One year, a world of difference.

That’s the best way to summarize Eric Arnett’s turnaround from 2008 to 2009.

A season after moving between the bullpen and the starting rotation in which he went 4-5, 5.45 in 66 innings of work, Arnett’s 2009 numbers were staggering–12-2, 2.5, 108 innings–en route to garnering All-American and co-Big Ten pitcher of the year honors.

The result? [...] Continue Reading »

PIONEER LEAGUE

Great Falls defeated Orem in the best-of-3 series, 2-1

Great Falls (White Sox) proved the old baseball adage, “Good pitching beats good hitting.” The Orem Owlz (Angles) led the Pioneer League with 521 runs scored, averaging nearly seven per game. But Great Falls righthander Dan Hudson shut them down, allowing just one run on four hits while striking out 12 in six innings—matching a career high. Meanwhile, Orem lefthander Buddy Boshers didn’t make it out of the second inning after giving up six runs. Great Falls right fielder Doug Thennis went 2-for-3 with a home run and two RBIs in the championship game. The championship is the first for Great Falls since 2002, when they were the Great Falls Dodgers.
 

PIONEER LEAGUE

Great Falls 4, Orem 3 (Great Falls leads the best-of-3 series 1-0)

Orem had the best record of the regular season, but that meant nothing as the Owlz faced off against Great Falls righthander Dexter Carter. Carter struck out nine over five innings, giving up two runs on four hits. The Voyagers put up four runs in the bottom of the fourth and that’s all they would need to hold off Orem. The big inning included a two-run home run by Great Falls catcher Zach Larson, who didn’t hit a single home run in his 63 regular-season at-bats.
 

PIONEER LEAGUE

Orem 9, Ogden 7 (Orem won the best-of-3 series 2-1)

Ogden got off to a good start, scoring two runs in the top of the first inning. But Orem answered with four runs in the bottom half of the inning and never trailed again, putting up another run in the third, three more in the fourth and one in the sixth. Ogden scored two in the top of the sixth, one in the eighth and one in the top of the ninth, but it was too little, too late. DH Luis Jimenez, who went 4-for-4 with a triple, a home run and five RBIs, led Orem’s offense, but four other players had multi-hit games. The Owlz will now face Great Falls in a three-game series for the Pioneer League championship.
 

PIONEER LEAGUE

Great Falls 8, Billings 3 (Great Falls won the best-of-3 series 2-0)

Billings got out to an early lead, scoring three runs in the first two innings off of Great Falls righthander Dan Hudson. But the Voyager offense battled back to score eight runs, winning the game and sweeping the series. Great Falls’ two through four hitters each went 2-for-4, including left fielder Johny Celis who hit a solo home run. Hudson eventually settled down and ended up going 6 2/3 innings with no walks and seven strikeouts for the win. [...] Continue Reading »

Prospect Of The Day

Great Falls shortstop Tyler Kuhn (White Sox) went 2-for-4 with a double and a triple as the Voyagers topped the Missoula Osprey (Diamondbacks), 6-1. Kuhn was the White Sox’ 15th-round draft pick out of West Virginia. The double was his 23rd of the season and the triple was his ninth, as he’s hitting .378/.429/.578 over 251 at-bats. He ranks first in the Pioneer League in triples, fourth in doubles, second in batting average and on-base percentage and third in slugging percentage. [...] Continue Reading »

Prospect Of The Day

Billings left fielder Tony Brown (Reds) went 4-for-6 last night with two doubles, but it wasn’t enough, as the Mustangs fell to Helena 10-8 in 13 innings. Brown scored a run and drove in two more, and the doubles give him 14 on the season. Brown was a 26th-round pick in 2006, played 2007 at Okaloosa-Walton College and signed as a draft-and-follow before the 2007 draft. He’s hitting .285/.356/.502 on the year.

Prospect Nuggets

Great Falls shortstop Tyler Kuhn (White Sox) went 3-for-4 with a double. The 15th-rounder out of West Virginia is off to a great start as a professional, hitting .377/.428/.567 through his first 247 at-bats. . . Billings second baseman Alex Buchholz (Reds) hit his second triple of the season as part of a 3-for-6 showing that raised his season line to .405/.476/.627. . . Ogden second baseman Tony Delmonico (Dodgers) stayed red hot with a 3-for-4 night against Orem (Angels). Delmonico now has a 13-game hitting streak under his belt and he’s gone .382/.443/.836 over that stretch. . . Helena center fielder Cutter Dykstra went 3-for-4 with his ninth double and three RBIs.

What To Watch For Today

Lefthander Efrain Nieves (Brewers) gets the ball for Helena as they face off against the first-place Billings Mustangs (Reds).
 

