It Was a Very Big Year For ...

Back in March, I wrote a piece about a few players for whom I declared, "This is going to be a very big year." I would like to revisit what I said back in March and what ultimately happened with each of them. Last week, I looked at a few pitchers. This week it's position players. The article, in full, follows with updates.

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Over the last couple of weeks, I've talked to John Manuel of Baseball America, Jonathan Mayo of MLB.com and others about many of the players in the Astros farm system, both prospect and non-prospect alike. One phrase kept coming up time and time again. "This is going to be a big year for (fill-in-the-blank)." I found myself saying it as well.

With the Astros depth increasing, players will need to step up to keep up. For some, it may be a matter of staying healthy. For some, it will be recapturing earlier promise. For some, it will be taking that next step developmentally. Here are just a few position players for whom THIS IS GOING TO BE A BIG YEAR.

1B/DH Chase Davidson
Davidson turned 23 in January and has only played 53 games professionally to date. Davidson was originally drafted in the third round by the Astros in 2008 but did not sign; they re-drafted him in 2011 in the 41st round. In his first season, he hit .327/.417/.630 with 13 doubles, two triples, 11 home runs and 44 RBI in 44 games. He also struck out 53 times. In 2012, he only appeared in nine games with Tri-City in June before disappearing off the radar for the remainder of the year. At 23, he will need to get healthy, stay healthy and move quickly through the system before time starts working against him.

UPDATE: Time is now officially working against Chase Davidson. He will be 24 in January and he has yet to advance beyond Low A. Davidson only appeared in 10 games for Quad Cities this season, the last of which was on April 23rd. Presumably, he was injured (although I don't know that for a fact). In three professional seasons, Davidson has only played in 63 games. In his 10 games this season (42 at-bats), he hit .238/.289/.381 with three doubles, one home run and five RBI. He walked twice and struck out 21 times in those 10 games. To put it bluntly, I find it increasingly difficult to find a path forward for Mr. Davidson.

SS Jonathan Villar
Yes, Villar has all of the tools but he has yet to put them all together consistently. He needs to show more focus defensively. He has a tendency to speed up the game and make mental errors in the field. Prior to breaking his hand in July, Villar's bat did show signs of coming around but he lost valuable developmental time. Villar won't turn 22 until May so he still has plenty of time to put it all together, but if he doesn't take that next step forward, he could find himself jockeying for position in the Astros depth charts.

UPDATE: Villar spent the first 91 games of the season with Oklahoma City where he definitely made inroads with the bat, hitting .277/.341/.442 with 16 doubles, eight triples, eight home runs, 51 RBI and 31 stolen bases. He then made his major league debut on July 22nd, and in 58 games in Houston, he hit .243/.321/.319 with nine doubles, two triples, one home run, eight RBI, 18 stolen bases and one spectacularly embarrassing baserunning move. But to his credit, he also did this. Overall, I feel as though his baserunning and his bat lived up to expectations at the major league level, but there were still signs that Villar's internal defensive clock needs adjustment. His 16 errors tied for fifth in the American League, despite playing in significantly fewer games than the other category leaders. And before you SABR-types jump on me for using errors, I looked up his UZR for the Astros and it was -8.1 which isn't exactly great either (albeit based on a relatively small sample size). With all that said, personally I thought that he looked better in the field than he did when I saw him in Corpus Christi last season. Ultimately, if he can be more consistent defensively, it will go a long way towards his realization of sustained success at the major league level.

SS Jio Mier
Speaking of which, Jio Mier could be the one to challenge Villar, but he has to stay healthy and he has to continue the progress he made last season (before  a bad hamstring injury) and later in the Arizona Fall League. He missed a large chunk of the 2012 season due to the injury, but it appeared that he was finally putting things together at the plate, hitting .292/.396/.409 at Lancaster and .297/.333/.422 in the Arizona Fall League. If Villar falters and Mier continues his progress and stays healthy, things could get interesting. Mier won't be 23 until August. Did I mention that he really needs to stay healthy?

