Power Pros Forum

let's try this again, shall we?

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BREAKING NEWS

Major League Baseball Commissioner Rob Manfred has announced that the MLB as we know it is done. In its place, a new league, known as "MLB 2.0", will begin play in 2015 following a 100-round draft in March. The league drops from thirty to sixteen teams, which are aligned as follows:

USA LEAGUE
East Coast: Boston Red Sox, Brooklyn Dodgers, Nashville Sounds, Philadelphia Phillies
West Coast: Las Vegas LineDrives, Los Angeles Angels, San Diego Padres, Seattle Pilots

CANADIAN LEAGUE
Poutine Division: Calgary Swamp Dragons, Montreal Expos, Ottawa Apples, Toronto Blue Jays
Eh Division: Regina Seadogs, Saskatoon Golden Blades, Vancouver Mendenhals, Winnipeg Neptune

Many of the teams’ names are taken from names of MLB teams, both from teams that were active through 2014 and from past teams, as well as one minor-league team (Nashville). Seven of the teams’ names are fictional, and were voted on by randomly selected fans and journalists, who chose from five dozen potential names.

The draft will take place on March 31st, with each team drafting one hundred players to fill out their major league roster, as well as those of their Triple-A, Double-A, and Single-A affiliates.

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I'll be taking control of the LineDrives, hopefully I don't delete ALL THE LEAGUE HISTORY this time

R.I.P. Flin Flon

Although I'm curious why you didn't just use the same team names

The Neptune had the first pick, and they used it wisely, selecting 23-year-old center fielder Mike Trout. The rest of the first round went down as follows:

(2) BOS: RF Giancarlo Stanton
(3) PHI: SP Clayton Kershaw
(4) NSH: CF Andrew McCutchen
(5) SEA: RF Mike Lannigan (I have no idea who this guy is, but he’s got 80/80 overall/potential [out of 80] and he’s REALLY fast)
(6) LA: RF Yasiel Puig
(7) LV: 1B Paul Goldschmidt
(8) SD: CF Billy Hamilton
(9) TOR: CF Byron Buxton
(10) MON: C Buster Posey
(11) OTT: SP Jose Fernandez
(12) CAL: RF Bryce Harper
(13) SSK: CF Joc Pederson
(14) REG: SP Chris Sale
(15) VAN: SS Troy Tulowitzki
(16) BRK: RF Jason Heyward

And here’s how the LineDrives used their top ten draft picks, as well as some notable later picks:

(1st) 1B Paul Goldschmidt
(2nd) SP Felix Hernandez — Debated Goldy vs. Felix for a while, went with Goldy, got Felix anyways ¯\_(ツ)_/¯
(3rd) C Yasmani Grandal — Young catcher, very good both offensively and defensively
(4th) CF Juan Lagares — Debated Lagares vs. Pollock, went with Lagares, got Pollock anyways ¯\_(ツ)_/¯
(5th) CF A.J. Pollock — …BUT Pollock’s probably just a fourth outfielder for now, oh well
(6th) RP Dellin Betances
(7th) 3B Matt Carpenter
(8th) 2B Ian Kinsler
(9th) SP Aaron Sanchez — Potential front-line starter
(10th) RF Jay Bruce
(16th) C Blake Swihart
(24th) SS Francisco Lindor
(29th) SS Corey Seager
(60th) CL Greg Holland — yeah, definitely should’ve waited on some of those relievers…
(99th) DH David Ortiz — There’s no DH in this league, but I can’t pass up on a guy who can flat-out hit and will be a great leader…in the 99th round…

The LineDrives’ 25-man active roster is as follows, with draft round in parentheses:

SP Felix Hernandez (2nd)
SP Aaron Sanchez (9th)
SP Nate Karns (14th)
SP Chase Anderson (15th)
SP Odrisamer Despaigne (13th)
RP Boone Logan (66th)
RP Steve Geltz (19th)
RP Ken Giles (20th)
RP Evan Scribner (69th, heh)
RP Luke Gregerson (86th)
RP Dellin Betances (6th)
CL Greg Holland (60th)
C Yasmani Grandal (3rd)
C Tucker Barnhart (55th)
1B Paul Goldschmidt (1st)
2B Ian Kinsler (8th)
3B Matt Carpenter (7th)
SS Zack Cozart (11th)
INF Taylor Featherston (12th)
LF Brett Gardner (17th)
CF Juan Lagares (4th)
RF Jay Bruce (10th)
OF A.J. Pollock (5th)
OF Delino DeShields Jr. (21st)
DH David Ortiz (99th!!!)

