South Atlantic League notebook

Asheville Tourists (Colorado Rockies)
THE WEEK IN REVIEW: The Tourists (24-18, second half; 70-42, overall) went 3-4 last week and were second in the SAL Southern, 2 1/2 games behind Augusta.

WHO'S HOT: 3B Darin Holcomb is hitting .328, third in the SAL. He also leads the SAL in RBIs (82) and hits (135), while his 40 doubles are tops in the Minors. ... RHP Connor Graham (9-4, 2.16) is fifth in the SAL ERA race. ... OF Mike Mitchell is eighth in the SAL batting race at .305. ... 2B Everth Cabrera recorded two steals, as his 62 lead both the SAL and the Minor Leagues. ... 1B Bo Bowman is hitting .327 (16-for-49) since joining the Tourists. ... RHP Randall Taylor (3-1, 3.38) registered two saves. His 28 tie for the SAL lead and are second in the Minors behind Double-A Birmingham's Jon Link, who has 29.

WHO'S NOT: OF Brian Lapin is battling at .190 after a 4-for-20 week. ... C Beau Seabury is mired at .174. ... A 6-for-35 slump has C Brian Aguailar at .173.

NEWS & NOTES: Bowman is a native of Gering, Neb., who was taken by the Rockies in the 22nd round of 2007 Draft out of Louisiana-Monroe. He hit .272 (51-47) at Casper after signing and began 2008 at Tri-City, hitting .338 (23-for-68) in 21 games before getting a shot at Asheville. He is showing a bit more power this season, with six blasts in 33 games and has hit well in the past with runners in scoring position. He is hoping to have a strong finish over the last month of the SAL season.

DID YOU KNOW? Holcomb has put together an outstanding season in Asheville, following up his .303 effort at Tri-City in 2007. A 12th-round pick in 2007 out of Gonzaga, he began to separate himself from the pack last summer by hammering the ball into gaps and showing some power with 12 home runs. The native of Spokane, Wash., is hitting .358 (48-for-134) with runners in scoring position and has recorded 70 of his RBIs in those situations. He's committed 14 errors in 91 starts at third base. He is 22-years-old, but with Ian Stewart ahead of him in Colorado, it will be interesting to see how his career progresses. The intangibles for success are there.

Augusta GreenJackets (San Francisco Giants)
THE WEEK IN REVIEW: The GreenJackets (26-15, second half; 67-43, overall) went 3-4 last week and led the SAL Southern, 2 1/2 games ahead of Asheville.

WHO'S HOT: LHP Madison Bumgarner (10-3, 1.51) won his lone start with seven scoreless innings and is third among SAL ERA leaders. ... LHP Ryan Paul (5-2, 3.13, 2 saves) picked up a win, two saves and struck out 12 in 6 1/3 scoreless innings last week. ... OF Shane Jordan's .324 (11-for-34) run in his last 10 games boosted his average to .260. He's also been successful on 30 of his 38 attempts to steal.

WHO'S NOT: C Nestor Rojas continues to battle at .173. ... C Elio Sarmiento is batting .150 (6-for-40). ... OF Dom Duggan is 3-for-16 since coming down from Class A Advanced San Jose.

NEWS & NOTES: The GreenJackets suffered a blow when LHP Andrew De La Garza (3.56), who had been pitching well of late and had had recorded eight saves, was placed on the disabled list. OF Charlie Culberson also was placed on the DL, retroactive to Aug. 1 like his teammate. ... The club also lost SAL ERA leader RHP Daryl Maday (9-4, 1.55), who was promoted to Double-A Connecticut. Maday made his second appearance and first start with the Defenders at Binghamton last Wednesday and allowed two runs in six innings. He joins 2007 Augusta stars RHP Adam Cowart and LHP Ben Snyder in the Connecticut rotation. ... RHP Mitch Lively joined the club from the Arizona League Giants.

DID YOU KNOW? Jordan, a 5-foot-7, 160-pound hustling type of player, is one of those late draft picks who just may pay dividends for San Francisco. A native of Sarasota, Fla., he was taken by the Giants in the 43rd round in 2007 after playing at Stetson. He had a solid season at Salem-Keizer in 2007, hitting .300 and swiping 15 bases in 18 attempts. He's picking it up in the SAL and putting himself into a position to be noticed, just what a 23-year-old player of his type needs to do in this league.

