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Daily Clips September 11, 2014

http://www.azcentral.com/story/sports/heat- LOCAL index/2014/09/10/curt-schilling-returning-to-work-after-battle- Collmenter strong, but D-backs falter in seventh with-cancer/15386897/ Starter hurls six shutout ; allows four- frame Diamondbacks can't decide philosophy By Steve Gilbert / MLB.com By Nick Piecoro / azcentral sports http://arizona.diamondbacks.mlb.com/mlb/gameday/index.jsp http://www.azcentral.com/story/sports/mlb/diamondbacks/2 ?gid=2014_09_10_arimlb_sfnmlb_1&mode=recap_away&c_id 014/09/10/diamondbacks-decide-sabermetrics- =ari philosophy/15374287/

D-backs add Levine to list of GM hopefuls La Russa meets with Beinfest, lines up other GM Well-respected assistant GM in ninth season with Rangers candidates By Steve Gilbert / MLB.com By Jack Magruder / FOX Sports Arizona http://m.dbacks.mlb.com/news/article/94148248/d-backs-add- http://www.foxsports.com/arizona/story/diamondbacks-tony- thad-levine-to-list-of-gm-hopefuls la-russa-meets-with-larry-beinfest-lines-up-other-gm-candidates- 091014 D-backs earn caught-stealing after challenge Pagan originally called at second; review overturns D-backs' bats silenced by Giants ruling By Associated Press / FOX Sports Arizona By Steve Gilbert / MLB.com http://www.foxsports.com/arizona/story/diamondbacks-bats- http://m.dbacks.mlb.com/news/article/94136650/d-backs- silenced-by-giants-091014 earn-caught-stealing-after-challenge-vs-giants D-backs shut by Giants pitching as Collmenter again needs to follow Joe Garagiola's lead on spit gets no support: By The Numbers tobacco By Jules Tompkins / Arizona Sports By Dan Bickley / azcentral sports http://arizonasports.com/42/1765750/Dbacks-shut-out-by- http://www.azcentral.com/story/sports/mlb/diamondbacks/2 Giants-pitching-as-Collmenter-again-gets-no-support-By-The- 014/09/10/schilling-needs-follow-garagiolas-lead-spit- Numbers tobacco/15423839/ MLB Insider: Towers Could Stay, “Mentor” New Dbacks’ Diamondbacks offense goes silent as Giants pull away GM By Nick Piecoro / azcentral sports By Eric Sorenson / Sports360AZ http://www.azcentral.com/story/sports/mlb/diamondbacks/2 http://www.sports360az.com/2014/09/mlb-insider-towers- 014/09/10/arizona-diamondbacks-san-francisco-giants-game- stay-mentor-new-dbacks-gm/ 2/15383943/ announce 2015 regular season Arizona Diamondbacks will talk to Thad Levine about schedule general job By Staff / arizona.newszap.com By Nick Piecoro / azcentral sports http://arizona.newszap.com/northvalley/sports/134929- http://www.azcentral.com/story/sports/mlb/diamondbacks/2 127/arizona-diamondbacks-announce-2015-regular-season- 014/09/11/arizona-diamondbacks-will-talk-thad-levine-general- schedule manager-job/15430365/ NATIONAL Diamondbacks SS working to break his Arizona interested in Thad Levine By Calvin Watkins / ESPNDallas.com By Nick Piecoro / azcentral sports http://espn.go.com/blog/dallas/texas- http://www.azcentral.com/story/sports/mlb/diamondbacks/2 rangers/post/_/id/4914413/arizona-interested-in-thad-levine 014/09/11/diamondbacks-ss-didi-gregorius-working-break- slump/15431823/ MLB rumors, injuries and news roundup for Sept. 10 By Dayn Perry / CBS Sports Former Diamondbacks Curt Schilling returning to http://www.cbssports.com/mlb/eye-on- work after battle with cancer baseball/24704995/mlb-rumors-injuries-and-news-roundup-for- By Andrew Joseph / azcentral sports sept-10

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NL Rookie of the Year Watch: Hamilton, deGrom lead http://www.visaliatimesdelta.com/story/sports/baseball/minor pack s/2014/09/11/-league-finals-preview/15432605/ By Dayn Perry / CBS Sports http://www.cbssports.com/mlb/eye-on-baseball/24704498/nl- win Division Championship rookie-of-the-year-watch-hamilton-degrom-lead-uninspiring- By Esther Avila / Porterville Recorder pack http://www.recorderonline.com/news/visalia-rawhide-win- division-championship/article_daa49258-394e-11e4-8f5a- Astros and Giants are among the top shifting teams in 001a4bcf6878.html baseball By Mike Axisa / CBS Sports Pipeline preview: finals to get underway http://www.cbssports.com/mlb/eye-on- By Teddy Cahill / MLB.com baseball/24704170/astros-and-giants-are-among-the-top- http://m.mlb.com/news/article/94173520/pipeline-preview- shifting-teams-in-baseball california-league-finals-to-get-underway

SF Giants’ big yields eighth straight home victory SOUTH BEND SILVER HAWKS By Henry Schulman / SFGate http://blog.sfgate.com/giants/2014/09/10/sf-giants-big- inning-yields-ninth-straight-home-victory/

Giants break game open late, beat Arizona 5-0 By Henry Schulman / SFGate MISSOULA OSPREY http://www.sfgate.com/giants/article/Giants-break-game- open-late-beat-Arizona-5-0-5747440.php NATIONAL Diamondbacks-Giants Preview MLB NEWS By STATS / ESPN September 11, 2014 • MLB.com http://scores.espn.go.com/mlb/preview?gameId=340911126 http://mlb.mlb.com/NASApp/mlb/mlb/news/mlb_news_ind ex.jsp Giants 5, Diamondbacks 0 By Reuters / Global Post ASSOCIATED PRESS http://www.globalpost.com/dispatch/news/thomson- September 11, 2014 • Sports.yahoo.com reuters/140911/giants-5-diamondbacks-0 http://sports.yahoo.com/mlb/morenews

Instant Replay: Giants score four in seventh, blank MLB TRANSACTIONS D'Backs September 11, 2014 • MLB.com By Steve Berman / Special to CSN Bay Area http://www.cbssports.com/mlb/transactions http://www.csnbayarea.com/giants/instant-replay-giants-score- four-seventh-blank-dbacks

RENO ACES Aces even with four-run second inning Best-of-five series tied 1-1 going to Omaha By Chad Seely / http://www.milb.com/news/article.jsp?ymd=20140911&conten t_id=94163162&fext=.jsp&vkey=recap&sid=t2310

Aces strike back, knot series at 1 By Chris Murray / Reno Gazette-Journal http://www.rgj.com/story/sports/2014/09/11/aces-strike- back-knot-series/15432443/

MOBILE BAYBEARS

VISALIA RAWHIDE The Rawhide Turnaound By Andrew Bettencourt / Visalia Times-Delta http://www.visaliatimesdelta.com/story/sports/baseball/minor s/2014/09/11/rawhide-turnaound/15432563/

California League Finals preview By Andrew Bettencourt / Visalia Times-Delta

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Levine, who is well-respected within the baseball community, is LOCAL in his ninth season with the Rangers assisting GM Jon Daniels in Collmenter strong, but D-backs falter in seventh all areas of Major League operations. Prior to that, he spent six Starter hurls six shutout innings; bullpen allows four-run years with the Rockies. frame By Steve Gilbert / MLB.com This past April, former GM , who now writes for http://arizona.diamondbacks.mlb.com/mlb/gameday/index.jsp ESPN.com, surveyed current general managers about who they ?gid=2014_09_10_arimlb_sfnmlb_1&mode=recap_away&c_id thought were the best future GMs, and Levine was at the top of =ari the list.

SAN FRANCISCO -- For six innings, the D-backs battled the "Levine has been the assistant GM of the Rangers for the past Giants to a draw, but the seventh, and in turn the game, eight seasons and has assisted [GM] Jon Daniels in player belonged to the Giants. acquisitions, roster composition, contract negotiations and statistical and financial analysis," Bowden wrote. "He has high The Giants scored four runs in the seventh to beat the D-backs, character and has the endorsement of most GMs in baseball as 5-0, on a chilly Wednesday night at AT&T Park. next in line in the industry. Daniels is still in his 30s, so it's likely that he will have to go elsewhere to get a GM job." The loss was the fifth in a row for the D-backs, who have dropped seven of nine games on their current road trip, which Levine joins Allard Baird, Larry Beinfest, , Gary wraps up Thursday afternoon. LaRocque, Ray Montgomery, Hal Morris, , and De Jon Watson as the confirmed candidates. Offense was scarce early in the game as and locked up in a ' duel. D-backs chief baseball officer has said he would like to have a GM in place by the end of the regular season. The D-backs didn't take advantage of some early wildness by Vogelsong. D-backs earn caught-stealing after challenge Pagan originally called safe at second; review overturns After issuing a walk to lead off the game, Vogelsong once again ruling struggled with his command in the second inning as the D-backs By Steve Gilbert / MLB.com managed to put runners on first and second with one out. http://m.dbacks.mlb.com/news/article/94136650/d-backs- earn-caught-stealing-after-challenge-vs-giants Vogelsong got Alfredo Marte to fly to right for the second out but then walked Didi Gregorius to load the bases, prompting -- The D-backs won a manager's challenge manager to send down to the Wednesday night to help thwart a possible Giants rally. bullpen to warm up. With one out in the third, Angel Pagan attempted to steal second Vogelson rebounded to strike out Collmenter and went on and was called safe by second-base umpire David Rackley after a cruise control, allowing just one more before being removed tag by Didi Gregorius. in the seventh. D-backs manager initially had a conversation with That was when the D-backs had another scoring chance as A.J. home-plate umpire Brian Gorman before heading out to second Pollock doubled with one out and Gregorius drew a two-out base to tell Rackley he intended to challenge the play. walk. Bochy then went to reliever , who got pinch- hitter Jordan Pacheco to ground out to end the threat. After a very short review, the call was overturned, wiping Pagan off the bases. The Giants then took control of the game in the bottom half of the inning against the Arizona bullpen. drove followed the decision by drawing a walk before Buster home the game's first run with a down the right-field Posey flied out to left to end the inning. line, and pinch-hitter doubled home one as well. Curt Schilling needs to follow Joe Garagiola's lead on spit Collmenter allowed just three hits and a pair of walks in six tobacco shutout innings, while Vogelsong gave up two hits in 6 2/3. By Dan Bickley / azcentral sports http://www.azcentral.com/story/sports/mlb/diamondbacks/2 D-backs add Levine to list of GM hopefuls 014/09/10/schilling-needs-follow-garagiolas-lead-spit- Well-respected assistant GM in ninth season with Rangers tobacco/15423839/ By Steve Gilbert / MLB.com http://m.dbacks.mlb.com/news/article/94148248/d-backs-add- Nothing can silence Curt Schilling. Not even mouth cancer. The thad-levine-to-list-of-gm-hopefuls former Diamondbacks star is going back to work Thursday, rejoining the set of ESPN's "" after an eight- SAN FRANCISCO -- Rangers assistant Thad month battle with the dreaded disease. Levine became the 10th candidate for the D-backs' general manager job Wednesday. In Arizona, Joe Garagiola will be watching with pride.

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Not because Schilling beat cancer. That part of the story hurts. For years, Garagiola tried to warn hundreds of major-league "I chewed tobacco. You want to know why?" Garagiola said. players about the dangers of chewing/spit tobacco. Schilling was "We were sitting in the bullpen and we started spitting at ants. one of his most frequent and engaging subjects, a player who We started betting on how many ants we can kill with the spit recognized the dangers and listened intently to the Hall of Fame from our . You gotta love the mentality of a broadcaster. Yet he … baseball player.

