South Atlantic League notebook

Asheville Tourists (Colorado Rockies)
THE SEASON SO FAR: The Tourists (29-44) went 3-1 to open the second half and are tied for first in the SAL Southern Division with Augusta.

WHO'S HOT: C Jordan Pacheco is second among SAL hitters at .340 (81-for-236), while OF Scott Robinson is fifth at .325 (89-for-274). ... 1B Kiel Roling is batting .328 (42-for-128) in 37 games. ... RHP Juan Nicasio (1-1, 2.10) has registered five quality starts in his last six and sports a 37-10 strikeout/walk ratio.

WHO'S NOT: IF Carlos Martinez is battling at .176 (31-for-176) after a 3-for-29 run. ... C Beau Seabury is mired at .163 (20-for-123).

NEWS & NOTES: Tourists skipper Joe Mikulik -- the all-time winningest manager in Asheville history, having recently recorded his 700th win with the club -- is one of two 2009 inductees to the South Atlantic League Hall of Fame. The 2009 season marks his 10th consecutive campaign managing in Asheville. Mikulik has managed the SAL All-Star Game on four occasions (2000, 2002, 2007, 2008) and has been named SAL Manager of the Year three times (2001, 2007, 2008). He began his coaching career as a player-coach at Double-A Canton-Akron of the Eastern League in 1995. Before that, Mikulik played professionally for 12 seasons, almost all in the Houston organization. Also to be inducted later this summer is former Hickory general manager David Haas. ... The Tourists stole a season-high eight bases in their 11-6 win over Greenville on Saturday night. Asheville is second in the SAL with 103 steals, trailing Lakewood's 106.

DID YOU KNOW? IF Andrew Goff joined the club from Class A Advanced Modesto and hit .118 (2-for-17) in his first five games with the Tourists. He was a 50th-round Draft in 2004, but opted to attend Wake Forest before inking a contract with Colorado on June 24, 2008. The Pittsburgh native appeared in 20 games between Casper and Tri-City in 2008, and has played in just 10 games with Modesto and Asheville this season. His five SAL starts have come at second base.

Augusta GreenJackets (San Francisco Giants)
THE SEASON SO FAR: The GreenJackets (38-35) went 3-1 to open the second half and are tied for first in the SAL Southern with Asheville.

WHO'S HOT: LHP Ari Ronick (5-4, 2.58) is eighth among league ERA leaders. ... OF Dom Duggan had three multi-hit games last week, improving to .236 (45-for-191). ... RHP Trey Webb (1-0, 1.33) has allowed just four earned runs and no homers in 27 innings of relief. ... IF Josh Mazzola is hitting .284 (69-for-243) and leads the league with 54 RBIs.

WHO'S NOT: 1B Mike Loberg is scuffling at .216 (30-for-139). ... RHP Mitch Lively (0-0, 7.88) has allowed seven earned runs in eight innings over five appearances since arriving from San Jose.

NEWS & NOTES: IF-OF Juan Perez hit a two-run homer in his first at-bat of the game in the sixth inning last Tuesday night in the Southern Division's 8-7 loss in the SAL All-Star Game. Perez, who played four innings at second base and finished 1-for-2 with a strikeout, also participated in the Home Run Derby prior to Tuesday's contest. Although he made the finals of the eight-man event with five home runs in the first round, Perez fell to West Virginia's Calvin Anderson, who had eight homers in the three-man final. ... OF Dom Duggan's grand slam broke open Saturday night's 7-3 win over Rome, Augusta's fifth straight victory heading into play Sunday.

DID YOU KNOW? Duggan was selected by San Francisco in the 32nd round of the 2007 Draft. He is a native of Pittsburgh who attended suburban Seneca Valley High and played collegiately at both John Carroll (Ohio) and Coastal Carolina, where he was a teammate of 2008 Augusta bullpen stalwart Andrew De La Garza. Duggan has hit only five home runs in two-plus seasons, none last season in 71 games with Class A Advanced San Jose and the GreenJackets. He batted .282 (23-for-85) in 25 games with Augusta last summer.

