June is a fun month. The short season teams have started playing. Most of the full season teams have had their all star games. Let's see which former G-Stros' June was more fun because of their performances. We won't look at the short season teams this month because two weeks isn't really enough time to assess performances yet.
Quad Cities:
Hitters -
Who else but Carlos Correa. Correa hit .370/.413/.510 for the month. He has brought his average up to .323 for the season after a very sluggish start. Fun stat for Correa - Out of his 289 plate appearances so far, only six have been against pitchers younger than him and he has no hits against the younger pitchers. In the 283 plate appearances against older pitchers, he is hitting .332.
Honorable mention to Jesse Wierzbicki who hit .286/.351/.417 for the month of June.
Pitchers -
Lance McCullers Jr. continues to have an impressive season in Quad Cities. McCullars struck out 33 batters in 27 1/3 innings pitched with a 2.30 ERA.
Honorable mention to Daniel Minor who had a 2.76 ERA in 16 1/3 innings before he went on the DL.
Lancaster
Hitters -
Delino DeShields had another solid month in June. He hit .280/.370/.366. He also stole 8 bases to bring his season total to 20 on the season. He has really settled in as a 20 year old playing in the Cal. League.
Pitchers -
Luis Cruz has bounced back from a rough May and had an outstanding June. In 31 2/3 innings pitched, he allowed just 22 hits and seven walks for a WHIP of 0.906. He had an impressive total of 40 strike outs for the month!
Corpus Christi
Hitters -
Jonathan Meyer had another solid month hitting.280 with eight doubles and five home runs for a .510 slugging percentage.
Pitchers -
David Martinez continues to put up impressive numbers this season. In 30 2/3 June innings, he gave up just 21 hits and two walks while striking out 24 batters. Opponents hit just .193 against him in June.
Oklahoma City
There were only two former G-Stros on the roster at any point in time this month. Nether put up numbers worthy of recognition.
Major Leagues
Hitters-
Jose Altuve continues to be the most consistent Astro at the plate Even in a down month (.275
average) he still lead the time in batting average.
Pitchers -
Jose Cisnero struck out 14 batters in 11 2/3 innings pitched (8 games). He had not given up a run in June until his final outing. He ended the month with a 0.77 ERA.
Honorable mention to Troy Patton who found his grove again in June. In 12 appearances (12 1/3 IP) he fanned 12 batters and did not walk a batter after giving up eight free passes in May. ERA for June was 1.46
Fernando Abad also gets a honorable mention with his performance out of the National's bullpen. In 12 games (12 1/3 IP) he struck out 14 batters and also walked no one. His June ERA was also 1.46
Finally, I feel like J.C. Gutierrez deserves a mention as well. In limited action, he fanned eight batters in nine innings of pitching for the Royals. He finished June with a 2.00 ERA.
Showing posts with label Lance McCullers Jr.. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Lance McCullers Jr.. Show all posts
Monday, July 1, 2013
Friday, May 31, 2013
Lance McCullers Talks About Getting First Pro Win
The Quad Cities paper continues to put out good features on current River Bandits. The most recent was on former Greeneville Astro Lance McCullers. They talked to McCullers the day after he earned his first professional win. Here are some of the highlights from the interview:
“It’s good to have one. Now I’ll try to get another," McCullers said. “It’s been a little different. I’ve had nights where I felt like I’ve pitched well enough to get one and didn’t. And I’ve had a lot of nights where I haven’t gotten the win, but the team did and that’s really what matters to me."Manager Omar Lopez on McCullers
“He competes," Lopez said. “I like the way he goes about his business, his work ethic. He understands that the work he puts in now will only help him later on."On the adjustment from high school ball to pro ball:
“I learned to understand this as a team game, much more so than it was in high school," McCullers said. “All of the guys here are getting paid to compete, and even when you don’t have your best, you still have to find ways to get outs.
"I learned to adjust on that night when I wasn’t going to strike nine guys out. I learned to not think about an at-bat when it was over, that you have to move on."
Friday, April 26, 2013
Early Trends From Tandem Pitching
I have been very interested in the tandem pitching system put in place by the Astros this year in their minor league system. Even though we are dealing with a very small sample, I was curious if there were players who were performing more effectively in the starter role verses the reliever role and who was better at shutting the door than opening it. I was also interested in seeing who was performing well regardless of what role they were in. Let's look at the pitchers at Quad Cities, Lancaster, & Corpus Christi since their rotation hasn't been cannibalized like OKC's has.
Please let me start:
Here are the guys who have the biggest difference between their starter ERA (S-ERA) and their reliever ERA (R-ERA)
Luis Cruz (Lan) -7.38
S-ERA 0.93 (9 2/3 IP)
R-ERA 8.31 (8 2/3 IP)
12 of the 16 hits allowed have been as a reliever.
