More changes for Lexington

In addition to Tyler Burnett's release, Astros County has learned that Scott Zuloaga has been placed on the inactive list.

Chris Epps and John Hinson, teammates at Clemson, have been assigned to Lexington from extended spring training to fill the two newly opened spots.

Tyler Burnett released?

Via What the Heck, Bobby, we find that (in addition to Ross Seaton getting sent back to Corpus, replaced at OKC by Jonnathan Aristil) Lexington's Tyler Burnett has been released.

The 17th-Round draft pick in 2010 hit .250/.363/.392 for Tri-City (45 walks in 312PAs), earning a shot at Lexington in 2011, where he hit .249/.324/.347 with 21 stolen bases in 24 attempts. In 12 games in 2012 (52 PAs), Burnett has hit .178/.288/.267.

Employees of the Month: June 2011

Remember, Employees of the Month get 10% off in the Team Store, and get to park near the front. Let's go...

Houston Astros:
Carlos Lee - was 30x99 with 11K:15BB and 3HR, hitting .303/.388/.505 in June.

Bud Norris - went 2-2 (somehow) with a 2.53 ERA/1.03 WHIP, allowing 20H/9ER, 27K:13BB in 32IP. Opponents hit .183/.270/.229.

Oklahoma City:
Drew Locke - hit .309/.377/.509, with seven extra-base hits.

Wesley Wright - In 17IP, allowed 13H/5ER, 13K:7BB, and opponents hit .213 against him.

Corpus:
Jose Altuve - Who else? In 27 games he got 40 hits, hitting .364/.383/.564.

Dallas Keuchel - In 33IP Keuchel allowed 24H/8ER, 22K:8BB, getting a 2.40 GB/FB ratio.

Lancaster:
Kody Hinze - Unbelievable. Three straight months with an OPS above 1.000, and June was his best so far. Hit .357/.505/.690, with eight homers, 20K:24BB.

Kirk Clark - In ten games (12.2IP), allowed 7H/2ER, 9K:1BB.

Lexington:
Tyler Burnett - This was a difficult choice, but Burnett hit .286/.375/.377 with 11 walks in June

Jason Chowning - In 14.1IP, he allowed 13H/3ER, 12K:3BB.

Next month we'll hit up Tri-City, Greeneville, and the GCL Astros.

Eddie's Farm: June 18

Oklahoma City (29-41)

OKC got the final three runs of the game - and had the bases loaded with two outs in the bottom of the 9th, but Drew Locke flied out. Chris Sampson notches the win for New Orleans in a 4-3 win. Gustavo Chacin threw 6IP, 7H/2ER, 3K:2BB; Ross Wolf allowed 3H/2ER, 1K:2BB; Wesley Wright walked one in 0.2IP, and David Carpenter extended his ER-less streak to 15IP.

The RedHawks only got five hits - two from Brian Bogusevic (2B, BB), two from Brian Esposito, and one from Anderson Hernandez. 5-8 in the lineup went for a combined 0x13.

Man of the Match: Chacin

Corpus (24-43)

Kyle Greenwalt gave up a three-run homer in the top of the 13th as Frisco beat the Hooks, 9-6. Jonnathan Aristil allowed 9H/4ER, 2K:2BB in 5.1IP; Matt Nevarez allowed 1H/0ER, 0K:2BB in 1.2IP (throwing 10 of 24 pitches for strikes). Arcenio Leon allowed 3H/2R (1ER) in 1IP; Sam Gervacio allowed 1H/0ER, 1K:1BB in 2IP, and Greenwalt gave up 4H/3ER, 1K:2BB in 3IP of relief.

Jon Gaston was 3x6 with an RBI, and Emerson Frostad hit his 1st homer as a Hook, going 2x4 with a walk. Jose Altuve and J.D. Martinez were each 1x6.

Man of the Match: Jon Gaston

Lancaster (28-40)

Despite being down 4-0 to Inland Empire at the middle of the 1st, the JetHawks got seven runs in the bottom of the 2nd, and worked it for a 14-8 win. Jake Buchanan allowed 8H/7R (6ER), 1K:1BB in 3.2IP while Mike Ness got the win with a shutdown 3.2IP, 2H/0ER, striking out eight of the 13 batters he faced. David Berner allowed 2H/1ER in 1.2IP.

Okay. Jay Austin (2B, 3RBI) and Jose Carlos Thompson (2B) had three hits each. Austin Wates (HR, 4RBI), Kody Hinze, Ben Heath (HR, 2RBI), Jonathan Meyer (BB, RBI) and David Flores (2B, grand slam, 4RBI) had two hits each.

Man of the Match: Going with Mike Ness here.

Lexington (34-35)

Dramatic! Lexington scores four in the top of the 10th for a 14-10 win over Rome for the Legends' 5th straight win. Alex Sogard gave up 7H/7R (4ER), 0K:1BB in 1.1IP. Murillo Gouvea allowed 4H/1R (0ER) in 3.2IP; Juan Minaya allowed 3H/2ER in 3IP, and David Martinez got the win with 1H/0ER, 3K:1BB in 2IP.

Jhonny Medrano (RBI), Tyler Burnett (two doubles, BB, 2RBI), Ben Orloff (2RBI), Roberto Pena (2B, 2RBI), and Emilio King (2B, RBI) had two hits each. Delino DeShields was 0x4 with two walks, and is now hitting .202.

