From the Office of the County Clerk - G29: Marlins (14-14) @ Astros (13-15)

Carlos Zambrano (0-2, 2.53) v.s. Wandy Rodriguez (3-2, 1.64)

Wandy Rodriguez hadn't given up a single homerun in his first 6 starts of the year, but he gave up 3 tonight in a 4-0 loss to the Marlins. The Astros offense remained stagnant and the Astros dropped their second straight after their 5 game winning streak came to an end. The Astros fall back to 13-16 while the Marlins improve to 15-14.

*Wandy Rodriguez wasn't at his best tonight, giving up his first 3 homeruns of the season and taking the Loss to fall to 3-3 on the year. Brad Mills gave him a chance to finish the game, but he surrendered a homerun and a double in the 9th without recording an out. His line: 8.0 IP / 6 H / 4 ER / 2 BB / 2 K. Brandon Lyon relieved Wandy in the 9th and struck out the side in a scoreless effort.

Observations:

*The Astros only collected 3 hits tonight - all singles, and only 2 by starters (Altuve and Buck). The third was by Brian Bogusevic in a pinch hitting role in the 9th.

*The Astros struck out 9 times tonight and only drew one walk (and the 3 hits). Hard to score when you don't get on base.

*JD Martinez returned to the lineup and batted third....and went 0 for 3 with a strikeout to continue his awful slump. His last hit came on May 1 against the Mets. He is 1 for 18 in May.

*Jordan Schafer went 0 for 3 tonight as well, and was hit in the knee by Zambrano. One thing that did concern me was that Schafer completely let up on a groundball out early in the game. I get that it was routine, but lets see some hustle out there. The entire team really looked like they didn't care tonight, and yesterdays effort was the same thing.

*Perhaps I put too much pressure on Schafer and the Astros. I asked him for a homerun and an Astros win on Twitter today for my birthday. I'm sure the pressure to not let me down was a contributing factor in the loss today.

*A bit of a weird night tonight with some odd plays. There was a strikeout/catcher interference double play called on the Astros (when Altuve stole second but Marlins catcher John Buck hit JD Martinez with his arm, so Altuve was called out anyway)....there was a Carlos Lee at bat where he fouled one ball into the Astros radio booth and broke an Astros logo light, and very nearly took out Jed Lowrie in the on deck circle.....and there was even a bunt attempt by the Marlins Emilio Bonifacio which he laid down but then ran into, causing him to be called out for interference. Very interesting night. 

Turning Point:

Giancarlo Stanton came up to the plate with a runner on in a scoreless game in the top of the 4th and made it 2-0 with one swing of the bat. It was the only runs the Marlins would need.

Man of the Match:

Yuck. The Astros only recorded 3 hits tonight, all singles. Brandon Lyon threw an excellent inning of relief, but i'm going with Travis Buck here. He's earning more playing time the way he has been playing. He finished 1 for 2 with a walk, and very easily could have been 2 for 2 if not for a great diving grab by Gaby Sanchez in the 8th.

Goat of the Game:

The Astros offense. Wandy had held the Marlins to 3 runs through the first 8 innings, which should realistically give them a fighting chance. But Zambrano was just too much for them tonight. Chris Johnson was probably the worst with his 0 for 3 night and 2 K's, but really nobody was very good tonight at the plate (other than Buck).

The stuff of Legends

The Lexington Legends recently passed through my area to play a three game series against the Greenville Drive, where they won two of three to take the series. During their stay in Greenville I was able to learn a bit more about several members of the team.

After hitting just .207/.294/.287 in 49 games last year, 2011 27th round pick Alex Todd has turned things around so far this season. The Lexington shortstop is hitting .321/.404/.432 and has drastically improved his strikeout and walk rates while also improving his defense. He was nice enough to answer a quick question prior to Friday's game.

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I was also able to get several minutes with Lexington hitting coach Josh Bonifay and we talked about a handful of interesting players.

Mike Kvasnicka was a first round pick in 2010 as a third baseman, despite being generally regarded as a better catching prospect. After hitting .260/.328/.368 last season while playing a terrible third base, Astros new management decided to move Kvasnicka back behind the plate. So far he's made the transition defensively, but his offense is a different story. His line so far is .143/.200/.274.

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Matt Duffy was a 20th round pick in 2011 and, due to the perceived lack of third base prospects in the Astros system, a lot of people were looking for him to breakout this year. After a promising .298/.370/.417 last year, he's working to fulfill those wishes as he's hitting .328/.378/.509 this year for Lexington. He's also doubled his home runs in half the at bats.

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Delino DeShields Jr. is in a similar situation as Kvasnicka. As a first round pick in 2010, DeShields has been tasked with a position change as he transitions from center field to second base. Last season was his first at the new position and he struggled to a line of .220/.305/.322. This season he's looked like a different player, especially on defense, as his offense has improved more than his .255/.362/.355 line would indicate. His walk and strikeout rates have both improved and he's a perfect 18 for 18 in stolen base attempts so far.

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Zach Johnson exploded onto the scene early this year, but has cooled off as late. The 2011 15th round pick hit .262/.339/.369 last season, showing little power for a first baseman. This season we've seen a dramatic increase in extra base hits as well as a much improved walk rate, leading to a line of .268/.364/.491 with as many extra base hits in just 112 at bats as he had last season in 271 at bats.

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Drew Muren is an interesting player. The 2011 20th round pick is a lanky 6'6" 195 pound center fielder with a cannon for an arm. While his .270/.327/.393 line may not look that intriguing his size alone makes him stand out.

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The last player we talked about was 2010 14th round pick Jordan Scott. The left fielder was named the Greeneville Astros MVP last year and hit .301/.372/.370 across three levels last season. He started hot this season, but has cooled considerably to a line of .253/.374/.273. He's obviously still getting on base, but needs to get back to making better contact and could stand to hit for a little more power, as well.

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McTaggart's minor league updates

Brian McTaggart of mlb.com just posted his Minor League Notebook, and most of it consists of a decent update on Mike Foltynewicz.

What jumped out at me, though, was the news that Jack Armstrong underwent Tommy John surgery two weeks ago. I'm not sure how I missed news that big, but apparently Armstrong will miss the entire 2012 season.

Luhnow talks trades

Ken Rosenthal talked to Jeff Luhnow about whether the 13-15 Astros are going to be selling, and when...

“I think late this summer there will be demand for some of our players. We’ll have those conversations. But right now, we’re not actively pushing anything."

Of course there are other quotes you can read for yourself over at Rosenthal's piece. But we talked about this on Houston Gameday yesterday - at what point should the Astros look at selling? What if they're five games back in mid-July? What if they're ten games back? Do you trade Wandy - the clear SP1 of the staff - if the Astros are within striking distance? Or do you listen to all offers, and see what comes up? How close is too close?

PreStros Farm Report: May 6

PreStros: May 6

Oklahoma City (17-14) 

The RedHawks lost their second straight game on a walk-off, losing 10-7 to Omaha (KC).

Henry Sosa went 5 innings and gave up 7 runs (5 earned) on 7 H and 3 BB with 1 K. Adalberto Flores threw two scoreless innings with 1 BB and 2 K to allow OKC to get back into the game. Juan Abreu gave up the walk-off HR after going 1.2 innings. He allowed 3 R on 2 H and 1 BB with 2 K.

2B-Brian Bixler was 0x2 with 3 BB, 1 R, and 1 RBI. DH-Scott Moore went 1x4 with 1 BB and 1 HR. CF-Justin Ruggiano was 2x4 with 1 BB, 1 HR and 2 RBI. RF-Fernando Martinez was 2x5 with 1 R. 1B-Mike Hessman was 2x4 with 1 R. 3B-Brett Wallace went 3x5 with 1 2B, 2 R, and 2 RBI with 1 error, just his 2nd of the season.

