#BOOM. Carlos Correa's first MLB home run was crushed. It's our #HTownMoment pres. by @ATT: http://t.co/Cd96Pwvkg8 pic.twitter.com/HSA27ZLBn7— #VoteAltuve (@astros) June 10, 2015
A LOOK AT THE ASTROS MINOR LEAGUE SYSTEM
Showing posts with label Carlos Correa. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Carlos Correa. Show all posts
Wednesday, June 10, 2015
Tweet of the Day
Monday, June 8, 2015
A Brief Interview with Astros SS Carlos Correa
[I had saved my brief late May interview with Correa to post in conjunction with the first day of the MLB draft. With yesterday's announcement that Correa is being called up to the Bigs today, even more reason to get to know Carlos just a wee little bit better.]
In honor of today's draft, let's check in with former 2012 number one overall draft pick, SS Carlos Correa. I had the chance to watch Correa in action at the beginning of May in Corpus Christi and again toward the end of May in Fresno after his promotion to the AAA club and it was an eye-opening experience. Just seeing how much he is enjoying himself, how loose and relaxed he is, is a wonderful thing to see.
With Correa, the talent has always been undeniable, as has his work ethic, his determination and his maturity. During my recent visit to Fresno, Manager Tony DeFrancesco said of Correa, "Carlos is definitely a professional. It's good to see a young player like that with that kind of tools and ambition and excited to play the game of baseball."
When I spoke with Correa, I decided to take a little different tack in my first question. I went back to three years ago when his friendship with 2012 draft members RHP Lance McCullers, OF Brett Phillips and 3B Rio Ruiz (since traded to the Braves) was first formed and asked him if that friendship foursome was still intact. According to Correa, "Yeah, yeah, of course. We still talk a lot, especially with Lance. I've been playing with him my entire professional career. I talk to him the most, but, yeah, I stay in touch with Rio and Brett. I called Brett the other day to see how he was doing. He's doing pretty well in the Cal League and Rio is working hard and doing his thing out there with the Braves. We stay in touch. We're really good friends so our relationship is going to be there forever."
McCullers was promoted to AAA for about a nanosecond before being called up to the big club and was with the Fresno team when he got that call. Of that moment, Correa told me, "I literally cried with him when he got called up. We were all sitting in the clubhouse in Albuquerque and all of a sudden, he's saying that he's only 21 years old and all this stuff, and all of a sudden he says he's going to pitch on Monday against the A's. I was like 'what?' And he goes, yeah, I'm going to The Show. Wow! I gave him a hug and congratulated him because it was a great accomplishment for him and he totally deserved it. He was doing a great job in the minor leagues and I think he deserved that call up."
I also asked Correa about my perception that he seemed much looser and more relaxed after the injury that derailed his season in 2014 than he had before. After assuring me that he always has fun playing baseball, he did admit that, "Just after the injury, everything was different. I enjoyed playing baseball even more than I used to. You appreciate it more when you're not able to play and you want to be out there."
Correa continued, "In Corpus, Rodney was a great manager. We had a great atmosphere there, great ballplayers. We were winning games. I was doing really good. You have to smile when everything is going right for you and your team. You've got to go out there and have fun every single day. I have fun all the time. Sometimes you've just got to be more serious. I always try to have fun with the guys, especially in Corpus. I've known those guys a long time. They're like family already."
The last thing that Correa told me was that he was just trying to reach his goals, "just trying to make it to the big leagues at some point this year." When I told him that I thought Astros fans would see him in June, Correa smiled broadly and said, "Hopefully!" Indeed.
Other recent interviews:
1B Jon Singleton
LHP Bryan Radziewski
1B A.J. Reed
RHP Joe Musgrove
3B J.D. Davis
LHP Albert Minnis
You can find more on virtually every player in the Astros minor league system in the 2015 Houston Farm System Handbook
available on Amazon for download to your kindle, iPad, laptop, desktop or smart phone.
In honor of today's draft, let's check in with former 2012 number one overall draft pick, SS Carlos Correa. I had the chance to watch Correa in action at the beginning of May in Corpus Christi and again toward the end of May in Fresno after his promotion to the AAA club and it was an eye-opening experience. Just seeing how much he is enjoying himself, how loose and relaxed he is, is a wonderful thing to see.
Carlos Correa - May 2015
Photo by Jayne Hansen
With Correa, the talent has always been undeniable, as has his work ethic, his determination and his maturity. During my recent visit to Fresno, Manager Tony DeFrancesco said of Correa, "Carlos is definitely a professional. It's good to see a young player like that with that kind of tools and ambition and excited to play the game of baseball."
When I spoke with Correa, I decided to take a little different tack in my first question. I went back to three years ago when his friendship with 2012 draft members RHP Lance McCullers, OF Brett Phillips and 3B Rio Ruiz (since traded to the Braves) was first formed and asked him if that friendship foursome was still intact. According to Correa, "Yeah, yeah, of course. We still talk a lot, especially with Lance. I've been playing with him my entire professional career. I talk to him the most, but, yeah, I stay in touch with Rio and Brett. I called Brett the other day to see how he was doing. He's doing pretty well in the Cal League and Rio is working hard and doing his thing out there with the Braves. We stay in touch. We're really good friends so our relationship is going to be there forever."
McCullers was promoted to AAA for about a nanosecond before being called up to the big club and was with the Fresno team when he got that call. Of that moment, Correa told me, "I literally cried with him when he got called up. We were all sitting in the clubhouse in Albuquerque and all of a sudden, he's saying that he's only 21 years old and all this stuff, and all of a sudden he says he's going to pitch on Monday against the A's. I was like 'what?' And he goes, yeah, I'm going to The Show. Wow! I gave him a hug and congratulated him because it was a great accomplishment for him and he totally deserved it. He was doing a great job in the minor leagues and I think he deserved that call up."
I also asked Correa about my perception that he seemed much looser and more relaxed after the injury that derailed his season in 2014 than he had before. After assuring me that he always has fun playing baseball, he did admit that, "Just after the injury, everything was different. I enjoyed playing baseball even more than I used to. You appreciate it more when you're not able to play and you want to be out there."
Correa continued, "In Corpus, Rodney was a great manager. We had a great atmosphere there, great ballplayers. We were winning games. I was doing really good. You have to smile when everything is going right for you and your team. You've got to go out there and have fun every single day. I have fun all the time. Sometimes you've just got to be more serious. I always try to have fun with the guys, especially in Corpus. I've known those guys a long time. They're like family already."
The last thing that Correa told me was that he was just trying to reach his goals, "just trying to make it to the big leagues at some point this year." When I told him that I thought Astros fans would see him in June, Correa smiled broadly and said, "Hopefully!" Indeed.
Thank you for your time, Carlos. It was a pleasure getting to know you just a little bit better. Best of luck in your big league debut!
>>>>>>><<<<<<<
Other recent interviews:
1B Jon Singleton
LHP Bryan Radziewski
1B A.J. Reed
RHP Joe Musgrove
3B J.D. Davis
LHP Albert Minnis
You can find more on virtually every player in the Astros minor league system in the 2015 Houston Farm System Handbook
available on Amazon for download to your kindle, iPad, laptop, desktop or smart phone.Bonus Tweet of the Day
HAPPPPYYYYY CORREA DAY!!! Future HOF! https://t.co/sxRJyDQYr7— Tony Kemp (@tonykemp6) June 8, 2015
Wednesday, May 27, 2015
Tweet of the Day
Carlos Correa hits one WAY outta here. Like onto the roof of a building across the street from the stadium far. That's his 3rd Triple-A HR.
— Fresno Grizzlies (@FresnoGrizzlies) May 27, 2015
Monday, May 11, 2015
Weighing in on the Carlos Correa Promotion
I have largely remained out of the fray as the twitterverse debated the merits of a Carlos Correa promotion, whether it be to AAA or to Houston. This was partly due to mixed feelings and partly due to a complete lack of time in which to write up my thoughts on the subject.
With today's news that Correa has been promoted to AAA Fresno, I feel compelled to weigh in with my thoughts. I have had the opportunity to see Carlos Correa several times over the years, not just in game situations but in early work, batting practice, etc., first in Greeneville in 2012, then in Quad Cities in 2013 and in Lancaster in 2014. What I saw was one of the most serious and dedicated young men you will ever lay eyes on. But Correa was SO serious. I rarely saw him smile or cut up with the other players before games. I actually asked then Lancaster Manager Rodney Linares last year if Correa ever had fun, and the answer I got was a lukewarm yes.
Then I went to Corpus Christi last weekend. Either Correa has become much more relaxed and is having a lot more fun at the ballpark or he is less guarded around me (or most likely, a combination of the two). I saw a ready smile from Correa, joking in the dugout before the game and just an overall "looseness" that I hadn't seen from him before.
Correa is still as determined and hardworking as ever, but I think he now understands that, although he still strives to be perfect, he will fall short of that mark. And I think he now understands that is OK, that lack of perfection doesn't equal failure. And I think he needed to understand that.
And I needed to see that. My concern that Correa would be too hard on himself if he struggled at a higher level suddenly evaporated. Coupled with his success in AA, I left Corpus convinced that a promotion to AAA was not only imminent, but was probably the right thing for him.
But a promotion directly to Houston? That's a whole other animal. As now Corpus Christi Manager Linares told me, "Could he play in the big leagues today? Yes. Should he? No." Linares would have liked to have had Correa a little longer. He wanted the other teams to see Correa two or three times in order to see how those pitchers adjusted to Correa and how he adjusted to them.
But Linares knew that he would likely lose Correa sooner rather than later and he felt strongly that a stint at AAA was in order. We agreed that Correa would be best served in the long run by having the opportunity to succeed at every level along the way. When he gets to Houston, it should be for good. Once he proves that he can handle AAA, send him on his way and let him make the adjustments he needs to make in order to succeed in the big leagues. If he knows that he has mastered every level along the way, he will be that much more confident and adaptable as he enters the big stage.
How long Correa will be at AAA will largely be up to him. I think it likely that he will make a case for himself quickly and we will see him in Houston no later than the end of June. Ultimately, Carlos will tell us when he's ready. And I, for one, can't wait to see him in an Astros uniform ... smiling, loose, happy and successful.
With today's news that Correa has been promoted to AAA Fresno, I feel compelled to weigh in with my thoughts. I have had the opportunity to see Carlos Correa several times over the years, not just in game situations but in early work, batting practice, etc., first in Greeneville in 2012, then in Quad Cities in 2013 and in Lancaster in 2014. What I saw was one of the most serious and dedicated young men you will ever lay eyes on. But Correa was SO serious. I rarely saw him smile or cut up with the other players before games. I actually asked then Lancaster Manager Rodney Linares last year if Correa ever had fun, and the answer I got was a lukewarm yes.
Then I went to Corpus Christi last weekend. Either Correa has become much more relaxed and is having a lot more fun at the ballpark or he is less guarded around me (or most likely, a combination of the two). I saw a ready smile from Correa, joking in the dugout before the game and just an overall "looseness" that I hadn't seen from him before.
Carlos Correa - May 2015
Photo by Jayne Hansen
Correa is still as determined and hardworking as ever, but I think he now understands that, although he still strives to be perfect, he will fall short of that mark. And I think he now understands that is OK, that lack of perfection doesn't equal failure. And I think he needed to understand that.
And I needed to see that. My concern that Correa would be too hard on himself if he struggled at a higher level suddenly evaporated. Coupled with his success in AA, I left Corpus convinced that a promotion to AAA was not only imminent, but was probably the right thing for him.
But a promotion directly to Houston? That's a whole other animal. As now Corpus Christi Manager Linares told me, "Could he play in the big leagues today? Yes. Should he? No." Linares would have liked to have had Correa a little longer. He wanted the other teams to see Correa two or three times in order to see how those pitchers adjusted to Correa and how he adjusted to them.
But Linares knew that he would likely lose Correa sooner rather than later and he felt strongly that a stint at AAA was in order. We agreed that Correa would be best served in the long run by having the opportunity to succeed at every level along the way. When he gets to Houston, it should be for good. Once he proves that he can handle AAA, send him on his way and let him make the adjustments he needs to make in order to succeed in the big leagues. If he knows that he has mastered every level along the way, he will be that much more confident and adaptable as he enters the big stage.
How long Correa will be at AAA will largely be up to him. I think it likely that he will make a case for himself quickly and we will see him in Houston no later than the end of June. Ultimately, Carlos will tell us when he's ready. And I, for one, can't wait to see him in an Astros uniform ... smiling, loose, happy and successful.
Wednesday, April 29, 2015
Astros Minor League Recaps
Results for Monday, April 27, 2015 and Tuesday, April 28, 2015
A pretty forgettable last couple of days on the farm.
Monday: Fresno 4, Reno 2
W- Jake Buchanan (2-0)
L- Blake Beavan (0-1)
S- Kevin Chapman (1)
Fresno home runs: Preston Tucker (8, solo in 5th)
Another big night for Preston Tucker, who is sending baseballs out of ballparks with quite a bit of regularity. He finished 3-4 and opened up the scoring with an RBI single in the 1st, then in the 5th, he bashed his organization-leading 8th homer of the year. The Grizz got 2 in the 4th inning on a Max Stassi RBI single and a sac fly from Nolan Fontana.
Jake Buchanan went 5 innings and allowed 2 runs on 9 hits (solo homer) and struck out 2. Darin Downs struck out 2 over 1.2 near-perfect frames; he hit a batter. Jordan Jankowski got the final out of the 7th and the first out of the 8th inning. He allowed a hit, walked 1, struck out 1, and uncorked a wild pitch. Despite facing a bases-loaded situation in the 8th, Kevin Chapman was able to seal the win as he walked 1 and struck out 2.
Tuesday: Reno 3, Fresno 2
W- A.J. Schugel (1-2)
L- Dan Straily (2-1)
S- Jake Barrett (4)
Fresno home runs: None.
The Grizzlies threatened in the bottom of the 9th as they got some traffic on the basepaths, but.... no cigar. They were foiled in their bid to sweep the series.
Their 2 runs came in the 5th inning on a Preston Tucker sac fly and a Domingo Santana RBI triple. Ronald Torreyes led off the bottom of the 9th with a double, but he was thrown out at home trying to score the tying run on a Nolan Fontana fielder's choice. Alex Presley and Preston Tucker walked to load the bases, but sadly, Jon Singleton flied out to end the game.
Dan Straily pitched 5 innings and allowed 3 runs on 6 hits, walked 2, and struck out 3. Richard Rodriguez struck out 2 over 3 perfect frames, and James Hoyt struck out 2 in a 1-2-3 9th.
Fresno has a day off as they head up to Tacoma; they'll finish up April and begin May there.
Monday: Midland 9, Corpus Christi 8
W- Jonathan Joseph (1-0)
L- Kent Emanuel (1-1)
CC home runs: None.
The Hooks walked off with the loss as Carson Blair took Kent Emanuel deep to tie the game at 8, and Matt Olson hit a sac fly to bring home Chad Oberacker with the winning run.
Carlos Correa got things started when he cracked an RBI triple in the 1st inning. He drove in another run with a single in the 3rd inning. Two batters later, Tyler White added a 2-run single. Leo Heras hit an RBI single in the 4th. After the Rockhounds took a 7-5 lead into the 7th inning, Corpus went back to work as Conrad Gregor made it a 1-run game with an RBI double, and then in the 8th, they took the lead thanks to a Tony Kemp RBI groundout and a Colin Moran RBI double.
Kemp went 1-3 with the RBI groundout, 2 walks, and scored 3 times. Moran, who stretched his hitting streak to 5 games, finished 3-5 with 2 doubles and a run scored; he's ripped 5 doubles during that streak. Tyler White finished 2-4, and Telvin Nash went 2-3 with a run scored.
Aaron West went 5 innings and allowed 5 runs, all on 3 home runs; he allowed 2 solo homers and was taken deep for a 3-run homer. He also allowed 4 other hits and struck out 3. Kent Emanuel tagged in for 3 innings, allowing 2 runs on 6 hits (solo homer), walking 2, and striking out 1. Mitch Lambson got 2 outs in the bottom of the 9th, allowing a hit and walking 1.
Tuesday: Midland 8, Corpus Christi 4
W- Joey Wagman (1-0)
L- Kyle Westwood (1-1)
CC home runs: Carlos Correa (5, solo in 8th)
Rough day for Hooks pitchers, who walked 7 and allowed 13 hits. They also gave up 8 runs.
The Hooks got on the board first with a Conrad Gregor sac fly in the 1st. Unfortunately, they would not score again until the 8th; in between, Midland scored 7 runs. Carlos Correa finished 2-2 with a double and a solo homer in the 8th inning. Corpus got 2 more in the 9th on an RBI double from Telvin Nash and an RBI single from Teoscar Hernandez. Tyler Heineman went 2-4. Correa's 2-2 day raised his average to an even .400. Be still, my heart.
