off by blooping a double down the left-field line. Then with two outs, Andy Dirks blooped a single to left that scored Iorg. Scott Sizemore singled Dirks to second, and Scott Thorman singled home Dirks. Mud Hens 2, Louisville 2.

Mud Hens 4th: Ryan Strieby led off by drawing a walk, then moved to second on a one-out single by Bryan Pounds. Iorg hit a grounder wide of first base; Dorn threw to second to force out Pounds, but the relay to first was too late to retire Iorg. Willis caught the throw to first, but threw wildly trying to pick Strieby off third; the error allowed Strieby to score. Mud Hens 3, Louisville 2.

Louisville 5th: With two outs and none on, Fred Lewis, Zack Cozart and Dave Sappelt hit back-to-back-to-back doubles to score two runs. Louisville 4, Mud Hens 3.

Louisville 6th: Mesoraco led off with a single, then moved to second on a one-out error by Pounds at third on a ball hit by Todd Frazier. Kristopher Negron singled to left to score Mesoraco. Louisville 5, Mud Hens 3.

Mud Hens 9th: With Daniel Ray Herrera pitching, Iorg blooped a one out single to left. With two outs pinch-hitter Timo Perez walked to move Iorg to second. Dirks then hit a grounder to first that Dorn misplayed for an error that loaded the bases. Sizemore slammed a line-drive down the left-field line for a double that scored all three baserunners. Mud Hens 6, Louisville 5.

KING OF THE ROOST: The obvious candidates today is Scott Sizemore, whose bases-loaded double in the ninth was the game winner. Sizemore also had two singles on the night and is hitting .411 this season. A less obvious, but no less important, candidate is reliever Brendan Wise, who came in with two on and two out in the sixth and struck out Fred Lewis to end that threat, then retired the next six hitters he faced to keep the Hens close. And let's give a little love to Cale Iorg, who had a single, double and walk in four plate appearances (he's hitting .264 this season) and to Scott Thorman, who also had a pair of hits and an RBI.

PLAY OF THE GAME: This isn't exactly rocket science, is it? The Hens were down to their final out in the bottom of the ninth when Scott Sizemore came to the plate with the bases loaded. Louisville reliever Daniel Ray Herrera got ahead of Sizemore 1-2, but Sizemore hit a hard line drive down the left-field line to give the Mud Hens the come-from-behind victory.

NEXT HOME GAME: The Mud Hens play four games in Syracuse starting Tuesday at 6 p.m., then play four in Pawtucket before getting an off day on Wednesday, May 4. The next day Charlotte will be in town for their only four-game series at Fifth Third Field this season. The first game is Thursday, May 5, with first pitch set for 6:30 p.m.

Mud Hens blog -- April 25, 2011

Welcome to Coop Scoops coverage of the Mud Hens' game against Louisville coming to you live from Fifth Third Field. I'll share thoughts, stats, and anything of interest from the game (newest posts are at the top, so refresh frequently).

9:02 p.m. -- We're not quite done here at Fifth Third Field ... a single, a walk and an error have loaded the bases for Scott Sizemore, the Hens' hottest hitter. With two outs and the tying run on second base .... well, I can't even finish the sentence and Sizemore rips the ball down the left-field line for a double that clears the bases. Hens win, 6-5. Got to run down to the clubhouse -- talk to you soon ...

8:49 p.m. -- The Mud Hens bring on Robbie Weinhardt to pitch for Brendan Wise. If the Hens lose, the work by Wise will be completely overlooked, which is a shame. Wise came on with two on and two out and struck out Fred Lewis to keep the game at 5-3, then retired the next six Bats hitters he faced without incident. Gave the Hens a chance to win, even if they don't.

8:40 p.m. -- The day is over for Dontrelle Willis ... He throw seven innings, allowing six hits and two walks that resulted in three runs, two of which were earned. He struck out four and finished with 103 pitches, 70 for strikes. An overwhelming number of his pitches were fastballs; his command of the breaking pitch was spotty, with a few good ones and a few hangers.

8:32 p.m. -- We just got the attendance figure for tonight's game ... 3,903 is the announced figure. Tickets sold, for those who want to argue it. For the record, it's the lowest crowd this season and the fourth-lowest in ballpark history. With the crowd of 4,008 on Easter Sunday, those are the lowest back-to-back crowds in Fifth Third Field history.

8:15 p.m. -- An update on Dontrelle Willis in the sixth. Dontrelle threw just six pitches, all fastballs. Slowest was 89, fastest was 93 (twice). Hey, might as well give you them all ... two more 92s and a 90. He is officially in line for the victory.

8:05 p.m. -- Mud Hens starter Thad Weber is unable to survive the sixth. Brendan Wise comes out of the bullpen with runners on first and third and two outs. Weber in the sixth wasn't able to get above 86 mph (except for one pitch at 89), and the breaking balls are sitting mostly at 77-80. Wise ends the threat with a strikeout, but it's still Louisville 5, Mud Hens 3 entering the bottom of the sixth.

7:58 p.m. -- Winner of "Racing With the Stars:" Kitty Holmes with a late burst. She has three wins this season, as does Jamie Farrmadillo; Jim Flealand has only two.

7:50 p.m. -- With two out and no one on, Louisville gets three doubles in a row to score twice and take a 4-3 lead into the middle of the fifth. The last two doubles -- by Zack Cozart and Dave Sappelt -- both were pretty well struck into the gaps. Toledo starter Thad Weber has allowed four runs and seven hits through five innings.