And here are the top prospects — the top ten in the league are listed as well as all ranked members of the LineDrives’ organization, level is in parentheses:

1. Kris Bryant, RF, Saskatoon (ML)
2. Byron Buxton, CF, Toronto (AAA)
3. Brady Aiken, SP, Winnipeg (AA)
4. Dillon Tate, SP, Boston (A)
5. Kolby Allard, CL, Philadelphia (A)
6. Miguel Sano, 3B, Philadelphia (AAA)
7. Carson Fulmer, SP, Los Angeles (A)
8. Joey Gallo, 3B, Los Angeles (AAA)
9. Walker Buehler, SP, Ottawa (A)
10. Carlos Correa, SS, Toronto (AAA)

21. Francisco Lindor, SS, AAA
23. Corey Seager, SS, AA
28. Dylan Bundy, SP, A
51. Blake Swihart, C, AAA
60. Braden Shipley, SP, A
70. Jorge Alfaro, C, AAA
83. Manuel Margot, CF, A
87. Dilson Herrera, 2B, AAA
97. Brandon Drury, 3B, A
113. Reese McGuire, C, A
115. Albert Almora, CF, AA
140. Colin Moran, 3B, A
158. Micah Johnson, 2B, AAA
163. Bradley Zimmer, CF, A

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So am I

Las Vegas Extends Stars

17-year-old Parker Bernhart sat surrounded by people with long track records of success in the same field that he was now breaking into as a teenager. In just his first day on the job as GM and manager of the new Las Vegas LineDrives baseball franchise, he had been thrown into a draft room with no idea of what to expect. But when Las Vegas’s first pick came up, he was as calm and collected as ever, taking a magnet bearing the name Paul Goldschmidt and moving it from the magnetic dry-erase board serving as their “draft board” and placing it carefully onto another magnetic board, this one signifying which players had already been picked. And again, in the second round, he felt no pressure, and did the same thing with a magnet that read “Felix Hernandez”.

But those players, like nearly every player picked in the MLB 2.0 inaugural draft, were given one-year contracts for a value somewhere between the league minimum, $500,000, and the maximum salary allowed for those draft picks, $1,500,000. So Goldschmidt and Hernandez reported to camp with no guarantee of playing more than one season under the lights at Panpaka Park.

But those concerns are over now, as Bernhart held a joint press conference to announce extensions for his two star players. Goldschmidt, a 27-year-old first baseman who batted .300 with 19 home runs and 9 stolen bases in 109 games last season, got a six-year contract worth an even $15 million annually, with a team option for 2022 also worth $15 million—a significant upgrade over the $550,000 he will make this season. Hernandez, a 28-year-old starting pitcher who has racked up 49.3 career WAR and had a career-high 6.5 last season, as well as a career-low 2.14 ERA and career-high 248 strikeouts, inked a straightforward five-year contract that will pay him $28,000,000 per year.

“Having those two in the fold and locked up really takes some pressure off of me,” Bernhart said to a crowd of local media, “but we still have to go out and play some ball, and maybe bring back a championship!”

The LineDrives open their season on Wednesday, April 1st with the first of two games in Philadelphia. Their home opener is Monday, April 6th against San Diego.

Las Vegas chokes in clutch, loses to Philadelphia on Opening Day

The Las Vegas LineDrives got runners on against Clayton Kershaw. And then they left those runners on base. Over, and over, and over. In total, there were nineteen men left on base for the new baseball franchise in a debut that looked like it could be a showcase of the offensive talent that runs up and down the LineDrives’ lineup.

Strong pitching performances by Kershaw, who pitched eight shutout innings with thirteen strikeouts, and Felix Hernandez, who pitched seven very strong innings before collapsing in the eighth, had these two offenses in fits all game. But clutch pinch-hits by Joe Mauer and Starling Marte in the eighth inning scored the only two runs that the Phillies would need to win.

