What a difference a year can make! pic.twitter.com/VML7UudPIw— Enrique Hernandez (@kikehndez) June 19, 2015
A LOOK AT THE ASTROS MINOR LEAGUE SYSTEM
Showing posts with label Kike Hernandez. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Kike Hernandez. Show all posts
Saturday, June 20, 2015
Tweet of the Day
Sunday, November 2, 2014
Tweet of the Day
Feels good to be teammates again! pic.twitter.com/iQgxnfSL5U
— Carlos Corporan (@CCorporan22) November 1, 2014
Sunday, August 24, 2014
Happy Birthday - 8/24
No futures Astros with birthdays today, but several former Astros mark the day ~
2B Enrique "Kiké" Hernandez (23)
LHP Hal Woodeshick (died June 14, 2009 at 76)
Woodeshick came to Houston from Detroit in October 1961 and played for the Colt .45's and Astros until he was traded to the Cardinals in June of 1965. In 174 games, he was 21-38 with a 3.16 ERA and a 1.324 WHIP. He was an All-Star for Houston in 1963 when he was 11-9 in 55 appearances with a 1.97 ERA and a 1.026 WHIP. He led the National League in saves in 1964.
RHP Dean Wilkins (48)
Originally drafted by the Yankees in the second round in 1986, Wilkins was picked up by Houston from the Cubs in the Rule 5 draft in December 1990. He pitched in seven games (eight total innings) for the Astros in 1991 with a 2-1 record, a 11.25 ERA and a 3.250 WHIP.
RHP Mike Grzanich (42)
A ninth round pick by the Astros in 1992, Grzanich's entire MLB career consisted of one inning pitched for the Astros in 1998. He retired from baseball with a major league ERA of 18.00 and WHIP of 3.000. It's not often you get a blow-by-blow description of one professional inning pitched, but this is the exception.
RHP Kip Gross (50)
Originally drafted by the Mets in the fourth round in 1986, Gross signed with Houston as a free agent prior to the 2000 season. He pitched four and a third innings in two games with an 0-1 record, a 10.38 ERA and a 2.538 WHIP.
2B Enrique "Kiké" Hernandez (23)
LHP Hal Woodeshick (died June 14, 2009 at 76)
Woodeshick came to Houston from Detroit in October 1961 and played for the Colt .45's and Astros until he was traded to the Cardinals in June of 1965. In 174 games, he was 21-38 with a 3.16 ERA and a 1.324 WHIP. He was an All-Star for Houston in 1963 when he was 11-9 in 55 appearances with a 1.97 ERA and a 1.026 WHIP. He led the National League in saves in 1964.
RHP Dean Wilkins (48)
Originally drafted by the Yankees in the second round in 1986, Wilkins was picked up by Houston from the Cubs in the Rule 5 draft in December 1990. He pitched in seven games (eight total innings) for the Astros in 1991 with a 2-1 record, a 11.25 ERA and a 3.250 WHIP.
RHP Mike Grzanich (42)
A ninth round pick by the Astros in 1992, Grzanich's entire MLB career consisted of one inning pitched for the Astros in 1998. He retired from baseball with a major league ERA of 18.00 and WHIP of 3.000. It's not often you get a blow-by-blow description of one professional inning pitched, but this is the exception.
RHP Kip Gross (50)
Originally drafted by the Mets in the fourth round in 1986, Gross signed with Houston as a free agent prior to the 2000 season. He pitched four and a third innings in two games with an 0-1 record, a 10.38 ERA and a 2.538 WHIP.
Friday, August 1, 2014
Tweet of the Day
Good luck to three of the best as they start a new journey. It was an honor to play with you guys @JarredCosart @kikehndez @austinwates
— George Springer (@gspringer_4) July 31, 2014
Wednesday, July 2, 2014
A Joyful Loss at Minute Maid Park
Tonight I left Minute Maid Park smiling from ear to ear. Was I happy that the Astros lost 13-2? Certainly not. But I was incredibly happy nonetheless.
Let's back up a bit. Just two months ago, my life took a very unhappy turn when the owner of my company died very unexpectedly. Alan was more than the boss. He was a friend. Alan had a knack of finding a connection with everyone with whom he dealt. Our connection was baseball. Astros baseball.
He stopped by my office every single day and asked me what he would read that day when he looked at my blog. He would quiz me non-stop about players that intrigued him. He took particular interest in Joe Sclafani because they shared a Dartmouth education in common. His very last email to me included detailed information about the draft class with his thoughts about who the Astros should draft 1.1. (By the way, he wasn't a fan of Rodon. He wanted Kolek, but Aiken was his second choice so I think he would be happy with the results.)
As I made my way into the office this morning, all I could think about was how much Alan would have loved to drop into my visitor's chair and riddle me with questions about Kiké and Domingo. Sometimes I would become exasperated with him because I had work to do, and he wanted to talk baseball (ironic, huh?). But I would have given anything to have been able to answer all of his questions today.
I had no plans to go to tonight's game, but once I heard that Kiké and Domingo were being called up, there was no question but that I would go. And as much as I like Domingo Santana, he was not the main reason that I made sure I was in attendance tonight. I had to be there for Kiké.
I believe that Santana was on every top ten Astros prospect list over the off-season. Kiké wasn't on any of them. I don't remember even hearing the front office mention his name despite the tremendous year he was having in Oklahoma City. When he got the call, I was mildly surprised. Not because I didn't think he deserved it, but because I wasn't sure the current regime recognized that.
But knowing he was on the way, I had to be there. Because once I met Kiké two years ago in Lancaster, I fell in love with him. To know Kiké is to love Kiké. He's one of a kind.
I knew that he had been injured and had missed some time, but he was starting to really take off in Lancaster. Lancaster Manager Rodney Linares told me that year, "He's not going to hit 40 home runs, but he's got a chance to hit 40 doubles." He was on my short list to talk with, but when he came out of the clubhouse to talk with me, he noted the confusion on my face when I saw this mane of dark blonde hair. "I'm not your typical Puerto Rican," he said with a huge grin, and he put me completely at ease with that statement.
And that's what Kiké does. He puts people at ease. If you need a court jester, look to Kiké. If you need comic relief, look to Kiké. If you need a goofy smile to brighten your day, definitely look to Kiké. If you need someone to entertain the crowd during a lights-out delay, look to Kiké to dance with Andy Simunic and the Hooks mascot on the field.
And during that interview two years ago, when I asked him to tell me something about himself that most people don't know, this is what he told me, “Only my teammates would know I’m a guy you always see with a smile on his face. I like to see people happy. Whenever someone’s not having a good day, I always try and go and make their day better. I like to see people happy, people around me happy, people I care about. This is my family right here. My teammates are my family when I’m away from home so I just want everybody to feel like they’re home. We get pretty homesick sometimes and miss our families because it’s a long road, six months away from home. We’ve been getting new guys pretty much every week and you just want to make those new guys feel comfortable. That’s pretty much what I’m here for, making everybody feel better.”
So I had to be there for him tonight. I wanted to make him feel comfortable. I wanted to make him feel better. I wanted to make him feel at home in Houston. I got to the ballpark early. As it turns out, I got there before his family and his girlfriend had arrived. And I got there before his adopted family from Corpus had arrived (his host family when he played in Corpus).
When I saw Kiké leaving the field after BP, I quickly walked over to where he was signing autographs. I caught his eye, and my reward was a big hug. We spoke briefly and we hugged again, and he gave me one of his goofy Kiké grins.
I soon found his host family from Corpus, which led me to seeing his beautiful girlfriend again and to meeting his family as they arrived from Puerto Rico.
And then the game started, unfortunately without Kiké in the line-up. It was a tough game. Fast forward to the 7th inning. The Astros were down 13-1. Jose Altuve left the game. Kiké came in to the game. Then this happened.
That was the first major league at-bat and the first hit for one Kiké Hernandez, an RBI double. Of course it was a double. That's what he does. He went on to hit a single in his second appearance.
Which brings me back to Alan. When he first died, I didn't go to a single game for three weeks. I just couldn't. It reminded me too much of what we had shared and of what I had lost. I finally made my way back, but a certain amount of the joy in watching a baseball game was still missing.
Then, at some point during tonight's game, I looked out on the field. And I saw several young men that I knew, young men that I cared about working their hearts out on the field in front of me. And tears started to slowly drip down my face as I thought how baseball gives us so much pleasure, and helps us so much when times are hard. Baseball is timeless. It is waiting there for you even if you have to leave it for a while.
Watching Kiké achieve his dream tonight, alongside other young men that I've gotten to know just a little bit during this journey of mine, reminded me of that. So, yes, when I left the ballpark tonight I was grinning from ear to ear. A big goofy Kiké grin.
Let's back up a bit. Just two months ago, my life took a very unhappy turn when the owner of my company died very unexpectedly. Alan was more than the boss. He was a friend. Alan had a knack of finding a connection with everyone with whom he dealt. Our connection was baseball. Astros baseball.
He stopped by my office every single day and asked me what he would read that day when he looked at my blog. He would quiz me non-stop about players that intrigued him. He took particular interest in Joe Sclafani because they shared a Dartmouth education in common. His very last email to me included detailed information about the draft class with his thoughts about who the Astros should draft 1.1. (By the way, he wasn't a fan of Rodon. He wanted Kolek, but Aiken was his second choice so I think he would be happy with the results.)
As I made my way into the office this morning, all I could think about was how much Alan would have loved to drop into my visitor's chair and riddle me with questions about Kiké and Domingo. Sometimes I would become exasperated with him because I had work to do, and he wanted to talk baseball (ironic, huh?). But I would have given anything to have been able to answer all of his questions today.