UPDATE: Jio, Jio, Jio. What can I say? I really like Jio. I'm really rooting for him, but his bat was a definite disappointment in the 2013 season. Everyone I spoke with when I was in Corpus Christi this summer simply raved about Jio's defense and that's precisely what I saw on the field, but what I saw in the batter's box was discouraging. In 104 games, he hit .194/.293/.265 with 10 doubles and five home runs. As far as I know, he was healthy all season so his lack of production can't be blamed on that. I refuse to give up on Jio, but he is going to have to make very big strides at the plate in the coming season because, frankly, there is a great deal of talent coming up through the system looking to challenge him.

C/OF Mike Kvasnicka
I'm not even sure where to start with Kvasnicka. His development seems to have been stunted by his moves from catcher to third base back to catcher and now, apparently, to right field. Kvasnicka had a horrible start to his 2012 season, but seemed to have gotten into a groove at the plate about the time he was moved to right field. He also found his home run stroke, tripling his home run output from prior years. But the fact remains that he is 24 years old and hasn't gotten above Low A yet. He will need to come to Spring Training prepared to show that he belongs and will need to contribute immediately wherever he is placed.

UPDATE: Well, Kvasnicka did have a very big year ... for another team. Traded to the Twins for RHP Gonzalo Sanudo in March, Kvasnicka didn't make his season debut until June, reportedly due to a wrist injury, but played extremely well in 69 games for the High A Fort Myer Miracles, hitting .282/.341/.460 with 13 doubles, two triples, nine home runs and 40 RBI. He played most of his games, by the way, in right field.

1B/DH Telvin Nash
Telvin Nash just turned 22 last month. He needs to do two things. He needs to replicate his home run power outside the hitter-friendly confines of Lancaster and he needs to cut down on the strikeouts. If Nash is promoted to AA this season, I think he will find that the more advanced pitchers will take advantage of the holes in his swing. He will have to find a way to adjust. The recent news that Nash lost 30 pounds during the offseason tells me that he is highly motivated. That is encouraging.

UPDATE: Nash gets an incomplete for the season, but the news is mostly positive. He last played on July 18th and was ultimately placed on the DL for the remainder of the season. Since he didn't advance beyond Lancaster, we still don't know whether or not his power will translate away from The Hangar. But one thing he did accomplish was cutting down on his strikeouts. Nash struck out in over 44% of his plate appearances in 2012. He cut that down to approximately 34.5% in 2013. Still a lot of strikeouts, but a huge improvement! And he improved his walk rate as well. His improved discipline at the plate didn't hamper his home run production so that is encouraging as well. In 62 games, he hit .246/.357/.500 (as compared to .224/.316/.494 in 2012) with 10 doubles, 16 home runs and 48 RBI.

Roster Moves

There were another two minor league cuts this morning, OF Adam Bailey and C Ben Heath. These things are never easy, but this one feels a little personal for me. I've never had the opportunity to meet Ben, but I did have the privilege of getting to know Adam just a little. He is a tremendous person - funny, smart and a great friend to his teammates. I wish the best for both players, but a little piece of my heart will be leaving with Adam.

In addition, Brian McTaggart reported that Mike Kvasnicka, a first round pick from 2010, was traded to the Twins for minor league RHP Gonzalo Sanudo.

Astros Spring Training Photos

I have uploaded a great many of my photos from Spring Training and they can be found here. I haven't had time to label them with player names yet, but will try to do so over the weekend. In the meantime, here are a few of my favorites.

Brandon Barnes

Justin Maxwell

Ben Heath strapping on the gear

Cesar Cedeno looking good back in orange and blue

Mike Kvasnicka, Adam Bailey and Erik Castro

taking it all in at major league camp

Ready for work

George Springer

Brandon Barnes showing Jose Altuve some love

Photos by Jayne Hansen

 All Rights Reserved*

*The players and coaches featured in these photos are hereby granted permission to use these photos for personal use. All other uses require permission and acknowledgment. 