7:42 p.m. -- Did I mention that the Hens took the lead of an error. It came on a poor throw when a Louisville defender tried to pick a Mud Hens baserunner off third base. Problem: well, two problems, namely that the baserunner wasn't very far off the base, and the throw was wild, allowing the baserunner to score. And did I mention that the Bats player who made the throwing error was Dontrelle Willis?

7:40 p.m. -- Man, I love it when current events make me look smart! Willis goes through the lineup the first time with only one hiccup: a leadoff double by Cale Iorg -- on a hard ground ball down the third-base line, hardly a laser, though. Second time through the lineup: single, single, single, walk, strikeout, single ... I've heard it said that good hitters -- even good Triple-A hitters -- will catch up to a fastball. Mud Hens 3, Louisville 2, end of four.

7:25 p.m. -- A word about Dontrelle Willis ... he is still throwing decently, with the fastball in the low 90s and occasionally touching the mid-90s. Here's the problem, in a nutshell: he doesn't have anything else. He has thrown only a limited number of breaking balls, and rarely for strikes. Eventually, even Triple-A hitters catch up to the fastball, unless it's amazing.

7:14 p.m. -- Well, the perfect game bid of Dontrelle Willis ends in the bottom of the third when Cale Iorg leads off with a double. By the way, mad props to the "high stirrup" look that Dontrelle is sporting. A two-out single by Andy Dirks breaks up the shutout bid as well ... and a single by Scott Thorman reties the game at 2-2, end of the third.

6:52 p.m. -- The formula for Mud Hens starter Thad Weber is simple: throw strikes, get ahead, get outs. He got nicked for two runs in the second by straying off that formula. The bloop double was a ball that just fell between three fielders, but the home run by Danny Dorn was a no-doubt

6:45 p.m. -- Dontrelle Willis retired the Mud Hens in order in the first inning, throwing 11 pitches (only six of which were strikes). His fastball ranged from 89 to 93 mph (three 89s, four 90s, one 92 and one 93), while he threw just two breaking pitches, both at 79.

6:39 p.m. -- Thad Weber allows a first-inning double but otherwise has no trouble in the first inning. Weber's fastball was measured (by the radar gun behind home plate) at 88-90 mph (four at 88, three at 89 and two at 90). He had one change-up at 83 and two curveballs at 78.

6:28 p.m. -- We're about to get started ...

6:15 p.m. -- Weather report from Fifth Third Field ... current temperature is 48 degrees, and there's a steady wind blowing in from right field (I'm told it's at 17 mph). The infield is dry; the outfield is a darker shade of green than the infield, which indicates that it's pretty wet. The warning track also is pretty wet -- there's a wet spot right by the far entrance to the Louisville dugout -- but otherwise the field looks playable. Kudos to grounds crew chief Jake Tyler, his assistant Kyle Leppelmeier and the rest of the grounds crew for their fine work in getting the field ready.

6:05 p.m. -- Bryan Pounds is the newcomer from Double-A Erie who joined the Hens today. Pounds takes the place of Danny Worth, who went on the disabled list after pulling his right hamstring beating out a base hit in Saturday's game. In 13 games with the SeaWolves this season, Pounds has hit .314 with two home runs and eight RBIs.

6:00 p.m. -- Starting line for the homestanding Mud Hens ... Andy Dirks in CF, Scott Sizemore at 2B, Scott Thorman at 1B, Ryan Strieby at DH, Clete Thomas in RF, Bryan Pounds at 3B, Cale Iorg at SS, Clay Timpner in LF, and Max St-Pierre at C. The starting pitcher for the Hens is RHP Thad Weber, who is 0-2 with a 3.00 ERA.

5:53 p.m. -- Starting lineups, first for visiting Louisville ... Fred Lewis in RF, Zack Cozart at SS, Dave Sappelt in CF, Yonder Alonso at DH, Devin Mesoraco at C, Danny Dorn at 1B, Todd Frazier in LF, Kristopher Negron at 2B, Michael Griffin at 3B. Starting pitcher for the Bats is LHP Dontrelle Willis, the former Mud Hen -- and Tiger -- who this season is 2-0 with a 0.53 ERA).

5:45 p.m. -- Not only is the tarp off of Fifth Third Field, but the grounds crew has wound up the tarp and put it away. Looks as if we're going to have baseball at Fifth Third Field tonight!

5:09 p.m. -- As I type the first post for today's schedule game, the tarp is still on the field. The good news is that it doesn't seem to be raining right now. and there seems to be a "window of opportunity" to get this game in. I'll keep you posted ...

Hen Eggs -- April 24, 2011

The story of the game in a nutshell -- or is that an egg shell? -- for Sunday, April 24, 2011 ...

Click here to read the in-game blog for the contest.

Click here to read the game story for the contest.

TWITTER POST: Nothing goes right for Hens: Offense gets 3-hit, pitchers give up 13 hits, including 3 homers, & D makes 2 errors in 9-0 loss to Louisville.

SCORING SUMMARY: Louisville 2nd: With Andy Oliver pitching, Todd Frazier doubles down the left-field line. Corky Miller sacrifices him to third, and Michael Griffin singles him home through a drawn-in infield. Louisville 1, Mud Hens 0.

Louisville 3rd: Brian Barton led off by drawing an 11-pitch walk, and Dave Sappelt beat out a bunt down the first-base line. Oliver balked Barton to third and Sappelt to second, and one out later Barton scored on a sacrifice fly by Yonder Alonso. Louisville 2, Mud Hens 0.

Louisville 4th: With one out, Griffin drew a four-pitch walk, and with two outs Kristopher Negron launched a two-run homer to left. Louisville 4, Mud Hens 0.

Louisville 5th: Sappelt led off with a double to left-center, then moved to third on a single by Zack Cozart. Oliver struck out the next two hitters, but walked Miller to load the bases and then gave Griffin a four-pitch walk to force home a run. Louisville 5, Mud Hens 0.

