The (Hector) Roa constrictor goes deep in Kingsport tonight #gvilleastros #astros— Appy Astros (@AppyAstros) July 7, 2015
A LOOK AT THE ASTROS MINOR LEAGUE SYSTEM
Showing posts with label Appy Astros. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Appy Astros. Show all posts
Tuesday, July 7, 2015
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Monday, August 5, 2013
Eyewitness Report: 8/4/13 G-Stros 17, K-Mets 1
It only counts as one win in the standings but it was a solid
statement. Greeneville stretched its two game lead to three with an all
around dominate performance. Here are the highlights:
The night got off to a good night when Little Appy and I got our Jose Altuve give away t-shirts when we walked in the gate.
On The Mound
When a team scores 17 runs in a game, it can be tempting to overlook the pitching but that would be a mistake. Jordan Mills started the game for the G-Stros and pitched five solid innings facing just one batter over the minimum. His line read: 5 IP, 2 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 7 K.
Unofficially, I had him at 58 pitches with 43 of them for strikes! Of the seven strikeouts, five were swinging and two were looking. The two hits were both doubles. One was a ball that bounded over third baseman Tyler White down the left field line. The other was another ball down the left field line.
Austin Chrismon relieved Mills and pitched the next three innings. The first pitch he delivered was deposited over the wall for a solo HR. After that, he settled down allowing just one more hit. He struck out three and walked one. He threw several very nice curves on the night.
Tyler Brunnemann finished off the game with a rather eventful ninth. After striking out the first batter, he walked the next batter on four pitches. He the gave up a double down the right field line that luckily went under the gate for a ground rule double. Otherwise it is a run scoring triple. He walked the next batter on a full count pitch to load the bases before getting a visit from the pitching coach. The very next pitch went for a 4-6-3 double play to wrap up the game.
At The Plate
15 hits. 6 BB. 1 HBP and 1 reached on a drop third strike. That is 23 base runners on the night and 17 scored. The team was 7-10 with runners in scoring position. Every Astro who played scored a run. Even Angle Ibanez who struck out in his only at bat. He reached when the third strike got by the catcher and he reached first safely. It was just one of those nights.
Marc Wik went 4 for 5 with three singles and a bases clearing stand up triple to the gap in right center. Wik scored three runs on the night to lead the team.
Tyler White was 2 for 4 with a two run homer before leaving the game in the seventh.
Chase McDonald went 3 for 4 - all singles - plus a walk. The one time he got out required a nice play by the shortstop. McDonald hit the ball toward left field. The SS dove to his right and threw from his knees to nab McDonald or he perfect night.
Juan Santana only had one hit but it was a big hit. A three run HR to left field. He also had a sac fly to plate the final run of the game.
Ariel Ovando went 2 for 4 on the night and led the team with five RBI. He had three run HR to RF that got out in a hurry. He latter had a hustle double on a ball hit in shallow center. He rounded first and realized that both the shortstop and the second baseman had gone out to try to catch the ball and 2nd was unattended. He cruised in for a stand up double on a ball that was just out of the reach of the second baseman. He later walked in the game with the bases loaded for his final RBI of the night.
Brian Holberton was 2 for 4 with both of his hits coming in the seven run third inning. He lead off the inning with a single to left and then added a double down the right field line later in the inning. He added a walk in the ninth.
The game was out of hand in the ninth but the K-Mets couldn't get the Astros out so they resorted to bringing in their closer who got a double play ball with the bases loaded to put an end to the massacre.
In The Field
Tyler White made several nice plays at third. He made a leaping grab of a line drive and a nice play ranging to his left in the third. He added another good play to his left in the fourth. He also applied a tag to catch a runner attempting stealing third in the first. The runner was out by two feet thanks to a great throw by Brian Holberton.
The other play I have circled in my score book as a 3-6-1 double play to end the seventh. First baseman McDonald fielded the ball moving to his right. He made the throw to the SS Thomas Lindauer who threw back to pitcher Austin Chrismon covering first. Just like you work on in in PFPs.
The one error of the night was charged to Lindauer on a ball that was hit up the middle. He got to the ball in time but couldn't field it cleanly to make the throw. It would have been a very nice play had he pulled it off. He made a similar play later in the game.
The night got off to a good night when Little Appy and I got our Jose Altuve give away t-shirts when we walked in the gate.
On The Mound
When a team scores 17 runs in a game, it can be tempting to overlook the pitching but that would be a mistake. Jordan Mills started the game for the G-Stros and pitched five solid innings facing just one batter over the minimum. His line read: 5 IP, 2 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 7 K.
Unofficially, I had him at 58 pitches with 43 of them for strikes! Of the seven strikeouts, five were swinging and two were looking. The two hits were both doubles. One was a ball that bounded over third baseman Tyler White down the left field line. The other was another ball down the left field line.
Austin Chrismon relieved Mills and pitched the next three innings. The first pitch he delivered was deposited over the wall for a solo HR. After that, he settled down allowing just one more hit. He struck out three and walked one. He threw several very nice curves on the night.
Tyler Brunnemann finished off the game with a rather eventful ninth. After striking out the first batter, he walked the next batter on four pitches. He the gave up a double down the right field line that luckily went under the gate for a ground rule double. Otherwise it is a run scoring triple. He walked the next batter on a full count pitch to load the bases before getting a visit from the pitching coach. The very next pitch went for a 4-6-3 double play to wrap up the game.
At The Plate
15 hits. 6 BB. 1 HBP and 1 reached on a drop third strike. That is 23 base runners on the night and 17 scored. The team was 7-10 with runners in scoring position. Every Astro who played scored a run. Even Angle Ibanez who struck out in his only at bat. He reached when the third strike got by the catcher and he reached first safely. It was just one of those nights.
Marc Wik went 4 for 5 with three singles and a bases clearing stand up triple to the gap in right center. Wik scored three runs on the night to lead the team.
Tyler White was 2 for 4 with a two run homer before leaving the game in the seventh.
Chase McDonald went 3 for 4 - all singles - plus a walk. The one time he got out required a nice play by the shortstop. McDonald hit the ball toward left field. The SS dove to his right and threw from his knees to nab McDonald or he perfect night.
Juan Santana only had one hit but it was a big hit. A three run HR to left field. He also had a sac fly to plate the final run of the game.
Ariel Ovando went 2 for 4 on the night and led the team with five RBI. He had three run HR to RF that got out in a hurry. He latter had a hustle double on a ball hit in shallow center. He rounded first and realized that both the shortstop and the second baseman had gone out to try to catch the ball and 2nd was unattended. He cruised in for a stand up double on a ball that was just out of the reach of the second baseman. He later walked in the game with the bases loaded for his final RBI of the night.
Brian Holberton was 2 for 4 with both of his hits coming in the seven run third inning. He lead off the inning with a single to left and then added a double down the right field line later in the inning. He added a walk in the ninth.
The game was out of hand in the ninth but the K-Mets couldn't get the Astros out so they resorted to bringing in their closer who got a double play ball with the bases loaded to put an end to the massacre.
In The Field
Tyler White made several nice plays at third. He made a leaping grab of a line drive and a nice play ranging to his left in the third. He added another good play to his left in the fourth. He also applied a tag to catch a runner attempting stealing third in the first. The runner was out by two feet thanks to a great throw by Brian Holberton.
The other play I have circled in my score book as a 3-6-1 double play to end the seventh. First baseman McDonald fielded the ball moving to his right. He made the throw to the SS Thomas Lindauer who threw back to pitcher Austin Chrismon covering first. Just like you work on in in PFPs.
The one error of the night was charged to Lindauer on a ball that was hit up the middle. He got to the ball in time but couldn't field it cleanly to make the throw. It would have been a very nice play had he pulled it off. He made a similar play later in the game.
Monday, July 29, 2013
Eyewitness Report: 7/28/13 Greeneville 10 - Pulaski 1 - How A Pitchers Duel Turned Into A Blow Out
When you get to the game and the starters ERAs are 1.83 and 1.59
respectively, you settle in for a pitchers duel. That is how the game
played out for the first five innings. But then Greeneville's bats
exploded for 10 runs in their last three at bats to turn a 1-0 deficit
into a 10-1 victory. Here are more observations from the game.
On The Mound
Jandel Gustave only allowed one hit in six innings but he walked six batters. The walks came in pairs, with two each in the first, third and fifth innings. He wasn't wild, just missing by little bits. I had his pitch count at 75 with only 35 for strikes. Despite his control issues, he still fanned four batter and only allowed one of his walks to score. He left after five innings down 1-0.
