Since I'm covering 2 days' worth of action, I'm expecting that this post will be quite long. So, you can choose your own Three Stars, Honorable Mentions, and Goats for Thursday and Friday. But here's what happened on Thursday.... OKC outhit Nashville 8-4, but still lost 2-1. Fernando Martinez was 2-2 and his RBI single in the 1st was the only run for the Redhawks. Armando Galarraga allowed a hit, a walk, and struck out 1 in the 1st before exiting with an injury. Aneury Rodriguez got the loss but pitched admirably in 5 innings of relief, allowing 2 runs on 2 hits (1 solo homer), walking 2 and striking out 4. Chris Hicks finished with 2 scoreless, allowing a hit and striking out 1. For the 4th time in 5 games, a Corpus Christi Hooks game had to be settled in extra innings. This time, they walked off 5-3 losers in 11 as Erick Abreu served up a 2-run shot to Nathan Freiman. Jose Martinez and Kody Hinze drove in 1 each. Andy Simunic went 3-5 and scored on an error in the 8th that tied the game at 3. In the same inning, Drew Muren actually missed a grand slam by a few feet. Instead, he was the 3rd out of the inning. Also, Jonathan Singleton legged out a bunt single in the 8th. Yes, that's what I said. And it happened. Jose Cisnero's split personality made an appearance on Thursday. He allowed 3 runs on 5 hits in 5 innings, walking 3 and striking out 4. Josh Zeid and Alex Sogard followed up with 2 scoreless innings each. Abreu actually struck out the side in the 10th.... but he still lost. Lancaster's Thursday night was forgettable, to say the least, as they were pwned 14-1 by Lake Elsinore. They were absolutely flattened in the bottom of the 7th as they allowed the Storm to score 10, which turned a somewhat-manageable 4-0 game into a 2 TD deficit. Offensively, the Jethawks were held to 4 hits; Ben Heath had 3 of them, including a solo homer in the 8th (4) that was the only run of the game for his team. Tyson Perez allowed 4 runs (all on homers) on 5 hits (solo and 3-run homers) in 5 2/3 innings, walking 3 and fanning 6. Jason Chowning and Brad Dydalewicz bore the wrath of the Storm. Well, Luis Cruz was sitting pretty for Lexington in their series opener against WV. And then... After trailing 3-0, the Power scored 9 unanswered between the 6th and the 7th to completely turn the game upside down. The Legends would drop this one 9-4. Cruz allowed 5 runs (4 earned, all in the 5th) on 6 hits in 5 1/3 innings, striking out 6. Gabriel Garcia served up 2 2-run homers in the 7th. Brandon Meredith sent one out (2) in the 2nd to put Lexington up 1-0. Roberto Pena went 2-4 with a 2-run double in the 4th. And Matt Duffy was 2-4 with an RBI single in the 9th. Meredith (7), Chan-Jong Moon (2), and Delino DeShields (46) had steals. I'll admit.... Tri-City isn't a very flashy team. But they look like the type of team that can grind out some tough wins this season. The pitching doesn't look too glamorous outside of Vince Velasquez, and Brady Rodgers, despite being a 3rd-rounder, is far from that. And right now, I'm trying to find someone that's anywhere close to being exciting on offense. Jobduan Morales, Austin Elkins, and Andrew Aplin may, may be those guys. Can't count out Chase Davidson, either. Well, on that note, the ValleyCats split with Vermont, with each team winning 1 at their place. They withstood a 2-run homer from Jacob Tanis in the 8th to win 5-3. Chase Davidson was 3-4 with an RBI double. Jobduan Morales, Jesse Wierzbicki, and Ryan Dineen also drove in 1. Davidson scored the run that wasn't an RBI, as he scored while Wierzbicki reached on an error in the 2nd. Brian Holmes went 2 2/3 innings in his debut, allowing a run on 4 hits (solo homer), walking 2 and striking out 4. Tom Shirley still hasn't given up an earned run in a ValleyCats uniform, as he threw 2 1/3 innings as the first man out of the pen, allowing a hit, a walk, and fanning 1. John Neely served up the 2-run shot in the 8th, the only blemish on his line in 3 innings. And finally, Blake Ford allowed a hit, but shut the door for his 1st save. Greeneville took 2 of 3 from Johnson City, as they stormed out to an 8-0 lead after the top of the 4th and never looked back in a 10-3 laugher. Jean Carlos Batista went 5-6 (all singles) with an RBI, but he didn't even have the best offensive performance of the night. That belonged to Ariel Ovando, who went 4-5 with 2 doubles, a triple, and 5 RBI. Yep, home run shy of the cycle for the reigning youngest player on the Greeneville roster. Not to be outdone, Jimmy Howick went 4-5 with a double and 3 RBI of his own. In addition to Batista, Ricky Gingras, Brian Blasik, and Terrell Joyce drove in 1 each. I'm sure Francis Ramirez thanked his offensive comrades for the generous support they gave him. And, he wasn't half-bad on the mound himself. In 5 innings, he allowed 2 runs on 3 hits, walking 1 and striking out 2. Zach Hardoin allowed a solo homer in the 6th, but that was the extent of the damage as