A shoutout to George Springer, courtesy of Baseball America. Also, a sigh of relief regarding Springer's health. If you don't remember, he got plunked on the hand during Friday night's game and was also nailed in the back by the ball during an attempted force play on him. He ended up getting pulled in the 6th for precautionary reasons. <blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-in-reply-to="201798792343846912"><p>@<a href="https://twitter.com/whattheheck57">whattheheck57</a> x rays negative. May miss a day or two. Nothing too serious.</p>— Jason Schwartz (@jasondschwartz) <a href="https://twitter.com/jasondschwartz/status/201809524166893568" data-datetime="2012-05-13T23:01:54+00:00">May 13, 2012</a></blockquote> <script src="//platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
Monday Stories More dramatics in OKC. Dallas Keuchel was sort of being Dallas Keuchel, but he did run into some trouble towards the end of his night. Well, the outcome of Corpus' game in San Antonio is still in limbo. R.J. Alaniz is human after all. Mike Foltynewicz got knocked around a bit, then was locked in. Recap For the second night in a row, OKC walked off winners aganist Tucson, this time by a score of 4-3. More on the dramatics in a moment. Brett Wallace went 1-4 with a hat trick, but his one hit was an RBI single in the 1st that tied the game at 1, after Logan Forsythe drove Everth Cabrera home in the top half. Dallas Keuchel went 7 1/3, allowing 3 runs (1 inherited) on 6 hits, walking 1 and striking out 5. The 1st inning run that he gave up was the last one he gave up until the 8th, when Forsythe got him again. Juan Abreu was the first reliever out and promptly loaded the bases with a walk, and walked Yasmani Grandal to send Cabrera, who was Keuchel's baserunner, home. Adalberto Flores came on and induced an inning-ending double play one batter later. So, entering the bottom of the 8th, the Redhawks found themselves down 3-1 and running out of time. However, J.B. Shuck reached on an error to lead off the inning, and Jimmy Paredes tied the game with one swing of the bat (his 3rd). Flores quickly dispatched the Padres in the top of the 9th, and Brad Snyder left nothing to chance, as he led off the bottom of the inning by ending the game with a walk-off solo home run (his 3rd) to right. Corpus Christi's game with San Antonio has yet to be decided. Right now, it's tied at 1 heading into the 9th. Jake Goebbert's RBI single in the 7th is the only Hooks run to this point. On that play, Jonathan Villar was thrown out at 3rd to end the inning, but Andy Simunic made it home well before that. The bottom half was truly an adventure for Kevin Chapman and Josh Zeid. Chapman got Ali Solis to beat a ball to Villar for the 1st out. He then proceeded to walk the bases loaded. Zeid then allowed a sac fly to Nathan Freiman that tied the game. Zeid then went wild and had to intentionally walk a man to load it up once again, but he fanned Edinson Rincon to end the threat. Ross Seaton threw 6 scoreless, allowing 7 hits, walked 1, and struck out 2. Not exactly a night to remember for Lancaster, as they were quickly dispatched 5-1 by Rancho Cucamonga in the series opener. No George Springer, as he got a recovery day after getting attacked by a couple of baseballs. Domingo Santana was the only batter that did anything of note, as he went 2-4 with a double and a solo homer in the 6th, his 4th of the season. Jason Schwartz, the Jethawks PBP man, estimated that it must have traveled at least 450 feet. I'm somewhat sure that he was exaggerating by about 15-20 feet, but I wouldn't be surprised if Santana smacked a ball that far. R.J. Alaniz didn't do so hot, as he allowed 4 runs on 9 hits (solo homer) in 6 2/3 without walking or striking out a batter. Some bad news regarding Jiovanni Mier. Zach Levine reports that the MRI on Mier has revealed a partially torn hamstring, and he could be shelved for at least another month. http://blog.chron.com/ultimateastro...otebook-dallas-keuchel-finesses-improved-era/ Lexington kicked off their roadtrip in West Virginia, and ended up losing 3-2. Matt Duffy's 2-run homer in the top of the 1st (his 5th) was the only thing going on offense for the Legends. That home run would be trumped by 3 sac flies from the Power. Mike Foltynewicz allowed 4 hits and a run in the bottom of the 1st, but the run came off a sac fly, and 3 of the 4 hits were singles. He quickly settled down after that, and in 5 innings, he allowed the 1 run on 7 hits, walked 2, and struck out 6. Nathan Pettus had a forgettable 7th inning and got charged with the loss. He alllowed Alen Hanson (who advanced to 2nd on a Zach Johnson error) and Kirk Singer to reach base. Hanson, who took 3rd on Singer's single, scored on a Dan Gamache sac fly to tie the game. Then, Jose Osuna, who had the first sac fly in the 1st that also scored Hanson, added another one, scoring Singer. Starting Pitcher Game Scores 1. Dallas Keuchel, Oklahoma City, 58 2. Ross Seaton, Corpus Christi, 57 3. Mike Foltynewicz, Lexington, 53 4. R.J. Alaniz, Lancaster, 44 Three Stars 3. Ross Seaton, P, Corpus Christi 6 IP, 7 H, BB, 2 K I'm not sure if I like Seaton's new pitching to contact approach, as he's greatly sacrificed his strikeout rate. Well, he wasn't a strikeout pitcher to begin with, and it appears that this new approach is working for him. 8 walks in 37 innings is pretty good; 15 strikeouts compared to 8 walks in that span kind of isn't, though. A few more K's and we're in business. 