Texas League Newsletter 2008 No. 2

Published on April 22, 2008 under Texas League (TL1) News Release

NORTH NOTES

Arkansas Travelers

(Los Angeles Angels)

7-9, T-First Place

April 14...Frisco edged Arkansas 1-0 in the first game of a doubleheader, despite racking up only two base hits over seven innings versus Travelers pitching. Travelers starter Dan Denham, who was just signed by the Los Angeles Angels on April 9, struggled with his command by walking five RoughRiders in three and 2/3 innings. He surrendered the Frisco's one run on a sacrifice fly in the second. Closer Stephen Marek hurled a perfect 2 and 2/3 innings in relief and struck out two. Frisco wound up sweeping the doubleheader by winning 6-4 in the second contest. In game two, left fielder Coby Smith went 2-for-2 with a solo homer and two runs scored. During the fifth while standing on third, Smith had to leave the game after getting drilled in the leg by a foul grounder off the bat of Corey Smith. The injury turned out to be minor as he was in the lineup the next day.

April 15...The Travelers prevailed over Frisco 10-8 in 10-innings, after two unlikely heroes came to the rescue. Prior to his tenth inning at-bat, Ben Johnson was 0-for-14 in the series, but broke out of the rut on a go-ahead, two-out RBI single to left, pushing Arkansas ahead 9-8. Hitting .062 as he stepped into the batters box in the 10th, Jordan Czarniecki added an insurance run by driving in Corey Smith with a RBI single to center. On a 3-for-4 day, Michael Collins blasted a three-run round-tripper in the first, had five RBIs, scored three runs and drew a walk. Through the games of April 20, the Australian ranked third in the Texas League with a .380 batting average. Kevin Jepsen earned his first win of the year in relief, throwing three scoreless frames with seven strikeouts.

April 17...In the first ever Texas League game between two Arkansas clubs, the Travelers beat the Naturals 7-5 at Dickey-Stephens Park. Starter Brok Butcher notched this first victory after letting just one run score over seven innings. He walked none and allowed just four hits. Nate Sutton was 3-for-4 at the plate with a dinger and two RBIs. Michael Collins homered for the second consecutive game, going 2-for-4 on the night with two runs scored.

April 18...The Travelers slipped by the Naturals 3-1, in a contest dominated by pitching. Starter Anthony Ortega (2-1) led the strong pitching effort by scattering one run, three hits, and three walks over six innings. Stephen Marek was credited with his first save of the 2008 campaign after throwing a flawless ninth inning. Although the Travelers collected five hits, they prevailed because three of them came with runners in scoring position.

April 19...In a performance reminiscent of Greg Maddux, Bobby Mosebach pitched the first complete game in the Texas League this season, throwing a five-hitter, producing Arkansas 3-1 win over Northwest Arkansas. Mosebach exhibited brilliant efficiency on the mound by walking none and using only 101 pitches to get through nine innings. The 6-foot-4, 195 pound right-hander's industrious outing was a big reason why the game took only one hour and 58 minutes to complete. At one point in the game, Mosebach retired 19 Naturals hitters in a row. Mosebach's nine-inning complete game was the earliest occurrence of one in the last four seasons in the Texas League.

April 20...Backed by another day of outstanding pitching, Arkansas nudged Northwest Arkansas 2-1, completing a four-game sweep of their cross-state rival. The Travelers also extended their win streak to five games with the victory. Starter Dan Denham improved to 1-1 after tossing five and 2/3 shutout innings. Denham surrendered two hits, two walks and struck out two before handing the ball over to the bullpen with a 2-0 lead. Texas native Cody Fuller got the Travelers on the board with a solo home run off Naturals starter Carlos Rosa in the third, his first dinger of the year.

Northwest Arkansas Naturals

(Kansas City Royals)

4-12, Fourth Place

April 14... The Naturals lost 6-1 to Corpus Christi wasting a solid pitching effort by Carlos Rosa, who surrendered one run over four innings pitched. Shortstop Angel Sanchez went 2-for-3 with two doubles and two walks, accounting for half of the Naturals total base hits (4). Off the field, the Naturals activated pitcher Kyle Crist from the disabled list and put reliever Matt Peterson (back) on the seven-day DL.

April 15...Corpus Christi squeaked by Northwest Arkansas 3-2 as the Naturals could only manage five hits. In eight of their first 12 games, the Naturals were held to two runs or fewer. Julio Pimentel, who did not factor in the decision, scattered four hits, one walk, allowing just one run over six and 2/3 innings. The Dominican also fanned six. In the sixth, Jose Duarte connected on his first homer of the season, a solo blast off the Hooks Brian Bogusevic.

April 17...Northwest Arkansas lost 7-5 in their inaugural meeting with their new in-state rival, the Arkansas Travelers. Mario Lisson, who came into the contest hitting.114, was 2-for-3 at the plate, with a solo homer and two runs scored. Rowdy Hardy, the 2007 Carolina League Pitcher of the Year, fell to 0-2 after being charged with four earned runs (six runs total) on 11 hits in five and 2/3 innings pitched.

