By Rick Mariotti
Minor Leagues Beat Writer
Chicago Sports Online
Beloit, WI – It was a bad week in Wisconsin.
The Blue Sox stumbled to a 2-4 finish in Week 10, losing the final game of a series with the Charleston Clippers (Vancouver), dropping 2 of 3 on the road to the Weymouth Irish (Boise), and then splitting two at home against the Memphis Chicks (Brooklyn).
In a week where highlights were few and far between, the June 7 shutout victory over Memphis stood out like a beacon blazing on a hill. Or, more likely, a Dumpster blazing in an alley.
But we digress.
Felipe Méndez threw a 4-hit shutout against the Chicks, going 9 innings with 0 walks and 6 strikeouts. His PQS score for the game: 5. For the season, Méndez is 7-5 with a 3.04 ERA, 69 strikeouts and 24 walks in 91.2 IP over 12 starts.
In the absence of injured starter Andresa Frederico, who went down in the first week of the season with a torn labrum, Méndez has emerged as the ace of the staff.
Whether the 22-year-old Costa Rican can be considered a BBA prospect is questionable (the BBA Scouting Consortium pegs his potential skill ratings at just 5/6 stuff; 2/2 movement; and 5/5 control), but he’s carving out a nice season for himself at the AA level.
And for now, that’s all the Sox can ask of him.
Week 10 Scores
At Beloit
06/02: Charleston 5, Beloit 2
At Weymouth
06/03: Weymouth 6, Beloit 5
06/04: Weymouth 6, Beloit 4
06/05: Beloit 5, Weymouth 3
At Beloit
06/07: Beloit 2, Memphis 0
06:08: Memphis 10, Beloit 4
Record as of June 8
W-L Record for Week 10: 2-4
Overall Record: 33-31, .516
Position in Standings: In 4th Place in the DNL Mid-Central Division, 5 games behind Duluth.
Position Players of Interest
| Player | Slash Line | OPS | HR | RBI | WAR |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hao Hang, LF ** | .359/.419/.852 | 1.271 | 20 | 39 | 2.7 |
| Ricardo Torres, RF | .289/.351/.562 | .9113 | 16 | 41 | 1.8 |
| Juan Lozano, SS | .237/.310/.388 | .698 | 3 | 17 | 0.5 |
| Spencer Hillson, C | .249/.338/.351 | .689 | 3 | 16 | 0.7 |
| Juan De La Cruz, 3B | .270/.308/.423 | .731 | 3 | 28 | 0.4 |
| Danny Bennett, LF | .202/.258/.416 | .673 | 4 | 10 | -0.4 |
| Pitcher | ERA | W-L-SV | IP | K's | BB's | WAR |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Andresa Frederico, SP* | 0.00 | 0-0 | 0.0 | 0 | 1 | 0.0 |
| Tsurayaki Saito, SP *** | 6.45 | 3-3 | 37.2 | 17 | 16 | 0.2 |
| Weston Etheridge, RP | 2.19 | 1-0-0 | 24.2 | 30 | 8 | 0.7 |
| James Matarazzo, RP | 3.27 | 2-1-4 | 22.0 | 18 | 8 | 0.3 |
| Francisco Salgado, CL**** | 2.00 | 1-1-13 | 18.0 | 19 | 2 | 0.7 |
| Felipe Méndez, SP | 3.04 | 7-5 | 91.2 | 69 | 24 | 2.0 |
** Promoted to AAA Carolina on May 12
*** Demoted to Grand Junction on May 12
**** Promoted to AAA Carolina on May 19