Well another summer is drawing to a close. Playoff baseball has returned to Greeneville and many of the Astros affiliates are preparing for their playoffs to start. Let's look at the former G-Stros in affiliated ball and see who stood out in August.
Tri City ValleyCats:
Pitcher of the Month
Gonzalo Sanudo appeared in seven games in August and got six saves. He struck out 17 batters in 11 1/3 innings pitched. He allowed just three hits and one walk.
Honorable Mention goes to Michael Feliz is having a break out season in Tri-City. In August,
he pitched in five games (four starts) and had an ERA of 1.75. He
struck out 26 batters in 25 2/3 innings pitched.
Tyler Brunnemann also gets a nod. He appeared in seven games after his call up from Greeneville. In those appearances, he struck out 10 batters in 8 1/3 innings and allowed just one earned run.
Hitter of the Month
Tyler White hit .265 in August and had more walks (9) than strike outs (7).
Quad Cities River Bandits
Pitcher of the Month
Three relievers will share the award for this month.
Andrew Walter appeared in five games (10 1/3 IP) and had a perfect 0.00 ERA. He fanned 10 batters.
Mitchell Lambson appeared in eight games (18 1/3 IP) and only allowed one run for a 0.49 ERA with 25 strike outs. He allowed just nine hits and four walks for the month.
Jamaine Cotton appeared in eight games (21 IP) and had an impressive 0.86 ERA with two saves. He only struck out 12 but he only allowed 13 hits.
Hitter of the Month
Carlos Correa hit .336 for August with a .430 on base percentage and 13 extra base hits.
Honorable Mention goes to Rio Ruiz who hit .298 for the month and had 17 extra base hits.
Lancaster JetHawks
Pitcher of the Month
Michael Dimock appeared in eight games (14 2/3 IP) and only allowed two earned runs (1.23 ERA). He struck out 14 batters while only allowing three walks.
Hitter of the Month
Delino DeShields hit .365 in 23 games this month with an impressive on base percentage of .455. He also stole 11 bases in 13 attempts.
Corpus Christi Hooks
Pitcher of the Month
Carlos Quevedo had a great month out of the CC bullpen. He didn't allow a run in 8 appearances (16 IP). He allowed just five walks and five hits while striking out 18 batters.
Honorable Mention goes to Michael Foltynewicz who maintained a respectable 3.63 ERA in August. It appears he is beginning to tire some as his strike out numbers reduce (just 13 in 22 1/3 IP) but he is still pitching well.
Luis Cruz has shown he belongs in AA. In his four appearances since
arriving in CC, he has a 0.53 ERA in 17 innings pitched. He has struck
out 21 batters during that time.
Hitter of the Month
Luis Alvarez gets the nod this month not because of his average in Corpus Christ (.235 for August in six games) but because in a span of about a month and a half, he moved up from SS-A ball to A to Hi-A to AA. That is a rare four level season and deserves notice.
Oklahoma City RedHawks
Pitcher of the Month
Pat Urckfitz appeared in nine games for the RedHawks bullpen in August. He allowed a 2.08 ERA in 8 2/3 innings pitched.
Hitter of the Month
Rene Garcia continues to represent himself well with the bat. He hit .258 in 17 games after his promotion from CC. He also had thrown out four out of nine base runners so far.
Non Astros Affiliates
Pitcher of the Month
Arcenio Leon pitched in 11 games for Huntsville (AA-Brewers) in August. He allowed just two runs in 13 2/3 innings out of the bullpen for a 1.32 ERA.
Hitter of the Month
Jordan Parraz hit .319 for New Britan (AA- Twins).
MLB
It wasn't a stellar month for former G-Stros in the big league. So we are going to leave these honors vacant for the month.
Showing posts with label Dimock. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Dimock. Show all posts
Monday, September 2, 2013
Wednesday, August 29, 2012
Eyewitness Report 8/27/12: G-Stros 2, Bluefield 5
Let's take a look at the next to last game of the season for the G-Stros. Here are my first hand observations.
On The Mound:
Francis Ramirez got the start and wasn't sharp but he battled well. He twice stranded runners at third to end innings. He hit two batters and walked two more. He threw 75 pitches with 48 of those coming in the first two innings.
Michael Dimock pitched one inning in relief. He was inconsistent as he had two three pitch strike outs and a four pitch walk. The run he allowed was on base due to a triple down the line.
Joe Musgrove came in and pitched the next inning. His 1,2,3 6th inning was aided by great defense by D'Andre Toney in center and Angel Ibanez at third. He came out to pitch in the seventh and got roughed up. He gave up a ground rule double that would have been a triple had the ball not rolled under the padding of the gate in RF. That was followed by a triple. During the next at bat, he unleashed a wild pitch that resulted in a play at the plate. Genoves' throw was low and Musgrove attempted to tag the runners hand while still standing up. He thought he tagged him, the ump disagreed and called the runner safe. Musgrove said something as he walked by the ump and he was tossed.