Louisville 7th: With Fu-Te Ni pitching, Alonso ripped a long home run to right to lead off. Frazier walked, moved to second on an infield hit by Griffin, and both came home on a home run by Eric Eymann. Louisville 9, Mud Hens 0.

KING OF THE ROOST: Not very many good candidates today. Let's give the nod to Scott Sizemore, who had a single and two walks in four plate appearances to give himself a .392 batting average for the young season.

PLAY OF THE GAME: While Louisville scored once in the second and third off Toledo starter Andy Oliver, both runs felt like cheapies. Well, there was nothing cheap about the Bats' two runs in the fourth as Kristopher Negron connected for the first of three Louisville home runs on the day. That home run seemed to let the air out of the Hens balloon.

NEXT HOME GAME: The Mud Hens complete their three-game series with Louisville at Fifth Third Field on Monday, April 25, with first pitch for the game set for 6:30 p.m. The Bats are expected to start LHP Dontrelle Willis (2-0, 0.53 ERA), while the Hens will counter with RHP Thad Weber (0-1, 2.45 ERA).

Mud Hens blog -- April 24, 2011

Welcome to Coop Scoops coverage of the Mud Hens' game against Louisville coming to you live from Fifth Third Field. I'll share thoughts, stats, and anything of interest from the game (newest posts are at the top, so refresh frequently).

6:12 p.m. -- Closing the books on today's blog ... story to write, then Hens Eggs to follow. Happy Easter, and talk to you tomorrow!

6:09 p.m. -- We'll close today's blog pretty much the way we started it, with a transaction: remember that Danny Worth was placed on the 7-day disabled list with a right hamstring injury. The Mud Hens will get Bryan Pounds from Double-A Erie to take Worth's spot on the roster. In his first 13 games with the SeaWolves, Pounds has hit .314 with two home runs and eight RBIs.

6:03 p.m. -- For those of you still checking in, a quote about Andy Oliver following the game from Louisville manager Rick Sweet: "In the game at our place, he blew us away. He’s got very good stuff, and he had good stuff in this game. For us, it was about getting into fastball counts and hitting good fastballs. We didn’t blow him away; we squeaked in a run here and got some bunts down and then got some big base hits."

4:56 p.m. -- Final from Fifth Third Field ... Louisville 9, Mud Hens 0. About to head to the clubhouses ... hope to have a quote or two in about an hour or so, with Hen Eggs to follow. Talk to you in a little while ...

4:48 p.m. -- To add insult to injury: the crowd at Fifth Third Field was announced at 4,008. The small Easter Sunday crowd is the fifth-smallest crowd in the ballpark's 10-year history.

4:32 p.m. -- With the Mud Hens now trailing 9-0 entering the eighth, I took a hard look at Mud Hens reliever Matt Hoffman in the eighth. Hoffman was hitting 94 mph, but not consistently -- there were some 91s, and a few "get me over" 89s mixed in. He also didn't have great command of the fastball, although he threw a beauty on the low inside corner to get a called third strike and end the inning. His breaking pitch sat at 78-79 mph with a couple of 82s thrown in. The problem? If he threw more than one curve for a strike, I would be surprised. And he was missing badly with the pitch, meaning he couldn't even get any swings-and-misses on balls breaking out of the strike zone. Until Hoffman gains command of his breaking pitch, he's going to struggle.

4:15 p.m. -- Mixed results for Mud Hens reliever Fu-Te Ni today ... The good news was that he came on with the bases loaded and two outs in the fifth and struck out Eric Eymann on three pitches. In the sixth he gave up a leadoff triple to Kristopher Negron, but managed to strand him at third by getting Zack Cozart to hit into an inning-ending double play. But the wheels came off for Ni in the seventh: Yonder Alonso smoked a long home run to right to lead off the inning, and following a walk and an infield hit Eymann -- the batter Ni struck out to start his appearance -- hammered a homer to left for three more runs. Final damage assessment: 1.2 innings, four hits and two walks, four runs scored.

4:08 p.m. -- Argenis Diaz made a diving stop of a grounder by Michael Griffin but wasn't able to get an out at first. Moments later, we found out why: the dive broke the belt off Diaz's uniform. Diaz had to get a belt from the bench; official time of the delay, one minute and 10 seconds.

4:02 p.m. -- With the flyout by Scott Thorman to end the Hens' mild sixth-inning rally, Toledo now is 0-for-5 when batting with runners in scoring position today. That continues an early season trend for the Hens, who entered the game batting just .212 when at the plate with runners in scoring position (which means a runner at second base, third base or both). Only two players began the day with a batting average above .214 ... Scott Sizemore is hitting .417 (5-for-12) with five RBIs, while Ryan Strieby is batting .360 (9-for-25) with 11 RBIs.

3:49 p.m. -- Louisville starter Homer Bailey has seen his day come to an end. The final line is encouraging for Reds fans: he allowed just three hits in 5.1 scoreless innings, walking one and striking out six. Per the radar gun at Fifth Third Field, Bailey's fastball sat at 88-91 mph (he had two 91s and a single 92 among his final pitches, along with two 88s, two 89s and one 90). In other words, he wasn't throwing quite as hard at the end of the game as he was at the beginning.

3:28 p.m. -- To finish the Oliver thought, consider his work in the fifth inning ... Sappelt slammed a long double to the gap in left-center, and Cozart singled to put runners on first and third, none out, and two of the Bats' best hitters coming to the plate. Oliver struck out both Yonder Alonso and Todd Frazier, then gave up a five-pitch walk to Miller and a bases-loaded, four-pitch walk to Griffin that ended his day.