Could. Not. Stop. "Sometimes I get calls: 'How come you're not (spreading the word) anymore?' Well, for one thing, baseball players have all the "One day, they were doing free screenings at the ballpark," answers." Garagiola said. "And I had to grab him by the arm. He didn't want to go. I led him to the doctor. And when the doctor said But now there's Schilling, who is returning to work, who there was nothing growing yet, well, you've never seen a happier candidly blamed himself and chewing tobacco for his cancer. face in your life. God willing, the player that Garagiola couldn't reach has saved himself. And maybe he can take the torch. "He vowed he was going to quit. But I think he started again." Schilling is a former 20-game winner and a legend The whole topic makes Garagiola wince. He is considered who is media savvy and opinionated. He has a bloody sock, a baseball royalty, a treasure trove of great stories. Yet late in his way with words and a great platform. He can reach all those career, players began to scatter whenever Garagiola entered the players that just won't listen to an aging man. clubhouse. They didn't want to be confronted about tobacco use. They didn't want to hear how they were voluntarily killing "The great thing about Schilling coming out (against chewing themselves. tobacco) is he doesn't sugar-coat anything," Garagiola said. "So tell Curt I've got some brochures. And if we could get Manfred "One day, I'm sitting on the Diamondbacks' bench, and I see involved, they could really make a difference." this guy is spitting," Garagiola said. "He had a can in his back pocket. I said, "Man, you look tough." He looked over at me. I Diamondbacks offense goes silent as Giants pull away said, 'Do you have to let people know you use it?' By Nick Piecoro / azcentral sports http://www.azcentral.com/story/sports/mlb/diamondbacks/2 "He started in on me. He undressed me. He said it was none of 014/09/10/arizona-diamondbacks-san-francisco-giants-game- my business. He told me to go (expletive) myself." 2/15383943/

Garagiola understands baseball players, and the code of the Recap: The Diamondbacks got another strong outing from a clubhouse. He also understands the power of addiction. A close but were unable to turn it into a victory, as their friend once listened to Garagiola's pleas, took the wad from his bullpen coughed up five runs in two innings of a loss to the San mouth and threw it in a garbage can. Francisco Giants on Wednesday night at AT&T Park.

He retrieved it two days later, repurposing the trashed tobacco. After Diamondbacks RHP Josh Collmenter traded zeros with Giants counterpart Ryan Vogelsong for the first six innings, the Garagiola remembers the widow of pleading with Giants broke the game open with a four-run seventh inning. the broadcaster to say something that would make her husband stop. Gwynn recently died of salivary gland cancer. They got run-scoring hits from Gregor Blanco and Matt Duffy and added two more runs on a wild and off Garagiola also sees the blurred line that separates tradition from relievers Oliver Perez and Evan Marshall. ignorance. He knows that young players emulate their major- league heroes. He wonders how a hazardous vice became woven The Giants added another run in the eighth on a into the fabric of a major professional sport. RBI off reliever Addison Reed.

"It drives me crazy," Garagiola said. "I watch the Diamondbacks Diamondbacks starters have allowed three earned runs or less in all the time, and I see (David) Peralta, who is a pretty good hitter 13 consecutive games and have a 2.72 ERA in nine games on with a big bat and a big chew in his mouth. Like that helps him." this road trip. The Diamondbacks are 4-9 in their past 13 and 2- 7 on a road trip that ends this afternoon. For the record, Garagiola badgered more than players. He needled baseball executives who wouldn't take a stance against Leaky bullpen: With Collmenter out of the game, the Giants chewing tobacco. Why not let players smoke in the on-deck struck quickly against Perez in the seventh inning. circle, he would ask. After drew a leadoff walk to open the inning, He wishes that , the incoming commissioner of Blanco pulled a ball just inside the first-base line, over the , will take a radically different approach. outstretching glove of 1B Mark Trumbo and into right field. Namely, ban chewing and spit tobacco from fields and clubhouses. RF Alfredo Marte was slow to retrieve it, allowing Pence to score from first. Two batters later, chopped Nothing else is going to work. an single to the right side, and Duffy, a pinch-hitter, 4

│ followed by shooting an RBI double into right field off Marshall The Diamondbacks have sought and been granted permission to to make it 2-0. speak with Levine, whose candidacy was first reported by CBS Sports. His addition brings the total of candidates to 10. With Angel Pagan at the plate, Marshall fired a that allowed Crawford to score. Pagan then lofted a sac fly to left Levine, 42, has worked alongside Rangers General Manager Jon field to bring home Duffy; LF 's throw home was Daniels since October 2005. Prior to that, he worked six years in way off target. the front office.

Call overturned: The Diamondbacks benefitted from an instant For years, Levine has been mentioned among the game's top replay challenge in the bottom of the third inning when Pagan general manager candidates. Though he considers himself more was called out on a attempt after initially being ruled of a centrist in the scouting/statistics divide, Levine might be the safe. most analytics-oriented of the Diamondbacks' GM candidates.

The call didn't especially look controversial at first glance, but Meanwhile, speculation continues to swirl throughout the replays showed shortstop Didi Gregorius' tag got Pagan's leg industry that agent Dave Stewart is the leading candidate for the before Pagan hit the bag. position. It even led to the parsing of Commissioner 's comments on Wednesday evening in Seattle. Up next Speaking at a news conference, Selig was asked about the game D-Backs at Giants losing two black managers in recent weeks in Ron Washington and Bo Porter; during his time as commissioner, Selig has When: Thursday at 12:45 p.m. pushed hard to increase the diversity in the game's leadership positions. Where: AT&T Park, San Francisco "I'm very proud of what we've done in minority hiring," Selig TV/radio: FSAZ/KMVP-FM 98.7, KTAR-AM 620, KSUN-AM said, according to the Houston Chronicle. "And I think we'll 1400 have some good news on that front, too, from everything I'm hearing in other areas." Pitching matchup: RHP Randall Delgado (3-3, 5.40) vs. RHP (4-4, 2.36) The comment led to speculation he could have been referring to the hiring of Stewart, who is black. Notable: In his first start since April10, Delgado gave up just two hits in five scoreless innings in a win vs. the Padres on Peralta update Thursday. It was the first time in his career he did not issue a walk or allow a run in a game. … Peavy has thrown very well for Manager Kirk Gibson said David Peralta, who has the Giants since coming over from the Red Sox in a trade been out since injuring his back during a workout after Friday deadline deal in late July. He has a 1.04 ERA in his past five night's game in , is making progress in his recovery. starts and hasn't allowed a run in his past two. "He did some swings off the tee," Gibson said. "Went out and Upcoming pitchers played . He ran a little bit. He's improving."

Friday: At , 6:40 p.m., Diamondbacks LHP Vidal Peralta is hoping to return to the lineup on Friday at Chase Field. Nuño (0-5, 3.16) vs. Padres LHP (6-16, 4.55). Short hop Saturday: At Chase Field, 5:10 p.m., Diamondbacks RHP (8-6, 3.71) vs. Padres RHP (13-13, 2.66). The Diamondbacks entered Wednesday with a 59-85 record, the third-worst winning percentage (.410) in the majors behind the Sunday: At Chase Field, 1:10 p.m., Diamondbacks RHP Trevor Rangers (.375) and Rockies (.407). That means if the season Cahill (3-11, 5.04) vs. Padres RHP (3-6, ended today the Diamondbacks would pick fourth, with the 3.55). receiving the second pick in next year's draft as compensation for failing to sign this year's top pick, left-hander Arizona Diamondbacks will talk to Thad Levine about Brady Aiken. general manager job By Nick Piecoro / azcentral sports Diamondbacks SS Didi Gregorius working to break his http://www.azcentral.com/story/sports/mlb/diamondbacks/2 slump 014/09/11/arizona-diamondbacks-will-talk-thad-levine-general- By Nick Piecoro / azcentral sports manager-job/15430365/ http://www.azcentral.com/story/sports/mlb/diamondbacks/2 014/09/11/diamondbacks-ss-didi-gregorius-working-break- SAN FRANCISCO – Another name was added to the slump/15431823/ Diamondbacks' already lengthy list of general-manager candidates with word that the club will talk to SAN FRANCISCO – The numbers do not look good, but Didi Assistant General Manager Thad Levine. Gregorius says the numbers do not match the way he feels at the plate. The Diamondbacks shortstop has been in another late- 5

│ season slump, his second in as many years, but he has no choice "It's a process," Gibson said. "He's gone through streaks where but to believe the results will eventually line up with the way he he's kind of got it. He's gone through streaks where he doesn't believes he's swinging the bat. get it. You can see what he gets frustrated by, like anybody would. You get frustrated by the lack of success to do the right "I'm feeling really comfortable," he said. "People are telling me thing. Any player is going to be like that." that things aren't going my way. There's nothing I can do about that. I just have to go out and keep working." Former Diamondbacks pitcher Curt Schilling returning to work after battle with cancer When August began, Gregorius was hitting .254 with a .785 By Andrew Joseph / azcentral sports OPS, respectable numbers in baseball's current run-suppressed http://www.azcentral.com/story/sports/heat- state, especially for a shortstop. It came after a solid two months index/2014/09/10/curt-schilling-returning-to-work-after-battle- of work in -A Reno, where he hit .310 with a .836 OPS. with-cancer/15386897/

It was looking, just as it did early last season, like Gregorius Normalcy is returning to the life of former Diamondbacks might be a better offensive performer than many scouts and pitcher Curt Schilling after his seven-month battle with cancer. executives had expected throughout his minor-league career. Schilling took time away from ESPN after revealing that he had But Gregorius has slumped badly at the plate the past five been diagnosed with mouth cancer -- he pegged chewing weeks. Entering Wednesday, he had just 15 hits in his past 102 tobacco as the cause. at-bats, dropping his season average to .205 with a .625 OPS. In an interview with on Tuesday's "SportsCenter," "We've been working on him a lot," Diamondbacks manager Schilling opened up for the first time on television about his Kirk Gibson said. "We've been trying to get him to keep his fight, and ESPN announced that Schilling will return to hands above the ball, Number 1. He tends to work under the "Baseball Tonight" for Thursday's show. ball sometimes. It's hard for him. He's got a lot coming at him. Not only offensively, but defensively. We're asking him to make Cancer took a physical toll on Schilling, causing him to lose 80 a lot of adjustments, a lot of changes. It's pretty hard to do." pounds, and he said that he still feels weak and has some trouble eating. Said hitting- : "Didi is making adjustments. He's just trying to cover more of his strengths and work on "Fatigue is probably the biggest thing right now," Schilling went more of having a consistent bat path. When you're getting under on to say in the interview. the ball a little bit too much and trying to be consistently on top of the ball, and be more of the type of hitter he is, a line-drive Schilling admitted that he still has a long way to go, but it's great hitter." to see him back in the studio.

Gregorius acknowledges he's working to make adjustments, and You can watch the full interview here: he thinks they're making a difference — despite what the outcome might suggest. (VIDEO EMBEDDED)

"My results are kind of getting better because I'm hitting the ball Schilling learned that his cancer was in remission back in June hard," he said. "I'm squaring it up almost every single time." and has been outspoken about the dangers of chewing tobacco.

That might sound hard to believe, but there is evidence to Diamondbacks can't decide sabermetrics philosophy support it. According to information reported by ESPN Stats By Nick Piecoro / azcentral sports and Info's Mark Simon, Gregorius has the seventh-most hard-hit http://www.azcentral.com/story/sports/mlb/diamondbacks/2 balls among major-league hitters since the All-Star break. 014/09/10/diamondbacks-decide-sabermetrics- philosophy/15374287/ Using video to review every of every game, game trackers determine whether a ball is hit hard, medium or soft One of the most fascinating aspects of the post- era is based on when he gets "beneficial trajectory, velocity and that while basically every team has increased its focus on contact on the barrel." advanced metrics, the degrees to which they adhere to them vary greatly, as do the teams' levels of success. Gregorius' hard-hit rate was 23.5 percent. The Reds' was top at 26.4 percent. At the time of Simon's report, Had the season ended Tuesday, the playoffs would include Gregorius was the only hitter with a sub-.200 average since the Oakland and St. Louis, two of the game's more progressive All-Star break to rank among the top 50 in hard-hit balls. clubs, as well as Kansas City and San Francisco, teams that are viewed as more old school, providing proof that when it comes Last season, Gregorius' first since coming to the Diamondbacks to assembling winning rosters, there's more than one way to skin in a three-team deal in December 2012, he had the same sort of the cat. falloff. After hitting .328 in his first 116 at-bats, he hit just .216 the rest of the way. Perhaps no team in baseball has tried testing the two extremes in recent years more than the Diamondbacks. And with Chief Baseball Officer Tony La Russa embarking on a hunt for a new 6

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The organization had a full-time analytics person on staff even PHOENIX — The Diamondbacks are casting a wide net for the before became general manager in the fall of 2005, first general manager of the Tony La Russa era. at which point the organization shifted more significantly in that direction. While Byrnes probably was never as Moneyball-driven Several new candidates have emerged since La Russa began the as his reputation would suggest, he did surround himself with a interview process last weekend, including former major-league host of numbers-savvy executives. The era saw general managers Larry Beinfest, Allard Baird and Tim Purpura, the club shift in the opposite way. and Texas assistant general manager Thad Levine, according to sources. But here's where things start to get murky. In April, Managing General Partner said he wanted the team to "do a — Beinfest ran Miami's baseball operations from 2002-13, better job" in the realm of advanced metrics, ideally finding a winning a World Series in 2003. He had the first interview for happy medium between the Byrnes and Towers regimes. the vacant job after Josh Byrnes was fired in late June. The Padres hired J.D. Preller. A month later, the team hired La Russa. Beinfest met with La Russa in Jacksonville, Fla., on Saturday La Russa was innovative and pioneering during his 33 years as a after La Russa called to arrange a meeting Friday, the day manager. In many ways, he ran games by adhering to principles Towers was removed as GM and offered another job within the that many would consider sabermetric. He played matchups. He front office. The Marlins and Cardinals share a batted the pitcher eighth. He did whatever he could to get even complex in Jupiter, Fla., and La Russa and Beinfest are passing the slightest edge. acquaintances from their time there.