Kyle Westwood allowed 4 runs on 10 hits and walked 2 over 4.1 innings. Jonas Dufek tagged in for 2.1 innings; he allowed 3 runs on 2 hits, walked 3, and struck out 2. He had all the strikeouts for the Hooks in this game. Angel Báez pitched 1.1 innings and walked 2; the only hit and run he allowed came off a solo homer from Colin Walsh in the 8th.
Mark Appel takes the hill in game 3 of this series; he'll take on Jake Sanchez at 6:30.
Tuesday: Rancho Cucamonga 10, Lancaster 5
W- Scott Barlow (2-1)
L- Evan Grills (1-2)
Lancaster home runs: Jack Mayfield (1, solo in 2nd)
In this battle for first place, the Quakes fired the first shot as they doubled up the JetHawks.
Jack Mayfield's first homer of the year put Lancaster on the scoreboard in the 2nd and tied the game at 1. Unfortunately, that would be the only run they would score until the 7th, as the Quakes built up a 9-1 lead on the strength of a 6-run 6th inning. In the 7th, though, the JetHawks got a bases-clearing triple from Chan-Jong Moon, who ended up scoring himself on a wild pitch. Unfortunately, that outburst wouldn't be enough in this one. Moon and J.D. Davis finished with 2 hits apiece.
Evan Grills went 4 innings and allowed 3 runs (2 earned) on 4 hits (solo homer), walked 2, and struck out 3. Tyler Brunnemann worked around a hit and a walk to throw a scoreless 5th, striking out 2. Troy Scribner tagged in for 3 innings and allowed 7 runs on 6 hits (5 singles and a solo homer), walked 3, and struck out 3. Gonzalo Sañudo walked 1 in a scoreless 9th.
In game 2, Blaine Sims will face Jeff Brigham at 6:30 Pacific.
Tuesday: Cedar Rapids 1, Quad Cities 0 in 11 innings
W- Cameron Booser (1-0)
L- Joe Musgrove (3-1)
S- Trevor Hildenberger (2)
QC home runs: None.
Well, that stunk...
Joe Musgrove probably would've liked to have that 11th inning back as the first 3 Kernels to bat in the inning reached base on him; 2 of them reached on errors that he committed, and Cedar Rapids ended up getting the only run (which was unearned) of the game off of him on a sac fly. That was a tough end to an otherwise fine outing for Musgrove, who went 6 innings and allowed 4 hits while striking out 1. Bryan Radziewski was absolutely stellar in his start as he allowed just 2 hits and struck out 4 over 5 shutout innings.
The River Bandits outhit Cedar Rapids 9-6, but they were unable to get a run across. Mott Hyde went 3-5 with a double, while Sean McMullen finished 2-4 with a triple.
In game 2 of this series, Dan Mengden will take on Mat Batts at 7.
Monday's Three Stars
3.
2.
1.
A pretty forgettable last couple of days on the farm.
Monday: Fresno 4, Reno 2
W- Jake Buchanan (2-0)
L- Blake Beavan (0-1)
S- Kevin Chapman (1)
Fresno home runs: Preston Tucker (8, solo in 5th)
Another big night for Preston Tucker, who is sending baseballs out of ballparks with quite a bit of regularity. He finished 3-4 and opened up the scoring with an RBI single in the 1st, then in the 5th, he bashed his organization-leading 8th homer of the year. The Grizz got 2 in the 4th inning on a Max Stassi RBI single and a sac fly from Nolan Fontana.
Jake Buchanan went 5 innings and allowed 2 runs on 9 hits (solo homer) and struck out 2. Darin Downs struck out 2 over 1.2 near-perfect frames; he hit a batter. Jordan Jankowski got the final out of the 7th and the first out of the 8th inning. He allowed a hit, walked 1, struck out 1, and uncorked a wild pitch. Despite facing a bases-loaded situation in the 8th, Kevin Chapman was able to seal the win as he walked 1 and struck out 2.
Tuesday: Reno 3, Fresno 2
W- A.J. Schugel (1-2)
L- Dan Straily (2-1)
S- Jake Barrett (4)
Fresno home runs: None.
The Grizzlies threatened in the bottom of the 9th as they got some traffic on the basepaths, but.... no cigar. They were foiled in their bid to sweep the series.
Their 2 runs came in the 5th inning on a Preston Tucker sac fly and a Domingo Santana RBI triple. Ronald Torreyes led off the bottom of the 9th with a double, but he was thrown out at home trying to score the tying run on a Nolan Fontana fielder's choice. Alex Presley and Preston Tucker walked to load the bases, but sadly, Jon Singleton flied out to end the game.
Dan Straily pitched 5 innings and allowed 3 runs on 6 hits, walked 2, and struck out 3. Richard Rodriguez struck out 2 over 3 perfect frames, and James Hoyt struck out 2 in a 1-2-3 9th.
Fresno has a day off as they head up to Tacoma; they'll finish up April and begin May there.
Monday: Midland 9, Corpus Christi 8
W- Jonathan Joseph (1-0)
L- Kent Emanuel (1-1)
CC home runs: None.
The Hooks walked off with the loss as Carson Blair took Kent Emanuel deep to tie the game at 8, and Matt Olson hit a sac fly to bring home Chad Oberacker with the winning run.
Carlos Correa got things started when he cracked an RBI triple in the 1st inning. He drove in another run with a single in the 3rd inning. Two batters later, Tyler White added a 2-run single. Leo Heras hit an RBI single in the 4th. After the Rockhounds took a 7-5 lead into the 7th inning, Corpus went back to work as Conrad Gregor made it a 1-run game with an RBI double, and then in the 8th, they took the lead thanks to a Tony Kemp RBI groundout and a Colin Moran RBI double.
Kemp went 1-3 with the RBI groundout, 2 walks, and scored 3 times. Moran, who stretched his hitting streak to 5 games, finished 3-5 with 2 doubles and a run scored; he's ripped 5 doubles during that streak. Tyler White finished 2-4, and Telvin Nash went 2-3 with a run scored.
Aaron West went 5 innings and allowed 5 runs, all on 3 home runs; he allowed 2 solo homers and was taken deep for a 3-run homer. He also allowed 4 other hits and struck out 3. Kent Emanuel tagged in for 3 innings, allowing 2 runs on 6 hits (solo homer), walking 2, and striking out 1. Mitch Lambson got 2 outs in the bottom of the 9th, allowing a hit and walking 1.
Tuesday: Midland 8, Corpus Christi 4
W- Joey Wagman (1-0)
L- Kyle Westwood (1-1)
CC home runs: Carlos Correa (5, solo in 8th)
Rough day for Hooks pitchers, who walked 7 and allowed 13 hits. They also gave up 8 runs.
The Hooks got on the board first with a Conrad Gregor sac fly in the 1st. Unfortunately, they would not score again until the 8th; in between, Midland scored 7 runs. Carlos Correa finished 2-2 with a double and a solo homer in the 8th inning. Corpus got 2 more in the 9th on an RBI double from Telvin Nash and an RBI single from Teoscar Hernandez. Tyler Heineman went 2-4. Correa's 2-2 day raised his average to an even .400. Be still, my heart.
Kyle Westwood allowed 4 runs on 10 hits and walked 2 over 4.1 innings. Jonas Dufek tagged in for 2.1 innings; he allowed 3 runs on 2 hits, walked 3, and struck out 2. He had all the strikeouts for the Hooks in this game. Angel Báez pitched 1.1 innings and walked 2; the only hit and run he allowed came off a solo homer from Colin Walsh in the 8th.
Mark Appel takes the hill in game 3 of this series; he'll take on Jake Sanchez at 6:30.
Tuesday: Rancho Cucamonga 10, Lancaster 5
W- Scott Barlow (2-1)
L- Evan Grills (1-2)
Lancaster home runs: Jack Mayfield (1, solo in 2nd)
In this battle for first place, the Quakes fired the first shot as they doubled up the JetHawks.
Jack Mayfield's first homer of the year put Lancaster on the scoreboard in the 2nd and tied the game at 1. Unfortunately, that would be the only run they would score until the 7th, as the Quakes built up a 9-1 lead on the strength of a 6-run 6th inning. In the 7th, though, the JetHawks got a bases-clearing triple from Chan-Jong Moon, who ended up scoring himself on a wild pitch. Unfortunately, that outburst wouldn't be enough in this one. Moon and J.D. Davis finished with 2 hits apiece.
Evan Grills went 4 innings and allowed 3 runs (2 earned) on 4 hits (solo homer), walked 2, and struck out 3. Tyler Brunnemann worked around a hit and a walk to throw a scoreless 5th, striking out 2. Troy Scribner tagged in for 3 innings and allowed 7 runs on 6 hits (5 singles and a solo homer), walked 3, and struck out 3. Gonzalo Sañudo walked 1 in a scoreless 9th.
In game 2, Blaine Sims will face Jeff Brigham at 6:30 Pacific.
Tuesday: Cedar Rapids 1, Quad Cities 0 in 11 innings
W- Cameron Booser (1-0)
L- Joe Musgrove (3-1)
S- Trevor Hildenberger (2)
QC home runs: None.
Well, that stunk...
Joe Musgrove probably would've liked to have that 11th inning back as the first 3 Kernels to bat in the inning reached base on him; 2 of them reached on errors that he committed, and Cedar Rapids ended up getting the only run (which was unearned) of the game off of him on a sac fly. That was a tough end to an otherwise fine outing for Musgrove, who went 6 innings and allowed 4 hits while striking out 1. Bryan Radziewski was absolutely stellar in his start as he allowed just 2 hits and struck out 4 over 5 shutout innings.
The River Bandits outhit Cedar Rapids 9-6, but they were unable to get a run across. Mott Hyde went 3-5 with a double, while Sean McMullen finished 2-4 with a triple.
In game 2 of this series, Dan Mengden will take on Mat Batts at 7.
Monday's Three Stars
3.
Carlos Correa, SS, Corpus Christi
2-4, 3B, 2 RBI
2.
Colin Moran, 3B, Corpus Christi
3-5, 2 2B, RBI, R
1.
Preston Tucker, OF, Fresno
3-4, solo HR (8; leads organization), 2 RBI
Tuesday's Three Stars: Position Players
3.
Mott Hyde, 2B/SS, Quad Cities
3-5, 2B
2.
Chan-Jong Moon, SS/2B, Lancaster
2-4, 3-R 3B in 7th, R
1.
Carlos Correa, SS, Corpus Christi
2-2, 2B, solo HR (5)
Tuesday's Three Stars: Pitchers
3.
Joe Musgrove, RHP, Quad Cities
L (3-1), 6 IP, 4 H, unearned run, K
2.
Bryan Radziewski, LHP, Quad Cities
5 IP, 2 H, 4 K
1.
Richard Rodriguez, RHP, Fresno
3 IP, 2 K
Monday, April 27, 2015
Astros Minor League Weekend Recaps
Results for Saturday, April 25, 2015 and Sunday, April 26, 2015
Welcome to the WTHB Weekend Recap! Let's play 2 in Frisco on Saturday and 2 in Davenport on Sunday!
Corpus Christi with the...
*I'm sorry for all the 2-in-one-day recaps, but I have been absolutely swamped as of late with the end-of-semester crunch. These recaps won't be what you'll normally get from me, so I apologize for that as well.
Saturday: Fresno 7, Reno 0
Jonathan Villar: 3-4, 2B, 2 RBI, R, SB (1)
L.J. Hoes: 2-5, 2 2B, 2 RBI, R
Preston Tucker: 2-4, RBI, R
Andrew Aplin: 1-3, RBI, 2 R, BB, SB (4)
Brady Rodgers: W (1-2), 6 IP, 7 H, BB, 5 K
Richard Rodriguez: 2 IP, H, BB, K
Tyson Perez: IP, K
Sunday: Fresno 9, Reno 2
Preston Tucker: 3-R HR (7, leads organization)
Domingo Santana: 3-4, 2B, 2 HR (5; 3-run and solo)
L.J. Hoes: 2-2, 2B, RBI, 2 R, BB
Tommy Shirley: W (3-0), 5 IP, 2 H, BB, 7 K
The series continues at 6:35 Pacific. Starter for both sides have yet to be announced.
Saturday Game 1: Corpus Christi 10, Frisco 5
Colin Moran: 3-4, 2B, 5 RBI
Tyler Heineman: 2-4, 2 R
Tyler White: 1-2, 2B, 2 RBI, 2 R, 2 BB
Teoscar Hernandez: 0-2, 2 BB, 3 R
Josh Hader: 4 IP, 5 H (solo HR), 4 ER, BB, 5 K
Jonas Dufek: IP, 3 H, ER, 2 BB (season debut)
Travis Ballew: W (1-1), 2 IP, 2 BB, K
Saturday Game 2: Corpus Christi 16, Frisco 1
Moran: 2-4, 2B, 3 RBI, 2 R
Carlos Correa: 3-5, 2-R HR (3), 3 R
Jio Mier: 3-4, 3-R HR (1), 6 RBI, 2 R
Brandon Meredith: 2-5, RBI, 3 R
Chris Devenski: W (2-0), 6.1 IP, 3 BB, 8 K
Sunday: Corpus Christi 5, Frisco 2
Correa: 3-5, 2B, 3-R HR (4), 2 R
Roberto Peña: 2-4, 2B, RBI, R
Mike Hauschild: W (2-1), 5 IP, 6 H, ER, 4 K
Lance McCullers: Save (1), 4 IP, 4 H, unearned run (1st run allowed this season), 9 K
The Hooks swept the Rangers' AA team in dominating fashion, outscoring them 39-10 over the 4-game set. They will be in Midland tonight as they begin the second leg of this roadtrip. Aaron West will take on Nate Long at 6:30.
Saturday: Lancaster 5, Modesto 4
A.J. Reed: 2-3, 3B, solo HR (3)
Chan-Jong Moon: 2-R HR (1)
Ronnie Mitchell: solo HR (3)
Jobduan Morales: 2-4, RBI
Jack Mayfield: 2-4
Edison Frias: 5 IP, 5 H (2-run HR), 4 R (2 earned), 6 K
Brian Holmes: W (1-1), 4 IP, 2 H, 5 K
Sunday: Modesto 10, Lancaster 3
James Ramsay: 1-2, 2B, 3 BB, R
Jack Mayfield: 2-4, 2 RBI
Brian Holberton: 1-2, 2B, RBI
Zach Morton: L (0-1), 4 IP, 4 H, 3 R (1 earned), BB, K
Michael Feliz: 3.2 IP, 3 H, 3 R (2 earned), 2 BB, K
After an off day, the JetHawks will welcome Rancho Cucamonga to The Hangar for 3 beginning on Tuesday.
Saturday: Burlington 7, Quad Cities 2
Jamie Ritchie: 2-4, RBI
Kristian Trompiz: 2-3, solo HR (2)
Josh James: 3 IP, 2 H, unearned run, 2 BB, 5 K
Albert Minnis: 2 IP, H, 2 K
Sunday Game 1: Burlington 4, Quad Cities 2
Nick Tanielu: 2-3, RBI
Jake Nottingham: RBI groundout in 4th
Chris Lee: L (0-2), 4 IP, 6 H, 3 ER, 3 BB, 3 K
Eric Peterson: 2.1 IP, 2 H, ER, 3 BB, 3 K
Albert Minnis: 0.2 IP, K
Sunday Game 2: Quad Cities 7, Burlington 6 in 12 innings
Bobby Boyd: 3-6, 2B, 2 R, SB (4)
Bryan Muniz: 2-6, 2B, 2 RBI
Alfredo Gonzalez: 2-5, 3B, RBI
Jorge Martinez: 2-4, RBI, SB (1)
Thomas Lindauer: Walk-off sacrifice fly in 12th inning
Kevin Comer: 5.2 IP, 11 H (9 singles, 1 double, 1 solo homer), 6 ER, 2 K
Keegan Yuhl: 2.1 IP, H, 4 BB, 2 K
Ryan Thompson: 3 IP, 2 H, BB
Jose Montero: W (1-0), 2 BB, K
The Bandits avoided the sweep in the doubleheader and the series by walking off with the win in game 2 of the twinbill.
Now that this series is wrapped up, the River Bandits will welcome Cedar Rapids to town beginning on Tuesday. Bryan Radziewski will take the mound in game 1, which is an 11:00 A.M. matinee.
