Tag Archives: Southern League All-Star

Hendricks reflects on All-Star experience

Tennessee Smokies starter Kyle Hendricks gave up two earned runs in one inning during Wednesday's Southern League All-Star Game. (Photo Courtesy: Roger C. Hoover)

Tennessee Smokies starter Kyle Hendricks gave up two earned runs in one inning during Wednesday’s Southern League All-Star Game. (Photo Courtesy: Roger C. Hoover)

Kyle Hendricks’ first moment at Bragan Field was a memorable one. With adrenaline flowing in front of a record crowd of 9,373 fans Wednesday night, the Tennessee Smokies hurler made his first career All-Star start for the Southern League’s North Division team in Jacksonville.

The 23-year-old right-hander ran into trouble in the opening frame as he faced five batters and allowed two earned runs on 15 pitches. Hendricks, who is 9-3 on the season with a 2.03 ERA, said the South Division lineup made contact on what he felt were good pitches.

“I was just trying to go up there and throw my two-seam, get it to sink and get a couple of ground balls,” Hendricks said. “They hit a couple of good pitches and there’s nothing you can do about that. That happens some days.”

Hendricks raved about the All-Star lineup he faced, in particular Jacksonville Suns outfielder and Miami Marlins fourth-rated prospect Jake Marisnick.

“He’s a really good ballplayer,” Hendricks said. “We’ve never faced him before so I didn’t know anything about him and he hit a ground-ball single up the middle off me but watching him these last two games, he’s going to be a really good ballplayer in the future.”

In his first year with pitching coach Jeff Fassero (right), Hendricks is 9-3 with a 2.03 ERA. (Photo Courtesy: Roger C. Hoover)

In his first year with pitching coach Jeff Fassero (right), Hendricks is 9-3 with a 2.03 ERA. (Photo Courtesy: Roger C. Hoover)

Marisnick led the game off for the South Division with a single to center field, setting the table for Mobile BayBears outfielder Justin Greene, who took advantage of a 2-1 pitch and laced it to right field for a triple to score Marisnick and give the South a 1-0 edge. Mobile third baseman Nick Evans followed in the next at-bat and scored Greene on a RBI-single to put Hendricks and the North in a 2-0 deficit. The Tennessee ace induced a 5-4-3 double play from Mississippi Braves third baseman Edward Salcedo to end the inning.

Despite taking the loss in a 6-0 defeat at the hands of the South Division, the first-year Southern Leaguer left the All-Star festivities impressed by what he saw.

“This [All-Star game] was awesome,” Hendricks said. “You know it’s kind of weird being around the guys you compete against when you go out there. You’re trying to get these guys out, or our position guys are trying to get hits off these guys, and then you’re buddies. It’s kind of weird in the beginning but it was an awesome experience. All the events [Jacksonville] threw were great and just to play in the game it was an honor.”

Hendricks earned the starting honor due in part to his success at Smokies Park. In eight starts at home, the righty is 5-1 with a 0.68 ERA while having allowed just four earned runs.

Hendricks will make his first start since the All-Star game and this Monday, as Tennessee hosts Jacksonville for the final game of their five-game series. First pitch is set for 7:15 p.m. ET.

To stay current with all the latest news, follow Smokies on Radio on Twitter and like the Smokies on Radio Facebook page.  Nick Roark is a Broadcast & Media Assistant for the Smokies Radio Network.  You can follow him on Twitter here: NickRoark4.

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Smokies win sixth straight, defeat Generals 5-0

Shortstop Javier Baez hit his second home run in as many days and extended his hitting streak to four games. (Photo Courtesy: Roger C. Hoover)

Shortstop Javier Baez hit his second home run in as many days and extended his hitting streak to four games. (Photo Courtesy: Roger C. Hoover)

JACKSON, Tenn.- The Tennessee Smokies (16-8, 50-43) defeated the Jackson Generals (10-14, 39-51) 5-0 Saturday evening to extend their winning streak to a season-high of six games. The win marked a ninth straight victory over Jackson, dating back to June 24th when Tennessee won 5-1.

Kyle Hendricks (9-3, 2.03) continued his dominance of Jackson as the North Division All-Star starter went five innings, allowing just one hit and striking out four batters on 50 total pitches. Hendricks had not allowed Jackson to score a run against him this season prior to Saturday evening and came into the contest with a 3-0 record against the Generals.