Mike Hauschild (QC) -5.85
S-ERA 0.90 (10 IP)
R-ERA 6.75 (5 1/3 IP)
Hausechild's numbers don't jump out with any big splits. Possibly a case of small sample size since he excelled in the reliever role in Greeneville last season.
Bobby Doran (CC) -4.50
S-ERA 0.90 (10 IP)
R-ERA 5.40 (8 1/3 IP)
Both HR surrendered came as a reliever. Has walked four as a reliever verses just one as a starter.
No, you go ahead. I insist:
These are the guys who have performed more effectively as relievers than as starters. Their S-ERA is much higher than their R-ERA.
David Rollins (Lan) +7.45
S-ERA 7.45 (9 2/3 IP)
R-ERA 0.00 (12 IP)
14 of his 22 Ks have come as a reliever
Joe Bircher (QC) +7.00
S-ERA 7.00 (9 IP)
R-ERA 0.00 (7 IP)
All his HR (2) and Walks (3) have come as a starter.
Tyson Perez (Lan) +5.26
S-ERA 6.39 (12 2/3 IP)
R-ERA 1.13 (8 IP)
Has 18 hits and seven walks as a starter against six hits and no walks as a reliever.
Just give me the ball!
These guys have performed equally well regardless of which half of the tandem role they fulfilled.
Asher Wojciechowski (CC) +1.20
S-ERA 1.20 (15 IP)
R-ERA 0.00 (8 IP)
Lance McCullers Jr (QC) -.39
S-ERA 2.45 (7 1/3 IP)
R-ERA 2.84 (6 1/3 IP)
Vincent Velasquez (QC) +2.70
S-ERA 2.70 (10 IP)
R-ERA 0.00 (8 IP)
In looking at the stats, it looks like two guys have already settled into full time starter roles. Jake Buchanan has made four straight starts and Michael Foltynewicz has made three starts in a row. (4/27/13 - figures as soon as point this out, Folty pitched in relief last night.)
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| Pitchers Post Work Stretch @ Spring Training - Photo by AppyAstros (Use by permission only) |
Please let me start:
Here are the guys who have the biggest difference between their starter ERA (S-ERA) and their reliever ERA (R-ERA)
Luis Cruz (Lan) -7.38
S-ERA 0.93 (9 2/3 IP)
R-ERA 8.31 (8 2/3 IP)
12 of the 16 hits allowed have been as a reliever.
Mike Hauschild (QC) -5.85
S-ERA 0.90 (10 IP)
R-ERA 6.75 (5 1/3 IP)
Hausechild's numbers don't jump out with any big splits. Possibly a case of small sample size since he excelled in the reliever role in Greeneville last season.
Bobby Doran (CC) -4.50
S-ERA 0.90 (10 IP)
R-ERA 5.40 (8 1/3 IP)
Both HR surrendered came as a reliever. Has walked four as a reliever verses just one as a starter.
No, you go ahead. I insist:
These are the guys who have performed more effectively as relievers than as starters. Their S-ERA is much higher than their R-ERA.
David Rollins (Lan) +7.45
S-ERA 7.45 (9 2/3 IP)
R-ERA 0.00 (12 IP)
14 of his 22 Ks have come as a reliever
Joe Bircher (QC) +7.00
S-ERA 7.00 (9 IP)
R-ERA 0.00 (7 IP)
All his HR (2) and Walks (3) have come as a starter.
Tyson Perez (Lan) +5.26
S-ERA 6.39 (12 2/3 IP)
R-ERA 1.13 (8 IP)
Has 18 hits and seven walks as a starter against six hits and no walks as a reliever.
Just give me the ball!
These guys have performed equally well regardless of which half of the tandem role they fulfilled.
Asher Wojciechowski (CC) +1.20
S-ERA 1.20 (15 IP)
R-ERA 0.00 (8 IP)
Lance McCullers Jr (QC) -.39
S-ERA 2.45 (7 1/3 IP)
R-ERA 2.84 (6 1/3 IP)
Vincent Velasquez (QC) +2.70
S-ERA 2.70 (10 IP)
R-ERA 0.00 (8 IP)
In looking at the stats, it looks like two guys have already settled into full time starter roles. Jake Buchanan has made four straight starts and Michael Foltynewicz has made three starts in a row. (4/27/13 - figures as soon as point this out, Folty pitched in relief last night.)
Tuesday, April 9, 2013
Interview with Correa, McCullers and Ruiz
Tara Wellman shared a nice interview with Carlos Correa, Lance McCullers and Rio Ruiz. They talk about their chemistry, the challenge of high expectations and the need to continue to adjust to the speed of the game. Great interview:
If you are not following Tara on Twitter I recommend a follow for some good Quad Cities news.
Inside Sports: River Bandits from Mediacom Connections on Vimeo.
If you are not following Tara on Twitter I recommend a follow for some good Quad Cities news.
