TL1 Texas League

Texas League Update

Published on August 4, 2008 under Texas League (TL1) News Release


NORTH NOTES

Arkansas Travelers

(Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim)

15-28, Fourth Place, North Division

July 28...In Arkansas' 12-5 rout of Tulsa, Mark Trumbo enjoyed one of the most memorable Texas League debuts in history. Trumbo went 5-for-5, with a pair of home runs, a double, three RBIs and three runs scored. In both the fifth and eighth innings, Trumbo and right fielder Chris Pettit connected on back-to-back home runs. Early in the morning, Trumbo was called up from high Class-A Rancho Cucamonga, where he hit .283 with 26 homers and 68 RBIs for the California League club. Catching a red-eye flight out of Fresno, Trumbo got only two hours of sleep before arriving in Tulsa at 4 p.m. Winning pitcher Dan Denham (9-8) scattered three runs and six hits over seven innings. Infielder Adam Morrissey was called up to Triple-A Salt Lake before the game.

July 29...Behind a brilliant outing from starter Amalio Diaz, Arkansas defeated Springfield 8-2. Diaz, the reigning Texas League Pitcher of the Week, picked up his first victory in 10 career Double-A starts dating back to last year. Over seven innings, the Venezuelan right-hander yielded one run, four hits and a walk, while striking out five. Nate Sutton, who was 2-for-3, led the Travelers with three RBIs. Adam Greenberg scored three times and stole his 14th base. One night after his 5-for-5 Double-A debut, Mark Trumbo went 2-for-4 with a RBI. The Los Angeles Angels dealt Travelers reliever Stephen Marek and big leaguer Casey Kotchman to the Atlanta Braves in exchange for Mark Teixeira. Marek, who compiled a 3.66 ERA in 34 appearances, was assigned to Double-A Montgomery of the Southern League.

July 30...In a 3-2 loss to Springfield, Mark Trumbo's solo home run landed on a parked car down the left-field line. Trumbo's bomb was his third dinger in three Double-A games. Trumbo, who went 2-for-4, has clubbed 29 home runs in professional baseball this year, the fourth most in the minors. The 22-year-old also stole his first base since his promotion. In three games with the Travelers, Trumbo has gone 9-for-13 (.692), with five RBIs and four runs scored. Not factoring in the decision, starter Anthony Ortega pitched six shutout innings, limiting the Cardinals to three hits.

July 31...Held to four hits, Arkansas got blanked 7-0 by Springfield. The Travelers bullpen of Daniel Davidson, Doug Brandt and Rafael Rodriguez combined to throw 4.1 perfect innings of relief, while striking out six.

August 1...Arkansas fell 1-0 to Northwest Arkansas, spoiling an admirable effort by starter Robert Mosebach. Mosebach went eight innings, yielding only one run, seven hits and two walks. The 23-year-old right-hander carried a shutout through six frames. Mark Trumbo went 2-for-4 with a double. In his first five Double-A games, Trumbo has had multiple hits in four of them.

August 2...The Travelers dropped their fourth straight game with a 5-2 loss to Northwest Arkansas. In six innings of work, losing pitcher Dan Denham (9-9) surrendered two earned runs, four hits and two walks, while striking out six. Denham retired the first 10 hitters he faced. Corey Smith led the Travelers with two hits and swiped his 13th base of the year.

August 3...Arkansas blanked Northwest Arkansas 5-0 as Amalio Diaz, Barret Browning and Rafael Rodriguez combined on a five-hitter. Diaz (2-2) won his second game of the week when he limited the Naturals to three hits over six innings of work. Corey Smith capped a four-run sixth with a two-run homer, his 17th of the year.

Northwest Arkansas Naturals

(Kansas City Royals)

27-16, First Place, North Division

July 28...In a 10-4 win over Springfield, shortstop Mario Lisson went 3-for-4, with a pair of homers, a triple, six RBIs and three runs scored. In the second, Lisson socked a grand slam to left-center, giving the Naturals an early 4-0 lead. Prior to his big game, Lisson had gone 5-for-37 (.135) in his previous 10 games. During a perfect 4-for-4 night, Juan Richardson scored three times and connected on a two-run homer (10). Starter Daniel Cortes improved to 6-4 after allowing three runs, four hits and two walks through six innings. Kila Kaaihue was promoted to Triple-A Omaha. In his last game, Kaaihue went 2-for-5, with a RBI double and a pair of runs. Kaaihue leaves the Naturals having produced a .314 average and 74 RBIs. His 26 home runs, .463 on-base percentage and .624 slugging percentage all rank first in the Texas League. With the victory, the Naturals hold a season-high four-game lead in the second-half standings. They have won seven of their last eight.

