Brian McTaggart just released the Astros roster for the fall instructional league. This year, 16 former G-Stros will be spending a few extra weeks in Kissimmee honing their skills. Here are the former G-Stros based on when they played here:
2008
Zach Grimmett - appeared in 23 games for Lancaster. Ten of them as a starter and 13 as a reliever. Finished the year with an 8.21 ERA.
2009
Jonathon Meyer - Hit .272 in his second year in Lancaster.
2010
Telvin Nash - Hit .224 with 29 HR and 198 strikeouts in 106 games in Lancaster.
Delino DeShields - Had a break out year. Started in Lexington and finished the year in Lancaster. Stole a combined 101 bases on the season. He raised his slash line from .220/.305/.322 to .287/.389/.428. Just turned 20 in August.
Roberto Pena - He also started the year in Lexington but moved up to Lancaster to finish the season. Pena caught 33% of the base stealers (26 out of 78) in Lexington. His bat showed some improvement but his glove and arm are what have earned him the invite to instructionals.
2012
Three of the players on this list also played in Greeneville in 2011 but we will group them with their most recent cohort.
Ariel Ovando - He showed significant improvement between 2011 (.235/.283/.365) and 2012 (.287/.350/.444). All the physical tools are present but he is still learning how to get them to do what they need to do. He turns 19 later this week so we need to have some patience.
Chris Lee - He started the season in the Appy but was sent down to the GCL where he didn't pitch. So the instructs will give him a chance to get some work in he missed during the season. He was also on the team in 2011.
Frances Ramirez - He is the other player who was also on the 2011 roster. He made four starts in '11 verses the 13 he made in 2012. You can find more of my thoughts on him at my post Season Recap - Starting Pitcher. You can also use that link to get my thoughts on two other 2012 pitchers invited, Michael Feliz & Lance McCullers Jr.
Kevin Comer and Joe Musgrove were acquired during the year and didn't get many chances to pitch which is why they are heading to Florida for the fall.
The other four players are position players who were drafted this year: Carlos Correa, Rio Ruiz, Terrell Joyce, and Angel Ibanez. Of those four, Ibanez is a bit of a surprise due to his low draft slot but he showed a solid bat during the season and 3rd base is a shallow spot in the Astros organization.
Overall, former Greeneville players made up almost half (16 out of 33) of the players invited.
Showing posts with label Joyce. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Joyce. Show all posts
Monday, September 10, 2012
Monday, August 20, 2012
Eyewitness Report: 8/19/12 Gville 4 - B-Royals 8
The G-Stros couldn't complete the sweep last night. Here are my observations from the game.
On The Mound:
Lance McCullers made his third start of the season for Greeneville. He got off to a great start striking out the first three batters. The defense was not as crisp behind him and it resulted in extra pitches in innings and that along with his lack of control caused him to just make it through three innings. I heard a report that McCuller's fast ball was hitting 96 during the game.
Brad Propst pitched a solid inning in relief.
Kevin Comer came in and pitched three innings for his G-Stro debut. He got out of a first and second with no on out in the fifth. He also pitched out of a bases loaded one out situation in the sixth. He had a clean seventh. He surrendered one home run to lead off the sixth.
Richard Rodriguez was okay in the eight but was hit hard in the ninth inning. Michael Dimock came in to stop the bleeding to get the last out.
In The Field:
I was surprised to see Marc Wik at second tonight. He was charged with an error in the second that lead to two unearned runs scoring.
Ariel Ovando caught my eye again in a negative way. McCullers attempted to pick off a runner and Michael Martinez was charged with the error on a missed catch. The ball went up the first base line towards the bullpen area. Ovando in right field was very late in coming over to back up the play. The runner advanced from first to third on the error. In the debate of lack of effort or lack of focus; I am starting to lean towards lack of focus.
Rio Ruiz continues to impress at third. He made one very nice stop on a ball to his right.
D'Andre Toney has played a solid center all season and covers a great deal of ground in the outfield. On back to back nights, he has chased balls to the wall that he couldn't quite catch. The balls have bounced off the wall and he has had to go back and chase them down. Last night, the result was a triple. I am not sure if this is a case where he should read wall balls better or if it is a case where the corner outfielders are getting over to back up but it wasn't pretty.