Chris Munnelly made his Greeneville debut pitching two innings of no hit, shut out ball. He struck out two hitters and walked one. The only other runner reached on an error when the ball was knocked out of a glove on a tag play at first. Munnelly's curve ball appeared to be his best pitch tonight.
Krishawn Holley closed out the game with an effective inning, allowing just one hit.
It was quite an outing from the pitching staff.
At The Plate
The Astros bats were kept in check for the first five innings. Pulaski starter, Eddie Campbell, used effective location of multiple pitches.
In the first five innings, the Astros batters were 3 for 15 with one walk and five strike outs.
In the final three at bats, the G-Stros batters were 11 for 18 with three walks, four strike outs and 10 runs scored - all earned.
Chase McDonald reached base in each of his four plate appearances. He had a single, a double, two walks, two RBI and two runs scored.
Brian Holberton hit his first HR at Pioneer Park; a two run blast in the sixth that gave Greeneville the lead 2-1. He also singled and scored in the 8th.
Brett Phillips laid down one of the sweetest bunt hits I have seen for one of his two singles on the night. Phillips pushed a bunt past the pitchers out stretched glove and no play at first was made. He later scored two runs after reaching via a walk and single.
Three other G-Stros had two hits. Tanner Mathis and Thomas Lindauer both produced a single and a double and Juan Santana had two singles.
Only Edwin Gomez didn't join the hit parade for Greeneville. He went 0 for 4 with 4 Ks. The part of that that concerned me was that he only saw 13 pitches on the night. The first pitch he saw of the night was a ball, after that it was twelve straight strikes and four straight Ks. Obviously something is wrong there.
In The Field
Mathis gets the Oscar for selling a sliding short hop grab as a catch in the second inning. From my vantage point, it appeared the ball bounced into his glove. The Pulaski manager and bench agreed with me. But Mathis raised his glove high and the home plate ump signaled out.
Lindauer started a nice 6-4-3 double play in the fifth inning. The ball was hit to his right. He ranged over, grabbed the ball and threw across his body to start the double play. Juan Santana made a nice quick turn to complete the twin killing.
The other nice play was made by McDonald at first on a high pop fly in foul territory. He adjusted to the ball at the last minute making a lunge to his right to secure the ball to end the sixth inning.
The only error of the game was charged to McDonald. He was playing in anticipating a bunt from the speedy Aaron Barbosa. Barbosa didn't bunt. He chopped a ball down the first baseline that McDonald had to retreat to retrieve. When he did, Munnelly had not made it in time to cover first. McDonald made an attempt to tag Barbosa before he reached the bag safely but the ball was knocked out of McDonalds glove during the attempt. Heck of an effort but charged with the error none the less.
Overall
Nice team win for the G-Stros. The pitching was very good, the offense produced late in the game and the defense was solid. They end the series against a very good Pulaski team two games in front of the streaking Kingsport Mets. They start a three game series against the Burlington Royals (17-19) tomorrow.
On The Mound
Jandel Gustave only allowed one hit in six innings but he walked six batters. The walks came in pairs, with two each in the first, third and fifth innings. He wasn't wild, just missing by little bits. I had his pitch count at 75 with only 35 for strikes. Despite his control issues, he still fanned four batter and only allowed one of his walks to score. He left after five innings down 1-0.
Chris Munnelly made his Greeneville debut pitching two innings of no hit, shut out ball. He struck out two hitters and walked one. The only other runner reached on an error when the ball was knocked out of a glove on a tag play at first. Munnelly's curve ball appeared to be his best pitch tonight.
Krishawn Holley closed out the game with an effective inning, allowing just one hit.
It was quite an outing from the pitching staff.
At The Plate
The Astros bats were kept in check for the first five innings. Pulaski starter, Eddie Campbell, used effective location of multiple pitches.
In the first five innings, the Astros batters were 3 for 15 with one walk and five strike outs.
In the final three at bats, the G-Stros batters were 11 for 18 with three walks, four strike outs and 10 runs scored - all earned.
Chase McDonald reached base in each of his four plate appearances. He had a single, a double, two walks, two RBI and two runs scored.
Brian Holberton hit his first HR at Pioneer Park; a two run blast in the sixth that gave Greeneville the lead 2-1. He also singled and scored in the 8th.
Brett Phillips laid down one of the sweetest bunt hits I have seen for one of his two singles on the night. Phillips pushed a bunt past the pitchers out stretched glove and no play at first was made. He later scored two runs after reaching via a walk and single.
Three other G-Stros had two hits. Tanner Mathis and Thomas Lindauer both produced a single and a double and Juan Santana had two singles.
Only Edwin Gomez didn't join the hit parade for Greeneville. He went 0 for 4 with 4 Ks. The part of that that concerned me was that he only saw 13 pitches on the night. The first pitch he saw of the night was a ball, after that it was twelve straight strikes and four straight Ks. Obviously something is wrong there.
In The Field
Mathis gets the Oscar for selling a sliding short hop grab as a catch in the second inning. From my vantage point, it appeared the ball bounced into his glove. The Pulaski manager and bench agreed with me. But Mathis raised his glove high and the home plate ump signaled out.
Lindauer started a nice 6-4-3 double play in the fifth inning. The ball was hit to his right. He ranged over, grabbed the ball and threw across his body to start the double play. Juan Santana made a nice quick turn to complete the twin killing.
The other nice play was made by McDonald at first on a high pop fly in foul territory. He adjusted to the ball at the last minute making a lunge to his right to secure the ball to end the sixth inning.
The only error of the game was charged to McDonald. He was playing in anticipating a bunt from the speedy Aaron Barbosa. Barbosa didn't bunt. He chopped a ball down the first baseline that McDonald had to retreat to retrieve. When he did, Munnelly had not made it in time to cover first. McDonald made an attempt to tag Barbosa before he reached the bag safely but the ball was knocked out of McDonalds glove during the attempt. Heck of an effort but charged with the error none the less.
Overall
Nice team win for the G-Stros. The pitching was very good, the offense produced late in the game and the defense was solid. They end the series against a very good Pulaski team two games in front of the streaking Kingsport Mets. They start a three game series against the Burlington Royals (17-19) tomorrow.
Sunday, July 28, 2013
Appy Astros Eyewitness Report - 7/27/13 - Pulaski Pulls Out Two Wins From G-Stros
In what could be a potential play off preview, the Pulaski Mariners
pulled out two late comebacks to defeat the Greeneville Astros twice
Saturday night. The first game was the conclusion of Friday's suspended
game. The Mariners scored four runs in the in the seventh to take a
5-4 decision. Then in the seven inning night cap, they got a two run
homer in the sixth to secure a 2-1 win. Here is a closer look at what I
observed last night.
Game 1 - Pulaski 5, Greeneville 4
The game picked up with Greeneville up 2-1 in the bottom of the 2nd.
On the Mound
Christian Garcia threw three very effective innings. His fast ball sat in the upper 80's but he mixed speeds well and keep batters guessing. He fanned five in the three innings and retired the first 8 batters he faced. He had a walk and a hit batter but no base hits.
Sidewinder Ryan Connolly came in next and was effective in the 6th before the wheels came off in the 7th. He struck out a batter to start the 7th but then a short hop couldn't be handled by Tyler White at third for an E-5. The next three batters followed with a triple, a single and a triple. An inning that started as a 4-1 lead ended with a 5-4 deficit.
Tyler Brunnemann finished off the game. I was pleased to see that some improvement in his mechanics. When I saw him earlier in the year, he would touch the ground with his glove on his follow through. Now he tucks the glove to his chest as he follows through. He is not repeating the tuck perfectly as it was sometimes at his chest and sometimes at his hip but it shows improvement. He only had one strike out but induced three ground balls and two pop outs to short. He gave up one hit, a double.
At the Plate
Brett Phillips started the third off with a hard ground ball inside the bag at third for a double. It is fun to watch him run. He is fast! He also reached on a walk.
Edwin Gomez reached base three times with a walk and two singles. However he was .500 in getting out of base running goofs. In the third, with the bases loaded, Tyler White hit a fly ball to shallow right field. Phillips was tagging on the play but did not try to advance. However, Gomez took off from second and was almost to third when the throw reached the catcher. The catcher threw to second to try to get Gomez coming back to the bag but the ball ended up in center and both Phillips and Gomez scored.
He wasn't as fortunate in the seventh. He scorched a ball that appeared to be leaving the yard but bounced off the top of the fence. He was nabbed at second with a great throw from the left fielder. Some people sitting around me said Gomez had started his home run trot, I don't know if this is accurate because I was trying to follow the trajectory of the ball. If he was, I am sure the coaching staff will let him hear about it. If not, it was a great play by the Mariners.
