Down on the Farm - 5/26/13

AAA - Iowa 2 Oklahoma City 1 (Game 1)

Brett Oberholtzer allowed just 2 runs on 4 hits in 5 1/3 innings, but the RedHawks (27-22) offense was stifled, and they dropped a tight one to the Cubs, 2-1. Jake Elmore had 2 of Oklahoma City's 3 hits and a stolen base, and Marc Krauss added a double, but the RedHawks went hitless with runners in scoring position in losing Game 1 of their doubleheader.

Iowa 4 Oklahoma City 3 (Game 2)

The RedHawks (27-23) rallied from a 3-0 deficit to tie the game, but Iowa got a game winning home run from Donnie Murphy in the bottom of the 6th to sweep their doubleheader. Philip Humber made his first start since his demotion and went 4 innings allowing 3 runs (1 earned) on 4 hits and fanning 5. He walked just one hitter, but hit two others. Eric Berger suffered the loss in relief.

AA - Arkansas 8 Corpus Christi 6

The Hooks (29-20) scored 5 times in the bottom of the 8th, but couldn't overcome an early 8-1 deficit in their 8-6 loss to the Travelers. Ben Orloff and Domingo Santana each drove in a pair of runs, and Jiovanni Mier reached base 3 times (singles, 2 walks) and scored twice in a losing effort. Josh Fields made another rehab appearance and was scored upon for the second straight outing allowing a run on 3 hits in an inning of work. Kenny Long and Matt Heidenreich combined on 3 2/3 innings of no-hit shutout relief ball.

Advanced A - Lancaster 18 Inland Empire 10

In your typical California League shootout, the JetHawks (29-20) rallied from deficits of 5-0, and 9-7 and defeated the 66ers 18-10 thanks to a 10-run 7th. Lancaster slugged 5 home runs including 2 by Brandon Meredith who finished the night 3 for 3 with 5 rbis despite not entering the game until the 6th inning as a pinch hitter. Delino DeShields picked up 4 hits, while Joe Sclafani, Preston Tucker and Chris Epps all had 3 runs batted in. Sclafani finished the night 2 for 4 with a pair of walks to raise his average on the year to .386 as he continues to fill in admirably for the injured Nolan Fontana at short. Theron Geith piched 2 scoreless innings in relief to lower his ERA on the year to 2.08 while Kyle Hallock earned the win to improve to 2-0.

Low A - Quad Cities 5 Clinton 2

The River Bandits bullpen tossed 6 scoreless innings as Quad Cities (26-23) defeated the LumberKings 5-2. Austin Elkins went 3 for 4, Jordan Scott had 2 hits and 2 walks, and Carlos Correa was 1 for 4 with a double and a walk as the River Bandits won despite going just 2 for 15 with runners in scoring position and stranding 14 runners on base. Gerardo Sanchez earned the win in relief and improved to 2-0 on the year. Jordan Jankowski continue his solid form as of late with 4 scoreless innings to earn his 2nd save and lowered his ERA to 2.70.

Down on the Farm - 5/22/13

AAA - Oklahoma City 7 Fresno 3

Ross Seaton (1-4, 8.21) finally got his first win of the season as the RedHawks (27-18) defeated the Grizzles 7-3. Fernando Martinez hit a three run homer, Jake Elmore homered and drove in a pair, and Brett Wallace reached base 4 times (2 singles, 2 walks) as the RedHawks offense overcame three errors by their defense en route to the win. Jason Stoffel pitched 2 scoreless innings and fanned three lowering his ERA since his promotion to AAA to 2.08. He's allowed just 7 hits in 13 innings with the RedHawks and is holding hitters to a .156 average.

AA Corpus Christi 8 Northwest Arkansas 2

Jake Buchanan allowed one unearned run in five innings lowering his ERA to 0.84 and improving his record to 5-0 as the Hooks (26-19) defeated the Naturals 8-2. Domingo Santana, Erik Castro and Michael Burgess all drove in a pair of runs as the Hooks scored in every inning from the 2nd to the 5th to erase an early 1-0 deficit. Over his past ten games, Castro is 18 for 39 with 5 doubles, 2 homers and 10 runs batted in. Josh Fields made his sixth rehab appearance, and fourth for Corpus Christi, and allowed his first run of the year in 2 innings of work.

Low A - Wisconsin 12 Quad Cities 5 (11 innings)

The River Bandits (23-21) rallied from a 5-0 deficit to send the game into extra innings, but the Timber Rattlers scored 7 times in the 11th to win 12-5. Austin Elkins hit his first home run of the year, and Jordan Scott, Carlos Correa and Miles Hamblin all had multi-hit games for the River Bandits. Jordan Jankowski started the game on the mound and fanned 6 in 4 innings of work, and did not walk a batter.