This is Going to be a Very Big Year for ...

Over the last couple of weeks, I've talked to John Manuel of Baseball America, Jonathan Mayo of MLB.com and others about many of the players in the Astros farm system, both prospect and non-prospect alike. One phrase kept coming up time and time again. "This is going to be a big year for (fill-in-the-blank)." I found myself saying it as well.

With the Astros depth increasing, players will need to step up to keep up. For some, it may be a matter of staying healthy. For some, it will be recapturing earlier promise. For some, it will be taking that next step developmentally. Here are just a few position players for whom THIS IS GOING TO BE A BIG YEAR.

1B/DH Chase Davidson
Davidson turned 23 in January and has only played 53 games professionally to date. Davidson was originally drafted in the third round by the Astros in 2008 but did not sign; they re-drafted him in 2011 in the 41st round. In his first season, he hit .327/.417/.630 with 13 doubles, two triples, 11 home runs and 44 RBI in 44 games. He also struck out 53 times. In 2012, he only appeared in nine games with Tri-City in June before disappearing off the radar for the remainder of the year. At 23, he will need to get healthy, stay healthy and move quickly through the system before time starts working against him.

SS Jonathan Villar
Yes, Villar has all of the tools but he has yet to put them all together consistently. He needs to show more focus defensively. He has a tendency to speed up the game and make mental errors in the field. Prior to breaking his hand in July, Villar's bat did show signs of coming around but he lost valuable developmental time. Villar won't turn 22 until May so he still has plenty of time to put it all together, but if he doesn't take that next step forward, he could find himself jockeying for position in the Astros depth charts.

SS Jio Mier
Speaking of which, Jio Mier could be the one to challenge Villar, but he has to stay healthy and he has to continue the progress he made last season (before  a bad hamstring injury) and later in the Arizona Fall League. He missed a large chunk of the 2012 season due to the injury, but it appeared that he was finally putting things together at the plate, hitting .292/.396/.409 at Lancaster and .297/.333/.422 in the Arizona Fall League. If Villar falters and Mier continues his progress and stays healthy, things could get interesting. Mier won't be 23 until August. Did I mention that he really needs to stay healthy?

C/OF Mike Kvasnicka
I'm not even sure where to start with Kvasnicka. His development seems to have been stunted by his moves from catcher to third base back to catcher and now, apparently, to right field. Kvasnicka had a horrible start to his 2012 season, but seemed to have gotten into a groove at the plate about the time he was moved to right field. He also found his home run stroke, tripling his home run output from prior years. But the fact remains that he is 24 years old and hasn't gotten above Low A yet. He will need to come to Spring Training prepared to show that he belongs and will need to contribute immediately wherever he is placed.

1B/DH Telvin Nash
Telvin Nash just turned 22 last month. He needs to do two things. He needs to replicate his home run power outside the hitter-friendly confines of Lancaster and he needs to cut down on the strikeouts. If Nash is promoted to AA this season, I think he will find that the more advanced pitchers will take advantage of the holes in his swing. He will have to find a way to adjust. The recent news that Nash lost 30 pounds during the offseason tells me that he is highly motivated. That is encouraging.

Next week I'll look at a few pitchers for whom THIS IS GOING TO BE A VERY BIG YEAR.

Happy Birthday - 12/7

OF/C Mike Kvasnicka (24)
Drafted as a supplemental pick in the first round in 2010 out of the University of Minnesota, Kvasnicka spent his second season with Lexington in 2012, starting off back at catcher after spending most of 2011 at third base, but then moving to right field later in the season and spending a lot of time as the DH. Kvasnicka had a bad start leading to his overall batting line of .232/.275/.412 for the season. But he hit his stride in June and July hitting .275 with a .492 slugging percentage during those two months before missing most of August on the DL. Kvasnicka also seems to have found his power. After hitting only four home runs in 128 games in 2011, he hit 15 home runs in only 88 games in 2012.

