Telvin Nash might have had a golden sombrero, but at least he didn't go 0-8 with 7 strikeouts yesterday, like Stockton's Dusty Robinson did. The Ports beat Lake Elsinore 11-9 in 17 innings, and the winning pitcher, Wade Kirkland, got the win after a 2-run home run that was hit by.... him. Zack Bayrouty is the PBP man for the Stockton Ports. <blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p>In 17-innings, saw a fan ejected for arguing a strike, 2 extra inning comebacks, a hitter K 7 times, the winning pitcher hits a walk-off HR</p>— Zack Bayrouty (@ZackBayrouty) <a href="https://twitter.com/ZackBayrouty/status/337004007254024193">May 22, 2013</a></blockquote> <script async src="//platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
First off, that game is ridiculous. Even Chris Carter is thinking "7 is ridiculous and embarrassing." Second, I am driving down to Corpus to watch the Hooks play tomorrow. Anyone have any recommendations? We are eating at the original Whataburger before hand, and I was wondering if there were any festivities before the game that are worth going to see. Any recommendations?
Really? What do we know now that we didn't at the time of the draft? Am I missing something here? Did Byron Buxton get elected to the Hall of Fame already after just a couple of months in his first full pro season? No one and I mean NO ONE would change a draft pick over two months of baseball especially when we are talking about high school kids with Correa being ten months younger than your boy Byron.
In May Buxton is sporting a pedestrian .244/.323/.439 line, with a 2-1 strikeout to walk ratio. Clearly scouts have figured him out. It stupid to make early judgements on small sample sizes, especially when Correa isn't even playing poorly. All Correa is missing is power, which everybody acknowledges is the last thing to come. Not to mention McCullers spectacular performance and the fact that Rio Ruiz is already showing improvement (OPS in May is up 133 points from April). There may be a time when we look back and realize we made a mistake, but if given the chance to redraft the Astros would draft the exact same way they did. No reason to think both of these guys won't be studs right now.
Correa seems to have a lot of power already, and he did hit 3 HR pretty early on in this season. But I remember some article with him saying that he's tried to work on fixing the swing-and-miss part of his game, and he's not always swinging as hard anymore. Either way, he seems like the kind of guy to grow into effortless power. The crazy thing is looking at his frame--he's still a wiry 18-year old with plenty of room to grow.
Wednesday Stories The Hooks return home. Meanwhile, OKC's longest roadtrip of the season continues. River Bandits slumping. Recap Oklahoma City 7, Fresno 3 Ross Seaton got off the schneid with 6 good innings. He allowed 3 runs (2 earned) on 6 hits, walked 3, and struck out 3. Jason Stoffel allowed a hit and fanned 3 over 2 scoreless, and Science Guy struck out 2 in a 1-2-3 9th. The offense got 3 in the 3rd and 4 in the 5th. Everyone had a hit except for Brandon Laird, who was hit by a pitch in the 3rd and came around to score. Jonathan Villar's RBI force play put the Redhawks on the board in the 3rd. That was followed by RBI singles from Jake Elmore and Brett Wallace to give OKC a 3-2 lead. Elmore added a solo shot (3) in the 5th, and the big hit came in the form of a 3-run homer from Fernando Martinez (2). The finale of this series pits Jarred Cosart against Mike Kickham. First pitch will be at 7:05 Pacific. Corpus Christi 8, Northwest Arkansas 2 The Hooks took the series opener against the worst team in the Texas League by jumping all over the Royals' top pitching prospect, Yordano Ventura. They fell behind 1-0 after the 1st, but went on a 7-0 run to take a commanding 7-1 lead through 5 innings. Erik Castro has just been lighting it up this month. He went 3-4 with an RBI single in the 3rd and an RBI double in the 5th. His average, which stood at .206 at the beginning of the month, is now .303. Michael Burgess was 2-3 with an RBI single in the 2nd and a solo homer (4) in the 4th. Domingo Santana hit a 2-run double in the 5th, walked twice, and scored 3 times. Max Stassi was also 2-3, and he hit an RBI single in the 7th. Jonathan Meyer finished it off with a sac fly in the 8th. Jake Buchanan... my God. He gave up an unearned run on a season-high 7 hits, walked 1, and struck out 3. He's lowered his ERA to 0.84. <blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p>Corpus' Jake Buchanan (@<a