AAA - Oklahoma City 9 Nashville 8
The RedHawks (14-10) overcame an early 7-1 deficit and rallied for a 9-8 win behind a huge night from Trevor Crowe. Crowe went 3 for 3 with 4 runs scored, a homer, two walks and 3 stolen bases while Jake Elmore tripled, homered and knocked in 3 more to rally the RedHawks. Jonathan Villar also had a big game with 3 more hits and a pair of steals raising his average all the way up to .290 after a 2 for 34 start to the season. Starting pitcher Ross Seaton was shelled lasting just 1 2/3 innings and yielding 7 runs, but was bailed out by the offense and the bullpen. Kyle Hallock earned his first win in AAA with 4 1/3 scoreless innings, and Jose Valdez got the final six outs for his 7th save.
AA - Frisco 4 Corpus Christi 2
George Springer hit his 8th home run of the season, but that was all the offense the Hooks (13-11) could muster as they fell 4-2 to the RoughRiders. Matt Heidenreich pitched 4 solid innings allowing just one unearned run and lowering his ERA on the year to 8.15, but Ruben Alaniz took the loss in relief to fall to 0-3 despite allowing just two runs (one earned) in 3 innings of work. Domingo Santana and Michael Burgess each had two hits in the loss.
Low A - Quad Cities 6 Great Lakes 1
Brian Holmes was simply dominant yesterday striking out a season high 10 in 5 innings while allowing just 1 unearned run to lead the River Bandits (14-8) to a 6-1 win over the Loons. Terrell Joyce had 2 runs batted in, and Teoscar Hernandez and Joe Sclafani each had two hits to lead the offense and Jordan Jankowski tossed 4 shutout innings to earn his first save of the year.
Tuesday, April 30, 2013
Carlos Corporan Channels His Inner Mickey Mantle in Astros Rout
Wow, that was fun last night. Isn't winning fun? Amazing how quickly you can forget about the Boston series and that ugly stretch of games. The fact that it was in our first ever AL game in Yankee Stadium wasn't bad either. Some thoughts on last night's big win:
1) Brandon Barnes is doing everything he can to show he deserves more playing time. After last night's 3-hit game, Barnes is now hitting a Ted Williams-esque .405 with a Barry Bonds-esque .488 on base percentage. He's playing good defense, he's stealing bases, he's getting extra base hits... Look, I'm a big fan of Fernando Martinez and Rick Ankiel, but Barnes is outplaying both of those guys right now, and until he cools off, don't you have to play him? We'll see what Bo does tonight with the righty Kuroda on the hill, but I'd start him.
2) Who was that guy disguised as Carlos Corporan last night? Mickey Mantle? Corp was 4 for 5 missing the cycle by just a triple and racked up 4 rbis... It was ridiculous. He did so much baserunning that he cramped up his 4th time around the bases and was thrown out by like 30 feet at third base. I'm not going to lie, I thought he'd pulled a Gabe Kapler and ended his season. The way this season is going, it would not have surprised me in the least that a guy like Corporan would have the game of his life, and then irreparably hurt himself. Just glad he's ok. Now we just have to get him to duplicate that on a semi-regular basis.
3) Every starter on the Astros roster should watch film of Lucas Harrell's start last night. Harrell threw strikes, threw groundball outs, and shut down an admittedly depleted Yankees lineup for 6 1/3 innings giving more rest to what's been a very taxed bullpen. Yeah, he gave up 8 hits, but they were all singles and he induced double play groundballs when he needed to. Harrell now has three wins on the season, matching Bud Norris for the team lead. Houston's 3 other starters have combined for one win between the three of them, and that came from Brad Peacock who's been demoted to the bullpen.
4) Speaking of Peacock being out of the rotation, that means a spot has opened up. With Cisnero throwing Sunday and Blackley pitching in relief yesterday, I have to think Paul Clemens is going to be tabbed as that guy. Other than being susceptible to the longball (5 in 16 2/3 innings), Clemens has been solid posting a WHIP of just 1.02, limiting walks (only 3), and holding opposing hitters to just a .226 average.
5) Chris Carter returned to the lineup after a day off and had 2 hits raising his average back up to .226. He also only struck out one time which is an improvement. Hopefully the day off did him some good, because we could really use that power bat of his in the lineup.
6) Robbie Grossman doesn't seem to be getting a lot of breaks early in his career. I feel like he's hitting balls hard, but either right at people, or dying on the track. He did reach base a couple times yesterday which was nice to see, especially after he endured that 0 for 17 in the Boston series. He's going to need a few more hits to drop in there though if he's going to keep a roster spot once Maxwell returns from the DL.