Man of the Match: Tyler Burnett

Tri-City (1-1)

And...that's total domination as the ValleyCats bounce back for a 10-0 win against Vermont, scoring ten runs on nine hits. Jonas Dufek allowed 2H/0ER, 2K:2BB in 3IP, while Dayan Diaz gave up a hit and three walks in 3IP; Travis Smink allowed 2H/0ER in 3IP to close it out.

Drew Muren was 2x3 with 2BB, Zach Johnson was 2x4 with an RBI, and Kellen Kiilsgaard was 2x3 with a double, homer, two walks, and 2RBI. Matt Duffy was 1x3 with 3RBI, and John Hinson drew two walks. Justin Gominsky, John Hinson, and Drew Muren also stole bases.

Man of the Match: Gotta go with Kiilsgaard.

Eddie's Farm: June 1

Oklahoma City (23-30)

OKC scored the final five runs of the game, but it wasn't enough as the RedHawks fell short to Round Rock 7-6. Ryan Rowland-Smith allowed 7H/5ER, 5K:5BB, 2HR in 4.2IP to drop to 2-5 on the season. Wesley Wright gave up 3H/2ER, 3K:0BB, WP, HBP in 2.1IP, while Danny Meszaros allowed 1H/0ER, 2K:1BB in the final 2IP.

Tommy Manzella was 2x5 with a double, HR, and 2RBI, and Koby Clemens was 2x4 with his 6th homer of the season. Anderson Hernandez, Brian Bogusevic, and Max Ramirez provided your other RBIs as the RedHawks were 0x7 w/RISP.

Man of the Match: Tommy Manzella

Corpus (19-32)

WALK-OFF! Corpus takes a 3-0 lead, then a 4-2 lead, then a 5-4 lead, then seals it in the bottom of the 9th for a 6-5 win over Springfield. Xavier Cedeno threw 6IP, 6H/2R (1ER), 5K:2BB in the start. Blake King allowed 1H/2ER, 1K:2BB, HR; Patrick Urckfitz walked one in 1.1IP, and Sam Gervacio gets the Brandon Lyon (BS/W), 1H/1R (0ER), 1K:0BB.

Jose Altuve made his Corpus debut, going 3x4 with a two-run homer and 3RBI total. Jimmy Paredes was 2x5 with 2SB - giving him 20SBs on the season. Jonathan Villar was 2x5 with a double and the walk-off homer, while J.D. Martinez (BB), and T.J. Steele had two hits each. Federico Hernandez was 1x3 with 2RBI.

Man of the Match: Jose Altuve

Lancaster (22-31)

The JetHawks scored in four straight innings, putting away Modesto on the road, 8-3. Jake Buchanan threw 7IP, 8H/3R (2ER), 7K:0BB, while Yordany Ramirez and Andrew Robinson threw perfect innings in relief.

Kody Hinze was 3x3 with a double, RBI, and two walks; Jonathan Meyer (2B, RBI), Miguel Arrendell (RBI), and Hector Rodriguez - making his Lancaster debut at SS - all had two hits each. Ben Heath was 1x5 with 2RBI.

Man of the Match: Jake Buchanan.

Lexington (25-28)

The Legends never led in this game, dropping 5-1 to West Virginia. Carlos Quevedo allowed 10H/4R (1ER), 2K:1BB in 5IP, while Gabe Garcia threw 4IP of relief, allowing 2H/1ER, 4K:0BB.

The Legends only had three hits on the night - two of them from Tyler Burnett, who also stole a base and drew a walk, with Jordan Scott making his debut and going 1x3.

Man of the Match: Tyler Burnett

DSL Astros (1-3)

The DSL Astros got some shaky bullpen work to drop to 1-3 with a 6-0 loss at the DSL Indians. Geronimo Franzua was all about it, throwing 6IP, 3H/0ER, 2K:2BB. But then Johan Arias allowed 1H/3ER, 0K:1BB in 0IP, with Alexander Martinez allowing 5H/3ER in 1.2IP. Juan Delis got the final out of the game.

The offense only got three hits on the night - from Juan Santana, Darwin Rivera (2B), and Mario Gonzalez.

Man of the Match: Geronimo Franzua

Eddie's Farm: May 5

Oklahoma City (12-15)

OKC had a remarkable rally, coming from a 3-0 deficit in the bottom of the 7th to 4-3 win over Nashville for a four-game sweep. Sergio Perez allowed 4H/3R (2ER), 1K:4BB in 6IP, while Andy Van Hekken and Fernando Rodriguez allowed 3H (all Van Hekken's)/0ER, 3K:1BB in 3IP.

Drew Locke was 2x3 with a walk and an RBI, and Brandon Barnes was 2x4 with his 2nd homer of the year (for OKC). Brian Dopirak had a pinch-hit walk-off RBI double. But the story was the stolen bases, provided by Locke, Clemens, Shuck, and Robinson Cancel.

Man of the Match: Brian Dopirak

Corpus (12-15)

Despite a 5-2 lead, Corpus blew it and lost to Midland 6-5. Jonnathan Aristil allowed 5H/3ER, 6K:4BB in 5IP, and Matt Nevarez got the BS/L with 1.2IP, 3H/3ER, 2K:1BB. Arcenio Leon allowed 2H/0ER, 5K:2BB in 2.1IP.