April 18...The Naturals came up short, once again, in a 3-1 loss to Arkansas. Northwest Arkansas could only assemble four hits all night, none of which were for extra bases. Power pitcher Daniel Cortes (0-1) received a tough luck loss after giving up only one earned run over five innings. He scattered four hits, two walks and two runs, while fanning three. Through three starts, Cortes holds a 1.35 earned run average.

April 19...The Naturals hitting woes continued as they were limited to one run and five hits by Arkansas hurler Bobby Mosebach in a 3-1 loss to Arkansas. With two doubles to his credit, Mario Lisson (2-for-4) was the only Naturals hitter who could figure out Mosebach all night. Lisson's two-bagger with two outs in the ninth ended a string in which Mosebach had retired 16 consecutive batters. In a sound effort, Naturals starter Blake Johnson (1-1) allowed four hits, and one walk, while giving up two runs and striking out two over five innings.

April 20...Arkansas earned a four-game game sweep of their initial series with the Naturals with a 2-1 win. For the third consecutive game, the Naturals failed to score more than one run. They were limited to five hits and zero extra base hits by four different Arkansas pitchers. Carlos Rosa gave the Naturals a valiant effort by throwing six innings of four hit ball, with six K's. He allowed two runs to score. The Dominican fell to 1-2, despite a 2.25 earned run average. Brian McFall and Geraldo Valentin each provided two singles for the Naturals. Ovandy Suero singled and increased his stolen base total to six by swiping two bags. McFall nabbed his second theft of the season and shortstop Angel Sanchez matched Suero with two stolen bases on the day.

Springfield Cardinals

(St. Louis Cardinals)

5-11, Third Place

April 14...Springfield (2-9) notched their second win of the season in dramatic fashion, defeating Midland 3-2 in ten innings. With the score tied at 1-1 in the top of the tenth, Cardinals catcher Bryan Anderson crushed a two-run homer to left-center that proved to be the difference. Anderson batted 3-for-5 on the night and drove-in all three of his team's runs. The left-handed hitter broke a scoreless tie in the eighth by stroking a RBI single down the third-base line that scored Tyler Greene. Starter P.J. Walters gave the Cardinals a good shot at winning by providing them with seven innings of shutout ball. He gave up four hits and two walks while striking out five. Walters currently leads the Texas League with 23 strikeouts. Springfield closer Luke Gregerson (shoulder) and starter Adam Daniels (knee) were placed on the disabled list. To fill their roster spots, righty Cory Rauschenberger was sent down from Triple-A Memphis and the Cardinals activated relief pitcher Matt Scherer from the disabled list.

April 15...Springfield routed Midland 9-1, helped by a 12-hit effort from their offense and a pitching gem by starter Jaime Garcia. Garcia no-hit the RockHounds through the first four innings and earned his second win of the year. The southpaw was touched up for only one run, three hits and one walk in six innings. He struck out eight, raising his season strikeout total to 19, which ties him for third in the circuit. Shane Robinson headlined the offensive attack with a two-run homer. Second baseman Jose Martinez went 2-for-5 with a two RBIs and a double. St. Louis Cardinals infielder Brendan Ryan joined Springfield on a rehabilitation assignment.

April 17...Springfield obliterated Tulsa 20-5, setting a club record for runs scored. The new mark shattered the previous record of 17 runs scored in a 17-10 win versus Corpus Christi on August 19 of last year. In the second inning, the Cardinals scored 10 runs, which equaled the franchise mark for most runs scored in a single inning, originally set on June 25, 2005 at Arkansas. During the 10-run second, Springfield tallied seven hits and two walks. They were also beneficiaries of two Drillers' errors and a wild pitch. During the second, Shane Robinson scored two runs and collected two hits on a run scoring double and single. The Florida St. alumnus finished with a 4-for-5 evening with three RBIs. Mark Hamilton, Jose Martinez, Bryan Anderson and Brendan Ryan all homered for Springfield in the rout. Five Cardinals hitters (Allen Craig, Ryan, Hamilton, Martinez, and Robinson) enjoyed three RBI performances, while those six players plus Anderson also had multiple-hit games. Furthermore, Ryan, Anderson and Robinson smacked around Drillers pitching for four hits a piece. All nine starting players scored at least one run, including starting pitcher Clayton Mortensen. Jon Jay was the only Cardinals everyday player not to record at least one RBI. Mortensen threw six shutout frames in a stress free outing, walking none and fanning five.

Reliever Josh Dew, drafted by St. Louis last summer in the 15th round, was promoted to Springfield after registering a 1.17 earned run average in six appearancesin the Florida State League. To make room for Dew, right-hander Jonathan Mikrut was sent back to Palm Beach.

April 18...Springfield lost 5-2 could only manage six hits, losing to Tulsa 5-2. Adam Ottavino's record dropped to 0-2 after giving up five runs in five and 2/3 innings. Bryan Anderson (2-for-4) was the only Cardinal with a multiple-hit game.