Bowling Green Hot Rods (Tampa Bay Rays)
THE SEASON SO FAR: The Hot Rods (36-38) went 2-2 to open the second half and are tied for third in the SAL Southern, a game behind Asheville and Augusta.

WHO'S HOT: RHP Nick Barnese (2-1, 1.84) has registered five quality starts, winning his last two. ... LHP Josh Satow (1-0, 2.83) has converted 9-of-10 save opportunities. ... RHP Chris Andujar (8-2, 2.64) is 10th among SAL ERA leaders. ... RHP Marquis Fleming (1-3, 1.38) has a pair of saves and has allowed just five earned runs in 32 1/3 innings of relief.

WHO'S NOT: C Mike McCormick is struggling at .168 (33-for-196) after a 2-for-10 week. ... IF-OF Jason Tweedy is stuck at .200 (34-for-170) following a 2-for-20 slump. ... RHP Diego Echeverria (2-1, 8.53) has allowed 30 earned runs in 31 2/3 innings of relief.

. NEWS & NOTES: OF Kyeong Kang has been chosen to represent both Bowling Green and Tampa Bay at the 2009 XM All-Star Futures Game on July 12 at Busch Stadium in St. Louis. Kang will dress for the World Team, which will face the U.S. in the prestigious event. Born in Busan, South Korea, Kang is in his third season as a member of the Tampa Bay system. Through 38 games in a Hot Rods uniform, Kang is hitting .285 (39-for-137) with 17 RBIs. He was selected by the Rays as a draft-and-follow in the 15th round of the 2006 Draft and signed out of Parkview High School in Alpharetta, Ga., before the 2007 season.

DID YOU KNOW? Barnese appears to have found his groove, allowing just four earned runs in his last 22 innings and recording a strikeout/walk ratio of 16-3. A native of Simi Valley, Calif., he was a third-round pick by Tampa Bay in the 2007 Draft. He was lured away from a commitment to Cal State-Fullerton. What the Rays hope to see in the SAL from the 20-year-old this season is additional development of a changeup to go with a competent fastball and curve. Barnese showed confidence and the ability to pitch inside at Hudson Valley last summer, putting together a 5-3 record, a 2.45 ERA and a strikeout/walk ratio of 84-24 in 13 starts while allowing just one home run in 66 innings.

Charleston RiverDogs (New York Yankees)
THE SEASON SO FAR: The RiverDogs (41-33) went 2-2 to open the second half and are tied for second in the SAL Southern, a game behind Asheville and Augusta.

WHO'S HOT: OF Melky Mesa was the SAL's hottest hitter last week, hammering opposing pitchers at a .647 (11-for-17) clip. He is batting .424 (14-for-33) over his last 10 games and leads the SAL with 16 homers and is fourth with 48 RBIs. ... RHP David Phelps (8-2, 3.03) has won six of his last seven starts. ... IF Jose Pirela hit .474 (9-for-19) last week and is at .317 (45-for-142) overall.

WHO'S NOT: 1B-OF Tommy Baldridge is batting .167 (3-for-18) in six games since joining the club. ... RHP Brett Marshall (3-4, 5.14) has allowed 13 earned runs in his last two starts.

NEWS & NOTES: LHP Manny Banuelos (5-3, 2.51), sixth in the SAL in ERA, has been named to the World roster for the 2009 All-Star Futures Game. This is the third time in four years the RiverDogs have had a player represented in the Futures Game as C Jose Montero participated in 2008 at Yankee Stadium and OF Jose Tabata, now with the Double-A Altoona Curve in the Pirates system, played in 2006 at Pittsburgh's PNC Park. ... The Charleston roster underwent several changes as ambidextrous closer Pat Venditti (the SAL saves leader with 20), DH Dan Brewer (.323), IF David Adams (.290) and RHP Hector Noesi (3-4, 2.38) were promoted to Class A Advanced Tampa. The RiverDogs received Baldridge and IF Garrison Lassiter.