Las Vegas infielders Matt Carpenter (4 for 4) and Ian Kinsler (3 for 4) were visibly frustrated at the fact that they consistently got on base, only to be stranded by their teammates, who combined for only two hits and one walk, but in the postgame press conference, they admitted that they also deserved some of the blame. “I mean, yeah, I played great, but I was yelling at my teammates in the dugout instead of picking them up like I should have,” Kinsler said. Carpenter echoed that statement, but utility infielder Taylor Featherston, who struck out pinch-hitting in the ninth, said that he had not seen either Carpenter or Kinsler getting into it with teammates. “Sure, they were upset, but we all were. It’s frustrating watching your teammates have no success, but it wasn’t like Matt or Ian were coming into the dugout and throwing punches or anything like that, they mostly stayed to themselves,” the 25-year-old rookie said.

The two teams meet again tomorrow afternoon, with first pitch scheduled for 4:05 PM local time. Right-hander Aaron Sanchez will make his first major league start for Las Vegas, while fellow righty Raisel Iglesias will be on the bump and making his major league debut for the Phillies.

Sanchez blanks Phillies in 4-0 win

Aaron Sanchez tossed a complete-game shutout, every other starter had a hit, and the Las Vegas LineDrives rebounded from a loss last night to defeat the Phillies and split the series with a 4-0 win.

A second inning in which Las Vegas scored all four of their runs, then loaded the bases before an Ian Kinsler strikeout ended the rally, was all the team needed, as Sanchez had his way with the Philadelphia lineup all game, allowing only three hits and walking four while striking out seven.

“It was a little rough there for a few innings, no one was talking to me, superstition and all [Sanchez had a no-hitter through three innings], but once I gave up that first hit, everyone calmed down and I was able to get the nerves out of the way and just focus on pitching,” the young right-hander said after the game. Reserve infielder Taylor Featherston said he almost forgot about the unwritten rule that dictates that no one is allowed to talk to the pitcher while he has a no-hitter going on a couple of occasions. “Luckily I remembered in time, the guys would’ve given me hell if I had talked to him and jinxed it,” Featherston, who did not enter the game, told a handful of reporters while they were waiting to interview the 22-year-old Sanchez, who made 24 appearances, but no starts, in his first major league season with Toronto in 2014.

Next up is a three-game series at Angel Stadium of Anaheim, with right-hander Nate Karns and left-hander Alex Wood set to oppose each other on Friday. First pitch is scheduled for 7:05 PM PST.

April 3, 2015

LV…0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0…0-1-0
LA…0-1-1-0-0-0-0-0-x…2-8-0

Alex Wood (LV): 8 IP, 1 H, 1 BB, 12 K
Kolten Wong (LA): 1-4, solo HR in third

W: Wood (1-0)…L: Karns (0-1)…S: Liberatore (1)

The LineDrives hired longtime Oakland Athletics general manager Billy Beane, 53, as their top assistant to GM Parker Bernhart. Beane agreed to a three-year contract worth $350,000 annually…RHPs Chase Anderson and Corey Kluber will square off tomorrow at 1:05 PM PST.

April 4, 2015

LV…0-0-0-0-1-1-0-0-4…6-7-0
LA…0-0-0-0-0-1-0-0-0…1-5-0

Paul Goldschmidt (LV): 2-3, solo HR in sixth, 2 BB

W: Anderson (1-0)…L: Kluber (0-1)

Angels relievers Andy Oliver and Pedro Strop combined to walk in three runs in the ninth…RHPs Hisashi Iwakuma and Odrisamer Despaigne will face off in the rubber match tomorrow at 2:05 PM PST.

April 5, 2015

LV…0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-2…2-5-0
LA…0-3-0-2-0-0-2-0-x…7-8-0

Odrisamer Despaigne (LV): 4 IP, 4 H, 5 ER, 5 BB, 4 K
Hisashi Iwakuma (LA): CG, 5 H, 2 ER, 2 BB, 8 K

W: Iwakuma (1-0)…L: Despaigne (0-1)

Las Vegas will begin a five-game homestand with the first of two games against San Diego on Monday night. First pitch is at 7:05 PM local time. RHP Felix Hernandez (0-1, 2.35) and LHP Daniel Norris (0-0, 3.52) will be on the mound.