April 19...Jose Martinez drove-in all four of the Cardinals runs as Springfield came up short in an 8-4 loss to Tulsa. Martinez was 3-for-4 at the plate, with a solo homer, a double and four RBIs. Third baseman Allen Craig also enjoyed a three hit evening and came across home twice on Martinez's RBI knocks. The Drillers ripped four home runs and tallied nine hits off Springfield starter P.J. Walters, who didn't have his sharpest command in five innings pitched. Even with the rough start, Walters has recorded an impressive 2.86 earned run average this season with a league leading 23 strikeouts. Josh Dew had a rough Double-A initiation as he served up three runs and five hits to the Drillers over two innings. Center fielder Jon Jay showed off his range by robbing Jeff Kindel of an extra-base, RBI hit with a sliding grab on the warning track to close the door on a fifth inning Drillers rally.

April 20...Springfield trounced Tulsa 10-3 to split the four game series at 2-2. Center fielder Jon Jay tormented the Drillers with a perfect 4-for-4 performance. He drilled a three-run home run to left field, scored three runs, legged out a triple and finished a double short of the cycle. Mark Mulder (1-0) tossed six scoreless innings of three-hit ball in his much anticipated rehab start. The lefty walked three and struck out one. Mulder also added a single at the plate during the third, using Brendan Ryan's bat. The former All-Star hurler was incorrectly informed that Tulsa was an American League affiliate and did not bring his own lumber. Mulder was also assisted in the field by two highlight reel grabs from Jay and Shane Robinson. Mark Shorey pinch-hit for Mulder in the bottom of the sixth and cracked a two-run homer off Drillers starter Alan Johnson. Third baseman Allen Craig (2-for-4) knocked in two runs with a double and a run scored.

Tulsa Drillers

(Colorado Rockies)

7-9, T-First Place

April 14...San Antonio beat Tulsa 4-2 even though the Drillers pitchers compiled 11 strikeouts and held the Missions to just six hits. By mustering only seven hits and whiffing 12 times, the Drillers bats didn't give their arms much to work with. Justin Nelson hammered his second home run of the season in the second, while Jeff Kindel enjoyed a three-hit day in four official at-bats. Casey Weathers, the eighth overall pick in the draft last season, hurled two perfect innings of relief and punched out four.

April 15...Tulsa battered San Antonio 11-5, as they took two of three games in the series. The Drillers tallied 13 hits and seven walks and handed the first loss of the season to Will Inman. Matt Miller led the offensive barrage with a 3-for-4 performance in which he collected three RBIs, socked a double, stole a bag and scored twice. Miller, a superstitious ballplayer, switched back to his favorite uniform number 14 this season after having a disappointing year sporting number 36 in 2007. Tulsa's two-through-five hitters (Dexter Fowler, Chris Nelson, Miller, Daniel Carte and Jeff Kindel) had all ten of the team's RBIs on the day. Fowler contributed in many ways by scoring three runs, stealing his fourth base of the year, clubbing a RBI double and walking three times. Carte jacked his fourth home run of the year off of Inman in the fourth, while Nelson went 2-for-5 with two RBIs and two runs scored.

April 17...Tulsa was manhandled 20-5 by Springfield. In an inning and a 1/3 of work versus Springfield, Ching-Lung Lo got shelled for nine runs (eight earned) on seven hits, two walks and a homer. The right-hander, from Chinese Taipei, is now 0-3 on the season, with an 18.00 earned run average. A five-run ninth inning highlighted by catcher Brian Esposito's grand slam was the saving grace in what was otherwise a forgettable night for the Drillers.

April 18...Solid pitching and timely hitting helped Tulsa beat Springfield 5-2 at Hammons Field. Xavier Cedeno, 6-foot-1, 165 pound left-hander, improved his mark to 2-1 after allowing one run over five and 2/3 innings. The Puerto Rican struck out four Cardinals and lowered his earned run average to 2.87 on the season. Reliever Eduardo Valdez took over for Cedeno in the sixth and overpowered Springfield,notching four strikeouts in one and 1/3 innings. On the offensive side, Jeff Kindel smoked a two-run double to center in the fourth and added another RBI two-bagger in the sixth.

April 19...Tulsa belted four solo home runs helping them double up Springfield 8-4. The Drillers hit all four round-trippers off Cardinals starter P.J. Walters. Dexter Fowler batted 4-for-5 with a dinger, two runs scored and a stolen base. Through 15 games, the 6-foot-4, 175 pound center fielder has three round-trippers and five stolen bases. Eric Young, Jr., Chris Nelson and Jeff Dragicevich all connected on their first home runs of the 2008 campaign. Young, Jr. racked up three hits and scored twice. The Drillers scored the go-ahead run on Nelson's double-play grounder in the seventh that scored Young, Jr. from third.

April 20...Eric Young, Jr.'s two-run homer in the seventh was the highlight of the Drillers dismal 10-3 loss in Springfield. Alan Johnson, who went 14-7 with a 2.99 earned run average in the California League last season, is experiencing growing pains in his transition to Double-A ball. The sinkerballer fell to 0-2 on the season after getting shelled for seven runs and 11 hits in five and 2/3 innings pitched.