But in his last several years on the job, he clearly tried to distance Beinfest, who spent the previous 24 years in baseball, gained himself from the game's analytics revolution. And since being experience working on a tight budget in Miami. He looks hired by the Diamondbacks, he has appeared to pay lip service forward to a return to the game, although the year off gave him a to the importance of advanced metrics while simultaneously chance to make a cross-country summer trip with his family that discounting them. included a stop at the College World Series and a visit to Alaska's Denali National Park. On a conference call Friday, La Russa talked about how he wanted the club to do more with metrics but then added that — Baird was Kansas City's GM from 2000-06 and has worked in might come in the form of an entry-level hire, which, in the eyes Boston's baseball operations department since leaving the Royals of rival executives, suggested he doesn't truly appreciate the in May 2006. He is the Red Sox's vice president of player impact a strong analytics department can have. personnel.

"If they put a kid or two in the back room, they're going to be — Purpura was Houston's GM from 2005-07. The Astros won like a gerbil on a wheel — running but going nowhere," one their only NL pennant, advancing to their only World Series in executive said. his first season. He is the senior director of player development with the Texas Rangers. He also has served as the CEO of There are all kinds of examples of the sort of difference that type and was one of the founding directors of of department can make. Right-hander Brandon McCarthy's the hugely successful . increased usage of his cutter since joining the Yankees is one; Fox Sports' Ken Rosenthal reported another on Tuesday, noting (VIDEO EMBEDDED) that lefty Drew Smyly is "benefitting from the Rays' advanced approach to analytics" since being included in the — Levine is in his ninth season as the Rangers' assistant GM. He deal. also has worked with the and with Colorado. Levine and former D-backs GM Byrnes were Again, it's not that being a cutting-edge organization is an teammates on the Haverford College baseball team in 1992, and absolute necessity, although it's fair to wonder why a team would Byrnes hired Levine at Colorado after taking a job there in 1999. want to ignore huge swaths of information. With Towers, an argument could be made his lack of patience hurt him far more — De Jon Watson, a candidate for the D-backs' job when than any deficiency he might have had in advanced metrics. Towers was hired in September 2010, also has been granted permission to speak to the D-backs this time around. It's just that the Diamondbacks don't seem to know what they want to be — and they haven't been able to make up their minds La Russa named player agent and longtime major leaguer Dave for some time. Stewart, St. Louis player personnel director Gary LaRocque, D- backs scouting director Ray Montgomery, La Russa meets with Beinfest, lines up other GM assistant GM Billy Eppler and Los Angeles Angles director of candidates pro scouting Hal Morris as candidates Friday, when the By Jack Magruder / FOX Sports Arizona organizational restructuring was announced.

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The D-backs would like to fast-track the process if possible, with Collmenter said. "Unfortunately, they got a couple of timely the new GM in place by the end of the regular season. The new hits." GM will have a say in the future of manager Kirk Gibson, who is under contract for another season after signing an extension With one game remaining on their road trip, the Diamondbacks before spring training. have scored 17 runs in nine games, nine of them coming in the only two wins. Arizona lost its fifth straight. The D-backs are expected to be active in the trade and free- agent markets this offseason, and want their front-office team in "He was great," manager Kirk Gibson said of Collmenter. "I had place as soon as possible. La Russa said he would like to place to take him out with a couple of runners on. We had to try and more of an emphasis on analytics but also said that person could score a run. We've haven't been doing that." be in addition to the new GM. Collmenter did set a career high for innings pitched with 157 this La Russa is expected to identify a short list of two or three year. He threw 154-1/3 innings in 2011. candidates before making recommendations to president/CEO and managing partner Ken Kendrick. "I haven't been locked in, but I've been effectively wild and made pitches when I needed. The defense made plays behind The D-backs' season ends Sept. 28. me," he said.

D-backs' bats silenced by Giants (VIDEO EMBEDDED) By Associated Press / FOX Sports Arizona http://www.foxsports.com/arizona/story/diamondbacks-bats- PITCHERS' MEETING silenced-by-giants-091014 Gibson held the pitching staff in the afterward to give SAN FRANCISCO -- Josh Collmenter did everything he could them a pep talk. "It's tough to lose like that, but that's not what to end Arizona's losing streak and reward himself with a career the meeting was about," he said. "It was more about reaffirming high for wins. He left the game when it was still scoreless. what we have to do over these last 18 games and to keep pushing." Oliver Perez could only retire one of the four hitters he faced, and that was all the needed to beat the Collmenter said the team has meetings like that from time to Diamondbacks 5-0 on Wednesday night. time as a way to check in. "We take stock of where we're at," he said. "We'd like to get on a roll and have some positive "I walked the first guy and you can't start like that," Perez said. momentum heading into the offseason." "I tried to work through it and improve. You're going to have these kinds of games over a long season." TRAINER'S ROOM

After walking Hunter Pence, Perez (3-4) gave up an RBI double Diamondbacks: RHP Brad Ziegler wound up requiring to Gregor Blanco, struck out Travis Ishikawa and allowed a microfracture surgery on his left knee Tuesday and will likely single to Brandon Crawford. face a longer rehab than originally thought. Ziegler had planned to have an arthroscopic procedure, but doctors found more Evan Marshall took over and gave up a double to pinch-hitter damage in the reliever's knee. Matt Duffy and a sacrifice fly to Angel Pagan. UP NEXT Jean Machi (7-1) retired the only batter he faced for the win, and the Giants remained 2-1/2 the first-place Los Arizona: RHP Randall Delgado (3-3) pitches Thursday Angeles Dodgers in the NL West. afternoon, his second start since April 10. In four games at AT&T Park, he is 1-0 with a 2.25 ERA. The late scoring surge extended San Francisco's at home to a season-high eight games. Giants: RHP Jake Peavy (3-4) has made 30 career starts against the Diamondbacks but has faced them just once since 2009. He It also broke up a stellar pitching duel. is 14-12 with a 4.57 ERA against Arizona overall.

"You've got to give credit to Collmenter. He was good," Blanco D-backs shut out by Giants pitching as Collmenter again said. "Good . He was locating the . He was gets no support: By The Numbers tough to hit. He was keeping us out of balance. After they took By Jules Tompkins / Arizona Sports him out, we got to the bullpen." http://arizonasports.com/42/1765750/Dbacks-shut-out-by- Giants-pitching-as-Collmenter-again-gets-no-support-By-The- Collmenter pitched six scoreless innings. He struck out three, Numbers walked two and has allowed one run or fewer in each of his last four starts. He's still looking for his career-best 11th win despite It doesn't really matter how awesome Josh Collmenter has been an 0.65 ERA over his last four starts. lately; his offense has been awful.

"It seems every time we come in here it's a low-scoring game On game nine of a 10-game road trip Wednesday, the right- and I'm trying to keep us in it for as long as possible," hander strung on his fourth consecutive stellar start, allowing no 8

│ runs over 6.0 innings for the Arizona Diamondbacks, but his a season since 2003 and not since their inaugural season, in 1998, team's two hits were far from enough to best Ryan Vogelsong were they shut out more than 12 times. and the San Francisco Giants. The home team easily prevailed, 5-0. 17

Neither pitcher got a decision, though cruising through the D-backs 1-5 hitters combined to go 0-for-17 Wednesday at game's first six innings. Instead, Oliver Perez would be the AT&T Park. culprit for the D-backs while Jean Machi emerged the victor for the Giants, improving to 7-1 on the season. MLB Insider: Towers Could Stay, “Mentor” New Dbacks’ GM Here's a look at the loss, by the numbers. By Eric Sorenson / Sports360AZ http://www.sports360az.com/2014/09/mlb-insider-towers- 0.65 stay-mentor-new-dbacks-gm/

Collmenter has been outstanding over his last four starts, Although there are still a few weeks remaining in the 2014 allowing just two earned runs in 27.2 innings pitched -- good for Arizona Diamondbacks’ season, the wheels are already spinning an ERA of 0.65 in that stretch. He has allowed just 18 men to in what’s expected to be a busy winter for Ken Kendrick, Tony reach base in all four of those starts combined, striking out 19. La Russa and the rest of the Dbacks’ brass picking up the pieces The right-hander has a 2-0 record in the span. and moving forward after another season of non-playoff baseball. Very little has gone right for the organization since they 2 gathered in Scottsdale for spring training back in February.

The D-backs managed just two hits Wednesday, with both Late last week Kevin Towers was relieved of his duties as general coming off the bat of . Didi Gregorius manager but the door has remained open to return the also managed to get on base twice, both times via a walk. organization in another capacity, believe it or not, possibly assisting the person who replaces him if it makes sense for both 2.77 parties.

Perez's season ERA has ballooned by nearly a full run in his last One potential name which has been linked the GM vacancy is two appearances, in which he has allowed three earned runs in three-time World Series champion pitcher Dave Stewart, who each. Prior to Sept. 7, when he got just one out while allowing was Towers’ pitching coach when both were with the San Diego the Los Angeles Dodgers three earned runs, the left-hander Padres back in the late 1990’s. Towers was the GM, Stewart the hadn't allowed more than two runs in any of his 61 season pitching coach. appearances. In fact, only three times had he allowed more than one run in an outing. Wednesday, he took the loss, falling to 3-4 Stewart was an assistant general manager with the Toronto Blue on the year after allowing three runs in the seventh inning, giving Jays and has been a successful, well-regarded for the the Giants their first lead of the game. past several years representing high-profile clients like Dodgers outfielder and others. 5 “He’s got a great reputation inside baseball,” ESPN baseball All five of the runs given up by D-backs pitching came via the analyst told Sports360AZ.com’s Brad Cesmat in a bullpen, and each played a part. Perez, Evan recent phone interview. “Tony La Russa has a long history with Marshall and Addison Reed each allowed the Giants to score in Dave Stewart. Kevin Towers has a long history with Dave the late innings, with both Marshall and Reed allowing an earned Stewart. If Dave Stewart gets the job, [I] would not surprised if run apiece. Kevin Towers stays and agrees to be kind of his mentor.”

7 Gomez says there are many “ins and outs” and nuances of the position which Stewart may not be totally familiar with such as The D-backs have scored two runs or less in seven of the nine waivers and other MLB rules. He says a savvy veteran front- games they've played thus far on the road trip, which they have office person like Towers could help the gone 2-7 on with the finale coming Thursday in San Francisco. MVP learn on the job.

10 “They are very close friends,” Gomez explained. “He would ensure that ‘Stew’ would not get embarrassed.” Outfielder A.J. Pollock stole his 10th base of the season Wednesday. Only Ender Inciarte (14) has more on the season. Gomez believes La Russa would prefer to hire someone he Injured has nine. knows personally and is “comfortable” with and Stewart, or St. Louis Cardinals farm director Gary LaRocque, could be at the 12 top of the list.