Charleston RiverDogs (New York Yankees)
THE WEEK IN REVIEW: The RiverDogs (19-21, second half; 64-46, overall) went 3-4 last week and were sixth in the SAL Southern, 6 1/2 games behind Augusta.

WHO'S HOT: OF Austin Krum's 9-for-21 run pushed his average to .265. ... C Jesus Montero's .310 average is seventh in the SAL. ... RHP Jon Ortiz (4-2, 2.09) had a win and a pair of saves. His 28 saves tie him for the SAL lead with Asheville's Randall Taylor and are second best in the Minors. ... C Austin Romine's .306 (11-for-36) effort in his last 10 games pushed his average to .280.

WHO'S NOT: IF Prilys Cuello is hitting .184 after a 2-for-12 week. ... OF Matt Morris is 2-for-20 since joining the club. ... RHP Adam Olbrychowski (5-6, 5.15) has allowed 17 earned runs in his last three starts.

NEWS & NOTES: It was "rehab week" with the RiverDogs, as Yankees RHPs Carl Pavano and Phil Hughes combined to limit Greenville to one run in 6 2/3 innings, in a 5-4 win at Greenville Saturday. Pavano made his second rehab start for Charleston and allowed one run on five hits in three innings. He threw 45 pitches -- 33 for strikes -- and struck out two with no walks. The right-hander surrendered an RBI double by Jered Stanley with two out in the first and left with a 2-1 lead. Hughes (2-0 with Charleston), also on an injury rehab assignment with the RiverDogs, took over in the fourth and shut down Greenville's offense on one hit and a walk over the next 3 2/3 innings. Hughes struck out five as he threw 54 pitches, including 37 strikes. The Yankees feel Hughes, who was 7-1, 1.97 for the RiverDogs in 2005, will work his way through a series of rehab starts and help the club before the 2008 season ends. The jury is still out on Pavano, whose contract expires at the end of the 2008 season.

DID YOU KNOW? RHP Jesse Hoover was promoted to Class A Advanced Tampa, while RHP Gabe Medina came down from Tampa for his fourth stint with the RiverDogs. Hoover is the third RiverDogs pitcher to be promoted to Tampa this season. In 55 innings, Hoover, the Yankees' fifth-round selection in 2005, allowed 26 runs -- 21 earned -- on 52 hits with 25 walks and 44 strikeouts. He has pitched well this season after missing two years with a back problem.

Columbus Catfish (Tampa Bay Rays)
THE WEEK IN REVIEW: The Catfish (21-17, second half; 48-60, overall) went 3-2, last week and were third in the SAL Southern, 3 1/2 games behind Augusta.

WHO'S HOT: RHP Jesse Darcy (4-3, 3.03) is ninth among SAL ERA leaders. ... 3B Greg Sexton's 10-for-24 run pushed his average to .299. He is 16-for-46 in his last 10 games. ... An 11-for-30 streak pushed DH/OF Shawn Williams' average to .277.

WHO'S NOT: C Mike McCormick is struggling at .218 after a 2-for-14 week. ... RHP Josh Johnson (3-7, 5.95) has allowed 52 earned runs in 78 2/3 innings. ... 1B Henry Wrigley's average has dropped to .249 after a 7-for-39 slump.

NEWS & NOTES: OF Quinn Stewart has certainly gotten his act back together with the Catfish, hitting .294 (42-for-143) in 41 games with Columbus after batting .189 (25-for-132) in an equal number of games at Class A Advanced Vero Beach. The native of San Diego will be 25 at the end of the 2008 season, and with the outfield talent in the Tampa Bay system, his future could go in any of several directions. He is at a key point in his career.

DID YOU KNOW? As the Catfish head into their final month in the SAL before the franchise is transferred to Bowling Green, Ky., the group that will assume control of the club is running a "Name the Team" contest. The winner will be awarded two 2009 season tickets and $500 worth of merchandise. The new group, under owner Art Solomon and minority owner Rick Brenner, also the general manager of the Double-A New Hampshire Fisher Cats, is pleased with the way the ground work is progressing in the Kentucky community. "It's going to be a great market for baseball," said Brenner.

