TL1 Texas League

Texas League Update

Published on July 21, 2008 under Texas League (TL1) News Release


NORTH NOTES

Arkansas Travelers

(Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim) 9-20, Fourth Place, North Division

July 14...Left fielder Corey Fuller cracked his fourth dinger of the year as Arkansas fell to Northwest Arkansas 2-1. Making his Double-A debut, right-hander Amalio Diaz gave up two runs over 6.2 innings of work. Prior to the game, Diaz was called up from high Single-A Rancho Cucamonga where he went 7-4 with a 4.28 ERA in 17 starts. Starting pitcher Brok Butcher was placed on the disabled list.

July 15...Brian Stavisky (2-for-4) clubbed a three-run homer (8) as the Travelers loss to the Naturals 7-4. Stavisky's opposite field blast gave Arkansas an early 3-0 lead in the fourth. On a 3-for-4 night, Chris Pettit ripped a pair of doubles.

July 16...Despite outhitting their opposition 14-to-8, Arkansas lost to Northwest Arkansas 4-3 in 13 innings. Trailing 2-1 in the top of the ninth, Corey Fuller (2-for-4) took the game to extra-innings by knotting the score with a sacrifice fly. Four innings later in the 13th, Fuller's second sacrifice fly snapped a 2-2 tie. Adam Morrissey and Chris Pettit both enjoyed three hit games. Over six impressive innings, starter Fernando Rodriguez held the Naturals to one run, two hits, and no walks. The 24-year-old retired the first 11 hitters he faced.

July 17...In a 9-4 loss to Northwest Arkansas, left fielder Brian Stavisky went 3-for-4, with a RBI and a run scored.

July 18...Arkansas ended a four-game losing streak with a 7-4 victory over Tulsa. The Travelers erupted for six runs between the fourth and fifth innings, which proved to be the difference. During a 2-for-4 evening, Cody Fuller came through with the big hit of night, ripping a two-run triple to left-center in the fourth. Right fielder Chris Pettit went 2-for-4, with a pair of doubles, a RBI and a run scored. Adam Greenberg, Brian Stavisky and Adam Morrissey also had two hits as the Travelers had five players with multiple-hit games. Marco Albano, a 25-year-old right-hander, was called up from high Class-A Rancho Cucamonga.

July 19...In a 13-1 loss to Tulsa, Brian Stavisky drove in the Travs only run when he clubbed his ninth round-tripper in the sixth inning. Coby Smith, who hit .304 in his first stint with the Travs this year, was reassigned to the club from Triple-A Salt Lake. Arkansas placed catcher Anel De Los Santos (concussion) on the disabled list and promoted backstop Alex Silversmith from low Class-A Cedar Rapids to take his spot.

July 20...Tied at 5-5 in the bottom of the eighth, Brian Stavisky singled home the go-ahead run, giving Arkansas a 6-5 victory over Tulsa. Stavisky finished at 3-for-4, with a double, three RBIs and a run scored. It was Stavisky's second three-hit performance in his last four games. In addition to Stavisky, Cody Fuller, Corey Smith and Nate Sutton enjoyed multiple-hit performances. Starter Anthony Ortega went seven strong innings, yielding one run, five hits and three walks.

Northwest Arkansas Naturals

(Kansas City Royals) 16-13, Second Place, North Division

July 14...Winning for the eighth time in nine games, Northwest Arkansas edged Arkansas 2-1. Third baseman Juan Richardson went 3-for-4, with a home run (9), and a double. The Naturals were forced to turn to their bullpen with scheduled starter Julio Pimentel still in transit after participating in Sunday's Futures Game at Yankee Stadium. Three Naturals relievers, Chris Nicoll, Gilbert de la Vara, and Chris Hayes, combined to throw nine innings of one-run ball. The trio walked none, while surrendering only seven hits. Reliever Greg Atencio rejoined the club after a two-day stint with Triple-A Omaha.

July 15...Northwest Arkansas beat Arkansas 7-4, winning their ninth of their last 10 games. During a 2-for-3 evening, second baseman Marc Maddox cracked a pair of RBI doubles and scored twice. Kila Kaaihue (2-for-3) contributed with a pair of RBI singles. With a fourth-inning single, Jose Duarte extended his hitting streak to 10 games. Kansas City Royals left-hander John Bale (hand), making a brief rehab start, fanned two in a perfect inning. In 2.2 flawless innings of work, Greg Atencio fanned four to earn his second save. Right-handed pitcher Leo Nunez also joined the Naturals on a rehabilitation assignment from Kansas City.

