IDK, it is also a defense first position, and most team carry pretty terrible backup catchers. Seems like if you had an advanced defensive catcher, it wouldn't be that big of a risk. Last time a catcher was taken was 2008, 2 catchers went that year. 3 went in 2006.
Jason Schwartz is the Lancaster PBP guy. This was posted during VV's start, after Appel's debut in Burlington (Marcus does Burlington's PBP) <blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p><a href="https://twitter.com/jasondschwartz">@jasondschwartz</a> Told you. I had like 3 or 4 more guys tell me today he is the best pitcher they have seen or faced all year</p>— Brandon Marcus (@bdmarcus) <a href="https://twitter.com/bdmarcus/statuses/369999133269950465">August 21, 2013</a></blockquote> <script async src="//platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
Friday Stories Walk-offs! George Springer is one step closer to 40/40. OKC is one step closer to wrapping up the division. Recap Oklahoma City 4, Round Rock 2 Today's number of the day is: 37. That is the number of home runs that George Springer now has this season. The Redhawks now have a 7-game lead in the PCL American South with 10 to go. Down 2-0 in the 6th, Trevor Crowe hit a solo homer (3) in the bottom of the inning to put the Redhawks on the board. After Jose Martinez blooped a single to get on board, Springer put the Redhawks in front with a 2-run shot (18, 37 season). Marc Krauss added an RBI infield single in the 9th for an insurance run. Juuuuuuuuust got out of there. <iframe src='http://www.milb.com/shared/video/embed/embed.html?content_id=29984503&width=400&height=224&property=milb' width='400' height='224' frameborder='0'>Your browser does not support iframes.</iframe> Asher Wojciechowski pitched 6 2/3 innings and allowed 2 runs on 7 hits, walked 1, and struck out 6. Wade LeBlanc gave up a hit in 2/3 of an inning (1 out in the 7th, 1 in the 8th). Jason Stoffel got the final 2 outs of the 8th, striking out 1. Jorge De Leon threw a 1-2-3 9th to close it out. Game 4 of this 5-game set features Bobby Doran on the mound for OKC, as he takes on one-time All-Star Evan Meek. First pitch is at 7:05. Corpus Christi 4, Midland 3 Erik Castro provided the heroics as he sent a single back up the middle with the bases loaded, giving the Hooks the win and the series. Mike Foltynewicz labored through another outing, as he allowed 3 runs on 4 hits, walked 4, and struck out 4 in 4 2/3 innings. He threw 92 pitches (52 strikes) in this outing. Carlos Quevedo inherited a bases-loaded situation, but he was able to escape and prevent any further damage to Folty's final line. Quevedo allowed 2 hits and struck out 1 over 1 1/3 scoreless. Alex Sogard followed with 2 2/3 scoreless, allowing a hit, walking 1, and fanning 1. Jonas Dufek allowed a single to Conner Crumbliss with 2 outs in the 9th, but Crumbliss was gunned down at 2nd for the final out. Leo Heras batted 2nd and started at LF in his Hooks debut. He went 1-4 with a double in the 3rd and a walk. Jonathan Meyer put the Hooks on the board in the inning with a 2-out, bases-loaded walk. However, that was all they could manage in the inning, as Preston Tucker struck out. The Rockhounds put up a 3-run 5th off of Folty, but Corpus closed out the game with 3 unanswered. Matt Duffy hit a solo homer (4, 23 season) in the 6th, and Ronald Torreyes scored on a wild pitch in the 7th to tie. 3 walks in the 9th loaded the bases for Castro, who finished 2-2 with 3 walks. That 2nd hit turned out to be the winner. The Hooks will be spending the weekend and Monday in San Antonio. In the opener, R.J. Alaniz will take on Eddie Bonine. First pitch is at 7:05. Lancaster 4, Rancho Cucamonga 3 in 10 innings This walk-off win came courtesy of Delino DeShields. He tripled to lead off the 10th and the subsequent error allowed him to scamper home, giving the Jethawks the opener. DeShields drew a walk to open the Jethawks' half of the 1st and came home on a homer from M.P. Cokinos (13). Cokinos, who had been slumping terribly, finished 3-4 with 2 runs