What the Heck, Bobby?: Alex Sogard

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Friday, June 6, 2014

Astros Minor League Recaps

Results for Thursday, June 5, 2014

Happy Draft Day!

Omaha 6, Oklahoma City 3

W- Aaron Brooks (5-1)
L- Brett Oberholtzer (1-2)
S- Spencer Patton (12)

OKC home runs: Erik Castro (2, solo in 3rd)

The RedHawks lost their 2nd consecutive 6-3 decision in the series opener.

Brett Oberholtzer went 6 innings and gave up 5 runs (4 on homers) on 8 hits (2 solos and a 2-run), walked 1, and struck out 6. Jorge De Leon allowed a run on 2 hits and struck out 1 in the 7th, and Kevin Chapman struck out 1 in a 1-2-3 8th.

Erik Castro got OKC on the board with a solo homer in the 3rd. Marc Krauss hit an RBI double in the 6th, and Domingo Santana smacked an RBI double in the 8th. Austin Wates (15) and Kiké Hernandez (5) had steals, and Castro was the only RedHawk with a multi-hit game, going 2-4.

Game 2 of this series will be at 7:05 and will feature David Martinez on the mound. He'll face John Lamb.

Midland 3, Corpus Christi 2

W- Nate Long (6-1)
L- Mike Hauschild (1-1, 3-2 season)
S- Seth Frankoff (11)

CC home runs: Preston Tucker (14, solo in 6th)

The Hooks dropped their 4th straight, and dropped the series in the process, as they got burned by Midland's #9 hitter, Beau Taylor, who hit a pair of RBI doubles.

Delino DeShields, not hitting leadoff for the first time this season (5th), went 2-4 with an RBI single in the 1st. Preston Tucker was 1-1 with 3 walks; the 1 hit was a solo homer (14) in the 6th inning.

Mike Hauschild grinded his way through 5 innings and allowed 3 runs on 9 hits and struck out 5. Alex Sogard struck out 3 over 3 perfect innings.

The Hooks will look to avoid a sweep as Jordan Jankowski takes on Chris Jensen. First pitch is at 7:00.

Lancaster 16, Inland Empire 7

W- Brian Holmes (2-1)
L- Elliot Morris (1-1)

Lancaster home runs: Tony Kemp (4, solo in 1st), Teoscar Hernandez (11, solo in 1st), Dan Gulbransen (3, 3-run in 4th), Rio Ruiz (5, 3-run in 5th)

Sweep! After the 66ers scored 2 in the top of the 1st, the JetHawks scored 2 unanswered touchdowns. Everyone in the lineup had an RBI except for Conrad Gregor, who went 1-2 with 2 walks and 3 runs scored. Everyone had a hit except for Jordan Scott.

The JetHawks responded to IE's 2 in the 1st by having Tony Kemp and Teoscar Hernandez hit back-to-back solo shots in the bottom of the inning. And then the floodgates opened. Dan Gulbransen cleared the bases with a triple in the 3rd, then came home on a Ruben Sosa double. Roberto Peña added an RBI single in the 4th, and then Gulbransen unleashed a 3-run shot. Rio Ruiz decided to swat a 3-run homer of his own in the 5th. Gulbransen singled in the 6th, and Scott added a run in the frame by hitting a sac fly to score Gregor. Carlos Correa, after a hat trick of walks, hit an RBI triple in the 7th and scored on Rio's groundout. Gulbransen completed the cycle by leading off the 8th with a double. Teoscar had 3 hits and 3 runs scored. Kemp, Rio, and Peña had 2 each. Correa scored 4 times, which meant that he reached base in all of his plate appearances and scored every time he reached base. He also stole a base (18), too. So did Teoscar (20) and Ruben Sosa (13).

Brian Holmes went 7 innings and allowed 4 runs on 5 hits (2-run and solo homers), walked 2, and struck out 3. J.D. Osborne threw a scoreless 8th, but ran into some trouble in the 9th as he allowed 3 runs, 2 hits, walked 2, and struck out 1. He left with 2 on base. Mitch Lambson got the last 2 outs without incident.

The JetHawks are on the road for the weekend; they'll be playing 4 in Visalia beginning tonight at 7:00 Pacific. Zach Morton will face Braden Shipley.

Burlington 2, Quad Cities 1

W- Trevor Foss (2-4)
L- Tyler Brunnemann (0-2)
S- Alan Busenitz (8)

QC home runs: None.

Tyler Brunnemann shot himself in the foot when he uncorked a wild pitch in the bottom of the 8th, which allowed Angel Rosa to break a 1-1 tie.

Brian Holberton's RBI groundout in the 6th accounted for the only River Bandits run. Tanner Mathis and Chan-Jong Moon had 2 hits apiece.

Michael Feliz went 4 innings and got dinged by Kody Eaves to begin the bottom of the 1st. After that, though, he gave up just 2 more hits. Feliz also walked 4 and struck out 6. Chris Cotton allowed a hit and struck out 1 over 2 scoreless. Brunnemann pitched 2 innings, and that wild pitch turned out to be the difference. That run was unearned; he gave up 2 hits, walked 1, and struck out 1.

The Bandits will look to avoid the sweep tonight at 6:30. TBA will get the start for QC; he'll take on Ryan Etsell.

DSL Astros Blue 6, DSL Rays 2

W- Abdiel Saldaña (1-0)
L- Jose Disla (0-1)

Blue home runs: None.

The Blue team held the Rays in check as they've emerged on top in their division so far. It's a tight one... the other 5 teams are within 2 games of them in the early going.

Salvador Montaño started with 4 scoreless and allowed 4 hits, walked 1, and struck out 5. Abdiel Saldaña followed up with 3 scoreless, allowing 2 hits, walking 2, and striking out 1. The Rays spoiled the shutout bid as they got a pair (1 earned) off of Gabriel Valdez in the final 2 innings. He allowed 4 hits and struck out 1.

Hayden Timberlake opened the scoring with a sac fly in the 2nd, which was part of a 3-run inning. Edgar Lorenzo added an RBI double, and he would score on a Nestor Tejada single. Connor MacDonald added an RBI single in the 4th, and Joan Mauricio hit an RBI groundout. Mauricio brought home the final run of the morning with an RBI single in the 8th. He also hit a triple to lead off the 3rd, but was thrown out at home on a fielder's choice. Wander Franco went 1-2 with 2 runs scored and 3 walks. It's the 4th consecutive game in which he's walked more than once, and he's now the owner of an 11:0 BB:K ratio.

They're at the Rays' complex so they can play a game there.

DSL Yankees1 16, DSL Astros Orange 15

W- Jose Pujols (1-0)
L- Juan Cuevas (0-1)
S- Rafael Ordaz (2)

Orange home runs: None.

On the other hand, the Orange team is still on the schneid. At least the Marlins are there to keep them company. You can count on the DSL to provide some downright wacky stuff. The Orange squad blew a 14-1 lead. Argggggghhhhhhhhh.....

Cristopher Luciano is turning out to be an early bright spot for the Orange offense; he finished a homer shy of the cycle, going 4-4 with 4 RBI, 2 runs scored, and reached in all 5 of his plate appearances. The Orange team opened the scoring with a pair of RBI doubles from Ihan Bernal and Luciano in the 1st. Rodrigo Ayarza hit an RBI single in the 2nd. Luciano added a 2-run single in the 3rd, and a passed ball and a wild pitch later, he'd score himself. Jesus Bermejo scored on yet another wild pitch, and Ayarza finished the 6-run inning with a 2-run single.

