TL1 Texas League

Texas League Newsletter 2008 No. 3

Published on April 28, 2008 under Texas League (TL1) News Release


By: BARRY LEWIS World Sports Writer 4/27/2008

During the first month of the Texas League season, two high-profile majors leaguers - St. Louis pitcher Mark Mulder and Houston second baseman Kaz Matsui - have played at Drillers Stadium on injury rehab assignments.

On Friday night for Springfield, Mulder struggled early but then showed flashes of the form that has made him one of the majors' top lefties during this decade as he beat the Drillers for the second time in a week.

Drillers Stadium opened in 1981, less than a year after injury rehab stints were launched, a product of baseball's labor negotiations.

Prior to that, unless a player had minor league options left, there was no real game type environment to help him get ready to return to major league action. Listed below are the 10 most notable rehab appearances in Drillers Stadium history:

1. Larry Walker and Preston Wilson (2004): There's nothing like having your outfield include two major league all-stars when you're battling for a first-half title. Colorado sent that pair to the Drillers for the last week of the race and they helped Tulsa win the title. Wilson went 7-for-17 and Walker homered in the clincher. Walker went on to play in the World Series that year with St. Louis and Wilson two years later for the Cardinals. Walker's trade to St. Louis shortly after the rehab stint freed up enough money for the Rockies to sign current Drillers center fielder Dexter Fowler.

2. Mark Redman (2006): The Catoosa resident pitched five excellent innings for Wichita in the season opener that Tulsa won in 16 innings, the longest game in Drillers Stadium history. Redman went from opening the season in the Texas League to being selected for the Major League All-Star Game that summer.

3. Fernando Valenzuela (1991): A technicality made it not an official rehab stint, but it was a major happening as one of the Drillers' largest crowds, 11,266, saw the return of Fernando-mania. Valenzuela, pitching for Midland (an Angels affiliate), allowed four runs in five innings and set a stadium recored with four wild pitches, including three in an inning as he lost 4-2.

It was his first TL loss since 1980, which also occurred in Tulsa. After that ‘80 loss, he won his last seven TL starts and then his first 10 major league starts for the Dodgers.

4. Jamie Moyer (1989): Many baseball experts thought Moyer was washed up, but he showed that he had something left as he completed his Drillers rehab with a three hit shutout. Two hundred wins and 19 years later, he is still going strong at age 45 for Philadelphia.

5. Willie McGee (1983): Just six months after being a World Series hero for St. Louis, the future two-time National League batting champion played five of his eight rehab games for Arkansas at Tulsa.

6. Mickey Tettleton (1997):The Oklahoma native and two-time American League all-star socked the last of his 276 pro homers on June 20. He then rejoined the Texas Rangers but retired two weeks later.

7. Matt Holliday (2005): Two years after playing for the Drillers, the Stillwater native and current Rockies star returned to Tulsa. He had a homer with five RBIs in three games at Drillers Stadium.

8. Mark Mulder (2008): Mulder, who received one of the louder ovations for a visiting player from Tulsa fans, also showed major league hitting form with a double o5 the left-center wall to spark Springfield's rally.

9. John Rocker (2002): The volatile lefty closer was near the end of the line when the Texas Rangers sent him to Tulsa. After two good road outings, he couldn't finish his scheduled inning of his lone appearance in Tulsa. He was shelled for four runs and took the loss. Many expected him to throw a temper tantrum, but there was no explosion as he was very calm and analytical about his performance.

10. Ken Hill (1997): One of baseball's top right-handed starters in the mid-1990s, Hill was in excellent form as he needed only 49 pitches to toss five shutout innings in a Drillers win.

Ex-Drillers in the majors: Alex Serrano (2004-05) made his major league debut with a scoreless inning for the Los Angeles Angels on April 16. He was returned to Triple-A Salt Lake a few days later.

Lefty reliever Josh Newman (2006) was just called up by Colorado and made his 2008 debut with 1 1-3 scoreless innings Friday. He appeared in his first two ML games for the Rockies last year.

NORTH NOTES

Arkansas Travelers (Los Angeles Angels) 8-15, Fourth Place, North Division

April 21...In Arkansas' 5-4 loss to Tulsa, first baseman Michael Collins lifted his batting average to .389, after a 2-for-4 evening that included aa RBI and two doubles. Pitcher Von Stertzbach was released by the Angels and replaced by right-hander Jeff Kennard, who was transferred from Triple-A Salt Lake of the Pacific Coast League.

April 22...The Travelers got past Tulsa 5-3, their eighth victory in their last 11 contests. After beginning the year 0-7, the Travs improved their mark to 8-10, tying Tulsa for first in the North Division. A nuisance all game to the Drillers, catcher Ben Johnson smacked a solo homer during a 3-for-4 night. He also scored two runs and added two doubles, breaking out of a 4-for-35 rut. Johnson's big night raised his batting average almost 40 points.

April 23...A late inning push by Arkansas came up short as Tulsa held on to win 11-9. Down 11-5 through seven, the Travelers scored four runs over the final two innings and brought the potential trying run to the plate before being retired in the ninth. Center fielder Sean Fuller highlighted the comeback attempt by driving a two-run dinger in the eighth. Coby Smith, who racked up three of the Travs 10 hits, stole his fifth base, scored twice and raised his batting mark to .355.

