Lexington
RHP Luis Ordosgoitti was placed on the 7-day DL.
2B John Hinson was activated from the 7-day DL.
Apparently, John Hinson had an injury while running the bases and was pulled from the game. I would hate to see him back on the DL a day after coming off, particularly with the terrific night he had last night.
A LOOK AT THE ASTROS MINOR LEAGUE SYSTEM
Saturday, June 2, 2012
Friday, June 1, 2012
Dominican Summer League Roster
The Dominican Summer League starts play tomorrow, June 2nd. Here is the TENTATIVE opening day roster. Players in BOLD are new to the DSL Astros team this season. The DSL roster can have up to 35 players on it with up to 30 players being "dressed and available" for any given game.
PITCHERS
RHP Luis Abad
RHP Harold Arauz
RHP Johan Arias
RHP Rayderson Chevalier
RHP Frangy Colon
RHP Samil De Los Santos
RHP Juan Delis
LHP Edgar Ferreira
LHP Geronimo Franzua
RHP Angel Heredia - I believe he'll start the season on the restricted list.
RHP Elieser Hernandez
RHP Juan Hernandez
LHP Erick Hurtado
RHP Tomas Lopez
RHP Yonquelis Martinez
RHP Victor Mesa
LHP Javier Saucedo
RHP Carlos Vasquez
LHP Edwin Villarroel
CATCHERS
Marlon Avea
Pedro Coa
Brian Pena
INFIELDERS
Randy Cesar
Jean Cortorreal
Michael Medina
Arturo Michelina
Luis Reynosa
Yoel Silfa
OUTFIELDERS
Tomas de la Cruz
Mesac Laguna
Brauly Mejia
*Cristian Murillo
Jarico Reynosa
Edward Santana
Frederick Serrano
*Bats left
In addition, there are several notable absences from last year's roster. I think we can assume that such players as Teoscar Hernandez, Juan Santana, Reymin Guduan and a few others are probably currently at extended spring training and may be earmarked for short season teams, although those rosters won't be set until closer to June 18th (opening day for the first of the short season teams).
PITCHERS
RHP Luis Abad
RHP Harold Arauz
RHP Johan Arias
RHP Rayderson Chevalier
RHP Frangy Colon
RHP Samil De Los Santos
RHP Juan Delis
LHP Edgar Ferreira
LHP Geronimo Franzua
RHP Angel Heredia - I believe he'll start the season on the restricted list.
RHP Elieser Hernandez
RHP Juan Hernandez
LHP Erick Hurtado
RHP Tomas Lopez
RHP Yonquelis Martinez
RHP Victor Mesa
LHP Javier Saucedo
RHP Carlos Vasquez
LHP Edwin Villarroel
CATCHERS
Marlon Avea
Pedro Coa
Brian Pena
INFIELDERS
Randy Cesar
Jean Cortorreal
Michael Medina
Arturo Michelina
Luis Reynosa
Yoel Silfa
OUTFIELDERS
Tomas de la Cruz
Mesac Laguna
Brauly Mejia
*Cristian Murillo
Jarico Reynosa
Edward Santana
Frederick Serrano
*Bats left
In addition, there are several notable absences from last year's roster. I think we can assume that such players as Teoscar Hernandez, Juan Santana, Reymin Guduan and a few others are probably currently at extended spring training and may be earmarked for short season teams, although those rosters won't be set until closer to June 18th (opening day for the first of the short season teams).