scored, his 2nd 3-hit outing in his last 3. He scored on a Dan Gulbransen groundout in the 4th. Tyler Heineman went 2-4 to get to the .300 mark. Kyle Smith had a bare minimum quality start, allowing 7 hits, walking 1, and fanning 6. The bullpen finished with 4 perfect innings. Tyson Perez started with 2, and Travis Ballew and Kenny Long struck out 1 in the 9th and 10th, respectively. In game 2 of this series, Brady Rodgers will face Freddie Cabrera. First pitch is at 7:00 Pacific. Quad Cities 3, Cedar Rapids 2 The River Bandits pulled ahead in the game on Jordan Scott's RBI single in the 7th, and an excellent relief performance allowed them to take the series. Tony Kemp hit an RBI single in the 3rd to tie the game at 1. Danry Vasquez added an RBI single in the 6th. Teoscar Hernandez was 2-4 with a run scored. Joe Bircher went 5 2/3 innings and gave up 2 runs on 7 hits and fanned 2. Andrew Walter was the man with the excellent relief performance, as he allowed a hit and struck out 5 in 3 1/3 innings. The River Bandits will now head to Burlington for a 4-game series. In the opener, Brian Holmes will take on Pat Lowery at 6:30. Tri-City 11, Staten Island 6 The ValleyCats took the series opener as they exploded for 9 in the 3rd. They got 9 straight singles to start off the inning. Jack Mayfield, Jake Rodriguez, and Chan-Jong Moon loaded them to begin, then D'Andre Toney, James Ramsay, Tyler White, Conrad Gregor, Mike Martinez, and Ronnie Mitchell got RBIs for their troubles. Mayfield reached on an error to re-load the bases. Rodriguez ended up being the first casualty of the inning, as he struck out. Mayfield was forced out at 2nd as Moon reached and Martinez scored. Toney hit an RBI double, which turned out to be the only extra-base hit of that big inning. Gregor added a 2-run homer (4) in the 6th. Toney, White, Gregor, and Rodriguez had 2 hits apiece. Troy Scribner went 4 innings and allowed 4 runs (3 inherited) on 6 hits, walked 3, and struck out 5. Zach Dando didn't give any runs of his own, but he did allow all 3 of Scribner's runners to score on 2 hits in the 5th. Kyle Westwood went 4 innings and gave up 2 runs (1 earned) on 6 hits, walked 1, and struck out 2. In the middle game of this series, Evan Grills and Kevin Comer will take on Giovanny Gallegos. First pitch is at 7:00 Eastern. Greeneville 5, Danville 3 The Appy Astros are in a dogfight as they wind down the season. They are currently in 2nd in the Appalachian League West, a half-game behind Kingsport and 2 ahead of Elizabethton. Greeneville stopped a 4-game losing streak by taking the opener in Southern Virginia. A Chase McDonald RBI groundout in the 1st put Greeneville on the board first. Angel Ibañez added an RBI single. McDonald, who finished 3-4 with 2 runs scored, imposed his will on the game with a 2-run homer (6). He would score a big insurance run in the 9th off a single from Ariel Ovando. Luis Ordosgoitti went 5 innings and allowed an unearned run on 5 hits, walked 3, and struck out 3. Jose Montero, in his Greeneville debut, allowed 2 runs on 3 hits, walked 3, and struck out 4 in 1 1/3. Jordan Mills finished with 2 2/3 scoreless, allowing 3 hits, walking 3, and fanning 2. Also, congratulations to Greeneville manager Josh Bonifay, who was just named the Appalachian League's Manager of the Year. No Greeneville players were named to the Appy League All-Star team, though. The middle game of the series features Chris Lee on the mound as he takes on Jean Carlos Gil. First pitch is at 7:00 Eastern. GCL Astros 9, GCL Braves 8 in 15 innings This game was just completed. Despite 6 errors, the Kissimmee Stros managed to walk off with a victory. Jason Martin drew a bases-loaded walk in the 3rd to put them on the board. He went 0-4, but walked 3 times. Also in the inning, Luis Reynoso scored on a double play, Jean Carlos Batista hit an RBI triple, and Yonathan Mejia hit an RBI single. Mejia went 3-7 and added an RBI double in the 5th. In the 6th, Hector Roa hit an RBI triple and was thrown out trying to turn that into a 2-run homer. Jose Fernandez