July 29...Northwest Arkansas hit three multiple-run homers, winning their fifth consecutive game with a 9-6 victory over Tulsa. During a perfect 4-for-4 night, Irving Falu scored three times, finishing a double short of the cycle. In the Naturals' four-run fifth, Falu and Cory Aldridge both belted two-run homers. Aldridge pounded three hits, drove in a trio and scored twice. Brian McFall launched a three-run round-tripper in the second, giving the Naturals an early 3-0 lead. Starting pitcher Blake Wood punched out nine Drillers in four innings, while allowing three runs.

July 30... Northwest Arkansas clobbered Tulsa 11-1, winning their sixth straight game. Leading the Naturals' offensive assault, Irving Falu, Juan Richardson and Brian McFall all had three RBIs. Richardson went 4-for-5 with a pair of home runs (11, 12), two doubles and three runs scored. Finishing 3-for-4, McFall swatted a two-run dinger (15) and stole his sixth base. Ed Lucas also went deep for his fourth home run. In 7.2 shutout innings, winning pitcher Rowdy Hardy (5-8) struck out a season-high eight batters. The Naturals scored exactly three runs in every inning from the sixth through the eighth.

July 31...The Naturals racked up 10 hits, but couldn't score a run, losing to Tulsa 7-0. Second baseman Marc Maddox went 4-for-5, with two doubles. Irving Falu added three hits and a double.

August 1...Northwest Arkansas shutout Arkansas 1-0, taking a 13-12 edge in the season series against their in-state rivals. Naturals pitchers Blake Johnson, Chris Nicoll, Tim Hamulack and Chris Hayes combined on a four-hitter. Earning the victory, Johnson (9-6) gave up just two hits and three walks over six solid innings. Johnson no-hit the Travelers through the first four stanzas. Submariner Chris Hayes notched his eighth save. Juan Richardson went 2-for-4 and scored the Naturals' only run.

August 2...The Naturals defeated Arkansas 5-2, marking their seventh straight victory over the Travelers. Naturals hurlers Daniel Cortes, Jarrod Plummer and Chris Hayes collectively had 11 strikeouts, while holding the Travs to only seven hits. Cortes got the win, improving his record to 7-4. Plummer fanned five over three innings of one-hit ball before handing the game over to Hayes, who earned his ninth save. Leadoff hitter Jose Duarte swatted a two-run round-tripper in the seventh.

August 3...Northwest Arkansas was shutout 5-0 by Arkansas. Irving Falu provided the Naturals' only extra-base hit, a first-inning double. Cory Aldridge went 1-for-2 with two walks.

Springfield Cardinals

(St. Louis Cardinals)

23-20, Second Place, North Division

July 28...On a 2-for-4 evening, Allen Craig launched his 19th home run of the year as Springfield lost to Northwest Arkansas 10-4. Since the All-Star break, Craig is batting .374, with eight home runs, 26 RBIs and a 1.065 OPS. Jim Rapoport, who had just been activated from disabled list, swatted a fifth-inning, two-run homer in his first game back. Shortstop Tyler Greene, in the midst of a franchise record 18-game hitting streak, was promoted to Triple-A Memphis. In 97 games, Greene hit 16 home runs, drove in 41 runs and stole 14 bases for the Redbirds.

July 29...In an 8-2 loss to Arkansas, left fielder Daryl Jones clubbed his first Double-A home run. The 21-year-old went 3-for-4 with a double and a pair of RBIs. Outfielder Jon Jay was called up to Triple-A Memphis. Jay, the Topps Texas League Player of the Month for June, hit .306 with 11 home runs, 47 RBIs and 10 stolen bases in 96 games. Starting pitcher Brandon Dickson, an undrafted free agent, was promoted to Springfield after posting a 3.36 ERA in 19 games with high Single-A Palm Beach. Right-handed starter Tyler Herron was reassigned to Palm Beach.

July 30...In the top of the ninth, Isa Garcia's sacrifice fly broke a two-all tie, giving Springfield a 3-2 victory over Arkansas. Entering the top of the eighth, the Cardinals trailed 2-0, but tied the game when Brandon Yarbrough stroked a two-run single. The Cardinals' late-inning rally put an end to the club's five-game losing streak. Reliever Luis Perdomo picked up his first Texas League victory after throwing two shutout innings. Firing a scoreless ninth, Fernando Salas saved his 19th game. Over six innings, starting pitcher Kyle Mura surrendered one earned run, seven hits and no walks. Both teams committed four errors in the meeting.