2. Brad Snyder, CF, Oklahoma City 2-3, 2B, walk-off HR (3) I wanted to give this spot to Jimmy Paredes, but Snyder was the one who ended the game. OKC outfielders have really been on fire out of the gate, and Snyder, the 18th pick in the 2003 Draft, has been no exception. 1. Domingo Santana, RF, Lancaster 2-4, 2B, HR (4) You know what I think about Domingo Santana? I think that the light has switched on for him. What I didn't know about him was that he's deceptively fast. Now, he's no Calvin Johnson, but he's pretty nimble for a guy that size. I'm glad to see that things look to be clicking for him, and he'll be a real headache for California League pitchers once he hits his stride. Honorable Mentions Matt Duffy, 3B, Lexington: Hmm... he has hit very well, but he's a little too old for the Sally League. Pleasant surprise. If he goes Chris Wallace on Sally League pitching for the next few weeks, does he leapfrog Jonathan Meyer to Corpus? Jimmy Paredes, 2B, Oklahoma City: Huge homer to tie it in the 8th. Plate discipline still Chris Johnson-like. I could see him in Houston if they can find a way to move Matt Downs, either by trade or DFA. Mike Foltynewicz, P, Lexington: Great job settling down after getting knocked around in the 1st. There's no doubt in my mind that he's having a breakout season. But you already knew that, right? Goat Monday's goat was Nathan Pettus. Tough break for him, losing in a rather weak fashion by allowing 2 sac flies. Dishonorable mentions go out to John Hinson for a hat trick, Juan Abreu for 2 walks without recording an out, and the Lancaster offense for failing to capitalize on 2 bases-loaded opportunities. Looking Ahead The series finale between OKC and Tucson will be starting in a matter of minutes, at 11:05. The Redhawks will be going for a sweep. Sergio Perez will get a start, as Tom Layne will oppose him. Corpus and San Antonio have a scheduled game tonight, but first things first, there is the matter of last night's game that needs to be settled. They'll go to the 9th, tied 1-1, at 6:05. The second game will probably start at least 45 minutes after that, and Jose Cisnero will be the starter. Opposing him will be Andrew Werner. Lancaster and Rancho Cucamonga face off at 7:05 Pacific. The matchup will be David Martinez and Garrett Gould. Luis Cruz will take the hill for Lexington in the 2nd game of their series with West Virginia, who will go with Matt Benedict. First pitch 7:05 Eastern.
Tuesday Stories OKC gets the... Unfinished business to attend to for Corpus. Oh, and they had another game, too. No George Springer? No problem for Lancaster. Who is Luis Cruz, and should we be keeping an eye on him? Recap No walk-off needed in this game, as OKC swept Tucson, the Pacific Coast League's worst team, out of Bricktown with a 7-4 victory. All 7 Redhawks runs came across on the strength of 4 home runs, all hit by the 4, 5, and 6 hitters. Mike "Crash" Hessman went 2-3 and pounded 2 of them out; a 3-run homer in the 1st that opened the scoring, and a 2-run shot in the 7th that proved to be the insurance that OKC needed. Hessman now has 7 on the season. Behind him, Scott Moore (5) and Brad Snyder (4) added solo shots, with Moore's coming in the 4th, and Snyder's in the 6th. Sergio Perez started in Jordan Lyles' stead and promptly erased the 3-0 lead he was staked to. Well, at least he only went 2 2/3, allowing 4 runs on 5 hits, walking 2 and striking out 3. (Wow, I really did not mean to sound like an ass there.) His bullpen was on point, as Mickey Storey got the last out in the 3rd and he, Enerio Del Rosario, Xavier Cedeno, and Jose Valdez made sure that the 4 runs the Padres got off Perez were the only ones they would score that afternoon. Storey got the win in 3 1/3 innings, allowing 3 hits, a walk, and struck out 4. Del Rosario pitched the 7th, allowing a hit and fanning 2. Cedeno came on in the 8th and allowed a hit, a walk, and recorded a K. Valdez got his 8th save, getting a strikeout in the 9th. Corpus and San Antonio had a game last night. But, the matter of Monday's game had yet to be decided, so they went out to finish that up before getting to business. And the