Minor League Schedule and Results
FRIDAY'S GAMES
Rome at Lexington at 6:05 CST
Probable Pitchers: RHP Navery Moore (3-1, 3.28) and RHP Nick Tropeano (3-3, 3.05)
Available on MiLB.tv
Nashville at Oklahoma City at 7:05 CST
Probable Pitchers: RHP Wily Peralta (1-6, 6.52) and RHP Paul Clemens (5-4, 6.66)
Available on MiLB.tv
Corpus Christi at Arkansas at 7:10 CST
Probable Pitchers: LHP Brett Oberholtzer (2-3, 5.61) and RHP John Helwig (2-3, 4.14)
Lancaster at Visalia at 9:00 CST
Probable Pitchers: RHP Bobby Doran (4-3, 3.48) and LHP Andrew Chafin (3-0, 2.91)
THURSDAY'S RESULTS
Oklahoma City over Nashville 4-1
For someone who started the season at HiA Lancaster, Wes Musick (W, 1-1) has shown that he is quite comfortable hanging with the big boys at AAA, thank you very much. Musick allowed one run and no walks on seven hits over six innings before turning things over to Mickey Storey who pitched two perfect innings in relief. Jose Valdez recorded his 11th save of the season. Brett Wallace hit his ninth home run of the season. Scott Moore had two hits with a double. Fernando Martinez one-upped him by getting two hits with a triple. Oklahoma City led from the third inning on, and Nashville never threatened thanks to some great pitching.
Rome over Lexington 10-9 in 14 innings
This one was a heartbreaker as Lexington battled from behind twice (including a six run frame), but ultimately fell short as they couldn't convert extra inning runners in scoring position to actual runs. Lexington used seven pitchers in this one. Starter Jonas Dufek gave up six runs (five earned) on eight hits, two walks and a home run over 5.2 innings followed by Nathan Pettus getting a key out. Carlos Quevedo gave up two runs and was charged with a blown save and Murilo Gouvea allowed one run in his one inning of work. Jason Chowning pitched two scoreless innings with three strikeouts (and owes Chris Epps dinner for corralling a wind-driven fly ball that almost left the yard). Euris Quezada (L, 0-2) pitched 3.2 innings and, thanks to four walks, had to pitch his way out of trouble several times. In the 14th, a throwing error and a wild pitch by Quezada led to the winning run and his ouster. Evan Grills got the fiinal out, but Lexington was unable to come back in the bottom of the frame. Chris Epps went four-for-six with a walk and scored two runs; Mike Kvasnicka hit his fifth home run; Zach Johnson was three-for-five with his 53rd RBI; Drew Muren, Kvasnicka and Chan Moon had two RBIs a piece; and Delino DeShields hit two doubles. Phew! Just two more extra inning games to recap!!!!
Corpus Christi over Arkansas 5-2 in 15 innings
Corpus Christi one-upped Lexington by going 15 innings and getting the win. Unlike the high-scoring Lexington game, though, this one was a pitcher's duel; it was 1-1 after two innings and it remained 1-1 until the 15th inning. Jose Cisnero had his best start of the season, pitching a strong seven innings and giving up only one unearned run on five hits and a walk with seven strikeouts. Kevin Chapman pitched two scoreless innings, followed by Erick Abreu (W, 5-1) who allowed only two hits and a walk over five scoreless innings of relief. Jason Stoffel closed it out, allowing one run on two hits. Chris Wallace hit his third home run of the season and that was all the Hooks got until the 15th when three singles, two doubles (Jair Fernandez and Jose Martinez) and a sac fly resulted in four runs. Austin Wates was two-for-six with a double, sac fly and a stolen base; Martinez had two RBIs; Jonathan Villar stole his 22nd bag; and Adam Bailey had a less than stellar season debut for the Hooks, going hitless in six at bats with two strikeouts. Phew! Just one more extra inning game to go and I'm starting on my second pot of coffee (really).
GAME OF THE DAY
Lancaster over Visalia 7-6 in 13 innings
Just 13 innings? Slackers! David Martinez gave up a home run in the first and a home run in the sixth; in between he pretty much dominated. After Martinez started to struggle in the sixth, Jose Trinidad took over with 2.2 scoreless innings. Kirk Clark wasn't able to convert the save opportunity as Visalia matched Lancaster run for run in the ninth and tenth innings. Andrew Robinson got the win in relief and Pat Urckfitz got the eventual save three hours and forty-seven minutes after first pitch. Grant Hogue scored the winning run in his first game this season at Lancaster with a ground rule double, advancing on a ground out and scoring on a wild pitch. Telvin Nash hit his 14th home run of the season.