he did very well otherwise, striking out 2 in 2 innings. Christian Garcia and Mike Dimock finished it off with a scoreless inning between themselves. The GCLstros were on the wrong end of a 4-0 game against the Marlins, a game in which they were held to 2 hits. Reymin Guduan allowed 3 runs on 4 hits (2-run homer) in 3 innings, walking 3 and striking out 1. Jandel Gustave allowed a run in the 7th, the only one he gave up in 3 innings. Andrew Walter finished with 2 scoreless, allowing a hit and fanning 3. The Academy was postponed Thursday. And now.... on to Friday's action. OKC got a great show from Brett Wallace as they knocked off Nashville 10-7. Wallace was 2-4, going deep (12) in the 6th (2-run) and 8th (solo). Brandon Barnes went 3-6 with a double, 2 RBI, and scored twice. Landon Powell went 2-4 and chipped in 2 RBI of his own. Brad Snyder, Jordan Kreke, and Fernando Martinez drove in 1 each. Brett Oberholtzer made his return to AAA in this one, as he went 5 innings and allowed 5 runs (4 earned) on 8 hits (2 solo homers to Logan Schafer [no relation to Jordan; Logan also plays CF]) and struck out 3. Jonnathan Aristil allowed 2 runs (1 earned) in the 7th, and Mickey Storey followed up with 1 2/3 scoreless. Hector Ambriz got the save, his 1st with OKC and 2nd on the season. Corpus withstood 3 home runs from Chris McGuinness (all solos) to trounce Frisco 13-7. Travis Buck, Jonathan Singleton, and Kody Hinze went hitless, but everyone else had at least 2 hits. A great night at the bottom of the order for Chris Wallace, as he went 3-3 with a solo homer (4) in the 8th, and kicked off the scoring with a 2-run double in the 2nd. Oh, he also scored 4 times in this one. At the top, Jonathan Villar went 2-5 with a 2-run single in the 2nd, and a 2-run homer in the 6th (6). Andy Simunic (2-5, 2 R) and Jose Martinez (3-5, R) each had 1 RBI. Drew Locke went 3-5 with a 2-run homer (4) in the 3rd. And finally, Drew Muren was 2-5 with a double and scored twice. Bobby Doran was knocked around a bit in his Corpus debut, but the offensive support he got certainly reminded him of a few starts he had in Lancaster. He allowed 5 runs on 8 hits (McGuinness got him twice), walked 2, and fanned 2 in 5 innings. Henry Villar finished the game and allowed 2 runs on 6 hits (McGuinness' 3rd of the game) and struck out 1. Lancaster probably expected a better start to the 2nd half than these 2 clunkers against Lake Elsinore. They were knocked off last night 6-2. Telvin Nash and Chris Epps drove in 1 each. Jorge De Leon had his longest outing of the season, going 6 innings, walking 2 and striking out 4, but he also allowed 6 runs on 9 hits (3-run homer). Kirk Clark (.2 IP, 2 BB) and Pat Urckfitz (1.1, 2 H, K) finished with 2 scoreless innings of relief. Ditto for Lexington, as they dropped 2 in a row to open their 2nd half of play against West Virginia. They lost this one by a count of 5-2, and were held to 4 hits in the process. Mike Kvasnicka had 2 of them, one of which was a solo homer (9) in the 7th. Jay Austin had an RBI single in the 4th. Delino DeShields went 0-3 with a walk, a strikeout, scored on Austin's single, and stole his 47th of the season. Luis Ordosgoitti allowed 5 runs (3 earned) on 10 hits and struck out 2 in 6 innings. Evan Grills finished with 2 scoreless, allowing 1 walk. Tri-City's series opener with Connecticut was postponed. Doubleheader today. Greeneville's series opener with Kingsport was suspended in the top of the 6th due to rain, with Ariel Ovando batting in a 5-5 game. Up to this point, the top third of the order has looked unstoppable. D'Andre Toney is 2-3 with 2 runs scored. Jean Carlos Batista is 2-3 with an RBI double and an RBI triple. Brian Blasik, also 2-3, has 2 RBI singles and 2 steals. Terrell Joyce is 1-3 with an RBI double. Chris Lee went 3 1/3, allowing 5 runs (4 earned) on 6 hits (solo homer), walking 3 and striking out 4. Mitch Lambson threw 1 2/3 scoreless in relief, allowing 2 hits and striking out 2. The GCLstros were back home in Kissimmee, where they were trounced by the Nationals 12-3. Yonathan Mejia's 3-run homer (1) in the 3rd was the only offense for the Complex Astros in this one. Austin Wates, on a rehab assignment, went 2-2 with a run scored. Carlos Correa went 0-3 with 2 strikeouts. Bust!!!! Enderson Franco went 3 innings and allowed 3 runs on 8 hits and struck out 2. Was not a good day for pitching. Rod Quintero was the only pitcher that didn't allow a run, as he threw 3 scoreless, allowing 3 hits, walking 1, and fanning 3. The Academy was able to get one back in the 9th, but wasn't able to steal the win as they fell 6-5 to the Cardinals. Frederick Serrano went 2-4. Randy Cesar and Arturo Michelena also went 2-4... only they drove in 1 run each. Yoel Silfa had an RBI too, despite going 0-5. Jarico Reynoso scored on a passed ball in the 1st, and Michelena scored on an error that allowed Silfa to reach base safely in the 3rd. Johan Arias went 5 innings and