Those three were the only players with hits for the continuation portion of the game. Ariel Ovando and Darwin Rivera both took walks but no one else reached base.
In The Field
Other than the error by White on a tough play coming in on a short hop, the defense looked pretty good. Darwin Rivera was at 2nd and looked pretty comfortable there. More so than he has looked at third.
Game 2: Pulaski 2 - Greeneville 1:
This game was a seven inning game due to the completion of the suspended game.
On The Mound
Chris Lee was impressive last night. Lee's fastball was sitting in the 93-95 range (thanks to the scout two rows in front for holding his radar gun in a position so I could peek) and his slider was getting a great many swings and misses. His delivery was smooth and effortless. I had him at 78 pitches when he was pulled with one out in the sixth with 53 being for strikes (68%). I also had him with first pitch strikes to 17 of the 24 batters he faced (71%).
He led off the second striking out the Pulaski clean up hitter on three pitches. The final pitch resulted in the Pulaski hitter winding up on the seat of his pants after an unsuccessful attempt to check his swing. He ended up striking out five batters on the night. All of them swinging.
He was helped by the ground rules in the fourth. After striking out the first two batters, the next batter reached on a hit to short stop. Thomas Lindauer made a nice backhanded play on a sharply hit ball but couldn't recover for the throw. The next batter hit a ball into the right field corner that went under the gate for a ground rule double. If not for the gate being there, it would have been an RBI triple - Pulaski's third of the evening.
In the sixth, Lee had a different kind of luck. After hitting the first batter, he induced a ground ball to second. Marc Wik had to come in to field the ball and made a swipe at the runner going by before throwing to first. The umpire ruled Wik didn't tag the runner going to second. Both Wik and Lindauer were adamant the tag had been made. From my angle, it appeared the umpire made the safe sign before Wik even attempted the tag.
Lee had the next batter in a 1-2 count and left a pitch up in the zone that was sent over the left field wall. After giving up a bunt hit to the next batter, his night was done. He deserved a better fate than taking the loss.
Gonzalo Sanudo came into finish off game getting five straight outs. Four of them were air outs and three went to the outfield.
At The Plate
When you get three hits as a team, there is not too much to write about here.
Thomas Lindauer had the big hit of the night, a RBI double to left that scored Wallace Gonzalez from first.
Marc Wik singled in the first after fouling off five pitches. He was in an 0-2 whole and ended up seeing a total of eight pitches that at bat before reaching on a bouncer up the middle. He was robbed of another single by a nice play by the second baseman to lead off the sixth.
Tyler White had a solid single to left to lead off the fourth but was erased on a 6-4-3 double play to end the inning.
Angel Ibanez hit a ball hard up the middle that the short stop made a nice play on to prevent him from having a hit on the night.
A bit of good news - the Mariners are second in the league in most strike outs by their pitchers. They came into the games just two K's behind the G-Stros pitchers. In the 16 innings played in the series so far, G-Stro batters have just five strike outs. Meanwhile the G-Stro pitchers added 15 to their total.
In The Field
Lindauer also made the play of the game in the field as well. He climbed the ladder and nabbed a line drive to end the fifth inning.
Ibanez made a nice play at third in the sixth. With a runner on third, he fielded a ground ball on a short hop and made a nice throw to catcher Ricky Gingras to get the runner who had been going on contact.
Tyler White made a nice play at first on a hard hit ball in the second inning.
Overall
After being 10-1 in one run games, they lost two last night. Just not enough offense to get the job done.
Game 1 - Pulaski 5, Greeneville 4
The game picked up with Greeneville up 2-1 in the bottom of the 2nd.
On the Mound
Christian Garcia threw three very effective innings. His fast ball sat in the upper 80's but he mixed speeds well and keep batters guessing. He fanned five in the three innings and retired the first 8 batters he faced. He had a walk and a hit batter but no base hits.
Sidewinder Ryan Connolly came in next and was effective in the 6th before the wheels came off in the 7th. He struck out a batter to start the 7th but then a short hop couldn't be handled by Tyler White at third for an E-5. The next three batters followed with a triple, a single and a triple. An inning that started as a 4-1 lead ended with a 5-4 deficit.
Tyler Brunnemann finished off the game. I was pleased to see that some improvement in his mechanics. When I saw him earlier in the year, he would touch the ground with his glove on his follow through. Now he tucks the glove to his chest as he follows through. He is not repeating the tuck perfectly as it was sometimes at his chest and sometimes at his hip but it shows improvement. He only had one strike out but induced three ground balls and two pop outs to short. He gave up one hit, a double.
At the Plate
Brett Phillips started the third off with a hard ground ball inside the bag at third for a double. It is fun to watch him run. He is fast! He also reached on a walk.
Edwin Gomez reached base three times with a walk and two singles. However he was .500 in getting out of base running goofs. In the third, with the bases loaded, Tyler White hit a fly ball to shallow right field. Phillips was tagging on the play but did not try to advance. However, Gomez took off from second and was almost to third when the throw reached the catcher. The catcher threw to second to try to get Gomez coming back to the bag but the ball ended up in center and both Phillips and Gomez scored.
He wasn't as fortunate in the seventh. He scorched a ball that appeared to be leaving the yard but bounced off the top of the fence. He was nabbed at second with a great throw from the left fielder. Some people sitting around me said Gomez had started his home run trot, I don't know if this is accurate because I was trying to follow the trajectory of the ball. If he was, I am sure the coaching staff will let him hear about it. If not, it was a great play by the Mariners.
Those three were the only players with hits for the continuation portion of the game. Ariel Ovando and Darwin Rivera both took walks but no one else reached base.
In The Field
Other than the error by White on a tough play coming in on a short hop, the defense looked pretty good. Darwin Rivera was at 2nd and looked pretty comfortable there. More so than he has looked at third.
Game 2: Pulaski 2 - Greeneville 1:
This game was a seven inning game due to the completion of the suspended game.
On The Mound
Chris Lee was impressive last night. Lee's fastball was sitting in the 93-95 range (thanks to the scout two rows in front for holding his radar gun in a position so I could peek) and his slider was getting a great many swings and misses. His delivery was smooth and effortless. I had him at 78 pitches when he was pulled with one out in the sixth with 53 being for strikes (68%). I also had him with first pitch strikes to 17 of the 24 batters he faced (71%).
He led off the second striking out the Pulaski clean up hitter on three pitches. The final pitch resulted in the Pulaski hitter winding up on the seat of his pants after an unsuccessful attempt to check his swing. He ended up striking out five batters on the night. All of them swinging.
He was helped by the ground rules in the fourth. After striking out the first two batters, the next batter reached on a hit to short stop. Thomas Lindauer made a nice backhanded play on a sharply hit ball but couldn't recover for the throw. The next batter hit a ball into the right field corner that went under the gate for a ground rule double. If not for the gate being there, it would have been an RBI triple - Pulaski's third of the evening.
In the sixth, Lee had a different kind of luck. After hitting the first batter, he induced a ground ball to second. Marc Wik had to come in to field the ball and made a swipe at the runner going by before throwing to first. The umpire ruled Wik didn't tag the runner going to second. Both Wik and Lindauer were adamant the tag had been made. From my angle, it appeared the umpire made the safe sign before Wik even attempted the tag.
Lee had the next batter in a 1-2 count and left a pitch up in the zone that was sent over the left field wall. After giving up a bunt hit to the next batter, his night was done. He deserved a better fate than taking the loss.
Gonzalo Sanudo came into finish off game getting five straight outs. Four of them were air outs and three went to the outfield.
At The Plate
When you get three hits as a team, there is not too much to write about here.
Thomas Lindauer had the big hit of the night, a RBI double to left that scored Wallace Gonzalez from first.
Marc Wik singled in the first after fouling off five pitches. He was in an 0-2 whole and ended up seeing a total of eight pitches that at bat before reaching on a bouncer up the middle. He was robbed of another single by a nice play by the second baseman to lead off the sixth.
Tyler White had a solid single to left to lead off the fourth but was erased on a 6-4-3 double play to end the inning.
Angel Ibanez hit a ball hard up the middle that the short stop made a nice play on to prevent him from having a hit on the night.
A bit of good news - the Mariners are second in the league in most strike outs by their pitchers. They came into the games just two K's behind the G-Stros pitchers. In the 16 innings played in the series so far, G-Stro batters have just five strike outs. Meanwhile the G-Stro pitchers added 15 to their total.
In The Field
Lindauer also made the play of the game in the field as well. He climbed the ladder and nabbed a line drive to end the fifth inning.
Ibanez made a nice play at third in the sixth. With a runner on third, he fielded a ground ball on a short hop and made a nice throw to catcher Ricky Gingras to get the runner who had been going on contact.