April 24...Travelers were three-hit by Tulsa in an 8-3 loss. Arkansas relievers David Austen and Francisco Rodriguez combined to hurl 4 and 2/3 scoreless innings, with seven strikeouts. After being sent to Salt Lake on April 21, catcher Tim Duff was returned to the Travelers.

April 25...In the Naturals 3-0 shutout of Arkansas, the Travelers could only muster two hits all night, both by designated hitter and leadoff batter Nate Sutton. With a ground ball single to center, Sutton broke up Carlos Rosa's no-hit bid with no outs in the seventh.

April 26...In Arkansas' 7-2 loss to Northwest Arkansas, shortstop Hainley Statia had two of his team's seven total hits and stole his second base of the season.

April 27...Catcher Ben Johnson knocked in four of the Travelers five runs during a 6-5, 13-inning loss to Northwest Arkansas. Johnson drove in the first run with an RBI double to center in the third. His three-run homer in the sixth boosted Arkansas to a 4-0 lead.

Northwest Arkansas Naturals (Kansas City Royals) 9-14, Third Place, North Division

April 21...Pitchers Julio Pimentel, Paul Mildren and Dewon Lowery combined to throw nine scoreless frames, helping Northwest Arkansas squeak out a 1-0 victory over Springfield. The Naturals one run came in the bottom of the eighth inning when pinch-runner Ovandy Suero scored from third on an eight-foot, RBI ground out off the bat of Jose Duarte. The Naturals prevailed in spite of getting just three hits, none for extra-bases.

April 22...Kila Kaaihue's two-run homer (6) highlighted the Naturals 14 inning, 7-4 loss to the Cards. Kaaihue's eighth inning dinger vaulted the Naturals to a 4-3 lead. He has 18 RBIs through the first 18 games for NWA. Left-hander Paul Mildren was promoted to Triple-A Omaha and the Naturals activated infielder Ed Lucas to fill his roster slot.

April 23...The Naturals placed right-hander Daniel Cortes on the seven-day disabled list, retroactive to April 19.

April 24...Northwest Arkansas took game one of a twin-bill with Springfield, winning 4-2 in seven innings. The Naturals maximized their run scoring opportunities as they were outhit by Springfield 7-to-4, drawing as many walks as they had hits. Brian McFall clubbed his second homer of the season, and Dusty Hughes came out of the bullpen for a spot-start and allowed just one run in four innings pitched. The Naturals were edged 4-3 by the Cards in the second game. Northwest Arkansas has yet to win two straight games all season long. Down 4-0, the Naturals fought back with three runs in the sixth, but fell one run short in the seven-inning contest. Right-hander Jarod Plummer, who recorded a 3.08 earned run average with Wichita last year, was assigned to the club from Extended Spring Training in Surprise, AZ.

April 25...In the Naturals 3-0 shutout of Arkansas, starter Carlos Rosa (2-2) overwhelmed Travelers hitters by firing eight innings of one-hit ball. The Dominican righty had a no-hitter entering the seventh, when Nate Sutton broke it up with a single on a ground ball up the middle. Rosa had retired 13 consecutive batters up to that point. Rosa finished with nine strikeouts and walked only two batters. The brilliant performance lowered his earned run average to 1.61.

April 26...The Naturals 7-2 win over in-state rival Arkansas marked the first time the club had won consecutive games this season. After the Travelers took a 2-0 lead in the top of the third, the Naturals fired back with five runs in the bottom half of the third, highlighted by Juan Richardson's three-run dinger (1). The Naturals accumulated 12 hits, their season high at Arvest Ballpark, and also had their highest run output since scoring seven on April 17. Catcher Adam Donachie went 3-for-3, driving in runs with two separate RBI singles. His other hit was a double. Julio Pimentel (1-2) limited Arkansas to two runs and seven hits in eight innings, while walking none.

April 27...Juan Richardson pulled a game-ending, RBI single to left, which gave Northwest Arkansas a 13-inning, 6-5 victory over Arkansas. It marked the Naturals third straight win against their rivals. Richardson also homered for the second straight game, a three-run blast in the sixth. He finished the day going 4-for-7 with four RBIs. Center fielder Jose Duarte also added a four hit game. With three steals, Ovandy Suero padded his season total to 14, which leads the Texas League. The Naturals also placed infielder Irving Falu on the disabled list, while former Wichita Wrangler pitcher Greg Atencio was sent to the club from Extended Spring Training.

Springfield Cardinals (St. Louis Cardinals) 10-13, T-First Place, North Division

April 21...The Cards were blanked 1-0 by Northwest Arkansas, wasting a brilliant complete game effort by southpaw Jaime Garcia (2-2). In eight innings of work, Garcia fanned 10 hitters, gave up three hits, surrendered four walks and allowed no earned runs. The performance lowered his earned run average to 2.35 on the season.

April 22...Springfield beat Northwest Arkansas 7-4 in 14 innings, putting an end to a four hour and 20 minute marathon. The Cards doubled the Naturals hit output, 20-to-10 in the long contest. With two-outs in the top of the 14th, Luke Gorsett broke a 4-4 tie with a RBI single, scoring A.J. Van Slyke. Brandon Yarbrough (4-for-7) followed with a two RBI single, finishing the contest with three RBIs. Cards starter Clayton Mortensen went seven innings and allowed one run on five hits.

