Stories of the Night Big hits in the clutch for OKC! Not so much for Corpus, though. Jarred Cosart was a bit erratic. One Lancaster player received this tonight. It was the second straight night that a Jethawk batter did this. Another great start for Mike Foltynewicz! Recap OKC and Albuquerque were in a pitchers' duel, as Aneury Rodriguez and Mike Parisi were both excellent. Unfortunately for the Redhawks, Rodriguez blinked first, allowing an RBI double to Joe Becker in the bottom of the 7th. That would be the only run he would allow in his 7 innings, allowing 7 hits, walking 1, and striking out 6. It looked rather grim, as Fernando Martinez flew out, and Scott Moore struck out in the 9th. But then, the offense awoke! Brett Wallace doubled. And immediately after that, Jimmy Paredes sent Wallace home with a double of his own to tie the game. They weren't done yet. After 2 straight walks to load the bases, Justin Ruggiano stepped in and promptly emptied them with a long double. Jose Valdez would finish it off for OKC by getting the save in a 4-1 victory. Adalberto Flores pitched a scoreless 8th for the win, walking a man in the inning. A rather uneventful afternoon in Midland for Corpus, as they lost 3-2. The Hooks were held to 3 hits; the only RBI came courtesy of a Jose Martinez solo homer in the 5th inning, his 3rd of the season. He went 2-4 in the game. Brandon Barnes scored in the 9th when Martinez reached on an error. But Jair Fernandez grounded out to end the game one batter later. Jarred Cosart has been pretty erratic as of late, and today was no different. He allowed 3 runs (1 earned) in 5 2/3 innings, walking 4 and striking out 5. Josh Zeid finished the game and did very well, allowing 3 hits and striking out 4 in 2 1/3. Lancaster faced off against probably the most dominant pitcher in the minors at the moment in Bakersfield's Tony Cingrani. And the Rice product pretty much lived up to his billing as he terrorized the Jethawks to the tune of 5 shutout innings, allowing 3 hits, 1 walk, and striking out 9. His ERA stands at 0.32 on the season. This guy mowed down everyone in the Pioneer League in his debut, and he's doing more of the same in the Cali League. Here's Baseball America chiming in.... Thankfully for the Jethawks, he only went 5 innings. And the pitching held out long enough for Jonathan Meyer to hit a 2-run homer in the 7th (his 3rd) to make it a 3-2 game. Sadly, those would be the only runs that Lancaster would score in a 7-2 loss. One night after Telvin Nash was the recipient of a golden sombrero, he passed it down to George Springer tonight mad:). Domingo Santana went 4-4 with a double and scored on Meyer's homer. Tonight, Jose Trinidad made his first start in almost 4 years, when he made 10 with Greeneville. And he could not have gotten off to a rougher start when he allowed back-to-back homers to Devin Lohman and Donald Lutz in the 1st. However, he settled down after that, and those would turn out to be the only runs that he allowed in 4 innings. Overall, he allowed 2 runs on 5 hits and struck out 2. Andrew Robinson allowed a run on 4 hits, walked 1, and struck out 3 in 3 innings as the first man out of the Lancaster bullpen. After they got to 3-2, Brian Streilein got burned in the 8th, only getting 1 out and allowing 4 runs on 4 hits (2-run homer) as the Blaze put the game away. Brad Dydalewicz was called in to clean up Streilein's crap, and did so without any further damage. Lexington got into Greenville behind schedule, but well in time to begin their series opener with the Drive, a game which the Legends won 4-2. It was a pretty sloppy game, as they committed 3 errors, and Greenville committed 2 of their own. Matt Duffy got the show started in the 2nd when he scored on an error. Later in the inning, Drew Muren, who reached on the error, scored on a wild pitch. So, the Legends jumped out in front without recording a hit. Mike Kvasnicka had the only RBI for Lexington on an RBI double in the 6th. Zach Johnson went 2-4 with a triple in the 4th and ended up scoring when Drive shortstop Jose Vinicio threw the ball away. Both Greenville runs were unearned, and Mike Foltynewicz turned in yet another excellent performance, allowing an unearned run on 4 hits in 6 innings, walking 2 and fanning 2. Murilo Gouvea was the first reliever out and allowed the other unearned run, allowing 2 hits and striking out 3 in 2 innings. Dayan Diaz got his 3rd save by pitching a perfect 9th. It might get interesting tomorrow, with the newest members of the Lexington roster possibly getting their first game action.
