Astros Minor League Recaps

Friday's Games

Jayne has already posted a look at the playoff picture for the Astros Minor League affiliates as they sit today. Check it out here.

Greeneville Astros 5, Danville Braves 3
With their win on Friday, Greeneville is locked in to their second winning season in a row. Luis Ordosgoitti (1-0) collected his first win in the Appalachian League after pitching five innings and allowing a run on five hits, three walks and three strikeouts. Jordan Mills the final two and two-thirds, picking up his second save. Mills allowed three hits and walked three as he struck out three. Chase McDonald (3X4 2R HR 3RBI) was the only Astro with more than a hit Friday and also the only one with an extra base hit. McDonald homered in the third, tacking two runs onto the scoreboard.

GCL Braves, GCL Astros

-Suspended

This game was tied 8-8 before being called due to rain. It is scheduled to be completed today.

DSL Mariners 2, DSL Astros 4

The DSL Astros are now on a three game winning streak after their win on Friday. Juan Delis (3-3), the fourth pitcher in the game for the Astros, entered in the sixth for two innings of work, allowing just two hits and striking out one to pick up the win. Angel Heredia earned his 13th save after coming on in the ninth. Brauly Mejia (2X3 2RBI) and Arturo Michelena (2X3 R RBI BB) both had a pair of hits in the game. Mejia knocked in the first two runs for his team with an RBI single in the first.

Staten Island Yankees 6, Tri-City ValleyCats 11

Tri-City was outhit 14-13 and still outscored the Yankees by five runs. This was thanks in large part to a nine-run third inning. The Valley Cats hit nine consecutive singles to lead off the inning, without recording an out, forcing the early retirement of the Yankees starting pitcher after the eighth hit. D'Andre Toney (2X5 R 2B 2RBI) recorded two hits and four RBI in the third inning alone. Here's a look at that crazy inning:

Tri-City Bottom of the 3rd

• Jack Mayfield singles on a line drive to right fielder Yeicok Calderon.
• Jake Rodriguez singles on a ground ball to left fielder Daniel Lopez. Jack Mayfield to 2nd.
• Chan Moon singles on a ground ball to shortstop John Murphy. Jack Mayfield to 3rd. Jake Rodriguez to 2nd.
• D'Andre Toney singles on a line drive to left fielder Daniel Lopez. Jack Mayfield scores. Jake Rodriguez to 3rd. Chan Moon to 2nd.
• James Ramsay singles on a line drive to left fielder Daniel Lopez. Jake Rodriguez scores. Chan Moon scores. D'Andre Toney to 2nd.
• With Tyler White batting, D'Andre Toney steals (13) 3rd base. James Ramsay steals (5) 2nd base.
• Tyler White singles on a ground ball to left fielder Daniel Lopez. D'Andre Toney scores. James Ramsay to 3rd.
• Conrad Gregor singles on a ground ball to second baseman Derek Toadvine. James Ramsay scores. Tyler White to 2nd.
• Michael Martinez singles on a line drive to left fielder Daniel Lopez. Tyler White scores. Conrad Gregor to 2nd.
• Pitching Change: Sam Agnew-Wieland replaces Conner Kendrick.
• Ronnie Mitchell singles on a ground ball to left fielder Daniel Lopez. Conrad Gregor scores. Michael Martinez to 2nd.
• Jack Mayfield reaches on a force attempt, fielding error by shortstop John Murphy. Michael Martinez to 3rd. Ronnie Mitchell to 2nd.
• Jake Rodriguez strikes out swinging.
• Chan Moon grounds into a force out, first baseman Mike Ford to shortstop John Murphy. Michael Martinez scores. Ronnie Mitchell to 3rd. Jack Mayfield out at 2nd. Chan Moon to 1st.
• D'Andre Toney doubles (6) on a line drive to left fielder Daniel Lopez. Ronnie Mitchell scores. Chan Moon to 3rd.
• James Ramsay grounds out, second baseman Derek Toadvine to first baseman Mike Ford.

Conrad Gregor (2X4 2R HR 3RBI SO) added a little padding in the sixth inning by hitting a two-run shot that scored Tyler White (2X5 2R RBI). Troy Scribner threw the first four innings without incident, striking out five and allowing four hits. Upon entering the fifth he faced a little trouble and he ended up with four runs, six hits, three walks and five Ks on the day. Kyle Westwood (2-1) pitched the final four innings and picked up the win. Westwood tallied two runs (1ER) on six hits, walked one and struck out one.

Cedar Rapids Kernels 2, Quad Cities River Bandits 3

Quad Cities fought from behind to take this game and move their magic number to three. They came from behind in the seventh when Jordan Scott hit an RBI single to put the River Bandits ahead. Teoscar Hernandez was the only Quad Cities player with multiple hits, going two-for-four with a runs scored and a strikeout. Joe Bircher pitched the first five and two-thirds, giving up two runs on seven hits and striking out two. Andrew Walter (1-0) finished the game and took the win, allowing only a hit in his time as he K-ed five.

Rancho Cucamonga Quakes 3, Lancaster JetHawks 4 (10)

Lancaster saw this game tied at three in the fifth and won it in the 10th inning when Delino DeShields (1X4 2R 3B BB) led off with a hit to the wall in right. The outfielder caught the ball, crashed into the wall and dropped the ball then fumbled with the pickup all while DeShields was rounding the bases. DeShields would score on the play for the walk off win and his hit would go down as a triple, he scored on an error. Kyle Smith was on the mound for the first six frames and in that time he allowed three runs on seven hits, walked one and struck out six. Kenny Long (1-0) worked a perfect 10th and picked up the win, striking out one. MP Cokinos went three-for-four at the plate with two runs scored and a pair of RBI on his homer in the first inning to get Lancaster on the board.

Midland RockHounds 3, Corpus Christi Hooks 4

The Hooks came back to win this game on Friday, scoring unanswered runs in the bottom of the sixth and seventh before walking off in the ninth. In the bottom of the ninth, the Hooks loaded the bases by drawing two walks and being issued an intentional walk. Erik Castro (2X2 RBI 3BB) then singled to win the game at home. Matt Duffy (1X4 R HR RBI) began the comeback in the sixth with his 23rd (LAN & CC combined) home run of the year.  Mike Foltynewicz started on the mound for Corpus Christi and through four and two-thirds frames allowed three runs, four hits, walked four and struck out the same. Jonas Dufek (6-0) picked up the win after facing just one batter to end the ninth.

Oklahoma City RedHawks 4, Round Rock Express 2

The RedHawks didn't allow the Express to score outside of the third inning in their win on Friday. Oklahoma City didn't score until the sixth when Trevor Crowe (1X4 R HR RBI SO) and George Springer (1X4 R HR 2RBI 2SO) both went yard. Springer's homer was a two-run shot and moved him to 37/41 in the chase for a 40/40 season. The only RedHawk with multiple hits in the game was Jimmy Paredes who finished the game at two-for-four with a double and a couple strikeouts. Asher Wojciechowski (9-6) took the hill for the first six and two-thirds and earned the win, recording two runs, seven hits, a walk and six Ks. Jorge De Leon faced the final three batters of the game in perfect fashion and picked up his fifth save.