href="https://twitter.com/jakebuck33">jakebuck33</a>) last six appearances: 27.2IP, 23H/0ER, 19K:2BB. <a href="https://twitter.com/search/%23SlowClap">#SlowClap</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/search/%23Foghat">#Foghat</a></p>— Astros County (@AstrosCounty) <a href="https://twitter.com/AstrosCounty/status/337417754153979904">May 23, 2013</a></blockquote> <script async src="//platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script> Josh Fields allowed a run on 3 hits and fanned 2 in 2 innings, as he continued his rehab assignment. Carlos Quevedo finished with 2 scoreless, alloweing 2 hits and striking out 2. In the middle game of this series, Bobby Doran and Nick Tropeano will try to right the ship as they've struggled mightily as of late. Their opponent will be Brooks Pounders. First pitch will be at 7:05. Lancaster was off Tonight, at 7 Pacific, they will begin a 3-game series with Inland Empire. Blair Walters and... these tandems in Lancaster have changed so much I don't even know who's partnering with who anymore. Anyway, Walters and his partner will be facing Eswarlin Jimenez. Inland Empire leads them in the division by 1 game. By the way, on Tuesday, Aaron West was placed on the DL for the 2nd time this season. His stint was backdated to Saturday, the 18th. Wisconsin 12, Quad Cities 5 in 11 innings Well, the River Bandits rallied from a 5-0 deficit to force extras. Unfortunately, that was as good as it got for them, as they've now dropped 5 straight. The Timber Rattlers struck for 7 in the 11th, and that was the death knell. QC started the comeback with 2 in the 6th. Austin Elkins went 2-4 with a double, scored twice, and hit his 1st homer of the season, a solo shot, to lead off the inning. Jordan Scott then doubled, stole 3rd, and scored on an errant throw to 3rd. They got 2 more in the 8th on a Carlos Correa RBI single and a Brian Blasik RBI force out. Correa finished 2-5. Scott, who also went 2-4 with a double and 2 runs scored, finally tied the game with a 2-out RBI single. Jordan Jankowski went 4 innings and allowed 2 runs (both on a 2-run homer) on 5 hits and struck out 6. Mitch Lambson allowed a run on a hit and walked 1 in the 5th. Brian Holmes went 3 innings and allowed a couple of unearned runs on 2 hits, walked 2, and fanned 2. John Neely's night started off well, and then the 11th inning happened. He started the inning but didn't record an out. In his 2+ innings, he allowed 3 runs (1 inherited) on 4 hits, walked 1, and struck out 1. Richard Rodriguez got 2 outs in the 11th but got manhandled in the process, as he gave up 4 runs on 5 hits and walked 1. Blasik was pressed into duty and got the final out of the inning. In the middle game of this series, the River Bandits will send out Jamaine Cotton and Vince Velasquez to take on Jorge Lopez and Ryan Gibbard. First pitch will be at 7. Three Stars 3. Jason Stoffel and Eric Berger, P, Oklahoma City Stoffel: 2 IP, H, 3 K Berger: IP, 2 K I swear, except for Fields and Veras, I'd take OKC's bullpen over Houston's in a heartbeat. 2. Jake Buchanan, P, Corpus Christi W (5-0), 5 IP, 7 H, R (unearned), BB, 3 K That's the first run he's allowed this month. <blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p>If Jake Buchanan started a game for Houston this season, I'd be okay with that.</p>— Astros County (@AstrosCounty) <a href="https://twitter.com/AstrosCounty/status/337418438001709056">May 23, 2013</a></blockquote> <script async src="//platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script> 1. Michael Burgess, LF, and Erik Castro, 1B, Corpus Christi Burgess: 2-3, HR (4), 2 RBI Castro: 3-4, 2B, 2 RBI, R The two of them have really stepped up their games after stumbling out of the gate. With their emergence, the Corpus lineup just got much more formidable. Honorable Mentions Jake Elmore, 2B, Oklahoma City: Picked up right were he left off in OKC. I still think Ronny Cedeño will eventually revert back to his usual self on offense: a non-factor. In the event that it happens, Elmore could have a prolonged stay in Houston. Carlos Correa, SS, Quad Cities: What, still worried or something? Jordan Scott, LF, Quad Cities: For capping off a wild comeback with the game-tying single. Carlos Quevedo, P, Corpus Christi: Had a good outing after a rocky start to the month. He might be the odd man out once the traditional rotation setup returns; no matter, he really thrived after moving to the bullpen last year. Goats The wheels fell off for John Neely after 2 great innings, and then it just snowballed from there with Richard Rodriguez.