Saturday's Three Stars: Position Players
3. Carlos Correa, SS, Corpus Christi: 3-9, 2-R HR (3), 3 R
2. Jio Mier, IF, Corpus Christi: 3-7, HR (1), 6 RBI, 2 R
1. Colin Moran, 3B, Corpus Christi: 5-8, 2 2B, 8 RBI, 2 R
Saturday's Three Stars: Pitchers
3. Brian Holmes, LHP, Lancaster: W (1-1), 4 IP, 2 H, 5 K
2. Brady Rodgers, RHP, Fresno: W (1-2), 6 IP, 7 H, BB, 5 K
1. Chris Devenski, RHP, Corpus Christi: W (2-0), 6.1 IP, 3 BB, 8 K in game 1 of doubleheader
Sunday's Three Stars: Position Players
3. Bobby Boyd, OF, Quad Cities: 3-6, 2B, 2 R, SB (4)
2. Domingo Santana, OF, Fresno: 3-4, 2B, 2 HR (5), 4 RBI
1. Carlos Correa, SS, Corpus Christi: 3-5, 2B, 3-R HR (4), 2 R
Sunday's Three Stars: Pitchers
3. Mike Hauschild, RHP, Corpus Christi: W (2-1), 5 IP, 6 H, ER, 4 K
2. Tommy Shirley, LHP, Fresno: W (3-0), 5 IP, 2 H, BB, 7 K
1. Lance McCullers, RHP, Corpus Christi: Save (1), 4 IP, 4 H, uinearned run, 9 K
Welcome to the WTHB Weekend Recap! Let's play 2 in Frisco on Saturday and 2 in Davenport on Sunday!
Corpus Christi with the...
*I'm sorry for all the 2-in-one-day recaps, but I have been absolutely swamped as of late with the end-of-semester crunch. These recaps won't be what you'll normally get from me, so I apologize for that as well.
Saturday: Fresno 7, Reno 0
Jonathan Villar: 3-4, 2B, 2 RBI, R, SB (1)
L.J. Hoes: 2-5, 2 2B, 2 RBI, R
Preston Tucker: 2-4, RBI, R
Andrew Aplin: 1-3, RBI, 2 R, BB, SB (4)
Brady Rodgers: W (1-2), 6 IP, 7 H, BB, 5 K
Richard Rodriguez: 2 IP, H, BB, K
Tyson Perez: IP, K
Sunday: Fresno 9, Reno 2
Preston Tucker: 3-R HR (7, leads organization)
Domingo Santana: 3-4, 2B, 2 HR (5; 3-run and solo)
L.J. Hoes: 2-2, 2B, RBI, 2 R, BB
Tommy Shirley: W (3-0), 5 IP, 2 H, BB, 7 K
The series continues at 6:35 Pacific. Starter for both sides have yet to be announced.
Saturday Game 1: Corpus Christi 10, Frisco 5
Colin Moran: 3-4, 2B, 5 RBI
Tyler Heineman: 2-4, 2 R
Tyler White: 1-2, 2B, 2 RBI, 2 R, 2 BB
Teoscar Hernandez: 0-2, 2 BB, 3 R
Josh Hader: 4 IP, 5 H (solo HR), 4 ER, BB, 5 K
Jonas Dufek: IP, 3 H, ER, 2 BB (season debut)
Travis Ballew: W (1-1), 2 IP, 2 BB, K
Saturday Game 2: Corpus Christi 16, Frisco 1
Moran: 2-4, 2B, 3 RBI, 2 R
Carlos Correa: 3-5, 2-R HR (3), 3 R
Jio Mier: 3-4, 3-R HR (1), 6 RBI, 2 R
Brandon Meredith: 2-5, RBI, 3 R
Chris Devenski: W (2-0), 6.1 IP, 3 BB, 8 K
Sunday: Corpus Christi 5, Frisco 2
Correa: 3-5, 2B, 3-R HR (4), 2 R
Roberto Peña: 2-4, 2B, RBI, R
Mike Hauschild: W (2-1), 5 IP, 6 H, ER, 4 K
Lance McCullers: Save (1), 4 IP, 4 H, unearned run (1st run allowed this season), 9 K
The Hooks swept the Rangers' AA team in dominating fashion, outscoring them 39-10 over the 4-game set. They will be in Midland tonight as they begin the second leg of this roadtrip. Aaron West will take on Nate Long at 6:30.
Saturday: Lancaster 5, Modesto 4
A.J. Reed: 2-3, 3B, solo HR (3)
Chan-Jong Moon: 2-R HR (1)
Ronnie Mitchell: solo HR (3)
Jobduan Morales: 2-4, RBI
Jack Mayfield: 2-4
Edison Frias: 5 IP, 5 H (2-run HR), 4 R (2 earned), 6 K
Brian Holmes: W (1-1), 4 IP, 2 H, 5 K
Sunday: Modesto 10, Lancaster 3
James Ramsay: 1-2, 2B, 3 BB, R
Jack Mayfield: 2-4, 2 RBI
Brian Holberton: 1-2, 2B, RBI
Zach Morton: L (0-1), 4 IP, 4 H, 3 R (1 earned), BB, K
Michael Feliz: 3.2 IP, 3 H, 3 R (2 earned), 2 BB, K
After an off day, the JetHawks will welcome Rancho Cucamonga to The Hangar for 3 beginning on Tuesday.
Saturday: Burlington 7, Quad Cities 2
Jamie Ritchie: 2-4, RBI
Kristian Trompiz: 2-3, solo HR (2)
Josh James: 3 IP, 2 H, unearned run, 2 BB, 5 K
Albert Minnis: 2 IP, H, 2 K
Sunday Game 1: Burlington 4, Quad Cities 2
Nick Tanielu: 2-3, RBI
Jake Nottingham: RBI groundout in 4th
Chris Lee: L (0-2), 4 IP, 6 H, 3 ER, 3 BB, 3 K
Eric Peterson: 2.1 IP, 2 H, ER, 3 BB, 3 K
Albert Minnis: 0.2 IP, K
Sunday Game 2: Quad Cities 7, Burlington 6 in 12 innings
Bobby Boyd: 3-6, 2B, 2 R, SB (4)
Bryan Muniz: 2-6, 2B, 2 RBI
Alfredo Gonzalez: 2-5, 3B, RBI
Jorge Martinez: 2-4, RBI, SB (1)
Thomas Lindauer: Walk-off sacrifice fly in 12th inning
Kevin Comer: 5.2 IP, 11 H (9 singles, 1 double, 1 solo homer), 6 ER, 2 K
Keegan Yuhl: 2.1 IP, H, 4 BB, 2 K
Ryan Thompson: 3 IP, 2 H, BB
Jose Montero: W (1-0), 2 BB, K
The Bandits avoided the sweep in the doubleheader and the series by walking off with the win in game 2 of the twinbill.
Now that this series is wrapped up, the River Bandits will welcome Cedar Rapids to town beginning on Tuesday. Bryan Radziewski will take the mound in game 1, which is an 11:00 A.M. matinee.
Saturday's Three Stars: Position Players
3. Carlos Correa, SS, Corpus Christi: 3-9, 2-R HR (3), 3 R
2. Jio Mier, IF, Corpus Christi: 3-7, HR (1), 6 RBI, 2 R
1. Colin Moran, 3B, Corpus Christi: 5-8, 2 2B, 8 RBI, 2 R
Saturday's Three Stars: Pitchers
3. Brian Holmes, LHP, Lancaster: W (1-1), 4 IP, 2 H, 5 K
2. Brady Rodgers, RHP, Fresno: W (1-2), 6 IP, 7 H, BB, 5 K
1. Chris Devenski, RHP, Corpus Christi: W (2-0), 6.1 IP, 3 BB, 8 K in game 1 of doubleheader
Sunday's Three Stars: Position Players
3. Bobby Boyd, OF, Quad Cities: 3-6, 2B, 2 R, SB (4)
2. Domingo Santana, OF, Fresno: 3-4, 2B, 2 HR (5), 4 RBI
1. Carlos Correa, SS, Corpus Christi: 3-5, 2B, 3-R HR (4), 2 R
Sunday's Three Stars: Pitchers
3. Mike Hauschild, RHP, Corpus Christi: W (2-1), 5 IP, 6 H, ER, 4 K
2. Tommy Shirley, LHP, Fresno: W (3-0), 5 IP, 2 H, BB, 7 K
1. Lance McCullers, RHP, Corpus Christi: Save (1), 4 IP, 4 H, uinearned run, 9 K
Wednesday, April 15, 2015
Astros Minor League Recaps
Results for Tuesday, April 14, 2015
Quad Cities with the...
Fresno 12, Salt Lake 4
W- Tommy Shirley (1-0)
L- Garrett Richards (0-1)
Fresno home runs: Preston Tucker 2 (3; 2-run in 5th, 2-run in 7th)
The Grizz knocked a rehabbing Garrett Richards around and Preston Tucker put on a show of power. They trailed 2-0 after 2 innings, but they outscored the Bees 12-2 the rest of the way. Much of the damage done by Fresno came off the bats of Preston Tucker, L.J. Hoes, and Matt Dominguez; they drove in 10 of the 12 Grizzlies runs.
Hoes put Fresno on the scoreboard with a 2-run double in the bottom of the 3rd. One batter later, Jon Singleton put them ahead with an RBI single, and it turned out to be a lead that they would not relinquish. Tucker hit his first 2-run shot of the evening in the 5th. He struck again with the other 2-run homer in the 7th, and then the Grizzlies formally buried the Bees with 5 runs in the 8th, coming off RBI singles from Nolan Fontana and Hoes, and a bases-clearing double from Matt Dominguez.
Hoes (2B, 3 RBI, 2 R), Tucker (2 2-run homers, 3 R), Dominguez (bases-clearing 2B in 8th), and Ronald Torreyes (run scored) all finished 2-5. Andrew Aplin reached base in all 4 of his plate appearances, going 2-2 with a double, 2 walks, and 2 runs scored in his 2015 debut. In addition to his RBI single, Jon Singleton drew 3 walks and scored 3 runs.
Tommy Shirley didn't have a great first start, but the offense and the bullpen had his back. He allowed 4 runs (1 inherited runner charged to him) on 9 hits and struck out 1 over 5+ innings of work. Darin Downs was the first man out; he did allow the runner he inherited from Shirley to score on an RBI double from Marc Krauss, and other than a wild pitch that allowed Krauss to move to 3rd, nothing else happened as Downs got out of the inning by striking out Roger Kieschnick. Next up was Jason Stoffel, who allowed a hit and struck out 2 over 2 scoreless. Josh Fields finished it with a 1-2-3 9th, striking out 1.
Fresno looks for the series win as Jake Buchanan faces Andrew Heaney at 6:35 Pacific.
Tulsa 2, Corpus Christi 1
W- Chris Anderson (2-0)
L- Aaron West (0-1)
S- Blake Smith (1)
CC home runs: Carlos Correa (1, solo in 9th)
The Hooks suffered their first loss of the year as they were foiled in their attempt to sweep the Drillers and the roadtrip. Corey Seager played a starring role in putting Corpus in the loss column as he drove in both Tulsa runs. However, in spite of Seager, the Hooks still had a chance to steal the game as their bats woke up just in time.
Corpus Christi's offense had been absolutely stifled by Chris Anderson and Mike Thomas, who held them to just 2 singles through 8 innings. But, Correa got them on the board with a 1-out solo home run in the top of the 9th inning. Colin Moran grounded out to become the 2nd casualty of the inning, but Brandon Meredith beat out an infield single and advanced to 3rd on another single from Tyler Heineman. Sadly, Conrad Gregor struck out swinging on a full count to end the game. Correa finished 2-4; the other Hooks hit (besides Meredith's and Heineman's singles) was a Jon Kemmer single to lead off the 3rd.
Aaron West was the hard-luck loser in this one; Seager took him deep for a solo shot in the 4th inning. He allowed 2 other hits and struck out 2. Kent Emanuel pitched the final 3 innings, and Seager got to him for an RBI single in the 8th. Emanuel allowed 3 other hits and struck out 1.
After a day off on Wednesday, the Hooks will play in front of their home crowd in Corpus Christi for the first time this season. Mark Appel will take the mound in the opener of a 3-game series against Springfield on Thursday.
Lancaster and Stockton was postponed
Due to extremely high winds in the Antelope Valley. They'll play a doubleheader tomorrow with game 1 starting at 5:30 Pacific. Edison Frias will take on Dylan Covey. In game 2, Brian Holmes faces Tim Atherton.
Quad Cities 5, Clinton 3
W- Kevin Comer (2-0)
L- Jeffeson Medina (0-1)
S- Albert Minnis (1)
QC home runs: D.J. Fisher (2, 2-run in 3rd)
The River Bandits swept their first home series of the season thanks to a stellar effort from Albert Minnis out of the bullpen.
Kevin Comer got the start and went 5 innings, allowing 2 runs on 2 hits, walking 3, and striking out 4. Jose Montero and Albert Minnis pitched 2 innings apiece; Montero allowed a run (inherited runner charged to him), a hit, walked 3, and struck out 3. Well, Minnis technically allowed one of the 2 runners he inherited from Montero to score on a bases-loaded walk, but he was nails the rest of the way, allowing a hit and striking out 5 to get the save.
D.J. Fisher's second home run in as many nights opened the scoring in the 3rd inning. Mott Hyde doubled to lead off the 4th, and Kristian Trompiz brought him home with a single. Jamie Ritchie singled to begin the 7th and was able to score thanks to a Clinton error on a Fisher single. Fisher, who advanced to 3rd on the error, scored on a wild pitch by Kody Kerski. Ritchie and Fisher both had 2-hit nights, and they scored 4 of Quad Cities' 5 runs. Jamie Ritchie also stole his first base of the season, as did Alex Hernandez, who went 0-2 with 2 walks.
Quad Cities is back on the road again as they begin a 3-game set in Beloit. In game 1, Chris Lee will face Brett Graves at 6:30.
Three Stars: Position Players
3.
Three Stars: Pitchers
3.
Darin Downs, LHP
IP, H, allowed inherited runner to score, K
Honorable Mentions
- Jamie Ritchie and Andrew Aplin, for reaching base in all of their plate appearances.
- Kent Emanuel keeping the Hooks in the game as their offense tried to search for answers.
- The entire Fresno offense.
Quad Cities with the...
Fresno 12, Salt Lake 4
W- Tommy Shirley (1-0)
L- Garrett Richards (0-1)
Fresno home runs: Preston Tucker 2 (3; 2-run in 5th, 2-run in 7th)
The Grizz knocked a rehabbing Garrett Richards around and Preston Tucker put on a show of power. They trailed 2-0 after 2 innings, but they outscored the Bees 12-2 the rest of the way. Much of the damage done by Fresno came off the bats of Preston Tucker, L.J. Hoes, and Matt Dominguez; they drove in 10 of the 12 Grizzlies runs.
Hoes put Fresno on the scoreboard with a 2-run double in the bottom of the 3rd. One batter later, Jon Singleton put them ahead with an RBI single, and it turned out to be a lead that they would not relinquish. Tucker hit his first 2-run shot of the evening in the 5th. He struck again with the other 2-run homer in the 7th, and then the Grizzlies formally buried the Bees with 5 runs in the 8th, coming off RBI singles from Nolan Fontana and Hoes, and a bases-clearing double from Matt Dominguez.
Hoes (2B, 3 RBI, 2 R), Tucker (2 2-run homers, 3 R), Dominguez (bases-clearing 2B in 8th), and Ronald Torreyes (run scored) all finished 2-5. Andrew Aplin reached base in all 4 of his plate appearances, going 2-2 with a double, 2 walks, and 2 runs scored in his 2015 debut. In addition to his RBI single, Jon Singleton drew 3 walks and scored 3 runs.
Tommy Shirley didn't have a great first start, but the offense and the bullpen had his back. He allowed 4 runs (1 inherited runner charged to him) on 9 hits and struck out 1 over 5+ innings of work. Darin Downs was the first man out; he did allow the runner he inherited from Shirley to score on an RBI double from Marc Krauss, and other than a wild pitch that allowed Krauss to move to 3rd, nothing else happened as Downs got out of the inning by striking out Roger Kieschnick. Next up was Jason Stoffel, who allowed a hit and struck out 2 over 2 scoreless. Josh Fields finished it with a 1-2-3 9th, striking out 1.
Fresno looks for the series win as Jake Buchanan faces Andrew Heaney at 6:35 Pacific.
Tulsa 2, Corpus Christi 1
W- Chris Anderson (2-0)
L- Aaron West (0-1)
S- Blake Smith (1)
CC home runs: Carlos Correa (1, solo in 9th)
The Hooks suffered their first loss of the year as they were foiled in their attempt to sweep the Drillers and the roadtrip. Corey Seager played a starring role in putting Corpus in the loss column as he drove in both Tulsa runs. However, in spite of Seager, the Hooks still had a chance to steal the game as their bats woke up just in time.