7) Carlos Pena is back up over .200 after single and tripling in 5 trips yesterday. 2013 hasn't exactly been memorable for the lefty slugger, but his 2-out rbi single in the first did open the scoring and set up Corporan's 2-run double. Without that hit, who knows how the game plays out? He's still only got 2 homers and 7 rbis, but he's now had back-to-back multi-hit games which is a step in the right direction.
8) Word on the street is that Josh Fields is getting closer to making a rehab start. Rhiner Cruz did record a 1-2-3 inning last night, but I still think he's going to draw the short straw unless Peacock or Cisnero implode during the next week.
Monday, April 29, 2013
Final Thoughts on the Boston Series
No matter how you slice it, the Astros simply got outplayed in every facet of the game these past four contests with the Sox. Pitching, offense, defense... Boston got it done, and we did not. Their long at bats ended with hits, ours generally ended with strikeouts. They got runners into scoring position and scored them, we had the tying run on base or at the plate late in each of the last three games and we failed to get a run across. In most cases, we ended up striking out. Their starting pitching battled, ours with exception of Bud Norris, got beaten down. Pick a reason, but that's why the Sox are at the top, and we're at the bottom. Hopefully our kids grew just watching a team like that play, because otherwise that was just a painful series to watch. Some final thoughts on Game 4:
1) Bud Norris got us six innings, which was huge for the bullpen given the way our starters had been pitching, but it wasn't enough. Bud still allowed 11 baserunners via hit or walk, and then there was Marwin's double-error which led to two more unearned runs. I don't want to say Bud pitched badly, but he's still got a ways to go before he goes from being "our ace" to a "true ace". The flip side of that is, if our guys are logging quality starts, our offense needs to be giving them more of a chance to win.
2) Ronny Cedeno, our DH the past two games, was the only Astro to get a hit with runners in scoring position on Sunday and he did it twice. Cedeno, who is hitting .333 on the year, now has 8 rbis in his last 4 games. By comparison, Matt Dominguez has 8 rbis this season, Carlos Pena has 6, Jason Castro has 4, J.D. Martinez has 7, Justin Maxwell has 6, Brandon Laird, Robbie Grossman and Fernando Martinez have 8 between the three of them, and Marwin Gonzalez has 7. And that is why, much to everyone's amazement, Ronny Cedeno has been our unlikely designated hitter.
3) Jose Cisnero finally got scored on, but his response to that was particularly impressive as he struck out 3 hitters in a row after yielding the run. I like this kid, I think he's going to stick around. But again, like Paul Clemens, I'd like to see him get some more meaningful innings under his belt.
4) The series ended as you would expect, with Robbie Grossman absolutely smoking a ball into right field only to have Daniel Nava make a full extension diving catch robbing him of extra bases. This was just that kind of series. Jonny Gomes making silly defensive plays in left, Nava in right... We could not buy a break the entire series. Hey, if that's the kind of year it's going to be, go ahead and just pencil us in for 110 losses.
5) Don't look now, but Rick Ankiel put the ball in play in all four of his plate appearances. Could he be on the verge of turning things around? Perhaps not, but it's still a step in the right direction.
6) Jason Castro went 1 for 3 with a walk raising his average to .266 as he continues to grow into the role of 3-hitter. It'd be nice if we could get him some more rbi opportunities, but at least he's getting hits, and getting on base. Castro has now hit in 6 straight, and if you forget the Rangers series ever happened, he'd be hitting .309. He's also drawn a walk in 4 of his last 5 starts.
Sunday, April 28, 2013
Down on the Farm - 4/28/13
AAA - Oklahoma City 5 New Orleans 3
Making his first appearance since his Major League debut last weekend with the Astros, Brett Oberholtzer earned his first win of the year going 5 innings and holding the Zephyrs to 2 runs on 6 hits. The bullpen took it from there as Kevin Chapman, Josh Zeid and Jose Valdez carried the RedHawks (13-10) through the final four innings and they held on for a 5-3 win. Valdez earned the save giving him an organization-high 6 so far in 2013. Jonathan Villar had 2 hits for the 8th time in 9 games and added his first home run of the season while Marc Krauss added rbi number 23 to lead the offense.
AA - Frisco 4 Corpus Christi 3
Asher Wojciechowski proved he's human after surrendering a 7th inning Grand Slam and the Hooks (13-10) fell 4-3 to the RoughRiders. Wojciechowski had allowed just 2 runs all year prior that swing of the bat. David Martinez started the game for the Hooks and didn't allow a run in 5 shutout innings. The 25 year old Venezuelan's ERA is now at 1.19 on the year. George Springer led the Hooks offense with a pair of doubles as he raised his average to .306.
