TL1 Texas League

Texas League Update

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


NORTH NOTES

Arkansas Travelers

(Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim)

12-24, Fourth Place, North Division

July 21...In a 12-3 loss to Tulsa, Chris Pettit went 2-for-4 and swatted his second homer of the season. Arkansas activated left-hander Doug Brandt from the disabled list and received fellow southpaw Daniel Davidson from Triple-A Salt Lake. To make room for the two hurlers, the Travelers released right-hander Aaron Cook and sent pitcher Marco Albano back to high Single-A Rancho Cucamonga. Catcher Alex Silversmith was reassigned to low Single-A Cedar Rapids and replaced with backstop Flint Wipke. Wipke, 25, was hitting .265, with three homers, and 19 RBIs for high Single-A Rancho Cucamonga.

July 22...Brian Stavisky cracked a pair of homers (10, 11) and drove in four runs as Arkansas fell to Springfield 8-7. In the seventh, Stavisky launched a three-run homer to center, giving Arkansas a 6-4 lead. Shortstop Wilberto Ortiz went 4-for-5, with a double and two runs scored.

July 23...Riding the right arm of starter Dan Denham, Arkansas beat Springfield 4-2. Denham struck out nine batters over seven innings, while holding the Cards to two runs, five hits and a walk. Improving his mark to 8-8, Denham outdueled Springfield pitching sensation Jess Todd. Entering the game for Denham, setup man Barret Browning struck out the side in the eighth. Ryan Aldridge tossed a scoreless ninth to earn his fourth save. Corey Smith was 2-for-3, with a two-run homer (15) and a double. Leadoff hitter Adam Greenberg went 3-for-5 and stole his 12th base.

July 24...Spoiling a brilliant effort by starter Amalio Diaz, Arkansas lost to Springfield 2-1 in 10 innings. In eight scoreless innings, Diaz struck out nine batters, while limiting the Cards to three hits and a walk. Making his third Double-A start, the Venezuelan right-hander retired 24 of the 28 batters he faced. Diaz also had stretches in which he recorded 12 and nine straight outs.

July 25...Arkansas fought off a three-run, eighth-inning rally by Tulsa and held on to win 5-4. In the fourth, the Travelers took a 2-1 lead when catcher Flint Wipke hit a two-run homer, his first Double-A dinger. On the night, Wipke went 2-for-4 and stole his first base. Nate Sutton drew three free passes and scored twice. Brian Stavisky singled to extend his hitting streak to nine games. Winning pitcher Anthony Ortega (9-7) gave up four runs, six hits and a walk in seven-plus innings of work. After allowing a run in the first, Ortega settled down to throw six straight scoreless frames, retiring 17-of-19 batters through that stretch. When Ortega got into trouble in the eighth, reliever Rafael Rodriguez came in and put out the fire by retiring three of the four batters he faced. Rodriguez, who did not allow an earned run in two innings, earned his fourth save of the season.

July 26...Flint Wipke homered for the second straight night, as Arkansas fell 7-2 to Tulsa. Brian Stavisky went 2-for-3, with a double and a sacrifice fly. Stavisky has hit safely in each of his last 10 games.

July 27...Brian Stavisky and Wil Ortiz both went deep as Arkansas edged Tulsa 6-5. In the first, Stavisky hammered a two-out, solo homer (12) into the left field netting. During the following inning, Ortiz belted a three-run homer, his first Double-A dinger. Winning pitcher Robert Mosebach (9-8) surrendered two earned runs over five innings. Earning his fifth save, closer Ryan Aldridge threw a scoreless ninth, punching out two. The Travelers prevailed even though they were outhit by the Drillers 13-6.

Northwest Arkansas Naturals

(Kansas City Royals)

22-14, First Place, North Division

July 21...Spearheaded by Ed Lucas' six-hit game, Northwest Arkansas beat Springfield 10-7 in 13 innings. In the top of the 13th, Lucas broke a 7-7 tie with a go-ahead, two-RBI triple. Finishing a homer short of the cycle, Lucas went 6-for-7, with three RBIs. Lucas' six-hit performance was his highest total in a single game since he went 4-for-4 on July 6, 2006 for the high Class-A High Desert Mavericks. In the month of July, Lucas is hitting .421 (24-for-57). On a night when the Naturals tallied 20 hits, Marc Maddox, Juan Richardson and Brian McFall had three hits each. Richardson drove in three to increase his season RBI total to 53. In the eighth, McFall went yard. It was his 12th dinger of the year. Kila Kaaihue went 2-for-4, scored three times and drew three free passes. Jose Duarte went hitless in eight at-bats. Winning pitcher Chris Hayes (3-1) struck out five over 3.2 shutout frames.