The D-backs suffered their 12th shutout of the season The future is also uncertain for manager Kirk Gibson. From Wednesday in San Francisco. In 2013, they were only shut out what Gomez is hearing inside baseball circles, his return seems seven times. The franchise hasn't been shut out so frequently in doubtful because the club, who will likely lose at least 90 games 9

│ this season, isn’t moving forward and the organization doesn’t Rangers officials have always said when you have success on the want the risk of another slow start in 2015. field, other teams will try to hire their people.

Arizona Diamondbacks announce 2015 regular season The Diamondbacks fired GM Kevin Towers last week and has schedule Hall of Famer manager Tony La Russa, the chief baseball officer, By Staff / arizona.newszap.com leading the search. http://arizona.newszap.com/northvalley/sports/134929- 127/arizona-diamondbacks-announce-2015-regular-season- MLB rumors, injuries and news roundup for Sept. 10 schedule By Dayn Perry / CBS Sports http://www.cbssports.com/mlb/eye-on- PHOENIX — The Arizona Diamondbacks have announced baseball/24704995/mlb-rumors-injuries-and-news-roundup-for- their 2015 regular season schedule, with the team kicking off the sept-10 season on , April 6, at Chase Field and enjoying home games on several key holidays. Here's all that's worth knowing for Wednesday, Sept. 10 (click here for today's scores) … Fans can celebrate several summer holidays with the D-backs with home games set for Mother’s Day (May 10), Father’s Day JON HEYMAN (June 21), Fourth of July and Labor Day (Sept. 7). - White Sox: Our MLB insider writes that the ChiSox will be To view the full schedule, visit www.dbacks.com. looking to add a right-handed starter this offseason.

The D-backs’ 18th season will open against the San Francisco - Diamondbacks, Rangers: Heyman has also learned that Giants on Monday, April 6 at 6:40 p.m. at Chase Field, followed Rangers assistant GM Thad Levine is now a candidate for the by a three-game set against the Los Angeles Dodgers for the first GM job in Arizona. weekend series of the season. INJURY UPDATES will consist of four home matchups against the of Anaheim, Houston Astros, Oakland - Angels: OF received two cortisone shots in his Athletics and Texas Rangers and the D-backs will hit the road ailing right shoulder and sat out a sixth straight game. (Mike for games in Anaheim, Houston, Seattle and Texas (Rangers), DiGiovanna via Twitter) playing a total of 17 games against the . - Athletics: CL (intercostal strain) may be The D-backs will close the 2015 regular season at Chase Field activated on Friday. (Susan Slusser via Twitter) for the 12th time in franchise history with a three-game series against the Astros and 22 of the final 25 games will be against - Pirates: 3B/1B Pedro Alvarez is likely done for the rest of 2014 West opponents. after being diagnosed with a stress reaction in his left foot.

Season tickets for the 2015 regular season are currently available - Red Sox: 2B Dustin Pedroia on Thursday will undergo season- for purchase by visiting www.dbacks.com/seasontickets, calling ending surgery on his left hand. 602.462.4600 or visiting the Chase Field Ticket Office. - Tigers: SS Jose Iglesias (stress fractures in each leg) has been NATIONAL. cleared to partake in lower body workouts. He's missed the Arizona interested in Thad Levine entire season but is aiming to be healthy in time for the 2015 By Calvin Watkins / ESPNDallas.com campaign. (Jason Beck, MLB.com) http://espn.go.com/blog/dallas/texas- rangers/post/_/id/4914413/arizona-interested-in-thad-levine - Yankees: RHP Masahiro Tanaka (partially torn UCL) will pitch in a minor-league game on Monday and could return to the ARLINGTON, Texas -- Nothing official has occurred but the Yankee rotation next weekend ... MGR Joe Girardi says he's not Arizona Diamondbacks have expressed interest in Texas sure when OF Brett Gardner (abdominal strain) will be able to Rangers GM Thad Levine. play again. (Mark Feinsand, New York Daily News)

The Diamondbacks haven't asked for permission to interview RUMORS & SPECULATION Levine but Rangers officials expect something to happen soon. - Cubs: Sources tell Patrick Mooney of CSN Chicago that the The Rangers have lost several front office people this year. Cubs are gearing up for an offseason run at free-agent-to-be Jon Assistant GM A.J. Preller left this summer to become the GM of Lester. the and he took Don Welke to work with him in the front office. - Marlins: This offseason, the team reportedly intends to offer OF the largest contract in franchise history. Levine, like Preller, is a trusted member of the front office for GM Jon Daniels. - Astros, Rangers: Jeff Fletcher of the Orange County Register tweets that Rangers 1B coach and former big-league

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Bengie Molina is a candidate for the managerial openings with keeps hitting and providing sound defense at second for the the Astros and Rangers. contending Giants over the rest of September, then he could mount a serious challenge. MISCELLANEOUS , Cardinals - Mets: The club is once again considering moving in the fences at ... A former executive is suing the team and alleging On a per-game basis, you can argue that Wong is having a better that she was fired because of an out-of-wedlock pregnancy. season than Hamilton, but Hamilton's significant edge in playing time makes the difference. Still, Wong has a solid .696 OPS with - Red Sox: Were eliminated from playoff contention on 11 homers in 366 at-bats. He's also swiped 20 bases in 22 Wednesday. attempts, and he grades out as a defensive asset at second base. Wong's status as a regular on a division leader may also give him NL Rookie of the Year Watch: Hamilton, deGrom lead some traction. pack By Dayn Perry / CBS Sports ON THE PERIPHERY http://www.cbssports.com/mlb/eye-on-baseball/24704498/nl- Ken Giles, Phillies rookie-of-the-year-watch-hamilton-degrom-lead-uninspiring- pack Relievers tend not to fare too well in RoY votes, but Giles is indeed having a fine season: 1.13 ERA, 39 2/3 IP, 57 K, 9 BB, 1 Let us continue with our Awards Watch series and check in on HR. The innings total will obviously hurt him, but he's been the current status of the National League Rookie of the Year dominant in limited action. race. Tommy La Stella, Braves Before we run down the leading candidates, please keep in mind that these are predictions based on the season to date and not La Stella's stabilized 's old position for the Braves. statements of who we believe deserves to win (not that the two However, he's been trending downward with the bat, and his are always mutually exclusive). In other words, the driver here is overall OPS+ of 85 isn't anything special considering the merely how we think the BBWAA will vote for the award in question adequate aspects of the remainder of his game. A hot streak to when the time comes. Of course, there's plenty of season left for end the season could change things, though. things to change ... , Diamondbacks [Players listed alphabetically within categories] Owings was in the mix for the hardware until he missed more FRONT-RUNNER(S) than two months with a shoulder injury. The .266/.301/.430 Jacob deGrom, Mets slash line is strong enough for someone who's spent the large majority of his defensive innings at shortstop, but the playing The top NL rookie pitcher of 2014 has pitched to a 2.62 ERA time will keep him from being a serious contender. (133 ERA+) and 3.10 K/BB ratio in 20 starts. He's also allowed just seven homers in 127 1/3 innings. Some voters might also David Peralta, Diamondbacks notice that he's logged a W-L percentage of .571 on a team that's playing .483 ball overall. A strong finish means deGrom could Peralta owns an OPS+ of 115 in 320 plate appearances, and he's indeed challenge the favorite just below. spent time at all three positions. He'll wind up meriting some down-ballot votes. Billy Hamilton, Reds Gregory Polanco, Pirates Hamilton's OPS+ of 87 is none too impressive, but it's the other aspects of his game that place him at the top of this list. First, Polanco's slump has dropped his overall numbers (he's now he's played in 139 of the Reds' 145 games this season, so he's hitting .238/.314/.344) and relegated him to part-time status. So been a regular presence. As well, he's already established himself a swift reversal will be needed. as one of the top defensive center fielders around. That, obviously, has value, particularly at a premium, up-the-middle Astros and Giants are among the top shifting teams in position. Then there's the base-running. Hamilton's 55 steals are baseball in part offset by his 21 times caught, but there's also the fact that By Mike Axisa / CBS Sports he's taken the extra base an impressive 64 percent of the time. http://www.cbssports.com/mlb/eye-on- Hamilton's a useful player once all his skills are taken into baseball/24704170/astros-and-giants-are-among-the-top- account, and voters will no doubt be drawn to his "throwback" shifting-teams-in-baseball style of play. Every time you watch a game these days, you can't help but see IN THE MIX the infield shift. It started as a little craze a few years ago but has Joe Panik, Giants since blown up into a league-wide strategy. Teams stack their in high-probability locations based on batted ball data Panik's seen action in just 56 games, but a line of and it's working -- the league batting average (.252) is the lowest .327/.369/.397 (122 OPS+) puts him in the discussion. If he 11

│ it's been since 1972 (.244), the year before the DH was The Giants are keeping the race close by beating everyone at implemented. home. They ran their China Basin win streak to eight games by beating the Diamondbacks 5-0 Wednesday night. Like everything else, some teams are better and more aggressive at shifting their infielders than others. Steve Moyer of Inside The Giants scored four in the seventh inning in a game that was Edge, a company that tracks and provides batted ball data for scoreless because of a great in-game rebound from Ryan major league teams, published some infield shift data in an article Vogelsong. at the Wall Street Journal. Here's the relevant table: The Giants go for a sweep Thursday with Jake Peavy facing (TABLE EMBEDDED) Randall Delgado, the final game before the Dodgers come to AT&T Park for the final time in 2014. The Astros, by virtue of shifting far more than any other team, have saved the most hits through the use of infield shifts this Thursday’s outcome will determine whether the Giants enter the season. Some teams have actually given up more hits because of showdown trailing the Dodgers by two or three games. the shift, including the Pirates, who were among the top shifting teams in baseball just one year ago. Wednesday’s game was 0-0 until the Giants got starter Josh Collmenter out of the game and lefty Oliver Perez relieved him. Moyer's table provides raw shift and hits saved data, but I think it's important to see it on a rate basis, which gives us a better Perez walked Hunter Pence to start the inning before Gregor idea of which teams are actually having the most success with Blanco hit an RBI double after fouling a attempt for strike their shifts. The Giants, for example, would likely lead the league one and taking a second strike that had him arguing with umpire in hits saved if they shifted as often as the Astros. Here's the Brian Gorman. shift data on a rate basis: Blanco then slammed a off Gorman’s mask before (TABLE EMBEDDED) chopping the scoring hit over first base to give the Giants a 1-0 lead. Matt Duffy pinch-hit against new pitcher Evan Marshall The Pirates, Rockies, Reds and Marlins don't get to be included and also squared to bunt, twice, before running the to 2-0 in this because they've actually allowed more hits due to the then lashing a double to right that scored Blanco for a 2-0 lead. shift. A wild 0-2 pitch to Angel Pagan made it 3-0, Pagan’s sacrifice fly On a rate basis, the Giants are getting the most out of their 4-0. shifts, saving a hit basically once out of every 20 times they shift their infielders. The Rays, on the other hand, are getting no extra Vogelsong labored to throw strikes for 6 2/3 innings and walked bonus for their trouble. The shift is barely helping them. Most five, but held the Diamondbacks to two hits without a run. Jean teams are saving one hit for every 30-40 shifts they use. Machi, and completed the combined two-hitter. Here is Moyer's conclusion: Vogelsong hoped to follow Yusmeiro Petit with a good home In sum, the shift seems like a good idea, even if teams are still start following a stinker a week ago, when working out the kinks. One thing is for certain, though: moving Vogelsong allowed eight runs to match a career high, including a fielder 20 feet to prevent hits is certainly cheaper than spending four homers. millions on a pitcher to do the same. And the better a team shifts, the less it has to spend on great defenders (the kind who On Wednesday, Vogelsong walked four of the first eight batters can't hit). and went 3-1 to the pitcher Collmenter with the bases loaded Although the return seems small -- the Astros are going through and two outs in the second inning. all that trouble to one extra hit every three games or so? -- the shift is giving defenses another advantage over hitters. Some Vogelsong had to notice Tim Lincecum running toward the teams also use the shift as a way to compensate for range- bullpen as he prepared to throw the 3-1 pitch. He threw a strike challenged infielders, like the Yankees for much of the season. then got Collmenter to ground out and strand the runners. As always, some teams are simply better at it than others. Vogelsong was not Petit-sharp after that but did steady himself. SF Giants’ big inning yields eighth straight home victory In fact, counting Collmenter in the second inning, Vogelsong By Henry Schulman / SFGate retired 14 of the next 15 D’backs after Lincecum ran to the http://blog.sfgate.com/giants/2014/09/10/sf-giants-big- mound. That included a of the side in the fifth. inning-yields-ninth-straight-home-victory/ Vogelsong walked off to an ovation after Jake Lamb’s one-out In a perfect world for the Giants, they would have caught the double and a two-out walk to Didi Gregorius in the seventh. Dodgers ahead of their weekend showdown at AT&T Park, or Jean Machi relieved him and got pinch-hitter Jordan Pacheco to even trimmed their deficit to a game. Credit the Dodgers for ground out and preserve the scoreless tie. beating lesser teams at home. There was little hitting in the game. The teams had combined for three hits in a scoreless game when Joe Panik put a charge into