allowed 4 runs on 5 hits, walked 3, and struck out 4. Juan Delis allowed one of Arias' runs to score in the 6th. Frangy Colon was tagged with the L as he allowed 2 runs (1 earned) in 3 2/3, allowing a hit, walking 2, and striking out 1. Looking Ahead OKC will be heading home to face Omaha at 7:05. Bud Norris will begin a rehab stint with the Redhawks as he goes up against the Royals' top prospect, Mike Montgomery. He may need to watch out for Wil Myers, their #3 prospect, who has pretty much destroyed every pitcher he has faced this season. Jake Buchanan will be looking to shake off his worst outing of the season as he gets the start for Corpus Christi in game 2 of their series with Frisco. He'll be matched up with Jacob Brigham. First pitch will be at 7. Lancaster will be looking to get something going in their series with Lake Elsinore at 6:05 Pacific. R.J. Alaniz will start for the Jethawks, and the Storm will go with Mark Pope. Lexington will also be looking for some kind of spark against West Virginia at 7:05 Eastern. Jonas Dufek starts for the Legends; he'll be opposed by Ryan Hafner. Tri-City and Connecticut will be playing 2. Game 1 will feature Joe Bircher going up against Jack Duffey at 6:05 Eastern. Game 2 will probably start 45 minutes after the conclusion of game 1. Greeneville and Kingsport will be back at it at 6 Eastern. Daniel Minor will make his debut against TBD. But first things first, they'll have to complete Friday night's game. They're looking to resume at 5. The GCLstros are headed off to Viera, Florida, where the Nationals' complex is located. That game will be coming up momentarily. The Academy is hosting the Royals today. This one's in progress.
And no. I'm not worried about Carlos Correa. Glad no one will miss my sarcasm. In other news, enjoy this writeup of Greeneville's game against Johnson City. Yeah, I found it on TCB...
Juan Santana 2-3 with an RBI single in the 5th, and the rehabbing Austin Wates followed that up with a 2-run homer. Astros lead the Nationals 3-0 in the 6th
Heading to the Astros game in a few; Three Stars post coming up later. Saturday Stories Bud began prepping for a return to the Astros. Hopefully by the weekend. Jake Buchanan rebounded from a terrible start in a huge way. What in the world has gotten into Chris Epps? A historic night for Delino DeShields in a Lexington victory. In the words of Ernie Banks.... let's play two in Connecticut! Appy Astros comin' out hot! Recap OKC topped Omaha 4-3 in the series opener. David Norris began his rehab assignment by tossing 5 solid innings, allowing 2 runs on 3 hits (2 solo homers), walking 3, and striking out 7. Enerio Del Rosario did allow a run in the 6th, but got out of it. Jose Valdez, Adalberto Flores, and Juan Abreu (save) each threw 1 scoreless. Scott Moore hit a solo homer in the 2nd, his 9th of the season. Fernando Martinez went 3-3. Jimmy Paredes had an RBI double in the 1st that was the first run of the game. And finally, Brad Snyder had a sac fly. Coming off his worst start of the season, a start in which he received a game score of 2, Jake Buchanan came out and shut out Frisco for 7 2/3 innings, allowing 6 hits, walking 2, and striking out 4. He threw 109 pitches (67 strikes), and in typical Jake Buchanan fashion, racked up his astronomical total of groundouts (15, with 2 flyouts). He got the victory as Corpus knocked off Frisco 5-1. Drew Muren put the first run on the board in the 5th as he stole 3rd (5 with CC, 9 season) and scored as Zach Zaneski's throw was a bit errant. Jose Martinez went 2-4 and cranked a solo shot to left in the 5th, his 7th of the season. Travis Buck chipped in with a 2-run double in the 7th, and one batter later, Adam Bailey brought him home with a single. Bailey got thrown out trying to stretch it to a double, though. Arcenio Leon allowed a run in the 8th, but he did get the final out of the inning. Jason Stoffel finished it out in a non-save situation. Lancaster walked off with a 7-6 loss in Lake Elsinore, as Andrew Robinson couldn't close the door. Everyone had a hit except for Rene Garcia. Chris Epps has definitely made the most of his opportunity with the Jethawks, as he went 2-4 with a 2-run homer (4 with Lancaster, 6 overall) in the 5th. 9 of his 17 hits as a Jethawk have been for extra bases. Domingo Santana chipped in with a 2-run double. Telvin Nash went 2-4 with an RBI double. He did what he did the 2 times he didn't get hits. Jonathan Meyer went 2-5 with an RBI single. The California League effect is hitting R.J. Alaniz hard right now. He pitched 6 innings and allowed 5 runs on 8 hits (solo and 3-run homers), walked 4, and struck out 5. Jose Trinidad threw 1 1/3 scoreless, allowing a hit and walking 3. Lexington broke into the win column for the first time in the 2nd half as they took down West Virginia 5-2. Delino DeShields went 2-5 with a 2-run single in the 2nd, and stole 2 bases (49). His 49 steals and counting set a new single-season record