Down on the Farm - 5/19/13

AAA - Oklahoma City 9 Sacramento 3

Brad Peacock allowed just 1 earned run in 5 innings of work earning his first win as a member of the RedHawks (25-17) despite once again being plagued by a high pitch count. Peacock needed 96 pitches to get through hits 5 innings and finished the night with 4 walks and 5 strikeouts. Fernando Martinez and Jason Jaramillo each had a pair of runs batted in and Che-Hsuan Lin added 2 singles, 2 runs and a steal. Austin Wates singled to extend his hitting streak to 6 games.

AA - Corpus Christi 5 Midland 3

David Martinez improved to 7-0 on the year as the Hooks (25-18) defeated the RockHounds 5-3. Martinez pitched 5 solid innings, Josh Fields continued his rehab by throwing his 7th straight scoreless inning, and Mike Foltynewicz got the final 9 outs to earn his second save. Erik Castro went 3 for 3 with a homer and 2 runs batted in, and Rene Garcia added a pair of rbis of his own to lead the offense. George Springer went hitless, but stole 4 bases.

Advanced A - Rancho Cucamonga 11 Lancaster 7

Matt Duffy's 2-out throwing error led to 4 unearned runs in the 9th as the JetHawks (24-19) lost to the Quakes 11-7. Lancaster wasted 4 homers - one apiece from Telvin Nash (6), Duffy (7), Tyler Heineman (1) and Delino DeShields (1) - in the loss. DeShields (2/5), Joe Sclafani (2/3), Duffy (3/5), Heineman (2/3) and Chris Epps (2/3) all had multi-hit games in a losing effort. Brady Rodgers started the game and allowed 3 runs on 4 hits in 5 innings of work.

Low A - Beloit 3 Quad Cities 2

Lance McCullers' tough luck continues as he once again wound up the losing pitcher despite allowing just 1 earned run in 4 innings of work in the River Bandits (23-19) 3-2 loss. McCullers is now 0-4 on the year with an ERA of 1.72. Carlos Correa had 2 more hits and a stolen base as he extended his hitting streak to 10 games. He's batting .410 (16/39) during that stretch. Jesse Wierzbicki and Austin Elkins each had 2 hits in the loss.

Down on the Farm - 5/17/13

AAA - Sacramento 4 Oklahoma City 2

Andrew Simunic and Che-Hsuan Lin each had 2 hits, a double and an rbi, but the rest of the RedHawks (24-16) squad managed just 3 hits as they came up short against Sacramento, 4-2. Jonathan Villar did record his 14th stolen base of the year, but Oklahoma City's 3-4-5 hitters - Brett Wallace, Brandon Laird, and Fernando Martinez - combined to go 0 for 12 with 3 strikeouts. Ross Seaton (0-4, 9.32) failed to retire a hitter in the 5th inning and was charged with all 4 runs in the loss. Both Kevin Chapman and Jason Stoffel tossed 2 scoreless innings in relief.

AA - Corpus Christi 1 Midland 0

Jake Buchanan's days in AA have to be numbered. The 23 year old former 8th round pick out of N.C. State tossed 5 more scoreless innings - his 5th straight scoreless appearance totaling 22 2/3 innings - lowering his ERA on the year to 0.93 and improving to 4-0. Buchanan has allowed just 3 walks and 28 hits in 48 1/3 innings on the season and opposing hitters are batting just .163 against him. In 30 appearances last year between AA and AAA, Buchanan managed just a 5.25 ERA and opponents hit .320. Josh Fields continued his successful rehab with another scoreless inning, and Pat Urckfitz earned his first save of the season by recording the final four outs. Max Stassi provided the offense with an rbi double, as the Hooks (24-17) escaped with a 1-0 win.

Advanced A - Lancaster 6 Visalia 4

The dynamic duo of Luis Cruz and Kyle Hallock didn't have a repeat of their last performance, but still pitched good enough to lead the JetHawks (24-17) to a 6-4 win. Cruz tossed 5 shutout innings allowing just two hits, but Hallock was roughed up in a 4-run 7th. Travis Ballew finished the game off with a scoreless 9th for his 7th save. MP Cokinos homered and drove in 2 while Delino DeShields Jr reached base four times (2 singles, 2 walks), drove in two runs, and stole two bases to lead the offense. Telvin Nash and Preston Tucker each added a pair of hits as well.