April 6, 2015

SD…0-0-1-0-0-1-4-0-0…6-12-0
LV…0-2-0-0-0-0-0-0-0…2-6-1

Dee Gordon (SD): 3-5, 3B, RBI, R, 2 SB
Daniel Norris (SD): 8.2 IP, 6 H, 2 ER, 1 BB, 8 K; 2-4, RBI, 2 R
Juan Lagares (LV): 2-3, 2B, RBI

David Ortiz made his first appearance in the field, playing the ninth inning at first base. More notable was his one-batter appearance in left field, the first game at that position (or at any position other than first) in his major league career…Same place, same time tomorrow as righties Aaron Sanchez (1-0, 0.00) and Matt Andriese (0-1, 1.29) square off on the mound.

April 7, 2015

SD…0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-2…2-10-1
LV…0-0-2-0-0-2-4-0-x…8-9-3

Tucker Barnhart (LV): 2-4, HR, 4 RBI, 2 R; threw out Billy Hamilton twice
Aaron Sanchez (LV): CG, 10 H, 2 R (1 ER), 1 BB, 4 K

W: Sanchez (2-0)…L: Nicasio (0-1)

Next up: a three-game series against Nashville, led by stars Andrew McCutchen and Joey Votto. RHPs Nate Karns (0-1, 3.00) and Carlos Martinez (0-0, 9.53) will square off tomorrow night at 7:05. Also, the LineDrives signed RHP Anthony Bass to a minor-league contract. Bass was assigned to St. Petersburg (AA).

April 8, 2015

NSH…0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0…0-7-2
LV…0-0-0-1-0-0-0-0-x…1-5-0

Carlos Martinez (NSH): 7 IP, 3 H, 1 ER, 1 BB, 5 K; 3-3, 2B
Paul Goldschmidt (LV): 2-3, 2B, SB
Nate Karns (LV): 5 IP, 3 H, 1 BB, 7 K

W: Karns (1-1)…L: Martinez (0-1)…S: Holland (1)

Righty Chase Anderson (1-0, 1.50) will go for us tomorrow against fellow northpaw Miguel Gonzalez (1-0, 0.00); first pitch is at 7:05, and the first 5,000 fans 14 and younger get a free LineDrives snapback hat. RHP Stolmy Pimentel was signed to a minor-league contract, and will report to Waxahachie (A).

April 9, 2015

(Written mostly by OOTP’s story generator)

Miguel Gonzalez was pretty calm about his no-hitter — until the last three outs. "You really become conscious of every pitch then. The adrenaline level kicks up even higher. And everybody in the ballpark knows a no-hitter is on the line. The crowd is on its feet. One mistake and it's all over."

But on this day at Panpaka Park Gonzalez of the Nashville Sounds was in complete command, not allowing the Las Vegas LineDrives a single base hit in the 7-0 victory.

"Obviously, you never think this will happen," he said. "I don't know if it's really sunk in yet." Gonzalez faced 29 batters, had 9 strikeouts and 2 walks in a dominating effort. "To do this you have to have a good defense behind you, too."

"He was on from the get-go," LineDrives infielder Taylor Featherston, who entered in the sixth inning and was 0 for 2, said. "He throws quite a few pitches. He was hitting his spots and keeping us off balance. It was a great game by him."

Southpaw Scott Kazmir will try to follow Gonzalez’s masterful performance tomorrow night, as he squares off against Las Vegas right-hander Odrisamer Despaigne.

April 10, 2015

What started off poorly for the LineDrives ended in joy and celebration Friday night as the club overcame injuries, errors, and all sorts of other problems in a thrilling extra-inning victory. “When Tuck [catcher Tucker Barnhart] got hurt, I thought we were screwed,” infielder Taylor Featherston said, “but Grandy [catcher Yasmani Grandal] came in, did a great job, and we came together as a team and showed what we’re really capable of.”

After eight strong innings, lefty Scott Kazmir returned for the ninth inning to try and finish off the victory, with his Sounds holding a 5-0 lead that seemed secure, especially with the bottom of the order due up. But a walk and a Featherston single later, Kazmir was pulled in favor of righty Pedro Baez, who promptly gave up a two-run double to A.J. Pollock and an RBI single to David Ortiz sandwiched around a groundout by Delino DeShields Jr. “Then JB [Jay Bruce] came in, and boy, did that turn out to be a good move,” Featherston recalled in the postgame presser.

