Monday, April 30, 2012

Minor League Schedule and Results

MONDAY'S GAMES

Savannah at Lexington at 9:05 a.m. CST
Probable Pitchers: RHP Rafael Montero (2-1, 1.99) and LHP Kyle Hallock (1-1, 9.20)
Available on MiLB.tv

Corpus Christi at Frisco at 7:00 CST
Probable Pitchers:  RHP Erick Abreu (2-0, 5.50) and RHP Jacob Brigham (1-1, 4.01)

Oklahoma City at Albuquerque at 7:35 CST
Probable Pitchers: TBD
Available on MiLB.tv

Lancaster - Day Off

SUNDAY'S RESULTS

Frisco over Corpus Christi 10-3
Jose Cisnero, Arcenio Leon and Jonnathan Aristil all decided to take the day off on Sunday.  Unfortunately, they did so on the mound. Just a bad one all around for the pitching staff. T.J. Steele had a pinch hit solo home run to bring his batting average up to .163.  Austin Wates had the only other extra base hit, a double.

Savannah over Lexington 9-3
Nick Tropeano wasn't at his best on Sunday and, unfortunately, Evan Grills wasn't able to bail him out as four runs scored in the sixth inning. Murilo Gouvea pitched a very effective two innings (and has really been good in his appearances while I've been here).  Unfortunately, Tanner Bushue could only get two outs in the ninth and Pettus had to get the final out.  Bushue just wasn't fooling any batters. Matt Duffy hit a two-run home run and Drew Muren hit a triple (and was 3x3) and was driven in by Alex Todd.

Lancaster over Stockton 5-4
Bobby Doran gave up four runs on 10 hits, but no big innings. Brian Streilein got the win in relief, his first, while Jorge de Leon got his second save. Domingo Santana (2x3) had a triple, two RBI's and a stolen base while Jio Mier (3x4) and George Springer (4x5) each doubled.

GAME OF THE DAY
Oklahoma City over Round Rock 9-4

What went right:  Another good start from Dallas Keuchel and good small ball offense.  Dallas Keuchel seems to always manage a competitive outing even if he's not dominant that day. Xavier Cedeno wasn't helped by a wild pitch and an error by Angel Sanchez, but Enerio del Rosario closed it out without incident.  J.B. Shuck had a triple (one of his three hits for the day), but most of the offense consisted of singles, doubles, walks, a stolen base and capitalizing on errors.

Dallas Keuchel (W, 4-1) - 6.1IP 8H 2R/1ER 1BB 3SO HR
Xavier Cedeno - 1.2IP 2H 2R/0ER 1BB
Enerio del Rosario - 1IP 0H 1BB

J.B. Shuck - 3x5 3B 2RBI 2R
Angel Sanchez - 2x5 2B 2RBI R
Scott Moore - 2x4 2-2B 2RBI SO 2R
Mike Hessman - 2x4 SO 2R
Brad Snyder - 1x3 2RBI BB SO
Carlos Corporan - 2x4 R

What went wrong: Four errors, three by Angel Sanchez.

PITCHER OF THE DAY
I love Dallas Keuchel. That is all.

PLAYERS OF THE DAY
George Springer had a 4x5 day to raise his batting average to .278.

Happy Birthday - 4/30

No future Astros with birthdays today, only former Astros ~

3B/2B Phil "Scrap Iron" Garner (63)
Originally drafted by Oakland in the first round in 1971, Garner came to Houston from Pittsburgh in an August 1981 trade.  In 753 games for Houston from 1981 to 1987, Garner hit .260/.323/.389/.712.  The three-time All Star played for five teams over 16 seasons and won a World Series ring while playing for the Pirates in 1979.  Garner managed the Astros from 2004 until 2007 with a 277-252 record and led the team to a NL pennant in 2005.

1B Mark Saccomanno (32)
A 23rd round draft pick by the Astros in 2003, Saccomanno only got to the show for ten games, but his first game was memorable.  On September 8, 2008, he became the 20th player in MLB history to hit a home run on the first major league pitch thrown to him.  It was a pinch hit AB off Ian Snell.  Who cares what else he did ... he can tell that one to his grandkids.

RHP Mike Barlow (64)
Barlow pitched in 16 games for Houston in 1976, going 2-2 with a 4.50 ERA and a 2.000 WHIP.





Tweet of the Day

Kevin Chapman

Cleaning ladies always find the worst time to want to clean and do that annoying knock on the door while saying "housekeeping"

Roster Moves - 4/29

HOU/OKC
IF Brian Bixler was optioned to OKC.
RHP Jordan Lyles was recalled to Houston.

RHP Jordan Lyles was to be sent back to OKC after his start to make room for Marwin Gonzalez to come off the paternity list.

LAN
I missed a roster move from 4/28 as C Ryan McCurdy was assigned to Lancaster.