They got 5 more in the 4th as Bernal scored on... a wild pitch. Vicente Sanchez added a 2-run single, and then another wild pitch scored Bryan De La Cruz. Wilson Amador hit an RBI groundout for the final run of the inning. Luciano hit an RBI triple for the final Orange run of the morning.

Let's just say that it wasn't the prettiest display of pitching. The two teams combined for 12 wild pitches, a passed ball, and 22 walks. Oh, and 31 runs. All 15 Orange runs were earned. Orange pitchers, on the other hand, had 8 unearned runs. Edwin Villarroel, Adonis Peña, Michael Richez, and Juan Cuevas all had rocky outings. Let's leave it at that. Please. The one guy who didn't was in the middle of all of them. Tomas Lopez, who made his first appearance ever after injuries wiped out his first 2 seasons, threw 2.1 scoreless and allowed 1 hit while walking 2.

Both teams are at it again, this time at the Astros complex.

Three Stars: Position Players

3.

Rio Ruiz, 3B, Lancaster

2-5, 3-R HR (5), 4 RBI, 2 R

2. Cristopher Luciano, 1B, DSL Astros Orange: 4-4, 2B, 3B, 4 RBI, 2 R, BB

1.

Dan Gulbransen, DH, Lancaster

Cycle (in 5 at-bats), 6 RBI, 2 R

Honorable Mentions: The other 7 guys in the Lancaster lineup, Rodrigo Ayarza, Preston Tucker, Delino DeShields, Erik Castro, Joan Mauricio, Tanner Mathis

Three Stars: Pitchers

3.

Chris "58%" Cotton, LHP, Quad Cities

2 IP, H, K

2. Salvador Montaño, LHP, DSL Astros Blue: 4 IP, 4 H, BB, 5 K

1.

Alex Sogard, LHP, Corpus Christi

3 IP, 3 K

Friday, May 30, 2014

Astros Minor League Recaps

Results for Thursday, May 29, 2014

Omaha 4, Oklahoma City 3

W- Ryan Verdugo (1-1)
L- David Martinez (5-3)
S- Spencer Patton (10)

OKC home runs: None.

Close, but no cigar. The RedHawks got burned by a bases-clearing double from Mike Moustakas in the 3rd, and they have lost 3 straight since coming home.

Domingo Santana went 2-4 and led off the 2nd with a double. He'd come around to score OKC's first run of the evening on a Gregorio Petit single. After Jon Singleton doubled to lead off the 4th, Santana hit a single to drive him in. L.J. Hoes hit a sac fly in the 8th, which made it a 4-3 game at the time. Santana and Petit finished with 2 hits apiece.

David Martinez pitched 7 innings, allowing 4 runs on 6 hits, walking 3, and striking out 5. Alex White struck out 1 in a 1-2-3 8th, and Jason Stoffel gave up a run on a sac fly, walked 3, and struck out 1 in the 9th.

OKC will look to avoid the sweep as Mike Foltynewicz, who struck out 12 the last time he faced the Storm Chasers, takes the hill. He'll take on John Lamb at 7:05.

Arkansas 4, Corpus Christi 0

W- Michael Roth (4-3)
L- David Rollins (0-1)
S- Michael Brady (1)

CC home runs: None.

The Hooks were shut out in the final 2 games of this series after taking the opener 6-2. Jio Mier and Preston Tucker had 2 hits apiece; Jio's double in the 9th was the only extra-base hit for Corpus. The two of them were stranded on 2nd and 3rd to end the game. René Garcia was 1-1 with 2 walks.

David Rollins went 4 innings and allowed 2 runs (1 earned) on 2 hits, walked 2, and struck out 3. Alex Sogard threw 3 scoreless, allowing 2 hits, walking 1, and striking out 3. Michael Dimock pitched the final 2 innings and allowed 2 runs on 3 hits and struck out 1.

The other Arkansas team is in Corpus for the weekend. Mike Hauschild will start the opener against J.C. Sulbaran at 7:10.

Lancaster 5, Lake Elsinore 3

W- Chris Devenski (2-5)
L- Colin Rea (5-3)
S- Jamaine Cotton (5)

Lancaster home runs: Jobduan Morales (1, 2 season; solo in 3rd)

The JetHawks took sole possession of 1st place in the California League South with their sweep of the Storm. After Lake Elsinore took a 2-1 lead after 3 innings, the JetHawks responded with 4 unanswered runs, which included a 3-run 6th.

Jobduan Morales put the JetHawks on the board with a solo homer in the 3rd, his 1st as a JetHawk and 2nd of the season. That would be their only run of the game until they took control in the 6th inning, when they got RBI singles from Rio Ruiz and Danry Vásquez, and Ruben Sosa scored when Carlos Perdomo scored on a force out. Conrad Gregor brought home the JetHawks' final run of the night with an RBI single in the 8th. Tony Kemp finished 2-5 with a run scored. Perdomo, despite going 0-3, scored twice and added a couple of stolen bases (8). Carlos Correa went 1-3 with a steal (12).

Chris Devenski went 6 innings and allowed 2 runs on 5 hits (solo homer), walked 1, and struck out 5. Matt Heidenreich allowed a hit over 2 scoreless, and Jamaine Cotton shook off a solo homer from Hunter Renfroe to close it out. He allowed one other hit in the 9th, but nothing came of it.

The JetHawks will now begin a 7-game homestand. First up is a 4-game set with Rancho Cucamonga. Josh Hader will start the opener; he'll face Chris Anderson at 6:30 Pacific.

Quad Cities 2, Beloit 1

W- Jandel Gustave (5-2)
L- Matt Stalcup (0-2)

QC home runs: Ronnie Mitchell (6, 2-run in 7th)

That 2-run homer was all the offense for Quad Cities. Mitchell homered for the 3rd straight game, while Jack Mayfield, who also scored on the blast, finished 2-3 as he was the only player on either side to have a multi-hit game. They swiped 3 more bases without getting caught. Brett Phillips (9), James Ramsay (14), and Mayfield (2) were the thieves in this game.

Michael Feliz was just dominating. He threw 5 no-hit innings and walked 1 while striking out 8. Jandel Gustave was victimized by a sac fly in the 6th but allowed nothing else the rest of the way. That run was unearned, by the way. He went 4 innings and allowed both Beloit hits, walked 1, and struck out 4.

The River Bandits will look for the sweep tonight. Edison Frias will take on Lou Trivino at 7:00.

Three Stars: Position Players

3.

#479247957 / gettyimages.com

Gregorio Petit, SS, Oklahoma City
2-3, RBI

Domingo Santana, LF, Oklahoma City

2-4, 2B, RBI, R

Ronnie Mitchell, LF, Quad Cities

Go-ahead 2-R HR (6) in 7th; 3rd straight game with a home run

Three Stars: Pitchers

3.

