• Donegal grad Darin Gorski is off to an impressive start in his first season in the Class AA Eastern League.
Gorski allowed only one hit in six innings to pick up the win Saturday in the Binghamton Mets' 2-1 victory over the Akron Aeroes. He struck out seven and walked three.
Gorski, 24, who starred at Kutztown, was was named the most valuable pitcher last year in the Class A Florida State League, when he went 11-3 with a 2.08 ERA. He was also named the Mets' minor-league pitcher of the year.
• Two Lancaster County natives were on opposing teams in a Class AA Southern League season opener Thursday night in Jacksonville, Fla.
Pete Andrelczyk, a relief pitcher from Manheim Township, pitched one inning for the Jacksonville Suns in their 2-0 victory over the Huntsville Stars.
Andrelczyk, who was credited with a hold, gave up no hits, struck out two and walked one. The Suns are a Miami Marlins affiliate.
Jeff Bianchi, from Lampeter-Strasburg, played shortstop and hit second in the lineup for the Stars, an affiliate of the Milwaukee Brewers.
Bianchi, who did not bat against Andrelczyk, went 2-for-4 with a double. In the second game of the series Friday night, he was 2-for-5 in the Stars' 5-4 win.
• Manheim Township grad Austin Gallagher is playing for the Rancho Cucamonga Quakes, the Los Angeles Dodgers' team in the Class A California League.
Gallagher was 3-for-8 in the Quakes' first two games, both losses to Inland Empire.
• The Phillies have 18 players who will make more than $1 million this season, according to USA Today's annual survey of baseball salaries.
Cliff Lee leads the way at $21.5 million, followed by Roy Halladay, $20 million; Ryan Howard, $20 million; and Chase Utley, $15,285,714.
That's $35 million tied up on two players who are sidelined by injuries and whose date of return is uncertain.
The Phillies' total payroll is $174,538,938, their average salary is $5,817,965 and their median salary is $1,875,000.
By comparison, the Orioles' payroll is $81,428,999 (average, $2,807,897; median, $1.3 million) and the Pirates' is $63,431,999 (average, $2,187,310; median, $916,666).
The Phillies' total payroll is the second highest in the majors, behind only the Yankees, at $197,962,289. The Red Sox are third, at $173,186,617, and the Angels are fourth, at $154,485,166.
• As it does to start every season, Comcast is offering a free preview of the MLB Extra Innings package through Sunday, April 15.
The package, on Channels 771-782, allows you to see just about every major league game. Local games already available, such as Phillies games on CSN or Orioles games on MASN, are blacked out on the Extra Innings channels.
• The Eagles will have an interesting preseason schedule, starting with a matchup with the Steelers at 7:30 p.m. Thursday, Aug. 9, at Lincoln Financial Field.
Also on the Eagles' preseason slate are road games against the Patriots at 8 p.m. Monday, Aug. 20, on ESPN and the Browns at 7:30 p.m. Friday, Aug. 24. The Eagles' final preseason game is at home against the Jets, featuring Mark Sanchez and Tim Tebow, on Thursday, Aug. 30.
Jim Hersh is sports editor of the Sunday News. Email him at jhersh@lnpnews.com.