Sunday, April 29, 2012

Minor League Schedule and Results

Note: I will be on the road the next few days and will be subject to the whims of the Wifi gods when it comes to posting. Results will be later than usual (and probably sketchier as well), but I will do my best to keep you up to date on everything.  Thanks!

SUNDAY'S GAMES

Savannah at Lexington at 12:35 CST
Probable Pitchers: RHP Marcos Camarena (1-0, 2.45) and RHP Nick Tropeano (1-1, 1.29)
Available on MiLB.tv

Round Rock at Oklahoma City at 2:05 CST
Probable Pitchers:  RHP Greg Reynolds (1-2, 3.00) and LHP Dallas Keuchel (3-1, 1.67)
Available on MiLB.tv

Corpus Christi at Frisco at 4:00 CST
Probable Pitchers:  RHP Jose Cisnero (2-1, 1.83) and RHP Barrett Loux (4-0, 1.25)

Stockton at Lancaster at 4:00 CST
Probable Pitchers:  RHP Josh Bowman (0-3, 5.28) and RHP Bobby Doran (2-1, 2.63)

SATURDAY'S RESULTS

Corpus Christi over Frisco 10-1
This one could easily have been my game of the day as well, as Corpus Christi put the smackdown on Frisco after being on the receiving end on Friday.  Ross Seaton pitched very well and got his first win in what I hope is a breakthrough game for him, and Kevin Chapman and Josh Zeid combined to pitch three innings of hitless relief.  Austin Wates was en fuego with RISP, hitting a two-run single and a three-run home run in a 4x6 five-RBI night. Brandon Barnes, Jose Martinez and Chris Wallace each had two hits and an RBI, Jonathan Villar had a pair of RBI's and Jake Goebbert added a triple to the mix.

Lexington over Savannah 5-4 in 11 innings
I took a ton of pictures during BP; met Keith Ellis (the voice of the Legends), Kyle Hallock and Jason Chowning; chatted briefly with Mike Kvasnicka about our mutual friend Jordan Comadena; interviewed pitching coach Dave Borkowski; interviewed Nick Tropeano and Zach Johnson at the same time; watched Tanner Bushue's bullpen session; hung out with my new BFF Dave (who works at the Legends ballpark); watched Nick Tropeano perform on the field with Myron Noodleman; and sampled one or two glasses of Kentucky Ale (OK three, but that's all, I swear). Oh, and then there was a ballgame too.

Jonas Dufek looked good in his first start since being hit on the forearm, but between two errors from John Hinson at second base and an error from Dufek himself, he ended up giving away a couple of extra runs. The bullpen was great. Carlos Quevedo, Jason Chowning and Dayan Diaz each pitched two innings and between them gave up one hit (Diaz), one walk (Chowning) and seven strikeouts. Chowning and Diaz still own 0.00 ERA's.  Matt Duffy, John Hinson and most importantly Drew Muren all hit home runs.  Muren's was of the walk-off variety and made me very happy to get out of the cold and the damp!  Muren and Hinson each had three hits on the night.

Stockton over Lancaster 11-4
A seven-run seventh inning for Stockton put this one out of reach for Lancaster.  Zach Grimmett got the loss, as he and Pat Urkfitz got charged with 11 runs between them.  Gabriel Garcia finally stopped the bleeding in the seventh by getting the final two outs. Garcia and Dydalewicz took it the rest of the way.  Adam Bailey had a two-run home run. George Springer, Jonathan Meyer and Ryan McCurdy each had a pair of hits.

GAME OF THE DAY
Oklahoma City over Round Rock 11-5

What went right:  A solid (if unspectacular) comeback from the DL for Paul Clemens, three players with three-RBI nights and J.B. Shuck with a 5x5 night.  Clemens wasn't dominating but only gave up two runs in five innings and appears to be healthy. Sergio Perez was a little rocky in three innings of long relief while Jose Valdez continued with a nice string of relief outings (1.74 ERA).  The offensive onslaught in the first inning (6 runs scored) proved to be all the runs that OKC would need.  Jimmy Paredes contributed a three-run home run in that frame.  I'll let the stats speak for themselves.

Paul Clemens (W, 2-1) - 5IP 4H 2R 2BB 3SO HR
Sergio Perez - 3IP 5H 3R 1SO
Jose Valdez - 1IP 1H 1SO

J.B. Shuck - 5x5 2B RBI 2R SB
Fernando Martinez - 2x4 3RBI R
Scott Moore - 2x3 2-2B 3RBI BB R
Justin Ruggiano - 2x4 SO R
Brad Snyder - 2x5 2B 3SO
Jimmy Paredes - 2x5 HR 3RBI SO 2R

What went wrong: Brett Wallace went 0x5 with a strikeout.

PITCHER OF THE DAY
Ross Seaton is my guy. He wasn't dominating, but he got his first win and didn't walk a soul.