Alex Sogard, LHP, Corpus Christi

3 IP, 2 H, BB, 3 K

Feliz avg 95 high 98 yesterday... then Gustave took over, avg 97 high 99... #heat
— Jeff Luhnow (@jluhnow) May 30, 2014

Michael Feliz, RHP, Quad Cities

5 IP, BB, 8 K

Jandel Gustave, RHP, Quad Cities

W (5-2), 4 IP, 2 H, unearned run, BB, 4 K

Monday, May 5, 2014

Astros Minor League Recaps

Results for Sunday, May 4, 2014

Class debuts!

Omaha 4, Oklahoma City 1

W- Sugar Ray Marimon (3-1)
L- Rudy Owens (2-1)
S- Kameron Loe (1)

OKC home runs: Andy Simunic (1, solo in 7th)

The OKC offense has really hit a rut; this was the 6th straight game in which they've scored 3 runs or fewer, and they've scored just 10 runs over their last 6 contests.

Andy Simunic went 2-3, and his solo homer (1) in the 7th inning accounted for the RedHawks' lone run. Jon Singleton also went 2-3 with a double and a bunt single.

Rudy Owens threw 6 innings and allowed 4 runs (both on 2-run doubles) on 7 hits, walked 2, and struck out 3. Jason Stoffel walked 2 in the 7th, but also struck out 2 in the inning. Josh Zeid worked around a walk to strike out the side in the 8th.

The series finale will take place later this morning, as Mike Foltynewicz will face Ramon Troncoso at 11:05 A.M.

San Antonio 6, Corpus Christi 4

W- Devin Jones (4-1)
L- Kyle Smith (0-1, 4-1 season)
S- Johnny Barbato (7)

CC home runs: None.

The Hooks fought back from an early 6-0 deficit, but ran out of steam.

All 4 Hooks runs came in the 5th. Matt Duffy ignited the rally by drawing a walk, and he scored the first run of the game on a double from Preston Tucker. An error allowed Jio Mier to reach while Tucker took 3rd; they both came home on Tyler Heineman's 2-run triple. Heineman would score on an M.P. Cokinos groundout. Duffy and Heineman had 2 hits apiece.

The Missions greeted Kyle Smith rather rudely in his AA debut. He went 5 innings and gave up 6 runs on 9 hits (3 solo homers) and struck out 6. Alex Sogard allowed 3 hits and struck out 1 over 3 scoreless, and Jorge De Leon worked around a hit to throw a scoreless 9th.

Game 3 of this series has Tommy Shirley on the mound, and he'll be taking on John Hussey. First pitch is at 7:10.

Lancaster 8, San Jose 6

W- Dan Minor (2-1)
L- Jorge Bucardo (0-2)
S- Mitch Lambson (2)

Lancaster home runs: Teoscar Hernandez (4, solo in 2nd)

The power of the 7th-inning stretch. The JetHawks erased a 5-2 deficit with a 6-run bottom of the 7th to take the series finale and 2 of 3 in the series.

Roberto Peña went 2-4 and hit an RBI single in the 4th to put the JetHawks on the board, down 3-1. Teoscar Hernandez went 3-5 with a solo homer in the 5th (4). After seeing his average drop to .234 on April 30, Hernandez has responded by going 7-12 with a couple of 3-hit games in the series to raise his average to .269.

Danry Vasquez, Ruben Sosa, and Tony Kemp all walked to begin the 7th, and Hernandez promptly sent them all home with a double that tied the game. Teoscar was credited with 2 RBI, as an error was committed on the play. Carlos Correa then hit a single and advanced to 2nd on a throw to 3rd. Rio Ruiz walked to re-load the bases. After Dan Gulbransen and Peña became the first 2 casualties of the inning, Carlos Perdomo came through with a 2-run single. Vasquez, who went 2-3 with a double and started all of this with a leadoff walk, came back up and hit an RBI single. Carlos Correa was 2-5 with 2 runs scored.

Kent Emanuel went 4.2 innings and allowed 5 runs on 7 hits, walked 2, and struck out 3 in his High-A debut. Dan Minor threw 2.1 scoreless, allowing a walk while fanning 2. Mitch Lambson was taken deep by Mitch Delfino to begin his outing... but no matter. After the homer, Lambson struck out the side in the 8th, and worked around a hit batter to close it out. He struck out 4 in 2 innings, and Delfino's home run was the only hit he gave up.

The JetHawks will now hit the road to begin a 4-game series in Lake Elsinore. Lance McCullers gets the start in the opener; his opponent will be Joe Ross. First pitch is at 6:05.

Beloit 6, Quad Cities 3

W- Junior Mendez (1-2)
L- Adrian Houser (0-1)
S- Sam Bragg (2)

QC home runs: None.

Well, the crooked-numbered inning bit Quad Cities once again, as a 4-run 5th was the difference for the Snappers.

Chan-Jong Moon hit a 1-out single in the top of the 1st, stole 2nd (8), and came around to score on a Conrad Gregor single. That would be QC's only run until Chase McDonald hit a 2-run single in the 8th. Jack Mayfield was the only River Bandit with a multi-hit day, going 2-5 with a double and a run scored. Mayfield is now on a 6-game hitting streak. Brett Phillips extended his hitting streak to 5 with a single in the 3rd.

Adrian Houser pitched 3.2 innings and gave up 5 runs on 5 hits, walked 5, and struck out 2. 4 of those 5 runs came in the 5th and came in the form of a Tyler Marincov grand slam. Tyler Brunnemann struck out 1 over 1.1 perfect innings, and Gonzalo Sañudo allowed a run on a force out in the 8th, a hit, and walked 2 in 3 innings.

The River Bandits will return home to open up a 3-game series against the Cedar Rapids Kernels. TBA (was Kent Emanuel's spot in the rotation) will take on Ethan Mildren at 7:00.

Three Stars: Position Players

3.

Tyler Heineman, C, Corpus Christi

2-4, 3B, 2 RBI, R

Andy Simunic, Utility, Oklahoma City

2-3, solo HR (1) in 7th

Teoscar Hernandez on Twitter: @TeoscarH

Teoscar Hernandez, CF, Lancaster

3-5, 2B, solo HR (4), 3 RBI, 2 R

Honorable Mentions: Jon Singleton, Danry Vasquez, and Carlos Correa

Three Stars: Pitchers

The bullpens of all 4 teams combined to allow just 2 runs on 7 hits.

4. Quad Cities

Tyler Brunnemann on Twitter: @TBruno35

Tyler Brunnemann, RHP

1.1 IP, K

Gonzalo Sañudo, RHP

3 IP, H, ER, 2 BB

He walked 2?!!!?!!???????

3. Lancaster

Dan Minor, RHP

W (2-1), 2.1 IP, BB, 2 K

Mitch Lambson, LHP

Save (2), 2 IP, H (solo HR), ER, 4 K

2. Corpus Christi

Alex Sogard, LHP

3 IP, 3 H, K

#180229888 / gettyimages.com

Jorge De Leon, RHP
IP, H

1. Oklahoma City

Jason Stoffel, RHP
IP, 2 BB, 2 K

Josh Zeid, RHP

IP, BB, 3 K

Wednesday, April 23, 2014

Astros Minor League Recaps

Results for Tuesday, April 22, 2014

Sweep!

Oklahoma City 8, Memphis 3

W- David Martinez (3-2)
L- Scott McGregor (0-3)

OKC home runs: Jon Singleton (8, solo in 3rd), Jonathan Meyer (1, solo in 3rd)

The RedHawks earned the split as they jumped out to a 4-1 lead after the first third of the game, then added 3 more in the 7th to secure the victory.