Every Hook got a hit, with Jon Fixler getting the start at DH (his first since coming off the Suspended List) going 2x4 at DH. J.D. Martinez pulled his hamstring and left after an RBI single. David Flores took his spot and hit a two-run homer in the 3rd. Jimmy Van Ostrand was 1x3 with a double and 2RBI.

Man of the Match: David Flores

Lancaster (12-16)

Good God. You would think that a 10-1 lead is safe. Not last night. Rancho Cucamonga was down 10-1 after four, and then scored 16 of the next 17 runs for a 17-11 win over the JetHawks. Robby Donovan allowed 7H/6ER, 5K:4BB, 2WP; Zach Grimmett allowed 7H/6ER, 3K:1BB in 2.2IP. Kirk Clark allowed 2HR and 5H/5ER in 1IP, while Mike Ness got the last two batters of the game.

Austin Wates was 4x5 with two doubles and an RBI and Rene Garcia was 3x5 (double, RBI). Jonathan Meyer was 2x5 with his first homer of the season and three RBI, and Kody Hinze was 1x4 with a homer and 3RBI. Johnathan Villar went 2x4 with a stolen base, walk, and three runs scored.

Man of the Match: Austin Wates

Lexington (15-12)

Hagerstown straight brought it to Lexington with an 8-2 win. Juan Minaya allowed 7H/4R (3ER), 5K:1BB, WP, Balk; and Gabe Garcia allowed 4H/4ER, 2K:1BB in 3IP.

Tyler Burnett went 3x4 with an RBI, while Jhonny Medrano was 2x4 with two doubles. Delino DeShields (2B, RBI) and Adam Bailey also had two hits on the night. DeShields was caught stealing for the 6th time - tied for second-most in the SAL.

Man of the Match: Tyler Burnett

Eddie's Farm: April 13

Oklahoma City

OKC had an early 1-0 lead, but it fell apart late as Nashville won 6-1, assisted by FOUR RedHawks errors. Sergio Perez threw 6IP, 5H/2R (1ER), 7K:1BB, HBP. Then Wesley Wright happened: 0IP, 1H/3ER, 0K:2BB. All those runs were charged to Ross Wolf, who threw 2IP, 3H/1ER, 3K:1BB on his own. RedHawks hitters only got four hits, but walked six times, and were 0x8 w/RISP. Brian Bogusevic was 1x2 with 2BB.

Man of the Match: Sergio Perez

Corpus

Off.

Lancaster

Kody Hinze got a walk-off single, scoring Jake Goebbert in what looked like an exciting game with San Jose, winning 4-3 in 12 innings - a game where the Jethawks scored the tying run in the bottom of the 8th and 11th, before winning it in the 12th. Andrew Robinson threw 6IP, 4H/2ER, 4K:2BB, followed by Zach Grimmett who threw 4.2IP of relief, allowing 2H/1ER, 5K:2BB. Kirk Clark got the win, throwing 1IP, 0H/0ER, 1K:2BB. Jay Austin (SB, RBI), Jonathan Villar (3SB, BB), Ben Heath (2B), Kody Hinze (GWRBI) and Austin Wates (2B, SB) had two hits each. Jose Altuve was 1x3 with 2BB.

Man of the Match: Jonathan Villar

Lexington

Double-header! Game 1: Legends drop a pitcher's duel, 1-0, to Hagerstown. Mike Foltynewicz threw 6IP, 5H/1ER, 3K:1BB - and still got the loss. David Martinez came on in the 7th and threw 1IP, 2H/0ER. Enrique Hernandez was 1x3 with 2BB, Delino DeShields was 0x2 with a walk and his first SB of the season. Mike Kvasnicka committed two errors, and Dan Adamson got another outfield assist.

Man of the Match: Mike Foltynewicz

Game 2: Lexington came back from a 4-0 deficit to win, 6-4. Ruben Alaniz threw 3IP, 5H/4R (3ER), 3K:2BB (and allowed Bryce Harper's first professional homer). Gabe Garcia also threw 3IP but allowed 1H/0ER, 4K:1BB, and Jorge De Leon threw a perfect 7th for his 1st save of the year. Delino DeShields hit his first professional homer and Tyler Burnett added another jack. Ben Orloff, Adam Bailey, and Burnett had your 2-hit games. Chris Wallace provided a two-run single.

Man of the Match: Tyler Burnett.

Tri-City ValleyCats: Tyler Burnett

Tyler Burnett
How did he get here?: Drafted, 2010 (17th Round)
Stats: 6'0" 205 lbs, Bats: Left Throws: Right
Hometown/Birthplace: Murfreesboro, TN
Age as of April 1, 2011: 21
Position: 1B/3B
2010 Men of the Match: 5

2010 Overview

PA	Avg/OBP/SLG	K:BB	XBH-RBI	K/PA%	XBH/H%
312	.250/.363/.392	56:45	24-31	17.9%	36.9%

What happened?

Burnett, drafted out of Middle Tennessee State University in the 17th Round, where he hit .351/.415/.584 in 2010 and was a pre-season All-Sun Belt Conference pick, hitting .344 in 2009.