I had no plans to go to tonight's game, but once I heard that Kiké and Domingo were being called up, there was no question but that I would go. And as much as I like Domingo Santana, he was not the main reason that I made sure I was in attendance tonight. I had to be there for Kiké.
I believe that Santana was on every top ten Astros prospect list over the off-season. Kiké wasn't on any of them. I don't remember even hearing the front office mention his name despite the tremendous year he was having in Oklahoma City. When he got the call, I was mildly surprised. Not because I didn't think he deserved it, but because I wasn't sure the current regime recognized that.
But knowing he was on the way, I had to be there. Because once I met Kiké two years ago in Lancaster, I fell in love with him. To know Kiké is to love Kiké. He's one of a kind.
I knew that he had been injured and had missed some time, but he was starting to really take off in Lancaster. Lancaster Manager Rodney Linares told me that year, "He's not going to hit 40 home runs, but he's got a chance to hit 40 doubles." He was on my short list to talk with, but when he came out of the clubhouse to talk with me, he noted the confusion on my face when I saw this mane of dark blonde hair. "I'm not your typical Puerto Rican," he said with a huge grin, and he put me completely at ease with that statement.
And that's what Kiké does. He puts people at ease. If you need a court jester, look to Kiké. If you need comic relief, look to Kiké. If you need a goofy smile to brighten your day, definitely look to Kiké. If you need someone to entertain the crowd during a lights-out delay, look to Kiké to dance with Andy Simunic and the Hooks mascot on the field.
And during that interview two years ago, when I asked him to tell me something about himself that most people don't know, this is what he told me, “Only my teammates would know I’m a guy you always see with a smile on his face. I like to see people happy. Whenever someone’s not having a good day, I always try and go and make their day better. I like to see people happy, people around me happy, people I care about. This is my family right here. My teammates are my family when I’m away from home so I just want everybody to feel like they’re home. We get pretty homesick sometimes and miss our families because it’s a long road, six months away from home. We’ve been getting new guys pretty much every week and you just want to make those new guys feel comfortable. That’s pretty much what I’m here for, making everybody feel better.”
So I had to be there for him tonight. I wanted to make him feel comfortable. I wanted to make him feel better. I wanted to make him feel at home in Houston. I got to the ballpark early. As it turns out, I got there before his family and his girlfriend had arrived. And I got there before his adopted family from Corpus had arrived (his host family when he played in Corpus).
When I saw Kiké leaving the field after BP, I quickly walked over to where he was signing autographs. I caught his eye, and my reward was a big hug. We spoke briefly and we hugged again, and he gave me one of his goofy Kiké grins.
I soon found his host family from Corpus, which led me to seeing his beautiful girlfriend again and to meeting his family as they arrived from Puerto Rico.
And then the game started, unfortunately without Kiké in the line-up. It was a tough game. Fast forward to the 7th inning. The Astros were down 13-1. Jose Altuve left the game. Kiké came in to the game. Then this happened.
That was the first major league at-bat and the first hit for one Kiké Hernandez, an RBI double. Of course it was a double. That's what he does. He went on to hit a single in his second appearance.
Which brings me back to Alan. When he first died, I didn't go to a single game for three weeks. I just couldn't. It reminded me too much of what we had shared and of what I had lost. I finally made my way back, but a certain amount of the joy in watching a baseball game was still missing.
Then, at some point during tonight's game, I looked out on the field. And I saw several young men that I knew, young men that I cared about working their hearts out on the field in front of me. And tears started to slowly drip down my face as I thought how baseball gives us so much pleasure, and helps us so much when times are hard. Baseball is timeless. It is waiting there for you even if you have to leave it for a while.
Watching Kiké achieve his dream tonight, alongside other young men that I've gotten to know just a little bit during this journey of mine, reminded me of that. So, yes, when I left the ballpark tonight I was grinning from ear to ear. A big goofy Kiké grin.
Saturday, June 7, 2014
Astros Minor League Recaps
Results for Friday, June 6, 2014
Omaha 6, Oklahoma City 2
W- Louis Coleman (1-0)
L- Jason Stoffel (0-1)
OKC home runs: Kiké Hernandez (5, 6 season; solo in 4th), Carlos Perez (3, solo in 8th)
Well there you have it. Those 2 solo shots were the entire OKC offense. Hernandez went 2-4 and was the only RedHawk with a multi-hit evening.
David Martinez kicked things off with 6 shutout innings, allowing 3 hits, walking 1, and striking out 4. Alex White and Jason Stoffel were battered by Matt Fields. White served up a 2-run homer to him in the 7th, and he slammed Stoffel in the 8th. White struck out 2, and Stoffel walked 1 and fanned 1.
Game 3 of this series has a pretty solid name matchup as Mike Foltynewicz takes on Sugar Ray Marimon. First pitch is at 7:05.
Corpus Christi 2, Midland 0
W- Jordan Jankowski (1-1)
L- Chris Jensen (2-6)
S- Pat Urckfitz (3)
CC home runs: None.
The Hooks avoided the sweep thanks to a magnificent performance on the mound from Jordan Jankowski.
JJ allowed 3 hits, walked 1, and struck out 7 over 7.1 shutout innings. And, Pat Urckfitz brought it home, allowing a hit and striking out 1 over 1.2 innings.
Only 4 hits for each side, but the Hooks got the runs. Nolan Fontana led off the 4th with a double and scored the first run of the game on a Carlos Perdomo single. An error would allow Perdomo to advance to 3rd on the play. Jonathan Meyer added another RBI single in the 7th inning to put Corpus up 2-0.
The Hooks will head home to begin a 4-game set with San Antonio. In the opener, Kyle Smith will face TBA; the notes for this game lists James Needy as the Missions starter. First pitch is at 7:10.
Lancaster 8, Visalia 5
W- Matt Heidenreich (2-0, 3-0 season)
L- Keith Hessler (1-2)
S- Dan Minor (2)
Lancaster home runs: None.
The JetHawks put up 5 in the top of the 8th which erased a 5-3 deficit (they had been down 4-0 after 4 innings) and the score you see above is how it turned out after they were through with their rally.
Zach Morton pitched 5 innings and allowed 4 runs on 5 hits, walked 1, and struck out 4. Matt Heidenreich tagged in for 3 innings and gave up a run on 2 hits, walked 1, and struck out 3. Dan Minor got the save with his 12th straight scoreless appearance; he worked around a 1-out single and struck out 2. Minor has gone nearly 2 months without allowing a run.
Danry Vásquez put the JetHawks on the board with an RBI groundout in the 5th. They would put up 2 more in the 6th, thanks to an RBI double from Jobduan Morales and a sac fly from Conrad Gregor. Those 2 runs made it a 1-run game. After the Rawhide got one run back in the 7th to extend their lead to 2, the Hawks began their comeback.
Rio Ruiz drew a 1-out walk and advanced to 2nd on a passed ball. Morales followed suit by drawing a free pass himself, and then Gregor brought Rio home to kick off the scoring in the inning. Morales was struck down at home as he tried to score from 2nd on a Jack Mayfield single, but Lancaster still got the tying run across as Ruben Sosa laid down a bunt single to score Gregor. Sosa then stole 2nd (14), and Vásquez drew a walk to load the bases to bring up probably the last person you would want to face with the bases loaded: Tony Kemp. He drew 3 walks, and the 3rd one gave the JetHawks the lead. One batter later, Teoscar Hernandez finished his night on a positive note with a 2-run single. Before that, he earned himself a golden sombrero.
Game 2 of this series pits Kyle Westwood against Spencer Arroyo. First pitch is at 7:00 Pacific.
Quad Cities 4, Burlington 0
W- Edison Frias (3-3)
L- Ryan Etsell (4-2)
QC home runs: None.
Well look at that. The two teams that were looking to avoid sweeps did so, and they did so with shutouts. The Bandits jumped ahead of the Bees and are now 1 game behind Peoria for that 2nd playoff spot in the Midwest League West.
Thomas Lindauer kicked things off with an RBI double in the 2nd. Tyler White finished 2-5... he added an RBI double in the 6th. Catfish Elkins added an RBI single in the 8th, and later in the inning, he would score on a sac bunt from Tanner Mathis. Brett Phillips went 2-3 with a triple, a steal (10) and 2 runs scored. James Ramsay had 2 steals (16).
Edison Frias pitched 5 shutout innings and allowed 2 hits, walked 1, and fanned 5. Evan Grills followed up with 3 scoreless and allowed a hit, a walk, and struck out 3. Frederick Tiburcio finished it up by striking out 1 in a 1-2-3 9th.
Quad Cities will be home for the weekend. They'll host Peoria for 3 beginning at 6:00. Kevin Comer will take on Blake McKnight.
DSL Rays 6, DSL Astros Blue 5
W- Luis Nuñez (2-0)
L- Albert Abreu (0-1)
S- Diego Castillo (1)
Blue home runs: None.
Well, the difference turned out to be a 2-run bottom of the 1st for the Rays. Both teams had a 1-run frame (Blue in the 3rd, Rays in the 4th) and they both scored 3 in the 5th inning.
Well (again), it would've been the most awesome thing ever if Wander Franco went his whole career without striking out. (Whoa, expectations way, way too high.) He struck out for the first time as a professional in this game. But..... he did draw 2 more walks, giving him a 5-game multi-walk streak and a 13:1 BB:K ratio. The only game in which he didn't draw a walk was the first one. And all he did was club a 3-run homer in that game. Whoops, sidebar. He ripped a 2-run double in the 5th in this game and would score on a wild pitch.
Nestor Tejada hit a 1-out triple in the 1st and would score the 1st run of the morning on a Connor MacDonald groundout. Joan Mauricio hit an RBI double in the 3rd. Edgar Lorenzo, Hayden Timberlake, and Jonathan Matute finished with 2 hits apiece.