David Martinez went 5 innings and allowed a run on 3 hits and walked 1. Bobby Doran tagged in for 3 innings and gave up 2 runs (both in the 8th) on 4 hits and walked 1, and Rhiner Cruz worked around a pair of 2-out hits to finish it off, striking out the side in the 9th. All 3 OKC strikeouts belonged to Cruz.

Robbie Grossman began the game with a walk and opened the scoring when he came home on a Domingo Santana single. Ronald Torreyes added an RBI single in the 2nd, and then Singleton and Meyer both hit solo blasts in the 3rd. Kiké Hernandez added to the lead in the 7th when he hit a 2-run double, and Singleton chipped in once again with a sac fly. Meyer, who finished 2-4, scored OKC's final run as he scored on a wild pitck from Nick Greenwood/Erik Castro walk in the 8th. Grossman reached safely in all 5 of his plate appearances, going 2-2 with 2 runs scored and 3 walks.

After getting today off, the RedHawks will welcome Nashville to Bricktown for a 4-game series beginning Thursday. Mike Foltynewicz and Rudy Owens are scheduled to be Thursday's pairing; they'll take on Ariel Peña at 7:05.

Corpus Christi 6, Midland 5 in 12 innings

W- Andrew Robinson (3-0)
L- Conner Crumbliss (0-1); he actually started in RF in this game.

CC home runs: Chris Epps (1, grand slam in 2nd)

The Hooks found themselves in a 5-0 hole as the RockHounds jumped on Aaron West in the first 2 innings. They responded by landing a haymaker in the 2nd in the form of Chris Epps' grand slam, and Andrew Aplin tied the game with an RBI single in the 4th. 15 zeros on the board later, Nolan Fontana finally put up a 1 in the bottom of the 12th with his 4th hit of the evening, a single to bring home Jio Mier. Aplin, Matt Duffy, and Mier all had 2 hits; Fontana finished 4-7.

West went 3.1 innings and allowed 5 runs on 6 hits, walked 2, and struck out 2. The bullpen proceeded to throw 8.2 scoreless to pick him up. Alex Sogard was first up, and he allowed 2 hits and walked 1 in 2.2. The next 3 relievers threw 2 innings apiece: Jordan Jankowski allowed a hit while striking out 3. Travis Ballew allowed 2 hits, walked 1, and struck out 1. And finally, Andrew Robinson allowed 3 hits, walked 2, and struck out 3.

Luis Cruz and Ross Seaton will take on Andrew Werner in game 3 at 7:10.

Lancaster 5, Inland Empire 1

W- Josh Hader (1-0)
L- Alex Keudell (0-3)

Lancaster home runs: Teoscar Hernandez (2, 2-run in 1st)

The JetHawks took off with 4 in the 1st... and they were never seriously threatened in this one as they won rather handily, leading 5-0 after 2 innings and holding the 66ers to 3 hits.

Tony Kemp led off with a single, and then Teoscar Hernandez opened things up with his 2-run homer. The blast extended Hernandez's hitting streak to 8 games. After Carlos Correa lined out, Rio Ruiz got on board with a single, then scored on a Brandon Meredith double. Meredith came around to score on Danry Vasquez's single. Jordan Scott led off the 2nd with a double, advanced to 3rd on a Kemp flyout, and scored on a wild pitch. Kemp, Correa, and Ruiz each had 2 hits; Correa now has 3 straight multi-hit outings.

Coming off his worst outing of the season, Josh Hader bounced back impressively. He went 5 innings and allowed a run on just 2 hits, walked 1, and struck out 7. Chris Devenski allowed a hit and struck out 2 over 3 scoreless frames, and Jamaine Cotton struck out 2 in a 1-2-3 9th.

Mark Appel, after a period of extended rest, will make his return to the JetHawks rotation. He and Mike Hauschild will face Tyler DeLoach at 7:05 Pacific.

Quad Cities 11, Clinton 2

W- Pat Christensen (1-1)
L- Eddie Campbell (1-1)

QC home runs: Thomas Lindauer 2 (2, 2-run in 3rd, 2-run in 4th)

Well, that was quick. In his 2nd game of the season, QC native Thomas Lindauer became the new clubhouse leader in home runs as he belted a couple of 2-run shots off of Clinton starter Eddie Campbell and added an RBI single in the 8th. In fact, the two new additions to the River Bandits roster wasted little time in making an impact on their club. Alex Gonzalez, who spent all of last year in the GCL, got the start at 3B and went 2-5 with a pair of run-scoring doubles in the 3rd (1 RBI) and the 9th (2). He also scored the only run that wasn't batted in when he came home on an error that allowed Jobduan Morales to reach in the 4th. Chase McDonald also had himself a pair of RBI doubles in the 3rd and the 9th.

Adrian Houser went 4 innings and gave up 2 runs on 4 hits, walked 4, and struck out 3. Pat Christensen worked around a hit to throw a scoreless 5th. Gonzalo Sañudo tagged in for 3 scoreless, allowing 2 hits and striking out 3. He's now on a 39-inning scoreless streak dating back to last season. Andrew Walter walked 1 and struck out 1 in a scoreless 9th to end it.

Chris Lee and Andrew Thurman will be the pairing for game 3, and they'll be taking on Carlos Misell. First pitch is at 6:30.

Three Stars: Pitchers

3.

Gonzalo Sañudo, RHP, Quad Cities

3 IP, 2 H, 3 K

2. Corpus bullpen

These are their mugshots on MiLB.com.

Combined: 8.2 IP, 8 H, 4 BB, 7 K

Alex Sogard, LHP, Jordan Jankowski, RHP, Travis Ballew, RHP, and Andrew Robinson, RHP

Sogard: 2.2 IP, 2 H, BB

Jankowski: 2 IP, H, 3 K

Ballew: 2 IP, 2 H, BB, K

Robinson: W (3-0), 2 IP, 3 H, 2 BB, 3 K

@jhader17 was lights out in winning game #1 against the Snappers! pic.twitter.com/G1Hc4G54do
— RGuill (@QCBanditPhotog) September 8, 2013

Josh Hader, LHP, Lancaster
W (1-0), 5 IP, 2 H, ER, BB, 7 K

@ddddeevvvoooo En Fuego! pic.twitter.com/wV2IRNfXoH
— RGuill (@QCBanditPhotog) September 5, 2013

Chris Devenski, Lancaster
3 IP, H, 2 K

Three Stars: Position Players

3.

Robbie Grossman, CF, Oklahoma City

2-2, 2 R, 3 BB

MiLB.com

Alex Gonzalez, 3B, Quad Cities

2-5, 2 2B, 3 RBI

Nolan Fontana, 2B/SS, Corpus Christi

4-7, GW RBI single in 12th

Thomas Lindauer, SS, Quad Cities

3-5, 2 HR (2), 5 RBI

Friday, November 15, 2013

A Final Look at the Arizona Fall League Astros

Although the Arizona Fall League isn't technically over as the Championship Game between Mesa and Surprise will be played on Saturday at 2:10 (and televised on the MLB Network), the season is over for the "Astros Eight" who played for the Peoria Javelinas. First a look at how the pitchers performed:

It's hard to take much away from these small sample sizes, but I would like to point out a few items of interest. RHP Matt Heidenreich saved his best performance for last. In his final start, he allowed only one hit in his four innings. He struck out an AFL season high of six batters and didn't walk anyone. His fall numbers definitely compared favorably to a season in which he struggled to put up an 8.23 ERA and a 1.811 WHIP in 25 appearances in Corpus Christi and which saw him spending time on the DL and on a rehab assignment.

