Minor League releases

This is a tough time of year as minor-league players start to get rotated out of the system. Brian McTaggart tweeted that the Astros have released:

Jean Batista - international free agent signed in 2011. Hit .287/.307/.458 in 145 games over three seasons, and only played in 95 games over 2012/2013.

Ryan Connolly - undrafted free agent signed in June 2013. He was 1-2 with a 5.22 ERA/1.67 WHIP, with 20K:12BB in 29.1IP for Greeneville last season.

Zachary Dando - 2011 32nd Round pick. In 58 games (one start), Dando allowed a 3.56 ERA/1.25 WHIP, but only threw 101IP in three seasons between the GCL Astros, Greeneville, and Tri-City.

Alex Gillingham - Acquired from Colorado in the Wilton Lopez trade. Gillingham was the Rockies' 11th Round pick in 2011, but only threw eight innings for Lancaster in 2013.

Kyle Hallock - 2011 10th Round pick out of Kent State. Hallock made 59 appearances, everywhere from Tri-City in 2011 to Oklahoma City in 2013 with a career 5.63 ERA/1.55 WHIP. He got knocked around in Lancaster and Corpus (over 6.00 ERA in both places) before allowing 17H/8ER with 6K:8BB in 19.1IP for OKC.

Parker Hipp - undrafted free agent signed in 2013. Hit .159/.280/.190 in 24 games (75 PAs) for Greeneville in 2013.

Angel Ibanez - 2012 28th Round draft pick out of UT Pan-Am. In 93 games for Greeneville in 2012/13, Ibanez hit .256/.307/.309 with 63K:25BB in 376 PAs.

Euris Quezada - Signed as an international free agent prior to 2009. In parts of five seasons with the Astros organization (never rising above Low-A), Quezada had a 5.52 ERA/1.56 WHIP, with 138K:72BB in 190.2IP.

Blair Walters - Acquired in the Brett Myers trade with Chicago in July 2012. Walters struggled at High-A Lancaster, posting a 7.37 ERA/1.79 WHIP in parts of two seasons. He did pitch one game for OKC, allowed 4H/2ER, 4K:3BB in 4.1IP.


Blair Walters:

Would like to say Thank you to the Astros Organization for giving me to pursue my dream of playing baseball. It was a good run.
— Blair Walters (@bwalters34) March 18, 2014

Kyle Hallock promoted

2011 10th Round pick Kyle Hallock has been promoted from Lancaster to Corpus.

Hallock was 4-1 for Lancaster in 10 games, throwing 39IP, allowing 30H/19ER, 23K:14BB. He made nine appearances for Oklahoma City earlier this season, allowing 17H/8ER in 19.1IP with a 3.72 ERA/1.29 WHIP.

A couple of minor-league moves

So the Austin Wates-to-Oklahoma City thing from yesterday was confirmed, but Jason Schwartz (excellent play-by-play man for the Lancaster JetHawks) tweeted a couple of other moves:

Kyle Hallock - from OKC to Lancaster (not a demotion, mind you, Hallock jumped from Quad Cities to OKC to fill some needs)
Kenny Long - from Lancaster to Corpus

In 8IP as the JetHawks' closer, Long has allowed 2H/0ER, 8K:1BB. He was the Astros' 22nd Round pick in 2012, and in 35 games (30.1IP - all in relief) he has allowed...wait for it...9H/4ER with 46K:8BB. That's a 0.56 WHIP. Can he come to Houston now?

Hell breaks loose, roster moves abound

It started with a random tweet this morning from an account not affiliated with minor-league baseball - 2011 10th Round pick Kyle Hallock had been called up to Triple-A Oklahoma City from Low-A Quad Cities. No one really knew what it meant. Was it roster filler, and nothing was happening, or was something actually going on?

Nope. Something is up. NewStro Travis Blackley strained his stupid shoulder in his very first bullpen session at Minute Maid Park and was put on the 15-Day DL, so fellow lefty Dallas Keuchel is on his way to Houston to take his lefty long-relief role (since Xavier Cedeno was about as effective as a pin-pricked condom last night), and lefty Hallock will take Keuchel's spot at OKC.

Hallock threw to three batters in Quad Cities, struck out two of them, and got the other one out, too. And so the season-long battle royal among pitchers continues.

Field reports on Bushue and Hallock

Jayne over at What the Heck Bobby had a chance to talk with Lexington pitching coach Dave Borkowski about the struggles of Tanner Bushue and Kyle Hallock. As we noted earlier, both pitchers were sent back to extended spring training yesterday.