At The Plate:
Greeneville was no hit until the fifth when Terrell Joyce smacked a HR to lead off the fifth. Joyce had his third straight two hit night.
Ernesto Genoves hit a home run and Jose Fernandez had two hits.
Ovando hit a double down the right field line. I was excited that Mike Newman from fangraphs was at the park and was able to get video of Ovando. The fans here accuse Ovando of not hustling down the line. I have had that feeling some but I also feel that Ovando's large frame takes a while to get going. I hope Mike is able to pull a home to first time off the video and will share that will us.
The Astros were not fond of the home play umps strike zone. Both Ruiz and Ovando gave dirty looks after called third strikes. Five of the 10 strike outs were looking.
Other Observations:
It was reported to me that Brian Blasik took some infield today and is close to being ready to play again. His defense plus his bat have been missed.
On The Mound:
Lance McCullers made his third start of the season for Greeneville. He got off to a great start striking out the first three batters. The defense was not as crisp behind him and it resulted in extra pitches in innings and that along with his lack of control caused him to just make it through three innings. I heard a report that McCuller's fast ball was hitting 96 during the game.
Brad Propst pitched a solid inning in relief.
Kevin Comer came in and pitched three innings for his G-Stro debut. He got out of a first and second with no on out in the fifth. He also pitched out of a bases loaded one out situation in the sixth. He had a clean seventh. He surrendered one home run to lead off the sixth.
Richard Rodriguez was okay in the eight but was hit hard in the ninth inning. Michael Dimock came in to stop the bleeding to get the last out.
In The Field:
I was surprised to see Marc Wik at second tonight. He was charged with an error in the second that lead to two unearned runs scoring.
Ariel Ovando caught my eye again in a negative way. McCullers attempted to pick off a runner and Michael Martinez was charged with the error on a missed catch. The ball went up the first base line towards the bullpen area. Ovando in right field was very late in coming over to back up the play. The runner advanced from first to third on the error. In the debate of lack of effort or lack of focus; I am starting to lean towards lack of focus.
Rio Ruiz continues to impress at third. He made one very nice stop on a ball to his right.
D'Andre Toney has played a solid center all season and covers a great deal of ground in the outfield. On back to back nights, he has chased balls to the wall that he couldn't quite catch. The balls have bounced off the wall and he has had to go back and chase them down. Last night, the result was a triple. I am not sure if this is a case where he should read wall balls better or if it is a case where the corner outfielders are getting over to back up but it wasn't pretty.
At The Plate:
Greeneville was no hit until the fifth when Terrell Joyce smacked a HR to lead off the fifth. Joyce had his third straight two hit night.
Ernesto Genoves hit a home run and Jose Fernandez had two hits.
Ovando hit a double down the right field line. I was excited that Mike Newman from fangraphs was at the park and was able to get video of Ovando. The fans here accuse Ovando of not hustling down the line. I have had that feeling some but I also feel that Ovando's large frame takes a while to get going. I hope Mike is able to pull a home to first time off the video and will share that will us.
The Astros were not fond of the home play umps strike zone. Both Ruiz and Ovando gave dirty looks after called third strikes. Five of the 10 strike outs were looking.
Other Observations:
It was reported to me that Brian Blasik took some infield today and is close to being ready to play again. His defense plus his bat have been missed.
Eyewitness Report: 8/18/12 Gville 2 - B-Royals 0
It was a great night at the ball park. I had the pleasure of watching the game with several Astros bloggers. It was nice to put faces with names. We had such a good time we talked for over an hour after the game ended.
The game itself was also a pleasure. It was a good pitching, good defense kind of game that was played in under two hours! Let's get to my observations.
On The Mound:
Adrian Houser took the mound and pitched pretty well. Most notably, it was the first time in eight starts that he didn't walk a batter. There were some hard hit balls off of him but they were at people and the Greeneville defense was solid. He was pulled after five innings. My unofficial pitch count for him at that time was 59 pitches.
Tanner Bushue came in and bounced back from a rough outing last time out, with a solid outing. He allowed just one hit in two innings and struck out three batters. His August ERA is 0.84.