April 23...Infielder Brendan Ryan completed his rehabilitation assignment and rejoined the St. Louis Cardinals after being activated from the 15-day disabled list. Springfield activated starter Adam Daniels from the seven-day disabled list. Reliever Bob Zimmermann (ankle), who had recorded a 3.97 earned run average in nine appearances this year, was placed on the D.L.

April 24... In game one of a doubleheader, Mark Hamilton hit his fourth homer of the season in Springfield's 4-2 loss to Northwest Arkansas. Springfield took an early 4-0 lead in game two and held on to beat the Naturals 4-3. Jon Jay hammered a solo homer (3), going 2-for-4 at the plate. Starter P.J. Walters notched his first victory of the season, allowing only two runs over five and 1/3 innings of work. Springfield announced infielder Casey Rowlett had joined the club.

April 25...Springfield clobbered Tulsa 12-4, giving big-leaguer Mark Mulder plenty of run support in his second Texsa League rehab start. Mulder, notched his second victory in as many starts, after giving up four runs and fanning five over five innings. He helped himself with the bat with a RBI double that bounced off the outfield wall. Shane Robinson and Allen Craig led the Cardinals 17-hit attack by compiling four hits each. On a perfect 4-for-4 night, Craig crushed a three-run homer, ripped a double, tallied four RBIs and scored three times. Robinson crossed home four times, stole his third base and upped his average to .390 after going 4-for-6. Bryan Anderson and Jose Martinez each provided a pair of hits and RBIs.

April 26...Springfield erupted with a four-run eighth to break a tie and vault ahead of Tulsa 7-3. Bryan Anderson socked a three-run double that inning to give the Cards a comfortable lead. The catcher went 3-for-5 and tallied four RBIs. Following a four-hit game, Shane Robinson went 3-for-4, lifting his batting average to .413. He drove in a pair of RBIs, scored twice and connected on his second triple of 2008.

April 27...With a 5-2 victory over Tulsa, Springfield won their four straight contest and moved into a two-way tie for first in the Texas League North with the Drillers at 10-13. Tied at 1-1 in the sixth, third baseman Allen Craig came through with a two-run double to give the Cards the lead for good. Southpaw Jaime Garcia (3-2) struck out seven Drillers in six innings, holding Tulsa to two runs, one earned run and two hits. His 36 strikeouts rank first in the Texas League.

Tulsa Drillers (Colorado Rockies) 10-13, T-First Place, North Division

April 21...Tulsa edged Arkansas 5-4 thanks to a one-out, four pitch, bases-loaded walk drawn by first baseman Jeff Kindel in the bottom of the ninth. Drillers starter Brandon Hynick, who did not factor in the decision, held the Travelers to two runs on five hits and no walks. Right fielder Daniel Carte went 2-for-4 and socked his fifth homer of the season.

April 22...Second baseman Eric Young, Jr. was 2-for-5 with a run scored and a RBI during Tulsa's 5-3 loss to Arkansas. He stole his sixth base of the season and raised his batting average to .342.

April 23...The Drillers overcame five defensive errors and pulled-out an 11-9 win in a slugfest with Arkansas. Matt Miller (2-for-4) clubbed a two-run home run and put up four RBIs, brushing off a scary first-inning collision to lead the Drillers offensive assault. In the first inning, Miller collided with the outfield wall and Eric Young, Jr. on a foul pop-up, but remained in the game after a five-minute delay. Jeff Dragicevich blasted a three-run round-tripper in the second, while Brian Esposito added a two-run homer in the sixth, both of which helped Tulsa storm to an 11-5 advantage after six frames. Chris Nelson added to the Drillers output with two doubles, two runs and two RBIs. Tulsa also activated lefty Luis Gonzalez from the disabled list and replaced him on the D.L. with right-hander Pedro Strop (elbow).

April 24...Tulsa beat Arkansas 8-3, taking three out of four in the series. Shortstop Chris Nelson enjoyed a 3-for-4 night with four RBIs. Justin Nelson, no relation to his shortstop teammate, also tallied three hits, scored twice and provided a couple of doubles. Four Drillers hurlers limited the Tavs to just three hits. They were anchored by starter Tomas Santiago's (1-0) five inning effort, in which he surrendered one run and fanned seven.

April 25...Matt Miller connected on a solo round-tripper (3) off big leaguer Mark Mulder in Tulsa's 12-4 loss to Springfield. With two stolen bases, Eric Young, Jr. increased his season theft total to 10.

April 26...The Drillers dropped their second straight to Springfield by the score of 7-3, wasting a good start by Brandon Hynick, who limited the Cards to two runs in six innings pitched. Eric Young, Jr. suffered a wrist injury in Saturday's game, left after three innings and did not play the following day.

April 27...The Drillers could only manage four hits in a 5-2 loss to Springfield. In his best outing of the year, Chin-Lung Ho took the loss despite surrendering only four hits and one walk in six innings pitched.