Burnett had a solid season for the ValleyCats, leading the team in walks, earning July Employee of the Month honors for Tri-City, and was one of two ValleyCats named to the NYPL All-Star Team.

Burnett also stole six bases - getting caught stealing six times, also - but played solid defense. At 1B, where he played 36 of his 65 games in the field, Burnett made two errors in 355 chances, for a .994 Fld%. He also played 29 games at 3B, where he made six errors for a .929 Fld%.

What went right?

Walks. Burnett's 45 walks were good enough for 2nd in the NYPL. 37 of those walks were against RHP (18.2% BB/AB rate). 22 were at home with 23 on the road. 19 of his walks came with runners in scoring position.

July. Burnett exploded in July, hitting .330/.439/.511, with 16K:18BB, 12 XBH, and 18 runs scored.

What went wrong?

The stretch. In similar fashion for other college players in their first professional season, Burnett seemed to tire. In August, he hit .216/.347/.353 with 27K:19BB, and in five September games hit .190/.217/.333. In his last ten games, Burnett hit .220/.283/.341

Lefties. Burnett hit .228 (13x57) against LHP, but his .747 OPS was just 11 points below his OPS vs. RHP.

Burnett will also likely be sent up to Lexington, where his patience at the plate should pay off for him.

NYPL Playoffs - G3 recap

Big congratulations to the Tri-City ValleyCats as they shutout Batavia in a tight, 1-0 game.

Jake Buchanan is your hero, as he threw 7IP, 3H/0ER, 6K:1BB with Mike Ness getting the final six outs, striking out three and hitting one batter.

In the bottom of the 1st, Buchanan allowed a leadoff single to Chris Edmondson, but rolled up a double play to end the threat. It went back and forth, with no batter from either team getting past first base until the top of the 4th, when Adam Bailey doubled to right, scoring Tyler Burnett - who came around from first.

And that was it. Batavia, in a style so reminiscent of my middle school years, didn't get past first base, but obviously - with a 1-0 lead - it wasn't ever safe, particularly in the 9th. With Mike Ness throwing his second inning in relief, he got Yunier Castillo to fly out to left before hitting Edmondson with the pitch, bringing up Victor Sanchez and the dreaded Nick Longmire - both of whom were hitting well over .300. Ness got Sanchez swinging, and caught Longmire looking to end the game, and the series.

The ValleyCats will play Brooklyn at home on Saturday to open the NYPL Championship.

Orloff, Burnett named to NYPL All-Star team

Congratulations to Ben Orloff and Tyler Burnett, who were named to the NYPL All-Star Team today.

Eddie's Farm: August 3

Round Rock

Nashville took a 2-0 lead, Round Rock tied it up at 2-2, and then Nashville promptly responded with two more in the 6th for the 4-2 win. Yorman Bazardo allowed 8H/4ER, 5K:1BB, 2WP in 5.2IP. And then the bullpen of Bayliss, Corcoran, and Daigle threw 2.1IP of perfect relief. Brian Bogusevic was 3x3 with a stolen base and a walk, Jack Shuck was 2x3 with 2BB, and German Duran was 2x4 with a double. Shuck has five hits in 11ABs since his 0x5 debut.

Man of the Match: Brian Bogusevic

Corpus

Corpus was in control for pretty much all of the game in their 11-5 win over San Antonio. Dallas Keuchel threw 6IP, 3H/2ER, 3K:1BB for his first win at Double-A. Jailen Peguero threw two perfect innings. Arcenio Leon came on to finish out the 9th, but gave a up 1H/3ER, 3BB, so Erick Abreu had to close it out. Michael Affronti was 4x4 with a walk and 5RBI on the night. Freddy Parejo, J.D. Martinez (2BB), Jon Gaston (RBI), and Kody Kirkland all had two hits each. Koby Clemens - back for the first time since that hammy injury - was 0x3 with two sac flies and 2RBI.

Man of the Match: Michael Affronti

Lancaster

This was a tight game throughout, but Lancaster was able to withstand a two-run rally in the 9th to defeat Inland Empire 9-8. Robby Donovan allowed 6H/4ER, 4K:4BB, 2WP in 5IP, while Brian Wabick allowed 3H/2ER, 1K:1BB in 1IP. Jose Trinidad allowed 2BB and 2ER, helped by Berner allowing both inherited runners to score, with 2H/0ER in 1IP. Lee Cruz was 4x5 with a triple and an RBI; Jonathan Villar (2B, RBI) and Brandon Barnes (HR, 2RBI) had three hits each. Jay Austin and Andy Simunic had two hits each.

Man of the Match: Brandon Barnes

Lexington

Hagerstown took a 3-0 lead after the first, Lexington scored the next four for a 4-3 lead going into the bottom of the third, where the Hagerstown...Smiling Baseballs (according to their logo) got four in the bottom of the inning to snag the 8-5 win. Luis Cruz allowed 6H/7R (4ER), 4K:1BB in 4IP - oh yeah, there were errors by Jonathan Meyer, Brian Kemp, Rene Garcia, and Jimmy Paredes (his 37th error). Brad Dydalewicz gave up a hit and three walks in 3IP (1ER), and Mike Schurz walked one in an otherwise uneventful inning. Kody Hinze was 3x4, with his 15th homer and was a triple short of the cycle and 2RBI. Jimmy Paredes and Our Boy Aaron Bray had two hits each, with Jake Goebbert and Renzo Tello adding RBIs.