DID YOU KNOW? With Noesi's promotion, Charleston is a bit short on starting pitching. There has been a lot of movement among pitchers in the Yankees system over the past 10 days, so look for a hurler or two to come the RiverDogs' way soon. LHP Jeremy Bleich -- 6-4, 3.40 in 14 starts at Tampa -- was placed on the Charleston roster but is now scheduled to start for Double-A Trenton on Tuesday in Erie. In Charleston, the burden falls to Phelps and Banuelos to lead the staff.

Delmarva Shorebirds (Baltimore Orioles)
THE SEASON SO FAR: The Shorebirds (38-35) went 2-2 to open the second half and are tied for third in the SAL Northern, a game behind Lake County and West Virginia.

WHO'S HOT: OF Ronnie Welty is ninth among SAL hitters at .312 (74-for-237). ... IF Rodolfo Cardona is batting .350 (7-for-20) in eight games with Delmarva. ... RHP Travis Keating (4-1, 1.62) notched a pair of wins in relief last week and has allowed four earned runs in 16 2/3 innings.

WHO'S NOT: 1B Elvin Polanco continues to slump at .259 (64-for-248) after a 5-for-34 funk. ... 3B Tyler Kolodny is scuffling at .211 (48-for-228).

NEWS & NOTES: The Shorebirds lost two key members of their bullpen as RHPs Pat Egan and Eddie Gamboa, who accounted for eight first-half wins, were promoted to Class A Advanced Frederick. The Shorebirds received RHPs Chris Flagello and Andrew Barb and LHP Chris Salberg from the Keys. Barb was the most effective of the trio in the Carolina League, putting together a 3.93 ERA in 19 games.

DID YOU KNOW? Barb, 24, is not a newcomer to the SAL, having been a key member of Lakewood's 2006 bullpen with a 6-0, 0.76 mark in 19 home games for the BlueClaws en route to a 6-2, 2.23 mark with 18 saves. He was traded to Seattle in August of that year and registered 10 saves and a 3-1, 2.33 record for Class A Wisconsin of the Midwest League before an elbow injury sidelined him for the '08 season. He also had knee surgery along the way and was selected by Baltimore in the Minor League portion of the 2008 Rule 5 Draft. The Orioles obviously hope he can regain his past form.

Greensboro Grasshoppers (Florida Marlins)
THE SEASON SO FAR: The Grasshoppers (38-36) went 1-3 to open the second half and are tied for seventh in the SAL Northern, two games behind Lake County and West Virginia.

WHO'S HOT: RHP Peter Andrelczyk (0-0, 1.35) has recorded 12 saves -- tied for second in the SAL -- in 13 opportunities with a strikeout/walk ratio of 52-11. ... OF Kevin Mattison hit .462 (6-for-13) last week to improve to .250 (63-for-252). ... OF Ben Lasater is batting .307 (78-for-254) and is third in the SAL with 49 RBIs. ... C Torre Langley's 13-for-38 run has him at a more respectable .227 (22-for-97).

WHO'S NOT: C Kyle Skipworth is scuffling at .201 (38-for-189) after a 1-for-8 week. ... LHP Brad Hand (3-8, 6.42) has allowed 44 earned runs in 61 2/3 innings and has won just one of his last eight starts.

NEWS & NOTES: The Grasshoppers bullpen, a strong point all season, may have become even more formidable with the addition of RHP Jhan Marinez, who arrives from Class A Advanced Jupiter with a 3.68 ERA in 11 relief appearances while holding Florida State League batters to a .122 average. Greensboro also received 1B Robert Taylor from Jamestown of the New York-Penn League.