SOUTH NOTES

Corpus Christi Hooks

(Houston Astros)

10-6, T-Second

April 14...Up 1-0 entering the eighth, the Hooks scored four runs that inning and wound up cruising to a 6-1 victory over Northwest Arkansas. The four-run eighth inning was highlighted by Rob Cosby's three-run home run (3). Second baseman Drew Sutton added a solo homer in the ninth and finished the game at 2-for-4 with two runs scored, and a double. Brad James, a top Astros prospect on the 40-man roster, was the victor after pitching six shutout innings, during which he allowed four hits, two walks while fanning three. The sinkerballer was drafted by Houston in the 29th round of the 2004 First-Year Player Draft out of North Central Texas Community College in Gainesville. The Hooks first run of the game came in the fourth on an Eli Iorg RBI groundout. The run ended a 21-inning scoreless streak for the Hooks.

April 15... The Hooks edged Northwest Arkansas 3-2 after catcher Lou Santangelo broke a 1-1 tie in the eighth by launching a two-run dinger to center. Santangelo's second blast of the season landed in the centerfield batter's eye, the first to do so at newly opened Arvest Ballpark. Starter Brian Bogusevic held the Naturals to one run over six innings.

April 17...Hooks lost a 4-3 heartbreaker to Frisco after closer Sammy Gervacio served up a go-ahead solo homer to Max Ramirez on the first pitch of the ninth inning. Tommy Manzella had a memorable game by recording nine putouts, which tied the Texas League single-game record for a shortstop. John Kane, of Houston, also accomplished the feat on May 27, 1926. In addition to the defensive achievement, Manzella hammered his first home run of the season, a solo shot in the eighth. Manzella's dinger was Corpus Christi's first score of the game. They tied the contest at 3-3 in the same inning when Ray Sadler pulled a two-run round-tripper to left field. Bud Norris was not as sharp as his first two outings, allowing three runs on five hits in five innings pitched. On the bright side, he walked none and fanned five to bring his season strikeout total to 21, which ranks second in the league.

April 18...The Hooks dropped their second straight to Frisco by the score of 5-2. The Hooks had numerous chances in the game but left 13 men on-base and were 3-for-17 with runners in scoring position. Chance Douglass lowered his earned run average to 1.72 after allowing one earned run, while fanning eight in five and 2/3 innings. The loss dropped his record to 1-1. Center fielder Eli Iorg had a productive night for Corpus as he socked two doubles and had a RBI during a 3-for-4 night at the plate. Iorg, son of former big-leaguer Garth Iorg, hit .296 with a .512 slugging percentage in 162 at-bats with Salem last year.

April 19... During a 15-5 pounding to the RoughRiders, Corpus Christi pitchers got tattooed by Frisco hitters for eight doubles and a team record 24 hits. The 10-run defeat tied the Hooks club mark for the most lopsided home loss at Whataburger Field. Entering the game batting .184, Mitch Einertson had an encouraging 2-for-3 performance, with a double, run scored and two RBIs. Einertson batted .305 with 11 home runs, and 87 RBIs with Single-A Salem of the Carolina League in 2007.

April 20...Bouncing back from the 10-run loss the night before, the Hooks outslugged Frisco 10-6, winning their only game of the four game series. Ole Sheldon highlighted the offensive surge by ripping a three-run homer in the sixth, scoring twice and adding another RBI. Back up catcher Jose Lopez, who was shutout in the home run department in 237 at-bats with Salem last year, also connected for a solo dinger in the sixth. The Corpus Christi pitching staff did not walk a batter over nine innings and the game finished in just 2 hours and 39 minutes in spite of the offensive fireworks. Brad James improved his mark to 2-1 and dropped his earned run average to 1.93 after being charged with two runs in six and 1/3 innings of work. A grounds-crew tractor sitting on the warning track delayed the start of the game. Hooks catcher Lou Santangelo came to the rescue by running out to the tractor and riding it off the field of play. He received a nice ovation from the crowd for his efforts.

Frisco RoughRiders

(Texas Rangers)

12-4, First Place

April 14...In game one of a doubleheader, Frisco squeaked by Arkansas 1-0 despite gathering only two hits in the seven-inning game. The RoughRiders scored their lone run in the second when Steve Murphy hit a sacrifice fly to score Chris Davis from third. Evan Reed, who came up from low Single-A Clinton to make a spot start, tossed five scoreless innings to win his first Double-A start. Arkansas could only manage to get four hits off Reed, who walked none and racked up three strikeouts. Closer Walter Madrigal pitched two shutout frames to pick up his fourth save of the year in the RoughRiders tenth game of the season.

In game two, highly regarded prospects Chris Davis, Max Ramirez and John Mayberry, Jr. each went deep and drove-in two runs during Frisco's 6-4 victory over Arkansas. Shortstop Elvis Andrus went 2-for-3 with two runs scored and a double.

April 15...Despite hitting four home runs and four doubles, Frisco lost 10-8 in a high scoring, 10-inning affair with Arkansas. Max Ramirez, acquired in last year's Mark Teixeira to Atlanta deal, connected on his fourth homer of the season, a two-run blast. Taylor Teagarden, Adam Fox, and Craig Gentry also clubbed round-trippers in a losing cause. Former big-leaguer Chris Michalak drew the loss after serving up three runs, four hits and three bases on balls over two and 1/3 innings.

