Astros County: Your Neighborhood Astros Blog & Grill

PreStros Farm Report: May 26

2012-05-27T13:14:00.002-05:00

PreStros: May 26

Oklahoma City (28-21)

Wes Musick didn’t fare as well in his second AAA start as the RedHawks lost 7-4 to Albuquerque (LAD).

Musick threw 5.2 innings and gave up 6 R (5 earned) on 11 H and 2 BB with 4 K. Adalberto Flores went 1.1 innings and gave up 1 unearned run on 3 H with 2 K. Jose Valdez pitched a scoreless ninth with 1 K.

CF-Brad Snyder was 1x4 with 1 BB, 1 SB, and 2 R with 1 outfield assist. 1B-Brett Wallace was 1x3 with 2 BB and 1 RBI. LF/RF-JB Shuck went 3x3 with 1 BB, 1 2B, and 1 R.

Man of the Match: Brad Snyder

*Notes: After drawing just four walks in his first 41 games, Brett Wallace has doubled his 2012 total with four more walks in his last two games.

Corpus Christi (23-25)

The Hooks survived a five run inning by Springfield (STL) to win 6-5 on a walk-off home run by Jonathan Villar.

Jose Cisnero threw 90 pitches in 5 plus innings, allowing 2 R on 5 H with 5 K. Alex Sogard went 1 inning and gave up 3 R (2 earned) on 3 H with 2 K. Josh Zeid pitched 2 innings with 1 H and 1 K. Kevin Chapman threw a scoreless ninth.

SS-Jonathan Villar was 2x5 with 1 SB, 1 HR, and 2 R. 1B-Jon Singleton was 2x4 with 1 HR and 2 RBI. CF-Brandon Barnes went 1x4 with 1 HR. RF-Jake Goebbert was 3x4 with 2 R. C-Chris Wallace was 3x3 with 1 2B.

Man of the Match: Jonathan Villar

*Notes: Chris Wallace returned to the lineup for the first time since being placed on the temporarily inactive list on May 3 for a groin injury.

Lancaster (25-24)

The JetHawks won on an extra-inning walk-off single for the second night in a row. This time it was Rene Garcia in the tenth that gave Lancaster a 5-4 victory over Inland Empire (LAA).

David Martinez lasted 6 innings and gave up 4 R (2 earned) on 8 H and 2 BB with 4 K. Brian Streilein went 3 scoreless innings with 1 H and 1 K. Pat Urckfitz gave up 1BB and 1 H before getting 1 K for his .1 innings. Jose Trinidad got the last two outs.

SS-Ben Orloff was 2x4 with 1 RBI. CF-George Springer was 1x3 with 2 BB, 1 3B, and 2 RBI. LF-Telvin Nash went 1x4 with 1 BB, 1 HR, and 2 R. 3B-Jonathan Meyer was 2x5 with 1 R. C-Rene Garcia was 3x5 with 1 2B, 1 R, and 1 RBI.

Man of the Match: Rene Garcia

*Notes: The JetHawks position players are tied for the youngest age in the league at 22.2. Domingo Santana, 19, is the youngest on the team and is tied for youngest in the league

Lexington (25-23)

The Legends were roughed up by Hickory (TEX) 11-2.

Jonas Dufek went 4 innings and gave up 6 R on 7 H and 1 BB with 3 K. Euris Quezada threw the next 3 innings and allowed 4 R on 4 H and 2 BB with 3 K. Dayan Diaz pitched the final inning, allowing 1 R on 2 H with 1 K.

2B-Delino DeShields was 2x3 with 1 2B. 3B-Matt Duffy was 1x3 with 1 HR. RF-Justin Gominsky went 2x4 with 1 2B and 1 R. SS/2B-Chan Moon was 2x4.

Man of the Match: Justin Gominsky

*Notes: Chris Epps has a ten game hitting streak, raising his average from .111 to .245 over that stretch.

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 begins June 2nd.

From the Office of the County Clerk - G46: Astros @ Dodgers

2012-05-27T09:48:00.001-05:00

Bud Norris (5-1, 3.14) vs Chad Billingsley (2-3. 3.91)

The Astros hung with one of the best teams in the Majors for a full 9 innings again, but they couldn't build on their winning streak as they dropped a 6-3 decision to the Dodgers, due to a walkoff 3 run homerun by Dodgers catcher AJ Ellis in the bottom of the 9th. The Astros drop 2 games back of .500 at 22-24 while the Dodgers improve to 31-15. The Astros will look to pick up the series win on Sunday.

*Bud Norris had been hot as of late, but he laboured through his outing today. He threw 116 pitches (74 for strikes) in only 4.2 innings of work. His line: 4.2 IP / 8 H / 3 ER / 4 BB / 4 K. Del Rosario, Cruz, Lyon, Wright and Lopez each saw work. Wright took the loss after his baserunner scored on the walkoff homerun (given up by Lopez).

Observations:

*Jordan Schafer returned to the lineup and slid right back into his familiar leadoff spot. Another interesting decision by Mills as Schafer had been struggling there even before his injury, and Altuve had been red hot there. Schafer went 1 for 4 with a walk and an RBI, but also struck out twice.

*Altuve went 1 for 5 with another double from the 2 hole. His line on the year is now .309/.361/.463. The guy can hit.

*After JD Martinez' big game, he came crashing right back down to earth with an 0 for 5, 2 K performance.

*Carlos Lee continued to quietly produce, going 1 for 5 with another RBI. His line on the year is now a very solid .301/.359/.428.

*CJ and Castro each picked up a hit as well. CJ's line is pretty solid this year as well - .289/.327/.440.

*The Astros walked 6 times to 9 strikeouts, not a bad ratio. They also had 7 hits on the night, but went 2 for 10 with RISP again - one of their biggest ongoing struggles this season.

Turning Point:

It doesn't get much bigger than the 3 run walkoff homerun by Ellis, although the Dodgers 4th inning was a big turning point too, as they Astros still held a 2-1 lead - but came out of that inning down 3-2.

Man of the Match:

Bogusevic had a very nice night at the plate, scoring 2 runs (including the game tying run in the 8th), and went 2 for 3 with a walk.

Goat of the Game:

Wilton Lopez gave up the walkoff 3 run homerun after giving up a walk as well.

PreStros Farm Report: May 25

2012-05-26T16:13:00.000-05:00

PreStros: May 25

Oklahoma City (28-20)

Brad Snyder hit two homeruns as the RedHawks beat Albuquerque (LAD) 10-4.

Mickey Storey went 5 innings, allowing 3 R on 8 H and 1 BB with 5 K. Sergio Perez threw 2.2 innings and gave up 1 R on 2 H with 4 K. Xavier Cedeno went the final 1.1 innings, giving up 1 H.

2B-Jimmy Paredes was 2x5 with 1 SB and 2 R. RF-Fernando Martinez went 2x5 with 1 2B, 1 R, and 2 RBI. 1B-Brett Wallace was 0x2 with 2 BB and 2 R. CF-Brad Snyder went 3x5 with 2 HR, 1 SB, 2 R, and 3 RBI. SS-Angel Sanchez was 2x5 with 1 R and 1 RBI. C-Landon Powell was 2x4 with 1 BB, 1 HR, and 3 RBI.

