You’ve Got Mail: After The Draft
Topics include the wide receiver room and the science behind draft trades
07
May
07
May
Phoenix Rising forward Jason Johnson out 4-6 months
Phoenix Rising FC announced Monday that forward Jason Johnson will miss four-to-six months due to a lower-body injury.
Johnson exited in the first half against Sacramento Republic FC on April 27.
One of the bright spots for Rising the past two seasons, Johnson had nine goals in 33 appearances last season, the third-most on the team. In the previous campaign, Johnson led the club in goals with 13.
In eight appearances and four starts this season, his three goals are tied for second on the club.
With the signing of forward Junior Flemmings and return of First-Team All-USL forward Solomon Asante, Johnson spent the beginning of the season in a super-substitute role and was making an impact doing so.
His goal in the 93rd minute of the season opener against San Antonio FC salvaged a point for Phoenix Rising. He did the same the following week against New Mexico United, scoring in the 71st minute for a 3-3 draw.
Johnson found his way into the starting lineup in his last three appearances before his injury, including starting up front alongside Flemmings and Asante in his two previous matches.
In four months time, Rising’s schedule leaves a total of six league matches left on the schedule before the playoffs begin.
07
May
Deandre Ayton will attend 2019 NBA Draft Lottery representing Suns
Phoenix Suns center Deandre Ayton will act as the team’s representative during the 2019 NBA Draft Lottery on Tuesday, May 14.
He will replace Josh Jackson, who last season attended the event for the Suns as they earned the No. 1 pick, which was later used to select Ayton.
The first four picks of the draft will be drawn based on lottery odds of 14 non-playoff teams, and the remaining 10 will fall into a default order based on worst-to-best record. Phoenix has the third-best overall odds and like the New York Knicks and Cleveland Cavaliers holds a 14% shot at winning the lottery.
The prize? Zion Williamson, the 6-foot-6, 285-pound Duke product and clear-cut top talent in the draft class.
After Williamson, Murray State point guard Ja Morant and Duke playmaking forward R.J. Barrett are considered the next-best prospects. Those three players are by no means guaranteed to be available to the Suns.
Each of the Knicks, Cavs and Suns have a 47.9 percent chance of falling out of the top four. Phoenix lost a tiebreaker to Cleveland after the two teams finished the 2018-19 season with 19-63 record and can fall all the way to the seventh pick in a worst-case scenario.
This lottery is the first under a new set of lottery rules formed to prevent teams from actively tanking in order to secure a higher draft pick.
Here is a look at final odds for the top three teams in the NBA Draft Lottery.
| Lottery seed | Team | Record | Odds | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1st | 2nd | 3rd | 4th | 5th | 6th | 7th | |||
| 1 |  |
17-65 | .140 | .134 | .127 | .120 | .479 | – | – |
| 2 |  |
19-63 | .140 | .134 | .127 | .120 | .278 | .200 | – |
| 3 |  |
19-63 | .140 | .134 | .127 | .120 | .148 | .260 | .070 |
07
May
ESPN’s Wojnarowski: Suns hire of Monty Williams surprised Lakers
Already, the Phoenix Suns earned two wins by hiring head coach Monty Williams.
From a PR perspective, they got the man they reportedly targeted as their top choice to replace Igor Kokoskov. And within the ecosystem of the NBA offseason coaching carousel they did so in short time and beat out one of the largest players, the Los Angeles Lakers, for Williams’ services.
The Lakers job was never reported to have been offered to Williams, but he did interview twice. As the Suns went into their second interview of Williams last Wednesday, the Los Angeles Times reported that both Williams and Ty Lue had impressed Lakers brass.
According to ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski, Los Angeles appeared quite close to offering Williams the chance to coach All-Star LeBron James. On The Woj Pod, Wojnarowski said that James did not tell Lakers management that he would prefer Lue, his former coach with the Cleveland Cavaliers, over Williams.
“He didn’t tell the Lakers you have to [hire Lue] because they were ready to move toward Monty Williams,” Wojnarowski said, “and I think the Lakers … never really took seriously the possibility he was going to take the Suns job and he did and I think — I know it surprised them.”
While Williams may not have been posed with the direct choice of picking the Suns over the Lakers, his quick acceptance of the Phoenix offer indicated just how poorly Los Angeles is being perceived as a franchise.
