Vince Velasquez @ Peoria: 5 IP, 2 H, 8 K Quad Cities leads Peoria 4-0 in the 6th. Kyle Westwood @ Connecticut: 5 IP, H, 4 K Tri-City is hanging on to an 8-6 lead. They had been up 8-0.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p><a href="https://twitter.com/search?q=%23Astros&src=hash">#Astros</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/search?q=%23cchooks&src=hash">#cchooks</a> prospect George Springer hits a bomb in the Texas League all-star game.</p>— Reid Ryan (@robertreidryan) <a href="https://twitter.com/robertreidryan/statuses/349705367514648577">June 26, 2013</a></blockquote> <script async src="//platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script> Also.... <blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p>Not that this is really news, but <a href="https://twitter.com/search?q=%23Astros&src=hash">#Astros</a> prospect Mike Foltynewicz was 98-100 mph in tonight's Texas League All-Star Game.</p>— Jason Cole (@LoneStarDugout) <a href="https://twitter.com/LoneStarDugout/statuses/349709629686685698">June 26, 2013</a></blockquote> <script async src="//platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
HEY HE'S NOT DONE YET GUYZ <blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p>Hey <a href="https://twitter.com/search?q=%23Astros&src=hash">#Astros</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/search?q=%23cchooks&src=hash">#cchooks</a> fans... Springer hits his 2nd homer in the Texas League all-star game! <a href="https://twitter.com/search?q=%23haveanightkid&src=hash">#haveanightkid</a></p>— Reid Ryan (@robertreidryan) <a href="https://twitter.com/robertreidryan/statuses/349713429046632450">June 26, 2013</a></blockquote> <script async src="//platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p><a href="https://twitter.com/search?q=%23TexasLeague&src=hash">#TexasLeague</a> Pres. Tom Kayser presents <a href="https://twitter.com/cchooks">@cchooks</a> OF George Springer with the TL All-Star player of the game award. <a href="http://t.co/KPeMTAojcv">pic.twitter.com/KPeMTAojcv</a></p>— mwood (@mtwood87) <a href="https://twitter.com/mtwood87/statuses/349721642601181184">June 26, 2013</a></blockquote> <script async src="//platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
That has been fairly routine for us this season. Don't read into that as him being injured. Hopefully just the team continuing to be cautious with their young guys.
Good for Springer. Hopefully he can be another Andruw Jones, but maintaining his speed and not getting fat in his late 20s.
Very much worth noting that Cosart pitched 7 innings of good baseball yesterday. What I find most impressive about his last two starts is that he has thrown for one combined walk. In his previous 8 starts, he had averaged just less than 4 walks a game. This is the one area in his game that he needed much improvement, and we are already seeing how that can lead to him pitching deeper into games.
Tuesday Stories George Springer bids farewell to the Texas League in style. Let's play 2 in Oklahoma City! Again! A couple of strong pitching performances in the low minors tonight. Recap Game 1: Omaha 2, Oklahoma City 0 Well, nothing really to report here, as the Redhawks were held to 2 singles from Robbie Grossman and Jonathan Singleton on the offensive side of things. Jarred Cosart went the distance and allowed 2 runs on 6 hits (solo homer), walked 1, and struck out 4. This was his 2nd career complete game; his first came on June 1, 2010, when he was a member of the Lakewood BlueClaws. That CG was also of the 7-inning variety. Game 2: Oklahoma City 5, Omaha 4 Despite getting harassed by Christian Colon, who was Omaha's one-man offense, the Redhawks got the split in the doubleheader and the series. After Jonathan Villar hit a 1-out triple in the 1st, he was brought home by a Jimmy Paredes double, and Paredes would score himself after a Brandon Laird double. Jose Martinez had an RBI groundout in the 1st and a sac fly in the 5th. Cody Clark scored when Villar grounded into a double play in the 2nd. Bobby Doran, in his AAA debut, went 4 2/3 innings and allowed 3 runs (all on a 3-run homer from Colon) on 6 hits and walked 2. Alex Sogard got the final out of the 5th. For that, he got the win. Jason Stoffel allowed a run on 4 hits and struck out 1 in the 6th. And, Josh Zeid closed it out, working around a hit in the 7th to do so. The Redhawks will have today off, and then they'll be off to Nashville. Texas League All-Star Game The South Division All-Stars took out the North's All-Stars by a count of 6-0. George Springer made a grand exit, as he homered twice (solo in the 6th and a 2-run shot in the 8th) and was named the game's MVP. Rene Garcia started at catcher and went 0-2 with a run scored. As for the Hooks pitching reps, David Martinez tossed a