August 17: Carrasco Dominant Again, Kipnis Keeps on Rolling

AAA COLUMBUS CLIPPERS (W, 5-1)

• JOSE CONSTANZA (26, OF):  2-2, 2 BB, 2 SB.  Batting .378 in last 10 games with 5 BB and 4 SB.  Now has 32 SB on the season to go along with a .309 BA and a .360 BA (333 ABs).
• EZEQUIEL CARRERA (23, CF):  3-4, 2B, RBI.  Last 4 games: 7-18 (.389), 2 2B, 3 RBI.  On season with Clippers (86 ABs):  .279 BA, 5 2B, 10 RBI, 5 SB.
• JORDAN BROWN (26, OF):  2-4.  First game back with Columbus after getting demoted from Cleveland.  Batted .226 (7-31) in 9 games with the Tribe.
• JARED GOEDERT (25, 3B):  1-4, RBI.  A Jekyll and Hyde season: batted .321 with 9 2B, 15 HR, and 32 RBI in 134 ABs before the AAA all-star break and just .231 with 12 2B, 3 HR, and 13 RBI since.
• CORD PHELPS (23, 2B):  1-4, 2B, RBI.  Batting .300 in his last 10 games with 2 2B, 2 HR, and 10 RBI.
• WES HODGES (25, 1B):  2-4.  Last 10 games: .316 BA, 2 2B, HR, 2 RBI, BB, 9 K.  Season: .274 BA, 25 2B, 10 HR, 49 RBI, .316 OBP.
• CARLOS CARRASCO (23, SP):  7 IP, 0 ER (1 unearned), 5 H, 0 BB, 6 K.  Last 10 starts: 2.89 ERA, 54 K, 17 BB, .234 BAA in 56 IP.  Season (23 starts): 3.71 ERA, 119 K, 44 BB, .252 BAA in 135.2 IP.  A key to his recent success has been a combination of a higher K rate, a lower HR allowed rate  (16 in 23 starts overall, 4 in last 10 starts), and a lower opponent batting average.
• JOSH JUDY (24, RP):  IP, 2K.  In 39.1 IP this season in AAA: 3.20 ERA, 46 K, 12 BB, .277 BAA.
• VINNIE PESTANO (25, RP):  IP, 2 K.  Last 10 appearances (10 IP):  1.80 ERA, 16 K, 3 BB, .189 BAA.  Has struck out 54 in 40.1 IP in AAA in 2010.

AA AKRON AEROS (W, 8-7: Completion of game suspended on 07/25)

• JORDAN HENRY (22, CF):  3-5, 2B.  More below.
• JASON KIPNIS (23, 2B):  3-4, RBI.  More below.
• BEAU MILLS (24, 1B):  4-5, 2B, SB.  More below.
• JERAD HEAD (27, OF):  3-4, 2 HR, 5 RBI.  More below.
• JOHN DRENNEN (23, OF):  2-3, RBI.  More below.
• ROB BRYSON (22, RP):  2.2 IP, 2 H, 3K.  Through 7 AA appearances: 8.2 IP, 2.08 ERA, 11 K, 9 BB, .223 BAA.
• NICK HAGADONE (24, RP):  2.2 IP, BB, K.  Last 10 AA appearances: 25 IP, 2.88 ERA, 23 K, 15 BB, .228 BAA.

AA AKRON AEROS (L, 7-9)