David Martinez - 5.1IP 4H 3R 1BB 3SO 2HR
Jose Trinidad - 2.2IP 2H 0R 0BB 1SO
Kirk Clark (BS, 3) - 2IP 3H 3R 0BB 2SO 2HR
Andrew Robinson (W, 1-1) - 2IP 3H 0R 0BB 2SO
Pat Urckfitz (S, 4) - 1IP 1H 0R 0BB 2SO
Domingo Santana - 1x5 2B 2RBI 3SO
Telvin Nash - 1x4 HR RBI 3SO R
Grant Hogue - 1x2 2B R
Ben Heath - 2x5 BB SO R
PITCHER OF THE DAY
Jose Cisnero pitched seven innings for the first time this season and came back nicely after some recent tough starts.
PLAYER OF THE DAY
Grant Hogue is my man for getting the winning run in Lancaster and ending the madness after fifteen hours and nine minutes of Astros minor league baseball played through 51 innings on one crazy night.
Rome at Lexington at 6:05 CST
Probable Pitchers: RHP Navery Moore (3-1, 3.28) and RHP Nick Tropeano (3-3, 3.05)
Available on MiLB.tv
Nashville at Oklahoma City at 7:05 CST
Probable Pitchers: RHP Wily Peralta (1-6, 6.52) and RHP Paul Clemens (5-4, 6.66)
Available on MiLB.tv
Corpus Christi at Arkansas at 7:10 CST
Probable Pitchers: LHP Brett Oberholtzer (2-3, 5.61) and RHP John Helwig (2-3, 4.14)
Lancaster at Visalia at 9:00 CST
Probable Pitchers: RHP Bobby Doran (4-3, 3.48) and LHP Andrew Chafin (3-0, 2.91)
THURSDAY'S RESULTS
Oklahoma City over Nashville 4-1
For someone who started the season at HiA Lancaster, Wes Musick (W, 1-1) has shown that he is quite comfortable hanging with the big boys at AAA, thank you very much. Musick allowed one run and no walks on seven hits over six innings before turning things over to Mickey Storey who pitched two perfect innings in relief. Jose Valdez recorded his 11th save of the season. Brett Wallace hit his ninth home run of the season. Scott Moore had two hits with a double. Fernando Martinez one-upped him by getting two hits with a triple. Oklahoma City led from the third inning on, and Nashville never threatened thanks to some great pitching.
Rome over Lexington 10-9 in 14 innings
This one was a heartbreaker as Lexington battled from behind twice (including a six run frame), but ultimately fell short as they couldn't convert extra inning runners in scoring position to actual runs. Lexington used seven pitchers in this one. Starter Jonas Dufek gave up six runs (five earned) on eight hits, two walks and a home run over 5.2 innings followed by Nathan Pettus getting a key out. Carlos Quevedo gave up two runs and was charged with a blown save and Murilo Gouvea allowed one run in his one inning of work. Jason Chowning pitched two scoreless innings with three strikeouts (and owes Chris Epps dinner for corralling a wind-driven fly ball that almost left the yard). Euris Quezada (L, 0-2) pitched 3.2 innings and, thanks to four walks, had to pitch his way out of trouble several times. In the 14th, a throwing error and a wild pitch by Quezada led to the winning run and his ouster. Evan Grills got the fiinal out, but Lexington was unable to come back in the bottom of the frame. Chris Epps went four-for-six with a walk and scored two runs; Mike Kvasnicka hit his fifth home run; Zach Johnson was three-for-five with his 53rd RBI; Drew Muren, Kvasnicka and Chan Moon had two RBIs a piece; and Delino DeShields hit two doubles. Phew! Just two more extra inning games to recap!!!!