Jonathan Meyer is ready for Corpus. Hooks should ride Andrew Simunic while he's hot, but Meyer has made enough strides at the plate and is already known as a pretty good defender. I hope he gets the call in a couple of weeks, or even at the end of the month.
Astros are off today, but the minor league clubs are all in action tonight. Here are audio links to each game. Lexington @ Greenville (Legends lead 2-1 in the 4th) http://socialstreamingplayer.crystalmedianetworks.com/radio/wlxg Corpus Christi @ Midland (Game just underway) http://www.iheart.com/#/live/5270/?autoplay=true OKC @ Albuquerque (Game starts at 7:35) http://www.iheart.com/#/live/3066/?autoplay=true Lancaster @ Bakersfield (Game begins at 9:10 PM) http://media4.aicmail.net:8080/MiLB/GameAudio/LiveStreamFlash/cal_lancaster_jethawks
Roster move for Corpus: <blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p>Couple @<a href="https://twitter.com/cchooks">cchooks</a> roster moves: C Chris Wallace placed on inactive list, C Ryan McCurdy to Corpus Christi from Lancaster</p>— Greg Rajan (@GregRajan) <a href="https://twitter.com/GregRajan/status/198164386060320768" data-datetime="2012-05-03T21:37:26+00:00">May 3, 2012</a></blockquote> <script src="//platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script> McCurdy is starting at catcher and hitting 7th
Congratulations to the Minor League Players of the Month. Some of them should be on their way up soon. http://houston.astros.mlb.com/news/article.jsp?ymd=20120503&content_id=30323256&vkey=pr_hou&c_id=hou
Stories of the Night Ugh, what a rough night across the board. Lancaster salvaged the night with a victory. Jiovanni Mier is hot on Jonathan Villar's heels. George Springer = plus defender. Recap OKC got absolutely whipped in the series finale with Albuquerque, getting tripled up, 15-5. Redhawks pitchers were torched for 24 hits!!!!! Well, all you need to know was that every pitcher that entered the game got blasted big-time. Paul Clemens was demolished in 2 innings, as he allowed 7 runs on 10 hits, walked 1, and didn't strike out anyone. Amazingly, he did not allow a homer. Sergio Perez allowed 4 on 7 hits (solo and 2-run homer) in 4, Adalberto Flores allowed a 3-run homer in the 7th, and struck out the side. Lastly, Juan Abreu allowed a run on 4 hits in the 8th. It may be hard for you to believe this, but OKC actually had the lead at two points in this game. They had a 3-0 lead after the 1st, courtesy of a Scott Moore RBI double, scoring Jimmy Paredes, and a Justin Ruggiano 2-run homer (his 3rd). They led 4-3 in the middle of the 3rd when Paredes singled home Moore, but that's when the wheels fell off. The Isotopes scored 7 in the bottom of the 3rd, and that was all she wrote. Fernando Martinez, Moore, and Ruggiano scored all 5 of the runs, with Martinez and Moore scoring twice. Martinez was 2-4, Moore went 3-5 with 2 doubles, and Jimmy Paredes went 2-5. After this stinker, OKC is headed to Omaha. It wasn't much better for Corpus, as they were flat-out sloppy and were just mauled 10-2 by Midland. I don't think your chances of winning are very good when you commit 4 errors. Or when you're down 7-0 after the 2nd inning. Jake Goebbert went 2-4 with an RBI triple in the 5th. He also scored on an error in the 8th. Ross Seaton was thrashed in 3 innings, allowing 9 runs (4 earned) on 7 hits (2-run homer), walked 3, and struck out 1. Only bright spot in this one for the Hooks was an excellent performance from the bullpen. Arcenio Leon allowed an unearned run on 2 hits in 2 innings, striking out 2. Jonnathan Aristil finished the game with 3 scoreless, allowing 2 hits, walking 1, and fanning 6. The Hooks close out this roadtrip with one last game in Midland, and then they'll head