The Constable was last seen running from the Intervention that we had planned after his Out of the Park Baseball addiction developed frighteningly quickly. It is understood that he ran off through the Astros County carpark, and has not been seen for a while. He is not in any of his top 5 local Mexican restaurants, so we are totally stumped. I guess that this means that I have the Morning Report this morning. Apologies.
Overview
* Affiliates went 2-2 on the day, combined record 74-66.
* OKC won another tight one over Memphis. How many runs did Valdes, Fields and Chapman give up?? Read on for more...
* Corpus dropped back to .500. How did Kyle Smith go in his second AA start?? Read on for more...
* Lancaster tried to come back with a multi-run seventh. Who had the big hit in that inning?? Read on for more...
* Quad Cities got themselves a solid start. From who?? Read on for more...
Oklahoma City (20-16)
The RedHawks won a tight, tight, tight game over the 16-19 Memphis Redbirds by a score of 3-2. After three, the RedHawks were leading, 3-1, with Memphis getting one back in the top of the sixth. To the box score!!
Stitched Leather: Bobby Doran got the start and won after pitching 6 innings of 3H, 2R/ER, 2BB, 3K ball. Bobby Doran had a fly-out night (2GO v 8FO).
Then the Goatpen relieved, and if these three names don't give you Post Traumatic Stress Disorder, then I imagine you are immune. "Exxon" Valdes relieved and retired 2, striking out one. Josh Fields pitched an inning, walking one, and Kevin Chapman earned the save, with 1BB and 1K in 1.1IP. Someone - promote those three!!
Smooth Wood: Swinging some Smooth Wood was Jon Singleton (1-2, 2BB, R). Ronald Torreyes had the only XBH and was the most productive (1-4, 2B, 2RBI). Also having a comparatively good day was Carlos Perez (1-2, BB), Gregorio Petit and Jonathan Meyer (1-4, R). Robbie Grossman walked in a run (0-3, BB, RBI).
Man of the Match: None other than the productive batting of Ronald Torreyes, who drove in both runners with two out in the third. He was batting in the 7-hole today.
Corpus Christi (17-17)
Jeez, Corpus, I warned you that .500 was sneaking up behind you. And you stand there like the teenage blonde in a horror movie... and now there is blood everywhere. Corpus was the victim of a 4-run outburst in the first two innings by the Frisco RoughRiders. Frisco added two more in the 6th. Final score, 6-2.
Stitched Leather: Kyle Smith was making his second start in AA, and again gave up early runs. His final line was 3.2IP, 6H, 4R/ER, BB, 6K. He gave up one of those Home Run things that are so popular these days. Alex Sogard relieved and gave up another 2 runs (1.2, 2H, 2R/ER, 2BB, K), but not entirely his fault as Sogard left with the bases loaded, and Pat Urckfitz walked two runners in (0.2IP, 2BB). Michael Dimock finished the game for the Hooks (2IP, H, BB, 2K).
Kyle Smith looks like he will need to make adjustments in AA, but remember he is still only 21, and in both games he has started in AA, he has struck out six.
Once again, Hooks pitchers keeping the ball on the ground - 7 groundouts versus 2 flyouts.
Smooth Wood: All 4 of the avid readers of this blog remember by first day on the job, when I wrote about DDJ, after he got himself facially traumatised. Anyhow, I expressed concern about facial trauma, and shared my experience, noting that people can be affected long-term from this injury in all sorts of ways, physical and mental. Well, Delino DeShields Jr cares not for my concerns, and bounces back in best way possible. First game back: 2-4, 2HR/RBI/R. Consecutive HR's in first two at-bats. And that is all the scoring on behalf of the Hooks.
Also having hits: Andrew Aplin and Preston Tucker (1-3, BB) and Joe Sclafani (1-4). Otherwise, all quiet on the offensive front.
Man of the Match: Welcome back, DDJ. Your total bases?? 8. Rest of team combined?? 3.
Lancaster (21-15)
Lancaster opened a three game series at 21-15 High Desert today, losing 5-3. High Desert scored in the the bottom half of all the even-numbered innings, while High Desert tried to come back with a 3 run 7th.
Stitched Leather: Vincent Velasquez started, going 3IP, H, R/ER, BB, 4K. The run was scored on a Jordy Lara solo Home Run. He faced 11 batters, with no pitch-count information was available at the time of publication. I note that his last few appearances have all been 2 or 3 innings, and that his season high is 5IP - not sure why. Kyle Westwood relieved and went the rest of the way: 5IP, 8H, 4R/3ER, BB, K.
Combined Groundout to Flyout ratio?? Why 15-2 of course!! All Westwoods 12 in-play outs were recorded on the ground.
Smooth Wood: Anthony Kemp had a good ballgame, going 3-4, 2B, R. Other than that, it was all dribs and drabs, with Teoscar Hernandez (1-3, BB, K), Carlos Correa (1-4, 2B, 2RBI, R), Rio Ruiz (1-2, BB, RBI) and Danry Vasquez (1-3) the other JetHawks who made it on base.
Man of the Match: Perhaps disappointed by finishing runner-up in the Crawfish Boxes' MiLB player of the week, Anthony Kemp was the clear standout performer.
Quad Cities (16-18)
The River Bandits have a little run going, winning 4 straight including the middle game of a 3 game series at Beloit (13-21). The River Bandits scored two in the first and pulled away, with the only Beloit run being scored in the top of the ninth on a solo HR. Eventual Score - 5-1.
Stitched Leather: Adrian Houser got the start and had a solid one, going 6IP, 4H, 2BB, 7K. Albert Minnis, (0.2IP, 2BB, 2K), Tyler Brunnemann (2IP, 2H, R/ER, 3BB, 3K) and Chris Cotton (0.1IP, K, Save) all relieved. Lots of base runners allowed (14), but also lots of strikeouts (13).
Smooth Wood: Chase McDonald (2-3, 2B, BB, R, RBI) and Brian Holberton (2-4, RBI) had multi-hit days. James Ramsay was notable for being on base thrice (0-2, 3BB, 2R) and Chan Moon chased him in once with a triple (1-4, R, 2RBI). Thomas Lindauer was also on base twice (1-3, BB, R).
Man of the Match: Adrian Houser twirled 6 scoreless whilst working around 6 base runners. So he will do!
I am about to head out and check all the web-cafe's around the office to try and find the Constable. I am guessing that he is holed up in a cheap one, playing OOTP Baseball. Hopefully, he will be back writing shortly.
We didn't come out here to play tiddlywinks, son.
-Hal Smith