July 22...Overcoming an early 7-0 deficit, Northwest Arkansas fought back to beat Tulsa 11-8, their ninth straight win at home. With the game tied at eight-all in the bottom of the eighth, Cory Aldridge gave the Naturals the lead when he ripped a two-out, two-run double. Two batters later, Ovandy Suero brought home Aldridge with a RBI single, which capped a three-run eighth for the Naturals. Aldridge went 2-for-4, with three RBIs and a pair of runs scored. During a perfect 3-for-3 night at the plate, Suero drove in four runs. The Naturals fell behind 7-0 after an inning and a half, but fired back with six runs in the bottom of the second and two more in the third. Adam Donachie and Jose Duarte socked back-to-back homers in the Naturals' six-run second. All nine of the Naturals starters had at least one hit.

July 23... Northwest Arkansas won their 10th consecutive home game with a 4-3 victory over Tulsa. In the bottom of the first, Kila Kaaihue smoked a liner onto the right-field grass seating for a two-run homer. Kaaihue's league leading 25 homers are five more than the next closest player. Kaaihue drove in his third run with a sacrifice fly in the fourth. Marc Maddox went 3-for-4, with a double, a RBI and a pair of runs scored. Over three scoreless frames, reliever Chris Nicoll struck out four and walked none. Winning pitcher Daniel Cortes (5-4) gave up three runs in five innings.

July 24...In an 11-6 loss to Tulsa, the Naturals saw their 10-game winning streak come to an end. Ed Lucas continued his torrid week of hitting by going 2-for-4, with a homer (3), a triple, two RBIs and two runs scored. Lucas' fourth-inning RBI triple was his third three-bagger in four games. In the sixth, Brian McFall slammed a three-run homer to left field, his 13th of the season. Left fielder Ovandy Suero clubbed a pair of doubles.

July 25...Northwest Arkansas moved into sole possession of first place with a 2-1 victory over Springfield. The win was the Naturals' 15th win in their last 20 contests. On a 2-for-3 night, Kila Kaaihue drove in both of his team's runs with a pair of RBI singles. Winning pitcher Chris Hayes (4-1) yielded three hits and no walks in four scoreless innings of relief. The submariner's 1.58 ERA is the lowest figure on the Naturals' staff. Left-hander Tim Hamulack got his fourth save after firing a scoreless ninth.

July 26...Tied at two-all in the bottom of the eighth, Juan Richardson victimized his old club with a two-out, RBI single, lifting Northwest Arkansas to a 3-2 win over Springfield. Richardson went 2-for-4 and scored one of the Naturals' two runs in the fourth. Naturals relievers Jarrod Plummer, Gilbert de la Vara, and Greg Atencio combined to throw one-hit ball over four shutout innings. Credited with the win, Plummer (4-1) hurled three scoreless stanzas before giving way to de la Vara and Atencio in the ninth. The Naturals have been victorious in 16 of their last 21 games.

July 27...Northwest Arkansas pounded 15 hits en route to an 11-7 thumping of Springfield. Kila Kaaihue went 3-for-5, with a homer (26), five RBIs and two runs scored. With his club trailing 6-4 in fourth, Kaaihue launched a 3-0 pitch for a three-run homer, which put the Naturals ahead at 7-6. Kaaihue's 26 round-trippers lead the Texas League by six over the next closest player. During a 3-for-4 game, Cory Aldridge cracked a three-run dinger (2), finishing with four RBIs. Irving Falu scored four times and also homered for the Naturals. Brian McFall was the lone Naturals starter without a hit.

Springfield Cardinals

(St. Louis Cardinals)

19-17, Second Place, North Division

July 21...In 13 innings, Springfield lost to Northwest Arkansas 10-7, snapping their five-game winning streak. Trailing 7-5 in the bottom of the ninth, the Cardinals rallied for two runs to tie the game and send it to extra-innings. Third baseman Allen Craig went 3-for-5, with a double, two RBIs and a run scored. In the sixth, Casey Rowlett (2-for-5) cracked a two-run homer to left, which tied the game at five-all after the Cards originally trailed 4-0. Tyler Greene extended his hitting streak to 13 games with a fifth-inning double.

July 22...Scoring a pair of runs in both the seventh and eighth innings, Springfield rallied to edge Arkansas 8-7. Down 6-4 in the bottom of the seventh, Cody Haerther hit a two-out, two-run home run to left-center, tying the contest at 6-6. In the bottom of the eighth, Matt Pagnozzi unknotted the 6-6 score with a sacrifice fly. The next batter Casey Rowlett followed with a RBI single, which gave the Cards an 8-6 advantage. Spearheaded by Mark Shorey's two-RBI double and Andrew Brown's two-run single, Springfield burst out of the gates with four runs in the first inning. Allen Craig, who went 3-for-4, collected at least three hits in his fourth straight game. Tyler Greene's fifth inning single extended his hitting streak to 14 games.

July 23...Mark Shorey and Jose Martinez both went deep in Springfield's 4-2 loss to Arkansas. Martinez went 3-for-4 and also doubled. With a fifth-inning single, Tyler Greene tied a Springfield franchise record by hitting safely in his 15th straight game. Aaron Herr (2005) and Allen Craig (2008) had previously accomplished the feat for Springfield.