Advanced A - Inland Empire 12 Lancaster 7
The JetHawks (14-9) saw an early 4-0 lead evaporate in a hurry as the 66ers scored 12 times between the 4th and 7th innings. Matt Duffy continues to be a bright spot though as the third base prospect extended his hitting streak to 15 games. Duffy's only gone hitless in a game once this season. Andrew Aplin slugged a 3rd inning Grand Slam for the JetHawks and drove in 5. Zach Johnson added a pair of hits and his 10th double of the season.
Low A - Great Lakes 10 Quad Cities 6
Colton Cain was roughed up for 4 runs on 10 hits in 3 1/3 innings as the River Bandits (13-8) fell to the Loons 10-6. Austin Elkins and Miles Hamblin each had two hits for the Bandits as every starter with the exception of Carlos Correa had at least one hit in the loss. Correa did walk and get hit by two pitches in 5 trips though, scoring a pair of runs. The 2012 first overall pick is hitting just .200 on the year.
Making his first appearance since his Major League debut last weekend with the Astros, Brett Oberholtzer earned his first win of the year going 5 innings and holding the Zephyrs to 2 runs on 6 hits. The bullpen took it from there as Kevin Chapman, Josh Zeid and Jose Valdez carried the RedHawks (13-10) through the final four innings and they held on for a 5-3 win. Valdez earned the save giving him an organization-high 6 so far in 2013. Jonathan Villar had 2 hits for the 8th time in 9 games and added his first home run of the season while Marc Krauss added rbi number 23 to lead the offense.
AA - Frisco 4 Corpus Christi 3
Asher Wojciechowski proved he's human after surrendering a 7th inning Grand Slam and the Hooks (13-10) fell 4-3 to the RoughRiders. Wojciechowski had allowed just 2 runs all year prior that swing of the bat. David Martinez started the game for the Hooks and didn't allow a run in 5 shutout innings. The 25 year old Venezuelan's ERA is now at 1.19 on the year. George Springer led the Hooks offense with a pair of doubles as he raised his average to .306.
Advanced A - Inland Empire 12 Lancaster 7
The JetHawks (14-9) saw an early 4-0 lead evaporate in a hurry as the 66ers scored 12 times between the 4th and 7th innings. Matt Duffy continues to be a bright spot though as the third base prospect extended his hitting streak to 15 games. Duffy's only gone hitless in a game once this season. Andrew Aplin slugged a 3rd inning Grand Slam for the JetHawks and drove in 5. Zach Johnson added a pair of hits and his 10th double of the season.
Low A - Great Lakes 10 Quad Cities 6
Colton Cain was roughed up for 4 runs on 10 hits in 3 1/3 innings as the River Bandits (13-8) fell to the Loons 10-6. Austin Elkins and Miles Hamblin each had two hits for the Bandits as every starter with the exception of Carlos Correa had at least one hit in the loss. Correa did walk and get hit by two pitches in 5 trips though, scoring a pair of runs. The 2012 first overall pick is hitting just .200 on the year.
Week 4 in Review
The week started out well with a series win over the Mariners, but things quickly soured as the Astros franchise stayed winless at Fenway Park. Things aren't going to get any easier next week either with upcoming series against the Yankees and Tigers.
Weekly Results
4/22 L Mariners 7-1
4/23 W Mariners 3-2
4/24 W Mariners 10-3
4/25 L Redsox 7-2
4/26 L Redsox 7-3
4/27 L Redsox 8-4
4/28 L Redsox 6-1
Overall Record: 7-18
Team Batting Average: .247
Runs For: 98
Runs Against: 148
Home Runs: 25
Strikeouts/Walks (Hitting): 248/68
Stolen Bases: 11
Caught Stealing: 4
Team ERA: 5.51
Team WHIP: 1.62
Starters ERA: 6.34
Bullpen ERA: 4.61
Strikeouts/Walks (Pitching): 151/95
Times Shutout: 3
Shutouts: 1
Team Leaders (Hitting):
Average: Jose Altuve .317 (32/101)
Runs: Carlos Pena 13
Hits: Jose Altuve 32
Doubles: Matt Dominguez 6
Triples: Justin Maxwell 2
Home Runs: Chris Carter/Rick Ankiel 5
Runs Batted In: Chris Carter/Jose Altuve 12
Walks: Carlos Pena 14
Stolen Bases: Marwin Gonzalez 3
Team Leaders (Pitching):
Games: Rhiner Cruz/Wesley Wright/Hector Ambriz 12
Innings: Bud Norris 30
Wins: Bud Norris 3
Saves: Jose Veras 2