Man of the Match: Kody Hinze.

Tri-City

Tri-City took a 4-2 lead after four innings, and held in for a 5-3 win over Vermont. Since having their game against Connecticut called for rain, the ValleyCats are 6-4. Alex Sogard got the start, allowing 4H/2ER, 2K:0BB, WP in 3.1IP. Murillo Gouvea got the win with 2.2IP, 3H/1ER, 2K:1BB. Travis Blankenship, Brandt Walker, and Jorge De Leon closed it out with 3IP, 2H/0ER, 2K:1BB combined. Ben Orloff was 3x4 with a double and an RBI (and was caught stealing twice). Enrique Hernandez, Tyler Burnett (HR), and Mike Kvasnicka were each 2x4. The top four spots in the lineup provided 4RBI.

Man of the Match: Tyler Burnett.

Greeneville

Greeneville never led in the game, down 3-0, then 3-1, then 4-1, then 4-3 after the 7th, and Johnson City added a comfort run, winning 5-3. Travis Smink took the loss with 2.2IP, 5H/3ER, 3K:1BB. Gabe Garcia struck out three in 2IP, while Jeiler Castillo and Brian Streilein each gave up a run - with Cole's hit allowing Streilein's run. Rafael Valenzuela hit his first homer (striking out three times in his other ABs), and Chris Wallace was 1x2 with an RBI and a walk.

Man of the Match: Uhhh...Rafael Valenzuela?

GCL Astros

The GCL Cardinals almost blanked the GCL Astros, giving up the run in the 9th inning, for a 6-1 win. Danilo Del Rio took the loss, allowing 4IP, 4H/3ER, 2K:1BB, 2WP. B.J. Hagen allowed 4H/1ER in 2IP, Ebert Rosario - another former position player learning how to pitch - threw a perfect 7th to lower his ERA to 33.75, and Pedro Gomez allowed 3H/2ER in 2IP. The GCL Astros got four hits - Josh Magee, Ronald Sanchez (BB, RBI), Jose Monzon, and Chan-Jong Moon.

Man of the Match: Ronald Sanchez

Eddie's Farm: July 26

Round Rock

Rally! Round Rock scores the final three runs of the game, including the game-winner on Matt Kata's walk-off single, for a 6-5 win. Leandro Cespedes got the start (oddly enough, as he's been in Lancaster all season), throwing 6IP, 8H/5ER, 1K:3BB, allowing 2HR. Jeff Fulchino allowed a hit in a rehab appearance, and Danny Meszaros got the win, allowing 1H/1BB in 2IP. No Express player had more than one hit, though Brian Bogusevic was 0x2 with 3BB, and Edwin Maysonet was 1x2 with 2BB (RBI). Drew Locke hit a solo homer in the 8th and tacked on another RBI.

Man of the Match: Drew Locke.

Corpus

Down 5-0 to Frisco, Corpus scored all their runs in the 7th. Good thing that was enough for a 6-5 win. Jordan Lyles improved to 7-8, with 6IP, 8H/5R (2ER), 4K:1BB, dropping his ERA to 3.17. Jailen Peguero allowed 1H/0ER, 4K:0BB in 3IP of relief. Freddy Parejo was 3x5 (RBI), J.D. Martinez was 2x5 (RBI), and Jon Gaston was 2x4 with a triple and 3RBI. Jack Shuck drew two walks. Jose Vallejo was 0x3 with 2K:1BB (now hitting .123) and committed an error. He is 3x33 in his last ten games, with 14K:1BB.

Man of the Match: Jon Gaston

Lancaster

Off.

Lexington

For the second straight game, Lexington was blanked 3-0 by Savannah. Juan Minaya took the loss, despite throwing 6IP, 3H/1R (0ER), 7K:3BB. Brenden Stines allowed 2H/2R (1ER), 0K:2BB in 2IP. The Legends only got four hits, one each from Jiovanni Mier, Jonathan Meyer (2B), Kody Hinze, and Our Boy Aaron Bray. Grant Hogue, Brian Kemp (SB) and Jake Goebbert each drew a walk, and the Legends were 0x7 w/RISP.

Man of the Match: Juan Minaya

Tri-City

Tri-City went into the 6th down 2-1, and came out up 6-2 on their way to an 8-3 win over Vermont. Bobby Doran threw 5IP, 5H/2R (1ER), 5K:0BB for his first professional win. Murillo Gouvea threw 3IP, 1H/0ER, 6K:1BB, and Jorge De Leon finally allowed his first earned run, giving up 2H/1ER, 1K:0BB in 1IP. Enrique Hernandez was 3x5 with three runs scored, two doubles, and an RBI, while Tyler Burnett (HR, 3RBI), Mike Kvasnicka (RBI), and Jacke Healey (2B) had two hits each. After hitting .108 in June, Kvasnicka is hitting .275/.323/.407 in July, and is hitting .349/.370/.605 in his last ten games.