Friday, February 22, 2013
Former G-Stros in Minor's Mini Camp
The top talent in the system has been invited to report to camp early for a minicamp. Brian McTaggart posted the list of invitees yesterday. Here are those who were invited along with the year(s) they appeared in Greeneville:
Ruben Alaniz (2010)
Michael Foltynewicz (2010)
David Martinez (2009)
Lance McCullers Jr. (2012)
Vincent Velasquez (2010)
Roberto Pena (2010)
Carlos Correa (2012)
Chase Davidson (2011)
Jonathan Meyer (2009)
Jiovanni Mier (2009)
Rio Ruiz (2012)
In addition to those players a few other players will be participating some since they reported early to camp. Two of those are former G-Stros Telvin Nash (2010) and Ruben Sosa (2011 & 12)
Ruben Alaniz (2010)
Michael Foltynewicz (2010)
David Martinez (2009)
Lance McCullers Jr. (2012)
Vincent Velasquez (2010)
Roberto Pena (2010)
Carlos Correa (2012)
Chase Davidson (2011)
Jonathan Meyer (2009)
Jiovanni Mier (2009)
Rio Ruiz (2012)
In addition to those players a few other players will be participating some since they reported early to camp. Two of those are former G-Stros Telvin Nash (2010) and Ruben Sosa (2011 & 12)
Wednesday, November 28, 2012
Cumulative Top Prospect List
Updated 2/6/13 to include MLB's changed list after the trade with the A's and Keith Law's list for ESPN.
I enjoy the top prospect list exercise. It is interesting to see which players are valued by different analyst. Every year, I try to keep up with the lists when they come out and compare them to each other. I also like to see what the consensus thought is about players.
Below is the cumulative rankings that have been compiled thus far. This includes the list from 14 different sources: Baseball America (top 10), Baseball Prospectus (top 10), The Crawfish Boxes (top 30), Fangraphs (top 15), MLB.com (top 20), MinorLeagueBall (top 20), Bleacher Report (top 10), Baseball Prospect Nation (top15), MLB Dirt (top 15), Scouting Book (top 20), Baseball Instinct (top 21), Perfect Game (top 10), Astros County (top 25) and Keith Law - ESPN (top 10).
I continue to tweak this process. There are two cumulative ranking orders. The first is the cumulative ranking based on # of list they appeared on and the average ranking. This list is the true consensus as it rewards a player for making more list and lowers a player who was highly ranked but appeared on very few list. The second cumulative ranking is based on average ranking and then # of list the player appears on. This rewards a high ranking regardless of how often a player was ranked. The color shade of the name indicates how they were obtained. The key is at the bottom of the list. Here is a link to the google drive spreadsheet for those who don't want to scroll in the window.
Here are some observations about the cumulative list thus far (updated 12/31/12):
I enjoy the top prospect list exercise. It is interesting to see which players are valued by different analyst. Every year, I try to keep up with the lists when they come out and compare them to each other. I also like to see what the consensus thought is about players.
Below is the cumulative rankings that have been compiled thus far. This includes the list from 14 different sources: Baseball America (top 10), Baseball Prospectus (top 10), The Crawfish Boxes (top 30), Fangraphs (top 15), MLB.com (top 20), MinorLeagueBall (top 20), Bleacher Report (top 10), Baseball Prospect Nation (top15), MLB Dirt (top 15), Scouting Book (top 20), Baseball Instinct (top 21), Perfect Game (top 10), Astros County (top 25) and Keith Law - ESPN (top 10).
I continue to tweak this process. There are two cumulative ranking orders. The first is the cumulative ranking based on # of list they appeared on and the average ranking. This list is the true consensus as it rewards a player for making more list and lowers a player who was highly ranked but appeared on very few list. The second cumulative ranking is based on average ranking and then # of list the player appears on. This rewards a high ranking regardless of how often a player was ranked. The color shade of the name indicates how they were obtained. The key is at the bottom of the list. Here is a link to the google drive spreadsheet for those who don't want to scroll in the window.
Here are some observations about the cumulative list thus far (updated 12/31/12):
- There is consensus on the top 11 players on the list. Six appear on all 14 list, and the five others appear on at least 10 list.
- There are a few prospects with wide disparity of ranking:
- Jonathan Villar is ranked #6 (4x), #7, #8, #9, #11 (2x), # 12, #15, and #25.
- Kevin Comer is ranked #9, #14, and #20. He was also mentioned as an "others" by John Sickels
- Carlos Perez is ranked as high as #9 and as low as #19. He appeared on six list.
- Nolan Fontana is ranked as high as #9 and as low as #19. He appears on seven list.
- Joe Musgrove is ranked as high as #10 and as low as #22. He appeared on five list.
- Teoscar Hernandez, Jose Cisnero, Brad Peacock, and Kyle Weiland all benefit from just appearing on one list.