RHP Jonas Dufek made the Fall Star team and continued to exhibit his 2013 regular season effectiveness. RHP Andrew Robinson was a victim of small sample size, one particularly rough outing and questionable defense (only five of his 13 runs allowed were earned). Unlike Heidenreich, LHP Alex Sogard saved his worst for last. Back out his final outing and he had a 1.46 ERA and a 1.216 WHIP.

Now, a few tidbits about the participating position players. From everything I've read about 1B Japhet Amador, he definitely has light tower power, but he is still a bit raw. Much has also been written about his weight. Interestingly enough, an insider article posted by Jose de Jesus Ortiz today at Baseball Amerca indicates that the Astros put him on a weight management program and he has definitely dropped a few.

CF Delino DeShields, another Fall Star team member, was at the center of conflicting reports about his effort level, but he definitely put up decent numbers. I heard from more than one person that he was being overly aggressive on the basepaths. SS Nolan Fontana just simply didn't have a very good fall campaign. He only managed two hits in his last 10 games and his OBP was far below his normal eye-popping numbers.

3B Jonathan Meyer, originally a member of the taxi squad, ended up as a starter toward the end of the season as one of the other players had to leave the team for personal reasons. From all accounts, Meyer shone defensively at third base and also put up very good offensive numbers. To top that off, according to this article from Jim Callis, Meyer was nominated for the AFL's Stenson Award for sportsmanship.

Sunday, September 1, 2013

Astros Minor League Roster Moves

LHP Blair Walters, who has pitched for Lancaster this season (exclusively out of the bullpen since June), is getting a start for Oklahoma City tonight. [UPDATED: RHP Andrew Robinson was assigned from Corpus Christi to Oklahoma City and LHP Alex Sogard was activated from the DL for Corpus.]

‏@bwalters34
Not a bad view from my room. #OKC pic.twitter.com/FM7Uw1O08h
Embedded image permalink

Thursday, July 25, 2013

Happy Birthday - 7/25

LHP Alex Sogard (26)
Drafted in the 26th round out of North Carolina State by Houston in 2010, Sogard started his season with Corpus Christi, but was called up to Oklahoma City after only 10 appearances in which he had a 0.71 ERA and a 1.263 WHIP. He has not fared quite so well in OKC where he currently has a 8.05 ERA and a 2.105 WHIP in 18 appearances.

Several former Astros with birthdays today ~

LHP Billy Wagner (42)
A first round pick by the Astros in 1993, Billy the Kid pitched for Houston from 1995 to 2003. In 464 appearances, he was 26-29 with a 2.53 ERA, a 1.039 WHIP and 225 saves. A three-time All Star for Houston, Wagner would go on to receive four additional All Star nods. He had eight 30-save seasons and two 40-save seasons.

RHP Doug Drabek (51)
Originally drafted by the White Sox in the 11th round in 1983, Drabek signed with the Astros as a free agent in December of 1992. In four seasons with Houston (1993-1996), Drabek was 38-42 with a 4.00 ERA and a 1.319 WHIP in 118 starts. His best season for Houston was his All-Star 1994 season when he went 12-6 with a 2.84 ERA. His best season overall was 1990 for Pittsburgh when he won the Cy Young award after compiling a 22-6 record with a 2.76 ERA.

RHP Larry Sherry (died December 17, 2006 at 71)
Sherry came from Detroit in a June 1967 trade. In 29 games for Houston that season, he was 1-2 with a 4.87 ERA and a 1.623 WHIP. His most notable season was 1959 when he earned the World Series MVP for the Dodgers. According to Baseball-Reference:

In 1959, he was 7-2 with a 2.19 ERA on a team whose team ERA was 3.79. In the World Series, he appeared in four games, pitching 12 2/3 innings with a 0.71 ERA. He won two games, the fourth game and the sixth - which was the winning one for the Dodgers. Sherry also recorded saves in other two Dodger victories.

LHP Fred Schermann (69)
Obtained in a December 1973 trade with Detroit, Schermann was with the Astros in 1974 until he went to the Expos in June of 1975. In 69 games for Houston, he was 2-6 with a 4.29 ERA and a 1.519 WHIP. His most successful season was his 1971 season for Detroit when he was 11-6 with a 2.71 ERA and a 1.239 WHIP.

SS Mick Kelleher (66)
Originally drafted by the Cardinals in the 3rd round in 1969, Kelleher came to Houston in October of 1973. He played in only 19 mostly forgettable games for Houston in 1974 before going back to St. Louis in December of that year. In 1081 official major league at bats, Kelleher never recorded a home run.

Wednesday, July 17, 2013

Tweet of the Day

‏@JakeBuck33
Watching the #AllStarGame with the Sogards grilling out and enjoying the break @ASoggyBottom @MrsSogs

Friday, May 17, 2013

Astros Minor League Recaps

Thursday's Games

Oklahoma City over Sacramento 7-2
Because of the tornadoes in the Dallas area on Wednesday night, the RedHawks ended up taking a bus to Dallas early Thursday morning to catch a flight, only to encounter more delays. Several team members barely made it to Sacramento before game time.

‏@AndySimunic
24 hrs later....we finally made it to California....that was some kind of travel day #canwedoitagain

CJ Fick

‏@chuckiefick
@AndySimunic we are in California too. Except, you're in Sacramento, and we are still in LA.

‏@AndySimunic
Minor detail

All of which makes their win Thursday night even more impressive. Brett Oberholtzer (4.1IP 4H 4BB 4SO) gave up the only two runs of the game before handing things off to the bullpen. Four relievers combined (Alex Sogard, Josh Zeid, Rhiner Cruz and Eric Berger) to allow only one hit the rest of the way. And that was a good thing because OKC trailed most of the way and the bullpen gave them the chance to get on top with a four-run seventh in which Andy Simunic (3x5 2R) hit a three-run double before scoring on a passed ball and error. Brett Wallace (2x5) added on a pair in the ninth with a two-run double. Jonathan Villar (2x4 2B BB R) and Austin Wates (2x4 R) also had good nights at the plate.

San Antonio over Corpus Christi 6-2

Starter R.J. Alaniz allowed two runs on four hits and three walks while striking out five in his four and two-thirds innings. Matt Heidenreich finished off the frame. Josh Fields pitched a perfect sixth with one strikeout in his rehab appearance. Jorge de Leon allowed four runs, including a three-run homer, in his three innings of work. The Hooks offense struck early with an RBI single from Erik Castro in the first and late with a Rene Garcia (3x4) home run in the eighth. But in between, they were unable to capitalize on two Jio Mier doubles and a Jonathan Meyer double.