Hooks, who looked as if they wanted to end it as quickly as possible, did so by running off 4 runs in the top of the 10th that broke a 1-1 tie. The 5-1 score would hold up. Jonathan Singleton drew a bases-loaded walk to bring in T.J. Steele for the go-ahead run. Then, Jonathan Villar scored on a wild pitch. And finally, Austin Wates closed the deal with a 2-run single scoring Jose Martinez and Singleton. Jason Stoffel finished it for good in the bottom half. He did allow a double, but nothing came of it. Finally, Jonathan Villar went 1-3 with 3 swipes (17 SB), and Andy Simunic went 3-5. Erick Abreu got the win, pitching a spotless 9th. Now, in the regularly scheduled game, things didn't exactly go as planned, as the Hooks allowed 4 in the bottom of the 8th to turn what was a 2-1 game into a 6-1 laugher. The only run came in when Jake Goebbert was hit by a pitch with the bases loaded. Other than that, Andy Simunic went 2-4. Jose Cisnero had yet another tough night with his command, as he only lasted 2 1/3 innings and allowed 2 runs on 2 hits (solo homer), walked 3, and fanned 4. It took him 60 pitches (33 strikes) to get there. Wes Musick stabilized the situation and was in it for the long haul, tossing 5 innings of relief, allowing 3 runs (2 of which inherited) on 3 hits, walking 2 and striking out 7. Arcenio Leon couldn't get Musick out an 8th-inning jam, allowing both runners he inherited to score, and he tacked on one of his own for good measure. After Rancho Cucamonga tied the game at 3 after the 3rd, the Jethawks ran off 4 unanswered for a 7-3 win. Hey, it looks like Telvin Nash is waking up and is settling into the 6 spot rather nicely. He went 3-4 with his 12th homer of the season, a 2-run shot in the 2nd that put Lancaster on the board first, and also tacked on an RBI single in the 8th. Erik Castro went 2-4 with a 2-run homer (his 6th) in the 6th that put Lancaster in the driver's seat. And Domingo Santana went 2-4 and scored twice. He's had some pretty nice games as of late, too. With the exception of a 3-run 3rd, David Martinez pitched well. He went 7 2/3, allowing the 3 runs on 7 hits. Well, there is the matter of 3 walks to only 1 strikeout, but he did his job and got the victory. Also, George Springer sat out. He could be back in the lineup today, though. Lexington scored 3 in the top of the 1st, and it turned out to be all the runs they needed to beat West Virginia, winning this one 3-0. Zach Johnson had a sac fly and Mike Kvasnicka had a 2-run double. Also, Matt Duffy went 2-4 with a run scored. Luis Cruz appreciated their support, and paid his offense back by causing a Power outage of 6 1/3 innings, as he allowed 5 hits, walked 3, and struck out 9 in a fantastic outing. Carlos Quevedo (1 2/3 IP, K) and Jason Chowning put the finishing touches on this one, as Chowning lowered his ERA to 0.95 with his 6th save, getting 2 Ks. Game Scores 1. Luis Cruz, Lexington: 69 2. David Martinez, Lancaster: 51 3. Jose Cisnero, Corpus Christi: 46 4. Sergio Perez, Oklahoma City: 33 Three Stars 3. Telvin Nash, DH, Lancaster 3-4, HR (12), 3 RBI as the LF Yeah, uh... Let me go on the record as saying that I'm not a huge fan of putting Nash in left field. He probably makes Carlos Lee look like a Gold Glover. On the flip side, although he's gotten a hit in only 5 of the last 10 games, 4 of those games were of the multi-hit variety. If only he could copy his approach with the bases empty and apply it to situations with runners on base. A very nice bounceback game for him after giong 0-9 with 5 Ks in his previous 2. Oh man... dominant pitching performance, or 2-homer game? Decisions to make.... Well, here goes. 2. Luis Cruz, P, Lexington W, 6.1 IP, 5 H, 3 BB, 9 K, 69 Gamee Score So, should we be excited? I'm tempering mine, but I understand if you don't want to. He's 3-0 with a 2.37 ERA since moving into the rotation, and he's the inverse of Tanner Bushue (3rd time in Lexington, Bushue failing miserably, Cruz flourishing obviously). He seems to have a future, but doesn't have a defined role in that future. He's largely flown under the radar behind Mike Foltynewicz and Nick Tropeano on the Lexington pitching staff, but as a starter, is posting numbers on par with the two more-heralded prospects. 