Man of the Match: Tyler Burnett

Greeneville

Greeneville took the series opener at Elizabethton with a 4-3 win. Euris Quezada threw 6.2IP, 6H/3ER, 7K:2BB for the win, while Garrett Bullock (1IP, 1H/0ER), and Ryan Cole (1.1IP, 2H/0ER) closed it out. Chris Wallace - who is killing it - was 2x4 with a walk. Telvin Nash hit a three-run homer, and drew a walk, and Our Boy Bubby Williams was 1x4 on the night.

Man of the Match: Telvin Nash

GCL Astros

Off.

Eddie's Farm: July 17

Round Rock

A day after combining for 29 runs, Albuquerque managed to shutout Round Rock 3-0. Andy Van Hekken allowed 10H/3ER, 4K:2BB, but kept the Isotopes to an 0x6 line w/RISP. Danny Meszaros threw a scoreless 8th in his Triple-A debut. The Express only got five hits on the night - two from Tommy Everidge, and one from Bogusevic, Vazquez (double), and Edwin Bellorin.

Man of the Match: Andy Van Hekken

Corpus

RALLY! Corpus scores three in the eighth for a 4-2 win. Doug Arguello threw 5IP, 8H/2ER, 1K:4BB in the start. The bullpen held Frisco to 0H/2BB over the final four innings. Matt Nevarez took the win with two scoreless innings, and Jeilen Peguero and Evan Englebrook also threw scoreless innings to close it out. Freddy Parejo was 2x4 with 2RBI, and Jon Gaston was 2x3 with a walk. Jack Shuck got on base twice via hit and walk, and J.D. Martinez hit a two-out, go-ahead two-run triple in the eighth.

Man of the Match: I'm sorry, it's going to J.D. Martinez again.

Lancaster

Ross Seaton struggled again as San Jose beat Lancaster 7-5. Seaton allowed 10H/6ER in 3IP, with 3K:0BB and 3HR. Edwin Walker allowed 3H/0ER, 2K:3BB in 4IP of relief, while Brian Wabick allowed a run in IP, and Kyle Godfrey threw a perfect 9th. Brian Pellegrini and Barry Butera each hit two run homers and Lee Cruz hit a solo shot, meaning that all five JetHawk runs came by the long ball. Brandon Wikoff was 2x3, and John Curtis was on base twice with a hit and drawing the only walk of the game.

Man of the Match: Barry Butera.

Lexington

Another rough start for Brad Dydalewicz and the Legends pitching staff leads to a 15-4 win for Hickory. Dydalewicz allowed 8H/10ER, with 2K:8BB (eight walks, just in case you were skimming) for 16 baserunners in 4IP. Mike Schurz allowed two of those runs with his own performance - 2.2IP, 6H/5ER, 3K:1BB. Dan Sarisky threw 1.1IP, 1H/0ER and Colton Pitkin threw a perfect 9th. Jake Goebbert was 3x4 with a double and a homer, and Altuve, Hinze (RBI), Meyer (RBI), and Hogue got the other hits. Jiovanni Mier was pinch-hit for in the 8th after an 0x3 day.

Man of the Match: Jake Goebbert

Tri-City

Brooklyn held Tri-City to four hits in an 8-0 shutout over the ValleyCats. David Martinez allowed 8H/5R (3ER), 1K:1BB; Jason Chowning allowed 2H/1ER (and two of Martinez' runs) in 1.1IP. Alex Sogard allowed 5H/2ER, 2K:0BB and Mike Ness got the final out of the game. The ValleyCats committed almost as many errors (3) as they got hits (4). Errors by Kvasnicka, Enrique Hernandez, and Wilton Infante led to two unearned runs. Tyler Burnett (double, BB), Ben Heath, Dan Adamson, and Wilton Infante provided your hits.

Man of the Match: Tyler Burnett.

Greeneville

Doubleheader with Bluefield...

Game 1: Bluefield gets six in the top of the first, and then holds on for a 9-6 win. Ruben Alaniz allowed 5H/6ER, 0K:2BB in 0.2IP; Garrett Bullock struck out six, walked one, and allowed three hits (one of Alaniz' runs) in 3.1IP, and Paul Gerrish allowed 2H/3R (1ER), 2K:2BB in 3IP. Bryce Lane and Hector Rodriguez were each 2x3; Ricardo Garcia, Jonathan Merritt, Emilio King, Ryan Humphrey (HR), and Rodriguez provided your RBI. Alaniz has allowed 16ER in his last 3.1IP - having allowed 2ER in his first 16IP.

Man of the Match: Garrett Bullock

Game 2: Once again, Bluefield got out to a 6-0 lead, and despite a late run, Greeneville lost 6-3. Jeiler Castillo allowed 4H/3R (2ER), Phil Rorabaugh was charged with three unearned runs in 1IP, and Justin Harper walked three, but didn't allow a hit in 2IP. Hector Rodriguez' two errors, and one from Rorabaugh led to four unearned runs. The six Gastros hits were spread out over six players, with Jonathan Merritt (3B) and Ryan Humphrey (2RBI) standing out. Our Boy Bubby Williams - recipient of the 2nd Annual Astros County Adopt-a-Player contest - was 0x2 with a walk and a run.

Man of the Match: Ryan Humphrey.