The unforeseen end-of-season departure of president of basketball operations Magic Johnson left the team without a lead voice, let alone one with a basketball resume leading the hiring process. now, owner Jeanie Buss and former agent Rob Pelinka are attempt to settle things down.
That dysfunction, one can imagine, played a huge role in Williams committing to the Suns once an offer was on the table.
“I think that’s the right choice. LeBron James has three, four years left in his career,” said former All-Star Tracy McGrady on ESPN’s The Jump. “This is a great core group … these guys are only getting better. Devin Booker is going into his prime. I think he’ll do wonders for those young core guys.”
McGrady’s ESPN colleague Brian Windhorst agrees.
While overlooking a concerning past history for the Suns under owner Robert Sarver, who has fired three permanent head coaches and one GM in the past five years, Phoenix’s roster brings appeal.
“I’m very excited about Booker and Ayton,” Windhorst told Bickley & Marotta on 98.7 FM Arizona’s Sports Station. “Just looking at what you have, young stars in-house, good pick coming, market that you can get free agents in … there’s a lot of boxes to check where this is good job, good job, good job, good job.
“I think it’s a better job than the Lakers job,” Windhorst added. “Now if the Lakers get the No. 2 pick in the lottery and trade for Anthony Davis on June 15, then it’s a different conversation. But today, in the vacuum that we’re in right now, I feel like the Suns job was the better job, and that’s probably why Monty Williams was glad to take it when it was offered.”
07
May
Diamondbacks modifying Archie Bradley’s role out of bullpen
The 2019 version of Archie Bradley out of the bullpen is not the one the Arizona Diamondbacks are used to.
While Bradley’s ERA doubled in 2018 from 1.73 to 3.64, he was still doing a strong job of not allowing many baserunners.
Bradley’s WHIP only raised slightly from 1.04 to 1.14. He led the team in WHIP for 2017 and was second in the bullpen behind Yoshihisa Hirano last year.
This season, though, Bradley can’t seem to produce clean innings. He allowed at least two batters to reach base in each of his first nine outings before his 10th appearance on April 27 was his first 1-2-3 of the season.
This trend of allowing hitters on eventually caught up to him on Sunday when three hits and a walk to the Colorado Rockies resulted in four earned runs and his third loss of the season.
Bradley’s WHIP is now at a frightening 1.86, the worst on the team and the 17th-highest in all of baseball across the 196 qualified relievers.
For comparison, Bradley has thrown 14.0 innings, and last year, left-hander Jake Diekman had a similar 1.81 WHIP in 14.1 innings.
This development, unsurprisingly, is leading to D-backs manager Torey Lovullo adjusting Bradley’s role.
More numbers back the decision up.
Per Fangraphs, Bradley’s pitch value on his fastball has dropped the past three seasons from 16.1 to 7.8 and all the way down to -5.5 this season in wFB (fastball runs above average).
Bradley’s overall command and percentage of pitches in the strike zone has also seen a decline. A 51.6% mark in 2017 had a slight dip to 47% last season, but that number is now far lower to 41.5% this season.
Despite the struggles of an important piece like Bradley, the D-backs’ bullpen has remained relatively afloat for the time being. Prior to Monday’s action, it ranks 21st in opposing batting average, 16th in WHIP, 13th in BABIP and 18th in ERA.
The D-backs kick off a three-game series in Tampa Bay against the Rays on Monday.
06
May
Bengals WR A.J. Green calls Cardinals’ Patrick Peterson the best CB
Receiver A.J. Green’s career, and success, has run parallel to cornerback Patrick Peterson’s.
Both spent three years in the SEC from 2008-10 before leaving for the NFL. They went back-to-back with the fourth and fifth picks in the draft.
Both earned Pro Bowl nods in their first seven professional seasons before the Cincinnati Bengals shut down an injured Green last year, limiting him to nine games.
Safe to say they know each other well despite playing one another just four times dating back to their first year in college. Green believes Peterson, 30, remains the best in his prime.
“I feel like he’s the best corner, personally,” Green told Adam Schefter on ESPN’s The Adam Schefter Podcast. “I think he’s big, he’s fast, he has great ball skills. When you have a corner who has all those three, it’s hard to beat them.”
The two haven’t squared off since 2015, when Green finished with four catches for 79 yards on 12 targets in a 34-31 Cardinals win. Peterson had two tackles and a pass defensed in that outing.
