Trentonian Thunder

Test

2008-10-28T17:04:00.002-04:00

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Jackson struggling

2008-08-09T00:41:00.001-04:00

Austin Jackson did not have what most would call a good set of two games for the Thunder. Jackson was a combined 0-for-6 with four strikeouts in the two games, including strikeouts in each of his three at bats in the second game. Jackson was also hitless in Thursday’s game, so he is now 0-for-10 in his last three games.

“I think he’s having a little of a tough time right now,” Franklin said of Jackson’s recent hitting troubles. “I hesitate to call it a slump. He’s having a pretty good season, but he’s just not hitting so well right now. I think AJ will get it turned around and get back on track.”
-RYAN FELDMAN

Coke, Kontos staying in Trenton

2008-07-26T16:11:00.000-04:00

Good thing George Kontos and Phil Coke -- but especially Kontos -- still planned on reporting to Waterfront Park Saturday despite numerous reports that they had been traded.

A day after Coke was pulled from his start against the Portland Sea Dogs after one inning because the Yankees had tentatively agreed to trade him to the Pittsburgh Pirates, the deal was reconfigured early Saturday, with Triple-A right-handers Jeff Karstens and Dan McCutchen replacing Kontos and Coke.
Kontos, who stayed to chart pitches in the stands Friday night after he leared of the reported trade, is scheduled to pitch Saturday night against Portland. Thunder right fielder Jose Tabata and Ohlendorf are still in the deal, which brought outfielder Xavier Nady and left-handed reliever Damaso Marte to the Yankees. Nady was in the Yankees' lineup Saturday against the Red Sox, batting seventh and playing left field.

Marte was also in uniform. Coke, somber in the clubhouse after Friday night's game, said he was disappointed that he wouldn't get to spend his entire career in the Yankees organization. "I thought I had a chance at staying in this organization for the rest of my life," he said. "That's kind of the idea that I was under. My impression of it, anyway. That I might have been here, like a lifetimer. Guess not."

But thanks to last-minute changes reportedlty orchestrated by the Pirates, Coke and Kontos are still in the Yankees organization, and the Thunder may not need to overhaul their starting rotation.

Report: Coke, Kontos, Tabata all in deal

2008-07-25T20:21:00.002-04:00

Peter Abraham of the West Chester Journal News is reporting that the Yankees have traded the Thunder's Phil Coke, George Kontos and Jose Tabata, along with Ross Ohlendorf to the Pirates for Xavier Nady and Damaso Marte.

Coke pulled; report says Yanks made a trade

2008-07-25T20:01:00.002-04:00

Phil Coke was pulled after striking out the side in the first inning. Baseball Prospectus is reporting that the Pirates have traded Xavier Nady and Damaso Marte to the Yankees, which could explain why Coke was pulled.

Trenton vs. Reading, Game 62

2008-06-08T13:10:00.006-04:00

Pregame Notes: Not much to report other than pitching coach being back after leaving to watch his daughter graduate high school. He joins Nardi Contreras today in watching over the pitchers.

First inning:

Economical first inning for Eric Hacker, who threw just six pitches in retiring the side 1-2-3. This is Hacker's third start with Thunder, and he's still looking for his first victory.

Thunder open with a double from Ramiro Pena down the left-field line. Jackson does a good job working R-Phils starter Kip Bouknight for an eight-pitch walk. Curtis follows by striking out on a pitch at his feet. Gonzalez kills the rally with a 5-4-3 double play.

After one, 0-0.

Second inning:

Hacker gets the first man, Jeremy Slayden, on a one-hopper to third. Bad job by Hacker: it took him four pitches to get Joey Hammond on a grounder to second. Hacker finishes the job by getting Brad Harman to stare at a fastball down the pipe for strike three.

Ehlers starts the Thunder with a groundout to third, and is followed by Tabata, who slaps a 1-1 pitch to right for a single. The mini-rally is ended quickly though, as Malec bounces into a 4-6-3 double play.

After two, 0-0.

Third inning:

Strikes strikes and more strikes for Hacker so far. He's retired the first two men on a checked-swing strikeout and an easy grounder to shortstop Ramiro Pena. Hacker ends it with another checked-swing K. So far: Three innings, 26 pitches. Of those pitches, just six were balls.
Thunder get a two-out walk from Ramiro Pena, which Jackson follows with a single into left-center. Once again, though, the Thunder cannot capitalize as Colin Curtis lines the second pitch into the waiting glove of center fielder Greg Golson.

After three, 0-0.

Fourth inning:

Hacker blinks first, allowing a long solo home run to shortstop Jason Donald and a pair of singles to Slayden and Hammond after that. He recovers though, fanning Harman on a breaking ball.

Ehlers tucks a one-out single under the shortstop's glove, but is stranded there.

After four, 1-0, R-Phils.

Fifth inning:

Not as effecient, but just as effective. Hacker worked around two walks to keep the R-Phils off the board.

Once again, the Thunder go quietly. Three groundouts this time, sandwiched around a walk by Pena.

Lights out, game over

2008-06-07T23:04:00.003-04:00

The Thunder have won, a 4-0 shutout of the Reading Phillies. Trenton will attempt the sweep tomorrow. The win goes to Steven Jackson, his first of the year. He's now 1-3. J.D. Durbin takes the loss and falls to 0-3. Good night from Waterfront Park.

Almost finished

2008-06-07T21:57:00.001-04:00

The ninth is underway, with the Thunder ahead 4-0 in the final frame.

Close, but not quite

2008-06-07T21:34:00.002-04:00

Cody Ehlers nearly broke things wide open in the bottom of the seventh. With the bases loaded, Ehlers hit a ball towards the gap in right center, which stayed up long enough to land in Greg Golson's glove. Ehlers got a sacrifice fly and the Thunder hold a 4-0 lead.