Player of the Day: Delino DeShields and Erik Castro have both earned a spot on the throne today for inducing walk off wins on Friday. Chase McDonald also deserves a spot up there for his tremendous offensive play yesterday.

Pitcher of the Day: I am bucking convention, as I often do, and awarding the honors to Angel Heredia for picking up his 13th save yesterday in the DSL. 13 saves in the DSL is a pretty admirable feat. 

Astros Minor League Recaps

Wednesday's Games


Greeneville Astros, Kingsport Mets
-Postponed


GCL Yankees1, GCL Astros
-Game suspended after the second inning due to rain. It will be completed today (7/4/2013).


DSL Athletics 6, DSL Astros 3
All of the DSL Astros runs came by way of the long ball in their loss at home on Wednesday. Victor Tavarez (1X3 R HR RBI) hit a solo-shot in the second inning, putting his team on the board. Hector Roa (1X4 R HR 2RBI SO) with a two-run shot of his own in the seventh inning that scored Alexander Melendez (1X3 R BB SO). Starter Edwin Villarroel (2-3) gave up five runs (2ER) on eight hits through five innings while striking out 2. Gerardo Juarez followed Villarroel, working three innings, allowing another run on three hits and a walk and striking out three.

Tri-City Valley Cats 1, Vermont Lake Monsters 2
The Valley Cats were shutting out their opponents before allowing a run in both the eighth and ninth innings. Tri-City pitchers allowed just three hits before the eighth inning. Zach Morton started on the mound for Tri-City and allowed just a hit through his four innings of work while K-ing two. Albert Minnis (2-1) picked up the loss after giving up the game-ending run in the ninth. Minnis recorded that run on a hit and a walk. Michael Martinez (1X4 R HR RBI SO) put up the Valleys Cats lone run in the fourth when he connected for his first round-tripper of the season.

Clinton LumberKings 0, Quad Cities River Bandits 1
This game was a pitchers’ duel from the get go. The River Bandits and their starting pitcher Vincent Velasquez worked their way onto the winning side of it. Velasquez threw six scoreless innings, allowed just a hit, walked two and struck out five. Velasquez’s first four frames were perfect. Gerardo Sanchez (4-2) came on for two frames in the seventh and picked up the win. Sanchez gave up just a hit and struck out one. Chia-Jen Lo earned his first save in the Midwest League after working the ninth, giving up a hit and walking one. The River Bandits had just four hits of their own in the game and their run was the product of a balk with Terrell Joyce (0X3 R BB SO) on third. Carlos Correa recorded half of Quad Cities’ hits himself, batting two-for-four with a double and a walk.

Bakersfield Blaze 11, Lancaster JetHawks 6
Lancaster allowed 11 runs on 19 hits at home yesterday to end a four-game winning streak. David Rollins (7-5) was the first on the hill for the JetHawks and through four innings he recorded six runs (5ER) on 10 hits (HR) walked one and struck out another. Rollins would take the loss. Blair Walters came on to pitch in the seventh and allowed four runs on four hits without recording an out. Delino DeShields hit two-for-five, scored two runs, hit a triple and swiped two bags in the game. M.P. Cokinos went three-for-four at the plate with a pair of runs scored and an RBI on his sixth-inning homer.

Corpus Christi Hooks 3, Springfield Cardinals 11
The Hooks notched their fourth consecutive loss after the game on Wednesday. Ross Seaton (1-1) threw the first five and took the loss after tallying seven runs (6ER) on seven hits (3HR) and a walk with three Ks. Rene Garcia was the only Corpus Christi player with multiple hits, going two-for-four and scoring a run. Raoul Torrez went one-for-four, struck out, scored a run and picked up a couple RBI in the sixth when he hit a home run that scored Zach Johnson (1X4 R 2SO).

Albuquerque Isotopes 9, Oklahoma City RedHawks 10
Oklahoma City jumped out to a nine-to-one lead early in this game before letting things get a little interesting for the home crowd on Wednesday. The RedHawks held on to win for the second time in two days by just a run. Kevin Chapman entered in the sixth as the third pitcher to take the mound for the RedHawks and recorded the win. Chapman (1-2) worked two innings, allowing a run on two hits, walking two and striking out the same. Wade LeBlanc started the game and through three and a third, recorded a run on three hits, walked five and struck out two. There were a lot of hits in this game and four RedHawks had multi-hit games. Jonathan Villar and Ruben Sosa each stole a base. Neither team hit a home run though, despite the 19-run total. Here’s the box for your viewing pleasure:

Player of the Day: Lancaster may have lost, but Delino DeShields takes the cake today. DeShields started a couple of double plays, swiped two bases and hit his seventh triple of the year. That’s a productive day, no matter what the scoreboard says.

Pitcher of the Day: Vincent Velasquez stands alone today. He came out and pitched superbly for Quad Cities yesterday against pitching that would have up-ended the River Bandits unless he brought anything less than his “A” game. Well done. 

Astros Minor League Recaps

Friday’s Games

Beloit Snappers 3, Quad Cities River Bandits 1

Quad Cities manufactured a run in the first inning Friday, utilizing a Teoscar Hernandez (3X4 R 2B) stolen base and a Carlos Correa (2X4 RBI SO) RBI single, but that would be their last score of the game. Brian Holmes (3-3) picked up his third loss after pitching the first four, allowing two runs on four hits (2HR) and striking out three. Jordan Jankowski had the second shift of the tandem and through his four frames, he allowed one more run on three hits and struck out seven opposing batters. Outside of the sixth inning Jankowski gave up just one hit and recorded 1-2-3 sets in the fifth and seventh. 

Lancaster JetHawks 6, Visalia Rawhide 4

Lancaster got out to an early lead Friday and never looked back. Luis Cruz (2-3) was on the mound for the first five innings and kept them scoreless, giving up two hits, two walks and striking out five. Kyle Hallock tallied his first hold and followed Cruz for the next three frames. Hallock found a little trouble in the seventh inning, giving up four runs and he finished at four runs on five hits a walk and two strikeouts. Delino DeShields had an awesome night at the plate, batting two-for-three with two RBI, two walks, a run scored and two stolen bases. MP Cokinos also had a productive night, recording two hits in four ABs, two runs, two RBIs and his third home run of the season-a solo shot in the seventh.

Corpus Christi Hooks 1, Midland RockHounds 0

The Hooks broke a scoreless tie in the fifth inning Friday on the road at Citibank Ballpark. They went on to win, in shutout fashion, behind solid pitching. The fifth-inning-run was a product of Max Stassi’s (2X3 2B RBI) first double of the season, scoring Jonathan Meyer (1X4 R). Jake Buchanan (4-0) took the start and threw the first five innings, picking up his fourth win along the way. Buchanan gave up five hits, walked one and struck out five, including all three he faced in the fourth frame. Josh Fields took the mound for an inning in the sixth as part of his rehab assignment and recorded a 1-2-3 frame to earn a hold. Pat Urckfitz picked up his first save after coming on for the last four outs. Urckfitz gave up a hit to start the ninth but erased the runner at first on a pick off during the next at bat, finishing with the save and that lone hit. George Springer was the only other batsman of note, recording two hits in four ABs and a strike out.