scoreless 2nd, allowing a hit. Jake Buchanan, who's joining Springer in departing the Texas League, allowed 2 hits in the 5th. And, Mike Foltynewicz threw a 1-2-3 6th. Corpus Christi will kick off the post-All-Star schedule (they are currently 3-3 in the 2nd half) by hosting Springfield in a 4-game series starting at 7:05. It appears that R.J. Alaniz made the cut as one of the 6 pitchers that the Hooks will use as starters for the remainder of the season. He will take on Richard Castillo. First pitch is at 7:05. Lancaster 11, Bakersfield 2 That's 6 wins in a row for the Jethawks, as they disposed of the Blaze rather easily in this game. Luis Cruz went 5 innings and allowed a run on 6 hits, walked 1, and struck out 3. Blair Walters tagged in for 2 innings, and a solo homer to Juan Silverio in the 7th was his only blemish. He allowed 1 other hit, walked 1, and struck out 2. Jonas Dufek finished it out, allowing a hit and striking out 3. M.P. Cokinos went 3-4 with an RBI single in the 1st to put the Jethawks on the board first and added an RBI groundout in the 9th. He now has enough plate appearances to qualify for the Cali League batting title.... and his .349 average puts him at the top. He has a 12-point lead over High Desert's Ji-Man Choi. Preston Tucker continued his rampage as he went 2-5 with a 3-run homer (15) in the 7th and scored 2 runs. Carlos Perdomo has suddenly become an RBI machine, as he was 2-5 with 3 RBI. 2 came on a single in the 1st, and the other was on another single in the 9th. Nolan Fontana and Andrew Aplin scored on an error that allowed Tyler Heineman to reach in the 9th. Fontana doubled in 3 at-bats, and it looks like he remembered that he likes to walk often. He drew 2 of them and scored twice. Aplin singled in 3 ABs, walked twice, scored 3 times, and stole a base (12). Delino DeShields was 2-6 with a run scored and a hat trick. The Jethawks will look for the sweep tonight as Tom Shirley and Aaron West take the hill. Their opponent will be Jon Moscot. First pitch is at 7:45 Pacific. Quad Cities 4, Peoria 1 The River Bandits are off to a 5-0 start in the 2nd half as they took the opener in Peoria. 2 in the 3rd and 2 in the 4th. Carlos Correa was pulled in the 4th after getting hit on the hand by a pitch. No other information is available. The 2 runs in the 3rd came on a sac fly from Jesse Wierzbicki and a single by Roberto Peña, and the 2 in the 4th were off singles by Jordan Scott and Jobduan Morales, who entered the game as a pinch-hitter for Correa. Scott added a steal (17). Austin Elkins was 2-4 with a triple to lead off the 4th; he scored on Scott's single. Teoscar Hernandez also went 2-4. Vince Velasquez threw 5 shutout innings, allowing 2 hits and fanning 8. Juan Minaya tagged in to throw 4 innings of 1-run ball. He allowed 3 hits, walked 1, and struck out 4. In game 2 of this series, the elder statesmen of the Quad Cities roster will take the mound, as Jordan Jankowski and Mike Hauschild will be the pairing. They'll be taking on Cory Jones. First pitch is at 7:00. Tri-City 8, Connecticut 6 The ValleyCats took 2 of 3 from the Tigers, but they had to hang on to this one. Kyle Westwood, the 13th-round pick out of North Florida, had an excellent first start, as he allowed a hit and struck out 4 over 5 shutout innings. Andrew Walter, however, was blasted for 5 runs (2 inherited) on 4 hits (2-run homer) in 1 1/3. He struck out 2. Albert Minnis allowed a run on a hit (3-run homer, 2 of Walter's runs scored) and struck out 3 in 1 2/3. Chia-Jen Lo's looking alright so far... he threw a 1-2-3 9th to get the save, striking out 2. The ValleyCats had an 8-0 lead earlier in the game, as they put up 4 in the 4th and the 5th. That lead was built thanks to the efforts of Ronnie Mitchell, who hit an RBI triple in the 4th and a 2-run homer (1) in the 5th. Dan Gulbransen went 3-5 with 2 doubles (one of which brought in a run in the 5th) and scored twice. He had scored TC's first run on an error in the 4th. Ryan Dineen hit an RBI single and Tony Kemp had a sac fly in the 4th. Jon Kemmer had a sac fly in the 5th. Ernesto Genoves went 2-4 with a double and 2 runs scored. The ValleyCats faced Lowell and Connecticut on this roadtrip; they'll welcome the two of them to Troy. First up: 2 with Lowell with the first game starting at 6:00 Eastern. The ValleyCats starter is TBA; he'll take on Simon Mercedes. Elizabethton 8, Greeneville 4 The Appy Astros have really stumbled out of the gate as they were swept in their first home series of the season. Edwin Gomez was involved with all 4 Greeneville runs; he hit an RBI triple in the 4th and later scored on an error. He also hit a 2-run homer (1) in the 8th. Juan Santana was 2-5, and he was the batter on the play where Gomez scored. Santana was credited with an RBI. Ricky Gingras was 2-4 with a double and a run