Low A - Beloit 3 Quad Cities 1

Teoscar Hernandez was 3 for 4 with a double, and Carlos Correa raised his average to .275 with 2 more hits and an rbi, but it wasn't enough as the River Bandits (23-17) were just 2 for 11 with runners in scoring position and fell to the Snappers, 3-1. Jordan Jankowski struck out a season high 7 in 4 innings of relief, but Brian Holmes allowed a pair of solo home runs in his 4 innings, and that was more the River Bandits offense could overcome.

Down on the Farm - 5/16/13

AAA - Oklahoma City 7 Sacramento 2

Andrew Simunic's bases loaded bloop double in the top of the 7th put the RedHawks (24-15) ahead for good as they rallied from a 2-1 deficit to defeat the River Cats 7-2. Brett Wallace added a pair of rbis, and Jonathan Villar and Austin Wates both added two hits as every RedHawk starter had a hit in the game. Relievers Alex Sogard, Josh Zeid, Rhiner Cruz and Eric Berger combined to throw 4 2/3 shutout innings to set up the late rally.

AA - San Antonio 6 Corpus Christi 2

Rene Garcia hit his 2nd home run of the season and Jiovanni Mier took another step closer to the Mendoza Line with a pair of doubles, but the Hooks (23-17) still fell short against the Missions, losing 6-2. Ruben Alaniz (0-5, 5.45) pitched well allowing just 2 runs in 4 2/3 innings while fanning 5, but the offense just couldn't get things going. Josh Fields made his first rehab appearance for Corpus Christi after appearing in two games for Quad Cities and threw another scoreless inning. Fields has now tossed 5 scoreless innings during his rehab.

Advanced A - Visalia 6 Lancaster 5

The Rawhide scored twice in the bottom of the 7th against Tyson Perez (1-2, 6.62) and edged out the JetHawks (23-17) in a back-and-forth affair, 6-5. Matt Duffy led the JetHawks offense with 3 hits and 3 rbi, and Joe Sclafani, Andrew Aplin and Tyler Heineman all had multi-hit games for Lancaster. Aplin, the JetHawks starting centerfielder, also picked up a pair of outfield assists. Theron Geith tossed two scoreless innings in relief to lower his ERA on the year to 1.29. After allowing two runs in his first appearance of the season, Geith has rattled off 11 straight scoreless appearances. Delino DeShields Jr went 0 for 5 and struck out 4 times.

Low A - Quad Cities 3 Wisconsin 1

Colton Cain worked 4 1/3 solid innings and Mike Hauschild tossed 3 2/3 scoreless innings of relief as the River Bandits (23-16) defeated the Timber Rattlers 3-1. The Bandits pushed 3 runs across in the 5th thanks to an error, a Carlos Correa rbi groundout and a Miles Hamblin single, and that was all the offense Quad Cities would need. Correa also added a single of his own to extend his hitting streak to 7 games and Ariel Ovando added a pair of hits to lead the offense. John Neely pitched a scoreless 9th for his 7th save.

Random Thoughts on Things We Can Do Better

1) While I understand Bo Porter wants to settle on a lineup instead of continuing to play musical chairs with his outfielders, I can't say I'm thrilled that he selected J.D. Martinez over Trevor Crowe or Brandon Barnes. While J.D. hits for power, and he's had a good series against Detroit so far (4/7 with 3 doubles in the first two games), he doesn't strike me as someone who's ever going to be anything more than mediocre. He doesn't run well, he's not a plus defender, he doesn't draw many walks... I guess I'm not sure why he opted to go that direction instead of giving more playing time to Barnes (the only outfielder we have hitting over .250), or Crowe (switch-hitter with good speed). The only thing I can think of is that J.D. is getting one last chance to prove he's able to play at this level, and playing him every day is the only real way to assess that. And if that's the case, I'm all right with it as I get that this season is about more than just winning games. Still, I think Barnes and Crowe both deserve a chance to show they're more than role players... And as I write that J.D. hits a 3-run homer off Scherzer. Still not in love with the guy's game though.

2) I get that our pitchers are young, but you CANNOT give up a Grand Slam on an 0-2 pitch. That's horrendous. I pitched through college, and I know nothing would fire up my coach like a bad 0-2 pitch. And by bad, I mean good. That pitch is supposed to be unhittable. It's a pitcher's opportunity to waste a pitch and get a guy to chase. Bud Norris, our ace, giving up a Grand Slam on an 0-2 pitch in a 3-2 game is not good. It put a close game out of reach and as the ace, it's his job to keep us in games like that and give us a chance to win. It's little things like that that separate us from the good teams in the AL, and until we can learn to execute, we're going to continue to struggle.