Man of the Match: Brett Wallace

Corpus Christi (12-18) 

The Hooks losing skid reached eight games after getting shutout by San Antonio (SD) 10-0. This Corpus team is shaping up to be very streaky; they’ve also had a losing streak of five games and a winning streak of five games this season.

Jake Buchanan had a rough day, lasting just 4 innings, plus four batters in the fifth, and allowing 7 R on 9 H, including 3 HR, 1 HBP, and 1 BB with 3 K. Jonnathan Aristil pitched 1 inning without getting charged with a run, with 1 K. Josh Zeid allowed 2 R on 3 H and 1 BB with 1 K in 1 IP. Arcenio Leon went 2 innings and gave up 1 R on 2 H and 2 BB with 4 K. Kevin Chapman pitched the final inning, allowing 2 BB with 1 K

2B-Jose Martinez was 2x4. SS-Jonathan Villar went 2x4.

Man of the Match: Jose Martinez

Lancaster (15-15) 

Lancaster finished the sweep of Stockton (OAK) by winning 6-2 Sunday.

Newly promoted Tyson Perez shut down the Ports with 6 innings of 1 R ball, allowing just 2 H, including a solo HR, with 4 K. Gabriel Garcia went .2 innings and allowed 1 R on 3 H. Jose Trinidad went 1.1 scoreless innings with 1 K. Kirk Clark finished out the game with 1 scoreless inning with 1 K.

SS-Ben Orloff went 3x5 with 3 RBI and 1 SB. CF-George Springer was 2x5. RF-Domingo Santana was 2x5 with 1 HR. LF-Adam Bailey went 2x5 with  1 2B, 2 R, and 1 SB. 3B-Jonathan Meyer was 2x4 with 2 R, 1 SB, and 1 error.

Man of the Match: Tyson Perez

Lexington (14-16) 

Luis Ordosgiotti’s Lexington debut was a rough one as the Legends fell to Asheville (COL) 8-5.

Ordosgiotti went just 3.2 innings and got tagged for 7 runs (6 earned) on 11 H with 5 K. Nathan Pettus threw 3.1 innings allowing just 1 solo HR and 1 BB with 3 K. Euris Quezada pitched a scoreless inning to finish up.

2B-John Hinson was 2x5 with 1 HR and 1 error. 3B-Matt Duffy was 3x4 with 1 2B, 1 R, and 1 RBI. SS-Alex Todd was 2x4 with 1 BB. DH-Mike Kvasnicka went 2x5 with 1 2B, 1 HR, 2 R, and 2 RBI.

Man of the Match: Mike Kvasnicka

Tri-City (0-0) 

Season begins June 18.

Greeneville (0-0) 

Season begins June 19.

GCL Astros (0-0) 

Season begins June 18.

DSL Astros (0-0) 

Season schedule not yet posted. Opening Day June 2nd.

From the Office of the County Clerk - G28: Cardinals (16-10) @ Astros (13-14)

Adam Wainwright (1-3, 6.75) v.s. JA Happ (2-1, 4.60)

The Astros winning streak came crashing to an end with an 8-1 loss to the Cardinals today. The Cardinals jumped on Astros starter JA Happ early and often, scoring off of him in each of the first 4 innings, and the offense couldn't get anything going all day. The Astros did however take 2 of 3 from the Cardinals to win the series, which we will certainly take. The 'Stros now sit at 13-15 before hosting the Marlins tomorrow, while the Cardinals improve to 17-10.

*JA Happ was far too hittable and far too wild right from the words "Play Ball" today and took the loss. His line was an unimpressive 5.0 IP / 6 H / 6 R / 5 ER / 4 BB / 3 K. He gave up 2 homeruns on the day as well. The Astros bullpen came into the game ranked 3rd in the NL with a 2.85 ERA, but Del Rosario and Abad each gave up a run in an inning of work today. Brandon Lyon threw a scoreless inning to wrap up the day.

Observations:

*Jordan Schafer was back in the lineup leading off today, but he went 0 for 4 with a strikeout to end his consecutive games reaching base mark at 25. He will end up tied for the franchise record.

*Jose Altuve got back on track with a 2 for 4 day from the #2 spot.

*JD Martinez got his second day off in the past 7 days during his slump. Travis Buck started for him in left field, and Mills (oddly) put Bogusevic batting 3rd. Bogusevic went 0 for 4 with a strikeout. I would love to hear why Mills thought Bogusevic should be batting in the 3 hole today, when he has done nothing all season to warrant it. Bogey is now hitting .212/.330/.329 on the year. Buck was hitting out of the 6 spot and went 1 for 3 with a walk. His line in limited work this year is a pretty solid .297/.366/.459.

*While i'm second guessing Mills, the past few days he has been juggling the lineup and batting order non-stop. Aren't these the kind of changes you are going to want to make when you are slumping and trying to shake things up? Not when you are in the middle of a 5 game winning streak. When things are going good....leave them alone!

*Lowrie, Castro and CJ each picked up a single on the day. Carlos Lee went 2 for 4 and scored the Astros only run of the day on a Wild Pitch. Lowrie now has a 9 game hitting streak.

Turning Point:

The Allen Craig first inning homerun put the Cardinals ahead right off the bat, and the Astros could never recover.

Man of the Match:

Yuck. Hard to pick one out of today's all around stinker. I'll give it to Carlos Lee for his 2 for 4 day at the plate and scoring the Astros only run all day.

Goat of the Game:

JA Happ was not at all sharp today, struggling with his command and digging his offense a huge hole that they would never climb out of.

PreStros Farm Report: May 5

PreStros: May 5

Oklahoma City (17-13) 

A wild finish saw three lead changes in the final three innings before the RedHawks lost to Omaha (KC) 10-9 in the eleventh.

Jordan Lyles threw 6 innings, giving up 5 R on 7 H, 3 HBP, and 3 BB with 2 K. Xavier Cedeno went 1 scoreless inning with 1 K. Rhiner Cruz went .2 innings, allowing 2 R (1 ER) on 1 BB and 1 HBP with 2 K. Jose Valdez also turned in .2 innings, allowing 2 R on 2 H and 2 BB. Mickey Storey took the loss with the final .2 innings, giving up 1 R on 3 H with 1 K.

3B-Scott Moore went 2x4 with 1 R and 1 RBI. OF-Justin Ruggiano was 2x5 with 2 R and 2 RBI with 1 SB. 1B-Mike Hessman was 2x5 with 1 HR and 2 R. DH-Brett Wallace was 1x5 with 1 HR and 3 RBI. RF-Brad Snyder went 2x3 with 2 BB and 1 HR.

Man of the Match: Scott Moore

Corpus Christi (12-17) 

The Hooks losing streak reached seven games after getting shutout by San Antonio (SD) 6-0.

Brett Oberholtzer went 6 innings and gave up 4 R on 5 H, including 3 HR, and 3 BB with 5 K. Erick Abreu threw 3 innings, allowing 2 R on 2 H with 2 K.

LF-Austin Wates was 1x4 with 1 SB. RF-Jake Goebbert went 2x4.

Man of the Match: Jake Goebbert

Lancaster (14-15) 

After a crazy finish in which both teams scored five runs in the ninth inning, the JetHawks held on to win 8-7 against Stockton (OAK).

Bobby Doran had a strong start, lasting 7.1 innings and allowing 2 R on 7 H and 1 BB with 3 K. Jorge De Leon has roughed up in 1.1 innings, giving up 5 R on 5 H. Pat Urckfitz shut the door for the final out.

SS-Ben Orloff went 2x4 with 1 BB and 1 R. 1B-Erik Castro was 2x3 with 1 BB and 2 R. 3B-Jonathan Meyer was 2x4 with 1 2B, 2 R, and 1 RBI. LF-Adam Bailey went 2x3 with 1 BB, 2 HR, and 5 RBI. Bailey has back-to-back two home run games.

Man of the Match: Adam Bailey

Lexington (14-15) 

The Legends opened their series in Asheville (COL) with a 5-1 victory.

