Snappers Snippets

Beloit was 27-43 in the first half, eighth (last) in the ML West, fourteen games behind Kane County.  In the second half, they are 0-1, tied for fifth in the ML West, one game behind four teams.

Saturday

Game 1

Bobby Lanigan pitched six shutout innings as the Snappers blanked the Quad Cities River Bandits 6-0 in Beloit. Beloit scored in the second on an Ozzie Lewis homer. They broke the game open in the third, scoring four times. Jeff Lanning and Drew Thompson doubled, and a single by James Beresford and an Aaron Hicks double made the score 3-0. A walk to Ramon Santana loaded the bases, and an error and a ground out scored two more runs to put the Snappers up 5-0. Beloit added a run in the fifth when Santana singled, Jon Waltenbury walked, and Nathan Hanson and Dominic De La Osa singled. The sixth was the only inning in which Quad Cities got two runners on base. Hicks had two hits for the Snappers. Lanigan gave up only four hits to get the win. Steven Blevins pitched a scoreless inning of relief.

Game 2

Six runs was again the winning total as Quad Cities defeated Beloit 6-1.  The Snappers' run came in the first inning, when Aaron Hicks walked, went to second on a ground out, and scored on a Michael Harrington double.  It all went downhill from there, however.  The River Bandits tied it with a run in the third on two errors and a single.  Quad Cities took the lead in the fourth when a single, a double, and a triple-and-error produced three runs for a 4-1 lead.  They added a single run in the fifth on a walk, a single, and a ground out and another in the sixth on a solo homer.  Beloit never threatened after the first, and their last sixteen men were retired.  The Snappers managed only two hits in the game.  Curtis Leavitt pitched only four innings, giving up four runs (two earned) on four hits.  Michael Allen pitched a scoreless inning of relief.

Sunday

Big Mak already told you about this game.  It was the second Sunday in a row that Snappers pitchers gave up six runs in the ninth inning, as they lost to Quad Cities 6-4.  Beloit had scored a run in the fourth on singles by Aaron Hicks and Ramon Santana, a ground out, and a sacrifice fly.  The Snappers made it 2-0 in the sixth on an error, two ground outs, and a single by Jon Waltenbury.  It went to 4-0 when Ozzie Lewis singled, Dominic De La Osa walked, and Jeff Lanning hit a two-run triple.  Then, in the ninth, Big Mak left and the roof fell in.  A single, a walk, and a single loaded the bases with two out.  Two singles brought in two runs, and Joe Testa was replaced by Matthew Williams.  He promptly gave up a grand slam to Osvaldo Morales, and the game was gone.  A two-out walk brought the tying run to bat in the bottom of the ninth, but that was it.  Lanning had two hits.  Michael Tarsi pitched 6.2 shutout innings, giving up seven hits, but no runs.  Testa took the loss.

Monday

Off Day

Tuesday

A four-run fourth propelled the East all-stars to a 6-3 victory over the West.  The lone Beloit representative to the game was Joe Testa, who retired both batters he faced.

Wednesday

Off Day

Thursday

A five-run fourth lifted the Clinton LumberKings to a 7-2 victory over Beloit in the second-half opener in Clinton.  The LumberKings scored in the first on two singles, a productive out, and a balk.  The Snappers took a 2-1 lead in the second when Jon Waltenbury, Dominic De La Osa, and Alexander Soto singled, Aaron Hicks walked, and James Beresford singled, but they missed a chance for a bigger lead when they left the bases loaded.  They missed another chance in the third when they got runners on first and second with none out and did not score.  They could have used the runs, because Clinton sent eleven to the plate in the fourth, getting a walk, a single, an error, another single, a double, and one more single to take a 6-2 lead.  The LumberKings added an insurance run in the eighth, but it was not necessary, as Beloit never got back into the game.  Beresford was the only Snapper with two hits.  Daniel Berlind took the loss, giving up six runs (two earned) on nine hits and three walks in 3.2 innings.  Blake Martin pitched 1.1 scoreless innings despite giving up three hits and a walk, and Michael Allen pitched two scoreless innings.

Statistical notes:  The Snappers are eleventh in runs, ninth in doubles, twelfth in triples, and tenth in home runs.  They are fifth in walks and fourteenth (last) in stolen bases.  They are seventh in OBP, tenth in SLG, tied for seventh in AVG, and eleventh in OPS.

Snappers pitchers are twelfth in ERA, thirteenth in fewest hits allowed, twelfth in fewest home runs allowed, and seventh in fewest walks allowed.  They are fifth in strikeouts and twelfth in WHIP.

Michael Harrington is tied for second in the league in doubles (22).  Ramon Santana is fourth in OPS (.904).  Bobby Lanigan is tied for fourth in wins (6), tied for second in starts (14), and tied for second in complete games (1).  Michael Allen is tied for most losses (8) and tied for second in complete games (1).  Daniel Berlind is tied for most losses and tied for second in complete games (1).  Daniel Osterbrock is tied for second in complete games (1).  Brad Tippett is fourth in WHIP (1.07). 

Notes:  Aaron Hicks took the roster spot of Juan Richardson, who was promoted to Ft. Myers...Michael Tarsi was the pitcher of the week for June 15-21...All-star Joe Testa has been promoted to Ft. Myers.  He will be replaced by catcher Stewart Munroe, a 22nd-round draft pick from the University of Florida...The Snappers will be included on ESPN's "Outside the Lines" Sunday as part of a feature on minor-league baseball in cities with high unemployment.