SOUTH NOTES

Corpus Christi Hooks (Houston Astros) 14-9, Second Place, South Division

April 21...Corpus Christi lost 8-3 to Midland despite out-hitting the RockHounds 12-to-9 at Whataburger Field. Tommy Manzella prolonged his hitting streak to 10 games after a 2-for-4 night. Mitch Einertson connected for his league-leading ninth double of the season, scoring twice in a 3-for-4 performance.

April 22... In 13-innings, the Hooks snuck by Midland 6-5 in dramatic fashion. With two-outs in the bottom of the 13th, Rob Cosby hit a high sailing fly that bounced over the left-field wall for a ground-rule double, bringing home Nate Sutton with the winning score. With two-outs in the bottom of the eighth, Sutton took the game to extra-innings by hitting a clutch two-run double to tie the score at 5-5. The second baseman finished the marathon going 2-for-4, with three RBIs, two runs, two doubles and three walks. Ryan Thompson earned his first win by holding the RockHounds hitless in four innings of relief, striking out five.

April 23...Tommy Manzella (1-for-4) lengthened his hitting streak to 12 games with a first inning single in the Hooks 11-0 loss to Midland. During the current season, Manzella has the longest Double-A hitting streak to date.

April 24...Bouncing back from the worst home defeat in Hooks history, Corpus Christi crushed Midland 19-5. The Hooks set new single-game records for runs, margin-of-victory and base hits with 24. All nine of the Hooks starters recorded multiple-hit games, while five players scored at least three runs. Richard Paz was the only Hook who failed to score a run and Ole Shelton was the only one without a RBI. Third baseman Chris Johnson belted a second inning grand slam and collected five RBIs on the historic night. Mitch Einertson ripped his first two homers of the season, a three-run dinger and a solo blast. Ray Sadler smacked both a triple and homer, driving in three runs. In all, the Hooks accumulated ten extra-base hits.

April 25...Continuing their torrid hitting from the night before, Corpus Christi racked up 14 hits and nine walks in route to an 11-6 victory at Frisco. The Hooks mustered 10 of their 11 runs from the second-to-fifth innings, in which they scored at least two runs in each of the four frames. Ray Sadler hammered his third homer of the season, a solo blast in the third. Hitting safely in his 14th straight game, Tommy Manzella went 2-for-5, scoring a couple of runs and driving in another with a triple. Hooks pitching got touched up for 11 hits by the RoughRiders, but they limited Frisco to six runs by inducing five double plays.

April 26...The Hooks were edged 3-2 by Frisco, giving starter Brian Bogusevic a no-decision after an impressive six inning outing in which he allowed only one run. Both runs scored by the Hooks came on solo homers by Ole Sheldon and Eli Iorg. Tommy Manzella's single in the sixth increased his hitting streak to 16 games.

April 27...Backed by a five-run fifth inning, the Hooks surged to a 5-1 lead and held off Frisco, winning 6-4. Tommy Manzella's hitting streak reached 17 games after driving in two with a bases loaded single in the fifth. Richard Paz racked up three RBIs on the afternoon, two of which came on a double that followed Manzella's single. After allowing one run in five innings, Bud Norris improved his perfect record to 3-0. The RoughRiders whiffed eight times against the Hooks fireballer.

Frisco RoughRiders (Texas Rangers) 16-6, First Place, South Division

April 21...Leading 6-1 after the seventh, the RoughRiders fought off a late-innings charge by San Antonio and held on to win 6-5. Right-hander Trey Hodges (2-1) led the way by throwing six shutout innings, limiting San Antonio to three hits and four walks. Stephen Murphy ripped both a double and triple, scored twice and knocked in a run during a 2-for-4 evening.

April 22...Frisco beat San Antonio 7-4, improving their league best record to 14-4. Catcher Max Ramirez clubbed his sixth home run of year, a two-run shot in the second. He added a double and collected three RBIs. Relievers Brandon Puffer (1-0) and Kendry Batista threw a combined five and 1/3 scoreless innings, retiring the final 15 batters in a row. Batista, who was reassigned to Frisco from Triple-A Oklahoma City earlier in the day, notched his first save after striking out the last five batters he faced. Lefty Matt Harrison was put on the disabled list with arm fatigue.

April 23...Their meeting versus San Antonio was postponed due to rain and was rescheduled as a double header to be played in Frisco, at 2 p.m. on May 18.

April 24...In the bottom of the tenth, slugger Chris Davis belted a game-ending, solo homer (6), lifting Frisco to a 7-6 victory and three-game sweep of San Antonio. With the win, the RoughRiders equaled their 2007 mark for most wins in April with 15. In addition to Davis, John Mayberry, Jr., Emerson Frostad and Dustin Fox also connected on solo home runs. Catcher Taylor Teagarden, the Rangers number four rated prospect by Baseball America, was promoted from Frisco to Triple-A Oklahoma of the Pacific Coast League to take Jarrod Saltalamacchia's spot, who had been promoted to Arlington. The Rangers assigned catcher Hunter Harrigan from advanced Class-A Bakersfield to fill Teagarden's slot.

April 25...Frisco swung the bats well, piling up 11 hits, yet still lost to Corpus Christi 11-6. The RoughRiders weren't able to capitalize on most of their opportunities, batting just 2-for-10 with runners-in-scoring-position. Dustin Majewski and Thomas Berkery went deep on solo round-trippers in the losing cause.