Oklahoma City RedHawks 2, Sacramento River Cats 4

The RedHawks started strong but allowed two runs in the fourth and fifth inning and that was enough to seal their fate. Ross Seaton (0-4) recorded the loss after taking the hill for the first four frames of work. Seaton cruised through the first three innings in 1-2-3 fashion and then gave up the runs in frames four and five, leaving with four runs on six hits, a walk and three Ks. Kevin Chapman replaced Seaton in the fifth and pitched two shutout innings, walking 3 and striking out two with no hits. At the plate things were pretty quiet, but Andrew Simunic went two-for-four with a double, stolen base and RBI while Che-Hsuan Lin went two-for-three with a double, walk and RBI of his own.

Player of the Day: Delino De Shields is the man today for his great night at the plate and on the base paths Friday. 

Pitcher of the Day: Jake Buchanan, come one down. Buchanan pitched a solid five on the road Friday to help his team earn another win. Good job.

Astros Minor League Recaps

Saturday's Games

Quad Cities River Bandits 4, West Michigan Whitecaps 7

Quad Cities fell behind early and came back in the fourth inning only to fall behind again after a four-run fifth inning sealed their fate. Vincent Velasquez started on the mound for the River bandits and pitched four innings, allowing three runs on four hits, walking two and striking out four. Cameron Lamb (1-1) took the loss, throwing for the next two outs after Velasquez and allowing four runs on three hits, walking one and K-ing the same. Joe Bircher came on for the final three frames of work and recorded 1-2-3 innings in the eighth and ninth. Bircher also struck out three. Joe Sclafani hit well Saturday, batting two-for-four with a double and his eighth RBI of the season. Jordan Scott hit one-for-two with a run scored and drew two walks. 

Lancaster JetHawks 3, High Desert Mavericks 5

Lancaster got out to an early lead while Thomas Shirley (4IP H SO) and Theron Geith (1IP H BB SO) combined for five innings of shutout ball. Luis Cruz came on in the sixth inning and allowed five runs on six hits while walking two and striking out the same. Cruz (1-2) ended up with the blown save (2) and the loss after being on the hill for one and two thirds. At the plate, Delino DeShields had a productive day, hitting two-for-four with a double, triple, RBI and run scored. Tyler Heineman also had a good game offensively, hitting two-for-two with an RBI double in the sixth and drawing two walks. Nolan Fontana went hitless in the game, but walked once and collected his 22^nd RBI of the season.

Corpus Christi Hooks 2, San Antonio Missions 6

The Hooks offense was stifled on the road in San Antonio on Saturday. Carlos Quevedo (1-2) was the first pitcher in the tandem and pitched four and a third before leaving with the loss. Quevedo allowed six runs (4ER) on seven hits, walked one and struck out two on the day. Jake Buchanan, who finished out the game without allowing a hit, followed Quevedo, striking out one and retiring all 11 batters he faced in order. Rene Garcia and Jonathan Meyer both hit two-for-four Saturday with runs scored and a double each. Meyer also recorded and RBI after scoring Garcia in the fifth on a single.

Oklahoma City RedHawks, Iowa Cubs

-Game postponed due to weather

Player of the Day: Delino DeShields is the man today. Anytime a guy gets two hits in a game for five total bases, he’s doing something right. Saturday, that guy was Delino DeShields.

Pitcher of the Day: Jake Buchanan takes the cake today. Buchanan came into the game behind on Saturday and still managed to buckle down and retire all 11 batters he faced in order. Not only that, Buchanan threw 23 pitches in the game, meaning he averaged two pitches per batter and 18 of those pitches were strikes.  

Astros Minor League Recaps

Saturday’s Games

Quad Cities River Bandits 3, Kane County Cougars 7 (7)

The River Bandits fell behind early in this one and never got the offense to catch up. Brian Holmes (1-1) took the loss after starting on the rubber and pitching for two and a third, giving up five runs on eight hits, walking one and striking out a pair. Ariel Ovando went two-for-two at the plate with a run scored, RBI and a walk. Teoscar Hernandez collected a couple ribbies, batting one-for-four with a double-his seventh of the season.

Quad Cities River Bandits 3, Kane County Cougars 4 (7)

This was the second game of the day for Quad Cities, a make up of the postponed game from Friday. Jordan Jankowski started this one on the mound and threw for 3 frames, allowing two runs on four hits and walking a trio. Mitchell Lambson (0-1), who came on for the next two and two thirds, took the loss after giving up two runs of his own on four hits, walking a pair and striking out four batters. Jesse Wierzbicki was the hot bat in this one, going two-for-three with a pair of RBIs. Teoscar Hernandez hit one-for-four with a triple and scored a run in the fourth.

Bakersfield Blaze 4, Lancaster JetHawks 11

The JetHawks got ahead on Saturday night at The Hangar and never looked back. Luis Cruz (1-0) collected the “W” after pitching the first five frames and giving up just a single hit, walking one and K-ing five. Aaron West earned his first hold after taking the mound for the next three innings, giving up four runs (1ER) on four hits and striking out four. At the plate it was all about Delino DeShields. DeShields finished the game batting three-for-three with three runs scored, two RBIs, two triples and a walk. Preston Tucker was equally hot, hitting three-for-four with a run scored, two RBI and solo homer in the sixth frame-his fifth of the season. MP Cokinos hit two-for-four with a double and scored 3 runs Friday.

Frisco RoughRiders 0, Corpus Christi Hooks 1

Saturday saw dominant pitching all around for the Hooks at home in a shutout at Whataburger Field. David Martinez started the game and threw a perfect first five frames, striking out three batters. Tandem partner, Asher Wojciechowski, replaced Martinez in the sixth and went on to strike out five more batters, giving up just two hits. Wojciechowski earned his second win of the season, improving his record to 2-0. At the plate it was relatively quiet for the Hooks, who tallied four hits all night. George Springer came through with a big one out, solo-homer in the seventh to give Corpus Christi the lead. That was Springer’s fourth dinger of the season.

Albuquerque Isotopes 1, Oklahoma City RedHawks 3

The RedHawks won this one on the road at Isotopes Park with help from commanding pitching from all three pitchers on Saturday. Jarred Cosart (2-0) started the game and took the win after going five innings on the mound. Cosart allowed one run on five hits and struck out six batters, including the last three he faced. Wes Musick (H,2) came on for the next three frames and allowed just a hit in his shift, walking one and striking out three. Jose Valdez came out in the ninth for Oklahoma City and sent the batters down in order, striking out the last two and earning his fourth save of year. Mark Krauss hit his first triple of the year, scoring Trevor Crowe. Krauss finished one-for-four with a run scored and that RBI. Robbie Grossman hit two-for-three with a walk and Jonathan Villar also had multiple hits, going two-for-four on Saturday.