Mike Kvasnicka April 2012

Photo by Jayne Hansen

Former Astros with birthdays today

C Hal Smith (82)
Drafted from the Pirates in the 1961 expansion draft, Smith played in 140 games for the Colt .45's in 1962 and 1963, hitting .236/.287/.365. His best season was probably 1957 when he hit .303/.328/.483 for the Kansas City Athletics with a 37% caught stealing rate. He got his one World Series title with the Pirates in 1960.

LHP Bo Belinsky (died November 23, 2001 at 64)
A Rule 5 pick from the Phillies in 1966, Belinsky pitched in 27 games (18 starts) for Houston in 1967, going 3-9 with a 4.68 ERA and a 1.439 WHIP.

Lexington Legends - April 2012

Over the last couple of weeks, I've attempted to cull through and organize hundreds of photos I took at the various minor league venues during the 2012 season. Here are a few you may enjoy. I have also uploaded photos to Flickr. You can find my Lexington Legends photos from April 2012 here. Unfortunately, I haven't tagged the photos yet, but hope to do so at some point during the off-season. I'll be posting additional photos over the next couple of days.

Mike Kvasnicka warming up Luis Cruz

Mike Kvasnicka taking infield

Roving Coach Paul Runge working with Jordan Scott

Delino DeShields taking a breather

Jordan Scott

Photos by Jayne Hansen

 All Rights Reserved*

*The players and coaches featured in these photos are hereby granted permission to use these photos for personal uses. All other uses require permission and acknowledgment.

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.

Tweet of the Day

Mike Kvasnicka ‏@Kwaz_22

Well, just filled up the tank, the truck is stuffed to the rafters, and I have a few 5-hour energy's... I am coming home. #minnesotabound

Tweets of the Day

Mike Kvasnicka ‏@Kwaz_22

Being on the DL makes you? A. Unproductive B. Spend more time in bullpen C. Bored D. Miss playing Answer, of course, is... E. All the Above

Adam scott bailey ‏@abailey025

@Kwaz_22 F) love baseball even more

Roster Moves

Corpus Christi
OF Austin Wates was activated from the DL.
RHP Erick Abreu was activated from the DL.
RHP Josh Zeid was placed on the 7-day DL.
1B Kody Hinze was released.

Lexington
2B Jordan Kreke was assigned from Corpus Christi to Lexington.
C/OF Mike Kvasnicka was placed on the 7-day DL.

Tweet of the Day

Mike Kvasnicka ‏@Kwaz_22

If the walls of this motel are 'paper-thin', I don't even know how you would describe the TP in the bathroom...? #canigetsome2ply?

Tweet of the Day

Mike Kvasnicka ‏@Kwaz_22

Hey man, tuck your shirt in. No just the very front so I can see your lame belt buckle. Yeah, perfect, just like that. Now go out in public.

Roster Moves

Corpus Christi
RHP Henry Villar was placed on the 7-day DL.
RHP Erick Abreu was activated from the 7-day DL.
According to Greg Rajan of the Corpus Christi Caller Times, C Rene Garcia will be assigned to the GCL for a rehab assignment and IF Brandon Wikoff is being shut down for the remainder of the season due to a wrist injury.

Lexington
OF/C Mike Kvasnicka was placed on the 7-day DL.
OF Emilio King was assigned from Tri-City to Lexington.

Greeneville
RHP Brad Propst was assigned from Tri-City to Greeneville.

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 Recap

Monday's Games

DSL Mariners over DSL Astros 7-2
Edwin Villarroel went to 2-5 on the season as he allowed three runs in his two innings pitched. The good news is that Yonquelys Martinez had his best outing of the season, four scoreless innings in which he gave up only three hits and one walk with six strikeouts. Let's just say Juan Delis didn't do so well and leave it at that. The Astros only scoring was courtesy of a two-run home run from Frederick Serrano as the team once again scraped together only five hits.