Nick Tropeano went 7 shutout innings, giving up just 2 H and 2 BB with 8 K. Murilo Gouvea went the final 2 innings, allowing 1 R on 2 H with 2 K.

2B-Delino DeShields went 1x3 with 1 BB. LF-Jordan Scott was 1x5 with 1 SB and 1 RBI. DH-Brandon Meredith was 2x4 with 1 2B, 1 R, and 1 RBI. RF-Chris Epps was 1x4 with 1 2B and 2 RBI.

Man of the Match: Nick Tropeano

Tri-City (0-0) 

Season begins June 18.

Greeneville (0-0) 

Season begins June 19.

GCL Astros (0-0) 

Season begins June 18.

DSL Astros (0-0) 

Season schedule not yet posted. Opening Day June 2nd.

From the Office of the County Clerk - G27: Cardinals (16-9) @ Astros (12-14)

Jaime Garcia (2-1, 2.78) v.s. Bud Norris (1-1, 5.46)

The Astros fell behind early as Bud Norris got himself into trouble in the 1st, partially because of a Chris Johnson error. However Johnson would redeem himself in the bottom of the 1st with his first career Grand Slam to put the Astros up 4-1, a lead which they would never relinquish as they beat the Cardinals by an 8-2 count tonight. The Astros are within a game of .500 as they move to 13-14, while the Cardinals now sit at 16-10.

*Bud Norris had a rough first inning, but bounced back very nicely after that and turned in a solid effort in picking up the Win. His line: 6.0 IP / 3 H / 1 R / 0 ER / 4 BB / 4 K. He only threw 91 pitches. He now improves to 2-1 with a 4.58 ERA on the young season. Wright, Lopez, Carpter and Abad each got work tonight and were quite efficient in holding the Cardinals to only one additional run over the course of the game.


Observations:
*JD Martinez is slumping bad. Over his past 8 game he is an awful 2 for 26 with 2 RBI and 5 walks. The encouraging sign is that he has only struck out three times in that entire span, so he is still putting the ball in play. Every young player will go through slumps - hopefully JD will work his way out of his soon.

*With Maxwell filling in for Schafer tonight, Altuve was given the nod at the leadoff spot. He didn't respond well going 0 for 4 with a strikeout.

*The Astros now only have two players hitting over .300 - Altuve at .346 and Lowrie at .338. Justin Maxwell went 2 for 3 tonight and is now an even .300 on the year.

*The individual OBP of each Astro this year is a very impressive stat. Check out the OBP of each starter after tonights game (listed in sequence by tonights batting order):

Altuve (.389) -- Bogusevic (.344) -- Martinez (.375) -- Lee (.350) -- Lowrie (.433) -- Johnson (.333) -- Maxwell (.353) -- Castro (.297)

Where is this newfound plate discipline coming from? Not that i'm complaining. The Astros offense has been a very pleasant surprise so far this year.

*Justin Maxwell had 2 doubles in 3 at bats tonight. Very nice outing in a rare start for him.

*Jed Lowrie also stayed hot tonight with yet another homerun - a 2 run shot. He finished 2 for 3 with 2 RBI, a run and a walk.


Turning Point:
The CJ Grand Slam. The Astros were down 1-0 already and in danger of wasting a golden opportunity in their half of the 1st. CJ capitalized big time with his 2 out AB.


Man of the Match:
Chris Johnson could have easily been the goat with his error in the first, but very quickly redeemed himself with his first career Grand Slam into the Crawford Boxes in the bottom half of the inning. Game changer, and all the runs the 'Stros needed.


Goat of the Game:
Altuve, Bogusevic, JD Martinez and Castro (plus Bud Norris) all went hitless tonight. Castro left the most men onbase with 2 LOB. Altuve and Bogey each struck out once. Take your pick. I'm going with Altuve because I doubt you will see him be a Goat many times in his career - and he had his worst game so far this year from the ever important leadoff spot.

PreStros Farm Report: May 4

PreStros: May 4

Oklahoma City (17-12) 

RedHawk hitters couldn’t touch Omaha (KC) starter Ryan Verdugo, leading to the 4-2 loss.

Dallas Keuchel went the distance in the loss, tossing 8 innings and giving up 4 R on 9H and 2 BB with 2 K.

SS-Angel Sanchez was 2x4 with 1 SB. 3B-Scott Moore went 1x4 with 1 HR.

Man of the Match: Scott Moore

Corpus Christi (12-16) 

The streaky Hooks dropped their sixth straight when they lost 6-5 to Midland (OAK).

Jose Cisnero went 3.2 innings, giving up 4 R on 3 H, 4 BB, and 1 HBP with 4 K. Alex Sogard threw 3.1 inning and allowed 1 R on 2 H and 2 BB with 2 K. Jason Stoffel went 1.1 innings and gave up 1 R on 2 H and 2 BB with 1 K. Kevin Chapman gave up the walkoff hit to the only batter he faced, with the run scored being charged to Stoffel.

LF-Austin Wates was 1x5 with 1 HR. RF-Jake Goebbert was 1x4 with 1 BB, 1 HR, and 2 R. 1B-Jon Singleton went 2x4 with 1 2B, 1 R, and 1 RBI. SS-Jonathan Villar was 2x4 with 1 R.

Man of the Match: Jake Goebbert

Lancaster (12-15) 

Two home runs by Adam Bailey, including one inside-the-park, and strong pitching led the JetHawks to a 3-2 victory over Stockton (OAK).

David Martinez went 6 innings and allowed 2 R on 5 H and 1 BB with 6 K. Kirk Clark got the win with 3 scoreless innings, allowing just 1 H.

SS-Ben Orloff went 2x4 with 1 2B and 1 R. CF-George Springer was 2x5 with 1 RBI. 3B-Jonathan Meyer was 2x4 with 1 2B. RF-Adam Bailey went 3x4 with 2 HR. C-Ben Heath went 2x3 with 1 BB.

SS-Jio Mier left the game in the 1st inning with a leg injury suffered on the base paths trying to turn his lead-off double into a triple. If this injury is serious we’ll let everyone know.

Man of the Match: Adam Bailey

Lexington (12-14) 

Fans at Fluor Field were treated to an exciting game that was close the entire nine innings. Delino DeShields’ solo home run in the eighth inning and Jason Chowning’s slider combined to put the game away, as the Legends took the series with a 6-5 victory.

Jonas Dufek went 5.1 innings, giving up 5 R (4 earned) on 7 H and 3 BB with 3 K. Evan Grills battled through 1.2 innings, but held the Drive scoreless with 2 H and 1 BB. Jason Chowning slammed the door with 2 perfect innings and 4 K. The Drive had no chance against Chowning’s slider last night.

2B-Delino DeShields went 1x4 with 1 BB, 2 SB, 1 HR, and 2 R. 1B-Matt Duffy went 2x3 with 1 BB and 1 RBI. SS-Alex Todd went 2x3 with 2 BB, 1 2B, 1 R, and 1 RBI.

Man of the Match: DeShields/Chowning

Tri-City (0-0) 

Season begins June 18.

Greeneville (0-0) 

Season begins June 19.

GCL Astros (0-0) 

Season begins June 18.

DSL Astros (0-0) 

Season schedule not yet posted. Opening Day June 2nd.

From the Office of the County Clerk - G26: Cardinals (16-8) @ Astros (11-14)

Kyle Lohse (4-0, 1.62) v.s. Lucas Harrell (1-2, 4.71)

Kyle Lohse had been unreal so far this year, coming into the game with a 4-0 record and a 1.62 ERA. The Astros spoiled that however as they touched him for 5 runs (3 earned) in 5 innings pitched and held on for a 5-4 win. The Astros have now won 4 games in a row, and improve to 12-14. The Cardinals fall to a still very impressive 16-9.