DID YOU KNOW? Marinez, a native of Santo Domingo, D.R., was signed as a free agent by Florida in 2006. The 20-year-old spent the last two seasons in the Gulf Coast League and had his most consistent run in the FSL recently. While Andrelczyk has been outstanding, Marinez may be able to give him an assist or two in some games.

Greenville Drive (Boston Red Sox)
THE SEASON SO FAR: The Drive (40-32) went 1-3 to open the second half and are tied for seventh in the SAL Southern, two games behind Asheville and Augusta.

WHO'S HOT: IF Zach Gentile is a key offensive cog at .296 (37-for-125), hitting .310 (13-for-42) in his last 10 games. ... RHP Stolmy Pimentel (6-3, 2.27) is third among SAL ERA leaders and sports a strikeout/walk ratio of 55-16. ... LHP Armando Zerpa (1-0, 0.92) has allowed just four earned runs in 39 innings of relief.

WHO'S NOT: IF Will Middlebrooks is scuffling at .223 (33-for-148).

NEWS & NOTES: The first-half SAL champion Drive sent a few key players up the ladder of the Boston system to Class A Advanced Salem last week, led by C Tim Federowicz, the SAL's batting leader at .345 (78-for-226). 1B Anthony Rizzo and OF David Mailman also punched their tickets to the Carolina League. ... Greenville received some help from Salem in OF Jered Stanley, C Tyler Weeden and IF Jonathan Hee. All but Hee previously played for Greenville, with Stanley batting .270 (77-for-285) with 17 homers and 54 RBIs. He batted just .223 (25-for-112) for Salem and will attempt to get his bat back in rhythm with the Drive. ... OF David Marks was placed on the disabled list.

DID YOU KNOW? Weeden finds himself on the rebound with the Drive after hitting .200 (12-for-60) at Salem. Injuries have affected the native of Edmund, Okla., who was a 16th-round selection by Boston in 2006. He was limited to 53 games with Greenville in 2008, hitting .225 (42-for-187) before he was sidelined for the season July 19. He had his best month in June last year, hitting .274 (17-for-62) before he was injured. Boston still feels the 21-year-old has potential, and is hoping he avoids injury the rest of the season.

Hagerstown Suns (Washington Nationals)
THE SEASON SO FAR: The Suns (32-39) went 1-3 to open the second half and are tied for seventh in the SAL Northern, two games behind Lake County and West Virginia.

WHO'S HOT: C Derek Norris is hitting .312 (78-for-250), 10th in the SAL. He is second in the SAL with 53 RBIs and 14 home runs. ... RHP Carlos Peralta (4-2, 2.84) has not allowed an earned run in nine of his last 10 relief appearances. ... IF Steve Lombardozzi is contributing at .282 (73-for-259).

WHO'S NOT: OF Michael Guerrero fell to .199 (36-for-181) and is the midst of a hitless streak that has reached 23 at-bats. ... RHP Drew Stoner (0-1, 7.20) has allowed four earned runs in his first five innings.

NEWS & NOTES: The Suns added a familiar face in OF Valerio Heredia last week. The native of Barahona, D.R., returns to the Suns after a 65-game stint in 2008 during which he batted .225 (47-for-209). He was originally signed by the Chicago Cubs in 2004, reached Peoria of the Midwest League in 2007 and played in just five games before returning to the Dominican Summer League. Not a player with much power, he contributes with speed on defense and on the bases, registering 28 thefts in 36 attempts in 2008.

DID YOU KNOW? IF James Keithley, a 39th-round selection by Washington in the 2008 Draft, joined the Suns last week. A native of San Antonio, Texas, who played collegiately at Texas-San Antonio, he hit .165 (21-for-27) at Vermont last season and gets his first shot at a full-season league.

Hickory Crawdads (Texas Rangers)
THE SEASON SO FAR: The Crawdads (35-38) went 2-2 to open the second half are tied for third in the SAL Northern, a game behind Lake County and West Virginia.