July 31...Anchored by starter Justin Fiske's gem, Springfield shutout Arkansas 7-0 in a swift 2:21 affair. Over seven masterful innings, Fiske one-hit the Travelers, compiling nine strikeouts. The left-hander had retired the first 11 batters he faced, until issuing a free pass in the fourth, his only walk of the game. In the sixth, Fiske's bid for a no-hitter was broken up by a leadoff single from Flint Wipke. Fiske (1-0), with the win, gained his first Texas League decision. Isa Garcia and Casey Rowlett each drove in a pair of runs for the Cardinals.

August 1...Springfield hammered three home runs, beating Tulsa 8-7. Jim Rapoport, Andrew Brown and Daryl Jones all went deep for the Cardinals. Isa Garcia and Allen Craig, the Cardinals' two and three hitters, both went 4-for-4 with RBI doubles. Garcia led the Cards with three runs scored. Striking out two in a scoreless ninth, closer Fernando Salas secured his league leading 20th save. The Cardinals activated left-handed reliever Zack Zuercher from the disabled list. Zuercher had been out since May 29 with a strained rhomboid muscle in his back.

August 2...In a 5-3 victory over Tulsa, right fielder Mark Shorey went 3-for-4 with a pair of RBI doubles and a run scored. Leadoff hitter Jim Rapoport matched Shorey with three hits, stole a pair of bases and scored a run. Winning pitching Jess Todd (4-5) struck out eight in 6.2 innings, yielding three runs (three solo homers), five hits and a walk. The right-hander threw 66 of his total 86 pitches for strikes. Fernando Salas saved his 21st game after hurling a scoreless ninth.

August 3...Springfield's four-game win streak was snapped with a 6-5 loss to Tulsa. Tied at 3-3 in the seventh, Isa Garcia and Mark Shorey connected on solo round-trippers, lifting the Cardinals to a 5-3 advantage. Shorey finished at 4-for-4, with a pair of RBIs and runs scored.

Tulsa Drillers

(Colorado Rockies)

20-23, Third Place, North Division

July 28...Catcher Rick Guarno went 3-for-4, with a homer and two RBIs as Tulsa dropped a 12-5 decision to Springfield. Left fielder Justin Nelson also went yard for the Drillers. Jeff Dragicevich, who hit .344 with two round-trippers in nine games with Colorado Springs, rejoined the team. Reliever Andrew Johnston was called up from high Single-A Modesto, while Jonathan George was reassigned to Modesto.

July 29...In a 9-6 loss to Northwest Arkansas, shortstop Corey Wimberly went 2-for-3, with three runs scored, three stolen bases, two walks and a RBI. Wimberly's league leading 52 stolen bases are nine more than Frisco's Elvis Andrus, who ranks second with 43. Jeff Kindel, who was 2-for-3, cracked a two-run homer (10) and walked twice. Daniel Carte delivered a pair of RBI singles. Tossing three innings of relief, Tomas Santiago fanned five, while surrendering a run on two hits and no walks. Following the game, outfielder Matt Miller was promoted to Triple-A Colorado Springs. Miller leaves the Texas League as the league leader in hits (140), while ranking second in both batting average (.344) and RBIs (87).

July 30... Justin Nelson went 2-for-4 with a run scoring triple as Tulsa fell 11-1 to Northwest Arkansas. Outfielder Thomas Collaro, who played with Double-A Chattanooga and Triple-A Charlotte earlier this year, was assigned to the Drillers by the Colorado Rockies.

July 31... Tulsa blanked Northwest Arkansas 7-0. Making his third and final rehab start, Jeff Francis punched out nine Naturals hitters, while scattering seven hits and two walks over six innings. Improving to 1-0, Francis lowered his ERA to 0.63 in 14.1 innings with the Drillers. The Drillers' seven through nine hitters, Thomas Collaro, Justin Nelson and Brian Esposito, combined to go 9-for-11 at the plate. Nelson went 4-for-5, with a three-run homer (12) and two runs. It was Nelson's third multiple-hit game of the homestand. In his Drillers debut, Collaro went 2-for-2, with three walks and a pair of runs scored.

August 1...In Tulsa's 8-7 loss at Springfield, Justin Nelson and Brian Esposito hit back-to-back home runs in the fifth. First baseman Jeff Kindel led the Drillers with three hits. Center fielder Corey Wimberly went 2-for-5, with a double, a run scored and a stolen base (54). Shortstop Chris Nelson rejoined the Drillers after a short stint with high Single-A Modesto. In his first game back, Nelson went 1-for-2 with a double, a sacrifice fly and a run scored.

August 2...Tulsa lost 5-3 to Springfield. Accounting for all of the Drillers runs, Jeff Kindel, Justin Nelson and Rick Guarno slugged solo home runs. Guarno and Eduardo Cornejo, Tulsa's eight and nine hitters, both went 3-for-4. Losing pitcher Chaz Roe (3-3) surrendered four runs, seven hits and two walks in six innings, while compiling five strikeouts.