July 24...With two outs in bottom of the 10th, Jon Jay singled home the game-winning run, giving Springfield a 2-1 victory over Arkansas. Trailing 1-0 in the bottom of the ninth, Andrew Brown's two-out, RBI single scored Jay, sending the game to extra-innings. Not factoring in the decision, Adam Ottavino tossed a season-high seven innings, yielding no earned runs, five hits and a walk. Ottavino also fanned seven. Winning pitcher Luke Gregerson hurled two perfect innings of relief. With a sixth-inning double, Tyler Greene established a new Springfield record by hitting safely in his 16th consecutive game. In the 10th, Greene reached base on a fielder's choice and scored the game-winning run after stealing second. Outfielder Cody Haerther, who has hit .297 for Springfield this year, was called up to Triple-A Memphis for the second time this season. The Cardinals promoted outfielder Daryl Jones from high Single-A Palm Beach. In 87 games for Palm Beach, the 21-year-old Jones hit .326, with seven homers, 35 RBIs and stole 18 bases.

July 25...In Springfield's 2-1 loss to Northwest Arkansas, shortstop Tyler Greene went 4-for-5 with a run scored. Greene has hit safely in 17 consecutive games, a Springfield franchise record. Pitching well in a losing cause, Kyle Mura (2-2) scattered two runs and six hits over 6.2 innings of work.

July 26...Despite outhitting their opponents 11-to-5, Springfield fell to Northwest Arkansas 3-2. With a 3-for-5 performance, Tyler Greene extended his franchise record hitting streak to 18 games. Allen Craig and Andrew Brown both had a pair of hits for the Redbirds. The St. Louis Cardinals acquired right-hander Luis Perdomo from the Cleveland Indians in exchange for pitcher Anthony Reyes. The Cardinals assigned Perdomo to Springfield. In nine games with Double-A Akron, the 24-year-old went 2-0 with a 3.52 ERA. Perdomo began the season with high Single-A Kinston, where he saved 18 games with a microscopic 0.92 ERA.

July 27...Springfield lost an 11-7 slugfest to Northwest Arkansas. Third baseman Isa Garcia went 3-for-5, with a grand slam (4), and a pair of runs scored. Garcia's second-inning blast was the Cardinals' third grand slam this season. Jon Jay, Mark Shorey, Jose Martinez and Brandon Yarbrough all had two hits as the Cardinals totaled 13 hits altogether. Yarbrough hit his third homer of the season. Making his Cardinals debut, Luis Perdomo pitched a perfect seventh.

Tulsa Drillers

(Colorado Rockies)

18-18, Third Place, North Division

July 21...Tulsa clobbered Arkansas 12-3, as all nine starters recorded at least one RBI. Additionally, all of the Drillers starters had hits except for Justin Nelson. Corey Wimberly was also the only Tulsa hitter without a run scored. Matt Miller and Tony Blanco, the Drillers' three and four batters, each had three hits, a double and two RBIs. Miller and Dexter Fowler both scored three runs to lead the club. Wimberly stole his league leading 45th base. Eric Young, Jr. swiped his 30th base, which is the fourth most in the circuit. In his first rehab start with the Drillers, Colorado Rockies pitcher Jeff Francis (shoulder inflammation) looked sharp, throwing 3.2 scoreless innings of one-hit ball. The left-hander retired the first seven batters he faced, walked none and struck out two.

July 22... Matt Miller, Jeff Kindel and Neil Wilson all homered as Tulsa dropped an 11-8 contest to Northwest Arkansas. Leading off the second, Wilson homered in his first at-bat since coming off the disabled list on July 19. Later in the inning, Kindel belted a three-run homer (9) to left, which gave the Drillers an early 7-0 lead. Kindel finished with four RBIs. Trailing 8-7 in the top of the eighth, Miller tied the game with a solo home run (10) to left. Miller went 2-for-3, with a pair of walks and three runs.

July 23...In a 4-3 loss to Northwest Arkansas, Matt Miller knocked in all of the Drillers' runs with a three-run double in the fifth. Miller's 85 RBIs rank first in the Texas League. Corey Wimberly stole his league leading 47th stolen base. Eric Young, Jr. swiped two bases, giving him 32 steals on the season.

July 24...Tulsa outslugged Northwest Arkansas 11-6, ending the Naturals' 10-game home winning streak. Leading the Drillers' offensive assault, Daniel Carte went 3-for-4, with a double, three RBIs and two runs. Dexter Fowler, Tony Blanco and Corey Wimberly each contributed with a pair of RBIs. Eric Young, Jr. cracked two doubles, which gives him 19 in 69 games. Hitting in the nine hole, catcher Rick Guarno went 2-for-4, with three runs scored.

July 25...In a 6-5 loss to Arkansas, Corey Wimberly went 2-for-3, with a double, a run scored and a stolen base (48). Matt Miller brought home Dexter Fowler with a first-inning single, his league-leading 86th RBI of the year. Trailing 5-1 in the bottom of the eighth, the Drillers fought back with three runs, falling a run short of tying the game.