Albert Abreu pitched 4 innings and allowed 6 runs (4 earned, 1 inherited runner charged to him) on 6 hits, walked 2, and struck out 5. He faced 3 batters in the 5th and did not retire any of them. Carlos Hiraldo got 2 outs in the 5th, but allowed the runner he inherited from Abreu to score. He allowed 2 hits and walked 1. Josue Uribe walked 2 and struck out 1 over 1.2 scoreless, and Jose Rosario struck out 3 over 1.2 perfect frames.
The Blue team will head out to the A's complex to play a game later this morning.
DSL Yankees2 12, DSL Astros Orange 10
W- Javier Calvo (2-0)
L- Starlyn Taveras (0-1)
S- Freddery Arias (1)
Orange home runs: None.
Once again, the Orange team could not hold a substantial lead. They had been up 10-4, but the Yankees put up 4 in the 7th and 4 more in the 8th. Ugh.
Osvaldo Duarte and Cristopher Luciano finished with identical lines: they both went 2-5 with a couple of doubles, an RBI, and a run scored.
Luciano's 1st double led off the bottom of the 2nd; he would score the Orange's first run of the morning on a single from Gabriel Bracamonte. Later in the inning, Wilson Amador hit a sac fly, and Bracamonte scored on an errant pickoff throw.
They batted around in the 4th, sending 12 men to the plate and scoring 6 runs in the process. Ihan Bernal hit an RBI single, then Amador reached on an error that allowed Bryan De La Cruz to score. Duarte got in on the fun with an RBI double, and then Frankeny Fernandez chipped in with an RBI single. Luciano grounded into a force out that scored Duarte, and an error on the play allowed Fernandez to score. Fernandez scored on a wild pitch in the 6th.
Once again, the rawness of Dominican Summer League pitchers was in full effect yesterday, as both teams combined for 20 walks, 8 wild pitches, and a passed ball. Starlyng Sanchez pitched 4.1 innings and allowed 4 runs (2 earned) on 7 hits and struck out 6. Juan Hernandez went 2.1 innings and allowed 4 unearned runs (3 inherited runners charged to him), a hit, walked 3, and fanned 3. Jose Ramos walked 2 and allowed all 3 runners he inherited from Hernandez to score while failing to record an out in the 7th. Cristhopher Santamaria retired the only batter he faced to end the 7th. Starlyn Taveras got 2 outs in the 8th, but he gave up 4 runs (2 inherited runners charged to him), a hit, walked 2, and struck out 3. Hansel Paulino got the final out of the 8th, but not before he allowed 2 of Taveras' runners to score. He also got the 1st out of the 9th and allowed a hit and walked 3. Bryan Abreu got the last 2 outs of the 9th, walking 1.
The Orange team is the only winless team in the entire DSL. They'll host the Mets 2 later this morning.
Three Stars: Position Players
3.
2.
1.
Three Stars: Pitchers
3.
2. Quad Cities shutout!
Grills and Frias photos courtesy of Bryan Green. Tiburcio picture by John Whinery.
Edison Frias, RHP
1. Corpus Christi shutout!
Omaha 6, Oklahoma City 2
W- Louis Coleman (1-0)
L- Jason Stoffel (0-1)
OKC home runs: Kiké Hernandez (5, 6 season; solo in 4th), Carlos Perez (3, solo in 8th)
Well there you have it. Those 2 solo shots were the entire OKC offense. Hernandez went 2-4 and was the only RedHawk with a multi-hit evening.
David Martinez kicked things off with 6 shutout innings, allowing 3 hits, walking 1, and striking out 4. Alex White and Jason Stoffel were battered by Matt Fields. White served up a 2-run homer to him in the 7th, and he slammed Stoffel in the 8th. White struck out 2, and Stoffel walked 1 and fanned 1.
Game 3 of this series has a pretty solid name matchup as Mike Foltynewicz takes on Sugar Ray Marimon. First pitch is at 7:05.
Corpus Christi 2, Midland 0
W- Jordan Jankowski (1-1)
L- Chris Jensen (2-6)
S- Pat Urckfitz (3)
CC home runs: None.
The Hooks avoided the sweep thanks to a magnificent performance on the mound from Jordan Jankowski.
JJ allowed 3 hits, walked 1, and struck out 7 over 7.1 shutout innings. And, Pat Urckfitz brought it home, allowing a hit and striking out 1 over 1.2 innings.
Only 4 hits for each side, but the Hooks got the runs. Nolan Fontana led off the 4th with a double and scored the first run of the game on a Carlos Perdomo single. An error would allow Perdomo to advance to 3rd on the play. Jonathan Meyer added another RBI single in the 7th inning to put Corpus up 2-0.
The Hooks will head home to begin a 4-game set with San Antonio. In the opener, Kyle Smith will face TBA; the notes for this game lists James Needy as the Missions starter. First pitch is at 7:10.
Lancaster 8, Visalia 5
W- Matt Heidenreich (2-0, 3-0 season)
L- Keith Hessler (1-2)
S- Dan Minor (2)
Lancaster home runs: None.
The JetHawks put up 5 in the top of the 8th which erased a 5-3 deficit (they had been down 4-0 after 4 innings) and the score you see above is how it turned out after they were through with their rally.
Zach Morton pitched 5 innings and allowed 4 runs on 5 hits, walked 1, and struck out 4. Matt Heidenreich tagged in for 3 innings and gave up a run on 2 hits, walked 1, and struck out 3. Dan Minor got the save with his 12th straight scoreless appearance; he worked around a 1-out single and struck out 2. Minor has gone nearly 2 months without allowing a run.
Danry Vásquez put the JetHawks on the board with an RBI groundout in the 5th. They would put up 2 more in the 6th, thanks to an RBI double from Jobduan Morales and a sac fly from Conrad Gregor. Those 2 runs made it a 1-run game. After the Rawhide got one run back in the 7th to extend their lead to 2, the Hawks began their comeback.
Rio Ruiz drew a 1-out walk and advanced to 2nd on a passed ball. Morales followed suit by drawing a free pass himself, and then Gregor brought Rio home to kick off the scoring in the inning. Morales was struck down at home as he tried to score from 2nd on a Jack Mayfield single, but Lancaster still got the tying run across as Ruben Sosa laid down a bunt single to score Gregor. Sosa then stole 2nd (14), and Vásquez drew a walk to load the bases to bring up probably the last person you would want to face with the bases loaded: Tony Kemp. He drew 3 walks, and the 3rd one gave the JetHawks the lead. One batter later, Teoscar Hernandez finished his night on a positive note with a 2-run single. Before that, he earned himself a golden sombrero.
Game 2 of this series pits Kyle Westwood against Spencer Arroyo. First pitch is at 7:00 Pacific.
Quad Cities 4, Burlington 0
W- Edison Frias (3-3)
L- Ryan Etsell (4-2)
QC home runs: None.
Well look at that. The two teams that were looking to avoid sweeps did so, and they did so with shutouts. The Bandits jumped ahead of the Bees and are now 1 game behind Peoria for that 2nd playoff spot in the Midwest League West.
Thomas Lindauer kicked things off with an RBI double in the 2nd. Tyler White finished 2-5... he added an RBI double in the 6th. Catfish Elkins added an RBI single in the 8th, and later in the inning, he would score on a sac bunt from Tanner Mathis. Brett Phillips went 2-3 with a triple, a steal (10) and 2 runs scored. James Ramsay had 2 steals (16).
Edison Frias pitched 5 shutout innings and allowed 2 hits, walked 1, and fanned 5. Evan Grills followed up with 3 scoreless and allowed a hit, a walk, and struck out 3. Frederick Tiburcio finished it up by striking out 1 in a 1-2-3 9th.
Quad Cities will be home for the weekend. They'll host Peoria for 3 beginning at 6:00. Kevin Comer will take on Blake McKnight.
DSL Rays 6, DSL Astros Blue 5
W- Luis Nuñez (2-0)
L- Albert Abreu (0-1)
S- Diego Castillo (1)
Blue home runs: None.
Well, the difference turned out to be a 2-run bottom of the 1st for the Rays. Both teams had a 1-run frame (Blue in the 3rd, Rays in the 4th) and they both scored 3 in the 5th inning.
Well (again), it would've been the most awesome thing ever if Wander Franco went his whole career without striking out. (Whoa, expectations way, way too high.) He struck out for the first time as a professional in this game. But..... he did draw 2 more walks, giving him a 5-game multi-walk streak and a 13:1 BB:K ratio. The only game in which he didn't draw a walk was the first one. And all he did was club a 3-run homer in that game. Whoops, sidebar. He ripped a 2-run double in the 5th in this game and would score on a wild pitch.
Nestor Tejada hit a 1-out triple in the 1st and would score the 1st run of the morning on a Connor MacDonald groundout. Joan Mauricio hit an RBI double in the 3rd. Edgar Lorenzo, Hayden Timberlake, and Jonathan Matute finished with 2 hits apiece.
Albert Abreu pitched 4 innings and allowed 6 runs (4 earned, 1 inherited runner charged to him) on 6 hits, walked 2, and struck out 5. He faced 3 batters in the 5th and did not retire any of them. Carlos Hiraldo got 2 outs in the 5th, but allowed the runner he inherited from Abreu to score. He allowed 2 hits and walked 1. Josue Uribe walked 2 and struck out 1 over 1.2 scoreless, and Jose Rosario struck out 3 over 1.2 perfect frames.
The Blue team will head out to the A's complex to play a game later this morning.
DSL Yankees2 12, DSL Astros Orange 10
W- Javier Calvo (2-0)
L- Starlyn Taveras (0-1)
S- Freddery Arias (1)
Orange home runs: None.
