Wednesday Morning Hot Links

*Here is an absolutely incredible story from The Athletic's Ken Rosenthal about the race to save 1B Coach Rich Dauer's life.

*Sean Pendergast ranked his five biggest Astros stories of the year.

*

🤷🏻‍♂️ https://t.co/PJ8xzPrCWT

— Justin Verlander (@JustinVerlander) December 26, 2017

*Reid Ryan is awfully busy and thanks you for going broke buying Astros gear:
As far as the merchandise and all of that, we've done really, really well. It's all just added more to the excitement for '18 and '19 than what we ended up netting off it in '17. For us, the World Series has taken us from a middle-of-the-pack club and now put us in one of those top 10 teams, and now the goal is going to be, 'Can we stay there?'

*2017 5th Round pick Nate Perry reflected on his rookie season.

*There are a whole bunch of unsigned free agents out there.

*Former Astros Great Jake Buchanan signed a minor-league deal with Arizona.

*The Fantastical Adventures of Fabulous Flournoy

Thursday Morning Link Dump

*At 21-13, FanGraphs has the Astros at 29.4% to win the division (+2.8%) and 44.8% to make the postseason.

*Brett Oberholtzer's return lasted all of three innings as his blister re-opened, and he's back on the DL (This opened right up for me, but a subscription may be required) A.J. Hinch:
His skin had built up a little toughness, almost like a callus on his finger where the blister was before, and had no problems leading up to his last inning and then it just popped off almost like clean.

Jake Buchanan is rumored to be on his way up to replace Oberholtzer.

*Richard Justice writes about game-changer George Springer.

*Ken Rosenthal does some light swearing in wondering why the Astros haven't called up Carlos Correa.
This is, or should be, a baseball decision, a decision between Correa and the Astros' current shortstops, Marwin Gonzalez and Jonathan Villar, a decision that could influence whether Houston steals the surprisingly mediocre AL West.

*Sports on Earth's Tim Healey says the Astros should trade Mark Appel, Domingo Santana, and Vincent Velasquez or Michael Feliz for Cole Hamels.

*Hank Conger now has a first baseman's mitt, just in case.

*Preston Tucker is looking forward to getting comfortable.

*The Fresno Bee has an article on Jon Singleton's big night.

*Here's an interesting piece on post-baseball Aubrey Huff

*Luke Scott has signed a minor-league contract with the Blue Jays

PreStros Morning Report: May 10

TL;DR

*Org goes 2-1 on the day; Cumulative 74-47 record
*Fresno got three unearned runs in the 2nd and held on for a 3-2 win over Tacoma. Jake Buchanan threw 7.2IP, 6H/2ER
*Corpus' rally fell short with the game-tying run on 3rd in a 6-5 loss to San Antonio despite Tesocar Hernandez's two solo homers.
*Lancaster wins a back-and-forth game on Jack Mayfield's walkoff over Lake Elsinore

Fresno (16-14)

Fresno got three runs in the bottom of the 2nd and then held on for a 3-2 win over Tacoma at Chukchansi Park, home of the best ballpark name in baseball. Just say it. Say it. Chukchansi. Chukchansi. That's fun stuff, right there. Chukchansi. Jake Buchanan threw 7.2IP, 6H/2ER, 1K:1BB; Tyson Perez got a four-out save, his second save as a Grizzly.

Six Fresnoes got hits: Nolan Fontana (2BB, 2RBI), L.J. Hoes (SB), Alex Presley, Domingo Santana (2B), Jon Singleton (2B, 2BB). Max Stassi was 0x4 with 3K.

Man of the Match: Going with Buchanan

Corpus (18-12)

After allowing a three-run San Antonio 1st inning, Corpus scrapped back with a run in the 6th, 7th, and 8th innings. Then San Antonio got three more in the bottom of the 8th. Corpus answered with two runs in the top of the 8th to bring the game to 6-5 San Antonio, but Teoscar Hernandez popped up to the catcher with runners on 1st and 3rd to end the game with a 6-5 loss. Josh Hader allowed 5H/3R (1ER), 4K:1BB in 6IP with two pickoffs; Travis Ballew threw a scoreless 7th; Daniel Minor allowed 2H/3ER, 1K:2BB in 0.2IP, and Juan Minaya allowed two of Minor's charged runs with a hit in 0.1IP.

Conrad Gregor was 3x4 with two doubles and an RBI; Teoscar Hernandez was 2x4 with two solo homers, Jon Kemmer was 1x4 with 2RBI; Carlos Correa was 1x4 with a triple.

Man of the Match: Teoscar Hernandez. He was hitting .110 on May 3, but has hits in six of his last seven games, and five hits in his last nine ABs.

Lancaster (16-15)

Wild one in Lancaster, as usual. Lancaster had a 5-1 lead after two innings cut to 5-4 after three. Then a 6-3 Lancaster lead was a 7-6 Lake Elsinore lead by the end of the 7th. Lancaster tied it up in the 8th, but Lake Elsinore took an 8-7 lead in the top of the 9th. Consecutive singles by The Initials (J.D. Davis and A.J. Reed) had runners on 1st and 2nd, pinch-hitter Ronnie Mitchell doubled to score Davis to tie the game, and one batter later Jack Mayfield singled to left for the 9-8 walkoff win. Troy Scribner threw 4.1IP, 6H/4R (3ER), 5K:3BB; Albert Minnis got out of the 5th; Evan Grills allowed 6H/4ER, 4K:1BB in 3IP, and Tyler Brunnemann got the win by retiring the three batters he faced in the 9th - 0H/0ER, 1K:0BB.

J.D. Davis (2B, HR, RBI) and Jack Mayfield (SB, 2RBI) were each 4x5; Danry Vasquez (3B, 2RBI) and Alfredo Gonzalez (2B, RBI) had two hits each. A.J. Reed was 1x3 with 2BB, and James Ramsay was 1x3 with an RBI. After hitting .208/.356/.417 in April, Reed is hitting .378/.455/.892 in May.

Man of the Match: J.D. Davis and Jack Mayfield

Quad Cities (24-6)

I've never seen a league-wide day off on a Sunday, but that's exactly what the Midwest League had rolling today.

PreStros Morning Report: April 9

Last night was Opening Night for the minor-leagues! And since, over the last few years, that has been the source of our baseball joy, we'll be posting short-ish recaps of those games on a mostly-regular basis...

TL;DR

*Organizational Sweep! Astros affiliates go 4-0 on Opening Night.

*Jake Buchanan threw 4IP, 2H/1ER in a 2-1 Fresno win.

*Brandon Meredith hit a 3-run homer and Tony Kemp went 4x5 with a walk in a 9-4 Corpus win.

*Danry Vasquez blooped a walk-off in a 3-2 win over San Jose

*Kevin Comer threw 4IP, 0H/0ER, 2K:0BB in a 9-4 win at Peoria

Fresno (1-0)

Strong outings by Brad Peacock and Jake Buchanan and consecutive one-run innings gave the defending PCL Champion Oklahoma City RedHawks Fresno Grizzlies a 2-1 Opening Night win. Brad Peacock threw 4.2IP of no-hit ball, but with 2K:5BB; Jordan Jankowski struck out the final batter of the 5th, and Jake Buchanan threw 4IP, 2H/1ER, 1K:0BB to get the win.