Before that, the two hadn’t met since their rookie season in 2011. Green had two catches for 25 yards in that one, while Peterson finished with a tackle and two passes defensed.
A bit more seasoned, the two stars will get a chance to play in Arizona’s fifth game of 2019. The Cardinals visit the Bengals on Sunday, Oct. 6.
Green comes off a toe injury that made for his first career season finishing under 964 receiving yards. Peterson, meanwhile, enters 2019 with evidence of discontent in Arizona dating back to last season and playing under his third defensive coordinator in the past three years.
06
May
By the numbers: D-backs could be MLB’s best road team
The Arizona Diamondbacks have been on an absolute tear, having won 14 of their last 19 games.
The hot streak stems from their offensive production at the plate.
Arizona has one of the best offenses in the league, but the team oddly enough is better on the road than at Chase Field.
Here is a look at the D-backs’ 2019 season through May 5 by the numbers:
BOTH HOME AND ROAD GAMES
5.50
The Diamondbacks have averaged 5.50 runs scored per game thus far. That number ranks fourth in MLB and second in the NL. The only NL team that has a better runs scored per game average is the Chicago Cubs with 5.90.
187
Arizona has scored 187 runs this season, which ranks fourth in MLB and second in the NL. The D-backs only trail the Dodgers in the NL, as Los Angeles has scored 191 runs this year.
1
The D-backs’ offense leads MLB in hits and doubles with 326 and 85, respectively.
2
Arizona has posted a season batting average of .267 to go along with 52 home runs and 179 RBI. The Diamondbacks’ batting average ranks first and second in the NL and MLB, respectively.
52
The D-backs are one of the league’s best home run hitting teams, as Arizona’s 52 big flies on the year are good enough to rank tied for sixth in baseball and tied for third in the NL.
.485
The D-backs are also among the league’s best in slugging percentage (.485) and OPS (.831). Arizona’s slugging percentage is the third-best in MLB, but the Diamondbacks own that crown in the NL while their OPS ranks fourth in the majors and second in the NL.
ONLY ROAD GAMES
Arizona has played 20 of its first 34 games on the road this season, which is tied for the second-most in baseball and tied for the most in the NL alongside division rivals in the Dodgers and Colorado Rockies. While that inflates the totals, they’re clearly producing.
HITTING
1
Arizona is MLB’s best road team in total bases (377), hits (208), runs scored (121-tie) and doubles (54).
.281
The team has a higher batting average on the road (.281) compared to its .245 average in the Valley. The D-backs’ .281 away average is the best in baseball.
2
The D-backs have nearly doubled their RBI count on the road versus at home, as Arizona has batted in 117 runs on the road while only mustering 62 at home. The Diamondbacks’ RBI count on the road is MLB’s second-best and the NL’s best.
3
Of the Diamondbacks’ 52 home runs this season, 35 of those have come on the road, which ranks third in MLB and first in the NL.
.509
The Diamondbacks are also in MLB’s top three for road slugging percentage (.509) and OPS (.843). Arizona’s slugging percentage is the second-best in MLB and the best in the NL, while its OPS ranks third in the majors and second in the NL, just .19 points behind the Cubs (.862). The D-backs boast the NL’s third-best road on-base percentage of .334 as well.
06
May
Football Outsiders: Cardinals O-line remains biggest hole
Cardinals general manager Steve Keim hinted that he wouldn’t overspend during this rare offseason in which he had plenty of cap space to burn through.
Keim signed linebacker Jordan Hicks, the team’s most talented offseason addition, but at a value compared to the free agent counterparts on the market.
The team also inked a three-year deal with cornerback Robert Alford, who is coming off his most disappointing season yet. He attributed that to a nearly year-long ankle injury.
On the offensive side of the ball, Arizona went after bargain receivers like Kevin White and low-cost offensive linemen coming off injuries in J.R. Sweezy and Max Garcia. Also along the line, the Cardinals dealt a sixth-round pick for tackle Marcus Gilbert, another player coming off injury.
The NFL Draft did more than fill holes at receiver, but as the offseason roster turnover comes to a crawl, the biggest hole heading into this offseason remains, according to Football Outsiders’ Vince Verhei. Even though Arizona did a lot of work to restructure the offensive line for first-year coach Kliff Kingsbury, too many red flags remain.