Once again, the Orange team could not hold a substantial lead. They had been up 10-4, but the Yankees put up 4 in the 7th and 4 more in the 8th. Ugh.
Osvaldo Duarte and Cristopher Luciano finished with identical lines: they both went 2-5 with a couple of doubles, an RBI, and a run scored.
Luciano's 1st double led off the bottom of the 2nd; he would score the Orange's first run of the morning on a single from Gabriel Bracamonte. Later in the inning, Wilson Amador hit a sac fly, and Bracamonte scored on an errant pickoff throw.
They batted around in the 4th, sending 12 men to the plate and scoring 6 runs in the process. Ihan Bernal hit an RBI single, then Amador reached on an error that allowed Bryan De La Cruz to score. Duarte got in on the fun with an RBI double, and then Frankeny Fernandez chipped in with an RBI single. Luciano grounded into a force out that scored Duarte, and an error on the play allowed Fernandez to score. Fernandez scored on a wild pitch in the 6th.
Once again, the rawness of Dominican Summer League pitchers was in full effect yesterday, as both teams combined for 20 walks, 8 wild pitches, and a passed ball. Starlyng Sanchez pitched 4.1 innings and allowed 4 runs (2 earned) on 7 hits and struck out 6. Juan Hernandez went 2.1 innings and allowed 4 unearned runs (3 inherited runners charged to him), a hit, walked 3, and fanned 3. Jose Ramos walked 2 and allowed all 3 runners he inherited from Hernandez to score while failing to record an out in the 7th. Cristhopher Santamaria retired the only batter he faced to end the 7th. Starlyn Taveras got 2 outs in the 8th, but he gave up 4 runs (2 inherited runners charged to him), a hit, walked 2, and struck out 3. Hansel Paulino got the final out of the 8th, but not before he allowed 2 of Taveras' runners to score. He also got the 1st out of the 9th and allowed a hit and walked 3. Bryan Abreu got the last 2 outs of the 9th, walking 1.
The Orange team is the only winless team in the entire DSL. They'll host the Mets 2 later this morning.
Three Stars: Position Players
3.
Tyler White on Twitter: @twhite409
Tyler White, 3B, Quad Cities
2-5, 2B, RBI
2.
Conrad Gregor, 1B, Lancaster
1-3, 2 RBI, 2 R, BB
1.
Enrique Hernandez, Utility, Oklahoma City
2-4, solo HR (5, 6 season)
Three Stars: Pitchers
3.
David Martinez, RHP, Oklahoma City
6 IP, 3 H, BB, 4 K
2. Quad Cities shutout!
Grills and Frias photos courtesy of Bryan Green. Tiburcio picture by John Whinery.
Edison Frias, RHP
W (3-3) 5 IP, 2 H, BB, 5 K
Evan Grills, LHP
3 IP, H, BB, 3 K
Frederick Tiburcio, RHP
IP, K
1. Corpus Christi shutout!
Jordan Jankowski, RHP
W (1-1), 7.1 IP, 3 H, BB, 7 K
Pat Urckfitz, LHP
1.2 IP, H, K
Sunday, June 1, 2014
Tweet of the Day
Little photo action with our mentor!! #TommyBallgame @AndySimunic http://t.co/fsvbMcMC1o pic.twitter.com/MLnfSkiJ8x
— Enrique Hernandez (@kikehndez) May 31, 2014
Saturday, May 31, 2014
Tweet of the Day
Not gonna lie, probably the most fun game of the year here in @okcredhawks!!! #Walkoff #CoolerShower
— Enrique Hernandez (@kikehndez) May 31, 2014
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
Saturday, April 19, 2014
Astros Minor League Recaps
Results for Friday, April 18, 2014
Swept again.
Colorado Springs 10, Oklahoma City 9
W- Greg Burke (2-0)
L- David Martinez (2-2)
OKC home runs: Jon Singleton (6, solo in 2nd), Max Stassi (3, 2-run in 7th)
The RedHawks walked off with another loss as they split the series. This happened after they ran off 8 unanswered, which culminated in them taking a 9-8 lead after the top of the 9th.
Jon Singleton opened the scoring with a solo homer (6) in the 2nd. After that, the Sky Sox went on a 9-0 run and were on their way to a comfortable win. However, Singleton had other ideas. He added an RBI single in the 6th, and then Domingo Santana hit a 2-run double. Santana would score when Jonathan Meyer hit into a force out. Max Stassi then made it a 1-run game by smacking a 2-run homer (3). Gregorio Petit hit the game-tying RBI double in the 8th, and Kiké Hernandez completed the comeback with an RBI double in the 9th. Hernandez wound up finishing 4-5. Singleton was 3-5, while Stassi, Petit, and Santana all went 2-5.
Bobby Doran got shelled in 3.2 innings as he allowed 6 runs on 9 hits (3-run homer) and struck out 2. Rhiner Cruz was the first man out and went 1.1 innings, allowing 2 runs (1 earned) on 3 hits and fanning 2. David Martinez threw 3 innings and allowed 2 runs (both inherited runners that scored) on 5 hits and struck out 4. Chia-Jen Lo only got 1 out in the 9th and allowed the game-tying and game-winning singles for Colorado Springs.
The RedHawks will now travel to Memphis for 4 games. In the opener, Rudy Owens and Mike Foltynewicz will take on Angel Castro at 6:05.
Frisco 4, Corpus Christi 3
W- Phil Klein (3-0)
L- Jordan Jankowski (0-1)
S- Matt West (2)
CC home runs: None.
The Roughriders answered the Hooks' 3-run 6th with a 4-run 7th. This was a game that was contested under protest by the Hooks after the 5th inning, stemming from a play at the plate where Tyler Heineman was leveled by Frisco CF Jake Skole.
After 10 zeros were posted, Joe Sclafani led off the 6th inning with a triple. He finished 2-4 and would score the game's first run on a single from Andrew Aplin. Preston Tucker added to the lead with an RBI single to bring Aplin home; he would score himself on a squeeze play from Nolan Fontana.
Aaron West was flying solo last night, as David Rollins is currently on the DL. He started off the game with 4 scoreless and allowed 2 hits, walked 1, and struck out 5. Alex Sogard went 2 innings and allowed a solo homer to Drew Robinson in the 7th, which wound up sparking their rally. Jordan Jankowski got the L as he gave up 3 runs (1 inherited runner scored) on 2 hits, including a 2-run homer, while only getting 1 out. Andrew Robinson got the final 2 outs of the 7th and gave up a hit that allowed the runner he inherited from Jankowski to score and struck out 1. Travis Ballew struck out 2 in a 1-2-3 8th.
Ross Seaton and Luis Cruz will start in game 3; their opponent is TBA, but their game notes say a rehabbing Matt Harrison will be starting for Frisco. First pitch is at 7:05.
High Desert 9, Lancaster 0
W- Scott DeCecco (1-0)
L- Mike Hauschild (1-1)
Lancaster home runs: None.
If I could describe this game in one picture:
Mike Hauschild had a pretty good outing; in 5 innings, he allowed a run on a solo homer to Patrick Kivlehan in the 2nd, 3 other hits, and struck out 5. Tyson Perez worked around 2 hits to throw a scoreless 6th in his season debut. Dan Minor and J.D. Osborne.... had outings that they would love to forget. Let's just leave it at that.
The JetHawks offense was held to just 5 singles and struck out 14 times. They'll look to avoid the sweep as Vince Velasquez and Kyle Westwood will take the hill to face Matt Anderson. First pitch is at 6:30 Pacific.
South Bend 4, Quad Cities 3
W- Will Locante (1-0)
L- Andrew Walter (1-2)
S- J.R. Bradley (2)
QC home runs: Brett Phillips (1, solo in 1st), Jon Kemmer (1, solo in 6th)
Every team in the system pretty much let their games get away late.
Andrew Thurman was solid once again; he's put up 2 nice efforts since starting off with a couple of duds. He went 4.1 innings and allowed a run on 4 hits, walked 1, and struck out 8. Pat Christensen came on to get the final 2 outs of the 5th, striking out 1. Chris Lee went 2 innings and loaded the bases twice, but only allowed a run on a bases-loaded walk in the 6th. Lee allowed 3 hits, walked 3, and struck out 4. Andrew Walter threw a scoreless 8th, but he couldn't preserve the lead in the 9th as he gave up 2 runs, which gave the Silver Hawks a 4-3 lead. Walter allowed 3 hits, walked 1, and struck out 1.
Brett Phillips put QC on the board with his first home run as a professional, a solo shot in the 1st that tied the game at 1. Jack Mayfield hit an RBI single in the 5th, and Jon Kemmer connected on a solo shot (1) which gave the River Bandits a 3-2 lead in the 6th.
The River Bandits will look to salvage a game in this series as Jandel Gustave and Kent Emanuel will take the mound. They will take on Ben Eckels at 6:00.
Three Stars: Position Players
It was a clean sweep for OKC players.
3.
2.
Max Stassi, Oklahoma City
2-5, 2-R HR (3), 2 R
1.
Jon Singleton, 1B, Oklahoma City
3-5, solo HR (6), 2 RBI, 2 R
Three Stars: Pitchers
3.
2.
Andrew Thurman, RHP, Quad Cities
4.1 IP, 4 H, ER, BB, 8 K
1.
Aaron West, RHP, Corpus Christi
4 IP, 2 H, BB, 5 K
Swept again.
Colorado Springs 10, Oklahoma City 9
W- Greg Burke (2-0)
L- David Martinez (2-2)
OKC home runs: Jon Singleton (6, solo in 2nd), Max Stassi (3, 2-run in 7th)
The RedHawks walked off with another loss as they split the series. This happened after they ran off 8 unanswered, which culminated in them taking a 9-8 lead after the top of the 9th.