Jon Singleton was 2x3, while Matt Dominguez (2B) and Matt Duffy were each 1x4 with an RBI; Nolan Fontana was 0x2 with 2BB and a run scored, and Domingo Santana stole his first base of the season. 

Man of the Match: Jake Buchanan.

Corpus (1-0)

Down 2-0 after one inning, Brandon Meredith hit a two-out three-run homer in the 4th and the Hooks never gave up the lead in a 9-4 beating at Springfield. Kent Emanuel got the Opening Night start and gave up 7H/3ER, 1K:2BB in 3.2IP; Mitch Lambson allowed just 1H/0ER in 2.1IP, and Angel Baez got the save with 3IP, 3H/1ER, 2K:1BB.

Tony Kemp had himself a night, going 4x5 with a walk and 2RBI; Conrad Gregor was 3x5 with an RBI; Telvin Nash (2B, RBI), Tyler Heineman (2B, BB), and Teoscar Hernandez (2B, Outfield Assist) had two hits each. Supastar Carlos Correa was 1x4 with a double, walk, and 2RBI. 

Man of the Match: Tony Kemp

Lancaster (1-0)

The defending Cal League champion Lancaster JetHawks opened 2015 with a walkoff 3-2 win over San Jose courtesy of Danry Vasquez. Brian Holmes threw 3.1IP, 6H/2ER, with 6K:1BB and an HBP; Tyler Brunnemann threw 1.2IP, 1H/0ER, 1K:0BB, and Edison Frias got the win with 4IP, 2H/0ER, 4K:0BB. 

Brett Phillips (3B, RBI) and Chase McDonald (two 2B) had two hits each; Chan Moon provided another RBI, and Danry Vasquez blooped a single to left to score James Ramsay (1x2, 2R, BB) for the winning run. 

Man of the Match: Edison Frias

Quad Cities (1-0)

The River Bandits were down 3-1 at the end of three and then scored the next six runs in a 7-3 win at Peoria. Chris Lee threw 4IP, 3H/3ER, 1K:3BB; Kevin Comer threw 4IP, facing 13 batters in an impressive 0H/0ER, 2K:0BB outing and the win; Ryan Thompson closed the 9th allowing just a hit.

Jamie Ritchie was 2x4 with a double, walk, and an RBI; Sean McMullen was 1x3 with a 2-run homer and 3RBI overall; Derek Fisher was 1x2 with 3BB; Jacob Nottingham was 0x2 with 2BB and an RBI.

Man of the Match: Kevin Comer

Eight More Depart for Minor League Camp

The Astros have cut eight more from their Spring Training squad, reassigning Carlos Correa, Darin Downs, Tyler Heineman, James Hoyt and Gregorio Petit while optioning Jake Buchanan, Matt Dominguez and Max Stassi.

Downs, Hoyt, Heineman and Petit will all remain with the team for the exhibition part of Spring Training

The Astros now have 32 players in camp.  Their last cut reduced them to 41 players, then Dan Johnson departed via trade to reduce that to 40.

These cuts clear up a couple of position battles that were becoming kind of obvious anyhow.  Firstly, at catcher, Castro and Conger will split the catching duties (with Gattis available only for emergencies given he has yet to appear behind the plate in the Spring Training game).  No surprise there, although Stassi could encourage the Astros to make a trade with a strong year at Fresno.  Stassi logged 19 plate appearances, walking three times and striking out twice.  He managed 6 hits, including 2 doubles and a home run.  If he needed a good offensive season, this was a reasonable start - small sample size be damned.

Secondly, Valbuena looks poised to assume the third base duties, which has been becoming increasingly obvious for a while as well.  Valbuena has the huge advantage of swinging from the left side of the dish, which helps address the Astros' struggles against right-handed pitching last year.  Additionally, Dominguez had a horror 2014 which resulted in a WAR well into negative figures.  He looked lost at the plate at times last year, swinging a pitches out of the strike zone as well as having contact issues with pitches inside the strike zone.

In Spring Training this year, Matty D had 38 plate appearances, walking twice, striking out 5 times, and hitting 9 singles.  His triple-slash of .250/.282/.250 looks similar to the 2014 regular season, except for the total lack of power.  So Valbuena gets the third base job to start the season, and Dominguez appears ticketed for the minors.  The real question is whether Dominguez can hold his 40-man roster spot - especially if Joe Thatcher and/or Roberto Hernandez make the 25-man roster.  My pick is that he does hold his roster spot until at least mid-season-ish.

Correa and Heineman had no real chance of making the team by virtue of their relatively junior status.  I was watching when Correa effortlessly drove a curveball that he was out on front of over the LF fence against the Phillies the other day.  Correa had 43 plate appearances, walked twice and struck out 10 times, and had 14 hits, of which 1 was a double and two were home runs.  I am looking forward to watching him everyday in the majors, perhaps as soon as later this year.

Heineman was unsurprisingly used sparingly in Spring Traning - if he is the catcher of the future, then he is a wee way away, after all.  He had 7 plate appearances, and recorded a double against no strikeouts and no walks.  His focus was not really on his hitting this Spring - he was more in camp to learn how to work with the pitching staff and get tips from the older guys.

Hoyt, Buchanan and Downs had an opportunity to add their names to a crowded 'pen situation, but all represent easy cuts for the Astros to make.

James Hoyt has not yet made the the majors, so the chances were that he was always going to be cut prior to the roster being set.  He equipped himself well, pitching 8.1 innings in 7 games, allowing 8 baserunners (3 hits and 5 walks) while striking out 11.

Jake Buchanan was also an easy cut because he seems - and always seemed - destined to be shuttling between the majors and minors this season.  He also threw 8.1 innings pitched, but gave up 7R / 5ER on 12 hits and 3 walks against 4 strikeouts.  He was doing well until he had one bad outing, I seem to remember, but he has marginal stuff and needs to locate his pitches to be effective.

Darin Downs was on the outside-looking-in from early in spring training, thanks to the offseason additions of Thatcher (in the LOOGY role) and the various other additions like Straily and Hernandez in the starting role.  He struggled in a small sample: 4.2IP, 11 hits and 4 walks, 7 runs / earned runs, and 3 strikeouts.  Downs can pitch better than that, and will have an opportunity to work it all out at Fresno.

Finally, Gregorio Petit lost out on a battle for a utility job thanks to the combined efforts of Marwin Gonzalez - who has been a solid bench guy for the Astros for a couple of seasons - and Jonathan Villar - whose demise has been greatly exaggerated.

Petit managed 27 plate appearances, recorded 8 hits, walked 3 times, and struck out five.  He hit two doubles.  Petit did his stock no harm at all, and will be a very useful AAA depth-piece for the Astros going forward.

The next cut will be the big one, and will probably occur shortly.  At least this year, the Astros have actual competition, and actual options.