in that department, topping Josh Anderson's 48 in 2004. On an unrelated note.... I know Josh Anderson was an Astro for 21 pretty meaningless games in 2007, but really? Oscar Villarreal??? Now back to the game... Luis Alvarez drew a walk with the bases loaded in the 2nd and went deep in the 4th, his 1st homer of the season. Brandon Meredith was 1-3 and also drew a bases-loaded walk in the 8th. Jonas Dufek had another good start, as he allowed 2 runs on 7 hits in 6 innings, walking 2 and striking out 3. Murilo Gouvea allowed a hit, walked 3, and struck out 2 in 2 innings of relief, and Carlos Quevedo struck out the side in the 9th to earn his 4th save of the year. Quevedo's excellent control definitely plays up in the bullpen... I don't know if a move up is warranted at this point, but it's a low-risk promotion with a guy like Quevedo. Tri-City and Connecticut split their doubleheader, with the Tigers winning the first game 2-1 and the ValleyCats taking game 2 4-3. Joe Bircher made his debut in game 1, allowing 2 hits and an unearned run in 2 2/3 innings, walking 1 and striking out 3. Austin Elkins' RBI single in the 3rd was the only TC run. He and Neiko Johnson had 2 hits apiece. Jeremiah Meiners got the loss, but pitched relatively well otherwise. He allowed a run on a hit (not a homer) and struck out 3 in 3 1/3 innings. Jamaine Cotton technically allowed the winning run to score, but it was charged to Meiners. The ValleyCats got even, as Chase Davidson crushed a 3-run homer to right that tied the game at 3 in the 4th. Jesse Wierzbicki scored the go-ahead run in the 7th that gave the ValleyCats the win. Elkins added another 2 hits in this one. Brady Rodgers, in his professional debut, went 4 innings and allowed 3 unearned runs on 3 hits, walking 1 and striking out 6. Travis Ballew got the win with 2 scoreless innings of relief, allowing a hit and striking out 3. And finally, Kenny Long got his first professional save, striking out 2 in the 7th. Greeneville has just poured it on offensively in the early going. Since losing 4-2 on Opening Night to Johnson City, the Astros have scored 37 runs over the next 4 games. Here, they took two 9-5 games over Kingsport. The first game was a continuation of Friday night's game, which was suspended due to rain. Well, the Astros ended that one rather quickly, as they ran off 3 in the 7th and tacked on 1 more in the 9th. Everyone had a hit in that game except for Ariel Ovando. D'Andre Toney went 2-4 and scroed 3 times. Terrell Joyce went 2-4 with 2 doubles, one of them going for an RBI. Marc Wik and Ernesto Genoves also drove in 1 each. Brian Blasik continued his blazing start by going 3-5 with 3 RBI. And Jean Carlos Batista has been absolutely nuts coming out of the gate, as he finished a homer shy of the cycle in this one, going 4-5 with a double, a triple, 2 RBI, and 3 runs scored. Pitching-wise, Chris Lee went 3 1/3, allowing 5 runs (4 earned) on 6 hits (solo homer), walking 3 and striking out 4. Mitch Lambson threw 1 2/3 scoreless in relief, allowing 2 hits and striking out 2. Jordan Jankowski got the win, throwing 2 innings, allowing a hit, walking 2, and fanning 1. Mike Dimock got the save as he allowed 2 hits and struck out 3 in 2 innings. In the regularly scheduled game, the Appy Astros still put up 9 despite only getting 4 hits. And once again, the Blasik-Batista combo was up to it again. Blasik was 2-5 with a double and 3 RBI from the leadoff spot. Batista, batting 2nd, had an RBI double. Mike Martinez and Ernesto Genoves drove in 1 each. The K-Mets committed 4 errors in this one. Ruben Sosa went 0-3, but he did score 3 times. Dan Minor threw 3 scorless in his debut, allowing 1 hit and striking out 3. Frederick Tiburcio allowed 4 (3 earned, 3 inherited) in the 5th. Zach Dando blew up Tiburcio's line, but he got the win by finishing the 5th. Zach Hardoin allowed 1 run on 2 hits in 2 innings, walking 2 and striking out 3, and Mike Hauschild finished it off with 2 scoreless, allowing a hit and fanning 3. The GCLstros got some strong pitching as they topped the Nationals 4-1. Juan Santana went 2-3 with an RBI single in the 5th, and the rehabbing Austin Wates followed that up with a 2-run homer. Darwin Rivera added an RBI single in the 8th. Chia-Jen Lo struck out 2 in a 1-2-3 1st. Michael Feliz took care of things from there. He threw 4 1/3 shutout innings, allowing 4 hits, walking 2, and striking out 7. Ambiorix De Leon gave up the lone Nats run in the 8th. Erick Gonzalez got the last 4 outs for the save. The Academy put up a run in the bottom of the 1st, and that was all they needed as they blanked the Royals 1-0. Randy Cesar's sac fly did the trick. Samil De Los Santos is putting himself in a pretty good position to head to the U.S. at some point; next year is probably more likely. He threw 7 shutout innings, allowing 3 hits, walking 4, and striking out 5. Elieser Hernandez got the 2-inning save, allowing 2 hits, walking 1, and fanning 2.