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│ the crowd with a in the sixth inning that nearly hit the pole on its way into McCovey Cove. Vogelsong had to notice Tim Lincecum running toward the bullpen as he prepared to throw the 3-1 pitch. He threw a strike, But Collmenter, who made Giants hitters take some awful- then got the Arizona pitcher to ground out and strand the looking swings all night, struck out the rookie on a ball in the runners. dirt. then singled, but grounded into a to send the scoreless game spinning into the Vogelsong was not Petit-sharp after that but did steady himself. seventh. In fact, counting Collmenter in the second inning, Vogelsong retired 14 of the next 15 Diamondbacks after Lincecum ran to Giants break game open late, beat Arizona 5-0 the mound. That included a strikeout of the side in the fifth. By Henry Schulman / SFGate http://www.sfgate.com/giants/article/Giants-break-game- Vogelsong walked off the mound to an ovation after Jake open-late-beat-Arizona-5-0-5747440.php Lamb's one-out double and a two-out walk to Didi Gregorius in the seventh. Jean Machi relieved him and got pinch-hitter Jordan In a perfect world for the Giants, they would have caught L.A. Pacheco to ground out and preserve the scoreless tie. ahead of their weekend series at AT&T Park, or even trimmed their deficit to a game. Credit the Dodgers for beating lesser There was little hitting in the game. The teams had combined for teams at home. three hits in a scoreless game when Joe Panik put a charge into the crowd with a foul ball in the sixth inning that nearly hit the The Giants are keeping the race close by beating everyone at pole on its way into McCovey Cove. home. They ran their China Basin win streak to eight games by beating the Diamondbacks 5-0 Wednesday night. Collmenter, who made Giants hitters take some awful-looking swings all night, struck out the rookie on a ball in the dirt. Buster The Giants scored four in the seventh inning in a game that was Posey then singled, but Pablo Sandoval grounded into a double scoreless because of a great in-game rebound from Ryan play to send the scoreless game spinning into the seventh. Vogelsong. Diamondbacks-Giants Preview The Giants go for a sweep Thursday with Jake Peavy facing By STATS / ESPN Randall Delgado, the final game before the Dodgers come to http://scores.espn.go.com/mlb/preview?gameId=340911126 AT&T Park for the final time in 2014. San Francisco Giants pitchers have dominated this series with Thursday's outcome will determine whether the Giants enter the the Arizona Diamondbacks. Things don't appear likely to change series trailing the Dodgers by two or three games. in Thursday's finale with Jake Peavy on the mound.

Wednesday's game was 0-0 until the Giants got starter Josh Peavy will look to lead San Francisco to its first home sweep of Collmenter out of the game and lefty Oliver Perez relieved him. Arizona in more than three years.

Perez walked Hunter Pence to start the inning before Gregor The Giants (80-65) have limited the Diamondbacks to a run and Blanco hit an RBI double after fouling a bunt attempt for strike six hits while taking the first two games. Ryan Vogelsong threw one and taking a second strike that had him arguing with umpire 6 2/3 innings in Wednesday's 5-0 victory and three relievers Brian Gorman. combined for a perfect 2 1/3 to preserve the two-hitter.

Blanco then slammed a foul tip off Gorman's mask before It marked a season-best eighth straight home win, a streak in pulling the scoring hit over first base to give the Giants a 1-0 which Angel Pagan is batting .441. The Giants haven't won nine lead. After Brandon Crawford's one-out infield single, Matt straight at AT&T Park since May 6-22, 2011. Their last home Duffy pinch-hit against new pitcher Evan Marshall and also sweep of Arizona also came during that streak from May 10-12. squared to bunt, twice, before running the count to 2-0, then lashing a double to right that scored Blanco for a 2-0 lead. "The pitching's been doing the job and (we're getting) defense and timely hitting," said Gregor Blanco, who was 2 for 4 and has A wild pitch and Angel Pagan sacrifice fly brought home the hit .362 over his last 18 games. "That's awesome and it's fun to other two runs. watch."

Vogelsong labored to throw strikes for 62/3 innings and walked San Francisco has won 11 of 14 overall and is 2 1/2 games five, but he held the Diamondbacks to two hits without a run. behind NL West-leading Los Angeles.

Vogelsong hoped to follow Yusmeiro Petit’s Peavy (4-4, 2.36 ERA) is 4-1 with a 1.04 ERA in his last five with a good home start following a Coors Field stinker a week starts. He was an 8-2 winner at Detroit on Friday, yielding two ago, when Vogelsong allowed eight runs to match a career high, unearned runs in six innings. He successfully lobbied manager including four homers. Bruce Bochy to pitch the final three innings after a 2 hour, 42 minute rain delay. On Wednesday, Vogelsong walked four of the first eight batters and went 3-1 to Collmenter with the bases loaded and two outs "Tonight was a big one. Every game's big. We know that," said in the second inning. Peavy, who was honored by the Giants before Wednesday's 13

│ game for surpassing the 2,000 career strikeout mark against Jake Lamb recorded both hits for the Diamondbacks, who have Milwaukee on Aug. 30. lost five in a row and fell to 2-7 on their 10-game road trip. Oliver Perez (3-4) suffered the loss, surrendering three runs on One of the biggest keys to Peavy's turnaround since joining the two hits and a walk in one-third of an inning after starter Josh Giants has been his ability to limit home runs. He's given up just Collmenter scattered three hits over six scoreless frames. two over 53 1/3 innings with San Francisco after previously surrendering a career-worst 1.45 per nine innings in his 20 starts Arizona loaded the bases with two out in the second inning for Boston. before Collmenter ended the threat by grounding out. The Diamondbacks got a runner to third with two down in the Arizona doesn't appear to be much of a threat to disturb that fourth, but Vogelsong induced an inning-ending groundout by trend with just one in its past nine games and only 108 Alfredo Marte. on the season to rank 13th in the NL. San Francisco was unable to get a man past second base against Better run support has helped Peavy's cause, too. The right- Collmenter but accomplished the feat quickly versus Perez. hander received 38 runs of support over 124 innings with the Hunter Pence ignited a four-run rally by drawing a leadoff walk Red Sox, but has received 34 runs of support in 70 2/3 fewer in the seventh and scored on Blanco's double to snap the innings with the Giants. scoreless tie.

He's 14-12 with a 4.57 ERA in 30 career outings versus Arizona, GAME NOTEBOOK: The Diamondbacks have scored a total winning three straight. He last saw them in a 5-2 victory for of six runs during their losing streak. ... Duffy greeted Arizona Boston on Aug. 3, 2013, allowing two runs over seven-plus RHP Evan Marshall in the seventh with an RBI double and innings. scored on Pagan's sacrifice fly after Brandon Crawford raced home on a wild pitch. ... Collmenter has allowed a total of three Miguel Montero is the only current Diamondback hitting better runs - two earned - and 14 hits in 27 2/3 innings over his last than .167 in at least four at-bats against Peavy, going 6 for 20 four starts. with a home run and two doubles. Rewind: Vogelsong, Giants grind out win over D'Backs The Diamondbacks (59-86) are looking to avoid a sixth straight By Steve Berman / Special to CSN Bay Area loss, which would match skids from Aug. 16-21 and April 11-16 http://www.csnbayarea.com/giants/rewind-vogelsong-giants- as their worst of the season. grind-out-win-over-dbacks

Ender Inciarte and Mark Trumbo are a combined 4 for 35 Major League Baseball is a results-oriented business, like any during the losing streak, which has seen Arizona produce only other professional sport. Ryan Vogelsong constantly wrestles six runs. with the often unexplainable divide between process and numbers. Randall Delgado (3-3, 5.40) comes off a strong showing, holding San Diego to two hits over five scoreless innings in a 5-1 road It goes both ways. In mid-March, Vogelsong allowed nine runs victory last Thursday as Arizona's switch to a six-man rotation and 11 hits over 2 2/3 innings in a Spring Training start against prompted his first start since April 10. the . Many thought Vogelsong's chances of contributing to the 2014 squad were slim, and reporters headed Delgado had been 2-5 with a 6.04 ERA in his previous 13 starts to the clubhouse expecting to see smoke coming out of dating back to last season, including a 6-5 loss at San Francisco Vogelsong's ears. Instead, he had a grin and seemed almost Zen- on April 10 when he yielded three runs in 3 1/3 innings. like. Well, as close to Zen-like as Vogelsong can be, anyway. He However, he's 1-1 with a 2.00 ERA in seven career games -- four said again and again that his stuff was great -- he just got starts -against the Giants. knocked around on a hot Arizona evening when the balls were jumping. Giants 5, Diamondbacks 0 By Reuters / Global Post Then there's a night like Wednesday's 5-0 win over the http://www.globalpost.com/dispatch/news/thomson- Diamondbacks. Vogelsong tossed 6 2/3 scoreless innings as he reuters/140911/giants-5-diamondbacks-0 and three relievers combined on a two-hit shutout. Sure, there were five walks. But what about the zeroes that kept the Giants Giants 5, Diamondbacks 0: Gregor Blanco went 2-for-4 with an in lockstep with Josh Collmenter, and made a tough game seem RBI and a run scored as San Francisco limited Arizona to two like a cakewalk late as the Giants pulled away? hits en route to extending its season-best home winning streak to eight games. From one look at the box score, a game like this would be cause for celebration. For Vogelsong, it led to a quick sports Pinch hitter Matt Duffy drove in a run and scored another while psychology appointment with Dr. Timothy Hudson. Angel Pagan and Travis Ishikawa each added an RBI for the wild card-leading Giants, who remained 2 1/2 games behind the first- "I told Huddy, 'Man, this game will drive you nuts,'" Vogelsong place Los Angeles Dodgers in the . Jean said. "Because there's nights when you go out there, and your Machi (7-1) picked up the win in relief of Ryan Vogelsong, who stuff's really good, you're commanding the ball and you get allowed two hits and five walks over 6 2/3 scoreless frames. knocked around. Then you have a night like tonight, where you're grinding from your first pitch and then you get a good 14