Holds: Hector Ambriz 3
Strikeouts: Bud Norris 22
Quality Starts: Philip Humber/Bud Norris/Lucas Harrell 2
ERA: Lucas Harrell 4.08
WHIP: Lucas Harrell 1.57
On the Farm:
Oklahoma City (AAA) - 13-10
Corpus Christi (AA) - 13-10
Lancaster (AdvA) - 14-9
Quad Cities (LoA) - 13-8
Minor League Leaders:
Runs: Nolan Fontana (AdvA) - 21
Hits: Jimmy Paredes (AAA) - 31
Walks: Nolan Fontana (AdvA) - 26
Home Runs: George Springer (AA) - 7
RBIs: Marc Krauss (AAA) - 23
Stolen Bases: Austin Wates - 9
Wins: Bobby Doran (AA)/Vincent Velasquez (LoA) - 3
Saves: Jose Valdez (AAA) - 6
Strikeouts: Nick Tropeano (AA) - 29
Weekly Results
4/22 L Mariners 7-1
4/23 W Mariners 3-2
4/24 W Mariners 10-3
4/25 L Redsox 7-2
4/26 L Redsox 7-3
4/27 L Redsox 8-4
4/28 L Redsox 6-1
Overall Record: 7-18
Team Batting Average: .247
Runs For: 98
Runs Against: 148
Home Runs: 25
Strikeouts/Walks (Hitting): 248/68
Stolen Bases: 11
Caught Stealing: 4
Team ERA: 5.51
Team WHIP: 1.62
Starters ERA: 6.34
Bullpen ERA: 4.61
Strikeouts/Walks (Pitching): 151/95
Times Shutout: 3
Shutouts: 1
Team Leaders (Hitting):
Average: Jose Altuve .317 (32/101)
Runs: Carlos Pena 13
Hits: Jose Altuve 32
Doubles: Matt Dominguez 6
Triples: Justin Maxwell 2
Home Runs: Chris Carter/Rick Ankiel 5
Runs Batted In: Chris Carter/Jose Altuve 12
Walks: Carlos Pena 14
Stolen Bases: Marwin Gonzalez 3
Team Leaders (Pitching):
Games: Rhiner Cruz/Wesley Wright/Hector Ambriz 12
Innings: Bud Norris 30
Wins: Bud Norris 3
Saves: Jose Veras 2
Holds: Hector Ambriz 3
Strikeouts: Bud Norris 22
Quality Starts: Philip Humber/Bud Norris/Lucas Harrell 2
ERA: Lucas Harrell 4.08
WHIP: Lucas Harrell 1.57
On the Farm:
Oklahoma City (AAA) - 13-10
Corpus Christi (AA) - 13-10
Lancaster (AdvA) - 14-9
Quad Cities (LoA) - 13-8
Minor League Leaders:
Runs: Nolan Fontana (AdvA) - 21
Hits: Jimmy Paredes (AAA) - 31
Walks: Nolan Fontana (AdvA) - 26
Home Runs: George Springer (AA) - 7
RBIs: Marc Krauss (AAA) - 23
Stolen Bases: Austin Wates - 9
Wins: Bobby Doran (AA)/Vincent Velasquez (LoA) - 3
Saves: Jose Valdez (AAA) - 6
Strikeouts: Nick Tropeano (AA) - 29
Astros Drop Third Straight in Fenway
The Peacock did not fly yesterday and Houston dropped a third straight to the Sox at Fenway. A promising start quickly went up in smoke as a 2-0 lead became a 5-2 deficit that the Astros just never recovered from. Some more thoughts on the loss:
1) Brad Peacock once again struggled to hit his spots, watching his pitch count spiral out of control and failing to get through the 4th inning. When the dust cleared, Boston had drawn 5 walks off of Peacock, 4 of them in the second inning, and the kid's ERA had jumped to 8.44. Peacock has made it through 5 innings just once this year, and it's largely due to his inability to put hitters away early in the count. You can't keep running counts full on every hitter and expecting to pitch deep into games. It's starting to raise questions as to whether or not Peacock projects to be a rotation guy, or someone destined to pitch out of the bullpen. I still think it's too early to make that call, but if he goes another 4-5 starts and things don't start to get better, I think you have to consider making a change.
2) Jose Veras was sharp once again extending his scoreless streak to 5 innings following his blown save against the Angels. He's actually lowered his ERA down to a respectable 4.66 and he's taken a leadership role out in the bullpen which is good to see. Now we just have to figure out how to get him some leads to protect.
3) Houston hitters drew 7 walks, but struck out 12 times and were just 1 for 12 with runners in scoring position. That makes them 1 for 24 with runners in scoring position over the past two games. Hard to win a lot of games that way. While it's impressive that we've been scoring runs without the benefit of hits (bases loaded walk, rbi groundout, sac fly), the Astros have to do better with runners in scoring position. But that shouldn't come as a surprise seeing as it's been our achilles heel for a couple years now. Not sure what the answer is other than that someone needs to step up.