He is walking. Has done better than Buxton so far, but obviously its way too early to call. Any chance Ruiz gets in on short season play?
Oh yeah, Ruiz will definitely start playing soon. The earlier signing deadline means that all the late signers will get a chance to get some game action in.
Nice game for the guys in Lexington. Tropeano went 6 shutout innings with 6 Ks, and the offense cranked out 4 homers, including Kvasnicka (his 10th) and Deshields.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p>With a string of 15 1/3 scoreless IP after tonight's start, Jarred Cosart has been added to Thur. TL All-Star Game <a href="http://t.co/SADzx1py" title="http://corpuschristi.hooks.milb.com/news/article.jsp?ymd=20120624&content_id=33848690&vkey=news_t482&fext=.jsp&sid=t482">corpuschristi.hooks.milb.com/news/article.j…</a></p>— Mike Tauser (@farmstros) <a href="https://twitter.com/farmstros/status/217076818925191169" data-datetime="2012-06-25T02:08:41+00:00">June 25, 2012</a></blockquote> <script src="//platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
Sunday Stories Uneventful OKC game... Corpus, on the other hand, a little too close for comfort. A show of power for Lexington in West Virginia. Tri-City takes their series in a back-and-forth affair. Greeneville.... ugh. Recap OKC didn't get much going in their 6-2 loss to Omaha. Brandon Barnes' 2-run homer in the 7th was the only offense for the Redhawks. That was his 2nd in an OKC uniform, and 9th of the season. Paul Clemens went 7 innings and allowed 4 runs on 8 hits (solo homer) and walked 3 without recording a strikeout. Hector Ambriz allowed 2 more in the 9th. Corpus has taken the first 3 from Frisco, winning 3-2. Jose Martinez went 2-4 with a solo homer in the 5th, his 8th of the season, and 2nd in as many nights. Drew Locke and Travis Buck had RBI doubles. Jarred Cosart threw 6 shutout innings, allowing 4 hits, walking 2, and striking out 1. Kevin Chapman cruised through the 7th and the 8th, and got 2 outs in the 9th.... but decided to throw the result in limbo for a moment by serving up a 2-run homer to Chris McGuiness, who hit 3 solo shots on Friday. No worries, Jason Stoffel ended the comeback attempt by slamming the door shut. Lancaster remains winless in Lake Elsinore as they walked off 4-3 losers in 14. They are now 0-11 in Lake Elsinore this season. Erik Castro broke a 0-0 tie in the 7th with his 10th homer of the season. But then, Tommy Medica took David Martinez for a ride in the bottom of the 8th to re-tie the game at 1. That was the only blemish on Martinez's line, as he scattered 4 other hits in 7 innings, striking out 7. Shame he had to settle for a no-decision. Pat Urckfitz went 1-2-3 in the 8th, and 1-2-3 in the 9th, striking out 2. Jose Trinidad threw 2 of his own, allowing a hit and striking out 1. Jonathan Meyer came through in the top of the 12th with a 2-run single, but Andrew Robinson and Kirk Clark undid that by allowing the Storm to re-tie it in the bottom of the inning. Domingo Santana dropped a flyball in the 14th that resulted in a triple for Justin Miller; he would end up being the winning run, as Casey McElroy poked a single into right field. Lexington used 4 homers to batter West Virginia 9-3, earning a split in the series. The first shot was fired as Brandon Meredith ripped a 2-run homer (3) in the 2nd. Jordan Scott followed up with a 2-run shot of his own, his 1st of the year. Mike Kvasnicka got in on the act in the 6th, as his 10th homer brought 3 home. And not to be denied, Delino DeShields drove himself in with 1 out in the 7th, his 4th homer of the season. Roberto Pena had the only RBI that did not involve a home run, as he singled home Chan-Jong Moon in the 8th. Moon, who replaced Matt Duffy in the 2nd, went 3-4 with a double and scored 3 runs. Duffy left after being hit by a pitch. Precautionary measures, I presume. Nick Tropeano got a measure of retribution against the Power, as he threw 6 shutout innings, allowed 2 hits, walked 3, and struck out 6. On the 12th, West Virginia knocked him around for 6 runs (5 earned) in 4 innings. Nathan Pettus threw 2 perfect innings, striking out 