home to host San Antonio for 4 beginning on Saturday. Lancaster was the only team to win tonight, and they won their series with Bakersfield with an 8-6 victory. A 3-run 7th for the Jethawks proved to be the difference in this game. Pretty rough night for R.J. Alaniz. In 6 innings, he allowed 6 runs on 9 hits (3-run and 2-run homers), walked 1, and struck out 4. In the process, he also gave up some pretty cheap hits, which ended up hurting him a lot more than usual tonight. George Springer went 2-5 with an RBI double and scored twice. He also made a number of excellent defensive plays in center tonight, including a Web Gem-worthy diving catch to rob Josef Terry in the 1st. Springer's been pretty solid on defense so far... he just needs to be less erratic at the plate. The top of the order for Lancaster was awesome tonight. 1-4 hitters (Jio Mier, Rafael Valenzuela, Springer, and Telvin Nash) went 9-13 with a homer, 5 RBI, 2 stolen bases, and 7 runs scored. Erik Castro, the #5 hitter, was 2-5 with 2 RBI. Mier led off the game with a homer on the very first pitch, his 2nd of the season. In a 4-run 5th, Enrique Hernandez led off with a single and reached 2nd on an error. 2 outs later, Rafael Valenzuela singled him home. Springer doubled Valenzuela home, then he came home on a Telvin Nash single. Nash would advance to 3rd on the 2nd Blaze error of the inning. Finally, Erik Castro drove him in with a single. In the 7th, Mier hit a leadoff single. Valenzuela singled to put the first 2 men on. Then Springer hit another single to score Mier, and he would reach 2nd on an error with Valenzuela at 3rd. Nash hit a sac fly to score Valenzuela, and lastly, Erik Castro reached on a fielder's choice that scored Springer. Mier went 3-5 with the leadoff homer and scored twice. Should he keep up this performance, and should Jonathan Villar continue to scuffle in Corpus, I'm not against bringing up Mier. In fact, I would wholeheartedly support such a move. Valenzuela went 2-5 with an RBI single and scored twice. Nash was 2-3 with a double, an RBI single, and a sac fly. Jorge De Leon got his 3rd save of the season, striking out 2. Domingo Santana dropped a Billy Hamilton flyball that would have ended the game right then and there, but De Leon struck out Josef Terry one batter later. Hamilton stole his 31st base and was also caught by Rene Garcia in the 1st. Only 2 steals for him in 3 games, and that was a huge reason as to why Lancaster won this series: they limited the havoc that Billy Hamilton could wreak on the bases. Lancaster will kick off the second leg of their roadtrip in Stockton with a weekend series against the Ports. Lexington dropped tonight's game with Greenville by a score of 5-3. Euris Quezada, fresh off extended spring training and a 25-game suspension to end last season, was greeted rather rudely in his season debut. The Drive shelled him in the 7th to take a 5-2 lead. Quezada only got 1 out, allowing 3 runs on 3 hits, walking 1 and failed to record a strikeout. In the process, a 2-2 tie was broken. The Legends got 1 run back in the 9th, but could not sustain a rally. Luis Cruz had a good outing, but had to settle for a no-decision due to Quezada. In 6 innings, he allowed 2 runs on 7 hits (solo homer), walked 1, and struck out 5. Brandon Meredith played left field and hit 6th in his season debut. He went 0-3 with a sac fly and a hat trick. Zach Johnson reached on an error in the 1st and was also credited with an RBI as Delino DeShields scored on the play. Mike Kvasnicka showing a pulse as he had an RBI double in the 4th. Matt Duffy went 3-4 with 3 doubles and scored twice. The Legends have one more game with Greenville, then they'll be off to Asheville for a 4-game series beginning on Saturday.