1. Mike "Crash Davis" Hessman, 1B, Oklahoma City 2-3, 2 HR (7), 5 RBI Just doing what he's been doing for the past decade. Honorable Mentions OKC bullpen: Backed up an ineffective Sergio Perez and shut down Tucson. Jason Chowning, P, Lexington: Promote him now. Please, and thank you. Erik Castro, 1B, Lancaster: He's been the most consistent hitter in the Lancaster lineup this season. Andy Simunic, 3B, Corpus Christi: Nice "doubleheader" he had, with 5 hits. Wes Musick, P, Corpus Christi: His stellar relief effort kept the Hooks in the game. Unfortunately, he got hung with 2 runs since Arcenio Leon couldn't bail him out. Goat It seems a little unfair, but unfortunately, Jose Cisnero gets the ignominy for yet another subpar outing. Dishonorable mention goes out to Sergio Perez, for not being very good either, but at least his bullpen backed him up. Looking Ahead OKC gets the day off. Well, they're traveling. An 11-game roadtrip for them will start off in the Sierra Nevadas, as the Redhawks are heading to Reno. Due to the Big 12 Tournament at Bricktown, they'll be on the road until the 29th, when Nashville comes to town. Corpus is looking to pay Hayden Beard back after he shut them down the last time he faced them. Brett Oberholtzer looks to build on his great Friday start. First pitch will be at 11:05. Lancaster finishes off their 3-game set with Rancho Cucamonga, and they will call on Bobby Doran to get the start against the Quakes, who go with Brandon Martinez. Looks like a field trip day for the kids, as the first pitch will be at 10:35 Pacific. And finally, Lexington continues their series with West Virginia. Jonas Dufek has been quite underwhelming to start off the season. Can he get on the right track? He will be opposed by Ryan Haffner. First pitch 7:05 Eastern.
Hooks 9-9 Missions Bottom of 7th Jose Martinez 4 for 4 Goebbert solo HR Hooks gave up 7 runs in the 6th inning when they were up 9-2
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p>Rene Garcia doubles in two runs in the sixth! <a href="https://twitter.com/search/%2523JetHawks">#JetHawks</a> take the lead 3-2 in Rancho.</p>— Lancaster JetHawks (@JetHawks) <a href="https://twitter.com/JetHawks/status/202837464572891137" data-datetime="2012-05-16T19:06:34+00:00">May 16, 2012</a></blockquote> <script src="//platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
Looks like this one's gonna be an early edition. Wednesday Stories A wild and crazy one in San Antonio, as Corpus found themselves up big, then tied, thanks to a massive pitching failure, then timely hitting put them back in the lead. Did they hold on? Timely hitting for Lancaster gets them back to .500. Lexington's hitters practicing for the extreme offensive environment that awaits for some of them... and a huge day for a certain 2010 1st-round draft pick. Recap OKC had today off. They will begin a long roadtrip in Reno tomorrow night. Corpus looked to be cruising in San Antonio. They had a 9-2 lead heading into the bottom of the 6th, so I suppose they were home free, right? Boy, that turned out to be quite wrong. The Missions chased Brett Oberholtzer and their furious rally culminated in Ali Solis blasting a grand slam off Josh Zeid. After that, the Hooks found themselves in a brand new ballgame, tied at 9. Now fast forward to the 9th. With 2 outs in the Corpus half of the 9th, possibly the most unlikely person on the Hooks roster sparked a rally. Erick Abreu, of all people, drew a walk. Andy Simunic flared out a single, and Abreu, who I didn't really peg as a guy who was fleet of foot, advanced to 3rd. Then one batter later, Ryan McCurdy, a guy fresh off Tri-City and a guy that was pressed into service thanks to Chris Wallace's groin injury, poked the go-ahead single through a hole in the San Antonio infield that sent Abreu home. Brandon Barnes then smoked a liner that sent Simunic home for good measure, and Jason Stoffel shut the door for an 11-9 Corpus Christi win. Austin Wates and Jonathan Villar both went 2-5 and scored twice. Wates tripled, while Villar had 2 RBI singles that allowed Wates to score. Jose Martinez went 4-5 with a double and scored twice. Jake Goebbert had a solo homer in the 1st, his 4th of the season. Ryan McCurdy finished 3-5 with 3 RBI, with the big hit coming in the 9th that gave the Hooks a 10-9 lead. Brett Oberholtzer looked fine, until the 6th rolled around, and that's when the trouble started. He went 5 1/3 innings, allowing 6 runs (3 inherited) on 5 hits (solo homer), walked 1, and struck out 4. Josh Zeid got massacred, as he was unable to bail out Oberholtzer, getting only 1 out, and he ended up serving the grand slam, to boot. Kevin Chapman was wild but managed to keep the Missions at bay. Abreu did the same, and sparked the game-winning rally too. Stoffel earned his 4th save of the season. Good hitting late nets Lancaster a series victory over Rancho Cucamonga, 6-4. Rene Garcia had a 2-run double. Alex Todd went 2-4 with 2 doubles, 1 of which went for an RBI. Rafael Valenzuela went 2-5 with an RBI single and scored twice. Adam Bailey went 2-4 with 2 doubles; his first one, in the 7th, was the catalyst for a 3-run inning that broke a 3-3 tie. Bailey scored the go-ahead run when Erik Castro reached on an error. Pitching-wise for the Jethawks, Bobby Doran got the bare minimum quality start, allowing 5 hits, walking 1, and striking out 3. Jose Trinidad was excellent out of