Delmarva Shorebirds (Baltimore Orioles)
THE WEEK IN REVIEW: The Shorebirds (23-19, second half; 61-50, overall) went 4-3 last week and were third in the SAL Northern, six games behind West Virginia.

WHO'S HOT: RHP Sean Gleason (8-1, 2.77) allowed a single earned run in seven innings to win his lone start. He is sixth among SAL ERA leaders. ... IF Ryan Adams is hitting .303, 10th in the SAL. ... LHP Zach Britton (10-5, 2.77) is seventh among SAL ERA leaders and tied for second in wins. ... RHP Mick Mattaliano (2-2, 1.17) added two saves last week and is third in the SAL with 26.

WHO"S NOT: IF Pedro Florimon Jr. picked it up a bit, but is still stuck at .202 (38-for-188). ... LHP Nathan Nery (2-3, 5.28) has allowed 26 earned runs in 44 1/3 innings. ... OF Kieron Pope's 6-for-37 slide chopped his average to .223. He has struck out 124 times.

NEWS & NOTES: Gleason, who has allowed seven earned runs in his last five starts, spanning 38 innings, is on a roll and giving the Shorebirds quite a combination with Britton at the top of their rotation. He is 5-0 with a 2.85 ERA since the All-Star Break and is finishing in strong fashion. A 20th-round pick by Baltimore in 2007, Gleason, a native of Moraga, Calif., who played at St. Mary's (Calif.), was 5-4 with a 2.93 ERA at Bluefield a year ago. He has put himself on the radar with his effort this season. There is little reason, with the confidence and consistency that he has gained this season, why he won't be able to succeed at higher levels. The Orioles have to be pleased with both Gleason and 2007 Delmarva star RHP Brad Bergesen, who is having an excellent season with Double-A Bowie.

DID YOU KNOW? The Shorebirds are playing with 2005 star OF Paco Figueroa, who is passing back through on a rehabilitation assignment. He was solid in the Carolina League in 2006, earning All-Star honors at Class A Advanced Frederick, and batted .280 in 95 games at Bowie in 2007. The Miami (Fla.) native is 1-for-8 with Delmarva, but should regain his timing quickly. He is the twin brother of fellow Baltimore prospect Danny Figueroa.

Greensboro Grasshoppers (Florida Marlins)
THE WEEK IN REVIEW: The Grasshoppers (15-27, second half; 53-59, overall) went 2-5 last week and were seventh in the SAL Northern, 14 games behind West Virginia.

WHO'S HOT: OF Michael Stanton hit five homers in his last 10 games, giving him a league-leading 28, He is hitting .276 with 69 RBIs, tied for fourth in the SAL. ... RHP Andrew Battisto (6-1, 1.67) has allowed two earned runs in his last 15 2/3 innings. ... RHP Eric Basurto (1-2, 1.88) has allowed one earned run in his past 17 innings.

WHO'S NOT: C Torre Langley is battling at .194. ... 2B Daniel Garcia is struggling at .210 after a 3-for-18 week. ... RHP Chris Bodishbaugh (0-2l, 11.37) has allowed 24 earned runs in 19 innings.

NEWS & NOTES: IF Lonnie Lechelt, Florida's 21st-round selection in the 2008, recently joined the Grasshoppers and is 5-for-25 in his first six games in the SAL. A native of Corvallis, Ore., who studied business at Oregon State, he comes to the Marlins organization tagged as a leader from a winning program. He was promoted to Greensboro after hitting .215 at Jamestown. It will be interesting to see what he does over the final five weeks of the SAL season, as a player coming out of college right to professional baseball has many adjustments to deal with. Lechelt seems to have the right makeup for success.

DID YOU KNOW? The Grasshoppers lost SS Osvaldo Martinez to the disabled list just as he was going through his most consistent offensive streak of the season. The injury, however, gave Lechelt the chance to get a taste of a full season league. ... The Grasshoppers are 0-10 in Saturday home games in 2008.

Greenville Drive (Boston Red Sox)
THE WEEK IN REVIEW: The Drive (20-21, second half; 60-51, overall) went 3-3 and were fifth in the SAL Southern, six games behind Augusta.