3) We're 40 games into the season and Carlos Pena has THREE home runs. That concerns me. I think it's great that he draws walks, and that he's scoring runs, but how's a guy like that only have three homers? Carlos Corporan has three homers. MARWIN GONZALEZ has three homers. If Pena's not going to hit for power, he shouldn't be hitting in those power spots in the lineup. Let him hit #2, we know he can bunt.

4) What's Paul Clemens got to do to get some meaningful innings? Yes, he's been great as the long man in the pen, but why not use his talents at the back end of the bullpen. Let Cisnero and Edgar Gonzalez be the long relievers. Ambriz hasn't been BAD, but he hasn't been good enough that we shouldn't be looking at other options there. I think Clemens has that power arm that could be a game changer for us, and I just feel like we're wasting him on mop-up duty right now.

5) Couple roster decisions looming as Josh Fields continues his rehab and Justin Maxwell gets closer to a return from his broken hand. My gut tells me Cisnero and J.D. are the two on the hot seat. Cisnero hasn't necessarily done any wrong, but he's not getting any work, which means he isn't going to be getting any better. He's young enough that he still needs to get innings so when Fields comes back, it makes sense that he'd go unless Ambriz just completely implodes. For the outfielders, I think it has to be J.D. unless he keeps hitting the way he has in Detroit in which case it probably means Crowe is the odd man out. At least there's competition. It's not much, but it's a start.

Down on the Farm - 5/13/13

AAA - Salt Lake 3 Oklahoma City 2

Brad Peacock fanned 9 hitters in 5 innings of work, and Jonathan Villar missed the cycle by a home run, but the RedHawks (22-15) fell to the Bees, 3-2. Brett Wallace was 2 for 5 and drove in both RedHawk runs to lead the offense, but it wasn't enough to back Peacock who lost despite only allowing 2 runs. Peacock, making his second start since his demotion, needed 99 pitches to get through 5 innings.

AA - Corpus Christi 13 San Antonio 3

Michael Burgess entered yesterday's game hitting .174 with 8 runs batted in in 29 games. When the dust finally cleared, he'd doubled his rbi total on the year going 3 for 5 with a double and a pair of home runs, and 8 more runs batted in as Corpus Christi (22-15) routed the Missions 13-3. George Springer added home run number 13 on the year, and Jonathan Meyer was 4 for 5 with 4 runs scored an a home run of his home to lead the 15-hit attack for the Hooks. On the mound, Jake Buchanan (3-0) threw 4 scoreless innings in relief allowing just 1 hit and lowering his ERA on the year to 1.04 in 43 1/3 innings. He's walked just 2 hitters this season.

Advanced A - Lancaster 6 Stockton 3

The JetHawks (23-15) rode a 6 run 4th to a 6-3 win over the Ports behind the bat of Brandon Meredith and the pitching of Blair Walters. Meredith hit his first home run of the season and drove in a pair, and Walters didn't allow an earned run in 4 innings of work to lead the way for Lancaster. Delino DeShields Jr. went 2 for 4, but was caught stealing for the 7th time this year when he was picked off of first base by Deyvi Jimenez. DeShields is just 5 for 12 stealing bases this year after stealing 101 bases in 135 games last year. Travis Ballew earned his 6th save of the season by getting the final four outs.

Low A - Quad Cities 8 Peoria 0

Big innings were the theme yesterday as the River Bandits (21-15) scored 8 times in the 4th en route to an 8-0 win over the Chiefs. Jordan Jankowski (2-0, 2.87) threw 5 shutout innings and was followed by another solid rehab appearance from Josh Fields who threw 2 scoreless innings of his own. Rio Ruiz went 3 for 4 with a double, and Carlos Correa went 2 for 4 to raise his average to .238, while Austin Elkins and Jobduan Morales each drove in a pair of runs to lead the offense.

Humber Out, Edgar Back In

After last night's Philip Humber meltdown, you kinda saw this move coming. After starting the season 0-8 with a 9.59 ERA in 9 appearances, Humber was designated for assignment today. The Astros didn't waste any time filling his roster spot either as they signed free agent Edgar Gonzalez who was recently released by Toronto. If the name sounds familiar, it's because Gonzalez made the Astros out of Spring Training, but was designated for assignment before appearing in a game this season to make room for Travis Blackley. Now he's back and will help out in long relief for the Astros. How long he stays on the roster remains to be seen as Josh Fields is getting closer to returning from injury. Gonzalez made 4 starts for AAA Buffalo going 1-0 with a 5.49 ERA, and 3 relief appearances for the Jays in which he posted a 7.88 ERA (7 runs in 8 innings). Gonzalez made 6 starts for the Astros a year ago, going 3-1 with a 5.04 ERA. He beat the Pirates, Reds and Brewers. Is he "the answer" to our problems? Probably not. But, he buys us some more time so we don't have to rush the kids (Cosart, Wojo, etc.)