August 3...Trailing 5-3 in the top of the eighth, the Drillers rallied for three runs, propelling them to a 6-5 victory over Springfield. The Drillers sent nine batters to the plate during the eighth inning, taking the lead on a run-scoring bunt single from Jeff Dragicevich. Daniel Carte and Rick Guarno both clubbed home runs for Tulsa. Eduardo Cornejo went 3-for-4, with three runs scored and a pair of doubles. Hurling a perfect ninth, Ryan Mattheus struck out two en route to his 13th save.

SOUTH NOTES

Corpus Christi Hooks

(Houston Astros)

14-28, Fourth Place, South Division

July 28...In an 11-2 loss to Midland, third baseman Chris Johnson went 2-for-4 and belted his 12th home run of the season. Following the game, Johnson was promoted to Triple-A Round Rock. The Stetson alumnus hit .324, stroked 24 doubles and drove in 58 runs for the Hooks in 84 games. Reliever Sean Walker was reassigned to high Single-A Salem, where he will serve as the team's closer. The Hooks surrendered 42 runs to the RockHounds in the series, a club record for a four-game set.

July 29...In the bottom of the 10th, Billy Hart launched a game-ending, two-run homer, propelling Corpus Christi to a 6-5 win over San Antonio. Entering the bottom of the 10th, the Hooks trailed the Missions 5-3. Leadoff hitter Drew Sutton hammered the first pitch of the inning to left, cutting the Missions lead to one. Jonny Ash, who joined the club from Triple-A Round Rock that day, followed with a RBI single. Hart, the next batter, brought home Ash with his first walk-off home run of his four-year professional career. Hart's clutch home run was his second of the day as the former Southern California quarterback also went yard in the fourth, connecting on a two-run shot. Sutton, Ash and Hart, the Hooks first three hitters, all had two hits and a pair of runs scored. Starter Bud Norris fanned seven in five innings, allowing one run, three hits and no walks. Reliever Jose Oyervidez rejoined the club from Triple-A Round Rock.

July 30...In a 13-0 loss to San Antonio, Corpus Christi committed a season-high six errors and could only manage two hits. Center fielder Jarred Ball stole his 10th base in his 32nd game with the Hooks.

July 31...Powered by Brian Bogusevic's bat, Corpus Christi downed San Antonio 8-5. During a 3-for-4 evening, Bogusevic socked a pair of home runs and had four RBIs. In the fifth, Bogusevic cracked a solo shot. It was his first Double-A dinger. The former pitcher added a two-run blast in the eighth. Finishing a home run short of the cycle, center fielder Eli Iorg went 3-for-4 with three RBIs. Jonny Ash also contributed with three hits and scored twice. Winning pitcher Polin Trinidad (4-5) surrendered three runs in six innings of work. The Hooks placed reliever Evan Englebrook on the disabled list. Left-hander Chris Salamida was called up from high Single-A Salem, where he went 4-2, with 11 saves in 36 appearances.

August 2...The Hooks dropped both games of a doubleheader to scorching hot Midland. Unable to come up with an extra base hit, the Hooks lost the first game 7-3. Billy Hart and Eli Iorg led the club with two hits each. Jose Oyervidez fanned three in two perfect innings of relief. Despite receiving an improved offensive effort, the Hooks fell in the second game 7-4. Brian Bogusevic went 2-for-3 with a two-run homer, his third long fly in as many games. Jonny Ash went 2-for-4 and knocked in a pair of runs. Mitch Einertson went 3-for-3, while leadoff hitter Drew Sutton tripled and scored twice. Corpus Christi named Sutton, outfielder Jarred Ball and pitcher Andy Van Hekken as the team's players of the month for July.

August 3...During the Hooks' 6-2 loss at Midland, Mitch Einertson went 2-for-4, with a two-run double and a stolen base. Jonny Ash and Lou Santangelo also had two hits for the Hooks.

Frisco RoughRiders

(Texas Rangers)

26-17, First Place, South Division

July 28...Down 2-0 in the bottom of the eighth, Elvis Andrus capped a three-run inning with a two-RBI single, lifting Frisco to a 3-2 victory over second-place San Antonio. Right fielder Steven Murphy led off the eighth with a solo home run (17), breaking up the Missions' shutout. The RoughRiders prevailed despite tallying only four hits. Five Frisco hurlers combined to four-hit the Missions. Starter Neftali Feliz, who fanned four, started the game and threw 3.1 shutout innings.