Thunder turns it on

2008-06-07T21:23:00.002-04:00

Trenton's off to a fast start to the bottom of the seventh. Reegie Corona and Ramiro Peña led off with back-to-back singles. On Peña's single, Phillies center fielder Greg Golson threw into the stands trying to get Corona at third, giving the Thunder a 3-0 lead.

Also, the video board is having problems here at Waterfront Park. During Colin Curtis's at-bat, stats were flashed for Reegie Corona, Austin Jackson and Reading's Michael Spidale. It's been a strange inning. Curtis has just stolen second, giving the Thunder two men in scoring position with one down in the seventh.

When miscommunication is a plus

2008-06-07T21:10:00.002-04:00

Strange play to end the top of the seventh. Reading's Mike Eylward hit a fly ball that was lost in right center field by Austin Jackson, Reegie Corona and Edwar Gonzalez. Corona threw the ball in to cutoff man Cody Ehlers, who noticed Brad Harman coming around third base and fired to Chris Malec for the final out.

Will we see some offense?

2008-06-07T20:57:00.002-04:00

For the second time this game, the Thunder have put two runners on. This time, P.J. Pilittere takes advantage with a two-run double to left-center. Trenton leads 2-0 in the bottom of the sixth.

2008-06-07T20:45:00.002-04:00

J.D. Durbin continues to be masterful tonight. If he keeps this up, he might be back in Lehigh Valley in a hurry. Still no score through five.

Elsewhere in the league, Connecticut is ahead 4-0 against Altoona at the Curve's Blair County Ballpark, Binghamton leads visiting New Britain 3-0 at NYSEG Stadium and Erie holds a 2-0 lead on New Hampshire at the former Fisher Cats Ballpark in Manchester, N.H.

Coke's night is over

2008-06-07T20:35:00.002-04:00

Phil Coke goes 4 1/3 innings and gives up four hits and three walks, which will get him a no-decision. Steven Jackson gets the ground out for an inning-ending double play, and the game remains scoreless.

Zeros reign

2008-06-07T20:24:00.002-04:00

Tabata struck out and Pilittere flied to center. Four innings, and we remain scoreless at Waterfront Park.

Elsewhere, second-place Portland is crushing Akron 10-3 at Hadlock Field, and South Division leader Bowie is all over Harrisburg 13-2 at Commerce Bank Park.

Little offense to speak of...for now

2008-06-07T20:10:00.002-04:00

Phil Coke kept Reading from doing much in the top of the fourth, and now the Thunder have a chance to get something going in their half.

Edwar Gonzalez singled and Cody Ehlers walked, setting up Jose Tabata and P.J. Pilittere with a chance to drive in the first run.

Hitting is lacking

2008-06-07T20:03:00.002-04:00

The swing has deserted Trenton. J.D. Durbin is handcuffing the Thunder, holding them to one hit through three innings. The three batters in the third didn't exactly get great swings in. Corona and Austin Jackson both flied out, with Ramiro Peña striking out.

Survival

2008-06-07T19:58:00.002-04:00

Jason Donald crushed a ball to left field, but it died on the tack and landed in Colin Curtis's glove. Coke escaped the third with no score.

Benches clear

2008-06-07T19:39:00.002-04:00

No punches were thrown, but after Cody Ehlers grounded into a 4-6-3 double play, Edwar Gonzalez and Jason Donald came close because Gonzalez slid into the Phillies' shortstop. The benches cleared, but the teams were kept separated and warnings were issued to both teams.

Afterwards, the Thunder put a two-out rally together behind a single from Jose Tabata and a walk to P.J. Pilittere, but Chris Malec's groundout will keep things scoreless through two.

Not struggling, not shining

2008-06-07T19:25:00.002-04:00

Phil Coke isn't looking great, but he's doing a decent job. Other than a Neil Sellers double, he had no problems in the second. If he was going to give up a hit, it came with two away, so no harm done.

One inning down

2008-06-07T19:24:00.001-04:00

Nothing doing for the Thunder in the first. Three up, three down and it remains scoreless.

Phil Coke's return

2008-06-07T19:07:00.002-04:00

Good evening from Waterfront Park, where the Trenton Thunder (39-21) host the Reading Phillies (22-35) in the second game of a three-game series. This is Dan Angell of the Trentonian providing you updates on the action.

Tonight's game marks the return of Phil Coke to the Thunder after going up to Class AAA Scranton/Wilkes-Barre for one start against the Norfolk Tides. After striking out the first two batters, Coke struggled through three innings, giving up three runs on eight hits and taking the loss.

Coke got off to a rough start tonight, giving up a single to Javon Moran and walking Jason Donald to open the game. But Greg Golson lined out to second baseman Reegie Corona for a double play, allowing Coke to escape with no damage. The Thunder hitters now get a chance to try to provide the lefty more offense than they gave Jason Jones last night.

Thunder win 7-4

2008-05-29T21:52:00.001-04:00

Not without any drama, but the Thunder held on when pinch hitter Kyle Phillips flew out to Kevin Russo on the left field warning track with two men on base.

7-4 Thunder

2008-05-29T21:45:00.000-04:00

A two-run double by Cody Ehlers added two insurance runs, and the home team has a three-run lead in the ninth.

Thunder back on top

2008-05-29T21:26:00.003-04:00

Were the aforementioned John Sterling the voice of the Thunder, he would have shouted with glee "it's a RIBBIE - for REEGIE" after Reegie Corona slapped a 1-0 fastball from Daryl Harrang (Aaron's brother) to give the Thunder a 5-4 lead. A batter before, Kevin Russo hit an RBI triple to left-center to score PJ Pilittere and tie it at four.