Corpus Christi's offense had been absolutely stifled by Chris Anderson and Mike Thomas, who held them to just 2 singles through 8 innings. But, Correa got them on the board with a 1-out solo home run in the top of the 9th inning. Colin Moran grounded out to become the 2nd casualty of the inning, but Brandon Meredith beat out an infield single and advanced to 3rd on another single from Tyler Heineman. Sadly, Conrad Gregor struck out swinging on a full count to end the game. Correa finished 2-4; the other Hooks hit (besides Meredith's and Heineman's singles) was a Jon Kemmer single to lead off the 3rd.
Aaron West was the hard-luck loser in this one; Seager took him deep for a solo shot in the 4th inning. He allowed 2 other hits and struck out 2. Kent Emanuel pitched the final 3 innings, and Seager got to him for an RBI single in the 8th. Emanuel allowed 3 other hits and struck out 1.
After a day off on Wednesday, the Hooks will play in front of their home crowd in Corpus Christi for the first time this season. Mark Appel will take the mound in the opener of a 3-game series against Springfield on Thursday.
Lancaster and Stockton was postponed
Due to extremely high winds in the Antelope Valley. They'll play a doubleheader tomorrow with game 1 starting at 5:30 Pacific. Edison Frias will take on Dylan Covey. In game 2, Brian Holmes faces Tim Atherton.
Quad Cities 5, Clinton 3
W- Kevin Comer (2-0)
L- Jeffeson Medina (0-1)
S- Albert Minnis (1)
QC home runs: D.J. Fisher (2, 2-run in 3rd)
The River Bandits swept their first home series of the season thanks to a stellar effort from Albert Minnis out of the bullpen.
Kevin Comer got the start and went 5 innings, allowing 2 runs on 2 hits, walking 3, and striking out 4. Jose Montero and Albert Minnis pitched 2 innings apiece; Montero allowed a run (inherited runner charged to him), a hit, walked 3, and struck out 3. Well, Minnis technically allowed one of the 2 runners he inherited from Montero to score on a bases-loaded walk, but he was nails the rest of the way, allowing a hit and striking out 5 to get the save.
D.J. Fisher's second home run in as many nights opened the scoring in the 3rd inning. Mott Hyde doubled to lead off the 4th, and Kristian Trompiz brought him home with a single. Jamie Ritchie singled to begin the 7th and was able to score thanks to a Clinton error on a Fisher single. Fisher, who advanced to 3rd on the error, scored on a wild pitch by Kody Kerski. Ritchie and Fisher both had 2-hit nights, and they scored 4 of Quad Cities' 5 runs. Jamie Ritchie also stole his first base of the season, as did Alex Hernandez, who went 0-2 with 2 walks.
Quad Cities is back on the road again as they begin a 3-game set in Beloit. In game 1, Chris Lee will face Brett Graves at 6:30.
Three Stars: Position Players
3.
Carlos Correa, SS, Corpus Christi
2-4, solo HR (1)
2.
D.J. Fisher, OF, Quad Cities
2-4, 2-R HR (2), 2 R
1.
Preston Tucker, 1B/OF, Fresno
2-4, 2 2-R HR (3), 4 RBI, 3 R
Three Stars: Pitchers
3.
Aaron West, RHP, Corpus Christi
L (0-1); 5 IP, 3 H (solo HR), ER, 2 K
2. Fresno bullpen.
Darin Downs, LHP
IP, H, allowed inherited runner to score, K
Jason Stoffel, RHP
2 IP, H, 2 K
Josh Fields, RHP
IP, K
1.
Albert Minnis, LHP, Quad Cities
Save (1), 2 IP, H, allowed inherited runner to score, 5 K
- Jamie Ritchie and Andrew Aplin, for reaching base in all of their plate appearances.
- Kent Emanuel keeping the Hooks in the game as their offense tried to search for answers.
- The entire Fresno offense.
Sunday, April 12, 2015
Astros Minor League Recaps
Results for Saturday, April 11, 2015
Las Vegas 7, Fresno 2
W- Darin Gorski (1-0)
L- Alex White (0-1)
Fresno home runs: None.
The Grizzlies suffered their first setback of the season as their bats were largely held in check. They had just 3 hits, all of which were doubles, and their 2 runs came in the bottom of the 4th, as Preston Tucker scored on an error that allowed Jon Singleton to reach; Singleton would later score on an RBI double from L.J. Hoes. In case you were wondering, Tucker and Singleton had the other 2 doubles.
Alex White was roughed up in his 3.1 innings as he allowed 4 runs on 6 hits (solo and 2-run homers), walked 3, and struck out 2. Richard Rodriguez was the first man out of the bullpen; he inherited a bases-loaded situation in the 4th, but he tightroped out of the inning without further incident. Rodriguez allowed a 2-run homer to Alex Castellanos in the 5th, which ended up being the only 2 runs he allowed in 2.2 innings. He allowed one other hit and fanned 2. Jordan Jankowski worked around a walk and a hit to toss a scoreless 7th, striking out 2. Josh Fields walked Kyle Johnson to lead off the 8th, and he came around to score on a groundout. James Hoyt issued a 1-out walk in a scoreless 9th.
Fresno and Vegas will wrap up this opening series at 2:05 Pacific. Luis Cruz will face Tyler Pill.
Corpus Christi 9, Springfield 2
W- Chris Devenski (1-0)
L- Thomas Lee (0-1)
CC home runs: Telvin Nash (1, 3-run in 5th)
The Hooks opened up the season with a bang as they swept the Cardinals, outscoring them 26-8 over the 3-game set. They only scored in 2 innings in this game, but they scored plenty, I'll tell you that.
Conrad Gregor got the party started in the 2nd with an RBI double. Jio Mier followed with an RBI single, and after Tony Kemp singled to load the bases, Carlos Correa clubbed a 2-run ground-rule double. One batter later, Colin Moran added a 2-run single. Telvin Nash, whose leadoff double was the catalyst for that 6-run 2nd, smacked a 3-run homer in the 5th, his 1st of the year. Correa originally went 3-5, but his single to lead off the 5th inning was changed to an error. He, Moran, and Nash had 2-hit nights.
Josh Hader was tagged for a 2-run homer by Jacob Wilson in the 3rd inning, which turned out to be the only Springfield runs. Hader allowed one other hit, walked 4, and struck out 3 in 3 innings. Jandel Gustave, fresh from his spring foray in Arizona with the Royals and the Padres, threw 2 scoreless, allowing a hit and striking out 1. He faced a bases-loaded situation in the 4th but escaped unscathed. Chris Devenski took the Hooks home with 4 scoreless, allowing 4 hits and striking out 3.
The 2nd leg of Corpus Christi's season-opening roadtrip takes them to Tulsa, now an affiliate of the Dodgers. In the opener, Lance McCullers will take on Jeremy Kehrt. First pitch is at 2:05.
San Jose 8, Lancaster 3
W- Christian Jones (1-0)
L- Evan Grills (0-1)
Lancaster home runs: None.
The JetHawks were pounded as the Giants got the upper hand in the series. They got a 10-hit night, but struck out 15 times and had just 3 runs to show for it. Lancaster had runners on 2nd and 3rd in the bottom of the 9th as they threatened to cut into the deficit, but James Ramsay struck out to end the game.
All 3 JetHawks runs came off of RBI doubles. Ronnie Mitchell got the Hawks on the board with one in the 4th. James Ramsay smacked one of his own in the 5th, and J.D. Davis ripped one in the 8th. Ramsay was a home run shy of the cycle, and he was on the verge of completing it in order. He singled with 1 out in the 1st, hit that RBI double in the 5th, and tripled and scored in the 8th on Davis' double. J.D. Davis and Jose Fernandez both finished 2-4.
Evan Grills was knocked around in his 3.1 innings as he gave up a pair of 3-run innings; 5 of those runs were earned. He allowed 8 hits, 4 of which were doubles, and a 3-run homer to Tyler Horan in the 1st. Grills walked and struck out 1. Gonzalo Sañudo gave up 2 runs (1 earned) on 4 hits and struck out 3 in 3.2 innings. Frederick Tiburcio pitched the final 2 innings, allowing a hit and striking out 2.
The JetHawks will look for the split at 2:00 Pacific. Troy Scribner will take on D.J. Snelten.
Peoria 4, Quad Cities 1
W- Daniel Poncedeleon (1-0)
L- Dan Mengden (0-1)
S- Kyle Grana (1)
QC home runs: None.
The River Bandits were foiled in their bid for a season-opening sweep as their offense was held. The lone Quad Cities run was scored in the 3rd by Sean McMullen, who scored on two passed balls. He led off the inning with a single, was sacrificed over to 2nd, and then the passed balls happened. Bobby Boyd went 2-4 at the top of the order.
Dan Mengden allowed 2 runs on 5 hits and struck out 8 over 4 innings of work. Keegan Yuhl tagged in for 3 innings, allowing 2 runs (1 earned) on 3 hits. Albert Minnis tossed a 1-2-3 8th inning.
The Banditos are ready for their first home series of the year. They will be welcoming the Clinton LumberKings, who will be making the first of many 40-mile journeys south to Davenport. In game 1, Austin Chrismon will take on Pat Peterson, the identical twin brother of Eric Peterson. First pitch is at 1:15.
Three Stars: Position Players
3.
Three Stars: Pitchers
3.
Honorable Mentions
- Nice to see J.D. Davis with a 2-hit outing. Let's see if that gets his bat going. Ditto for Colin Moran.
Las Vegas 7, Fresno 2
W- Darin Gorski (1-0)
L- Alex White (0-1)
Fresno home runs: None.
The Grizzlies suffered their first setback of the season as their bats were largely held in check. They had just 3 hits, all of which were doubles, and their 2 runs came in the bottom of the 4th, as Preston Tucker scored on an error that allowed Jon Singleton to reach; Singleton would later score on an RBI double from L.J. Hoes. In case you were wondering, Tucker and Singleton had the other 2 doubles.
Alex White was roughed up in his 3.1 innings as he allowed 4 runs on 6 hits (solo and 2-run homers), walked 3, and struck out 2. Richard Rodriguez was the first man out of the bullpen; he inherited a bases-loaded situation in the 4th, but he tightroped out of the inning without further incident. Rodriguez allowed a 2-run homer to Alex Castellanos in the 5th, which ended up being the only 2 runs he allowed in 2.2 innings. He allowed one other hit and fanned 2. Jordan Jankowski worked around a walk and a hit to toss a scoreless 7th, striking out 2. Josh Fields walked Kyle Johnson to lead off the 8th, and he came around to score on a groundout. James Hoyt issued a 1-out walk in a scoreless 9th.
Fresno and Vegas will wrap up this opening series at 2:05 Pacific. Luis Cruz will face Tyler Pill.
Corpus Christi 9, Springfield 2
W- Chris Devenski (1-0)
L- Thomas Lee (0-1)
CC home runs: Telvin Nash (1, 3-run in 5th)
The Hooks opened up the season with a bang as they swept the Cardinals, outscoring them 26-8 over the 3-game set. They only scored in 2 innings in this game, but they scored plenty, I'll tell you that.
Conrad Gregor got the party started in the 2nd with an RBI double. Jio Mier followed with an RBI single, and after Tony Kemp singled to load the bases, Carlos Correa clubbed a 2-run ground-rule double. One batter later, Colin Moran added a 2-run single. Telvin Nash, whose leadoff double was the catalyst for that 6-run 2nd, smacked a 3-run homer in the 5th, his 1st of the year. Correa originally went 3-5, but his single to lead off the 5th inning was changed to an error. He, Moran, and Nash had 2-hit nights.
Josh Hader was tagged for a 2-run homer by Jacob Wilson in the 3rd inning, which turned out to be the only Springfield runs. Hader allowed one other hit, walked 4, and struck out 3 in 3 innings. Jandel Gustave, fresh from his spring foray in Arizona with the Royals and the Padres, threw 2 scoreless, allowing a hit and striking out 1. He faced a bases-loaded situation in the 4th but escaped unscathed. Chris Devenski took the Hooks home with 4 scoreless, allowing 4 hits and striking out 3.
The 2nd leg of Corpus Christi's season-opening roadtrip takes them to Tulsa, now an affiliate of the Dodgers. In the opener, Lance McCullers will take on Jeremy Kehrt. First pitch is at 2:05.
San Jose 8, Lancaster 3
W- Christian Jones (1-0)
L- Evan Grills (0-1)
Lancaster home runs: None.
The JetHawks were pounded as the Giants got the upper hand in the series. They got a 10-hit night, but struck out 15 times and had just 3 runs to show for it. Lancaster had runners on 2nd and 3rd in the bottom of the 9th as they threatened to cut into the deficit, but James Ramsay struck out to end the game.
All 3 JetHawks runs came off of RBI doubles. Ronnie Mitchell got the Hawks on the board with one in the 4th. James Ramsay smacked one of his own in the 5th, and J.D. Davis ripped one in the 8th. Ramsay was a home run shy of the cycle, and he was on the verge of completing it in order. He singled with 1 out in the 1st, hit that RBI double in the 5th, and tripled and scored in the 8th on Davis' double. J.D. Davis and Jose Fernandez both finished 2-4.
Evan Grills was knocked around in his 3.1 innings as he gave up a pair of 3-run innings; 5 of those runs were earned. He allowed 8 hits, 4 of which were doubles, and a 3-run homer to Tyler Horan in the 1st. Grills walked and struck out 1. Gonzalo Sañudo gave up 2 runs (1 earned) on 4 hits and struck out 3 in 3.2 innings. Frederick Tiburcio pitched the final 2 innings, allowing a hit and striking out 2.
The JetHawks will look for the split at 2:00 Pacific. Troy Scribner will take on D.J. Snelten.
Peoria 4, Quad Cities 1
W- Daniel Poncedeleon (1-0)
L- Dan Mengden (0-1)
S- Kyle Grana (1)
QC home runs: None.
The River Bandits were foiled in their bid for a season-opening sweep as their offense was held. The lone Quad Cities run was scored in the 3rd by Sean McMullen, who scored on two passed balls. He led off the inning with a single, was sacrificed over to 2nd, and then the passed balls happened. Bobby Boyd went 2-4 at the top of the order.
Dan Mengden allowed 2 runs on 5 hits and struck out 8 over 4 innings of work. Keegan Yuhl tagged in for 3 innings, allowing 2 runs (1 earned) on 3 hits. Albert Minnis tossed a 1-2-3 8th inning.
The Banditos are ready for their first home series of the year. They will be welcoming the Clinton LumberKings, who will be making the first of many 40-mile journeys south to Davenport. In game 1, Austin Chrismon will take on Pat Peterson, the identical twin brother of Eric Peterson. First pitch is at 1:15.
Three Stars: Position Players
3.
Carlos Correa, SS, Corpus Christi
2-5, 2 2B, 2 RBI, 2 R
2.
James Ramsay, OF, Lancaster
3-5 (finished a home run shy of the cycle), RBI, R
1.
Telvin Nash, 1B/DH, Corpus Christi
2-5, 2B, 3-R HR (1), 2 R
Three Stars: Pitchers
3.
Jandel Gustave, RHP, Corpus Christi
2 IP, H, BB
2.
Frederick Tiburcio, RHP, Lancaster
2 IP, H, 2 K
1.
Chris Devenski, RHP, Corpus Christi
W (1-0), 4 IP, 4 H, 3 K
Honorable Mentions
- Nice to see J.D. Davis with a 2-hit outing. Let's see if that gets his bat going. Ditto for Colin Moran.
Monday, September 22, 2014
Happy Birthday - 9/22
Happy Birthday ~
LHP Alejandro Solarte (20)
Solarte came to the Astros system in a trade with the Blue Jays organization for Adron Chambers earlier this year. The young Venezuelan lefty is in his third professional season. In 17 bullpen appearances with the Gulf Coast League Astros this season, Solarte was 2-1 with one save, a 4.88 ERA and a 1.792 WHIP.
SS Carlos Correa (20)
The number one overall pick from the 2012 draft was doing swimmingly at High A Lancaster and was likely headed for a promotion to Corpus Christi shortly when he suffered a broken fibula on June 21st which required surgery and which, obviously, derailed the remainder of his season. In 62 games with the JetHawks, he hit .325/.416/.510 with 16 doubles, six triples, six home runs, 57 RBI, 20 stolen bases (four caught stealing), and 36 walks to 45 strikeouts.