PLAYERS OF THE DAY
J.B. Shuck (5x5) and Austin Wates (4x6, 5RBI) share the honors.

Happy Birthday - 4/29

Pitching Coach Hector Mercado (38)
Mercado was a lefty pitcher drafted by Houston out of Puerto Rico in 1992, but he never played in the big leagues for Houston. He pitched for the Reds and the Phillies from 2000 to 2003 and was still playing in the Mexican League up through 2008.  In 2010 and 2011, he was the pitching coach for the Gulf Coast League Astros, but will be serving that function for the Greeneville Astros when their season starts up in June.

Former Astros with birthdays today ~

IF Ron Washington (60)
Originally signed as a free agent by the Royals in 1970, Washington played in only seven games for Houston at the end of his major league career after having played for the Dodgers, Twins, Orioles and Indians.  Despite hitting a rather impressive .320/.347/.447 for the Astros AAA affiliate, he only managed a .143/.143/.286 line for the big club. Rumor has it that, after his playing days, he was reduced to managing some team in the southern Oklahoma area - the Rangers, I believe.

1B/OF J.R. Phillip (42)
Phillip played 16 seasons of minor league and foreign ball from 1988 to 2005. You've got to respect the desire to keep playing.  He saw limited action (242 total games) in the major leagues from 1993 to 1999, playing for the Giants, Phillies, Astros (49 games in 1997 and 1998), and Rockies.

OF Louie Meadows (51)
Meadows was drafted by Houston in the second round in 1982 and played for the Astros in 87 games in 1986 and 1988 to 1990.



Tweet of the Day

Josh Zeid

The good thing about the game of baseball is one day you can lose 12-0 but 24 hours later you have the chance to redeem yourself!
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
And it worked as Corpus did the trouncing on Saturday!

Roster Moves - 4/28

OKC
RHP Paul Clemens was activated from the DL.
RHP Adalberto Flores was assigned from CC to OKC.
LHP Brett Oberholtzer was assigned from CC to OKC.

CC
RHP Josh Zeid was activated from the DL.'
LHP Alex Sogard was assigned from LAN to CC.

The corresponding move for activating Jordan Lyles from OKC to Houston will have to be made today.

Saturday, April 28, 2012

Minor League Schedule and Results

Note: I will be on the road the next few days and will be subject to the whims of the Wifi gods when it comes to posting. Results will be later than usual (and probably sketchier as well), but I will do my best to keep you up to date on everything.  Thanks!

SATURDAY'S GAMES

Savannah at Lexington at 6:05 CST
Probable Pitchers: TBD
Available on MiLB.tv

Corpus Christi at Frisco at 7:00 CST
Probable Pitchers: RHP Ross Seaton (0-2, 5.40) and RHP Carlos Pimental (2-0, 0.00)

Round Rock at Oklahoma City at 7:05 CST
Probable Pitchers:  RHP Neil Ramirez (2-1, 2.14) and TBD
Available on MiLB.tv

Stockton at Lancaster at 9:00 CST
Probable Pitchers:  TBD

FRIDAY'S RESULTS

Round Rock over Oklahoma City 8-3
The pitching staff in the guise of Aneury Rodriguez, Mickey Storey and Juan Abreu all went into meltdown mode. Enerio del Rosario was the only member of the pitching staff to emerge unscathed.  And when your highlights at the plate are a 2x4 night by Angel Sanchez and a home run by Carlos Corporan, perhaps the less said the better.

Frisco over Corpus Christi 12-0
Ouch. As Jarred Cosart tweeted last night, he went from missing bats in his earlier outings to missing the glove in this one as he issued six walks. Erick Abreu and Henry Villar didn't fare much better in relief. Adalberto Flores closed it out capably, but all the damage had been done at that point.  Apparently, there is a reason that the opposing pitcher, Frisco's Justin Grimm, is 4-1 with a 1.59 ERA because he dominated the Corpus hitters, holding them to 4 hits.  Jonathan Singleton was the only hitter with some degree of success against him as he went 2x4.  Brandon Barnes contributed a double and T.J. Steele's single was his first hit since April 12th.

Lancaster over Stockton 10-0
Ruben Alaniz is making a statement as he earned his second win of the season at Lancaster.  He currently has a 2.90 ERA and 26SO:7BB.  It's nice to see Andrew Robinson coming around with a good bullpen performance as well.  It was a solid night for the hitters as everyone in the lineup contributed at least one hit except for George Springer who still managed two walks and two runs scored.  Ben Orloff (two doubles), Rafy Valenzuela, Jonathan Meyer and Rene Garcia each contributed two hits. Erik Castro added a three-run home run for good measure.