3:22 p.m. -- This is easily Oliver's most interesting outing of the young season. Here's why: he didn't have his best stuff, and he had some command issues at the end of the game, but he still managed to pitch effectively at times against a good offensive club. The numbers are going to be ugly -- he didn't get through the fifth, and he's already got five earned runs on his line -- but he also showed, at times, the potential that has the Tigers so excited. More in a moment.

3:07 p.m. -- Oliver doesn't seem to be at his sharpest today ... In the fourth he gave up a four-pitch walk to the Bats' Michael Griffin, then left a pitch up that Kris Negron hammered to deep left-center for a two-run homer. Middle of four, it's Louisville 4, Hens 0.

2:40 p.m. -- Oliver gives up another run in the third and it's 2-0 Louisville. It could have been worse -- the Bats had runners on second and third with no one out but only scored one run. However, Oliver had the biggest hand in helping the Bats produce that run. He walked leadoff batter (and No. 9 hitter) Brian Barton with an 11-pitch walk, then mishandled a bunt by Dave Sappelt (it was a slow roller down the first-base line, and Oliver tried to throw without spinning -- and threw overhand). It was a tough play, but it could have been made, and instead Louisville had runners on first and second. Then Oliver balked to move both runners into scoring position. Oliver started working his way out of the jam with a strikeout, but Yonder Alonso hit a sacrifice fly to score the run. We've reached the end of the third inning and it's Louisville 2, Mud Hens 0.

2:25 p.m. -- One thing is certain ... both managers expect a low-scoring game today. Louisville manager Rick Sweet called for the sacrifice in the second inning with a runner on second and nobody out and Hens manager Phil Nevin moved his infielders close to try and choke off the run at the plate. Good call by both managers ... With Oliver and Bailey on the mound, you'd figure runs will be at a premium. Louisville 1, Hens 0 at the middle of the second.

2:17 p.m. -- First inning report on Louisville starter Homer Bailey ... his fastball sat mainly at 91-93 mph (with a high of 94), while he threw only one curve (by my chart) at 79 mph. He also had a few pitches in the 87-89 range (two-seam fastball, perhaps?).

2:09 p.m. -- First inning report on Hens starter Andy Oliver ... His fastball sat mainly at 94-96 miles per hour (eight of his pitchers were in that range, with one 97), while his breaking ball sat mainly at 81-82 mph. He threw three change-up (I believe) that were in the 84-86 mph range.

1:59 p.m. -- The sun is peaking its head out as we get ready for action. First inning report on Andy Oliver coming in a few minutes. Here we go ...

1:49 p.m. -- The starting pitcher for Louisville is RHP Homer Bailey, long considered one of Cincinnati's top prospects. He is on a pitch limit today ... He will throw either six innings or 75 pitches. Bailey is notable in that he holds the Fifth Third Field record for most strikeouts in a game by a pitcher after he fanned 15 Hens on April 26, 2009.

1:44 p.m. -- A few notes before today's game ... First, the Mud Hens put IF Danny Worth on the 7-day disabled list. Worth injured his right hamstring beating out a base hit in Saturday night's game. For today's game, the Mud Hens will play a man short. The Hens are expected to get a replacement for Worth before Monday's game.

1:32 p.m. -- Here's the starting lineup for the Mud Hens ... Andy Dirks in CF, Scott Sizemore at 2B, Timo Perez in LF, Ryan Strieby at 1B, Scott Thorman at DH, Clete Thomas in RF, Cale Iorg at SS, Argenis Diaz at 3B, John Murrian at C. The starting pitcher for the Mud Hens today is LHP Andy Oliver.

1:20 p.m. -- Let's go straight to lineups, OK. First for Louisville ... Dave Sappelt in CF, Zack Cozart at SS, Yonder Alonso at DH, Todd Frazier in LF, Corky Miller at C, Michael Griffin at 3B, Eric Eymann at 1B, Kristopher Negron at 2B, and Brian Barton in RF. The starting pitcher is RHP Homer Bailey. Hens in a moment ...

1:10 p.m. -- Welcome to the blog today ... Happy  Easter to those of you who celebrate it. I'm trying to get an early start on the blog today, with lineups coming shortly along with a few tidbits. Climb aboard, and welcome to the ride!

Hen Eggs -- April 22, 2011

The story of the game in a nutshell -- or is that an egg shell? -- for Friday, April 22, 2011 ...

Click here to read the in-game blog for the contest.

Click here to read the game story for the contest.

TWITTER POST: Duane Below allows just 6 hits & 1 run in 6.1 strong innings; Strieby, Perez and Worth lead the Hens' 10-hit attack in 7-1 win over Indy.

SCORING SUMMARY: Mud Hens 1st: With Rudy Owens pitching, Andy Dirks beat out an infield grounder to first for a single, then moved to second on a one-out single by Timo Perez. On a 3-2 pitch manager Phil Nevin sent the baserunners, and Ryan Strieby hit a grounder that went right to the spot vacated by the second basemen covering the base, scoring Dirks and sending Perez to third. Perez scored on a sacrifice fly by Clete Thomas. Mud Hens 2, Indianapolis 0.

Mud Hens 3rd: With two out, Perez beat out a slow roller to second base, then came around to score on a double to the base of the wall in right off the bat of Strieby. Mud Hens 3, Indianapolis 0.

Mud Hens 4th: Danny Worth led off with a triple in the left-center gap, then came home on a wild pitch. Mud Hens 4, Indianapolis 0.

Indianapolis 6th: With Duane Below pitching, Chase d'Arnaud led off with a long home run to left. Mud Hens 4, Indianapolis 1.