July 29...Shortstop Elvis Andrus cracked a two-run homer and swiped a pair of bases in Frisco's 7-3 loss to Midland. Center fielder Julio Borbon also went deep with a fifth inning, solo shot.

July 30...In a 5-2 loss to Midland, Elvis Andrus drove in both of the RoughRiders' runs with a RBI single and a sacrifice fly. Making a rehabilitation start, Texas Rangers right-hander Joaquin Benoit tossed a perfect inning, while striking out two. Catcher Max Ramirez was promoted to Triple-A Oklahoma and replaced on the roster with fellow backstop Tim Gradoville.

July 31...During Frisco's 9-6 defeat to Midland, Steven Murphy went 2-for-4 with a pair of doubles and two RBIs. Murphy's 31 doubles are the most in the Texas League. Catcher Tim Gradoville went yard with a two-run bomb. Frisco activated right-hander Trey Hodges from the disabled list and sent southpaw Derek Lee to Triple-A Oklahoma.

August 1...Tied at four-all in the top of the 13th, Dustin Majewski, who went 2-for-5 with four RBIs, cracked a three-run double to deep center, lifting Frisco to a 7-4 triumph over San Antonio. Reliever Brennan Garr (2-1) earned the victory after holding the Missions hitless over three innings. Second baseman Jose Vallejo went 3-for-6 with a pair of runs scored and two stolen bases. The RoughRiders placed starter Michael Schlact on the disabled list. Catcher Manuel Pina and right-handed pitcher John Bannister were called up from high Single-A Bakersfield.

August 2...Neftali Feliz, Beau Jones and Alfredo Gonzalez combined on a six-hitter as Frisco sailed to a 6-1 win over San Antonio. In the seventh, Adam Fox broke a scoreless tie with a two-out, two-RBI triple. The RoughRiders took a comfortable lead by scoring four runs in the eighth. Steven Murphy drove in a pair of runs, scored twice and stole his 12th base of the year. Julio Borbon went 3-for-5, with a double and a run scored.

August 3...Limiting their opponents to six hits and no walks, Frisco blanked San Antonio 8-0. In eight masterful innings, winning pitcher Jared Hyatt held the Missions to only five hits, while recording five strikeouts. The lanky 6"5", 205 pound right-hander induced 15 air outs from San Antonio. Left fielder Dustin Majewski went 3-for-4 with a double, a RBI and two runs scored. Activated from the disabled list prior to the contest, Craig Gentry showed no rust by going 2-for-3, with a pair of doubles, two RBIs and a run scored. Leadoff hitter Julio Borbon doubled, tripled and scored twice. Outfielder Ben Harrison was promoted to Triple-A Oklahoma. In 91 games, Harrison hit .300 with 17 home runs, 66 RBIs and 18 stolen bases.

Midland RockHounds

(Oakland Athletics)

25-18, Second Place, South Division

July 28...Midland pummeled Corpus Christi 11-2, completing a four-game sweep. The RockHounds accumulated 42 runs and 63 hits in the series, scoring in double-digits three times. All of the RockHounds starters drove in a run with the exception of Justin Sellers, who played well with a 2-for-4 night. Tommy Everidge went 3-for-6, with a home run, a double, three RBIs and three runs scored. Everidge's efforts put him on top of the Texas League leader board with 87 RBIs. Sean Doolittle and Frank Martinez matched Everidge with three hits. Picking up his first win, starter Jason Windsor held the Hooks to one run and two hits in five innings of work.

July 29...Midland won their fifth straight road game with a 7-3 win over Frisco. Javier Herrera went 2-for-4, with a three-run dinger and knocked in four runs. During a 4-for-5 evening, third baseman Tommy Everidge belted his 20th home run of the season, a two-run bomb. Winning pitcher James Simmons (6-6) struck out six through seven frames, while surrendering three runs. After pitching two shutout innings, Andrew Bailey has recorded a microscopic 0.56 ERA (1 ER in 16 innings) since being converted into a reliever. Starting pitcher Jason Fernandez was promoted to Midland from high Single-A Stockton. In the California League, Fernandez went 9-5 with a 3.36 ERA in 19 outings.

July 30...Sean Doolittle launched a three-run homer as Midland topped Frisco 5-2. Snapping a scoreless tie, Doolittle's third big fly was the key hit during Midland's four-run fourth. Giving up no earned runs over five innings, starter Vincent Mazzaro picked up his Texas League leading 12th win. Mazzaro struck out five, yielding three hits and three walks.