*Lucas Harrell was just okay tonight, but it was good enough to earn the Win thanks to the good offensive performance the Astros brought forward. Harrell's line: 5.1 IP / 7 H / 4 R / 3 ER / 2 BB / 3 K. He moves to 2-2 on the year with a 4.76 ERA.

Observations:

*After the first couple of innings, it looked like this could be a very high scoring game. All 9 runs were scored in the first 2 and a half innings. The rest of the game was scoreless.

*Wesley Wright, Wilton Lopez and Fernando Rodriguez threw a combined 2.2 IP yielding only 1 hit and 1 walk, with 2 strikeouts and no earned runs to keep the Astros ahead. All 3 pitchers earned a hold in the game. Brett Myers earned his 7th save in 7 chances with a scoreless 9th - although the inning was not without it's drama.

*Myers allowed leadoff hitter Rafael Furcal to reach first on a single. Jon Jay then came up - a guy who has been absolutely red hot so far this season. He blooped a ball to second base which Altuve easily could have caught in the air for the out. Jon Jay assumed that Altuve would do just that, and slowly jogged towards first. Altuve made a VERY heads up play and instead let the ball drop, quickly throwing to Lowrie at second for the first out, who made the turn and just barely beat out Jay at first base for the double play. A very heads up play by Altuve, absolutely great baseball awareness.

*Altuve didn't just excel at defense - as usual his bat was a huge asset again. Tonight he collected a basehit, but also showed his power stroke with a 3 run shot in the bottom of the 2nd. It was his 2nd homerun of the year, and it put the Astros ahead for good. He finished 2 for 5 with 2 runs and 3 RBI, and his now hitting .360/.404/.550 on the year.

*Jordan Schafer tied the Astros franchise record for consecutive games reaching base to start a season with his 25th straight such game tonight. He reached on an error in his first at bat in the first inning, reached in the 2nd on a fielders choice and also reached via a walk on his last at bat in the 8th. He also notched his 10th and 11th stolen bases of the year. Have I mentioned how much I love the way this guy plays?

*Jed Lowrie. What is there left to say about this guy? He bats from the 5 hole tonight, and goes 2 for 4 with a double and an RBI. He also made a great turn and strong throw on the key double play in the 9th. He's hitting .338/.430/.514 on the season.

*Chris Johnson made his third error of the season tonight, a throwing error. He also went 0 for 4 with a strikeout at the plate.

*Did anybody else watching the game notice when Brad Mills was handing out high fives to everybody after the game that Justin Maxwell and Mills turned away from each other when Maxwell reached him in the line and didn't high five? Maybe i'm reading too much into it, but i'm sensing some conflict there for sure. Perhaps Maxwell thinks he should be starting more often. Who knows. Something could come up in the next few days.

*Since I love to pick on Bogusevic I might as well point out that he went 0 for 3 tonight and is now hitting a lowly .231 on the season. BUT he did pick up a walk, and his OBP - believe it or not - is a very good .348. He'll come around.

*How fun was tonights game to watch? High scoring at the start, including a homerun by Altuve, a pitchers duel in the middle innings, and then some nail biting moments at the end, capped by Altuve's very heads up double play - all ending in the Astros 4th straight win. This is a FUN team to watch this year.

Turning Point:

Altuve's 3 run shot in the 2nd put the Astros up 5-2. Although there were some nail biting moments after that....it was all the Astros ended up needing. 

Man of the Match:

Altuve again. Not only did he have the huge 3 run shot, but he had the equally huge heads-up double play in the 9th which was potentially a big turning point. Great job by our small second baseman tonight!

Goat of the Game:

From Man of the Match to Goat of the Game in back to back games. Chris Johnson went 0 for 4 with a strikeout and an error. 

PreStros Farm Report: May 3

PreStros: May 3

Oklahoma City (17-11) 

The Isotopes (LAD) went off on Paul Clemens for a seven run third inning as OKC lost 15-5.

Clemens lasted just 2 innings, plus 4 batters in the 3rd, and was charged with 7 R on 10 H and 1 BB. Sergio Perez gave up 4 R on 7 H, 1 HBP, and 2 BB in 4 innings. Adalberto Flores allowed 3 R on 3 H with 3 K in 1 inning. Juan Abreu gave up 1 R on 4 H with 1 K in 1 inning.

LF-Fernando Martinez was 2x4 with 1 BB and 2 R with 1 outfield assist. 3B-Scott Moore was 3x5 with 2 2B, 2 R, and 1 RBI. CF-Justin Ruggiano went 1x5 with 1 HR and 2 RBI. 2B-Jimmy Paredes was 2x5 with 1 RBI.

Man of the Match: Scott Moore

Corpus Christi (12-15) 

Poor defense kept the Hooks from ever being in this game, as a pair of errors in the second led to a six run inning for Midland (OAK). CC ultimately lost 10-2.

Ross Seaton threw 3 innings (plus two batters in the 4th), allowing 9 R (4 earned) on 7 H and 3 BB with 1 K. Arecenio Leon went 2 innings and gave up 1 R (unearned) on 2 H with 2 K. Jonnathan Aristil went the final 3 innings with 2 H, 1 BB, and 6 K.

LF-Jake Goebbert was 2x4 with 1 3B, 1 R, and 1 RBI.

Man of the Match: Jake Goebbert

Lancaster (12-15) 

Thursday’s game against Bakersfield (CIN) was close all the way, but the JetHawks made the final push to win 8-6.

Ruben Alaniz had his first rough start this season, but still earned the win with 6 IP, giving up 6 R on 9 H and 1 BB with 2 K. Pat Urckfitz threw 2 scoreless innings with 1 H and 1 K. Jorge De Leon pitched a perfect 9th with 2 K to get the save.

SS-Jio Mier was 3x5 with 1 SB, 2 R, 1 RBI, and 1 HR. 1B-Rafy Valenzuela was 2x5 with 1 SB, 2 R and 1 RBI. CF-George Springer went 2x5 with 1 2B, 2 R, and 1 RBI. LF-Telvin Nash was 2x3 with 1 BB, 1 2B, 1 R, and 2 RBI. DH-Erik Castro went 2x5 with 2 RBI.

Man of the Match: Jiovanni Mier

Lexington (11-14) 

A shaky debut by recently called up reliever Euris Quezada resulted in a 5-3 loss to Greenville (BOS).

Luis Cruz had a second straight good start, lasting 6 innings and allowing 2 R on 7 H, 1 HBP, and 1 BB with 5 K. Euris Quezada’s night started with seven straight balls and a balk and never got much better, as he recorded just one out (on a sacrifice fly) and gave up 3 R on 3 H and 1 BB for the loss. Carlos Quevedo went the final 1.2 innings, allowing just 1 H.

3B-Matt Duffy went 3x4 with 3 2B and 2 R.

Man of the Match: Matt Duffy

I’m attending this series and will have a few general observations afterwards. I’ve managed to land some credentials so hopefully I’ll be able to get some behind the scenes insight. Stay tuned.

Tri-City (0-0) 

Season begins June 18.

Greeneville (0-0) 

Season begins June 19.

GCL Astros (0-0) 

Season begins June 18.

DSL Astros (0-0) 

Season schedule not yet posted. Opening Day June 2nd.

Astros team chemistry is "good"

Jim Crane talked to Mark Berman yesterday, and has some encouraging things to hear about the clubhouse chemistry, from Bud Norris.

Crane also acknowledged chemistry problems last year:
"We knew we had a few problems last year and we addressed them early and told the guys to play as a team and play hard and (Norris) said they're all pulling together and you can see that. They're all rooting for each other."

Jose Altuve can win the batting title, says ESPN

Over at ESPN, David Schoenfield writes that Jose Altuve can win the batting title this year, with a nice array of stats (Only Ichiro has a higher contact rate than Altuve).

But what will it take? Schoenfield says something in the .330-.345 range. Let's see. The average Batting Average in the NL for the last ten years of batting titles is .349, propped up by Chipper Jones' .364 in 2008, Barry Bonds' .362 in 2004 and .370 in 2002. The last three batting titles have been won with an average .338 Avg (this is getting confusing).