GAME OF THE DAY
Lexington over Charleston 7-0

What went right:  An outstanding start by Luis Cruz and an outstanding night at the plate for just about everyone. In only his second start this season since coming out of the bullpen, Cruz found the command that eluded him in his first start. His defense was there for him as well, as he induced a lot of flyball/line drive outs in addition to his six strikeouts.  Everyone in the lineup got a hit except for Drew Muren and he still managed a walk and an RBI on a ground out, and Emilio King (who has started off slowly) got a hit and an RBI on a bases loaded walk. Zach Johnson is en fuego as he added three more RBI to his already ridiculous total.

Luis Cruz (W, 1-1) - 7IP 2H 0R 1BB 6SO
Murilo Gouvea - 2IP 1H 4SO

Jordan Scott - 1x3 2BB SO 2R
Zach Johnson - 2x5 2B HR 3RBI 2R
Matt Duffy - 2x4 2B BB SO R
Alex Todd - 1x3 2BB R
Roberto Pena - 1x4 RBI BB SO
James Howick - 2x4 HR RBI SO R

What went wrong: 3x14 with RISP, including three stranded by Delino DeShields Jr.

PITCHERS OF THE DAY
Luis Cruz and Ruben Alaniz share the honors as they had nearly identical pitching lines, giving up only two hits over seven innings.

PLAYER OF THE DAY
Zach Johnson get the nod as he continues to rake.  His three RBI night brings him to 29 RBI's over 21 games and puts him in a tie for first place in the Sally League.

Happy Birthday - 4/28

No future Astros, only one former Astro with a birthday today ~

OF Jackie Brandt (78)
Originally signed by the Cardinals in 1953, Brandt came to Houston in 1967 as the final stop in a 11-year major league career after playing for the Cardinals, Giants, Orioles and Phillies. The one-time Gold Glove and All-Star had a .236/.296/.337 batting line in 41 games for the Astros.  It was memories, not numbers, that were really important to him, though.  From Baseball-Reference:
The .262 lifetime hitter stated, "I had over 1,000 base hits and 100 home runs in the majors, but my greatest thrills and memories are of the people I was around. Willie Mays and Brooks Robinson were my teammates. When I first came up my locker was right next to Stan Musial's and when Ted Williams homered in his last at-bat , he hit it over my head."

Bonus Tweet of the Day

Adam scott bailey

Baseball is so stress free, soothing, and relaxes your mind.....o wait.

Tweet of the Day

brandon meredith



Neiko Johnson
IT'S TOO EASY!!! I'm the king of  LOL....I knew I'd get him back in no time  
pic.twitter.com/GpemioDs


Roster Moves - 4/27

HOU
RHP Kyle Weiland was placed on the 15-day disabled list.
SS Marwin Gonzalez was placed on the 3-day paternity list.

OKC/HOU
IF Brian Bixler was recalled to the Astros.
LHP Fernando Abad was recalled to the Astros.

Jordan Lyles will be called up to start the game on Sunday in place of Weiland. An additional roster move will have to be made then to make room for Lyles on the 25-Man Roster.

Friday, April 27, 2012

Baseball and My Father

I grew to love baseball because of my father.  And not just any baseball.  Astros baseball.  When I was a young girl in northeast Texas, we always listened to the games on the radio on Sunday afternoons after church and a huge dinner.  There was often napping involved, and I remember that whole time through a pleasant haze.

We made a couple of pilgrimages to Houston back then to see some baseball, but I'll admit that the Astrodome scoreboard made more of an impression on me than the games did at that particular point in my life.

We kept following the Astros pretty closely even after we moved away from Texas for a few years.  When I moved back to Texas as a young woman, it was Houston that I chose to be my new home and I have never looked back.

Any time my parents visited during baseball season, we always caught a game or two in person (and watched the rest on TV), and we built more and more memories over the years.

After my mother died and my father moved back to South Dakota, I called Dad often and we would talk for hours.  I always loved to talk to him during the summer because we often ran out of things to say during the winter.  But not during baseball season.  We never ran out of things to say during baseball season.

In October of 2005, we were in constant contact by phone or email.  I printed out three of those emails and I'm so glad I did.  After the Astros took a 3-1 lead in the NLCS, there was this one ~
CONGRATS-------------THE OLD ONE
On the night that Pujols "broke" Lidge and forced a game 6, there was this one ~
I get nervous when Opie or the Beaver get in trouble. Can you imagine what those Astros are doing to me?
And finally, on the night that the Astros won the NLCS and we knew we were going to the World Series, there was this one ~
Thank goodness---------I was running low on heart medicine. I'll get refills before Saturday.
My father passed away four years ago today. I still miss him, but I miss him the most during baseball season. He would have approved of my crazy little blogging hobby.  He would be reading this site everyday and bragging to anyone who would listen about it and about me.

Baseball isn't about wins or losses or big bloated contracts or new stadium deals or television rights.  Baseball is about family and love and wonderful memories. Baseball is about taking a nap on a lazy Sunday afternoon with the sound of a baseball game playing in the background. May you always cherish your memories as much as I do mine.




