Phantoms Phanatics Week in Review
April 22-28
Back to winning ways – barely. The Phantoms lost 2 of 3 to Jacksonville at home (no surprise there), but redeemed themselves by taking 3 of 4 from Charm City to finish the week at 4-3. Even so, Huntsville dropped a spot in the standings – to 4th – 2 games out of first. The Phantoms aren’t good, exactly, but they don’t seem to be terrible, either. And, sad as that seems, it’s a step up from last season.
Batter of the Week
Manny Cleide, RF: 20 AB, 7 H, 0 HR, 5 RBI, .350 AVG, .930 OPS
Pitcher of the Week
Manuel Peña, SP: 1-0, 7.0 IP, H 1, R 0, ER 0, BB 3, K 6, HR 0
Game of the Week
The Phantoms took a thriller at Charm City on April 26, breaking a scoreless tie in the top of the 8th and going on to win 1-0. Manuel Peña had his knuckleball dancing, keeping Jimmies batters off balance through 7 scoreless innings. He walked 3 and struck out 6 in notching the win. Huntsville scored the lone run of the game in the top of the 8th when 2B Luis González lined a double into right field off RP Norberto León. CF Tim Torres sacrificed him to third, then León jammed DH Norris Rutledge, who made a defensive swing and popped out to the third basemen and suddenly there were two outs. LF Fernando Reyes rescued the situation, though, as he singled home the run with a first-pitch line drive between first and second into shallow right field. Relievers Juan Alfonso and Justin Archer nailed down the victory with a scoreless inning apiece.
News and Notes
Manuel Peña’s gem on the 26th made BBN’s list of the top game performances of the season to date, ranking 20th with a score of 78. He’s the only Phantom, batter or pitcher, to make the BBN list so far … One good sign, perhaps: Although the Archers have a better home than road record so far, the split isn’t as extreme as it was last season – perhaps a reflection of efforts to reshape the team into one that can at least compete outside the confines of the Opera House. The Phantoms are 8-6 (.571) at home, 5-5 (.500) on the road. Last season, the split was .568 at home, .346 on the road. Granted, it’s a small sample size, but Huntsville fans will cling to any shred of hope they can find … Catcher Hotha Popo has been off to a painfully slow start at the plate, but has finally brought his BA up over the Mendoza line. His current slash line is .205/.266/.329. The Phantoms are looking for him to build on last week’s .292 BA, .750 OPS.
JL Southeast Division Standings
As of the morning of 4-29-39
| Team | Wins | Losses | Win% | GB | RD |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| New Orleans | 15 | 9 | .625 | - | +46 |
| Jacksonville | 15 | 10 | .600 | 0.5 | +23 |
| Louisville | 15 | 11 | .577 | 1.0 | +36 |
| Huntsville | 13 | 11 | .542 | 2.0 | -7 |
| Nashville | 11 | 14 | .440 | 4.5 | -6 |
AAA Carolina had its best week of the season so far, going 4-2. José Carlos Solíz continued to sparkle, throwing 7.1 innings of two-hit, shutout ball against Annapolis, with 4 K’s and one BB. For the season now, he’s 3-0 with a 2.67 ERA and 0.8 WAR … Beloit had a strong week, too, going 5-1 … RF André Ly, acquired in an offseason trade with California, is scorching hot, going 9 for 21 with 2 HR and 8 RBIs over his last 5 games … SP Manuel Durán also has been on a nice streak, going 2-0 with a 1.20 ERA in 15 IP over his last couple of starts … In Grand Junction, meanwhile, one of Huntsville’s top prospects has been starting to rake. 1B Aarnoud Budding is slashing .330/.373/.649 with 8 HRs and 24 RBIs and 1.6 WAR. Even so, the Gold Sox had a tough week, going 2-4 and slipping beneath .500 for the first time this season.