July 26...Starter Jeff Francis put on a dazzling pitching display as Tulsa cruised to a 7-2 win over Arkansas. Returning to Drillers Stadium for the first time since 2004, Francis struck out eight over 4.2 innings, while walking none. Making his second rehab start with Tulsa, the Colorado Rockies left-hander allowed only one run on four hits. The hometown crowd gave Francis a standing ovation when he was pulled in the fifth after reaching his 75-pitch limit. Jarrett Grube supplanted Francis on the mound and pitched 2.1 shutout frames, collecting his second win. Tony Blanco went deep in the fifth for his 19th home run. Three innings later, Daniel Carte hit an inside-the-park home run to center. Eric Young, Jr. and Dexter Fowler went 2-for-4, with a RBI and a run scored. With a pair of steals, Fowler became the third Drillers player to steal 20 or more bases this year. Young, Jr. stole his 33rd base of season, which ranks fourth in the circuit.

July 27...In a 6-5 loss to Arkansas, Tulsa went 3-for-17 with runners in scoring position. The Drillers lost despite outhitting the Travelers 13-6. Dexter Fowler and Casey Weathers shined in their final games before joining the U.S. Olympic team. Finishing a home run short of the cycle, Fowler went 3-for-5, with a run scored. During his final at-bat in the ninth, Fowler barely missed completing the cycle when he smoked a fastball that sailed foul over the right field fence. Weathers hurled a perfect inning, while fanning two. Matt Miller, Tony Blanco and Daniel Carte each had two hits for the Drillers. Blanco went 2-for-4, with a double, a steal and a pair of runs scored. Picking up his 49th stolen base of the season, Corey Wimberly now has 85 career stolen bases with Tulsa, a franchise record. Wimberly recently surpassed the mark previously held by Eddie Miller, who stole 80 bases in the Drillers' inaugural 1977 season. In the eighth, second baseman Eric Young, Jr. robbed the Travelers' Corey Smith of a base hit with a brilliant over-the-shoulder diving catch.

SOUTH NOTES

Corpus Christi Hooks

(Houston Astros)

12-23, Fourth Place, South Division

July 21...Anchored by Andy Van Hekken's masterful performance, Corpus Christi shutout Midland 2-0. Van Hekken fanned 10 RoughRiders over 8.1 innings, while issuing no walks. The left-hander gave up seven hits and allowed only one runner to get as far as third base. The southpaw was efficient as 79 of his 102 pitches were thrown for strikes. He also had only one three-ball count the entire game. In four starts with the Hooks, Van Hekken is 4-0 with a 1.65 ERA. Richie Paz went 3-for-3, with a homer and a double, which lifted his season batting average to .306. Newly converted outfielder Brian Bogusevic, who started 17 games for the Hooks as a pitcher this year, was called up from high Single-A Salem. Bogusevic, the Astros' 2005 first round pick, hit .217 with one homer in 23 at-bats for Salem. The Hooks promoted pitcher Chance Douglass to Triple-A Round Rock, sent outfielder Orlando Rosales to high Single-A Salem, and activated outfielder Mitch Einertson from the disabled list.

July 22...In a 4-3 loss to San Antonio, starter Tip Fairchild gave up only one run and two hits in five innings. Fairchild held the Missions hitless through his first 4.1 innings of work. Left fielder Mitch Einertson went 2-for-3, with a RBI double, a run scored and a stolen base. Reliever Jose Oyervidez was promoted to Triple-A Round Rock after recording a 4.40 ERA in 31 appearances.

July 23...Drew Sutton tripled home the Hooks' only run in their 10-1 loss to San Antonio. The Hooks were held to three hits, which equaled their error total of three.

July 24...Catcher Lou Santangelo was reassigned to the Hooks after playing in 13 games with Triple-A Round Rock. To make room, backup catcher Jimmy Goethals was sent to high Single-A Salem of the Carolina League.

July 25...During the Hooks' 11-0 loss to Frisco, second baseman Drew Sutton reached base safely in all four plate appearances, going 2-for-2 with a pair of walks. The Houston Astros signed right-hander Bo Hall and assigned him to Corpus Christi. Earlier in the season, Hall recorded a 2.95 ERA in 24 games between Double-A Trenton and Triple-A Scranton-Wilkes Barre.

July 26...Corpus Christi dropped their fourth straight game with an 8-6 loss to Midland. Drew Sutton went 3-for-4 with a pair of solo home runs (12, 13). On a 3-for-5 night, Eli Iorg homered (10), scored twice and stole his 16th base of the year.

July 27...In a 12-4 loss to Midland, Mitch Einertson cracked a two-run double in the second.

Frisco RoughRiders

(Texas Rangers)

22-14, First Place, South Division

July 21... Frisco got blanked 2-0 by Corpus Christi spoiling a fine outing by starter Derek Lee. Striking out six batters in seven innings, Lee (1-2) took the loss despite yielding only two runs, seven hits and no walks. Accounting for six of the RoughRiders' seven hits, Julio Borbon, Ben Harrison and Steven Murphy each had two-hits.

July 22...In an 8-4 loss to Midland, Frisco hit 2-for-12 with runners in scoring position, stranding 11 men on-base. Julio Borbon, Jose Vallejo and Ben Harrison led the RoughRiders with two hits each.