Tyler White made a nice play at first on a hard hit ball in the second inning.
Overall
After being 10-1 in one run games, they lost two last night. Just not enough offense to get the job done.
Friday, July 26, 2013
Appy Astros - G-Stros Pitching Leads The Way
What is behind the Greeneville Astros rise from a 10-10 team to a 23-10 team? Their pitching staff!
The 2013 Greeneville Astros got off to a 1-5 start. During that stretch, they allowed 40 runs. That is averaging giving up 6.67 runs per game. In the 27 games since then, the G-Stros are 22-5 and have only given up 67 runs. That is an average of 2.48 runs per game. That is a dramatic difference and points to the strength of this edition of the Greeneville Astros. For a closer at the team pitching staff's stats jump over to Appy Astros.
The 2013 Greeneville Astros got off to a 1-5 start. During that stretch, they allowed 40 runs. That is averaging giving up 6.67 runs per game. In the 27 games since then, the G-Stros are 22-5 and have only given up 67 runs. That is an average of 2.48 runs per game. That is a dramatic difference and points to the strength of this edition of the Greeneville Astros. For a closer at the team pitching staff's stats jump over to Appy Astros.
Tuesday, July 16, 2013
Happy Birthday - 7/16
Happy Birthday to ~
RHP Charles Basford (23)
Originally drafted by the Yankees in the 37th round in 2012 out of Samford University in Birmingham, Basford came to the Houston organization in a June trade which sent Fernando Martinez to the Yankees. In six appearances for Tri-City since the trade, Basford is 1-0 with a 4.50 ERA and a 2.167 WHIP.
One former Astro with a birthday today ~
RHP Jonathan Johnson (39)
A first round pick by the Rangers in 1995, Johnson came to Houston as a free agent in October of 2002. In four games for the Astros in 2003, he was 0-1 with a 5.87 ERA and a 2.283 WHIP. According to Baseball-Reference, he was 1-1 with a 3.84 ERA for Team USA in the 1994 Baseball World Cup.
RHP Charles Basford (23)
Originally drafted by the Yankees in the 37th round in 2012 out of Samford University in Birmingham, Basford came to the Houston organization in a June trade which sent Fernando Martinez to the Yankees. In six appearances for Tri-City since the trade, Basford is 1-0 with a 4.50 ERA and a 2.167 WHIP.
One former Astro with a birthday today ~
RHP Jonathan Johnson (39)
A first round pick by the Rangers in 1995, Johnson came to Houston as a free agent in October of 2002. In four games for the Astros in 2003, he was 0-1 with a 5.87 ERA and a 2.283 WHIP. According to Baseball-Reference, he was 1-1 with a 3.84 ERA for Team USA in the 1994 Baseball World Cup.
Saturday, July 6, 2013
Eyewitness Report: 7/5/13 Greeneville 1, Bristol 4
When I saw that Jandel Gustave was on the mound tonight, I made sure I could be at Pioneer Park. When I got there I saw the line up had three first time starters included. Brian Holberton and Chase McDonald were making their pro debuts and Brett Phillips was making his Greeneville debut. It was a good night to be at the ballpark. Here are my observations:
On The Mound:
Jandel Gustave got off to a rough start in the first. After a strike out looking, he walked the next two batters, the second coming in a 10 pitch at bat. After a fly out and a single, Gustave got the last out with a swinging strike out. He ended up throwing 31 pitches in the first frame and that limited his night to just four innings. Of those 31 pitches, 18 were for strikes (unofficial numbers from my personal score book). He followed that inning up with innings of 12, 12 and 17 pitches respectively. So he really settled down.
Gustave is a pitcher to be excited about. His delivery is very easy and to be hitting mid to upper 90's out of a 6'2 160 frame is impressive. The two hits that came off of him were hits taken the other way through the SS/3B hole. They were nice pieces of hitting. His fast ball has good zip. There were several late swings and several foul balls that were poked into the seats because batters weren't getting around on him. His slider showed nice movement and there were a couple of sliders that were down right nasty. He ended the night with 72 pitchers - 43 for strikes (60%). He threw first pitch strikes to 11 of the 17 batters he faced - again by my unofficial count.
The high point for me is that we know based on his previous stats, that he has had control issues. For him to walk two in the first inning and regain his composure to only walk one more shows positive development.
Austin Chrismon made his pro debut last night. After nicking the first batter on the sleeve, he then got the next three batters out. One out came on due to him fielding his position well. With a runner at second, he gloved a hot shot back at him. He made the runner at second dive back to the bag, removing any chance of him advancing and then threw out the batter at first.
Christian Garcia came in in the sixth and pitched around an error for an effective inning. In the seventh, he walked two batters with one out and then allowed a single that scored the first runner. That ended his night.
Gerardo Ramirez entered the game with runners on the corners and allowed both runners to score before getting the last out. He gave up a sac fly to the first batter and then surrendered a double to left that plated the final run of the game. He ended up finishing the night on the mound with a total of 2 2/3 innings pitched.
Overall, it was the walks that did the G-Stros pitching in. Three of the four runs allowed reached via base on balls. There is no defense against the walk.
At The Plate:
It was one of those nights where the Astros hit several balls hard, they just hit them right at people. I had atleast four line drives that were either right at fielders or required the fielder to make a nice play.
Brett Phillips is fast. He made two routine grounders close plays with his hustle down the line. His final at bat of the night was a seven pitch walk where he fouled off several close pitches.
David Mayfield (Jack) wasn't lucky last night. His first at bat, he hit a hard bouncer up the middle that the pitcher deflected to the second baseman for a 1-4-3 put out. He then hit a line drive in his fourth at bat that the SS made a nice ranging catch on. He finished the night for 5 but he had better at bats than that indicates.
Bobby Borchering reached base three times in four plate appearances. A single and two walks.
Chase McDonald went 1 for 4 in his pro debut. He got a single in his first at bat and then lined out to left and center respectively in his next two at bats before striking out in his final at bat. He is one big guy. He was wearing number 62 on his uniform and it was appropriate for him to be wearing a linebacker type number. He makes solid contact.
Marc Wik turned a rough night around. After striking out in his first two at bats, he walked in the seventh and lead off the ninth with a single to left.
Overall, Greeneville just couldn't get the big hit. They went 1 for 10 with runners in scoring position. Two of the line drive outs in mentioned earlier were to end an inning with a runner on base.
The pitcher who started for Bristol, Scott Carroll, was on rehab assignment from AAA. He missed all of last season so I assume his is working his way back from a surgery of some kind. The second pitcher was the White Sox second round draft pick this season, Tyler Danish. So they were facing some pretty good pitching but that is most nights in pro baseball.
In The Field
Brian Holberton looked pretty good behind the plate. He got a lot of work blocking balls in the dirt. He did allow one passed ball that was a low pitch that the scorer felt he should have blocked. He was apparently a little amped up for the game. He made several throws down to second during warm ups and one throw during a stolen base attempt that were fielded by the center fielder because they had easily cleared second base. Later in the night, he made a nice throw on a ball in the dirt that made a place closer than I thought it would be.
Jack Mayfield was smooth at shortstop. He had four assist and only one was routine. The rest were with him ranging to either side and making snap throws to first. He made them look easy.
Brett Phillips didn't get much action in center but he showed flashes when he did. He almost made a nice diving catch on a ball he got a good jump on. On the sac fly, he made a strong throw to third from deep in center.
Darwin Rivera made his seventh error of the year at third with a bad throw to first.
This loss ended the G-Stros seven game winning streak. They play Bristol again tonight and then head on the road for seven games in six days.
On The Mound:
Jandel Gustave got off to a rough start in the first. After a strike out looking, he walked the next two batters, the second coming in a 10 pitch at bat. After a fly out and a single, Gustave got the last out with a swinging strike out. He ended up throwing 31 pitches in the first frame and that limited his night to just four innings. Of those 31 pitches, 18 were for strikes (unofficial numbers from my personal score book). He followed that inning up with innings of 12, 12 and 17 pitches respectively. So he really settled down.
Gustave is a pitcher to be excited about. His delivery is very easy and to be hitting mid to upper 90's out of a 6'2 160 frame is impressive. The two hits that came off of him were hits taken the other way through the SS/3B hole. They were nice pieces of hitting. His fast ball has good zip. There were several late swings and several foul balls that were poked into the seats because batters weren't getting around on him. His slider showed nice movement and there were a couple of sliders that were down right nasty. He ended the night with 72 pitchers - 43 for strikes (60%). He threw first pitch strikes to 11 of the 17 batters he faced - again by my unofficial count.