Man of the Match: Brad Snyder

*Notes: Brad Snyder’s two home run burst came on his 30th birthday. RedHawks pitchers have a 7.39 ERA through the first nine games of their current 12 game road trip.

Corpus Christi (22-25)

Jon Singleton continues making his case for a call-up. His two homeruns led the Hooks to a 7-2 victory over Arkansas (LAA).

Ross Seaton pitched 7 innings and gave up 2 R on 3 H and 2 BB with 5 K. Arcenio Leon and Jason Stoffel each pitched 1 scoreless inning to finish out the game.

LF-Austin Wates was 2x5 with 1 SB. SS-Jonathan Villar went 3x5 with 1 R and 1 RBI. 1B-Jon Singleton was 2x4 with 2 HR and 5 RBI. CF-Brandon Barnes went 1x3 with 1 BB, 1 SB, and 1 HR.

Man of the Match: Jon Singleton

*Notes: Ryan McCurdy’s grand slam two nights ago was his first homerun since high school. Austin Wates has been hit by a pitch in three of his last seven games.

Lancaster (24-24)

A walkoff single by Ben Orloff in the eleventh gave the JetHawks a 4-3 victory over Inland Empire (LAA).

Ruben Alaniz lasted 5 innings and gave up 3 R on 8 H and 3 BB with 4 K. Andrew Robinson went 3.2 scoreless innings, allowing just 2 H with 6 K. Pat Urckfitz got one out. Kirk Clark went the final 2 innings with 1 BB.

SS-Ben Orloff was 1x3 with 2 BB, 1 R, and 1 RBI. CF-George Springer was 2x5. 3B-Jonathan Meyer went 2x5 with 1 R. 1B-Rafy Valenzuela was 3x4 with 1 BB, 1 2B, 1 HR, and 2 R. C-Rene Garcia was 2x5 with 1 2B.

Man of the Match: Rafael Valenzuela

*Notes: Rafael Valenzuela is hitting .327/.407/.519 in May with 15 runs scored in 13 games.

Lexington (25-22)

A bases loaded walk off single by Hickory (TEX) gave the Legends an 8-7 defeat.

Luis Cruz threw 6 innings and gave up 6 R on 9 H and 2 BB with 2 K. Evan Grills pitched 1 inning and allowed 1 R on 2 H with 1 K. Nathan Pettus pitched 1 inning plus the no-out ninth and gave up 1 R on 2 H and 2 BB with 1 K for the loss.

2B-Delino DeShields was 1x4 with 1 BB, 1 SB, and 1 R. 1B-Zach Johnson was 3x4 with 1 BB, 1 HR, 2 R, and 2 RBI. 3B-Matt Duffy went 2x5. LF-Chris Epps was 1x4 with 1 HR, 2 R, and 2 RBI. DH-Mike Kvasnicka was 1x4 with 1 HR and 2 RBI. RF-Justin Gominsky was 1x3 with 1 BB and 2 SB.

Man of the Match: Zach Johnson

*Notes: Chris Epps has a nine game hitting streak, raising his average from .111 to .240 over that stretch.

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 begins June 2nd.

Justin Ruggiano traded to Miami

2012-05-26T15:37:00.001-05:00

OKC outfielder Justin Ruggiano has been traded to the Miami Marlins for minor league catcher Jobduan Morales, reports Alyson Footer via twitter.

Ruggiano was hitting, signed to a minor league deal by the Astros this past off season, was hitting .325/.409/.581 with five homeruns.

Morales was the 2009 ninth round draft pick for Miami. He's yet to appear this season, but last year as a twenty year old he hit .275/.386/.444 with four home runs in 55 games, 52 of which were at the Low-A level. He caught just 15 % of would be base stealers, and the Marlins had him play about half of his time at first base.

From the Office of the County Clerk - G45: Astros @ Dodgers

2012-05-26T00:53:00.000-05:00

Lucas Harrell (3-3, 4.09) vs Clayton Kershaw (4-1, 1.90)

Make it 4 in a row! The Astros beat the Dodgers 3-1 tonight to take the opener of their weekend series, and win their 4th game in a row. The Astros sneak within a game of .500 and sit at 22-23 after 45 games. The Dodgers are now 30-15.

*Lucas Harrell was outstanding despite not even striking out a batter all evening. As a guy who pitches to contact, he is going to have nights where everything goes right and nights where everything goes wrong. Tonight was one of the former. His line: 7.1 IP / 5 H / 1 ER / 3 BB / 0 K. Wright, Lopez, Abad and Rodriguez then combined to pitch 0.2 IP (Mills micromanaging at its best), while Myers tossed a scoreless 9th with 2 K's for his 12th save on the year.

Observations:
*Brett Myers ERA is now a very nice 1.59, and he has (as mentioned) 12 saves on the year. Him and Wandy are doing their best to make themselves trade bait.

*JD Martinez was the difference maker offensively tonight, with a 2 run homerun in the 3rd. From the 3 hole he went 2 for 4 with a run and 2 RBI.

*With Schafer still out, Maxwell was in CF and Altuve led off. Altuve went 2 for 5 with a pair of doubles and scored the first run of the game in the first inning. Maxwell went 0 for 2 but did walk twice.

*The Astros had 6 walks, 7 hits and 8 strikeouts. Not a bad job at all of getting on base tonight - unfortunately the Astros were still terrible with RISP, with a 1 for 13 night in that category.

*A very big win for the Astros - beating a great team in their home stadium. Coming into this game, the Astros were a terrible 5-13 on the road while the Dodgers were 19-4 at home. With those numbers, and facing Kershaw, you would expect this game to be a cakewalk for the Dodgers. But paced by great pitching, the 'Stros came away with the huge win.

Turning Point:
*The JD Martinez homerun which gave the Astros the lead.

Man of the Match:
*Lucas Harrell. Very nice evening facing the ace of the Dodgers - and one of the best pitchers in the entire National League.

Goat of the Game:
None. Everyone contributed in one way or another tonight. A great team win.

PreStros Farm Report: May 24

2012-05-25T09:43:00.004-05:00

PreStros: May 24

Oklahoma City (27-20)

The RedHawks split yesterday’s doubleheader against Colorado Springs (COL), winning the first game 7-4 and losing the second 9-2.

Game 1

Jordan Lyles pitched two innings, allowing 1 R on 2 H with 1 K. Aneury Rodriguez went the next 3.2, giving up 3 R on 5 H with 2 K. David Carpenter got his first save for OKC by throwing 1.1 innings with 1 H.

LF-Justin Ruggiano was 2x4 with 1 HR and 3 RBI. RF-Fernando Martinez was 3x4. 3B-Scott Moore went 2x4 with 1 2B and 2 R.

Man of the Match: Justin Ruggiano

Game 2

Dallas Keuchel got roughed up for the second straight start, this time lasting 3.2 innings and giving up 8 R (7 earned) on 11 H with 2 K. Juan Abreu got one out and had one walk. Adalberto Flores threw 1 inning and allowed 1 R on 2 H with 1 K. Jonnathan Aristil went 1 inning with 1 K.