doubled to lead off the 8th, then got picked off trying to steal 3rd. But.... an error on that play allowed him to score. Jake Nottingham, who got plunked, scored on a sac fly from Reynoso. The Barves scored 3 in the 9th to force extras. Fernandez, who finished 3-7, delivered the winner. Matt Heidenreich went 4 innings and allowed an unearned run on 2 hits and struck out 4. I had no idea that Euris Quezada was still with this organization. Well, he got an out in the 5th and hit a batter. Devonte German pitched 2 2/3 innings and allowed 2 runs on 3 hits, walked 2, and struck out 5. Erick Gonzalez blew it, as he gave up 5 unearned runs, a hit, walked 3, and struck out 1. Robert Corniel walked 1 and struck out 2 in the 10th to mark his GCL debut. Justin Hess allowed a hit and struck out 5 over 3 scoreless, and Samil De Los Santos allowed a hit and fanned 3 over 2 scoreless to get the win. The GCL Astros are currently getting knocked around at Disney World. DSL Astros 4, DSL Mariners 2 The Academy did their damage in the first 2 frames and the bullpen picked up a wild Geronimo Franzua. Brauly Mejia hit a 2-run single and Randy Cesar scored on a passed ball in the 1st. Arturo Michelena had an RBI single in the 2nd. He and Mejia both finished 2-3. Franzua pitched 3+ innings and allowed 2 runs (1 earned, 1 inherited) on 1 hit, walked 5, and struck out 5. Juan Hernandez allowed 1 of Franzua's runs to score on a walk. He got 2 outs in the 4th. Yhoan Acosta walked 2 and struck out 1 over 1 1/3 scoreless. Juan Delis allowed 2 hits and fanned 1 over 2 scoreless. Victor Mesa allowed a hit and struck out 1 in a scoreless 8th, and Angel Heredia closed it out by doing the same thing.
Saturday Stories Jeff Luhnow made an appearance in Troy. <blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p>Good night all around; Castro, Astros win; Amador, RedHawks win; mustaches and Valley Cats win! <a href="http://t.co/QixeJkfYXU">pic.twitter.com/QixeJkfYXU</a></p>— Jeff Luhnow (@jluhnow) <a href="https://twitter.com/jluhnow/statuses/371478319998705665">August 25, 2013</a></blockquote> <script async src="//platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script> Home stretch! Recap Oklahoma City 6, Round Rock 3 The Redhawks now have a 7-game lead on Albuquerque with 9 to play. They've taken 3 of the first 4 from the former AAA club. Bobby Doran had a bare minimum quality start. The 3 runs he gave up all came on solo home runs. Doran also allowed 3 other hits, walked 2, and struck out 3. Rhiner Cruz pitched 2/3 of an inning (2 outs in the 7th) and walked 1 and fanned 1. Science Guy walked 1 and struck out 1 in 1 1/3 scoreless. Hector Ambriz allowed a hit and walked 1 in the 9th, but there was no Ambrizing in this one. A Brandon Laird RBI groundout in the 1st opened the scoring. OKC took control of the game with a 2-out rally in the 5th that yielded 4 runs. George Springer, Jonathan Singleton, Japhet Amador, and Marc Krauss all contributed with RBI singles. They got 1 more in the 8th on a sac fly from Trevor Crowe. Crowe was the only player in the OKC lineup without a hit. Amador, in his first game as a member of the Astros organization, was 2-5. Springer was 2-3 with a double, a steal (19, 42 season), a walk, and a run scored. In the 5th and final game of this series, Jake Buchanan will face Michael Kirkman. First pitch is at 6:05. San Antonio 10, Corpus Christi 2 The Hooks won the 1st half, so they've already clinched their spot in the Texas League playoffs. San Antonio leads the 2nd half, so these two teams could meet again in a couple weeks. Here, though, the Missions absolutely swamped the Hooks to the tune of 10-1 after the 4th. Corpus had 12 hits but only 2 runs to show for it, and everyone in the lineup had a hit except for Jio Mier. Erik Castro went 3-5 and scored both Hooks runs; he put them on the board with a solo homer (17) in the 2nd and scored on a double play in the 6th. Leo Heras went 2-4 with a walk. R.J. Alaniz only lasted 3 2/3 innings. He allowed 10 runs (6 earned, 1 inherited) on 11 hits, walked 