Montero hits walk-off HR as SWB ekes out a win

Got a few notes, so let’s bullet point it…

• Jason Hirsh was named the Triple-A International League Pitcher of the Week. I believe that’s the fourth SWB pitcher to win the award in the last five weeks. Melky Mesa took home High-A Florida State League Offensive Player of the Week honors.
• Jon Albaladejo was voted as the best reliever in the IL according to Baseball America (subs. req’d). Eduardo Nunez was dubbed the Best Defensive Shortstop and as having the Best Infield Arm.
• Gary Sanchez got a mention from Kevin Goldstein in today’s Minor League Update (subs. req’d). “He’s got a plus-arm, but his release is long and slow. The difference between him and Jesus Montero—another Yankees’ catching prospect that competes to be ‘the next Jorge Posada—is that Sanchez has more athleticism. That’s good, but there’s work to be done.”
• Unsurprisingly, the Yankees continue to talk with fourth round pick Mason Williams. He’s reportedly looking for a $2M bonus, basically top ten money, even though he is far from that kind of talent.
• Tim Norton is done for a season with a lat injury. Poor guy has no luck when it comes to health, but at least it’s not his shoulder again.

I don’t think I’ve updated the standings at all this year, so let’s do that now (these do not reflect today’s games)…

Triple-A Scranton (2-1 win over Pawtucket, walk-off style) 68-47, lead the division by 7.5 games
Kevin Russo, 2B: 1 for 4, 1 R, 1 K
Colin Curtis, CF: 0 for 4, 1 K
Jesus Montero, C: 3 for 4, 1 R, 1 HR, 2 RBI – walk-off two run shot off a guy who was in the bigs earlier this year … the legend grows
Juan Miranda, 1B & Chad Huffman, LF: both 1 for 3 – Huffman K’ed twice
Jorge Vazquez, DH, Eduardo Nunez, SS & Eric Bruntlett, 3B: all 0 for 3 – JoVa K’ed twice, Bruntlett once
Greg Golson, RF: 0 for 2, 1 BB, 1 SB – threw a runner out at second
The Ghost of Kei Igawa: 5.2 IP, 6 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 0 BB, 7 K, 4-6 GB/FB – 60 of 75 pitches were strikes (80%) … he didn’t go to a three ball count all night … I must say, what a freaking performance
Zack Segovia: 1.1 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 0 BB, 0 K, 1-2 GB/FB – 16 of 20 pitches were strikes
Royce Ring: 1 IP, zeroes, 1 K, 1-1 GB/FB – six of his eight pitches were strikes … if he was in another organization, he’d probably have been called up already
Jon Albaladejo: 1 IP, 3 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 0 BB, 0 K, 1 HB, 1-1 GB/FB – 11 of his 20 pitches were strikes

Double-A Trenton had a scheduled off day. They’re 68-47 and lead the division by one game.

High-A Tampa (4-2 loss to Daytona) 63-45, lead the division by four games
Ray Kruml, LF: 2 for 4, 2 K – got picked off first
Jose Pirela, SS: 1 for 3, 1 R, 1 2B, 1 BB – bet you didn’t know that the only guys in the organization with more walks than him (48) are Mark Teixeira (66), Brett Gardner (49) & Austin Krum (49)
Bradley Suttle, 3B: 1 for 3, 1 RBI, 1 BB
Melky Mesa, CF & Addison Maruszak, 1B: both 0 for 4 – Mesa K’ed once, Maruszak twice
Zoilo Almonte, RF: 2 for 4, 1 R, 1 HR, 1 RBI, 1 K, 1 SB
Jack Rye, DH: 1 for 4, 1 K
Jose Gil, C: 1 for 3, 1 K
Shaeffer Hall: 5 IP, 6 H, 3 R, 3 ER, 0 BB, 5 K, 7-2 GB/FB
Adam Olbrychowski: 2 IP, zeroes, 1 K, 0-4 GB/FB – just 39 H in 55 IP
Trenton Lare: 1 IP, 1 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 1 BB, 2 K, 1 WP, 0-2 GB/FB

