The Constable is down in Austin today, working at his other job as an Actor. He plays a handsome yet erratic cornerback in this UT football movie. The Constable has a very athletic physique, and a smooth, unlined face that allows for a great deal of versatility with the roles he can play. He has been described as Nashville's Brad Pitt. Very impressive.
But this means that I am on the PreStros today. Apologies.
Summary
* Pit of Suck today, with the Affiliates going 0-4. Combined Record: 145-123
* The Big League Team won. Please go and read the game recap if you hate losing
* Oklahoma City lost, mostly because their starter struggled
* Corpus Christi lost, mostly because their starter struggled
* Lancaster lost, mostly because their starter struggled
* Quad Cities lost, mostly because their starter struggled
Oklahoma City (36-32)
Oklahoma got into an early hole that they tried to chip their way out of, but fell short. The Salt Lake Bees (26-42) scored four in the first and three in the second. The RedHawks held them to one further run, but eventually lost by a score of 8-5.
Rubber Rectangle: Getting the start tonight was David Martinez, and he struggled, giving up all eight runs. His final line resembled something like this: 4.1IP, 10H, 8R/ER, 5BB, 5K. In fact, that was his actual final line. However, the bullpen was nails, with the combined lines of Jorge De Leon and Jason Stoffel adding up to 4.2IP, 3H, 0R, 2BB, 2K. De Leon and Stoffel also combined for 8 ground balls versus no fly balls. Nails.
Plastic Pentagon: The RedHawks were facing a talented young prospect in the Angels system called Joel Pineiro. He held them to five runs in five innings. Matt Duffy, just to change things up a little, hit a home run, driving in two, with a 2-5, 2RBI line. Little Jerome Hoes went 3-4 with a double and run scored, and Gregorio Pettit went 3-4 with an RBI. Marc Krauss went 2-5 with a run scored. and Enrique Hernandez went 2-4, RBI, SF. Preston Tucker, in his AAA debut, managed a single hit (1-4).
Man of the Match: Goes to the relief corps, who held the Bees scoreless for the majority of the ballgame. That kept the Bees close, but the RedHawks were unable to muster any scoring after the fifth inning.
Corpus Christi (32-34)
Corpus coughed up a 4-spot in the top of the sixth, which doomed them to a 5-3 loss to the Frisco RoughRiders (39-26). Joey Gallo, who has been getting some national attention lately, went 2-3 with a home run, dammit. But because this is not a Rangers blog, we will totally ignore this. Totally ignore...
Rubber Rectangle: Jordan Jankowski started, and again (like David Martinez) gave up all the runs that Frisco would score. He was pretty solid through five, giving up only Gallo's solo home run (remember, ignore). Then it all went bad as Frisco scored 4 in the sixth. His final line was 5.1IP, 9H, 5R/ER, 3BB, 5K, HR. Michael Dimock pitched two (1H, 2BB) and Pat Urckfitz also had the Frisco squad scoreless (1.2IP, 0H, 0R, 0BB, 0K). Urckfitz's ERA now stands at 1.37.
Plastic Pentagon: No one did much of anything tonight in the hit column (6), but the Hooks drew seven walks. Nolan Fontana led the charge with two (0-1, 2BB), taking his season total to 57 (versus 64 strikeouts). Telvin Nash hit a home run (1-3, BB, RBI, R). Tyler Heineman went 2-4 with a run scored. Jonathan Meyer and Andrew Aplin both went 1-3 with a walk.
Man of the Match: Lets award the MoTM, for the second straight game, to the Corpus relief corps of Michael Dimock and Pat Urckfitz.
Lancaster (43-25)
Lancaster may have been nursing some hangovers after clinching the first half title yesterday. That is the only reasonable explanation for the derailment of the juggernaut. They did pretty much nothing offensively until the ninth, when they scored two runs. However, those two runs only represented half of the deficit they needed to make up, as they lost by a score of 4-2.
Rubber Rectangle: Mark Appel got the start, and put no one's concerns to rest, only managing three innings, and (stop me if you have heard this before) giving up all the runs that the JetHawks would give up. His line: 3IP, 6H, 4R/ER, BB, 3K, HR. The homer was a solo shot. Zack Morton relieved and totally dominated (4IP, H, BB, 2K, 7:1 GB:FB ratio) and Brian Holmes mopped up for Lancaster, going 2IP, and striking out two.
Plastic Pentagon: Nothing much to see here. Roberto Pena and Rio Ruiz were both on base twice (1-3, BB and 0-2, 2BB respectively), and hits (all singles) were credited to Teoscar Hernandez, Roberto Pena, Conrad Gregor, Danry Vasquez and Jordan Scott.
Tom Windle was the Quakes starter, and he went seven, allowing only 4 base runners.
Man of the Match: Umm, lets go with the relief corps again, especially Zack Morton. But also Brian Holmes. Don't forget Brian Holmes, who got 40% of the MoTM. Zack Morton got the other 60%.
Quad Cities (34-32)
Quad Cities lost away to Cedar Rapids (30-37) by a score of 5-2. Now, stop me if you have heard this already today, but the Quad Cities starter gave up all (except two) runs that the Kernels would score. Cedar Rapids scored a combined 4 runs in the second and third innings.
Rubber Rectangle: Adrian Houser was the fourth affiliate starter to struggle today, going 2.1IP, giving up 2 hits and 2 walks, allowing 3 runs (all earned) and striking out one. Tyler Brunnemann went 2.2 innings, giving up an earned run on one hit and two walks, striking out one. Kevin Comer also gave up a run (2.0IP, 2H, R/ER, 3BB). Frederick Tiburcio went one, allowing a walk and striking out two. Tiburcio is yet to allow a run in 8 appearances (12 innings) in 2014, but is also 23 and in Lo-A, so read into that what you want.
Plastic Pentagon: The River Bandits only walked twice as a team. The 6, 7, 8 hitters all went 2-3 (Tyler White (who had a triple as one of his hits), Brian Holberton and Jose Fernandez). James Ramsay went 1-3 with a walk, but was caught stealing.
Man of the Match: I dunno. Lets award it to Tyler White to avoid a total sweep by the relievers.
So, not a good day for the affiliates, with all starters struggling. The relievers as a group were nails. Be sure to tune in tomorrow - perhaps the Constable will be back from filming and will do the PreStros in a way that you know and love.
We didn't come out here to play tiddlywinks, son.
-Hal Smith