July 31...Midland defeated Frisco 9-6, completing a three-game sweep of the RoughRiders. The RockHounds' triumph was their seventh straight win, all coming on the road. Trailing 5-2 after four innings, the RockHounds took the lead for good by scoring four runs in the fifth, half of them coming when Sean Doolittle belted a two-run homer (4). Aaron Cunningham tripled, stole a base and led the 'Hounds with three hits. Shortstop Frank Martinez went 2-for-4, with a triple and two RBIs. Jared Lansford fanned four over two hitless innings, earning his first Double-A save.

August 1...The opener of a four-game series between Midland and Corpus Christi was rained out. Right-handed reliever Chris Farley was reassigned to the club after a three game stint with Triple-A Sacramento.

August 2...Midland swept Corpus Christi in a makeup doubleheader, extending their winning streak to a season-high nine games. In game one, Jon Zeringue cracked a first-inning, three-run homer, helping the RockHounds top the Hooks 7-3. Tommy Everidge went 2-for-3 with two doubles, a RBI and two runs scored. Aaron Cunningham ripped a RBI double, scored twice and recorded an outfield assist. Midland took game two by the score of 7-4. Cunningham shined again by belting a three-run homer and knocking in four runs. Catcher Jed Morris also went deep with his second big fly of the season. Javier Herrera, Cunningham, Everidge and Morris all had two hits, combining for eight of their team's total of nine. Starter Jason Windsor allowed two runs in five innings, improving his record to 2-0. Andrew Carignan closed the game, picking up his 18th save. Cunningham finished the doubleheader with five RBIs and three runs scored. Starter Vincent Mazzaro was promoted to Triple-A Sacramento. Mazzaro leaves the circuit as the league leader in both wins (12) and ERA (1.90). The sinkerballer also ranks second in the league with 104 strikeouts. Lefty Chris Michalak, who pitched for Frisco earlier this season, was assigned to Midland after being signed by the Oakland Athletics.

August 3...The RockHounds won their 10th straight game with a 6-2 victory over the Hooks. With the win, the RockHounds (25-18) remained a game back of first-place Frisco (26-17) in the second half North Division standings. Midland also holds a seven-game winning streak against Corpus Christi. Improving to 7-6, starter James Simmons allowed two runs, seven hits and two walks over 6.1 innings. Relieving Simmons, Jared Lansford earned his second save after tossing 2.2 scoreless innings. Tommy Everidge went 2-for-4 with a pair of RBI doubles. Aaron Cunningham and Javier Herrera both went 2-for-3 with two runs scored. Cunningham extended his hitting streak to 12 games, while Herrera has hit safely in 10 straight. The RockHounds scored three runs in the first, highlighted by Sean Doolittle's two-RBI double. Shortstop Frank Martinez hit his first Double-A home run in the seventh inning.

San Antonio Missions

(San Diego Padres)

21-21, Third Place, South Division

July 28...Spoiling a brilliant outing by starter Matt Buschmann, San Antonio fell to Frisco 3-2. Not factoring in the decision, Buschmann handcuffed the RoughRiders offense by throwing seven scoreless innings of two-hit ball. The Vanderbilt alumnus issued only one walk, while striking out four. Chad Huffman went 1-for-2, with a homer (7), two walks and a pair of runs. In the top of the eighth, Huffman's solo shot gave the Missions a 2-0 advantage. The Missions bullpen let the lead slip away by allowing three runs in the bottom of the eighth.

July 29...In 10 innings, San Antonio fell to Corpus Christi 6-5. With the game knotted at 3-3 in the top of the 10th, the Missions scored two runs, taking a temporary lead. During the 10th, Chad Huffman swatted a pinch-hit home run and Drew Macias capped the inning with a RBI single. Trailing 3-2 in the top of the eighth, pinch hitter Josh Alley led off with a game-tying home run in an 11-pitch at-bat. Second baseman Gabe Lopez went 3-for-4 with a pair of doubles and two runs scored. Seth Johnston belted a solo homer (11) in the fifth.

July 30...In a 13-0 shellacking of Corpus Christi, San Antonio's Stephen Faris, Mike Ekstrom and Michael DeMark combined on a two-hitter. It marked the 17th shutout thrown by the Missions pitching staff this year, which leads the Texas League by nine. Improving to 7-4, Faris one-hit the Hooks over seven innings, while issuing two walks. The right-hander retired the last seven batters he faced, lowering his season ERA to 2.82. Spearheading the Missions' 17-hit assault, Seth Johnston went 3-for-5, with a home run, a double, two RBIs and three runs scored. During a 3-for-6 evening, Kyle Blanks clubbed a home run (13) and knocked in three. Making a pinch-hitting appearance, Mike Baxter went yard with a three-run homer in the eighth. The Missions had six players with multiple hits. Macias scored three times. Entering the seventh with a 2-0 lead, the Missions erupted for 11 runs over the final three innings.