Zach Dando earned his first save of the season with his mom and dad in the stands. He struck out four over two innings. His August ERA is a healthy 0.96.
In The Field:
There were some outstanding plays in the field. The best was by Carlos Correa who made a diving snag of a line drive by Bubba Starling to start a double play. Correa dove to his left and caught the ball inches off the ground. The runner on first was easily doubled off 1st because every one in the park expected that ball to get through.
The other good play was by Terrell Joyce. In the top of the second, Burlington's DH hit a double down the line with two outs. The Royal's manager chose to insert a pinch runner (IN THE SECOND INNING!). The next hitter singled on a ground ball to left field. Joyce was aggressive in fielding the ball on the run and came up throwing. His throw was perfect and catcher Ernesto Genoves did a nice job of not reacting to the throw until the last minute. The made the catch and the tag and the shutout was still intact.
At The Plate:
Correa continues to show he can hit. His two for four night moved his average since his promotion to .458. Again, I noticed how well he lets the ball travel in the zone. He was called on to sac bunt in this game and he did so effectively. He appears very fundamentally sound.
Angel Ibanez and Joyce had two hit nights as well. Ibanez scored both runs for the G-Stros.
Other Observations:
Ariel Ovando was held out of the line up for the second night in a row. This follows poor fielding performances on Wednesday and Thursday. I am not sure that is a coincidence.
The game itself was also a pleasure. It was a good pitching, good defense kind of game that was played in under two hours! Let's get to my observations.
On The Mound:
Adrian Houser took the mound and pitched pretty well. Most notably, it was the first time in eight starts that he didn't walk a batter. There were some hard hit balls off of him but they were at people and the Greeneville defense was solid. He was pulled after five innings. My unofficial pitch count for him at that time was 59 pitches.
Tanner Bushue came in and bounced back from a rough outing last time out, with a solid outing. He allowed just one hit in two innings and struck out three batters. His August ERA is 0.84.
Zach Dando earned his first save of the season with his mom and dad in the stands. He struck out four over two innings. His August ERA is a healthy 0.96.
In The Field:
There were some outstanding plays in the field. The best was by Carlos Correa who made a diving snag of a line drive by Bubba Starling to start a double play. Correa dove to his left and caught the ball inches off the ground. The runner on first was easily doubled off 1st because every one in the park expected that ball to get through.
The other good play was by Terrell Joyce. In the top of the second, Burlington's DH hit a double down the line with two outs. The Royal's manager chose to insert a pinch runner (IN THE SECOND INNING!). The next hitter singled on a ground ball to left field. Joyce was aggressive in fielding the ball on the run and came up throwing. His throw was perfect and catcher Ernesto Genoves did a nice job of not reacting to the throw until the last minute. The made the catch and the tag and the shutout was still intact.
At The Plate:
Correa continues to show he can hit. His two for four night moved his average since his promotion to .458. Again, I noticed how well he lets the ball travel in the zone. He was called on to sac bunt in this game and he did so effectively. He appears very fundamentally sound.
Angel Ibanez and Joyce had two hit nights as well. Ibanez scored both runs for the G-Stros.
Other Observations:
Ariel Ovando was held out of the line up for the second night in a row. This follows poor fielding performances on Wednesday and Thursday. I am not sure that is a coincidence.
Monday, August 6, 2012
Eyewitness Report: 8/4/12 Greeneville 3 Johnson City 2
What a difference one day makes. From a blow out to a nail biter. Greeneville rode solid starting pitching and did just enough at the plate to earn a 3-2 win in 10 innings. Here are my observations:
On The Mound:
Daniel Minor did an outstanding job in this game! He battled out of a rough first to retire 17 batters in a row before leaving the game. In the first, he struck out the first batter, then gave up two singles. He fanned the next two and then became very efficient having five straight 1,2,3 innings.
I don't think he was done either. His pitch count wasn't too high and he appeared to be cruising when the final batter in the sixth lined a pitch back up the middle that caught Minor on the foot/ankle. He stayed with the play and made the out but then limped off the field. He tried to return in the seventh but made just one warm up pitch before being replaced.