Not sure if temporary or an extended stay. <blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p>Off to triple a tomorrow. One step closer to my dream! Thanks to my family @<a href="https://twitter.com/LittleBit323">LittleBit323</a> and teammates for the support. Love you guys</p>— Jarred Cosart (@JarredCosart) <a href="https://twitter.com/JarredCosart/status/198545873968435201" data-datetime="2012-05-04T22:53:19+00:00">May 4, 2012</a></blockquote> <script src="//platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script> <blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p>Per @<a href="https://twitter.com/JarredCosart">JarredCosart</a> timeline, he's been promoted to Triple-A Oklahoma City, with a Saturday departure from @<a href="https://twitter.com/cchooks">cchooks</a></p>— Greg Rajan (@GregRajan) <a href="https://twitter.com/GregRajan/status/198547059257774081" data-datetime="2012-05-04T22:58:02+00:00">May 4, 2012</a></blockquote> <script src="//platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
Stories of the Night Movin' on up. See above post for more details. Delino DeShields comes through in a huge way for Lexington. It's Astros Spot-Start Idol time for OKC. Tonight, it was Dallas Keuchel's turn. Bad break for Jio Mier. Seriously. You picked T.J. Steele over Adam Bailey? No, I will never let Fred Nelson live that down. Putting Steele over Bailey in Corpus. Recap With Kyle Weiland sidelined for possibly longer than 15 days, OKC's pitchers are auditioning for a spot-start with Houston right now. After Paul Clemens stunk up the joint in Albuquerque, it was Dallas Keuchel's turn in Omaha, as the Redhawks began a series with the Storm Chasers. Keuchel threw an 8-inning complete game tonight.... but allowed 4 runs on 9 hits (solo homer), walked 2, and struck out 2 in a 4-2 loss. The offense couldn't get anything going, as they fell behind 4-0 after the 5th inning. Scott Moore had a solo homer in the 9th, his 3rd of the season. Brian Bixler had the other RBI on a single in the 8th scoring Brett Wallace. Game 2 of this series is manana at 7:05. And as I stated earlier, the big roster move of the day was Jarred Cosart getting the call to Oklahoma City. Its permanence remains to be seen, however. Meanwhile, Corpus looked to avoid getting swept by Midland... and they walked off 6-5 losers, in a game that featured a lighting delay. Yeah, the lights inexplicably went out in the top of the 9th, at exactly 10:00. Austin Wates (2) and Jake Goebbert (3) went back-to-back to tie the game in the 8th. The Hooks also got contributions from Andy Simunic, Brandon Barnes, and Jonathan Singleton, who drove in 1 apiece. Jose Cisnero was his usual erratic self tonight. Has anyone in the system told him that he simply doesn't have the command to nibble at the corners yet? He allowed 4 runs on 4 hits (solo homer). walked 4, and struck out 4 in.... 3 2/3 innings. It took him 89 pitches (45 strikes) to get there. Alex Sogard pitched the next 3 1/3 and held Midland at bay long enough for Wates and Goebbert to do their thing, allowing a run on 2 hits, walking 2, and striking out 2. Jason Stoffel, unfortunately, was charged with the loss, but Kevin Chapman allowed an inherited runner to score in the 9th. The Hooks will head home to face the San Antonio Missions. First pitch will be 6:05 PM. Lancaster took the opener of their series with Stockton by a score of 3-2. Adam Bailey went 3-4 and drove himself in twice. His first was an inside-the-park job in the 4th, and his 2nd homer was of the more traditional variety, but would honestly be a routine fly ball anywhere else. Stockton apparently has a 300-foot porch in left, and he put it in that spot, with a 16 MPH wind out to left aiding that ball's journey out. George Springer went 2-5 with an RBI single in the 5th. Jio Mier led off the game with a double, then went down trying to stretch it into a triple. Jason Schwartz, the play-by-play man, says that Mier pulled a hamstring on the play. Tough break for Mier, who was really showing signs of getting back on track. I'm thinking they'll play it safe and put Mier on the DL, and maybe bring up someone from Lexington or even extended spring training. Ben Orloff came on to replace Mier, and he went 2-4, scoring on Springer's single. Pitching-wise for Lancaster, David Martinez had a solid first start since coming off the DL, allowing 2 runs on 5 hits (solo homer) in 6 innings, walking 1 and striking out 6. Kirk Clark got the victory, allowing 1 hit in 3 scoreless innings. In 9 1/3 innings of work, he has yet to strike out a batter. This weekend series continues tomorrow at 7:05 Pacific. Delino