July 16...Down 3-2 in the bottom of the 13th, Northwest Arkansas rallied for two runs, upending Arkansas 4-3. The Naturals' 13th inning comeback began with Jose Duarte's leadoff single, followed by a double from Marc Maddox. Irving Falu's sacrifice fly brought home Duarte, tying the contest 3-3. Juan Richardson put an end to the marathon by driving in Maddox with a game-winning single. Maddox led the club with three hits. Duarte's key hit extended his hitting streak to 11 games. Allowing no earned runs in four innings of relief, winning pitcher Kyle Crist improved to 4-1. Crist got himself out of jams by inducing inning-ending double plays in both the 11th and 12th frames. Starter Julio Pimentel held the Travelers to one run, eight hits, and one walk over 7.1 frames. The Naturals have been victorious in 10 of their 11 games, which includes nine comeback wins.

July 17...With a 9-4 victory over Arkansas, the Naturals established a franchise record by winning their sixth straight game. The Naturals five through eight hitters, Juan Richardson, Irving Falu, Cory Aldridge, and Ed Lucas, all had at least two hits. Led by Falu's three knocks, the Naturals tallied 14 hits. With the exception of Adam Donachie, all of the Naturals players scored at least one run. Tied at 1-1 in the bottom of the sixth, Kila Kaaihue scored the go-ahead run by barreling over Travelers catcher Anel De Los Santos. Kaaihue doubled and scored a pair of runs. Starter Leo Nunez, of the Kansas City Royals, hurled two perfect innings in a rehab appearance. Allowing two earned runs in 6.1 innings of relief, Blake Johnson improved to 8-6. The right-hander walked none, firing 51 of his 68 pitches for strikes.

July 18...In a 6-0 loss to Springfield, center fielder Jose Duarte went 2-for-4 with a double. Duarte also gunned down the Cardinals' Jon Jay at the plate for his 14th assist of the year.

July 19...Kila Kaaihue clubbed his league leading 24th dinger as Northwest Arkansas lost 13-2 to Springfield. Second baseman Marc Maddox went 3-for-4, with a double and a RBI. During a 2-for-4 evening, leadoff hitter Jose Duarte doubled, scored, and swiped his 24th base of the season.

July 20...Not factoring in the decision in a 4-1 loss to Springfield, finesse lefty Rowdy Hardy held the Cardinals to one run, five hits and two walks in seven innings of work. Walking four times, Kila Kaaihue did not record an official at-bat.

Springfield Cardinals (St. Louis Cardinals) 17-12, First Place, North Division

July 14...In game one of a doubleheader, Springfield beat Tulsa 4-2. Allen Craig went 2-for-4, with a solo homer (16), and two RBIs. Winning pitcher Kyle Mura (2-1) surrendered two runs, six hits, and two walks over 6.2 innings. After allowing two runs in the first, Mura retired 15 of his last 16 batters he faced. In 13 innings, the Cardinals took the second game 7-3 in one of the most unusual finishes in professional baseball history. Catcher Matt Pagnozzi (1-0) earned the victory by throwing 2.1 scoreless innings, outpitching fellow backstop Brian Esposito of Tulsa, who took the loss. It may be the first instance in history where catchers received both decisions in the same contest. During the top of the 13th, Pagnozzi belted a three-run double to left, capping a four-run inning which broke a 3-3 tie. Pagnozzi issued no walks, and allowed only one hit. Brandon Yarbrough went 3-for-5, with a double, a RBI, two runs scored, and two walks. Cody Haerther scored a pair of runs as he went 3-for-4 at the plate.

July 15...In a 14-2 loss at Tulsa, right fielder Mark Shorey went 2-for-4, with a double and two RBIs.

July 16...Trailing 3-2 in the top of the ninth, Mark Shorey cracked a two-out, two-RBI single to center, lifting Springfield to a 4-3 win over Tulsa. Down to his final strike, Shorey's clutch hit brought home Tyler Greene and Jon Jay. Jay finished the evening at 3-for-5, with a pair of runs scored and a stolen base (10). Closer Fernando Salas pitched a scoreless ninth to secure his league best 16th save of the season..

