Friday, June 27, 2014

PreStros Morning Report: June 26

Big drama around the AC offices this week.  It works out that the Constable was rostered on for PreStros the last two days, but our receptionist Cynthia forgot to check the Leave Roster before making the assignment, and the Constable has actually been on holiday.  I think he is climbing Mt Kilimanjaro or something.  For those of you that don't know, the Constable is a magnificent athlete - 6-4, and an all-muscle 190 pounds with hands like dinner plates.  I can't imagine that the circa 19,000 feet of Mt K will pose much of a challenge for the Constable.  Not sure when he said he is back - he indicated that if it didn't pose enough of a challenge, he may do it twice.  The second time carrying an obese German tourist.

Oh, and sorry, you got me in an emergency PreStros assignment.  A thousand sorries.

Summary

* Mixed BAD day: 3-4 2-5, for a cumulative affiliate win-loss record of 180-160.
* Oklahoma City lost, and it wasn't especially close.
* Corpus' comeback ended one run short.
* Lancaster allowed Lake Elsinore to come back, but won on a walk off.
* Quad Cities just got pounded.
* Tri-City got shut out.
* The GCL Astros won.
* The Greeneville Astros won.


Oklahoma City (42-39)

Oklahoma City continues their hurtle back toward .500, with a 7-2 loss to the Omaha StormChasers (43-36) at home.  Oklahoma City loses five straight, and they were consistently outscored in this one.

Rubber:  Mike Foltynewicz got the start, and he better improve if he wants a call-up.  His line: 5IP, 7H, 4R/ER, BB, 6K, 2HR allowed.  Alex White was worse (1.2IP, 3H, 3R/ER, 2BB, 2K), but he is on his way back from TJ, so we should cut him some slack.  Ex-Hooks Pat Urckfitz and Jorge De Leon finished off the game uneventfully.

Plate:  Kiké Hernandez continued his hot form (2-4, 2B, R), and would be a good candidate for a call-up in the event of a Marwin trade, or injury to someone.  Gregorio Petit also went 2-4.  Marc Krauss did well, going 1-2, BB, 2B, R whilst manning left field, but he got replaced by Ronald Torreyes for his last at-bat.  One hit and one walk from the bottom five in the order.

Man of the Match:  Enrique Hernandez, again.  Last 10 game update ('cause it has been a few days): .455/.520/.682.  I mean, why not Left Field (where he played a couple of innings tonight)??


Corpus Christi (37-41)

Corpus scored in the first and last innings, but were unable to fully recover from the six runs that the Springfield Isotopes Cardinals put up in the interim.  The Hooks scored three in the ninth, but needed to score four, as they lost 6-5.

Rubber:  Jordan Jankowski got the start: 5IP, 7H, 5R/ER. 4K, 2HR allowed.  Mitchell Lambson pitched two innings and allowed a solo home run, and Richard Rodriguez finished off the game uneventfully.

Plate:  Andrew Aplin, welcome back from the DL: 3-4, 2HR, 4RBI, 2R.  Tony Kemp did ok (2-4, R) post promotion, and Ruben Sosa also got a hit (1-3, R).

Man of the Match:  You need to ask?  Andrew Aplin was clearly the standout player of the night, for, probably, the whole system.


Lancaster (47-31)

Lancaster did their absolute best to blow a big lead... and succeeded!!  But they also scored the last run of the game in a walk off in regulation.  After seven, Lancaster led 8-4, but they gave up four runs in the eighth and ninth (2 apiece), and scored in the ninth for a 9-8 win over Lake Elsinore (44-34).  That arrested the JetHawks' five game losing streak.

Rubber:  Josh Hader got the start, and did relatively well: 5IP, 4H, 3R/1ER, 4K, 1HR allowed.  Piggyback starter Chris Devenski did ok until he gave up two in the eighth (3IP, 3H, 3R/ER, BB, K, HR allowed) and Jamaine turned a two-run deficit into a tie game (0.2IP, 2H, 2R/ER, BB, K, HR allowed).  Daniel Minor may have just won the easiest game of his career: 0.1IP.