Thursday Stories Could Quad Cities get off the schneid? And could Bobby Doran and Nick Tropeano do the same? Jarred Cosart took the mound in OKC's series finale. How did he fare? Error-fest at The Hangar. Could the Jethawks play through them to get the victory? Recap Fresno 4, Oklahoma City 1 The Redhawks had to settle for the split as the offense couldn't muster much in support of Jarred Cosart. Cosart had a good outing, as he allowed 2 runs on 6 hits (solo homer), walked 2, and struck out 6 in 6 innings. He threw 99 pitches (61 strikes). Phil Humber got 1 out in the 7th, but hit a batter and walked 2 more to load the bases. Kevin Chapman ended the threat by striking out the next 2 Grizzlies. But, Johnny Monell took Rhiner Cruz deep for a 2-run homer in the 8th. Cruz allowed 4 hits in the inning. Austin Wates' RBI double in the 7th was the only scoring for OKC. He actually doubled twice. [Not stealing a TCB joke] had 2 singles and walked twice. The final leg of this 13-game roadtrip begins tonight in Des Moines, as they begin a 5-game series with the Iowa Cubs. Brad Peacock will be on the mound to open things up, and his opponent will be Nick Struck. First pitch will be at 7:05. It's a 5-game series because there's a doubleheader on Sunday. Corpus Christi 10, Northwest Arkansas 4 The Hooks led 8-2 after 5 and the Naturals never really posed a serious threat. After a horrid start to his season, Jonathan Meyer has caught fire. He finished 3-5 with 3 runs scored, a 2-run homer (4) in the 2nd and a 2-run single in the 5th. He was supported by Max Stassi, who also had himself a 3-hit night, contributing an RBI double in the 4th and a 2-run double in the 6th. Enrique Hernandez and Erik Castro chipped in with RBI singles, and Domingo Santana drew a walk with the bases loaded in the 8th. Santana finished 2-4 with a double and a run scored. Michael Burgess was also 2-4 with a double and a run scored. Bobby Doran went 5 innings and allowed 2 runs on 5 hits (solo homer), walked 1, and struck out 5. Nick Tropeano finished it out, and he allowed 2 runs on 4 hits (solo homer), walked 2, and fanned 5. So, good outings from the two of them after some recent poor performances. Hooks will look for the sweep as they send out Mike Foltynewicz and David Martinez at 7:05. The Naturals will go with Jason Adam. Lancaster 8, Inland Empire 7 The Jethawks took the series opener, and they also regained the lead in the California League South from the 66ers. The quality of defense was sorely lacking, as both teams committed 4 errors. After Inland Empire took a 1-0 lead after the 1st, Lancaster responded with 4 in the bottom of the 2nd as Brandon Meredith hit an RBI single and eventually scored on a wild pitch. Carlos Perdomo chipped in with a 2-run single. Preston Tucker went 3-4 with a 2-run single in the 5th and later in the inning, Matt Duffy scored on an error. That gave the Jethawks a 7-5 lead. The 66ers fought back with 1 in the 6th and 1 more in the 7th to tie the game. The one in the 7th came off a Jethawks error. Tyler Heineman responded by hitting a 1-out triple in the 8th, and with Delino DeShields at the plate, he scored the go-ahead run on a wild pitch from Ty Kelley. DeShields would walk, and he would eventually steal 2nd and 3rd (9) before being stranded. Andrew Aplin was the only other Jethawk with a multi-hit evening, as he went 2-4 with a double and a run scored. Blair Walters went 3 1/3 and allowed 5 runs (3 earned) on 7 hits, walked 1, and struck out 4. Jonas Dufek went 3 2/3, allowing 2 runs (1 earned) on 5 hits, walking 1, and fanning 5. T.J. Geith got the win with a 1-2-3 8th, and Travis Ballew worked around a hit to get the save (8), striking out 2. Chris Devenski and Brady Rodgers will get the start in the middle game of the series, which starts at 7 Pacific. Wisconsin 7, Quad Cities 4 6 straight losses. The River Bandits were no-hit by Jorge Lopez, who entered this game with an 11.64 ERA, for 6 innings. They did draw 5 walks, as Lopez isn't exactly known for having good command. QC got 2 in the 7th and the 8th after falling behind by a TD. Terrell Joyce led off the 7th with a homer (2) and Ariel Ovando hit an RBI double. In the 8th, Roberto Peña hit a 2-run double. Miles Hamblin had the other River Bandits hit. Carlos Correa went 0-3 with 2 walks, a strikeout, and a run scored. Jamaine Cotton only lasted 3 innings, and he gave up 6 runs (5 earned) on 7 hits, walked 1, and struck out 3. Gera Sanchez went 2 innings, and the only hit he allowed was a solo home run to Victor Roache. He struck out 2. Vince Velasquez was the lone bright spot of the evening, as he allowed 1 hit, 1 walk, and fanned 8 over 4 scoreless. The River Bandits will try to avoid another sweep as they send out Lance McCullers and Dan Minor to try to do just that. Their opponents for Wisconsin will be Preston Gainey and Eric Semmelhack. First pitch will be at 7 PM. Three Stars 3. Jarred Cosart, P, Oklahoma City L (4-2), 6 IP, 6 H (1 HR), 2 ER, 2 BB, 6 K Not a bad night for Cosart, despite the loss. This was only the 3rd time this season where he's allowed more than 5 hits in an outing. If he were more efficient with his pitches, he'd really be forcing the issue, as far as a promotion is concerned. 