the bullpen, with 2 perfect innings and 4 strikeouts. Well, one of his victims reached 1st when the ball got away from Garcia. Kirk Clark allowed 2 straight doubles to make it a 6-4 game, but struck out the side without further incident to get his 4th save of the season. Lexington poured it on West Virginia, as they scored 12 runs from the 3rd-6th innings on their way to a 13-7 win in the series finale. Legends took 2 of 3. Everyone had a hit, and everyone had an RBI except for Brandon Meredith. Delino DeShields caused absolute madness on the bases today, as he went 2-4 with 2 RBI, 3 runs scored, and 5 stolen bases. He got Lexington on the board first tonight, scampering home in the first inning while Jordan Scott was caught stealing 2nd. (I lol'd a bit.) After the Power got 3 off Jonas Dufek in the 2nd, Zach Johnson cranked a 3-run homer (6) in the 3rd off Ryan Hafner. Johnson finished a triple shy of the cycle, scored twice, and had 4 RBI. Matt Duffy went 4-6 with a solo homer (6) in the 6th. He also added an RBI single in the 4th. Jordan Scott went 2-5 and scored twice. He, Justin Gominsky, Chan Moon, and Mike Kvasnicka drove in a run each. Jonas Dufek didn't pitch very well, but was effective enough and got plenty of support from his offense. In 6 innings, he allowed 5 runs (3 earned) on 7 hits (solo homer), didn't walk anyone, and struck out 5. Euris Quezada made his first appearance in 10 days and didn't look all that rusty. He allowed a run on 2 hits in 2 innings, walked 1, and fanned 3. Evan Grills finished the game, allowing a solo homer in the 9th and struck out 1. Game Scores 1. Bobby Doran, Lancaster: 52 2. Jonas Dufek, Lexington: 51 3. Brett Oberholtzer, Corpus Christi: 37 Three Stars, Lexington Edition 3. Matt Duffy, 3B 4-6, 2B, HR (6), 2 RBI He was probably the most consistent hitter at Tri-City, and now he's looking like a legit sleeper at 3rd. I wonder if he could handle a move straight to Corpus Christi. 2. Zach Johnson, 1B 3-5, 2B, HR (6), 4 RBI Still raking. Get him out of Lexington. 1. Delino DeShields, 2B 2-4, 2B, 2 RBI, 3 R, 5 SB (25) Well damn. He's showing off his 70-75 speed tonight. And perfect timing on this one, since he was showing some signs of a slump. 25-26 on stolen base tries this season. Three Stars, Everyone Else Edition 3. Adam Bailey, RF, Lancaster 2-4, 2 2B, R Yes, he didn't drive in any runs, but he sparked a rally that gave his team the lead, and eventually, the win. 2. Ryan McCurdy, C, Corpus Christi 3-5, 3 RBI Clutch go-ahead single. Not a bad showing for a guy who was summoned from extended spring training. 1. Jose Martinez, 2B, Corpus Christi 4-5, 2B, 2 R If Jimmy Paredes wasn't in his way in OKC, Martinez would probably be the everyday 2B there. Yes, Martinez may be 26 and his prospect status is running out rapidly, but he's quickly turned into a favorite of mine, because of his personal story. Basically, Martinez has gone through adversity on a scale that no one should ever experience. His redemption tale would be complete with a stint in the major leagues, whether it comes with Houston or any other club. To jog your memory, here's the link. I'm too lazy to copy/paste the story, but it can be found on Page 8 of this thread, and post #158: http://www.astroscounty.com/2012/04/jose-martinez-didnt-take-easy-road-to.html?spref=tw Honorable Mentions Jose Trinidad, P, Lancaster: Very effective in a spot start on Friday, lights out today. I like. Austin Wates and Jonathan Villar: 1-2 combo at the top created some real headaches for San Antonio pitchers. The other 6 guys in the Lexington lineup that weren't named as part of the Three Stars deal: What a show of offensive force from the Legends today. Erick Abreu, P, Corpus Christi: For the only rally he'll probably start in his career. Goat Without question, Josh Zeid. Couldn't bail out his starter and served up a game-tying grand slam. Easy enough. I'll give Brett O the benefit of the doubt since 3 of those runs that were charged to him weren't allowed by him. Looking Ahead First stop on OKC's roadtrip will be Reno. Paul Clemens gets first crack at the Aces, who will go with Barry Enright. First pitch will be at 8:35, or 7:35 Mountain. Jake Buchanan will get the start in Corpus' series finale with San Antonio. Let's hope he can top TBA, who will be the Missions' starter. First pitch 7:05. Lancaster will head to San Bernadino, where a 3-game series with the Inland Empire 66ers awaits them. Tyson Perez takes the mound against TBA, and the first pitch will be at 7:05 Pacific. After winning their series with West Virginia, Lexington will be kicking off the 2nd leg of their roadtrip in Kannapolis. First pitch will be at 7:05 Eastern. Now, with the Sunday game against Hagerstown cancelled, that throws off the rotation schedule a bit. I presume Nick Tropeano will get the start.
