Nearly twelve months after his last start in the MLB, Rick van den Hurk returned to the Florida Marlins and allowed just five hits, two runs and two walks in six innings against the San Diego Padres on Monday. The 24-year-old hard throwing right-hander from Eindhoven, Netherlands blew a 1-0 lead with two outs in the sixth, when he served up back-to-back solo homeruns by Adrian Gonzalez and Kevin Kouzmanoff. However his offense bailed him out, as John Baker tied the contest in the seventh with a RBI fielder’s choice and Emilio Bonifacio walked with the bases loaded to force in the winning run moments later for a final score of 3-2. Hanley Ramirez had provided an early 1-0 lead for the team from Miami, hitting a solo shot in opening frame.
Van den Hurk began the season on the disabled list after elbow inflammation had sidelined him following the 2009 World Baseball Classic. He started nine games for the Triple-A team in New Orleans before being called up, going 4-1 with an ERA of 2.77. His last Major League start came on July 27th last year, facing the Chicago Cubs at Wrigley Field. With the outing on Monday he has earned himself at least another start, probably next Saturday in Los Angeles against the National League leading Dodgers.
Europeans in the Minors:
- Starting pitcher Shairon Martis of the Washington Nationals has a 1-1 record with an ERA of 8.25 in three starts for the Syracuse Chiefs since his demotion from the big leagues a few weeks ago. After a promising start on July 6, he has allowed five runs each in his last two outings.
- Playing for Triple-A affiliate of the New York Yankees in Scranton-Wilkes Barre, third baseman Yurendell de Caster is batting .277 (OBP .393/SLG .511) with two homeruns, seven runs scored and three RBI in 14 games so far.
- Catcher Kai Gronauer of the Savannah Sand Gnats hit his fifth homerun of the season on Monday, a three-run shot against Hickory. He is now batting .240 (OBP .290/SLG .347) with 24 runs scored and 19 RBI in 58 games this season.
- Pitcher Mike Bolsenbroek of the Gulf Coast League Phillies has a record of 1-1 with an ERA of 4.35 in five games this season. He has struck out ten in 10 1/3 innings, while walking six.
- Third baseman Alex Liddi of the High Desert Mavericks is hitting .361 in the past ten games and .356 (OBP .408/SLG .638) overall with 20 homeruns, 77 runs scored and 78 RBI in 89 games.
- Pitcher Matteo Pizziconi of the GCL Reds allowed one run on two hits in 4 1/3 innings so far, striking out five.
- Fellow Italian native Luca Panerati got promoted this year and is now pitching for the Billings Mustangs of the Pioneer League. He has started five games so far, going 1-2 with an ERA of 7.77. He has eleven strikeouts (7 walks) in 22 innings.
- Not so good news for all fans, who wanted to see German prospect Max Kepler-Rozycki at the European Championship Juniors in Bonn at the beginning of August. He suffered a foot injury at the Bavarian championships last weekend and was seen on crutches on Monday at a press conference in Regensburg. He will miss the EC Juniors.
- Czech catcher Petr Cech of the GCL Reds has only two hits and three walks in 30 plate appearances over twelve games so far, driving in three.