Phantoms Phanatics Week In Review: June 10-16, 2039
Huntsville eked out another winning week in June, splitting a 4-game series with Montreal and taking 2 of 3 from Wichita on the road.
The 4-3 week brought the Phantoms to within a game of the .500 mark for the season (34-35) and they trail division leader New Orleans by 6.5 games. Huntsville has climbed to within 3.5 games of the last Johnson League wildcard spot, currently held by Wichita.
José Carlos Solíz struggled mightily through the week, allowing 5 runs in 5 innings in each of his two starts. Both were lopsided losses for the Phantoms, and helped punch his ticket back to AAA Carolina. He was 1-5 with a 5.93 ERA during his 8-start stint with Huntsville.
In the good news, though, SP Amayas Moelling has been performing as advertised, with two more strong starts last week. He’s now 3-1 with a 3.03 ERA on the season, and – along with Juan Nicto – gives Huntsville a nice one-two punch at the top of the rotation.
Batter of the Week
Luis González, INF: 29 AB, 12 H, 0 HR, 1 RBI, .414 AVG, 1.002 OPS
Pitcher of the Week
Esteban Velásquez, CL: 1 Win, 2 Saves, 3.0 IP, 0 BB, 5 K, 0.00 ERA
Game of the Week
A thrilling walk-off win in the bottom of the 10th against Montreal on June 12 gets the nod as this week’s top game. The Blazers and Phantoms went into extra innings knotted at 3, and Esteban Velásquez – who recently regained the closer role – retired Montreal in order in the top of the 10th.
Blazers reliever Drees Geestman only faced one batter in the bottom of the inning, as 1B Emilio Lugo drilled a 1-0 hanging curveball 399 feet into the right center stands for a walk-off homer.
Starter Juan Nicto pitched effectively, going 7.2 innings allowing 6 hits and 3 runs – although just one of those was earned – with 8 Ks and 0 BBs.
News and Notes
The Wichita Aviators snapped Luis González’s 20-game hitting streak during a 7-1 Huntsville road victory on June 15. González went 0-4, but he was philosophical after the game: “Had to end sometime,” he said with a shrug. González is now slashing .374/.427/.553 for the season, ranking among the JL’s hitting leaders … RP Justin Archer landed on the injured list with a sore shoulder, leaving Huntsville’s June 11 game against Montreal after facing just one batter. He walked SS Bernard Sarria on 6 pitches, then clutched his shoulder, which brought trainer Wakie Mellouk sprinting from the dugout. Archer, who has struggled mightily this season, will be sidelined for about 8 weeks and was placed on the team’s 60-day IL. He was replaced on the roster by RP Máximo Trevino, who was signed to a free agent contract on May 22 after being released by the Omaha Hawks … Huntsville signed several key members of its amateur draft class, including second round pick LF/SP Paul Kemp; third round pick RP Weston Etheridge; CL James Matarazzo, who was taken with a second round supplemental pick; and fourth round pick, RF Danny Bennett. All four players have joined the team’s Rookie League affiliate, the Monclova Aqua Sox. Organization officials said Kemp will start the season as a two-way player, slotted as the team's No. 2 starter and as a DH when he's not pitching … Huntsville has broken off talks with 5th round pick Regan O’Nary, rejecting his demand for a $2.2 million signing bonus, and with 20th round pick Murray Taylor, who announced his intention to attend college.
JL Southeast Division Standings
As of the morning of June 17, 2039
| Team | Wins | Losses | Win% | GB | RD |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| New Orleans | 40 | 28 | .588 | - | +58 |
| Louisville | 36 | 32 | .529 | 4.0 | +19 |
| Huntsville | 34 | 35 | .493 | 6.5 | -44 |
| Jacksonville | 33 | 37 | .471 | 8.0 | -9 |
| Nashville | 28 | 42 | .400 | 13.0 | -40 |
AAA Carolina stumbled a bit during a short week of games, due to the Rupert Horn League All-Star Game on June 12. The Flight went 1-3 on the week, bringing its season record to 35-28, 3 games behind Gotham in the East Coast Division … CF Howard James and C Sergio Hernández represented Carolina at the All-Star game. James walked in his only plate appearance, while Hernández singled in his sole at-bat … Beloit went 3-1 in a week shortened by the annual Warren Cox League All-Star Game on June 12, lifting its record above .500 for the year. The Blue Sox are 34-32, 10 games behind Mid-Central Division leader Duluth … 2B José Silva was Beloit’s only representative at the All-Star game, and he made his presence felt with a 2-run homer in the bottom of the 5th inning. Silva is slashing .282/.378/.542 with 11 HRs and 35 RBIs on the season … Like the other minors, the Class A Charley Pegler League had its annual All-Star Game last week, meaning a short schedule of games for Grand Junction. The Gold Sox went 2-2 on the week, bringing its record to 28-35, good for 2nd place in PL West Central Division. Grand Junction trails division leader Aspen by 4 games … RF Pete McGrath was the only Gold Sox player selected to the the All-Star team, and he popped out to the catcher in his only at-bat in the bottom of the 8th inning.