July 17...Springfield hammered four homers en route to a 7-2 win over Tulsa. Tyler Greene, Allen Craig, Andrew Brown and Jose Martinez all went yard for the Cardinals. Craig and Brown clobbered two-run blasts, while Greene and Martinez hit solo shots. Winning pitcher Tyler Herron (5-4) tossed six innings, allowing one earned run, five hits, and three walks. The Cardinals finished with a 13-3 mark at Drillers Stadium this year.

July 18...Springfield blanked Northwest Arkansas 6-0 as starter Jess Todd had another good day at the office. Over six scoreless innings, Todd (3-3) gave up six hits and walked none. After surrendering a leadoff single to Jose Duarte, Todd went through a hot stretch in which he retired 11-of-12 hitters. Todd's 2.14 earned run average ranks second in the Texas League. The Cards pounced on the Naturals early when Andrew Brown clubbed a three-run dinger in the first. In the second, Allen Craig (2-for-4) swatted a two-RBI double, giving Springfield a 5-0 advantage. The Cardinals scored their final run in the fifth when shortstop Tyler Greene launched his 15th big fly of the year.

July 19...Behind 11 hits and 10 walks, Springfield battered Northwest Arkansas 13-2. Isa Garcia (2-for-5) hammered a three-run homer and finished with four RBIs. Allen Craig pounded four hits, scored twice, and doubled. Jose Martinez drilled a two-RBI triple and scored twice. Center fielder Jon Jay led the Cards with three runs scored. Cardinals pitchers Adam Ottavino, Scott Vander Weg, Marco Gonzalez, and Fernando Salas collectively held the Naturals to two runs on six hits and two bases on balls.

July 20...With their 4-1 victory over Northwest Arkansas, Springfield won their fifth straight game and moved into sole possession of first place at the top of the North Division standings. Highlighted by Tyler Greene's 16th home run, Springfield scored three runs in the bottom of the eight to break a 1-1 tie. In the month of July, Greene is hitting .304 (25-for-82) with six round-trippers and 12 RBIs. Allen Craig went 3-for-3, with a homer (18), a double, and a pair of runs scored. St. Louis Cardinals right-hander Chris Carpenter, the 2005 N.L. Cy Young Award recipient, one-hit the Naturals in a four-inning rehab stint. Allowing no runs to cross, Carpenter racked up four strikeouts and issued four walks. Pitching in his fourth Double-A game, Kyle Mura upped his record to 3-1 after allowing one run in four innings of relief. Fernando Salas fired a flawless ninth, recording his 17th save of the season.

Tulsa Drillers

(Colorado Rockies) 15-14, Third Place, North Division

July 14...In the first game of a twin-bill, Tulsa fell 4-2 to Springfield. Two-hit games from Corey Wimberly, Matt Miller and Tony Blanco accounted for all of the Drillers' six hits. The Drillers also dropped the second game, losing a wacky 13-inning affair 7-3 to the Cardinals. Both of the decisions went to catchers as the Cards' Matt Pagnozzi earned the victory over Brian Esposito (0-1). Out of usable pitchers, Esposito entered the game in the 10th and pitched four innings. Esposito, a former minor league pitcher in 2003, gave the Drillers three innings of shutout relief before finally yielding four runs in the 13th. Eddie Cornejo and Jeff Kindel led the Drillers with three hits each. Wimberly had two hits, giving him multiple-hit in both games. Wimberly also stole his league-leading 40th base of the year. The Drillers infielder is trying to become the first player to win back-to-back Texas League stolen base titles since Joe Patterson, who accomplished the feat three straight times, 1962-64.

July 15...Tulsa snapped a four-game losing skid by beating Springfield in a 14-2 rout. During a 3-for-5 performance, Brian Esposito socked a two-run homer and finished with four RBIs. Matt Miller and Justin Nelson both had three hits, two RBIs, and a pair of runs scored. Nelson ripped two doubles, giving him 13 on the season. Corey Wimberly was 2-for-5, with two runs scored and two stolen bases (42). Jeff Kindel contributed with a pair of hits, and led the Drillers with three runs scored. Eight of nine starters had a hit in the Drillers' 16 hit assault. Winning pitcher Ching-Lung Lo (7-7) gave up one earned run on four hits and a walk in five innings.