Jon Singleton opened the scoring with a solo homer (6) in the 2nd. After that, the Sky Sox went on a 9-0 run and were on their way to a comfortable win. However, Singleton had other ideas. He added an RBI single in the 6th, and then Domingo Santana hit a 2-run double. Santana would score when Jonathan Meyer hit into a force out. Max Stassi then made it a 1-run game by smacking a 2-run homer (3). Gregorio Petit hit the game-tying RBI double in the 8th, and Kiké Hernandez completed the comeback with an RBI double in the 9th. Hernandez wound up finishing 4-5. Singleton was 3-5, while Stassi, Petit, and Santana all went 2-5.
Bobby Doran got shelled in 3.2 innings as he allowed 6 runs on 9 hits (3-run homer) and struck out 2. Rhiner Cruz was the first man out and went 1.1 innings, allowing 2 runs (1 earned) on 3 hits and fanning 2. David Martinez threw 3 innings and allowed 2 runs (both inherited runners that scored) on 5 hits and struck out 4. Chia-Jen Lo only got 1 out in the 9th and allowed the game-tying and game-winning singles for Colorado Springs.
The RedHawks will now travel to Memphis for 4 games. In the opener, Rudy Owens and Mike Foltynewicz will take on Angel Castro at 6:05.
Frisco 4, Corpus Christi 3
W- Phil Klein (3-0)
L- Jordan Jankowski (0-1)
S- Matt West (2)
CC home runs: None.
The Roughriders answered the Hooks' 3-run 6th with a 4-run 7th. This was a game that was contested under protest by the Hooks after the 5th inning, stemming from a play at the plate where Tyler Heineman was leveled by Frisco CF Jake Skole.
After 10 zeros were posted, Joe Sclafani led off the 6th inning with a triple. He finished 2-4 and would score the game's first run on a single from Andrew Aplin. Preston Tucker added to the lead with an RBI single to bring Aplin home; he would score himself on a squeeze play from Nolan Fontana.
Aaron West was flying solo last night, as David Rollins is currently on the DL. He started off the game with 4 scoreless and allowed 2 hits, walked 1, and struck out 5. Alex Sogard went 2 innings and allowed a solo homer to Drew Robinson in the 7th, which wound up sparking their rally. Jordan Jankowski got the L as he gave up 3 runs (1 inherited runner scored) on 2 hits, including a 2-run homer, while only getting 1 out. Andrew Robinson got the final 2 outs of the 7th and gave up a hit that allowed the runner he inherited from Jankowski to score and struck out 1. Travis Ballew struck out 2 in a 1-2-3 8th.
Ross Seaton and Luis Cruz will start in game 3; their opponent is TBA, but their game notes say a rehabbing Matt Harrison will be starting for Frisco. First pitch is at 7:05.
High Desert 9, Lancaster 0
W- Scott DeCecco (1-0)
L- Mike Hauschild (1-1)
Lancaster home runs: None.
If I could describe this game in one picture:
Mike Hauschild had a pretty good outing; in 5 innings, he allowed a run on a solo homer to Patrick Kivlehan in the 2nd, 3 other hits, and struck out 5. Tyson Perez worked around 2 hits to throw a scoreless 6th in his season debut. Dan Minor and J.D. Osborne.... had outings that they would love to forget. Let's just leave it at that.
The JetHawks offense was held to just 5 singles and struck out 14 times. They'll look to avoid the sweep as Vince Velasquez and Kyle Westwood will take the hill to face Matt Anderson. First pitch is at 6:30 Pacific.
South Bend 4, Quad Cities 3
W- Will Locante (1-0)
L- Andrew Walter (1-2)
S- J.R. Bradley (2)
QC home runs: Brett Phillips (1, solo in 1st), Jon Kemmer (1, solo in 6th)
Every team in the system pretty much let their games get away late.
Andrew Thurman was solid once again; he's put up 2 nice efforts since starting off with a couple of duds. He went 4.1 innings and allowed a run on 4 hits, walked 1, and struck out 8. Pat Christensen came on to get the final 2 outs of the 5th, striking out 1. Chris Lee went 2 innings and loaded the bases twice, but only allowed a run on a bases-loaded walk in the 6th. Lee allowed 3 hits, walked 3, and struck out 4. Andrew Walter threw a scoreless 8th, but he couldn't preserve the lead in the 9th as he gave up 2 runs, which gave the Silver Hawks a 4-3 lead. Walter allowed 3 hits, walked 1, and struck out 1.
Brett Phillips put QC on the board with his first home run as a professional, a solo shot in the 1st that tied the game at 1. Jack Mayfield hit an RBI single in the 5th, and Jon Kemmer connected on a solo shot (1) which gave the River Bandits a 3-2 lead in the 6th.
The River Bandits will look to salvage a game in this series as Jandel Gustave and Kent Emanuel will take the mound. They will take on Ben Eckels at 6:00.
Three Stars: Position Players
It was a clean sweep for OKC players.
3.
Enrique Hernandez, 2B/OF, Oklahoma City
4-5, RBI
Domingo Santana, RF, Oklahoma City
2-5, 2B, 2 RBI, 2 R
2.
Max Stassi, Oklahoma City
2-5, 2-R HR (3), 2 R
1.
Jon Singleton, 1B, Oklahoma City
3-5, solo HR (6), 2 RBI, 2 R
Three Stars: Pitchers
3.
Mike Hauschild, RHP, Lancaster
L (1-1), 5 IP, 4 H (solo HR), ER, 5 K
2.
Andrew Thurman, RHP, Quad Cities
4.1 IP, 4 H, ER, BB, 8 K
1.
Aaron West, RHP, Corpus Christi
4 IP, 2 H, BB, 5 K
Friday, April 18, 2014
Astros Minor League Recaps
Results for Thursday, April 17, 2014
Swept.
Colorado Springs 3, Oklahoma City 2 in 11 innings
W- Manny Corpas (1-1)
L- Darin Downs (0-1)
OKC home runs: None.
The RedHawks took the lead in extras, only to eventually walk off with a loss in the 3rd game of this series.
Kiké Hernandez, in his AAA debut, got the start in RF and went 2-3 with a run scored, 2 walks, and a steal (1). He scored on a Jonathan Meyer single in the 7th, which tied the game at 1. Ronald Torreyes came on to pinch-hit for Andy Simunic to begin the 10th inning and promptly ripped a triple. Gregorio Petit brought him home with a sac fly to give the RedHawks a 2-1 lead. Austin Wates was 1-3 with 2 walks and 3 stolen bases (8). Max Stassi saw his 12-game hitting streak come to an end as he was 0-5 with 2 strikeouts.
Collin McHugh had a nice start; he went 5 innings and allowed a run on 3 hits and struck out 3. Nick Tropeano tagged in and allowed a hit and struck out 2 over 3.2 scoreless. Darin Downs pitched 2 innings and allowed 2 runs on 3 hits and struck out 1. The game-winning run off of Downs came on a sac fly.
Bobby Doran and David Martinez will start the series finale; they'll be taking on Pedro Hernandez. First pitch is at 7:35.
Frisco 3, Corpus Christi 2
W- Wilmer Font (1-0)
L- Brady Rodgers (0-1)
CC home runs: Preston Tucker (3, solo in 6th)
The Roughriders got 2 late runs and walked off with the victory in the opener.
Again, the Hooks offense was contained as the Frisco hurlers limited them to 5 hits. They did have a couple of chances, but nothing came of those. Rene Garcia scored on a Matt Duffy fielder's choice in the 5th to tie the game at 1, and Tucker, who went 2-4, gave the Hooks the lead with his blast (3) to begin the 6th. Telvin Nash, in his season debut, went 1-4 with 3 strikeouts. Leo Heras was 0-1 with a hat trick of walks, and Nolan Fontana logged his first multi-walk game of the season.
Colton Cain went 4 innings and allowed 2 hits, one of which was a solo home run from Ryan Rua in the 2nd, walked 3, and struck out 3. Pat Urckfitz threw a 1-2-3 5th, and Brady Rodgers went 3.1 and allowed 2 runs (1 earned) on 6 hits (all singles), walked 1, and struck out 2.
Aaron West and David Rollins will be on the mound for game 2, and their opponent will be Alec Asher. First pitch is at 7:05.
High Desert 8, Lancaster 4
W- Tyler Olson (1-1)
L- Chris Devenski (1-2)
S- Will Mathis (2)
Lancaster home runs: None.
The JetHawks clawed back with 3 in the bottom of the 7th to cut their deficit to 1, but the Mavericks got those 3 runs back in the 8th to take the opening game of the series.
Rio Ruiz, Brandon Meredith, and Jake Rodriguez had 2 hits apiece; Meredith walked twice, while Ruiz's sac fly in the 7th accounted for Lancaster's only RBI. 3 of the 4 JetHawks runs came on wild pitches; Ruiz scored their first run on one in the 6th. Tony Kemp drew a 1-out walk in the 7th, advanced to 2nd on a Teoscar Hernandez single, and scored on 2 consecutive wild pitches. After Carlos Correa walked, Hernandez would score on the 3rd wild pitch of the inning. Teoscar went 1-4 with a steal (7) and extended his hitting streak to 5 games.
Chris Devenski pitched 4.1 innings and allowed 3 runs on 5 hits (solo homer), walked 1, and struck out 5. Mitch Lambson got the final 2 outs of the 5th via strikeout. Josh Hader had his first rough outing of the year, as he gave up 5 runs (2 inherited runners scored) on 6 hits (solo homer), walked 3, and struck out 2. Juan Minaya pitched the final 1.1 innings and allowed 2 of the 3 runners he inherited from Hader in the 8th to score on a 2-run single and fanned 2.