Three players sent to Extended Spring Training

What the Heck Bobby says that three Lexington players: Emilio King, Tanner Bushue, and Kyle Hallock are being sent to Extended Spring Training. All three have struggled in 2012.

The Most Interesting Astros Short-Season Pitcher in the World

Minor League Ball highlighted a few interesting short-season pitchers today. Among them is an Astros prospect, a rare find for such lists the last few years. Kyle Hallock got their attention with his outstanding performance this year.

Threw harder than expected, and he knows how to use his curveball, slider, and changeup effectively.

Eddie's Farm: July 13

Oklahoma City (39-52)

Final day of the All-Star Break, which also contained the IL/PCL All-Star Game, which the International League won 3-0. J.B. Shuck - the lone OKC representative - drew a walk in his only AB.

Corpus (33-55)

Off.

Lancaster (35-55)

Back and forth game at High Desert: Lancaster got a run in the top of the 1st, High Desert answered in the bottom half with five runs. Lancaster chipped away, tying it up with a three-run 8th inning at 6-6, and David Berner gave up a walk-off homer to Denny Almonte - his second of the game. Jake Buchanan threw 7.2IP, 9H/6R (1ER - five unearned runs on Jiovanni Mier's fielding error), 7K:2BB, while Berner gets the loss with 1H/1ER in 0.2IP.

Jonathan Meyer was 2x5 with an RBI, while Grant Hogue, Adam Bailey, Federico Hernandez, and Miguel Arrendell added RBIs. Jiovanni Mier drew two walks and got an RBI, as well, and David Flores was 1x2 with two walks.

Man of the Match: Jake Buchanan

Lexington (42-28)

Game 1: Lexington won it with a bottom of the 7th two-run walkoff homer by Telvin Nash. Alex Sogard threw 6IP, 6H/0ER, 7K:0BB, and Jorge De Leon got the win with a perfect 7th.

Up to that point in the 7th, the Legends only had two hits, but Kvasnicka (H/BB) got on base ahead of him, and Nash put the game away. Jay Austin had your other hit.

Man of the Match: Telvin Nash

Game 2: Didn't go as well. It was 0-0 heading into the 5th, and then Savannah scored the next seven runs for a 7-3 win over Lexington. Murilo Gouvea threw 3IP, 2H/0ER, 4K:1BB; David Martinez threw 2IP, 2H/3R (0ER), 0K:2BB; Adam Champion gave up 4H/4ER (all on a grand slam), 1K:1BB in 2IP.

Emilio King and Ben Orloff had two hits; Enrique Hernandez was 1x2 with a walk and a two-run homer. Delino DeShields had a hit, walk, and an RBI.

Man of the Match: Enrique Hernandez

Tri-City (10-14)

Kerrazy game at Batavia! Tri-City was up 2-1 going into the 9th, scored three in the top half, and then Batavia answered with three runs in the bottom of the 9th, but fell short - and Tri-City wins 5-4. Kyle Hallock allowed 2H/0ER, 4K:3BB in 6IP; Travis Smink gave up 3H/1ER, 2K:0BB in 2IP; Ryan Cole have up 3H/3ER, 1K:2BB and Mitchell Lambson got the final out for his first professional save.

John Hinson was 2x5 with a double, Matt Duffy was 1x4 with 2RBI; Justin Gominsky and Drew Muren had a hit and a walk. Tri-City won this game despite going 1x10 with RISP, and getting out-hit 8-6.

Man of the Match: Kyle Hallock

Greeneville (8-14)

Greeneville overcame a 4-0 deficit to beat Johnson City 7-4. Danilo Del Rio allowed 5H/4ER, 2K:3BB in 4IP; Zach Dando did some serious work, allowing just 1H/0ER, 5K:0BB in 4IP, and Steve Martin got his first save, despite 2BB in 1IP.

Chase Davidson was 2x3 with two walks, and his two hits were solo homers. Jordan Scott (RBI) and Jose Vargas also had two hits. Josh Magee (RBI) Jesse Wierzbicki (2RBI) had a hit and a walk each.

Man of the Match: Chase Davidson

GCL Astros

Off.

Eddie's Farm: July 1

Oklahoma City (34-48)

Despite out-hitting Memphis 7-4, OKC managed to lose 5-2. Andy Van Hekken took the loss, allowing 3H/5ER, 4K:5BB and 2HR in 5.2IP. New RedHawk Mickey Storey allowed 1H/0ER, 2K:0BB in 2.1IP.