The high point for me is that we know based on his previous stats, that he has had control issues. For him to walk two in the first inning and regain his composure to only walk one more shows positive development.
Austin Chrismon made his pro debut last night. After nicking the first batter on the sleeve, he then got the next three batters out. One out came on due to him fielding his position well. With a runner at second, he gloved a hot shot back at him. He made the runner at second dive back to the bag, removing any chance of him advancing and then threw out the batter at first.
Christian Garcia came in in the sixth and pitched around an error for an effective inning. In the seventh, he walked two batters with one out and then allowed a single that scored the first runner. That ended his night.
Gerardo Ramirez entered the game with runners on the corners and allowed both runners to score before getting the last out. He gave up a sac fly to the first batter and then surrendered a double to left that plated the final run of the game. He ended up finishing the night on the mound with a total of 2 2/3 innings pitched.
Overall, it was the walks that did the G-Stros pitching in. Three of the four runs allowed reached via base on balls. There is no defense against the walk.
At The Plate:
It was one of those nights where the Astros hit several balls hard, they just hit them right at people. I had atleast four line drives that were either right at fielders or required the fielder to make a nice play.
Brett Phillips is fast. He made two routine grounders close plays with his hustle down the line. His final at bat of the night was a seven pitch walk where he fouled off several close pitches.
David Mayfield (Jack) wasn't lucky last night. His first at bat, he hit a hard bouncer up the middle that the pitcher deflected to the second baseman for a 1-4-3 put out. He then hit a line drive in his fourth at bat that the SS made a nice ranging catch on. He finished the night for 5 but he had better at bats than that indicates.
Bobby Borchering reached base three times in four plate appearances. A single and two walks.
Chase McDonald went 1 for 4 in his pro debut. He got a single in his first at bat and then lined out to left and center respectively in his next two at bats before striking out in his final at bat. He is one big guy. He was wearing number 62 on his uniform and it was appropriate for him to be wearing a linebacker type number. He makes solid contact.
Marc Wik turned a rough night around. After striking out in his first two at bats, he walked in the seventh and lead off the ninth with a single to left.
Overall, Greeneville just couldn't get the big hit. They went 1 for 10 with runners in scoring position. Two of the line drive outs in mentioned earlier were to end an inning with a runner on base.
The pitcher who started for Bristol, Scott Carroll, was on rehab assignment from AAA. He missed all of last season so I assume his is working his way back from a surgery of some kind. The second pitcher was the White Sox second round draft pick this season, Tyler Danish. So they were facing some pretty good pitching but that is most nights in pro baseball.
In The Field
Brian Holberton looked pretty good behind the plate. He got a lot of work blocking balls in the dirt. He did allow one passed ball that was a low pitch that the scorer felt he should have blocked. He was apparently a little amped up for the game. He made several throws down to second during warm ups and one throw during a stolen base attempt that were fielded by the center fielder because they had easily cleared second base. Later in the night, he made a nice throw on a ball in the dirt that made a place closer than I thought it would be.
Jack Mayfield was smooth at shortstop. He had four assist and only one was routine. The rest were with him ranging to either side and making snap throws to first. He made them look easy.
Brett Phillips didn't get much action in center but he showed flashes when he did. He almost made a nice diving catch on a ball he got a good jump on. On the sac fly, he made a strong throw to third from deep in center.
Darwin Rivera made his seventh error of the year at third with a bad throw to first.
This loss ended the G-Stros seven game winning streak. They play Bristol again tonight and then head on the road for seven games in six days.
Thursday, July 4, 2013
Appy Astros - Catcher Development - Throwing Out More Runners
The other day I saw this tweet:
#qctimes @QCRiverBandits Roberto Pena throws out 3 LumberKings attempting to steal. He's denied 30 of 53. In '02 here, Joe Mauer 46-of-107That is an impressive stat and puts him in impressive company. It got me thinking about how well Roberto Pena has been throwing out runners this season and it made me curious about how much growth this showed. The growth with Pena was significant and I wondered if it was just him or were other catchers in the Astros organization showing similar growth. So I went back and looked across the system at each catcher who had caught in at least 20 games this season and compared their 2012 stolen base percentage (SB%) to their 2013 SB%. Click here to find out what I learned.
— Steve Batterson (@sbatt79) July 3, 2013
Saturday, June 29, 2013
Eyewitness Report: 6/28/13 Greeneville 2 Kingsport 1
Wow! What a night. After the teams traded solo home runs in the
fifth, there were no runs for nine innings. Finally in the bottom of
the 15th, Greeneville walked off without the benefit of a hit. Tanner Mathis walked, and was moved to second on a sac bunt by Jack Mayfield. Darwin Rivera
then hit a ground ball to first which should have just moved over
Mathis to third but the K-Mets first baseman booted the ball. It rolled
to the edge of the grass and Josh Bonifay took a risk and sent Mathis
home. The throw was slightly up the line and the catcher had to stretch
to take Mathis as he zoomed by. The glove appeared to hit Mathis
shoulder and the ball dropped free allowing the winning run to score.
Here are my observations from the game.
On The Mound:
A great deal went right here. Just one run allowed in 15 innings with a team record 25 strike outs. Let's take a quick look at each pitcher.
Frederick Tiburcio had a solid start to the game. He fanned seven and gave up just two hits and walked one in five innings. The lone damage given up was a solo home run to left by 17 year old, Ahmed Rosario, whom the Mets signed for 1.7 million in the 2012 international signing period. It was his first professional home run.
Tiburcio threw an unofficial 67 pitches in five innings. To have that low of a pitch count with that many strike outs is impressive.
Tyler Brunnemann pitched the next two frames. This was my first time to see Brunnemann pitch. He has an extreme follow through. When he finishes his pitch his glove hand (left) and his left foot are both touching the ground as he falls toward first base. It is a violent motion that I didn't see him repeating very well. It was effective when repeated as evidenced by the four strike outs in two innings. But he also gave up two walks, both on full counts.
Ryan Connelly pitched the eight inning. The submarine pitcher was the only pitcher of the night not to record a strike out.
Gonzalo Sanudo came in for the next two innings. He pitched out of a jam in the ninth. After a lead off double and a ground ball to 2nd to move the runner over, he was faced with a runner at third and one out. He got Michael Bernal to strike out in a seven pitch at bat for the second out of the inning.
That at bat got circled in my score book as a key out of the game. Bernal had a rough night at the plate. He accounted for 20% of the teams strike outs, going 0-5 with 5 Ks. Sanudo ended the night with three Ks in his two innings.
Gerado Ramirez came in and may have had the outing of his life time. He pitched a career high four innings allowing just two hits and one walk while striking out nine K-Mets.
The final pitcher of the night was Christian Garcia. Garcia pitched the 14th and 15th innings fanning two batters in each inning. In each inning the lead off runner reached but never made it past first base.
At The Plate:
Tanner Mathis reached base in five of his six plate appearances: E1, single, and three walks. This is exactly what you want out of a lead off batter. Also my 13 year old son observed he has the best walk up music this season. He is going old school with some Run DMC - It's Tricky.
Wallace Gonzalez hit a towering home run in the fifth. They had success pitching him away but they left that pitch over the inner half of the plate and he made them pay. Gonzalez appears to be pulling out when he swings so outside pitches are going to be an issue for him. Gonzalez added a single later in the game.
Ariel Ovando and Jack Mayfield also had two hits.
In The Field:
Parker Hipp made a great play snagging a soft liner to start the game. I was sure that ball was going to fall for a hit.
Wallace Gonzalez had a nice outfield assist on a shallow fly ball to left. The runner was moving on the play and Gonzalez throw beat the runner back to first for a double play.
Jack Mayfield made an outstanding diving stop on a ball in the hole at shortstop. He popped up and made a good throw to first that Angel Ibanez made a nice stretch to complete the put out.
The defensive star of the night was Cristian Moronta. He was three for three in throwing out runners stealing second. Two of those were on balls that he blocked and runners broke when he had trouble locating them. Those three outs were huge in a ballgame this tight. One ended an inning and two were to nab the hitter who had reached to start the inning.
Final Thought: After the 25 game strike out performance, the G-Stros now lead the Appy League with 104 strikeouts in just nine games. That puts them 16 Ks above second place Johnson City.
Here are my observations from the game.
On The Mound:
A great deal went right here. Just one run allowed in 15 innings with a team record 25 strike outs. Let's take a quick look at each pitcher.
Frederick Tiburcio had a solid start to the game. He fanned seven and gave up just two hits and walked one in five innings. The lone damage given up was a solo home run to left by 17 year old, Ahmed Rosario, whom the Mets signed for 1.7 million in the 2012 international signing period. It was his first professional home run.