July 23...Zach Parker, Alfredo Gonzalez and Brandon Puffer combined on an eight-hit shutout as Frisco blanked Midland 4-0. Parker tossed five innings, improving his record to 2-1. Puffer earned his first save of the year with 2.1 innings of scoreless relief. Corey Ragsdale went 2-for-4, with a two-run single and a run scored.

July 24...Frisco topped Midland 6-2 to take the rubber game of the three-game series. Over seven strong innings, winner Jared Hyatt (1-1) held the RockHounds to two runs, four hits and two walks, while striking out six. With Frisco holding a 3-2 lead in the top of the ninth, Jose Vallejo extended the RoughRiders' advantage with a three-run triple. Catcher Emerson Frostad went 2-for-4, with a double and a pair of runs. Closer Andrew Laughter

hurled two flawless stanzas to earn his eighth save.

July 25...Highlighted by Steven Murphy's grand slam, Frisco scored five runs in the third inning en route to a 6-3 victory over San Antonio. Prior to Murphy's blast, Missions third baseman Seth Johnston committed a two-out fielding error, prolonging the third inning. Murphy's grand slam was his 16th homer of the year, which ties him with Ben Harrison for the team lead. Murphy finished at 2-for-4, with a double and four RBIs. Winning pitcher Thomas Diamond (3-2) allowed one run over five innings, while fanning four. Brendan Garr racked up two strikeouts in a scoreless ninth to earn his sixth save. Texas Rangers reliever Joaquin Benoit joined the club on a rehabilitation assignment. Entering the game in the seventh, Benoit did not record an out, allowing two runs on three hits and two walks. Major league umpire Randy Marsh began a five-game rehabilitation assignment in the league, working home plate.

July 26...In Frisco's 7-3 loss to San Antonio, shortstop Elvis Andrus went 3-for-3, with a home run (2) and two stolen bases (40). Andrus accounted for three of the RoughRiders' five hits on the night. Making his Double-A debut, left-hander Beau Jones struck out three in 2.2 scoreless innings, while limiting the Missions to one hit. In 43 innings with high Single-A Bakersfield, Jones registered a 2.93 ERA with 45 strikeouts. Jones was one of five prospects acquired by the Texas Rangers in the July 2007 blockbuster trade that sent Mark Teixeira to Atlanta. Frisco drew 10,216 fans on Saturday night. It was their 26th sellout of the season.

July 27...Frisco could only muster four hits in a 3-1 loss to San Antonio. Right-hander Clayton Hamilton gave up only two hits and no walks to the Missions over four shutout innings of relief. Playing in his last game before the 2008 Olympics, Emerson Frostad brought home the RoughRiders' only run with a sacrifice fly. Frostad will play for the Canadian Olympic team in Beijing, China. The Texas Rangers optioned catcher Max Ramirez to Frisco. Prior to his June 22 callup, Ramirez hit .363 with 17 home runs and 50 RBIs in 67 games with the 'Riders.

Midland RockHounds

(Oakland Athletics)

18-18, Third Place, South Division

July 21...During a 4-3 loss to San Antonio, Aaron Cunningham knocked in two runs with a pair of sacrifice flies. Cunningham amassed eight RBIs in the four-game series with the Missions. Starter Josh Outman made his Texas League debut after Oakland acquired him in a four-player trade that sent Joe Blanton to Philadelphia. Making a piggy back start, Outman was pulled after allowing two earned runs in 1.1 innings.

July 22...In Midland's 8-4 victory over Frisco, Todd Donovan surpassed the career 300 stolen base plateau with a pair of steals. Donovan, who scored a pair of runs during a 2-for-3 night, became just the 14th player in minor league history to steal 300 bases. Jon Zeringue homered in consecutive innings off Frisco starter Michael Schlact. Both of Zeringue blasts (15, 16) came off 0-2 pitches. Hitting with the bases loaded in the second, Tommy Everidge emptied the bags with a three-RBI double. Everidge's 79 RBIs rank second in the Texas League. Nabbing his fifth win in six Texas League starts, Trevor Cahill (5-1) allowed no earned runs over five innings. Andrew Bailey, who tossed two shutout innings, has yet to allow an earned run in 12 innings since being moved to the bullpen.

July 23...In a 4-0 loss to Frisco, Midland batters went 0-for-10 with runners scoring position and left 14 men stranded. Aaron Cunningham reached base four times with three hits and a walk. Todd Donovan drew four bases on balls. Pitching well in a losing cause, starter Brett Anderson fanned eight over seven solid innings, while yielding two earned runs, six hits and a pair of walks. Midland reliever Jose Garcia was promoted to Triple-A Sacramento after recording a 4.63 ERA in seven appearances.

July 24...Held to four hits, Midland lost 6-2 to Frisco. Despite allowing no earned runs in eight innings, starter James Simmons (5-6) took the loss as a result of three RockHounds errors, which led to three Frisco runs. Simmons struck out eight, while issuing only one free pass. Jed Morris went 2-for-4 with a RBI double.