In the middle game of this series, Mike Hauschild will take on Jochi Ogando. First pitch is at 6:30 Pacific. Mark Appel will not appear due to a "developmental decision," as Jason Schwartz put it. There probably isn't anything going on; it's just an extended period of rest for Appel.
South Bend 5, Quad Cities 0
W- Braden Shipley (1-0)
L- Albert Minnis (0-1)
QC home runs: None, obviously.
The River Bandits only had 5 hits as they got blanked in the series opener. Jack Mayfield, Tanner Mathis, and Chan-Jong Moon hit doubles.
Gonzalo Sañudo started off with 4 scoreless and allowed 3 hits while striking out 2. Albert Minnis gave up 2 runs (1 earned) on 3 hits in the 5th. Adrian Houser went 3 innings and allowed 3 runs (all in the 9th; 2 inherited runners scored) on 5 hits and struck out 3. Pat Christensen didn't allow any runs of his own in the 9th, but he did allow both of the runners he inherited from Houser to score. Christensen allowed a hit and struck out 1.
In the middle game of this series, Andrew Thurman and Chris Lee will face Blake Perry at 7:00.
Three Stars: Position Players
3.
2.
1.
Three Stars: Pitchers
3.
Collin McHugh, RHP, Oklahoma City
5 IP, 3 H, ER, 3 K
2.
1.
Nick Tropeano, RHP, Oklahoma City
3.2 IP, H, 2 K
Swept.
Colorado Springs 3, Oklahoma City 2 in 11 innings
W- Manny Corpas (1-1)
L- Darin Downs (0-1)
OKC home runs: None.
The RedHawks took the lead in extras, only to eventually walk off with a loss in the 3rd game of this series.
Kiké Hernandez, in his AAA debut, got the start in RF and went 2-3 with a run scored, 2 walks, and a steal (1). He scored on a Jonathan Meyer single in the 7th, which tied the game at 1. Ronald Torreyes came on to pinch-hit for Andy Simunic to begin the 10th inning and promptly ripped a triple. Gregorio Petit brought him home with a sac fly to give the RedHawks a 2-1 lead. Austin Wates was 1-3 with 2 walks and 3 stolen bases (8). Max Stassi saw his 12-game hitting streak come to an end as he was 0-5 with 2 strikeouts.
Collin McHugh had a nice start; he went 5 innings and allowed a run on 3 hits and struck out 3. Nick Tropeano tagged in and allowed a hit and struck out 2 over 3.2 scoreless. Darin Downs pitched 2 innings and allowed 2 runs on 3 hits and struck out 1. The game-winning run off of Downs came on a sac fly.
Bobby Doran and David Martinez will start the series finale; they'll be taking on Pedro Hernandez. First pitch is at 7:35.
Frisco 3, Corpus Christi 2
W- Wilmer Font (1-0)
L- Brady Rodgers (0-1)
CC home runs: Preston Tucker (3, solo in 6th)
The Roughriders got 2 late runs and walked off with the victory in the opener.
Again, the Hooks offense was contained as the Frisco hurlers limited them to 5 hits. They did have a couple of chances, but nothing came of those. Rene Garcia scored on a Matt Duffy fielder's choice in the 5th to tie the game at 1, and Tucker, who went 2-4, gave the Hooks the lead with his blast (3) to begin the 6th. Telvin Nash, in his season debut, went 1-4 with 3 strikeouts. Leo Heras was 0-1 with a hat trick of walks, and Nolan Fontana logged his first multi-walk game of the season.
Colton Cain went 4 innings and allowed 2 hits, one of which was a solo home run from Ryan Rua in the 2nd, walked 3, and struck out 3. Pat Urckfitz threw a 1-2-3 5th, and Brady Rodgers went 3.1 and allowed 2 runs (1 earned) on 6 hits (all singles), walked 1, and struck out 2.
Aaron West and David Rollins will be on the mound for game 2, and their opponent will be Alec Asher. First pitch is at 7:05.
High Desert 8, Lancaster 4
W- Tyler Olson (1-1)
L- Chris Devenski (1-2)
S- Will Mathis (2)
Lancaster home runs: None.
The JetHawks clawed back with 3 in the bottom of the 7th to cut their deficit to 1, but the Mavericks got those 3 runs back in the 8th to take the opening game of the series.
Rio Ruiz, Brandon Meredith, and Jake Rodriguez had 2 hits apiece; Meredith walked twice, while Ruiz's sac fly in the 7th accounted for Lancaster's only RBI. 3 of the 4 JetHawks runs came on wild pitches; Ruiz scored their first run on one in the 6th. Tony Kemp drew a 1-out walk in the 7th, advanced to 2nd on a Teoscar Hernandez single, and scored on 2 consecutive wild pitches. After Carlos Correa walked, Hernandez would score on the 3rd wild pitch of the inning. Teoscar went 1-4 with a steal (7) and extended his hitting streak to 5 games.
Chris Devenski pitched 4.1 innings and allowed 3 runs on 5 hits (solo homer), walked 1, and struck out 5. Mitch Lambson got the final 2 outs of the 5th via strikeout. Josh Hader had his first rough outing of the year, as he gave up 5 runs (2 inherited runners scored) on 6 hits (solo homer), walked 3, and struck out 2. Juan Minaya pitched the final 1.1 innings and allowed 2 of the 3 runners he inherited from Hader in the 8th to score on a 2-run single and fanned 2.
In the middle game of this series, Mike Hauschild will take on Jochi Ogando. First pitch is at 6:30 Pacific. Mark Appel will not appear due to a "developmental decision," as Jason Schwartz put it. There probably isn't anything going on; it's just an extended period of rest for Appel.
South Bend 5, Quad Cities 0
W- Braden Shipley (1-0)
L- Albert Minnis (0-1)
QC home runs: None, obviously.
The River Bandits only had 5 hits as they got blanked in the series opener. Jack Mayfield, Tanner Mathis, and Chan-Jong Moon hit doubles.
Gonzalo Sañudo started off with 4 scoreless and allowed 3 hits while striking out 2. Albert Minnis gave up 2 runs (1 earned) on 3 hits in the 5th. Adrian Houser went 3 innings and allowed 3 runs (all in the 9th; 2 inherited runners scored) on 5 hits and struck out 3. Pat Christensen didn't allow any runs of his own in the 9th, but he did allow both of the runners he inherited from Houser to score. Christensen allowed a hit and struck out 1.
In the middle game of this series, Andrew Thurman and Chris Lee will face Blake Perry at 7:00.
Three Stars: Position Players
3.
InsideSoCal.com: Hagerty ready to roll with Ruiz for rest of season
Rio Ruiz, 3B, Lancaster
2-4, sac fly, R
2.
Enrique Hernandez, 2B/OF, Oklahoma City
AAA debut: 2-3, R, 2 BB, SB (1)
1.
Preston Tucker, OF, Corpus Christi
2-4, 2B, solo HR (3)
Three Stars: Pitchers
3.
Collin McHugh, RHP, Oklahoma City
5 IP, 3 H, ER, 3 K
2.
1.
Nick Tropeano, RHP, Oklahoma City
3.2 IP, H, 2 K
Wednesday, April 16, 2014
Astros Minor League Roster Moves/Transactions
In addition to the news that some guy named George Springer got promoted to Houston, I found a couple more transactions for today.
OKLAHOMA CITY
2B Enrique Hernandez was assigned from Corpus Christi to Oklahoma City
OF Robbie Grossman was optioned from Houston to Oklahoma City
LANCASTER
IF/OF Ruben Sosa was assigned from Oklahoma City to Lancaster
There was also this tweet noting that Telvin Nash was being assigned to Corpus Christi, but the transaction has not been posted on MiLB.com yet.
OKLAHOMA CITY
2B Enrique Hernandez was assigned from Corpus Christi to Oklahoma City
OF Robbie Grossman was optioned from Houston to Oklahoma City
LANCASTER
IF/OF Ruben Sosa was assigned from Oklahoma City to Lancaster
There was also this tweet noting that Telvin Nash was being assigned to Corpus Christi, but the transaction has not been posted on MiLB.com yet.
Old friend Telvin Nash activated off DL today and will join AA Corpus Christi. Sorry Texas League baseballs... #lighttowerpower
— Lancaster JetHawks (@JetHawks) April 16, 2014
Sunday, April 6, 2014
Tweet of the Day
Cinnamon roll as big as your head? Now I believe it! #DillyDeli pic.twitter.com/uBikU3CiqL
— Enrique Hernandez (@kikehndez) April 5, 2014
Sunday, March 30, 2014
Tweet of the Day
Spring Training '14 over! Excited to be heading back to #HookNation!!! @cchooks
— Enrique Hernandez (@kikehndez) March 29, 2014
Wednesday, January 8, 2014
Tweet of the Day
Everybody is complaining about how cold it is, but it's 86 degrees here and still playing baseball!! Wouldn't have it any other way!!!
— Enrique Hernandez (@kikehndez) January 7, 2014
Sunday, November 10, 2013
Tweet of the Day
@iLLJAY_SiNG just being a star in Puerto Rico!! #singnation pic.twitter.com/M1KLcwWHgm
— Enrique Hernandez (@kikehndez) November 10, 2013
Saturday, August 24, 2013
Happy Birthday - 8/24
Happy Birthday to ~
2B Enrique "Kiké" Hernandez (22)
Former Astros with birthdays today ~
LHP Hal Woodeshick (died June 14, 2009 at 76)
Woodeshick came to Houston from Detroit in October 1961 and played for the Colt .45's and Astros until he was traded to the Cardinals in June of 1965. In 174 games, he was 21-38 with a 3.16 ERA and a 1.324 WHIP. He was an All-Star for Houston in 1963 when he was 11-9 in 55 appearances with a 1.97 ERA and a 1.026 WHIP. He led the National League in saves in 1964.