Zach Dando retired the next five batters in a row before walking a runner with two outs in the eighth inning. He was then replaced by Jordan Jankowski.
Jankowski gave up a single that I felt 3rd baseman Ibanez should have handled but it was a hot shot. He then fanned the next batter to end the threat in the eighth.
In the nineth, Jankowski gave up a single on a slow roller up the middle before surrendering his first home run ball of the year. That tied the game up. The G-Stros manager stayed with Jankowski and he retired the next batter on a pop fly before surrendering back to back singles on flairs to right field. Jankowski was more unlucky than bad.
Big Euris Quezada came in to relieve Jankowski and got a double play ball to end the inning. In the 10th, he struck out the side while mixing in a single. He ended up with the win in relief.
At The Plate:
Ariel Ovando had the big game at the plate. His day didn't start off great. He grounded to short in his first at bat. The shortstop made a solid play but Ovando didn't hustle down the line. I believe it would have been a close play had he hustled. He then launched a high fly ball that almost cleared the fence but bounced off for a triple. Ovando was running full out on that play. Makes me wonder if he didn't get some feedback on his effort from the previous at bat.
After another ground out, he got the big hit in the 10th. With two outs and runners at first and second, he showed good bat control and took a ball the opposite way for a walk off single. He also took a walk during the game, giving him three walks in his last four games.
Jean Batista, stayed hot, going two for four with a walk. The double he hit, didn't get past the outfielders. It was a shot in the gap and he hustled it into a double.
Terrell Joyce had two hits also. He finished July in a bit of a funk, striking out 11 out of his last 21 at bats in the month. Since the calendar has turned to August, he only has one strike out in his first 14 at bats this month.
In The Field:
Greeneville played error free ball. The middle infield of Batista and Brian Blasik took care of nine of the 11 ground outs in the field. They turned a double play in a key spot as well. Batista had six assist and one put out. Blasik had four assist and one put out.
Other Observations:
The buzz around the field was the arrival of Lance McCullers Jr. who is slated to start Monday night. He was busy signing a lot of autographs after he finished his running before the game.
There was also a report that Joe Musgrove will make his Astros debut on Monday as well in relief.
On The Mound:
Daniel Minor did an outstanding job in this game! He battled out of a rough first to retire 17 batters in a row before leaving the game. In the first, he struck out the first batter, then gave up two singles. He fanned the next two and then became very efficient having five straight 1,2,3 innings.
I don't think he was done either. His pitch count wasn't too high and he appeared to be cruising when the final batter in the sixth lined a pitch back up the middle that caught Minor on the foot/ankle. He stayed with the play and made the out but then limped off the field. He tried to return in the seventh but made just one warm up pitch before being replaced.
Zach Dando retired the next five batters in a row before walking a runner with two outs in the eighth inning. He was then replaced by Jordan Jankowski.
Jankowski gave up a single that I felt 3rd baseman Ibanez should have handled but it was a hot shot. He then fanned the next batter to end the threat in the eighth.
In the nineth, Jankowski gave up a single on a slow roller up the middle before surrendering his first home run ball of the year. That tied the game up. The G-Stros manager stayed with Jankowski and he retired the next batter on a pop fly before surrendering back to back singles on flairs to right field. Jankowski was more unlucky than bad.
Big Euris Quezada came in to relieve Jankowski and got a double play ball to end the inning. In the 10th, he struck out the side while mixing in a single. He ended up with the win in relief.
At The Plate:
Ariel Ovando had the big game at the plate. His day didn't start off great. He grounded to short in his first at bat. The shortstop made a solid play but Ovando didn't hustle down the line. I believe it would have been a close play had he hustled. He then launched a high fly ball that almost cleared the fence but bounced off for a triple. Ovando was running full out on that play. Makes me wonder if he didn't get some feedback on his effort from the previous at bat.
After another ground out, he got the big hit in the 10th. With two outs and runners at first and second, he showed good bat control and took a ball the opposite way for a walk off single. He also took a walk during the game, giving him three walks in his last four games.
Jean Batista, stayed hot, going two for four with a walk. The double he hit, didn't get past the outfielders. It was a shot in the gap and he hustled it into a double.