WHO'S HOT: OF Michael Bianucci is the SAL's third-leading hitter at .331 (80-for-242). ... IF Erik Morrison is fourth at .328 (59-for-181). ... OF David Paisano is also a tough out at .308 (60-for-196). ... LHP Yoon-Hee Nam (7-1, 1.73) has allowed just 10 earned runs in 52 2/3 innings, both as a reliever and spot starter. ... RHP Fabio Castillo (1-2, 2.22) has allowed only 12 earned runs in 48 2/3 innings, also as a reliever and spot starter. ... C Leonel De Los Santos has four multi-hit performances in his last 10 games to improve to .264 (29-for-110).

WHO'S NOT: OF Jared Bolden is battling .215 (35-for-163). ... OF Cristian Santana is stuck at .180 (20-for-111).

NEWS & NOTES: Former Crawdads general manager David Haas is one of two 2009 inductees to the South Atlantic League Hall of Fame. Haas was involved with the circuit for 19 seasons, beginning as an intern with the Gastonia Rangers in 1989. When the club relocated to Hickory in 1993, Haas moved with it and was named director of stadium operations. He was named general manager in 1997 and held that position through the 2007 season. His contributions and service to the league on various committees and initiatives was honored in 2007 when he was awarded the South Atlantic League Distinguished Service Award.

DID YOU KNOW? De Los Santos, a native of Yasasa, Venezuela, was signed as non-drafted free agent in 2006. After splitting 2006 between the Venezuela Summer League and Arizona League, he batted .258 (41-for-159) with the AZL Rangers last summer. This is his first taste of full-season ball, and last week marked his best stretch since his signing. With fellow backstop Doug Hogan sidelined, De Los Santos has a chance to show what he is capable of, and a few more efforts like last week's could turn some heads toward the 19-year-old.

Kannapolis Intimidators (Chicago White Sox)
THE SEASON SO FAR: The Intimidators (39-35) went 2-2 to open the second half and are tied for third in the SAL Northern, a game behind Lake County and West Virginia.

WHO'S HOT: OF Justin Greene is seventh among SAL hitters at .321 (70-for-218). ... OF Brandon Short hit .500 (8-for-16) last week and is batting .287 (33-for-155) overall. ... RHP Tyson Corley (3-1, 0.85) has allowed just three earned runs in 31 2/3 innings. ... RHP Dexter Carter (3-2, 3.73) is second in the SAL in strikeouts with 97.

WHO'S NOT: 1B Jose Vargas is struggling at .193 (17-for-88). ... LHP Garrett Johnson (3-4, 6.97) has allowed 32 earned runs in 41 1/3 innings.

NEWS & NOTES: C Josh Phegley, a supplemental first-round pick in the 2009 Draft -- compensation for Oakland signing free-agent SS Orlando Cabrera -- joined the Intimidators on Saturday. A former star at Indiana University, he hit .344 with 17 home runs and 66 RBIs during his junior season and was a semifinalist for the Johnny Bench Award (college baseball's top catcher) and the Golden Spikes Award (best amateur player). He was rated by scouts as the best hitting catcher in the Draft, but will need to work on his defensive skills. The native of Terre Haute, Ind., made his SAL debut in the Intimidators' 7-3 win over Hickory, going 3-for-4 with a run scored. ... 3B Daniel Black, drafted in the 14th-round out of Purdue, also joined Kannapolis after signing. He made his SAL debut Friday and is 4-for-10 in a pair of starts.

DID YOU KNOW? Short, who is hitting .436 (17-for-39) in his last 10 games, is a native of Mechanicsville, Md., who was taken in the 28th round of the 2008 Draft out of St. John's River Community College in Palatka, Fla. He made his pro debut at Bristol of the Appalachian League in 2008, hitting .273 (50-for-183). He's had an outstanding June, hitting .347 (26-for-75) and is looking for a strong second half.