In February, we wrote about how the Cardinals’ offensive line was ravaged by injuries last year, with every starter on IR or cut by the first week of December. Arizona’s solution to this problem was to trade for Pittsburgh’s Marcus Gilbert (who missed 11 games last year and nine in 2017) and sign J.R. Sweezy (who missed all of 2016 with a back injury and couldn’t stick with Tampa Bay or Seattle since then) in free agency. That duo will start along with D.J. Humphries and right guard Justin Pugh, who have each missed more than 20 games over the past three years, and A.Q. Shipley, who will turn 33 this month and coming off a torn ACL. The draft produced little help save for a pair of late-round fliers. Kyler Murray may soon face the same pressure that pushed Josh Rosen out of Arizona.
To some degree, the Cardinals did add to the offensive line depth in the draft. It just came after they’d selected three receivers.
In the sixth round, they drafted Georgia center Lamont Gaillard, who also has the versatility to slide to either guard spot. With the first pick in the seventh round, they took Morgan State’s Joshua Miles, a project who projects as a tackle or guard.
Arizona also has 2018 third-round pick Mason Cole adding center and potentially guard depth. Tackle and 2018 seventh-round pick Korey Cunningham also returns for his second season after inspiring hope he could be a future piece last season.
Still, the draft combined with the injury history of the projected starters isn’t so comforting.
“I think some people were questioning … the second-round pick of (cornerback Byron) Murphy, not (taking) an offensive tackle when you have some guys there like Cody Ford, Jawaan Taylor and others,” ESPN draft analyst Mel Kiper Jr. told Doug & Wolf on 98.7 FM Arizona’s Sports Station.
Kiper still gave Arizona a B+ grade on the entire draft.
Following the draft, Keim said the chips didn’t fall in place for the Cardinals to draft an offensive lineman in the middle rounds after leading off the draft by selecting quarterback Kyler Murray.
“It was almost like there were some really high-rated offensive linemen and then all of a sudden it dipped, and then there were some who were value picks in the backend,” Keim said. “Only time will tell, but that’s how our board fell.”
Time will also tell whether his many gambles on buy-low veterans with injury histories will pan out as Arizona ushers in a rookie head coach, and leading Kingsbury’s offense, a rookie quarterback.
06
May
Bradley allows 5 runs in 8th inning as D-backs drop series finale to Rockies
DENVER (AP) — Raimel Tapia hit a tying, bases-loaded triple and scored the go-ahead run during a five-run eighth inning, and the Colorado Rockies beat the Arizona Diamondbacks 8-7 on Sunday.
The rally salvaged the finale of the three-game series and ended Arizona’s six-game road winning streak. Eduardo Escobar and Blake Swihart homered for the Diamondbacks.
The Rockies trailed 7-3 when they loaded the bases with no outs against reliever Archie Bradley (1-3). David Dahl walked on a full count and Tapia tripled to left.
Ryan McMahon followed with an RBI single through a pulled-in infield.
“I was trying to go up and in, and I think it was just middle-up,” Bradley said.
“Really since the first hitter, just kind of really didn’t have good stuff and was just trying to make some pitches here and there. When you fall behind like, no outs, guys are going to be super aggressive and that’s what they did.”
Scott Oberg (1-0) allowed two runs in the eighth but got the win, and Wade Davis got the final three outs for his fifth save. It was just the sixth win in 15 home games for the Rockies.
Swihart came into the game hitting .071 but hit a two-run drive against starter German Marquez in the sixth to give Arizona a 5-3 lead. Marquez had tied it in the fifth with a two-run bloop single, but Zack Greinke worked out of the no-out jam without any further damage.
“Fundamentally I think we broke down in the eighth inning and we ended up absorbing a tough loss,” Diamondbacks manager Torey Lovullo said.
Marquez struck out nine over six innings but allowed five runs and seven hits.
Escobar’s home run leading off the second tied it at 1, and Arizona took a two-run lead in the third on an RBI double by David Peralta and a sacrifice fly from Escobar.
UP NEXT
Diamondbacks: RHP Merrill Kelly (3-2, 3.60) will open a three-game series at Tampa Bay on Monday night.
Rockies: RHP Antonio Senzatela (2-1, 4.03) will face San Francisco LHP Madison Bumgarner when Colorado’s homestand continues on Tuesday.