July 25...Midland manhandled Corpus Christi in an 11-0 shutout. Vincent Mazzaro picked up his league leading 11th win. Over seven innings, Mazzaro surrendered only five hits and a walk, while striking out five. In six starts against the Hooks this year, Mazzaro is 5-0 with an 0.88 ERA and has accumulated 37 strikeouts over a span of 41.1 innings. Tommy Everidge, Sean Doolittle, Jon Zeringue and Michael Affronti all homered for the RockHounds. Collecting four RBIs, Affronti launched a three-run homer and added a RBI double. Zeringue went 2-for-3, with a three-run dinger, a double and three runs scored. Doolittle's two-run round-tripper in the seventh was his first Double-A home run. Doolittle's blast struck the center field batter's eye, it was just the second time it had been done in the four year history of Whataburger Field.

July 26...Scoring runs in each of the last four innings, Midland finished with a flurry taking an 8-6 victory from Corpus Christi. Tommy Everidge went 2-for-4, with a pair of doubles, two RBIs and a run scored. Aaron Cunningham led the RockHounds with three hits and scored twice. On a 2-for-5 night, second baseman Justin Sellers doubled, drove in a pair and scored two runs. Sean Doolittle, who was 2-for-4, homered (2) for the second straight game and finished with two RBIs. Closer Andrew Carignan saved his 16th game after tossing a scoreless ninth.

July 27...Behind a 20-hit assault, Midland clobbered Corpus Christi 12-4. Midland's two through five hitters, Justin Sellers, Aaron Cunningham, Tommy Everidge and Jon Zeringue, all contributed with at least three hits. Cunningham went 4-for-6, with a pair of homers (10, 11), four RBIs, four runs scored and a stolen base. Hitting in front of Cunningham, Sellers went 3-for-6, with a homer, two triples, five RBIs and three runs scored. In the seventh, Sellers and Cunningham connected on back-to-back home runs. Everidge, who was 3-for-5, drove in two runs, giving him 84 RBIs on the year. Zeringue went 4-for-5, and stole his fourth base of the season. In his final tuneup before the 2008 Olympics, winning pitcher Trevor Cahill (6-1) allowed one earned run on three hits through five innings of work.

San Antonio Missions

(San Diego Padres)

20-15, Second Place, South Division

July 21...Manny Ayala, Mauro Zarate, and Greg Burke combined on a five-hitter as San Antonio beat Midland 4-3. Burke notched his 15th save after compiling two strikeouts in a perfect inning of work. Gabe Lopez, Chad Huffman and Craig Cooper led the Missions with two hits each.

July 22...Trailing 3-1 in the bottom of the eighth inning, Kyle Blanks belted a three-run homer (11) to left, propelling the Missions to a 4-3 victory over Corpus Christi. Winning pitcher Jonathan Ellis, who worked a perfect eighth, improved his record to 9-4. Infielder Jon Schemmel won't be placed on the disabled list after a foul bunt attempt fractured a bone above his mouth. Schemmel will play with a protective mask.

July 23...San Antonio clobbered Corpus Christi 10-1. Steve Garrison, Mauro Zarate and Philip Barzilla combined to three-hit the Hooks over nine innings, while issuing only two walks. Improving to 7-5, Garrison surrendered no earned runs over six innings, while compiling five strikeouts. During a five-run sixth inning, the Missions brought 10 batters to the plate and scored four runs with two outs. Catcher Jose Lobaton went 2-for-4 with a homer (7), double, two RBIs and a pair of runs scored. Hitting in front of Lobaton in the number five spot, Craig Cooper went 2-for-4, with a double and three RBIs. Cleanup batter Kyle Blanks also had two hits and knocked in a pair of runs. The Missions hold an 8-2 record against the Hooks at home this season and hold a 32-19 record since Corpus Christi entered the Texas League four years ago. Relief pitcher Neil Jamison (elbow) was placed on the disabled list and will miss the remainder of the 2008 season. Mike DeMark, who recorded a 2.17 ERA in 42 appearances with high Single-A Lake Elsinore, was called up from the California League.

July 24...The Thursday night meeting between San Antonio and Corpus Christi was postponed due to rain. The game was rescheduled as part of a doubleheader beginning at 5 p.m. on August 31.

July 25...In a 6-3 loss at Frisco, Mike DeMark pitched two scoreless innings of relief in his Double-A debut. Shortstops Sean Kazmar and Jon Schemmel both went 2-for-2. Drew Macias drew four walks in five plate appearances.

July 26...Sparked by a four-run first inning, San Antonio defeated Frisco 7-3. In the first, Kyle Blanks put the Missions on the board by hammering a three-run homer (12) to left. Two batters later, Seth Johnson clubbed his tenth homer, capping the four-run first. Gabe Lopez, Chad Huffman and Josh Alley led the Missions with two hits each. Reliever Mike Ekstrom (6-6) was credited with the victory after he struck out four in two shutout frames.