scored. Enderson Franco went 4 innings and allowed 2 runs on 4 hits, walked 2, and struck out 5. Edison Frias tagged in for 3 2/3 innings, allowing 6 runs (5 earned) on 9 hits, walking 1, and striking out 2. Ryan Connolly retired all 4 Twins he faced. Greeneville will now host Kingsport for a 3-game series starting at 7:00. Chris Lee will take on TBA. GCL Astros 6, GCL Tigers 1 The Kissimmee Stros swept the Tigers thanks to a solid performance from the pitchers. Troy Scribner, an undrafted free agent from Sacred Heart, went 4 innings and allowed an unearned run on 4 hits, walked 1, and struck out 5. Samil De Los Santos, a guy I'll be watching, came in to toss 3 scoreless, allowing a hit, walking 1, and striking out 5. Jorge Perez allowed a hit, walked 1, and struck out 1 in a scoreless 8th. Javier Lozano walked 1, but retired the side in the 9th. The GCLstros got 3 in the 3rd thanks to RBI singles from Tyler White and Brett Booth, and a fielder's choice from Luis Reynoso. Booth, who finished 2-3, added a sac fly in the 5th, and White, who was 3-4, hit another RBI single in the 7th. Jason Martin tripled (in the 7th) in 4 at-bats, scored twice, and stole a base (4). Javaris Reynolds reached on an error that allowed Martin to score, but he was credited with an RBI. The Astros will play the Yankees' 2nd GCL squad in Kissimmee. DSL Astros 5, DSL Dodgers 4 This game was originally played on June 10 but was suspended. Hector Roa had a 2-run homer in the 1st and got an RBI reaching on an error in the 3rd. Jarico Reynoso stole home in the 3rd, and Randy Cesar scored on an error in the 8th. Edwin Villarroel pitched 3 innings, and he allowed a hit, walked 1, and struck out 2 on June 10. Rayderson Chevalier pitched 4 innings and allowed 2 runs (1 inherited) on 2 hits, walked 1, and struck out 5. Yonquelys Martinez couldn't get an out in the 8th, allowing 2 runs (both inherited) on a hit and walking 1. Javier Saucedo got 1 out in the inning, allowing a hit and walking 2. Victor Mesa got a 5-out save, allowing a hit and striking out 2. DSL Astros 5, DSL Dodgers 1 In the scheduled game, the Academy got 6 strong innings from Elieser Hernandez, who's building a strong case to come to America next season. He allowed a run on 4 hits, walked 2, and struck out 6. Juan Delis allowed a hit and struck out 1 in the 7th. They scored 5 unanswered for the victory. Brian Peña hit an RBI single in the 4th to tie the game, and he put them ahead in the 6th with a double. Luis Payano scored on an error in the 7th, and then Arturo Michelena hit an RBI triple, and Brauly Mejia hit an RBI single. Peña finished 3-4, Mejia was 2-3 with a double and a run scored, and Michelena was 2-4. They're playing the Dodgers at their complex, looking to make it 3 wins in 2 days. Or are they?
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p>Preston Tucker... .991 OPS in June for Lancaster. Move him up?</p>— Jeff Luhnow (@jluhnow) <a href="https://twitter.com/jluhnow/statuses/349957089340297216">June 26, 2013</a></blockquote> <script async src="//platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script> Sure... why not right?
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p>OF Preston Tucker has been promoted to AA <a href="https://twitter.com/cchooks">@cchooks</a>. Leading the <a href="https://twitter.com/search?q=%23JetHawks&src=hash">#JetHawks</a> with 15 HR and leading <a href="https://twitter.com/MiLB">@MiLB</a> with 74 RBI. <a href="https://twitter.com/search?q=%23Astros&src=hash">#Astros</a></p>— Jason Schwartz (@jasondschwartz) <a href="https://twitter.com/jasondschwartz/statuses/349957400347951104">June 26, 2013</a></blockquote> <script async src="//platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p>Delino DeShields Jr. will represent the <a href="https://twitter.com/search?q=%23Astros&src=hash">#Astros</a>, along with George Springer, on U.S. roster at 2013 Futures Game at Citi Field.</p>— Jason Schwartz (@jasondschwartz) <a href="https://twitter.com/jasondschwartz/statuses/349970872557252609">June 26, 2013</a></blockquote> <script async src="//platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
Really surprised that DeShields made the Futures game since he has a solid, but quiet year. I would have preferred to see Foltynewicz in the Futures game, but oh well.
Yeah, but it's easier to find pitchers than to find a 2B. Asked Baseball America this question earlier: Could Mike Foltynewicz have been a viable substitute for Delino DeShields Jr.? J.J. Cooper: Sure. Him or McCullers would both look good on the U.S. pitching staff and Correa would have looked good as a World shortstop. That being said, it's harder to find good U.S. second basemen than it is to find good U.S. arms. But speaking of Folty, I heard he touched 100 mph last night in the Texas League All-Star Game.