Player of the Day: It’s got to be Mr. Baseball, Delino DeShields. If anyone ever goes three-for-three with TWO triples and two RBIs and doesn’t get a nod, let me know-I’ll handle it. Great game, Delino.

Pitcher of the Day: David Martinez takes the whole cake today for his perfecto five innings on Saturday at Whataburger Field. The tandem dictated that he exit after five, but man, did he pitch those five in style.  

Tweet of the Day

Houston Astros ‏@astros

ML Player and Pitcher of the year, Delino DeShields, JR. and Mike Foltynewicz chatting with Biggio during BP #Astrospic.twitter.com/oULHWpwS

Lexington Legends Season Recap

Last week, I took a look at the DSL Astros season, the GCL Astros season, and the Greeneville Astros season. Now let's look at the Lexington Legends Lo-A affiliate. Here's a quick look at how the 2011 and 2012 teams compare.

2011 Win Percentage - .428
2012 Win Percentage - .500

2011 Runs Scored - Runs Allowed = Run Differential - 645 - 731 = (86)
2012 Runs Scored - Runs Allowed = Run Differential - 691 - 664 = 27

2011 Team ERA & WHIP - 4.63 & 1.413
2012 Team ERA & WHIP - 4.26 & 1.387

2011 Team Batting Line - .255/.327/.389
2012 Team Batting Line - .252/.344/.380

The results for Lexington are somewhat deceptive. As late as mid-August, they were substantially over .500 before hitting a skid in which they lost 16 of 18. I don't know if these players were simply out of gas after many of them participated in their first full professional season, but I'm sure that was a factor. And I'm certain that the loss of Delino DeShields as he was promoted to Lancaster in early August was a factor as well. The season-long chemistry established with DeShields at the top of the order had to be difficult to recreate.

There was a 10-game swing in the win column and a 113-run swing in the run differential. Although the pitching stats don't show a dramatic difference, the team went from toward the bottom of the pack in league ERA and WHIP to solidly in the middle, and went from 9th in saves and 12th in strikeouts (out of 14 teams) to second in the league in both of those categories. Team batting average and slugging percentage are roughly where they were last season. The biggest improvements are in on-base percentage (from 9th to 4th in the league), runs scored and RBIs (from 8th to 4th), and walks and stolen bases (from the bottom of the pack to 2nd in the league).

Here are some individual standouts from the team ~

I'll take a complete look at 2B Delino DeShields, Jr. when I write my season recap on the Lancaster team, but it bears noting that despite having been gone from the Lexington club for almost a month, DeShields is still a league leader in numerous categories, including stolen bases (1st), runs (2nd), OBP (7th) and walks (8th). He's also in the top 20 in the league in batting average, slugging, OPS and hits. He was recently named a South Atlantic League post-season All-Star.

3B Matt Duffy ended the season with a .280/.387/.447 batting line and a team leading 138 hits (7th in the league) and 16 home runs (tied for 9th in the league). He was also in the top 20 in the league in OBP, slugging, runs, RBI and doubles. He also held the dubious "honor" of being hit by pitch 41 times in the season, leading all of the minor leagues ... by far.

1B Zach Johnson led the team, and the league, in RBI with 108 and was tied for the lead on all Astros minor league teams with Erik Castro of Lancaster. He also led the team in walks (5th in the league) and doubles (tied for 3rd in the league), and was in the top three on the team in runs, hits and home runs. He ended the season hitting .238/.339/.406 and was also named to the South Atlantic League post-season All-Star team.

Although OF Brandon Meredith didn't play in enough games to qualify as a league leader in slugging, his .506 slugging percentage over 86 games was still impressive. In 48 fewer games than Zach Johnson and Matt Duffy, Meredith managed to tie Johnson in home runs and trail Duffy by just one. He was also in the top five on the team in runs, RBI, hits, doubles and triples. He ended the season with a .278/.377/.506 batting line.

RF/C Mike Kvasnicka was also limited in playing time due to injuries and similarly to Meredith managed to rank highly in several categories, including doubles, home runs and RBIs. SS Nolan Fontana led the team with a .464 OBP, albeit only over 49 games as he drew 65 walks, only 10 fewer than Zach Johnson who had played in 134 games.

RHP Mike Foltynewicz had an absolute breakthrough season. He turned a 5-11 2011 season into a 14-4 2012 campaign. He was tied for first in wins in the South Atlantic league, and was second in innings pitched, fourth in ERA, sixth in strikeouts and tied for 13th in WHIP among qualifiers. He also made the post-season All-Star squad. He ended the season with a 3.14 ERA and a 1.362 WHIP.

LHP Luis Cruz ended the season with a 9-8 record, a 4.05 ERA (tied for 13th) and a 1.357 WHIP (also tied for 13th). He was third in the league in strikeouts, fifth in innings pitched and tied for 11th in wins.

RHP Dayan Diaz was 5-4 with 19 saves in 41 appearances out of the bullpen. His ERA of 1.85 led the entire Astros system for pitchers making at least 30 appearances and was accompanied by a 1.200 WHIP. He was tied for third in the league in saves.

LHP Mitch Lambson started at Greeneville and was quickly promoted as he dominated the Appy League. His combined record for the season was 3-1 with a 2.15 ERA, a 0.975 WHIP, 10.6 SO/9 and a 5.40 SO/BB ratio. At Lexington, he had a 2.72 ERA and a 1.101 WHIP.

The sample size on RHP Chris Devenski (5 starts with Lexington) is too small for generalized conclusions, but I would be remiss if I didn't note his complete game no-hitter on his last start of the season, including his 16 strikeouts from that game. I would also be remiss if I didn't point out Hitting Coach Josh Bonifay's inclusion as a coach for the South Atlantic League post-season All-Star team (Hum you!)

I hope to have a post-season look at the Oklahoma City squad ready by the end of the week, but no promises.

Minor League Recaps

Monday's Games

Hudson Valley over Tri-Cty 2-1 in 11 innings
This game was the definition of a pitcher's duel as each team's pitching staff allowed only three hits. Brady Rodgers got the start going two innings and giving up one hit, which happened to be a solo home run, in his two innings. He was followed by a masterful seven-inning hitless relief performance from Brian Holmes. Travis Ballew was charged with his first loss in relief as Scott Zuloaga allowed one of Ballew's base runners to score in the 11th inning. Euris Quezada got the final out in the top of the 11th, but the damage was done as Tri-City failed to score in the bottom of the frame. M.P. Cokinos pushed across the only Tri-City run by way of a bases loaded walk. Joe Sclafani, Preston Tucker and Tyler Heineman owned the three Tri-City hits, all singles. The Tri-City staff did collect eight walks in addition to the three hits, but also struck out 13 times. Two games remain for Tri-City in the regular season.