April 17...Frisco (10-3) vaulted into sole possession of first place with an exciting 4-3 win over Corpus Christi (9-4). Tied at 3-3 in the top of the ninth, catcher Max Ramirez clubbed a homer to left-center off the Hooks Sammy Gervacio to give the RoughRiders a 4-3 advantage. Frisco scored three runs in the top of the third backed by RBI doubles from John Mayberry, Jr. and Chris Davis. The late-inning drama overshadowed an admirable pitching performance by Michael Schlact, who threw six shutout frames and fanned five.

April 18...Frisco beat Corpus Christi 5-2, backed by a solid performance by southpaw Michael Ballard (2-0), who limited the Hooks to one run over six innings. Chris Davis, who slugged 36 minor league home runs last season, blasted a solo homer (3) off Hooks reliever Ryan Thompson in the ninth. Emerson Frostad, who also had a fine game, went 2-for-3, with a triple, two RBIs and two bases on balls.

April 19...Frisco steamrolled Corpus Christi 15-5, accumulating a club record 24 hits in the process. The bottom three hitters in the RoughRiders lineup (Adam Fox, Emerson Frostad and Dustin Majewski) collectively hit 11-for-18, with 10 RBIs, six doubles and six runs scored. Majewski, the former Texas Longhorn, belted his first home run of the season and finished the day with three hits, four RBIs, two runs scored and a double. Frostad ripped three doubles on a four hit evening. Fox tallied four hits along with four RBIs and added a couple of two-baggers. Not to be forgotten, sixth hitter Steve Murphy scored three runs, drove-in two runs, belted a triple and delivered a double. After flirting with a no-hitter in his first start and pitching with the big league Rangers in his second, Scott Feldman registered his second win in ugly fashion, spreading eight hits, one walks and five runs over five and 2/3 innings.

April 20...Frisco finally got out hit by Corpus Christi, losing a 10-6 slugfest. First baseman Chris Davis (3-for-4) raised his season average to .352 and pounded two home runs, which lifts his season count to five. Davis is currently in a three-way tie with Kila Kaaihue, Jon Zeringue and teammate Max Ramirez for the Texas League lead in home runs. Starter Matt Harrison only lasted two innings after giving up seven hits, six runs, three earned and one walk. The southpaw's record fell to 1-1.

Midland RockHounds

Oakland Athletics

10-6, T-Second Place

April 14...The RockHounds came up on the short end of an exciting 3-2 pitching duel versus Springfield that lasted 10-innings. Trailing 1-0 in the bottom of the ninth, Jesus Guzman tied the game by connecting on an opposite field, solo homer to right, his third of the year. Guzman, the Texas League Player of the Week from April 3-to-13, was 2-for-4 on evening and raised his batting average to .532 through 11 games. In the top of the tenth, RockHounds reliever Kristian Bell served up a two-run dinger to Springfield catcher Bryan Anderson that wound up being the game-winner. Jon Zeringue closed the gap to 3-2 by pulling a solo home run in the bottom of the tenth, but the RockHounds could not do any more damage against Springfield reliever Max Scherer. Midland starter Ryan Webb hurled seven scoreless innings to match opposing starter P.J.Walters, who also threw seven shutout frames.

April 15...The RockHounds committed four errors and tallied just four hits in a 9-1 loss to Springfield. The defeat dropped Midland into a three-way tie with Frisco and Corpus Christi for first at 9-3. Catcher Anthony Recker drove-in the lone run with a RBI single to left-center that scored Jon Zeringue from second.

April 17...In a 14-inning marathon, Midland lost 7-6 to San Antonio after reliever Andy Shipman surrendered a game-winning RBI single to the Missions Marshall McDougall. The RockHounds hitters wasted a remarkable effort by their pitching staff in which they no-hit the Missions during a span of nine and 1/3 innings from the fourth to the 13th inning. After Midland scored four runs in the sixth, the offense could only muster three hits the rest of the way over a period of eight innings. Jesus Guzman's average dropped from .490 to .431 after an 0-for-7 night at the plate. Jon Zeringue drew four walks, scored twice and crushed a two-run homer in the fourth off San Antonio starter Matt Buschmann.

The Oakland Athletics promoted southpaw Danny Borrell from Midland to Triple-A Sacramento of the Pacific Coast League. Borrell, 29, registered a 1-1 record with a 7.71 earned run average in two starts with the RockHounds this season.

April 18...Midland was blanked 3-0, wasting a good effort by starter James Simmons. The RockHounds accumulated just six hits versus the Missions pitchers. Jon Zeringue's second inning double was the only extra-base knock on the night for Midland. Simmons was tabbed for the loss even though he allowed only one run over five innings pitched. The 2007 first rounder fanned four Missions, allowed four hits and handed out one free pass.

April 19...Midland tacked on four late runs in the ninth to break open a close knit game and win comfortably over San Antonio 6-1. Jesus Guzman went 2-for-5 and was credited with two RBIs on a ninth-inning single off Missions reliever Gabe DeHoyos. Recent call up Pat Currin improved his record to 2-0 after throwing two and 1/3 shutout frames in relief.

