<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p>Domingo Santana has been placed on 7-Day DL (hamstring), Chris Epps has been called up from Low A Lexington. <a href="https://twitter.com/search/%2523JetHawks">#JetHawks</a></p>— Jason Schwartz (@jasondschwartz) <a href="https://twitter.com/jasondschwartz/status/209740657307291648" data-datetime="2012-06-04T20:17:24+00:00">June 4, 2012</a></blockquote> <script src="//platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
Yeah... Jonathan Singleton might have something to say about that. I'd put him 3rd behind Springer. Jarred Cosart has slipped a bit.
A 17 year old being the #1 prospect in the system? I'm not sure what that'd say about the state of our farm LOL.
Monday Stories Crash Hessman does it again!!! And the wheels fall off for Corpus Christi again. A top prospect had a huge game to continue his turnaround after scuffling in the early going. The Lancaster Effect claims another victim. Recap OKC topped Iowa 6-5 for the second straight night. Crash Hessman had his second straight multi-homer game... his 2nd solo shot (15) in the 7th proved to be the difference. Jimmy Paredes added a solo homer in the 4th, his 5th of the season. Angel Sanchez went 3-4 with 2 RBI singles, and Brandon Barnes went 2-4 with an RBI single of his own. Brian Bass went 5 1/3 innings, allowing 5 runs (4 earned) on 9 hits (solo homer), walking 4, and striking out 3. Adalberto Flores got the final 2 outs of the 6th. Mickey Storey came on and got the victory in relief, throwing 2 scoreless innings, allowing 4 hits and fanning 2, and Juan Abreu recorded a K in the 9th for his 3rd save of the season. Corpus led Springfield 6-4 after the 4th, and then they were outscored 8-2 the rest of the way in their 12-8 loss. The Hooks dropped 2 out of 3 in the series. The big hit of the night for Corpus was Jonathan Villar's grand slam, his 3rd home run of the season. He finished the game 3-5. Kody Hinze had an RBI double in the 2nd. Jose Martinez had a sac fly and was hit by a pitch with the bases loaded, and Chris Wallace scored on a wild pitch. Martinez's HBP in the 6th gave Corpus a 7-6 lead, and Wallace tied the game at 8 in the 7th. Ross Seaton wasn't very good. In 4 2/3 innings, he allowed 6 runs on 11 hits (solo homer), walked 1, and struck out 5. He didn't factor into the decision as Henry Villar and Erick Abreu failed miserably. Hooks pitchers were hassled all night by Oscar Taveras, the Cardinals' #3 prospect, who is also known as "Minor League Guy." He went 5-5, finishing a triple shy of the cycle, had 2 RBI, and scored 4 times. R.J. Alaniz suffered the Lancaster effect, as the Jethawks were rolled by Rancho Cucamonga 11-4. Alaniz was absolutely smashed in the 1st, when the Quakes ran 7 off of him. Ultimately, he lasted 4 2/3, allowing 9 runs on 8 hits (2-run and 3-run homers), walking 2 and striking out 5. Well, on the bright side, George Springer hit his 11th home run of the season, a solo shot in the 8th. Erik Castro and Ben Heath also had RBIs, and Ben Orloff and Enrique Hernandez had 2 hits apiece. The Academy was whacked by the Mariners' Academy, losing this one 13-5. Luis Reynoso went 2-4 with a run scored. Arturo Michelena went 1-5 with an RBI and scored on a wild pitch, and Frederick Serrano had a 2-run double. Juan Hernandez went 2 innings, allowing 4 runs (3 earned) on 4 hits, walking 2 and fanning 1. He got the loss, but Rayderson Chevalier was destroyed in his debut. He pitched the 8th and allowed 6 runs (1 inherited) on 5 hits and issued a walk without getting an out. Frangy Colon struck out the side in the 8th. Game Scores I'm not even gonna bother. Three Stars 3. George Springer, CF, Lancaster 1-3, HR (11) Well, it was a consolation homer. 2. Mike Hessman, 1B, Oklahoma City 2-3, 2 HR (15), 3 R Crash Hessman adds 2 more homers to his gaudy Minor League totals. 1. Jonathan Villar, SS, Corpus Christi 3-5, GS (3) Villar has come along very nicely. Although he might need to look over his shoulder again, since Carlos Correa will probably be able to stick at short. But think about it.... an infield of Correa, Villar, Altuve, and Singleton. Honorable Mentions Austin Wates, CF, Corpus Christi: Very effective table-setter. I can see him in OKC by July. Angel Sanchez, SS, Oklahoma City: I still expect him to lose his starting spot to Brandon Wikoff for some reason. Brandon Barnes, CF, Oklahoma City: At 26, he's too old for prospect status, but he might be an intriguing AAAA guy. Goat Rayderson Chevalier gave up 6 runs without getting an out, but that would be pretty cruel giving it to a kid in his very first game. So I won't do that. Can they release Henry Villar and Erick Abreu already? Looking Ahead OKC and Iowa will finish up their series at 7:05. Wes Musick takes the mound for the Redhawks. He'll go up against Frankie De La Cruz. Corpus gets the day off, as they are heading home. Lancaster welcomes the San Jose Giants to The Hangar. First pitch will be at 7 Pacific. David Martinez will get the start. His opponent will be Ryan Bradley. Lexington starts off a roadtrip with 3 games in Lakewood starting at 7:05 Eastern. Luis Cruz will take on Ethan Stewart in the opener. The Academy will be off to the Cardinals' complex. First pitch, as always, will be 10:30 Eastern.