GCL Astros - Postponed

Burlington over Greeneville 5-0
An Ariel Ovando single was the only thing standing between Burlington and a no-hitter. Francis Ramirez went five innings and gave up five runs (four earned) to bring his season record to 4-1 in an outing that was less than effective despite his six strikeouts. Jordan Jankowski struck out five in his 2.2 innings of work, but he also walked four. Scott Zuloaga came in for the final out in a bases loaded situation and got a strikeout.

Connecticut over Tri-City 6-4
Tri-City was down 6-1 in the sixth inning and did battle back to make it close, but ultimately fell short. Joe Bircher gave up all six runs on nine hits to go to 0-2 on the season. John Neely followed with three scoreless frames and Jamaine Cotton with one. Other than an Andrew Aplin solo home run in the third, the rest of the scoring was small ball with Tyler Heineman, Dan Gulbransen and Joe Sclafani all contributing RBI singles. Jobduan Morales was two-for-four with a double and scored one of the runs.

Lexington over Augusta 6-2
This was really the only good news story of the night in Astros minor league land. Lexington has now won four in a row and they are only two games behind in the second half standings, the bad news being that there are four teams in front of them in the standings. Starting pitcher Luis Ordosgoitti flirted with disaster a couple of times, loading the bases in the first inning and being hit against for the cycle in the fourth and only allowing two runs out of all that. The seven strikeouts and zero walks didn't hurt, and in the end he prevailed with his third win of the season. Murilo Gouvea earned his third save. Matt Duffy had a big night, going two-for-four with a double and scoring two runs, as did Mike Kvasnicka, going two-for-four with an RBI double and his 15th home run of the season (and third in the last two days), a two-run shot. A Justin Gominsky RBI single, a Nolan Fontana RBI double and a Luis Alvarez solo home run rounded out the Legends scoring.

Lancaster - Off Day

Frisco over Corpus Christi 11-3
Starter Ross Seaton got behind the 8-ball early as he allowed three runs via the long ball in the first two innings. He would ultimately allow six runs on six hits and two walks with six strikeouts to fall to 6-7 on the season. Arcenio Leon (two runs) and Josh Zeid (three runs) did not fare much better. Four wild pitches and a passed ball for Zeid didn't help matters. Jon Singleton was two-for-four with a triple and an RBI. Drew Locke and Adam Bailey each contributed an RBI single.

Memphis over Oklahoma City 9-8
Seven of the runs belonged to starter Brian Bass as he got hit early and often, including a grand slam in the third, but he didn't get the loss as Oklahoma City battled back to tie things up in the eighth. Mark Hamburger had his first outing for OKC and gave up one run on one hit and two walks in 1.1 innings. Mickey Storey pitched a perfect 1.2 innings. Juan Abreu came in for the ninth and allowed the winning run. Good nights from Matt Dominguez (2x4 2B 2RBI), Jimmy Paredes (2x4 2B RBI), Mike Hessman (2x4 2B RBI), and Jordan Kreke (2x4 2B 2R). Fernando Martinez tied the game with a two-run pinch hit home run in the eighth.

Pitcher of the Day: Luis Ordosgoitti gets the nod for his Houdini act in the first and fourth innings.

Player of the Day: Mike Kvasnicka is my hero for two days in a row now.

Minor League Recaps

Sunday's Games

Burlington over Greeneville 9-3
Tanner Bushue got the start and it wasn't good. He gave up seven runs (six earned) on five hits and four walks in only 1.2 innings and was charged with his third loss of the season for Greeneville. Zach Dando gave up another two runs (only one earned) in 4.1 innings on four hits and a walk with five strikeouts. Michael Dimock pitched the last two scoreless frames. Down 7-0 after only two, it was an uphill battle for Greeneville and they never got much going after three straight doubles in the fourth from Terrell Joyce, Ernesto Genoves and Ariel Ovando.