06
May
D-backs Farm Rumblings: Clarke shines and gets the call from Arizona
Here’s your weekly look at what’s going on in the Arizona Diamondbacks’ minor league system, including one right-hander who is about to get his first big league start.
Reno Aces (Triple-A Pacific Coast League)
For the Week: 4-3
For the Season: 13-17, third place in Pacific Northern Division, 2.0 games behind Sacramento
The Reno pitching staff put on a clinic Wednesday night in a 2-0 win over the Las Vegas Aviators. Right-hander Taylor Clarke, the D-backs’ number-10 prospect according to MLB.com, had easily his best start of 2019, going five scoreless innings, allowing just two hits while striking out one. Then the bullpen combo of Mark Rzepczynksi, Rubby De La Rosa and Jimmie Sherfy took over, allowing just one hit over the next four innings to complete the win.
Today’s Stat of The Day presented by @EideBaillyLLP
— Reno Aces (@Aces) May 2, 2019
Clarke, who made his Major League debut and picked up a three-inning save at Wrigley Field a little more than two weeks ago, got his third win of the season and lowered his ERA from 7.65 to 6.12 in the process. Clarke will be plugged into Arizona’s rotation for Tuesday’s game in Tampa Bay against the Rays.
Torey Lovullo announces that Taylor Clarke will make his first @MLB start on Tuesday in Tampa Bay. pic.twitter.com/F7Spp64rbu
— Arizona Diamondbacks (@Dbacks) May 4, 2019
Shortstop Domingo Leyba had a four-hit game Thursday night in a 6-3 loss to Las Vegas. Leyba had three singles and a home run in registering his first four-hit game since 2016 for Visalia.
Jackson Generals (Double-A Southern League)
For the week: 3-4
For the season: 15-14, tied for third place in North Division, 4.0 games behind Montgomery
Right-hander Matt Peacock, a 23rd-round pick out of South Alabama in 2017, got the ball rolling in the right direction by throwing four solid innings in a 3-1 win over Pensacola Monday night. Peacock did allow a run, but only two hits before giving way to the quartet of Tyler Mark, Lucas Luetge, Kevin Ginkel and Michael Kohn, who combined to allow just two hits over five innings. Ginkel picked up the win — his first of the year — while Kohn notched his sixth save. The 32-year-old veteran who was released by Minnesota in March of 2018 has allowed just one earned run in 14.1 innings out of the Generals’ bullpen. Opponents are batting just .125 against him this season.
NEWS: We are excited to name @jacksongenerals RHP @MichaelKohn58 the Southern League – @BCPowders Relief Pitcher of the Month!
DETAILS: https://t.co/R7ZXYe1hQt pic.twitter.com/numdbnIbzy
— The Southern League (@SLeagueBaseball) May 2, 2019
After dropping three straight to the Tennessee Smokies to start a series, the Generals broke out big-time Friday night knocking out 18 hits in a 16-9 win. Jackson had scored a total of five runs in the first three contests, but exploded for six runs in the first to set the tone. Jazz Chisholm and Jamie Westbrook each hit their sixth home runs of the season. Westbrook, the Valley native who played at Basha High, led the way with four hits and three RBI.
Chisholm, the D-backs’ top prospect, continues to work his way out of a lengthy slump. The 21-year-old had a couple of solo home runs against Tennessee starter Cory Abbott in a 6-3 loss Saturday night. He hit another homer Sunday in a 3-0 win over Tennessee. Chisholm still has only 16 hits on the season, but nine of them have been home runs, which leads the Southern League. He hit 25 homers last season in 456 at-bats split between Kane County and Visalia.
Are you seeing double???
pic.twitter.com/RqUdtRHJDt
— Jackson Generals (@jacksongenerals) May 5, 2019
Top #Dbacks prospect Jazz Chisholm continued his all or nothing trend with two more jacks for Double-A Jackson. #Orioles No. 2 prospect Ryan Mountcastle keeps rolling for Triple-A Norfolk.
More in the Roundup: https://t.co/3OQIOGP7T6 pic.twitter.com/qIAicKf9u3
— Minor League Baseball (@MiLB) May 4, 2019
Visalia Rawhide (High-A California League)
For the week: 4-3
For the season: 22-9, First place in North Division, 7.0 games ahead of Modesto
Japanese right-hander Shumpei Yoshikawa, whom the D-backs inked to a deal that included a $650,000 bonus last August, made his American professional debut Tuesday night in Stockton. The 24-year-old pitched three innings, allowed six hits and five earned runs while striking out four in a 5-3 loss. Yoshikawa had gone undrafted by Nippon Professional Baseball out of high school and pitched in an industrial league.