Prospect Of The Day

Despite not allowing a hit over five innings, Great Falls starter Dexter Carter (White Sox) didn’t get a decision in the Voyagers’ seven-inning, 4-1 loss to Billings (Reds) in the second game of a double header. Carter struck out seven hitters, but spotty command led to three walks and an unearned run. The 6-foot-6 righthander out of Old Dominion was the White Sox’ 13th-round pick and is 6-1, 2.23 with 89 strikeouts and 25 walks over 68 2/3 innings on the season. [...] Continue Reading »

Prospect Of The Day

Ogden designated hitter Tony Delmonico (Dodgers) went 1-for-4 with his 10th home run of the season. The effort wasn’t enough, however, as Ogden fell to Orem, 13-4. Delmonico was the Dodgers’ sixth-round draft pick out of Florida State. Normally a second baseman, he’s hitting .333/.438/.705 over his first 129 professional at-bats.

Prospect Nuggets

Over the weekend, Elizabethton (Twins) finished off their sweep of Pulaski (Mariners) for their second-straight Appalachian League championship.  Starter Dan Osterbrock (Twins) worked around 9 hits, but didn’t give up a run and struck out 11 for the win. . . In the Arizona League championship game, the AZL Giants defeated the AZL Angels, 4-2. Center fielder Wendell Fairley went 1-for-3 with two walks and first baseman Craig Ziegler went 2-for-4 with a solo home run in the fourth inning. . . [...] Continue Reading »

Prospect Of The Day

GCL Pirates third baseman Jarek Cunningham went 4-for-4 with a home run, but the effort wasn’t enough, as the Pirates fell to the GCL Phillies, 7-4, in the first game of the GCL semi-finals. Cunningham was an 18th-round pick out of Mount Spokane High School in Spokane, Wash. this spring. He hit .318/.385/.507 over the regular season.

Propsect Nuggets

Shortstop Esmailyn Gonzalez went 2-for-4 with a walk and a double as the GCL Nationals defeated the GCL Twins in the GCL semi-finals, 10-5. Left fielder Destin Hood (Nationals) chipped in by going 2-for-5 with a double and 2 RBIs. On the losing side, center fielder Aaron Hicks (Twins) went 2-for-5 with two singles and two RBIs. . . In the Appalachian League playoffs, Elizabethton (Twins) defeated Pulaski (Mariners), 7-4. Left fielder Evan Bigley powered Elizabethton’s offense by going 2-for-5 with a double and a home run. There was some bad news for Elizabethton, however, as righthander Bradley Tippett had to leave the game in the first inning with an injured elbow. Tippett, a 20-year-old Australian, put together a good season, going 10-4, 2.87 over 91 innings between the Midwest and Appalachian Leagues while striking out 78 and walking 14. . . A’s outfielder Travis Buck continues to bash Arizona League pitching as he rehabs from a concussion that’s kept him out of baseball for the past month. Buck went 4-for-5 yesterday with a home run and three RBIs. . . AZL Giants center fielder Wendell Fairley went 2-for-3 with two doubles. . . [...] Continue Reading »

Prospect Of The Day

Catcher Kyle Skipworth (Marlins) got off to a slow start as a professional but he ended on a positive, going 2-for-3 as the DH, helping the Marlins knock off the Nationals 5-4 on the last day of regular season play in the Gulf Coast League. Skipworth, the sixth-overall draft pick this June out of Patriot High School in Rubidoux, Calif., hit his sixth double of the season and drove in two runs. He was just beginning to heat up, hitting .313/.351/.563 over his last 10 games, but his season came to an end with a final line of .208/.263/.340. [...] Continue Reading »

Prospect Of The Day

Catcher Buster Posey was just a single shy of the cycle as the Giants topped the Royals, 9-3 in the Arizona League. Posey, this year’s fifth-overall draft pick, went 3-for-3 with his third double, his first triple and his first home run. He walked twice, scored three runs and drove in three more. Through his first four games, he’s 7-for-16 for a line of .438/.500/.938.

Prospect Nuggets

Billings second baseman Alex Buchholz (Reds) went 5-for-5, raising his line to .407/.486/.637 over his first 91 at-bats. . .  Idaho Falls designated hitter Eric Hosmer (Royals) went 2-for-3 with his second double in as many games and two more walks. Idaho Falls fell short against Ogden, however, as third baseman Pedro Baez (Dodgers) and right fielder Kyle Russell (Dodgers) led the way to a 9-5 victory. Russell went 1-for-4 with his 11th home run of the season and Baez went 3-for-4 with two doubles (20) and his 11th home run of the season. . . [...] Continue Reading »

Prospect Of The Day

Greeneville lefthander Jordan Lyles (Astros) had the best start of his professional career yesterday as he struck out 10 over five innings. Lyles, a 6-foot-4, 17-year-old from South Carolina, didn’t walk a batter and gave up just two hits against Kingsport, earning his third win of the season and lowering his ERA to 3.99.