│ result. That's what makes this game so great, but at the same Everything seems a whole lot more awesome when the results time drive you nuts." are going your way in September, even when this great game drives you nuts. The Giants beat the D-Backs to stay within 2.5 games of the Dodgers, four games ahead of Pittsburgh for the first Wild Card Instant Replay: Giants score four in seventh, blank spot and 5.5 games ahead of Atlanta and Milwaukee, the two D'Backs Wild Card outsiders. However, the win was the only thing By Steve Berman / Special to CSN Bay Area soothing Vogelsong after an outing where he was almost lifted in http://www.csnbayarea.com/giants/instant-replay-giants-score- the second inning. Tim Lincecum trotted to the bullpen with the four-seventh-blank-dbacks bases loaded and two out, and Vogelsong got Collmenter to hit a routine grounder to Pablo Sandoval. Ryan Vogelsong, Jean Machi, Jeremy Affeldt and Sergio Romo combined to pitch a two-hit shutout, and the Giants broke "I got pretty lucky that a pitcher was up in that situation. through against the Diamondbacks' bullpen in a 5-0 win. Could've been a whole different story if it was a position player," Vogelsong said. The victory kept the Giants (80-65) 2.5 games back of the first- place Dodgers in the NL West. LA shut out the Padres 4-0 at Bruce Bochy thought Vogelsong "cleaned up the delivery" and Chavez Ravine on Wednesday night. San Francisco holds a four ended up "pitching a great game." It seemed like he got into a game lead over Pittsburgh in the Wild Card race. rhythm when he retired 14 of 15 batters in one stretch, but apparently that was just a mirage. For a while, this one had the look of the famous game between these two teams on May 29, 2001, when the Diamondbacks beat "I didn't really figure out anything. I was just able to make some the Giants 1-0 in 18 innings at AT&T Park. pitches when I needed to, really. I was behind the whole game," Vogelsong said. "It was a grind. That's about the only way I can Then Kirk Gibson replaced Josh Collmenter with Oliver Perez put it." in the seventh inning. On cue, the Giants' vaunted "ground attack" rallied for four runs. Sure, but Vogelsong grinds so much that he could set up his own hamburger stand on the mound. One would have to figure Yusmeiro Petit bounced back from a rough outing in Colorado Wednesday night's outing was much more pleasant than allowing with his brilliant performance on Monday night. Vogelsong, who four homers and eight runs, which he did a week ago in Denver. had his worst outing of the season at Coors Field a week ago, wasn't quite as masterful. However, he battled through control "It's easier to shrug one off when it's in Coors Field and it's issues in the early innings to match Collmenter frame for frame. warm like it was, because you know the ball's going to fly and you're probably going to give up a home run here or there on a Starting pitching report ball that probably shouldn't be a home run," said Vogelsong. Vogelsong went about shutting down the D-Backs in a completely different way than Petit did a night earlier. He gave "From a stuff standpoint, I was pretty happy with my stuff that up one fewer run, too. day. I'm kind of in between right now. I'm extremely happy I didn't give up any runs but I'm telling myself, 'I've got a lot of Vogelsong surpassed Petit's total number of pitches thrown out work to do this week before I face them again on Monday.'" of the zone (18) by the second inning. He walked four batters through the first four innings, five overall. Petit struck out nine One player who doesn't sweat the process quite as much is on Monday; Vogelsong didn't strike out a batter until the fifth. Gregor Blanco, who said he's a much more relaxed player since Angel Pagan's return. Here's the similarity: the D-Backs had a very difficult time making good contact on Vogelsong's pitches. He only Blanco is on a bit of a mini-tear of late, and led the Giants with surrendered two hits through 6 2/3 innings, recording 10 outs two hits -- including a seventh inning double that drove in the on the ground compared to three in the air. He picked up steam game's first run. However, Blanco failed to get a bunt down after getting out of a bases loaded jam in the second, retiring 13 earlier in that at-bat. Four pitches later, he made up for his of the next 14 hitters he faced. mistake by driving a 1-2 sinker from Oliver Perez down the first base line. The D-Backs threatened in the seventh on Jake Lamb's one-out double to left-center, and Vogelsong was knocked out of the Blanco is known as a fourth outfielder who struggles when game after walking Didi Gregorius. pressed into full-time duty, but he's started the last 13 games and hit .360 over that span. That includes a .419 clip in September Bullpen report since went on the shelf with an oblique injury. Machi stranded two in the seventh, retiring Jordan Pacheco on a ground ball to Brandon Crawford. Affeldt followed up with a "I know right now I'm playing and at some point I might not, perfect eighth, and Romo struck out two in a one-two-three but I just want to help the team in any situation that I can," ninth. Blanco said. "To be able to do it right now is huge, because we don't have Michael. But when he comes back, we'll see what At the plate happens. It's awesome that I can do this job." Besides a long drive into McCovey Cove off the bat of Joe Panik that went a few feet foul, the Giants made little noise against the 15

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D-Backs' starter. Collmenter, whose over-the-top delivery has inning with back-to-back singles to put runners on first and flummoxed the Giants all season, pitched six shutout innings to second. Hagens came back and got Paulo Orlando to hit into a lower his ERA to 1.00 against the Giants this season in five 2-5 fielder's choice, then induced an inning-ending 5-3 double outings. play to halt the rally.

The Giants finally broke through in the seventh, as Perez walked Hagens retired the side in order in the fifth, but allowed a run in Hunter Pence to lead off the inning, and Gregor Blanco hit a the sixth, the first for Omaha. He gave way to Jess Todd in the double down the right field line. Brandon Crawford reached on seventh who needed only 11 pitches to retire the Storm Chasers an infield single, knocking Perez out in favor of right-hander in the seventh. Evan Crawford. Omaha plated their second run of the game in the eighth on a Without a left-handed bat on his bench, Bruce Bochy sent Matt RBI double by . It looked like they had another run Duffy to the plate as a pinch hitter. After faking a bunt earlier in when hit into a double play with runners at the the at-bat, Duffy lined a double the other way to score Blanco. A corners and nobody out. The umpire crew ruled Merrifield wild pitch scored Crawford and sent Duffy to third, and Angel interfered with Ahmed sliding into second, calling the runner Pagan capped a four-run inning with a sacrifice fly. and batter out, and ruling Janish back to third. Kevin Munson followed the turn of events by getting Paulo Orlando to fly out The Giants added a run in the eighth, when Travis Ishikawa's to right-field. blooper to right scored Pablo Sandoval from third. With a 4-2 lead, was summoned to work the Blanco, who many fans were trying to run out of town as ninth. He struck out Brett Eibner to start the inning, then recently as mid-August, continues to rake. He led the Giants recorded two groundouts to notch his second save of the with two hits – he's collected at least that many in five of his last playoffs. seven games. The series shifts to Omaha for the remaining games with game In field three scheduled for Friday night. Left-hander (1- The pitchers kept the infielders busy with 14 outs on the ground. 0, 0.00) will start for the Aces against right-hander Sugar Ray Sandoval, Crawford, Panik and Ishikawa were up to the task. Marimon (1-0, 0.00) for the Storm Chasers. First pitch is scheduled for 5:05 PST. Attendance The Giants announced a paid crowd of 41,293. For up-to-date news and notes throughout the postseason and offseason, visit www.RenoAces.com, follow the club on Twitter Up next (@aces) or like the team on Facebook. The Giants and Diamondbacks finish up their series on Thursday, as Randall Delgado (3-3, 5.40 ERA) takes on Jake Aces strike back, knot series at 1 Peavy (5-13, 4.01). Peavy is 4-4 with a 2.36 ERA in eight starts By Chris Murray / Reno Gazette-Journal with the Giants. First pitch at AT&T Park is scheduled for 12:45 http://www.rgj.com/story/sports/2014/09/11/aces-strike- pm PDT. back-knot-series/15432443/

RENO ACES The Reno Aces are used to digging itself out of holes. It's been Aces even series with four-run second inning doing so all year. Best-of-five series tied 1-1 going to Omaha By Chad Seely / Reno Aces In the regular season, the Aces needed to win eight of its last http://www.milb.com/news/article.jsp?ymd=20140911&conten nine to make the playoffs. It did just that. t_id=94163162&fext=.jsp&vkey=recap&sid=t2310 In its divisional series against the RENO, Nev. - The Reno Aces used a four-run second inning to 51s, the Aces lost the opener to Las Vegas before coming back top the , 4-2, and even the best-of-five with three straight wins to push past its southern rivals. Pacific Coast League Championship Series at a game apiece. But, as often as the Aces have fought off adversity, it clearly Omaha starter John Lamb issued three walks in the second didn't want to go down two games to none in its best-of-5 PCL inning, loading the bases for Reno . Championship series against Omaha with the remainder of the On a two-strike, two-out pitch, Freeman lined a base hit up the series on the road. middle, scoring Mike Jacobs and Danny Dorn to give the Aces a 2-0 lead. So, with its season hanging in the balance, the team turned to 25- year-old right-hander Bradin Hagens, who was making just his Lamb then jumped out in front of Aces shortstop fifth start of the year with Reno. After struggling in his 2014 before he belted a 1-2 pitch off the left-field wall, plating Argenis postseason debut last week, Hagens came up aces Wednesday in Diaz and Freeman to extend the lead to 4-0. Reno's 4-2 victory in front of 5,590 fans at Aces Ballpark.

Reno starter Bradin Hagens settled in with the big lead. The "This was probably one of the top-five most important starts in right-hander faced the minimum through three innings. In the my career," Hagen said. "You definitely don't want to get behind fourth, Omaha's Whit Merrifield and Pedro Ciriaco started the 16

│ in a series, but with our bats and our bullpen and starting staff, I When it returns to Reno, it expects to do so with a Triple-A didn't see any reason why we wouldn't come back." championship.

After being staked to a 4-0 lead in the second inning after two- "Absolutely," Nevin said. "That's what we set out for at the out, two-RBI hits by Mike Freeman and Nick Ahmed, Hagens beginning of the season. I didn't really realize this was the last shut down the Storm Chasers. He allowed five hits and no walks one at home until we walked off the field and some of our fans while giving just a one run in six innings, that coming thanks to a who have been great all year were right above the dugout. That's defensively sloppy sixth inning. when it hit me that this was the last home game. These fans have been great for us." Jess Todd (a clean seventh), Kevin Munson (a messy eighth) and Jake Barrett (a 1-2-3 ninth) finished the win for Reno, which And now the Aces want to reward them with a Triple-A title. heads to Omaha tied 1-1 thanks to Hagens' strong effort. MOBILE BAYBEARS Not bad for a guy who was his team's No. 3 starter in high school. The ace of that team? That was Colin Kaepernick, the ex-Wolf Pack star and current 49ers quarterback who was VISALIA RAWHIDE heavily recruited as pitcher (and roundly ignored in football) out The Rawhide Turnaound of Pittman High in Turlock, Calif. Kaepernick, Hagens and By Andrew Bettencourt / Visalia Times-Delta Spencer Snodgrass made up one of the best rotations in recent http://www.visaliatimesdelta.com/story/sports/baseball/minor California high school history. s/2014/09/11/rawhide-turnaound/15432563/

"He had a live arm," Hagens said of Kaepernick. "He was 90-94 There’s nothing quite like dropping a dozen straight games in miles per hour in high school with a really good , and the middle of July to put the thoughts of going home in the he just competed. He was definitely a guy you always liked giving minds of minor league ballplayers. the ball to." The season is about seven weeks away from coming to a close. Kaepernick was 15-6 with a 1.38 ERA in his high school career; Snodgrass was 11-5 with a 2.06 ERA; and Hagens, who was a There may be a few players making arrangements for playing in year behind Kaepernick in school, was 12-3 with a 1.08 ERA. the instructional league, but most players are making plans for Hagens was one of Kaepernick's top wide receivers in football the offseason (jobs/school/vacations). before Hagens moved to quarterback his senior season. And absolutely no one is thinking about staying in town once "I ended up breaking my collarbone in the first game, so I the regular season ends on Labor Day. missed my entire senior season," Hagens said. On July 9, the Visalia Rawhide lost their 12th straight game. His football career might have been cut short, but baseball has worked out well. Not only were the Rawhide pretty much taken out of the second-half North Division race before it got started in earnest, A sixth-round pick in the 2009 draft, Hagens has slowly worked their wild-card hopes were thinning with each passing game. his way up Arizona's organizational chain. He made his major- league debut in August, an experience he called "unreal" and So how in the world are the Rawhide now just three wins from "something I'll never forget," before being outrighted off the 40- capturing the franchise’s first California League championship man roster after two appearances. He slipped through waivers since 1978? and remained in the organization, joining the Aces and assisting in the team's postseason push. Someone might want to investigate if the Rawhide installed a magic mirror in the clubhouse. He had a rough start in the PCL divisional series, allowing 10 baserunners and five runs (three earned) in 4.1 innings versus “Some soul-searching had to be done,” Rawhide manager Robby Las Vegas. He bounced back Wednesday, keeping the series Hammock said. “Guys had to look themselves in the mirror and tight. The matchup versus Omaha, which used an exclusively ask themselves what they needed to do if they were going to right-handed lineup, was good for Hagens, who took advantage. progress as players. The [Arizona Diamondbacks] organization made some moves; we added a couple of new players, and things "The way his ball moves, he's tough on right-handers," manager just turned around. The camaraderie in the clubhouse changed, said. "The trouble he's had this year is locating versus and it spilled over to the field. Our intensity changed, and the lefties because his moves into the barrel of the bat every kids started to see a difference. They just fed off each other.” once in a while. But he'll figure it out and giving him a chance to go at nine righties was a good matchup for him." The Rawhide (Arizona Diamondbacks affiliate) and the Lancaster JetHawks (Houston Astros affiliate) begin the best-of- The Aces, who are making it a habit of playing its best ball with five California League Finals today at Recreation Park. Game 1 its back against the wall, return to action Friday night at Omaha, starts at 7 p.m. two wins shy of its second PCL title in three years. Wednesday's win marked Reno's final game at Aces Ballpark this season.