WHO'S HOT: LHP Felix Doubront (12-6, 3.22) tossed six scoreless innings, striking out eight, to win his lone start. He leads the SAL in wins. ... RHP Chad Povich (8-3, 3.05) threw seven scoreless innings to win his second straight start. ... An 11-for-21 spurt pushed OF Ryan Kalish's average to .293 (95-for-324).

WHO'S NOT: 3B Manny Arambarris remains in a scuffle at .210 (59-for-281) after a 3-for-17 week. ... LHP Jose Alvarez (6-8, 5.87) has allowed 56 earned runs in 79 2/3 innings. ... LHP Michael Rozier (0-1, 21.60) has allowed 12 earned runs in five innings since joining the Drive.

NEWS & NOTES: RHP Brock Huntzinger was promoted from Lowell of the New York-Penn League to Greenville. Boston's third-round pick in 2007, Huntzinger was 5-0, 0.64 in the New York-Penn League, earning Pitcher of the Week Honors twice. The native of Pendleton, Ind., was drafted by Boston out of Pendleton Heights High after going 7-0 with a 0.16 ERA, the lowest ERA of any scholastic pitcher in the state of Indiana. Will he put up similar numbers in the SAL? The Red Sox are hoping so. The Drive are hoping several solid starts will allow them to contend for the second-half SAL Southern title.

DID YOU KNOW? The Drive also received C Peter Gilardo, who played at Dominican (N.Y.) College and is from Orangeburg, N.Y. He's a 45th-round pick from 2007 who comes to Greenville after hitting .294 in eight games with the Rookie Gulf Coast Red Sox. He is 1-for-17 in his first six games in the SAL and with both Juan Apodaca and Tyler Weeden sidelined is getting a shot at a full season league for the first time.

Hagerstown Suns (Washington Nationals)
THE WEEK IN REVIEW: The Suns (19-23, second half; 53-58, overall) went 2-5 and were fourth in the SAL Northern, 10 games behind West Virginia.

WHO'S HOT: IF Valerio Heredia got on track, hitting .440 (11-for-25) for the week to improve to .224 (24-for-107). ... LHP Tom Milone (0-0, 0.00) made his first start for the Suns and threw six scoreless innings in a no-decision. ... 3B Tim Pahuta has 12 RBIs in his last 10 games and is hitting .265 with 13 homers and 56 RBIs. ... OF Jesus Valdez is hitting .327 (17-for-52) since joining the club. ... RHP Dan Leatherman (1-1, 2.88) has allowed 11 earned runs in 34 1/3 innings.

WHO'S NOT: OF Mark Gildea is at .177 (36-for-203). ... RHP Cole Kimball (4-7, 5.83) has allowed 65 earned runs in 100 2/3 innings. ... RHP Juston Phillabaum (1-2, 6.46) has allowed 22 earned runs in 30 2/3 innings. ... A 7-for-39 skid has OF Robert Jacobsen at .143.

NEWS & NOTES: Milone, who was Washington's 10th-round pick in the recent 2008 Draft, is getting to the Suns at just the right time. The pitching-starved club and the Nationals both had to be enthused about his first SAL start. The native of Saugas, Calif., who played at Southern California, was 1-3 with a 4.57 ERA in six appearances with Vermont of the New York-Penn League, and was outstanding vs. Lexington last Tuesday. At 6-foot-1, 205 pounds, the southpaw fits nicely into the Nationals' aim of developing some homegrown pitching.

DID YOU KNOW? The Suns also received RHP Chris Kelley, Washington's 24th-round pick out of Rice. Kelly (1-0, 7.20) gave up four earned runs and nine hits vs. Lexington in winning his first SAL start, after going 0-1 with a 1.15 ERA in four appearances -- three starts -- for the Gulf Coast Nationals. It is hoped Milone, Kelly and LHP Ryan Buchter, a reliever, can inject some life into the Suns' pitching corps.

Hickory Crawdads (Pittsburgh Pirates)
THE WEEK IN REVIEW: The Crawdads (14-28, second half; 44-68, overall) went 3-5 and were in the SAL Northern cellar, 15 games behind West Virginia.

WHO'S HOT: OF Erik Huber had his best week of the season, hitting .429 (9-for-21) to boost his average to .269. ... RHP Matt McSwain (4-5, 2.17, 4 saves) has allowed 17 runs in 70 2/3 innings and has been the Crawdads' most consistent pitcher whether starting or coming out of the bullpen.