Tanner Bushue came in to pitch with a 2-1 count on the batter. The batter ended up walking but that walk was charged to Musgrove since the count was in the batters favor when Bushue entered. He then proceeded to pitch 2 2/3 innings of 1 hit ball with five strike outs.
I know folks are frustrated at the lack of development in Bushue since he was drafted in the 2nd round in 2009. However, what he has shown in August gives me hope that something has clicked. He appeared in seven games this month (15 2/3 IP) and gave up just nine hits, five walks and one earned run; while striking out 23 batters. Had he gone to college, he would have been draft eligible this year. That makes me cautiously optimistic.
At The Plate
The G-Stros managed to get 11 base runners despite only getting four hits. They took five walks, had one hit batsman and reached on one error.
Brian Blasik had two of the teams four hits. He also stole a base and scored a run.
Ariel Ovando didn't get a hit but took two walks. One was a four pitch walk from a new pitcher. The other was a full count walk.
Jose Monzon hit a solid double for the best hit of the night. However, he earned my ire earlier in the game for getting picked of first by going back to the bag standing. Get your uniform dirty son!
In The Field
There was a bit of fruit basket turnover in the field after Mark Wik hit the wall chasing down the first triple of the game. When he left, Blasik moved from 2nd to LF and Jimmy Howick came in to play second.
Toney did an excellent job of tracking down a ball in deep left center.
Ibanez made a great play behind the bag at third and gunned the runner at first.
Ernesto Genoves threw out two base runners and did a nice job of dealing with a bunch of balls in the dirt.
Jimmy Howick did the little things well at second. A ground ball was hit to first that Martinez pulled up on to quickly. It would have been an error but Howick was moving on the play and Dimock was covering for the rare 4-1 ground out.
Overall Observations
It wasn't the best game I had seen them play. The team appeared to lack some energy at times. This is to be somewhat expected after being eliminated from the playoffs the night before. It was nice to see them battle back late in the game for some runs and even have the tying run at the plate in the 8th. One more game to go.
On The Mound:
Francis Ramirez got the start and wasn't sharp but he battled well. He twice stranded runners at third to end innings. He hit two batters and walked two more. He threw 75 pitches with 48 of those coming in the first two innings.
Michael Dimock pitched one inning in relief. He was inconsistent as he had two three pitch strike outs and a four pitch walk. The run he allowed was on base due to a triple down the line.
Joe Musgrove came in and pitched the next inning. His 1,2,3 6th inning was aided by great defense by D'Andre Toney in center and Angel Ibanez at third. He came out to pitch in the seventh and got roughed up. He gave up a ground rule double that would have been a triple had the ball not rolled under the padding of the gate in RF. That was followed by a triple. During the next at bat, he unleashed a wild pitch that resulted in a play at the plate. Genoves' throw was low and Musgrove attempted to tag the runners hand while still standing up. He thought he tagged him, the ump disagreed and called the runner safe. Musgrove said something as he walked by the ump and he was tossed.
Tanner Bushue came in to pitch with a 2-1 count on the batter. The batter ended up walking but that walk was charged to Musgrove since the count was in the batters favor when Bushue entered. He then proceeded to pitch 2 2/3 innings of 1 hit ball with five strike outs.
I know folks are frustrated at the lack of development in Bushue since he was drafted in the 2nd round in 2009. However, what he has shown in August gives me hope that something has clicked. He appeared in seven games this month (15 2/3 IP) and gave up just nine hits, five walks and one earned run; while striking out 23 batters. Had he gone to college, he would have been draft eligible this year. That makes me cautiously optimistic.
At The Plate
The G-Stros managed to get 11 base runners despite only getting four hits. They took five walks, had one hit batsman and reached on one error.
Brian Blasik had two of the teams four hits. He also stole a base and scored a run.
Ariel Ovando didn't get a hit but took two walks. One was a four pitch walk from a new pitcher. The other was a full count walk.
Jose Monzon hit a solid double for the best hit of the night. However, he earned my ire earlier in the game for getting picked of first by going back to the bag standing. Get your uniform dirty son!
In The Field
There was a bit of fruit basket turnover in the field after Mark Wik hit the wall chasing down the first triple of the game. When he left, Blasik moved from 2nd to LF and Jimmy Howick came in to play second.
Toney did an excellent job of tracking down a ball in deep left center.
Ibanez made a great play behind the bag at third and gunned the runner at first.
Ernesto Genoves threw out two base runners and did a nice job of dealing with a bunch of balls in the dirt.
