July 21: Atlantic League News & Notes

Nearly a handful of Atlantic League players have been picked up by affiliated organizations over the past week, including York’s starting pitcher John VanBenschoten.

A first round draft pick of the Pittsburgh Pirates in 2001, VanBenschoten reached the major leagues with the Pirates in 2004, 2007 and 2008, pitching in a total of 26 games, going 2-13 with a 9.20 ERA in 19 starts and seven relief appearances.

He joined York in late May and struggled in his first few starts, giving up a combined 12 earned runs in 11 2/3 innings over his first three starts, compiling an ERA of 7.71.

The 31-year-old right-hander wound up dominating in his final five starts, though, surrendering a combined four earned runs and improving his ERA to 2.91.

Overall, VanBenschoten went 3-2 in 43.1 innings, allowing just 46 hits and 14 walks while striking out 34. He did not give up a home run in any of his eight starts.

The Padres assigned VanBenschoten to Class AAA Tucson. VanBenschoten picked up his first loss in his first start for Tucson on July 18, despite giving up just two runs, one earned, on three hits in five innings of work.

Through July 20, the San Diego Padres have the fifth worst record in the National League and trail the San Francisco Giants by 13 games for first place in the NL West division, and the Atlanta Braves by 13.5 games for the NL wildcard.

If VanBenschoten keeps throwing like he did on July 18, it wouldn’t be surprising to see the struggling San Diego Padres give him a shot before the end of the year.

VanBenschoten is the sixth Revs player signed by an affiliated organization since the start of spring training, the second highest total in the league this season.

 

Other Atlantic League News & Notes:
—Southern Maryland: The Blue Crabs saw shortstop Yunesky Sanchez get signed by the Pittsburgh Pirates on July 16. Sanchez led the league with a .403 batting average at the All-Star break, with seven homers and 40 RBIs in 61 games. In addition to his outstanding batting average, Sanchez also led the league in hits (93) and was second in total bases (135) at the time of his departure. A former Arizona Diamondbacks prospect, the 27-year-old Sanchez was assigned to the Pirates Class AA affiliate Altoona Curve (which is located about 40 minutes west of State College, Pa., otherwise known as “Happy Valley”). Sanchez is the third player for the Blue Crabs to be signed by an affiliated ball club this season.

—Long Island: The Los Angeles Dodgers picked up Ducks’ starting pitcher Mike Parisi on July 19. Parisi’s 5-4 record and 3.67 ERA at the end of the league’s first half earned him a spot on the Atlantic League Liberty Division All-Star team’s roster. The 6-foot, 3-inch Parisi made his final start for Long Island on July 17, picking up his sixth win and improving his ERA to 3.50 by holding the Road Warriors to four runs, one earned, on eight hits in six innings of work. Parisi is a former St. Louis Cardinals prospect. His only in the appearance in the majors came with St. Louis in 2008, when he went 0-4 with a 8.22 ERA in two starts and 10 relief appearances. The Dodgers assigned the 28-year-old Parisi to Class AAA Albuquerque. He is the second Duck in 2011 to be signed by an affiliated club and the third overall (Lenny DiNardo, Athletics and Valerio de los Santos, Mexico).

—Somerset: The Patriots lost a solid reliever in Andrew Dobies, who the Kansis City Royals signed on July 20. The left-handed Dobies went 2-3 with a 2.81 ERA in 28 relief appearances — including five scoreless innings against the Revs — for Somerset this season. A former Boston Red Sox and Chicago White Sox prospect, the 28-year-old Dobies was assigned to the Royals’ Class AA affiliate Northwest Arkansas. He is just the second Patriots’ player to be signed by an affiliated club this season.

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