July 31...In an 8-5 loss to Corpus Christi, Chad Huffman belted a three-run homer (9).

August 1...In a 13-inning, 7-4 loss to Frisco, Drew Macias went 4-for-5, with a home run (7), a double, a walk, two runs scored and a stolen base (15). Gabe DeHoyos struck out five RoughRiders in two scoreless innings of relief. Greg Burke followed DeHoyos by fanning four over two shutout innings.

August 2...Seth Johnston walloped his 13th home run of the season as San Antonio dropped a 6-1 affair to Frisco. Pitching well in a losing effort, Matt Buschmann punched out seven batters in seven innings, giving up two runs, four hits and three walks. The former Vanderbilt star took a shutout into the seventh inning.

August 3...In an 8-0 loss to Frisco, Mike Baxter went 2-for-4 with a two-bagger. Making his home debut, Michael DeMark fanned four and allowed one hit in 2.1 scoreless innings of relief.

TOPPS PLAYER OF THE MONTH

Kila Kaaihue - Northwest Arkansas

80 AB, 32 H, .400 AVG, 8 HR, 31 RBI,

26 R, 25 BB, 12 K, .536 OBP, .788 SLG

In the month of July, Kaaihue tore the cover off the ball, which earned him a well deserved promotion to Triple-A Omaha as well as the coveted Topps Player of the Month award for July. In 80 July at-bats, Kaaihue hit .400 with a gaudy .536 on-base percentage and .788 slugging percentage. The Hawaii native tied for the league lead with eight home runs, drove in 31 runs and scored 26 times.

Astoundingly, Kaaihue drew more than twice as many walks (25) as strikeouts (12). For the season, Kaaihue has 80 walks to 41 strikeouts, an amazing combination for a slugger.

The Naturals barreled into first place in the North Division in July with a 21-8 record in no small measure due to Kaaihue's leadership. The left-handed power hitter reached base safely 21 of 24 games he played in. During the period of July 7-13, the 24-year-old earned co-Player of the Week honors with teammate Juan Richardson. Kaaihue hit .474 that week with three home runs, nine RBIs and eight runs scored.

Promoted on July 29, Kaaihue left Northwest Arkansas with a league leading 26 home runs, .463 on-base percentage and .624 slugging percentage.

PLAYER OF THE WEEK

Tommy Everidge - Midland

7G, 31 AB, 14 H, .452 AVG, 2 HR, 11 RBI

9 R, 6 2B, .452 OBP, .839 SLG

Over the past week, Everidge was the league's best player on the league's hottest team. Spearheaded by Everidge's efforts, the RockHounds won all seven of their games last week, extending their winning streak to 10 straight victories. Everidge hit a robust .452 (14-for-31), while leading the league with 11 RBIs, 14 hits, six doubles and eight extra-base hits. The brawny slugger also scored nine runs and posted a flashy .839 slugging percentage.

Everidge hit safely in six of seven games, including five contests with multiple-hits. The RockHounds thumper had an extra-base hit in five games, plus three games with two extra-base knocks. Everidge was a RBI machine, driving in runs in six games, which included of four games with multiple-RBIs. Getting help from his hot hitting teammates, Everidge scored in six of seven games.

During Midland's 11-2 rout of the Hooks on July 28, Everidge went 3-for-6, with a home run, a double, three RBIs and three runs scored. The following night, Everidge was almost perfect at the plate, going 4-for-5 with a two-run dinger.

Last week the Sonoma St. alum raised his season batting average from .261 to .275. During the RockHounds' 10-game winning streak, Everidge has hit .477 (21-for-44) with 16 RBIs. Since July 22, the 25-year-old is batting .446 with nine doubles, three homers and 19 RBIs.

This marks the second time Everidge has earned Player of the Week honors in 2008. He previously won the award for his play during the week of May 26-to June 1.

The native of Santa Rosa, Calif. currently leads the circuit with 95 RBIs.

PITCHER OF THE WEEK

Justin Fiske - Springfield

1 GS, 1-0, 7.2 IP, 7 H, 0 R, 0 ER

8 K, 1 BB, 0.00 ERA

Signed as a nondrafted free agent on July 7, 2007, Fiske is remarkably making a fast ascent through the Cardinals farm system. Making just his fourth career professional start against Arkansas on July 31, Fiske earned his first Double-A win by firing seven shutout innings of one-hit ball.

During the outing, the southpaw fanned nine, while issuing only one bases on balls, while retiring the first 1l batters he faced before allowing a runner to reach base via a walk in the fourth inning. The 5"11 left-hander also no-hit the Travelers for five innings.