Rome over Lexington 9-1
Lexington's season finale wasn't exactly the way they wanted to end it, but they should take comfort in the fact that their 69-69 (.500) finish was a step up from the 59-79 (.428) record from 2011. Mike Foltynewicz got the start and the loss as he went to 14-4 on the season. Folty gave up five runs (three off two home runs) on six hits and three walks with four strikeouts in three and a third innings pitched. Judging from Folty's last two starts, I think he might just have run out of gas at the end of an otherwise excellent season. Four additional pitchers came in with only Gabriel Garcia remaining unscathed in the run column. The Legends were held to five hits, including an RBI double from Teoscar Hernandez. Ruben Sosa was two-for-four and scored the Legends only run. Nolan Fontana walked four times to bring his season total to 65 over 49 games. He ended the season with a very lopsided .225 batting average and a .464 on base percentage. I will be taking a more in-depth look at Lexington's season later this week.

Lancaster over High Desert 11-5
Blair Walters got the start and the win as he went to 3-3 on the season as he allowed five runs on six hits with seven strikeouts over five and two-thirds innings. He was followed by three and a third innings of one hit relief from Brad Dydalewicz, Pat Urckfitz, Kenny Long and Jorge de Leon (although Dydalewicz did make things a little too interesting with three walks and had to be bailed out by Urckfitz). Lancaster led the entire game, but they broke things wide open with nine runs in the sixth, seventh and eighth innings. Jonathan Meyer was en fuego with a three-for-five afternoon and five RBI via two home runs. His second home run of the day was followed immediately by Telvin Nash with his 29th of the season. Carlos Perez was also three-for-five with a double and Rafy Valenzuela was two-for-four and ended the season hitting .429/.432/.771 over his last 10 games. But the big story of the game were the stolen bases. Yes, Jio Mier and Domingo Santana swiped one each, but Delino DeShields broke the century mark as he stole his 100th and 101st bases of the season. What an amazing feat! Lancaster ends their regular season with a final record of 74-66 or a .529 win percentage as opposed to last year's .393 win percentage. I will do a final look at the season after the playoffs are over. The first playoff game will be Lancaster at Lake Elsinore on Wednesday.

Corpus Christi over San Antonio 4-1
Corpus Christi ended their regular season with an exclamation point as their 81-59 (.579) record not only was tops in the Texas League, it gave the Hooks 31 more wins than last season's dismal 50-90 record. Bobby Doran got the start and the win in a very nice five-inning stint in which he allowed only four hits with five strikeouts. Matt Heidenreich gave up the one San Antonio run and was quickly pulled for Josh Zeid. Zied, Kevin Chapman, Jake Buchanan and Jason Stoffel (S, 27) provided scoreless relief. The Hooks scored a couple early and then were able to add on a couple of insurance runs late on a wild pitch and an Andy Simunic single. Simunic was two-for-five with an RBI and scored a run; Jay Fernandez was three-for-four and scored a run; and Ben Orloff was two-for-three with a double, walk and run scored. The Hooks first playoff game will be Wednesday at Frisco.

Oklahoma City over Round Rock 1-0
Dallas Keuchel (3IP) and Sergio Perez (2IP) allowed no hits through the first five innings; Aneury Rodriguez (W, 4-7) allowed only two hits in his three innings of work; and Chuckie Fick (S, 3) allowed one hit in the ninth for a combined three hit shutout. The Redhawks were being shutout as well until a Brad Snyder RBI double broke the impasse. Of the seven Redhawks hits, three of them belonged to Snyder. This brings the Oklahoma City season to a close with a final record of 78-65 (.545). I will be looking at the Redhawks season later this week as well (I hope).

Player of the Day: I have a feeling that Delino DeShields stolen base accomplishment will remain an Astros minor league record for a long, long time. It really is an amazing feat. Honorable mention goes to Jonathan Meyer for his two home run, five RBI afternoon.

Pitcher of the Day: I continue to be extremely impressed by Brian Holmes. In his seven innings of relief, he gave up zero hits and one walk and recorded seven strikeouts. He is definitely a player to watch.

Minor League Recaps

Friday's Recaps

DSL Mariners DSL Astros

-Cancelled

GCL Astros 1 GCL Nationals 2 (8)

GCL was 3-hit shutout in their first game of the day, Friday. Not all was lost however, because they still managed to score a run on a trio of hits with Juan Santana's RBI single to score Ydarqi Marte in the 6th inning. Erick Gonzalez picked up his third blown save in the 7th frame after giving up a run on a couple hits. Rodney Quintero (0-3) took the loss, pitching just 2 outs in the 8th. Quintero walked a batter, struck 1 out, allowed 1 hit and the game-winning run during that time.

GCL Astros 3 GCL Nationals 6

GCL scored 3 in the 5th inning in this one, but starting pitcher Enderson Franco (3-2) allowed 6 runs (5ER) on 11 hits through 7 and it wasn't enough.  Franco also walked a pair and struck out 6. Teoscar Hernandez had a multi-hit night, batting 2 for 4 with a double, solo homer and run scored.

Greeneville Astros 1 Danville Braves 7

Greeneville got on the board with a run in the first on Friday, but that was the only score.  The Astros had 4 hits all night and Terrell Joyce had 3 of them, going 3 for 3 at the plate.  Greenville fell behind after a 5 run 3rd inning in which starting pitcher Kevin Comer (3-4) allowed all those runs on 6 hits with a walk and 3 Ks. Comer took the loss.  Carlos Correa had the other hit of the game, going 1 for 3 with a walk.

Vermont Lake Monsters 4 Tri-City ValleyCats 7

Two words: Jarrod McKinney.  McKinney batted 2 for 3 Friday and both of his hits were homers.  The first was a 2-run shot in the second inning and the next was a solo knock in the fourth.  Preston Tucker (2X4, RBI) and Jesse Wierzbicki (2X3, 2B) both scored runs as well.  Aaron West got the start and went 4 innings on the mound allowing 2 runs on 7 hits, walking 1 and striking out 3.  Jamaine Cotton (2-1) came on for the next 3 frames and picked up the win, allowing 1 run on 4 hits with 4 Ks.

Charleston RiverDogs 3 Lexington Legends 2

Lexington scored a couple runs in the fifth inning but that wasn’t enough to offset the 3 runs Jonas Dufek (6-4) allowed through the first 6 innings on Friday at home.  Dufek collected the runs on just 5 hits and a walk while striking out 8 batters and logging the loss.  Chan Moon went 2 for 4 at the plate and now has a .270 average in 173 Abs for Lexington. The Legends didn’t record an extra base hit in the game.

Lake Elsinore Storm 4 Lancaster JetHawks 9

This game was scoreless until the fourth inning when Erik Castro hit a 2-out, solo HR.  Castro ended up hitting 2 for 4 with a run scored and 2 RBI, bringing his season total to 100.  Grant Hogue hit 1 for 2 with a double, RBI, walk and 2 stolen bases.  Delino DeShields didn’t have a hit in the game but drew a walk, scored 2 runs and stole 3 bases of his own, bringing his record setting total to 96 for the season.   On the mound Blair Walters (2-2) had a nice outing, earning the “W” after pitching 7 innings and allowing just 2 runs on 6 hits, 1 walk and K-ing 5.