Minor League Schedule and Results

Note: I will be on the road the next few days and will be subject to the whims of the Wifi gods when it comes to posting. Results will be later than usual (and probably sketchier as well), but I will do my best to keep you up to date on everything.  Thanks!

FRIDAY'S GAMES

Charleston at Lexington at 6:05 CST
Probable Pitchers: RHP Oliver Williams (1-1, 1.69) and LHP Luis Cruz (0-1, 6.23)
Available on MiLB.tv

Corpus Christi at Frisco at 7:00 CST
Probable Pitchers: RHP Jarred Cosart (1-0, 0.00) and RHP Justin Grimm (3-1, 2.01)

Round Rock at Oklahoma City at 7:05 CST
Probable Pitchers:  LHP Martin Perez (1-2, 4.03) and RHP Aneury Rodriguez (1-2, 5.19)
Available on MiLB.tv

Stockton at Lancaster at 9:00 CST
Probable Pitchers:  TBD

THURSDAY'S RESULTS

Lexington over Charleston 5-2
Mike Foltynewicz didn't dominate in this one, but put up a quality start nonetheless.  Jason Chowning earned his first win in relief and Dayan Diaz got his second save. Matt Duffy and Drew Muren had two hit nights, with Duffy and Zach Johnson getting doubles.  Johnson's two RBI's give him 26 over just 20 games.

Corpus Christi over Midland 5-4
Jake Buchanan gave up eight hits and four runs (three earned) in the start, Kevin Chapman got the win in relief and Jason Stoffel earned his second save.  Austin Wates had a 3x5 night, raising his average to .346. Kody Hinze was 2x5 with a double, a home run and two RBI. Jake Goebbert and Jonathan Singleton added doubles, and Jonathan Villar went 2x4.  As a matter of fact, everyone got in the hit column except for the recently torrid Brandon Barnes.

Rancho Cucamonga over Lancaster 5-4
Jorge de Leon made a spot start in place of the injured David Martinez and it took six pitchers to get through this one. Brad Dydalewicz and Kirk Clark were both charged with blown saves. No one really let it get out of control, but Pat Urckfitz was the only pitcher putting up a clean outing.  Kike Hernandez had a terrific night with a triple and a home run. Erik Castro also homered, George Springer and Domingo Santana had doubles and Rafy Valenzuela was 2x4.

GAME OF THE DAY
Oklahoma City over Round Rock 11-5

What went right:  Offense, Offense, Offense. Henry Sosa got the win despite giving up five runs on eight hits.  But it was the offense on this one -- three doubles and three home runs, including a grand slam from Mike Hessman, that put this one out of reach for Round Rock as OKC scored eight runs in the third inning.

Henry Sosa (W, 2-0) - 6.2IP 8H 5R 2BB 4SO 1HR
Sergio Perez - 1.1IP 1H 2SO
Xavier Cedeno - 1.0IP 0H 0R 0BB

Brian Bixler - 1x3 2B BB SO 2R
Fernando Martinez - 3x5 HR 2RBI 2SO 2R
Scott Moore - 2x5 2B 2RBI 2SO R
Justin Ruggiano - 2x4 2B RBI R
Brad Snyder - 3x3 HR RBI BB 2R
Mike Hessman - 1x4 HR 4RBI 2SO R

What went wrong: Landon Powell was the only starter not to get a hit, Brian Bixler had a throwing error and Justin Ruggiano had a caught stealing, but who am I to nitpick?

PITCHER OF THE DAY
Jason Chowning for getting his first win of the season (on top of three saves) and for still maintaining his 0.00 ERA after seven appearances.

PLAYER OF THE DAY
I'm not a fan of Mike Hessman, but I suppose you have to give it to the guy that hits the grand slam. So be it.

Happy Birthday - 4/27

C Chris Wallace (24)
Drafted by Houston in the 16th round in 2010 out of the University of Houston, Wallace split the 2011 season between Lexington and Corpus Christi and hit .271/.343/.507.  He has started off a little slowly in Corpus Christi in 2012 (.222/.317/.417), but through 10 games, he already has 8 RBI. Wallace wears an unusual face mask for protection.  He was hit in the face by a fastball during the College Classic at Minute Maid Park in 2009 and suffered extensive damage.  He wears the mask because any further damage would likely be career ending.

Photo Courtesy of Bryan Green
March 2012

C Raul Antonio Bare "Tony" Eusebio (45)
Eusebio was signed by Houston as a non-drafted free agent out of the Dominican Republic in 1985.  He played in 598 games for the Astros in 1991 and 1994 through 2001, and was used mostly as a back-up catcher except in 1995 and 1999.  And 1995 was his best year at the plate as he hit .299/.354/.410 over 113 games.  He hit a home run in the last game played at the Astrodome.

Runelvys Hernandez (34)
Originally signed by the Royals as a free agent out of the Dominican Republic in 1997, Hernandez came to Houston as a free agent in 1998.  He only appeared in four games for the Astros that season.