DeShields came through in the clutch, as he cranked a solo shot in the 8th that broke a 5-5 tie, and proved to be the winning run for Lexington as they won the series finale, and the series, 6-5 over Greenville. He also scored on a Matt Duffy sac fly and stole 2 bases. DeShields is now 18-for-18 on steals this season. John Hinson went 1-4 with 2 RBIs; one on a groundout in the 2nd, and a double in the 4th. Alex Todd went 2-3 with a double and drew a walk with the bases loaded in the 5th. In the event Jio Mier goes on the DL, Alex Todd would be my pick to get the call up to Lancaster. Jonas Dufek went 5 1/3 and allowed 5 runs (4 earned) on 7 hits, walking 3 and fanning 3. Evan Grills got the victory, throwing 1 2/3 scoreless innings, allowing 2 hits and a walk. Jason Chowning got the save by throwing 2 perfect innings, striking out 4. Lexington hits the road again. Hopefully they can arrive in Asheville without any incident. First pitch of that series is at 6:05 Eastern. Chowning has nothing left to prove in Lexington. True. But... To commemorate the Stanley Cup Playoffs, and how they've been so much better than the NBA Playoffs, I present to you.... 3 Stars of the Night 3. Delino DeShields, 2B, Lexington 1-4, HR (2), BB, 2 K, 2 SB (18) Has yet to be caught stealing, and delivered in a huge way when his team needed him tonight. 2. Jason Chowning, RP, Lexington SV (4), 2 IP, 4 K One word: Nails. He has his wipeout slider, and it looks like he's harnessing his fastball more effectively. His performance in Lexington in the past year and 1 month more than justifies a promotion. 1. Adam Bailey, RF, Lancaster 3-4, 2 HR (4), 2 R 2 homers. 1 inside the park, 1 the old-fashioned way. And the old-fashioned way proved to be the difference for Lancaster. Honorable Mentions Ben Orloff, SS, Lancaster (2-4, 2B, R): Filled in admirably for the injured Jio Mier. George Springer, CF, Lancaster (2-5, RBI, K): On the rebound since his platinum sombrero game. Had the golden sombrero a couple of nights ago, but has been solid otherwise. Now hitting .281. Austin Wates, LF, Corpus Christi, and Jake Goebbert, RF (Wates: 1-5, HR (2), K; Goebbert: 1-4, HR (3), BB, 2 R): Delivered big homers for Corpus in the late stages of the game. Unfortunately, their efforts were wasted as they walked off with a loss. Kirk Clark, RP, Lancaster (W (1-1), 3 IP, H): No strikeouts, but he simply got the job done by containing Stockton's bats, and after Bailey's go-ahead homer, he protected the lead, and got a victory to show for it.
With Jarred Cosart in OKC, the Corpus roster has been adjusted accordingly. Wes Musick did well in Lancaster, but too old. <blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p>A @<a href="https://twitter.com/cchooks">cchooks</a> move: LHP Wes Musick called up from Lancaster with Jarred Cosart's departure for Oklahoma City.</p>— Greg Rajan (@GregRajan) <a href="https://twitter.com/GregRajan/status/198877994905894912" data-datetime="2012-05-05T20:53:03+00:00">May 5, 2012</a></blockquote> <script src="//platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script> Congratulations, Aneury Rodriguez, you get the next shot to spot start. <blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p>Jarred Cosart expected to start Monday for OKC, which means scheduled starter Aneury Rodriguez could be the man for Tuesday's Astros game.</p>— Brian McTaggart (@brianmctaggart) <a href="https://twitter.com/brianmctaggart/status/198895721645215744" data-datetime="2012-05-05T22:03:30+00:00">May 5, 2012</a></blockquote> <script src="//platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
^^^On the Rodriguez call up. http://blog.chron.com/ultimateastros/2012/05/06/aneury-rodriguez-gets-call-up-for-start/
Saturday's Stories A couple of wild, back-and-forth games for OKC and Lancaster, with another great outing from Bobby Doran. Brett Oberholtzer's struggles continue. A Lancaster hitter recieved this once again. Nick Tropeano entered last night in a bit of a funk. Could he snap it in Asheville? Recap OKC walked off 10-9 losers to Omaha in 10 innings. The Redhawks found themselves in a hole early, as the Storm Chasers pounded Jordan Lyles for 4 in the bottom of the 1st. The Redhawks then scored 5 unanswered with solo homers from Crash Hessman in the 2nd (3), Brad Snyder in the 3rd (2), and a 3-run homer from Brett Wallace in the 4th (his 3rd). Omaha then added 1 in the 5th and 2 more in the 8th for a 7-5 lead. Then OKC scored 4 in the top of the 9th, with an RBI single for Scott Moore and a 2-run single by Justin Ruggiano. Ruggiano then stole 3rd and scored on an error. Unfortunately, Jose Valdez blew it by