2, and struck out 4. Kyle Hallock restored some sense of order to this game, as he allowed 2 hits and struck out 2 over 3 1/3 scoreless. T.J. Geith struck out 1 in a 1-2-3 8th. In the middle game of this series, Nick Tropeano will take on Matt Wisler. First pitch is at 6:05. Lancaster 10, Rancho Cucamonga 2 The Jethawks won the division in the 1st half, so their spot in the Cali League playoffs was already clinched. They're also leading in the 2nd half, so they could get a bye to the Divisional Finals. Their magic number to clinch that is 2 on Inland Empire. As for this game, Lancaster overwhelmed Rancho with 3 2-run innings and a 4-run inning nestled in between. Everyone in the lineup had a hit except for Chris Epps, who went 0-2 with 2 walks and a run scored. Joe Sclafani opened the scoring with an RBI double in the 2nd, then he came home on a single from Jesse Wierzbicki. After the Quakes tied it in the 3rd, the Jethawks seized control, scoring 8 unanswered to close it out. They retook the lead on an RBI single from M.P. Cokinos, and an error off a single from Andrew Aplin allowed him to score. In the 4th, Nolan Fontana hit an RBI single, Cokinos came back with a 2-run single, and Tyler Heineman hit a sac fly. Brandon Meredith provided the cherry with a 2-run homer (15) in the 6th. Delino DeShields and Andrew Aplin had 3-5 nights. Brady Rodgers threw 6 solid innings, as he allowed 2 runs on 5 hits, walked 2, and struck out 8. Tom Shirley struck out 1 in a 1-2-3 7th, Blair Walters allowed a hit and fanned 1 in a scoreless 8th, and Michael Dimock fanned 1 in a 1-2-3 9th to finish it. In game 3 of this series, Colton Cain will take on Jon Michael Redding. First pitch is at 5:00 Pacific. Quad Cities 4, Burlington 1 Though the River Bandits are 4.5 behind Cedar Rapids for 1st in the Midwest League West, they are 5.5 ahead of Clinton in 2nd. They can clinch the wild-card spot for the 2nd half with a win today. All the scoring in this game was done within the first 3 innings. Bobby Borchering put QC on the board first with an RBI single in the 1st. After a homer got the Bees even, the River Bandits scored the next 3 runs, and Brian Holmes and Mitch Lambson clamped down. Austin Elkins led off the 2nd with a triple and scored on an error that allowed Roberto Peña to reach. They had runners on 2nd and 3rd with 1 out, but Teoscar Hernandez struck out and Carlos Correa popped out to 2nd to end the threat. Danry Vasquez led off the 3rd with a single and Borchering got plunked. Rio Ruiz then hit an RBI double, and after a Peña walk, Jordan Scott walked in Borchering for the final River Bandits run. Elkins and Vasquez had 3 hits apiece, while Borchering went 2-4. Brian Holmes surrendered a solo homer to Angel Rosa in the bottom of the 1st. After that, he was suffocating. Holmes went 6 innings and allowed just that homer, scattered 5 other hits, walked 1, and struck out 5. Mitch Lambson finished with 3 perfect innings, striking out 6. Mark Appel will make his final start as a River Bandit in game 2 of this 4-game set. He'll be opposed by Tyler DeLoach. First pitch is at 2:00. Tri-City 4, Staten Island 2 With Lowell losing 7-4 to Hudson Valley, the ValleyCats pushed their lead over them to 3 games with 12 games remaining. These two teams will meet for 2 in Lowell, in the penultimate series of the short season. James Ramsay and Jack Mayfield led off the 1st with singles, then Tyler White put TC on the board with a 3rd straight single to bring Ramsay home. A 4th straight single from Conrad Gregor brought Mayfield home. Jon Kemmer led off the 4th with a triple, and he scored on a groundout from Adam Nelubowich. Nelubowich, who went 2-4, added an RBI single in the 6th. Scoring on that play was Kemmer, who led off the inning with a double and wound up finishing a home run shy of the cycle. The Boss was in Troy last night. He had this to say about the pitchers who appeared last night: <blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p>Pitching in Tri-Cities as advertised. Grill, Comer, Osborne and Sanudo all impressive last night.