Visalia over Lancaster 6-5

David Rollins got the start, allowing four runs on six hits and two walks while striking out five in three innings and was followed by two scoreless innings from T.J. Geith. The 'Hawks took the lead in the seventh, but Tyson Perez (3IP 3H 2R 1BB 1SO) surrendered two runs in the eighth to give the lead back to Visalia and was charged with the loss. Matt Duffy drove in two in the fourth and one in the seventh as he went three-for-five. Tyler Heineman (2x5) and Preston Tucker (1x4 BB) drove in the other two. Joe Sclafani went two-for-four with a double, walk and two runs scored. Sclafani is hitting .346/.433/.423 in his eight games with Lancaster. Andrew Aplin was two-for-three with two walks and a stolen base.

Quad Cities over Wisconsin 3-1
Colton Cain put up a solid four and a third innings, allowing the only Wisconsin run on five hits and two walks. Cain's tandem partner, Mike Hauschild came in with one out and one on in the fifth and gave up a single before inducing a double play ball. In three and two-thirds innings he allowed four hits while striking out three. John Neely pitched the ninth for his seventh save of the season. The River Bandits put up a trio of runs in the fifth by playing a little small ball. Austin Elkins scored on a throwing error, Carlos Correa drove in a run on a ground out and Miles Hamblin contributed an RBI single. There were no extra base hits in the game and Ariel Ovando had the only multi-hit game, hitting two singles.

Player of the Day: Despite all the travel delays and lack of sleep, Andy Simunic came through in the clutch with a two-out bases-clearing double for OKC in a very nice three-for-five night.

Pitchers of the Day: The OKC bullpen gets some love today for keeping the RedHawks in the game. Congratulations in particular go to Alex Sogard for a great AAA debut and Josh Zeid for his third win of the season in relief.

Thursday, May 16, 2013

Roster Moves

Oklahoma City
LHP Alex Sogard assigned from Corpus Christi to Oklahoma City
IF Raoul Torrez assigned from Lancaster to Oklahoma City

Corpus Christi
RHP Josh Fields assigned to Corpus Christi to continue his rehab assignment

Lancaster
OF Chris Epps activated from the temporary inactive list
SS Nolan Fontana placed on the 7-day DL

Wednesday, April 24, 2013

Astros Minor League Recaps

Tuesday's Games

Albuquerque over Oklahoma City 12-2
Jordan Lyles did his best impression of a recent Houston start as he allowed five runs on eight hits and a walk and only lasted one inning. Things didn't go much better for the rest of the pitching crew as C.J. Fick, Eric Berger and Lance Day combined to allow seven runs in the final seven innings. The RedHawks only managed to put up a couple of singletons on the scoreboard, one on a Jimmy Paredes home run. Paredes was two-for-four and scored two runs. Jake Elmore (3x5) and the newly promoted Robbie Grossman (2x5 2B) had good outings as well. Grossman was hitting .324/.452/.353 at the time of his call up.

Corpus Christi over Midland 7-6 in 10 innings
Starter Nick Tropeano dug an early hole for the team allowing three runs (two earned) on four hits and three walks in three innings while striking out three. That was followed with two very strong innings from Alex Sogard who has yet to allow a run this season. The Hooks scratched out a tenuous lead for Bobby Doran (2.1IP 3H 1R 2BB 4SO 1HR), but Jason Stoffel (1.1IP 2H 2R/0ER 2SO) couldn't hang on to it and the game went to extras. Pat Urckfitz (0H 0R 1BB 4SO) pitched the final one and a third and was rewarded with the win as Michael Burgess came home on a Ben Orloff sac fly in the 10th to take the lead once and for all. Orloff was one-for-four with two sac fly RBI and Eric Castro went two-for-three as he is starting to heat up at the plate. But it was pretty much the George Springer show as his two dingers of the night drove in three runs. Castro, Springer and Drew Muren each stole a base as well.

Lancaster over Lake Elsinore 5-4
Brady Rodgers provided solid starting pitching over five innings, allowing two runs on five hits and a walk with four strikeouts, and was followed by three innings from Chris Devenski. Devenski allowed two additional runs to come across which cut Lake Elsinore's deficit to one going into the ninth inning. Devenski pitched to one batter in the ninth before giving way to Kenny Long who had just been activated from the DL and promptly recorded his first save of the season. There were no extra base hits in this one, but Nolan Fontana collected three singles, a walk and a stolen base, and M.P. Cokinos had two hits, including a two-RBI single in the second. Telvin Nash was one-for-three with an RBI single and a walk in his first appearance since being activated from the DL.

Wisconsin over Quad Cities 9-1
Mike Hauschild had an excellent outing in his fourth appearance of the season. In five innings, he allowed one unearned run on five hits and a walk with four strikeouts. But things quickly started to unravel as Colton Cain and Gera Sanchez combined to allow eight runs on ten hits in the final three frames. The Bandits only mustered five hits with two of those belonging to Chase Davidson, whose solo homer in the sixth made up the entirety of the QC scoring output. Terrell Joyce was one-for-three with a double and stole two bases.

Pitchers of the Day: Relief pitchers are the unsung heroes of tight games, and lefty relievers Alex Sogard, Pat Urckfitz and Kenny Long were pivotal in getting W's for Corpus Christi and Lancaster on Tuesday.

Player of the Day: In the words of Morgan Ensberg, George Springer is a really good player, and his three-for-four, walk, two home runs, three RBI, three runs scored and a stolen base make for a really good night.

Tuesday, January 15, 2013

An Interview with LHP Alex Sogard

Alex Sogard had quite a year starting in November 2011. During a 12-month span, he got married, was promoted twice (first to Lancaster and then to Corpus Christi), got to the playoffs with the Corpus Christi Hooks, participated in the World Baseball Classic qualifiers in Germany with the Czech team and participated in the Arizona Fall League, representing the Astros.

Alex Sogard - June 2012

Photo by Jayne Hansen

After splitting his time between starting and relieving for the Lexington team in 2011, he was used solely in relief in 2012 for Lancaster and for Corpus Christi. I contacted Alex recently via email to ask him about his 2012 season and his whirlwind off-season.

WTH: You had a bit of an up-and-down season with early success at Lancaster followed by a promotion and then early struggles with Corpus before settling in nicely in the second half of the season. How do you handle the ups and downs? What kind of adjustments do you make?

AS: I think ups and downs are just part of the game. I try not to get too high or too low because baseball is a very humbling game. My college coach taught me baseball is a game of failure; if you get so caught up on your performance the night before it might affect your performance the next day.

During my struggles in Corpus my biggest adjustment was pitching to contact. When I first got to Corpus I tried to be “too perfect” and avoid contact. Once I made that adjustment I was able to settle down and get a good amount of groundballs. When you are in the trenches it’s hard to enjoy it but looking back I think going through those struggles helped me grow and made me a better pitcher.

I have learned that the more you try and take control of your life, the more God will make things go to where you will have to rely on Him. I may face failures both on and off the field but I am able to find comfort in knowing my worth doesn’t come in throwing a ball but in living to glorify Christ in everything that I do.

WTH: What do you think you accomplished in the 2012 season and what are you focusing on now?

AS: My main goal for the 2012 season was to stay healthy so I think it was a very successful season. I think a lot of times we take for granted how tough it is to stay healthy for an entire season. I was very blessed to be able to stay healthy during the entire season in addition to the WBC qualifier and the AFL.

Right now I am just focusing on getting my body and arm in shape so I can be as prepared as possible to go through the season strong and healthy.

