Minor matters

A another stellar report from Jamie Ramsey:

Billings’ third baseman Brandon Waring deserves top-billing today…Last night at Helena, he belted 2 homers in a game for the 3rd time in 4 days (grand slam, 2-run homer)…he has gone deep in 4 of his last 5 games and 5 of his last 7 games…he is riding an explosive 11-game hitting streak in which he’s batting .465 (20-43) with 10 homers, 17 runs and 18 RBI…he leads the Pioneer League with 18 homers – 1 shy of a Mustangs’ team record…Waring was the Reds’ 7th round selection in this year’s draft, out of Wofford College where he belted 27 homers this past season (2nd in the NCAA).

Louisville wins in 11 innings at Toledo…Luis Bolivar swinging a hot bat…The Bats’ bullpen gets it done…Chattanooga, just like Sarasota earlier this year, shook down the thunder from the sky and beat former Notre Dame football star Jeff Samardzija…Johnny Cueto struck out 9 in 6.0 innings…Sarasota beats Ft. Myers like they owed the Reds money…B.J. Szymanski with 4 hits and 5 RBI…The SaraReds play a doubleheader today with Homer Bailey and Alex Smit expected to start…Dayton falls to Lansing…Anthony Gressick sharp in his 6.0 innings…Billings beats Helena and inches closer to the division leader…Brandon Waring hotter than a 2-dollar pistol on the 4th of July (see above)…Kyle Lotzkar set to make his debut for the Mustangs tonight…6 of Billings’ final 9 games are against 1st-place Great Falls (-4.5g).

BRANDON WARING’S 11-GAME HITTING STREAK
8/18 at Casper: 3-for-3, 4r, 2hr, 2rbi, 2bb
8/19 at Casper: 1-for-5, 1r, double
8/20 at Idaho Falls: 2-for-4, 1r
8/21 at Idaho Falls: 2-for-4, 1rbi
8/22 at Idaho Falls: 1-for-4, 1r, 1hr, 1rbi
8/24 vs. Missoula: 1-for-3, 1rbi, 1bb
8/25 vs. Missoula: 2-for-4, 2r, 1hr, 1rbi, double
8/26 vs. Missoula: 3-for-4, 2r, 2hr, 4rbi
8/27 vs. Helena: 2-for-4, 2r, 2hr, 2rbi
8/28 vs. Helena: 1-for-4, 1r
8/29 vs. Helena: 2-for-4, 3r, 2hr, 6rbi
20-for-43, .465, 10hr, 17r, 18rbi…raises his batting average from .271 to .304…raises his on-base percentage from .332 to .365…raises his slugging percentage from .478 to .604.