3B Pedro Feliz (37)
Feliz was signed by the Giants as a free agent out of the Dominican Republic in 1994 and came to Houston as a free agent in December of 2009. A .258/.288/.410 career hitter, he only managed to hit .221/.243/.311 in 97 games for Houston before being traded to the Cardinals in August 2010 for RHP David Carpenter.

Tweet of the Day

Lancaster JetHawks

You ain't cool unless you have a sleeved blanket. Right, ? 1st 1000 fans thru gates on Sat will get one! 


Thursday, April 26, 2012

League Leaders

Astros minor league players ranking in the top 5 in their leagues (through 4/25) ~

Pacific Coast League (AAA)

Scott Moore
#1 OPS 1.273
#2 OBP .552
#2 SLG .721
#5(T) BB 12

Brian Bixler
#1 BA .429
#3 OBP .481
#4(T) SB 6

Aneury Rodriguez
#2(T) SO 26

Juan Abreu
#2(T) SV 4

Paul Clemens
#4 ERA 1.59

Dallas Keuchel
#4 WHIP 0.89
#5(T) ERA 1.67

Texas League (AA)

Brandon Barnes
#1 BA .394
#1 SLG .773
#1 OPS 1.195
#1 RBI 19
#1 2B 13
#1 H 26
#2 R 16
#5(T) HR 4

Jon Singleton
#2 BA .375
#2 OBP .459
#2 OPS 1.131
#2(T) H 24
#3 SLG .672
#3(T) R 15

Austin Wates
#2(T) H 24

Jonathan Villar
#1 SB 10

Jose Martinez
#4(T) RBI 14

Jose Cisnero
#3 SO 28
#5 ERA 1.83

California League (HiA)

Telvin Nash
#1 HR 9
#2 SLG .667
#5(T) RBI 15

George Springer
#2(T) 3B 3
#3(T) RBI 16

Jonathan Meyer
#4(T) 3B 2

Jio Mier
#4(T) BB 12

South Atlantic League (LoA)

Zach Johnson
#2 RBI 24

Jordan Scott
#2(T) BB 15

Delino DeShields Jr
#1(T) SB 11

Nick Tropeano
#3 SO 32

Jason Chowning
#2(T) SV 3

Minor League Schedule and Results

THURSDAY'S GAMES

Charleston at Lexington at 6:05 CST
Probable Pitchers: TBD and RHP Mike Foltynewicz (3-1, 1.66)
Available on MiLB.tv

Midland at Corpus Christi at 7:05 CST
Probable Pitchers: RHP Gary Daley (2-1, 3.31) and RHP Jake Buchanan (1-0, 4.15)
Available on MiLB.tv

Round Rock at Oklahoma City at 7:05 CST
Probable Pitchers:  RHP Michael Kirkman (0-0, 7.27) and RHP Henry Sosa (1-0, 1.69)
Available on MiLB.tv

Rancho Cucamonga at Lancaster at 9:00 CST
Probable Pitchers:  RHP Zach Lee (1-1, 2.95) and TBD

WEDNESDAY'S RESULTS

Charleston over Lexington 9-4
Kyle Hallock (L, 1-1) had a tough second inning, but it was his fourth (and last) inning that got ugly, thanks in part to two throwing errors from teammates Alex Todd and Mike Kvasnicka. Three home runs from the bullpen (including two back-to-back homers from Bushue) didn't help matters. Nor did the fact that they were outhit 15 to 6.  But it's the errors, three more today, that are killing this team. They already have 24 errors this season and it seems to be killing any momentum that they get.  Good day at the plate for Delino DeShields Jr (2x4, 2B) and Alex Todd (1x4, 2B, 3RBI).

Oklahoma City - Off Day

Midland over Corpus Christi 9-3
Not a good start for Brett Oberholtzer (L, 1-1) as he gave up 11 hits and seven runs over 5.1 innings.  Jonnathan Aristil also got touched up for a couple of runs as he pitched the rest of the way.  Home runs from Kody Hinze and Chris Wallace provided all of the Hooks runs while Jonathan Villar (two stolen bases) and Austin Wates (three stolen bases) ran wild on the base paths. T.J. Steele got his first start since Saturday and went 0-fer.

GAME OF THE DAY
Lancaster over Rancho Cucamonga 8-2

What went right:  Good pitching and hits from all but one of the starting lineup.  Wes Musick (W, 2-1) had another very nice start, and Jose Trinidad, Pat Urkfitz and Andrew Robinson didn't allow a hit in 2.2 innings of relief. Rafy Valenzuela, Jonathan Meyer and Domingo Santana doubled and Telvin Nash hit his ninth home run of the season.