4) Chris Carter struck out 4 times yesterday, including once with the tying run on first in the 7th inning. Carter now has 43 strikeouts in 24 games, but this marked the first time that he'd fanned four times in a game this year. In case you're keeping track, Carter is now on pace to strike out 290 times. And yes, that'd be a record. I realize he's tied for the team lead in rbis and he's second on the team with 12 runs scored, but can you really keep hitting him in the 3-4-5-6 spots in the order when he's hitting .216 and striking out in practically 50% of his ABs? Would it be so bad to trot out OBP machine Brandon Barnes, Fernando Martinez and Robbie Grossman as our starting outfield for a while?
5) Wesley Wright was bailed out by a line drive double play, but he now hasn't been scored on in 5 straight outings spanning 6 2/3 innings. His ERA has dropped down to 3.00 and he hasn't allowed a home run in 12 innings this season.
6) Two more hits for Marwin Gonzalez last night (two of our FIVE hits) as our 8 hitter raised his average on the year to .321. Marwin, who continues to play stellar defense, clubbed his fourth double, stole third for the second time in the series, and scored a run, continues to do almost every right (minus that bunt he didn't get down last weekend). Not sure what he has to do to hit somewhere higher in the order, but at least he's hitting.
7) As bad as things seemed at times yesterday, Houston had Chris Carter at the plate with the tying run on first in the 7th, and Rick Ankiel at the plate with the bases loaded representing the tying run again in the 8th. So even though we're losing, we're right in these games, which is all you really want. Baseball's one of those games where you just need to be competitive and eventually the law of averages will even out and we'll start winning some. Hey, it's better than losing every game 10-0.
1) Brad Peacock once again struggled to hit his spots, watching his pitch count spiral out of control and failing to get through the 4th inning. When the dust cleared, Boston had drawn 5 walks off of Peacock, 4 of them in the second inning, and the kid's ERA had jumped to 8.44. Peacock has made it through 5 innings just once this year, and it's largely due to his inability to put hitters away early in the count. You can't keep running counts full on every hitter and expecting to pitch deep into games. It's starting to raise questions as to whether or not Peacock projects to be a rotation guy, or someone destined to pitch out of the bullpen. I still think it's too early to make that call, but if he goes another 4-5 starts and things don't start to get better, I think you have to consider making a change.
2) Jose Veras was sharp once again extending his scoreless streak to 5 innings following his blown save against the Angels. He's actually lowered his ERA down to a respectable 4.66 and he's taken a leadership role out in the bullpen which is good to see. Now we just have to figure out how to get him some leads to protect.
3) Houston hitters drew 7 walks, but struck out 12 times and were just 1 for 12 with runners in scoring position. That makes them 1 for 24 with runners in scoring position over the past two games. Hard to win a lot of games that way. While it's impressive that we've been scoring runs without the benefit of hits (bases loaded walk, rbi groundout, sac fly), the Astros have to do better with runners in scoring position. But that shouldn't come as a surprise seeing as it's been our achilles heel for a couple years now. Not sure what the answer is other than that someone needs to step up.
4) Chris Carter struck out 4 times yesterday, including once with the tying run on first in the 7th inning. Carter now has 43 strikeouts in 24 games, but this marked the first time that he'd fanned four times in a game this year. In case you're keeping track, Carter is now on pace to strike out 290 times. And yes, that'd be a record. I realize he's tied for the team lead in rbis and he's second on the team with 12 runs scored, but can you really keep hitting him in the 3-4-5-6 spots in the order when he's hitting .216 and striking out in practically 50% of his ABs? Would it be so bad to trot out OBP machine Brandon Barnes, Fernando Martinez and Robbie Grossman as our starting outfield for a while?
5) Wesley Wright was bailed out by a line drive double play, but he now hasn't been scored on in 5 straight outings spanning 6 2/3 innings. His ERA has dropped down to 3.00 and he hasn't allowed a home run in 12 innings this season.
6) Two more hits for Marwin Gonzalez last night (two of our FIVE hits) as our 8 hitter raised his average on the year to .321. Marwin, who continues to play stellar defense, clubbed his fourth double, stole third for the second time in the series, and scored a run, continues to do almost every right (minus that bunt he didn't get down last weekend). Not sure what he has to do to hit somewhere higher in the order, but at least he's hitting.
7) As bad as things seemed at times yesterday, Houston had Chris Carter at the plate with the tying run on first in the 7th, and Rick Ankiel at the plate with the bases loaded representing the tying run again in the 8th. So even though we're losing, we're right in these games, which is all you really want. Baseball's one of those games where you just need to be competitive and eventually the law of averages will even out and we'll start winning some. Hey, it's better than losing every game 10-0.
Down on the Farm - 4/27/13
AAA - Oklahoma City 11 New Orleans 1
Marc Krauss clubbed his team-leading 5th home run of the season, and Jordan Lyles had his best outing of the year allowing just 1 run in 5 innings of work as the RedHawks (12-10) buried the Zephyrs 11-1. Brett Wallace added his second homer since his demotion and Jonathan Villar, Trevor Crowe and Jake Elmore all had 2 RBIs in the rout.