Stay posted.

Luhnow on the radio

So Jeff Luhnow was on the radio today, and here's what we have learned:

*Carlos Correa will obviously go on the DL, and will come to Houston to have his ankle examined. You can read more about Correa's injury at McTaggart's blog post. Correa will likely play in the Arizona Fall League to make up for the time that he loses.

*Jake Buchanan could transition to the bullpen, because when Foltynewicz ultimately comes up the Astros want him to stay in the rotation.

Jake Buchanan to make spot start

Jake Buchanan will start for the Astros against the Rays, at the Trop, in place of Brad Peacock.  As you may be aware, a number of the Astros have had some kind of gastrointestinal bug, and Peacock was the latest casualty.  He apparently spent some time in hospital on a drip.

Regardless, he has not recovered in time, and will give up his start to Jake Buchanan.  The Astros may also take the opportunity to knock everyone back a day, as Peacock could potentially go as early as Sunday, according to Bo Porter.  To make room, (Not Roger)'s name seems to have appeared back on the RedHawks roster, so I am guessing that Clemens has been sent down.

Buchanan is a short-ish (6-0) husky (235lb) 24 year old from Charlotte, North Carolina.  At Oklahoma City this year, he has gone 6-4, 3.54 ERA (3.93 FIP) in 76.1 innings pitched.  He has walked 10, versus 44 strikeouts, and given up six home runs.  I understand that he excels at keeping the ball on the ground, which is fantastic until you play with Villar and Dominguez behind you (I kid, I kid...)

Notably, Buchanan has pitched exactly the same number of AAA innings in 2014 that he pitched in 2013.  He has improved on all his peripherals (except strikeouts) and has an ERA around 0.4 of a run lower, but an FIP 0.3 of a run higher.

I will certainly be watching with interest.  The Astros need to find out what some of these cats can do.

Addit:  This morning, news broke that room on the 40-man was made by putting Jose Cisnero on the 60-day.  Clemens is back in OKC.

PreStros Morning Report: June 8

TL;DR

*Affiliates go 3-2 on the day for a composite 139-114 record
*OKC wins 4-3 at Omaha behind Jake Buchanan's strong start and Matt Duffy's two-run homer
*Corpus turns a 5-1 lead into a 6-5 loss to San Antonio
*Lancaster battles back, but loses to Visalia in extra innings
*Quad Cities wins both sides of a double-header

Oklahoma City (34-30)

OKC never trailed at Omaha, winning 4-3 to keep pace with the Iowa Cubs for the division lead. Jake Buchanan allowed 9H/3ER, 2K:0BB with a WP/HBP combo in seven efficient IP (80 pitches, 57 for strikes). Alex White gave up 2H/0ER, 1K:0BB in 1IP and Josh Zeid had 1K:1BB in 1IP.

Ronny Torreyes, Max Stassi (2B), and Joe Sclafani (RBI) had two hits each. Enrique Hernandez had a hit, a walk, stolen base, and two outfield assists. Matt Duffy hit his first Triple-A homer while Domingo Santana added an RBI.

Man of the Match: Jake Buchanan

Corpus (31-31)

The Hooks had a 5-1 lead heading into the 6th, which became a 5-3 lead heading into the 7th, which turned into a 6-5 loss to San Antonio by the end of the 9th. Tommy Shirley allowed 6H/4ER, 6K:0BB in 6IP and Richard Rodriguez gave up 4H/2ER, 2K:0BB in 3IP for the BS/L.

Carlos Perdomo was 3x4 with a walk and an RBI; Ruben Sosa was 2x5 with three stolen bases and an RBI; Nolan Fontana was 0x2 with 3BB and a stolen base; Jonathan Meyer was 1x2 with an RBI and 2BB. Preston Tucker was 1x5 with a double and 2RBI; Jio Mier was 1x4 with a double and a stolen base. Andrew Aplin had a walk and a stolen base.

Man of the Match: Carlos Perdomo

Lancaster (41-24)

Lancaster had an early 3-0 lead, but gave it back in the bottom of the 2nd, clawed their way back to tie it at 5-5, but Visalia put together a few hits in the bottom of the 10th for a walk-off 6-5 win over Lancaster. Lance McCullers allowed 10H/5R (4ER), 4K:1BB; Kent Emanuel gave up 5H/0ER, 3K:1BB in 4IP; Juan Minaya allowed 4H/1ER, 2K:1BB in 1.2IP and Mitchell Lambson allowed the walk-off hit.

Carlos Correa was 3x5 with a double, walk, a stolen base (his 20th) and an RBI and should really just be in Corpus in time for the June 10th game at Minute Maid Park. Teoscar Hernandez was 2x5 with a double, walk, and an RBI; Jobduan Morales was 2x3 with a double, two walks, and 2RBI. Tanner Mathis was 1x3 with two walks in his Lancaster debut. Rio Ruiz and Jordan Scott added a double and a walk.

Man of the Match: Carlos Correa

Quad Cities (33-29)

Since Saturday's game was postponed due to rain, Quad Cities and Peoria played a double-header on Sunday.

Game 1: Quad Cities got two in the bottom of the 6th for a 3-1 win. Kevin Comer allowed 2H/0ER, 3K:4BB in 3.1IP; Andrew Walter allowed 1H/1ER, 2K:0BB in 2.2IP; and Frederick Tiburcio got the save with a perfect 7th inning. The River Bandits got their three runs on three hits and seven walks. Thomas Lindauer was 1x3 with a two-run double. James Ramsay and Tyler White (RBI) had a double and a walk.

Man of the Match: Thomas Lindauer

Game 2: A big 3-run 6th inning pushed Quad Cities past Peoria for the sweep in a 4-2 win. Andrew Thurman allowed 4H/2ER, 2K:1BB in 6IP; Tyler Brunnemann threw a perfect 7th inning for the save. Jon Kemmer (3B) and Jose Fernandez (3RBI) had two hits each.

Man of the Match: Andrew Thurman

PreStros Morning Report: May 13

TL;DR

*Organization goes 2-2 on the day; Composite 82-72 record.
*OKC gets a solo homer from Domingo Santana for a 1-0 win over Colorado Springs in a game with six total hits that finished in under two hours.
*Luis Cruz lasted just 0.1IP as San Antonio beats Corpus, 7-4.
*Three JetHawks pitchers combine for a no-hitter against Bakersfield in a 1-0 win.
*Quad Cities gets down early and can't recover in a 10-4 loss. .

Oklahoma City (22-18)

Leather: Jake Buchanan threw 7.2IP, allowing 2H/0ER, 4K:2BB, and recording 14 groundball outs. Jason Stoffel allowed a hit in 0.1IP and Josh Fields struck out the side in the 9th to record his first save for the RedHawks.

Wood: The RedHawks only got three hits themselves, including Domingo Santana's blast (and a walk for Santana). Adron Chambers and Enrique Hernandez had your other hits.

Man of the Match: Jake Buchanan.

Corpus (19-19)

San Antonio scored five first-inning runs in a 7-4 win over Corpus.