Lake County Captains (Cleveland Indians)
THE SEASON SO FAR: The Captains (34-37) went 3-1 to open the second half and are tied for first in the SAL Northern with West Virginia.

WHO'S HOT: LHP T.J. House (2-7, 2.64) is ninth among SAL ERA leaders and has four losses in games he has allowed three runs or less. ... OF Delvi Cid is the offensive leader at .303 (46-for-152).

WHO'S NOT: IF Karexon Sanchez is at .240 (60-for-250) after a 7-for-35 skein. ... C Michael Valadez is battling at .215 (23-for-107).

NEWS & NOTES: Cleveland RHP Fausto Carmona, who was 2-6 with a 7.42 ERA for the Indians this year while suffering through control issues, pitched 6 1/3 scoreless innings for the Captains on Friday night in a 9-3 win over Hagerstown. He allowed one hit and a walk with seven strikeouts, but the Indians were uncertain where he would make his next start. ... Several roster moves were made, with the major exchange being RHP Santo Frias going to Class A Advanced Kinston and LHP Ryan Miller coming from the K-Tribe to the Captains. ... OF Abner Abreu, who was hitting .339 (21-for-62) in June after a .348 average (39-for-112) in May, was placed on the disabled list, along with OF Adam White.

DID YOU KNOW? Miller, a 36th-round selection by Cleveland out of Blinn Junior College (Texas) in 2006, got off to an outstanding start with the Captains last season, but finished 8-7, 3.72 after recording a 7-2, 2.03 mark prior to the All-Star break. He struggled in the Carolina League, going 0-1, 9.00 in eight appearances (five starts). Sent back to the SAL, where he had a strikeout/walk ratio of 113-74, it is hoped Miller, who walked 25 and struck out just 18 in 18 innings at Kinston, can regain his control.

Lakewood BlueClaws (Philadelphia Phillies)
THE SEASON SO FAR: The BlueClaws (44-28) went 2-2 to open the second half and are tied for third in the SAL Northern, a game behind Lake County and West Virginia.

WHO'S HOT: RHP Brian Rosenberg (5-2, 1.50) has a strikeout/walk ratio of 39-9 and has registered 11 saves in 13 chances. ... OF Anthony Gose hit .538 (7-for-13) last week, pushing his average to .273 (74-for-271), and leads the SAL with 45 stolen bases. ... RHP Freddy Ballestas pitched five scoreless innings in relief in his Lakewood debut.

WHO'S NOT: OF Zach Collier is scuffling at .216 (50-for-231). ... C Travis D'Arnaud is stuck at .215 (54-for-251).

NEWS & NOTES: With the first-half title in their pocket, the BlueClaws said goodbye to RHP Jon Velasquez (9-2, 4.26), who led the SAL in wins. He earned a promotion to Class A Advanced Clearwater. ... Lakewood did receive some reinforcements in RHPs Freddie Ballestas and Jordan Ellis, who arrived from Williamsport. Ballestas gave the Lakewood staff a boost by tossing five scoreless innings, striking out eight without a walk vs. Delmarva on Friday night.

DID YOU KNOW? Ballestas, a native of Caracas, Venezuela, is a 22-year-old newcomer to the SAL, even though he was signed by the Phillies in 2004. His first three seasons were spent in the Venezuelan Summer League with his best performance coming in 2007, when he posted a 9-2, 1.26 mark and won the VSL ERA title. ... The Phillies promoted him to Clearwater in 2008, but an 0-0, 11.05 mark in a pair of appearances ushered him back to Williamsport, where he went 4-5, 6.18. He gets another shot at a full-season league in a good spot with the BlueClaws.

Lexington Legends (Houston Astros)
THE SEASON SO FAR: The Legends (38-36) went 2-2 to open the second half and are tied for third in the SAL Southern, a game behind Asheville and Augusta.