Mud Hens 6th: With Blaine Boyer pitching, Worth led off with a walk, then stole second base. One out later Argenis Diaz drew a walk, and both baserunners moved up a base on a groundout by John Murrian. Dirks drew a walk, and Scott Sizemore lined a two-run single to left, with Dirks moving to second. Perez hit a grounder to shortstop, where d'Arnaud caught the ball but threw wildly to first base to allow Dirks to score. Mud Hens 7, Indianapolis 1.

KING OF THE ROOST: A tough call, because starting pitcher Duane Below threw well (six hits and one run allowed in 6.1 innings with six strikeouts). Also the Hens had three players with multiple hits: Timo Perez had three hits, including a double, while Danny Worth had two extra base hits. But for this game let's give the honors to 1B Ryan Strieby, who had an RBI single in the first and a run-scoring double in the third.

PLAY OF THE GAME: We all love hustle plays, so let's give some love to a hustle play that turned into a run. In the bottom of the third inning the Hens led just 2-0, and Timo Perez came to the plate with none on and two out. He hit a slow roller to second base and beat the throw to first for a single to keep the inning alive for Ryan Strieby, whose double over the head of Indy rightfielder Andrew Lambo resulted in another run.

NEXT HOME GAME: The Mud Hens open a series with Louisville at Fifth Third Field on Saturday, April 23, with first pitch for the game set for 6 p.m. The Bats are expected to start RHP Scott Carroll (0-0, 2.89 ERA), while the Hens will counter with LHP Adam Wilk (0-2, 2.45 ERA).

Mud Hens blog -- April 22, 2011

Welcome to Coop Scoops coverage of the Mud Hens' game against Indianapolis coming to you live from Fifth Third Field. I'll share thoughts, stats, and anything of interest from the game (newest posts are at the top, so refresh frequently).

11:08 p.m. -- "I felt good with my change-up early on, and I tried to focus on keeping it low in the zone because I have a tendency to be up with it," Below said. "Towards the end of the game my breaking ball was down [in the zone], so I needed to make an adjustment to get it up in the zone. It has good movement, so I had to adjust to throw it for strikes."

11:01 p.m. -- "Last year I would think a lot about my pitch count," Duane Below said. "Tonight I had no idea where I was. ... As the season goes, I think I'll get stronger."

10:22 p.m. -- Hens win 7-1, just beating the rain and the fog. I'm heading to the clubhouse now, and I'll bring you a few quotes as quickly as I can ... talk to you soon!

9:45 p.m. -- While the Hens attempt to deal with a bases-loaded mess in the seventh, the weather also is threatening to become a factor. There's a hazy fog starting to descend on Fifth Third Field -- not terrible, but it could be a factor. And more rain is coming ... it's about 45 miles away. If we don't pick up the pace just a touch ... well, let's not think about it.

9:31 p.m. -- If you missed the news, Indianapolis pitcher Jose Ascanio -- the pitcher who was hit by a line drive in Thursday's second game -- is OK. Scroll down on this blog and read a short report I put together on it ...

9:15 p.m. -- Walks will kills you, right? Indianapolis reliever Blaine Boyer walked the bases loaded and gave up a two-run single by Scott Sizemore and a run on an error. We are through six at Fifth Third Field, and it's 7-1 Mud Hens.

9:05 p.m. -- All of a sudden, the Indians are hitting Below hard. Chase d'Arnaud hit a long home run to left, and all of the Indy hitters had good swings -- even the outs. One was a bullet grounder that was turned into a double play, the other was a very hard fielder's choice. Still Hens 4, Indianapolis 1 in the middle of six.

8:56 p.m. -- Update on Rudy Owens through five innings ... He has allowed seven hits and two walks that the Mud Hens have turned into four earned runs. Owens also has struck out seven -- four of them called. His fastball in the fifth sat at 90-91 mph, and his breaking ball was at 78-79. He also threw a few 88s and 89s that seemed to be a different pitch -- a batting practice fastball, perhaps? He threw 87 pitches, 59 for strikes.

8:48 p.m. -- Update on Duane Below through five innings ... He has allowed just two hits and one walk in five scoreless, fanning six. His fastball in the fifth sat 90-91 mph, and his breaking pitch was at 78-79 mph. He has thrown 67 pitches, 48 for strikes.

8:40 p.m. -- The aggressiveness continued when Cale Iorg drew a walk after Worth scored. Iorg stole second and was caught stealing third. By the way, nice at-bat by Iorg to draw the walk ... fell behind 1-2, fouled off a pitch and worked Owens for seven pitches to earn it. Hens lead 4-0 end of four innings.

8:30 p.m. -- The Hens were aggressive in scoring a run in the fourth. Danny Worth led off with a triple on a ball into the gap. It was touch-and-go that Worth could make third base when he made the turn, but Indianapolis never threw to third to allow Worth to make it safely. Then Worth scored on a wild pitch to make the score 4-0.

8:12 p.m. -- Strieby strikes again ... on a two-strike pitch he lined a shot over the head of the right-fielder for a double that scored Timo Perez from first base. Toledo 3, Indy 0 end of three.

7:59 p.m. -- Let's give a little love to 6-6, 245-pound Ryan Strieby in the first inning. On a 3-2 pitch with one out and runners on first and second, manager Phil Nevin ordered up the hit-and-run -- and Strieby delivered a grounder towards the spot the second baseman had vacated. Two-run single, Toledo. Later in the inning Strieby stole second base -- off a left-handed pitcher, no less.

7:45 p.m. -- Numbers on Indy starter Rudy Owens ... His fastball sat mostly at 91 mph with a couple of 93s. He has a really good-looking breaking ball that sits in the 76-79 mph range. Two of his three outs in the first inning came on called third strikes on that breaking ball.