WHO'S NOT: OF Keanon Simon continues to battle at .209 (52-for-249). ... A 6-for-45 slump dropped OF Albert Laboy's average to .261. ... OF Austin McClune is struggling at .206 after a 5-for-36 skid.

NEWS & NOTES: McSwain,a native of High Pint, N.C., threw eight hitless innings in the longest outing of his career in a 6-0 win at Charleston last Monday. McSwain retired the first nine batters before walking Abraham Almonte leading off the fourth. He got through six frames having faced the minimum. "I threw a lot of strikes early, and the hitters were aggressive, so I was able to get some ground balls," he said. "I actually didn't feel as good as I have in the past, but I was able to make pitches when I needed to." He retired the side in order in the seventh and eighth innings, and he left the game after surpassing his pitch count (75). He threw 82 pitches in all and struck out two to earn his first win of the season as a starter. RHP Serguey Linares recorded two quick outs in the ninth before Austin Krum hit a grounder up the middle, which Hickory's Jordy Mercer dove for and knocked down, but had no play on. The 22-year-old began the season in the bullpen for Hickory and threw 11 1/3 scoreless innings before a promotion to Class A Advanced Lynchburg in late April. He struggled with the Hillcats, allowing eight runs in 10 1/3 relief innings before returning to the Crawdads. He made his first start of the season July 2.

DID YOU KNOW? In McSwain's gem, the game was delayed for 21 minutes after plate umpire Ben Robinson was struck in the mask near his forehead by a foul ball. After leaving with concussion like symptoms and with only one other umpire in the game, Hickory coach Josh Bonifay was pressed into action as the base umpire. Robinson was treated by EMTs and trainers for both teams. Umpire Mario Seneca moved behind the plate and Bonifay took over on the base paths.

Kannapolis Intimidators (Chicago White Sox)
THE WEEK IN REVIEW: The Intimidators (18-21, second half; 49-60, overall) went 2-5 and were in the SAL Southern cellar, seven games behind Augusta.

WHO'S HOT: IF Sergio Miranda plastered SAL pitching at a .500 (8-for-16) clip last week to push his average to .302. ... 1B Mark Fleisher is hitting .330 (67-for-203). ... RHP Levi Maxwell (10-4, 3.58) is tied for second in the SAL in victories. ... RHP Leroy Hunt (2-4, 2.20, 5 saves) has allowed eight earned runs in 32 2/3 innings.

WHO'S NOT: IF Nick Mahin has fallen to .152 (10-for-66) in 21 games with Kannapolis. ... C John Curtis is at .191 (33-for-173). ... RHP Nathan Jones (1-7, 7.90) has allowed 43 earned runs in 49 innings.

NEWS AND NOTES: Nick Capra, who led the Intimidators to the 2005 SAL championship is back as the skipper in Kannapolis. The 13-year veteran in the White Sox organization has also managed in Bristol, Birmingham and Charlotte during his tenure. Capra spent 2006 and 2007 as the White Sox hitting coordinator. He was named the assistant director of Minor League instruction prior to the 2008 season. He still holds that post, but has taken over as the manager in Kannapolis for the rest of the season. Capra replaces Chris Jones as the club's manager. Jones was relieved of his managerial duties by the White Sox last Monday prior to the team's doubleheader in Lakewood. Capra played in 45 Major League games from 1982-1991 with Texas and Kansas City.

DID YOU KNOW? This has not been the easiest season for anyone, including Jones, who was in his second season piloting the Intimidators, in Kannapolis. The club was one that struggled for much of the season due to a lack of firepower. Fleisher, the return of OF Ronnie Gaines and the addition of 3B Brent Morel helped boost the attack. Maxwell is having an excellent season, but one wonders if any other manager in the Minors would have done any better than Jones with this club.

Lake County Captains (Cleveland Indians)
THE WEEK IN REVIEW: The Captains (18-24, second half; 53-52, overall) recovered to go 6-1 last week and were fifth in the SAL Northern, 11 games behind West Virginia.