Vermont over Tri-City 4-2
All good things must come to an end. Blake Ford proved that he is, after all, human. After getting out of a bases loaded jam in the eighth, he gave up three runs in the ninth for his first earned runs, his first loss and first blown save of the season after converting his first 10 saves. Lance Day had a very nice start giving up only one run on six hits in five innings. Travis Ballew, Brad Propst and Kenny Long all provided scoreless relief. The ValleyCats were held to only three hits and did all their scoring in the fourth on a two-run Joe Sclafani double.

Lexington over Greenville 13-7
Luis Cruz had a pretty tough outing, allowing all seven Greenville runs (six earned) in only 4.1 innings of work, but Euris Quezada (W, 1-2) and Dayan Diaz shut things down the rest of the way. Cruz really needs to buy Mike Kvasnicka dinner, though, because without his SEVEN RBI, Cruz most likely would have gotten charged with a loss. Kvasnicka hit a three-run bomb in the first and enjoyed it so much, he decided to add a grand slam to his resume in the eighth. Delino DeShields also had a great outing, going three-for-five with a walk, two runs and two more stolen bases to bring his total to 71 for the season. Zach Johnson, Brandon Meredith and Jose Fernandez also had multi-hit games.

Lancaster over Rancho Cucamonga 4-3
Bobby Doran earned his eighth win for Lancaster (11th overall) with a solid seven inning outing, giving up three runs (two earned) on three hits and two walks with six strikeouts. Andrew Robinson pitched a perfect eighth and Carlos Quevedo earned his third save. It was a small ball offense as runs were scored on a Telvin Nash single, a Jonathan Meyer single and a two-run bases loaded Carlos Perez single, in his first game with Lancaster.

Corpus Christi over Frisco 3-1
Jose Cisnero went to 9-6 on the season after throwing a complete game, allowing one run on five hits and no walks with seven strikeouts. An RBI double from Kody Hinze and sac flies from Adam Bailey and Jose Martinez accounted for all the scoring. Drew Muren and Drew Locke also doubled and Jake Goebbert was two-for-four.

Memphis over Oklahoma City 24-7
This one put the ugh in ugly. Paul Clemens only lasted three innings after giving up eight runs on 10 hits, two walks and a home run with no strikeouts, a throwing error and a wild pitch. But that wasn't the bad part. Enter Adalberto Flores in the fourth inning - single, single, single, pop out, grand slam, strikeout, walk, walk, walk, grand slam. Exit Adalberto Flores. Jonnathan Aristil mercifully gave up only one run in his 2.1 innings, but then Xavier Cedeno came in and coughed up another seven runs (five earned) in only a third of an inning before being bailed out by Mickey Storey who thankfully gave up no additional runs. The final inning was pitched by Jordan Kreke, the infielder. He actually didn't allow a hit or a run and had one walk and one strikeout. Kreke also went three-for-four with a triple and an RBI. Brandon Barnes, Jimmy Paredes and Angel Sanchez all had multi-hit nights as well; and Travis Buck and Brad Snyder contributed solo home runs. Brett Wallace earned the Platinum Sombrero, striking out five times. Now can we just forget that one ever happened?

Pitcher of the Day: I have to go with Jose Cisnero for his complete game, but Jordan Kreke deserves honorable mention for pitching in to help out a bullpen in need (and doing so quite nicely, I might add).

Player of the Day: Nobody else even comes close to Mike Kvasnicka with his two home runs and seven RBI. In his last 10 games, he is hitting .326/.333/.652 with 15 hits and 17 RBI.

Copyright  © 2012 Jayne Hansen

All Rights Reserved

Tweet of the Day

Mike Kvasnicka ‏@Kwaz_22

Really pleased with my dinner company. At least I know where I stand in comparison to a racing game app...

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.

Minor League Schedule and Recaps

MONDAY'S GAMES

DSL Astros at DSL Dodgers at 9:30 CST

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

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

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

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

SUNDAY'S RECAPS

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Tweet of the Day

Mike Kvasnicka ‏@Kwaz_22

fa•ce•tious- adjective Treating serious issues with deliberately inappropriate humor. This should help you decipher most of my tweets...