• JORDAN HENRY:  2-4, RBI.  Last 10 games: .375 BA, .479 OBP, 4 RBI.  In 211 AA ABs, batting .303 with a .393 OBP and 9 SB.
• JASON KIPNIS:  1-3, 2B, RBI, BB.  Batting .375 in his last 10 games with 6 extra-base hits, 11 RBI, and a .468 OBP.  Season in AA (231 ABs): .346 BA, 16 2B, 4 3B, 9 HR, 36 RBI, 6 SB, .426 OBP.  High-A and AA Combined: .325 BA, 28 2B, 7 3B, 15 HR, 67 RBI, 8 SB, .408 OBP.  I can’t say much more about this guy; the numbers speak for themselves.
• LONNIE CHISENHALL (21, 3B):  1-3, 2B, RBI, BB.  8-17 (.471) in last 5 games with 3 extra-base hits, 9 RBI, and 6 BB (.609 OBP).
• BEAU MILLS:  1-4, HR, 3 RBI.  Last 4 games: 5-17 (.294), 3 extra-base hits, 5 RBI.
• JOHN DRENNEN:  1-3, 2B.  Last 9 games: 15-38 (.395), 4 extra-base hits, 6 RBI, 2 BB, SB.  In 380 AA ABs this season: .303 BA, 20 2B, 6 3B, 5 HR, 50 RBI, .353 OBP.
• JERAD HEAD:  2-4.  First game back in AA after getting demoted from AAA, where he posted a .270 BA with 7 2B, 2 HR, 12 RBI, and a .338 OBP in 63 ABs.  Solid in AA this year: .314 BA, 15 2B, 12 HR, 33 RBI, .366 OBP.
• MATT PACKER (22, SP):  5 IP, 9 ER, 9 H (3 HR), BB, K.  A disastrous outing for Packer, who when a combined 14 IP in his first 2 starts in AA with 10 K, 4 BB, 9 H, and 1 ER allowed.

HIGH-A KINSTON INDIANS (Game 1 of doubleheader: W, 3-1)

• DONNIE WEBB (24, OF):  2-4, 2 RBI.  More below.
• CHUN CHEN (21, C):  1-2, BB.  More below.
• JUAN DIAZ (21, SS):  1-2, BB, SB.  More below.
• DOUG PICKENS (25, OF):  1-2, BB.  More below.
• AUSTIN ADAMS (23, SP):  5 IP, ER, 2 H (HR), 4 BB, 4 K.  Stellar since getting the call to high-A: 1.40 ERA, 36 K, 11 BB, .217 BAA in 45 IP.

HIGH-A KINSTON INDIANS (Game 2 of doubleheader: W, 5-3)

• DONNIE WEBB:  1-3, SB.  Last 10 games: .303, 3 2B, 2 RBI.  Season with Kinston (200 ABs): .245 BA, 11 2B, 4 HR, 26 RBI, .330 OBP.
• CHUN CHEN:  1-2, 2B, RBI, BB, SB.  Last 10 games: .344, 3 2B, 2 RBI, 7 BB.  Season with Kinston (114 ABs): .307 BA, 11 2B, 2 HR, 16 RBI, .414 OBP.
• JUAN DIAZ:  1-3, HR, 2 RBI.  Started slow with Kinston, batting .222 in 99 July ABs, but batting .321 so far in August and .378 over his last 10 contests.
• DOUG PICKENS:  1-2, RBI.  Has at least 1 hit in 6 of his last 7 contests, batting .292 in that span (7-24) with 5 RBI.  Season with Kinston (280 ABs): .236 BA, 10 2B, 6 HR, 35 RBI, .301 OBP.
• BO GREENWELL (21, OF):  1-3, BB.  Solid if unspectacular so far for Kinston (165 ABs): .309 BA, 6 2B, 9 RBI, 7 SB, .384 OBP.
• MARTY POPHAM (23, SP):  5 IP, 3 ER, 6 H (HR), 2 BB, 6 K.  Last 3 outings: 15 IP, 8 ER, 19 H (3 HR), 4 BB, 19 K.
• BRIAN GRENING (25, RP):  IP, 2 K.  Season with Kinston (23 appearances): 43 IP, 3.77 ERA, 53 K, 24 BB, .200 BAA.  In AA before demotion to high-A earlier this season: 14.2 IP, 4.91 ERA, 15 K, 11 BB, .236 BAA.
• CORY BURNS (22, CP):  IP, H, 3 K, SV.  High-A save #24 on the season and #36 overall for Burns.  He’s been dominant in high-A this season: 31.2 IP, 46 K, 12 BB, .200 BAA.  In his last 2 outings (2 IP), he’s struck out 6.

The low-A Lake County Captains had a scheduled day off on Tuesday while the Mahoning Valley Scrappers enjoyed the second day of their two-day all-star break.

With the 2010 draft signing deadline just passed, I will write something up on the Indians’ top picks sometime soon.  The Tribe was able to get most of its top choices signed, including first rounder (#5 overall) Drew Pomeranz (LHP) and second rounder (#55 overall) LeVon Washington (OF).