7:33 p.m. -- Numbers on Below in the first inning ... His fastball sat mostly at 89 miles per hour (at least eight clocked at that speed) with a couple of 91s. His breaking ball sat between 76-79 miles per hour. He also showed a nice pickoff move in picking off Harrison.

7:20 p.m. -- Starting lineup for the Mud Hens: Andy Dirks in CF, Scott Sizemore at 2B, Timo Perez at LF, Ryan Strieby at 1B, Clete Thomas in RF, Danny Worth at DH, Cale Iorg at SS, Argenis Diaz at 3B, John Murrian at C. Starting pitcher for the Mud Hens is LHP Duane Below. Game on!

7:15 p.m. -- Starting lineup for Indianapolis: Chase d'Arnaud at SS, Josh Harrison at 3B, Alex Presley in CF, Matt Hague at 1B, Andy Marte at DH, Andrew Lambo in RF, Jason Jaramillo at C, Brian Friday at 2B, Corey Wimberly at LF. The starting pitcher for the Indians is LHP Rudy Owens. Mud Hens lineup in a moment ...

7:10 p.m. -- Getting ready for a 7:15 start here at Fifth Third Field. The good news: The tarp is off the field, the lines are on the field, and both teams are warming up. In fact, Mud Hens starter Duane Below is coming in from the bullpen to take the start. Lineups in a second ...

Update on Jose Ascanio

Indianapolis RHP Jose Ascanio, who was hit on the side of the head by a line drive yesterday, was in the Indians' clubhouse before Friday's game against the Mud Hens.

Ascanio said the line drive off the bat of Toledo's Scott Sizemore hit him on the right temple just above the ear. He still has a slight impression above the ear where the ball pushed his glasses hard into his head.

Ascanio confirmed the story of manager Dean Treanor that he did want to stay in the game, but instead he came out of the contest and went to a local hospital, which obviously has since dismissed him.

"I have a little bit of a headache right now, but otherwise I'm OK," Ascanio said. "I still need to go through some tests, but I want to do what I need to do to prove that I'm ready, because I'm ready to go."

Hen Eggs -- April 21, 2011

The story of the game in a nutshell -- or is that an egg shell? -- for Thursday, April 21, 2011 ...

Click here to read an in-game blog from the doubleheader.

TWITTER POST: Furbush 1-hitter in first game helps Hens split twinbill with Indy. Strieby and Thomas each have two RBI in 6-0 win; Hens lose nightcap 3-1. 

GAME ONE

SCORING SUMMARY: Mud Hens 1st: With Brad Lincoln pitching, Andy Dirks doubles and Scott Sizemore is hit by a pitch. Timo Perez sacrifices both runners up a base, and Scott Thorman beats out a grounder to second base for a single that scores Dirks and moves Sizemore to third. Both baserunners scored on a double by Ryan Strieby. Mud Hens 3, Indianapolis 0.

Mud Hens 3rd: Sizemore and Perez single, then execute a double steal when Strieby strikes out for the second out of the inning. Clete Thomas then lines a two-run single to center. Mud Hens 5, Indianapolis 0.

Mud Hens 4th: Danny Worth leads off with a single, moves to third on a single by John Murrian, then scores on a sacrifice fly by Dirks. Mud Hens 6, Indianapolis 0.

KING OF THE ROOST: LHP Charlie Furbush dominated the Indians, allowing just one hit. The only other baserunner against him reached on an error. Furbush struck out nine.

PLAY OF THE GAME: With the Hens leading 1-0 in the first inning, Strieby came up with runners on first and third and one out. He lined a 2-2 pitch into the gap in left-center for a two-run double that gave Furbush and the Hens some breathing room.

GAME TWO

SCORING SUMMARY: Mud Hens 1st: With Jose Ascanio pitching, Andy Dirks tripled to the base of the wall in center and Scott Sizemore lined a shot off Ascanio's head for a single, with Dirks staying at third. Timo Perez greeted reliever Tony Watson with a single that scored Dirks. Hens 1, Indianapolis 0.

Indians 2nd: With Chris Oxspring pitching, Matt Hague singles, then is forced at second by Andrew Lambo. One out later Lambo steals second, then scores on a single by Dusty Brown. Hens 1, Indianapolis 1.

Indianapolis 5th: With Matt Hoffman pitching, Andy Marte singles, then moves to third on a double by Brown. One out later Corey Wimberly singles home Marte. Chase d'Arnaud hits a grounder to first base, but Ryan Strieby throws Brown out at the plate. Pedro Ciriaco hits a two-out single to score Wimberly. Indianapolis 3, Hens 1.

KING OF THE ROOST: CF Andy Dirks, whose triple was one of only three hits the Hens had in the contest. He also had a sacrifice in the fifth to finish the game 1-for-2.

PLAY OF THE GAME: The Hens had just fallen behind 3-1 when they came to the plate in the bottom of the fifth. Indianapolis reliever Chris Leroux walked the first two batters he faced, Clay Timpner and John Murrian, and Dirks sacrificed them into scoring position. But Scott Sizemore struck out and Timo Perez grounded out and Toledo never threatened again.

NEXT HOME GAME: Friday, April 22 versus Indianapolis, starting at 7 p.m. LHP Rudy Owens (2-0, 1.35 ERA), one of the top prospects in the Pittsburgh organization, will face Hens LHP Duane Below (0-1, 7.00 ERA).

Mud Hens blog -- April 21, 2011

Welcome to Coop Scoops coverage of the Mud Hens' doubleheader against Indianapolis coming to you live from Fifth Third Field. I'll share thoughts, stats, and anything of interest from the game (newest posts are at the top, so refresh frequently).

