Not many of the readers know this (mainly because AC does not have many readers period), but the Constable is a keen fisherman. Anyhow, given the events of this week, he took off in the Astros County corporate jet for a spot of fishing, firstly in the Gulf of Mexico, and later off the southern coast of Japan. Anyhow, wherever the Constable goes, funky things tend to happen, as you can see from the above links. Regardless, the net effect of this for the few avid readers out there is that I am once again assigned to do the PreStros Morning Report. Again, apologies. Please register your protests in the comments section below.
Summary
* Good day for the Affiliates, with another 3-1 day. Combined record - 77-67. Boom.
* Oklahoma had a forgettable one, with Rudy Owens and Chia-Jen Lo struggling
* Corpus got revenge on Frisco
* Lancaster got revenge on High Desert
* Quad Cities had no revenge to get on Beloit, but won regardless.
Oklahoma City (20-17)
The RedHawks opened a series against the 17-18 Colorado Springs Sky Sox with a loss. The RedHawks found themselves in a 3-1 hole after 2 innings, from which they would never recover as the Sky Sox pulled away to win 8-2.
Rubber Rectangle: Toe-ing the Rubber Rectangle for the RedHawks was a man by the name of Rudy Owens. He threw 5.1IP, giving up 11H, 5R, 4ER, 2BB whilst striking out 2. No one is going to spin this into a good start, but he did keep the ball on the ground (8:2 GO:FO). Chia-Jen Lo is also making a strong case to return to the Astros Goatpen, pitching 2 innings of relief, and giving up 4H, 3R/ER, 1BB and 1K. Jason Stoffel cleaned up the last 1.2 innings, giving up 2 hits and striking out 2. Lo allowed both of Owens' runners to score, and, in turn, Stoffel allowed Lo's runner to score. Karma!!
Plastic Pentagon: Nine RedHawks got to stand beside the Plastic Pentagon today, while the opposition Sky Sox pitchers tried to throw a ball past them. Of those nine, the best of the lot was probably Robbie Grossman, who went 2-4, 2x2B, R, RBI. Austin Wates was the other RedHawk with two hits (2-4, 2B, R) and Jon Singleton had the other RBI (1-4, 2B, RBI). No one else excelled at all against Sky Sox starter Pedro Hernandez, who has been pretty good in the two appearances immediately prior to this one, but has also been shelled a few times this year as well.
Silver Trophy: www.hasbobgrossmanbeencalledupyet.edu has miraculously found funding to start up again. Incrediably, this coincides with Bob Grossman winning MOTM.
Corpus Christi (18-17)
Corpus moved back to over .500 with a 5-1 win over the Frisco Roughriders, who slip to 22-13. Corpus scored two in the first, and that was all they needed, as Frisco only managed to score one run (in the bottom of the fourth).
Rubber Rectangle: On the Rubber Rectangle at the beginning of the game for the Hooks was Thomas Shirley. He had himself a good day, working around 7 base runners (4H, 3BB) in 4 IP, and striking out three. He allowed an earned run to a Jake Skole double - after a Trever Adams triple - but that was all.
Travis Bellow relieved, and pitched two scoreless innings, working around 3 base runners (1BB) and striking out three. Jorge De Leon did not allow a baserunner in two innings, with 3K's. Pat Urckfitz finished the game with one scoreless inning, but had runners on first and third (2H) at the time.
Starting for the RoughRiders was the exciting young left-handed prospect, Joe Saunders. Hoping to get a promotion shortly, is Joe.
Plastic Pentagon: Out of the nine Hooks that stood beside the Plastic Pentagon, the top five in the order all had good days. Delino DeShields (2-5, R), Nolan Fontana (2-3, 2 Sac), Andrew Aplin (1-5, R, 2RBI), Matt Duffy (3-4, HR, RBI, R) and Preston Tucker (2-4, R) were all largely unimpressed by the RoughRiders pitching. Telvin Nash scored the other run (0-3, BB).
Delino DeShields was caught stealing home.
