Valencia Stars Report: 3rd place | 71-74 (.490) # 6

[leejay56]

The Stars are 3 games under .500 with a few weeks to play...Injuries have really hurt the Stars the last month especially with there Starting pitching..
5 Stars pitchers are out with injury with # 2 starter Bob Blaisdell hurting the most...
Rookie relief pitcher Felipe Cruz is the latest injury victim... To date this season Cruz has a 3.14 ERA , He has held the opposition to a .220 batting average and has 47 strikeouts in 48.2 innings. Cruz is expected to miss 4-5 months of action. He should be ready by opening day next year...

Starting Pitcher Brian Middleton has
accepted the Johnson League Pitcher of the Month award for August. Middleton racked up an impressive 4-0 won-lost record in 6 starts. This month he fanned 45 batters in 50.1 innings and compiled a 1.43 ERA. Over all he is 13-9, 3.31 era, 193 K's in 241 innings.... His best game last month Middleton pitches a 6-hit shutout against the Chicago Black Sox with 7 strikeouts and 0 BB allowed...

Top spec catcher/DH Jason Dunn finally got called up after tearing apart AAA pitching...At San Jose this year Dunn hit .354 15 homers and 80 Rbis....In his first week the 21 year old did well as in 21 AB Dunn collected 8 hits, 2 doubles and hit his first homer...The Stars are still lacking in all offensive categories are hoping Dunn will help out...

Rookie SS Jared Stuart is having a great few weeks in September...Stuart is hitting .344 with 3 doubles and 3 homers in September and overall Stuart is hitting .263 8 homers 25 rbis, in 62 games....
In a game last week Stuart hit 2 home runs against the Omaha Barnstormers, going 2-3 with 3 RBI and 2 runs scored.

1B/DH Vicente Medrano leads the Stars with a .304 batting average and hits with 146..Medrano showed some good power as he hit 2 home runs against the California Crusaders, going 2-4 with 3 RBI and 2 runs scored in a game a few days ago....