Tiburcio threw an unofficial 67 pitches in five innings. To have that low of a pitch count with that many strike outs is impressive.
Tyler Brunnemann pitched the next two frames. This was my first time to see Brunnemann pitch. He has an extreme follow through. When he finishes his pitch his glove hand (left) and his left foot are both touching the ground as he falls toward first base. It is a violent motion that I didn't see him repeating very well. It was effective when repeated as evidenced by the four strike outs in two innings. But he also gave up two walks, both on full counts.
Ryan Connelly pitched the eight inning. The submarine pitcher was the only pitcher of the night not to record a strike out.
Gonzalo Sanudo came in for the next two innings. He pitched out of a jam in the ninth. After a lead off double and a ground ball to 2nd to move the runner over, he was faced with a runner at third and one out. He got Michael Bernal to strike out in a seven pitch at bat for the second out of the inning.
That at bat got circled in my score book as a key out of the game. Bernal had a rough night at the plate. He accounted for 20% of the teams strike outs, going 0-5 with 5 Ks. Sanudo ended the night with three Ks in his two innings.
Gerado Ramirez came in and may have had the outing of his life time. He pitched a career high four innings allowing just two hits and one walk while striking out nine K-Mets.
The final pitcher of the night was Christian Garcia. Garcia pitched the 14th and 15th innings fanning two batters in each inning. In each inning the lead off runner reached but never made it past first base.
At The Plate:
Tanner Mathis reached base in five of his six plate appearances: E1, single, and three walks. This is exactly what you want out of a lead off batter. Also my 13 year old son observed he has the best walk up music this season. He is going old school with some Run DMC - It's Tricky.
Wallace Gonzalez hit a towering home run in the fifth. They had success pitching him away but they left that pitch over the inner half of the plate and he made them pay. Gonzalez appears to be pulling out when he swings so outside pitches are going to be an issue for him. Gonzalez added a single later in the game.
Ariel Ovando and Jack Mayfield also had two hits.
In The Field:
Parker Hipp made a great play snagging a soft liner to start the game. I was sure that ball was going to fall for a hit.
Wallace Gonzalez had a nice outfield assist on a shallow fly ball to left. The runner was moving on the play and Gonzalez throw beat the runner back to first for a double play.
Jack Mayfield made an outstanding diving stop on a ball in the hole at shortstop. He popped up and made a good throw to first that Angel Ibanez made a nice stretch to complete the put out.
The defensive star of the night was Cristian Moronta. He was three for three in throwing out runners stealing second. Two of those were on balls that he blocked and runners broke when he had trouble locating them. Those three outs were huge in a ballgame this tight. One ended an inning and two were to nab the hitter who had reached to start the inning.
Final Thought: After the 25 game strike out performance, the G-Stros now lead the Appy League with 104 strikeouts in just nine games. That puts them 16 Ks above second place Johnson City.
Friday, June 28, 2013
Jandel Gustave Making A Name For Himself
Over at my home blog, there is a post up on Jandel Gustave. I look deeper in to Gustave's six inning no hit performance last night and then give a little back ground on the power armed right handed pitcher. He appears to be a candidate for one of the break out players in the Astros system this year. I also give some things to be watching from him the rest of the season.
Wednesday, June 26, 2013
Eyewitness Report: 6/25/13 Greeneville 4, Elizabethon 8
Finally made it to Pioneer Park for my first game of the season.
What was a pretty good game for six innings dissolved in the seventh
into a rout. Here are some of my observations from the game:
On The Mound:
Starter Enderson Franco did not get off to a great start. A four pitch walk to the lead off batter is not the way to start a game. After a stolen base and a ground out, the runner scored on a two out single to give the E-Twins an early lead. Lead off walks will kill you every time.
The second inning was when Franco impressed me the most. After the third baseman booted the first batter's attempt. The next batter hit a tailor made 5-4-3 double play ball that was dropped by the second baseman. So instead of two outs. It was runners at first and second with no outs. Franco induced a 3-1 ground out before walking a batter to load the bases. He then got a pop to third in foul territory and a strike out to avoid any damage. However the side effect of giving a team two extra outs in the inning is Franco threw 18 pitches that inning instead of just seven.
In the third, he only faced three batters but threw 20 pitches. The inning went three pitch strike out looking, eight pitch F8 and nine pitch strike out swinging.
In the fourth, Franco got a lead off strikeout and then allowed three straight singles to the bottom of the line up. He still got out of the inning with just one run scoring. His night was done after four innings. By my count, he threw 71 pitches, with 50 of the going for strikes. He fanned five batters and allowed four hits and two walks.
Franco needs to work on keeping base runners closer. In the first inning both runners who reached stole second and the throw never had a chance. He has a pretty good size leg kick in his stretch and it allows runners to get a good jump on him.
He was relieved by Edison Frias. Frias didn't pitch badly, he just doesn't have an out pitch. He faced five batters who fouled off at least one ball after a two strike count. None of those at bats ended in a strike out. Most of them ended up in base hits. His breaking pitch was in the dirt and the E-Twins were not swinging at it. He needs an out pitch. He threw 74 pitches in 3 2/3 innings with 49 of the pitches for strikes. He struck out two batters and walked one. He allowed nine hits with five going for extra bases.
Ryan Connolly got the last four outs for the G-Stros. He is an extreme side arm pitcher. No balls got out of the infield off him. One was hit well but a nice play by Borchering at first took care of it.
At The Plate:
Tanner Mathis did what you want a lead off to do. He got on base. He went 1-3 but also reached on a walk and a HBP.
Edwin Gomez had the two big hits for the night for Greeneville. A RBI triple in the 4th and a two run homer in the 8th. The home came on the seventh pitch of the at bat with a full count. Both hits were to right center.
Ricky Gingras had two hits, including a double to lead off the fourth.
Juan Santana added two singles.
Ariel Ovando looked very off balance at the plate. He has a big step in the load of his swing and I believe it makes it hard for him to adjust to off speed pitches. He was getting a heavy diet of breaking balls. He struck out swinging twice and hit two grounders to first. The only good contact was on a couple of foul balls.
Bobby Borchering looked out of sorts as well. He had one good hit that was smothered by the E-Twins 6'7" first baseman. But otherwise, it was strikeouts and a pop out to short.
In The Field:
Other than the nice snag by Borchering on a line drive at first, there weren't too many stand out plays. Gingras did a nice job behind the plate keeping the ball in front of him on several balls in dirt from Frias.
For the second straight night defense at third was an issue. Angel Ibanez made two errors at third. One on a well hit but routine grounder that got in on him. The other was a throw on a tough play coming in. The throw sailed on him and ended up in the seats.
The other error came on a missed catch by second baseman Parker Hipp. The throw was low to start the 5-4-3 double play but it appeared to catch him in the palm of the glove and he couldn't squeeze it.
The outfield got lots of practice chasing after balls over their head. Cut off throws were pretty effective and defensive position of cut off men looked sound.
I hope to make it out to another game this week if life doesn't get in the way.
On The Mound:
Starter Enderson Franco did not get off to a great start. A four pitch walk to the lead off batter is not the way to start a game. After a stolen base and a ground out, the runner scored on a two out single to give the E-Twins an early lead. Lead off walks will kill you every time.
The second inning was when Franco impressed me the most. After the third baseman booted the first batter's attempt. The next batter hit a tailor made 5-4-3 double play ball that was dropped by the second baseman. So instead of two outs. It was runners at first and second with no outs. Franco induced a 3-1 ground out before walking a batter to load the bases. He then got a pop to third in foul territory and a strike out to avoid any damage. However the side effect of giving a team two extra outs in the inning is Franco threw 18 pitches that inning instead of just seven.
In the third, he only faced three batters but threw 20 pitches. The inning went three pitch strike out looking, eight pitch F8 and nine pitch strike out swinging.
In the fourth, Franco got a lead off strikeout and then allowed three straight singles to the bottom of the line up. He still got out of the inning with just one run scoring. His night was done after four innings. By my count, he threw 71 pitches, with 50 of the going for strikes. He fanned five batters and allowed four hits and two walks.
Franco needs to work on keeping base runners closer. In the first inning both runners who reached stole second and the throw never had a chance. He has a pretty good size leg kick in his stretch and it allows runners to get a good jump on him.
He was relieved by Edison Frias. Frias didn't pitch badly, he just doesn't have an out pitch. He faced five batters who fouled off at least one ball after a two strike count. None of those at bats ended in a strike out. Most of them ended up in base hits. His breaking pitch was in the dirt and the E-Twins were not swinging at it. He needs an out pitch. He threw 74 pitches in 3 2/3 innings with 49 of the pitches for strikes. He struck out two batters and walked one. He allowed nine hits with five going for extra bases.