Bruce scored on a triple by Brett Gardner, and after a pitching change, Gardner then scored the tying run on a single by Matt Carpenter, pinch-hitting for Greg Holland, who had pitched a scoreless ninth inning. But the threat was over after a strikeout and a fielder’s choice, and it was on to the tenth inning, and then it was on to the eleventh after relievers Steve Geltz and Taylor Hill exchanged scoreless frames, Hill’s half ending with a groundout by starting pitcher Aaron Sanchez, hitting for Geltz. Evan Scribner pitched a perfect top half of the 11th, and Hill stayed in, with Bruce due to lead off, and…well, it doesn’t really matter who would’ve batted second, because Bruce ended the game right then and there with a 419-foot blast to right field, his first career walk-off hit. “[Expletive], man, that was [expletive] insane,” Bruce told reporters at the press conference. “It felt especially good, since I’ve been in kind of a slump this year, felt good to get that first homer. Maybe now I’ll be more confident, more relaxed at the plate.”

Both teams hopped on flights shortly after the game, and will play afternoon games tomorrow. The LineDrives will travel to Brooklyn and face lefty Eric Jokisch (0-1, 4.76) and the Dodgers tomorrow at 1:05 PM PST. Felix Hernandez (0-2, 4.91) will be on the mound for the good guys.

Also, the LineDrives recalled RHP Dan Otero from Scottsdale (AAA), and optioned Delino DeShields Jr. to the same team. “We needed a fresh arm in the bullpen, Delino had options, and this was our plan all along, get him a few reps up here and send him down when we needed an extra arm or something like that. He’ll go down, get regular PT with the Sparks, and he should be back up later this season,” GM/manager Parker Bernhart explained to reporters.

April 11, 2015

LV…0-0-3-0-0-0-0-0-0…3-4-1
BRK…0-2-0-0-0-0-0-0-0…2-6-1

Felix Hernandez (LV): CG, 6 H, 2 ER, 1 BB, 16 K (145 pitches)
Yasmani Grandal (LV): 1-3, HR, 3 RBI
Alex Guerrero (BRK): 1-3, HR, 2 RBI
Trevor Rosenthal (BRK): 2 perfect innings, 3 K
Yimi Garcia (BRK): 2 perfect innings, 3 K

W: Hernandez (1-2)…L: Jokisch (0-2)

Right-handers Aaron Sanchez and Max Scherzer will square off tomorrow in the second of three games in this series.

April 12, 2015

LV…0-0-2-0-0-0-0-0-0…2-4-1
BRK…3-0-1-1-1-0-0-0-x…6-11-0

Jason Heyward (BRK): 3-4, HR, RBI, 2 R
Jung-ho Kang (BRK): 3-4, 2B, 2 RBI

W: Scherzer (1-0)…L: Sanchez (2-1)

Players of the Week were announced. Phillies pitcher Clayton Kershaw (2-0, 0.00, 23 K in 17.2 IP) and Golden Blades outfielder Joc Pederson (.435, 3 HR, 10 RBI) won the awards. In addition, updated power rankings were posted, with Boston and Winnipeg on top, Seattle at the bottom of the barrel, and Las Vegas in the middle sitting at 8th overall (5th in USA League). Tomorrow, RHPs Nate Karns (1-1, 1.64) and Gerrit Cole (1-0, 1.10) square off, with first pitch scheduled for 4:05 pm PST.

April 13, 2015

LV…2-0-1-0-0-4-0-0-0…7-9-1
BRK…0-1-0-0-0-1-0-2-0…4-10-2

Matt Carpenter (LV): 2-3, 3B, 3 RBI, R, left in 6th (groin)
Brett Gardner (LV): 3-5, 2B, 2 RBI, SB
Jason Heyward (BRK): 2-4, 2 HR, 3 RBI, 2 R
Greg Holland (LV): struck out Neil Walker with bases loaded in 9th

W: Karns (2-1)…L: Cole (1-1)…S: Holland (2)

Next up: a three-game home series against the Seattle Pilots after an off day tomorrow. Chase Anderson (1-1, 4.50) and Yovani Gallardo (0-2, 12.46), both right-handers, will pitch in the series opener on Wednesday night. Also, Matt Carpenter’s groin injury was revealed to be a mild groin strain. “He’ll be available to pinch-hit, but he can’t play the field unless it’s an emergency,” manager Parker Bernhart said. Infielder Taylor Featherston, hitting .182 on the season, replaced Carpenter in the game Monday night and will likely start all three games against Seattle at the hot corner.