July 16...Tulsa welcomed two big leaguers on rehabilitation assignments, but fell short, losing 4-3 to Springfield. Looking sharp in his rehab start, Colorado Rockies right-hander Kip Wells struck out eight in 6.2 innings, while yielding two runs, six hits and a walk. Starting at shortstop, fellow Rockies player Troy Tulowitzki went 1-for-4 with a run scored. Third baseman Tony Blanco drove in two runs with his 22nd double of the season. Tied at 2-2 in the bottom of the eighth, Brian Esposito plated Eric Young Jr. with a sacrifice fly, giving Tulsa a 3-2 advantage heading into the ninth. Prior to the game, center fielder Dexter Fowler and closer Casey Weathers were named to the 2008 U.S. Olympic team.

July 17...During a 7-2 loss to Springfield, Drillers relievers Jarrett Grube and Adam Bright combined to strike out four batters in four perfect innings of work. Dexter Fowler went 2-for-3 with a RBI. Troy Tulowitzki singled in his second rehab start. Activated from the disabled list, shortstop Chris Nelson was reassigned to high Class-A Modesto of the California League.

SOUTH NOTES

Corpus Christi Hooks (Houston Astros) 11-18, Fourth Place, South Division

July 14...In Corpus Christi's 4-3 loss to Midland, second baseman Drew Sutton was 3-for-4, with a double, two runs scored, and a walk. Chris Johnson went 1-for-2, with two walks, a double and a RBI. During a night in which the Hooks stranded 11 baserunners, Rob Cosby (2-for-5) had the team's only two-out RBI.

July 15...Corpus Christi could amass only four hits in a 6-0 loss to Midland. Drew Sutton, Jarred Ball, Ole Sheldon, and Jose Lopez were the four Hooks with hits.

July 16...Backed by the efforts of two former independent league players, the Hooks notched their first win of the series with a 7-4 decision over the RockHounds. Former Atlantic Leaguer Jarred Ball went 3-for-4, with two doubles, two RBIs, and two runs scored. Ball has hit safely in each of his last 16 games. Southpaw Andy Van Hekken (3-0), another ex-Atlantic Leaguer, earned his third victory in as many Double-A starts after he allowed three earned runs in six innings of work. In the sixth, Van Hekken finished on a roll as he struck out the side in his last inning of work. During a 2-for-4 game, shortstop Wladimir Sutil doubled, stole his 14th base, and scored. In his only at-bat during the ninth, Billy Hart singled in two runs, giving the Hooks some breathing room with a 7-4 advantage.

July 17...Scoring four runs over the first three innings, the Hooks got all the offense they would need in a 4-2 triumph over Midland. In the third, Richie Paz capped the Hooks' four-run attack by belting a two-run homer to left. Drew Sutton, Chris Johnson, and Wladimir Sutil led the Hooks with two hits each. Pitching in his third game back from an elbow injury, starter Bud Norris hurled four shutout innings of two-hit ball. The right-hander struck out four, walked none, and faced a minimum of 12 hitters through four frames. Evan Englebrook pitched a perfect ninth to earn his third save.

July 18...In a 2-1 loss to Frisco, third baseman Chris Johnson drove in the Hooks' only run and had two of his team's three hits. Starter Casey Hudspeth (1-1) took the loss despite allowing only one run, four hits, and three walks through six innings.

July 19...Overcoming a 3-0 deficit, the Hooks exploded for nine runs between the fifth and seventh inning, on their way to a 9-4 triumph over Frisco. During a 3-for-5 night, Chris Johnson socked a two-run homer (11) and scored twice. Eli Iorg broke out of a 0-for-14 slump by going 3-for-4 at the plate, with a pair of RBIs. Joining the Hooks on a rehab assignment, Houston Astros catcher Humberto Quintero was 2-for-5 with a RBI double. In the first inning, Quintero caught Elvis Andrus napping at first, retiring the Frisco prospect with a pickoff throw.

July 20...Billy Hart slugged his fifth homer of the year as the Hooks fell to Frisco 4-2. Chris Johnson continued his torrid hitting by leading the team with two hits. Southpaw Polin Trinidad struck out six over seven innings, giving up four runs, seven hits and no walks. At one point in the game, Trinidad retired 12 batters in a row and 17-of-18.