Amendment.... Delino DeShields has now been credited with 4 steals. His double and stolen base in the 5th was changed to a 2-run triple. MiLB.com on DeShields
Thursday Stories Tyson Perez: Lexington's night: Forgettable night for Nick Tropeano and the Legends. But he seems to respond rather well after a loss. Not too concerned. OKC offense with a huge show of power in the Sierra Nevadas. And the wheels fall off for Corpus. Recap OKC kicked off a long roadtrip with the bats coming out en masse in a 16-11 romp of Reno. Everyone pitched in last night; they all had multi-hit games, except for Brett Wallace and Brad Snyder. Even Paul Clemens went 2-3. Everyone also had an RBI except for Jimmy Paredes and Clemens. Crash Hessman added 2 solo home runs to a distinguished minor league career. He now has 9 on the season. Try this line on for size.... Hessman went 5-5 with the 2 solo shots, 2 doubles, 4 RBI, and scored 5 times. Fernando Martinez ripped a 3-run homer (7) in the 3rd, and Landon Powell added a 2-run shot of his own (1) in the 8th. That would be more than enough support for Paul Clemens, who was quite ineffective in his 5 1/3 innings. He allowed 5 runs on 6 hits, walked 2, and fanned 2. Corpus Christi took a 3-1 lead over San Antonio in the middle of the 4th, but that's when... The Missions scored 7 in the bottom of the 4th on the way to creaming the Hooks 11-4. The only RBIs came from Jonathan Singleton and Jose Thompson. Singleton also scored on a passed ball in the 3rd after singling home Jose Martinez, who tripled to lead off the inning. Andy Simunic scored on a fielder's choice, but Brandon Barnes got greedy and was thrown out at the plate. Barnes, Singleton, and Jake Goebbert had 2 hits apiece. Jake Buchanan got rocked, and the Hooks' pitching woes continue. He only lasted 3 1/3, allowing 7 runs on 8 hits, and striking out 3. The bullpen did not fare much better. I'll leave it at that. I did not know pitching performances like Tyson Perez's existed in the California League. I'm only being facetious, of course. What a night for a guy who started May in extended spring training. In Lancaster's series opener with Inland Empire, he went out and threw a complete game 2-hitter..... on 81 pitches. He allowed a solo homer to C.J. Cron (a friend of my freshman year roommate at Arizona State) in the 2nd, then threw the game of his life in a 9-1 Jethawks win. Perez allowed 2 hits, walked 1, and struck out 2. He faced 28 batters, 1 over the minimum, and did not allow a hit after the 2nd inning. <blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p>Could be a sleeper. Solid FB, good curve. RT @<a href="https://twitter.com/Red_DMartin">Red_DMartin</a>: @<a href="https://twitter.com/Kevin_Goldstein">Kevin_Goldstein</a> Thoughts on Tyson Perez? Was incredible tonight.</p>— Kevin Goldstein (@Kevin_Goldstein) <a href="https://twitter.com/Kevin_Goldstein/status/203365035626610688" data-datetime="2012-05-18T06:02:57+00:00">May 18, 2012</a></blockquote> <script src="//platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script> <blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p>Great win tonight! Tyson Perez threw a great game <a href="https://twitter.com/search/%2523hawkarehot">#hawkarehot</a></p>— Erik Castro (@erikbcastro) <a href="https://twitter.com/erikbcastro/status/203361299894255616" data-datetime="2012-05-18T05:48:06+00:00">May 18, 2012</a></blockquote> <script src="//platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script> <blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p>Tyson Perez aka Tony Montana just carved tonight <a href="https://twitter.com/search/%2523JetHawks">#JetHawks</a></p>— Rafael Valenzuela (@RafyValenzuela) <a href="https://twitter.com/RafyValenzuela/status/203357601784803328" data-datetime="2012-05-18T05:33:25+00:00">May 18, 2012</a></blockquote> <script src="//platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script> <blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p>S/O to twitter less Tyson Perez