- There are 49 players who have been included on a list at this time. Here is the break down of how they were acquired:
- Via Luhnow Trade -17
- Via Draft 2012 -11
- Via Wade Trade - 6
- Via Draft 2011 - 3
- Via Draft 2010 -4
- Via Rule 5 Draft 2012 - 2
- Via Draft 2009 - 1
- Via Draft 2008 - 1
- Via International Free Agency (2007,2008, 2010) -4
- That makes 30 out of the 49 have been acquired since Luhnow took over.
- 12 of the players have played in Greeneville.
Monday, September 10, 2012
16 former G-Stros on Instructional Roster
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.
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.
Thursday, September 6, 2012
Season Recap - Starting Pitchers
Let's start our look at the 2012 Greeneville Astros by looking at the starting pitchers. Twelve different pitchers started a game for the G-Stros. We will take a look at the six who made the most starts.
We will look at them using my Appy Astros Adjusted Scoring System (3A2S). This system takes the best outing game score and the worst outing game score and discards them. The resulting starts will give us a truer picture of the real performance of the starters. For more information on the game score read this.
Francis Ramirez made 13 starts on the season. His highest game score was a 70 on 7/1/12 and his worst game score was a 28 on 8/2/12. His average game score across all starts was a 50.62.
His season ERA was a 4.05 and his WHIP was 1.46.
His 3A2S ERA was 4.53 and his WHIP was 1.43.
So his ERA goes up a half point but his WHIP stays basically the same.
The 20 year old showed flashes of promise with a great July but faded in August. I look for him to be in short season ball again next season, likely in Tri Cities.
Daniel Minor was one of three pitchers who made 11 starts on the season. His highest game score was an impressive 85 on 8/10/12. He lowest game score was a 21 on 7/30/12. His average game score was 55.36 over his 11 starts.
His season ERA was 2.75 and his WHIP was 1.03.
His 3A2S ERA was 2.29 and his WHIP was 1.00.
His ERA drops by almost a half point when adjusted and his WHIP is maintained.
The 21 year old out of Texas A&M Corpus Christi made strong impression in 2012. What is more impressive is that he had already pitched 110 1/3 innings in college before the draft. He added 59 more innings for Greeneville and finished strong with a 0.35 ERA over his last four starts. He showed he is ready for the next step up the ladder. I fully expect to see Minor in Lexington next season and would not be surprised if he made the jump to Lancaster.
Adrian Houser also made 11 starts. His high game score was 73 on 7/6/12 and his low was a dismal 4 on 8/6/12. His average game score for the season was 49. 36.
His season ERA was 4.19 and his WHIP was 1.31
His 3A2S ERA was 3.86 and his WHIP was 1.35
His ERA drops .33 points and his WHIP is basically unchanged.
The 19 year old Houser experienced a pretty consistent season. He had two great starts (games scores of 73 & 74) and two horrible starts (game scores of 4 & 11). The other seven scores ranged from 46 to 58. With four of them being a score of 56. What that tells me is that he was challenged at this level and that he responded fairly well. I don't expect him to return to Greeneville again. I expect him to be challenged in Lexington next year. It will be a very good test for him.
Fredrick Tiburcio was the third pitcher to make 11 starts. His first appearance of the year was out of the pen but he was a starter after that. His highest game score was 74 on 7/14/12. His lowest game score was on 7/2/12 and was a 31. His average game score was a 51 but six of his starts scored below a 50.
His season ERA as a starter was 4.08 and his WHIP was 1.29
His 3A2S ERA was 4.18 and his WHIP a 1.23.
The change in dropping the best and worst starts made only a negligible change. that would seem to indicate that his numbers are pretty accurate.
The 21 year old Tiburcio showed brief flashes of quality stuff with two starts scoring a game score over 70 and claimed the two seven inning complete games this year. But he was either on or off. I don't know what to expect from Tiburcio next year, If forced to project, I think he will start the year in extended spring training again.
Michael Feliz made six starts after his promotion from the GCL Astros. Feliz' worst game score came in his Appy League debut on 7/29/12. His best outing was his last one of the season when he put up a game score of 66 on 8/28/12. His average game score over his six starts was 46.16.
Six outings is really too small of a sample to evaluate. Feliz will turn 19 and has been invited to instructional league starting up next week. How he does there will probably impact his placement next year. I wouldn't be surprised to see him back in Greeneville in 2013.
Lance McCullers Jr. made four late season starts after his promotion from the GCL. His game scores ranged from a low of 39 in his final start to a high of 60 in his first start. His average game score was 47.75. McCullars struggled some in moving up to the Appy League. Not too much can be made from this sample size as well. The last two starts were tainted by errors that lead to unearned runs. It also caused him to have to use more pitches which limited his outings. The one thing I will be watching in the future from McCullers is how he does with runners on base. He didn't appear very comfortable with runners on base at times this year.
McCullers appears to have a very strong work ethic and will take the feedback from the staff in Greeneville and what he hears in instructional league and will work on those things in the off season. I expect he will break spring training in Lexington next season.