What about BABIP (Batting Average on Balls In Play)? Obviously it plays a big role, so let's get the average BABIP of batting title winners for the last ten years, shall we? Glad you asked, because it's .357, brought down by Barry Bonds, who in 2004 won the NL batting title with a .362 average - and a .310 BABIP (which is insane).

Some other stats, averaging the last three years - because figuring in Barry Bonds to this little exercise is just ridiculous. The average groundball% was 41.1%, flyball% was 38.3%, contact% was 82.8%. Contact% outside the strike zone was 68.6%, and swing% outside the strike zone was 31.8%

How does this work for Jose Altuve? Right now he's hitting .358 with a .407 BABIP. His GB% is 45.7%, FB% is 29.6%, with a 93.5% contact rate, O-Contact% is 86.8%, and O-Swing% is 27.6%.

The number to be concerned about is the BABIP, when that comes down, it's likely the average comes down as well (of course), but he's making more contact than the average batting title winner. Of course, if Matt Kemp keeps up his ridiculous pace, then it's all academic, anyway.

PreStros Farm Report: May 2

PreStros: May 2

Oklahoma City (17-10) 

A four run ninth inning, in which all four runs were scored with two outs, gave OKC the come from behind victory over the Isotopes (LAD) 4-1.

Aneury Rodriguez pulled it back together for this start, going 7 innings and giving up 1 R on 7 H and 1 BB with 6 K. Adalberto Flores and Jose Valdez each pitched 1 scoreless inning in relief, with Valdez earning his 5th save.

LF-Fernando Martinez was 2x4 with 1 2B. 2B-Jimmy Paredes went 2x4 with 1 2B, 1 R, and 1 RBI. PH-Justin Ruggiano was 1x1 with 1 2B and 3 RBI.

Man of the Match: Justin Ruggiano

Corpus Christi (12-14) 

The Hooks left their bats in the tackle box Wednesday as they lost 3-2 to Midland (OAK).

Jarred Cosart threw 5.2 innings and gave up 3 R (1 ER) on 7 H, 1 HBP, and 4 BB with 5 K. Josh Zeid went the final 2.1 innings and allowed 3 H and 1 HBP with 4 K and 0 R.

2B-Jose Martinez went 2x4 with 1 2B, and 1 HR.

Man of the Match: Jose Martinez

Lancaster (11-15) 

After fighting back from a 3-0 lead to get within a run, the JetHawks allowed four in the eighth to lose 7-2 to Bakersfield (CIN).

Jose Trinidad went 4 innings and allowed 2 R on 5 H with 2 K. Andrew Robinson threw 3 innings, allowing 1 R on 4 H and 1 BB with 3 K. Brian Streilein gave up 4 R on 4 H in .1 innings. Brad Dydalewicz got the final 2 outs with little drama.

RF-Domingo Santana went 4x4 with 1 2B and 1 R. 3B-Jonathan Meyer was 1x4 with 1 HR and 2 RBI.

Man of the Match: Domingo Santana

Lexington (11-14) 

The Legends capitalized on some Greenville (BSO) mistakes early and cruised to a 4-2 victory.

Mike Foltynewicz kept the Drive off balance in his 6 innings, giving up 1 R (unearned) on 4 H and 2 BB with 2 K. Murilo Gouvea went 2 innings with 1 R (unearned) on 2 H with 3 K. Dayan Diaz closed out the ninth.

1B-Zach Johnson was 2x4 with 1 3B and 1 R. CF-Drew Muren was 1x3 with 1 BB and 2 R. Johnson’s triple was to dead center about 390 feet away off the top of the 17 foot wall. It was likely a home run at most any other park.

Man of the Match: Mike Foltynewicz

I’m attending this series and will have a few general observations afterwards. I’ve managed to land some credentials for the next two games, so hopefully I’ll be able to get some behind the scenes insight. Stay tuned.

Tri-City (0-0) 

Season begins June 18.

Greeneville (0-0) 

Season begins June 19.

GCL Astros (0-0) 

Season begins June 18.

DSL Astros (0-0) 

Season schedule not yet posted. Opening Day June 2nd.

A collection of reactions to the Astros' sweep of the Mets

No one in New York is particularly happy about the Mets' performance in Houston over the last three days. Here's what they're saying:

The Times Herald-Record headline: Mets swept by sorry 'Stros.

Mets SP Chris Schwinden:
"I made a couple of bad pitches, and they got hammered. I thought today was going to be a little different, but I left a couple of balls up in the zone, and it changed the whole day."

Manager Terry Collins:
"You are going to have ups and downs, and this was a down. They played great, they pitched great. As I said last night, we were 0-2 a lot of at bats. It’s tough to hit when you’re behind so far. That’s a credit to the way they pitched. They got ahead in the count and made good pitches. They out pitched us and out hit us…When you pitch behind in the count, you better have plus stuff."

Faith and Fear in Flushing:
Ignominious way to say goodbye to good ol’ Houston, where the next time we visit, it will be as an Interleague or, if you’ll excuse the expression, World Series opponent. The shifting of the Astros away from our annual travel itinerary is a shame in that anything that shreds the comforting regularity from our communal routines is a shame. (There's actually quite a nice send-off to the Astros by the Faith and Fear in Flushing, so go over and read the whole thing).

From the Office of the County Clerk - G25: Mets (13-11) @ Astros (10-14)

Chris Schwindin (0-0, 11.25) v.s. Wandy Rodriguez (2-2, 1.72)

Get out the brooms! The Astros beat the Mets 8-1 this afternoon and swept the series. They have won 3 in a row and 5 of their last 7 (and one of those 2 losses should have been a win as well, the 6-5 loss to the Reds). The Astros were all over Mets starter Chris Schwindin early and often, powered by two Chris Johnson homeruns in back to back innings - his first two homeruns of the year. The Astros move to 11-14 and the Mets fall to 13-12. The Astros have a day off tomorrow before they take on the Cardinals at home over the weekend in a 3 game set.

*Wandy Rodriguez was very good in picking up the Win today, as he has been all season. His line: 7.0 IP / 6 H / 1 ER / 2 BB / 5 K. He was very efficient also, throwing only 90 pitches (65 for strikes). His season ERA is now 1.64.

Observations:

*Jed Lowrie has not committed an error yet this year. On top of being great with the glove, he has been really great with the bat as well. He was moved to the #5 spot today, and responded by going 3 for 4 with 3 runs scored. His double off the wall in the bottom of the 3rd came off a 1-2 pitch, when he was more likely to be defending the plate. Another great game for Lowrie. Season line: .329/.427/.500. Coming into the game Lowrie was 7th in the NL in OBP at .410. He will be even higher up the leaderboard now.

*Jordan Schafer made his return from a left oblique injury and slid right into his familiar leadoff spot. He walked in his first at bat and promptly stole second (heads up move as Mets catcher Josh Thole has now thrown out only 5 of 22 attempted base stealers on the year - despite being 2 for 2 yesterday). What does he do in his second at bat? Walk again. Great discipline. He reached base for the 24th straight game and is now only one game shy of tying Menke's franchise record of 25. He finished 0 for 1 with the 2 walks and a strikeout. His OBP is now .360. Have we seen a game yet where Schafer hasn't had a dirty jersey, and usually within the first couple of innings? This guy plays hard and is a pleasure to watch.

*My only concern with Schafer is that he was favoring his lower back twice tonight, both times during or after at bats. Hopefully he doesn't have some sort of injury there we don't know about that is being aggravated by swinging the bat (although he didn't have to swing it much today with the 2 walks).

*Chris Johnson finally found his power stroke, with a 3 run shot in the 2nd inning and a 2 run shot in the 3rd. He finished 4 for 4 and drove in another run on a single, for a total of 6 RBI on the day. A huge day for CJ. I stand by my observation that he is a much better hitter this year.