Wes Musick (W, 2-1) - 6.1IP 7H 2R 2BB 5SO 1HR (2.96 ERA)
Jose Trinidad - 0.2IP 0H 0R 0BB 1SO
Pat Urkfitz - 1.0IP 0H 0R 0BB 1SO
Andrew Robinson - 1.0IP 0H 0R 0BB 2SO

Jio Mier - 1x3 RBI 2BB R
Rafy Valenzuela - 1x3 2B BB 2R
George Springer - 1x5 RBI SO
Telvin Nash - 1x5 HR RBI SO R
Jonathan Meyer - 2x4 2B 2RBI R
Domingo Santana - 2x3 2B BB R
Kike Hernandez - 1x3 RBI R
Rene Garcia - 1x4 RBI SO R

What went wrong: Adam Bailey was the only Jethawks player who didn't make the hit column.

PITCHER OF THE DAY
Wes Musick allowed only four singles and a double through his first six innings, three of his four starts have been quality starts, and he got his first win at home.

PLAYER OF THE DAY
Telvin Nash leads the California League in home runs with nine.  Several players are tied for second place with five. He also ranks second in slugging percentage.

Happy Birthday - 4/26

SS/2B Ben Orloff (25)
Drafted by Houston in the ninth round in 2009 out of UC Irvine, the California native is playing in his first season at Lancaster in 2012.  Orloff is one of those guys you kind of forget about.  He's not flashy but he gets the job done.  After having hit .284 at Lexington last season, he is off to a good start in Lancaster hitting .286 with a very, very nice .459 OBP.

Former Astros with birthdays today ~

RHP Mike Scott (57)
Originally drafted by the Mets in the second round in 1976, Scott came to Houston in a trade for OF/1B Danny Heep in December of 1982.  In 263 games pitched for Houston from 1983 to 1991, he was 110-81 with a 3.30 ERA and a 1.144 WHIP.  But it was the magical 1986 season that made Scott a Houston folk hero as he won the Cy Young Award and went 18-10 with a 2.22 ERA and a 0.923 over 275.1 innings pitched.  And there was the little matter of clinching the NL West by pitching a no-hitter.



In the NLCS that season, Scott was 2-0 with a 0.50 ERA and a 0.500 WHIP with 19 strikeouts.  If the series had gone to seven games, Scott would have been the pitcher. Any Astros fan who was alive at the time (and most Met fans, if they're being honest) know in their hearts that it would have been the Astros facing the Red Sox in the World Series that year if Scott had gotten that opportunity.

Blum played from Houston during two stints, in 2002 and 2003 and again in 2008 to 2010.  A seventh round draft pick by the Expos in 1994, he first came to Houston in a trade with the Expos for 3B Chris Truby before being traded away two years later to Tampa Bay for RHP Brandon Backe.  The second time around Blum signed as a free agent.  In a total of 580 games for Houston, he hit .259/.317/.394. Most Astros fans have a love-hate relationship with Blum.  He was a very popular player in Houston, but he also hit a game-deciding home run against the Astros in the World Series in 2005 so there's that. He's currently playing in his 14th season in the majors for the Diamondbacks.

Originally drafted by the Twins in the ninth round in 1981, Lombardozzi played in 23 games for the Astros in 1989 and 1990, hitting .211/.302/.421.

McFadden played in 62 games for Houston over 1968 to 1970, hitting only .215/.275/.240 before being traded to the Cardinals in June 1970.

A tenth round pick by the Expos in 1997, Strickland only pitched for Houston in five games in 2005 with a 6.75 ERA and a 1.000 WHIP.

Tweets of the Day

Jake Buchanan

Smoked  at a race today, better get those track shoes broke in before you challenge NASCAR randy at a foot race 0-2

Jarred Cosart
The only event NASCAR randy aka  can beat me in is drinking cold beer and the only race he can legitimitely win is NASCAR on Xbox

Roster Moves - 4/25

According to Greg Rajan of the Corpus Christi Caller Times, Jonnathan Aristil has yet again been reassigned, this time from OKC back to Corpus. For those wishing to keep score ~

OKC --> CC 4/2
CC --> OKC 4/5
OKC --> CC 4/10
CC --> OKC 4/23
OKC --> CC 4/25

Wednesday, April 25, 2012

A Day in the Life

I asked Neiko Johnson to describe a typical day at Extended Spring Training. This is what he had to say ~

Well Extended Spring Training is basically Spring Training all over again but for a little while longer. We do the same thing we did in Spring Training and play games also. Some days will consist of split squad games and some days it will be only one team. A typical day consists of early work in the morning, then we start practice and batting practice after that, then we go in for lunch, and come back out for the game which most days start at 1:00 p.m. We stay in the same hotel as we did for Spring Training and it's the same routine for the next two months. Not much is different in Extended Spring Training but there aren't as many people and it's mostly Latin players. With the free time we do have we usually try to go eat, or the mall, or hang out around the hotel ... sometimes playing cards, video games, or watching movies. We just try to find a way to have fun no matter what. Having great teammates and friends around makes it a lot better every day.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~
If you aren't already, give Neiko a follow on twitter @ThisIsNJJ.