So there you have my feedback on the primarily starters in Greeneville. I hope this gives you some food for thought as you look forward to next spring.
We will look at them using my Appy Astros Adjusted Scoring System (3A2S). This system takes the best outing game score and the worst outing game score and discards them. The resulting starts will give us a truer picture of the real performance of the starters. For more information on the game score read this.
Francis Ramirez made 13 starts on the season. His highest game score was a 70 on 7/1/12 and his worst game score was a 28 on 8/2/12. His average game score across all starts was a 50.62.
His season ERA was a 4.05 and his WHIP was 1.46.
His 3A2S ERA was 4.53 and his WHIP was 1.43.
So his ERA goes up a half point but his WHIP stays basically the same.
The 20 year old showed flashes of promise with a great July but faded in August. I look for him to be in short season ball again next season, likely in Tri Cities.
Daniel Minor was one of three pitchers who made 11 starts on the season. His highest game score was an impressive 85 on 8/10/12. He lowest game score was a 21 on 7/30/12. His average game score was 55.36 over his 11 starts.
His season ERA was 2.75 and his WHIP was 1.03.
His 3A2S ERA was 2.29 and his WHIP was 1.00.
His ERA drops by almost a half point when adjusted and his WHIP is maintained.
The 21 year old out of Texas A&M Corpus Christi made strong impression in 2012. What is more impressive is that he had already pitched 110 1/3 innings in college before the draft. He added 59 more innings for Greeneville and finished strong with a 0.35 ERA over his last four starts. He showed he is ready for the next step up the ladder. I fully expect to see Minor in Lexington next season and would not be surprised if he made the jump to Lancaster.
Adrian Houser also made 11 starts. His high game score was 73 on 7/6/12 and his low was a dismal 4 on 8/6/12. His average game score for the season was 49. 36.
His season ERA was 4.19 and his WHIP was 1.31
His 3A2S ERA was 3.86 and his WHIP was 1.35
His ERA drops .33 points and his WHIP is basically unchanged.
The 19 year old Houser experienced a pretty consistent season. He had two great starts (games scores of 73 & 74) and two horrible starts (game scores of 4 & 11). The other seven scores ranged from 46 to 58. With four of them being a score of 56. What that tells me is that he was challenged at this level and that he responded fairly well. I don't expect him to return to Greeneville again. I expect him to be challenged in Lexington next year. It will be a very good test for him.
Fredrick Tiburcio was the third pitcher to make 11 starts. His first appearance of the year was out of the pen but he was a starter after that. His highest game score was 74 on 7/14/12. His lowest game score was on 7/2/12 and was a 31. His average game score was a 51 but six of his starts scored below a 50.
His season ERA as a starter was 4.08 and his WHIP was 1.29
His 3A2S ERA was 4.18 and his WHIP a 1.23.
The change in dropping the best and worst starts made only a negligible change. that would seem to indicate that his numbers are pretty accurate.
The 21 year old Tiburcio showed brief flashes of quality stuff with two starts scoring a game score over 70 and claimed the two seven inning complete games this year. But he was either on or off. I don't know what to expect from Tiburcio next year, If forced to project, I think he will start the year in extended spring training again.
Michael Feliz made six starts after his promotion from the GCL Astros. Feliz' worst game score came in his Appy League debut on 7/29/12. His best outing was his last one of the season when he put up a game score of 66 on 8/28/12. His average game score over his six starts was 46.16.
Six outings is really too small of a sample to evaluate. Feliz will turn 19 and has been invited to instructional league starting up next week. How he does there will probably impact his placement next year. I wouldn't be surprised to see him back in Greeneville in 2013.
Lance McCullers Jr. made four late season starts after his promotion from the GCL. His game scores ranged from a low of 39 in his final start to a high of 60 in his first start. His average game score was 47.75. McCullars struggled some in moving up to the Appy League. Not too much can be made from this sample size as well. The last two starts were tainted by errors that lead to unearned runs. It also caused him to have to use more pitches which limited his outings. The one thing I will be watching in the future from McCullers is how he does with runners on base. He didn't appear very comfortable with runners on base at times this year.
McCullers appears to have a very strong work ethic and will take the feedback from the staff in Greeneville and what he hears in instructional league and will work on those things in the off season. I expect he will break spring training in Lexington next season.
So there you have my feedback on the primarily starters in Greeneville. I hope this gives you some food for thought as you look forward to next spring.
Wednesday, August 29, 2012
Eyewitness Report 8/28/12: Gville 5 - Bluefield 2
The season finale always has some excitement tied to it. Sometimes it is the excitement of the players as they prepare to head back home to loved ones. There was some of that in the air last night. But there was also a felling of pride in a job well done and a season that was enjoyed by the fans. It was nice to see a competitive team that won more than it lost. This team is just the third team in Greeneville Astros history to finish above .500 and they finished with the second best record in franchise history. Greeneville fans also claimed the attendance title for the 8th consecutive year.