WHO'S HOT: 1B Brian Pellegrini batted .583 (7-for-12) last week and is hitting .381 (51-for-134) with 12 homers and 35 RBIs in 38 games. ... RHP Robert Bono (7-4, 2.16) is second among SAL ERA leaders. ... RHP Ross Seaton (6-6, 2.57) is seventh. ... RHP Jordan Lyles (4-7, 3.27) leads the SAL in strikeouts with 103 and has walked just 18. ... OF Andrew Simunic's 10-for-28 run boosted his average to a season-high .273 (24-for-88).

WHO'S NOT: IF Kyle Miller is stuck at .210 (16-for-74). ... LHP Michael Hacker (0-1, 10.93) has allowed 17 earned runs in 14 innings.

NEWS & NOTES: The Legends are planning what is being billed as "the largest July 4th cookout in Central Kentucky" on Saturday night, featuring an all-you-can-eat menu from 6-8 p.m. ... C Reinaldo Pestana was added to the Legends roster last week and went 1-for-8 in his first three games. ... Regular catcher Federico Hernandez is batting .236 (49-for-208), but the club has not been able to find a backup who can contribute with any consistent offense.

DID YOU KNOW? Simunic had his best stretch of the season in his last 10 games. He is a native of Bloomington, Ind., who was drafted in the 17th round by Houston out of the University of Tennessee. The fact he is beginning to string together hits has Astros observers smiling because his defense -- just two errors in 27 starts this season -- has always been there. He hit just .234 (43-for-184) at Tri-City of the New York-Penn League, but was named that club's Defensive Player of the Month for July. Simunic could improve his standing by hitting southpaws at a better clip. Batting .313 (21-for-67) vs. right-handers, he is just 3-for-21 (.143) against lefties.

Rome Braves (Atlanta Braves)
THE SEASON SO FAR: The R-Braves (36-38) went 1-3 to open the second half and are tied for seventh in the SAL Southern, two games behind Asheville and Augusta.

WHO'S HOT: LHP Clayton McMillan (1-0, 2.45) has allowed five runs in 18 1/3 innings. ... C Matt Kennelly hit .429 (6-for-14) in his first four games with the R-Braves. ... RHP Jaye Chapman (0-0, 1.17) returned to Rome and hopes to solidify the bullpen.

WHO'S NOT: RHP Matt Small (0-2, 13.50) has allowed 10 earned runs in 6 2/3 innings. ... A 7-for-44 slump has dropped IF Shayne Moody to .209 (19-for-91).

NEWS & NOTES: The R-Braves saw two of their first-half stars earn promotions last week, as Atlanta promoted C Jesus Sucre and RHP Craig Kimbrel to Class A Advanced Myrtle Beach. Sucre was selected to the SAL All-Star team and was hitting .325 (55-for-169) with 18 RBIs. Kimbrel made 16 relief appearances with 10 saves, a 0.90 ERA and a strikeout/walk ratio of 38-6. ... Rome received Kennelly, who played briefly with the club in 2008, from Myrtle Beach and reactivated RHP Yeliar Castro from the disabled list.

DID YOU KNOW? Kennelly hails from Australia and was signed by Atlanta in 2005 as a 16-year-old. His brother, Tim, is an outfielder in the Phillies system at Class A Advanced Clearwater and is having a strong season, batting .304 with 37 RBIs in the Florida State League. What excites the Braves is his plus throwing arm, which erased 57 percent of base runners who tried to steal against him last season. He has bat speed, but still needs to learn plate discipline. He will share time behind the plate with Braeden Schlehuber, who entered the season as Atlanta's top catching prospect, with Kennelly second. Schlehuber has not hit, while Sucre has put himself firmly in the picture.

Savannah Sand Gnats (New York Mets)
THE SEASON SO FAR: The Sand Gnats (37-37) went 2-2 to open the second half and are tied for third in the SAL Southern, a game behind Asheville and Augusta.