April 15, 2015

SEA…0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-2…2-10-0
LV…1-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0…1-5-0

Yovani Gallardo (SEA): 7 IP, 4 H, 1 ER, 3 BB, 10 K
Chase Anderson (LV): 7 IP, 6 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 13 K
Ian Kinsler (LV): 2-5, 2 2B, RBI; flew out to CF with bases loaded in 9th

W: Shreve (1-0)…L: Holland (0-1)…S: Rowen (6)

Odrisamer Despaigne will have his next skipped in the rotation due to the off day, manager Parker Bernhart said after the game, so Felix Hernandez (1-2, 3.80) will start tomorrow opposite Tim Hudson (1-1, 3.00). Also, INF/OF Enrique “Kike” Hernandez (1 for 3 in two games) was recalled from Scottsdale (AAA). RHP Evan Scribner (1-0, 3.00 ERA, 6 IP in four games) was designated for assignment to make room on the roster for Hernandez, who will serve as an extra body off the bench while Matt Carpenter (groin) recovers. Carpenter, who struck out as a pinch-hitter in the seventh inning, is expected to be held out of the lineup for at least two more days.

April 16, 2015

SEA…0-0-3-0-1-1-0-0-2…7-13-0
LV…0-0-0-1-2-0-0-0-0…3-6-1

Ian Desmond (SEA): 3-5, 2 2B, HR, 2 RBI, 3 R

W: Hudson (2-1)…L: Hernandez (1-3)

April 17, 2015

SEA…0-0-0-0-1-0-0-0-0…1-3-0
LV…0-0-0-0-1-2-0-0-x…3-5-0

Paul Goldschmidt (LV): 3-4, 2B, HR, 2 RBI, R
Aaron Sanchez (LV): 8 IP, 3 H, 1 ER, 0 BB, 6 K

W: Sanchez (3-1)…L: Hamels (0-3)…S: Holland (3)

Next up: three games at Fenway Park, as Las Vegas travels to face the East Coast Division-leading Red Sox. Nate Karns (2-1, 2.41) will pitch for the LineDrives tomorrow, with Brandon Morrow (2-1, 1.59) going for the Sox. It’s an early one tomorrow, with first pitch set for 10:05 am PST, so be sure to set your alarm clocks so you don’t miss a second of the action, with Matt Carpenter ready to return to the lineup after a three-game absence due to a groin strain.

This dude's nickname is actually kike?

lmao

April 18, 2015

LV…3-1-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0…4-12-0
BOS…0-1-0-0-0-0-1-0-2-1…5-9-2

Matt Carpenter (LV): 3-5, 2B, 2 R
Yasmani Grandal (LV): 2-4, 2B, HR, 4 RBI, R
Nate Karns (LV): 6.2 IP, 7 H, 2 ER, 2 BB, 14 K
Carlos Quentin (BOS): pinch-hit game-tying 2-run HR in 9th off Greg Holland
Miguel Cabrera (BOS): 1-4, walk-off 451-foot HR in 10th off Ken Giles

W: Kimbrel (2-0)…L: Giles (0-1)

I somehow resisted the urge to DFA the entire bullpen. Also, Odrisamer Despaigne is back in the rotation, because I said so. Also also, Evan Scribner was outrighted to AAA after clearing waivers. He’ll be back up soon, I would imagine, because our bullpen sucks more than a really powerful vacuum.

April 19, 2015

LV…0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0…0-6-0
BOS…0-0-1-1-2-0-0-0-x…4-9-1

Brett Anderson (BOS): 8.1 IP, 5 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 16 K (ties league record set by F. Hernandez on 4/11); 2-3, RBI

W: B. Anderson (1-2)…L: C. Anderson (1-2)

Players of the Week were Boston 1B Miguel Cabrera (.280, 4 HR, 7 RBI, 8 R) and Vancouver 3B Adrian Beltre (.500, 1 HR, 5 RBI). Boston and Winnipeg were again on top of the power rankings, but Las Vegas slipped all the way to 14th and Toronto plummeted into last place.