Legends named to the South Atlantic League All-Star Team Congratulations to Delino DeShields, Matt Duffy, Zach Johnson, Mike Foltynewicz, Carlos Quevedo, and Nick Tropeano for being named SAL All-Stars. Jason Chowning was also on the team, but since he's in Lancaster.... he'll most likely be replaced. Dayan Diaz, anyone? The Legends, with 7 players, had the most players named in the South, and overall, they were 2nd to Greensboro, who had 8 players named All-Stars. Foltynewicz was also named the starting pitcher for the South. His counterpart for the North is Greenboro's Jose Fernandez. The 53rd Annual South Atlantic League All-Star Game will be played on June 19 in Charleston, South Carolina.
He is in extended spring training, which will be finished in a couple of weeks. Ovando will be on the roster of either Tri-City or Greeneville.
Are the Astros gonna have Neiko Johnson repeat Low A? He couldn't hit a lick last year, but his SB and Walk rate were spectacular, can't seem to find any news on him. Is he even still with the organization?
Tuesday Stories Dramatics in Oklahoma City!!!! The long-awaited debut of Jason Chowning in Lancaster took place. How did he fare in his introduction to the California League? Good effort, Lexington. A very impressive professional debut for one of the young international arms. Recap OKC's offense was dormant for quite a while against Iowa. But suddenly, they snapped out of it late and ended up getting the sweep, walking off 4-3 winners. Brad Snyder had the biggest hit of the night, as he finished it off with a 3-run homer with 2 outs in the bottom of the 9th off of Rafael Dolis. Brandon Barnes went 2-3 with an RBI single in the 7th that finally put the Redhawks on the board. Angel Sanchez and Jimmy Paredes also had 2 hits apiece. Wes Musick went 6 innings and allowed 3 runs (2 earned) on only 3 hits and struck out 1. Those 3 hits were the only ones that the Cubs got off of Redhawks pitching. Sergio Perez pitched the 7th, walking 2 and fanning 1; Chris Hicks struck out 2 in the 8th. Enerio Del Rosario got the win by virtue of tossing a perfect 9th, an inning in which he struck out 2 as well. Corpus had the day off, because they're heading home. Lancaster took the opener of their series with San Jose by a score of 10-6. Rene Garcia went 3-5 with an RBI single and scored 3 times. One of those runs came when Grant Hogue ripped a triple in the 3rd. Hogue finished 3-4 and added another RBI on a bunt single in the 7th. Telvin Nash went deep in the 3rd for his 15th home run of the season. He's driven himself in 12 times. Jonathan Meyer and Enrique Hernandez each had 2 hits and 2 runs scored; Meyer had a double, and Hernandez had an RBI single in the 7th. Ben Orloff also had 2 hits, and 2 RBI to go along with them. George Springer is very much having a volatile season. You just never know what will happen with him sometimes. He went 0-3 with 2 walks (1 intentional) and a strikeout. David Martinez wasn't very effective in his 4 1/3 innings, as he allowed 6 runs on 10 hits, walked 4, and struck out 4. Jose Trinidad got the win as the first man out of the bullpen, as he threw 2 2/3 scoreless, allowing a hit, a walk, and recording a strikeout. Andrew Robinson pitched a scoreless 8th.... and finally, the long-awaited debut of Jason Chowning in Lancaster occurred. And he was a bit jittery, as he walked the bases loaded to bring up the tying run after inducing a double play, after allowing a single to the first guy he faced. But, he escaped by getting Chris Lofton to strike out. Lakewood jumped out to a 5-0 lead on Luis Cruz and Lexington after the 2nd inning. The Legends scored 4 unanswered, but their comeback was cut short, and they dropped the opener to the BlueClaws 5-4. Drew Muren's brother, Alex, was drafted by the Twins in the 12th round. He celebrated in the 4th inning by