Frisco RoughRiders (Texas Rangers) 19-10, First Place, North Division

July 14...Frisco blanked San Antonio 2-0 in a swift 2:15 affair. Pitching for the 'Riders on a major league rehabilitation assignment, winner Eric Hurley (1-0) surrendered just four hits and a walk in 7.1 scoreless innings of work. First baseman Hank Blalock, another Texas Rangers player on rehab, capped Frisco's two-run sixth with a RBI double that scored Elvis Andrus. Andrus stole his 34th base, and stretched his hitting streak to 16 games with a sixth-inning single.

July 15...Spoiling an admirable effort by starter Michael Ballard, Frisco lost 4-3 to San Antonio. Not factoring in the decision, Ballard went seven innings, allowing just two runs, three hits and four walks. Ballard struck out eight and left the game with Frisco holding a 3-2 advantage. Leading the offense, Steven Murphy went 3-for-4, with a solo homer (14), a double, and a pair of runs scored. Elvis Andrus' third-inning double extended his hitting streak to 17 games. Following his two-bagger, Andrus stole third (35) and scored. Hank Blalock walked twice in his second rehab start.

July 16...With the RoughRiders railing 2-1 in the bottom of the ninth, left fielder Dustin Majewski cracked a walkoff, two-RBI double to right, propelling Frisco to a 3-2 victory over San Antonio. Jose Vallejo, who scored the game-winning win, went 2-for-4. Hank Blalock singled and walked in his final rehab game with the 'Riders. Elvis Andrus went hitless, snapping his 17-game hitting streak. In nine innings of work, RoughRiders pitchers Derek Lee, J.B. Diaz, and Alfredo Gonzalez collectively limited the Missions to one earned run on six hits. Frisco placed outfielder Craig Gentry on the disabled list.

July 17...In an 8-2 loss to San Antonio, Emerson Frostad went 2-for-4, with a solo dinger (6), and two runs scored. Reliever Zack Parker fanned six in 4.1 scoreless innings, yielding only a hit and two walks.

July 18...Behind an impressive pitching display put on by starter Neftali Feliz, Frisco topped Corpus Christi 2-1. Making just his third Double-A start, Feliz struck out eight in six shutout innings of one-hit ball. Feliz walked two, improving his record to 2-0. Throughout his outing, the Dominican right-hander routinely popped 97 miles per hour on the Whataburger Field radar gun. Shortstop Elvis Andrus scored both of the Riders' runs. Andrus moved into scoring position twice with steals of second. Jose Vallejo's RBI single brought home Andrus in the sixth. In the eighth, Andrus scored his second run after a wild pitch. Leadoff hitter Julio Borbon went 3-for-4 at the plate.

July 19...During a 9-4 loss to Corpus Christi, Elvis Andrus went 2-for-4, with a pair of RBIs and his 38th stolen base of the season. Right-hander Jared Hyatt was reassigned to Frisco from Triple-A Oklahoma. In his Frisco debut, Hyatt allowed four runs in six innings.

July 20...In the sixth, Ben Harrison broke a 1-1 tie with a two-run dinger (17), propelling Frisco to a 4-2 win over Corpus Christi. Harrison finished 2-for-4 and also stole his 17th base, matching his season homer total. Right fielder Steven Murphy went 2-for-4, with a homer (15) and a double. Starter Thomas Diamond, inactive since June 30 due to an ankle injury, showed no ill-effects as he fanned five batters through four scoreless innings.

Midland RockHounds (Oakland Athletics) 14-15, Third Place, South Division

July 14...Trailing 3-0 after three innings, Midland scored four unanswered runs to squeak by Corpus Christi 4-3. First baseman Sean Doolittle went 2-for-4, with a double and a pair of RBIs. During a 3-for-4 evening, Aaron Cunningham doubled and scored twice. The RockHounds bullpen of Steve Sharpe, Andrew Shipman, Chris Farley, and Andrew Carignan collectively pitched 6.1 shutout innings of two-hit ball. Right-hander Jason Windsor made his first Double-A start since 2006 after being assigned to the 'Hounds from the Arizona Rookie League. Infielder Michael Affronti, who was called up to Sacramento on July 8, singled in his return to the RockHounds.