WHO'S HOT: IF Wilmer Flores hit .421 (16-for-38) in his last 10 games, boosting his average to a season-high .281 (68-for-242). ... OF Josh Satin is solid at .294 (73-for-248). ... OF Rafael Fernandez hit .467 (7-for-15) last week to improve to .259 (75-for-290). ... RHP Rhiner Cruz (1-2, 2.21) is 11-for-11 in save opportunities and has a 36-14 strikeout/walk ratio. ... LHP Robert Carson (5-5, 2.39) is fifth among SAL ERA leaders. ... OF Raul Reyes pushed his average to .250 (39-for-156) with a 5-for-11 run last week.

WHO'S NOT: 3B Jefry Marte is battling at .227 (66-for-291). ... RHP Phillips Orta (0-0, 9.64) has allowed five earned runs in 4 2/3 innings since joining the Sand Gnats.

NEWS & NOTES: Flores has selected by Major League Baseball to play in the 2009 All-Star Futures Game. He becomes the first Sand Gnat to be selected since Clint Everts in 2004, when Savannah was affiliated with Montreal. The 17-year-old Flores will join fellow Mets prospect Jenrry Mejia, who is currently playing for Double-A Binghamton, on the World Team roster ... OF Evan LeBlanc joined the Sand Gnats last week after playing two games at Kingsport.

DID YOU KNOW? Reyes put together a strong week with a pair of multi-hit games after the All-Star break. He first signed with the Mets as a 17-year-old free agent from Santo Domingo, D.R., in 2004 and made steady progress through the Dominican Summer League, Kingsport and Brooklyn and appeared poised to handle the SAL, hitting .298 (14-for-47) in 13 games before breaking his right ankle April 17 and missing the rest of the season. He has committed only two errors in 43 outfield starts and appears to be shaking the rust off his overall game.

West Virginia Power (Pittsburgh Pirates)
THE SEASON SO FAR: The Power (30-44) went 3-1 to open the second half and are tied for first in the SAL Northern with Lake County.

WHO'S HOT: LHP Rudy Owens (8-1, 2.05) is the SAL ERA leader. ... IF Erik Huber is eighth among SAL hitters at .319 (67-for-210). ... IF Bobby Spain's 7-for-12 week boosted his average to .260 (44-for-169). He is hitting .341 (15-for-44) in June. ... C-OF Danny Bomback's 12-for-39 run helped him improve to .210 (16-for-75).

WHO'S NOT: RHP Duke Welker (0-8, 5.59) has a strikeout/walk ratio of 48-51.

NEWS & NOTES: C Tony Sanchez, Pittsburgh's first-round pick in the recent June Draft, is about to make his SAL debut with the Power after four appearances with State College, hitting .308 (4-for-13) with the Spikes. A native of Miami, he stayed in the ACC and traveled north to play at Boston College. Not expected to be drafted as high as fourth overall, he could put himself quickly into the Pittsburgh catching mix, where Ryan Doumit, who is ready to return from injury, and Jason Jaramillo and Robinzon Diaz, all younger big leaguers, have all played well ... The Pirates also promoted OF Sterling Marte, a native of Santo Domingo, D.R., to the Power after just two games in the Gulf Coast League. The 20-year-old responded by going 7-for-12 (.583) in his first three SAL games.

DID YOU KNOW? Bomback, who had been struggling, hit .308 (12-for-39) with a home run in his last 10 games to get his average over the Mendoza line. Pittsburgh tabbed him in the 42nd round of the 2007 Draft out of Florida Atlantic University. He began last season in the SAL at Hickory, then a Pittsburgh affiliate, hitting .247 (47-for-194) in 59 games to earn a promotion to Class A Advanced Lynchburg, where he batted .250 (19-for-76) in a 22-game stint. This season, after spending time in extended spring training, the Boca Raton, Fla., native, who can play all infield positions and catch, may just be getting into gear.