April 26...Down 2-1 in the bottom of the seventh, designated hitter Ben Harrison connected on a go-ahead two-run homer to catapult Frisco to a 3-2 win over Corpus Christi. Trey Hodges improved to 3-1 after tossing seven solid innings, scattering two runs, four hits and one walk. Brian Gordon, released by the Hooks on April 10, got revenge on his former team by hurling two no-hit, scoreless frames to earn his first save of the year. He was added to the roster earlier in the day.

April 27...Despite matching Corpus Christi with 11 hits, the RoughRiders lost to the Hooks 6-4, stranding 11 runners and hitting 3-for-13 with runners-in-scoring-position. John Mayberry, Jr., belted a two-run homer in the seventh, capping a three-run seventh that narrowed the Hooks lead to 5-4. Stephen Murphy, who clubbed two doubles, raised his average to .347 with the multiple-hit day.

Midland RockHounds (Oakland Athletics)

12-11, Fourth Place, South Division

April 21...Home runs by Jon Zeringue, Jesus Guzman and Justin Sellers helped Midland cruise to an 8-3 win over Corpus Christi. Tied at 1-1 in the top of the sixth, Guzman's three-run blast (4) put the RockHounds in the lead for good. Zeringue's solo homer in the second tied him for the league-lead with six. Starter Vincent Mazzaro (2-1) limited the Hooks to one run over six innings, served up eight hits and walked none.

April 22...Jesus Guzman and Myron Leslie both walloped solo homers and tallied three hits in the RockHounds 6-5 extra-inning loss to Corpus Christi. Both round-trippers occurred in the eighth to break a 3-3 tie and put Midland into the lead for the time being at 5-3. Homering for the second straight game, Guzman's solo dinger marked his fifth on the season. Through 18 games, Guzman's 22 RBIs lead the Texas League.

April 23...Midland blanked Corpus Christi 11-0 in a one-sided affair. The RockHounds pounded out 15 hits, led by Jesus Guzman's 4-for-6 evening. Ten different RockHounds recorded a hit, while Joe Gaetti was the only starter without a run. Guzman racked up three RBIs, scored twice and laced a triple, lifting his average to .430. In the first three contests versus the Hooks, the Venezuelan is 9-for-15 and has registered two homers, eight RBIs and six runs scored. Starter James Simmons hurled six scoreless frames, earning his first win of the season. He walked none, surrendered four hits and fanned five, sinking his earned run average to 1.06. Gaetti, a former Tulsa Driller outfielder, joined the club after Oakland signed him as a free agent.

April 24...The RockHounds had an off-night, losing 19-5 to Corpus Christi. Batting 3-for-4 with two RBIs, Jesus Guzman concluded his fantastic series versus the Hooks hitting .632, adding 10 RBIs and seven runs scored. Newly acquired left fielder Joe Gaetti hammered his first homer as a RockHound.

April 25...In Midland's 10-4 loss to San Antonio, first baseman Tommy Everidge broke up a 10-0 shutout by connecting on a two-run homer (3) in the seventh. He added a third RBI on a ground-out in the ninth. Outfielder Todd Donovan was added to the RockHounds roster and the Athletics reassigned outfielder Adam Klein to their club in the Arizona League. The A's also cut reliever Scott Tyler and replaced him by promoting right-hander Andrew Carignan from high Single-A Stockton of the California League.

April 26...Vincent Mazzaro gave the RockHounds a valiant effort, allowing two runs in six innings pitched during Midland's 3-0 defeat to San Antonio. He surrendered four hits and two walks.

April 27...Midland dropped their third straight with an 11-5 loss to San Antonio. Myron Leslie ripped two doubles and knocked in a run on a 2-for-4 afternoon at the plate. Shortstop Chad Pennington garnered two RBIs, during a two-hit game and swiped his fourth bag of the season.

San Antonio Missions (San Diego Padres) 12-10, Third Place, South Division

April 21...San Antonio came up short, losing 6-5 to Frisco. Trailing 6-1 entering the top of the eighth, Jose Lobaton's two-RBI single highlighted the Missions three-run eighth which narrowed Frisco's lead to 6-4. The catcher collected three RBIs in the game on two hits. With a pinch-hit single, Brett Dowdy extended his hitting streak to 15 games dating back to 2007.

April 22... During San Antonio's 7-4 loss to Frisco, Brett Dowdy stretched his hitting streak to 16 games with a second inning single. Chad Huffman belted a solo home run, his first of the season.

April 23...The rainout between the Missions and the RoughRiders was rescheduled for a twin-bill on May 18.

April 24...Brett Dowdy hit a dramatic, game-tying, solo homer in the top of the ninth, but the Missions eventually lost the game, 7-6 to Frisco in ten innings. Hitless in four previous plate appearances, Dowdy's blast extended his 2007-08 hitting streak to 17 games. Chad Huffman racked up three hits and clubbed a solo homer.