Tennessee jumped all over Generals starter James Gilheeney (3-4, 3.84) in the top of the first. Javier Baez extended his hitting streak to four games with a mammoth two-run homer to straightaway center field, giving the Smokies an initial 2-0 advantage. Third baseman Christian Villanueva came to the plate two batters later and hit his twelfth home run of the season, this one a solo shot over the left field fence to extend the Tennessee edge to 3-0.

GIlheeney, who allowed six earned runs in his last outing versus Tennessee on June 26th, continued to struggle in the top of the third. With one out and the bases empty, John Andreoli launched a 1-1 pitch over the green monster in left field for his first home run with the Smokies, giving the Tennessee a 4-0 advantage. The solo shot was the third home run off Gilheeney in the game and Tennessee’s fifth home run off the lefty this season.

The Smokies added another run in the top of the seventh inning when Andreoli grounded into a fielder’s choice to score second baseman Nate Samson and extend the lead to 5-0.

Gilheeney lasted seven innings despite his early struggles, giving up 12 hits and five earned runs on 102 pitches.

Carlos Gutierrez came on in relief of Hendricks in the sixth inning, making his second appearance with Tennessee. The right-hander went one and two-thirds scoreless innings and allowed one hit, but left with two outs in the seventh due to injury. The former 2008 first-round draft pick of the Minnesota Twins underwent season-ending surgery on his right shoulder last July and had made just five appearances prior to Saturday’s game.

Tennessee wraps up its seven-game series against Jackson Sunday evening, with first pitch from the Ballpark at Jackson coming at 7:05 p.m. ET. A.J. Morris (3-0, 3.54), making his eighth start, gets the call for Tennesee while Trevor Miller (0-0, 0.00) will make his first start with the Generals since being promoted from Class-A High Desert.

AUDIO RECAP


To stay current with all the latest news, follow Smokies on Radio on Twitter and like the Smokies on Radio Facebook page.  Nick Roark is a Broadcast & Media Assistant for the Smokies Radio Network.  You can follow him on Twitter here: NickRoark4.

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Kyle Hendricks named North Division starting pitcher

Tennessee Smokies pitcher Kyle Hendricks was named the Southern League North Division starter Monday afternoon. (Photo Courtesy: Roger C. Hoover)

Tennessee Smokies pitcher Kyle Hendricks was named the Southern League North Division starter Monday afternoon. (Photo Courtesy: Roger C. Hoover)

Tennessee Smokies starter Kyle Hendricks was announced as the North Division starting pitcher Monday afternoon for the Southern League All-Star Game on July 17th in Jacksonville. Hendricks is 8-3 on the season with a 2.13 ERA

This is the first Southern League selection for Hendricks after the right-hander spent the first two seasons of his professional career in the Texas Rangers organization.

“It’s a great honor to be able to start the All-Star game,” Hendricks said Monday evening. “It’s not really a goal you had in mind but just making the All-Star team is great and, on top of that, being able to start is a huge honor.”

Monday’s announcement is the latest honor for Hendricks, who was named the Cubs Minor League Pitcher of the Month in May and Southern League Pitcher of the Week for the week of June 10th.

This year marks the second career All-Star selection for Hendricks, who was named a 2012 Carolina League Mid-Season All-Star while with Class-A Myrtle Beach. The righty did not start the game but pitched the seventh inning and allow no hits while striking out Cincinnati Reds prospect Billy Hamilton.

“It’s definitely a step up getting the start [this year],” Hendricks said. “It’s a testament to our whole team though. I mean you’ve got to have guys behind you making plays and you’ve got to have runs scored to get the win so it’s pretty much a team effort to get me there.”

Hendricks, who came to the Cubs organization in the Ryan Dempster deal, is 7-2 in his last 12 starts with a 1.80 ERA.

Hendricks will be opposed by South Division starter and Mobile’s David Holmberg. Holmberg is 5-4 on the season with a 2.41 ERA in 18 starts. Jacksonville has not hosted the Southern League All-Star Game since the 2003 season a decade ago.

To stay current with all the latest news, follow Smokies on Radio on Twitter and like the Smokies on Radio Facebook page.  Nick Roark is a Broadcast & Media Assistant for the Smokies Radio Network.  You can follow him on Twitter here: NickRoark4.

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Filed under 2013 Smokies Feature, 2013 Southern League Player Feature