Ryan Connolly got the last four outs for the G-Stros. He is an extreme side arm pitcher. No balls got out of the infield off him. One was hit well but a nice play by Borchering at first took care of it.
At The Plate:
Tanner Mathis did what you want a lead off to do. He got on base. He went 1-3 but also reached on a walk and a HBP.
Edwin Gomez had the two big hits for the night for Greeneville. A RBI triple in the 4th and a two run homer in the 8th. The home came on the seventh pitch of the at bat with a full count. Both hits were to right center.
Ricky Gingras had two hits, including a double to lead off the fourth.
Juan Santana added two singles.
Ariel Ovando looked very off balance at the plate. He has a big step in the load of his swing and I believe it makes it hard for him to adjust to off speed pitches. He was getting a heavy diet of breaking balls. He struck out swinging twice and hit two grounders to first. The only good contact was on a couple of foul balls.
Bobby Borchering looked out of sorts as well. He had one good hit that was smothered by the E-Twins 6'7" first baseman. But otherwise, it was strikeouts and a pop out to short.
In The Field:
Other than the nice snag by Borchering on a line drive at first, there weren't too many stand out plays. Gingras did a nice job behind the plate keeping the ball in front of him on several balls in dirt from Frias.
For the second straight night defense at third was an issue. Angel Ibanez made two errors at third. One on a well hit but routine grounder that got in on him. The other was a throw on a tough play coming in. The throw sailed on him and ended up in the seats.
The other error came on a missed catch by second baseman Parker Hipp. The throw was low to start the 5-4-3 double play but it appeared to catch him in the palm of the glove and he couldn't squeeze it.
The outfield got lots of practice chasing after balls over their head. Cut off throws were pretty effective and defensive position of cut off men looked sound.
I hope to make it out to another game this week if life doesn't get in the way.
Friday, June 21, 2013
Monday, June 17, 2013
Getting to Know Your 2013 Greeneville Astros
[A NOTE FROM JAYNE: Our good friend Steve at Appy Astros has agreed to cross-post some of his great content and analysis, such as this roster analysis and his eyewitness accounts of games on the the Rookie League Greeneville Astros over here at What the Heck, Bobby? He'll also be posting links to some of his other terrific work. It will give my readers a more in-depth look at the Rookie League team and introduce Steve to some of you who may not be familiar with his work as he covers the current team and past Greeneville players no matter where they might end up. This is his third season of writing Appy Astros. Welcome aboard, Steve. Buca and I are very happy to have you come along for the ride!]
The coaching staff is here. The clubbie is stocking the club house. The players are getting settled in their lodging for the next few months. Let's learn a little bit about the guys who will wear the G star on their caps this season.
This preliminary roster that was released only shows 22 players. I would expect more drafted and non-drafted free agents (NDFA) to join this group as we approach the start of the season.
PITCHERS
Alan Abreu (GCL) - This is a great story. Abreu was signed as a non drafted free agent out of Lander University by the Astros after a private workout in September of 2011 as a pitcher. They signed this guy who:
Tyler Brunnemann (40th Rd 2013) - Brunnemann was the final draft pick of 2013 for the Astros. He is out of Hardin Simmons University in Texas. The righty throws in the low to mid 90's with a curve, a change and is developing a slider. Pitching in tough situations shouldn't bother him much since he has already faced having a non-malignant brain tumor removed when he was 11!
William "Austin" Chrismon - (26th Round 2013) - Chrismon spent his first two college seasons at East Carolina before transferring to Christopher Newport University. He is the first player from CNU to be drafted. In one outing this season, the right hander struck out 18 batters in eight innings.
Enderson Franco (GCL) - The 20 year old right handed pitcher from Venezuela comes to Greeneville after spending two years in the GCL. He has pitched mostly as a starter and really improved his control in 2012, cutting his walks from 3.3/9 innings to 1.4/9 innings.
Jandel Gustave (GCL) - A 20 year old from the Dominican Republic. Appears to have good stuff with 22 Ks in 28 innings but struggles with control with 27 walks. Let's hope the young righty learns to harness the stuff.
Krishawn Holley (GCL) - A 39th round pick in 2009 by the Astros. He made just one appearance in the GLC in 09 due to signing late. He has spent the last two years in the GCL with limited action. When he has pitched, his numbers are impressive. In 31 innings as a pro, he has an ERA of 1.45 with 24K and a WHIP of 0.968. An intriguing right handed pitcher that I am excited to see in person.
Sebastian Kessay (22nd Round - 2013) - A lefty from Scottsdale Community College, Kessay fanned 98 in 72 innings this season.
Chris Lee (Greeneville) - This will be the 2010 4th round pick's third time to be in Greeneville. He has struggled to stay healthy. The lefty threw just 8 2/3 innings in 2012. Here's hoping the third time is the charm.
Jordan Mills (28th round 2013) - Was surprised to hear his name called on draft day. The tall (6' 5") left handed pitcher throws a fastball (88-92), a slider and a change up.
J.D. Osborne (36th Round 2013) - Another left handed pitcher, Osborne was a fifth year senior with Wofford prior to being drafted. He made 27 relief appearances for the Terriers with 37 strikeouts in 33 1/3 innings pitched.
Frederick Tiburcio (Greeneville) - The second of our returners this season. Tiburcio showed flashes of promise last season. He struck out 55 batters in 58 1/3 innings pitched. He is a 22 year old right handed pitcher from the Dominican Republic.
CATCHERS
Ricky Gingras (Greeneville) - Gingras returns to Greeneville where he showed some pop hitting three HR in 29 games last season. He and Alfredo Gonzalez will split most of the catching duties.
Alfredo Gonzalez (GCL) - The 20 year old from Venezuela showed significant improvement in his second year in the GCL. He raised his average from .172 to .244 and cut his passed balls down from 15 to 9. He threw out 37% of base stealers in 2012.
Cristian Moronta (Greeneville) - The 23 year old from the Dominican Republic returns to Greeneville for his third season. It is likely he will likely see limited game action and will be the bullpen catcher. However, he brings some maturity and leadership to the team. He received the 2011 Oscar Pedron award for leadership.
INFIELDERS
Edwin Gomez (GCL) - Signed last season after being released from the Tigers system. He was drafted in the 4th round of the 2009 draft and had made it as far as A ball before being released. He is a 21 year old from Puerto Rico who primarily played first for the GCL Astros but has history playing the corner outfield spots. That may come in handy with just three outfielders on the roster thus far.
Angel Ibanez (Greeneville) - Ibanez finished strong last season hitting .305 in 24 games in August. The 22 year old was drafted in the 28th round of the 2012 draft. He primarily plays third.
Jack Mayfield (NDFA 2013) A non drafted free agent signed out of the University of Oklahoma, Mayfield plays mostly 2nd base. He hit .254 in 2013 with seven HR in his senior season.
Darwin Rivera (GCL) - This is Rivera's second trip to Greeneville. He came here as an 19 year old and struggled in the field committing 30 errors. He spent last year in the GCL and hit well (.310) and made just 15 errors at 3rd.
Juan Santana (GCL) - He is a 19 year old out of the Dominican Republic who plays the middle infield positions. He hit .268 with 12 doubles for the GCL Astros last year.
OUTFIELDERS
Wallace Gonzalez (GCL) - Drafted in the 29th round of the 2011 draft, Gonzalez has spent two seasons in the GLC prior to coming to Greeneville. He showed more power in his second season raising his slugging percentage almost 100 points. Expect to see him manning the corner outfield spots.
Tanner Mathis (NDFA) - Mathis was drafted by the Astros in 2012 out of Ole Miss, but chose not to sign. After not getting drafted in 2012, he signed on with the Astros as a non drafted free agent.
Marc Wik (Greeneville) - Drafted in the 21st round of the 2012 draft, Wik played mostly left field in Greeneville last season, though he did play in right some and got a few games at 2nd. He started hot at the plate last year but faded as the year drug on.
The coaching staff is here. The clubbie is stocking the club house. The players are getting settled in their lodging for the next few months. Let's learn a little bit about the guys who will wear the G star on their caps this season.
This preliminary roster that was released only shows 22 players. I would expect more drafted and non-drafted free agents (NDFA) to join this group as we approach the start of the season.
PITCHERS
Alan Abreu (GCL) - This is a great story. Abreu was signed as a non drafted free agent out of Lander University by the Astros after a private workout in September of 2011 as a pitcher. They signed this guy who:
"never pitched in his two years at Lander. Nor did Abreu pitch for Eastern Kentucky University, where he played his freshman year. Abreu didn't even pitch in high school. Believe it or not, he never even pitched in little league ball."The right handed pitcher posses a 95 MPH fastball and is still learning to pitch. He was effective but not dominant in the GCL with just eight strike outs in 20 innings but still had a low 2.70 ERA.