Awards
The evening began with the two team awards being handed out. Jose Monzon was named the recipient of the Oscar Pedron Award for leadership and character. Previous reciepients of the award include: 2005 - P Brad James, 2006 - P Polin Trinidad, 2007 - C/1B Kyle Miller, 2008 - C Pedro Gonzalez, 2009 - CF Grant Hogue, 2010 - 1B Marcus Nidiffer, and 2011 - C Cristian Moronta.
Brian Blasik was named the team MVP. He lead the team in hits, triples, RBIs, and finished with an impressive .318 average. In the field, he only made four errors in 48 games at second base. He also showed his versatility playing five games at third and one game in left. Instead of a trophy, Blasik received a framed road jersey. A nice touch by the front office.
On to the game observations:
On The Mound
Michael Feliz was dealing. He allowed just three hits in five innings of work. He didn't walk anyone. He was efficient, using just 61 pitches in five innings. I was really surprised when he didn't return for the sixth. Some balls were hit hard off of him but they tended to be right at folks.
Christian Garcia allowed a lead off single but then got a fielders choice and a double play to face just three batters in his one inning. Brad Propst pitched around a lead off double in one scoreless inning of work. Zach Dando didn't have his best stuff. He gave up three doubles and Bluefield's only two runs.
Jordan Jankowski came into the game and did what he has done most of the year. In 1 1/3 IP, he fanned three batters. That brings his total to 53 strike outs in 32 1/3 IP. He finished six strikeouts behind team leader Francis Ramirez despite pitching 21 less innings!
At The Plate
The Astros jumped all over Bluefield starter Justin James. They scored in the first three innings to give the G-Stros an early 5-0 lead.
Angel Ibanez continued his good work at the plate going three for four. He hit .305 in the month of August to raise his season average to .264.
Brian Blasik added a single and a double to his hit total for the season. Ernesto Genoves and Ricky Gingras both added two hit nights as well.
Rio Ruiz's triple was a very close play at third. He showed good hustle on the play.
Jose Fernandez hit the ball hard but had nothing to show for hit. He lined out to center once and was robbed on a line drive to short.
In The Field
D'Andre Toney continues to make plays in center. He chased a ball hit deep to center with ease in the second inning.
Genoves threw out yet another base runner on a strike em out throw em out double play to erase a lead off hit in the third. That is three base stealers caught in the last two games.
Monzon makes things look easy in RF. That can't be said for all the guys who have played out there this year.
Overall Observations:
It was a great way to wrap up the season. Good pitching, good fielding and good hitting.
We are also getting another view of the new front office way of doing things. There are no expected promotions to teams after the season. That has been the norm in the past.
I was also told that only four players are heading to instructional league: Rio Ruiz, Lance McCullers, Carlos Correa and Terrell Joyce. That is a smaller number than I would have expected. It will be interesting to see who is joining them from other affiliates.
Awards
The evening began with the two team awards being handed out. Jose Monzon was named the recipient of the Oscar Pedron Award for leadership and character. Previous reciepients of the award include: 2005 - P Brad James, 2006 - P Polin Trinidad, 2007 - C/1B Kyle Miller, 2008 - C Pedro Gonzalez, 2009 - CF Grant Hogue, 2010 - 1B Marcus Nidiffer, and 2011 - C Cristian Moronta.
Brian Blasik was named the team MVP. He lead the team in hits, triples, RBIs, and finished with an impressive .318 average. In the field, he only made four errors in 48 games at second base. He also showed his versatility playing five games at third and one game in left. Instead of a trophy, Blasik received a framed road jersey. A nice touch by the front office.
On to the game observations:
On The Mound
Michael Feliz was dealing. He allowed just three hits in five innings of work. He didn't walk anyone. He was efficient, using just 61 pitches in five innings. I was really surprised when he didn't return for the sixth. Some balls were hit hard off of him but they tended to be right at folks.
Christian Garcia allowed a lead off single but then got a fielders choice and a double play to face just three batters in his one inning. Brad Propst pitched around a lead off double in one scoreless inning of work. Zach Dando didn't have his best stuff. He gave up three doubles and Bluefield's only two runs.
Jordan Jankowski came into the game and did what he has done most of the year. In 1 1/3 IP, he fanned three batters. That brings his total to 53 strike outs in 32 1/3 IP. He finished six strikeouts behind team leader Francis Ramirez despite pitching 21 less innings!
At The Plate
The Astros jumped all over Bluefield starter Justin James. They scored in the first three innings to give the G-Stros an early 5-0 lead.
Angel Ibanez continued his good work at the plate going three for four. He hit .305 in the month of August to raise his season average to .264.
Brian Blasik added a single and a double to his hit total for the season. Ernesto Genoves and Ricky Gingras both added two hit nights as well.
Rio Ruiz's triple was a very close play at third. He showed good hustle on the play.