Corpus Christi over Arkansas 5-2 in 15 innings
Corpus Christi one-upped Lexington by going 15 innings and getting the win. Unlike the high-scoring Lexington game, though, this one was a pitcher's duel; it was 1-1 after two innings and it remained 1-1 until the 15th inning. Jose Cisnero had his best start of the season, pitching a strong seven innings and giving up only one unearned run on five hits and a walk with seven strikeouts. Kevin Chapman pitched two scoreless innings, followed by Erick Abreu (W, 5-1) who allowed only two hits and a walk over five scoreless innings of relief. Jason Stoffel closed it out, allowing one run on two hits. Chris Wallace hit his third home run of the season and that was all the Hooks got until the 15th when three singles, two doubles (Jair Fernandez and Jose Martinez) and a sac fly resulted in four runs. Austin Wates was two-for-six with a double, sac fly and a stolen base; Martinez had two RBIs; Jonathan Villar stole his 22nd bag; and Adam Bailey had a less than stellar season debut for the Hooks, going hitless in six at bats with two strikeouts. Phew! Just one more extra inning game to go and I'm starting on my second pot of coffee (really).
GAME OF THE DAY
Lancaster over Visalia 7-6 in 13 innings
Just 13 innings? Slackers! David Martinez gave up a home run in the first and a home run in the sixth; in between he pretty much dominated. After Martinez started to struggle in the sixth, Jose Trinidad took over with 2.2 scoreless innings. Kirk Clark wasn't able to convert the save opportunity as Visalia matched Lancaster run for run in the ninth and tenth innings. Andrew Robinson got the win in relief and Pat Urckfitz got the eventual save three hours and forty-seven minutes after first pitch. Grant Hogue scored the winning run in his first game this season at Lancaster with a ground rule double, advancing on a ground out and scoring on a wild pitch. Telvin Nash hit his 14th home run of the season.
David Martinez - 5.1IP 4H 3R 1BB 3SO 2HR
Jose Trinidad - 2.2IP 2H 0R 0BB 1SO
Kirk Clark (BS, 3) - 2IP 3H 3R 0BB 2SO 2HR
Andrew Robinson (W, 1-1) - 2IP 3H 0R 0BB 2SO
Pat Urckfitz (S, 4) - 1IP 1H 0R 0BB 2SO
Domingo Santana - 1x5 2B 2RBI 3SO
Telvin Nash - 1x4 HR RBI 3SO R
Grant Hogue - 1x2 2B R
Ben Heath - 2x5 BB SO R
PITCHER OF THE DAY
Jose Cisnero pitched seven innings for the first time this season and came back nicely after some recent tough starts.
PLAYER OF THE DAY
Grant Hogue is my man for getting the winning run in Lancaster and ending the madness after fifteen hours and nine minutes of Astros minor league baseball played through 51 innings on one crazy night.
Happy Birthday - 6/1
OF Cristian Murillo (19)
As is the case with many of the Dominican Summer League players, we don't know much about Murillo. A native of Columbia, Murillo was signed as a non-drafted free agent in 2010 and played his first season with the DSL in 2011. In 26 games, he hit .228/.362/.333. He was better in the first half, hitting .242/.390/.364.
As is the case with many of the Dominican Summer League players, we don't know much about Murillo. A native of Columbia, Murillo was signed as a non-drafted free agent in 2010 and played his first season with the DSL in 2011. In 26 games, he hit .228/.362/.333. He was better in the first half, hitting .242/.390/.364.
Thursday, May 31, 2012
An Interview with RHP Ross Seaton
Drafted in the 3rd round as a compensation pick in 2008 out of Second Baptist High School in Houston, Seaton is in his second season with Corpus. In 2011, he finished the season 4-9 with a 5.23 ERA and a 1.387 WHIP; however, in 6 starts in August 2011, he had a 3.00 ERA and a 1.000 WHIP. In 2012, he has continued with the progress he made last season. In 10 starts with Corpus Christi, he is 4-3 with a 3.28 ERA and a 1.301 WHIP.
Now on to the questions ~
WTH: First of all, can you tell me about your pitch arsenal? What pitches do you use? Best pitch(es)? Velocity? Movement?
RS: My pitches include both a 4 seam and 2 seam fastball, a change up, slider, and curveball. I use all of them throughout the course of game but depend on my fastball to set the tone for the game. All the other pitches work off my fastball, so I would say a located fastball is my best pitch. This season my velocity has been down slightly but has been steadily picking back up.
WTH: You've never been primarily a strikeout pitcher. What is the key to your success on the mound?