WTH: Can you tell me a little about your pitch repertoire - best pitch, velocity, movement, etc.?

AS: I throw a fastball, change-up, and curveball.

My fastball differs day to day but it is usually in the low 90’s with some arm side movement. Some days it sinks more than others.

My change-up is like a circle change, which is about 78-82 mph. In the past my change-up has been one of my best pitches but this year it was my most inconsistent pitch. I hope to change that in 2013.

My curveball is my out pitch. It is usually around 76-79 and has a big downward break. It has been my best out pitch for the past two seasons.

WTH: You fared better against right-handed hitters than lefties this year. Has that always been the case?

AS: No actually, it hasn’t. I have always done much better against lefties in my career. I think this year I was just trying to do too much against lefties. Instead of attacking them and pitching to contact I was trying to be “too perfect” and strike them out. Towards the end of the season I made a big adjustment and was able to get them out like I should.

WTH: I saw an interview with you when you were in Germany during the WBC qualifiers with the Czech team and I know that you were really excited to represent the Czech Republic team for your mother and her family. Could you tell me a little about that experience and what you took away from it?

AS: It was such an amazing experience! It was my first time overseas and it was so great. The team consisted of two MiLB players (including myself) and the rest of the players were from the Czech Republic. It was such a great experience meeting all the players and they took me in right away and made me feel part of the team. My mother’s side of the family grew up there so I felt honored to be able to represent my family as well as the country. Although we lost both games it was great to be able to pitch for them and help contribute. I think the best part about playing with the Czech team was that they all love to play the game! I think sometimes in professional ball people get so caught up in stats and doing well that they forget why we play the game, because we love it! It was so refreshing playing with those guys who were just excited to show up to the field. Although this is my job, I hope that it is evident to those around me, as well as those who watch, that I love what I do and I am blessed and humbled to be able to have the chance to play each and every day!

WTH: You also had the opportunity to participate in the AFL this year. What did you take away from that experience?

AS: It was such a great opportunity and I was really honored to participate. The Arizona Fall League is definitely a once in a lifetime experience and I really enjoyed being able to be a part of it. It was great being around such great players and coaches and I just tried to learn something new from them everyday. The AFL afforded me the amazing opportunity to build relationships with guys from different organizations. This opportunity is rare in professional ball and I am thankful that I was able to experience this.

WTH: Of all the pitchers you've seen in the Astros organization, who has a pitch you'd like to steal?

AS: I think I would like to steal Jason Stoffel’s slider. I think that would be a great pitch to add to my repertoire since I already have a fastball, change-up and curveball. It’s nasty! It looks just like a fastball and then breaks hard and late at the last second. And he can throw it for a strike every time, so that always helps!

WTH: Of all of the players you've seen in the Astros organization, who would you least like to face in the batter's box?

AS: Ben Orloff. He is a guy that will foul off 6 straight nasty pitches and then draw a 12-pitch walk. I’d rather face a guy who is trying to hit the ball 600 feet. Orloff is one of those guys who you hate to see on the on deck circle because you know he is not an easy out!

WTH: Who is the best team leader (either leading by example or someone who gets the team fired up) that you've played with?

AS: This one is easy, Ben Orloff. He is someone who leads by example. The guy does everything right. He is the ultimate definition of a team player! We always joke around saying he is a “player/coach” because he directs traffic while he is playing shortstop. I always love coming into the game when he is playing behind me; it’s a good feeling.

WTH: Can you tell me one thing about yourself that most people don't know and might be surprised to hear?

AS: I can’t sleep on the buses when we travel. I have trouble sleeping anywhere but in a bed! I know it sounds weird because of the profession I am in, but it’s true. I take that time to listen to music. I love all music, I find it very peaceful and relaxing.

>>>>>>><<<<<<<

Thanks for your time, Alex, and good luck with whatever new adventures the 2013 season may bring.

Sunday, September 23, 2012

World Baseball Classic Qualifying Rounds Update

Corpus Christi Hooks LHP Alex Sogard saw action in the second game for the Czech Republic. In a video interview last week, Sogard talked about his mother's Czechoslovakian heritage and how excited he was to represent her on the Czech team. And represent he did! Sogard pitched three and two-thirds innings in relief and allowed one run on two hits with three strikeouts in the Czech team's loss to Great Britain. Unfortunately, it was the Czech team's second loss so Alex will be heading home from Regensburg, Germany where this qualifying round took place.

Long-time Astros minor league followers might be interested to know that former Astro Albert Cartwright played for the British team and went 3-for-5 in yesterday's game. And Another former Astro has been making news in Regensburg for the Canadian team. Jimmy VanOstrand went 4-for-6 with two home runs, five RBI and scored three times in Team Canada's win over Germany yesterday.

Astros Josh Zeid and Ben Orloff will take part in the final qualifying round for Team Israel today in Jupiter, Florida. Team Israel is undefeated and will take on Team Spain for the second time in the tournament. Israel defeated Spain on Friday 4-2 in, as one very clever tweeter said, payback for the Spanish Inquisition. If you want to root on Team Israel, you can follow their game on the World Baseball Classic site live at 4:00 CST or watch the delay on MLB network at 7:00 CST this evening.

Friday, September 14, 2012

2013 World Baseball Classic Qualifying Rounds

The 2013 World Baseball Classic Qualifying rounds start next week and we have three Astros minor leaguers participating in those rounds. (For more info on the WBC, go here.)

Team Israel will be competing in Qualifying Round 1 in Jupiter, Florida (along with France, South Africa and Spain) from September 19th to the 23rd. Brad Ausmus' Roster will include SS/2B Ben Orloff and RHP Josh Zeid. Orloff split his time this season between Lancaster and Corpus Christi and ended the season hitting a combined .290/.361/.327 with a .975 fielding percentage. Zeid spent the season working out of the Corpus Christi Hooks bullpen. In 47 appearances, Zeid was 2-0 with a 5.59 ERA and a 1.367 WHIP with 10.5 strikeouts per nine innings.

The Czech Republic team will be competing in Qualifying Round 2 in Regensburg, Germany (along with Canada, Germany and Great Britain) from September 20th to September 24th. LHP Alex Sogard will be included on the roster for the Czech team. After a handful of games in Lancaster this season, Sogard was promoted to Corpus Christi. In 39 total appearances out of the bullpen between the two venues, he was 3-3 with a 3.62 ERA and a 1.597 WHIP.

Former Astro farmhands Jimmy VanOstrand and Albert Cartwright will be playing for the Canadian and Great Britain teams, respectively.

Wednesday, July 25, 2012

Happy Birthday - 7/25

LHP Alex Sogard (25)
Drafted in the 26th round out of North Carolina State by Houston in 2010, Sogard started his season with Lancaster but was called up to Corpus Christi after only six appearances. He was a little bit rocky to start, but has settled in nicely. His combined ERA is 4.01 with a 1.723 WHIP. In his last 10 appearances with Corpus, he is 1-0 with a 1.83 ERA and a 1.373 WHIP.

Several former Astros with birthdays today ~

LHP Billy Wagner (41)
A first round pick by the Astros in 1993, Billy the Kid pitched for Houston from 1995 to 2003. In 464 appearances, he was 26-29 with a 2.53 ERA, a 1.039 WHIP and 225 saves. A three-time All Star for Houston, Wagner would go on to receive four additional All Star nods. He had eight 30-save seasons and two 40-save seasons.

