Tonight the Salem-Keizer Volcanoes host the Everett AquaSox tonight at Volcanoes stadium. The AquaSox come into this game with a league leading record of 10-3 but also come into the game with the league’s worst team batting average at .233. The Volcanoes come into this game after being swept by the Eugene Emeralds, who seem to have the Volcanoes number winning 15 of the last 16 games in the match up.
Tonight’s pitching matchup puts two foreign born players against each other. For the AquaSox Dylan Unsworth (South Africa) makes his third start of the year. Unsworth is 1-0 with a 3.00 era. Even though Unsworth has given up two homeruns already this season he has posted a great strikeout to walk ratio having K’d 9 hitters and only walking 3.
For the Volcanoes Kendry Flores will also be making his third start of the season. Flores has no record yet but is sporting an excellent era at 1.64 and slightly edges Unsworth’s strikeout to walk ratio by K’ing 8 and only walking 2.
Although the AquaSox don’t have a high batting average and they do score enough runs to win games, but the strength of the team has been their pitching, which has been strong enough to hold teams in check and get them to their league leading record.
The Volcanoes have been struggling on the mound and at times at the plate. Although the team has good arms on the staff, they have been vulnerable to big innings which has sunk the team in more than a couple of games already this far. As for the offensive side the team is lacking in the power department. Other then Chuckie Jones, this team doesn’t really have a real power threat like they had last season with guys like Joe Staley, Joe Panik, and Brett Krill.
Guys to Watch
I haven’t seen the AquaSox this season, so because I am a Mariner’s fan I’m excited to see a few guys for the first time.
- Victor Sanchez is only 17 years old but he can throw the ball. Already 2-0 on the season he may just prove that he is the real deal and start moving up the ranks.
- Christopher Taylor was drafted in the 5th round by the Mariners because of his defensive ability, and the fact that he is leading the AquaSox with a .375 batting average is just a bonus for the organization.
- Patrick Kivlehan decided after playing a few years of football at Rutgers that he would give baseball another try, he then won the Triple Crown for the Big East. A lot of great athletes have tried coming back to baseball and failed because of the timing of the game, but Kivlehan somehow found a way to come back and do it with a bang.
Keys to the Game
- The Volcanoes cannot be content with scoring a run here and run there. They need really push to have big innings.
- The AquaSox pitching need to be aggressive even when they fall behind in the count. They will have the ability to go after hitters with fastballs because the Volcanoes aren’t a big home run threat.
- Both defenses need to make smart decisions. The last few games the Volcanoes have played have been filled with poor decisions by fielders from both teams.