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The series continues with Friday’s Game 2 at Recreation Park [Alex] Glenn and [Socrates] Brito have been steady all year. It’s (game time is 7 p.m.). Lancaster will host Game 3 on Saturday, been all the way down the roster. They feed off each other.” and any other games needed to crown the league champion. Two of the players mentioned by Hammock — Almadova and “I’m happy for the guys on the team. It’s so much fun watching Gebhardt — have been key cogs in the lineup. Almadova has these guys play. All year, it’s been a grind. Uphill. Downhill. scored 36 runs to go with a .295 batting average in 42 games. Good streaks. Bad streaks. They’ve gone through a lot to get to Gebhardt hit .356 in the regular season with 18 RBIs and 27 this point,” Hammock said. runs in 43 games.

Twelve-game losing streaks are supposed to crush a season, not Hammock also discussed the contribution of George Roberts become the foundation of a championship ballclub. (.295 batting average in 25 games) since Drury’s departure.

But the Rawhide have appeared to develop an original A trade between the D-backs and Angels helped. The Angels championship blue print. acquired left-handed reliever and outfielder Tony Caamana for outfielder and Inland Empire Less than a week after putting the losing streak to a halt, the reliever . Krehbiel was assigned to the Rawhide, Rawhide won 12 straight games (July 16-July 28). and he’s been a godsend for the bullpen (1.42 average in 22 regular-season appearances, five scoreless innings in the The Rawhide didn’t set any league records with their offense or playoffs). pitching, but they’ve been solid. They finished fifth in runs scored (over five runs per game) and sixth in team earned run “It’s been fun,” Hammock. “We wouldn’t want it any other average (4.52). way.”

Perhaps playing a pivotal role in providing motivation was what How to attend was going behind the curtains in the Diamondbacks’ front office. The Visalia Rawhide host Game 1 of the Cal League Finals today at Recreation Park. Game time is 7 p.m. Information: Visit Hall of Fame manager Tony La Russa was brought in to be the www.rawhidebaseball.com or call 559-732-4433. Diamondbacks’ chief baseball officer in May, and no job was considered safe (general manager Kevin Towers was fired earlier California League Finals preview this month). By Andrew Bettencourt / Visalia Times-Delta http://www.visaliatimesdelta.com/story/sports/baseball/minor If some of these Rawhide players wanted to continue to be paid s/2014/09/11/california-league-finals-preview/15432605/ to play baseball, it was time to impress the new boss. The California League Finals invade Recreation Park for the first “It made them scratch their heads,” Hammock said. “They had time since 2006. It also marks the Visalia Rawhide’s first finals to figure out what they were trying to accomplish and go with appearance as an affiliate of the Arizona Diamondbacks. their [baseball] career, and how they were going to finish.” The Rawhide haven’t won a California League championship The Diamondbacks didn’t make it any easier when they since 1978. promoted the Rawhide’s top three prospects to Double-A — pitchers and , widely considered two The Visalia franchise has lost seven straight Cal League Finals of the top three pitching prospects in the Cal League this season, series (1980-83, 1992, 2000, 2006). along with third baseman (all three were considered amongst the D-backs’ top-7 prospects by Baseball Game 1 is at 7 p.m. today at Recreation Park. Game 2 is at 7 America this summer). p.m. Friday at Recreation Park. Games 3, 4 and 5 (if the fourth and fifth games are necessary) will be played in Lancaster. Hammock’s response? A look at the Visalia Rawhide: No problem. Major League Affiliate: Arizona Diamondbacks “It’s been an effort all the way down the roster. It really has been a case of everybody contributing,” Hammock said. “Great Record: 75-65 regular season, 5-1 playoffs starting pitching came along since [Shipley and Blair] left. The bullpen has been fantastic all the way down. Road to finals: The Rawhide swept the second-half North Division champion in two games to advance to “Rudy Flores has really come on strong the past three months. the division finals. The Rawhide defeated the Blaze in four He turned the season around, and he’s had a monster year (.301 games (3-1) to advance to the finals for the first time since 2006. batting average, 28 home runs, 100 RBIs). [Breland] Almadova and [Ryan] Gebhardt have been outstanding, and Gebhardt Long Lineup: Opposing pitchers are having a difficult time wasn’t even playing every day before he got here. He’s played against the Rawhide lineup in the playoffs. The Rawhide are every single day here, and he’s been the spark plug in the lineup. averaging seven runs per game in the postseason, and have a .300 team batting average and a .525 slugging percentage (12 18

│ home runs in six games). Eight of the nine lineup regulars in the they have a fine rotation anchor in (7-4. 3.74), series against Bakersfield had at least a .284 batting average in ranked as the No. 8 prospect in the Astros’ organization this the regular season. summer by and MLB.com. The JetHawks did not announce their finals rotation as of Wednesday evening, but Big Bats: Rudy Flores was an outstanding run producer during it is presumed that Velasquez will start today or tomorrow. Kent the regular season (.301 batting average, 28 home runs, 100 Emanuel (9-5, 4.59) is one of the better lefties in the Astros’ RBIs), and he’s been flat-out phenomenal in the playoffs. Flores farm system, and he has pitched much better on the road. Wild- has clubbed four home runs in six postseason games to go with card is Lance McCullers (the Astros’ No. 3 prospect according to nine RBIs. He’s 10-of-24 (.417 clip) at the plate. Alex Glenn has Baseball America). McCullers is regarded as one of the elite emerged as one of the top outfield prospects in the pitching prospects in all of the minors, but he’s struggled in the Diamondbacks’ organization this season after hitting .285 for the California League (3-6, 5.47). Kyle Westwood (8-7, 4.23) figures Rawhide with 24 home runs and 89 RBIs in the regular season. to get a start when the series shifts to Lancaster. In six playoff games, Glenn is hitting .250 with two home runs and six runs. Revamped lineup: The JetHawks are without three of their top players for most of the year — über shortstop prospect Carlos New prospect: With a hand injury to first baseman Steve Correa (broken fibula), (Double- McQuail that will keep him out of the finals, the Diamondbacks A) and center fielder Teoscar Hernandez (Double-A) — but promoted shortstop Andrew Velazquez to the Rawhide. they still have a few quality bats in the lineup. Brett Phillips Velazquez went 4-of-11 from the plate with two runs and four batted .339 with 14 extra-base hits in 27 games. Tyler White RBIs over the final three games against Bakersfield. He had a (.267, 8 home runs, 23 RBIs) went 4-of-11 at the plate (.364) breakout season in the (.290 batting average, 42 with two RBIs in the South Division finals. Chase McDonald extra-base hits, 50 stolen bases, 56 RBIs). MLB.com ranks was promoted from the Midwest League (.279, 16 home runs, 67 Velazquez as the No. 12 prospect in the Diamondbacks RBIs for Quad Cities) for the playoffs, and he was 4-of-12 (.333) organization. He set what is believed to be a minor-league record with a home run and three RBIs against Inland Empire. Rio Ruiz earlier this season when he reached base safely in 74 straight (.293, 11 home runs, 77 RBIs) is the top run producer. games. He was voted the best defensive shortstop and the most exciting player in the Midwest League in a Baseball America poll Visalia Rawhide win Division Championship of league managers. By Esther Avila / Porterville Recorder http://www.recorderonline.com/news/visalia-rawhide-win- Pitching picture: Blayne Weller (4-2, 4.73, 70 in 45 2/3 division-championship/article_daa49258-394e-11e4-8f5a- innings) is slated to start today for the Rawhide. John Omahen 001a4bcf6878.html (3-3, 5.03) is the projected No. 2 starter with staff ace Brandon Sinnery (14-7) projected to go in Saturday’s Game 3 at Lancaster. VISALIA — After eight years, Visalia Rawhide — a Double-A If the series goes to Game 4 and Game 5, Spencer Arroyo (6-7, team of the Arizona Diamondbacks — has clinched the 4.62) and Blake Perry 9-6, 4.21 in the Midwest League) will be Northern California Division Championships and is now part of the mix. Perry is going to be added to the Rawhide’s looking at winning the California League Championships, roster after left-hander Andrew Barbosa went down in Tuesday’s something it has not done in more than 30 years. series finale against Bakersfield. The 3-1 series victory over Bakersfield Tuesday night advanced Season series vs. Lancaster: The Rawhide won four of the seven the Rawhide to the California League Championship series. They meetings between the two clubs; although, both teams were will face the Lancaster Jethawks, with the title on the line, and more proficient at the other club’s home ballpark. Lancaster won seek the franchise’s first California League crown since 1978. three out of four in a June 6-9 series at Recreation Park. The Rawhide swept the JetHawks in Lancaster during a July 16-18 It will mark the 12th appearance in the league finals in franchise three-game set. history. But getting through the Northern Cal divisions was exciting, for the players and the fans. After seeing the Rawhide A look at the Lancaster JetHawks: take a 2-0 lead Sunday night in a best-of-5 series against the Bakersfield Blaze, the Rawhide lost Monday night in Visalia. Major League Affiliate: Houston Astros Rawhide started Tuesday’s game with one of their top pitchers, Andrew Barbosa, but lost him to an injury two innings into the Record: 78-62 regular season, 3-0 playoffs game.

Road to finals: The JetHawks received a first-round bye after The journey to the California League championships has been capturing the South Division first-half title. They swept the interesting, especially since the team was five games behind San second-half champion in the South Jose for a Wild Card spot. Division finals. “On July 9, the Rawhide lost their 12th in a row, were 41-49, and Strong starting pitching: Some of the numbers are skewed five games out,” said Donny Baarns, the radio voice of the because the JetHawks play in one of the more offensive-friendly Visalia Rawhide in a tweet to his followers. “Two months later ballparks in Lancaster, but it’s obvious that the JetHawks’ they’ve clinched a trip to the finals.” starting rotation was one of the best in the league this year. The JetHawks did lose California League pitcher of the year Josh Hader (9-2, 2.70) to a late-season promotion to Double-A, but 19

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On Tuesday, with a 7-2 lead and two outs at the top of the ninth Lancaster won the South Division in the season's first half, inning, Rawhide fans stood and cheered. Many said there was no earning a bye to the semifinals. It swept the best-of-five series question the Rawhide would take it. against Inland Empire, which won the division in the second half, to earn its first berth in the California League championship “This didn’t come against a weak challenger either. At one point series since 2012. in time the Bakersfield Blaze were tearing up the first half with the best record in all of major and minor leagues,” said Amanda The JetHawks began the season with the top overall picks in the Pichurko, a season-ticket holder and faithful fan from Visalia. 2012 and '13 First-Year Player Drafts on the roster. But neither “This wasn’t a cake walk for the boys. Marquez Smith, Sean will be playing in the finals. Shortstop , the Astros' Buckley — those guys are destroyers.” No. 1 prospect, was sidelined in June with a broken right fibula and right-hander , the club's No. 2 prospect, was But, the Rawhide showed patience under pressure, an abundance promoted to Double-A Corpus Christi last month. of skill and talent, and more passion for the game than anyone around, Pichurko said, and that is why they are the Northern Even without Correa and Appel, Lancaster has plenty of Division Champions for the California League. prospect firepower on its roster. Its pitching staff includes right- handers Lance McCullers and Vincent Velasquez, the Astros' “It’s not over,” Pichurko said. “Thursday begins a journey that Nos. 6 and 8 prospects, and its lineup is anchored by third most of them have never been on, and many of us have never baseman Rio Ruiz, the club's No. 9 prospect. witnessed. They can do this.” Many of the JetHawks, including McCullers and Ruiz, are Games 1 and 2, of the best-of-5 set, will be at 7 p.m. today and attempting to win their second straight league championship Friday at Rawhide Ballpark. after capturing the Midwest League title in 2013 as members of Quad Cities. Thursday’s game will honor military members and first- responders in memory of 9/11. Military and first-responders will Visalia went 75-65 during the regular season to edge San Jose for receive a free Cold Zone ticket upon showing their ID, while the North Division's Wild Card. Visalia then swept Stockton in supplies last. their best-of-three first-round series before defeating Bakersfield in four games in the best-of-five semifinals. Now, the Rawhide On Friday, the Rawhide will go all-out to ensure that “Chopper’s has a chance to win its first California League title since 1978. Curse” is finally broken. , who led Visalia’s last championship team in 1978 and kept Chopper, his pet alligator, Visalia's roster features shortstop Andrew Velazquez, the D- in his bathtub throughout the season, is flying in from Cleveland backs' No. 12 prospect. The 20-year-old spent the regular season to throw out the . Charboneau, who went with Class A South Bend, where he gained notoriety for reaching on to become the American League Rookie of the Year in 1980, base in a Minor League-record 74 consecutive games. He was will be available for autographs during the game. He’ll be joined promoted to Visalia last week after South Bend was eliminated by a live alligator, who will also be “throwing” out a pitch, and from the Midwest League playoffs, and he hit .250/.294/.438 be available for pictures. The Rawhide will cap off the home with three doubles and four RBIs in the semifinal series against season with a post-game fireworks show. Bakersfield.