allowing 2 solo homers in the bottom half. The Redhawks threatened to retake the lead with the bases loaded in the 10th, but, in what appears to be a running theme in the Astros organization, could not get anyone home, as Angel Sanchez popped out to end the threat. Mickey Storey got the last 2 outs of the 9th, but allowed a walk-off homer to Johnny Giavotella, the first man he saw in the 10th. Jordan Lyles went 6 innings, allowing 5 runs on 7 hits, walked 3, and struck out 2. Rhiner Cruz made his first rehab appearance, getting 2 outs in the 8th, but also allowed 2 runs, both of which were inherited runners allowed by Jose Valdez to score (1 earned) without allowing a hit. Both of his outs were via the strikeout. Not a very good from Corpus, as they were blanked 6-0 by San Antonio last night. The Hooks were held to 6 hits in this game, 2 of which came from Jake Goebbert. They could not solve Hayden Beard, who allowed 9 runs while getting only 1 out in his previous outing. Well, that's baseball for you. Austin Wates went 1-4 and stole his 6th base of the season. Brett Oberholtzer went 6 innings, allowing 5 hits. Now, normally, that would be a pretty good sign. But last night, 3 of those 5 hits were homers. 2 came off the bat of Cody Decker, and the other was clubbed by Jedd Gyorko. The damage was limited, though, as 2 were solos and the other was a 2-run shot. Those were the only 4 runs he gave up. He also walked 3 and struck out 5. La Tortuga finished the game, allowing 2 runs on 2 hits (solo homer) and walked 2. He also allowed a triple to Missions reliever Ryan Kelly. That just about summed up Corpus' night right there. If you're looking for one measly highlight from this game... well, here it is, courtesy of Austin Wates and Brandon Barnes. <iframe src="http://www.twitvid.com/embed.php?guid=LDZGX&autoplay=0" title="Twitvid video player " class="twitvid-player" type="text/html" width="480" height="360" frameborder="0"></iframe> Lancaster defeated Stockton 8-7 in a game that really got crazy late. It was an atypical Cali League game in Stockton, then business REALLY picked up late. Lancaster had found themselves trailing 1-0 entering the 5th, but Jonathan Meyer and Adam Bailey had something to say about that. Meyer ripped an RBI double for the first run, and Bailey sent one out for his 5th of the season. After the Ports made it 3-2 in the 8th, the Jethawks poured it on in the 9th, as Bailey sent yet another one out, this time a 3-run shot to give the Jethawks a 6-2 lead. Ben Orloff scored on an error and Enrique Hernandez scored on a passed ball to cap the scoring. The Jethawks offense got 8 hits from 4 guys. Ben Orloff and Jonathan Meyer went 2-4, and Erik Castro and Adam Bailey went 2-3. Meyer, Castro, and Bailey scored twice. Meyer had the RBI double, and Bailey had his 2nd straight 2-homer game. I asked a question as to why Bailey was still stuck in Lancaster yesterday. And the answer was: depth. He's buried there because pretty much all the regular outfielders have been playing out of their minds. The Astros system is still middling at best, but they're showing some of those #goodorganizationproblems. So, 8-2 lead, pretty safe, right? Well, after all, this is the California League, and in typical California League fashion, that lead was nearly erased rather effortlessly, as Jorge De Leon did his best Carlos Marmol impression, getting 2 outs, but also giving 5 runs back to the Ports in short order. Thankfully, Pat Urckfitz quashed the comeback one batter later. An excellent start from Bobby Doran was saved in the nick of time. In 7 1/3 innings of work, Doran allowed 2 runs on 7 hits, walking 1 and striking out 3. The Ports' bottom of the order gave Lancaster pitching fits all last night. Rashun Dixon, Beau Taylor, and Nino Leyja all had multi-hit games from the 7, 8, and 9 spots, respectively, with Leyja, a product of Houston Christian High School, going deep off De Leon to cut the lead to 8-7. Nick Tropeano, on a personal 2-game losing streak, rebounded in a huge way in Lexington's series opener on the road against Asheville. In 7 shutout innings, he allowed 2 hits, walked 2, and fanned 8 in a 5-1 win. He induced 10 groundouts and only 1 flyout. 