*While Bogusevic had a nice day at the plate today (2 for 4 with 2 runs and an RBI), his discipline is lacking - and it's going to be hard for him to be consistent if he doesn't start to be more selective at the plate. This really showed up in his second at bat in the bottom of the 3rd, when he was swinging at pitches up and in (well out of the strikezone) before finally popping one up.

*JD Martinez went 0 for 5 and finished 1 for 9 in the series. He does not look comfortable at all at the plate. In the 8th inning, he was late on a 2-0 fastball, and late again on the fastball that struck him out swinging. He needs to get more aggressive and look for pitches to drive, instead of just reacting as he has been of late.

*Good move by Brad Mills to give Fernando Abad the 9th inning. Coming into the game his ERA was a very unsightly 16.20. What better way to let the guy work out his struggles than to pitch an inning in an 8-1 game. Great move, and Abad pitched well, collecting a strikeout in a scoreless inning of work.

Turning Point:

Chris Johnson's first homerun, the three run shot in the 2nd inning, gave the Astros the only runs they would need.

Man of the Match:

Chris Johnson. 4 for 4. 2 runs. 2 homeruns. 6 RBI. He instantly improved his season numbers tremendously, with a line now of .311/.340/.467. Huge game for CJ.

Goat of the Game:

JD Martinez. 0 for 5 with a strikeout. He is officially in a slump now. Perhaps the day off will help clear his head before we get underway with the Cardinals.

Attendance today might be brutal

Our buddy John Royal sent us this pic, of Minute Maid Park 35 minutes before first pitch. Any guesses on what attendance will be?

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.

PreStros Farm Report: May 1

PreStros: May 1

Oklahoma City (16-10) 

After falling behind 4-0, the RedHawks fought back valiantly but fell just short as they lost 7-6 to Albuquerque (LAD).

Henry Sosa threw 4 innings and gave up 5 R on 8 H and 1 BB with 1 K. Mickey Storey went 2 innings, allowing 2 R (1 ER) on 3 H and 1 BB with 2 K. Sergio Perez, Xavier Cedeno, and Jose Valdez each went .2 scoreless innings to finish out the game.

SS-Angel Sanchez was 3x4 with 1 BB, 1 R, and 1 RBI. LF-Fernando Martinez was 1x5 with a 3 run HR. RF/1B-Justin Ruggiano went 2x4 with 1 HR and 2 R.

Man of the Match: Angel Sanchez

Corpus Christi (12-13) 

The Hooks fell back below .500 after losing to Midland (OAK) 5-3.

Jake Buchanan went 6 innings, giving up 3 R on 7 H and 4 BB with 2 K. Kevin Chapman threw 1 inning and allowed 1 unearned run on 2 H and 1 BB with 2 K. Jonnathan Aristil allowed 1 R on 2 H and 2 BB in 1 IP.

CF-Brandon Barnes was 2x4. 2B-Jose Martinez was 2x4 with 1 RBI. 3B-Andrew Simunic went 2x4.

Man of the Match: Jose Martinez

Lancaster (11-14) 

The JetHawks held off a ninth inning rally by Bakerfield (CIN) to win 5-4.

Wes Musick had a strong outing, throwing 8 innings while giving up 1 R on 4 H and 2 BB with 4 K. Pat Urckfitz gave up 2 R on 1 H and 1 BB in .2 innings with 1 K. Jorge De Leon gave up 2 H and 1 R without recording an out. Kirk Clark came on to shut down the Blaze rally by recording the final out.

1B-Rafy Valenzuela was 1x3 with 2 BB, 1 2B, and 2 R. CF-George Springer was 1x3 with 2 BB, 1 HR, 2 R, 2 RBI and 1 outfield assist. LF-Adam Bailey was 3x4 with 1 2B and 2 RBI. 2B-Kike Hernandez went 1x3 with 1 HR.

Man of the Match: Wes Musick

Lexington (11-14) 

OFF

Tri-City (0-0) 

Season begins June 18.

Greeneville (0-0) 

Season begins June 19.

GCL Astros (0-0) 

Season begins June 18.

DSL Astros (0-0) 

Season schedule not yet posted. Opening Day June 2nd.

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.

Jon Singleton update

Jon Singleton was hit in the left knee last night in Midland, and was removed from the lineup. But Greg Rajan comes to the rescue and says it was a precautionary move, and does not seem to be serious.

Kyle Weiland update

Zachary Levine has an update on Kyle Weiland's shoulder, which was initially thought to be bursitis, but is of course all nasty and gross with infection.

Jeff Luhnow:
”If he has to be treated for an infection, he has to be treated for an antibiotic course and we don’t know how long that would take and how much he can do during that time and how long it will be before he’s ready to throw again in games.”

While it's unlikely (to put it mildly) that Weiland will be ready in time for when the Astros would need their 5th starter - May 8 - the pitcher replacing him cannot be Jordan Lyles, as a player has to stay in the minors 10 days before he can be recalled. So the OKC pitcher lined up to pitch on regular rest on May 8 would be Paul Clemens.

In other news, Mills expects Jordan Schafer to play today, and Rhiner Cruz has been placed on the DL, with Enerio Del Rosario being recalled from OKC to take his roster spot.

Former Astros minor-leaguer killed

Sad news out of Mississippi: 1993 25th Round draft pick, RHP Mike Walter was shot and killed while serving a search warrant in Mississippi, where he was a police officer, leaving behind a wife and 11-year old daughter.

Walter was 14-23 in seven seasons with the Astros' organization from 1993-1999, and spent parts three seasons in Double-A Jackson from 1997-1999. He had a career 4.17 ERA/1.49 WHIP.

From the Office of the County Clerk - G24: Mets (13-10) @ Astros (9-14)

Jon Niese (2-0, 2.81) v.s. JA Happ (1-1, 4.70)

The Astros jumped on Mets starter Jon Niese early, piled on in the second, and never looked back on their way to a 6-3 win tonight. 5 of the Astros 6 runs game via the longball in a power surge tonight. The Astros have took the first 2 games against the Mets and go for the series sweep tomorrow. The Astros move to 10-14 and inch ever closer to .500, while the Mets fall to 13-11.

*JA Happ was solid and picked up the win to move to 2-1 tonight. His line: 6.1 IP / 6 H / 3 ER / 3 BB / 7 K. Happ retired the final 7 hitters he faced tonight. The bullpen was also solid again, as Lopez, Wright and Myers all saw action. Myers picked up the save, his 6th of the season and 2nd in the past 2 days. 

Observations:

*Carlos Lee made his return to the lineup and batted cleanup. Jordan Schafer was out with a left oblique strain, giving Justin Maxwell a start - so Altuve led off with Lowrie batting 2nd and JD 3rd. Chris Johnson also got the night off, as Downs started at third.

*Altuve stayed red hot, going 2 for 4 with a run and a walk. Season line moves to .367/.414/.544.

*Justin Maxwell also collected a hit and a walk tonight. He isn't a superstar by any means, but he is a very capable player that fits into the team nicely as a pinch hitter and occasional starter.

*Altuve and Bogusevic both got caught stealing tonight, both by the combination of Batista and Thole.

*The Astros collected 10 hits and 8 walks tonight. Anytime you can put 18 people on base by these two methods, you are going to have success. The patience of the Astros hitters has been great to see and is a big reason for the offense doing so well.

Turning Point:

The Lowrie homerun made it 2-0 early, but the Snyder 3 run shot was effectively the game winner.

Man of the Match:

Talk about a tough choice tonight. Snyder would be an obvious pick, but I'm going to give Lowrie the nod tonight with a deadly mix of power and eye. 1 for 2, 1 run, 2 RBI (on a 2 run homerun) and 3 walks. Season stats move to .303/.410/.470. I absolutely love this guys playing style. So far the deal by Luhnow is looking great.