</p>— Jeff Luhnow (@jluhnow) <a href="https://twitter.com/jluhnow/statuses/371657934708965376">August 25, 2013</a></blockquote> <script async src="//platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script> Evan Grills went 5 innings and allowed an unearned run on 5 hits, walked 1, and struck out 6. Kevin Comer went 2 innings and allowed a run on 4 hits and fanned 3. J.D. Osborne tossed a 1-2-3 8th, and Gonzalo Sanudo closed it with a 1-2-3 9th. The ValleyCats will look for the sweep as they send out Edison Frias. He will be opposed by David Palladino at 5:00 Eastern. Danville 3, Greeneville 1 The Appy Astros are in a melee to close out the season. They are a half-game behind Kingsport for the lead in the Appalachian League West and 2 ahead of Elizabethton, who's sitting in 3rd. All 3 teams lost yesterday, so everything remained the same. There are 6 games left. Greeneville dropped 2 of 3 in Danville as they only mustered up 3 hits. Tanner Mathis went 2-4 and scored on a Chase McDonald groundout in the 1st. Wallace Gonzalez had the other hit. Chris Lee went 5 innings and allowed 3 runs on 3 hits, walked 3, and fanned 2. Kevin Ferguson walked 2 in a scoreless 6th. Gerardo Ramirez struck out the Appy Braves in order in the 7th, and Chris Munnelly walked 1 and struck out 1 in the 8th. The Appy Astros close out the season with a homestand. First up is 3 with Bluefield. Jandel Gustave will start the opener against Jairo Labourt. First pitch is at 6:00 Eastern. GCL Braves 5, GCL Astros 1 The Kissimmee Stros will be the only domestic minor league affiliate that will not see the playoffs this season. Javaris Reynolds walked to lead off the 3rd, and he scored the first run of the game on a single from Yonathan Mejia. Luis Reynoso went 2-4. Agapito Barrios went 4 2/3 innings and allowed 4 runs (1 inherited) on 9 hits, walked 2, and struck out 2. Kent Emanuel allowed a run on 3 hits and fanned 2 in 3 1/3 innings. On Monday, the GCLstros will travel to Lakeland to take on the Tigers. First pitch is at noon Eastern. DSL Astros 6, DSL Mariners 2 The Academy finished out their season on a strong note with 4 straight wins. Although their 39-31 record won't be good enough for the playoffs, this year was a huge improvement from last year's atrocity. They got 3 in the 6th to take control and 2 more in the 9th to seal the deal. Alex Melendez hit a 1-out double in the 4th, then scored on a sac bunt from Jean Carlos Cortorreal. Cortorreal went 2-3 with a 2-run single in the 6th, and Jesus Bermejo added an RBI groundout later in the inning. Melendez, who went 3-4 with 2 runs scored, hit an RBI single in the 9th, and Arturo Michelena scored on a passed ball. Edwin Villarroel went 5 innings and allowed a run (on a solo homer) on 2 hits, walked 2, and struck out 4. Elieser Hernandez allowed 2 hits and fanned 2 over 1 1/3 scoreless. Yonquelys Martinez allowed a run on 2 hits and struck out 3 in 1 2/3 innings, and Junior Garcia struck out 1 in a 1-2-3 9th.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p>After starter <a href="https://twitter.com/MAppel26">@MAppel26</a> goes 5 IP, 4 H, 1 ER, 3 BB, 3 K, RHP <a href="https://twitter.com/Cottonjlc">@Cottonjlc</a> starts Bot 6. <a href="https://twitter.com/QCRiverBandits">@QCRiverBandits</a> 5, <a href="https://twitter.com/BurlingtonBees">@BurlingtonBees</a> 1.</p>— QC River Bandits (@QCRiverBandits) <a href="https://twitter.com/QCRiverBandits/statuses/371735876164149248">August 25, 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/LinoDeShields">@LinoDeShields</a> is on another level right now. BB, 1B, 2B, HBP today. Avg up to .320. 10-game hitting streak. <a href="https://twitter.com/search?q=%23Astros&src=hash">#Astros</a></p>— Jason Schwartz (@jasondschwartz) <a href="https://twitter.com/jasondschwartz/statuses/371810555377381377">August 26, 2013</a></blockquote> <script async src="//platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
Has Correa been slumping a bit lately? Haven't noticed his name in your write-ups for a little while.