July 27...With a 3-1 win over Frisco, San Antonio pulled to within one and a half games of the first place RoughRiders in the second half standings. Missions pitchers Manny Ayala, Philip Barzilla, Gabe DeHoyos and Greg Burke collectively held Frisco to just four hits in nine innings of work. Ayala upped his mark to 6-2 after yielding one run and two hits through five innings. Gabe Lopez went 2-for-4, with a double, a walk and a pair of runs scored. Kyle Blanks knocked in Lopez both times. In the first, Blanks hit a sacrifice fly and drew a bases loaded walk in the following inning. Pitching coach Steve Webber's staff leads all of baseball with 16 shutouts, while leading Double-A and Triple-A with 876 strikeouts.

PLAYER OF THE WEEK

Dexter Fowler - Tulsa

27 AB, 12 H, .444 AVG, 5 RBI, 9 R, 2 2B, 1 3B, 6 BB, 3 SB, .545 OBP, .592 SLG

Headed to Beijing to play for the U.S. Olympic team, Fowler left a lasting impression during what may have been his final week as a Tulsa Driller, by hitting a torrid .444 (12-for-27. The switch-hitter also scored a run and had a hit in all seven games he played in during the week, including four games in which he had multiple-hit games.

Fowler tied for the Texas League lead with nine runs scored, ranked second with a .545 on-base percentage and was third in hits with 12. The 6-foot-4 center fielder compiled a .592 slugging percentage with an eye-popping 1.137 OPS. An on-base machine, Fowler also contributed when he didn't swing the bat by drawing six walks.

On July 21, Fowler scored three times as Tulsa pummeled Arkansas 12-3. When Fowler, who was 3-for-3 in stolen base attempts last week, swiped his 20th base of the season on July 26, the 22-year-old joined teammates Corey Wimberly and Eric Young, Jr. as the third Drillers player with 20 or more steals this year.

In his last game on July 27, before beginning his Olympic trip, Fowler went 3-for-5, finishing a home run short of the cycle. During his final at-bat, Fowler cracked a foul ball over the right field fence that just missed being fair.

This is the second time Fowler has earned Player of the Week honors this season. The Colorado Rockies farmhand previously accomplished the feat during the week of June 9-15.

PITCHER OF THE WEEK

Amalio Diaz - Arkansas

1 GS, 0-0, 0.00 ERA, 8.0 IP, 3 H

1 BB, 0 ER, 0 R, 9 K

For the second time in two years, Diaz takes home the Texas League Pitcher of the Week honors without securing a victory. Facing the Springfield Cardinals on July 24, Diaz struck out nine batters in eight innings, while allowing just three hits and a walk.

The 6-foot-2, 170 pound right-hander retired 24 of the 28 batters he faced. Diaz also went through stretches in the game when he recorded 12 and nine straight outs. Diaz left the game with a 1-0 lead, but the Travelers bullpen spoiled his gem in the ninth.

The masterful performance by Diaz was just his third start since being called up from high Single-A Rancho Cucamonga on July 14.

On May 30 of 2007, Diaz threw nine shutout innings for the Travelers to earn co-Pitcher of the Week honors. Diaz shared the honors with Corpus Christi's Chance Douglass, his mound counterpart who had also tossed nine scoreless innings. Neither pitcher factored in the decision.

ALUMNI REPORT

ARKANSAS TRAVELERS

Faced with competition in the race for the PCL home run title, Albuquerque 3B Dallas McPherson ('03-'04) padded his total last week, hitting homers in three consecutive games to increase his season total to 35. Through Friday he was tied with Oklahoma's Nelson Cruz for the league lead...Salt Lake 3B Brandon Wood ('06) batted .441 (15-for-34) with six home runs and 11 RBIs over his last 10 games... The Bees' surging offense this month has been led by two infield stalwarts, Freddy Sandoval ('07) and 2B Sean Rodriguez ('06-'07), who have combined for 13 home runs and 41 RBIs over 23 July games. Sandoval entered Saturday batting .409 (38-for-93) in July, with four home runs, 16 RBIs and 19 runs scored, while Rodriguez was hitting .367 (29-for-79) with nine homers, 25 RBIs and 24 runs.

CORPUS CHRISTI HOOKS

Former Round Rock RHP Chad Reineke ('06) struck out 14 batters in 14 innings and allowed one earned run in his final two starts before being traded to San Diego...OF Ray Sadler ('07-'08) and 1B Val Majewski ('08) shared the credit for snapping the Express out of its season-long offensive funk at least for one night, as they slugged two home runs each in Round Rock's 16-1 rout of Fresno on Thursday.

FRISCO ROUGHRIDERS

As of Thursday, July 23, Charlotte OF Jason Bourgeois ('03-'04, San Antonio '06) needed just 14 stolen bases to reach 200 career stolen bases in the minor leagues...Indianapolis RHP Jesse Chavez ('05-'06) who worked a scoreless 9th, notched his eighth save of the campaign on July 22.