Goat of the Game:

Carlos Lee and Matt Downs were the only players to go hitless. For Carlos it was his first game action since his injury, so it's tough to be too hard on him - however he did go 0 for 4 whereas Downs at least drew a walk. Carlos gets the nod.

April PreStros Employees of the Month

The first month of the season is in the books and the improvement in the farm system is already evident. Let's look at some interesting early numbers.

OKC
16-9
1st place in their division by .5 games

As a team, the RedHawks are hitting .285/.356/.429 with a team ERA of 3.42.

Hitter of the Month: Scott Moore

Scott is hitting .397/.519/.714 with 12 doubles, two home runs, 15 runs scored, and 21 runs batted in through 23 games with 13 walks and 14 strikeouts. He's spent most of the season splitting time with Brett Wallace at third base, but he's also seen time at first and second and he's yet to commit an error at any position.

Pitcher of the Month: Dallas Keuchel


Dallas finished April with a 4-1 record and 1.62 ERA and 0.99 WHIP across 33.1 innings in five starts. He's struck out 16 while walking just seven.

Honorable Mention:

Fernando Martinez is hitting .315/.374/.517 with four home runs.

Jose Valdez has a 1.74 ERA and 0.97 WHIP in 10.1 innings. He has 12 strikeouts and three walks (two were intentional) with four saves.

CC
12-12
3rd in their division, three games back

As a team, the Hooks are hitting .264/.334/.428 with a team ERA of 4.78.

Hitter of the Month: Brandon Barnes

Brandon is hitting .353/.398/.659 with 14 doubles, four home runs, 18 runs scored and 21 runs batted in through 22 games with five walks and 22 strikeouts. He's been the teams primary center fielder where he's had two outfield assists.

Pitcher of the Month: Jason Stoffel

Jason has appeared in nine games in relief with two saves and has a 1.93 ERA and 0.53 WHIP through 9.1 innings. He's racked up ten strikeouts to just one walk, hasn't allowed a home run, and has given up just 3.9 hits per nine innings.

Honorable Mention:

Austin Wates is hitting .340/.392/.457 with five steals.

Jose Cisnero is 2-2 with a 3.80 ERA and 1.52 WHIP. He's struck out 30 in 23.2 innings.

Lancaster
10-14
4th in their division, four games back

The JetHawks are hitting .266/.333/.431 with a team ERA of 5.03.

Hitter of the Month: Telvin Nash

Telvin is hitting .247/.348/.623 with nine home runs, 14 runs and 15 runs batted in through 20 games with 11 walks and 28 strikeouts. He's played mostly left field with a few games at first base with no errors and one outfield assist.

Pitcher of the Month: Ruben Alaniz

Ruben is 2-0 with a 2.80 ERA and 1.10 WHIP through five starts and 31 innings. He's yet to allow a home run and has 26 strikeouts and seven walks.

Honorable Mention:

Jiovanni Mier is hitting .288/.406/.388 with 15 walks in 22 games.

Wes Musick is 2-1 with a 2.96 ERA and 1.15 WHIP. He has 22 strikeouts and five walks in 24.1 innings across four starts.

Lexington
11-14
5th in their division, six games back

The Legends are hitting .238/.324/.344 with a team ERA of 4.78.

Hitter of the Month: Zach Johnson

Zach is hitting .275/.376/.505 with nine doubles, four home runs, 13 runs scored and 30 (!) runs batted in. He's been the clubs main first baseman where he has a .994 fielding percentage.

Pitcher of the Month: Dayan Diaz

Dayan has appeared in nine games in relief with a 4-1 record and two saves with a 0.49 ERA and 0.87 WHIP. He has struck out 19 in 18.1 innings and has not yet allowed a home run.

Honorable Mention:

Matt Duffy is hitting .296/.343/.459 with four home runs.

Nick Tropeano is 1-2 despite a 2.36 ERA and 1.13 WHIP. He hasn't allowed a home run and has 33 strikeouts and eight walks in 26.2 innings.

So Kyle Weiland didn't have a good day

Zachary Levine just tweeted some bad news:

Astros RHP Kyle Weiland had infection in shoulder and had arthroscopic surgery today. Still awaiting implications for length of absence.

So that's not good. We know the Astros won't need a 5th starter until May 8, but I seriously doubt Weiland will be back in a week after arthroscopic surgery. We've fired off a missive to Will Carroll, and will update accordingly. Maybe Jordan Lyles will be on his way back to Houston soon.

Also, Jordan Schafer is out with a left oblique strain, so Justin Maxwell will start at CF tonight, and Jose Altuve will lead off.

Know Your Enemy: May 1

The Astros come off the series-opening win against the Mets last night, and we're waiting with ba(i)ted breath to see if Brad Mills has a blackout and takes J.A. Happ out of the game after the first batter.

They'll face...

*6'4" 215lb 25-year old LHP Jon Niese.
*He was born on the same night that the Mets won the 1986 World Series.
*Niese was the 7th Round pick of the 2005 draft
*Niese is in the first year of a 5yr/$25.27m deal that will run through 2016, with team options for 2017 and 2018.
*He made his MLB debut on September 2, 2008 against the Brewers, and gave up a homer to Rickie Weeks - the first batter he faced.
*Niese is 2-0 with a 2.81 ERA (2.99 FIP, 3.14 xFIP) thus far in 2012.
*Niese has gone 6+ IP in each of his four starts, walking just seven batters out of the 101 he has faced.
*LHBs are hitting .105/.105/.158 in 19 plate appearances against Niese, while RHBs have a .235/.328/.314 line. He has only given up six extra-base hits this season.
*Both of the homers Niese has allowed have come on a 1-0 count (.636/.636/1.273 line on 1-0).
*OPS-against with 0 out: .922; With 1 out: .391; With 2 outs: .117.
*He is 1-1 in three starts against Houston, with a 1.80 ERA/1.25 WHIP, with 11K:7BB, and no homers allowed. The Astros are the only team Niese has faced 3+ times and not given up a jack.
*Against current Astros, he has only given up five hits (and that includes Wandy's 1x5). With Carlos and Wandy not playing tonight, Chris Johnson will be the only Astro to get a hit off Niese (2x6). Jordan Schafer is 0x8.

*The Astros will send out J.A. Happ tonight, who is looking for his 2nd win of the season, and first since April 9.
*Happ's ERA is 4.70, while his FIP is 4.30, and his xFIP is 3.70, and is suffering from a .344 BABIP.
*Happ has given up homers in each of his last three starts - including two in his last start, at Milwaukee on April 25.
*He has thrown 100+ pitches in 13 of his last 15 starts, but has gone 7+IP in just two of those starts.
*From when he joined the Astros, Houston is 14-31 in Happ's starts.
*In two home starts in 2012, Happ has a .791 OPS (.924 OPS on the road).
*With runners in scoring position, Happ has allowed a .185/.241/.195 line.
*Against the Mets, Happ has allowed a collective .300/.326/.750 line, with David Wright leading the way with a 1.841 OPS. Five of his six hits off Happ (2 doubles, 3 homers) have been for extra-bases. Position players are 12x34 against Happ, lifetime.

PreStros Farm Report: April 30

PreStros: April 30

Oklahoma City (16-9) 

Despite hitting three doubles in Monday’s game, OKC couldn’t get anything going offensively as they lost 5-0 to Albuquerque (LAD).

Brett Oberholtzer pitched well through five innings in his AAA debut. Unfortunately, he ended up with 5.1 IP, allowing 4 R on 7 H and 1 BB with 3 K.

RF-JB Shuck was 2x4. CF-Justin Ruggiano went 1x3 with 1 BB and 1 2B. The team went 0x10 with runners in scoring position.

Man of the Match: JB Shuck

Corpus Christi (12-12) 

After jumping out to an early 4-0 lead, the Hooks forgot to play the last seven innings and lost to Frisco (TEX) 9-4.