on straight shoving tonight. @<a href="https://twitter.com/MinorLeagues">MinorLeagues</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/search/%2523filthy">#filthy</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/search/%2523jethawks">#jethawks</a> <a href="http://t.co/pz86j6iI" title="http://twitter.com/B_Doran43/status/203351234105716737/photo/1">twitter.com/B_Doran43/stat…</a></p>— Bobby Doran (@B_Doran43) <a href="https://twitter.com/B_Doran43/status/203351234105716737" data-datetime="2012-05-18T05:08:07+00:00">May 18, 2012</a></blockquote> <script src="//platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script> Jason Schwartz, Jethawks PBP man, on Tyson Perez's stellar start Offensively, everyone had a hit except for Ben Heath. Rafael Valenzuela went 2-3 with an RBI single in the 2nd that put the Jethawks on the board first and scored twice. The 3-4-5 guys (Adam Bailey, Domingo Santana, and Erik Castro combined to go 6-13 (Bailey 2-4, Santana 2-5, Castro 2-4) with 4 doubles (Bailey 2, Santana & Castro 1), a homer (2-run shot from Santana, his 5th), and 7 RBI (Bailey 3, Santana & Castro 2). Enrique Hernandez went 2-4 with a double and an RBI triple in the 8th. Bailey broke a 1-1 tie in the 5th with a 2-run double. Castro's double in the 7th scored Bailey and Santana. On the flip side, it was not a night to remember for Lexington, as they were held to 1 hit in a 5-0 loss in their series opener with Kannapolis. That 1 hit belonged to Delino DeShields. Nick Tropeano had his new worst start of the season, as he was knocked around for 6 innings, allowing 5 runs on 10 hits. I guess the bright side is that he struck out 8 without issuing a walk. Ugh... Tropeano has responded very well after losses; I don't expect anything different from him next time out. Sometimes, it just isn't your night. Game Scores Wow, shield your eyes here. Spoiler 1. Tyson Perez, Lancaster: 80 2. Nick Tropeano, Lexington: 38 3. Paul Clemens, Oklahoma City: 36 4. Jake Buchanan, Corpus Christi: 19 Three Stars 3. Adam Bailey, CF, Lancaster Domingo Santana, RF Erik Castro, DH Bailey: 2-4, 2 2B, 3 RBI, 2 R Santana: 2-5, 2B, HR (5), 2 RBI Castro: 2-4, 2B, 2 RBI Together, the three of them wreaked havoc on Inland Empire as the Jethawks ran off 8 unanswered runs in support of Tyson Perez. Santana is now on a 7-game hitting streak, as he's been locked in this month. Got of to a slow start due to injury, but it appears that he is well over that. Bailey's been consistent, it's too bad that he's buried in the depth chart. Castro could use a move to Corpus. 2. Mike Hessman, 1B, Oklahoma City 5-5, 2 2B, 2 HR (9), 4 RBI, 5 R Still at it after 15 years. Hell, I'll go ahead and jointly award it to the entire OKC offense. Now, Reno is quite the hitter's park, but 16 runs on 22 hits (10 for extra bases) is 16 runs. 1. Tyson Perez, P, Lancaster W, CG, 2 H, ER, BB, 2 K, 80 Game Score From extended spring training to the top of the world in Lancaster. Wow. Kevin Goldstein's assessment makes me think that he'll be sticking around in Lancaster. Goat Offense used up their hits against West Virginia. Let's forget this game. Dishonorable mention goes out to Jake Buchanan for a horror show against San Antonio. Looking Ahead OKC and Reno are back at again at 8:35. Aneury Rodriguez will be going up against the D-Backs' top prospect and one of the top pitching prospects in all of baseball, Trevor Bauer, who is making his Triple-A debut. Jarred Cosart takes the mound for Corpus as they start a series in Midland. Dan Straily will oppose him in a game beginning at 7. Jorge De Leon has a tough act to follow after Tyson Perez's gem last night. He'll get the start for Lancaster in the 2nd game of their series with Inland Empire, who will be going with Ryan Crowley. First pitch 7:05 Pacific. Lexington will be looking to muster up more than 1 hit as they continue their series with Kannapolis at 7:05 Eastern. Luis Ordosgoitti will start for the Legends; Scott Snodgrass will oppose him for the Intimidators.