AA - Corpus Christi 11 Frisco 0
The Hooks (13-9) scored 7 times in the first inning and blew out the RoughRiders 11-0. Enrique Hernandez had a 3-run triple in the first, and George Springer added his 7th home run of the season to lead the offensive explosion. Bobby Doran and Nick Tropeano combined on the 7-hit shutout with Doran improving to 3-0 on the year and Tropeano earning his 3rd save while fanning 7 in his 4 innings of work.
Advanced A - Inland Empire 10 Lancaster 7 (10 innings)
The JetHawks (14-8) bullpen faltered late allowing 7 runs between the 8th and 10th innings as the JetHawks were tripped up by the 66ers 10-7 in 10. Zach Johnson went 3 for 4 with 2 doubles and a homer to lead the JetHawk offense, and Telvin Nash extended his hitting streak to 5 while clubbing his 2nd homer of the year. Travis Ballew blew the save in the 9th, but did strike out 2 more hitters giving him 17 in 7 2/3 innings this year.
Low A - Quad Cities 3 Lansing 2
John Neely got Dwight Smith to ground into a force play with the bases loaded and two outs in the 9th to give the River Bandits (13-7) a 3-2 win over the Lugnuts. Lance McCullers didn't allow an earned run in 5 innings of work lowering his ERA to 1.93 on the year, but he was denied his first win of the season once again, leaving with the score tied at 1. Daniel Minor earned the win in relief with 6 strikeouts in three scoreless innings of work. The River Bandits managed just 3 hits in the win and took advantage of 4 Lansing errors to steal this one.
Marc Krauss clubbed his team-leading 5th home run of the season, and Jordan Lyles had his best outing of the year allowing just 1 run in 5 innings of work as the RedHawks (12-10) buried the Zephyrs 11-1. Brett Wallace added his second homer since his demotion and Jonathan Villar, Trevor Crowe and Jake Elmore all had 2 RBIs in the rout.
AA - Corpus Christi 11 Frisco 0
The Hooks (13-9) scored 7 times in the first inning and blew out the RoughRiders 11-0. Enrique Hernandez had a 3-run triple in the first, and George Springer added his 7th home run of the season to lead the offensive explosion. Bobby Doran and Nick Tropeano combined on the 7-hit shutout with Doran improving to 3-0 on the year and Tropeano earning his 3rd save while fanning 7 in his 4 innings of work.
Advanced A - Inland Empire 10 Lancaster 7 (10 innings)
The JetHawks (14-8) bullpen faltered late allowing 7 runs between the 8th and 10th innings as the JetHawks were tripped up by the 66ers 10-7 in 10. Zach Johnson went 3 for 4 with 2 doubles and a homer to lead the JetHawk offense, and Telvin Nash extended his hitting streak to 5 while clubbing his 2nd homer of the year. Travis Ballew blew the save in the 9th, but did strike out 2 more hitters giving him 17 in 7 2/3 innings this year.
Low A - Quad Cities 3 Lansing 2
John Neely got Dwight Smith to ground into a force play with the bases loaded and two outs in the 9th to give the River Bandits (13-7) a 3-2 win over the Lugnuts. Lance McCullers didn't allow an earned run in 5 innings of work lowering his ERA to 1.93 on the year, but he was denied his first win of the season once again, leaving with the score tied at 1. Daniel Minor earned the win in relief with 6 strikeouts in three scoreless innings of work. The River Bandits managed just 3 hits in the win and took advantage of 4 Lansing errors to steal this one.
Saturday, April 27, 2013
Astros Minor League Players to Keep an Eye On
AAA - Marc Krauss 1B/RF
Acquired from the Arizona Diamondbacks as part of the Chris Johnson trade last season, Krauss is off to a solid start this seasons for AAA Oklahoma City. In 19 games, Krauss is 21 for 64 (.328) and he leads the team with 20 runs batted in. He's also slugged a team high 4 home runs, but more notably, he's only struck out ten times. A second round pick in 2009, Krauss had a decent showing this spring with the Astros posting a .476 on base percentage albeit in limited action. Krauss is the reigning PCL Player of the Week.
AA - Asher Wojciechowski RHP
Wojo came over to the Astros last season from Toronto in the J.A. Happ deal. In parts of two seasons with the Corpus Christi Hooks, Wojo has appeared in 13 games and posted an ERA of 1.62 and a WHIP of 0.95. This year, he's been even more impressive opening the year with 4 straight scoreless outings spanning 18 innings. Even when he did finally get scored on, he only allowed 2 runs in 5 innings of work. He's struck out 25 in 23 innings in 2013 while allowing just 13 hits and 6 walks.