RS: Pitching to contact provides the greatest chance of success. Throwing the ball in the strike zone forces the batters to swing at pitches and keeps pitch counts down. Obviously there are times when a strikeout is needed, but even a strikeout requires getting two strikes on the hitter first! Taking all of that into consideration, making quality pitches down in the zone (or at the top) puts the odds in my favor.
WTH: At 21, you were somewhat young for the AA level in 2011. Can you tell me a little about how you handled that and what you learned about yourself in getting thrown into the fire, so to speak? (Also, how glad were you not to have to pitch in Lancaster again?)
RS: All I will say about Lancaster is I never want to go back, ever. Experiencing AA baseball at 21 was a great opportunity for me. Of course, it took me a little while to settle in and realize I belonged there, but it opened up my eyes to quality baseball games. Everyone plays smarter here than in A ball. I learned so much from my older teammates like Jimmy Van Ostrand and Brian Esposito not only about the game itself, but also about how to handle myself on and off the field. It helped me mature and "grow up" much quicker. The 2011 season will always be one of my fondest seasons because of the people I was around and how much I learned about baseball.
WTH: Over the winter, my readers voted you most likely to be the Breakthrough Pitcher for 2012, largely based on the improvement you showed toward the end of last season. So far, so good - 5 of your last 6 starts have been excellent [NOTE: Ross had another strong start on Wednesday after this interview was complete]. Do you feel that you are, indeed, making that next step in your development?
RS: First I'm honored that I was voted to be the Breakthrough Pitcher for 2012! Thanks everyone! I honestly do believe I have made great strides since the last third of the 2011 season. It all deals with my mindset and approach to the game. I finally gave everything over to God and trusted that He has great plans for me (Romans 8:28 is a verse that my life proves). As soon as I gave results and my career to Him, a huge burden was lifted off my shoulders. I literally felt lighter. Now it's all about going out and enjoying pitching. No more stressing out on the mound or trying to do too much. Pitching relaxed, calm, and focused is much more efficient than over complicating the simplicity of the task at hand. In addition, this year I have worked on gaining confidence in the game. Confidence shows on the field and directly translates into your performance, so the more you have the better you will be! As always, all glory goes to God since everything I have comes from Him.
WTH: You were a good hitter at Corpus in 2011. I mean, a REALLY good hitter (.286/.304/.476). Are you going to miss getting to hit when Houston moves to the AL?
RS: Of course I'm going to miss hitting! I missed it my few seasons in pro ball! Who doesn't like hitting??
WTH: If you could steal a pitch from any pitcher in the Astros system, whose would it be?
RS: I would definitely take Bud Norris' slider. It has so much spin and looks just like his fastball until the very end. The later the break the more effective the pitch.
WTH: Which player in the Astros system would you least like to face in the batters box?
RS: My teammate Jose Martinez would be a formidable opponent in the box. He has solid plate discipline and squares up more balls than most other players. He's also a quality teammate who brings energy to the whole team.
WTH: You got married over the off-season. How difficult is marriage for a minor league player?
RS: Because Houston is only 3 hours away from Corpus, being apart from my wife has not been as difficult as most people experience. She has been able to come out and see me at least every other weekend. However, it would be much more enjoyable if she could travel with me everywhere we go. Additionally, she encourages me when things get tough and always supports my endeavors in the game. Having her in my life has greatly enhanced my ability in the game.
WTH: Can you tell me something about yourself that most people don't know and might be surprised to hear?
RS: These are always tough ones to answer. I am turning into a car fanatic. One of my dreams is to restore a classic car from the muscle car era. I plan on purchasing a 1973 Chevy truck from a good friend and mentor of mine this off season that will be my first "project". Cars and baseball. Classic American passions.
Now on to the questions ~
WTH: First of all, can you tell me about your pitch arsenal? What pitches do you use? Best pitch(es)? Velocity? Movement?
RS: My pitches include both a 4 seam and 2 seam fastball, a change up, slider, and curveball. I use all of them throughout the course of game but depend on my fastball to set the tone for the game. All the other pitches work off my fastball, so I would say a located fastball is my best pitch. This season my velocity has been down slightly but has been steadily picking back up.