Jose Fernandez hit the ball hard but had nothing to show for hit. He lined out to center once and was robbed on a line drive to short.
In The Field
D'Andre Toney continues to make plays in center. He chased a ball hit deep to center with ease in the second inning.
Genoves threw out yet another base runner on a strike em out throw em out double play to erase a lead off hit in the third. That is three base stealers caught in the last two games.
Monzon makes things look easy in RF. That can't be said for all the guys who have played out there this year.
Overall Observations:
It was a great way to wrap up the season. Good pitching, good fielding and good hitting.
We are also getting another view of the new front office way of doing things. There are no expected promotions to teams after the season. That has been the norm in the past.
I was also told that only four players are heading to instructional league: Rio Ruiz, Lance McCullers, Carlos Correa and Terrell Joyce. That is a smaller number than I would have expected. It will be interesting to see who is joining them from other affiliates.
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.
Tuesday, August 7, 2012
Eyewitness Report: 8/6/12 Double Header Loss to Johnson City
It was a tough night at Pioneer Park last night. The G-Stros were swept by the Johnson City Cardinals. Here are a few observations:
GAME ONE: Cards 8 - Gville 2
On The Mound:
Adrian Houser got the start in game one. He didn't pitch as badly as the line indicates. Two of the doubles were not hit hard but were placed right down the opposite field line. Batters appeared to have been fooled on the pitch. The triple that was hit to lead off the second was aided by a bad line to the ball by Ariel Ovando.
Houser's poise was good until the fifth when you could see the frustration in his body language on the mound.
Mike Hauschild relieved Houser with the bases loaded and one out in the fifth. He allowed a single, a walk, and a fielders choice to allow all the inherited runners to score. The ground ball was a slow roller that couldn't be turned for a run saving double play. He pitched a scoreless sixth inning.
Andrew Walter finished the game for Greeneville. He pitched around three hits for a scoreless seventh.
At The Plate:
Not much to write about here. The G-Stros only mustered three runs off of Cardinal pitching. Angel Ibanez had a two RBI double D'Andre Toney also had a double and Ricky Gingras has a single. Ovando took a four pitch walk and showed better pitch recognition in all at bats. He already has four walks in August. It appears the scouting report is don't throw him strikes and he has made some adjustment.
In The Field:
Ricky Gingras did a nice job behind the plate blocking balls. His caught stealing was on a ball that got away from him and he corralled it and made a good throw to third.
Other than Ovando's bad route, the only other misplay was by Toney who ran past a ball on the ground in an error that was possibly due to lack of focus late in a blow out game. It did not result in additional runs but it did give up an extra base to two runners.
GAME TWO: Cards 5 - Gville 1
On the Mound:
There was a buzz in the air before game two. It was the Greeneville debut of 1st round supplemental draft pick Lance McCullers. Part of the buzz was created by his pre game warm up routine that included long tossing a neon yellow softball. It was the first time I had seen that in a pitchers pre game routine.
Once he took the mound, he showed good poise and solid pitching. The first inning was an adventure as he got the first two outs and then walked the bases loaded. Two of those walks came on full counts. After a pitching visit, he settled down and got the final out on a strike out. I sat near a scout so I could peek at his radar gun. It was reading 91-93 on fastballs and 80-84 on his breaking ball. Those numbers stayed consistent throughout his start.
After his 26 pitch first inning, McCullers settled down and pitched very well. He allowed one hit and one walk in his next three innings of work while striking out three more batters. An impressive first showing for Mr. McCullers
He was relieved by Joe Musgrove. The scout didn't have his gun out for him so I can't give you numbers but he appeared to be throwing harder. However, they were being hit and hit hard. He lasted an 1 2/3 innings and was helped by defense.
Euris Quezada came in and put out a fire in the sixth and then was pulled with two outs in the seventh in favor of a lefty. Hindsight being 20/20, I wish he would have been left in.
Scott Zuloaga came in to face Bruce Caldwell who was pulled for a pitch hitter who hit a line drive that should have been out #3 but was a three base error instead.
After one batter, Michael Dimock came in to finish the game.
At The Plate:
The Astros hitters were baffled by slight Stalyn Lopez. He pitched a complete game four hitter and fanned eight G-Stros. He got better as the game went along. He was throwing mid 80's at the start of the game and hit 90 in the sixth inning.
Angel Ibanez had the big hit again with another RBI double. He was responsible for knocking in all of Greenville's runs last night. He now has a seven game hitting streak and in his last five games, he is 9 for 20 (.450) with four doubles and eight RBI.
Jean Batista hit a double, and Toney and Jose Monzon added singles to complete the G-Stros hit totals.
In The Field:
It a mixed bag for Ariel Ovando.
The Good: With a runner on second, he caught a fly ball in right field. He runner went back to tag and Ovando unleashed a throw that the third baseman caught head high. It was slightly off line but the throw created a buzz in the park.