Jimmy Howick did the little things well at second. A ground ball was hit to first that Martinez pulled up on to quickly. It would have been an error but Howick was moving on the play and Dimock was covering for the rare 4-1 ground out.
Overall Observations
It wasn't the best game I had seen them play. The team appeared to lack some energy at times. This is to be somewhat expected after being eliminated from the playoffs the night before. It was nice to see them battle back late in the game for some runs and even have the tying run at the plate in the 8th. One more game to go.
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: 8/3/12 G-Stros 18 - K-Mets 2
Wow, what an offensive explosion by the Greeneville Astros! They tied the team record for runs with 18 and broke the team record for RBI with 17. I was at the game with some friends so I didn't take detailed notes but here are a few observations.
On The Mound:
Michael Feliz has some velocity. One of my friends' son went and talked to the guys charting pitches and saw that Feliz had hit 95 with his fast ball a few times. Gave up several long drives. Some went for hits and some for outs. He only gave up three hits but one was a triple to lead off an inning and one was a one out double. Both of those runners scored.
Brad Propst made his first appearance after being sent down from TriCities. He dominated with 4 Ks in two innings and got the win.
Michael Dimock pitched three effective innings in relief which earned him a save in an 18-2 game. Further evidence that the save stat is a joke! I am not sure what exactly he saved. Dimock didn't allow a base runner during his three innings.
At The Plate:
Angel Ibanez has gotten hot. He went five for six last on the game but reached all six times. He reached on a wild pitch on the third strike in the fourth inning. His five hits and four runs, both tied team records.
Brian Blasik appears to have snapped out of his hitting funk. He went three for six with a triple. He also showed good baseball IQ reading a throw from the outfield to take an extra base.
Jose Monzon, normally a defense first kind of player, had a solid game at the plate. He went three for four with a walk. He also stole two bases; his first of the season.
Mark Wik didn't have a great evening. He made an early exit after he disagreed with the call on the third strike and used the bat to illustrate where the pitch was actually located. His ejection moved Ariel Ovando from the first base coaches box to right field. Ovando went one for five with three Ks. He has now fanned eight times in his last 15 at bats.
In The Field:
The only error on the night came from Ibanez who short armed a throw to first on a routine play in the first inning.
Monzon made an nice sliding catch of a shallow fly in left field late in the game.
Summary
After a long rain delay, it was great to get this game in. It was also good to see the guys bounce back from a lose with a solid all around performance to take two out of three from Kingsport. The win, coupled with a rain out for Johnson City gave the G-Stros a full lead in the wild card race.
On The Mound:
Michael Feliz has some velocity. One of my friends' son went and talked to the guys charting pitches and saw that Feliz had hit 95 with his fast ball a few times. Gave up several long drives. Some went for hits and some for outs. He only gave up three hits but one was a triple to lead off an inning and one was a one out double. Both of those runners scored.
Brad Propst made his first appearance after being sent down from TriCities. He dominated with 4 Ks in two innings and got the win.
Michael Dimock pitched three effective innings in relief which earned him a save in an 18-2 game. Further evidence that the save stat is a joke! I am not sure what exactly he saved. Dimock didn't allow a base runner during his three innings.
At The Plate:
Angel Ibanez has gotten hot. He went five for six last on the game but reached all six times. He reached on a wild pitch on the third strike in the fourth inning. His five hits and four runs, both tied team records.
Brian Blasik appears to have snapped out of his hitting funk. He went three for six with a triple. He also showed good baseball IQ reading a throw from the outfield to take an extra base.
Jose Monzon, normally a defense first kind of player, had a solid game at the plate. He went three for four with a walk. He also stole two bases; his first of the season.
Mark Wik didn't have a great evening. He made an early exit after he disagreed with the call on the third strike and used the bat to illustrate where the pitch was actually located. His ejection moved Ariel Ovando from the first base coaches box to right field. Ovando went one for five with three Ks. He has now fanned eight times in his last 15 at bats.
In The Field:
The only error on the night came from Ibanez who short armed a throw to first on a routine play in the first inning.
Monzon made an nice sliding catch of a shallow fly in left field late in the game.
Summary
After a long rain delay, it was great to get this game in. It was also good to see the guys bounce back from a lose with a solid all around performance to take two out of three from Kingsport. The win, coupled with a rain out for Johnson City gave the G-Stros a full lead in the wild card race.
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.
Friday, June 22, 2012
Eyewitness Report: 6/21/12 Gville 10, Johnson City 3
Tonight, my son & I took in the game at Johnson City. The game was never really in doubt for Greeneville as they put up five runs in the first and forced Greeneville starter Francis Ramirez to return to the bull pen to throw to stay loose. The G-Stros sent nine men to the plate in the first. They tacked on single runs in the second, third & fourth innings before putting up a zero on the board. They added two more in the seventh to wrap up the scoring.