3. Euris Quezada spoiled the shutout by allowing 3 in the 9th. Evan Grills got the last out. Tri-City won their series with Connecticut in a spirited matchup, winning 6-5. Neiko Johnson and Chase Davidson drove in 1 apiece on outs. Dan Gulbransen went 3-5, doubled twice, drove in 3, and scored twice. Joe Sclafani had an RBI double. Jobduan Morales was 2-5 and scored twice. Vince Velasquez went 4 1/3, allowing 2 runs (1 inherited) on 6 hits, walking 1, and striking out 3. Juan Minaya, Brad Propst (who got the win), and John Neely allowed a run in their stints. Kenny Long and Blake Ford (who got the save) held down the fort. Greeneville couldn't quite complete the sweep, as they were mauled 8-3 by Kingsport. Michael Martinez went 3-4 with an RBI single, and Cristian Moronta had a pinch-hit RBI single. Martinez scored the last run as Jimmy Howick reached on an error. Adrian Houser was roughed up in 4 1/3 innings, as he allowed 7 runs (6 earned) on 10 hits and struck out 2. Tanner Bushue pitched the next 2 2/3, allowing a run on 4 hits, walking 2, and striking out 3. Scott Zuloaga allowed a hit and struck out 2 in the 8th. Game Scores Paul Clemens: 42 Jarred Cosart: 63 David Martinez: 70 Nick Tropeano: 71 Vince Velasquez: 45 Adrian Houser: 19 Three Stars 3. Dan Gulbransen, LF, Tri-City 3-5, 2 2B, 3 RBI, 2 R Best game of his young career. 2. Jarred Cosart, P, Corpus Christi David Martinez, P, Lancaster Nick Tropeano, P, Lexington Cosart: 6 IP, 4 H, 2 BB, K, 63 GS Martinez: 7 IP, 5 H, ER, 7 K, 70 GS Tropeano: 6 IP, 2 H, 3 BB, 6 K, 71 GS 1. Delino DeShields, 2B, Lexington Jordan Scott, CF Mike Kvasnicka, C/RF Brandon Meredith, OF/DH DeShields: 2-5, solo HR (4), 2 R Scott: 2-4, 2-R HR (1) Kvasnicka: 3-R HR (10) Meredith: 2-4, 2-R HR (3) Show of Power. DeShields' current offensive production should land him on a few top 100 lists by season's end. Scott's low average is probably because he hasn't beat out very many grounders lately. Kvasnicka has exceeded his career HR total. You can say that's something he's done right offensively. Meredith is a much better hitter than his .228 average, IMO. Honorable Mentions Chan-Jong Moon, SS, Lexington: Well, he was supposed to have a day off, as Jose Fernandez started at short. His bat is coming along very nicely. Jason Stoffel, P, Corpus Christi: Cleaned up Chapman's mess. Brandon Barnes, CF, Oklahoma City: Maybe he'll force his way into the mix in Houston's outfield? Goats Kody Hinze for a hat trick. Kevin Chapman made the 9th unnecessarily dramatic for Corpus, despite cruising. Should have been a 12-inning win for Lancaster, but Andrew Robinson and Kirk Clark couldn't finish the deal. Domingo Santana also had a hat trick, was the one thrown out on a strike 'em out, throw 'em out DP, and he capped off a miserable night by dropping a flyball in the 14th that resulted in a triple and the winning run for Lake Elsinore. Looking Ahead OKC and Omaha play game 3 of their series at 7:05. Brian Bass will start against Nate Adcock. Corpus and Frisco will finish off their series, and then it's the Texas League All-Star break. Ross Seaton will take on Neil Ramirez at 7. Lancaster comes home to host Modesto for 3. First pitch will be at 7:05 Pacific. Lexington will make a stop in Greensboro for 4 beginning at 7 Eastern. Tri-City heads home to open a series with Lowell. First pitch will be at 7 Eastern. Greeneville's home opener will be at 7 Eastern, as they will host the Princeton Rays. The GCLstros are in Palm Beach, as they take on the Cardinals at noon Eastern. The Academy will head to the Royals' complex for a 10:30 AM (Eastern) game.
And in my rush to go to bed, I realized that I forgot to put anything in for Cosart, Martinez, and Tropeano. We expect performances like these from Cosart and Tropeano. Tropeano seems to do great after ho-hum starts. No doubt in my mind that he'd respond well to a promotion. Cosart had a solid outing, but he didn't miss many bats in this one. But he did get outs, and didn't allow any runs. His stuff cannot possibly result in 54 Ks in 69 innings, but somehow, it has. Shame for Martinez. He definitely pitched well enough to get a victory.