Games 3, 4, and 5 (if necessary) will be in Lancaster on Saturday, Visalia joins Triple-A Reno as D-backs affiliates still competing Sunday and Monday. Fans can listen to the games on terrestrial for their league championships. Reno split the first two games of radio (Living Water Radio, AM1270) or online (at the Pacific Coast League finals with Omaha and will resume its RawhideBaseball.com). This is Visalia’s first trip to the Finals series Friday after a travel day. The D-backs' farm system already since 2006. has a championship this year, as short-season Class A Hillsboro wrapped up the crown Sunday. Tickets are available at RawhideBaseball.com, over the phone at 732-4433, or in person at the Ticket window at 300 N. Giddings While the California League finals are just getting started, the St. in Visalia. Pioneer League championship series could be decided Thursday. Rookie-level Billings defeated Orem, 4-3, in Game 1 on Tuesday Pipeline preview: California League finals to get underway and can wrap up the best-of-three series with another victory By Teddy Cahill / MLB.com Thursday. The series has moved to Orem for Game 2, which http://m.mlb.com/news/article/94173520/pipeline-preview- begins at 9:05 p.m. ET and can be seen on MiLB.TV. If a california-league-finals-to-get-underway decisive Game 3 is necessary, it would be played Friday at 9:05 p.m. ET in Orem. The final Minor League championship series will get underway Thursday when the California League finals begin between SOUTH BEND SILVER HAWKS Lancaster and Visalia.

Visalia will host the first two games of the best-of-five series, HILLSBORO HOPS before it moves to Lancaster on Saturday. First pitch in Game 1 is scheduled for 10 p.m. ET on Thursday. MISSOULA OSPREY

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 Watch Andrew McCutchen fly around base path for NATIONAL inside-the-park home run 1:53 am EDT (Comcast MLB NEWS SportsNet ) September 11, 2014 • sports.yahoo.com/mlb/morenews  Dodgers blank Padres 4-0 behind 1:52 am http://sports.yahoo.com/mlb/morenews EDT (The Associated Press)  Cardinals-Reds Preview 1:41 am EDT (The Associated September 11, 2014 Press)  HBT Daily: What can Major League Baseball learn  Rare Pujols triple leads Angels over Rangers 8-1 1:35 from the Ray Rice scandal 12:44 pm EDT (NBC am EDT (The Associated Press) Sports)  Rangers' Bogar upbeat after 8-1 loss to Angels 1:27 am  Indians clear Mike Aviles to return from EDT (The Associated Press) concussion 12:16 pm EDT (NBC Sports)  Instant Replay: Giants score four in seventh, blank  A's lineup: Melvin tasking righties with beating D'Backs 1:24 am EDT (Comcast SportsNet Bay Area) Sale 12:02 pm EDT (Comcast SportsNet Bay Area)  Former female ticketing executive sues  thinks pressure of contract extension led team over discrimination 1:18 am EDT (Reuters) to poor season 11:50 am EDT (NBC Sports)  Astros win two of three from Mariners 1:17 am EDT  Man charged in Florida in Yasiel Puig smuggling 11:35 (Comcast SportsNet Houston) am EDT (The Associated Press)  SNC Update: White Sox rally late for win over A's 1:14  Phillies expect to avoid surgery, be ready for am EDT (Comcast SportsNet Chicago) Opening Day 11:19 am EDT (NBC Sports)  Marlins-Brewers Preview 1:10 am EDT (The  Why is the baseball season 162-games long? 11:03 am Associated Press) EDT (NBC Sports)  Daily Dose: Dustin Is Done 1:08 am EDT (Rotoworld)  Healed or not, plans to return from hand  Red Sox-Royals Preview 1:01 am EDT (The Associated injury 10:47 am EDT (NBC Sports) Press)  John Jaso not cleared to return from concussion 10:15  Cubs have seen this before: A's waste Samardzija's am EDT (NBC Sports) performance 12:52 am EDT (Comcast SportsNet  Video: ’s home run from September 21, Chicago) 2001 will make things better 9:39 am EDT (NBC  Nationals-Mets Preview 12:51 am EDT (The Sports) Associated Press)  Yasiel Puig’s struggles continue, and the call to bench  Rays-Yankees Preview 12:50 am EDT (The Associated him grows louder 9:02 am EDT (NBC Sports) Press)  Video: Kids giving away foul balls is the new thing 8:31  Garcia single lifts White Sox over Athletics 2-1 12:42 am EDT (NBC Sports) am EDT (The Associated Press)  Five things O's need to learn before postseason 7:02  Pirates-Phillies Preview 12:38 am EDT (The am EDT (Comcast SportsNet Mid Atlantic) Associated Press)  And That Happened: Wednesday’s scores and  White Sox: impresses in second career highlights 7:02 am EDT (NBC Sports) start 12:36 am EDT (Comcast SportsNet Chicago)  Astros rolling with four straight series wins 4:43 am  Shields shuts down Tigers as Royals win 3-0 12:35 am EDT (Comcast SportsNet Houston) EDT (The Associated Press)  Rewind: Vogelsong, Giants grind out win over  Montero gets 1st career win, Mets beat Rockies 2- D'Backs 4:37 am EDT (Comcast SportsNet Bay Area) 0 12:22 am EDT (The Associated Press)  Tropeano settles in to win MLB debut 4:22 am EDT  , Peralta lift Brewers past Marlins, 4-1 12:16 am (Comcast SportsNet Houston) EDT (The Associated Press)  Altuve helps Astros beat Mariners, 5-2 3:18 am EDT September 10, 2014 (The Associated Press)  McCutchen hits inside-the-park HR, Bucs top  Diamondbacks-Giants Preview 2:52 am EDT (The Phils 11:56 pm EDT (The Associated Press) Associated Press)  Pair of 5th-inning HRs cost Phils in loss to Bucs 11:52  Altuve gets milestone 200th hit 2:33 am EDT pm EDT (Comcast SportsNet Philadelphia) (Comcast SportsNet Houston)  Hutchison fans 10 as Blue Jays beat Cubs 11-1 11:42  Giants Diamondbacks to 2 hits in 5-0 win 2:33 am pm EDT (The Associated Press) EDT (The Associated Press)  White Sox stage eighth-inning rally to knock off  Athletics-White Sox Preview 2:12 am EDT (The A's 11:34 pm EDT (Comcast SportsNet Chicago) Associated Press)  Instant Replay: Defense betrays A's, White Sox win 2-  Angels-Rangers Preview 1:59 am EDT (The Associated 1 11:25 pm EDT (Comcast SportsNet Bay Area) Press)  Royals beat Tigers, reclaim  McCann, Teixeira rally Yankees past Rays 8-5 1:57 am lead 11:25 pm EDT (NBC Sports) EDT (The Associated Press)  Simon uses arm, bat to lift Reds over Cardinals 10:55  Rewind: Narrow defeats are becoming norm for pm EDT (The Associated Press) A's 1:54 am EDT (Comcast SportsNet Bay Area)

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 White Sox force Paul Konerko to look back at early MLB TRANSACTIONS career 10:55 pm EDT (Comcast SportsNet Chicago) September 11, 2014 • MLB.com  Masahiro Tanaka scheduled to start instructional league http://www.cbssports.com/mlb/transactions game in Tampa on Monday 10:32 pm EDT (NBC Sports) LAST UPDATED: THU, SEPTEMBER 11, 2014, 02:01  Instant Replay: Pirates 6, Phillies 3 10:15 pm EDT EDT (Comcast SportsNet Philadelphia) WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 10, 2014  LIVE: Diamondbacks vs. Giants 10:13 pm EDT (Comcast SportsNet Bay Area) TEAM PLAYER TRANSACTION  White Sox have no plans to shut down John Danks 10:04 pm EDT (Comcast SportsNet Chicago) Joakim Removed From 15-Day DL,  MLB can take stand NFL didn't in vetting Jeff Wilpon Soria (Strained left oblique) accusations with severe potential consequences 9:56 Milwaukee Rob pm EDT (Yahoo Sports) Called Up from Minors  Video: Andrew McCutchen hits inside-the-park home Brewers Wooten run 9:40 pm EDT (NBC Sports) Bobby  Giants notes: Will Lincecum be left off playoff New York Mets Purchased From Minors Abreu roster? 9:37 pm EDT (Comcast SportsNet Bay Area)  MLB Power Rankings: Brewers falling hard 9:31 pm St. Louis Rafael Outrighted to Minors EDT (Comcast SportsNet Mid Atlantic) Cardinals Ortega  Twins-Indians Preview 9:28 pm EDT (The Associated Press) St. Louis Audry Outrighted to Minors  No sweep, but Nationals still sitting pretty 9:21 pm Cardinals Perez EDT (Comcast SportsNet Mid Atlantic)  Reds complete trade that sent Broxton to Brewers 9:12 TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 9, 2014 pm EDT (The Associated Press)  Soriano returns to pitch in Nationals' loss to TEAM PLAYER TRANSACTION Braves 8:55 pm EDT (Comcast SportsNet Mid Arizona Atlantic) Called Up from Minors Diamondbacks  Playoff-contending Braves best Strasburg, Nats 6- 2 8:55 pm EDT (The Associated Press) Chris  Cleveland Indians Outrighted to Minors Yasiel Puig was late on Wednesday … because he had Dickerson to take his mother to the hospital 8:53 pm EDT (NBC Sports) Daniel Removed From 15-Day DL, New York Mets  Paul Konerko aims to return when White Sox are in Murphy (Strained right calf) Kansas City 8:43 pm EDT (Comcast SportsNet Chicago) Removed From 15-Day DL, Nick Punto  Cardinals RHP John Lackey ejected in 3rd inning 8:41 (Strained right hamstring) pm EDT (The Associated Press)  White Sox's Konerko hopes to return next week 8:17 pm EDT (The Associated Press)  Amaro confident Cliff Lee will be ready for 2015 8:15 pm EDT (Comcast SportsNet Philadelphia)  Athletics C John Jaso still out with concussion 8:15 pm EDT (The Associated Press)  Jose Iglesias cleared for lower-body workouts 8:08 pm EDT (NBC Sports)  Angels OF Hamilton still out with ailing shoulder 7:59 pm EDT (The Associated Press)  LIVE: A's vs. White Sox 7:54 pm EDT (Comcast SportsNet Bay Area)  A's Insider Joe Stiglich's chat transcript (9.10.14) 7:37 pm EDT (Comcast SportsNet Bay Area)  As other relievers rest, Garcia will get a chance 7:31 pm EDT (Comcast SportsNet Philadelphia)  Jaso heading back to Bay Area, halting baseball activity 7:26 pm EDT (Comcast SportsNet Bay Area)  Nationals fall to Braves, lose sweep in series finale 7:20 pm EDT (Comcast SportsNet Mid Atlantic)

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