Daily Recap: 7/4

The Indians signed RHP Preston Larrison to a free agent minor league contract on Friday. He will report to AAA Buffalo in the coming days. Larrison has spent his entire professional career in the Detroit Tigers organization after being selected in the 2nd round of the 2001 draft out of Evansville. He spent the entire 2008 season in relief at AAA Toledo where he went 2-2 w/a 3.31 ERA in 29 games (35.1IP, 29H, 13ER, 15BB, 19K, .240avg against) and recently exercised a free agent opt-out clause in his contact. He owns an 8-year minor league career record of 34-44 w/a 3.75 ERA in 198 games/103 starts (698.2IP, 291ER).

As expected, Akron made a pair of roster moves on Friday activating OF Nathan Panther and RHP T.J. Burton from the disabled list. The moves bring the Aeros to the limit of 24 active players.

K-Tribe sets a single game attendance record, beats Wilmington 5-2

A record crowd of 5,513 saw Kinston blow past the Blue Rocks of Wilmington 5-2 Friday night at Historic Grainger Stadium. The crowd was the most ever to see a Carolina League game at Grainger Stadium in Kinston’s 46 years in the Carolina League, eclipsing the record of 5,349 set on July 3rd of 1995.

The K-Tribe gave the record crowd something to cheer about early when Nick Weglarz drove home Jerad Head with a single in the first inning. Kinston let the big bats do the talking from there as Carlos Rivero hit a solo homerun, his third of the season, in the fourth inning. In the sixth, Weglarz struck again with a round tripper of his own. The solo shot was the Canadians eighth of the season. Weglarz went 2-for-4 with two RBIs. Beau Mills put a cap on the night with his team leading 12th home run, a two-run shot, in the bottom of the seventh.

Kinston starting pitcher Hector Rondon (7-3) was brilliant again, winning his fifth consecutive game. The 20-year-old Venezuelan went 6 2/3 innings, giving up just two hits while striking out eight. Rondon leads the Carolina League in strikeouts with 97 and has not lost a game since May 9th. Neil Wagner got his third save of the season, Matt Meyer picked up his fourth hold of the year. Wilmington starter Everett Teaford (4-2) took the loss for the Blue Rocks.

The K-Tribe hits the road, traveling to Winston-Salem Saturday for a three game road series. Game time 6pm as Kinston’s Carlton Smith takes the mound for the K-Tribe.

CAPTAINS AND INTIMIDATORS POSTPONED

(Kannapolis, NC) – The Lake County Captains game on Friday against the Kannapolis Intimidators has been postponed due to inclement weather. The game will be made up as part of a double header on Saturday at 5:05 PM. This is the eighth rain out for the Captains this year.

The Captains will send RHP Chris Archer (2-8, 4.05) to the mound against the Intimidators RHP Levi Maxwell (8-2, 3.51) in game one. In game two, the Captains will send LHP Ryan Morris (6-2, 3.27) to the mound against the Intimidators RHP Miguel Socolovich (2-3, 4.83). The All Captains games can be heard on AM 1330 WELW, WELW.COM or CAPTAINSBASEBALL.COM.

In Other Games...

- Buffalo lost 8-1. RHP Randy Newsom pitched 1.1 innings of scoreless relief giving up 1 hit, 1 walk and striking out 1. 1B Michael Aubrey went 2-for-4, 3B Morgan Ensberg went 2-for-4 with a 2B, and OF Brad Snyder went 0-for-4 with 2 strikeouts.

- Akron won 11-8 in 11 innings. RHP Steven Wright went 4 innings and allowed 2 runs on 6 hits and no walks while striking out 3. RHP Luis Perdomo blew the save in the 9th, going 1 inning and allowing 1 run on 2 hits, 1 walks and struck out 1. RHP Erik Stiller pitched 2 scoreless innings for the win allowing 1 hit and no walks while punching out 3. OF Bronson Sardinha went 3-for-5 with a HR and 2 RBI, 3B Wes Hodges went 0-for-2 with an RBI and 3 walks, 1B Stephen Head went 2-for-5 with 2 2Bs and 2 RBI, DH Matt Whitney went 2-for-6 with a HR and 4 RBI.

- Mahoning Valley lost 11-9. LHP Kaimi Mead went 3.2 innings and allowed 5 runs on 5 hits and 3 walks while striking out 3. Catcher Doug Pickens went 2-for-4 with 2 runs and an RBI, 1B Brock Simpson went 2-for-5 with a 2B and walk, 3B Jeremie Tice went 2-for-5 with 2B and walk, and 2B Isaias Velasquez went 2-for-4 with 3 runs and a walk.

- The GCL Indians lost 4-1. LHP Chris Jones went 5.2 innings and allowed 1 run on 3 hits and 3 walks and struck out 2. 3B Abner Abreu went 1-for-4 with a 2B and RBI, 1B Adam Abraham went 1-for-4 with 2 strikeouts, and DH Jason Smit went 0-for-3 with a strikeout.

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