Minor League Schedule and Results

WEDNESDAY'S GAMES

Charleston at Lexington at 9:05 a.m. CST
Probable Pitchers: TBD and LHP Kyle Hallock (1-0, 9.28)
Available on MiLB.tv

Midland at Corpus Christi at 7:05 CST
Probable Pitchers: RHP Murphy Smith (2-0, 3.21) and LHP Brett Oberholtzer (1-0, 5.17)
Available on MiLB.tv

Oklahoma City - Off Day

Rancho Cucamonga at Lancaster at 9:00 CST
Probable Pitchers:  RHP Angel Sanchez (1-2, 5.65) and LHP Wes Musick (1-1, 3.00)

TUESDAY'S RESULTS

Charleston over Lexington 4-1
Nick Tropeano (L, 1-1) only lasted two innings as he faced eight batters in the second inning giving up three runs (two earned).  He didn't look good in the second, but ended up striking out the side before all was said and done.  I am hoping that the early hook doesn't indicate an injury of some kind. Nathan Pettus and Carlos Quevedo capably shared the rest of the load in long relief.  The Lexington offense took the night off as they were only able to muster five hits for the night, with two of the hits belonging to Roberto Pena.  Throwing errors by Matt Duffy and the newly promoted Chris Epps didn't help, nor did the GIDP's by Zach Johnson and Emilio King.

Oklahoma City over Albuquerque 8-5
Jordan Lyles had a no-hitter going through 5.1 innings and a shut-out going through 7.1 innings, but then the wheels came off the bus and he ended up charged with four earned runs before all was said and done.  Scott Moore (3x3, 2B, 2RBI), Brett Wallace (2x4, 2RBI) and Brad Snyder (3x4, 2B, 3B, 2RBI) did the most damage at the plate, with Fernando Martinez contributing a double and Justin Ruggiano a triple.

Corpus Christi over Midland 8-2
Despite starting pitcher Jose Cisnero's 12 strikeouts over five innings pitched, this was not a pretty start as he saw a lot of base runners due to three hits, four walks and a fielding error, but he emerged at the end having given up only two runs (both unearned) and got the win.  On offense, it was the Jon Singleton show as he went 4x4 with a triple, two home runs and four RBI to increase his average to .377.  Also contributing were Kody Hinze (2x4), Austin Wates (1x3, 2B) and Andrew Simunic (1x2, HR, 2RBI).  Brandon Barnes showed signs of mortality as he went 0x4 with three strikeouts, but still managed to get an RBI on a ground out.

GAME OF THE DAY
Lancaster over Rancho Cucamonga 6-3

What went right:  Stellar starting pitching and a big night for George Springer.  Bobby Doran had a terrific start marred only by a solo home run.  He didn't walk a single batter and struck out seven.  One night after getting struck out five times, Springer went 4x4 including two run scoring triples.  Jio Mier also had a great night at the plate.

Bobby Doran (W, 2-1) - 7IP 3H 1R 0BB 7SO 1HR
Gabriel Garcia - 1.1IP 4H 2R 1BB 2SO
Kirk Clark (S, 1) - 0.2IP 0H (still has a 0.00 ERA)

Jio Mier - 3x4 RBI BB R
George Springer - 4x4 2-3B 3RBI R
Adam Bailey - 2x4 2B SO R CS
Domingo Santana - 1x4 2B RBI R

What went wrong: Gabriel Garcia got roughed up in his relief appearance, and Jonathan Meyer and Telvin Nash went 0fer.

PITCHER OF THE DAY
Big Bobby Doran's excellent start gets him the prize.  Doran is now 2-1 with a 2.63 ERA.  Jordan Lyles gets honorable mention for his 5.1 innings of no-hit pitching.

PLAYERS OF THE DAY
Who knew we would have two 4x4 nights? Jon Singleton and George Springer share the honors.

Happy Birthday - 4/25

No future Astros, only former Astros with birthdays today ~

1B Chuck Harrison (71)
Harrison was the first major league player to have come out of Texas Tech University.  He played for the Astros from 1965 to 1967.  Although quite a slugger in the minor leagues where he hit 40 home runs in one season in 1964, he was never able to even come close to that kind of power in the Astrodome.  He was traded to Atlanta along with Sonny Jackson in 1967 for Denny Lemaster and Dennis Menke.

RHP Bill Greif (62)
Drafted by Houston in the third round in 1968, Greif only pitched in seven games for the Astros in 1971 before being shipped to San Diego as part of a trade for LHP Dave Roberts. His first major league victory came when he went in to pitch in relief in the 20th inning of a 21 inning affair against the Padres.

Tweet of the Day

Neiko Johnson

 Learn from your mistakes and make the most out of your opportunities in life