Some other notes from last night:

1) I really like Trevor Crowe. He did three things last night that stood out for me:

*A two-strike base hit off of closer Joe Nathan in the 9th inning to drive in a run
*Threw out Ian Kinsler at home on a would-be sacrifice fly
*Went from 1st to 3rd on a wild pitch in the 9th inning to set up a run

A switch hitter with good speed, Crowe present us with some interesting possibilities moving forward. A former first round pick, it'd be great if he finally put things together.

2) Erik Bedard was terrific yesterday and deserved to win that game. He left with a 3-1 lead in the 6th after fanning 7 and allowing just 4 hits in 5+ innings. His most impressive inning was the 5th in which he worked out of a 1st and 3rd no out jam without allowing a run. That's the Bedard we thought we were getting when we signed him. He's had an interesting season so far. Let me break it down for you in three parts:

Part 1 (Apps 1-2): 7 1/3 IP 2 H 0 ER 2 BB 5 K - 0.00 ERA 0.55 WHIP
Part 2 (Apps 3-6): 11 1/3 IP 21 H 17 ER 10 BB 16 K - 13.50 ERA 2.74 WHIP
Part 3 (Apps 7-8): 8 1/3 IP 6 H 3 ER 3 BB 10 K - 3.24 ERA 1.08 WHIP

Now if we could just harness parts 1 and 3 and keep THAT guy going forward...

3) Nice to see Sweet Matty D go yard twice against Darvish yesterday getting his first 2 home runs of the year and notching his first career multi-homer game.

4) Jose Cisnero pitched well in relief of Humber allowing a Lance Berkman home run in 3 1/3 innings of work. While Cisnero has pitched well for the most part during his brief tenure in Houston, I think he's the likely guy to get sent back down when Josh Fields returns. It's not a knock on Cisnero's performance at all, but being a young guy, it's more important for him to get work than it is for him to sit on the bench in Houston.

Down on the Farm - 5/10/13

AAA - Oklahoma City 1 Tacoma 0

Brett Oberholtzer (2-3, 6.08) allowed just 1 hit in 5 2/3 shutout innings, fanning 9 and combined with 4 relievers on a 4-hit shutout as the RedHawks (22-12) defeated the Rainiers 1-0. Brett Wallace tripled and scored the game's only run on Brandon Laird's rbi double in the 4th and the RedHawks pitching staff took care of the rest. Jose Valdez earned his 9th save of the season by pitching a scoreless 9th.

AA - Corpus Christi 9 Frisco 4

Bobby Doran improved to 5-0 on the year and Domingo Santana bashed 3 home runs and drove in 5 as the Hooks (20-14) defeated the RoughRiders 9-4. Santana homered in the 1st, 3rd and 7th innings to back a solid start from Nick Tropeano who allowed just an unearned run on two hits in 4 innings. Drew Muren and Rene Garcia each added a pair of hits, and Jiovanni Mier and Zach Johnson both homered as well. Johnson's home run was his first since his promotion to AA.

Advanced A - Lancaster 19 Stockton 13

The JetHawks (20-15) finished with 16 hits and 11 walks as pitching was nowhere to be found in a wild 19-13 affair. Every JetHawks starter except Nolan Fontana had at least 1 hit, and Fontana managed to draw 3 walks. Telvin Nash was the hero on a day of offensive heroes as he homered twice and drove in 7 runs. Andrew Aplin added 4 rbis, MP Cokinos and Chris Epps each drove in 3, and Matt  Duffy added his 5th home run of the year.

Low A - Cedar Rapids 2 Quad Cities 0 (Game 1, 11 innings)

Josh Fields started his rehab going 2 scoreless innings and fanning 3, but the River Bandits (19-12) lost to the Kernels 2-0 in 11. Quad Cities managed just 6 hits in the game, 3 of them by left fielder Jordan Scott. Jamaine Cotton made his 2013 debut with 4 scoreless innings in relief of Fields and Carlos Correa returned to the Bandits lineup but went 0 for 3 with a walk.

Low A - Cedar Rapids 5 Quad Cities 1 (Game 2)

The River Bandits (19-13) capped off a frustrating double header with a 5-1 loss at the hands of the Kernels. Vincent Velasquez struck out 9, but allowed 5 runs on 9 hits in 4 2/3 inninngs. Roberto Pena scored the Bandits only run of the game in the the inning on a Jordan Scott sacrifice fly.

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.