Leather: Luis Cruz lasted just 0.1IP, giving up 2H/5ER, 0K:3BB. Andrew Robinson threw 3.2IP, 3H/0ER, 3K:0BB; Alex Sogard allowed 3H/2ER in 2IP, and Michael Dimock struck out three in 2IP.

Wood: Rene Garcia was 3x4 with two doubles; Matt Duffy (2B, RBI) and Joe Sclafani (RBI) had two hits each. Nolan Fontana was 0x1 with 2BB; Telvin Nash hit his 3rd homer of the season, and Andrew Aplin added a double.

Man of the Match: Rene Garcia

Lancaster (23-16)

Lancaster scored a run in the bottom of the 2nd, which would be all they needed as Josh Hader, J.D. Osborne, and Daniel Minor held Bakersfield hitless.

Leather: Hader threw 6IP, striking out six and walking four; Osborne threw 2IP, striking out one and walking one; and Daniel Minor struck out two in 1IP.

Wood: Jordan Scott had the RBI that scored Danry Vasquez for the lone JetHawks run; Dan Gulbransen had a double and a walk. Rio Ruiz added a single.

Man of the Match: Gotta go with Hader, Osborne, and Minor.

Quad Cities (18-19)

Wisconsin jumped out to a 6-0 lead by the time Quad Cities got on the board. The RiverBandits cut it to 6-4, but Wisconsin answered with two in the 6th and two more in the 8th.

Leather: Edison Frias gave up 8H/6ER, 3K:0BB in 4IP; Zach Morton allowed 3H/2ER, 3K:1BB in 2IP, and Andrew Walter allowed 1H/2R (1ER), 2K:1BB in 2IP.

Wood: The RiverBandits were 1x10 w/RISP, and everybody in the lineup had at least one hit. Tanner Mathis was 2x4 with a triple; Tyler White was 1x4 with a two-run homer. Brett Booth added a double. Ronnie Mitchell had a single and a stolen base.

Man of the Match: How about Tyler White?

PreStros Morning Report: July 25

Oklahoma City (56-50), 3.0 GB

In a nice pitchers' duel, OKC fell 2-1 to Omaha in 12 innings. Jake Buchanan threw 8 IP and gave up 8H/1R with 4K:1BB. Kevin Chapman turned in a scoreless 2 IP with 1H and 2K:1BB. Jason Stoffel took the loss with 2.2 IP, allowing 1H/1R with 1K:5BB.

Robbie Grossman was 2x4 with 1 BB. Jimmie Paredes went 1x5 with a solo HR. Ruben Sosa was 2x4

Man of the Match: Jake Buchanan

Corpus (18-15), 1.5 GB

David Martinez turned in a complete game was the Hooks beat Midland 5-1. In 9 IP, Martinez gave up 9H/1R with 8K:1BB. He's now 12-2 with a 1.98 ERA.

Drew Muren was 1x3 with 1 2B, 2 R, 2 BB, and 1 SB. Domingo Santana went 2x5 with 1 SB. Zach Johnson was 2x3 with 1 BB and 1 R. Jio Mier was 2x3 with 1 2B and 1 R.

Man of the Match: David Martinez

Lancaster (22-13), 2.5 up

The JetHawks battled back but came up just short in their 4-3 loss to San Jose. Aaron West went 6 IP and gave up 6H/3R with 5K:1BB. Tyson Perez took the final 3 IP and allowed 3H/1R with 4 K.

Andrew Aplin went 2x4 with 1 2B and 1 RBI.

Man of the Match: Tyson Perez, for keeping Lancaster in the game.

Quad Cities (17-14), 3.5 GB

QC pitchers walked 7 batters as they lost to Burlington 5-2. Mark Appel threw 2 IP, allowing 1H/1R with 4K:4BB. Daniel Minor went 2.2 IP and gave up 5H/2R with 3K:2BB. Mitchell Lambson threw 3.1 IP and gave up 2H/2R with 3K:1BB.

Carlos Correa was 2x4 with 1 2B and 1 SB. Brian Blasik was 1x4 with 1 2B and 2 RBI.

Man of the Match: Carlos Correa

Tri-City (26-12) 5.0 up

The ValleyCats pitchers combined for a 2 hit shutout, beating Hudson Valley 1-0. Zach Morton went 5 IP, allowing 1 H with 3K:1BB. Albert Minnis threw 1 IP with 1 H. Randall Fant pitched 3 innings with 3 K.

James Ramsay was 2x4. Jon Kemmer went 1x3 with a solo HR.

Man of the Match: Morton/Fant/Kemmer

Greeneville (23-10), 4.0 up

Greeneville won their 13th straight, beating Johnson City 3-2. Frederick Tiburcio went 6 IP and allowed 2H/2R (1 ER) with 4K:5BB. Raul Rivera threw 3 IP allowing 2 H with 2 K. 

Tanner Mathis was 3x4 with 1 SB and 1 R. Chase McDonald was 1x3 with 2 RBI. Tyler White was 2x4. 

Man of the Match: Raul Rivera

GCL Astros (14-14), 3.5 GB

PPD

DSL Astros (24-20) 6.5 GB

It took 19 innings, but the Red Sox beat the Astros 7-5. Harold Arauz threw 5 IP and allowed 3H/2R (0 ER) with 6 K. Junior Garcia went 3 IP, allowing 1 H with 2K:1BB. Angel Heredia pitched 5 IP, allowing 2 H with 5 K. Yonquelys Martinez took the last 6 IP, giving up 4H/5R (1 ER) with 4K:1BB. In 19 innings, Astros pitchers only allowed 1 earned run and lost, thanks to 8 errors committed by the defense, including 3 by the catchers.

Luis Payano was 2x8 with 1 RBI. Randy Cesar went 2x7 with 1 BB, 1 3B, 1 R, and 2 errors. Hector Roa was 2x6 with 1 R. Jarico Reynoso went 2x7 with 1 BB, 1 3B, 1 R, and 2 RBI.

Man of the Match: The sporting goods manufacturer that replaced the defense's gloves with ping-pong paddles.

PreStros Morning Report: July 5

Oklahoma City (47-41), 2.5 GB

Despite out-hitting New Orleans, the RedHawks were shut-out yesterday, 4-0. Jake Buchanan threw 6 IP and gave up 5H/3R with 9 K. Philip Humber went 1 IP, allowing 2H/1R with 1 K. Kevin Chapman turned in a scoreless 1 IP with 1 K.

Brandon Laird was 2x4. Jose Martinez went 2x4 with 1 2B. George Springer was 1x3 with 1 BB. Jon Singleton went 0x4 with 3 K.

Man of the Match: Jake Buchanan, perhaps?

Corpus (6-9), 3.0 GB

CC jumped out to a 7-0 lead and held off a ninth inning rally to win 10-8. Folty turned in 5 IP, giving up 3H/2R with 7K:5BB. Carlos Quevedo threw 1.1 IP and allowed 3H/1R with 1 BB. Kyle Hallock pitched 2.1 innings and gave up 3H/5R with 3K:4BB. Andrew Robinson slammed the door in .1 IP to preserve the win.