Midland RockHounds 4 Corpus Christi Hooks 2

This game was the completion of the game from the previous night, which saw a power outage at the park and dancing by Kiké Hernandez and Andy Simunic.  Rob Rasmussen had a shutout going through 5 innings Thursday when the game was called.  Jake Buchanan (5-7) picked up the last 4 innings on Friday and allowed 4 runs on 6 hits, walked 2 and K-ed 3 while recording the loss and his first blown save.  George Springer finished 3 for 4 at the plate with a run scored and Jonathan Singleton hit 2 for 4 with a RBI.

Midland RockHounds 6 Corpus Christi Hooks 7

This game saw Corpus Christi scrapping back the entire time to even the score and finally score the winning run on Jonathan Singleton’s solo, walk off homerun to lead off the ninth inning.  According to Greg Rajan of the Corpus Christi Caller-Times, Singleton’s said it was his first walk off homer ever.  Singleton ended up 2 for 5 in the game with 2 runs scored.  Jake Goebbert was on at the plate too, hitting 2 for 3 with a double, 2 runs scored and a walk.  Ben Orloff got in on the action too, batting 3 for 4 with a run scored and a RBI. Jason Stoffel (2-1) collected the win after going the last frame on the mound.  In his time, Stoffel gave up a hit and struck out 2.

Oklahoma City RedHawks 3 Iowa Cubs 5

The RedHawks got on the board first Friday but were playing catch up the rest of game and ended up a few runs short.  Starting pitcher Edgar Gonzalez got Oklahoma City started strong, only being charged with a pair of runs (1ER) while walking 2 and striking out the same.  Brian Sanches came on to pitch 2 outs in the seventh inning and in his time allowed 2 runs on 3 hits.  Sanches picked up his second blown save and moved his record to 1-3 with the loss.  Jimmy Paredes was on fire offensively Friday, hitting 3 for 4 with a 2-bagger, run scored and a RBI.  Paredes also stole his 36^th base of the year in the game.  Matt Downs batted 2 for 3 with a run scored and a walk.

Player of the Day:  Ladies and Gentlemen, we have a 3-way tie.  ‘Lino DeShields stole 3 bases Friday and earned a share of the title with Mr. Jon Singleton who hit not only the game winner in walk off fashion, but also the first walk off of his career.  Equal amongst these guys is Jarrod McKinney who hit 2 for 3 on Friday, both hits being taters for a total of 3 runs.

Pitcher of the Day:  Jamaine Cotton, come on down.  Cotton earned his second “W” of the season Friday after logging 3 innings of work and allowing just a single run on 4 hits in that time.  Cotton also struck out 4 and made every female in the front row swoon.

   

Bonus Tweet of the Day

Jason Schwartz ‏@jasondschwartz

...and another for @LinoDeShields. That's 2 SBs in 1st inning (92 total). At this rate he'll have 100 by the 6th. #JetHawks #Astros

Minor League Recaps

Monday's Games

DSL Indians over DSL Astros 15-1
Five Astros pitchers combined in this mess with Rayderson Chevalier getting charged with the loss and Geronimo Franzua being the only Astros pitcher to emerge unscathed. The Astros were held to four hits with Hector Roa getting two of them. Luis Reynoso had the only extra base hit, a double.

GCL Astros over GCL Cardinals 4-3
Kyle Hallock got his third rehab start, stretching it out to two innings this go around and allowing one run on two hits. Raul Rivera gave up another two runs in his four innings of work before the relief crew in the guise of Gera Sanchez and Erick Gonzalez (S, 10) came in to pitch a very effective final three innings. Edwin Gomez was two-for-three with a double and a solo home run. Juan Santana was two-for-five with a double and an RBI. Darwin Rivera also doubled.

Greeneville over Elizabethton 6-5
Starter Frederick Tiburcio allowed four runs on seven hits over four innings and struck out six. He was followed by Christian Garcia who was charged with one run and was awarded the win thanks to solid relief from Mike Hauschild and Jordan Jankowski (S,3). This game was always close as the two teams traded runs, and a wild pitch allowing Ariel Ovando to score what proved to be the wining run turned out to be the difference maker at the end of the night. And it was the Ariel Ovando show as he hit two home runs, walked twice, drove in three and scored three. Terrell Joyce also had a very nice night at the plate, going two-for-four with two doubles.

Staten Island over Tri-City 8-7 in 11 innings
Six pitchers combined for Tri-City in this one. Brady Rodgers got the start, giving up three runs on five hits in five innings. Jamaine Cotton got the first blown save of the night as he allowed three runs in his one inning of work before giving way to Travis Ballew and Scott Zuloaga for scoreless relief. Blake Ford then got the second blown save of the game as he gave up one run in the eighth and John Neely was charged with the loss, allowing one run in two and two-thirds innings. Preston Tucker was the offensive star of this one as he went three-for-five with a double, a home run, three RBI and three runs scored. Dan Gulbransen was three-for-six with two RBI; and Austin "Catfish" Elkins, Joe Sclafani and Ryan Dineen each had two hits.

Greensboro over Lexington 5-1
Starter Chris Devenski gave up two runs on seven hits in five and a third innings which proved to be one run too many as Lexington was held to one hit and one run for the night. Evan Grills added on another three runs before giving way to Gabriel Garcia who allowed no hits and one walk in his relief outing. Brandon Meredith got the only Lexington hit in the second inning, but the Legends wouldn't score until the ninth when they scored one on a double play thanks to a hit batter, walk and fielding error.

Lancaster over Rancho Cucamonga 14-11
The score sounds much closer than the game actually was as Lancaster took a commanding lead early driving three Rancho Cucamonga pitchers out of the game and scoring all 14 runs by the time the fourth inning was over. Tyson Perez got his ninth win, despite allowing five runs on eight hits over seven innings, as he was gifted with 14 runs in support of his start. Then things got a little dicey as Brad Dydalewicz gave up a three-run home run in the eighth, Zach Grimmett loaded up the bases in the ninth and was followed by Jose Trinidad who gave up a three-run double. Kenny Long then followed to get a quick double play to end things. The pitching might have been a bit questionable at times last night but the offense was anything but. Delino DeShields broke the Astros minor league single season stolen base record with two steals in the second inning; Telvin Nash hit his 26th home run; and Jio Mier hit his third home run. Everyone in the line-up got at least one hit but a few were overachievers.

Delino DeShields - 2x4 2B 2RBI BB SO 2R
Jio Mier - 2x4 2B HR 4RBI 2R
Andrew Aplin - 3x4 2B RBI BB 2R
Telvin Nash - 2x5 HR 3RBI 2SO R
Jonathan Meyer - 2x4 BB SO 2R
Grant Hogue - 2x5 3B 3RBI 2SO 2R

Corpus Christi over Springfield 2-1 in 13 innings
There was good pitching from both teams in this one. Asher Wojciechowski allowed one run on five hits over six and two-thirds innings and Kevin Chapman, Jake Buchanan, Erick Abreu (W, 9-4) and Jason Stoffel (S, 24) combined to allow only one additional hit over the next six and two-thirds innings. The Hooks were held to five hits with two of them being a home run from Jonathan Singleton and Jay Fernandez's solo homer in the thirteenth inning.

