Bunts and Balks (7/12)

Kyle Drabek (representing the US) and Yohan Flande (representing the non-US portions of the World) each pitched a scoreless inning in Sunday's Futures Game. It was worth waiting through a four-hour rain delay to watch the top prospects play an exciting seven-inning game.
Drabek retired the side in order in the top of the second, on only eleven pitches. Drabek looked awesome, with low 90's velocity, and tremendous command.
Flande followed in the bottom of the frame, allowing a pair of singles, but no runs. Flande also looked good, striking out two, and mixing a low 90s fastball, with a mid-80s change. Hopefully, Toronto GM J.P. Ricciardi liked what he saw from Flande, and Phillies GM Ruben Amaro considers Drabek untouchable.

The Lehigh Valley IronPigs (AAA) completed the first half of their season on Sunday, with a 5-3 loss to the Rochester Red Wings.
The FeHogs were tied, 3-3, in the bottom of the eighth, but usually-reliable reliever Cedrick Bowers gave up two runs (on three hits, one walk), while only procuring two outs. Starter Carlos Carrasco pitched adequately, permitting three runs in six and two-thirds innings (six hits, one walk/six strikeouts, two home runs allowed). Bowers stranded the two runners he inherited from Carrasco in the seventh.
The FeHogs have a 43-47 record, and are nine games out of first place.

The Reading Phillies (AA) were destroyed by the Harrisburg Senators, 10-3.
The Senators scored five times in the second inning, and four more in the sixth. R-Phils starter Vance Worley destroyed his season stat line, permitting nine runs (on eleven hits!) in only five and one-third innings. (Worley's ERA is now 4.33.) The R-Phils were out-hit seventeen to three.

During the R-Phils' internet broadcasts, the uniforms of the the two teams, as well as the ballpark, are often described in great detail.
Usually, this is done in the first inning, in a few quick, fluid, and meticulous sentences. Very helpful for AA neophytes, such as this replacement-level blogger, who are not always familiar with the uniforms and ballparks at that level. Terrific job, R-Phils!

The Clearwater Threshers (A) were dominated by the Daytona Cubs, 12-2.
The Threshers fell behind 10-1, after four innings. (I turned off the internet broadcast at that point. If the Threshers had their own broadcast, and didn't force us to listen to the opposition's announcers, I might have made it longer.)
Threshers' starter Drew Naylor survived only two innings, giving up five runs (four earned), on five hits and five walks (zero strikeouts). After posting sub-3.00 ERAs in each of the past two months, Naylor has an ERA of 6.00 in July (three starts).
Steve Susdorf supplied most of the Threshers' offense, with three of their five hits, including his second homer. Susdorf's BA had dropped below .400, as a result of a 1 for 8 slump, but he is back at .403, after his 3 for 4 on Sunday.
The Threshers play the Cubs again on Monday night. The Threshers' site lists Chris Carpenter as the scheduled starter for Daytona. Carpenter threw six strong innings on Sunday, but the Threshers may have more success on Monday, especially considering that he will be pitching on zero-days' rest. Tune in to the Daytona Cubs' broadcast-game time is 7:05pm.