Ronald Torreyes was 2x5 with 1 2B and 1 R. Max Stassi was 2x5 with 1 R. Domingo Santana went 1x2 with 2 BB, 1 2B, and 2 R. Jonathan Meyer was 2x4 with 1 HR, 3 R, and 3 RBI. Enrique Hernandez was 0x3 with 1 BB, 1 R, and 2 RBI. Raoul Torrez was 1x4 with 1 2B and 3 RBI. Zach Johnson went 2x3 with 1 2B, 1 BB, and 2 RBI.

Man of the Match: Jonathan Meyer

Lancaster (13-3), 3.0 up

The JetHawks tied the game against Inland Empire in the ninth and won it in the eleventh, 7-6. Thomas Shirley threw 5.2 IP, giving up 5H/2R with 4K:3BB. Michael Dimock pitched .1 IP and gave up 3H/2R with 1 K. Jonas Dufek went 2 IP, allowing 2H/2R with 1 K. Theron Geith went 2 scoreless IP, allowing 1 H and 1 BB with 2 K. Travis Ballew finished up with 1 scoreless IP. 

Andrew Aplin went 2x3 with 2 BB, 1 2B, and 1 R. MP Cokinos was 2x5 with 1 2B, 2 R, and 1 RBI. Matt Duffy went 2x5 with a 2R HR. Brandon Meredith was 1x4 with 1 HR and 2 RBI.  Chris Epps was 2x5 with 1 SB and the game-winning solo HR.

Man of the Match: Chris Epps

Quad Cities (10-5), 2.0 GB

QC and Kane County battled back and forth all game before the River Bandits eventually fell 8-7. Jordan Jankowski threw 7 IP and allowed 6H/3R with 2K:1BB. Juri Perez threw .1 IP and gave up 1H/3R with 2 BB. John Neely went .2 IP, giving up 2H/2R with 1K:1BB.

Teoscar Hernandez led off the game with a HR, but it would be his only hit. Carlos Correa was 1x3 with 2 BB, 1 2B, 2 R, and 1 RBI. Jesse Wierzbicki was 1x4 with 2 R. Roberto Pena went 4x5 with 1 R and 3 RBI. Jobduan Morales went 2x4 with 1 2B and 2 RBI

Man of the Match: Roberto Pena

Tri-City (13-6) 2.0 up

The ValleyCats pulled out the victory against Lowell, 5-4 in 10 innings.. Mark Appel made his professional debut, throwing 2 IP and allowing 3H/2R (1 ER) with 1 K. Tanner Bushue went 2.1 IP and gave up 4H/2R with 2 BB. Adrian Houser threw 2.2 IP, allowing 4H/0R with 2K:1BB. Richard Rodriguez gave 1.1 scoreless IP with 3K:1BB. Patrick Christensen pitched the final 1.2 scoreless innings with 1 K.

Tony Kemp went 1x4 with 1 BB, 2 SB, 1 2B, and 2 R. Conrad Gregor was 3x5 with 1 2B and 2 RBI.

Man of the Match: Tony Kemp

Greeneville (8-6), 3.0 GB

The Astros lost 4-1 to Bristol. Jandel Gustave went 4 IP, allowing 2H/1R with 6K:3BB. Austin Chrismon threw 1 scoreless IP. Christian Garcia earned the loss in 1.1 IP, giving up 1H/3R with 2K:2BB. Gerardo Rodriguez took the final 2.2 IP, giving up 2 H with 3 K.

Darwin Rivera was 2x5. Bobby Borchering was 1x2 with 2 BB and 1 R. 

Man of the Match: Jandel Gustave

GCL Astros (7-3), 0.0 up

Suspended

DSL Astros (16-11) 3.5 GB

Suspended

Promotions A'plenty

Okay. First things first:

George Springer and Jake Buchanan have been promoted from Corpus to OKC. And I think we all know why. Also, Brady Rodgers was called up to Oklahoma City from Lancaster to make a spot start.

Springer is hitting .297/.399/.579 with 96 strikeouts and 42 walks in 273 ABs. He has 19 home runs and 23 stolen bases. His .297 average is 6th in the Texas League. The .399 OBP is 4th, and the .579 is #1. His .978 OPS is 2nd in the League behind some A's freak of nature hitting .358/.461/.558. The 19 homers are tied for the League-lead. While I'm sure you're worried about the strikeouts, the 42 walks are 4th-highest in the League.

Buchanan is 7-2 with a 2.09 ERA/0.93 WHIP in 82IP. He has allowed 67H/19ER, 44K:9BB. Buchanan's ERA leads the Texas League (he's actually tied with teammate David Martinez, who is 10-1 with a 2.09 ERA and the exact same 0.93 WHIP as Buchanan), as does his (and Martinez's WHIP). His nine walks are the lowest among anyone who has pitched at least 50IP. Springfield's Tim Cooney has eight walks in 45.2IP.

Now, here's where we need to take a little breather: The RedHawks have three double-headers this week, counting today's against Omaha. There's another double-header Tuesday against Omaha - both are make-ups from rainouts at the end of May. There's an off-day Wednesday, and then a double-header at Nashville on Friday. Corpus is off today, and then there's the All-Star Game on Tuesday, but both Springer and Buchanan will participate.

Of course OKC has an extra OF spot available, what with the delightfully unexpected trade of Fernando Martinez. Things are moving along, friends.

PreStros Morning Report: June 20

Oklahoma City (38-33), 2.0 GB

OKC never trailed in this game, and behind a strong start from Jarred Cosart, defeat New Orleans 4-1. Cosart threw 6IP, 4H/0ER, 8K:0BB (67 of 104 pitches for strikes) to move to 7-3 on the year with a 3.09 ERA. Rhiner Cruz walked a batter, Alex Sogard allowed the lone run, and Josh Zeid struck out the side in the 9th for his 5th save.

Brett Wallace was 4x5 with two doubles and two runs scored. Brandon Laird and Carlos Perez (2RBI) had two hits each; Che-Hsuan Lin was 1x4 with 2RBI. Robbie Grossman was 0x2 with two walks.

Man of the Match: Jarred Cosart

Corpus (1-2), 1GB (43-30 overall)

Frisco got two runs in the 1st inning, which was all they needed in a 2-0 win over Corpus in which both teams combined for seven hits. Jake Buchanan threw 5IP, 4H/2ER, 1K:1BB in a nice bounce-back start; Carlos Quevedo (2IP) and Sergio Escalona (1IP) held Frisco hitless over the final three innings.

Erik Castro was 2x3, and was caught stealing second base both times he was on base. Raoul Torrez had your other Hooks hit.

Man of the Match: Jake Buchanan

Lancaster (1-0), tied, (40-31 overall)

That was a beat-down. The JetHawks opened the 2nd half of the season by scoring the first 11 runs of the game in an 11-3 win over Rancho Cucamonga. David Rollins was dealing, allowing 1H/0ER, 9K:2BB in 5IP; Tyson Perez allowed 5H/3ER, 5K:1BB in the final 4IP.