The Bad: He hot dogged one catch in right. It was a high fly ball on the warning track and he caught the ball about bell high on his right side. He had plenty of time to catch it in a fundamentally sound way. He also misplayed a line drive that got by him and was the difference in the game.
Jose Monzon also had a mixed result. He nailed the potential tying run at the plate in the fifth with a great throw. He later let a throw slip out of his hand that almost ended up in the seats behind third.
Angel Ibanez had a solid game at third; making several plays coming in towards the grass.
D'Andre Toney made a diving attempt in each game on balls in front of him. He failed to come up with either one but you have to like the effort.
GAME ONE: Cards 8 - Gville 2
On The Mound:
Adrian Houser got the start in game one. He didn't pitch as badly as the line indicates. Two of the doubles were not hit hard but were placed right down the opposite field line. Batters appeared to have been fooled on the pitch. The triple that was hit to lead off the second was aided by a bad line to the ball by Ariel Ovando.
Houser's poise was good until the fifth when you could see the frustration in his body language on the mound.
Mike Hauschild relieved Houser with the bases loaded and one out in the fifth. He allowed a single, a walk, and a fielders choice to allow all the inherited runners to score. The ground ball was a slow roller that couldn't be turned for a run saving double play. He pitched a scoreless sixth inning.
Andrew Walter finished the game for Greeneville. He pitched around three hits for a scoreless seventh.
At The Plate:
Not much to write about here. The G-Stros only mustered three runs off of Cardinal pitching. Angel Ibanez had a two RBI double D'Andre Toney also had a double and Ricky Gingras has a single. Ovando took a four pitch walk and showed better pitch recognition in all at bats. He already has four walks in August. It appears the scouting report is don't throw him strikes and he has made some adjustment.
In The Field:
Ricky Gingras did a nice job behind the plate blocking balls. His caught stealing was on a ball that got away from him and he corralled it and made a good throw to third.
Other than Ovando's bad route, the only other misplay was by Toney who ran past a ball on the ground in an error that was possibly due to lack of focus late in a blow out game. It did not result in additional runs but it did give up an extra base to two runners.
GAME TWO: Cards 5 - Gville 1
On the Mound:
There was a buzz in the air before game two. It was the Greeneville debut of 1st round supplemental draft pick Lance McCullers. Part of the buzz was created by his pre game warm up routine that included long tossing a neon yellow softball. It was the first time I had seen that in a pitchers pre game routine.
Once he took the mound, he showed good poise and solid pitching. The first inning was an adventure as he got the first two outs and then walked the bases loaded. Two of those walks came on full counts. After a pitching visit, he settled down and got the final out on a strike out. I sat near a scout so I could peek at his radar gun. It was reading 91-93 on fastballs and 80-84 on his breaking ball. Those numbers stayed consistent throughout his start.
After his 26 pitch first inning, McCullers settled down and pitched very well. He allowed one hit and one walk in his next three innings of work while striking out three more batters. An impressive first showing for Mr. McCullers
He was relieved by Joe Musgrove. The scout didn't have his gun out for him so I can't give you numbers but he appeared to be throwing harder. However, they were being hit and hit hard. He lasted an 1 2/3 innings and was helped by defense.
Euris Quezada came in and put out a fire in the sixth and then was pulled with two outs in the seventh in favor of a lefty. Hindsight being 20/20, I wish he would have been left in.
Scott Zuloaga came in to face Bruce Caldwell who was pulled for a pitch hitter who hit a line drive that should have been out #3 but was a three base error instead.
After one batter, Michael Dimock came in to finish the game.
At The Plate:
The Astros hitters were baffled by slight Stalyn Lopez. He pitched a complete game four hitter and fanned eight G-Stros. He got better as the game went along. He was throwing mid 80's at the start of the game and hit 90 in the sixth inning.
Angel Ibanez had the big hit again with another RBI double. He was responsible for knocking in all of Greenville's runs last night. He now has a seven game hitting streak and in his last five games, he is 9 for 20 (.450) with four doubles and eight RBI.
Jean Batista hit a double, and Toney and Jose Monzon added singles to complete the G-Stros hit totals.
In The Field:
It a mixed bag for Ariel Ovando.
The Good: With a runner on second, he caught a fly ball in right field. He runner went back to tag and Ovando unleashed a throw that the third baseman caught head high. It was slightly off line but the throw created a buzz in the park.
The Bad: He hot dogged one catch in right. It was a high fly ball on the warning track and he caught the ball about bell high on his right side. He had plenty of time to catch it in a fundamentally sound way. He also misplayed a line drive that got by him and was the difference in the game.
Jose Monzon also had a mixed result. He nailed the potential tying run at the plate in the fifth with a great throw. He later let a throw slip out of his hand that almost ended up in the seats behind third.
Angel Ibanez had a solid game at third; making several plays coming in towards the grass.
D'Andre Toney made a diving attempt in each game on balls in front of him. He failed to come up with either one but you have to like the effort.
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.
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