April 20...Midland lost 5-4 to San Antonio in the bottom of the ninth when Kyle Blanks crushed a Jose Rojas 3-0 fastball into the gap for a game-winning, two-run double. Rojas, the RockHounds closer, was touched up for three hits and failed to record an out in the ninth inning. He also threw a costly wild pitch that allowed Brett Dowdy and Chad Huffman to advance into scoring position. The start of the game featured the Double-A debut of fireballer Henry Rodriguez, who was recently promoted to Midland. In three starts with Stockton this season, Rodriguez was 1-1 with 1.50 earned run average and registered 23 whiffs in 17 innings pitched. The 6-foot-1, 175 pound right-hander labored with his command in his debut, giving up five hits and walking six over four innings. Trailing 2-1 in the seventh, the RockHounds got big hits, a two-run single from Justin Sellers and another RBI single from Cliff Pennington which produced a 4-2 lead.

San Antonio Missions

(San Diego Padres)

9-7, Fourth Place

April 14...San Antonio beat 4-2 behind a pitching unit that combined to strike out 12 and hold Drillers hitters to seven hits . In five innings pitched, starter Mike Ekstrom struck out seven and gave up five hits, two walks and two runs. Entering the game hitting .162, Drew Macias got on track by ripping a go-ahead triple into right-center to break a 2-2 tie in the fifth. The Missions center fielder eventually scored on Chad Huffman's sacrifice fly. He also added a double in the game.

April 15...San Antonio got clobbered 11-5 by Tulsa, as Will Inman (2-1) took his first loss of the season. The Drillers chased Inman after getting to him for seven runs, five hits, one homer and four walks. The loss didn't ding Inman's earned run average though, the reigning Texas League Pitcher of the Week wasn't charged with any of the seven runs scored against him. He still holds a 0.00 earned run average after three starts. Catcher Matt Stocco, who was brought up from high Single-A Lake Elsinore when Colt Morton was called up to San Diego, socked his first Double-A homer off in the fourth.

April 17... Marshall McDougall's two-out RBI single to left gave San Antonio a 7-6 win over Midland in the 14th inning. Josh Alley, who was 2-for-5 on the evening with a homer, three RBIs, scored on McDougall's game-winning RBI from second. Alley led off the inning with a single and got into scoring position by swiping second base. McDougall finished the night 3-for-6 with two runs scored and a RBI. It was a surprising victory for San Antonio considering they were no-hit by Midland hurlers for a span of nine and 1/3 innings. The no-hit sequence began after Alley's homer with no outs in the fourth and ended with Seth Johnston's one out, single in the 13th. The extra innings game took five hours and ten minutes to complete.

April 18...Four San Antonio hurlers allowed just six hits as the Missions crafted a 3-0 win over Midland. Steve Garrison (2-1) hurled five scoreless innings before handing the ball over to relievers Greg Burke, Neil Jamison and Edwin Moreno, who tallied his five save of the year. Following up his previous start of seven no-hit innings at Northwest Arkansas, Garrison put on a quality sequel, giving up two hits and striking out four. With three bases on balls, the southpaw struggled a bit with his command. Kyle Blanks, the 6-foot-6, 270 pound slugger, finally got on the board with his first homer of the season. He smoked a line-drive shot to left in the bottom of the eighth, extending the Missions lead to 3-0. In the seventh, right fielder Craig Cooper preserved the Missions shutout by gunning down Justin Sellers at the plate after catching a deep fly in foul territory.

April 19...San Antonio lost control of a 1-1 game in the later innings, losing 6-1 to Midland. The Missions hitters accumulated eight hits and four walks against the RockHounds, but scored just one run. Starter Mike Ekstrom lowered his season earned run average to 3.60 after limiting the RockHounds to one run over five innings. The Missions activated infielder Brett Dowdy (oblique) from the disabled list. The move allowed the Padres to send Marshall McDougall back to Triple-A Portland.

April 20...Trailing 4-3 in the ninth with runners on second and third, Kyle Blanks cracked a game-ending, two-run double into the gap, giving the Missions a 5-4 comeback win over Midland. The game-winning double capped a 3-for-5 day for the first baseman, as he lifted his batting average to.288 on the season. Will Inman's earned run average ballooned from 0.00 to 1.35 after the starter finally was charged with three earned runs. In six and 1/3 innings, Inman gave up five hits, two walks and fanned four. The former Milwaukee Brewer farm hand did not factor into the decision.

PLAYER OF THE WEEK

Bryan Anderson, Springfield

5 G, 26 AB, 12 H, 6 R, 2 HR, 7 RBI, 3 2B

Anderson batted .462 during the week of April 14-20, with two home runs, seven RBI, six runs and three doubles over a 26 at-bat span. The Cardinals catcher also posted an impressive .808 slugging percentage. Anderson compiled the most hits during the week with 12 and his five extra-base hits were tied for first with two other players.

On April 14 at Midland, Anderson crushed a go-ahead, two-run homer in the top of the 10th to break a 1-1 tie. Springfield held on to win 3-2. The 6-foot-1, 200 pound backstop finished the night going 3-for-5 and drove-in all three of the Cardinals runs.