WHO'S HOT: IF Ron Rivas hit .458 (11-for-24) last week to improve to .269. ... OF Matt Brown is solid at .292, sharing the club RBI lead at 64 with OF Roman Pena. ... RHP Josh Judy (10-1, 3.60) recorded two wins out of the bullpen and is tied for second in the SAL in victories.

WHO'S NOT: SS Mark Thompson is hitting .208 (64-for-307). ... C Adam Davis is at .192 (25-for-130) in 36 games with the Captains after coming down from Class A Advanced Kinston. ... OF Adam White is at .223 (85-for-381).

NEWS & NOTES: LHP Ryan Morris (8-4, 3.68) recorded his first win since July 5 and second in two months Wednesday, tossing six hitless innings and striking out a career-high eight as the Captains topped Greensboro, 6-1. The 20-year-old did not allow a base runner until he hit Tyler Belcher with a pitch with one out in the third. He issued a one-out walk to Mike Stanton in the fifth. Morris retired the final six batters he faced, fanning four. Seven of his eight strikeouts were swinging. "I came out with a different mentality tonight," he said. "I had been a little too relaxed my last few starts, but tonight I came out with a bulldog mentality." The start was just what Lake County needed from one of the stalwarts who led the Captains to the SAL Northern first-half title.

DID YOU KNOW? Judy, a native of Fort Wayne, Ind., comes from the same Indiana Institute of Technology program that produced Yankees relief prospect Jesse Hoover, who is getting back on track after back problems. A 34th-round selection in 2007, he is one of those relievers who obviously has gotten some key run support to register 10 victories, but also seems to protect what has been given to him. His numbers remind some of Toronto LHP Jesse Carlson, who played in the SAL at Lexington in 2003, going 3-0 with a 1.56 ERA with 13 saves. He also was 8-2 with a 4.56 ERA for Double-A New Hampshire in 2007, Perhaps Judy will follow Carlson to the Majors.

Lakewood BlueClaws (Philadelphia Phillies)
THE WEEK IN REVIEW: The BlueClaws (27-15, second half; 65-47, overall) went 5-2 and were second in the SAL Northern, two games behind West Virginia.

WHO'S HOT: RHP Mike Stutes (2-0, 0.75) won his second straight start for the BlueClaws, throwing six solid innings, striking out seven in topping division leader West Virginia Friday night. ... C/OF Tim Kennelly is hitting .356 (36-for-101) in 29 games with Lakewood. ... RHP Jared Simon (6-2, 2.01) has cashed in 23 of 28 save opportunities, fourth in the SAL. ... RHP Vance Worley (1-0, 2.10) has had five solid starts, allowing seven earned runs in 30 innings. ... RHP Chance Chapman (7-5, 3.05) is 10th among SAL ERA leaders.

WHO'S NOT: OF Jay Miller is batting .194 (20-for-103). ... OF Alberto Cambero is hitting .182 (8-for-44) in 24 games with the BlueClaws. ... 1B Michael Durant is at .226 (65-for-288).

NEWS AND NOTES: Lakewood hitting coach Greg Legg has joined the Phillies as a bullpen coach, while Roly de Armus accompanies Team USA to the Olympic Games in Beijing, China. Phillies outfield coordinator Jerry Martin and hitting coordinator Sal Rende will fill in with the BlueClaws in Legg's absence. He is expected to miss about three weeks as the Olympic medal round is scheduled for Aug. 23. This is Legg's first trip to the Major Leagues as a coach. He has been with the Phillies since he was drafted by the club in 1982. The former infielder played briefly for Philadelphia in 1986 and 1987, appearing in a total of 14 games with a career average in the Majors of .405 (9-for-22). He was named the first manager in BlueClaws history Dec. 13, 2000, and led Lakewood to a 60-79 record in 2001. In 2007, he managed the Phillies' Class A Short-Season affiliate, the Williamsport Crosscutters, to a 34-42 mark.

DID YOU KNOW? Kennelly, a native of Perth, Australia, is giving opposing SAL pitchers headaches, going 14-for-35 in his last 10 games to give the Lakewood offense a major boost. He did not show this type of prowess at the plate last season, hitting .221 with appearances at Lakewood, Class A Advanced Clearwater and Williamsport. Hitting .348 against lefties and .359 against righties, Kennelly is proving a tough out as the BlueClaws battle for the SAL Northern second-half title.