April 25... Getting another gem from starter Will Inman, San Antonio rolled to a 10-4 victory at Midland. Inman hurled five and 2/3 scoreless frames and was docked for five hits and two walks, while fanning seven. He improved his mark to 3-1 and lowered his earned run average to 1.05, the best in the Texas League. On the offensive end, the Missions collected 13 hits. On a 3-for-5 night, Brett Dowdy continued his hitting streak to 18 games. The former Florida Gator scored three times, added a RBI and stole his first bag on the season. Josh Alley, Peter Ciofrone and Drew Macias each drove-in two runs a piece.

April 26...San Antonio blanked Midland 3-0, receiving all of their runs on three solo homers off the bats of Josh Alley, Brett Dowdy and Seth Johnston. Dowdy stretched his hitting streak to 19 games on a 2-for-4 evening, lifting his batting average to .370. Missions pitchers combined on a five-hit shutout, led by starter Stephen Faris' (1-0) strong five inning effort, in which he struck out seven and allowed just three hits. After throwing a scoreless ninth to notch his sixth save, Edwin Moreno lowered his earned run average to a microscopic 0.64. The Missions hurlers also held the walk-happy RockHounds to one base-on-balls.

April 27...The Missions cruised to an 11-5 victory over Midland, highlighted by Drew Macias' four RBIs that came on a two-run homer and two-run triple. Seth Johnston clubbed a solo dinger (4) for the second straight game, and Craig Cooper also provided a solo homer, his first of 2008. Chad Huffman pounded out four of the Missions 13 hits and scored twice on the afternoon. Dating back to 2007, Brett Dowdy hit safely in his 20th consecutive game with a 1-for-4 showing at the dish.

PLAYER OF THE WEEK

Jesus Guzman Midland RockHounds 31 AB, 14 H, .452 AVG, 2 HR, 10 RBI, 7 R, .742 SLG

For the second time in three weeks, Guzman takes home the Texas League Player of Week honors. During the week of April 21-to-27, Guzman, 23, tied for the league lead in RBIs with ten, and tallied the most hits with 14. He also ranked second in both batting average (.452) and slugging percentage (.742), and tied for second in runs scored with seven.

In a four game series with Corpus Christi, the Venezuelan tormented Hooks pitching, batting 12-for-19 (.632), with two home runs, 10 RBIs and scored seven runs. He went 4-for-6 at the plate with three RBIs and three runs scored in Midland's 11-0 drubbing of the Hooks on April 23. The 6-foot-1, 165 pounder also clubbed a go-ahead, decisive three-run homer versus the Hooks on April 21, lifting the RoundHounds to an 8-3 win.

Through 23 games in 2008, Guzman is currently second with a .412 batting average and he leads the circuit with 27 RBIs, seven ahead of the next closest player. Guzman, an Oakland minor league free agent acquisition over the winter, hit .301 with 25 home runs and 112 RBIs for high Single-A High Desert in 2007.

PITCHER OF THE WEEK

Carlos Rosa Northwest Arkansas Naturals 1-0, 8 IP, 1 H, 2 BB, 0 R, 9 K

On April 25 versus Arkansas, Rosa threw a magnificent game by tossing eight shutout innings and allowing one hit on the night in the Naturals 3-0 win. The right-hander carried a no-hitter into the seventh inning, but it was broken up on a leadoff, ground ball single to center off the bat of Nate Sutton. Rosa had retired 13 consecutive batters when he surrendered the single.

On the night, the only other blemishes on Rosa's statistical line were two bases on balls. The 6-foot-1, 185 pounder also set a career high with nine strikeouts in a single game. The scoreless gem improved Rosa's record to 2-2. He has posted a 1.61 earned run average in five starts.

Baseball America rated Rosa as the Royals seventh best prospect in the 2008 preseason. Last season he went 6-6 with a 4.36 earned run average in 21 games with the Wichita Wrangers in his Double-A debut. The pitcher hails from baseball hothead, San Francisco de Macoris, in the Dominican Republic.

ALUMNI REPORT

Through games of April 21-27

ARKANSAS TRAVELERS

Columbus Clippers OF Tommy Murphy (‘04-'05) has hit .317 with nine runs scored in his last 10 games...1B Chris Richard (‘97-'99), of Triple-A Durham, has batted .324 with a homer, two RBIs and eight runs scored in the last 10 contests...OF Greg Porter (‘05-'07) has hit .361 with three RBIs and a pair of runs scored in his last nine games for Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes Barre...Triple-A Salt Lake IF Freddy Sandoval ('07) sported a .405 average (15-for-37) with 10 RBIs over his last nine games...Bees RHP Nick Green (‘06-'07) went 2-0 with a 2.08 ERA in his last two starts while striking out eight batters in 13 innings...Salt Lake OF Terry Evans ('06) had six in his last 31 at-bats (.194) over a 10-game span with the Bees.

CORPUS CHRISTI HOOKS

Richmond Braves OF Josh Anderson (‘05-'06) is tied for second in the International League with eight steals...Round Rock 3B Mark Saccomanno (‘05-'06) sported a .385 average (15-for-39) with three home runs and 10 RBIs in a 10-game span...RHP Joshua Miller (‘05-'07), of Triple-A Round Rock, earned the victory and pitched six shutout innings Monday against Memphis...2B Brooks Conrad ('05) hit .324 (12-for-37) with three home runs in his last nine games for Triple-A Sacramento... QUOTE OF THE WEEK "He came out on a mission to prove that he could go deep and he did today."-Manager Dave Clark to the Austin-American Statesman on Round Rock RHP Chad Reinkeke's ('06) six and 2/3 inning performance in a loss to Memphis.