11:02 p.m. -- An update on Indianapolis starter Jose Ascanio, who was hit on the head by a line drive off the bat of Scott Sizemore in the first inning of the second game. Indy manager Dean Treanor said Ascanio was hit on the temple by the line drive, and was hit hard enough that you could see the stitches of the ball where it struck his head. Treanor said Ascanio never lost consciousness and was talking on the mound -- "He wanted to stay in the game," Treanor said. Instead he left the game and was taken to a hospital for observation.

10:45 p.m. -- "Charlie Furbush was just dominating," Toledo manager Phil Nevin said. "The base hit and the error were the only two baserunners they had, and neither of those balls were hit hard. He had four pitches that he was throwing for strikes, and he had an electric fastball. And his breaking ball was really good."

10:07 p.m. -- Heading down to the clubhouse ... I'll try to sneak a quote on here later. Talk to you again soon!

10:04 p.m. -- Hens retired in order in the bottom of the seventh. Indianapolis wins 3-1. Don't be fooled by Toledo's 2-for-9 mark with runners in scoring position. The Hens started out 2-for-2 in that category and got only one run out of it, then were 0-for-7 the rest of the way.

9:42 p.m. -- The Mud Hens are starting to run out of time to get back into this 3-1 second game, and the blame has to go to the offense. In the first the Hens had the makings of a big inning, but only scored once. In both the fourth and fifth Indianapolis reliever Chris Leroux walked the first batter (in the fifth he walked the first two), but all three runners were stranded. We moved to the seventh with Indianapolis in front 3-1.

9:20 p.m. -- Remember how I said, at doubleheader's start, that it wasn't very cold and there wasn't much wind at Fifth Third Field? Right now the temperature sits at 44 degrees, and trust me when I tell you it feels MUCH colder.

9:12 p.m. -- By the way, that 73 on a breaker early probably wasn't a misread. The Hoffman pitch that Wimberly singled to right came in at 74.

9:09 p.m. -- Hoffman has found some trouble in the top of the fifth of this 1-1 second game. He gave up a single to Marte and a double to deep left-center by Dusty Brown on a ball that just missed being a home run. Hoffman struck out Brian Friday and got a 2-2 count on the next hitter, Corey Wimberly, by pumping a couple of fastballs by him. But Hoffman then threw a breaking ball to Wimberly, who slapped it into right for an RBI single. Pet peeve: If you're blowing away a hitter with fasballs, don't speed up his bat by throwing a breaking ball. Often that strategy backfires for the pitcher.

9:02 p.m. -- Mud Hens LHP Matt Hoffman has been sitting at 90-94 mph with his fastball and anywhere from 73 to 79 with his curve (I believe the 73 was a misread by the radar gun).

8:42 p.m. -- As we move into the bottom of the third inning of a 1-1 second game, let's take a good look at the two bullpens -- after all, this game will soon be in their hands. With Tony Watson on in relief, Indianapolis still has two pitchers who haven't pitched since Monday is RHP Chris Leroux and LHP Dan Meyer (Leroux is warming up in the bullpen as I write this). For the Hens, LHP Matt Hoffman is coming in to relieve Oxspring, while RHPs Robbie Weinhardt and Brendan Wise have not pitched since last Friday and RHP Zach Simons has not pitched since Sunday. Simons covered two innings in Columbus, so hopefully he can repeat that if necessary tonight. It's something worth watching ...

8:25 p.m. -- Mud Hens starter Chris Oxspring has been sitting at 88-91 mph with his fastball and has used a change-up that generally has ranged between 85-86 mph. Not a lot of differential there, obviously. He also has thrown 30 pitches through the first two innings, which isn't good when you consider he had a six-pitch first.

8:16 p.m. -- A switch in the Indianapolis lineup ... Andrew Lambo hit fifth behind Hague, and Andy Marte batted sixth. In the original lineup it was Marte hitting fifth and Lambo sixth.

8:02 p.m. -- Short and scary outing for Indy starter Jose Ascanio. Toledo's Andy Dirks lined the first pitch of the game off the base of the wall in straight-away center for a triple; Scott Sizemore took a pitch for a ball, then lined the next pitch off Ascanio's head for an infield single. Tony Watson comes on to pitch for Indianapolis.

7:50 p.m. -- As the Hens return to the first to start the second game, I again invite everyone to pass along things they would like to see on this blog. Is there something you want to know? Something I should pass along or watch for? Click on the "comment" button on the bottom of this blog, send me an e-mail to jwagner@theblade.com or use Twitter by mentioning me ... @jwagnerblade. Love to hear from you!

7:46 p.m. -- Game two lineup for the Mud Hens ... Dirks in CF, Sizemore at 2B, Perez at DH, Strieby at 1B, Thomas in RF, Worth at 3B, Iorg at SS, Timpner in LF and Murrian at C. The starter for the Hens is RHP Chris Oxspring.

7:42 p.m. -- Game two lineup for Indianapolis ... d'Arnaud at 2B, Ciriaco at SS, Presley at CF, Hague at 1B, Marte at DH, Lambo at RF, Brown at C, Friday at 3B and Wimberly at LF. Starter for Indy is Jose Ascanio, who is on a rehab assignment from Pittsburgh. Ascanio will throw just one inning, so this is truly a bullpen game for the Tribe.

7:33 p.m. -- While Furbush was shutting down the Indians, the Mud Hen offense finished with nine hits in seven innings. Every member of the starting lineup had one hit; the biggest blows were a two-run double by Ryan Strieby in the three-run first, and a two-out, two-run single by Clete Thomas in the third.