3B-Scott Moore went 2x3 with 1 R. CF-Brad Snyder was 1x3 with 1 HR.

Man of the Match: Brad Snyder

*Notes: Brett Wallace has a seven game hitting streak. He’s hit three home runs over that stretch, all to center field.

Corpus Christi (21-25)

The Hooks sent 12 men to the plate in a nine run third inning to beat Arkansas (LAA) 13-4.

Jon Heyman would say that Jarred Cosart pitched to score through seven innings, allowing 4 R on 12 H and 2 BB with 6 K. Kevin Chapman and Henry Villar each threw 1 scoreless inning in relief.

SS-Jonathan Villar was 2x5 with 2 R. 2B-Jose Martinez went 3x5 with 2 2B, 1 HR, 3 R, and 3 RBI. 1B-Jon Singleton was 4x5 with 1 HR, 3 R, and 4 RBI. C-Ryan McCurdy was 2x4 with 1 2B and 1 HR, a Grand Slam.

Man of the Match: Jon Singleton

*Notes: The Hooks are second in the Texas League in runs scored (237) despite being next to last in home runs (34). Jose Martinez has reached base in 19 consecutive games.

Lancaster (23-23)

Inland Empire (LAA) scored early, late, and often to beat the JetHawks 12-6.

Jorge De Leon went just 2 innings and gave up 6 R (4 earned) on 6 H and 1 BB with 1 K. Zach Grimmett threw 5.1 innings and allowed 6 R on 8 H with 3 K. Jose Trinidad pitched the final 1.2 innings and allowed 1 H and 1 BB.

RF-Domingo Santana went 2x3 with 1 BB, 1 2B, 1 HR, 3 R, and 2 RBI. 1B-Erik Castro was 2x3 with 1 BB, 1 2B, 1 R, and 1 RBI. 3B-Jonathan Meyer was 2x4 with 1 R and 1 RBI.

Man of the Match: Domingo Santana

*Notes: Domingo Santana is hitting .298/.341/.631 in May. He’s hit seven homeruns during the month while reducing his K% from 36.7% in April to 28.6%.

Lexington (24-21)

The Legends beat up on the Crawdads (TEX) bullpen to pull off the 7-3 victory.

Mike Foltynewicz threw 6 innings, allowing 3 R on 7 H and 2 BB with 7 K. Carlos Quevedo went 2 innings with 1 H and 2 K. Jason Chowning pitched a perfect ninth with 1 K.

2B-Delino DeShields was 2x3 with 2 BB, 1 3B, 2 R, 1 RBI, 1 SB, and 1 CS. CF-Jordan Scott went 3x4 with 1 BB, 1 SB, 1 CS, and 1 RBI. 3B-Matt Duffy was 2x4 with 1 BB, 1 SB and 2 R. LF-Chris Epps went 2x5 with 2 RBI. SS-James Howick was 2x4 with 2 2B and 1 R. C-Roberto Pena was 1x5 with 1 HR and 2 RBI.

Man of the Match: Delino DeShields

*Notes: The Legends have won eight of their last ten games. They are 16-10 on the road this season. Lexington is an amazing 21-0 this season when leading after seven innings.

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 begins June 2nd.

PreStros Farm Report: May 23

2012-05-24T08:31:00.000-05:00

PreStros: May 23

Oklahoma City (26-19)

Postponed. Will be made up as part of a doubleheader today

*Notes: Brett Wallace has a six game hitting streak. He’s hit three home runs in his last four games, all to center field. Jordan Lyles is tied for most batters hit this season (6) in the Pacific Coast League.

Corpus Christi (20-25)

Jake Buchanan pitched a gem for eight innings and came two outs away from a complete game as he led the Hooks to a 9-5 victory over Arkansas (LAA).

Buchanan went 8.1 innings and was charged with 5 R (3 earned) on 8 H and 1 BB with 4 K. Josh Zeid was wild in relief, but got the final two outs on strikeouts, along with 1 BB and 2 WP.

LF-Austin Wates was 2x4 with 1 2B and 2 R. SS-Jonathan Villar was 1x4 with 1 HR, 2 R, and 2 RBI. 1B-Jon Singleton was 2x4 with 1 2B, 2 R, and 1 RBI. CF-Brandon Barnes went 3x4 with 1 HR and 3 RBI. 3B-Andrew Simunic was 2x4. C-Jair Fernandez was 2x4 with 1 RBI.

Man of the Match: Brandon Barnes

*Notes: The Hooks are second in the Texas League in runs scored (224) despite being next to last in home runs (31). Jonathan Villar is tied for the league lead in stolen bases (18).

Lancaster (23-23)

OFF

*Notes: George Springer currently has a 13 game hitting streak. Tyson Perez was named California League pitcher of the week after his complete game two-hitter last Thursday.

Lexington (24-21)

Luis Ordosgiotti led the Legends pitching staff in shutting out the Power (PIT) 4-0.

Ordosgiotti went 7.1 innings and allowed 4 H and 3 BB with 4 K. Murilo Gouvea threw .2 innings with 1 BB. Dayan Diaz threw the final inning with 2 BB and 2 K.

3B-Matt Duffy was 2x4 with 1 2B, 1 R, and 2 RBI. CF-Jordan Scott was 1x4 with 1 3B, 1 R, and 1 outfield assist. C-Mike Kvasnicka went 2x4 with 1 R.

Man of the Match: Luis Ordosgiotti

*Notes: The Legends have won seven of their last nine games. Zach Johnson was hitting .364 with runners in scoring position going into last night’s game.

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 begins June 2nd.

From the Office of the County Clerk - G44: Cubs @ Astros

2012-05-24T08:07:00.001-05:00

Jeff Samardzija (4-2, 3.00) vs Wandy Rodriguez (3-4, 2.24)

Sweeeeeep! The Astros finished off the sweep of the Cubs and sent them to their 9th straight loss with a 5-1 victory. If there is anything sweeter than sweeping the Cubs, I don't know what it is (I am still quite bitter about some of their classless fans that showed up for the Astros "home game" at Miller Park a couple of years back)...but I digress. The Astros now move to 21-23, within striking distance of that elusive .500 record again, while the Cubs fall to 15-29.

*Wandy Rodriguez was very sharp again tonight. His own blemish was a first inning homerun given up to Cubs CF Reed Johnson. He finished with a very nice line of 7.0 IP / 8 H / 1 ER / 0 BB / 5 K. He improves to 4-4 and lowered his ERA on the season to a very nice 2.14. Brandon Lyon got the Hold, and Brett Myers pitched the 9th (although it wasn't a Save situation as the Astros had tacked on 3 additional runs in the bottom of the 8th).

Observations:

*JD Martinez is back! He went 3 for 4 with a triple, a run scored and 3 RBI's. And he did it all wile only seeing 7 pitches on the evening. Perhaps he will find more success swinging early in counts on pitches he likes. The aggression certainly worked for him today.

*Carlos Lee also had a very nice night, going 3 for 4 with 2 runs scored.

*The Astros had 9 hits, walked 4 times and struck out 5 times.