Advanced A - Nolan Fontana SS
Houston's second round pick from 2012 is hammering the ball in 2013 hitting .387 with an on base percentage up over .500 thanks to an organization-best 24 walks. He's been particularly tough on lefties in the early going with 8 hits in 14 at bats and 9 runs batted in. He's hit six doubles, two triples, two homers, stolen four bases, and driven in 18 on the year, good for third best on the JetHawks. He also leads the team with 20 runs scored.
A - Vincent Velasquez RHP
A 2nd Round Pick back in 2010, Velasquez missed all of 2011 with Tommy John surgery. Limited to just 9 starts a year ago, he's off to a terrific start in 2013 allowing just 3 runs in 23 innings of work, good for an ERA of 1.17 and opposing hitters are hitting just .130 against him. Velasquez has an organization-best 3 wins to go along with 2 saves in 5 appearances, and he struck out a season-high 8 in his last start (5 shutout innings).
Acquired from the Arizona Diamondbacks as part of the Chris Johnson trade last season, Krauss is off to a solid start this seasons for AAA Oklahoma City. In 19 games, Krauss is 21 for 64 (.328) and he leads the team with 20 runs batted in. He's also slugged a team high 4 home runs, but more notably, he's only struck out ten times. A second round pick in 2009, Krauss had a decent showing this spring with the Astros posting a .476 on base percentage albeit in limited action. Krauss is the reigning PCL Player of the Week.
| Year | Team | League | AVG | G | AB | R | H | 2B | 3B | HR | RBI | TB | BB | SO | SB | CS | OBP | SLG | OPS |
| 2009 | SB | MID | .304 | 32 | 115 | 14 | 35 | 12 | 1 | 2 | 17 | 55 | 14 | 21 | 0 | 1 | .377 | .478 | .855 |
| 2009 | Minors | .304 | 32 | 115 | 14 | 35 | 12 | 1 | 2 | 17 | 55 | 14 | 21 | 0 | 1 | .377 | .478 | .855 | |
| 2010 | VIS | CAL | .302 | 138 | 530 | 107 | 160 | 27 | 4 | 25 | 87 | 270 | 57 | 141 | 1 | 3 | .371 | .509 | .880 |
| 2010 | Minors | .302 | 138 | 530 | 107 | 160 | 27 | 4 | 25 | 87 | 270 | 57 | 141 | 1 | 3 | .371 | .509 | .880 | |
| 2011 | MOB | SOU | .242 | 125 | 433 | 69 | 105 | 25 | 6 | 16 | 65 | 190 | 64 | 123 | 3 | 3 | .340 | .439 | .779 |
| 2011 | Minors | .242 | 125 | 433 | 69 | 105 | 25 | 6 | 16 | 65 | 190 | 64 | 123 | 3 | 3 | .340 | .439 | .779 | |
| 2012 | MOB | SOU | .283 | 104 | 346 | 75 | 98 | 29 | 2 | 15 | 61 | 176 | 73 | 91 | 6 | 4 | .416 | .509 | .924 |
| 2012 | CC | TEX | .414 | 7 | 29 | 11 | 12 | 2 | 0 | 5 | 16 | 29 | 6 | 5 | 1 | 0 | .514 | 1.000 | 1.514 |
| 2012 | OKC | PCL | .123 | 22 | 57 | 3 | 7 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 7 | 6 | 20 | 1 | 1 | .203 | .123 | .326 |
| 2012 | Minors | .271 | 133 | 432 | 89 | 117 | 31 | 2 | 20 | 79 | 212 | 85 | 116 | 8 | 5 | .397 | .491 | .887 | |
| 2013 | OKC | PCL | .328 | 19 | 64 | 11 | 21 | 5 | 1 | 4 | 20 | 40 | 10 | 10 | 0 | 0 | .410 | .625 | 1.035 |
| 2013 | Minors | .328 | 19 | 64 | 11 | 21 | 5 | 1 | 4 | 20 | 40 | 10 | 10 | 0 | 0 | .410 | .625 | 1.035 |
AA - Asher Wojciechowski RHP
Wojo came over to the Astros last season from Toronto in the J.A. Happ deal. In parts of two seasons with the Corpus Christi Hooks, Wojo has appeared in 13 games and posted an ERA of 1.62 and a WHIP of 0.95. This year, he's been even more impressive opening the year with 4 straight scoreless outings spanning 18 innings. Even when he did finally get scored on, he only allowed 2 runs in 5 innings of work. He's struck out 25 in 23 innings in 2013 while allowing just 13 hits and 6 walks.