July 15...Backed by Vincent Mazzaro's gem, Midland shutout Corpus Christi 6-0. Mazzaro (9-3) fired eight shutout innings, allowing just four hits, while dropping his league leading ERA to 2.11. The sinkerballer also struck out 10 and walked none. Mazzaro gave up two hits to begin the game, but was dominant the rest of the way as he didn't allow a hit after the fourth. During the sixth inning, Mazzaro accomplished the rare feat of fanning four batters in an inning. The RockHounds five through eight hitters, Jon Zeringue, Sean Doolittle, Anthony Recker, and Brian Snyder, all had two hits a piece. Synder cracked a two-out, two-run double in the eighth.

July 16...In a 7-4 loss to Corpus Christi, catcher Anthony Recker was 3-for-4, with a double, three RBIs, and a run scored. Tommy Everidge (2-for-3) doubled twice and scored a pair of runs. RockHounds pitchers Brett Anderson and Trevor Cahill were chosen to participate on the 2008 U.S. Olympic team that will compete at the Summer Games in Beijing, China.

July 17...Jon Zeringue smashed a two-run homer (14) as the RockHounds fell 4-2 to the Hooks. Javier Herrera went 3-for-4 with a double. Victorious in his first four Double-A starts, Trevor Cahill (4-1) suffered the first blemish on his record after surrendering three earned runs in six innings. Cahill finished strong, though, by retiring nine of the last 10 hitters he faced. Midland placed right-handed pitcher Jason Windsor on the disabled list.

July 18...Brett Anderson's masterful pitching performance spearheaded Midland's 4-1 win over San Antonio. In seven innings, Anderson (2-0) limited the Missions to one run, three hits and two walks, while striking out five. The left-hander carried a shutout for 6.2 innings. In the third, Aaron Cunningham walloped a three-run homer (8) to left, the decisive blow in the RockHounds' triumph. Todd Donovan went 3-for-5, with a double, and a run. The RockHounds' seven through nine batters, Anthony Recker, Brian Snyder, and Michael Affronti, all had two hits each. Closer Andrew Carignan struck out the side in the ninth to nab his 14th save of the season. Right-handed reliever David Shafer was called up to Triple-A Sacramento after registering an impressive 1.52 ERA in 20 games with Midland. Midland also released relief pitcher Andy Shipman.

July 19...During a 4-0 loss at San Antonio, center fielder Todd Donovan collected three hits, and stole his 25th base of the season. Aaron Cunningham and Tommy Everidge, the three and four hitters, both went 2-for-4. 'Hounds starter James Simmons cruised through the first four innings with a shutout, but got touched up for four runs in the fifth. The right-hander issued no walks and fanned seven through six frames. Midland released infielder Brian Snyder. Infielder Frank Martinez was called up from high Single-A Stockton, where he hit .285 with six homers in 330 at-bats. Left-hander Josh Outman, who was acquired by Oakland from Philadelphia in Thursday's Joe Blanton deal, was assigned to Midland. Outman went 5-4, compiled a 3.20 ERA and recorded one save in 33 appearances with Double-A Reading.

July 20...Aaron Cunningham went 2-for-3, with a homer, a double and three RBIs as Midland edged San Antonio 3-2. Cunningham hit a sacrifice fly in his first at-bat, doubled in a run in the third, and belted a solo homer (7) to left-center during the seventh. Center fielder Todd Donovan went 2-for-3 and was driven in twice by Cunningham. After swiping two bags, Donovan is now one theft short of reaching 300 career stolen bases. Earning his second win of the week, Vincent Mazzaro (10-3) surrendered one earned run, four hits and no walks through six innings, while fanning five. Mazzaro's 10 wins and 2.08 ERA both rank first in the Texas League.

San Antonio Missions (San Diego Padres) 15-14, Second Place, South Division

July 14...During a 2-0 loss at Frisco, backstop Jose Lobaton extended his hitting streak to nine games with a 2-for-3 night. Over that nine game stretch, Lobaton is 12-for-36 (.333). Pitching well in a losing cause, Stephen Faris (5-3) struck out six in six innings, while yielding two runs, five hits and no walks. Reliever Mauro Zarate pitched two perfect innings to close out the tough loss.