Tyler Brunnemann (40th Rd 2013) - Brunnemann was the final draft pick of 2013 for the Astros. He is out of Hardin Simmons University in Texas. The righty throws in the low to mid 90's with a curve, a change and is developing a slider. Pitching in tough situations shouldn't bother him much since he has already faced having a non-malignant brain tumor removed when he was 11!
William "Austin" Chrismon - (26th Round 2013) - Chrismon spent his first two college seasons at East Carolina before transferring to Christopher Newport University. He is the first player from CNU to be drafted. In one outing this season, the right hander struck out 18 batters in eight innings.
Enderson Franco (GCL) - The 20 year old right handed pitcher from Venezuela comes to Greeneville after spending two years in the GCL. He has pitched mostly as a starter and really improved his control in 2012, cutting his walks from 3.3/9 innings to 1.4/9 innings.
Jandel Gustave (GCL) - A 20 year old from the Dominican Republic. Appears to have good stuff with 22 Ks in 28 innings but struggles with control with 27 walks. Let's hope the young righty learns to harness the stuff.
Krishawn Holley (GCL) - A 39th round pick in 2009 by the Astros. He made just one appearance in the GLC in 09 due to signing late. He has spent the last two years in the GCL with limited action. When he has pitched, his numbers are impressive. In 31 innings as a pro, he has an ERA of 1.45 with 24K and a WHIP of 0.968. An intriguing right handed pitcher that I am excited to see in person.
Sebastian Kessay (22nd Round - 2013) - A lefty from Scottsdale Community College, Kessay fanned 98 in 72 innings this season.
Chris Lee (Greeneville) - This will be the 2010 4th round pick's third time to be in Greeneville. He has struggled to stay healthy. The lefty threw just 8 2/3 innings in 2012. Here's hoping the third time is the charm.
Jordan Mills (28th round 2013) - Was surprised to hear his name called on draft day. The tall (6' 5") left handed pitcher throws a fastball (88-92), a slider and a change up.
J.D. Osborne (36th Round 2013) - Another left handed pitcher, Osborne was a fifth year senior with Wofford prior to being drafted. He made 27 relief appearances for the Terriers with 37 strikeouts in 33 1/3 innings pitched.
Frederick Tiburcio (Greeneville) - The second of our returners this season. Tiburcio showed flashes of promise last season. He struck out 55 batters in 58 1/3 innings pitched. He is a 22 year old right handed pitcher from the Dominican Republic.
CATCHERS
Ricky Gingras (Greeneville) - Gingras returns to Greeneville where he showed some pop hitting three HR in 29 games last season. He and Alfredo Gonzalez will split most of the catching duties.
Alfredo Gonzalez (GCL) - The 20 year old from Venezuela showed significant improvement in his second year in the GCL. He raised his average from .172 to .244 and cut his passed balls down from 15 to 9. He threw out 37% of base stealers in 2012.
Cristian Moronta (Greeneville) - The 23 year old from the Dominican Republic returns to Greeneville for his third season. It is likely he will likely see limited game action and will be the bullpen catcher. However, he brings some maturity and leadership to the team. He received the 2011 Oscar Pedron award for leadership.
INFIELDERS
Edwin Gomez (GCL) - Signed last season after being released from the Tigers system. He was drafted in the 4th round of the 2009 draft and had made it as far as A ball before being released. He is a 21 year old from Puerto Rico who primarily played first for the GCL Astros but has history playing the corner outfield spots. That may come in handy with just three outfielders on the roster thus far.
Angel Ibanez (Greeneville) - Ibanez finished strong last season hitting .305 in 24 games in August. The 22 year old was drafted in the 28th round of the 2012 draft. He primarily plays third.
Jack Mayfield (NDFA 2013) A non drafted free agent signed out of the University of Oklahoma, Mayfield plays mostly 2nd base. He hit .254 in 2013 with seven HR in his senior season.
Darwin Rivera (GCL) - This is Rivera's second trip to Greeneville. He came here as an 19 year old and struggled in the field committing 30 errors. He spent last year in the GCL and hit well (.310) and made just 15 errors at 3rd.
Juan Santana (GCL) - He is a 19 year old out of the Dominican Republic who plays the middle infield positions. He hit .268 with 12 doubles for the GCL Astros last year.
OUTFIELDERS
Wallace Gonzalez (GCL) - Drafted in the 29th round of the 2011 draft, Gonzalez has spent two seasons in the GLC prior to coming to Greeneville. He showed more power in his second season raising his slugging percentage almost 100 points. Expect to see him manning the corner outfield spots.
Tanner Mathis (NDFA) - Mathis was drafted by the Astros in 2012 out of Ole Miss, but chose not to sign. After not getting drafted in 2012, he signed on with the Astros as a non drafted free agent.
Marc Wik (Greeneville) - Drafted in the 21st round of the 2012 draft, Wik played mostly left field in Greeneville last season, though he did play in right some and got a few games at 2nd. He started hot at the plate last year but faded as the year drug on.
Friday, November 4, 2011
Lots-O-Links
This has been one crazy, busy off-season with tons of things being reported, talked about, analyzed, etc. Links to recent goings-on below.
A great article from Jonathan Mayo on how Kim Ng is working to improve the international signings process
Jonathan Mayo's take on the Astros prospects participating in the Arizona Fall League
The latest blog posting from Josh Zeid on his experiences in the Arizona Fall League
Jason Castro talks about the progress he's making in coming back from his knee surgery
Brian Bogusevic's nomination for a GIBBY award
Kody Hinze talking about his Arizona Fall League experience
Dallas Keuchel talking about the pitches he's working on in the Arizona Fall League
Appy Astros looks at where the 2008 Greeneville Astros players are and how they're doing
Josh Magee gets a Milby award
I just assume that anyone who reads WTHB is also reading the Crawfishboxes site, but in case you missed it, I recorded a podcast with Tim, Sean and David to talk about top 30 prospects and more. Here is Part 1, Part 2 and Part 3.
Baseball Prospectus' top 11+ Astros prospect rankings
Top Prospect Alert's top 15 Astros prospect rankings
Enjoy!
A great article from Jonathan Mayo on how Kim Ng is working to improve the international signings process
Jonathan Mayo's take on the Astros prospects participating in the Arizona Fall League
The latest blog posting from Josh Zeid on his experiences in the Arizona Fall League
Jason Castro talks about the progress he's making in coming back from his knee surgery
Brian Bogusevic's nomination for a GIBBY award
Kody Hinze talking about his Arizona Fall League experience
Dallas Keuchel talking about the pitches he's working on in the Arizona Fall League
Appy Astros looks at where the 2008 Greeneville Astros players are and how they're doing
Josh Magee gets a Milby award
I just assume that anyone who reads WTHB is also reading the Crawfishboxes site, but in case you missed it, I recorded a podcast with Tim, Sean and David to talk about top 30 prospects and more. Here is Part 1, Part 2 and Part 3.
Baseball Prospectus' top 11+ Astros prospect rankings
Top Prospect Alert's top 15 Astros prospect rankings
Enjoy!
Wednesday, September 28, 2011
This and That
There has been a lot going on lately and I wanted to make sure nobody missed out on some of the recent postings.
First, please look over the Astros MiLB Lefty Starters info and vote in the poll for the WTH 25-Man Roster.
Next, you might have missed this contact info and sample letter to Drayton and Bud about the contemplated move to the American League. I encourage everyone to write, e-mail, fax, etc.
Also, farmstros has posted a list of players eligible for the Rule 5 draft and I posted a recap of what Rule 5 says as well as a link to the Professional Baseball Agreement so you can see for yourself.
Finally, Appy Astros has been kicking it today with information about voting on some of the Astros MiLB players for play/game of the year and some great info on Outfield Assist Leaders in the Astros minor league affiliates.
First, please look over the Astros MiLB Lefty Starters info and vote in the poll for the WTH 25-Man Roster.
Next, you might have missed this contact info and sample letter to Drayton and Bud about the contemplated move to the American League. I encourage everyone to write, e-mail, fax, etc.
Also, farmstros has posted a list of players eligible for the Rule 5 draft and I posted a recap of what Rule 5 says as well as a link to the Professional Baseball Agreement so you can see for yourself.
Finally, Appy Astros has been kicking it today with information about voting on some of the Astros MiLB players for play/game of the year and some great info on Outfield Assist Leaders in the Astros minor league affiliates.
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