Terrell Joyce had two hits also. He finished July in a bit of a funk, striking out 11 out of his last 21 at bats in the month. Since the calendar has turned to August, he only has one strike out in his first 14 at bats this month.
In The Field:
Greeneville played error free ball. The middle infield of Batista and Brian Blasik took care of nine of the 11 ground outs in the field. They turned a double play in a key spot as well. Batista had six assist and one put out. Blasik had four assist and one put out.
Other Observations:
The buzz around the field was the arrival of Lance McCullers Jr. who is slated to start Monday night. He was busy signing a lot of autographs after he finished his running before the game.
There was also a report that Joe Musgrove will make his Astros debut on Monday as well in relief.
Wednesday, July 18, 2012
Double Delight!
Last night, the G-Stros rapped out a team record eight doubles in their 13-8 win against Pulaski. The previous record was six doubles in a game and it had happened five times. After that outburst, Greeneville is tied with Danville for the lead in doubles with 56; despite playing one less game than the D-Braves.
The eight doubles were hit by five batters:
Brian Blasik - giving him nine on the year (2nd in the league)
Terrell Joyce -hit two doubles giving him eight on the season (Tied for 3rd in league)
Ariel Ovando - bringing his total to eight as well (T-3rd)
Ernesto Genoves - had two to also reach eight (T-3rd)
Jean Batista - added two to bring his total to seven (Tied for 11th in the league)
The record for most doubles in a season by a Greeneville Astro is 20. That record is held by two former G-Stros: Jose Altuve & Ronald Ramirez. With 41 games to go, it appears that record may fall this year.
As a team, the G-Stros are on pace for 141 doubles. That would shatter the previous record of 119.
Other Notes:
Jean Batista added a home run to his two doubles and is on an extra base hit tear. In the last three games, he is 6 for 12 with three doubles and a two HR. He has surpassed his HR total from last season (3) and is quickly catching his extra base total of 16. He currently has seven doubles, two triples and four home runs.
D'Andre Toney is quietly having a very good July. For the month, he is hitting .328 and is getting on base at a .400 clip through 15 games. When you add the pop of four doubles and two homers this month. That is a very impressive line.
Every G-Stro had a hit last night and all but one had a RBI.
The eight doubles were hit by five batters:
Brian Blasik - giving him nine on the year (2nd in the league)
Terrell Joyce -hit two doubles giving him eight on the season (Tied for 3rd in league)
Ariel Ovando - bringing his total to eight as well (T-3rd)
Ernesto Genoves - had two to also reach eight (T-3rd)
Jean Batista - added two to bring his total to seven (Tied for 11th in the league)
The record for most doubles in a season by a Greeneville Astro is 20. That record is held by two former G-Stros: Jose Altuve & Ronald Ramirez. With 41 games to go, it appears that record may fall this year.
As a team, the G-Stros are on pace for 141 doubles. That would shatter the previous record of 119.
Other Notes:
Jean Batista added a home run to his two doubles and is on an extra base hit tear. In the last three games, he is 6 for 12 with three doubles and a two HR. He has surpassed his HR total from last season (3) and is quickly catching his extra base total of 16. He currently has seven doubles, two triples and four home runs.
D'Andre Toney is quietly having a very good July. For the month, he is hitting .328 and is getting on base at a .400 clip through 15 games. When you add the pop of four doubles and two homers this month. That is a very impressive line.
Every G-Stro had a hit last night and all but one had a RBI.
Monday, July 9, 2012
Eye Witness Report: July 8th Greenevile 2 - Bristol 5
Well, Bristol got their first road win of the season. Greeneville had their chances in this game but couldn't get a timely hit or a timely out. Here are my fan observations from last nights game:
On the mound:
Fredrick Tiburcio was sandwiched some good outs in between a rough start and a bad finish. A lead off single followed a solid triple resulted in a first inning run for the B-Sox. He got out of the man on third no out jam and then completed three straight one, two, three innings. He then blew up in the fifth. A lead off triple, a walk and a single led to one run and then a two out double plated two more. This was his longest outing of the year.