GCL Astros

The GCL Marlins got themselves a walk-off in the 11th for a 3-2 win over the GCL Astros. Francis Ramirez allowed 1H/0ER, 1K:3BB in 3IP; Matison Smith gave up 6H/2R (1ER) in 4IP. Recently-demoted B.J. Hagen took the loss with 3H/1R (0ER), 0K:2BB in 3.1IP with Pedro Gomez facing one batter, and ending the game with a throwing error by 2B Josh Magee that scored Yefri Perez. Jordan Scott had your only multi-hit game (2x4, BB), and Jose Vargas was 0x5 with 2RBI and an outfield assist (nailing Lopez at home in the 7th).

Man of the Match: Jose Vargas.

Eddie's Farm: July 14

Round Rock

The Express were off, but it was the Triple-A All-Star Game, and Josh Banks was on the hook for the 2-1 loss. Banks allowed 3H/2ER in the 6th inning. Brian Bogusevic didn't get in the game.

Corpus

Off.

Lancaster

LAncaster blew a huge lead in their 14-11 loss to Modesto. The JetHawks took an 8-0 lead into the 5th, allowed it to get to 11-8 by the mid-7th, tied it up, and ended up allowing the final three runs in the top of the 9th. Kyle Greenwalt threw 5.2IP, 8H/5ER, 5K:2BB, while a bullpen of Godfrey, Modica (4H/4ER, 0 outs), Edwin Walker, Brian Wabick, and David Berner combining to allow 8H/9ER, 2K:5BB in 3.1IP. David Flores was 4x5 with two doubles, Jay Austin was 2x5 (SB, RBI), Albert Cartwright was 2x4 (HR, 2RBI), Brian Pellegrini was 2x5 (HR, 2RBI), and Barry Butera rounded out the two-hit games with 2x5 (3RBI). Lee Cruz added a home run, as well.

Man of the Match: Barry Butera

Lexington

The Legends withstood a late Hickory rally and took it 7-4. Juan Minaya threw 5IP, 2H/0ER, 5K:3BB for the win. Zach Grimmett allowed 4H/3ER, 3K:1BB in 3IP; Colton Pitkin allowed 2H/1ER and Kirk Clark got his 20th save with 1H/0ER in 0.2IP. Lots of two-hit games here: Jose Altuve (SB, RBI), J.D. Martinez (BB, HR, 2RBI), Jonathan Meyer (2B), Our Boy Aaron Bray (2RBI), and Jiovanni Mier (2B, BB). Can we just point out the turnaround Our Boy Aaron Bray has experienced this season? In April/May, he was 18x93 with three extra-base hits. Since June 1, he has gone 38x107 with nine extra-base hits, raising his average to .267.

Man of the Match: J.D. Martinez

Tri-City

The ValleyCats took it to Auburn with an 11-2 win last night. Carlos Quevedo threw 6IP, 7H/2ER, 4K:1BB for the win, while Alex Sogard (1K), Jason Chowning (1H, 1K), and Jorge De Leon (1K) threw three scoreless innings in relief. Tyler Burnett was 3x3 with a three runs, a double, homer, two walks and two RBI. Ben Heath (2x4, 2B, HR, 2RBI), Ben Orloff (2x6), Mike Kvasnicka (2x5, 2B, 3RBI), and Wilton Infante (2x4, 2B, BB) recorded your multi-hit games. Jacke Healey was 1x5 with 2RBI.

Man of the Match: Tyler Burnett

Greeneville

The New Guys dominated this game, as Greeneville held Burlington to a three-hit shutout in a 6-0 win. Mike Foltynewicz threw 4IP, 2H/0ER, 5K:0BB and Vincent Velasquez earned his first professional win with 3IP, 1H/0ER, 4K:0BB. Jeiler Castillo and Brian Streilein threw perfect innings. Foltynewicz got five strikeouts, five groundball outs, and two fly outs. Velasquez got three groundball outs, and two fly outs. Emilio King was 3x4 with two doubles, and Ricardo Garcia (2x4), Jhonny Medrano (2x3, 2B, HR, 2RBI) and Marcus Nidiffer (2x4, HR, RBI) had your multi-hit games. Chris Wallace hit a 2-run homer, his sixth of the year.

Man of the Match: Foltynewicz/Velasquez.

GCL Astros

The GCL Cardinals shutout the GCL Astros 3-0. Mark Jones threw 6IP, 5H/0ER, 6K:1BB while Austin Lucas took the loss with 3H/2R (1ER) in 1.1IP. Matison Smith allowed an unearned run on a hit and a walk in 1.2IP. Jones got ten groundball outs, six strikeouts, and two flyouts on the night. Jose Fernandez had two of the Astros' five hits, with Ryan Ditthardt, Kyle Redinger, and Jordan Scott collecting the other hits.

Man of the Match: Mark Jones (Who?) Mark Jones.

Eddie's Farm: June 19

Round Rock

It was close...for a while. The Express found themselves down 5-4 going into the 8th, and then Omaha broke it open for a 10-4 win. Shane Loux threw 6IP, 4H/5R (4ER), 1K:1BB for the loss, while Evan Englebrook gave up 3H/2ER, 2K:1BB in 2IP and T.J. Burton allowed 1H/2BB, 2ER in 1IP. But Round Rock did some hitting. Bogusevic (RBI), Johnson (RBI), Kata, and Locke had two hits each. Jason Castro hit his 4th HR - a two-run shot - of the season in the 5th inning.