5 of those groundouts were reportedly comebackers. Chris Epps kicked it off with a 2-run double in the 2nd, which turned out to be all the Legends needed. Jordan Scott, who has really hit a wall as of late, added an RBI groundout later in the inning to make it 3-0. Brandon Meredith added an RBI double in the 3rd, and Drew Muren followed suit in the 6th. Murilo Gouvea allowed a consolation solo homer in the 9th to Jordan Ribera, but I'm not really mad about that. http://www.milb.com/news/article.jsp?ymd=20120505&content_id=30490178&fext=.jsp&vkey=news_milb Three Stars 3. Bobby Doran, P, Lancaster W, 7.1 IP, 7 H, 2 ER, BB, 3 K Another great start. Doran and R.J. Alaniz are showing that as a pitcher, you can have success in such an extreme hitter's league like the Cali League. Had terrible luck in his first go-round as a Jethawk, and now he's putting himself in contention to get promoted. 2. Nick Tropeano, P, Lexington W, 7 IP, 2 H, 2 BB, 8 K Tropeano bounced back in a HUGE way from 2 straight subpar outings, both of which came at home. He's had one great start against Kannapolis, and then was knocked around a bit by Charleston and Savannah. On the other hand, he has been utterly dominant on the road, as he improved to 2-0 with a 0.45 ERA (and a 0.75 WHIP) away from Lexington. In 20 innings, he's allowed 10 hits, 1 run, walked 5, and struck out 27. In Asheville, the Sally League equivalent of Lancaster (hitter's paradise), he induced 10 groundouts and was virtually unhittable. Tropeano's looking to get promoted himself. And outings like these are definitely going to go in his favor when he's being evaluated. 1. Adam Bailey, RF, Lancaster 2-3, 2 HR (6), 5 RBI, 2 R, BB, K Now hitting .301 on the season. He may be buried on the organization's depth chart, but he is certainly solid. I think another 2-homer performance justifies him being first star for the 2nd night in a row. Honorable Mentions Pat Urckfitz, for cleaning up Jorge De Leon's mess. Chris Epps, whose 2-run double sent Nick Tropeano to victory. Brandon Meredith, who rebounded well after an underwhelming debut. Goat Telvin Nash, for going 0-5 with his 2nd golden sombrero of May, undisputedly wins this. Dishonorable mentions go to Jorge De Leon, who failed miserably in the 9th, and the entire Corpus Christi lineup, who allowed a guy that got absolutely demolished in his last outing to shut them down. Looking Ahead OKC continues their series with Omaha at 2:05 Central. Henry Sosa will be the starter today, while the Storm Chasers (Have I told you how much I hate that name?) go with Will Smith. Corpus, mired in a 7-game losing streak, will look to snap out of it in the 2nd game of their series with San Antonio, which will be at 1:05. Jake Buchanan and Robbie Erlin will be the starters in Corpus. Lancaster finishes off their roadtrip with the series finale in Stockton at 4:10 Central. Starters to be determined. And Luis Ordosgoitti makes his season debut for Lexington in game 2 of the Legends' series with Asheville. First pitch will be at 1:05. The Tourists will counter with Dan Winkler.
Sunday Stories For the 2nd straight game, OKC's bullpen failed late. For the 2nd straight game, Corpus was annihilated by San Antonio. Lancaster with the.... Ditto for Luis Ordosgoitti, who made his first start for Lexington. How did he do against Asheville? Recap For the 2nd straight day, OKC suffered a walk-off loss in Omaha, losing this one 10-7. This happened right after Justin Ruggiano tied the game at 7 in the top half with a 2-run homer, his 4th of the season. Brett Wallace went 3-5 with a double, 2 RBI, and 2 runs scored. Scott Moore hit a solo homer in the 1st, his 4th of the year. Not a very good start for Henry Sosa. In 5 innings, he allowed 7 runs (5 earned) on 7 hits (2-run homer), walking 3 and striking out 1. Adalberto Flores brought some order to the game for 2 scoreless innings, only walking 1 and striking out 2. Unfortunately, Juan Abreu served up the walk-off 3-run shot to Cody Clark with 2 outs in the 9th. Corpus dropped their 8th straight by getting embarrassed 10-0 against San Antonio. They were held to 5 hits. 2 each for Jonathan Villar and Jose Martinez, and the other for Andy Simunic. For the 2nd straight game, a Hooks starter allowed 3 homers. Today, it was Jake Buchanan. In his 4 innings, he allowed 7 runs on 9 hits (2 solos and a 3-run shot), walked 1, and struck out 3. Nothing to see here. Seriously. Lancaster capped off their roadtrip with a sweep of Stockton, taking this one 6-2. And what a start from Tyson Perez, who was just called up from extended spring training. He allowed a run on 2 hits (solo homer) in 6 strong innings, didn't walk anyone, and struck out 4. Perez faced two batters over the minimum, and was 6-6 on groundouts and flyouts. Jonathan Meyer and Adam Bailey both had 2 hits and scored twice. Big day for Ben Orloff, as he went 3-5 with 3 RBI. George Springer went 2-5 and is now hitting .274. And Domingo Santana capped off the win with his 2nd homer of the season. He looks like he's getting back into the swing of things, as he's