RHP Dean Wilkins (47)
Originally drafted by the Yankees in the second round in 1986, Wilkins was picked up by Houston from the Cubs in the Rule 5 draft in December 1990. He pitched in seven games (eight total innings) for the Astros in 1991 with a 2-1 record, a 11.25 ERA and a 3.250 WHIP.
RHP Mike Grzanich (41)
A ninth round pick by the Astros in 1992, Grzanich's entire MLB career consisted of one inning pitched for the Astros in 1998. He retired from baseball with a major league ERA of 18.00 and WHIP of 3.000. It's not often you get a blow-by-blow description of one professional inning pitched, but this is the exception.
RHP Kip Gross (49)
Originally drafted by the Mets in the fourth round in 1986, Gross signed with Houston as a free agent prior to the 2000 season. He pitched four and a third innings in two games with an 0-1 record, a 10.38 ERA and a 2.538 WHIP.
2B Enrique "Kiké" Hernandez (22)
Former Astros with birthdays today ~
LHP Hal Woodeshick (died June 14, 2009 at 76)
Woodeshick came to Houston from Detroit in October 1961 and played for the Colt .45's and Astros until he was traded to the Cardinals in June of 1965. In 174 games, he was 21-38 with a 3.16 ERA and a 1.324 WHIP. He was an All-Star for Houston in 1963 when he was 11-9 in 55 appearances with a 1.97 ERA and a 1.026 WHIP. He led the National League in saves in 1964.
RHP Dean Wilkins (47)
Originally drafted by the Yankees in the second round in 1986, Wilkins was picked up by Houston from the Cubs in the Rule 5 draft in December 1990. He pitched in seven games (eight total innings) for the Astros in 1991 with a 2-1 record, a 11.25 ERA and a 3.250 WHIP.
RHP Mike Grzanich (41)
A ninth round pick by the Astros in 1992, Grzanich's entire MLB career consisted of one inning pitched for the Astros in 1998. He retired from baseball with a major league ERA of 18.00 and WHIP of 3.000. It's not often you get a blow-by-blow description of one professional inning pitched, but this is the exception.
RHP Kip Gross (49)
Originally drafted by the Mets in the fourth round in 1986, Gross signed with Houston as a free agent prior to the 2000 season. He pitched four and a third innings in two games with an 0-1 record, a 10.38 ERA and a 2.538 WHIP.
Thursday, August 8, 2013
Astros Minor League Recaps
Wednesday's Games
Oklahoma City - Off Day
Corpus Christi over Northwest Arkansas 4-2
Mike Foltynewicz (5.1IP 2H 2R 4BB 3SO HR) cruised through the first five innings before hitting a bump in the sixth. Kyle Hallock inherited bases loaded with one out from Folty and quickly induced a double play ball. Carlos Quevedo and Jonas Dufek took it the rest of the way with scoreless outings. Dufek got the win in relief; he has yet to surrender a run in his five appearances at AA. The Hooks scored their first run on Domingo Santana's 19th home run of the year in the sixth and got the go ahead runs off a three-run pinch hit Kike Hernandez bomb in the eighth. Raoul Torrez was two-for-four with two doubles.
Lancaster over Modesto 8-6
Aaron West (5H 2R 5SO) threw the first seven and was rewarded with the win to even his season record to 8-8. Blair Walters and Tyson Perez combined to allow four runs over the next one and a third innings before Kenny Long came along to save the day and get the save. Lancaster scored the first three in the third on a bases loaded walk, sac fly and ground out, one in the fourth on a Joe Sclafani homer, three more in the fifth and the final run scored on a Joe Scalfani RBI double in the eighth.
Clinton over Quad Cities 7-5
Lance McCullers (5H 2R/0ER 1BB 7SO) pitched six strong innings and got a no decision. Gera Sanchez took the loss after allowing five runs in the seventh. The River Bandits hit five doubles in the game, two from Carlos Correa (2x4 RBI R) and one each from Teoscar Hernandez, Bobby Borchering and Rio Ruiz. Tony Kemp, Danry Vasquez and Bobby Borchering were all two-for-four with an RBI and run scored. Kemp stole his first base since joining the team.
Tri-City over Williamsport 8-7
Adrian Houser went four and two-thirds and allowed two runs on five hits while striking out eight. Albert Minnis got the final out in the fifth. Tanner Bushue gave up four solo home runs in his two and a third. J.D. Osborne gave up the final run, but got the win as the 'Cats won in walk-off fashion on a two-run Conrad Gregor (2x5 2B HR 3RBI R) home run. Mike Martinez (2x4 BB) also provided two RBI via the long ball in the sixth. Jack Mayfield went two-for-three with an RBI
Greeneville over Bristol 11-10
Frederick Tiburcio (5IP 3H 2R 2BB 5SO) got the win despite some major bullpen woes. Ryan Connolly pitched two scoreless, but Christian Garcia walked the bases loaded in the ninth and Kevin Ferguson allowed those three runs to score plus another three of his own. Ferguson was charged with two more runs as Krishawn Holley allowed those runs to score when he came in with bases loaded. Holley was finally able to stop the bleeding after the eighth run of the inning had come across. Luckily Greeneville had a couple of big innings to pad their earlier lead. After Brian Holberton drove in two in the fourth via the long ball, and Darwin Rivera doubled in another in the sixth, the Astros put up two four-run frames in the seventh and eighth to give them a big enough cushion to hang on. Here's the box so you can see all of last night's offensive heroes.
GCL Blue Jays over GCL Astros 10-3
DSL Mariners over DSL Astros 4-3
Note that there was very strong pitching in this one from Edwin Villarroel, Cristhopher Santamaria and Yonquelys Hernandez. Angel Heredia gave up three runs in the ninth for a blown save and a loss.
Players of the Day: I'm going to award the honor to two players with big home runs. Kike Hernandez and Conrad Gregor bridged the difference between win and loss with their late-inning heroics.
Pitcher of the Day: Lance McCullers is getting a little love for a very nice outing. He retired the first nine in order before giving up his first hit in the fourth inning.
Oklahoma City - Off Day
Corpus Christi over Northwest Arkansas 4-2
Mike Foltynewicz (5.1IP 2H 2R 4BB 3SO HR) cruised through the first five innings before hitting a bump in the sixth. Kyle Hallock inherited bases loaded with one out from Folty and quickly induced a double play ball. Carlos Quevedo and Jonas Dufek took it the rest of the way with scoreless outings. Dufek got the win in relief; he has yet to surrender a run in his five appearances at AA. The Hooks scored their first run on Domingo Santana's 19th home run of the year in the sixth and got the go ahead runs off a three-run pinch hit Kike Hernandez bomb in the eighth. Raoul Torrez was two-for-four with two doubles.
Lancaster over Modesto 8-6
Aaron West (5H 2R 5SO) threw the first seven and was rewarded with the win to even his season record to 8-8. Blair Walters and Tyson Perez combined to allow four runs over the next one and a third innings before Kenny Long came along to save the day and get the save. Lancaster scored the first three in the third on a bases loaded walk, sac fly and ground out, one in the fourth on a Joe Sclafani homer, three more in the fifth and the final run scored on a Joe Scalfani RBI double in the eighth.
Clinton over Quad Cities 7-5
Lance McCullers (5H 2R/0ER 1BB 7SO) pitched six strong innings and got a no decision. Gera Sanchez took the loss after allowing five runs in the seventh. The River Bandits hit five doubles in the game, two from Carlos Correa (2x4 RBI R) and one each from Teoscar Hernandez, Bobby Borchering and Rio Ruiz. Tony Kemp, Danry Vasquez and Bobby Borchering were all two-for-four with an RBI and run scored. Kemp stole his first base since joining the team.
Tri-City over Williamsport 8-7
Adrian Houser went four and two-thirds and allowed two runs on five hits while striking out eight. Albert Minnis got the final out in the fifth. Tanner Bushue gave up four solo home runs in his two and a third. J.D. Osborne gave up the final run, but got the win as the 'Cats won in walk-off fashion on a two-run Conrad Gregor (2x5 2B HR 3RBI R) home run. Mike Martinez (2x4 BB) also provided two RBI via the long ball in the sixth. Jack Mayfield went two-for-three with an RBI
Greeneville over Bristol 11-10
Frederick Tiburcio (5IP 3H 2R 2BB 5SO) got the win despite some major bullpen woes. Ryan Connolly pitched two scoreless, but Christian Garcia walked the bases loaded in the ninth and Kevin Ferguson allowed those three runs to score plus another three of his own. Ferguson was charged with two more runs as Krishawn Holley allowed those runs to score when he came in with bases loaded. Holley was finally able to stop the bleeding after the eighth run of the inning had come across. Luckily Greeneville had a couple of big innings to pad their earlier lead. After Brian Holberton drove in two in the fourth via the long ball, and Darwin Rivera doubled in another in the sixth, the Astros put up two four-run frames in the seventh and eighth to give them a big enough cushion to hang on. Here's the box so you can see all of last night's offensive heroes.
I apologize that I do not have the time today to recap the final two games. Please click on the links to see those boxscores. I hope to have my schedule back to normal tomorrow.
GCL Blue Jays over GCL Astros 10-3
DSL Mariners over DSL Astros 4-3
Note that there was very strong pitching in this one from Edwin Villarroel, Cristhopher Santamaria and Yonquelys Hernandez. Angel Heredia gave up three runs in the ninth for a blown save and a loss.