The bullpen did an excellent job. Christian Garcia fanned the side in his inning of work. Scott Zuloaga scattered three fly balls around the outfield in his one inning. Euris Quezada got a bunch of ground balls but they were often hit hard. One took a bad hop and caught Mike Martinez in the throat. It was a scary moment but he stayed in the game. Another handcuffed Jimmy Howick at short for an error that led to an unearned run. Michael Dimock did a nice job in his inning as well.
At the plate:
Ariel Ovando went one for four but also just missed on a missile down the right field line in the ninth that would have been for extra bases. On the down side, later in that at bat, he hit a hard grounder to first that pinballed around the first baseman's feet. Ovando didn't hustle down the line and allowed the late covering pitcher to beat him by several steps.
Brian Blasik impressed me yet again with a bunt single that was perfectly placed in the sixth. I am not sure if it was called or not but it put a runner on base when Greeneville was having trouble creating any momentum. He also got on with a walk.
Josh Magee went one for three, but he hit the ball hard all night.
Terrell Joyce extended his hitting streak to nine games with a one for four night.
In the field:
Joyce made the play of the night with a great diving catch in left. The ball was hit to left and was tailing toward the line. He ran a long way and made a great dive at the ball about a foot off the ground and came up with the catch.
The loss, combined with an E-Twins loses keeps the G-Stros 2 1/2 games back of Elizabethton and 1 1/2 ahead of Johnson City for the wild card spot.
On the mound:
Fredrick Tiburcio was sandwiched some good outs in between a rough start and a bad finish. A lead off single followed a solid triple resulted in a first inning run for the B-Sox. He got out of the man on third no out jam and then completed three straight one, two, three innings. He then blew up in the fifth. A lead off triple, a walk and a single led to one run and then a two out double plated two more. This was his longest outing of the year.
The bullpen did an excellent job. Christian Garcia fanned the side in his inning of work. Scott Zuloaga scattered three fly balls around the outfield in his one inning. Euris Quezada got a bunch of ground balls but they were often hit hard. One took a bad hop and caught Mike Martinez in the throat. It was a scary moment but he stayed in the game. Another handcuffed Jimmy Howick at short for an error that led to an unearned run. Michael Dimock did a nice job in his inning as well.
At the plate:
Ariel Ovando went one for four but also just missed on a missile down the right field line in the ninth that would have been for extra bases. On the down side, later in that at bat, he hit a hard grounder to first that pinballed around the first baseman's feet. Ovando didn't hustle down the line and allowed the late covering pitcher to beat him by several steps.
Brian Blasik impressed me yet again with a bunt single that was perfectly placed in the sixth. I am not sure if it was called or not but it put a runner on base when Greeneville was having trouble creating any momentum. He also got on with a walk.
Josh Magee went one for three, but he hit the ball hard all night.
Terrell Joyce extended his hitting streak to nine games with a one for four night.
In the field:
Joyce made the play of the night with a great diving catch in left. The ball was hit to left and was tailing toward the line. He ran a long way and made a great dive at the ball about a foot off the ground and came up with the catch.
The loss, combined with an E-Twins loses keeps the G-Stros 2 1/2 games back of Elizabethton and 1 1/2 ahead of Johnson City for the wild card spot.
Wednesday, June 27, 2012
Eyewitness Report 6/26/12 Gville 8 Princeton 7
Greeneville Wins Again! I had other duties tonight so I couldn't keep my detailed book but I do want to share a few observations.
Big Game Brian
Brian Blasik is quickly becoming on of my favorite G-Stros this year. He makes the plays in the field he is supposed to make. He makes some he is not supposed to make. He hits the ball hard and is agressive at the plate. Does all this project to the majors? I don't know. I am just a fan not a scout. But I love watching him play.
After the Astros were in a two run hole in the first, hit a line drive that cleared the fence in left field. It just seemed to keep carrying. That HR tied the game.
In the fifth, the P-Rays had pulled with in one run at 4-3. The Astros had greeted a new pitcher with two singles. Blasik ropes a double to left and plates his third RBI of the night. He later scores in the inning.
In the top of the 8th, with the tying run at third, Blasik makes a great layout dive to his left to stop, what appeared of the bat, a sure hit that would have tied the game. He gets up from his belly and makes the throw for the third out of the inning. He had a total of five assist tonight.