*Chris Johnson also had a nice night going 2 for 4 with a pair of runs scored.

*Jason Castro got the start behind the plate and went 1 for 2 with 2 walks.

*Schafer is obviously still in some pain, and had the night off. Bogusevic started in CF. He went 0 for 4 with 2 K's.

*Jed Lowrie and Travis Buck both had rough nights at the plate, going 0 for 5 and 0 for 4 respectively - making it a combined 0 for 9 with a strikeout from our 2 & 3 hitters tonight.

*Jose Altuve led off again. While he wen 0 for 3, he did draw a walk and drove in a run.

Turning Point:

The JD Martinez 2 run triple in the 4th were the Astros first runs of the game, and gave them the lead. It also proved to be the only runs the Astros would need.

Man of the Match:

JD Martinez. 3 for 4, a run scored and 3 RBI. Welcome back, JD!

Goat of the Game:

Bogusevic or Lowrie. Bogey was 0 for 4 with 2 K's, and Lowrie was 0 for 5 with a K. Take your pick.

Diory Hernandez released

2012-05-23T17:30:00.000-05:00

Astros County has learned that OKC infielder Diory Hernandez has been released. Hernandez was signed to a minor league contract this off-season after spending the first nine seasons of his professional career in the Atlanta Braves organization. He was hitting .159/.240/.159 in 50 plate appearances for the RedHawks this year.

*Edit: It seems we were a little late in finding out this news. Zachary Levine announced this 44 minutes before us.

We just might get the Orange and Blue back

2012-05-23T14:01:00.001-05:00

In an expanded article, Zachary Levine tells us about the potential new uniforms and logo coming our way in 2013.

Jim Crane:
“We’ll blend some of the new with the history of the team and some of the colors in the past. We’ve selected it all and we’re about to submit it. We’re due in on the 30th, so everything’s set to go to baseball for approval.”

There you have it!

Controversy over uni design!

2012-05-23T11:31:00.001-05:00

A whole bunch of tweets this morning inform us about the new Astros' uni design as they prepare for impending Junior Circuit-dom:

The Astros have a design in mind, but nothing has been submitted to MLB for approval. This is directly contradicted by KPRC's Randy McIlvoy, who says that not only has the design been completed, but it has been submitted to MLB for approval and will be unveiled after the season.

Also, Craig Biggio had his lapsed contract as Special Assistant to the GM renewed.

UPDATE: Levine was kind enough to respond:
The quote is "we've selected it all and we're about to submit it." We interviewed separately, may have gotten different things.

Jordan Schafer hurts

2012-05-23T10:06:00.001-05:00

Jordan Schafer sent a couple of tweets this morning, six minutes, apart (6:46 and 6:52am, respectively), where he's apparently in some pain (combined to make one easier-to-read sentence):

I don't think I've ever been in this much pain!!!!!! This is seriously beyond terrible, atleast I got 10 min of sleep last night.....

A few days ago, Schafer left the game with a lower leg muscle strain after hurdling over Justin Maxwell, and returned to the lineup last night for the first time since the injury, batting 8th. He went 0x3, seeing nine pitches, last night.

Update: Zachary Levine brings the info, referring to Schafer's injury as a "flare-up of an old toe injury."

When he was examined this morning, the injury was deemed largely insignificant.

Tell that to Jordan Schafer, who got 10 minutes of sleep.

PreStros Farm Report: May 22

2012-05-23T08:17:00.000-05:00

PreStros: May 22

Oklahoma City (26-19)

OKC must have invested in a cork company, as they again homered their way to victory, 9-5 over Colorado Springs (COL).

Paul Clemens went 5 innings and gave up 4 R on 8 H and 1 BB. Sergio Perez threw 1 inning, allowing 1 R on 2 H and 1 BB. Xavier Cedeno pitched 2 innings with 3 K. David Carpenter pitched the ninth and allowed 1 H.

2B-Jimmy Paredes was 2x5 with 2 2B, 1 HR, and 2 R. LF-Scott Moore went 3x3 with 1 BB, 1 2B, 1 R, and 2 RBI. 3B-Brett Wallace was 1x4 with 1 HR, 2 R, and 3 RBI. CF-Brad Snyder went 1x1 with 1 HR and 3 RBI. C-Landon Powell was 2x3 with 1 BB. RF-Fernando Martinez was 1x4 with 1 BB, 1 2B, 2 R, and 2 outfield assists.

Man of the Match: Scott Moore

*Notes: Mike Hessman was named PCL player of the week for the week ending May 20. For the week he hit .529/.667/1.588 with five home runs and 11 runs batted in. Jimmy Paredes has nine multi-hit games in his last ten contests. The RedHawks have hit 22 home runs over their last 10 games, and lead the league with 53 on the season.

Corpus Christi (19-25)

OFF

Lancaster (23-23)

Despite getting back-to-back-to-back home runs from George Springer, Adam Bailey, and Domingo Santana, the JetHawks lost 12-8 to High Desert (SEA).

Tyson Perez was officially welcomed to the California League, pitching 5.1 innings and giving up 6 R on 9 H (3 HR) and 1 BB with 5 K. Brian Streilein went 2 innings and allowed 3 R on 4 H and 1 BB with 3 K. Kirk Clark lasted .2 innings and gave up 3 R on 3 H and 1 BB. Brad Dydalewicz pitched a scoreless ninth with 1 BB.

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

Man of the Match: Domingo Santana

*Notes: George Springer currently has a 13 game hitting streak. Tyson Perez was named California League pitcher of the week after his complete game two-hitter last Thursday.

Lexington (23-21)

A go-ahead two run home run by Drew Muren in the seventh gave Lexington a 3-2 victory over West Virginia (PIT).

Nicholas Tropeano went 6.1 innings, allowing 1 R on 4 H with 8 K. Carlos Quevedo threw 1.2 innings and gave up 1 R on 3 H with 1 K. Jason Chowning earned his 8th with 1 H and 3 K in the ninth.

2B-Delino DeShields was 1x3 with 1 BB, 1 SB, 1 2B, and 1 R. DH-Brandon Meredith was 0x2 with 2 BB, 1 SB, and 1 R. RF-Drew Muren was 1x3 with 1 HR and 2 RBI.

Man of the Match: Nick Tropeano

*Notes: Delino DeShields leads the Sally League in steals with 29 and has only been caught once. There’s a three way tie for second at 19.

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 begins June 2nd.

From the Office of the County Clerk - G43: Cubs @ Astros

2012-05-22T22:25:00.001-05:00

Travis Wood (0-0, 4.50) vs JA Happ (3-3, 4.96)

The Astros and Cubs battled to a good old pitchers duel (well, it wasn't so much a pitchers duel as it was a battle between two bad offenses), and the Astros came out on top in a 2-1 nailbiter. The Astros improve to 20-23, within 3 games of .500 again, while the Cubs fall to 15-28. The Astros go for the SWEEP tomorrow!

*JA Happ had his second straight great outing, with a Soriano homerun being his only real blemish of the night. Happ's line was a very solid 6.0 IP / 5 H / 1 ER / 2 BB/ 6 K. Wright and Lopez combined for 2 innings and each picked up ah old, while Myers grabbed his 11th save of the season with 2 strikeouts in a scoreless 9th.