Anderson also teed off on the Drillers during the Cards 20-5 lopsided win on April 17, a game in which the Cardinals set a club mark for runs scored in a single game. He went 4-for-6 on the historic night, with a solo homer, two doubles, three runs scored and two RBI.

PITCHER OF THE WEEK

Robert Mosebach, Arkansas

1 W, 1 CG, 9 IP, 1 R, 5 H, 0 BB, 5 K

Complete games of any sort are becoming less frequent as pitchers are held to strict pitch counts. Nine inning complete games are even more rare, which is why Robert Mosebach's five hit gem on the 19th has earned him this week's Pitcher of the Week honors.

In a 3-1 win over Northwest Arkansas, Mosebach used just 101 pitches to dispatch the Naturals. While walking none and striking out five, the 6'4" right-hander faced just 31 batters and wrapped the contest in a speedy 1:58.

Mosebach's nine-inning complete game was just the second thrown in April during the past four seasons. In 2007, San Antonio's Cesar Ramos had the earliest complete game, as he went nine versus Midland on April 30.

In both 2005 and 2006, the earliest nine-inning complete games both came on May 23.

In three starts this season, the 23-year-old is 2-0 with a 2.33 earned run average. An amateur at Hillsborough Community College in Tampa, Mosebach was drafted by the Angels in the ninth round of the 2005 free agent draft.

ALUMNI REPORT

Through games of April 14-20

ARKANSAS TRAVELERS

Salt Lake Bees 3B Freddy Sandoval ('07) had a .432 average (16-for-37) and nine runs scored in nine games...Bees SS Brandon Wood ('06) hit five home runs and drove in eight runs while batting .294 (10-for-34) in a nine-game span...Salt Lake RHP Nick Adenhart ('07), one of the top prospects in the Angels organization, is giving the Major League club more to think about with each start. The 21-year-old gave up two runs on four hits over six innings on April 14, leaving him without a decision against Portland-and that qualified as the worst of his three PCL starts this season. Adenhart, in his first year in Triple-A, won his first two outings, opening the season by tossing five shutout innings against Las Vegas on April 4, then beating Tucson five days later with one run allowed over six frames. Adenhart's 1.59 earned run average entering Saturday was eight-best in the league...In his last ten games, OF Gregory Porter (‘05-'07) is hitting .467 for Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre...Columbus outfielder Tommy Murphy (‘04-'05) is batting .161 over his last 10 games

CORPUS CHRISTI HOOKS

Round Rock 3B Mark Saccomanno (‘05-'06) had a .421 average (8-for-19) in his last five games...Tucson OF Tim Raines, Jr. ('07) had a .306 average (11-for-36) over 10 games...RHP Jimmy Barthmaier ('07) is 1-0 with a meaty 7.07 earned run average in three starts with the Double-A Altoona Curve of the Eastern League. Over 14 innings, he has allowed 11 runs and 12 hits, including three homers, and seven walks. A bulk of the damage came in his last outing, when he dished out six runs in four innings against host Trenton.

FRISCO ROUGHRIDERS

OF Laynce Nix (‘03-'04) batted .421 (8-for-19) with two home runs and seven RBIs in a five-game span with the Nashville Sounds...2B Tug Hulett ('06) had two hits in 19 at-bats (.105) over six games with Tacoma...

MIDLAND ROCKHOUNDS

Albuquerque C John Baker (‘03-'04) batted .370 (10-for-27) in seven games...OF Nelson Cruz ('04) boasted a .400 average (12-for-30), four home runs and 12 RBIs in his last nine games with the Oklahoma RedHawks...RHP Brad Knox (‘06-'07) was 2-0 with a 0.69 earned run average and 10 strikeouts over his last two starts with the Sacramento River Cats...River Cats 3B Jeff Baisley ('07) had two hits in 21 at-bats (.095) over a six-game span...Durham OF Jon Weber ('04) has hit .212 in his last 10 games but has five RBIs during that stretch.

SAN ANTONIO MISSIONS

Tacoma Rainiers 1B Brian LaHair ('06) had three homers and 10 RBIs while hitting .289 (11-for-38)...When LHP Ryan Feierabend ('06) has taken the mound, the Rainiers have typically flourished this season. He was 3-1 after his first four starts, earning his latest victory with a strong eight-inning performance Friday against Fresno. He ranked 10th in the league in earned run average (1.80) and first in innings pitched (25) entering Saturday's games. The 22-year-old started the season by throwing 13 scoreless innings, a streak that was broken when he gave up four runs in the second frame against Colorado Springs last Sunday, on the way to his only defeat. Feierabend allowed two runs in eight innings against the Grizzlies... "I felt like it was Game 7 of the World Series leading off."--Tacoma C Jeff Clement ('06), to the Tacoma News Tribune, on trying to break up a no-hit bid by Colorado Springs' Jose Capellan in the seventh and final inning...Jacksonville C Rene Rivera ('05) broke out of a slump with a three-hit game that included a home run...1B Marshall Hubbard ('06) was hitting .360 for West Tennessee and is leading the Southern League with 17 RBIs.