In the eighth, he hits a hard ground ball that was through the first baseman's legs before he could react. He moved a runner to third but couldn't push across another run.
Blasik now has a .464 average and has five doubles and a homer. He has multi hit games in five of his first six starts. He has 11 RBI which is tied for the league lead. He is yet to strike out after 28 at bats (he hasn't walked either) . And he always seems to be coming through at the right time. From now on, until he gives us cause to do otherwise, he will be known as Big Game Brian!
Doubles
The Astros added three more doubles to their total tonight. That gives them 20 in the first eight games. That average of 2 1/2 doubles per game would be 170 over the season. That would break the Appy League mark of 167 set by Johnson City last year. Blasik and Ariel Ovando are tied for the league lead with five each and Terrell Joyce is tied for second with four.
Double Ouch
D'Andre Toney get's the boo boo award tonight. His first at bat ended after just one pitch which hit him on the foot. His last at bat in the eighth ended with him getting plunked in what appeared to be the upper arm/back area. Toney reached base in four of his five plate appearances. He singled, walked and had two hit by pitches.
Baserunning Troubles
The Astros are getting on base at a good clip. As a team they have a .303 batting average and a.377 on base percentage. But staying on base is becoming a problem. They are 10 for 16 in stolen bases. And that doesn't include pick offs. The good news is they are willing to try to take the extra base. Hopefully we will see the successful steals increase as the great teacher experience does its work with the players.
Seven Pitchers & No 1,2,3 Innings
None of the pitchers escaped an inning unscathed. Each allowed a base runner in every inning. Francis Ramirez looked better from the wind up than from the stretch. He spent a great deal of time in the stretch since the first two batters of each of his innings reached. The lead off pair of walks in the first scored but the single and walk that lead off the second were stranded.
Christian Garcia pitched better than his line indicates. He only gave up one hard hit ball; a double that tailed away from Toney as he tracked it down in center. Garcia did get the first three batters out in an inning but only after the third batter had reached on a swinging bunt The runner left before the left hander had made his move home and they were able to get a picked off /stolen base to end the inning.
Jordan Jankowski's curve ball was moving well tonight. He fanned five in two innings and gave up one hard luck run on a ball that was slow bouncer that hit off the first baseman's glove. It was probably the second baseman's ball and Batista should have been at the bag. However, it was an effort mistake and also if Batista would have caught it, Jankowski was late on getting to the bag. The double Jankowski gave up was just about six inches from being caught by Ovando in right field.
Zach Dando had a short night of work. He walked a batter and gave up a single and his night was done. In came Scott Zuloaga who allowed one of the inherited runners to score limited the damage nicely. Michael Dimock came in in the eighth and struggled. Blasik's diving stop with a runner moving from second on the play limited the damage to just two runs scored. Michael Hauschild came on to pitch the ninth. Like his predecessors, he didn't have a clean inning but it was effective.
Princeton's Two Out RBI
Princeton scored six of their seven runs with two outs. The fact that there were two runs allowed the base runners to be off with the crack of the bat, thus allowing several runners to score from second easily on singles. It is a good thing they were just five for 18 with runners in scoring position for the night.
Reality Check
I will say what I said yesterday, I am excited about this team. However, this isn't the best start in the history of the G-Stros. The 2010 version got off to a 7-2 start and then lost their next seven games to fall out of contention. There are other teams to contend with that we won't see for a few weeks. Greeneville has a solid +23 run differential, however Elizabethon has an amazing +48 run differential.
There appears to be a very positive vibe about this team and I hope that they keep going about their business and we get to watch some winning baseball. I also hope that when Elizabethon comes to town on July 11th for three games, the games will have a playoff style atmosphere.
Big Game Brian
Brian Blasik is quickly becoming on of my favorite G-Stros this year. He makes the plays in the field he is supposed to make. He makes some he is not supposed to make. He hits the ball hard and is agressive at the plate. Does all this project to the majors? I don't know. I am just a fan not a scout. But I love watching him play.
After the Astros were in a two run hole in the first, hit a line drive that cleared the fence in left field. It just seemed to keep carrying. That HR tied the game.