Observations:

*Jordan Schafer returned from his lower leg injury tonight, but was inserted into the 8 spot in the batting order. I personally love the move, as Schafer has simply been striking out too much lately to be a great leadoff option. Schafer went 0 for 3 in his return to the lineup (but he didn't strike out!).

*Jose Altuve batted leadoff and looks great there. He reminds me a lot of another smaller second basemen who batted leadoff for the Astros for many years....especially with his homerun tonight, which the other unnamed second basement hit a few of leading off games as well. Altuve finished 2 for 4 with a run and an RBI (both on the homerun obviously).

*In a big vote of confidence, Justin Maxwell got the nod in the 3 spot. I'm not sure what Brad Mills obsession is with batting a slumping hitter in the 3 hole exclusively.....first JD and now Maxwell. Why not put a guy like Lowrie in there who has been having a really great year?

*Maxwell went 0 for 3 with a walk and a strikeout, and he did score the winning run. Lowrie went 1 for 3 with a walk from the #2 spot.

*Chris Snyder got another start behind the plate, which was great to see...but he cooled off with an 0 for 3 evening.

*The Astros drew 3 walks and only struck out 5 times tonight. They only collected 4 hits, and were a dreadful 1 for 8 with runners in scoring position.

Turning Point:

JD Martinez' single in the 6th scored Maxwell and gave the Astros a 2-1 lead which they would never surrender.

Man of the Match:

Tough one! Happ was very good, but Altuve was the difference maker tonight. 2 for 4 from the leadoff spot with a big homerun leading off the game, his 3rd of the year.

Goat of the Game:

Pretty happy with this performance all around tonight. On paper CJ had the worst night, 0 for 2 with a strikeout - plus he got ejected, but it was a good team win in a tight game tonight.

Jarred Cosart doesn't sound too happy.

2012-05-22T11:55:00.000-05:00

Jarred Cosart tweeted this out a few minutes ago:

Sad when people from your own organization doubt you and your team. It's about time to silence critics. hey @astros I'm coming for ya

Whether this in reference to the Armando Galarraga signing (and subsequent assignment to Oklahoma City), or...I don't know. Whatever gets the motivation up, I guess...

PreStros Farm Report: May 21

2012-05-22T08:47:00.003-05:00

PreStros: May 21

Oklahoma City (25-19)

Journeyman minor league slugger Mike Hessman continued his hot hitting with a go ahead pinch hit single in the ninth to put the RedHawks on top 5-3 against Colorado Springs (COL).

Wes Musick held his own in his first AAA start, lasting 6 innings and allowing 2 R on 6 H and 1 BB with 2 K. Adalberto Flores gave up 1 R on 3 H and 2 BB with 1 K in 2 innings. Jose Valdez got his 10th save with a scoreless ninth, including 1 H, 1 BB, and 1 K.

LF-JB Shuck was 3x5 with 2 R. 2B-Jimmy Paredes was 3x5 with 1 SB, 2 R, and 1 RBI. 1B-Brett Wallace went 2x4 with 1 2B. RF-Justin Ruggiano was 2x2.

Man of the Match: Jimmy Paredes

*Notes: Mike Hessman was named PCL player of the week for the week ending May 20. For the week he hit .529/.667/1.588 with five home runs and 11 runs batted in. Jimmy Paredes has eight multi-hit games in his last nine contests.

Corpus Christi (19-25)

Brett Oberholtzer had a bounce-back performance as the Hooks beat Midland (OAK) 5-2.

Oberholtzer threw 6 shutout innings, allowing 8 H and 1 BB with 9 K. Kevin Chapman was charged with 2 R on 1 H and 1 BB with 2 K in 1.2 innings. Arcenio Leon gave up 1 H and 1 BB to the only two batters he faced, allowing the two runs charged to Chapman. Erick Abreu pitched the final 1.1 innings with 2 K for the save, his first of the season.

SS-Jonathan Villar went 4x5 with 1 SB, 1 R, and 2 RBI. 2B-Jose Martinez was 2x4 with 1 RBI.

Man of the Match: Oberholtzer/Villar

*Notes: Brett Oberholtzer has allowed just 19 home runs in his first 401 professional innings. The Hooks are the only Texas League team to currently have five players with at least 20 runs batted in (Barnes, Goebbert, Martinez, Singleton, Wates).

Lancaster (23-22)

A big five run seventh innings by High Desert (SEA) grounded the JetHawks as Lancaster took the loss last night 8-2.

Bobby Doran pitched 6.1 innings and allowed 5 R (4 earned) on 5 H and 3 BB with 7 K. Andrew Robinson went .2 innings and gave up 2 R on 4 H. Pat Urckfitz went the final 2 innings and gave up 1 R on 3 H and 1 BB with 2 K.

CF-George Springer was 1x4 with 1 2B, 1 R, and 3 K. RF-Domingo Santana was 1x3 with 1 BB and 1 RBI with 1 outfield assist. DH-Erik Castro was 1x4 with 1 HR.

Man of the Match: Erik Castro

*Notes: George Springer currently has an 12 game hitting streak. With the loss, the JetHawks fall into second place, one game behind High Desert. Tyson Perez was named California League pitcher of the week after his complete game two-hitter last Thursday.

Lexington (22-21)

The Legends took the lead early but faded down the stretch, losing 4-3 to West Virginia (PIT).

Jonas Dufek threw 7 innings and gave up 3 R on 7 H and 1 BB with 3 K. Murilo Gouvea went 1 inning and allowed 1 R on 1 H and 1 BB with 2 K. Evan Grills pitched the final inning with 1 K.

2B-Delino DeShields was 1x4 with 1 BB, 2 SB, and 2 R. 1B-Zach Johnson was 2x3 with 1 BB and 1 RBI. LF-Chris Epps went 1x3 with 1 BB, 1 SB, 1 2B, and 1 RBI

Man of the Match: Delino DeShields

*Notes: After putting up an OPS of just .358 in April, Mike Kvasnicka is sporting a .715 OPS in May. Behind the plate he’s caught 39 % of attempted base stealers this season.

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 begins June 2nd.

Astros sign near-perfect pitcher

2012-05-21T18:09:00.001-05:00

Okay, so the pitcher isn't near perfect, but he once threw a game that should have been perfect. According to Brian McTaggart, the Astros have signed Armando Galarraga to a minor league deal. You may remember Galarraga from this game, in which he was robbed of a perfect game by a horrible call on what would have been the final out.

Galarraga has been around since then, having been traded from Detroit to Arizona, granted free agency, signed with Baltimore, and released after spring training. In 518 major league innings, he's 26-30 and has a 4.69 ERA. He doesn't strikeout many, walks a few too many, and gives up a lot of home runs, so there's that.