RHP Doug Drabek (50)
Originally drafted by the White Sox in the 11th round in 1983, Drabek signed with the Astros as a free agent in December of 1992. In four seasons with Houston (1993-1996), Drabek was 38-42 with a 4.00 ERA and a 1.319 WHIP in 118 starts. His best season for Houston was his All-Star 1994 season when he went 12-6 with a 2.84 ERA. His best season overall was 1990 for Pittsburgh when he won the Cy Young award after compiling a 22-6 record with a 2.76 ERA.

RHP Larry Sherry (died December 17, 2006 at 71)
Sherry came from Detroit in a June 1967 trade. In 29 games for Houston that season, he was 1-2 with a 4.87 ERA and a 1.623 WHIP. His most notable season was 1959 when he earned the World Series MVP for the Dodgers. According to Baseball-Reference:

In 1959, he was 7-2 with a 2.19 ERA on a team whose team ERA was 3.79. In the World Series, he appeared in four games, pitching 12 2/3 innings with a 0.71 ERA. He won two games, the fourth game and the sixth - which was the winning one for the Dodgers. Sherry also recorded saves in other two Dodger victories.

LHP Fred Schermann (68)
Obtained in a December 1973 trade with Detroit, Schermann was with the Astros in 1974 until he went to the Expos in June of 1975. In 69 games for Houston, he was 2-6 with a 4.29 ERA and a 1.519 WHIP. His most successful season was his 1971 season for Detroit when he was 11-6 with a 2.71 ERA and a 1.239 WHIP.

SS Mick Kelleher (65)
Originally drafted by the Cardinals in the 3rd round in 1969, Kelleher came to Houston in October of 1973. He played in only 19 mostly forgettable games for Houston in 1974 before going back to St. Louis in December of that year. In 1081 official major league at bats, Kelleher never recorded a home run.

Monday, June 11, 2012

Minor League Schedule and Recaps

MONDAY'S GAMES

DSL Astros at DSL Dodgers at 9:30 CST

West Virginia at Lexington at 6:05 CST
Probable Pitchers: RHP Zach Von Rosenberg (0-0, 0.00) and TBD
Available on MiLB.tv

Oklahoma City at New Orleans at 7:00 CST
Probable Pitchers: RHP Armando Galarraga (0-0, -.--) and RHP Tom Koehler (6-5, 3.51)
Available on MiLB.tv

San Antonio at Corpus Christi at 7:05 CST
Probable Pitchers: LHP Tom Layne (0-1, 6.00) and RHP Jose Cisnero (2-6, 4.58)
Available on MiLB.tv

Lancaster at Rancho Cucamonga at 10:05 CST
Probable Pitchers: TBD and RHP Garrett Gould (1-5, 5.05)

SUNDAY'S RECAPS

[Note: All Astros minor league affiliates are at still at .500 or better.]

Greensboro over Lexington 13-4
If you're going to lose, go ahead and lose spectacularly and get it out of your system. After taking two games from the Northern division leading Greensboro team, Lexington did just that as starter Luis Cruz (L, 5-3) gave up five runs (three earned) over four innings; Nathan Pettus added another five runs in only one inning of relief; and Blake Ford added three more in his first inning of work as a Legend. Only Euris Quezada went unscathed as he pitched the final two innings and allowed only three hits and no runs. Adding insult to injury, there were errors on Delino DeShields, Matt Duffy and Chan Moon, a passed ball from Roberto Pena, a wild pitch from Ford and a hit batter by Pettus. Again, if you're going to lose spectacularly, go all the way. But there were a couple of bright spots. Mike Kvasnicka hit two two-run home runs, one from each side of the plate, and Matt Duffy was three-for-three with a walk and two runs scored.

Inland Empire over Lancaster 8-7
David Martinez had another tough start as he allowed seven runs over six innings, but he ended up with a no decision as Lancaster battled back to tie it in the top of the ninth, only to lose in the bottom of the frame. Kirk Clark was charged with the loss. Domingo Santana hit a triple in his first game back from injury; Telvin Nash hit his 18th home run of the season; and Ben Orloff was three-for-four with a walk.

Oklahoma City over New Orleans 12-9
This one was not exactly a pitcher's duel. As a matter of fact, Brian Bass and five other pitchers came in for the Redhawks and collectively allowed nine runs on 13 hits and five walks. Of those, Mickey Storey got the win; and Enerio del Rosario and Fernando Abad (S, 2) on a rehab assignment were the only pitchers who didn't allow a run. The offense may wish they saved a little for the next game with Jimmy Paredes having another four-hit game; Mike Hessman hitting two more home runs; Scott Moore going two-for-five with a home run and four RBIs; and Angel Sanchez going two-for-four with three RBIs.

I feel the need to interject here. Some people have gotten a little overly excited about Mike Hessman's gaudy home run numbers as of late. Here are the facts. Mike Hessman is 34 years old. He has a career minor league average of .232 and a career major league average of .188 (albeit a small sample size). If you are calling for Hessman to get ticket to Houston, who goes back down to AAA? That would be Brett Wallace because Hessman is a first baseman and we're not in the American League yet so there is no DH. Brett Wallace appears to finally be figuring something out and getting in a rhythm. Do you really want to send him down while he's hitting .400 with two bombs because that is what would happen.

GAME OF THE DAY
Corpus Christi over San Antonio 11-6

What went right: Good pitching (if you just kind of forget about that whole fifth inning) and solid offense.

It looked like this one was going to be a laugher for a while, but a five run fifth inning from San Antonio made it a bit closer than it should have been. Ross Seaton was cruising through the first four innings, but he wasn't fooling too many batters as he gave up five runs on a single, three doubles and a home run before finally inducing a ground out to end it. Alex Sogard pitched two very effective innings of relief. All of the starters had hits except for Jon Singleton and Ryan McCurdy. Adam Bailey had two doubles and two RBIs; Jonathan Villar hit his fourth home run of the season; and Jose Martinez was three-for-five. Ross Seaton also got into the act with a double and a run scored to help his own cause. Sunday night was the return of T.J. Steele to Corpus. As a San Antonio Mission, he was one-for-five with a single and two strikeouts. He also tried to kill me with a flying bat but that's another story.

Ross Seaton (W, 5-3) - 5IP 6H 5R 1BB 5SO 1HR
Alex Sogard - 2IP 2H 0R 1BB 3SO
Henry Villar - 2IP 4H 1R 1BB 2SO

Jonathan Villar - 1x4 HR RBI BB SO 2R
Brandon Wikoff - 2x3 RBI BB 2R
Jose Martinez - 3x5 BB 2R
Drew Locke - 2x5 2B 2RBI 2R
Kody Hinze - 2x5 RBI
Adam Bailey - 2x4 2-2B 2RBI SO
Jordan Kreke - 1x3 BB SO R 2SB

What went wrong: Jon Singleton was hitless with three strikeouts for the night.

PITCHER OF THE DAY
I'm going to go a little outside the box on this one tonight. Alex Sogard has really struggled as of late so it was particularly good to see him have a really solid outing.

PLAYERS OF THE DAY
Mike Kvasnicka gets the honor for accomplishing something that no Legend has done to this point ... hitting a home run from both sides of the plate in the same game.