That's the one thing that has baffled me a bit about him (and also the same reason I wasn't thrilled at the prospect of Appel). Why isn't he missing more bats? Foltynewicz is somewhat similar in that regard. His numbers are superb, but I would've expected some bigger K numbers...like Tropeano.
Deshields Jr. is going to be a heck of a ballplayer in the next couple of years. I think his overall game will end up making him better than Altuve...sacrilege I know! He's starting to hit for average and his power should continue to develop especially at MinuteMaid. He knows how to get on base and with his speed he'll be a huge weapon in the lead off spot!
I can take some solace in knowing that his groundball rates have always been pretty good throughout his career.
http://www.baseballamerica.com/statistics/topperformers/ Baseball America's new top daily performers website. DDJ topped the minors in the 'Runs Created' metric yesterday, going 3 for 5 with a double, a home run, 2 walks and 2 stolen bases. 2012 17th round draftee Aaron West had a top 10 game score among domestic short season leagues. He threw 5 innings, struck out 5 and gave up 1 hit for a game score of 70.
Monday Stories Looks like the full-season teams couldn't pull their weight in their games. The short-season clubs, on the other hand, all came out on top, except for the Academy. Recap OKC dropped another one to Omaha, as they lost 7-4. Scott Moore (10) and Mike Hessman (21) went back-to-back in the 9th. Brett Wallace had a 2-run double in the 4th. Brian Bass went 8 innings, allowing 4 runs on 9 hits (solo and 2-run homers to Anthony Seratelli), walking 3 and striking out 6. Adalberto Flores served up a 3-run shot to Clint Robinson in the 9th. In their final game before the Texas League All-Star break, Corpus Christi was held to 3 hits in a 4-1 loss to Frisco. Still, they'll take 3 out of 4 on the road. Jonathan Villar led off the game with a homer (7).... and that was it. Ross Seaton allowed 4 runs on 6 hits (solo homer to guess who.... Chris McGuinness), walked 1, and struck out 4 in 4 2/3 innings. Alex Sogard and Josh Zeid posted identical lines, pitching 1 2/3 innings, allowing a hit, and striking out 1. Lancaster's slide continues as they were whacked 14-4 by Modesto. George Springer had a 2-run triple in the 5th and Telvin Nash hit a 2-run homer (19) in the 2nd. Zach Grimmett got bombed in his 3 1/3 innings, as he allowed 9 runs (8 earned) on 10 hits, walking 3 and striking out 3. Brian Streilein allowed 5 in his 2 2/3 innings of relief, serving up 2 homers in the process. Jason Chowning had a nice outing, throwing 2 scoreless, allowing a hit, walking 1, and striking out 3. Really needed an outing like that, as he's struggled mightily since his promotion. Lexington got some damn good offensive performances in this game, so you'd expect them to win, right? Well, no. They walked off with a 12-11 loss in 13 innings in their series opener with Greensboro. Both teams combined for 23 runs, 45 hits, and 3 errors. After the Legends took an 11-8 lead by scoring 3 in the top of the inning. Evan Grills, sadly, had an epic fail, as he allowed 3 runs on behalf of Gabriel Garcia and the winning run (his) in the bottom half. Brandon Meredith went 3-6 with 2 solo homers (5). Roberto Pena went 2-6 with 2 runs scored; both of his hits were doubles. Jordan Scott and Chan-Jong Moon each had 2 hits and an RBI. Delino DeShields went 3-5 (triple shy of the cycle) with a 2-run homer (5) in the 13th, scored 3 runs, and stole 2 bases (51). And Jose Fernandez (not to be confused with the Marlins RHP just promoted from Greensboro) formally announced his arrival with Lexington by going 5-6 with 2 doubles, a solo homer (1), 3 RBI, and 3 runs scored. Entering the game, he had been 0-6 in 3 prior games. Mike Foltynewicz was thwarted in his attempt to become the first pitcher in the Astros organization to 10 wins, as he allowed 2 runs on 12 hits in 6 innings, walking 1 and striking out 4. The bullpen was shaky. Let's just leave it at that, shall we? My reaction to the full-season teams all losing: On the other hand, the short-season teams played quite well. Tri-City trounced Lowell 7-1 in the series opener. Jobduan Morales had a 2-run double, scored twice, and walked twice. Ryan Dineen hit an RBI triple. Jesse Wierzbicki added a sac fly, and Justin Gominsky had a 2-run single. Dan Gulbransen scored the only run that wasn't batted in, as he stole 3rd on a double steal (with Austin Elkins taking 2nd) and scored as Spinners catcher Oscar Perez unleashed a wild throw. Aaron West