Saturday, June 28, 2014

WINLESS IN ATLANTIC LEAGUE, SCARPETTA PART OF CAROLINA LEAGUE NO-HIT HISTORY

Cody Scarpetta could not even collect a victory (0-2, 5.13) in his eight starts for the Lancaster (PA) Barnstormers this season, but the 25-year-old already has two wins in his first three starts in the Carolina League.  Oh yes, the onetime Milwaukee draft choice from Guilford, IL also played a major part in a no-hitter. Scarpetta made history for Lynchburg, VA Friday night, hurling the Hillcats to their second consecutive no-hitter for the Atlanta Braves Class A farm club.  Since pitchers in affiliated leagues often are held to tight pitch counts, the 6-foot-3 right-hander went the first seven innings and Benino Pruneda threw the last two in the 5-0 victory at Wilmington, DE. “Being able to go pitch Indy baseball, it taught me some things,” Scarpetta told MiLB.com.  “I had to learn how to pitch to older hitters in that (Atlantic) league and I was able to carry that with me here.  It’s a different mentality that came through than when I was younger. ”  Scarpetta, who is 2-1, 1.89 for three starts with Lynchburg, has allowed 12 hits and five walks in 19 innings while striking out 15.  He surrendered a two-out walk in the sixth and hit the leadoff hitter in the seventh while throwing 99 pitches in the no-hitter. It is believed this is the first time in the long history of the Carolina League that pitchers have thrown no-hitters against the same opponent on consecutive days although Rocky Mount, NC hurlers combined for two seven-inning no-hitters in a doubleheader May 15, 1966.

We will have more on Scarpetta’s gem in next Thursday’s Independent Baseball Insider column, which is written exclusively for subscribers (www.WirzandAssociates.com).

HOW IS THIS FOR PARITY?

All four teams in the Freedom Division of the Atlantic League have posted 5-5 records in their last 10 games.  Pennsylvania rivals Lancaster and York share the first-half lead with nine games remaining while Sugar Land, TX, which has 10 games to play, trails by two and a half games.  Southern Maryland (Waldorf) is well off the pace. York is the most recent team to lose a player to a major league organization.  Reliever Julio DePaula (2.42 in 28 appearances) had his contract purchased by Baltimore this week.

NOTEWORTHY RELEASES

Pitchers Cody Eppley, who was in the major league camp of the Pittsburgh Pirates this spring, has been let go by the Bucs out of Triple-A.  The same fate hit veteran major leaguer Mike MacDougal, who was with Seattle’s top farm club.  Eppley was signed by Pittsburgh after last season with Lancaster while MacDougal also has Atlantic League experience with Camden, NJ. 


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