2. Jonathan Meyer, 3B, Corpus Christi 3-5, 2B, 2-R HR (4), 4 RBI, 3 R After a .165/.200/.224 line in April, Meyer's May now stands at .329/.368/.506 with 3 homers and 19 RBI. I'd like to see the adjustments that he's made at the plate this month carry over for the rest of the season. 1. Vince Velasquez, P, Quad Cities 4 IP, H, BB, 8 K He seemed to struggle this month. However, his 4.17 ERA entering yesterday's contest masked a 2.86 FIP. His May ERA of 7.04 was almost 4 runs higher than his 2.87 FIP for the month. That's because his BABIP ballooned to an absurd .435. His last 2 outings are probably signs that he's returning to his norm this season: dominating. He could find himself a little closer to home, in Lancaster, by July. Vince was pretty much the only bright spot in another Quad Cities loss. They've really been free-falling as of late. Honorable Mentions Max Stassi, C, Corpus Christi: He's got some pop, and some swing-and-miss to his game. If he can manage his strikeouts while providing power, he could really shake things up in the catcher hierarchy in the upper minors/majors. Preston Tucker, RF, Lancaster: His 7-game hitting streak has brought his average to an even .300. Tucker has curtailed his strikeouts a bit, although his 31 whiffs (in 45 games) exceeds his highest strikeout total at Florida (he struck out 29 times as a soph and junior). I was taken aback at how much he's struck out, and he's not exactly known for striking out. Travis Ballew, P, Lancaster: Just absolutely filthy. Did you know that, entering yesterday's game, his FIP was 2.08, and his SIERA was 1.71? Opposing batters had a BABIP of .359 off of him. So... he could be even better if that figure were to regress. Austin Wates, OF, Oklahoma City: I'd imagine that he could get a shot in Houston in September. Delino DeShields, 2B, Lancaster: No official at-bats, but nice to see the multi-steal game. Been a minute since that's happened. Goat Golden sombrero = automatic goat. Unless something that's even more awful (i.e. less than 4 IP and 7+ earned runs allowed) trumps it. Teoscar Hernandez lands here, thanks to his 0-5, 4 K line.
tellitlikeitis, what's your take on josh zeid and his future big show prospects? seems to have taken to AAA.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p>Astros minor league 1st baseman Jonathan Singleton to end 50-game suspension on Monday according to Jeff Luhnow. Next up Class-A Quad Cities</p>— Mark Berman (@MarkBermanFox26) <a href="https://twitter.com/MarkBermanFox26/status/338051963415572481">May 24, 2013</a></blockquote> <script async src="//platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
I like Zeid. Walk rate so far is too high (and he'll give up his share of walks), but his control isn't terrible. I'd rather see him come out than Hector Ambriz, to be honest. Maybe a call-up after the All-Star break.
seems to be missing a bunch of bats the past couple years too. the haul that wade got from that trade, in an otherwise bust of a tenure, fascinates me. it's gonna be fun watching the 4 of these guys transition into the bigs.
Always been amazed by that myself. I've come to the conclusion that Ed Wade just didn't properly value Michael Bourn. A guy with plus defensive value, OBP skills, and speed to turn walks into extra bases? Seems like a guy that may go undervalued by a guy like Ed Wade.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p>Mike Foltynewicz and David Martinez (8-0) combined to throw one-hit shutout in Corpus Christi's 2-0 win over NW Arkansas. <a href="https://twitter.com/search/%23Astros">#Astros</a></p>— Brian McTaggart (@brianmctaggart) <a href="https://twitter.com/brianmctaggart/status/338124970918047744">May 25, 2013</a></blockquote> <script async src="//platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
Nah, Wade long coveted Bourn, and loved him when he was in the Phillies front office. Bourn was a success story for Wade and he knew how good he was and rare his skill set was.
