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Scrappers strand 17 in 12-inning loss to HV
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Kevin Fontanez (17) gets set to apply the tag on Burt Reynolds during their game Sunday afternoon in Niles.
Rehab stint: Indians shortstop Asdrubal Cabrera, who has missed the last two months with a forearm injury, will begin his rehab stint with the Scrappers today and Tuesday at Eastwood Field, then head to Class AA Akron. “One of the things that’s so neat about the Indians’ organization is all the [minor league] teams are so close,” Scrappers manager Travis Fryman said. “That makes it good from a rehab standpoint because there’s bound to be someone at home.” The Indians have Ohio minor league affiliates in Niles (Class A Scrappers), Lake County (Class A Captains), Akron (Class AA Aeros) and Columbus (Class AAA Clippers). Fryman, a five-time All-Star with the Tigers and Indians, said his main focus during rehab stints was regaining confidence after an injury. “You’re there to get your work in,” he said. “You’re there to test yourself out, see where you are, get some [at bats]. As a player, you’re a little uncertain when you get out there because you’re just feeling your way through your injury, trying to see where you’re at. You don’t think much more about it than that.” Cabrera would be the first Indian to do a rehab stint with Mahoning Valley since Lou Merloni in 2004. “He’s a very talented kid,” Fryman said of Cabrera. “He’s obviously off to a hot start in his career.” Other rehab stints at Eastwood Field were John McDonald (2003), Chad Durbin (2003) and Einar Diaz (2002).
Moving on up: Catcher Wyatt Toregas was promoted to Triple-A Columbus on Sunday. Toregas played 19 games for the Indians last season and spent significant time with the Clippers last summer. At 27, Toregas was easily the oldest Scrapper on this year’s roster and played sparingly, batting .368 in seven games. Indians catcher Mike Redmond, 39, was demoted to Columbus on Saturday. Toregas was drafted by the Indians in 2004 and began his career with the Scrappers.
Name game: The Renegades have a right fielder named Burt Reynolds.
Honoring Sheppard: Scrappers public address announcer John Brown introduced shortstop Tyler Cannon on Sunday by saying, “Shortstop, number two, Tyler Cannon, number two,” in honor of longtime Yankees P.A. announcer Bob Sheppard, who passed away on Sunday. Other than the name, it’s the same phrasing used by Sheppard to announce Derek Jeter, who still uses a recording of Sheppard’s voice to introduce him at home games.
Joe Scalzo
By JOE SCALZO
NILES
Ketchup, Mustard and Onion were gone.
Slider, too.
And LouSeal.
And Krash.
After 12 innings on Indians’ mascot night, the only one left by the end was Scrappy and a few hundred faithful fans.
Eight times the Scrappers had a runner on third base with less than two outs Sunday night, only to watch him stay there.
Add it up, and it’s not hard to figure out why Mahoning Valley fell to Hudson Valley 6-4 in a four-hour game at Eastwood Field.
“That’s the ballgame in a nutshell,” said Scrappers manager Travis Fryman, whose team stranded 17 runners and batted just 4 for 19 with runners in scoring position. “I’ve never seen that [0-for-8] before. I hope to God I never see it again, to be honest with you.
“We’re not going to win many ballgames if that’s the kind of at-bats we’re going to have in those situations.”
Starting pitcher Michael Rayl provided the team’s biggest boost, pitching two-hit ball over six innings with three strikeouts and no walks for the Scrappers (11-13), who have lost six of their last eight games.
“Mike was tremendous,” Fryman said. “He could not have thrown any better. He worked both sides of the plate, threw strikes.
“Our pitching was good. Our offensive execution was pathetic.”
Rayl, a 15th round pick in 2009, lowered his ERA to 3.18 in 22 2/3 innings. The 6-foot-5 lefty worked his fastball over both sides of the plate, mixing in curveballs and changeups.
“I felt pretty good coming out of the bullpen,” said Rayl, who had not pitched since July 3. “I felt really fresh with the extra rest I got.
“I commanded my pitches pretty well and I figured out my curveball, which I threw a lot tonight. I’m getting my curveball to where it needs to be.”
Giovanny Urshela had three hits while Chase Burnette and Moises Montero each added two for Mahoning Valley.
J.D. Goryl (0-2) gave up two runs in the 12th inning to get the loss.
The Scrappers couldn’t rally after tying the game with two runs in the bottom of the ninth and another in the 10th.
Indians shortstop Asdrubal Cabrera, who has missed two months with a broken forearm, will play with the team the next two nights. He’s scheduled to play five innings tonight, then get four at-bats on Tuesday.
“That’s all the handling I have to do with it,” said Fryman. “I just pencil his name in the lineup and make sure he’s ready to go when he’s out there and move him on to the next club that’s close so he can continue his rehab.
“It’ll be good for our guys to see a very good major league player.”