OF Jordan Scott (23)
Drafted in the 14th round in 2010 out of Riverside High School in South Carolina, Scott was having a successful season with Lancaster when he suffered a thumb injury that ended up requiring surgery. Before he was shut down for the season, he hit .297/.355/.439 with 13 doubles, seven triples and one home run in 58 games at Lancaster.
RHP Luis Ordosgoitti (22)
Signed as a non-drafted free agent out of Venezuela in 2009, Ordosgoitti spent the 2014 season with Tri-City. In 14 games (nine starts), he had a 4.53 ERA and a 1.324 WHIP. He walked 19 while striking out 53 in 59.2 innings pitched.
Outfield/Baserunning Coach Vince Coleman (53)
Coleman, the former All-Star outfielder for the Cardinals and perennial league stolen base leader, just finished his second season with the Astros organization working with players on their outfield and baserunning skills.
Three former Astros celebrate the day as well ~
RHP Larry Dierker (68)
Dierker signed with the Colt .45's prior to the 1964 season and made his major league debut on his 18th birthday that same year. Dierker pitched in 345 games for the Colt .45's and Astros from 1964 to 1976 with a 137-117 record, a 3.28 ERA and a 1.214 WHIP. He was a two-time All-Star for Houston. He also managed the Astros from 1997 to 2001, compiling a 435-348 record and being named the National League Manager of the Year in 1998.
LF Jeffrey Leonard (59)
Leonard came to Houston in a September 1978 trade with Los Angeles and played in 237 games for the Astros until his trade to the Giants in April 1981. During that time, he hit .265/.329/.349. He came in second in Rookie of the Year voting to Rick Sutcliffe and made the All-Star team for both the Giants and the Mariners. Probably the most awesome thing about Leonard is that he has three nicknames listed on Baseball-Reference: HacMan, One Flap Down and Penitentiary Face.
RF Charlton Jimerson (35)
A fifth round draft pick by Houston in 2001, Jimerson played in 18 games for Houston in 2005 and 2006 hitting .333/.333/.833 in six plate appearances.
LHP Alejandro Solarte (20)
Solarte came to the Astros system in a trade with the Blue Jays organization for Adron Chambers earlier this year. The young Venezuelan lefty is in his third professional season. In 17 bullpen appearances with the Gulf Coast League Astros this season, Solarte was 2-1 with one save, a 4.88 ERA and a 1.792 WHIP.
SS Carlos Correa (20)
The number one overall pick from the 2012 draft was doing swimmingly at High A Lancaster and was likely headed for a promotion to Corpus Christi shortly when he suffered a broken fibula on June 21st which required surgery and which, obviously, derailed the remainder of his season. In 62 games with the JetHawks, he hit .325/.416/.510 with 16 doubles, six triples, six home runs, 57 RBI, 20 stolen bases (four caught stealing), and 36 walks to 45 strikeouts.
OF Jordan Scott (23)
Drafted in the 14th round in 2010 out of Riverside High School in South Carolina, Scott was having a successful season with Lancaster when he suffered a thumb injury that ended up requiring surgery. Before he was shut down for the season, he hit .297/.355/.439 with 13 doubles, seven triples and one home run in 58 games at Lancaster.
RHP Luis Ordosgoitti (22)
Signed as a non-drafted free agent out of Venezuela in 2009, Ordosgoitti spent the 2014 season with Tri-City. In 14 games (nine starts), he had a 4.53 ERA and a 1.324 WHIP. He walked 19 while striking out 53 in 59.2 innings pitched.
Outfield/Baserunning Coach Vince Coleman (53)
Coleman, the former All-Star outfielder for the Cardinals and perennial league stolen base leader, just finished his second season with the Astros organization working with players on their outfield and baserunning skills.
Three former Astros celebrate the day as well ~
RHP Larry Dierker (68)
Dierker signed with the Colt .45's prior to the 1964 season and made his major league debut on his 18th birthday that same year. Dierker pitched in 345 games for the Colt .45's and Astros from 1964 to 1976 with a 137-117 record, a 3.28 ERA and a 1.214 WHIP. He was a two-time All-Star for Houston. He also managed the Astros from 1997 to 2001, compiling a 435-348 record and being named the National League Manager of the Year in 1998.
LF Jeffrey Leonard (59)
Leonard came to Houston in a September 1978 trade with Los Angeles and played in 237 games for the Astros until his trade to the Giants in April 1981. During that time, he hit .265/.329/.349. He came in second in Rookie of the Year voting to Rick Sutcliffe and made the All-Star team for both the Giants and the Mariners. Probably the most awesome thing about Leonard is that he has three nicknames listed on Baseball-Reference: HacMan, One Flap Down and Penitentiary Face.
RF Charlton Jimerson (35)
A fifth round draft pick by Houston in 2001, Jimerson played in 18 games for Houston in 2005 and 2006 hitting .333/.333/.833 in six plate appearances.
Sunday, June 22, 2014
Carlos Correa Injury Update
In the interests of time (of which I never seem to have enough these days), please refer to this piece from The Crawfish Boxes regarding the latest on Carlos Correa's injury. In a nutshell though, Correa injured his ankle sliding into third base and will be placed on the DL. He is being sent to Houston for further evaluation to determine the extent of the injury, but GM Jeff Luhnow expects Correa to miss significant time and has already indicated that he will likely play in the Arizona Fall League this season in order to continue his development.
Carlos Correa and Why I Sometimes Hate Twitter
I enjoy Twitter. I have made many new friends on Twitter through the three or so years that I have been there. But one thing I cannot abide is seeing unconfirmed, sensationalized information thrown out there by supposed professionals in the interest of getting ReTweets and Follows. And that is precisely what happened late last night in regards to the injury of Carlos Correa.
Here are the FACTS as we know them right now. Correa was injured on a slide into third base in last night's Lancaster game. The injury APPEARED to be his ankle or lower leg. Correa appeared to be in a good deal of pain and was carried off the field, indicating that he was unable to put weight on the leg. I have not seen any official announcements that tell us anything more than that. I will wait until then to post anything further about the severity of the injury.
The other thing I hate about Twitter is watching grown men make total fools of themselves. People who say that women are overly emotional and irrational have never seen male sports fans carry on over something over which they have no control and which ultimately will not affect their day-to-day lives, relationships and health. Without even knowing the extent of the injury to Correa, some of these "men" seem prepared to commit ritual harakiri. Man up, guys.
I sincerely hope that Correa's injury isn't serious, but I will keep in mind that he is only 19 years old, he has the drive and desire and work ethic to overcome virtually any obstacle in his way, and he will likely be just fine even if his recovery may take time. And I think most Astros fans will overcome this horrible ordeal as well (yes, I'm being extremely sarcastic).
As for the "me first, BREAKING NEWS, yellow journalism" aspect of Twitter, I will just say be careful whose information you trust.
I will try to post an update on Correa when OFFICIAL information is released, but I am going to be tied up with real life things this morning as I will be spending some time with my brother.
Here are the FACTS as we know them right now. Correa was injured on a slide into third base in last night's Lancaster game. The injury APPEARED to be his ankle or lower leg. Correa appeared to be in a good deal of pain and was carried off the field, indicating that he was unable to put weight on the leg. I have not seen any official announcements that tell us anything more than that. I will wait until then to post anything further about the severity of the injury.
The other thing I hate about Twitter is watching grown men make total fools of themselves. People who say that women are overly emotional and irrational have never seen male sports fans carry on over something over which they have no control and which ultimately will not affect their day-to-day lives, relationships and health. Without even knowing the extent of the injury to Correa, some of these "men" seem prepared to commit ritual harakiri. Man up, guys.
I sincerely hope that Correa's injury isn't serious, but I will keep in mind that he is only 19 years old, he has the drive and desire and work ethic to overcome virtually any obstacle in his way, and he will likely be just fine even if his recovery may take time. And I think most Astros fans will overcome this horrible ordeal as well (yes, I'm being extremely sarcastic).
As for the "me first, BREAKING NEWS, yellow journalism" aspect of Twitter, I will just say be careful whose information you trust.
I will try to post an update on Correa when OFFICIAL information is released, but I am going to be tied up with real life things this morning as I will be spending some time with my brother.
Friday, June 6, 2014
Getting to Know Astros SS Carlos Correa
Before I spoke with Carlos Correa on my recent trip to Lancaster, I first talked to Lancaster Hitting Coach Darryl Robinson (aka D-Rob) about him. I laughingly asked D-Rob, "What can you tell me about Correa that hasn't already been said?" His response, "You know what I say about Correa? Wow! He's 19 years old. That's something that I have to keep reminding myself."
As did I. I had talked to Correa two years ago shortly after he was first drafted and he was impressive then. Now he is even more so. Watching this man-child go about his business is jaw-dropping when you remind yourself that he's only 19 years old. He is all business on the field, even in early work and during batting practice. When I asked Manager Rodney Linares if Correa ever let his hair down, the response was a quick "no." The one time I saw him crack a smile during all the pre-game work was when he rolled up his sleeves and joked about needing to even out his tan.
The reason Correa is so serious and focused? According to Linares, it's because "He wants to be the best player that ever put on a uniform." And Linares asserts that Correa has the chance to be a superstar, "Not only because of his physical tools but the way he plays the game, the way he carries himself, the way he talks, what he shows you day in, day out and the conversations that you hear him have in the dugout. What I really like about him is his leadership. And that look, he's got the look that he wants to win. He will do whatever is in his power to win. Defensively, he's as good as I've seen. He moves well. He's got probably one of the most accurate arms, strong arms that I've seen playing short. He gets to balls that I don't think that any other human being can. He runs extremely well. He's really mature for his age, not only as a man but as a baseball player. He knows how to play the game. He's one of those guys you've only got to tell him once. Tell him once and he'll do it."
Robinson calls Correa a sponge, "He asks the best questions. He wants to know more and more and more. He's a student of the game at 19 years old. It's unreal. The way he carries himself, the way he goes about his business, his routine daily ... it's incredible to see a 19-year old be able to do that and carry it out every day. And that's why he's as good as he is. Because he works on it. He didn't just suddenly [become] a great baseball player. It didn't work like that. He worked on his craft and here he is. And he's only going to get better."
Robinson went on to say that Correa is not satisfied with where he is offensively yet, but Correa is still doing extremely well and that when it all clicks for him, he's going to be "unreal." Robinson adds, "Offensively, he hasn't shown as much as I'm sure he has, but defensively, oh my goodness. It's unreal. Some of the plays he's made ... I've never seen that play ever made and I've been around the game for a little while. He's a pleasure to watch."
I had arranged to speak with Correa outside the clubhouse. When he came out and saw that it would be a video interview, he quickly ducked back in to grab a cap because he wanted to look more professional.
I was glad that I was able to get a smile out of Correa with my final comment, but then it was back to work for him. I'll leave you with one final quote from Manager Rodney Linares, "He told me that when he was five years old, he told his Dad he was going to be the best player ever. He is holding himself accountable for that." In the words of D-Rob, "Wow!"
Carlos Correa - May 2014
Photo by Jayne Hansen
As did I. I had talked to Correa two years ago shortly after he was first drafted and he was impressive then. Now he is even more so. Watching this man-child go about his business is jaw-dropping when you remind yourself that he's only 19 years old. He is all business on the field, even in early work and during batting practice. When I asked Manager Rodney Linares if Correa ever let his hair down, the response was a quick "no." The one time I saw him crack a smile during all the pre-game work was when he rolled up his sleeves and joked about needing to even out his tan.
Correa with Hitting Coordinator Jeff Albert - May 2014
Photo by Jayne Hansen
The reason Correa is so serious and focused? According to Linares, it's because "He wants to be the best player that ever put on a uniform." And Linares asserts that Correa has the chance to be a superstar, "Not only because of his physical tools but the way he plays the game, the way he carries himself, the way he talks, what he shows you day in, day out and the conversations that you hear him have in the dugout. What I really like about him is his leadership. And that look, he's got the look that he wants to win. He will do whatever is in his power to win. Defensively, he's as good as I've seen. He moves well. He's got probably one of the most accurate arms, strong arms that I've seen playing short. He gets to balls that I don't think that any other human being can. He runs extremely well. He's really mature for his age, not only as a man but as a baseball player. He knows how to play the game. He's one of those guys you've only got to tell him once. Tell him once and he'll do it."
Robinson calls Correa a sponge, "He asks the best questions. He wants to know more and more and more. He's a student of the game at 19 years old. It's unreal. The way he carries himself, the way he goes about his business, his routine daily ... it's incredible to see a 19-year old be able to do that and carry it out every day. And that's why he's as good as he is. Because he works on it. He didn't just suddenly [become] a great baseball player. It didn't work like that. He worked on his craft and here he is. And he's only going to get better."
Robinson went on to say that Correa is not satisfied with where he is offensively yet, but Correa is still doing extremely well and that when it all clicks for him, he's going to be "unreal." Robinson adds, "Offensively, he hasn't shown as much as I'm sure he has, but defensively, oh my goodness. It's unreal. Some of the plays he's made ... I've never seen that play ever made and I've been around the game for a little while. He's a pleasure to watch."
I had arranged to speak with Correa outside the clubhouse. When he came out and saw that it would be a video interview, he quickly ducked back in to grab a cap because he wanted to look more professional.
I was glad that I was able to get a smile out of Correa with my final comment, but then it was back to work for him. I'll leave you with one final quote from Manager Rodney Linares, "He told me that when he was five years old, he told his Dad he was going to be the best player ever. He is holding himself accountable for that." In the words of D-Rob, "Wow!"
Wednesday, June 4, 2014
Tweets of the Day
The JetHawks have some Really Good Players.
.@tonykemp6 with the hops! Might be 5’6 but he just played a ball like he was 6’5. Leaping, diving backhanded catch. #JetHawks
— Jason Schwartz (@jasondschwartz) June 4, 2014
Linares calls for hit and run, Correa singles to RF, speedy Hernandez scores from first. #JetHawks now lead 6-5 in B8
— Eric Smith (@Eric_L_Smith) June 4, 2014
Thursday, May 29, 2014
Astros Minor League Recaps
Results for Wednesday, May 28, 2014
Power outages in the upper levels; the A clubs experienced no such thing, though.
Omaha 2, Oklahoma City 0
W- Casey Coleman (2-0)
L- Josh Zeid (2-2)
S- Spencer Patton (9)
OKC home runs: None.
Welp, the RedHawks were held to just 3 singles. L.J. Hoes had 2 of them, and Austin Wates had the other.
Rudy Owens had an excellent outing as he allowed just 4 hits and struck out 7 over 6.2 shutout innings. The Storm Chasers got to Josh Zeid for 1 in the 8th; he allowed 2 hits and walked 1. Omaha got 1 more in the 9th off Kevin Chapman; that run was unearned. Chapman allowed a hit, walked 2, and struck out 1.
Game 3 of this series has David Martinez taking on Ryan Verdugo. First pitch is at 7:05.
Arkansas 2, Corpus Christi 0
W- Orangel Arenas (5-1)
L- Brady Rodgers (1-7)
S- Cam Bedrosian (7)
CC home runs: None.
The Hooks bats were silenced in this one; they were also held to 3 singles. Delino DeShields, Joe Sclafani, and Chris Epps had 1 each. Sclafani has a nice little 5-game hitting streak going.
Brady Rodgers just can't seem to buy a break. He dropped his 6th straight decision despite pitching solidly. Rodgers got dinged by a solo homer from Zach Zaneski in the 5th. He allowed 2 other hits, walked 1, and struck out 1. Travis Ballew went 2 innings and allowed a run on a single (the only hit he allowed), walked 2, and struck out 1. Andrew Robinson struck out 2 over 2 perfect innings.
David Rollins will get the start in the rubber game of this series; he'll face Michael Roth at 7:10.
Lancaster 6, Lake Elsinore 2
W- Kent Emanuel (2-1, 2-3 season)
L- Zach Eflin (5-3)
S- Lance McCullers (4)
Lancaster home runs: Carlos Correa (5, 3-run in 7th)
The JetHawks busted this one open with a 4-run 7th inning. 3 of those 4 came off a ball that Carlos Correa just absolutely devastated. Lancaster and Lake Elsinore are now tied at the top of the California League South.
Kent Emanuel cruised through 5 innings; he allowed a run on 3 hits and struck out 4, and his outing only required 55 pitches. Lance McCullers pitched the final 4 innings and allowed a run on 3 hits, walked 3, and struck out 6.
The top three of Tony Kemp, Ruben Sosa, and Correa just terrorized Lake Elsinore's pitchers; they had 8 of the JetHawks' 11 hits in this game. Kemp had 2, while Sosa and Correa had 3 each. 2012's #1 opened up the scoring with an RBI ground-rule double in the top of the 1st. Tony Kemp led off the 5th with a single, moved to 3rd on a Ruben Sosa single, and scored Lancaster's 2nd run on a passed ball. Before Correa's blast in the 7th, Ruben Sosa hit an RBI single; Jordan Scott noticed Hunter Renfroe lazily tossing a ball back into the infield and took advantage. One batter later, Correa crushed that poor, poor ball. In his Lancaster debut, Conrad Gregor went 2-4.