In The Field
Defensively, the Astros played error free ball. They bobbled a few balls on the infield but were able to stay with them and still get outs. Most of the bounces went their way tonight. One example of the gracious bounces of the ball tonight is found in the ninth. MILB described the play this way:
The Astros also benefited from a botched run down and a bad throw to start a double play that pulled the SS off second and allowed both runners to be safe. So Johnson City helped.
On The Mound
Pitching wise, Francis Ramirez had a solid start. My unofficial pitch count for him was 85 pitches in five innings. The only really hard hit ball off of him was the double hit by Schaffer. Everything else were dinks and dunks. The bullpen came in and threw strikes. Zachary Hardoin gave up a lead off HR Schaffer but settled down nicely after that. In his two innings, he threw 27 pitches; with 17 of those counting as strkes. The next pitcher, Christian Garcia was all around the plate as well, maybe too much as three singles loaded the bases. However he worked his way out of the game. Garcia came in as a substitution was made at catcher. I was reminded that it is early in the season as there were several visits between Christian Moronta and Garcia to confer about being on the same page. Michael Dimock closed it out with a solid ninth.
At The Plate
At the plate the G-Stros were hitting hard line drives all over the field.
Jean Batista went five for six. All of his hits were singles but four of the five were hard hit balls.
Ariel Ovando is crushing the ball. He went 4 for 5 with two doubles and a triple.He hit the ball to all fields. He hit a hard line drive down the right field line for a double, a ball off the left field wall for a double and a ball to deep center for a triple. His strike out late in the game was due to some very hard swings at balls low in the zone. I think he was going for the home run to complete the cycle. That concerns me a little but I am enjoying seeing the power. Last year, he had 15 extra base hits in 44 games. This year, he already has four in the first three games.
James Howick went 4 for 5 with a double. He hit a few balls hard but also had some that found holes. Every good hitter has the ability to find the holes.
The Astros won the opening series over the Cardinals and now head to Kingport for the weekend. Kingsport is young but talent rich due to the fact they have no Gulf Coast League team this season. It will be interesting to see how that series goes.
In The Field
Defensively, the Astros played error free ball. They bobbled a few balls on the infield but were able to stay with them and still get outs. Most of the bounces went their way tonight. One example of the gracious bounces of the ball tonight is found in the ninth. MILB described the play this way:
Dutch Deol flies into a force out, right fielder Ariel Ovando to shortstop James Howick. Gerwuins Velazco out at 2nd. Dutch Deol to 1st.Here is what really happened. Deol hit a high pop in the grass in shallow right field. Ovando is coming in and Blasik is going out. Second baseman Brian Blasik appears to have a bead on the ball but hears Ovando calling him off. Ovando is right behind Blasik and appears he has decided to give way the the second baseman. Both gave up at the same time and the ball dropped off of Ovando's glove. The runner at first had frozen on the fly and had no chance to get to second on the play. So that accounts for the unusual 9-6 put out on the fielders choice.
The Astros also benefited from a botched run down and a bad throw to start a double play that pulled the SS off second and allowed both runners to be safe. So Johnson City helped.
On The Mound
Pitching wise, Francis Ramirez had a solid start. My unofficial pitch count for him was 85 pitches in five innings. The only really hard hit ball off of him was the double hit by Schaffer. Everything else were dinks and dunks. The bullpen came in and threw strikes. Zachary Hardoin gave up a lead off HR Schaffer but settled down nicely after that. In his two innings, he threw 27 pitches; with 17 of those counting as strkes. The next pitcher, Christian Garcia was all around the plate as well, maybe too much as three singles loaded the bases. However he worked his way out of the game. Garcia came in as a substitution was made at catcher. I was reminded that it is early in the season as there were several visits between Christian Moronta and Garcia to confer about being on the same page. Michael Dimock closed it out with a solid ninth.
At The Plate
At the plate the G-Stros were hitting hard line drives all over the field.
Jean Batista went five for six. All of his hits were singles but four of the five were hard hit balls.
Ariel Ovando is crushing the ball. He went 4 for 5 with two doubles and a triple.He hit the ball to all fields. He hit a hard line drive down the right field line for a double, a ball off the left field wall for a double and a ball to deep center for a triple. His strike out late in the game was due to some very hard swings at balls low in the zone. I think he was going for the home run to complete the cycle. That concerns me a little but I am enjoying seeing the power. Last year, he had 15 extra base hits in 44 games. This year, he already has four in the first three games.
James Howick went 4 for 5 with a double. He hit a few balls hard but also had some that found holes. Every good hitter has the ability to find the holes.
The Astros won the opening series over the Cardinals and now head to Kingport for the weekend. Kingsport is young but talent rich due to the fact they have no Gulf Coast League team this season. It will be interesting to see how that series goes.
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