| Year | Team | League | W | L | ERA | G | GS | CG | SHO | SV | IP | H | R | ER | HR | BB | SO | GO/AO | AVG |
| 2010 | AUB | NYP | 0 | 0 | 0.75 | 3 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 12.0 | 6 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 4 | 11 | 1.89 | .146 |
| 2010 | Minors | 0 | 0 | 0.75 | 3 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 12.0 | 6 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 4 | 11 | 1.89 | .146 | |
| 2011 | DUN | FSL | 11 | 9 | 4.70 | 25 | 22 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 130.1 | 156 | 79 | 68 | 15 | 31 | 96 | 1.03 | .292 |
| 2011 | Minors | 11 | 9 | 4.70 | 25 | 22 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 130.1 | 156 | 79 | 68 | 15 | 31 | 96 | 1.03 | .292 | |
| 2012 | DUN | FSL | 7 | 3 | 3.57 | 18 | 18 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 93.1 | 91 | 40 | 37 | 3 | 22 | 76 | 1.17 | .261 |
| 2012 | CC | TEX | 2 | 2 | 2.06 | 8 | 8 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 43.2 | 30 | 14 | 10 | 0 | 14 | 34 | 0.83 | .190 |
| 2012 | Minors | 9 | 5 | 3.09 | 26 | 26 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 137.0 | 121 | 54 | 47 | 3 | 36 | 110 | 1.04 | .239 | |
| 2013 | CC | TEX | 2 | 0 | 0.78 | 5 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 23.0 | 13 | 2 | 2 | 0 | 6 | 25 | 1.16 | .167 |
| 2013 | Minors | 2 | 0 | 0.78 | 5 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 23.0 | 13 | 2 | 2 | 0 | 6 | 25 | 1.16 | .167 |
Advanced A - Nolan Fontana SS
Houston's second round pick from 2012 is hammering the ball in 2013 hitting .387 with an on base percentage up over .500 thanks to an organization-best 24 walks. He's been particularly tough on lefties in the early going with 8 hits in 14 at bats and 9 runs batted in. He's hit six doubles, two triples, two homers, stolen four bases, and driven in 18 on the year, good for third best on the JetHawks. He also leads the team with 20 runs scored.
| Year | Team | League | AVG | G | AB | R | H | 2B | 3B | HR | RBI | TB | BB | SO | SB | CS | OBP | SLG | OPS |
| 2012 | LEX | SAL | .225 | 49 | 151 | 37 | 34 | 9 | 1 | 2 | 25 | 51 | 65 | 44 | 12 | 2 | .464 | .338 | .801 |
| 2012 | Minors | .225 | 49 | 151 | 37 | 34 | 9 | 1 | 2 | 25 | 51 | 65 | 44 | 12 | 2 | .464 | .338 | .801 | |
| 2013 | LAN | CAL | .387 | 21 | 75 | 20 | 29 | 6 | 2 | 2 | 18 | 45 | 24 | 16 | 4 | 2 | .535 | .600 | 1.135 |
| 2013 | Minors | .387 | 21 | 75 | 20 | 29 | 6 | 2 | 2 | 18 | 45 | 24 | 16 | 4 | 2 | .535 | .600 | 1.135 |
A - Vincent Velasquez RHP
A 2nd Round Pick back in 2010, Velasquez missed all of 2011 with Tommy John surgery. Limited to just 9 starts a year ago, he's off to a terrific start in 2013 allowing just 3 runs in 23 innings of work, good for an ERA of 1.17 and opposing hitters are hitting just .130 against him. Velasquez has an organization-best 3 wins to go along with 2 saves in 5 appearances, and he struck out a season-high 8 in his last start (5 shutout innings).
| Year | Team | League | W | L | ERA | G | GS | CG | SHO | SV | IP | H | R | ER | HR | BB | SO | GO/AO | AVG |
| 2010 | GRN | APP | 2 | 2 | 3.07 | 8 | 6 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 29.1 | 24 | 12 | 10 | 4 | 5 | 25 | 1.13 | .216 |
| 2010 | Minors | 2 | 2 | 3.07 | 8 | 6 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 29.1 | 24 | 12 | 10 | 4 | 5 | 25 | 1.13 | .216 | |
| 2012 | TRI | NYP | 4 | 1 | 3.35 | 9 | 9 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 45.2 | 37 | 19 | 17 | 2 | 17 | 51 | 0.82 | .223 |
| 2012 | Minors | 4 | 1 | 3.35 | 9 | 9 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 45.2 | 37 | 19 | 17 | 2 | 17 | 51 | 0.82 | .223 | |
| 2013 | QC | MID | 3 | 0 | 1.17 | 5 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 23.0 | 10 | 3 | 3 | 1 | 6 | 25 | 2.00 | .130 |
| 2013 | Minors | 3 | 0 | 1.17 | 5 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 23.0 | 10 | 3 | 3 | 1 | 6 | 25 | 2.00 | .130 |
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