MIDLAND ROCKHOUNDS

With two shutout innings against Texas on July 27, Oakland RHP Brad Zeigler ('05-'07) set the major league record for most consecutive scoreless innings (27) to begin a career, breaking a record that stood since 1907...Oklahoma OF Nelson Cruz ('04) has hit nine home runs and posted 13 RBIs over his last nine games while batting .368 (14-for-38). Cruz has been hitting home runs at a near-record pace lately, with one three-homer game and another two-homer night included in his run of nine homers in 10 games through Friday...Sacramento SS Cliff Pennington ('07-'08) has collected seven hits in 17 at-bats (.412) over his last five games.

SAN ANTONIO MISSIONS

Portland 3B Peter Ciofrone ('07-'08) has batted .436 (17-for-39) with two home runs and nine RBIs over his last 10 games. Ciofrone extended his hitting streak to 22 games Friday, going 2-for-5 against Memphis. It is the third-longest streak in the PCL this year...Portland LHP Wade LeBlanc ('07) is 1-0 with 1.50 ERA over his last two starts, striking out 10 in 12 innings.

TULSA DRILLERS

Colorado Springs SS Jeff Dragicevich ('06-'08) batted .417 (10-for-24) in his first even games since arriving from Double-A Tulsa...Based on his July numbers, Colorado Springs 2B Jayson Nix ('04-'05) is gearing up to make a big contribution to the U.S. Olympic Team's medal hopes. Nix, who was added to Team USA's roster Wednesday, entered Saturday batting .305 with 17 home runs and 49 RBIs in 62 games with the Sky Sox. The 25-year-old is enjoying a particularly strong July at the plate, batting .359 with five homers and 14 RBIs in 10 games...Syracuse infielder Danny Sandoval's ('04) 20-game hitting streak came to an abrupt end on July 23 when he entered the game in the sixth inning as a replacement for the injured Chip Cannon.

OTHER TEXAS LEAGUE ALUMNI

Colorado Springs LHP Valerio De Los Santos (El Paso '97-'98) has struck out 13 batters over his last 11 innings, posting an 0-1 record and 1.64 ERA in that span...Omaha 1B Mike Stodolka (Wichita '05, '07) batted .444 (16-for-36) over 10 games...At 36 years old, Buffalo LHP John Halama (Jackson '96) hurled back-to-back complete games to begin the second half of the season. Halama didn't walk a batter in either start. He has now won six of his last seven starts and is 7-2 with a 4.15 ERA in nine total games with the Herd...Scranton SS Cody Ransom (Shreveport '99-'00) hit his team leading 18th homer during a July 22, 4-3 win over Richmond that proved to be the game winner. It was the third straight game that Ransom has hit a home run and the second time this season that he has left the yard in back-to-back-to-back games...On July 20, Syracuse LHP Bill Murphy (El Paso '04) struck out 12 batters in only 5.1 innings.

This Week in the Texas League History

July 29, 2003...San Antonio's Bobby Madritsch tossed a two-hit, 2-0 win over Midland. The Chicago native completely dominated the RockHounds, allowing just two singles, one in the second and another in the ninth. While completing the shutout, Madritsch struck out nine and walked two.

July 30, 1934...San Antonio ace Ash Hillin won his 21st game of the season, needing just 108 games of the current season to do so. While Hillen did not have great control in the 7-4 win over Tulsa, walking seven in his nine innings, he had better control that Oilers hurler Bill Posedel who walked 11 and hit a batter. Amazingly, Posedel went the distance for Tulsa in the wild, losing effort.

July 31, 1928... Left hander Ralph Stein led San Antonio to a 5-0 win over Dallas, allowing the Steers just one hit. Stein lost the opportunity for a no-hitter when his mound opponent Ralph Blankenship rapped a third inning single. The Bears scored all their runs in the third inning, three coming home when outfielder Leo Najo doubled with the bases loaded.

August 1, 1953...Fort Worth outlasted Tulsa 11-10 in a contest that both clubs agreed to end after the seventh inning so that both clubs would have time to catch trains to their next destinations. After a three-run homer by Chuck Harmon in the top of the seventh inning gave Tulsa a 10-9 lead, Fort Worth rallied for a pair of runs in the bottom of the inning, earning the win. Thirty batters produced a total of 33 hits in the game that saw the lead change four times. Harmon had a terrific game for the losers, driving in a total of six runs in the abbreviated contest.

August 2, 1965...Led by the hot bat of Brack Bailey, who used a double and a homer to drive in five runs, Albuquerque pounded El Paso 14-1.

August 3, 1928...Houston first baseman Joe Walker helped the Buffaloes ease past Dallas 12-10 when he produced a perfect 5-for-5 afternoon at-bat. Walker contributed to the see-saw win with five singles, two runs scored, a pair of RBI's and a stolen base.

August 4, 1909...Sandy Burk held Houston hitless until Joe Mowrey singled with one out in the ninth, breaking up Burk's no-hit bid. The Fort Worth hurler retired the side with no further damage, leading the Panthers to a 2-1 win. Burk had to work a little harder than the one-hit win might indicate. His shortstop G. W. Smitheal committed four errors, one of which in the seventh inning led to Houston's lone run.

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Texas League Stories from July 28, 2008


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