Second of four between the @stocktonports and @VisaliaRawhide. Japanese media in attendance to watch the professional debut of #DBacks prospect Shumpei Yoshikawa, who was signed by Arizona out of Japan’s industrial league. Listen here: https://t.co/qg9aqbYnBf
— Zack Bayrouty (@ZackBayrouty) May 1, 2019
Jeff Bain and Cole Bartlett, two right-handers Arizona found in the 2017 draft, combined on a gem in a 6-1 win over Stockton Thursday night. Bain went five innings, allowing just one run and three hits while striking out six and Bartlett worked four perfect innings with five punchouts for his second save of the season.
Visalia’s solid pitching carried over to Friday night when Matt Mercer and Justin Vernia combined to shut down Inland Empire in a 7-2 win. Mercer, Arizona’s 28th-ranked prospect according MLB.com, pitched six scoreless innings with eight strikeouts to pick up his first victory of the season. Vernia worked three innings and fanned six to pick up his first save. A bulk of the offense was supplied by Renae Martinez, who clubbed a three-run shot in the fourth inning to break the contest wide open. Martinez also had a two-homer game against Stockton on Monday night.
Matt Brill, a 24-year-old closer, hasn’t been much fun to hit against for California League foes this season. The 12th-round pick out of Appalachian State in 2017 is 2-0 on the year, with a 1.59 ERA and 21 strikeouts in 11.1 innings of work. He’s also converted four out of five save opportunities.
Rawhide closer @MattyDaddy25 has been nothing short of exceptional! He leads the team in saves (4) and that is good enough for third in the Cal League. https://t.co/O7doWOXA6i
— jillgearin (@jillgearin) May 1, 2019
Luis Alejandro Basabe started off last week with an honor, claiming Visalia’s second straight California League Player of the Week Award.
Luis Alejandro Basabe went 8-19 with 2 2Bs, 2 HRs, 8 RBIs, & 5 Rs this past week for @VisaliaRawhide – No doubt he is our Player of the Week. #MiLB @MiLB @Dbacks
— California League (@CalLeague1) April 29, 2019
Shortstop Camden Duzenack hit two home runs and drove in three runs in Visalia’s 5-3 over Inland Empire Sunday. Duzenack, a ninth-round pick out of Dallas Baptist in 2017, has clubbed four homers over his last four games and has seven round-trippers for the season, doubling his professional baseball total. His seven homers are tied for the California League lead with Lazaro Armenteros of Stockton and Luis Liberato of Modesto. For the week, Duzenack led all Arizona minor league players in home runs, RBI and OPS while batting .350 (7-for-20).
Kane County Cougars (Single-A Midwest League)
For the week: 3-3
For the season: 17-13, third place in Western Division, 2.0 games behind Quad Cities
Right-hander Jackson Goddard, a third-round pick out of Kansas last summer and the D-backs’ 29th-rated prospect, had been rolling along in 2019 — until Wednesday night that is. Goddard allowed six hits and four runs in a 10-4 loss to Fort Wayne. Prior to that night, Goddard had yielded just one earned run in 22 innings (a 0.41 ERA) in his first full year of pro ball. Even with the slip up, the 22-year-old’s ERA is still a sterling 1.73.
Lefty Franklyn Soriano got touched up for three runs while recording only four outs Thursday night against Fort Wayne, but the bullpen came through in a big way for the Cougars. Kenny Hernandez and Blake Workman combined on 7.2 innings of scoreless relief in a 4-3 win over the TinCaps. Workman, a right-hander picked by Arizona out of Cal State Fullerton in the 22nd round last summer, was nails, throwing three perfect innings with six strikeouts to earn his third save of the season. The Vegas native has allowed just one earned run in 11.2 innings in 2019.
The Chicago Tribune did a piece on reliever Andy Toelken, the 23-year-old right-hander who threw 4.2 innings in a combined Kane County no-hitter back on April 19. Interesting note on that game against Quad Cities — it was played on a neutral field in Peoria, Illinois, and Kane County pitching coach Mike Parrott claimed there were no more than 20 people in attendance.