The JetHawks will look for the sweep as they send out Chris Devenski. He'll take on Colin Rea at 7:05 Pacific.
Quad Cities 9, Beloit 5
W- Pat Christensen (3-1)
L- Bobby Wahl (0-4)
QC home runs: Chase McDonald (2, 2-run in 5th), Ronnie Mitchell (5, solo in 7th)
Quad Cities got this series started off on the right foot as they went on a 6-3 run between the 4th-7th innings to take control. Their final 5 runs were unanswered.
The Bandits more than lived up to their name, as they swiped 8 bases without getting caught. 4 of those belonged to Chan-Jong Moon, who now has 23 on the season. Also joining in on Moon's spree were Brett Booth (1), Ronnie Mitchell (3), Jon Kemmer (2), and Thomas Lindauer (2).
Moon, who went 3-5 with a run scored, put QC on the board with an RBI single in the bottom of the 1st. The River Bandits would score 3 in the inning to answer Beloit's 2 in the top of the inning. Moon scored on Brett Phillips' single, and Phillips came home on a sac fly from Chase McDonald. Lindauer hit an RBI double in the 4th. After the Snappers scored 3 in the top of the 5th to take a 5-4 lead, the Bandits responded with 3 of their own to retake the lead. 2 of those 3 came on a 2-run homer from Chase McDonald (2), and the other was a sac fly from Mitchell. Phillips, who went 2-4 with a couple of runs scored, hit a sac fly in the 6th, and Mitchell capped off a 3-3 night by hitting a solo shot (5) in the 7th.
Chris Lee pitched 4.2 innings and allowed 5 runs (all on a pair of home runs by Jaycob Brugman) on 7 hits (Brugman hit a 2-run shot and a 3-run shot off him), walked 2, and struck out 6. Pat Christensen and Andrew Walter combined for 4.1 scoreless out of the bullpen to pick him up. Christensen threw 2.1 innings and gave up a hit, walked 3, and struck out 2. Walter went 2 innings and allowed a hit, walked 1, and struck out 2.
Michael Feliz will get the start in the middle game of this series; he'll face Junior Mendez at 7:00.
Three Stars: Position Players
3.
3-5, RBI, 4 SB (23)
2.
Ronnie Mitchell, LF, Quad Cities
3-3, solo HR (5), 2 RBI, 2 R, SB (3)
1.
Three Stars: Pitchers
3.
Brady Rodgers, RHP, Corpus Christi
L (1-7), 5 IP, 3 H (solo HR), ER, BB, K
Kent Emanuel, LHP, Lancaster
W (2-1), 5 IP, 3 H, ER, 4 K
Lance McCullers, RHP, Lancaster
Save (4), 4 IP, 3 H, ER, 3 BB, 6 K
2. Excellent relief outings.
Andrew Robinson, RHP, Corpus Christi
2 IP, 2 K
Andrew Walter, RHP, Quad Cities
2 IP, H, BB, 2 K
Pat Christensen, RHP, Quad Cities
2.1 IP, H, 3 BB, 2 K
1.
Power outages in the upper levels; the A clubs experienced no such thing, though.
Omaha 2, Oklahoma City 0
W- Casey Coleman (2-0)
L- Josh Zeid (2-2)
S- Spencer Patton (9)
OKC home runs: None.
Welp, the RedHawks were held to just 3 singles. L.J. Hoes had 2 of them, and Austin Wates had the other.
Rudy Owens had an excellent outing as he allowed just 4 hits and struck out 7 over 6.2 shutout innings. The Storm Chasers got to Josh Zeid for 1 in the 8th; he allowed 2 hits and walked 1. Omaha got 1 more in the 9th off Kevin Chapman; that run was unearned. Chapman allowed a hit, walked 2, and struck out 1.
Game 3 of this series has David Martinez taking on Ryan Verdugo. First pitch is at 7:05.
Arkansas 2, Corpus Christi 0
W- Orangel Arenas (5-1)
L- Brady Rodgers (1-7)
S- Cam Bedrosian (7)
CC home runs: None.
The Hooks bats were silenced in this one; they were also held to 3 singles. Delino DeShields, Joe Sclafani, and Chris Epps had 1 each. Sclafani has a nice little 5-game hitting streak going.
Brady Rodgers just can't seem to buy a break. He dropped his 6th straight decision despite pitching solidly. Rodgers got dinged by a solo homer from Zach Zaneski in the 5th. He allowed 2 other hits, walked 1, and struck out 1. Travis Ballew went 2 innings and allowed a run on a single (the only hit he allowed), walked 2, and struck out 1. Andrew Robinson struck out 2 over 2 perfect innings.
David Rollins will get the start in the rubber game of this series; he'll face Michael Roth at 7:10.
Lancaster 6, Lake Elsinore 2
W- Kent Emanuel (2-1, 2-3 season)
L- Zach Eflin (5-3)
S- Lance McCullers (4)
Lancaster home runs: Carlos Correa (5, 3-run in 7th)
The JetHawks busted this one open with a 4-run 7th inning. 3 of those 4 came off a ball that Carlos Correa just absolutely devastated. Lancaster and Lake Elsinore are now tied at the top of the California League South.
Kent Emanuel cruised through 5 innings; he allowed a run on 3 hits and struck out 4, and his outing only required 55 pitches. Lance McCullers pitched the final 4 innings and allowed a run on 3 hits, walked 3, and struck out 6.
The top three of Tony Kemp, Ruben Sosa, and Correa just terrorized Lake Elsinore's pitchers; they had 8 of the JetHawks' 11 hits in this game. Kemp had 2, while Sosa and Correa had 3 each. 2012's #1 opened up the scoring with an RBI ground-rule double in the top of the 1st. Tony Kemp led off the 5th with a single, moved to 3rd on a Ruben Sosa single, and scored Lancaster's 2nd run on a passed ball. Before Correa's blast in the 7th, Ruben Sosa hit an RBI single; Jordan Scott noticed Hunter Renfroe lazily tossing a ball back into the infield and took advantage. One batter later, Correa crushed that poor, poor ball. In his Lancaster debut, Conrad Gregor went 2-4.
The JetHawks will look for the sweep as they send out Chris Devenski. He'll take on Colin Rea at 7:05 Pacific.
Quad Cities 9, Beloit 5
W- Pat Christensen (3-1)
L- Bobby Wahl (0-4)
QC home runs: Chase McDonald (2, 2-run in 5th), Ronnie Mitchell (5, solo in 7th)
Quad Cities got this series started off on the right foot as they went on a 6-3 run between the 4th-7th innings to take control. Their final 5 runs were unanswered.
The Bandits more than lived up to their name, as they swiped 8 bases without getting caught. 4 of those belonged to Chan-Jong Moon, who now has 23 on the season. Also joining in on Moon's spree were Brett Booth (1), Ronnie Mitchell (3), Jon Kemmer (2), and Thomas Lindauer (2).
Moon, who went 3-5 with a run scored, put QC on the board with an RBI single in the bottom of the 1st. The River Bandits would score 3 in the inning to answer Beloit's 2 in the top of the inning. Moon scored on Brett Phillips' single, and Phillips came home on a sac fly from Chase McDonald. Lindauer hit an RBI double in the 4th. After the Snappers scored 3 in the top of the 5th to take a 5-4 lead, the Bandits responded with 3 of their own to retake the lead. 2 of those 3 came on a 2-run homer from Chase McDonald (2), and the other was a sac fly from Mitchell. Phillips, who went 2-4 with a couple of runs scored, hit a sac fly in the 6th, and Mitchell capped off a 3-3 night by hitting a solo shot (5) in the 7th.
Chris Lee pitched 4.2 innings and allowed 5 runs (all on a pair of home runs by Jaycob Brugman) on 7 hits (Brugman hit a 2-run shot and a 3-run shot off him), walked 2, and struck out 6. Pat Christensen and Andrew Walter combined for 4.1 scoreless out of the bullpen to pick him up. Christensen threw 2.1 innings and gave up a hit, walked 3, and struck out 2. Walter went 2 innings and allowed a hit, walked 1, and struck out 2.
Michael Feliz will get the start in the middle game of this series; he'll face Junior Mendez at 7:00.
Three Stars: Position Players
3.
@cjmoon91 likes to help out at the ball park pic.twitter.com/me3JOsMSbC
— RGuill (@QCBanditPhotog) May 11, 2014
Chan-Jong Moon, SS/2B, Quad Cities3-5, RBI, 4 SB (23)
2.
Ronnie Mitchell, LF, Quad Cities
3-3, solo HR (5), 2 RBI, 2 R, SB (3)
1.
Three Stars: Pitchers
3.
Brady Rodgers, RHP, Corpus Christi
L (1-7), 5 IP, 3 H (solo HR), ER, BB, K
Kent Emanuel, LHP, Lancaster
W (2-1), 5 IP, 3 H, ER, 4 K
Lance McCullers, RHP, Lancaster
Save (4), 4 IP, 3 H, ER, 3 BB, 6 K
2. Excellent relief outings.
Andrew Robinson, RHP, Corpus Christi
2 IP, 2 K
Andrew Walter, RHP, Quad Cities
2 IP, H, BB, 2 K
Pat Christensen, RHP, Quad Cities
2.1 IP, H, 3 BB, 2 K
1.
Monday, May 26, 2014
Astros Minor League Recaps
Results for Sunday, May 25, 2014
Let's play 2 in Burlington, because a game needed to be finished.
Memphis 3, Oklahoma City 2
W- Scott McGregor (1-5)
L- Jake Buchanan (4-4)
S- David Aardsma (7)
OKC home runs: Kiké Hernandez (2, 3 season; solo in 4th)
The RedHawks made it a 1-run game, but they just couldn't get over the hump.
Jake Buchanan had a bare minimum quality start (6 IP, 3 ER or less); he allowed 8 hits and walked 2. Bobby Doran struck out 2 over 2 perfect innings.
Kiké Hernandez put the RedHawks on the board as he hit a solo homer in the 4th. That blast extended his hitting streak to 11 games. Max Stassi reached on an error in the 7th and scored when Andy Simunic grounded into a force out.
In the final game of this long, long roadtrip for OKC, Paul Clemens will take on Kurt Heyer. First pitch is at 1:05.
Northwest Arkansas 7, Corpus Christi 4
W- J.C. Sulbaran (2-3)
L- Luis Cruz (4-5)
S- Malcom Culver (4)
CC home runs: Matt Duffy (5, 2-run in 6th)
The Naturals raced out to a 6-0 lead after the 4th as they got even in the series.
Luis Cruz went 5 innings and allowed 6 runs on 9 hits (2 solos and a 2-run homer) and struck out 4. Alex Sogard was the first man out of the Hooks bullpen; he went 2 innings and allowed an unearned run on a sac fly, walked 1, and struck out 1. Jorge De Leon struck out 1 in a 1-2-3 8th.
The Hooks got on the board in the 6th thanks to a 2-run shot from Matt Duffy (5) and an RBI single from Jio Mier. The two of them had 2 hits apiece, as did Tyler Heineman and Joe Sclafani. Mier brought Duffy home with a bases-loaded walk in the 8th. Delino DeShields was 1-5 with a steal (17).
In the series finale, Jordan Jankowski will face Sam Selman at 1:05.
Lancaster 12, Inland Empire 5
W- Zach Morton (1-0, 3-1 season)
L- Mark Sappington (0-1, 1-5 season)
Lancaster home runs: Carlos Correa (4, 2-run in 8th)
The JetHawks scored in their final 5 innings as they took 2 of 3 in the series. They went on an 11-1 run from the 4th to the 8th, which proved to be the decisive stretch. Everyone in the lineup had a hit except for Teoscar Hernandez, who still walked twice, stole a base (15), and scored a run despite suffering through a hat trick at the plate.
They had the bases loaded with no one out in the 1st, but could only muster up a run that scored on a double play. A pair of walks reloaded the bases, but Danry Vásquez flew out to end the inning.
Vásquez, who finished 2-5, redeemed himself with an RBI double in the 4th that gave Lancaster a 2-1 lead. After the 66ers tied the game at 2 in the 5th, the Carloses (?) gave the JetHawks the lead with a couple of RBI singles in the bottom of the inning. After Roberto Peña walked to begin the 6th, he scored on a Jordan Scott triple. Scott came home on a Tony Kemp single. Peña got in on the fun with a 2-run single after stretch time. Correa went deep (4) in the 8th, and Vásquez finished it off with a 2-run single. Correa and Kemp had 3 hits each, while Scott joined Vásquez in the 2-hit club. Perdomo (6) and Scott (3) also recorded steals.
Zach Morton got his first win as a JetHawk as he allowed 2 runs on 6 hits (solo homer) and struck out 1 over 5 innings of work. Brian Holmes pitched 3 innings and allowed 3 runs (all in the 9th, 1 inherited runner charged to him) on 4 hits (2-run homer), walked 2, and struck out 2. Mitch Lambson worked around 2 hits to finish the game, striking out 1.
Gonzalo Sañudo gets the start in the series finale; he'll face TBA at 5:00 Pacific.
From May 21: Burlington 12, Quad Cities 4
W- Trevor Foss (1-1)
L- Edison Frias (1-2)
QC home runs: Ronnie Mitchell (2, solo in 3rd)
Note: That was Mitchell's 2nd home run at the time.
Unfortunately, the wheels fell off in the 9th as the Bees stung Edison Frias for a pair of 3-run homers as part of an 8-run 9th. Frias, who came on after play was resumed, got through 2 innings without incident, but he unraveled in the 9th. He got 1 out in the 9th, but gave up 8 runs on 8 hits (2 3-run homers, an RBI single, and an RBI double) and walked 1. Chris Cotton cleaned up the mess as he retired both Bees hitters he faced, striking out 1.
There wasn't much change in the River Bandits' side of the ledger; Brian Holberton ultimately finished 3-4.
Regularly Scheduled Game: Burlington 3, Quad Cities 2
W- Harrison Cooney (3-3)
L- Frederick Tiburcio (0-1)
S- Ben Carlson (3)
QC home runs: Jack Mayfield (2, solo in 2nd)
The River Bandits shot themselves in the foot in the 7th as they had an error, a couple of wild pitches, while Burlington scored 2 to take the lead.
The Bandits had 3 hits in this one; one was a solo shot from Jack Mayfield (2) that opened the scoring in the 2nd. The other 2 hits came in the form of a Thomas Lindauer single and a James Ramsay double in the 3rd. Both came with 1 out; but all they mustered up in that situation was a Chan-Jong Moon sac fly.
Evan Grills pitched 6 innings and allowed a run (on a solo homer from Eric Aguilera) on 6 hits, walked 1, and struck out 2. Frederick Tiburcio was tagged with both runs in the 7th; both were unearned. He pitched 2 innings and also allowed a hit, walked 1, and struck out 5.
In the middle game of this series, Adrian Houser will take on Ryan Etsell at 2:00.
Three Stars: Position Players
2.
1.
Three Stars: Pitchers
3.
2.
1.
Let's play 2 in Burlington, because a game needed to be finished.
Memphis 3, Oklahoma City 2
W- Scott McGregor (1-5)
L- Jake Buchanan (4-4)
S- David Aardsma (7)
OKC home runs: Kiké Hernandez (2, 3 season; solo in 4th)
The RedHawks made it a 1-run game, but they just couldn't get over the hump.
Jake Buchanan had a bare minimum quality start (6 IP, 3 ER or less); he allowed 8 hits and walked 2. Bobby Doran struck out 2 over 2 perfect innings.
Kiké Hernandez put the RedHawks on the board as he hit a solo homer in the 4th. That blast extended his hitting streak to 11 games. Max Stassi reached on an error in the 7th and scored when Andy Simunic grounded into a force out.
In the final game of this long, long roadtrip for OKC, Paul Clemens will take on Kurt Heyer. First pitch is at 1:05.
Northwest Arkansas 7, Corpus Christi 4
W- J.C. Sulbaran (2-3)
L- Luis Cruz (4-5)
S- Malcom Culver (4)
CC home runs: Matt Duffy (5, 2-run in 6th)
The Naturals raced out to a 6-0 lead after the 4th as they got even in the series.
Luis Cruz went 5 innings and allowed 6 runs on 9 hits (2 solos and a 2-run homer) and struck out 4. Alex Sogard was the first man out of the Hooks bullpen; he went 2 innings and allowed an unearned run on a sac fly, walked 1, and struck out 1. Jorge De Leon struck out 1 in a 1-2-3 8th.