If Only We Played the Mariners All the Time

Houston routed the Mariners yesterday 10-3 to improve to 4-2 against Seattle on the season. Unfortunately, against everyone else we're just 3-12. But hey, I'll take it. For just the second time this season, the Astros won a series and they did so in convincing fashion smashing three home runs and never trailing in an easy win over their division rivals. Some thoughts on yesterday's game:

1) Lucas Harrell pitched his best game of the year going 7 innings and allowing just 1 run that came across on a double play ball. After going over a week without a starter getting an out in the 6th inning, Harrell came up huge bailing out a worn out bullpen and finally giving them a break. Harrell, who has battled control issues all season allowed just two walks, and needed only 105 pitches to make it through 7, compared to his last outing when he threw 98 and didn't get through 6. Harrell has now won 2 straight starts.

2) Welcome to the show, Robbie Grossman. The hometown hero with a cult following debuted as the Astros leadoff hitter and starting centerfielder and did not disappoint going 2 for 5 and ripping a pair of doubles. I read yesterday that he became the first Astro to hit two doubles since... James Mouton... Yeah... Well, hopefully his career tracks a little bit differently. The 23 year old switch hitter brings a lot to the table, and has a huge opportunity to make a name for himself with Maxwell out for an extended period of time. And if he keeps hitting, we may have found our leadoff hitter. And just think, all we had to do was give up Wandy Rodriguez to get him.

3) Trogdor the Bombinator hit an absolute monster home run off of Joe Saunders to open the scoring in the second inning yesterday. Carter now has 5 homers and 11 rbis, tying Rick Ankiel for the team lead in both categories. 4 of his home runs have come against the Mariners, and he's hitting .423 (11/26) against them. Against everyone else he's just 6 for 51 (.118).

4) Brandon Laird broke out yesterday going 3 for 4 with 2 doubles, a homer and 4 runs batted in. Sucks to be Brett Wallace right now, because if Laird keeps hitting, and Matty D keeps playing gold glove caliber defense, it'll take a Carlos Pena trade to get him back to the show. And don't forget, Jonathan Singleton is almost halfway through his suspension which means his arrival isn't that far away either. Unless Wallace starts absolutely raking in AAA, his window may be closing pretty quick.

5) Ronny Cedeno, not one of the more popular Astros for whatever reason, had his best game in an Astros uniform yesterday going 3 for 4, driving in 3, and missing the cycle by a triple. Cedeno is now hitting .333 on the year and he's in the midst of a 6 game hitting streak. The streak is that much more impressive since Cedeno doesn't play every day, and the streak actually dates back to April 8th.

6) Brandon Barnes got two more hits yesterday to raise his average up to .367. Primarily used against lefties, Barnes' splits are actually pretty solid right now: .375 vs lefties and .357 vs righties. It's actually creating quite a logjam in the outfield because who draws the short straw when J.D. Martinez and Maxwell come back? Don't get me wrong, it's a good problem to have, but I don't envy the man who has to make those decisions.

7) With Josh Fields getting closer to his return from the DL, Rhiner Cruz did little to help his case to not be the guy to get sent down last night. Entering the game with a 10-1 lead, Cruz walked 2 hitters in his inning of work. Yeah, he didn't give up any runs, but you've got to be able to throw strikes if you're going to be a back of the bullpen guy. And there's absolutely no reason to walk guys when you're up by 9. As I said yesterday, Cruz has all the physical gifts in the world, but he's got to do better with them.

Winning is Way More Fun

VICTORY! The one thing about pulling for a team that isn't very good is that the wins are a lot more fun. Don't get me wrong, I'd rather go back to winning most of the time, but the wins are a little sweeter when they're harder to come by. On a down note, last night's win came at a price as starting centerfielder Justin Maxwell broke his hand when he was hit by a pitch, so he's headed to the DL. Some more thoughts on last night's big win:

1) Bud Norris didn't have his best stuff last night, but pitched out of trouble all game and earned his third win of the season. That means he has 50% of our 6 wins. With lots of speculation that Norris is going to get moved come the trade deadline, it's beneficial to Houston that he continues to perform so if we do end up dealing him, we can justify getting a lot in return. If it comes to that, I'll certainly be sorry to see him go, but if you believe in what the organization is trying to do right now, it makes sense. And if you want proof that we're on the right track, all four of our minor league clubs currently have winning records.

2) The loss of Maxwell is going to hurt, but Houston's got some intriguing options able to take his place. First off, defensive specialist Brandon Barnes who's been solid so far this year off the bench. And then there's newly recalled prospect Robbie Grossman who's been tearing it up in AAA. Grossman is especially enticing because he does something most of the current Astros don’t do: he draws walks!! If he can hit at the big league level, he might even be the leadoff hitter we're looking for which would allow us to drop hit machine Jose Altuve down in the order where he might actually be able to drive in some runs.