In the fifth, the P-Rays had pulled with in one run at 4-3. The Astros had greeted a new pitcher with two singles. Blasik ropes a double to left and plates his third RBI of the night. He later scores in the inning.
In the top of the 8th, with the tying run at third, Blasik makes a great layout dive to his left to stop, what appeared of the bat, a sure hit that would have tied the game. He gets up from his belly and makes the throw for the third out of the inning. He had a total of five assist tonight.
In the eighth, he hits a hard ground ball that was through the first baseman's legs before he could react. He moved a runner to third but couldn't push across another run.
Blasik now has a .464 average and has five doubles and a homer. He has multi hit games in five of his first six starts. He has 11 RBI which is tied for the league lead. He is yet to strike out after 28 at bats (he hasn't walked either) . And he always seems to be coming through at the right time. From now on, until he gives us cause to do otherwise, he will be known as Big Game Brian!
Doubles
The Astros added three more doubles to their total tonight. That gives them 20 in the first eight games. That average of 2 1/2 doubles per game would be 170 over the season. That would break the Appy League mark of 167 set by Johnson City last year. Blasik and Ariel Ovando are tied for the league lead with five each and Terrell Joyce is tied for second with four.
Double Ouch
D'Andre Toney get's the boo boo award tonight. His first at bat ended after just one pitch which hit him on the foot. His last at bat in the eighth ended with him getting plunked in what appeared to be the upper arm/back area. Toney reached base in four of his five plate appearances. He singled, walked and had two hit by pitches.
Baserunning Troubles
The Astros are getting on base at a good clip. As a team they have a .303 batting average and a.377 on base percentage. But staying on base is becoming a problem. They are 10 for 16 in stolen bases. And that doesn't include pick offs. The good news is they are willing to try to take the extra base. Hopefully we will see the successful steals increase as the great teacher experience does its work with the players.
Seven Pitchers & No 1,2,3 Innings
None of the pitchers escaped an inning unscathed. Each allowed a base runner in every inning. Francis Ramirez looked better from the wind up than from the stretch. He spent a great deal of time in the stretch since the first two batters of each of his innings reached. The lead off pair of walks in the first scored but the single and walk that lead off the second were stranded.
Christian Garcia pitched better than his line indicates. He only gave up one hard hit ball; a double that tailed away from Toney as he tracked it down in center. Garcia did get the first three batters out in an inning but only after the third batter had reached on a swinging bunt The runner left before the left hander had made his move home and they were able to get a picked off /stolen base to end the inning.
Jordan Jankowski's curve ball was moving well tonight. He fanned five in two innings and gave up one hard luck run on a ball that was slow bouncer that hit off the first baseman's glove. It was probably the second baseman's ball and Batista should have been at the bag. However, it was an effort mistake and also if Batista would have caught it, Jankowski was late on getting to the bag. The double Jankowski gave up was just about six inches from being caught by Ovando in right field.
Zach Dando had a short night of work. He walked a batter and gave up a single and his night was done. In came Scott Zuloaga who allowed one of the inherited runners to score limited the damage nicely. Michael Dimock came in in the eighth and struggled. Blasik's diving stop with a runner moving from second on the play limited the damage to just two runs scored. Michael Hauschild came on to pitch the ninth. Like his predecessors, he didn't have a clean inning but it was effective.
Princeton's Two Out RBI
Princeton scored six of their seven runs with two outs. The fact that there were two runs allowed the base runners to be off with the crack of the bat, thus allowing several runners to score from second easily on singles. It is a good thing they were just five for 18 with runners in scoring position for the night.
Reality Check
I will say what I said yesterday, I am excited about this team. However, this isn't the best start in the history of the G-Stros. The 2010 version got off to a 7-2 start and then lost their next seven games to fall out of contention. There are other teams to contend with that we won't see for a few weeks. Greeneville has a solid +23 run differential, however Elizabethon has an amazing +48 run differential.
There appears to be a very positive vibe about this team and I hope that they keep going about their business and we get to watch some winning baseball. I also hope that when Elizabethon comes to town on July 11th for three games, the games will have a playoff style atmosphere.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)