The Hooks got on the board in the 6th thanks to a 2-run shot from Matt Duffy (5) and an RBI single from Jio Mier. The two of them had 2 hits apiece, as did Tyler Heineman and Joe Sclafani. Mier brought Duffy home with a bases-loaded walk in the 8th. Delino DeShields was 1-5 with a steal (17).
In the series finale, Jordan Jankowski will face Sam Selman at 1:05.
Lancaster 12, Inland Empire 5
W- Zach Morton (1-0, 3-1 season)
L- Mark Sappington (0-1, 1-5 season)
Lancaster home runs: Carlos Correa (4, 2-run in 8th)
The JetHawks scored in their final 5 innings as they took 2 of 3 in the series. They went on an 11-1 run from the 4th to the 8th, which proved to be the decisive stretch. Everyone in the lineup had a hit except for Teoscar Hernandez, who still walked twice, stole a base (15), and scored a run despite suffering through a hat trick at the plate.
They had the bases loaded with no one out in the 1st, but could only muster up a run that scored on a double play. A pair of walks reloaded the bases, but Danry Vásquez flew out to end the inning.
Vásquez, who finished 2-5, redeemed himself with an RBI double in the 4th that gave Lancaster a 2-1 lead. After the 66ers tied the game at 2 in the 5th, the Carloses (?) gave the JetHawks the lead with a couple of RBI singles in the bottom of the inning. After Roberto Peña walked to begin the 6th, he scored on a Jordan Scott triple. Scott came home on a Tony Kemp single. Peña got in on the fun with a 2-run single after stretch time. Correa went deep (4) in the 8th, and Vásquez finished it off with a 2-run single. Correa and Kemp had 3 hits each, while Scott joined Vásquez in the 2-hit club. Perdomo (6) and Scott (3) also recorded steals.
Zach Morton got his first win as a JetHawk as he allowed 2 runs on 6 hits (solo homer) and struck out 1 over 5 innings of work. Brian Holmes pitched 3 innings and allowed 3 runs (all in the 9th, 1 inherited runner charged to him) on 4 hits (2-run homer), walked 2, and struck out 2. Mitch Lambson worked around 2 hits to finish the game, striking out 1.
Gonzalo Sañudo gets the start in the series finale; he'll face TBA at 5:00 Pacific.
From May 21: Burlington 12, Quad Cities 4
W- Trevor Foss (1-1)
L- Edison Frias (1-2)
QC home runs: Ronnie Mitchell (2, solo in 3rd)
Note: That was Mitchell's 2nd home run at the time.
Unfortunately, the wheels fell off in the 9th as the Bees stung Edison Frias for a pair of 3-run homers as part of an 8-run 9th. Frias, who came on after play was resumed, got through 2 innings without incident, but he unraveled in the 9th. He got 1 out in the 9th, but gave up 8 runs on 8 hits (2 3-run homers, an RBI single, and an RBI double) and walked 1. Chris Cotton cleaned up the mess as he retired both Bees hitters he faced, striking out 1.
There wasn't much change in the River Bandits' side of the ledger; Brian Holberton ultimately finished 3-4.
Regularly Scheduled Game: Burlington 3, Quad Cities 2
W- Harrison Cooney (3-3)
L- Frederick Tiburcio (0-1)
S- Ben Carlson (3)
QC home runs: Jack Mayfield (2, solo in 2nd)
The River Bandits shot themselves in the foot in the 7th as they had an error, a couple of wild pitches, while Burlington scored 2 to take the lead.
The Bandits had 3 hits in this one; one was a solo shot from Jack Mayfield (2) that opened the scoring in the 2nd. The other 2 hits came in the form of a Thomas Lindauer single and a James Ramsay double in the 3rd. Both came with 1 out; but all they mustered up in that situation was a Chan-Jong Moon sac fly.
Evan Grills pitched 6 innings and allowed a run (on a solo homer from Eric Aguilera) on 6 hits, walked 1, and struck out 2. Frederick Tiburcio was tagged with both runs in the 7th; both were unearned. He pitched 2 innings and also allowed a hit, walked 1, and struck out 5.
In the middle game of this series, Adrian Houser will take on Ryan Etsell at 2:00.
Three Stars: Position Players
2.
Matt Duffy, 3B, Corpus Christi
2-5, 2-R HR (5), 2 R
Jio Mier, SS, Corpus Christi
2-3, 2 RBI, BB
1.
Tony Kemp, 2B, Lancaster
3-5, RBI, 2 R
Carlos Correa, SS, Lancaster
3-4, 2-R HR (4), 3 RBI, 2 R
Photo courtesy of Bryan Green
Danry Vásquez, LF, Lancaster
2-5, 3 RBI
Three Stars: Pitchers
3.
Bobby Doran, RHP, Oklahoma City
2 IP, 2 K
2.
Zach Morton, RHP, Lancaster
W (1-0, 3-1 season), 5 IP, 6 H (solo HR), 2 ER, K; 9 groundouts, 2 flyouts
1.
Photo courtesy of Bryan Green
Evan Grills, LHP, Quad Cities
6 IP, 6 H (solo HR), ER, BB, 2 K
Thursday, May 22, 2014
Astros Minor League Recaps
Results for Wednesday, May 21, 2014
Oklahoma City 6, New Orleans 1
W- Paul Clemens (2-0)
L- Bryan Evans (4-3)
OKC home runs: None.
OKC Matinee Magic is real, guys. Asher Wojciechowski made his return to baseball after spending the first 7 weeks of the season on the shelf. He had been in Kissimmee, working his way back from a lat strain he suffered in February.
Wojo went 4 innings in his season debut and allowed a run on 4 hits, walked 1, and struck out 5. Despite issuing 8 walks on the afternoon, the RedHawks still managed to hold New Orleans to 1 run.
Bobby Doran tagged in for the 5th, and he worked around a single and 2 walks to throw a scoreless frame. The bases were not loaded on Doran; Jordany Valdespin, who walked to begin the inning, was caught stealing 2nd. Paul Clemens got 2 quick outs in the 6th, but all of a sudden, a double from Jake Marisnick, a "plunking" of Matt Angle (even Angle thought he wasn't hit by that pitch), and a Valdespin walk loaded the bases. Clemens was able to escape unscathed when he struck out Josh Rodriguez to end the inning. The 7th turned out to be less harrowing for Clemens; he did walk Kyle Jensen, but got an inning-ending double play. Clemens allowed a hit, walked 2, and struck out 3 in those 2 innings. Chia-Jen Lo also had to extricate himself from a bases-loaded situation in the 8th. He worked around a single, 2 walks, and a wild pitch to put up a zero on the scoreboard, and struck out Juan Diaz for the first out of the inning. Kevin Chapman walked Mark Canha to open the 9th, but nothing happened. He retired the next 3, even with Canha moving to 2nd on defensive indifference.
OKC kicked off the scoring with a pair in the 3rd. Adron Chambers laid down a bunt single and on the ensuing error, Andy Simunic scored the first run of the day. Domingo Santana added an RBI groundout later in the inning. Simunic added an RBI single in the 4th. In the 5th, Ronald Torreyes reached on an error that allowed Jon Singleton to score; Torreyes was credited with an RBI on the play. Santana scored on a wild pitch, and Jonathan Meyer brought home the final run of the day with a sac fly. Kiké Hernandez went 1-3 with 2 runs scored; he's now on an 8-game hitting streak. Meyer was the only RedHawk with a multi-hit day, going 2-3 with a double. Santana and Erik Castro drew 2 walks apiece.
The series finale features Nick Tropeano on the mound for OKC. He'll be taking on Andrew Heaney, the 9th overall pick in 2012 who will be making his AAA debut. First pitch is at 7:05.
Corpus Christi 7, Arkansas 2
W- Tommy Shirley (5-2)
L- Kramer Sneed (4-4)
CC home runs: Preston Tucker (10, solo in 9th), René Garcia (3, 2-run in 2nd)
The Hooks kicked off the series with a dominating victory; Tommy Shirley rendered the Travelers offense useless, and the Hooks offense backed him up with a big 5th inning.
Shirley, whose 1.51 ERA and 47 strikeouts both rank 2nd in the Texas League, threw 6 shutout innings and allowed a hit and struck out 5. He didn't issue a walk, but he did hit a batter. Alex Sogard was the first man out; he threw 2 innings and allowed 2 runs (1 earned) on 2 hits (solo homer), walked 1, and struck out 2. Andrew Robinson brought it home as he worked around 2 hits to throw a scoreless 9th, striking out 2.
The Hooks only scored in 3 innings, but they put up a crooked number in 2 of them. René Garcia finished 2-5 and opened the scoring with his 2-run shot (3) in the 2nd inning. They put up 4 in the 5th, which proved to be the decisive inning. Nolan Fontana ripped a 2-run double, and Preston Tucker and M.P. Cokinos chipped in with RBI singles. Tucker provided the cherry with a solo shot (10) in the 9th, his 4th blast in his last 5 games.
In game 2 of this series, Kyle Smith will face Drew Rucinski at 7:10.
Bakersfield 5, Lancaster 4 in 10 innings
W- Carlos Gonzalez (2-0)
L- Juan Minaya (0-1)
Lancaster home runs: Carlos Correa (3, solo in 1st)
The JetHawks walked off with the loss after Seth Mejias-Brean took Juan Minaya deep with 1 out in the bottom of the 10th. Lancaster had a 3-1 lead after the 3rd inning, but they were outscored 4-1 the rest of the way.
Correa's blast in the 1st was his first homer since April 16. In the 3rd, Tony Kemp drew a walk, then stole 2nd (19). He'd come home on a Teoscar Hernandez triple, and Correa brought Hernandez home with a single. Jordan Scott broke a 3-3 tie with an RBI double in the 7th. Correa and Hernandez both finished 2-5 with a run scored.
Kyle Westwood pitched 5 innings and allowed 3 runs on 7 hits, walked 3, and struck out 4. Gonzalo Sañudo allowed a run on 4 hits, walked 1, and struck out 1 over 4 innings. Juan Minaya struck out Kyle Waldrop to begin the 10th, but Mejias-Brean took him deep to win it for Bako.
In the series finale, Kent Emanuel will face Mike Dennhardt. First pitch is at 7:30 Pacific. And, that'll be the last time that the JetHawks will start at 9:30 here in Houston. The next trip to Bakersfield has 3 9:15 games with a 2:00 game sandwiched in between.
Quad Cities 4, Burlington 4 in the 7th inning
This game was suspended when Modern Woodmen Park lost power before the 7th inning. It will be completed at a later date. The next meeting between these two teams will be a 3-game series beginning on Sunday in Burlington.
What's happened so far?
The Bandits have rallied from a 4-0 deficit by scoring 4 unanswered. Ronnie Mitchell went deep (2) to begin the bottom of the 3rd, which put QC on the board, down 4-1. After Brian Holberton hit a 2-out double in the 4th, he came home on a Brett Phillips double. Phillips brought Holberton home again on a sac fly in the 6th, and later in the inning, Thomas Lindauer tied the game with an RBI single. Holberton and Lindauer are currently 2-3.
Kevin Comer made his first start of the season; he went 5 innings and allowed 4 runs on 8 hits while striking out 3. Albert Minnis pitched a 1-2-3 6th, getting 3 groundouts.
The River Bandits will begin a 3-game set with Cedar Rapids beginning tonight at 7:00. Hopefully, power in the park will be restored well before gametime. Chris Lee will face Aaron Slegers in the opener.
There will not be a Three Stars segment until this slate of games is completed.
Oklahoma City 6, New Orleans 1
W- Paul Clemens (2-0)
L- Bryan Evans (4-3)
OKC home runs: None.
OKC Matinee Magic is real, guys. Asher Wojciechowski made his return to baseball after spending the first 7 weeks of the season on the shelf. He had been in Kissimmee, working his way back from a lat strain he suffered in February.
Wojo went 4 innings in his season debut and allowed a run on 4 hits, walked 1, and struck out 5. Despite issuing 8 walks on the afternoon, the RedHawks still managed to hold New Orleans to 1 run.
Bobby Doran tagged in for the 5th, and he worked around a single and 2 walks to throw a scoreless frame. The bases were not loaded on Doran; Jordany Valdespin, who walked to begin the inning, was caught stealing 2nd. Paul Clemens got 2 quick outs in the 6th, but all of a sudden, a double from Jake Marisnick, a "plunking" of Matt Angle (even Angle thought he wasn't hit by that pitch), and a Valdespin walk loaded the bases. Clemens was able to escape unscathed when he struck out Josh Rodriguez to end the inning. The 7th turned out to be less harrowing for Clemens; he did walk Kyle Jensen, but got an inning-ending double play. Clemens allowed a hit, walked 2, and struck out 3 in those 2 innings. Chia-Jen Lo also had to extricate himself from a bases-loaded situation in the 8th. He worked around a single, 2 walks, and a wild pitch to put up a zero on the scoreboard, and struck out Juan Diaz for the first out of the inning. Kevin Chapman walked Mark Canha to open the 9th, but nothing happened. He retired the next 3, even with Canha moving to 2nd on defensive indifference.
OKC kicked off the scoring with a pair in the 3rd. Adron Chambers laid down a bunt single and on the ensuing error, Andy Simunic scored the first run of the day. Domingo Santana added an RBI groundout later in the inning. Simunic added an RBI single in the 4th. In the 5th, Ronald Torreyes reached on an error that allowed Jon Singleton to score; Torreyes was credited with an RBI on the play. Santana scored on a wild pitch, and Jonathan Meyer brought home the final run of the day with a sac fly. Kiké Hernandez went 1-3 with 2 runs scored; he's now on an 8-game hitting streak. Meyer was the only RedHawk with a multi-hit day, going 2-3 with a double. Santana and Erik Castro drew 2 walks apiece.
The series finale features Nick Tropeano on the mound for OKC. He'll be taking on Andrew Heaney, the 9th overall pick in 2012 who will be making his AAA debut. First pitch is at 7:05.
Corpus Christi 7, Arkansas 2
W- Tommy Shirley (5-2)
L- Kramer Sneed (4-4)
CC home runs: Preston Tucker (10, solo in 9th), René Garcia (3, 2-run in 2nd)
The Hooks kicked off the series with a dominating victory; Tommy Shirley rendered the Travelers offense useless, and the Hooks offense backed him up with a big 5th inning.
Shirley, whose 1.51 ERA and 47 strikeouts both rank 2nd in the Texas League, threw 6 shutout innings and allowed a hit and struck out 5. He didn't issue a walk, but he did hit a batter. Alex Sogard was the first man out; he threw 2 innings and allowed 2 runs (1 earned) on 2 hits (solo homer), walked 1, and struck out 2. Andrew Robinson brought it home as he worked around 2 hits to throw a scoreless 9th, striking out 2.
The Hooks only scored in 3 innings, but they put up a crooked number in 2 of them. René Garcia finished 2-5 and opened the scoring with his 2-run shot (3) in the 2nd inning. They put up 4 in the 5th, which proved to be the decisive inning. Nolan Fontana ripped a 2-run double, and Preston Tucker and M.P. Cokinos chipped in with RBI singles. Tucker provided the cherry with a solo shot (10) in the 9th, his 4th blast in his last 5 games.
In game 2 of this series, Kyle Smith will face Drew Rucinski at 7:10.
Bakersfield 5, Lancaster 4 in 10 innings
W- Carlos Gonzalez (2-0)
L- Juan Minaya (0-1)
Lancaster home runs: Carlos Correa (3, solo in 1st)
The JetHawks walked off with the loss after Seth Mejias-Brean took Juan Minaya deep with 1 out in the bottom of the 10th. Lancaster had a 3-1 lead after the 3rd inning, but they were outscored 4-1 the rest of the way.
Correa's blast in the 1st was his first homer since April 16. In the 3rd, Tony Kemp drew a walk, then stole 2nd (19). He'd come home on a Teoscar Hernandez triple, and Correa brought Hernandez home with a single. Jordan Scott broke a 3-3 tie with an RBI double in the 7th. Correa and Hernandez both finished 2-5 with a run scored.
Kyle Westwood pitched 5 innings and allowed 3 runs on 7 hits, walked 3, and struck out 4. Gonzalo Sañudo allowed a run on 4 hits, walked 1, and struck out 1 over 4 innings. Juan Minaya struck out Kyle Waldrop to begin the 10th, but Mejias-Brean took him deep to win it for Bako.
In the series finale, Kent Emanuel will face Mike Dennhardt. First pitch is at 7:30 Pacific. And, that'll be the last time that the JetHawks will start at 9:30 here in Houston. The next trip to Bakersfield has 3 9:15 games with a 2:00 game sandwiched in between.