Erick Abreu gave 4 innings, giving up 5 R on 5 H, including 3 HR, and 2 BB with 2 K. In his AA debut, Alex Sogard went 2 innings and allowed 2 R on 3 H and 4 BB with 2 K. Josh Zeid gave up 1 R on 1 H with 2 K in 1 inning. Jason Stoffel went 1 inning with 1 R on 1 H and 1 K.

1B-Kody Hinze went 1x4 with 1 HR and 3 RBI

Man of the Match: Kody Hinze

Lancaster (10-14) 

OFF

Sorry, no off day spotlight today.

Lexington (11-14) 

After furiously rallying back from a four run deficit to send the game into extra innings, the Legends were defeated by Savannah (NYM) 10-9 in 12 innings.

Kyle Hallock got rocked in 3.1 innings, giving up 8 R on 7 H, including 5 HR, and 3 BB with 5 K. Nathan Pettus went 1.2 innings, allowing 1 R on 3 H and 1 BB. Carlos Quevedo and Jason Chowning held things down as the Legends battled back, with each pitcher giving 3 scoreless innings with 3 K a piece. Dayan Diaz threw the final inning, giving up 1 R on 1 H with 1 K.

2B-Delino DeShields was 1x5 with 1 BB, 1 2B, 1 R, and 3 SB. 3B-John Hinson went 2x6 with 1 BB, 1 R, and 1 RBI with 1 error. 1B-Zach Johnson went 2x5 with 2 BB, 1 2B, 1 R, and 1 RBI. DH-Matt Duffy was 2x6 with 1 HR and 2 R. C-Mike Kvasnicka was 3x6 with 1 HR, 3 RBI, and 2 R. LF/RF-Chris Epps got his first hit for Lexington and finished 2x6 with 1 SB. SS-James Howick was 2x6 with 1 R

Man of the Match: Mike Kvasnicka

Tri-City (0-0) 

Season begins June 18.

Greeneville (0-0) 

Season begins June 19.

GCL Astros (0-0) 

Season begins June 18.

DSL Astros (0-0) 

Season schedule not yet posted. Opening Day June 2nd.

From the Office of the County Clerk - G23: Mets (13-9) @ Astros (8-14)

RA Dickey (3-1, 4.44) v.s. Bud Norris (1-1, 5.84)

The Astros and Mets played a very back and forth game tonight, but the Astros were able to hold on to a 4-3 victory to take the series opener. The game was scoreless until the bottom of the 6th when the Astros took a 3-0 lead behind a Travis Buck RBI groundout and a Matt Downs 2 run homer. The Mets rallied immediately in the top of the 7th to tie the game at 3, but the Astros would pull ahead for good in the 8th with an RBI single up the middle by Jed Lowrie, scoring Jordan Schafer. The Astros improve o 9-14 and the so-far-surprising Mets fall to 13-10.

*Bud Norris, much like his last start, was simply outstanding at the start of the game, but did a complete 360 in the 7th and all of a sudden couldn't make a pitch. One has to wonder if his stamina is simply not as good this year, as he starts very strong but has a ton of trouble locating pitches as the game gets into the middle innings. His line: 6.2 IP / 7 H / 3 ER / 1 BB / 7 K. It was a very strong line, but it could have been so much better had he not got into such a jam in the 7th. He was basically on cruise control through the first 6 innings. Fernando Rodriguez got the win with a scoreless 1/3 of an inning tonight, and Brett Myers pitched a perfect 9th for his 5th save in 5 chances this season.

Observations:

*Jordan Schafer reached base yet again - 23 straight games to start the season. The club record is 25 by Denis Menke in 1969. Schafer went 2 for 4 with a pair of runs scored tonight. He also made a terrific heads up base running decision in the bottom of the 6th. He was at 2nd when Jed Lowrie popped one up to shallow left. It fell in between the 2 defenders and Schafer very alertly took 3rd on the play. That is a tough play as it is such a short throw for the left fielder (or 3B or SS depending who else comes out). Schafer's game awareness is spectacular, and his aggressive baserunning really puts the pressure on the opposition. By taking 3rd, Schafer was able to score the first run of the game on Travis Buck's groundout in the next at bat.

*Schafer also stole a bag tonight, his 8th of the season. With his .351 OBP and 8 steals, he is looking awfully good as our leadoff hitter so far.

*JD Martinez got the night off, although he did get one at bat in pinch hitting role (finished 0 for 1), and he finished the game defensively in left field.

*While this is far from your prototypical lineup, I really don't mind it the way Mills has it. Schafer/Altuve are perfect at 1 and 2. Lowrie is a bit of a stretch at 3 as it is typically a spot reserved for your best run producer, but the guy can hit and has even showed a bit of power with his couple of homeruns so far this year. He went 2 for 4 tonight and has a .297/.384/.422 line on the season. Buck hit cleanup and went 0 for 2, but did draw a walk and had an RBI on a fielders choice. Obviously like JD more here, but with the nigh off Buck isn't a bad choice. Downs/Bogusevic/CJ were 5/6/7, and Castro and Norris respectively rounded out the batting order. That is pretty nice pop top to bottom, although tonight the #4 through #9 hitters went a combined 1 for 18 (including the pinch appearances by JD Martinez and Justin Maxwell).

*In fact, the Astros only got 5 hits tonight, and 4 of them were from two players - Schafer with 2, and Lowrie with 2. Matt Downs had the only other hit with his 2 run homerun. Because of the lack of baserunners (the 5 hits plus a walk each by CJ and Buck), the team did only leave 4 men on base. They took advantage of the chances they had against knuckleballer RA Dickey tonight.

*Jose Altuve went 0 for 3 tonight, a rare sight this season. Even with the hitless night, he is still batting an outstanding .360/.404/.547 on the season so far. 

*The Astros used 6 different relievers to pitch the final 2.1 innings tonight. Their combined line - 2.1 IP / 1 H / 0 ER / 0 BB/ 1 K, and a Win and a Save. 4 of the pitchers only got one out, and one more (Abad) didn't even get one out. Myers had the longest relief outing getting 3 outs in the 9th.

Turning Point:

Jed Lowrie's RBI single in the 8th. The game was tied up at 3, the Mets really had all of the momentum as they had just erased the 3-0 deficit...........and Lowrie comes up clutch and puts the Astros ahead for good.

Man of the Match:

While Matt Downs 2 run homerun was huge, i'm going to give this one to Schafer. He went 2 for 4 and basically generated 2 runs himself with his baserunning - the first with his alert move up to 3rd base on the bloop to the left by Lowrie in the 6th, and the other when he stole 2nd in the 8th to put himself in position to be driven home by Lowrie. This risk/reward aggressiveness is great to see and it's paying off. Let's not forget this was also Schafer's 23rd straight game reaching base to start the season - 2 away from a club record.

Goat of the Game:

Tough call here. Perhaps Bogusevic....0 for 3, a strikeout, a man left on base and a caught stealing. Perhaps Bud Norris for letting the Mets climb back into it in the 7th, although he had been spectacular up until then so it's hard to fault him. Maybe even Mills for not pulling Norris sooner once he realized that his fastballs were climbing awfully high in the zone as he got more and more tired in that 7th inning. I'm not going to call any one Goat here, since i'm happy with the win. But i'll leave it up to you guys - who do you think was the Goat tonight?

Collin DeLome joins Atlantic League

Former PreStro Collin DeLome has signed a deal with the Bridgeport (CT) Bluefish of the independent Atlantic League (the home of the Sugar Land Skeeters). He was released on April 17, which came as a surprise, according to DeLome's father.

The Astros sent Altuve home from his tryout

Jon Heyman relates a story in his Stock Watch column about when Jose Altuve attended a tryout in 2006:

When he went to an Astros' tryout in Venezuela in 2006, at age 16, they sent him home the first day because of his size. (He returned the next day, they let him play and they have no regrets.)

The Tim Purpura era, ladies and gentlemen!