Sunday Stories Another affiliate punched its ticket to the playoffs. A fight to the finish is underway in the Appalachian League. Recap Round Rock 9, Oklahoma City 2 The former AA/AAA club used a 6-2 run in the middle third of the game to run away with it. With Albuquerque losing, the Redhawks maintained their 7-game lead with 8 to go. Jake Buchanan went 6 innings, but he bore the brunt of the Round Rock assault. He allowed 7 runs on 11 hits (2-run homer), walked 1, and struck out 4. Pat Urckfitz allowed a hit in a scoreless 7th, and Wade LeBlanc gave up 2 runs on 3 hits and fanned 2 in the 8th. Jose Martinez's 2-run homer (5) in the 6th represented the only scoring for OKC. Japhet Amador and Jonathan Singleton both went 1-3. The Redhawks will close out the season at home. They'll be opening up a 4-game set with Nashville tonight beginning at 7:05. Ross Seaton will be facing Jimmy Nelson. Here's a pic of Japhet in OKC colors. In before "we know he's fat." <blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p>WARNING: Japhet Amador smells pie. <a href="http://t.co/2MI95ySmed">pic.twitter.com/2MI95ySmed</a> (Thanks to the supremely talented <a href="https://twitter.com/AWoolley42">@AWoolley42</a> for sharing his photo!)</p>— Steve E. (@KevinBassStache) <a href="https://twitter.com/KevinBassStache/statuses/371858526391382016">August 26, 2013</a></blockquote> <script async src="//platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script> Corpus Christi 3, San Antonio 2 The Hooks got even in this series as they put up 2 runs in the 7th to pull ahead. The Missions also clinched the other playoff spot in the Texas League South, so this matchup has been set. These two teams will meet up in Corpus to close out the regular season this upcoming Saturday. The last day of the season is next Monday, and the playoffs begin next Wednesday. San Antonio jumped out to a 2-0 lead after the 1st, but that would be all they could manage off of Nick Tropeano, who turns 23 tomorrow. Tropeano went 6, and only 1 of those 2 runs were earned. He allowed 4 hits and fanned 8. Andrew Robinson finished with 3 scoreless, allowing 3 hits and striking out 1. Matt Duffy put the Hooks on the board with a solo homer (5, 24 season) in the 5th. Leo Heras had a hat trick when he stepped up in the 7th. After Ronald Torreyes singled to lead off the inning, Heras tied the game with a triple, and he'd come home on a single from Enrique Hernandez. Duffy and Torreyes both went 2-4. In the series finale, Luis Cruz will take on Josh Geer at 7:05. Lancaster 7, Rancho Cucamonga 1 The Jethawks just dominated the California League South this year, as they won both halves. After the Quakes got on the board first in the 2nd, the Jethawks scored an unanswered touchdown to run away with the game, and the series. The Jethawks took the lead in the bottom of the 2nd on a pair of RBI singles from Chris Epps and Delino DeShields. DeShields extended his hit streak to 10 games, and he's gone absolutely nuts at the plate to close out the season. In the 2nd half, he's hitting .338/.425/.498. <blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p><a href="https://twitter.com/jasondschwartz">@jasondschwartz</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/LinoDeShields">@LinoDeShields</a> is on fire. Hitting .404 the last 30 days too. <a href="http://t.co/PxUWkfkOgH">http://t.co/PxUWkfkOgH</a></p>— darenw (@darenw) <a href="https://twitter.com/darenw/statuses/371814122888757248">August 26, 2013</a></blockquote> <script async src="//platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script> Lancaster took control with 4 in the 3rd. Tyler Heineman hit a 2-run double, Epps hit a sac fly, and DeShields hit an RBI double. For good measure, Nolan Fontana hit an RBI double in the 5th. Heineman, DeShields, and Brandon Meredith had 2-hit evenings. Colton Cain was excellent in his 7 2/3 innings of work, as he allowed a run on 8 hits and fanned 5. Kenny Long got the final 4 outs of the game, striking out 1. The Jethawks will look for the sweep as Vince Velasquez takes the mound. He will face Geison Aguasviva at 7:00 Pacific. Quad Cities 5, Burlington 1 With the win, the River Bandits clinched their spot in the Midwest League playoffs. They will face either Cedar Rapids or Beloit; a win coupled with a Clinton loss will give them a matchup with Cedar Rapids. Mark Appel wrapped up his 2013 season with a solid final