July 15...Down 3-2 in the top of the ninth, Mike Baxter belted a two-out, two-run homer to right-center, lifting San Antonio to a 4-3 victory over Frisco. Baxter was facing a full count when he connected on his fifth homer of the year. Greg Burke (2-4) earned the victory after hurling two scoreless innings. Starting pitcher Will Inman, the league's leader in strikeouts with 110, was forced to leave the game in the second after being struck by a line-drive in the right ankle. Luckily, Inman escaped with just a bruise after X-rays showed no other damage.

July 16...Holding a 2-1 lead after eight, San Antonio let the game get away when Frisco scored twice in the bottom of the ninth, handing the Missions a 3-2 loss. Over five innings, starter Manny Ayala yielded one run, three hits, and two walks, while compiling five strikeouts. Kyle Blanks and Craig Cooper led the Missions with two hits each.

July 17...Boosted by a six-run fourth, San Antonio cruised to an 8-2 win over Frisco. Second baseman Gabe Lopez led off the game with his second round-tripper of the season. Leading the Missions with two hits, Mike Baxter doubled, drove in a run, and scored once. Eight of the nine Missions starters contributed with both a hit and run scored. Seven different Missions also knocked in a run. Mike Ekstrom (5-6) was credited with the win after he fanned four through 2.1 innings of hitless relief.

July 18...In San Antonio's 4-1 loss to Midland, catcher David Parrish socked a solo homer (2) in the seventh, breaking the RockHounds bid for a shutout.

July 19...San Antonio recorded their league leading 16th shutout of the season as they blanked Midland 4-0. The Missions have nine more shutouts than Midland and Northwest Arkansas, who are tied in second with seven. Winning pitcher Stephen Faris (6-3) permitted seven hits and a walk over seven innings, while fanning four. Southpaw Philip Barzilla followed by recording four strikeouts in two innings. Pitching a perfect ninth, Mauro Zarate added two strikeouts to give the trio of Missions pitchers a total of 10 whiffs. The Missions scored all four of their runs in the fifth. Leading off the fifth, third baseman Seth Johnston cracked a solo homer (9) to left. Two batters later, Gabe Lopez pulled a pitch to left field for a two-run dinger. Sean Kazmar led the Missions with three hits.

July 20...Hitting 1-for-12 with runners in scoring position, the Missions failed in the clutch, losing to Midland 3-2. In the third, Drew Macias laced a double to right that brought home two runners. Macias left the game in fifth after fouling a pitch off his knee. Teammate Jon Schemmel also exited the game prematurely having to be stitched up after he was struck in the face with a foul bunt. Mike Baxter went 2-for-4 with a pair of doubles.

PLAYER OF THE WEEK

Brian Stavisky - Arkansas 7 G, 25 AB, 13 H, .520 AVG, 2 HR, 8 RBI 7 R, 1 2B, 4 BB, .613 OBP, .800 SLG

Out of affiliated baseball two months ago, Stavisky has proved to be the Travelers' most dependable hitter since being signed on May 29. Stavisky put on a hitting display over the past week as he led the league with a .520 batting average and 13 hits. Among players with 20 or more at-bats, the Notre Dame alumnus also ranked in first in slugging percentage (.800) and on-base percentage (.613).

During the past week, the 28-year-old outfielder recorded five multiple-hit games, hit safely in six of seven, and scored a run in his last six contests.

On July 20, with the Travs and Tulsa tied 5-5, Stavisky singled home the game-winning run in the bottom of the eighth, propelling Arkansas to a 6-5 victory. Stavisky finished that game 3-for-5, with three RBIs. It was Stavisky's second three-RBI game of the week. On July 15, Stavisky slammed an opposite field three-run homer, which gave Arkansas an early 3-0 advantage against Northwest Arkansas.

In 174 at-bats with the Travelers, Stavisky is hitting .339 with nine homers, 28 RBIs and a .989 OPS. The former RockHound entered the 2008 season with a lifetime .306 batting average in affiliated baseball.