sending his 3rd homer out. Mike Kvasnicka, in what looks to be an attempt to give him some added versatility, got the start in right field and went 2-2, scoring twice, and walking twice. Brandon Meredith went 2-4 with an RBI double. Roberto Pena and Chan-Jong Moon also added RBIs. Delino DeShields went 0-2, but walked twice and stole his 37th base. Pitching-wise, Cruz was tagged for 5 runs on 4 hits in 2 innings. He walked 5 and struck out 2. Gabriel Garcia, recently demoted from Lancaster, tossed 4 scoreless, allowing 3 hits and striking out 3. Euris Quezada then came on for 1 2/3, allowing a hit, a walk, and struck out 3. Murilo Gouvea got the last out in the 8th with a strikeout. The Academy took care of the Cardinals 5-2, as they broke out for 4 in the 5th inning. Tomas De La Cruz got the inning started by leading off with a solo homer, his 1st of the season. Marlon Avea would score on a passed ball, and Luis Reynoso would cap the inning off with a 2-run single. Reynoso finished the game 2-5. Randy Cesar went 3-4 with a double, and Yoel Silfa capped off the scoring with an RBI single in the 7th. Harold Arauz, the 17-year-old pitcher from Panama who signed for $300,000 last year, made his professional debut and was great, even though he only went 4 innings. He allowed an unearned run on 3 hits, walked 2, and struck out 7. Victor Mesa pitched the last 5 innings to get the win, as he allowed an unearned run on 2 hits, walked 1, and struck out 3. Game Scores Harold Arauz: 59 Wes Musick: 55 Luis Cruz: 25 David Martinez: 19 Three Stars 3. Harold Arauz, P, DSL Astros 4 IP, 3 H, R, 2 BB, 7 K That's an excellent debut for the youngster. Definitely one to watch in the coming years. 2. Grant Hogue, RF, Lancaster 3-4, 3B, 2 RBI Promote him, please. 1. Brad Snyder, RF, Oklahoma City 2-4, walk-off 3-R HR (9) Quite a spectacular way to win a game. Honorable Mentions Brandon Barnes, CF, Oklahoma City: While you're busy promoting Hogue, hopefully you've got time to send Barnes to Houston, too. The Bullpens: Not the greatest night for starters in the organization, but wow, were the relievers on it last night. 1 unearned run combined across 4 levels. That's a damn good job. #Regulating Mike Kvasnicka, C, Lexington: He did play 30 games in right at Tri-City. Slowly but surely, he's trying to claw back into the swing of things. A 2-2 night with 2 walks is progress. Drew Muren, RF, Lexington: Quietly having a pretty good season right now. He could be worth a low-risk promotion to Lancaster in July. Goat Tough, since he's pitched very well, but Luis Cruz's worst start of the season gets him the nod. Dishonorable mentions go to David Martinez for a pretty crappy start, Erik Castro for going 0-5, and Frederick Serrano for a hat trick. Looking Ahead OKC is off today, as they're set to play 4 with New Orleans. Corpus kicks off 4 with Midland tonight, as Jose Cisnero will take the mound against Shawn Haviland. First pitch will be 7:05. Lancaster and San Jose will play the middle game of their series at 7 Pacific. Bobby Doran will look for another strong start as he gets the start for the Jethawks. He'll be opposed by Jack Snodgrass. Lexington and Lakewood will also play in a middle game starting at 7:05 Eastern. Jonas Dufek takes the hill against Colin Kleven. The DSLstros welcome the Cardinals to their complex. Their game has just started.
2 things I just noticed about DeShields Jr.: -Has 35 BB this year and while he still strikes out a good bit his .368OBP is looking much better than that .305OBP last year. Still a ways to go in the season but def encouraging. -Also, I wasn't aware that the dude is listed 5'9" and 210. I've seen him on video and knew he was pretty well built but it's pretty amazing how fast he is. I'm curious with his speed why CF wouldn't be the best fit but I'm assuming it's because of arm strength.