[...] Continue Reading »

Prospect Of The Day

AZL Padres outfielder Jaff Decker simply continues to do what he does best: hit. Last night Decker went 3-for-4 with his 10th double, his ninth stolen base and an RBI as the Padres knocked off the AZL Royals, 8-4. Decker now has a seven-game hitting streak and has 18 hits in his last 15 games and is hitting .354/.533/.556 on the season.

Prospect Nuggets

GCL Marlins center fielder Issac Galloway went 1-for-3 with his 13th double on the season and teammate Kyle Skipworth banged his fifth home run on the season as the Marlins edged the GCL Mets 3-2 in a seven-inning game. . . Idaho Falls shortstop J.D. Alfaro (Royals) went 2-for-5 with his 20th double of the season. . . Helena center fielder Erik Komatsu (Brewers) went 3-for-5 with a double and an RBI. The eighth-round pick out of Cal State Fullerton is now hitting .353/.419/587 on the season. . . Pulaski designated hitter Mario Martinez (Mariners) went 1-for-4 with a double in the second game of a double header against Bristol (White Sox). Pulaski fell in 10 innings, 2-1. . . [...] Continue Reading »

Prospect Of The Day

The Rockies may have found a diamond in the rough with their 37th-round draft pick this year in center fielder Delta Cleary. Cleary’s team, the Casper Ghosts of the Pioneer League, played a double header yesterday against the Billings Mustangs (Reds) and Cleary had a day to remember. Over both of the games he went 6-for-10 with a triple (1), two home runs (3), six runs scored (12) and four RBIs (9). Cleary, whose cousin is Miami Heat forward Shawn Marion, is a toolsy switch-hitter from Arkansas. In high school, he played baseball, was quarterback of the football team and averaged 13 points per game for Jonesboro’s 6-A state championship team. Despite being regarded as the best athlete in the state for the 2007 draft, Cleary went undrafted and headed to Louisiana State-Eunice Junior College where he helped the Bengals win their second Division II Junior College World Series in the last three years. Cleary is hitting .321/.356/.554 through his first 56 professional at-bats. [...] Continue Reading »

Prospect Of The Day

Elizabethton pitcher Dan Osterbrock (Twins) had his sixth-consecutive quality start last night against Princeton (Rays). The 6-foot-3 lefthander out of Cincinnati went 7 1/3 innings and gave up two runs on seven hits. He didn’t walk anyone and struck out 10–his fifth double-digit strikeout performance in his first 12 appearances as a professional. Osterbrock is now 7-2 with a 3.08 ERA and 100 strikeouts and just eight walks over 73 innings.

[...] Continue Reading »

Prospect Of The Day

Kingsport shortstop Wilmer Flores (Mets) went 3-for-4 last night with his 12th double of the season. Having just turned 17 earlier this month, Flores is having a fantastic pro debut, with a line of .332/.374/.523. Ranked as the Mets’ 17th-best prospect before the season, Flores will surely be near the top of their list the next time around. [...] Continue Reading »

Prospect Of The Day

Matt Latos (Padres) continues to carve up the Arizona League after being sidelined with an oblique injury since mid May. Last night against the AZL Rangers, Latos threw five perfect innings, racking up nine strikeouts in the process. The 6-foot-5 20-year-old has been a little banged up this season, but you wouldn’t know it by looking at his AZL statistics. Over 14 innings, Latos has given up 12 hits, five runs, walked two and struck out 23.

[...] Continue Reading »

Prospect Of The Day

GCL Nationals starter Jack McGeary had the best start of his professional career yesterday against the GCL Marlins. McGeary, a 6-foot-3 lefthander, threw seven innings, giving up just two hits and one run. He didn’t walk a batter and struck out 10, but didn’t get a decision for the effort. McGeary was a sixth-round pick last year and the Nationals ponied up $1.8 million to sign him away from a commitment to Stanford. Over his first full professional season, he’s 1-2 with a 4.58 ERA. He’s thrown 53 innings, given up 56 hits, walked 12 and struck out 56. [...] Continue Reading »

Prospect Of The Day

Since mid-July, Matt Moore has been almost robotic. The 19-year-old Princeton (Rays) righthander has not yielded more than three hits or one earned run in any of his last five starts, including yesterday’s win over Bristol (White Sox) when he threw five scoreless innings and gave up just one hit while punching out six. Impressively, of the nine outs he recorded that did not come by way of strikeout, all of them came via ground balls. Opponents are batting just .163 against him for the season and have failed to generate more than 10 hits over his last 25 innings. [...] Continue Reading »