An up close look at Rhiner Cruz

2012-05-21T11:30:00.001-05:00

Over at Beyond the Boxscore they're taking a look at eight rookie relievers using PITCHf/x data. One of those pitchers is Houston's own Rhiner Cruz. I'll admit I wasn't thrilled when Cruz was selected this past offseason in the Rule 5 draft, but he's thus far surpassed my expectations. In 14 innings this season he has a 2.57 ERA, 1.29 WHIP, and is sporting a 12/8 K/BB ratio. Opposing hitters have managed just a .583 OPS against Cruz this year. Go check out the BtB post to find out how he's doing it.

PreStros Farm Report: May 20

2012-05-21T09:12:00.003-05:00

PreStros: May 20

Oklahoma City (24-19)

The RedHawks continued their recent power surge with four home runs Sunday and beat the Aces 10-9.

Mickey Storey started for just the second time in his professional career and went 3 innings, giving up 5 R on 5 H and 2 BB with 7 K. Juan Abreu threw 2 innings and gave up 2 R on 3 H (2 HR) and 1 BB with 2 K. Xavier Cedeno gave up his first earned run of the season while pitching 1.1 innings with 3 H. David Carpenter pitched a scoreless 1.2 innings with 2 K. Jose Valdez got the save with 1 inning pitched, allowing 1 unearned run on 2 H with 3 K.

SS-Brian Bixler was 2x6 with 1 2B, 1 R, and 1 RBI. 2B-Jimmy Paredes was 2x4 with 1 RBI. RF-Fernando Martinez was 1x5 with 1 HR and 2 RBI. LF-Scott Moore was 1x3 with 1 BB and 1 HR. 3B-Brett Wallace went 2x5 with 1 HR. C-Landon Powell was 2x5 with 1 HR, 2 R, and 2 RBI.

Man of the Match: Landon Powell

*Notes: OKC has hit 28 home runs in their last 15 games, including 12 in their last four games at Reno. The RedHawks now lead the league in home runs (50). Over his last 10 games, Brett Wallace is hitting .341/.341/.561 with three home runs, but he has zero walks and 11 strikeouts over that same stretch. Wes Musick has been called up from Corpus for a spot start.

Corpus Christi (18-25)

Allowing a pair of extra base hits with the bases loaded doomed the Hooks as they lost 9-3 to Midland (OAK).

Jose Cisnero went 4 innings and allowed 4 R on 5 H and 3 BB with 5 K. Henry Villar pitched 1 scoreless inning followed by Alex Sogard with 2 scoreless. Josh Zeid was charged with 5 R on 4 H and 1 BB in just .1 innings. Erick Abreu allowed all three inherited runners to score before settling down for the final two outs.

SS-Andy Simunic was 1x4 with 1 BB. 1B-Kody Hinze was 0x2 with 2 BB, 1 SB, and 1 R. C-Ryan McCurdy went 1x3 with 1 BB and 1 R and threw out the only attempted base stealer.

Man of the Match: Ryan McCurdy

*Notes: Over his last five starts, Cisnero is 0-4 with a 9.87 ERA. He’s thrown 17.1 innings over that stretch with 13 BB and 17 K and opponents have hit .360 against him.

Lancaster (23-21)

After jumping out to a 2-0 lead, the JetHawks couldn’t keep up as High Desert (SEA) poured on the offense, eventually losing 11-4.

David Martinez lasted 4.1 innings and gave up 7 R on 9 H and 3 BB with 8 K. Jose Trinidad allowed 3 R in 3 innings on 5 H with 1 K. Pat Urckfitz pitched .2 innings and allowed 1 H. Gabriel Garcia threw the final inning and allowed 1 R on 1 H, a solo HR.

CF-George Springer went 2x4 with 2 R. LF-Adam Bailey was 4x4 with 1 HR and 2 RBI. C-Ben Heath went 2x4 with 1 2B and 1 RBI.

Man of the Match: Adam Bailey

*Notes: George Springer currently has an 11 game hitting streak. He’s hitting .524 over that stretch with six homeruns, 13 runs scored, and 11 runs batted in and has raised his batting average from .269 to .335.

Lexington (22-20)

Luis Cruz pitched another gem and the Legends offense provided plenty of support as Lexington beat Kannapolis (CHW) 7-1.

Cruz went 7.2 shutout innings, allowing just 3 H and 2 BB with 7 K. Euris Quezada pitched the final 1.1 innings and gave up 1 R on 3 H.

CF-Jordan Scott was 3x5 with 1 2B and 2 R. 1B-Zach Johnson was 2x5 with 1 2B, 1 R, and 2 RBI. 3B-Matt Duffy went 4x5 with 2 2B, 2 R, and 2 RBI. RF-Drew Muren was 3x4 with 1 BB, 1 2B, and 2 RBI.

Man of the Match: Luis Cruz/Matt Duffy

*Notes: In four May starts, Luis Cruz is 3-0 with a 0.69 ERA. In 26 innings he’s walked seven batters and struck out 26 while allowing opponents to hit just .198 against him. Over his last 11 games, Jordan Scott is hitting .333 with seven doubles, seven runs scored, and six runs batted in.

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 begins June 2nd.

Jordan Lyles didn't have it, and he knew it before he came out of the bullpen

2012-05-21T05:39:00.003-05:00

MoiseKapenda Bower's article on what the heck happened yesterday has a number of interesting bits of tid, but what stands out is what Jordan Lyles said following the game:

"Usually the bullpens before the game aren't that great, so I brush it off. The first inning I didn't have a clue where (the ball) was going for the most part. My mistakes were over the plate. There's no one to blame but myself. I didn't do a good job of minimizing my mistakes and sticking to giving up that one run instead of five.

So prep bullpens typically don't go so well for Lyles, but it didn't get much better after that. I didn't get a chance to even catch a minute of the game - what did y'all think?

From the Office of the County Clerk - G41: Rangers @ Astros

2012-05-20T21:51:00.001-05:00

Colby Lewis (3-3, 3.63) vs Jordan Lyles (0-0, 3.00)

The Texas Rangers jumped all over Astros starter Jordan Lyles, scoring 5 runs on 5 hits in the first inning. It was enough to sink the Astros as they never mounted a threat and fell by a 6-1 count. The Astros fall even further away from .500 at 18-23 while the Rangers improve to a very nice 26-16 record.

*Jordan Lyles was a case of Dr. Jekyl & Mr. Hyde tonight. He had a horrendous 1st inning where he gave up 5 runs on 5 hits. 2 of those hits came on absolute meatballs that he served up on 0-2 counts, when he should be bouncing balls in the dirt or throwing something way up to get a chase. But after that terrible inning he settled right down, He only gave up a solo homerun to left in his 5th and final inning after that. His line was 5.0 IP / 9 H / 6 ER / 3 BB / 6 K. Rodriguez, Cruz and Wright each saw work as well, and combined for 4 scoreless innings.

Observations:

*Jed Lowrie scored the only Astros run with a solo homerun in the 9th inning. It was his 6th homerun of the year, a pretty nice total so far.

*Jordan Schafer (injured) and JD Martinez were both out of action tonight, setting up a Buck/Maxwell/Bogusevic outfield. They went a combined 1 for 10 with 4 strikeouts.

*Jose Altuve led off and did a great job of it, going 2 for 4 with a double. Even when Schafer comes back, I would prefer to see Altuve in the leadoff spot with Schafer batting 2nd. Schafer has simply been striking out too much lately to be a viable leadoff option.