SPRINGFIELD CARDINALS

Iowa Cubs RHP Andy Cavazos (‘05-'06) pitched five and 1/3 innings over three appearances without allowing an earned run...Memphis Redbirds reliever Jason Motte ('07) pitched four scoreless innings over his last four games, striking out six...Redbirds RHP Blake Hawksworth ('06) struggled during his first two starts this season, allowing a total of 10 earned runs over nine and 2/3 innings. On Tuesday against Albuquerque, Hawksworth rebounded to strike out 10 Isotopes batters in six innings, but still suffered the loss after being charged with four unearned runs-five overall. SS Brian Braden's six-inning field error turned out to be Hawksworth's undoing, as the Isotopes broke a 1-1 tie on a ground ball that would have the third out. Then, Hawksworth yielded a three-run homer to Alexis Gomez, giving Albuquerque a 5-1 lead. Hawksworth fell to 0-2 with a 6.32 earned run average after the loss...Buffalo INF Aaron Herr ('05) has hit .300 in his last eight games with a home run, six RBIs and five runs scored.

TULSA DRILLERS

Colorado Springs Sky Sox shortstop Jonathan Herrera ('07) collected seven hits in 20 at-bats (.350) over five games...Sky Sox 3B Ian Stewart ('06) drove in 10 runs in his his last nine games while batting .290 (9-for-31)...RHP Juan Morillo (‘06-'07) walked 10 batters in five innings over four relief appearances with the Sky Sox...3B Fernando Tatis ('97), of the New Orleans Zephyrs, hit .429 (6-for-14) with two home runs and five RBIs over his last five games. OF Kevin Mench ('01), of Triple-A Oklahoma, batted .148 (4-for-27) in six games.

OTHER TEXAS LEAGUE ALUMNI

OF Shane Costa (Wichita ‘05-'06) hit .405 (17-for-42) with eight runs scored in 10 games with the Omaha Royals...RHP Luke Hochevar (Wichita '07), who was called up to the Royals on April 19, earned the victory in his last start for Omaha, tossing six scoreless innings and allowing four hits against Nashville. Omaha outfielder Chris Lubanski (‘06-'07) hit .147 (5-for-34) over his last 10 games... Salt Lake outfielder Dee Brown (Wichita '99, '04, '06) had three hits in 20 at-bats (.150) over seven games...Scranton/Wilkes Barre shortstop Cody Ransom (Shreveport ‘99-'00) has batted .211 in his last nine games, but has two homers, eight RBIs and seven runs scored in that span.

THIS WEEK IN TEXAS LEAGUE HISTORY

April 22, 1922...Behind 6-0 after five innings, Wichita Falls scored three runs in the sixth, then exploded for 11 more in the seventh, as they routed Dallas 14-8. The Spudders got 10 hits in their big inning, at one point putting 12 consecutive men on base. Clean-up hitter Jake Miller, who had just one of Wichita Falls' 17 hits, stroked a grand slam in the seventh that gave the Spudders their first lead in the game.

April 23, 1987...In a 13-12 win over Wichita, El Paso slugger Jesus Alfaro drove in six runs with a double and three home runs. However, with all the power he displayed in regulation play, it was Alfaro's sacrifice in the 10th inning that set up the winning run for the Diablos. After Alfaro advanced Todd Brown to second in the bottom of the 10th, catcher Mike Gobbo followed with a game-winning, line single to center field to end the game.

April 24, 1929...Fort Worth built a 20-4 lead after six innings, then had to hold on, beating Dallas 20-13 after the Steers rallied for nine runs over the final three innings. Larry Cox led the 24-hit Fort Worth attack, going 5-dor-7, with a double and a home run. Del Baker and Andy Harrington each added four hits to the Cats offensive output.

April 25, 1934...Houston blitzed San Antonio 20-8, amassing 21 hits in the Catcher Bruce Ogrodowski led the way for Houston with four hits, while second baseman Carey Selph sparked the offense, scoring five times.

April 26, 1928...Waco pounded 20 hits, including 12 for extra bases, on the way to an 18-4 thumping of Beaumont. Slugging first baseman Art Shires led the Waco attack with a double and two homers. All nine Waco starters had at least one hit in the contest, including pitcher Howard "Ace" Elliott who had one of the four home runs Waco had in the league.

April 27, 1907...In a taut pitching duel, Houston's Neal Vance beat Dallas ace Harry Ables when he tossed a one-hit, 1-0 win. Ables allowed just four hits in the tough loss. Dallas shortstop Dolly Stark collected the only hit allowed by Vance, a sixth inning double.

April 28, 1991...Shreveport scored nine runs in the first inning, coasting to a 13-0 win over Jackson. Leading the Captains offense was starter Larry Carter who was a perfect 4-for-4 at the plate. Carter was nearly perfect on the mound, too, limiting Jackson to just three hits and a walk in six innings of work. In addition to the big first inning, the game featured a 50-minute rain delay in the second inning and a brawl shortly after play was resumed, which resulted in four ejections.

Texas League Stories from April 22, 2008

• Johnson & Travs Beat Tulsa 5-3 - Arkansas Travelers
• Travs Turn Tables In Drillers Loss - Tulsa Drillers
• Texas League Newsletter 2008 No. 2 - TL1
• Ed Lucas Activated, Mildren Promoted - Northwest Arkansas Naturals

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