was dominant in getting his 1st professional win, throwing 5 innings of 1-hit ball and striking out 5. Tom Shirley's streak of not allowing an earned run in Tri-City came to an end in the 6th. That streak spanned 28 innings, but he did allow 2 unearned runs in that time. In 2 innings, he allowed 4 hits and struck out 4. Jamaine Cotton finished with 2 scoreless, allowing 2 hits and striking out 1. Greeneville had a successful home opener as they topped Princeton 5-3. Ariel Ovando went 2-4 with a double and a 2-run single. Mike Martinez had an RBI groundout and an RBI single. Ernesto Genoves' solo homer (1) to lead off the bottom of the 8th gave the Appy Astros the separation they needed. Richard Rodriguez allowed 3 runs (2 earned) on 4 hits (solo homer), walking 2 and striking out 5. Mitch Lambson got the 3-inning save (2) as he struck out 2 without allowing a baserunner. Still kind of baffled as to why Lambson is there. Appy Astros' Report from the Game The GCLstros knocked off the Cardinals 7-4 as Wallace Gonzalez ripped a 2-run double and Brett Phillips added a sac fly and an RBI single. Ydarqui Marte and Jose Solano each had an RBI. Alfredo Gonzalez tripled and scored twice. Carlos Correa went 1-5, putting every ball in play. Raul Rivera allowed a hit in the 1st. Agapito Barrios got the win, pitching 5 innings, allowing a run on 3 hits and fanning 5. Ricardo Batista allowed 3 runs that were charged to Brandon Culbreth in the 9th. Erick Gonzalez got the last 2 outs of the game to get his 2nd save. The Academy split with the Royals, walking off 2-1 losers in 10. Frederick Serrano's RBI single in the top of the 9th tied the game at 1. The DSLstros only had 4 hits. Arturo Michelena went 2-4 with a double. Juan Hernandez threw 6 shutout innings, allowing 4 hits and striking out 5. Victor Mesa got the loss, allowing both runs. In 3 1/3, he also allowed 6 hits, walked 1, and struck out 1. Game Scores Brian Bass: 51 Ross Seaton: 39 Zach Grimmett: Pass Mike Foltynewicz: 43 Aaron West: 70 Richard Rodriguez: 57 Raul Rivera: N/A (Agapito Barrios would have gotten a 62) Juan Hernandez: 69 Three Stars 3. George Springer and Telvin Nash, Lancaster Springer: 2-R 3B Nash: 2-R HR (19) For being the only sources of offense in an otherwise crappy game for Lancaster. Ariel Ovando, RF, Greeneville: 2-4, 2B, 2 RBI Expecting a breakout year from Ovando. A great repeat year from him could mean that he could get some run in Tri-City or even Lexington. 2. Aaron West, P, Tri-City W, 5 IP, H, 5 K, 70 GS The man who might have become a CIA agent spun a beautiful outing. 1. (Jose Fernandez photo credit: BeGreen90 on Flickr) Jose Fernandez, SS, Lexington 5-6, 2 2B, HR (1), 3 RBI, 3 R Announcing his arrival with a monster game. Barely 19, keep an eye on this kid. Delino DeShields, 2B 3-5, 2B, 2-R HR (5), 3 R, 2 SB (51) Breakout in full effect. Brandon Meredith, OF/DH 3-6, 2 HR (5) Found his power stroke in these last 2 games. He's starting to get more acclimated to Lexington. Honorable Mentions Jason Chowning, P, Lancaster: Really needed this one. I still believe. Mitch Lambson, P, Greeneville: OK, send him to Lexington or something. Jonathan Villar, SS, Corpus Christi: After that terrible start to the year, he now possesses a much more respectable line of .259/.326/.372 with 7 homers, 39 RBI, and 33 steals. Goats Not often that the Lexington bullpen has a terrible night. Dishonorable mention goes out to Zach Grimmett for his horrid start. Random Same name, different parts of Texas. The baseball player was also a football standout at La Porte. The basketball player was a force at Ozen HS in Beaumont. Looking Ahead In the early bird special, OKC will look for a split in their series with Omaha at 11:05 AM. Armando Galarraga will take the mound against Will Smith. Corpus is off for a few days. The Texas League All-Star Game will be played in Tulsa on Thursday night. Lancaster and Modesto will play the middle game of their series at 7 Pacific. Tyson Perez will go up against Leuris Gomez. Lexington will be looking to shake off this heartbreaker, as they'll be back at it with Greensboro at 7 Eastern. Luis Cruz gets the start against Jose Urena. Tri-City and Lowell play game 2 of 3 at 7 Eastern. And so will Greeneville and Princeton. Juri Perez will start for the ValleyCats against Raynel Vellette, and for the Appy Astros, Francis Ramirez will go up against Kevin James. The GCLstros and Cardinals will square off in Kissimmee at noon Eastern. The Academy will be headed off to the Dodgers complex. First pitch as always... 10:30 AM Eastern.