WTH: You've never been primarily a strikeout pitcher. What is the key to your success on the mound?
RS: Pitching to contact provides the greatest chance of success. Throwing the ball in the strike zone forces the batters to swing at pitches and keeps pitch counts down. Obviously there are times when a strikeout is needed, but even a strikeout requires getting two strikes on the hitter first! Taking all of that into consideration, making quality pitches down in the zone (or at the top) puts the odds in my favor.
WTH: At 21, you were somewhat young for the AA level in 2011. Can you tell me a little about how you handled that and what you learned about yourself in getting thrown into the fire, so to speak? (Also, how glad were you not to have to pitch in Lancaster again?)
RS: All I will say about Lancaster is I never want to go back, ever. Experiencing AA baseball at 21 was a great opportunity for me. Of course, it took me a little while to settle in and realize I belonged there, but it opened up my eyes to quality baseball games. Everyone plays smarter here than in A ball. I learned so much from my older teammates like Jimmy Van Ostrand and Brian Esposito not only about the game itself, but also about how to handle myself on and off the field. It helped me mature and "grow up" much quicker. The 2011 season will always be one of my fondest seasons because of the people I was around and how much I learned about baseball.
WTH: Over the winter, my readers voted you most likely to be the Breakthrough Pitcher for 2012, largely based on the improvement you showed toward the end of last season. So far, so good - 5 of your last 6 starts have been excellent [NOTE: Ross had another strong start on Wednesday after this interview was complete]. Do you feel that you are, indeed, making that next step in your development?
RS: First I'm honored that I was voted to be the Breakthrough Pitcher for 2012! Thanks everyone! I honestly do believe I have made great strides since the last third of the 2011 season. It all deals with my mindset and approach to the game. I finally gave everything over to God and trusted that He has great plans for me (Romans 8:28 is a verse that my life proves). As soon as I gave results and my career to Him, a huge burden was lifted off my shoulders. I literally felt lighter. Now it's all about going out and enjoying pitching. No more stressing out on the mound or trying to do too much. Pitching relaxed, calm, and focused is much more efficient than over complicating the simplicity of the task at hand. In addition, this year I have worked on gaining confidence in the game. Confidence shows on the field and directly translates into your performance, so the more you have the better you will be! As always, all glory goes to God since everything I have comes from Him.
WTH: You were a good hitter at Corpus in 2011. I mean, a REALLY good hitter (.286/.304/.476). Are you going to miss getting to hit when Houston moves to the AL?
RS: Of course I'm going to miss hitting! I missed it my few seasons in pro ball! Who doesn't like hitting??
WTH: If you could steal a pitch from any pitcher in the Astros system, whose would it be?
RS: I would definitely take Bud Norris' slider. It has so much spin and looks just like his fastball until the very end. The later the break the more effective the pitch.
WTH: Which player in the Astros system would you least like to face in the batters box?
RS: My teammate Jose Martinez would be a formidable opponent in the box. He has solid plate discipline and squares up more balls than most other players. He's also a quality teammate who brings energy to the whole team.
WTH: You got married over the off-season. How difficult is marriage for a minor league player?
RS: Because Houston is only 3 hours away from Corpus, being apart from my wife has not been as difficult as most people experience. She has been able to come out and see me at least every other weekend. However, it would be much more enjoyable if she could travel with me everywhere we go. Additionally, she encourages me when things get tough and always supports my endeavors in the game. Having her in my life has greatly enhanced my ability in the game.
WTH: Can you tell me something about yourself that most people don't know and might be surprised to hear?
RS: These are always tough ones to answer. I am turning into a car fanatic. One of my dreams is to restore a classic car from the muscle car era. I plan on purchasing a 1973 Chevy truck from a good friend and mentor of mine this off season that will be my first "project". Cars and baseball. Classic American passions.
Thank you for your time, Ross. Congratulations on your marriage and the best of luck to you as you continue to make your way up the ladder in life and in baseball!
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