FRISCO ROUGHRIDERS

Nashville Sounds OF Laynce Nix (‘03-'04) sported a .444 average (12-for-27) with two homers and nine RBIs in his last eight games...RHP Doug Mathis ('07) won his last two starts, striking out 11 in 12 innings for Triple-A Oklahoma...Oklahoma 1B Nate Gold (‘05-'06) has one hit in last 13 at-bats over three games...Huntsville Stars LHP Sam Narron ('04) had a perfect game through two outs in the eighth inning, retiring 23 straight battes, before settling for a two-hit complete game in a 9-1 victory at Mississippi. Diorty Hernandez broke up the perfect game with a triple. Narron, 26, retired 11 batters on two pitches or fewer and had 12 outs on ground balls. The outing lowered his ERA to 3.24. He was 7-9 with Huntsville last year.

MIDLAND ROCKHOUNDS

Oklahoma Redhawks OF Nelson Cruz hit five home runs and had 14 RBIs over his last 10 games while batting .333 (12-for-36)...Tucson RHP Connor Robertson ('06) earned credit for two of the team's three wins despite a 7.04 ERA...OF Jason Perry (‘05-'07) was 5-for-6 with two homers and six RBIs in his first two games with Mississippi and didn't stop there. He added two more homers and hit .333 with 12 RBIs for the week. The 27-year-old was signed by Atlanta after being released by the Tigers. "He's a proven hitter," M-Braves manager Phillip Wellman told the Jackson Clarion-Ledger after Perry homered in his first game. "You should have seen the looks on the guys' faces when he hit that home run. They aren't used to seeing a swing like that from a guy wearing our jersey."...Double-A Montgomery SS Ronnie Merrill ('06), hitting .311, had a 4-for-4 game that included a double and a triple.

SAN ANTONIO MISSIONS

Las Vegas 51s 1B John Lindsey (‘03-'04) had 11 hits in 20 at-bats (.550), with five RBIs in his last five games...Portland Beavers OF Chase Headley ('07) was batting .224 and had struck out 22 times in 76 at-bats. Headley in his first season as a full-time outfielder, was moved back to third base for Saturday's game against Las Vegas, but went 0-for-4 with two strikeouts in the Beavers' 18-2 loss...Triple-A Tacoma C Jeff Clement ('06) batted .371 (13-for-35) with three home runs, 10 RBIs and 12 runs scored in a 10-game stretch...2B Yung Chi Chen ('06) was 6-for-32 (.188) in his last eight games for the Tacoma Rainiers.

SPRINGFIELD CARDINALS

Buffalo Bisons 3B Aaron Herr ('05) begins the week with a seven-game hitting streak and has collected hits in 13 of his last 14 contests to raise his batting average 134 points to .288. The son of former Major Leaguer Tommy Herr has four homers, including three in the last week, and 16 RBIs this season...OF Nick Stavinoha ('06) batted .394 (13-for-33) over his last 10 games, including nine hits in his last 15 at-bats with the Triple-A Memphis Redbirds...Redbirds RHP Jason Motte ('07) had 10 strikeouts in four and 1/3 innings over his last five appearances, going 1-1 in that span...RHP Chris Perez ('07) has solidified his place as the Redbirds' closer, converting five of his first six save opportunities this season. The 22-year-old has enjoyed scoreless outings in all but two of his 10 appearances, limiting opponents to a .194 average through nine and 2/3 innings. His only blown save of the season came April 10 at New Orleans, when protecting a one-run lead, he allowed two runs in 1/3 of an inning and suffered the loss. Perez, a supplemental first-round pick in 2006, entered the season with 47 saves at thee different levels over his first two professional seasons, including eight for the Redbirds in 15 games last year...Salt Lake OF Terry Evans ('06) had six in his last 31 at-bats (.194) over a 10-game span with the Bees......QUOTE OF THE WEEK: "It's fun here, don't get me wrong. But it was probably a little more fun in Double-A. This is an older crowd, a more mature crowd." -OF Colby Rasmus ('07) to the Memphis Commercial Appeal on being a 21-year-old in Triple-A.

TULSA DRILLERS

RHP Mark DiFelice ('03) had a strong season debut for the Nashville Sounds against Albuquerque on Tuesday striking out 11 batters in six innings and earning the victory. Returning from offseason knee surgery, he allowed three hits and walked none in becoming the third starter to earn a victory for the Sounds, who were 4-16 entering Saturday. Last year the 31-year-old struck out 63 batters in 58 innings while going 4-2 with a 3.10 ERA in 10 starts for the Sounds after spending time with the Brewers' Double-A affiliate in Huntsville... Double-A Montgomery SS Ronnie Merrill ('03), hitting .311, had a 4-for-4 game that included a double and a triple.