MP Cokinos hit his 6th homer in a 2x3, BB night. Tyler Heineman and Chris Epps hit a 2-run homer each, while Telvin Nash (2RBI), Joe Sclafani (RBI) had a hit and a walk each.

Man of the Match: Jeez. How about David Rollins?

Quad Cities (1-0), tied, (39-31 overall)

Quad Cities only trailed for a half-inning on their way to a 5-3 win over Kane County. Juan Minaya threw 4IP, 6H/2ER, 4K:3BB; Richard Rodriguez gave up a hit in 1IP; Vincent Velasquez got the win with 3IP, 5H/1ER, 3K:0BB and John Neely gave up 2H/0ER, 1K:0BB in the 9th.

Rio Ruiz announced his second half presence with authority with a 3x4, two-double, 2RBI night; Teoscar Hernandez drew a walk, hit a sac fly, and got a double. Jesse Wierzbicki was 1x4 with an RBI and Roberto Pena was 1x2 with two walks.

Man of the Match: Rio Ruiz

Tri-City (4-0), 1.5 up

I told you Tri-City wouldn't lose a game this season. So far I'm right. Down 5-0 heading into the 8th, the ValleyCats got three in the 8th, two in the 9th, and three in the 11th for an 8-5 comeback win at Lowell. Edison Frias allowed 6H/2ER, 2K:1BB in 4IP; new Astro/ValleyCat Charles Basford (acquired in the Fernando Martinez trade) allowed 3H/3R (1ER), 1K:1BB; Kyle Westwood threw 3.1IP, allowing 0H/0ER, 2K:1BB; Albert Minnis moved to 2-0 with one hit in two scoreless innings and Chia-Jen Lo struck out the side for his 2nd save of the year.

Tony Kemp (BB), Conrad Gregor (3RBI) and Jose Fernandez had two hits each; Michael Martinez was 1x3 with a double, RBI, and a walk; D'Andre Toney had an RBI sac fly in the 9th and Ryan Dineen was 1x3 with two walks and three runs scored.

Man of the Match: Conrad Gregor

Greeneville Astros (0-1)

The Gastros opened their season by getting shutout by Toronto affiliate Bluefield, 5-0. Enderson Franco allowed 6H/2ER, 4K:1BB in 5IP; Frederick Tiburcio and Jordan Mills each walked a batter in 1IP and Gerardo Ramirez allowed 3H/3ER, 1K:1BB in the 8th.

Marc Wik (2B) and Wallace Gonzalez had two hits each; Darwin Rivera, Juan Santana and Tanner Mathis provided your other hits. Bobby Borchering, who ended 2012 in Corpus and somehow finds himself in Greeneville, was 0x4 with 2K.

Man of the Match: Enderson Franco.

Six Hooks make Texas League All-Star team

So six Hooks players made the Texas League All-Star team:

Rene Garcia and George Springer will start, with Domingo Santana in reserve; pitchers Jake Buchanan, David Martinez and Mike Foltynewicz will, um, pitch.

A few days ago it was announced that four JetHawks players made the California League All-Star team:  Preston Tucker, Andrew Aplin, and Matt Duffy representing the position players, and Brady Rodgers as the lone JetHawks pitcher to make the team.

Minor-League Employees of the Month: May 2013

It's that time of the month for us here at Astros County. Time to announce the PreStros Employees of the Month for May 2013. Winners get to park up front and 10% off in the team store.

Oklahoma City

Pitcher: Jarred Cosart. 2-2 in May with a 2.67 ERA/1.44 WHIP (which is skewed thanks to a seven-walk performance on May 28), struck out 28 batters in 27IP.

Hitter: Brett Wallace. Yeah, he had 28 strikeouts in 28 games for OKC in May, but he also hit .324/.403/.571 with six home runs and 26RBI.

Corpus Christi

Pitcher: Jake Buchanan. It's not even close. Buchanan didn't allow an earned run in the month of May. In 27.2IP, he allowed 16H/0ER, 19K:2BB.

Hitter: George Springer. For the second straight month, Springer posted an OPS over 1.000, this time hitting .303/.415/.596 with eight home runs and 21 RBI.

Lancaster

Pitcher: Brady Rodgers. In 29.2IP, Rodgers allowed 24H/9ER, 22K:7BB and holding opponents to a .222 average. In his final four starts of the month, he threw 17IP, allowing 12H/4ER, with 14K:4BB.

Hitter: Chris Epps. In 20 games for Lancaster in May, Epps hit .361/.447/.667. He had 26 hits - 15 of which were for extra-bases (10 doubles, three triples, two homers), with 23K:12BB and was 5x6 on stolen bases.

Quad Cities

Pitcher: Lance McCullers. McCullers got his first professional win on May 28, completing a month in which he allowed 16H/5ER, with 26K:14BB in 24IP.

Hitter: Carlos Correa. After hitting .221/.384/.397 in April, Correa turned it on with a .349/.423/.442 line in May, with just 12 strikeouts and 11 walks.

Jake Buchanan is Dealing

In case you're not paying attention to anything we've been saying, Jake Buchanan is The Troof. How? Let's look back at the progression of Buchanan's career thus far:

Selected out of NC State in the 8th Round of the 2010 draft, 243rd overall. For the Wolfpack in 2010, Buchanan was 8-5, throwing 105IP, 112H/45ER, 95K:27BB with two complete games.

NC State assistant coach Tom Holliday said:
Jake can pitch for anybody in the country. If I had one word to describe Jake Buchanan, he's a pitcher. I wish I had 12 others, and some kids are on the way to that. He kind of sets the bar high for our pitching staff.

Buchanan, the day after he signed with the Astros:
I see players already in the big leagues, like Buster Posey and Gordon Beckham that I've pitched against just a year or two ago. It makes me think I could be there soon.

He began his pro career with Tri-City and went 4-5 with a 4.28 ERA/1.31 WHIP (3.30 FIP), striking out 6.2 batters per nine innings, walking 1.62 per nine. He skipped Lexington and went straight to Lancaster in 2011.

Buchanan went 5-10, though with a 3.91 ERA (3.51 FIP) - impressive for the Cal League - mainly by inducing ground balls in a league where fly balls can whip you. His 3.91 ERA was 5th among Cal League pitchers who threw 150+IP (perhaps you've heard of Oakland's Dan Straily? His ERA was 3.87)...and did it at 21 years old. How did he find success? By adding a cutter:

I've been using a cutter more than before. It's really helped me. The more success I've had with it, the more I've used it. 

His 2011 success earned him a California League All-Star nod as well as the Organizational Pitcher of the Year award from the Astros.

In 2012, Buchanan started the season at Double-A Corpus, where he went 5-9 with a 4.96 ERA/1.52 WHIP, suffering from a .346 BABIP. (Of course, Baseball-Reference's minor-league splits pages aren't working, or we could get a better sense of the issue. So, this can be updated.) We do know, however, that Buchanan's FIP in 2012 was a much more manageable 3.90 - indicating that there was a decent about of bad luck in play, as well.

Fast forward to 2013.