Lexington Legends (Houston Astros)
THE WEEK IN REVIEW: The Legends (16-25, second half; 37-73, overall) went 4-2 and are sixth in the SAL Northern, 12 1/2 games behind West Virginia.

WHO'S HOT: RHP Leandro Cespedes (2-5, 4.10) threw six scoreless innings in a no-decision as the Legends recorded their third straight winning week. ... IF Kyle Miller is batting .333 (20-for-60), with 18 RBIs, in his first 14 games with the club. ... OF Jacob Priday returned to action last week and is hitting .350 (7-for-20) in seven games.

WHO'S NOT: C Max Sapp is hitting .202 (48-for-238). ... IF Bryan Brown is batting .145 (16-for-110). ... IF Catlin Everett is hitting .223 (40-for-179).

NEWS AND NOTES: The Legends lost their top player last week in a deal between the Astros and Yankees. Matt Cusick, 22, went to the Yankees in exchange for RHP LaTroy Hawkins. Cusick was the Astros' 10th-round pick in the 2007 Draft and was batting .285 in 94 games this season for the Legends, with 55 runs scored, 23 doubles, nine home runs, 38 RBIs and 40 walks. He was a college teammate of Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre RHP Ian Kennedy at the University of Southern California. The Yankees immediately promoted Cusick to Class A Advanced Tampa of the Florida State League, where he went 0-for-2 in his first game Saturday night.

DID YOU KNOW? The trade prompted other moves by the Astros to bolster the Lexington roster. RHP Jose Duran was promoted from Class A Short-Season Tri-City and dropped his first decision. He was joined by IF Chris Jackson, a Tri-City teammate and 2008 draftee from Virginia Commonwealth. Jackson left VCU as a junior and signed with the Astros after being selected in the 29th round. He was batting .257 with a homer and nine RBIs at the time of his promotion from Tri-City and is 2-for-8 in his first two appearances with Lexington. Jackson is the second 2008 Draft pick to be added to the Legends roster in the past month. Priday, an 11th-round selection out of the University of Missouri in the June First-Year Player Draft, was added after OF Collin DeLome was promoted to Salem. The roster spot in Lexington was left open after RHP Jordan Powell was promoted to Class A Advanced Salem.

Rome Braves (Atlanta Braves)
THE WEEK IN REVIEW: The R-Braves (20-22, second half; 42-69, overall) went 4-3 and were sixth in the SAL Southern, 6 1/2 games behind Augusta.

WHO'S HOT; 1B Frederick Freeman is hitting .314, fifth in the circuit. He is second in the SAL with 80 RBIs. ... OF Jason Heyward is batting .313, sixth in the SAL. ... RHP Erik Cordier (1-0, 2.01) has had five quality starts and has allowed five earned runs in 22 1/3 innings.

WHO'S NOT: IF Samuel Sime is mired at .213 (46-for-216). ... C Chris Anderson is 11-for-54 in 18 games with the R-Braves. ... RHP Eric Barrett (1-7, 5.16) has allowed 47 earned runs in 82 innings.

NEWS & NOTES: OF Cody Johnson is sizzling once again, having hit .385 (15-for-39) in his last 10 games to push his average back to .254 with 17 homers and 60 RBIs. When he's hitting and with Freeman and Heyward having excellent seasons, this team can be tough on opponents. Johnson is aiming to finish the season strong and be more patient at the plate.

DID YOU KNOW? C Matt Kennelly is also showing he can hit in the SAL as well as his older brother, Tim, who plays for Lakewood. Matt, 19, is 8-for-20 in his first six games with Rome after coming up from Danville of the Appalachian League, where he hit .239 in 29 games. The top brother act in the SAL last week, Tim and Matt Kennelly, no doubt.

Savannah Sand Gnats (New York Mets)
THE WEEK IN REVIEW: The Sand Gnats (20-20, second half; 53-57, overall) went 5-2 and were fourth in the SAL Southern, 5 1/2 games behind Augusta.

WHO'S HOT: IF Joaquin Rodriguez was the SAL's hottest hitter last week at .529 (9-for-17), pushing his average to .252. ... OF Carlos Guzman hit .440 (11-for-25) last week to improve to .286 for the season. ... C/DH Sean McCraw chipped in at .421 (8-for-19) pace to improve to .300. ... RHP Junior Guerra (1-0, 1.17) tossed six scoreless innings, picking up a save.