April 20, 2015

(4/20 blaze it)

LV…0-0-0-0-0-0-0-1-0…1-5-0
BOS…0-0-0-1-2-0-0-0-x…3-10-1

Giancarlo Stanton (BOS): 3-4, RBI
Mat Latos (BOS): 7.2 IP, 5 H, 1 R (0 ER), 1 BB, 9 K

W: Latos (2-0)…L: Despaigne (0-2)…S: Kimbrel (5)

The LineDrives have claimed two players off waivers. RHP Chris Archer was claimed from Boston and INF Justin Turner was claimed from Calgary. To make room, RHP Odrisamer Despaigne and INF/OF Enrique Hernandez were optioned to Scottsdale. Next, the LineDrives will return to Panpaka for a six-game homestand, starting with three games against Philadelphia. Projected starters for the starters are Felix Hernandez, Aaron Sanchez, and Nate Karns against Robbie Ross Jr., Raisel Iglesias, and Taijuan Walker.

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pronounced "kee-kay", it's apparently a Spanish nickname of some sort

April 21, 2015

PHI…1-0-0-0-0-1-1-0-0…3-5-0
LV…1-1-0-2-0-0-0-0-x…4-6-1

Jorge Soler (PHI): 2-3, 2B, 2 RBI
Felix Hernandez (LV): 6 IP, 4 H, 2 R (1 ER), 1 BB, 10 K

W: Hernandez (2-3)…L: Ross Jr. (0-2)…S: Holland (4)

April 22, 2015

PHI…0-1-0-0-0-0-0-0-0…1-6-0
LV…1-0-0-2-0-2-0-0-x…5-8-1

Yasmani Grandal (LV): 2-5, 2B, HR, RBI, 2 R
Steve Geltz (LV): 3 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 3 K

W: Sanchez (4-1)…L: Iglesias (0-4)…S: Geltz (1)

Las Vegas signed infielders Victor Tavarez, Tyler Shryock, Xavier Turner, and Nate Goro and outfielder Logan Vick to minor league contracts. All five players will report to Waxahachie (A). RHP Chris Archer will make his LineDrives debut tomorrow afternoon (first pitch is at 2:05 pm PST).

April 23, 2015

PHI…0-1-0-0-0-0-0-0-0…1-4-1
LV…0-0-3-0-1-0-0-0-x…4-8-0

Brett Gardner (LV): 2-4, solo HR in 5th
Chris Archer (LV): 6.2 IP, 4 H, 1 ER, 2 BB, 11 K

W: Archer (1-0)…L: Walker (2-2)…S: Holland (5)

Also notable: Boone Logan and Luke Gregerson alternated between pitcher and right field in the eighth inning, with Logan facing and retiring two lefties (after recording the final out of the 7th) and Gregerson retiring one of two batters he faced and walking the other. It confused the game a lot, and Logan was credited with three appearances and three holds while Gregerson recorded two appearances and one hold, oops…Anyways, next series is at home against the Angels, who lead our division currently at 11-10. We’re at 11-11, so a couple wins here would likely gain us the division lead. Pitching matchups are Anderson, Karns, and Hernandez against Jimmy Nelson, Alex Wood, and Corey Kluber.

April 24, 2015

LA…3-0-3-0-0-0-0-0-0…6-7-1
LV…0-0-1-0-0-0-0-0-1…2-7-0

Yan Gomes (LA): 2-4, HR, 3 RBI, 2 R
Jimmy Nelson (LA): 8+ IP, 7 H, 2 ER, 1 BB, 9 K
LV bullpen (Gregerson, Logan, Otero): combined for seven strikeouts, six perfect innings in relief of starter Chase Anderson

W: Nelson (1-4)…L: Anderson (1-3)

We signed RHPs Tucker Donahue and Parker French to minor-league contracts; both will report to Waxahachie (A).

April 25, 2015

LA…0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0…0-5-1
LV…0-0-1-0-0-0-2-0-x…3-8-0

Paul Goldschmidt (LV): 3-4, 2B, RBI
Nate Karns (LV): 6.1 IP, 5 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 10 K

W: Karns (3-1)…L: Wood (3-2)…S: Betances (1)

All-Star Game voting has started, so be sure to get out and vote for who you think is most deserving Omar Infante all the LineDrives, even Taylor Featherston, who for some reason is on the ballot at second base instead of Ian Kinsler!