Round Rock over Oklahoma City 2-1
Brett Oberholtzer allowed two runs on ten hits with seven strikeouts over seven and two-thirds innings and was pegged with the tough luck loss as his team couldn't provide him with run support. Mike Hessman did his part as he went two-for-four with two doubles. Jimmy Paredes was also two-for-four with one double.

Players of the Day: I've got to give this one to Delino DeShields for breaking the stolen base record, but I also have to acknowlege Ariel Ovando's two home run, three RBI night.

Pitchers of the Day: I'm going with the whole Corpus Christi crew for a tightly pitched match.

A Record-Breaking Night for Delino DeShields

Delino DeShields, Jr. made Astros minor league history in the Lancaster JetHawks game on Monday, August 20, 2012. After being hit by a pitch, he stole his 88th base of the season in the second inning and then promptly stole third base for his 89th. DeShields broke the previous Astros single season minor league record of 87 which was held by Lou Frazier. Frazier had held the record since playing in the Florida State League in 1988. I was in Lexington in April and witnessed DeShields steal five bases in three games. Here he is after stealing third in a game from April 30th. He swiped three bags that day.

But even more importantly, in the greater scheme of things, the two stolen bases put Delino in a position to score the run on a Jio Mier sac fly. DeShields is tied with George Springer in the Astros minor league system with 103 runs scored so far this season.

Congratulations Delino. Keep getting that uniform dirty.

SB SB SB SB SB SB SB SB SB SB SB SB SB SB SB SB SB SB SB SB SB SB SB SB SB SB SB SB SB SB SB SB SB SB SB SB SB SB SB SB SB SB SB SB SB SB SB SB SB SB SB SB SB SB SB SB SB SB SB SB SB SB SB SB SB SB SB SB SB SB SB SB SB SB SB SB SB SB SB SB SB SB SB SB SB SB SB SB SB and counting

Happy Birthday - 8/16

LHP Jeremiah Meiners (24)
Drafted in the 40th Round of the 2010 draft out of Francis Marion University (SC), Meiners is 3-2 in 14 appearances, including 1 save, for Tri-City with a 2.60 ERA and a 1.084 WHIP. Lefties are only hitting .167 against him.

2B Delino DeShields Jr (20)
The Astros first round draft pick from 2010 has had a break out season with Lexington leading to his recent promotion to Hi-A Lancaster. In his time in Lexington, he hit .298/.401/.439 with 22 doubles, five triples, 10 home runs and 83 stolen bases. Since his promotion to Lancaster, he is hitting .348/.348/.348 with two steals in five games for a total of 85. He is rapidly approaching the all-time Astros minor league record of 87 steals set by Lou Frazier in 1988.

SS Juan Santana (18)
Santana was signed by the Astros as an NDFA from the Dominican Republic at the end of 2010 and is currently playing in his first season in the GCL after playing in the DSL last season.  In 48 games, he has compiled a .252/.301/.319 batting line. In August, he is hitting .275/.341/.375.

Former Astros with birthdays today ~

RHP Xavier Hernandez (47)
Originally drafted by Toronto in the fourth round in 1986, Hernandez came to Houston via the Rule 5 draft in December 1989. Hernandez played for the Astros from 1990 to 1993 and again in 1996. In 273 games, he was 22-19 with a 3.40 ERA and a 1.234 WHIP.

OF Roger Cedeno (38)
Cedeno came to Houston in a December 1999 trade with the Mets and spent one season in the Astros organization before being traded to Detroit. In 74 games with the Astros, he hit .282/.383/.398. His best season was in 1999 when he hit .313/.396/.408 for the Mets with 66 stolen bases.

Roster Moves

Houston/Oklahoma City
IF Brian Bixler was designated for assignment to remove him from the 40-man roster to make room for IF Tyler Greene who was obtained in a trade with St. Louis for a PTBNL or cash.
OF J.D. Martinez was optioned from Houston to Oklahoma City (report date not set).
IF Matt Downs was optioned from Houston to Oklahoma City (report date not set).
2B Jose Martinez was assigned from Corpus Christi to Oklahoma City.
OF Fernando Martinez is being called up to Houston.

Corpus Christi
CF George Springer was assigned from Lancaster to Corpus Christi.
2B Kike Hernandez was assigned from Lancaster to Corpus Christi.

Lancaster
2B Delino DeShields Jr. was assigned from Lexington to Lancaster, not Corpus Christi. DDJ made a mistake in the tweet he sent out early this morning. Moving him directly to Corpus Christi didn't make sense to me so I waited for confirmation before posting.
LHP Kenny Long was assigned from Tri-City to Lancaster.
OF Andrew Aplin was assigned from Tri-City to Lancaster.

Lexington
SS Chan Moon was assigned from Lancaster to Lexington.
C Jobduan Morales was assigned from Tri-City to Lexington.

Tri-City
C Cristian Moronta was assigned from Lexington to Tri-City.
OF Emilio King was assigned from Lexington to Tri-City.

GCL Astros
SS Yoel Silfa was assigned from the DSL Astros to the GCL Astros.

Who's Hot - Lexington Legends

Let's take a look at each of the full season teams and see who's been hot lately. First up, the Lexington Legends.

2B Delino DeShields
DeShields is now hitting .298/.402/.430 for the season and .368/.455/.500 over his last 10 games. Here's how he ranks in the South Atlantic League and in the Houston farm system in several categories.

• 75 Stolen Bases - 1st in SAL/1st in Houston system
• 86 Runs Scored - 1st in SAL/2nd in Houston system
• 119 Hits - 3rd in SAL/4th in Houston system
• 65 Walks - Tied for 3rd in SAL/2nd in Houston system (98 strikeouts)

1B Zach Johnson
Johnson is hitting .249/.345/.421 for the season and .273/.419/.515 with ten RBI in his last ten games. Here's how he ranks.

• 86 RBI - 1st in SAL/1st in Houston system
• 30 Doubles - Tied for 1st in SAL/2nd in Houston system
• 57 Walks - 6th in SAL/3rd in Houston system (only 70 strikeouts)

C/OF Mike Kvasnicka
After a very slow start, Kvasnicka is now hitting .233/.275/.415 for the season and .324/.375/.595 in his last 10 games. His 15 home runs have him tied for fourth place in the Sally League and tied for seventh place in the Houston organization.

OF Brandon Meredith
Meredith also had a somewhat slow start, but is now hitting .273/.373/.489 with 14 doubles, three triples and ten home runs for the season (64 games) and .417/.488/.722 with five doubles and two home runs over the last ten games.

C Luis Alvarez
In 13 games with Lexington, Alvarez is .306/.340/.488 with a double, a triple and two home runs.