Players of the Day: I'm going to award the honor to two players with big home runs. Kike Hernandez and Conrad Gregor bridged the difference between win and loss with their late-inning heroics.
Pitcher of the Day: Lance McCullers is getting a little love for a very nice outing. He retired the first nine in order before giving up his first hit in the fourth inning.
Friday, June 14, 2013
Funky Foto Friday
I've been playing with the BeFunky photo effect site again. Here are a few of my favorites. Enjoy!
Brady Rodgers
Brian Holmes
Carlos Quevedo
David Martinez
Joe Sclafani
Jonathan Meyer
Luis Cruz
T.J. Geith
Chris Devenski
David Rollins
George Springer
Kiké Hernandez
Wednesday, June 12, 2013
Astros Minor League Recaps
Tuesday's Games
OK, yesterday I got a little cranky and I called out some starting pitchers. I'm not proud of it, but ... IT WORKED!!! Four out of five Astros MiLB teams won yesterday and the loss was close. It's so much more fun writing about wins than losses. Thanks guys!!!
Oklahoma City over Iowa 8-5
Thank you Asher Wojciechowski for starting off my day right. After the last couple of rough days for the farm system, the RedHawks didn't waste any time removing that losing taste from my mouth as they prevailed in a day game. Wojo gave up one in the first on a solo home run and one in the sixth on an RBI single, but put up four very pretty zeroes in the interim and struck out seven batters. Kevin Chapman, Alex Sogard and Rhiner Cruz combined to allow three runs (one earned) in two and a third before giving way to Jose Valdez who struck out the side to earn his 13th save of the season. The RedHawks took the lead in the bottom of the first on a Brett Wallace (3x4 BB 2R) two-run home run and managed to keep the lead the rest of the way, staying just ahead of Iowa. Cody Clark was two-for-four and scored a run. Andy Simunic drove in three via a single and sac bunt. There were five stolen bases in the game, with Che-Hsuan Lin and Jonathan Villar each getting two, and Simunic getting one.
Corpus Christi over San Antonio 6-2
Mike Foltynewicz got the start and his second AA win as he pitched five innings and allowed two runs on three hits and three walks while striking out five (and he reportedly lit up the radar gun to 100 and 101 on several occasions). He was followed by four scoreless innings from David Martinez (2H 4SO). Corpus took the lead in the third as Jon Singleton (2x4 BB) drove in two with a triple and then scored on a throwing error on the play. A Kiké Hernandez (3x4 2B 3B HR) home run in the fourth, a Justin Maxwell RBI single in the fifth, and a Domingo Santana home run in the eighth accounted for the rest of the scoring. Maxwell's RBI single broke an 0-for-19 streak. George Springer was one-for-five with a double, but struck out four times.
Lancaster over High Desert 3-1
Manager Rodney Linares burned incense and brought in some sacrificial KFC and it worked. The JetHawks 8-game losing streak is now in the rearview mirror! Luis Cruz (5H 2BB 5SO) threw the first five frames and did a terrific job, getting a key strikeout in the fifth to strand runners at second and third. Kyle Hallock (W, 4-1) threw the next three and a third and allowed one run in the ninth before giving way to Travis Ballew who converted his tenth save of the season as he erased the inherited runner on a double play. The 'Hawks did all of their scoring with two outs in the sixth inning, with runs coming across on a Preston Tucker (4x4 2-2B R) RBI single and a two-run M.P. Cokinos double. Joe Sclafani was two-for-four with two doubles and scored a run.
Quad Cities over Cedar Rapids 8-4
Starter Lance McCullers (4IP 5H 4R 2BB 6SO) would probably like to have the third inning back to do over as four of his five hits allowed and all of his runs came across in the frame. But the team had Lance's back and took the lead in the seventh to get him off the hook. Daniel Minor (3.1IP 3H 1BB 4SO) cruised to his fourth win of the season and John Neely pitched a perfect one and two-thirds to earn his 10th save of the season. It was mostly a small ball offense, taking advantage of errors and stealing bases (Rio Ruiz, Austin Elkins, Carlos Correa and Ruben Sosa all swiped bags) until Jesse Wierzbicki (3x5 4RBI 3R) put things out of reach with a three-run home run in the eighth. Correa was two-for-two with three walks and three runs scored; Jobduan Morales was one-for-four with two RBI; and Ruben Sosa was two-for-four.
DSL Rays over DSL Astros 7-6
Five pitchers worked for the Astros in this one and none of the performances really stood out one way or the other. The boxscore is here if you so desire. The lead changed on this one five times before the Astros finally ran out of outs. The bad news is that the Astros only had six hits. The good news is that four of them were doubles, including two doubles from 2B Arturo Michelina. RF Brauly Mejia was one-for-two with a double and two walks. C Marlon Avea doubled as well.
Player of the Day: Jesse Wierzbicki has been in a bit of a funk with the bat lately. It's great to see him break out in a big way and win the WTHB honors. Kiké Hernandez only lacked a single in his quest to hit for the cycle on Tuesday, an admirable feat, and earns honorable mention.
Pitcher of the Day: Luis Cruz gets all my love today and then some. The five shutout innings he tossed Tuesday night gave the JetHawks the chance to stay in the game, get the bats going and end their eight-game losing streak. The 'Hawks needed a stopper and they got one.
OK, yesterday I got a little cranky and I called out some starting pitchers. I'm not proud of it, but ... IT WORKED!!! Four out of five Astros MiLB teams won yesterday and the loss was close. It's so much more fun writing about wins than losses. Thanks guys!!!
Oklahoma City over Iowa 8-5
Thank you Asher Wojciechowski for starting off my day right. After the last couple of rough days for the farm system, the RedHawks didn't waste any time removing that losing taste from my mouth as they prevailed in a day game. Wojo gave up one in the first on a solo home run and one in the sixth on an RBI single, but put up four very pretty zeroes in the interim and struck out seven batters. Kevin Chapman, Alex Sogard and Rhiner Cruz combined to allow three runs (one earned) in two and a third before giving way to Jose Valdez who struck out the side to earn his 13th save of the season. The RedHawks took the lead in the bottom of the first on a Brett Wallace (3x4 BB 2R) two-run home run and managed to keep the lead the rest of the way, staying just ahead of Iowa. Cody Clark was two-for-four and scored a run. Andy Simunic drove in three via a single and sac bunt. There were five stolen bases in the game, with Che-Hsuan Lin and Jonathan Villar each getting two, and Simunic getting one.
Corpus Christi over San Antonio 6-2
Mike Foltynewicz got the start and his second AA win as he pitched five innings and allowed two runs on three hits and three walks while striking out five (and he reportedly lit up the radar gun to 100 and 101 on several occasions). He was followed by four scoreless innings from David Martinez (2H 4SO). Corpus took the lead in the third as Jon Singleton (2x4 BB) drove in two with a triple and then scored on a throwing error on the play. A Kiké Hernandez (3x4 2B 3B HR) home run in the fourth, a Justin Maxwell RBI single in the fifth, and a Domingo Santana home run in the eighth accounted for the rest of the scoring. Maxwell's RBI single broke an 0-for-19 streak. George Springer was one-for-five with a double, but struck out four times.
Lancaster over High Desert 3-1
Manager Rodney Linares burned incense and brought in some sacrificial KFC and it worked. The JetHawks 8-game losing streak is now in the rearview mirror! Luis Cruz (5H 2BB 5SO) threw the first five frames and did a terrific job, getting a key strikeout in the fifth to strand runners at second and third. Kyle Hallock (W, 4-1) threw the next three and a third and allowed one run in the ninth before giving way to Travis Ballew who converted his tenth save of the season as he erased the inherited runner on a double play. The 'Hawks did all of their scoring with two outs in the sixth inning, with runs coming across on a Preston Tucker (4x4 2-2B R) RBI single and a two-run M.P. Cokinos double. Joe Sclafani was two-for-four with two doubles and scored a run.
Quad Cities over Cedar Rapids 8-4
Starter Lance McCullers (4IP 5H 4R 2BB 6SO) would probably like to have the third inning back to do over as four of his five hits allowed and all of his runs came across in the frame. But the team had Lance's back and took the lead in the seventh to get him off the hook. Daniel Minor (3.1IP 3H 1BB 4SO) cruised to his fourth win of the season and John Neely pitched a perfect one and two-thirds to earn his 10th save of the season. It was mostly a small ball offense, taking advantage of errors and stealing bases (Rio Ruiz, Austin Elkins, Carlos Correa and Ruben Sosa all swiped bags) until Jesse Wierzbicki (3x5 4RBI 3R) put things out of reach with a three-run home run in the eighth. Correa was two-for-two with three walks and three runs scored; Jobduan Morales was one-for-four with two RBI; and Ruben Sosa was two-for-four.
DSL Rays over DSL Astros 7-6
Five pitchers worked for the Astros in this one and none of the performances really stood out one way or the other. The boxscore is here if you so desire. The lead changed on this one five times before the Astros finally ran out of outs. The bad news is that the Astros only had six hits. The good news is that four of them were doubles, including two doubles from 2B Arturo Michelina. RF Brauly Mejia was one-for-two with a double and two walks. C Marlon Avea doubled as well.
Player of the Day: Jesse Wierzbicki has been in a bit of a funk with the bat lately. It's great to see him break out in a big way and win the WTHB honors. Kiké Hernandez only lacked a single in his quest to hit for the cycle on Tuesday, an admirable feat, and earns honorable mention.
Pitcher of the Day: Luis Cruz gets all my love today and then some. The five shutout innings he tossed Tuesday night gave the JetHawks the chance to stay in the game, get the bats going and end their eight-game losing streak. The 'Hawks needed a stopper and they got one.
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