Here are his gamelogs:
G1: 3IP, 3H/0ER, 0K:0BB
G2: 5IP, 3H/2ER, 6K:0BB
G3: 5IP, 4H/2ER, 2K:1BB
G4: 5IP, 2H/0ER, 0K:0BB
G5: 5IP, 2H/0ER, 4K:1BB
G6: 2.2IP, 3H/1ER, 0K:0BB
G7: 5IP, 3H/0ER, 4K:0BB
G8: 3.2IP, 0H/0ER, 1K:0BB
G9: 5IP, 2H/0ER, 4K:0BB
G10: 4IP, 1H/0ER, 2K:0BB
G11: 5IP, 5H/0ER, 5K:1BB
G12: 5IP, 7H/0ER, 3K:1BB
G13: 5IP, 1H/0ER, 4K:0BB

Catch that? The last earned run that Jake Buchanan has allowed was on April 26 - a span of 32.2IP - while getting 23K:2BB - a span of 115 batters who haven't crossed the plate (charged to Buchanan - there was an unearned run on May 22). We can go back even further to say that Buchanan has allowed just one earned run in his last 45.1IP.

If it wasn't for a 38-year old Rob Cordemans*, Buchanan would have the lowest ERA in all of the Minors. Only one domestic minor-league pitcher has a lower WHIP than Buchanan's 0.69 - and that's Lancaster's Michael Dimock, who has posted a 0.64, but in 42.2IP fewer innings.

*Cordemans actually is an interesting story: He has pitched in the Holland his entire career, which didn't start until he was 32 years old. In his debut season, he had a 3.88 ERA/1.23 WHIP. In the six seasons since then, his ERA hasn't been over 1.00, even throwing over 77IP in each of them. His K:BB ratio in 2011 and 2012? 12.70 and 18.80, respectively. What kind of witchcraft is that? And why hasn't he been signed yet? In 2012 Cordemans threw 80.2IP, allowing 53H/2ER, 94K:5BB. 0.22 ERA/0.72 WHIP. And he actually lost a game.

The strikeouts aren't there - he has 35K in 58.1IP, but he also only has four walks on the season. 206 batters faced, he's walked four of them. If we're going to try to not make this gushy/gooey fanboy post, you can look at the BABIP - .209. That's Ridiculously Low, so his defense is definitely bailing him out. That said, his FIP is 2.75 - which is the lowest of his career.

I don't know where Buchanan goes from here. Clearly, at 23, he is straight dominating Double-A. But he's probably not moving up until one of Cosart or Wojciechowski comes up to Houston from OKC. Let's just enjoy it and marvel. For now.

PreStros Morning Report: May 30

Oklahoma City (30-23), 0.5 up

Asher Wojciechowski bounced back from a rough couple of starts to throw 6IP, 3H/1ER, 4K:2BB and a bullpen of Kevin Chapman (1H), Josh Zeid (1H) and Rhiner Cruz (2K) held Omaha to two hits over the final three innings. RedHawks win 8-1.

Fernando Martinez was 2x4 with a double and an RBI; Carlos Perez had 2RBI on two hits, Che-Hsuan Lin added 2RBI. Robbie Grossman was 0x3 with two walks and two runs scored. Brett Wallace and Marc Krauss each had a hit and a walk.

Man of the Match: Asher Wojciechowski

Corpus (33-20), 2.0 up

Jake. Freaking. Buchanan. Lowers his ERA to 0.77 and doesn't give up an earned run in the month of May. Buchanan improves to 6-0 on the season and the Hooks win 5-0. Buchanan threw 5IP, 1H/0ER, 4K:0BB, 36 of his 54 pitches - yes, 54 pitches in 5IP - for strikes. Eight groundouts to two flyouts. Carlos Quevedo got the rare 12-out save, allowing just two hits, striking out four.

Jio Mier was 2x4 with a double, walk and RBI; Rene Garcia (RBI) and Drew Muren (2B) had a hit and a walk each. George Springer was 1x4 with his 16th homer of the year.

Man of the Match: Jake Buchanan.

Lancaster (33-20), 4.5 up

It was 8-0 Lancaster before Visalia got a run, and then the JetHawks tacked on a 6-run 7th. JetHawks win, 15-2. Kyle Hallock threw 5IP, 1H/0ER, 5K:1BB; Luis Cruz gave up 3H/2ER in 3IP; Tommy Shirley allowed 2H/0ER in 1IP.

Chris Epps was 3x5 with two doubles, a triple, and 3RBI; Delino DeShields (2SB, RBI), Joe Sclafani (2RBI) and Matt Duffy (HR, 4 runs, 2RBI) each got two hits and drew two walks. Andrew Aplin was 2x5 with an RBI and a walk. Preston Tucker was 1x2 with two walks.

Man of the Match: Chris Epps!

Quad Cities

Game canceled due to wet grounds and will not be made up.

PreStros Morning Report: May 22

Oklahoma City (27-18), 3.5 up

Ross Seaton got his first Triple-A win and lowered his ERA to 8.21 as OKC won 7-3 at Fresno. Seaton threw 6IP, 6H/3R (2ER), 3K:3BB, 54 of his 88 pitches for strikes. Jason Stoffel allowed 1H/0ER, 3K:0BB in 2IP; Eric Berger struck out two of the three batters he faced.

Jake Elmore hit his 3rd homer of the year and added another RBI for a 2x5, 2RBI day; Brett Wallace was 2x3 with 2BB and an RBI. Fernando Martinez hit a three-run homer.

Man of the Match: Jake Elmore

Corpus (26-19) 2.0 up

A four-run Hooks 5th inning sealed an 8-2 win over NW Arkansas, and a Frisco loss to Springfield puts Corpus two games up on the minoRangers. Jake Buchanan. Freakin' Slow Clap. Another 5IP, 7H/1R (0ER), 3K:1BB, and he only needed 57 pitches to get through his five innings. That's 27.2IP, 23H/0ER, 19K:2BB in his last six appearances. Josh Fields continued his summer of rehab discontent with 2IP, 3H/1ER, 2K:0BB; Carlos Quevedo allowed 2H/0ER, 2K:0BB in 2IP.

Erik Castro got his 3rd straight three-hit game, pushing his May batting average to .411. Max Stassi (2B, RBI, BB) and Michael Burgess (HR, 2RBI) had two hits each. Domingo Santana was 1x3 with a double, two walks, two RBI, and a stolen base. George Springer was 1x3 with two walks and two runs scored.

Man of the Match: Jake Buchanan

Lancaster

Off.

Quad Cities (23-21), 7GB

Quad Cities were down 5-0 heading into the bottom of the 6th. Then they got two in the bottom of the 6th, then two more in the bottom of the 8th, then the tying run against Wisconsin in the bottom of the 9th. And then it all went to hell when Wisconsin scored seven runs in the top of the 11th for a weird 12-5 win over the River Bandits.