7:28 p.m. -- I was watching the pitch speed for Furbush in the fifth, and he remained in the 90-93 range with his fastball and in the 81-83 mph range with his slider. Good command throughout, too: he threw just 77 pitches, 56 for strikes (72.7 percent).

7:18 p.m. -- Game one ends with a flourish as Charlie Furbush strikes out Andy Marte to end the game. Furbush finishes with a one-hitter in the Hens' 6-0 victory over Indianapolis. Furbush gave up only a single to Jason Jaramillo to lead off the third, and the only other baserunner came when Danny Worth misplayed Corey Wimberly's grounder to third for an error. Furbush did not walk a batter and struck out nine; he threw just 77 pitches, 56 for strikes. 

6:55 p.m. -- Mud Hens manager Phil Nevin is no dummy. When 6-6, 245-pound Ryan Strieby came to the plate, he took a few steps out of the third-base coaches' box. Actually, a LOT of steps. He ended up just a couple of steps away from the home plate of the Hens' bullpen. If any line drives flew off Strieby's bat, Nevin was going to give himself every chance to move out of the way.

6:36 p.m. -- Good to see Max St-Pierre back and in uniform for the Hens. He's one of the good guys in the game. He admitted to me yesterday that the time away from the game to start the season meant he would need a little time to sharpen his skills, but he put together a nice eight-pitch at-bat together against Lincoln in the fourth; St-Pierre worked the count full, then lined a single to left-center that pushed Danny Worth, who was running on the pitch, to third.

6:18 p.m. -- While Indy starter Brad Lincoln is throwing hard, that's all he is doing. The breaking ball has either been out of the strike zone or hanging over the middle of the plate. Clete Thomas lined a hanging breaking ball to center for a two-run single in the third that made the score 5-0 Hens at the end of three.

5:50 p.m. -- Indianapolis starter Brad Lincoln sat at 94-95 mph from the windup and 90-92 mph from the stretch. His breaking ball -- it looks like a slider -- sits in the 83-84 range. He didn't throw much besides fastballs in the first inning, though, and that might be one reason the Hens pummeled him for three runs.

5:40 p.m. -- Charlie Furbush retired the Indians without incident in the first. His fastball topped out at 93 mph, most of the rest sitting between 87-89 mph. He threw one curve, and it sat at 76 mph. Gotta love those eight-pitch innings!

5:32 p.m. -- By the way, as we get ready for the start here, I invite everyone to pass along things they would like to see on this blog. Is there something you want to know? Something I should pass along or watch for? Click on the "comment" button on the bottom of this blog, send me an e-mail to jwagner@theblade.com or use Twitter by mentioning me ... @jwagnerblade. Love to hear from you!

5:22 p.m. -- A heads up to fans wanting to watch the Hens ... tonight would be the night. At this point in time it's not too cold, there's some sun to keep people warm, and the wind isn't oppressive. Best of all, there is bonus baseball: doubleheader at the Hen Dome! We'll get it started shortly ...

5:10 p.m. -- You may notice that SS Cale Iorg is not in the starting lineup. Manager Phil Nevin said that Iorg had a minor procedure on his foot today, and that it would not cause any long-term problems. In fact, Nevin said Iorg probably will be in the starting lineup for the second game.

5:01 p.m. -- Starting lineup for today's first game for the Mud Hens ... Andy Dirks at CF, Scott Sizemore at 2B, Timo Perez at LF, Scott Thorman at DH, Ryan Strieby at 1B, Clete Thomas at RF, Danny Worth at 3B, Argenis Diaz at SS, and Max St-Pierre at C. The starting pitcher is LHP Charlie Furbush.

4:52 p.m. -- Starting lineup for today's first game, first for Indianapolis ... Chase d'Arnaud at 2B, Pedro Ciriaco at SS, Alex Presley at CF, Matt Hague at 1B, Andy Marte at DH, Andrew Lambo at RF, Jason Jaramillo at C, Josh Harrison at 3B, and Corey Wimberly at LF. The starting pitcher is RHP Brad Lincoln.

4:45 p.m. -- Gonzalez is here, by the way, and Hens manager Phil Nevin told me before the game that Gonzalez is available to pitch in today's doubleheader if needed.

4:41 p.m. -- If you haven't heard, the Mud Hens already have added RHP Enrique Gonzalez to the roster. Gonzales made the Tigers' opening day roster and allowed seven earned runs on eight hits in 5.1 innings before he was sent to Toledo Wednesday to make room for RHP Ryan Perry on the Detroit roster. To make room for Gonzalez on the roster, the Hens sent LHP Ramon Garcia to Double-A Erie. In two appearances with the Hens, Garcia allowed eight hits and six runs in four innings.

Mud Hen Mindbender – April 21

In an effort to have a little fun with the Coop Scoop blog, I have started a (mostly) daily trivia quiz called "Mud Hen Mindbender." No prize; this is just a way to get your morning moving. Ready? Now that I have survived Opening Day, let’s get back to action ...

The Mud Hens have struggled at home to start this season, posting a 1-3 record. How did last year’s team fare in its first four games at Fifth Third Field?

The answer to Wednesday’s question? The Mud Hens added catcher Max St-Pierre to the active roster Tuesday, making him the fourth catcher the Hens have had since the season started two weeks ago. How many different catchers did the Hens have last season? Bonus points if you can name them all. The answer is six: Andy Bouchie, Robinzon Diaz, Angel Flores, Jeff Kunkel, Mike Rabelo and St-Pierre.

Do you think you know the answer to today’s question? Click on the "comments" link below and let's find out! I'll post the answer tomorrow along with another trivia question. Looking forward to hearing from you!