Silver Trophy: Matt Duffy really stood out on the batting side of things, with a 3-4, HR day. The Home Run was in the first, and therefore off Joe Saunders, Exciting Prospect.
Lancaster (22-15)
Lancaster evened their three-game away series with High Desert (21-16) by a score of 12-5. Lancaster scored 10 runs in the 5th, 6th and 7th innings. How did they do that?? Lets have a look.
Rubber Rectangle: Kent Emmanuel toed the Rubber Rectangle in Hi-A for the second time. He did better than his first effort (4.2IP, 5ER), throwing 5IP, yielding 6 base runners (5H, 1BB), giving up 2R/ER and striking out 4. He earned the win. Lance McCullers Jr relieved, and earned a 4 inning save, but allowed 9 base runners (5H, 4BB), giving up 3R/ER and striking out 4. Combined, Emmanuel and McCullers earned 12 groundouts versus 5 flyouts.
Plastic Pentagon: Carlos Correa was the star today. He went 5-6, 2B, 1R, 6RBI. But, obviously, a number of other JetHawks had great games while standing beside the Plastic Pentagon. Interestingly, 18H, including 5XBH (all 2B) with 4BB was the sum total of the offensive output. Anthony Kemp batted leadoff and went 4-6, RBI, 4R; Teoscar Hernandez showed a number of tools (most likely close to five) in the 2-hole, going 3-5, 2B, BB, 2R, RBI, CS; Bobby Borchering went 1-5, BB, Marc Wik went 1-4, BB, 2R, and Carlos Perdomo went 2-4, BB, 2R, SB. Ruben Sosa repaid his May 7 shoutout by being the only JetHawk without a hit (0-5, 3K).
So how did Lancaster score 3 in each of the 5th and 6th, and 4 in the 7th?? Lots and lots and lots of hits, and a few walks. Not much power, no stolen bases to speak of.
Silver Trophy: I think we need two today, for the Anthony Kemp (his third in a row) who scored 4 runs, and Carlos Correa, who drive in 6. They went a combined 9-12, batting at 1 and 3 in the order respectively. Kemp's last 10 days?? Glad you asked: .512/.583/.585; OPS 1.169, 4K. He may get promoted, but this Nolan Fontana guy is also doing pretty well at AA (last 10: .343/.465/.400; OPS .865).
Much more of this, and Fontana may find himself in the middle-infield at OKC, and Kemp may find himself at Corpus.
Quad Cities (17-18)
The River Bandits continue to crawl back to .500, with a win at home over the 13-22 Beloit Snappers. The River Bandits trailed entering the bottom of the sixth, and scored 2 runs in each of the last three innings to secure a 6-2 win.
Rubber Rectangle: Starting for the River Bandits was Andrew Thurman, who allowed 5 base runners (3H, 2BB) in 4 innings, giving up 1R/ER. He struck out 3, and mostly kept the ball on the ground (4:2 groundout to flyout ratio). He was relieved by Chris Lee, the eventual winner, who had a very similar line (4IP, 4H, 1R/ER, 3K), and who also kept the ball on the ground (7:0). Zach Morton pitched a perfect top of the ninth for the save, striking out one.
Plastic Pentagon: James Ramsay, the leadoff hitting RF for the River Bandits, had himself a great ballgame, on base on four occasions (2-2, 2B, 2BB, 2x2out RBI, R). Chan Moon went 1-3, BB, Conrad Gregor went 2-3, 2B, BB, R, RBI and Brian Holberton was also solid (2-4, 2B, 2RBI). Tucked away at the bottom of the order was Brett Phillips (2-4, 2B, 2R, SB).
Silver Trophy: James Ramsay had a pretty solid day at the plate, and in the leadoff spot, that is a great thing to have. Well done, James. Brian Holberton also deserves an honourable mention.
I have been taken off assignment for the PreStros for the next week due to travel. I believe that the Constable has returned from his fishing adventures to take over again. Unless OOTP Baseball manages to take over his life again, that is. Anyhow, enjoy the work of the Constable, and enjoy the play of the Affiliates.
We didn't come out here to play tiddlywinks, son.
-Hal Smith