3) Aussie Aussie Aussie! Oi Oi Oi! Travis Blackley was solid in relief last night retiring the first six hitters he faced before surrendering a mammoth home run to Kendrys Morales. With three long men now on the roster (Blackley, Clemens, Cisnero), it'll be interesting to see how roles evolve as we go forward. I personally think Clemens has the stuff to be a back of the bullpen type guy, but I don't know that his long term role won't be in the starting rotation. Things are going to get even more muddled up when Josh Fields comes off the DL in a little bit. Don't be surprised if Rhiner Cruz draws the short straw and gets sent down. While he has the physical tools, I think he'd benefit from some more time in the minors to hone in his stuff. Plus, everyone else is starting to pitch better: Ambriz has only allowed 1 run over his last 7 outings, Wesley Wright has been pitching better, Veras has 2 straight saves, and all the long men in the bullpen have been delivering. I think the only other real plausible option if it's not Cruz is for it to be Cisnero, but after his performance against Seattle on Monday, he's kinda earned the right to stick around a bit. We'll see though.

4) Speaking of Veras, the closer finally delivered last night making by far his most dominant appearance of 2013 setting down all three hitters he faced, two by strikeout. That makes 4 straight scoreless outings for Veras after his blown save against the Angels including a pair of saves. As a former collegiate closer, I can speak to how important confidence is when you're that guy and it's looking like Veras is starting to grow into the role. Over the past week, Veras has seen his ERA drop from 9.64 to 5.19. Still not great, but getting better. It should also be noted that both of his converted saves were 1-run games with no margin for error.

5) I thought it was kind of funny that twitter was blowing up last night with people dogging Hector Ambriz before he'd even thrown a pitch. Including last night's 1-2-3 8th, over Hector's last 7 appearances, he's thrown 8 1/3 innings and allowed just one run (solo homer to Mark Reynolds) on 6 hits while walking 1 and fanning 5. He's had 3 holds, more than anyone else on the team, and has held hitters to a .207 average during this stretch.

6) "Defensive Specialist" Marwin Gonzalez set a new career high in home runs last night with his 3rd of the young season (and it's till April!). He's also just 5 RBIs shy of the 12 he had in his rookie season. One of Houston's more consistent hitters this year, Marwin's power surge is a pleasant surprise to say the least and while he probably won't stay on this pace and eclipse 20+ homers, he may end up with 10 or 12 which would be great. I'd really like to see Marwin get a shot at hitting higher up in the order instead of sitting down in the 9 hole, but as long as we win, I suppose I can deal. All three of Marwin's homers have come against Seattle, and all of them from the left side of the plate.

7) Lefty reliever Xavier Cedeno was claimed off waivers by the Washington Nationals after being designated for assignment by Houston. The 26 year old Puerto Rican pitched in parts of 3 seasons with the Astros posting an ERA of 6.00 with 1 save and 6 holds over 52 games. In 44 games in 2012 he had a 3.77 ERA striking out 36 in 31 innings.

The Skinny on Paul Clemens

Well, the questions about why Josh Fields wasn't getting any time on the hill were answered today when the Rule 5 pick was put on the 15-day DL with a forearm strain thus setting the stage for an early season call-up for Paul Clemens. Clemens, if you will recall, was part of the return we got in the Michael Bourn trade with Atlanta back in 2011. Primarily a starter in the minors, the former 7th round draft pick has logged a 4.55 ERA over 6 minor league seasons going 32-30 and logging 537 2/3 innings. He had a great spring last year, generating quite a buzz, but he laid an egg in AAA posting a 6.73 ERA in 20 starts before eventually getting sent down to AA Corpus Christi where he started to find his form again. The 6'4" Clemens has a plus fastball that can touch the upper 90s, and some decent secondary pitches. He has the potential to be something of a power reliever in the back of the bullpen if he doesn't make it as a starter. And with this bullpen, might as well given him a shot, right?

Harrell Roughed up as Streak Hits 5

Lucas Harrell had far from his best stuff today as the A's lit him up, knocking him out of the game before he could get through 5 innings. Harrell struggled with his control, and when he did find the plate, the A's made him pay. At the end of the day, he'd walked five and conceded three home runs. Not exactly what we were hoping for. Some other thoughts and observations from Game 6:

1) Brett Wallace looks like he's lost all confidence at the plate. He went 0 for 3 today with 2 more strikeouts bringing his season totals to 1 hit in 17 at bats with 13 strikeouts. You can tell he's all up in his head right now, and that's a tough thing to break out of. He needs a hit, and he needs it bad. The only guy who probably needs one worse right now is Rick Ankiel who fanned for the 10th time in his last 11 at bats as a pinch hitter in the 9th. If they keep it up, you have to wonder how long they'll last, especially when you've got guys like Brandon Laird (6/16 with 6 rbis), Jake Elmore (7/16), Jimmy Paredes (8/15 with 3 doubles), and Robbie Grossman (5/13 with 5 walks) off to fast starts in AAA.