April 26, 2015

LA…0-0-0-0-0-1-0-0-0…1-6-1
LV…0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-2…2-7-1

Freddie Freeman (LA): 2-4, 2B, RBI
Corey Kluber (LA): 7 IP, 5 H, 0 R, 3 BB, 6 K
Ian Kinsler (LV): 3-4, RBI
Felix Hernandez (LV): CG, 6 H, 1 ER, 1 BB, 8 K
Paul Goldschmidt (LV): walk-off pinch-hit fielder’s choice in 9th

W: Hernandez (3-3)…L: Liberatore (0-1)

Players of the Week were Nashville LF Alex Gordon (.545, 1 HR, 7 RBI, 3 R) and Vancouver RF Michael Cuddyer (.400, 4 HR, 4 RBI, 6 R). Winnipeg and Boston flipped spots, but remained atop the power rankings; Las Vegas leapt up to fifth (third in USA), and Brooklyn sank into last place. The LineDrives have a day off Monday, followed by three games in San Diego to close out the month of April.

April 28, 2015

The latest voting results have been released for the All-Star Game, which will be held on Thursday, May 21. Results are as follows (current vote total in parentheses):

Bold denotes Las Vegas players, Italics denotes player who leads league in votes

USA LEAGUE

C: Yan Gomes (68,138), Yadier Molina (64,783), Yasmani Grandal (56,702)
1B: Paul Goldschmidt (73,611), Jose Abreu (72,535), Joey Votto (71,275)
2B: Dee Gordon (42,084), Neil Walker (41,620), Brian Dozier (40,710)
3B: Anthony Rendon (54,889), David Wright (51,028), Matt Carpenter (50,197)
SS: Ian Desmond (64,513), Jung-ho Kang (48,682), Marcus Semien (38,731)
LF: Alex Gordon (71,782), Carl Crawford (43,221), Shin-soo Choo (31,039)
CF: Andrew McCutchen (70,082), Adam Jones (48,794), Coco Crisp (39,169)
RF: Matt Kemp (72,623), Yasiel Puig (70,789), Giancarlo Stanton (70,331)
SP: Yu Darvish (72,311), Clayton Kershaw (72,310), Felix Hernandez (71,415), Max Scherzer (68,123), Mat Latos (62,827)
RP: David Robertson (72,439), Joaquin Benoit (69,917), Craig Kimbrel (67,662), Greg Holland (66,813), Jeff Beliveau (62,336)

NOTABLE: Joey Votto (3rd in 1B) is slashing .355/.469/.548 and has been solid defensively for Nashville…Anthony Rendon (1st in 3B) is hitting .148 with only two extra-base hits…Jeff Beliveau (5th in RP) is 7 for 7 in save opportunities with 21 strikeouts, 6 walks, and 0 runs allowed in 13 2/3 innings pitched…Alex Gordon (1st in LF) is hitting .338 and playing very good defense in left for the Sounds.

CANADIAN LEAGUE

C: Buster Posey (70,737), Russell Martin (64,129), Jonathan Lucroy (61,211)
1B: Victor Martinez (74,340), Albert Pujols (62,604), Anthony Rizzo (55,809)
2B: Jose Altuve (74,535), Robinson Cano (68,200), Dustin Pedroia (47,603)
3B: Josh Donaldson (70,379), Adrian Beltre (66,206), Evan Longoria (55,705)
SS: Troy Tulowitzki (70,147), Andrelton Simmons (39,940), Jose Reyes (35,312)
LF: Matt Holliday (70,535), Carlos Gomez (69,201), Corey Dickerson (66,215)
CF: Mike Trout (73,141), George Springer (49,661), Joc Pederson (48,980)
RF: Jose Bautista (74,349), Ryan Braun (58,394), Bryce Harper (49,669)
SP: Madison Bumgarner (74,418), Chris Sale (72,390), Johnny Cueto (62,277), Stephen Strasburg (61,539), Jose Fernandez (56,232)
RP: Wade Davis (71,802), Aroldis Chapman (71,484), Kenley Jansen (70,205), Mark Melancon (70,123), Steve Cishek (66,464)

NOTABLE: Aroldis Chapman (2nd in RP) is 0 for 2 in save opportunities, has an 0-2 record, and has a 6.75 ERA…Anthony Rizzo (3rd in 1B) is hitting .161…Stephen Strasburg (4th in SP) is 2-3 with a 5.92 ERA…Kenley Jansen (3rd in RP) has pitched only once this season in 25 games.

Good pitching by Beliveau so far I see

#BelieveInBeliveau