PITCHER OF THE WEEK

Vincent Mazzaro - Midland 2 GS, 2 W, 0.64 ERA, 14.0 IP 8 H, 0 BB, 1 ER, 2 R 15 K

What a week it's been for Midland RockHounds pitchers. Brett Anderson and Trevor Cahill were named to the U.S. Olympic team on July 16, and Vincent Mazzaro closed the week out by taking home the Pitcher of the Week plaque. During the period of July 14-to-20, Mazzaro led the Texas League with 15 strikeouts and 14 innings pitched, while tying for first with two victories, all without walking a batter in either start

In Midland's 6-0 shutout of Corpus Christi on July 14, Mazzaro four-hit the Hooks through eight brilliant innings, racking up 10 strikeouts, while issuing no free passes. Mazzaro pitched better as he went deeper into the game as he didn't surrender a hit after the fourth inning. In the sixth, the sinkerballer accomplished an unusual feat when he struck out four batters in the inning.

Mazzaro picked up his second win of the week on July 20, leading Midland to a 3-2 win over San Antonio. In six innings, the New Jersey native allowed just one earned run, four hits, and no walks, while striking out five.

Mazzaro leads the circuit with 10 victories, ranks first with a 2.08 ERA, and is second in strikeouts with 94, which gives him a shot to win the Triple Crown of pitching categories.

This Week in the Texas League History

July 21, 1925 Veteran San Antonio hurler Bob Coachman just missed tossing a no-hitter as he led the Bears to a 3-0 win over Wichita Falls. Interestingly, it was Couchman's opposite number, Spudders pitcher Rip Wheeler who ruined the no-hit bid when he rapped a single in the third inning. Wheeler's base hit was the only one Couchman allowed in the game.

July 22, 1917 Waco swept a twin-bill from Houston by scores of 1-0 and 2-0. Jim Petty opened the sweep by tossing a one-hitter. The only hit allowed by Petty was a fifth inning single by the Buffs Hub Northen.

July 23, 1896 For the second time in three days, Denison pounded Dallas, scoring more than 20 runs. Following a 20-0 loss to Denison the day before, Dallas absorbed an even greater pasting on the 23rd, losing 29-5. Denison amassed 25 hits in the hugely one-sided win. To add insult to injury, Denison scored 12 runs in the ninth inning, putting the game completely out of the grasp of Dallas hitters. Oddly, pitcher Frank Quigg, the ninth hitter in the Denison lineup, led all hitters with five hits in seven times to the plate. Of his five safeties, two were doubles and one was a triple. Even odder, in the second inning, Dallas center fielder Henry Fabian was put out of the game for threatening to "lick the umpire." Fabian continued to rag umpire Clark from the stands until the Chief of Police led him from the park. Not to be silenced, Fabian showed up late in the game atop the left field fence, jeering at umpire Clark to the amusement of the fans.

July 24, 1982 San Antonio first baseman Sid Bream drove in six runs with a grand slam and a pair of doubles, as he led the Dodgers to an 11-4 victory over Tulsa.

July 25, 2000 El Paso broke open a 3-1 pitchers duel when they scored 10 runs in the top of the ninth inning. Right Fielder Fletcher Bates had the big hit of the inning for the Diablos, a one-out grand slam. Amazingly, El Paso needed just eight hits to score all their runs.

July 26, 1966 For the second time in as many starts, Tulsa's Danny Darwin struck out 12 batters. Darwin chalked up his second consecutive dozen K's in a 6-0 shut out win over Midland. In his previous start, he had beaten Amarillo 3-2 in 12 innings, fanning 12.

July 27, 1998 Arkansas outfielder Tyrone Horne entered baseball history when he hit for a home run "cycle. Playing at Wolff Municipal Stadium in San Antonio, a notoriously difficult park in which to hit home runs, Horne hit home runs in his first four trips to the plate. He hit a two-run shot in the first, a grand slam in the second, a solo shot in the sixth and three-run knock in the sixth. It is widely believed that it Horne is the first batter in professional baseball to have ever hit for a home run cycle in a single game. Driving in 10 runs with his four homers, Horne became just the sixth person in league history to have had as many RBI's in a single game. The Travelers slugger would finish July with 13 home runs and a staggering 43 RBI's in just 25 games.

July 28, 1990 Though they were held hitless through seven innings and would get just one hit in the game, San Antonio still manager to squeak by Arkansas by a 2-1 score. The Missions scored a pair of runs in the eighth inning using an error, a stolen base, a walk, their lone hit, a single, a wild pitch and a sacrifice bunt.

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Texas League Stories from July 21, 2008


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