*The Astros only drew 1 walk (Carlos Lee) to 6 strikeouts today. They also only had 5 hits.

*The Astros went 0 for 7 with runners in scoring position and left 5 men on base.

Turning Point:

The terrible 1st inning. Lyles had a couple of Rangers on the ropes, but gave up hits on 0-2 counts. The inning sunk the Astros and their lackluster offense never mounted a challenge.

Man of the Match:

The Astros offense was terrible again, so i'll give it to the only (brief) bright spot of the day - Jed Lowrie for his solo homerun in the 9th to at least ruin the shutout.

Goat of the Game:

Jordan Lyles. Despite being pretty darn good from innings 2 through 5, his terrible 1st sunk the Astros. He struggled mightily with his command, and you simply can't get away with that against a team as good as the Rangers.

PreStros Farm Report: May 19

2012-05-20T10:21:00.000-05:00

PreStros: May 19

Oklahoma City (23-19)

Dallas Keuchel came crashing back down to earth last night as the RedHawks lost 14-9 to Reno (ARI).

Keuchel lasted 4 innings and gave up 12 R on 13 H with 3 BB. Sergio Perez went 2 innings and allowed 2 R on 5 H and 1 BB. Jose Valdez and Jonnathan Aristil each threw 1 scoreless inning to finish the game.

2B-Jimmy Paredes was 3x5 with 1 2B, 1 3B, and 4 R. 1B-Mike Hessman went 2x4 with 1 BB, 1 2B, 1 HR, and 2 RBI. 3B-Brett Wallace was 3x5 with 1 HR and 3 RBI. C-Carlos Corporan was 1x4 with 1 HR and 2 RBI.

Man of the Match: Brett Wallace

*Notes: Dallas Keuchel’s ERA jumped from a league leading 2.09 before the game to 3.75 after the game.

Corpus Christi (18-24)

The Hooks overcame a 3-0 deficit to beat Midland (OAK) 5-4.

Ross Seaton threw 7 innings and allowed 4 R (2 earned) on 7 H, 4 BB, and 1 HBP with 5 K. Jason Stoffel went the final 2 innings and allowed 1 H and 1 BB with 2 K.

1B-Jon Singleton was 1x3 with 2 BB, 1 2B, and 2 R. RF-Jake Goebbert was 2x3 with 1 BB, 1 2B, 1 R, and 1 RBI. DH-Kody Hinze went 2x4 with 1 R and 1 RBI.

Man of the Match: Jake Goebbert

*Notes: Corpus catchers have only caught four would be base stealers and are last in the league with a caught stealing percentage of just 13%.

Lancaster (23-20)

The JetHawks completed the sweep of Inland Empire (LAA) with an 8-4 victory, giving them sole possession of 1st place in their division.

Ruben Alaniz threw 6 innings and gave up 2 R on 6 H and 1 HBP with 3 K. Gabriel Garcia and Brian Streilein each pitched 1 scoreless inning. Brad Dydalewicz gave up 2 R on 3 H and 1 BB in .2 innings. Andrew Robinson got the final out for his 1st save of the season.

SS-Ben Orloff was 3x5 with 2 R and 3 RBI. CF-George Springer was 4x5 with 1 HR. 2B-Kike Hernandez went 2x4 with 1 2B, 2 R, and 1 RBI.

Man of the Match: Ben Orloff

*Notes: Kirk Clark has yet to allow a home run in 15 appearances.

Lexington (21-20)

The Legends took the lead in the fifth and cruised to a 7-5 victory over Kannapolis (CHW).

Mike Foltynewicz went 6 innings and gave up 4 R on 5 H and 4 BB with 2 K. Murilo Gouvea pitched 1 scoreless inning, giving up 1 H. Jason Chowning earned his seventh save with 2 innings, allowing 1 unearned run with 4 K.

2B-Delino DeShields was 1x2 with 2 BB, 1 SB, 1 2B, and 2 R. CF-Jordan Scott went 2x5 with 1 2B and 2 RBI. SS-Chan Moon was 2x3 with 2 R and 2 RBI.

Man of the Match: Chan Moon

*Notes: John Hinson has seven multi-hit games in 14 games played for Lexington. Mike Foltynewicz has won his last five decisions since his opening day loss, and has lowered his ERA from 6.75 to 2.15 over that stretch.

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 begins June 2nd.

From the Office of the County Clerk - G40: Rangers @ Astros

2012-05-19T23:39:00.000-05:00

Derek Holland (3-2, 3.78) vs Lucas Harrell (2-3, 4.40)

The Astros fell behind 4-0 early, but fought back behind a trio of homeruns to take a 6-5 victory over the Rangers tonight. The Astros improve to 18-22 while the Rangers fall to 25-16.

*Lucas Harrell was....Lucas Harrellish tonight. He wasn't fantastic but he was actually pretty darn good - and he was much better than his line showed thanks to some shoddy defense behind him. His line: 5.2 IP / 5 H / 4 R / 1 ER / 3 BB / 6 K. He picked up the win thanks to some rare run support tonight. Abad, Lopez, Wright & Lyon each saw game action, as did Brett Myers who picked up his 10th save on the year.

Observations:

*the game wasn't a complete victory unfortunately. Jordan Schafer hurt his ankle when he collided with Justin Maxwell. Schafer had to leave the game. Luckily x-rays on his ankle came back negative, but he is expected to miss game action.

*Justin Maxwell had a huge night at the plate - see the 'Man of the Match' below.

*The 3 homeruns the Astros hit tonight were a season high for the team. Snyder, Lee and Maxwell each went deep.

*Brad Mills must read Astros County! Not only did he take my advice and put in Chris Snyder (who responded with a 1 for 3 game and a homerun), but he also moved JD Martinez down to the 7 hole, where he went 1 for 3 with a double and a walk. Ok, maybe I shouldn't take credit...but nonetheless I was glad to see Mills make these 2 moves.

*Despite JD's better game, he still struck out twice. This is something JD will need to work on.

*The Astros scored 6 runs on 7 hits, with 4 walks and 9 strikeouts tonight. I hate to be picky since the offense finally had a bit of a surge, but the Astros are still striking out far too much as a team. We need to start putting some of these balls into play where at least we have a chance of something good happening.

*Overall a very nice night for the Astros in an exciting game. They go for the series win tomorrow. With Schafer likely out, we will have to see what Mills does with the lineup. If Schafer misses any length of time, this could be a nice opportunity to give Maxwell some every day playing time and see how he responds. It's tough to judge a guy based on only pinch hits and very irregular starts, as it is very tough to get into a groove as a hitter.

Turning Point:

Going with the Justin Maxwell homerun here. The Astros were still down 4-3, when Maxwell came up and put the Astros ahead 5-4. It was a big swing after the Astros had trailed 4-0 at one point and it seemed like a huge hole to dig out of.

Man of the Match:

Justin Maxwell. 1 for 2, 2 walks, a HUGE 2 run homerun, 2 runs scored and a stolen base. A huge day for Maxwell.