start. He went 5 innings and allowed a run on 4 hits, walked 3, and struck out 3. Appel will finish his professional debut with a combined record of 3-1, with an ERA of 3.79. In 38 innings, he allowed 18 runs (16 earned) on 36 hits (2 homers), walked 9, and struck out 33. He had a 2.24 groundout/airout ratio, and opponents hit .245 off of him. So, all in all, a solid debut for 2013's #1. I'm hoping he gets the express pass to Corpus in 2014, but Lancaster shouldn't be very daunting for a pitcher of his caliber. Jamaine Cotton followed with 3 scoreless innings. He issued a walk and struck out 2. Pat Christensen struck out 2 in a 1-2-3 9th. Tony Kemp walked to lead off the game, and he scored the first run of the afternoon on a double from Carlos Correa. 2012's #1 finished 2-5. QC got a pair of solo shots from Rio Ruiz (11) and Roberto Peña (5). Teoscar Hernandez scored on an error in the 5th, and Bobby Borchering added an RBI single later in the inning. The River went 2-4 on the day. Game 3 of the series features Josh Hader on the mound. He will take on Ryan Crowley at 6:30. Tri-City 7, Staten Island 3 The ValleyCats earned the sweep, and the Lowell Spinners lost again. TC's lead in the NYPL Stedler Division is now 4 over Lowell. TC jumped out to a 4-0 lead after the 2nd. Tyler White went 2-4, and he kicked off the scoring with an RBI single in the 1st. Later in the inning, Jon Kemmer hit an RBI double. White came back in the 2nd to hit a 2-run single. James Ramsay finished 3-3 with 2 RBI and 3 runs scored. One of those RBI came in the form of a solo homer (4) to lead off the bottom of the 5th. He added an RBI single in the 7th. Conrad Gregor scored the final ValleyCats run on a passed ball in the 8th. Edison Frias went 6 and allowed a run on 3 hits, walked 1, and struck out 4. Krishawn Holley gave up a 2-run homer to Bubba Jones in the 7th. Gonzalo Sanudo finished out the final 2 innings, allowing a hit and fanning 2. He's got a K:BB ratio of 41:3 over 3 levels this season. 5 of Sanudo's 6 appearances with Tri-City have resulted in him getting a save. The ValleyCats will now travel to Brooklyn for a 3-game set. These two teams are getting together for the first time this season, and there's a week left in the season. Starters are TBA. First pitch is at 7:00 Eastern. Greeneville 4, Bluefield 3 in 10 innings The Appy Astros walked off with a win, and the lead in the Appalachian League West, as Kingsport lost 15-0 in Pulaski. Greeneville, Kingsport, Johnson City, and Elizabethton (1st-4th) are separated by 3 games in the division with 5 games to play. Down 2-0 in the 5th, Chase McDonald hit a 2-run triple to tie the game. The Blue Jays pushed across a run in the 9th on a groundout, but with 2 outs in the bottom of the 9th, Juan Santana tied the game again by scoring on a wild pitch. Raul Rivera pitched a 1-2-3 10th. Ariel Ovando reached on an error to lead off the bottom of the inning, then he was lifted for Marc Wik. An intentional walk to Brian Holberton moved Wik over to 2nd, and then Tanner Mathis played hero, as he slapped a single right back up the middle to win the game. McDonald and Santana both finished 2-5. Jandel Gustave pitched 5 innings and allowed 2 runs on 5 hits, walked 2, and struck out 7. The 7 whiffs tie a season-high; he struck out 7 over 6 no-hit innings on June 27 against Kingsport. Christian Garcia was the first man out of the bullpen; he threw 3 scoreless, allowing 2 hits and striking out 2. Ryan Connolly allowed a run on 2 hits and struck out 2 in the 9th. And Raul Rivera pitched a 1-2-3 10th, getting 3 groundouts. In the middle game of this series, Frederick Tiburcio will take on Alberto Tirado. First pitch is at 7:00 Eastern.
John Sickels was in Burlington to catch Mark Appel's final start of the season. A little later, he'll be posting his observations on Carlos Correa.
http://www.minorleagueball.com/2013...-carlos-correa-houston-astros-scouting-report "I see Correa as a guy who can hit ..280-.300 with a high OBP and 20+ homers per season at maturity. " "We have a guy who is an excellent hitter, who will show more power as he matures, who is a skilled defender at a difficult position, who has great makeup, and who doesn't turn 19 for another month."
Is there not a conflict between these 2 statements? 32 players hit 280+ with 20+ HRs last year and 33 in 2011. I guess excellence is relative. Still, I'd be content with those stats.