WHO'S NOT: OF B.J. Hubbert is 10-for-61 in 26 games with the Sand Gnats. ... OF Michael Parker, in a 5-for-27 slump, has dropped to .197. ... RHP John Holdzkom (2-1, 8.20) has allowed 24 earned runs in 26 1/3 innings.

NEWS & NOTES: Roster shuffling continued last week as RHP Josh Stinson and LHP Julio Polanco were promoted to Class A Advanced St. Lucie. Holdzkom and RHP Eric Beaulac came from Kingsport to replace Stinson and Polanco. Stinson, 20, spent most of 2008 in the bullpen, but was added to the starting rotation at the beginning of July. In six starts this season, Stinson went 2-3 with a 4.80 ERA. As a reliever, the Louisiana native was 1-3 with a 2.59 ERA in 15 games. Polanco, 21, also began 2008 in the Savannah bullpen after spending 2007 as a starter. Like Stinson, Polanco was recently added to the rotation with Elvin Ramirez being placed on the disabled list. In three starts this season, Polanco was 1-0 with a 4.20 ERA. As a reliever, he was 1-1 with five saves and a 4.19 ERA. Holdzkom makes his return to Savannah after being sent to Kingsport June 9. In the first half with Savannah, Holdzkom appeared in 15 games and had his struggles. Beaulac was drafted by the Mets in the ninth round this year out of Le Moyne College in Syracuse, N.Y. With the Dolphins, Beaulac set the single season record for strikeouts of 113 and helped lead them to a 33-21 record. He was the 2008 NCAA Division I Independent Pitcher of the Year with a 9-3 record and a 2.93 ERA. With Kingsport, he was dominant, going 1-0 with a 1.89 ERA in six games -- two starts. He had a 9.82 ERA in two games with Brooklyn.

DID YOU KNOW? An improved offense has helped the pitchers relax more and build confidence, has helped the Sand Gnats, with many of the players from the 2007 team that went 41-95, make a major improvement a season later. OF Casey Craig, who is still hitting .288 was one factor, a veteran bat. The emergence of IF Greg Veloz, hitting .289, with a team-leading 50 RBIs, is another. The 2007 Sand Gnats were 20-50 in the SAL Southern second half. Heading into play Sunday, Savannah was 20-20 in the second-half.

West Virginia Power (Milwaukee Brewers)
THE WEEK IN REVIEW: The Power (29-13, second half; 61-50, overall) went 5-1 and led the SAL Northern, two games ahead of Lakewood.

WHO'S HOT: RHP Pedro Lambertus (1-2, 3.68) threw 6 2/3 innings of scoreless relief in a trio of appearances. ... C/OF Eric Fryer continues to hammer SAL pitching and is batting .333, second in the SAL and best among active players in the league. ... OF Logan Schafer is hitting .333 (27-for-81) in 19 games since joining the club from Helena.

WHO'S NOT: C Ulrich Snijders is struggling at .194 after a 1-for-10 week. ... RHP Jose Garcia (2-2, 7.09) has allowed 31 earned runs in 39 1/3 innings.

NEWS & NOTES: Power general manager Ryan Gates announced his resignation Saturday. He will pursue an opportunity to launch a new franchise in the independent Frontier League in Avon, Ohio. The resignation is effective immediately as Ryan will begin preparations to launch the new team and stadium for an opening in May 2009. "I've known Ryan since our days in Erie in 1998, and we were fortunate to bring him back to our organization for the 2004 season," said executive vice president Andy Milovich. "His understanding of our industry and ability to build meaningful relationships in the community were instrumental to the successful launch of the West Virginia Power and Appalachian Power Park. We will certainly miss his leadership, and wish him well in the opportunity to become the face of the new franchise in Avon." Ryan joined the Charleston Alley Cats in April 2004 as the team's director of business development.

DID YOU KNOW? Schafer was taken by Milwaukee in the third round of the recent 2008 Draft out of Cal-Poly-San Luis Obispo, and was given a $404,000 bonus to sign. He gives the Power yet another talented outfielder as the club aims to hold off its challengers in the SAL Northern race for the second-half title.