OTHER TEXAS LEAGUE ALUMNI

Paul Phillips, (Wichita ‘99-'00) of Triple-A Charlotte, is batting .130 in his last ten contests...IF Matt Kata (El Paso ‘01-'02) has batted .297 with a homer, six RBIs and seven runs scored in his last 10 contests with Triple-A Indianapolis...1B Kevin Barker (El Paso ‘97-'98) has hit .355 with three homers, seven RBIS and 10 runs scored for the Louisville Bats... Triple-A Pawtucket 2B Keith Ginter (Round Rock '00) has hit .394 with two homers, three RBIs and six runs scored in his last nine games...Syracuse Chiefs LHP Mike Gosling (El Paso '02) has claimed either a victory or a save in each of his last four appearances...OF Alexis Gomez (Wichita ‘01-'02) hit .185 (5-for-27) over his last 10 games with Triple-A Albuquerque...Fresno Grizzlies RHP Jesse Foppert (Shreveport '02) trying to jump-start a career derailed by two elbow surgeries, has performed well in relief, posting a 2.53 ERA in six appearances. The 27-year-old earned a three-inning save last Sunday against Tucson and has only allowed runs in two appearances, including one Thursday against Salt Lake. Foppert, who had Tommy John surgery in 2003, had last appeared in the PCL in 2006, pitching in five games for Tacoma. After another elbow surgery, he pitched in three games for the Giants' rookie team in the Arizona League last season....Omaha Royals 3B Mike Aviles (Wichita '05) hit .349 (15-for-43) with 10 RBIs in 10 games...OF Shane Costa (‘05-'06), of Triple-A Omaha, hit three homers and drove in nine runs in his last 10 games while batting .317 (13-for-41)...Omaha LHP Tyler Lumsden (Wichita '06) posted a 12.96 ERA in his last two starts yet was 1-0 in that span...LHP Jorge de la Rosa (Wichita '07) ranks second in the Pacific Coast League with a 1.15 earned run average in 15 and 2/3 innings for Omaha...Third baseman Danny Klassen (El Paso '97, '02) batted .115 (3-for-26) in his last seven games with Triple-A Round Rock...2B Brooks Conrad (Round Rock ‘04) hit .324 (12-for-37) with three home runs in his last nine games for Triple-A Sacramento...OF Todd Linden (Shreveport '02) has been absent from the Sacrmento lineup since Tuesday because of injuries...3B Jamie D'Antona (El Paso '04) posted a .385 average (15-for-39) through his last 10 games with Triple-A Tucson.

This Week in Texas League History

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.

April 29, 1960 In a doubleheader versus Tulsa, veteran Texas League slugger Mike Lutz bid baseball farewell in style, smashing a single, double and home run in his final two games as a professional. Lutz, the 32-year-old Austin outfielder, retired after the twin-bill. Prior to the contests, Lutz had announced that he would be leaving the club to become a full-time deputy sheriff in Warren, Ohio.

April 30, 1909 San Antonio's Fred Winchell pitched a one-hit, 6-0 win over Oklahoma City. Winchell nearly had a no-hitter, but lost the bid when he gave up a ninth-inning single to his opposite number, OKC pitcher Bill McClintock.

May 1, 1967 Jarvis Tatum hit for the cycle as he led El Paso past Austin 11-5. While going a perfect 5-for-5, Tatum rapped a single, two doubles, a triple and a home run.

May 2, 1927 Dallas bombarded Wichita Falls for 22 hits, while also collecting nine walks, as they trounced Spudders 21-6. Veteran slugger Rhino Williams had a huge day for the Steers, going 5-for-5, scoring four times and knocking in four runs. Williams reached base six consecutive times in the blowout, walking in his first at-bat, then swatting five consecutive hits. Slick fielding shortstop Turkey Gross also reached base six times with three hits and three walks. The Steers ran the bases boldly in the game, attempting double steals of home five times. While they did steal five bases in the game, only two of their attempts to steal home were successful.

May 3, 1919 Fort Worth's Rankin Johnson was nearly perfect in a one-hit, no walk, 1-0 win over Dallas. The Marines had just two men reach base in the contest, Billy Patterson, when he singled in the eighth and Olen Nokes, who reached first when Fort Worth first baseman booted a ball.

May 4, 1998 In a free-swinging contest, El Paso used 19 hits to ease past Arkansas 14-11. The Diablos scored seven times in the seventh inning, erasing a 9-7 deficit. The big blows in the frame were a three-run homer by Toby Kominek, a solo shot by Mike Grappusso and a two-run double by Santiago Sanchez, who finished the game 5-for-6 at the plate.

May 5, 1917 Tossing the second Texas League one-hitter of the day, Dallas hurler Sam Lewis led his club to a 4-0 win over Houston. The only hit allowed by Lewis was a third inning single by Houston lead-off hitter Edson Hemingway. San Antonio's Jake May and Mike Flanagan had combined to one-hit Fort Worth that same afternoon, winning 1-0.

TEXAS LEAGUE LEADERS

AVG: Shane Robinson SPR, .418 HR: Chris Davis FRI, 6 Kila Kaaihue NWA, 6 Max Ramirez FRI, 6 Jon Zeringue MID, 6 RBI: Jesus Guzman MID, 27 SB: Ovandy Suero NWA, 14 ERA: Will Inman SAN, 1.05 K: Jaime Garcia SPR, 36 IP: Jaime Garcia SPR, 29.0

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Texas League Stories from April 28, 2008


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