From our friends @ Astros County ... Team Leaders - Pitching The following are team leaders in pitching categories for each of the Astros affiliates. In addition, if they are in the top 10 in their respective leagues, I have indicated that in parentheses after the entry (except for Reliever ERA and WHIP). All stats are through Wednesday's games. Wins 5 - Jordan Lyles OKC (T3) 4 - Mike Foltynewicz & Dayan Diaz LEX (T2) 4 - Erick Abreu CC (T3) 4 - Bobby Doran LAN (T4) Innings Pitched 56 - Dallas Keuchel OKC (1) 51.2 - Ruben Alaniz LAN (1) 44.1 - Mike Foltynewicz LEX (2) 41.2 - Jake Buchanan CC *Starter ERA (7 min. starts) 1.62 - Mike Foltynewicz LEX (1) 2.09 - Dallas Keuchel OKC (1) 3.35 - Bobby Doran LAN 3.65 - Ross Seaton CC Reliever ERA (15 min. IP) 0.00 - Xavier Cedeno OKC 0.81 - Dayan Diaz LEX 1.59 - Jason Stoffel CC 2.75 - Jose Trinidad LAN Starter WHIP (7 min. starts) 0.967 - Nick Tropeano LEX (4) 0.982 - Dallas Keuchel OKC (2) 1.181 - Ruben Alaniz LAN 1.351 - Ross Seaton CC Reliever WHIP (15 min. IP) 0.882 - Jason Stoffel CC 0.896 - Dayan Diaz LEX 1.020 - Jose Valdez OKC 1.169 - Jose Trinidad LAN Saves 8 - Jose Valdez OKC (T3) 6 - Jason Chowning LEX (T2) 4 - Jason Stoffel CC (T8) 4 - Kirk Clark LAN (T8) Strikeouts 47 - Nick Tropeano LEX (T4) 40 - Jose Cisnero CC (T10) 37 - Aneury Rodriguez OKC 35 - Ruben Alaniz LAN *Jarred Cosart has five starts at Corpus with 2.84 ERA. Wes Musick had a 2.51 ERA in five starts at Lancaster.
Team Leaders - Hitting The following are team leaders in hitting categories for each of the Astros affiliates. In addition, if they are in the top 10 in their respective leagues, I have indicated that in parentheses after the entry. All stats are through Wednesday's games. BA (90 min. AB) .347 - Brian Bixler OKC (8) .325 - Erik Castro LAN .318 - Brandon Barnes CC (5) .315 - Matt Duffy LEX OBP (90 min. AB) .421 - Brian Bixler OKC (9) .414 - Jio Mier LAN (3) .403 - Jon Singleton CC (8) .382 - Jordan Scott LEX SLG% (90 min. AB) .593 - Scott Moore OKC (5) .571 - George Springer LAN (T5) .543 - Brandon Barnes CC (5) .507 - Matt Duffy LEX Runs Scored 27 - Delino DeShields Jr. LEX (T7) 26 - Fernando Martinez OKC 26 - George Springer LAN 25 - Austin Wates CC (5) Hits 48 - Austin Wates CC (1) 46 - Matt Duffy LEX (T4) 46 - George Springer LAN (T10) 45 - Fernando Martinez OKC Doubles 17 - Brandon Barnes CC (1) 14 - Scott Moore OKC (T1) 13 - Zach Johnson LEX (T2) 10 - Kike Hernandez LAN (T10) Triples 4 - Jake Goebbert CC (T2) 4 - George Springer LAN (T2) 2 - Brad Snyder & J.B. Shuck OKC LEX - 6 tied with 1 Home Runs 12 - Telvin Nash LAN (1) 7 - Mike Hessman OKC (T8) 6 - Zach Johnson & Matt Duffy LEX (T9) 5 - Jon Singleton CC RBI 42 - Zach Johnson LEX (1) 32 - George Springer LAN (3) 27 - Fernando Martinez OKC (T9) 25 - Brandon Barnes CC (T6) Total Bases 84 - George Springer LAN (7) 74 - Matt Duffy LEX (T5) 72 - Fernando Martinez OKC 70 - Brandon Barnes CC (9) Walks 25 - Jordan Scott LEX (4) 24 - Jon Singleton CC (7) 18 - Justin Ruggiano OKC 16 - Jio Mier LAN Stolen Bases 24 - Delino DeShields Jr. LEX (1) 16 - Jonathan Villar CC (1) 9 - Jimmy Paredes OKC (T8) 8 - George Springer LAN (T6)
Farewell, Henry Sosa... <blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p>The Astros have sold the rights of RHP Henry Sosa to the Kia Tigers of Korean Baseball Org. Sosa was playing for AAA OKC.</p>— Alyson Footer (@alysonfooter) <a href="https://twitter.com/alysonfooter/status/203565913113509888" data-datetime="2012-05-18T19:21:10+00:00">May 18, 2012</a></blockquote> <script src="//platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script> So, rotation overhaul forthcoming.
wow...didn't even make it a year in the organization. guess luhnow and co. saw all they needed to see of him? what are the rules on selling a players rights to an overseas baseball league with no affiliation to MLB?