Man of the Match: Jason Castro.

Corpus

Rough start for Tyler Lumsden as Frisco scored all their runs in the first three innings on their way to a 7-3 win. Lumsden gave up 8H/7ER in 2.1IP, but Erik Stiller and Jeilen Peguero combined for 6.2IP of relief, allowing 3H/0ER (Peguero was perfect in 3IP), 4K:0BB. Fielding was an issue, as well as Florentino, Lumsden, and Clemens all committed errors. Jack Shuck and German Duran had two hits each, Gaston (RBI), Clemens (who was also HBPed twice), Cook, and Cabral (solo HR) each added a hit.

Man of the Match: Jeilen Peguero.

Lancaster

Jeez. Lancaster and High Desert actually traded 8-run innings and High Desert came out on top 16-8. Lancaster had an 8-0 lead, and then gave up 16 UNANSWERED RUNS. Let's run through this: Shane Wolf gave up 10H/6R (4ER) in 3IP. Ashton Mowdy gave up 5H/6R (2ER) in 1.2IP. Brian Wabick allowed 3H/2ER in 1IP. Mike Modica allowed 1H/2ER in 1IP. And David Berner was the only pitcher to not see a Maverick cross home plate in 1IP. Six unearned runs hurts, and can be attributed to Mark Ori and Andy Simunic's errors. Of course, the JetHawks did get 12 hits. David Flores was 3x4 with a homer. Lee Cruz was 2x4 with a grand slam. Federico Hernandez was 2x4, getting both hits - which were both homers - in the same inning. The JetHawks mercifully take a break for the All-Star Game, and won't play again until Thursday.

Man of the Match: Federico Hernandez.

Lexington

Rough game for the Legends. Dydalewicz gets torched and the Legends can only come up with two hits for a 7-1 loss. Dydalewicz allowed 6H/7ER, 3K:2BB in 2.2IP, and the bullpen of Leon, Schurz, Clark, and Pitkin held Delmarva to 2H/0ER, 10K:3BB in 5.1IP. Jiovanni Mier and Kody Hinze both had doubles, for the only Legends hits of the game, while J.D. Martinez and Grant Hogue walked. Mier also committed his 19th error of the season. Lexington will finish up the series against Delmarva today, and take a break for the All-Star Game.

Man of the Match: Kody Hinze - 1x3, double, and scored the lone run.

Tri-City

Errors by Ben Orloff and Oscar Figueroa led to four unearned runs and the ValleyCats lost 7-3. Bobby Doran threw 2.2IP, 2H/3R (0ER), 3K:0BB. The pitching staff was once again a strikeout machine (or the Connecticut Tigers are strikeout machines. We'll have to reserve judgment on that), striking out 11 Tigers, and walking three. Brendan Stines, Jeiler Castillo, Alex Sogard, Andrew/James Robinson (can we get a verdict on what his name actually is?) and Brandt Walker all made their season debuts. Tyler Burnett was 2x4, and Orloff, Figueroa, Ben Heath, and Renzo Tello had hits. Heath also allowed two passed balls.

Man of the Match: Tyler Burnett.

More Draft signings!

The Chronicle also says that seven more draft picks have signed:

14th Round pick Jordan Scott (HS)
17th Round pick Tyler Burnett
18th Round pick Josh Magee (HS)
20th Round pick Daniel Adamson
31st Round pick Travis Blankenship
33rd Round pick Mike Ness
37th Round pick Brian Streilein

Also signed 5'8" 160lb SS Jonathan Merritt, out of UAB. He hit .295/.417/.497 with 33K:32BB in 2010.

From Alabama's NBC 13:
The Douglasville, Ga., product was a four-year starter at UAB and finished his career this spring with a second-team all-conference season. He led the Blazers with 15 doubles while also hitting six home runs, scoring 47 runs, driving in 45 and stealing 13 bases in 13 attempts. A career .309 hitter, Merritt scored more runs (194) and recorded more at-bats (851) than any player in UAB history. He also ranks in the top five in the Blazers’ career record book for hits (263, 3rd), doubles (54, 3rd), RBI (137, 5th) and stolen bases (61, 5th).

With the 17th Round pick (513th overall)

The Astros select 6'0" 205lb 3B Tyler Burnett, a junior out of Middle Tennessee State.

Burnett hit .351/.415/.584 in 57 games for MTSU this season, with 31 extra-base hits, 45 RBI, 30K:25BB in 245 ABs. He was a 2010 Preseason All-Sun Belt Conference pick, after hitting .344 in 2009.

The Murfreesboro Post:
Tyler Burnett has performed well in a number of different positions in the line-up this season beginning the year as the lead-off and then moving to the clean-up spot for a while. He has 12 games with three or more hits. In 13 games he has recorded multiple RBI. In the series finale with Troy he went 2 for 5 with a double, home run, and four RBI to help hand the Blue Raiders the series win. Burnett ranks in the top in the Sun Belt in four categories including batting average, slugging percentage and total bases.

Presumably MTSU's coach:
“Tyler has been a solid force for us offensively in all parts of the line-up. I have asked him to hit anywhere from the top to near the bottom and he has hit for power and average. He made the move from short stop to third base and at times has made big league plays. He shows a lot of potential to being an outstanding infielder the more he plays the position.”