Quad Cities 4, Burlington 4 in the 7th inning
This game was suspended when Modern Woodmen Park lost power before the 7th inning. It will be completed at a later date. The next meeting between these two teams will be a 3-game series beginning on Sunday in Burlington.
What's happened so far?
The Bandits have rallied from a 4-0 deficit by scoring 4 unanswered. Ronnie Mitchell went deep (2) to begin the bottom of the 3rd, which put QC on the board, down 4-1. After Brian Holberton hit a 2-out double in the 4th, he came home on a Brett Phillips double. Phillips brought Holberton home again on a sac fly in the 6th, and later in the inning, Thomas Lindauer tied the game with an RBI single. Holberton and Lindauer are currently 2-3.
Kevin Comer made his first start of the season; he went 5 innings and allowed 4 runs on 8 hits while striking out 3. Albert Minnis pitched a 1-2-3 6th, getting 3 groundouts.
The River Bandits will begin a 3-game set with Cedar Rapids beginning tonight at 7:00. Hopefully, power in the park will be restored well before gametime. Chris Lee will face Aaron Slegers in the opener.
There will not be a Three Stars segment until this slate of games is completed.
Tuesday, May 6, 2014
Astros Minor League Recaps
Results for Monday, May 5, 2014
Oklahoma City 5, Omaha 1
W- Mike Foltynewicz (3-1)
L- Ramon Troncoso (1-2)
S- Paul Clemens (1)
OKC home runs: None.
The RedHawks earned the split thanks to a couple of big 2-out hits and a combined 1-hitter from the pitching staff.
The story of the day would have to be Mike Foltynewicz. Let's just say that things got a little, uh.... testy on Twitter a couple of nights ago and leave it at that. The real story was his performance on the mound yesterday afternoon. He threw 6 innings and allowed 1 hit, a solo homer to Melky Mesa in the 3rd. The Storm Chasers only got 3 baserunners on him: Mesa's homer, and 2 walks (in the 1st and 4th). Foltynewicz struck out a career-high 12, including the final 6 batters he faced. He struck out everyone in Omaha's lineup except for Matt Fields. Paul Clemens tagged in for 3 perfect innings, striking out 1 to close it out. Together, they retired the final 16 Omaha batters, and 20 of the final 21.
Robbie Grossman led off the 3rd inning with a single. He would advance to 2nd on a sac bunt from Ronald Torreyes, and Jon Singleton got on via an intentional walk soon after. They would both advance on a Domingo Santana groundout. A Gregorio Petit walk loaded the bases, and then Kiké Hernandez laced a 1-1 pitch down the right field line to open the scoring. Andy Simunic would follow up with an RBI single to give the RedHawks a 3-0 lead.
Grossman drew a walk to begin the 7th and would come all the way around to score on a Torreyes double. Torreyes moved to 3rd on Jon Singleton's groundout and wound up scoring the final run of the afternoon on a wild pitch from Donnie Joseph. He added another double in the top of the 9th. Torreyes, Hernandez, and Simunic all had 2-hit days, while Grossman scored twice.
The RedHawks are headed home to kick off a 4-game series with Memphis. Jake Buchanan will get the start against Tim Cooney in the opener. First pitch is at 7:05.
Corpus Christi 6, San Antonio 3
W- Tommy Shirley (3-2)
L- John Hussey (1-1)
S- Jorge De Leon (2)
CC home runs: Marc Wik (1, 2-run in 6th)
The Hooks took a 2-1 lead in the 4-game set as the bullpen effectively backed up the reigning Pitcher of the Month, Tommy Shirley, who was alright himself. Also, in his first game outside of the Appalachian League, Marc Wik stole the show. Three safeties topped the field goal.
Shirley threw 5.1 innings and allowed 2 runs on 3 hits, walked 3, and struck out 3. Both runs came in the form of back-to-back homers from Kyle Gaedele (the grandnephew of Eddie Gaedel, the shortest baseball player ever) and Lee Orr (who's from Louise, the town after El Campo when you head south on 59) in the 3rd. All 3 hits that Shirley allowed went for extra-bases; Austin Hedges doubled off of him. He wasn't at his sharpest, but he was still effective enough.
Travis Ballew was the first man out of the Corpus bullpen and got the final 2 outs of the 6th without incident. He did serve up a home run to Yeison Asencio to begin the 7th, but shook that off to retire the side, striking out 2. Pat Urckfitz worked around a single and an error to throw a scoreless 8th, striking out 1. Jorge De Leon finished it up with a 1-2-3 9th, striking out Gaedele to end it.
The Hooks got deuces in 3 innings. Joe Sclafani started things off by reaching on an error in the 1st, advanced to 3rd on another error, and scored the first run of the game on an Andrew Aplin force out. Later in the inning, Jio Mier added an RBI single. After Mier grounded out to begin the 4th, the catchers reached; Tyler Heineman walked and advanced to 3rd on a René Garcia double. Heineman scored on Marc Wik's groundout, and Sclafani brought Garcia home with a single. Wik would go on to deposit a 2-run homer onto the berm in left field in the 6th for the Hooks' final 2 runs. That was his first homer since August 21, 2012, when he was playing with Greeneville. Nolan Fontana and Preston Tucker had 2 hits apiece. Aplin was the only member of the starting 9+1 to not have a hit, but he did get an RBI on the force out in the 1st.
In the series finale, it appears that the tandem system will be back online, according to the Hooks' game notes from yesterday. Matt Heidenreich and Brady Rodgers will take on Josh Geer at 7:10.
Lake Elsinore 7, Lancaster 4
W- Joe Ross (3-2)
L- Lance McCullers (1-2)
S- Brandon Alger (1)
The JetHawks clawed their way back from an early 6-0 hole, but some missed opportunities prevented them from completing the comeback; they went 0-13 with runners in scoring position.
Lance McCullers only lasted 1.2 innings in this one, as he gave up 6 runs (5 earned) on 4 hits and walked 3. This was his first outing this season in which he failed to record a strikeout. Juan Minaya did an excellent job of picking McCullers up; he followed with 4.1 no-hit innings, walking 1 and striking out 7. Jamaine Cotton threw the final 2 innings and gave up a run on 3 hits, walked 2, and struck out 1.
After a lull in the 3rd in which neither team scored, the JetHawks went on a little 4-0 run over the second third of the game. They got on the board with a pair in the 2nd; after Teoscar Hernandez beat out a bunt single, he scored on a Carlos Correa triple. Correa wound up scoring on a sac fly from Dan Gulbransen. Danry Vasquez led off the 5th with a double and would score 2 groundouts later. Hernandez and Correa led off the 6th with singles. They'd advance to 2nd and 3rd on a Rio Ruiz groundout, which really had some potential. However, all that came of that situation was a Gulbransen groundout that scored Hernandez. Correa finished 3-4, while Hernandez was 2-4 with 2 runs scored; he's on a 4-game hitting streak, and he's posted multiple hits in 3 of those 4. Danry Vasquez finished 2-4 with a run scored; both of his hits were doubles, and it was his 2nd straight 2-hit night.
Forgot to mention this, but this is a battle for 1st in the California League South. With the loss, Lancaster is now 2 games behind Lake Elsinore. Game 2 features another intriguing pitching matchup, as Josh Hader will face off against Zach Eflin. First pitch is at 6:05 Pacific.
Cedar Rapids 5, Quad Cities 2
W- Brandon Bixler (2-1)
L- Chris Lee (0-1)
S- Hudson Boyd (5)
QC home runs: Chase McDonald (1, solo in 5th)
The River Bandits dropped the opener and were condemned to a 3rd straight loss as their bats were held in check. They only had 4 hits in this game; one of them was a solo homer by Chase McDonald (1) in the 5th. Brett Phillips led off the 6th by reaching on an error, and after advancing station-to-station, he would score on a Conrad Gregor fielder's choice. That run actually tied the game. However, the Kernels broke the tie with a 3-run top of the 8th.
Andrew Thurman went 5 innings and allowed 2 runs on 6 hits, walked 2, and struck out 4. Chris Lee was saddled with the loss; he allowed 3 runs on 3 hits and walked 3 in 3 innings of work. Andrew Walter threw a scoreless 9th despite facing a bases-loaded situation. He allowed a pair of singles, walked 1, and struck out 2 in the frame.
The middle game of this series will be a morning/early afternoon game. Will there be a little OKC Matinee Magic in store for Quad Cities? Jandel Gustave will face Josue Montañez at 11 A.M.
Three Stars: Position Players
3.
2.
1.
Honorable Mentions: Ronald Torreyes, Andy Simunic, Teoscar Hernandez, Danry Vasquez, Preston Tucker
Three Stars: Pitchers
3.
1 (tie). OKC 1-hitter, led by Studmuffin himself.
Paul Clemens, RHP
Oklahoma City 5, Omaha 1
W- Mike Foltynewicz (3-1)
L- Ramon Troncoso (1-2)
S- Paul Clemens (1)
OKC home runs: None.
The RedHawks earned the split thanks to a couple of big 2-out hits and a combined 1-hitter from the pitching staff.
The story of the day would have to be Mike Foltynewicz. Let's just say that things got a little, uh.... testy on Twitter a couple of nights ago and leave it at that. The real story was his performance on the mound yesterday afternoon. He threw 6 innings and allowed 1 hit, a solo homer to Melky Mesa in the 3rd. The Storm Chasers only got 3 baserunners on him: Mesa's homer, and 2 walks (in the 1st and 4th). Foltynewicz struck out a career-high 12, including the final 6 batters he faced. He struck out everyone in Omaha's lineup except for Matt Fields. Paul Clemens tagged in for 3 perfect innings, striking out 1 to close it out. Together, they retired the final 16 Omaha batters, and 20 of the final 21.
Robbie Grossman led off the 3rd inning with a single. He would advance to 2nd on a sac bunt from Ronald Torreyes, and Jon Singleton got on via an intentional walk soon after. They would both advance on a Domingo Santana groundout. A Gregorio Petit walk loaded the bases, and then Kiké Hernandez laced a 1-1 pitch down the right field line to open the scoring. Andy Simunic would follow up with an RBI single to give the RedHawks a 3-0 lead.
Grossman drew a walk to begin the 7th and would come all the way around to score on a Torreyes double. Torreyes moved to 3rd on Jon Singleton's groundout and wound up scoring the final run of the afternoon on a wild pitch from Donnie Joseph. He added another double in the top of the 9th. Torreyes, Hernandez, and Simunic all had 2-hit days, while Grossman scored twice.
The RedHawks are headed home to kick off a 4-game series with Memphis. Jake Buchanan will get the start against Tim Cooney in the opener. First pitch is at 7:05.
Corpus Christi 6, San Antonio 3
W- Tommy Shirley (3-2)
L- John Hussey (1-1)
S- Jorge De Leon (2)
CC home runs: Marc Wik (1, 2-run in 6th)
The Hooks took a 2-1 lead in the 4-game set as the bullpen effectively backed up the reigning Pitcher of the Month, Tommy Shirley, who was alright himself. Also, in his first game outside of the Appalachian League, Marc Wik stole the show. Three safeties topped the field goal.
Shirley threw 5.1 innings and allowed 2 runs on 3 hits, walked 3, and struck out 3. Both runs came in the form of back-to-back homers from Kyle Gaedele (the grandnephew of Eddie Gaedel, the shortest baseball player ever) and Lee Orr (who's from Louise, the town after El Campo when you head south on 59) in the 3rd. All 3 hits that Shirley allowed went for extra-bases; Austin Hedges doubled off of him. He wasn't at his sharpest, but he was still effective enough.
Travis Ballew was the first man out of the Corpus bullpen and got the final 2 outs of the 6th without incident. He did serve up a home run to Yeison Asencio to begin the 7th, but shook that off to retire the side, striking out 2. Pat Urckfitz worked around a single and an error to throw a scoreless 8th, striking out 1. Jorge De Leon finished it up with a 1-2-3 9th, striking out Gaedele to end it.
The Hooks got deuces in 3 innings. Joe Sclafani started things off by reaching on an error in the 1st, advanced to 3rd on another error, and scored the first run of the game on an Andrew Aplin force out. Later in the inning, Jio Mier added an RBI single. After Mier grounded out to begin the 4th, the catchers reached; Tyler Heineman walked and advanced to 3rd on a René Garcia double. Heineman scored on Marc Wik's groundout, and Sclafani brought Garcia home with a single. Wik would go on to deposit a 2-run homer onto the berm in left field in the 6th for the Hooks' final 2 runs. That was his first homer since August 21, 2012, when he was playing with Greeneville. Nolan Fontana and Preston Tucker had 2 hits apiece. Aplin was the only member of the starting 9+1 to not have a hit, but he did get an RBI on the force out in the 1st.
In the series finale, it appears that the tandem system will be back online, according to the Hooks' game notes from yesterday. Matt Heidenreich and Brady Rodgers will take on Josh Geer at 7:10.
Lake Elsinore 7, Lancaster 4
W- Joe Ross (3-2)
L- Lance McCullers (1-2)
S- Brandon Alger (1)
The JetHawks clawed their way back from an early 6-0 hole, but some missed opportunities prevented them from completing the comeback; they went 0-13 with runners in scoring position.
Lance McCullers only lasted 1.2 innings in this one, as he gave up 6 runs (5 earned) on 4 hits and walked 3. This was his first outing this season in which he failed to record a strikeout. Juan Minaya did an excellent job of picking McCullers up; he followed with 4.1 no-hit innings, walking 1 and striking out 7. Jamaine Cotton threw the final 2 innings and gave up a run on 3 hits, walked 2, and struck out 1.
After a lull in the 3rd in which neither team scored, the JetHawks went on a little 4-0 run over the second third of the game. They got on the board with a pair in the 2nd; after Teoscar Hernandez beat out a bunt single, he scored on a Carlos Correa triple. Correa wound up scoring on a sac fly from Dan Gulbransen. Danry Vasquez led off the 5th with a double and would score 2 groundouts later. Hernandez and Correa led off the 6th with singles. They'd advance to 2nd and 3rd on a Rio Ruiz groundout, which really had some potential. However, all that came of that situation was a Gulbransen groundout that scored Hernandez. Correa finished 3-4, while Hernandez was 2-4 with 2 runs scored; he's on a 4-game hitting streak, and he's posted multiple hits in 3 of those 4. Danry Vasquez finished 2-4 with a run scored; both of his hits were doubles, and it was his 2nd straight 2-hit night.
Forgot to mention this, but this is a battle for 1st in the California League South. With the loss, Lancaster is now 2 games behind Lake Elsinore. Game 2 features another intriguing pitching matchup, as Josh Hader will face off against Zach Eflin. First pitch is at 6:05 Pacific.
Cedar Rapids 5, Quad Cities 2
W- Brandon Bixler (2-1)
L- Chris Lee (0-1)
S- Hudson Boyd (5)
QC home runs: Chase McDonald (1, solo in 5th)
The River Bandits dropped the opener and were condemned to a 3rd straight loss as their bats were held in check. They only had 4 hits in this game; one of them was a solo homer by Chase McDonald (1) in the 5th. Brett Phillips led off the 6th by reaching on an error, and after advancing station-to-station, he would score on a Conrad Gregor fielder's choice. That run actually tied the game. However, the Kernels broke the tie with a 3-run top of the 8th.
Andrew Thurman went 5 innings and allowed 2 runs on 6 hits, walked 2, and struck out 4. Chris Lee was saddled with the loss; he allowed 3 runs on 3 hits and walked 3 in 3 innings of work. Andrew Walter threw a scoreless 9th despite facing a bases-loaded situation. He allowed a pair of singles, walked 1, and struck out 2 in the frame.
The middle game of this series will be a morning/early afternoon game. Will there be a little OKC Matinee Magic in store for Quad Cities? Jandel Gustave will face Josue Montañez at 11 A.M.
Three Stars: Position Players
3.
Carlos Correa, SS, Lancaster
3-4, 3B, RBI, R
2.
I spy Batman.
Enrique Hernandez, Utility, Oklahoma City
2-4, 2B, 2 RBI
1.
Marc Wik, OF, Corpus Christi
1-4, 2-R HR (1), 3 RBI; season debut
Honorable Mentions: Ronald Torreyes, Andy Simunic, Teoscar Hernandez, Danry Vasquez, Preston Tucker
Three Stars: Pitchers
3.
1 (tie). OKC 1-hitter, led by Studmuffin himself.
Mike Foltynewicz, RHP
W (3-2), 6 IP, H (solo HR), ER, 2 BB, 12 K
Paul Clemens, RHP
Save (1), 3 IP, K
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