Plate:  Rio Ruiz continued his recent good form: 3-4, BB, RBI, R.  It will be interesting to see where he is on baseball-wide prospect lists after the season.  Brandon Meredith had an eye-catching line: 0-3, 2BB, 3R).  Conrad Gregor was the walk off hero (2-5, 3RBI, R, 2B).  Roberto Pena had a good game: 2-3, BB, 2x2B, 2RBI, R.  Austin Elkins at second base had an interesting night (0-2, 2BB).  Overall, 10 hits and 7BB

Man of the Match:  Roberto Pena was the most impressive, with a good line from a catcher.  Rio Ruiz's last 10?? .300/.404/.425


Quad Cities (38-37)

Quad Cities just got smoked by a poor Clinton team (33-42).  Clinton scored early and often, and had a 12 run lead before Quad Cities even scored.  Final result: a 12-3 loss.

Rubber:  Michael Feliz got the start (3.1IP, 7H, 6R/ER. 2BB, 4K.  Chris Cotton gave up two unearned runs in 1.2 innings, and Andrew Walter gave up four in two innings.  Young stud prospect Anthony Bass struck out 2 in one perfect inning.  Hmmm, wonder whether he will make it to the Bigs this year???  I am hearing good things about him...

Plate:  Not much of anything here.  Tyler White had the best night: 2-3, BB, 2B, RBI.  Brian Holberton walked twice (0-2, 2BB, R).  Jon Kemmer managed a couple of singles at the bottom of the order (2-4).

Man of the Match:  Lets go with this Anthony Bass guy.  He sounds like he needs some encouragement, so we will reward him with a MoTM-y.


Tri City (8-6)

Tri City got shut out.  And that rarely results in a win.  Lowell (7-7) scored three runs, so that makes the shutout even less likely to result in a win.  Interestingly, both teams had five hits in a Tri-City loss, 0-3.

Rubber:  Troy Scribner got the start: 4IP, 4H, 2R/1ER, BB, 5K.  Kevin Ferguson, Jeffrey Gause and Jordan Mills relieved, with Gause giving up the third run on two innings pitched.

Plate:  Doubles to A.J. Reed, J.D. Davis (both 1-3, BB, 2B) and Ravel Santana (1-4, 2B).  Not much else.

Man of the Match:  Um, no one??  Sadly, we have to give the trophy to someone.  Ravel Santana not only had a double, but also an outfield assist, cutting down a runner at home.  Boom.  MoTM right there!!  I loves me outfield assists!


GCL Astros (4-2)

The GCL Astros rolled to a 3-1 win over the imaginatively named GCL Yankees2 (3-3) squad.  Wow.  Who thinks these things up?  Anywho, the GCL Astros opened the scoring with two in the bottom of the first, and they added an insurance run in the eighth.  The Yankees2 scored one in the ninth.  3-1 Astros win.

Rubber:  Kyle Wieland must have pieced together a raft from logs, toilet paper and old shoulder tendons or something, because he has escaped from Wieland Island.  Seriously, welcome back Kyle - from a freak tendon infection after a relatively minor operation.  He didn't last long: 1IP, H, K, but that may have been the plan.  Colton Cain relieved with 2 scoreless.  But the standout was the next guy - Elieser Hernandez: 5IP, 4K.

Plate:  Hector Roa and Kristian Trompiz were the standouts at the plate: both went 2-4, 2B.  The top three in the order all went 1-3, BB, R (Osvaldo Duarte, Edwin Medina and Dexture McCall respectively).  Little else happened.

Man of the Match:  I was impressed with Elieser Hernandez.  His season to this point??  9IP, 8K, 1H, 1BB.  Impressive start in the 2 appearances for the Venezuelian youngster who turns 20 in May next year.


Greeneville Astros (4-4)

Greeneville lost, after entering the bottom of the sixth with a two run lead.  Danville (5-3) took the lead with a three run frame, and they added another for insurance in a 4-2 Greeneville loss.

Rubber:  Devonte German got the start and worked around 5 base runners in five innings: 5IP, 2H, 0R/ER, 3BB, 5K.  Robert Kahana wore the loss (2IP, 4H, 3R/2ER, 3K) and Eric Peterson also allowed one run: 1IP, 3H, 1R/ER, K.

Plate:  Trent Woodward and Yonathan Mejia were the most impressive in the 4-5 spots of the lineup: 2-3, BB, 2B, R and 2-4, 3B, RBI respectively.  Sean McMullen hit a solo homer (1-4, HR, R, RBI).  Juan Santana and Jason Martin both went 1-4.

Man of the Match:  Devonte German had a solid start, and it all fell apart when he left, so MoTM-y for you!!

Make sure you read Cockroach's recap for the Braves game today - 'twas an excellent win, and it is great seeing Jarred Cosart pitch so well.  Thanks for reading, wish the Constable luck.  He probably is half way up on the second ascent by now.