Jordan Jankowski allowed 5H/2ER, 4K:1BB in 6IP; Mitchell Lambson allowed 1H/1ER, 0K:1BB in 1IP; Brian Holmes allowed two unearned runs on his own error in 3IP on 2H, 2K:2BB; John Neely threw two wild pitches and allowed 4H/3ER, 1K:1BB in 2IP for the loss; Richard Rodriguez allowed one of Neely's runs and three of his own in a 5H/4ER, 0K:1BB, 0.2IP outing; Brian Blasik got the final out.

Carlos Correa (RBI), Miles Hamblin, Austin Elkins (2B, HR, RBI, BB), and Jordan Scott (2B, RBI, BB) had two hits each; Rio Ruiz had a hit and walk on his birthday.

Man of the Match: Austin Elkins

PreStros Morning Report: May 17

Oklahoma City (24-16)

Sacramento never trailed in this one, and though the RedHawks did close a 4th inning deficit to 2-1, Sacramento won 4-2. Ross Seaton continued his quest for a 9.00-level ERA with 6H/4ER, 3K:1BB, 2HR in 4IP; Kevin Chapman walked three in 2IP, and Jason Stoffel allowed three baserunners - but no runs - in 2IP.

Andy Simunic continued his tear with a 2x4, 2B, RBI day and Che-Hsuan Lin added two hits, an RBI and a walk.

Man of the Match: Che-Hsuan Lin

Corpus (24-17)

I think I saw on Twitter last night that the Hooks had never before won a 1-0 road game. But that's exactly what they did in Midland last night. Jake Buchanan - who should find his way to OKC soon - threw 5IP, 5H/0ER, 5K:1BB to lower his ERA to 0.93. Josh Fields threw a scoreless 6th; Carlos Quevedo allowed 1H and 2K in 1.2IP; Our Boy Kenny Long walked a batter for the second straight game, but Pat Urckfitz shut down the final four outs.

George Springer had two hits and just one strikeout, Max Stassi was 2x3 with a double and the lone RBI.

Man of the Match: Jake Buchanan, who has allowed 18H/1ER, 20K:2BB in 36.1IP - his last eight appearances.

Lancaster (24-17)

Despite a Visalia four-run 7th inning, the JetHawks scored all they needed for a 6-4 win. Luis Cruz allowed 2H/0ER, 5K:2BB in 5IP; Kyle Hallock allowed 5H/4ER, 2K:1BB in 3IP; and Travis Ballew threw a perfect 9th for his 7th save.

The JetHawks got two-hit games out of four players: Delino DeShields (2RBI, 2BB, 2SB), Preston Tucker, Telvin Nash (RBI), and MP Cokinos (HR, 2RBI).

Man of the Match: Delino DeShields

Quad Cities (23-17)

The RiverBandits struck with a run in the first, but that was the only run they could muster, despite out-hitting Beloit 9-7. Beloit won, 3-1. Brian Holmes gave up two solo homers on four hits in 4IP; Jordan Jankowski allowed 3H/1ER but struck out seven in 4IP; Richard Rodriguez struck out one in 1IP.

Teoscar Hernandez was 3x4 with a double and a stolen base, Carlos Correa was 2x4 with an RBI and Jesse Wierzbicki was 2x4 with a stolen base, as well. Rio Ruiz was 1x4 with a stolen base.

Man of the Match: Jordan Jankowski

PreStros Morning Report May 4th

AAA

Oklahoma City

Postponed

AA

Corpus Christi (17-12)

The Hooks dropped the first game of a 4 game series on Saturday, losing 6-2 to the San Antonio Missions (15-14). The only two Corpus runs came in the top of the 5th. Rene Garcia (2H, 2B, R, K, SB) led of the 5th with a double to left and advanced to 3rd on a Erik Castro ground out. Garcia scored on a single off the bat of Jonathan Meyer (2H, R, RBI, CS). Meyer would score on a fielding error. Austin Wates, had a double, and Enrique Hernandez had a base hit.

Carlos Quevedo (1-2) went 4.1 innings and was tagged with the loss. (7H, 6R, 4ER, HR, 2K, 2HR)
Jake Buchanan was perfect in 3.2 innings, and lowered his ERA to 1.31. (K)
Man of the match: Jake Buchanan.

A

Lancaster (16-12)

The Jethawks fell 5-3 to the High Desert Mavericks (16-13) and Delino DeShields leaves the game with a hand injury. The Jethawks scored the first 2 runs of the game to take the early lead in the top of the 3rd. Chris Epps (R, BB, 2K) walked and hustled around the bases to score on a Delino DeShields (2H, R, 2B, 3B, RBI, 2K) triple to right. It was DeShields 4th triple of the season. DDJ scored on a Nolan Fontana (RBI, BB, E) RBI ground out. The other Lancaster run came in the 6th on a double by Tyler Heineman (2H, 2B, RBI, 2BB) that scored Brandon Meredith (H,  R, 2K). Telvin Nash (H, 2K) had a single. Matt Duffy (H, 2K) also got a knock.

Thomas Shirley started the game and went 4 innings. (H, K)
Theron Geith pitched a scoreless inning. (1IP, H, BB, K)
Luis Cruz (1-2) got his 2nd blown save of the season and was also tagged with a loss. (1.2IP, 6H, 5ER, 2BB, 2K, 2HR)
Kenny Long finished the game with 1.1 innings of work. (H, K)

Man of the match: Delino DeShields.

DeShields had a his 4th double and his 4th triple before leaving the game in the 7th. Delino injured his left hand attempting to field a ball behind 2nd base.

Low A

Quad Cities (16-11)

The River Bandits lost 7-4 to the West Michigan (13-14) Whitecaps on Saturday. Quad Cities put up 3 runs in the top of the 3rd and had the lead for a half inning. Jordan Scott (H, R, 2BB) led off the inning with a bunt single. Teoscar Hernandez (H, R, BB, K) hit a liner to left that advanced Scott to 2nd. Joe Sclafani (2H, 2B, RBI, K, CS) moved the runners on a sac bunt. Austin Elkins (R, BB, K) loaded the bases with one out after he was hit by a pitch. Jesse Wierzbicki (H, 2B, 2RBI) double to left and scored Scott and Hernandez. Miles Hamblin (H, RBI, K, CS) was up with 2 runners in scoring position and only one out but he grounded out to 2nd and scored Elkins. Ryan Dineen (H, 2K, SB) K'd to end the inning. The River Bandits scored one more in the 4th to retake the lead but would give up 4 the very next inning. Jobduan Morales (H, R, 2B) led off the 4th with a double to left. Teoscar Hernandez walked with 2 outs. Morales crossed the plate on a double off the bat of Joe Sclafani. Austin Elkins popped out, stranding both runners in scoring position.

Vincent Velasquez got the start and had sub par outing, but did pitch well enough to get the win. (4IP, 3ER, 2BB, 4K)
Cameron Lamb (1-1) got the loss after pitching 0.2 innings. (.-2IP, 2H, 4ER, BB, K)
Gera Sanchez recorded an out to complete the inning Lamb started. (0.1IP)
Joe Bircher finished out the final 3 innings of the game with solid work. (3IP, H, 3K)

Man of the match: Joe Bircher