Goat of the Game:

Jordan Schafer. 0 for 1 with a strikeout, and wasn't even paying attention to an already diving Justin Maxwell in the outfield on the play he was injured on. If Maxwell already has a bead on it and is diving, you have to get back there to back him up to at least hold Murphy to a double. Obviously it's tough to say without being on the field and hearing if either player called it, but it sure looked like Maxwell had dibs on the ball and Schafer simply kept running right into him.

PreStros Farm Report: May 18

2012-05-19T10:23:00.000-05:00

PreStros: May 18

Oklahoma City (23-18)

Hot Diamondbacks prospect Trevor Bauer held the RedHawks to just one run over eight innings as OKC lost 2-1 to Reno (ARI).

Aneury Rodriguez lasted 5.2 innings, and 102 pitches, and gave up 2 R on 5 H and 3 BB with 2 K. Enerio Del Rosario threw .2 innings and allowed 1 H with 1 K. Xavier Cedeno went 1.2 innings with 4 K.

LF-Scott Moore was 2x4. 3B-Brett Wallace went 2x4. C-Landon Powell was 1x2 with 1 BB and 1 HR.

Man of the Match: Landon Powell

*Notes: Mike Hessman is the active career minor league home run leader with 338. He is tied for third in home runs this season (9) in the PCL. Scott Moore now leads the league in doubles (15). OKC is .5 games behind Albuquerque in the PCL American-South Division. Through 16.2 innings, Xavier Cedeno still has a 0.00 ERA.

Corpus Christi (17-24)

After scoring two runs in both the eighth and ninth innings to tie the game back up, the Hooks lost 6-5 on a walkoff sac fly by Midland (OAK).

Jarred Cosart went 5.2 innings and gave up 4 R on 6 H and 4 BB with 5 K. Erick Abreu threw 1.1 scoreless innings with 2 BB and 2 K. Kevin Chapman allowed 2 R (1 earned) in 1.1 innings on 2 H and 3 BB. Jason Stoffel got the final out but gave up the winning sac fly.

LF-Jake Goebbert was 1x4 with 1 BB, 1 R, and 2 RBI. 1B-Jon Singleton was 2x5 with 1 RBI. DH-Kody Hinze went 1x3 with 1 BB and 2 RBI.

Man of the Match: Jake Goebbert

*Notes: Jonathan Villar leads the Texas League with 17 steals despite only having a .287 on base percentage.

Lancaster (22-20)

Pitching was again the story for Lancaster, but his time it was the bullpen. JetHawks relievers put together five scoreless innings as Lancaster beat Inland Empire (LAA) 5-3.

Jorge De Leon went 4 innings, allowing 3 R (2 earned) on 2 H and 2 BB with 2 K. Zach Grimmett threw 3.1 scoreless innings with 2 H, 2 BB, and 2 K. Andrew Robinson pitched .2 innings with 1 K. Kirk Clark got his fifth save with a scoreless ninth, allowing 1 H.

CF-George Springer went 2x5 with 1 2B, 1 SB, and 2 R. LF-Adam Bailey was 2x5 with 2 R. RF-Domingo Santana went 2x4 with 1 BB and 2 RBI. DH-Ben Heath was 2x4 with 1 RBI. 2B-Kike Hernandez was 2x4 with 1 RBI.

Man of the Match: George Springer

*Notes: The JetHawks have the second best team AVG (.278), SLG (.452), and OPS (.791). They also have the second most offensive strikeouts (365).

Lexington (20-20)

The Legends took advantage of the wildness of the Kannapolis (CHW) pitching staff, which allowed nine walks, to pick up the 7-3 victory.

Luis Ordosgiotti lasted 4 innings and allowed 2 R on 6 H and 3 BB with 3 K. Carlos Quevedo went 4 innings and gave up 1 R on 3 H with 6 K. Murilo Gouvea pitched 1 inning with 2 K.

3B-John Hinson was 2x6 with 2 2B, 1 R, and 3 RBI. LF-Brandon Meredith was 4x5 with 1 2B and 2 RBI. C-Roberto Pena went 2x5 with 1 R. RF-Chris Epps was 1x2 with 3 BB and 2 R.

Man of the Match: John Hinson

*Notes: Carlos Quevedo, who had spent his professional career as a starter until early this season, has pitched well out of the bullpen in 2012. He’s seen his K/9 increase by three over his career average to 9.6 while maintaining his impressive walk rate, 1.3 BB/9. He’s giving up two fewer H/9 as well.

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.

It's not the Rangers. It's their fans.

2012-05-19T08:55:00.003-05:00

Bandwagons are funny things. Name another vehicle that has room for an entire city. I know there are plenty of life-long Rangers fans, I really do. It just seems like there have been a lot more in the last two years, at the height of their success. It happens in Houston, too. The last five home games (prior to last night) at Minute Maid have seen crowds of 15,000, 15,000, 16,000, 14,000, and 16,000, respectively. That's a long way from averaging 38,121 over the course of the whole season in 2004. Bandwagons happen, and of course, we hate people for it. Like this guy. Every day his tires do not have knives sticking out of them is a day that the terrorists win.

Of course there's going to be resentment. From 1998-2008, the Astros were 957-824 (.537) and went to the playoffs four times. The Rangers in the same period were 872-910 (.489), and went to the playoffs twice, in 1998 and 1999, getting swept in the first round both times. That was a fun time for Astros fans. The Rangers didn't even register on our radar, particularly during the 2004-05 seasons.

But now things are different. In 2010/11, the Rangers went to the World Series both times (cue the petty smile slowly sweeping across my face), and went 186-138. The Astros are the polar opposite, going 132-192. The Rangers were one strike away from being the best team in baseball (a few times). The Astros were the worst team in baseball. There's a reason that the Astros have to decide between Mark Appel and Byron Buxton in a few weeks.

Make no mistake. If the roles were reversed, I have no doubt that I would be a complete and utter jacknut, and question whether the Rangers were a Double-A or a Triple-A team. But the roles are not reversed, and every time the Newberg Report tweeted that if the Rangers were facing Feliz last night, they would have run-ruled him and left Feliz sitting on the mound, in tears, with one sock on, and wearing his glove like a shark fin (paraphrasing), I wanted to lash out. Or when our old buddy/whipping boy DMN writer Evan Grant says that Minute Maid Park has the Stupidest In Play Feature in an MLB Park (not paraphrasing. At all.) or that Rhiner Cruz looks stupid and like he doesn't belong in MLB, we can just say that the Red Mist descended over my eyes, and I took the dogs on an angry walk. (By the by, AC lost a decent number of followers on Twitter yesterday - scroll down - with our short fiction piece on George Postolos and Jeff Luhnow vs. Evan Grant. I don't mind it.) Is it petty? Absolutely.

That Rangers fans (and, apparently, even those who cover the Rangers - which seems a touch unprofessional) don't think, even with the randomness of baseball, that it's in the realm of possibility that the Astros can win a game this series...that's what pisses me off. I don't hate the Rangers. I'm starting to hate everyone who likes the Rangers. Especially...

Keep pinching that nipple, sir. It just might be your lucky nipple, and win a World Series someday.