brought the average up to .243. Tyson Perez wasn't the only starter to make his season debut today... In Asheville, Luis Ordosgoitti took the hill for his first start with Lexington. He got through 2 innings without any problems, but his day just disintegrated in the 3rd, as he allowed 4 runs in the inning, and was tagged for 3 more in the 4th. Ordosgoitti's afternoon lasted 3 2/3 innings, allowing 7 runs (6 earned) on 11 hits (solo and 2-run homer), didn't walk anyone, and struck out 5. Matt Duffy went 3-4 with an RBI double in the 3rd. Mike Kvasnicka sent a 2-run homer out later in the inning, his 2nd of the season. He went 2-5, also added a double, and scored twice. Asheville native John Hinson went 2-5 with a consolation solo homer in the 9th, his 2nd of the season. Nathan Pettus kept the game from getting out of control, only allowing a hit (solo homer) in 3 1/3 innings of relief. He walked 1 and struck out 3. Euris Quezada shook off his rough debut by pitching a scoreless 8th. Three Stars 3. Ben Orloff, SS, Lancaster 3-5, 3 RBI Orloff's too old to be a prospect, but the shortstop position should be in good hands while Jio Mier recovers. 2. Mike Kvasnicka, C, Lexington 2-5, HR (2), 2 RBI, 2 R Looking to put a disastrous April behind him. Hopefully, this could light a spark for him, because he seriously needs one to restore his prospect status. 1. Tyson Perez, P, Lancaster W, 6 IP, 2 H, ER, 4 K Not bad for a guy fresh off extended spring training. Perez was a bit inconsistent and a little homer-prone in Greeneville, but he had a couple of strong outings there. Honorable Mentions John Hinson, 2B, Lexington: Homered in his return to his hometown. Brett Wallace, 3B, OKC: His struggles, and Chris Johnson's recent surge, has entrenched him in the minors. Nice 2-game stretch he's having, but his continued lack of consistency has delayed his return to Houston. Adam Bailey, RF, Lancaster: Didn't homer today, but he turned in another solid day at the plate. Also added a steal. Goat Shut out for the second night in a row, now on an 8-game losing streak. Nothing more really needs to be said. Dishonorable mention goes to Juan Abreu for serving up a walk-off homer. Luis Ordosgoitti got shelled, but since it's his first start, I'll give him the benefit of the doubt. Looking Ahead OKC will be looking to avoid getting swept by Omaha, as they send Jarred Cosart out for his Triple-A debut. First pitch at 11:05 AM. Corpus has yet to score in their series with San Antonio. I think tomorrow would be a perfect time to do that. Game starts at 7:05. I believe Cosart was originally scheduled to start, but his promotion changes things up a bit. Lancaster is on their way back home, and they'll start a series with Bakersfield. Zach Grimmett will be the starter. First pitch will be at 7:00 Pacific. Lexington and Asheville will be at it for game 3 of their series. Game time 7:05 Eastern. Mike Foltynewicz gets the call, I think.
probably deserves its own thread, but...shockingly enough, austin wates made #1 play of day on sportscenter. can't find a video or i'd post it. he flipped over the wall to rob a homer.
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nice find. definitely new thread-worthy, if you want to start one. and my description really didnt do it justice at all. i've always wondered why that's an out rather than a hr. if a player were to jump over the wall, wait for the fly ball, then catch it, that would be a hr, right?
I'll let Castro/Clutch move the posts if he desires. To my knowledge, as long as part of you is still in the field of play when you make the catch, than it is an out. I think is funny because the umpire has no real way of knowing what happened behind that wall.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p>J. Cosart makes AAA debut Tues. Farm dir. Fred Nelson said it's like Oberholtzer & Seaton, back to AA when things sort out and trickle down.</p>— Zachary Levine (@zacharylevine) <a href="https://twitter.com/zacharylevine/status/199513894564270080" data-datetime="2012-05-07T14:59:53+00:00">May 7, 2012</a></blockquote> <script src="//platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
This doesn't sound good. Or maybe I'm being pessimistic. <blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p>Former first-round pick Jiovanni Mier coming to Houston to get hamstring examined. Expected to be out a few weeks.</p>— Brian McTaggart (@brianmctaggart) <a href="https://twitter.com/brianmctaggart/status/199526849590734849" data-datetime="2012-05-07T15:51:22+00:00">May 7, 2012</a></blockquote> <script src="//platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