SS Nolan Fontana
Fontana hasn't been hitting particularly well over his last ten games, but he continues to draw walks at a high rate. In 20 games for Lexington, he already has 30 walks. His OBP is .516.

LHP Mitch Lambson
Lambson is 3-1 with a 1.19 ERA and a 0.725 WHIP for the season, and he has a 1.74 ERA and 0.870 WHIP since his promotion to Lexington. Most impressively, Lambson has allowed only five walks to 36 strikeouts.

LHP Tommy Shirley
Shirley is 3-2 with a 2.57 ERA and a 1.178 WHIP for the season and has a 3.00 ERA and 1.238 WHIP since his promotion to Lexington.

There are two players who didn't make my "hot" list because they are never very hot or very cold. They are the most consistent players on the team.

3B Matt Duffy
Duffy is hitting .297/.387/.465 for the season with 28 doubles, one triple and 12 home runs. He is tied for fifth in doubles and is tied for fourth in hits and total bases in the Sally League (and ranks in the top five in the Houston system in those categories as well). He has continued to do what he did in his first season as he hits consistently on the road and at home, against lefties and righties, month after month.

RHP Mike Foltynewicz
Folty has had a couple of rough outings in July, but he is still tied for the league lead in wins with 11 and is in fifth place in the league with a 3.05 ERA.

Next Up: Lancaster

Minor League Schedule and Recaps

Monday's Schedule

DSL Astros	DSL Royals	9:30 CST
GCL Astros	GCL Cardinals	11:00 CST
Princeton	Greeneville	6:00 CST
Lexington	Greensboro	6:00 CST
Lowell	Tri-City	6:00 CST	Dahlstrand, Jacob (0-0, 4.50)	West, Aaron (0-0, 0.00)
Corpus Christi	Frisco	7:00 CST MiLB.tv	Seaton, Ross (5-3, 3.83)	Ramirez, Neil (0-0, -.--)
Omaha	Oklahoma City	7:05 CST MiLB.tv	Adcock, Nathan (3-2, 3.03)	Bass, Brian (1-1, 4.39)
Modesto	Lancaster	9:00 CST

Sunday's Results

Tri-City over Connecticut 6-5
Vincent Velasquez got the start, giving up two runs over 4.1 innings. He wasn't the sharpest but kept himself out of any big trouble. Five relievers combined the rest of the way as Brad Mills was apparently managing by remote with Brad Propst getting the win and Blake Ford getting the save. Connecticut nibbled away a run at a time; Tri-City needed all four runs that they put up in the eighth to pull out the win. Dan Gulbrason was the hero of the day as he went three-for-five with three RBIs; Jobduan Morales and Ryan Dineen each put up a pair of hits as well. Neiko Johnson and Chase Davidson both got RBI walks with the bases loaded. Emilio King and Andrew Aplin had outfield assists.

Kingsport over Greeneville 8-3
The bad news is that starter Adrian Houser got roughed up, giving up seven runs (six earned) on ten hits over only 4.1 innings. The good news is that Tanner Bushue came on in relief and gave up only one run over the next 2.2 innings. With the way that Bushue got mauled earlier in the season at Lexington, it's good to see him have an unremarkable outing. Greeneville only scratched across one run until the ninth and by then the road was up a very steep hill. 1B Michael Martinez had a good day, going three-for-four with an RBI. D'Andre Toney was two-for-five.

Corpus Christi over Frisco 3-2
This one came way too close to getting away from the Hooks. Keith Bodie tried to push Chapman into a three inning save. Unfortunately, Chapman only made it 2.2 innings as he gave up a two-run home run with two outs in the ninth after giving up no hits in the prior two innings. Jason Stoffel came in to get the final out to ensure that Jarred Cosart's fine start didn't go to waste. Doubles by Travis Buck and Drew Locke, and a solo home run from Jose Martinez accounted for all the scoring. Andrew Simunic and Martinez each had two hits, as did Drew Muren who is doing his best to Wally Pip Austin Wates with his now .333 batting average.

Omaha over Oklahoma City 6-2
Paul Clemens (L, 8-6) gave up four runs over seven innings and Hector Ambriz added on two more in his two innings. This time Clemens didn't have the good fortune to get copious run support. Brandon Barnes was responsible for all of the Redhawks runs with his two-run home run in the seventh. Barnes was the only player with an extra base hit and the only player with multiple hits as Oklahoma City was held to five hits.

Lake Elsinore over Lancaster 4-3 in 14 innings
David Martinez got the start pitching seven innings and allowing five hits, including a solo home run for his only allowed run, with no walks and seven strikeouts. Unfortunately, the JetHawks couldn't get him run support beyond a monster Erik Castro solo home run. The 1-1 pitcher's duel went to extra innings with strong outings by Pat Urckfitz and Jose Trinidad. In the top of the 12th Lancaster scored two runs, but Andrew Robinson and Kirk Clark couldn't hold the lead, Lake Elsinore tied it up and the game continued through 14, at which time Lake Elsinore put Lancaster out of its misery. Lancaster is now 0-11 at Lake Elsinore's venue this season. Aside from Erik Castro's moonshot and Jonathan Meyer's two RBI single, the offense was largely quiet.

Game of the Day
Lexington over West Virginia 9-3
Nick Tropeano and Nate Pettus combined for eight shutout innings while the Legends went to work with their bats. Unfortunately, Euris Quezada spoiled the fun in the ninth by allowing three runs over 2/3 of an inning before being pulled for Evan Grills who got a final quick out. But even allowing three runs, this one felt out of reach from early on as home runs in the second (Brandon Meredith), third (Jordan Scott), sixth (Mike Kvasnicka) and seventh (Delino DeShields) accounted for eight of Lexington's runs. Matt Duffy was taken out of the game after a hit by pitch in the second.

What went right: Lexington brought their big boy bats today.

What went wrong: Jose Fernandez had an 0-fer and a throwing error. Jay Austin was hitless as well, but at least he drew a walk.

Nick Tropeano (W, 6-4) - 6IP 2H 0R 3BB 6SO
Nate Pettus - 2IP 0H 0R 0BB 3SO
Euris Quezada - 0.2IP 3H 3R 2BB 0SO
Evan Grills - 0.1IP 0H 0R 0BB 0SO

Delino DeShields - 2x4 HR RBI SO 2R
Jordan Scott - 2x4 HR 2RBI BB SO R
Chan Moon - 3x4 2B SO 3R
Mike Kvasnicka - 1x5 HR 3RBI R
Brandon Meredith - 2x4 HR 2RBI SO R

Players of the Day: I'll give this one to the home run hitting quartet from Lexington: Mike Kvasnicka, Brandon Meredith, Jordan Scott and Delino DeShields.

Pitcher of the Day: Jarred Cosart had a fine outing pitching six shutout innings with only four hits and two walks. Here's a great article on what he's been working on.

Bonus Tweet of the Day

Lino DeShields ‏@LinoDeShields

Got shaving cream to the face today! Single season stolen base holder for the Lexington legends! Hard work pays off!http://pic.twitter.com/TDsX2d6B