2) Am I the only one who's wondering where the heck is Josh Fields? With our bullpen logging crazy innings, our Rule 5 draft pick has faced just 2 hitters. Surprised he didn't get work yesterday or today, especially when you consider we were extending Dallas Keuchel and Xavier Cedeno beyond two innings of work.

3) Speaking of Xavier Cedeno, it was nice to see him have some better luck today. After facing seven hitters on Friday night and retiring ZERO, he tossed 2 2/3 scoreless innings today. His control was still a bit shaky, but he appeared to be able to work through some of that and he got stronger as he went. It was also nice to see a 1-2-3 inning from Hector Ambriz, especially after allowing 7 hits in his previous 2 innings of work.

4) Carlos Corporan and Brandon Barnes each logged their first hits of the season today meaning every position player on the roster now has at least one hit this year. It was nice to actually see Barnes in the lineup today too, especially with the way Ankiel has been struggling.

5) I'd say I was concerned about Jose Veras being our closer, but the way we're playing right now, we don't really need a closer, so I guess it doesn't matter. Veras has yet to record a 1-2-3 inning in three appearances this year and he's allowed 7 baserunners (5 hits, 2 walks).

6) Nice to see Chris Carter finally get an extra base hit. I think it's funny how everyone was ragging on Justin Maxwell this spring, when it's been Carter who's been ice cold out of the gates. Carter, who legged out a triple to left center in the 8th, is now 2 for 22 with 11 strikeouts. Conversely, Maxwell, who only had 9 hits all spring, is 8 for 21 and has scored a team high 5 runs. Meanwhile, our leadoff hitter Jose Altuve has scored ZERO. Figure that one out.

7) Edgar Gonzalez, who was designated for assignment following the trade for Travis Blackley, didn't clear waivers and is headed for Toronto. Gonzalez, who did not pitch for Houston this year, was 3-1 with a 5.04 ERA in 6 starts in 2012.

8) Next up for the Astros, a West Coast road trip that includes stops in Seattle, L.A., and Oakland. Things aren't going to get any easier for this club, they're just going to have to keep fighting. Eventually the hits will start dropping in there. As frustrating as it is, it's still really early in the season. There's lots of time for the boys to turn things around.

Whirling Darvish Dazzles Astros

Not quite the follow-up to the season opener we were all hoping for, but hey, at least we didn't get no hit. Thank you, Marwin Gonzalez. Some observations on the loss:

1) Yu Darvish made our lineup look silly. I made a comment the other day that there are going to be days where this team resembles a minor league ball club at the plate, and this was one of those days. Yu Darvish cruised through the Astros lineup retiring 26 in a row - 14 of them via the strike out - as the Rangers evened the series at one game apiece. In fact, the only Astro not to strike out last night was backup catcher Carlos Corporan. Now it's not like Darvish is a slouch. As we saw last year, he's a legitimate ace. But even as good as he is, you expect to hit more than one ball out of the infield. It's not going to get much easier today when the Astros get Alexi Ogando, but I don't think anyone will miss Darvish.

2) One of the many, many questions surrounding this year's Astros team is their bullpen. And the bullpen looked REALLY shaky last night. Yes, it's a small sample size, but it wasn't pretty. The pen inherited a 1-0 deficit in the 7th inning last night, and between Xavier Cedeno, Rhiner Cruz, Wesley Wright, Josh Fields, and Jose Veras, they surrendered 6 runs turning a close game into a rout. Only Fields managed to get through the game without giving up a run, and he pitched just 1/3 of an inning.

Fun Facts - 3/31/13

Here's 10 bits of trivia worth noting before the Season Opener:

*Bud Norris has fared significantly better at home than on the road in his 4 year career. In the confines of Minute Maid Park, Norris is 17-14 with a 3.51 ERA. Everywhere else he is 11-23 and his ERA is 5.39. Norris has never faced the Rangers.

*Rick Ankiel is a career .244 hitter, but has hit .300 (18/60) in 21 games at Minute Maid Park.

*Carlos Pena has 277 home runs in his Major League career, but none of them have been hit in Minute Maid Park.

*Jason Castro slugged 6 home runs in 49 plate appearances this spring. He homered only 6 times the entire 2012 season while making 295 plate appearances.