Low-A Charleston (7-4 loss to Savannah) 53-59, nine games back
Slade Heathcott, CF, Neil Medchill, LF, Kelvin Castro, SS & Emerson Landoni, 2B: all 0 for 4 – Heathcott & Medchill each K’ed twice, Landoni once … Slade also drew a walk, swiped a bag & committed a throwing error
Kevin Mahoney, 3B: 1 for 4, 1 R, 1 2B, 2 K
J.R. Murphy, C: 2 for 4, 2 R, 1 HR, 1 RBI, 1 K, 1 PB – 15 for his last 42 (.357) with a double, a triple, three homers, six walks & six strikeouts … he’s settling in nicely
Rob Lyerly, DH & DeAngelo Mack, RF: both 2 for 3, 1 RBI, 1 BB – Lyerly stole a base & scored a run … Mack threw a runner out at second
Luke Murton, 1B: 1 for 4, 1 RBI, 2 K
Jose Ramirez: 5.1 IP, 8 H, 6 R, 5 ER, 1 BB, 5 K, 1 WP, 1 HB, 8-2 GB/FB – had allowed three or fewer runs in his last eight starts
Jairo Heredia: 1.2 IP, 5 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 0 BB, 1 K, 2-0 GB/FB
Ryan Acosta: 2 IP, 2 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 0 BB, 2 K, 3-1 GB/FB

Short Season Staten Island (8-7 win over Williamsport, walk-off style) 22-24, 10.5 games back
Eduardo Sosa, CF: 1 for 3, 1 R, 2 RBI, 3 BB, 2 K – eight walks & eight strikeouts in his last nine games
Shane Brown, LF: 2 for 5, 1 RBI, 1 BB, 1 K – picked off first
Kyle Roller, 1B: 2 for 4, 1 R, 1 RBI, 2 BB, 1 K – walk-off walk
Kelvin DeLeon, RF & Mike Ferraro, DH: both 1 for 5, 1 R – DeLeon K’ed twice, Ferraro thrice … Ferraro also drove in a run
Garrison Lassiter, 3B & Jose Mojica, SS: both 1 for 3, 1 BB – Lassiter got hit by a pitch, stole a base, drove in two & committed a fielding error … Mojica scored a run & K’ed twice
Luis Parache, 3B: 2 for 5, 2 R, 1 HR, 1 RBI, 3 K – second homer in his last six games, giving him three on the year … he hit zero last season in the Dominican Summer League
Nick McCoy, C: 3 for 5, 1 R, 1 2B, 1 K, 1 PB, 1 E (throwing) – five for his last ten
Kramer Sneed: 2 IP, 5 H, 5 R, 2 ER, 1 BB, 4 K, 1 WP, 1-1 GB/FB  – topped out at 91 mph
Mike Gipson: 3 IP, 3 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 1 BB, 5 K, 2 WP, 2-2 GB/FB
Andy Shive: 2 IP, 1 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 3 BB, 4 K, 1 WP, 1-1 GB/FB
Rich Martinez: 2 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 0 BB, 2 K, 3-1 GB/FB

Rookie GCL Yanks (4-1 loss to GCL Tigers) 19-24, six games back
Jose Toussen, LF: 0 for 3, 1 BB
Cito Culver, SS: 0 for 4, 4 K, 1 E (fielding) – y-y-yikes
Ramon Flores, 1B & Jhorge Liccien, C: both 0 for 4 – Flores K’ed twice
Damian Taveras, DH & Kelvin Duran, CF: both 1 for 3, 1 BB, 1 K – Duran stole a base & came around to score
Anderson Feliz, 2B & Jose Rosario, 3B: both 1 for 4 – Feliz K’ed once, Rosario twice … Feliz also swiped a bag & got caught trying to steal another
Jorge Alcantara, LF: 1 for 3, 2 K, 1 E (fielding) – got picked off first … just up from the Dominican Summer League, where he was hitting .331/.433/.534 in ~150 plate appearances
Juan Marcano: 5 IP, 7 H, 2 R, 2 ER, 0 BB, 7 K, 5-3 GB/FB – 29-5 K/BB ratio in 30.2 IP
Freddy Lewis: 2 IP, 3 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 0 BB, 3 K, 3-0 GB/FB
Joel Marte: 2 IP, 1 H, 2 R, 2 ER, 1 BB, 2 K, 1 HB, 4-0 GB/FB – plunked Jim Leyland’s kid with a pitch