Robinson Cancel was 2x4 with 2RBI, J.B. Shuck was 0x3, but drew two walks. Humberto Quintero was 1x3 with a double in his rehab start.

Man of the Match: Robinson Cancel

Corpus (29-49)

Corpus battled back from a 4-1 deficit to defeat Tulsa 9-4 in a game where five errors were committed (three fielding errors by Jimmy Paredes). Ross Seaton allowed 6H/4R (3ER), 5K:1BB in 6IP and Kyle Greenwalt threw 3IP, faced 10 batters, and allowed 0H/0ER, 1K:0BB.

J.D. Martinez was 3x5 with a double, Jose Altuve was 2x5 with a double and 3RBI, Paredes (RBI) and Jake Goebbert (2B) also had two hits. Chris Wallace hit his first homer for Corpus.

Man of the Match: Kyle Greenwalt

Lancaster (30-48)

Good Lord. Modesto had a seven-run 4th and a six-run 5th for a 17-3 win over Lancaster. Robby Donovan allowed 5H/7R (6ER), 0K:3BB; Colton Pitkin gave up 3H/3ER, 0K:1BB; Wander Alvino allowed 2H/6R (0ER), 1K:3BB; Yordany Ramirez allowed 5H/1ER, 2K:1BB in 2.1IP and Chris Hicks threw a perfect 8th inning.

So four errors (Hinze, two from Mier, and one from Rene Garcia) accounted for seven runs. Jonathan Meyer was 2x4 with 2RBI, and Mier, Wates, and Hinze (RBI, 2BB) had your other hits.

Man of the Match: Jonathan Meyer

Lexington (37-42)

Brutal loss for Lexington, who allowed two runs in the bottom of the 9th and the game-winning run in the bottom of the 11th for a 6-5 loss at Hagerstown. Alex Sogard allowed 6H/3ER, 5K:1BB in 6IP; Brian Streilein allowed 2H/2R (0ER), 2K:2BB in 3IP, and David Martinez took the loss with 2H/1ER, 1K:1BB in 1.1IP.

Every Legend had a hit, but Ben Orloff (who committed the error leading to two runs in the 9th) went 2x4 (2B, 3B, 2RBI). Delino DeShields - who stole three bases, Enrique Hernandez, Adam Bailey, and Telvin Nash had a hit and a walk.

Man of the Match: Delino DeShields

Tri-City (6-8)

Lowell got two runs in the bottom of the 6th, and that's all the scoring. Lowell beat Tri-City 2-0. Kyle Hallock got the hard-luck loss, allowing 3H/2ER, with 11K:0BB in 7IP. Travis Smink allowed 2H/0ER in the 8th.

Zach Johnson went 2x4 and Drew Muren got your other hit. Neiko Johnson had your only walk of the game.

Man of the Match: Kyle Hallock

Greeneville (2-9)

The Gastros never led in the game, losing 6-3 at Danville. Jose Perdomo dropped to 0-3, allowing 7H/3ER, 7K:3BB with 2WP and two errors in 4.1IP. Rodney Quintero allowed 3H/3ER, 2K:2BB in 1.2IP, and Zach Dando allowed 0H/0BB, 2K:1BB in 2IP.

Chase Davidson was 2x5 with a double; Luis Alvarez, Jose Vargas, and Chan-Jong Moon had a hit and a walk, with Jose Monzon going 0x2, but drawing two walks.

Man of the Match: Chase Davidson

GCL Astros (3-7)

The GCL Cardinals whooped up on the GCL Astros, 9-2. Adrian Houser had a stellar start, going 4IP, 1H/0ER, 7K:0BB; Brandon Culbreth took the loss with 4R (3ER), 0K:2BB in 0IP. Evan Grills threw 2IP, allowing 3H/0ER.

Javaris Reynolds was 2x4, and Jarrod McKinney, Jean Carlos Batista (RBI), Chris Epps, and Max Ayarza had your other hits.

Man of the Match: Adrian Houser

With their 10th Round pick...

...The Astros select 6'2" 185lb LHP Kyle Hallock, a 22-year old senior out of Kent State.

Hallock was 10-4, with a 1.95 ERA/1.19 WHIP, with 101H/23ER, 88K:23BB in 106.1IP for KSU in 2011, earning a spot on the 3rd Team All-America list.

Last year, Hallock was drafted in the 49th Round by the Phillies, but obviously came back for his senior year.