A recently converted reliever, Fiske went a career-high seven innings.

In 20 appearances with Springfield this year, Fiske has recorded a laudable 3.00 ERA and has compiled 48 strikeouts in 36 innings.

ALUMNI REPORT

ARKANSAS TRAVELERS

Indianapolis INF Luis Ordaz ('97) has hit .371 with three RBIs and three runs scored in his last nine games...In his bid to win the league home run title, Albuquerque 3B Dallas McPherson ('03-'04) launched another salvo last Sunday, slugging three home runs against Fresno to increase his season total to 38. McPherson finished July with 11 homers in 26 games -- tied for third-best in the league. His 39 on the season, though, had McPherson two head of Oklahoma's Nelson Cruz through Friday's games...Salt Lake 3B Brandon Wood ('06) has hit eight home runs and drive in 12 runs over his last 10 games while batting .462 (18-for-39)...Salt Lake 3B Freddy Sandoval ('07) sported a .400 average (16-for-40) over a 10-game stretch.

CORPUS CHRISTI HOOKS

Durham SS Ben Zobrist ('06) has hit a sizzling .533 in his last nine games with two homers, six RBIs and seven runs scored. He has 12 hits in his last 17 at-bats (.706)...Round Rock OF Ray Sadler ('07) batted .457 (16-for-35) with six homers and 11 RBIs in a 10-game span.

FRISCO ROUGHRIDERS

Nashville OF Laynce Nix ('03-'04) has a .351 average (13-for-37) with three home runs over his last nine games...For one night, at least, Oklahoma 1B Nate Gold ('05-'06) stole the show from Cruz, who is contending for the home run title in the PCL. Gold hit three home runs Monday in the RedHawks' 12-9 loss to Colorado Springs, all solo shots, while going 4-for-5. The 28-year-old entered the weekend with 20 homers on the season. Gold was definitely heating up in July, hitting nine homers during the month.

MIDLAND ROCKHOUNDS

Oklahoma OF Nelson Cruz ('04) has five home runs and 15 RBIs in his last 10 games while batting .370 (17-for-46).

SAN ANTONIO MISSIONS

Louisville LHP Adam Pettyjohn ('06) has won his last four starts, allowing three earned runs over 24 innings. He was 4-1 with a 1.78 ERA in five July starts to improve his overall record to 11-4 with a 4.61 ERA...Portland 3B Peter Ciofrone's ('07-'08) PCL-best hitting streak came to an end Thursday at 27 games when he went 0-for-4 in the Beavers' 3-0 loss to Albuquerque.

West Tennessee OF Mike Wilson ('06), the SL home run leader with 23, hit a two-run blast with two outs in the bottom of the ninth inning to give the Diamond Jaxx a walk-off victory against Birmingham. Wilson, 25, was 8-for-20 with six RBIs over a five-game stretch. He was hitting .289 and had 70 RBIs. He batted .342 in July.

SPRINGFIELD CARDINALS

Nashville LHP Troy Cate ('06) is 1-0 with a 1.35 ERA over his last four games.

TULSA DRILLERS

Louisville C Alvin Colina ('05-'06) has hit .364 in his last 10 games.

OTHER TEXAS LEAGUE ALUMNI

Louisville 1B Kevin Barker (El Paso '97-'98) has hit a productive .270 in his last nine contests, hammering four homers and collecting seven RBIs while scoring eight times...Omaha OF Chris Lubanski ('06-'07) hit five home runs and had eight RBIs over a 10-game span whle batting .303 (10-for-33).

This Week in the Texas League History

August 5, 1992...Leadoff hitter Rico Christian sparked a 17-hit Arkansas attack with five hits in six at-bats, leading the Travs to a 9-6 win over Shreveport. The offensive output by Arkansas must have been a surprise to the Captains. They had limited the Travelers to just 21 hits in the previous four games of their current series.

August 6, 1903...Art "Dodo" Pennell had a perfect day at the plate for Waco in a 13-9 loss to Fort Worth. Pennell had five of Waco's 16 hits, collecting two singles, two triples and a home run in five times to the plate. Unfortunately for Waco, Fort Worth touched their starter, Cy Mulkey, for 19 hits, negating Pennell's productive afternoon.

August 7, 1888...Dallas throttled Houston 18-0, collecting 23 hits in the process. Arthur Sunday, brother of famed evangelist Billy Sunday, was the offensive star of the game for Dallas, going 4-for-6 with two home runs and four runs scored.

August 8, 2003...San Antonio pounded El Paso 20-6. It is the second time during the 2003 season that the Missions had scored at least 20 runs in a single contest. Offensive hero's abounded for San Antonio as they matched their season high in hits with 25. Seven members of the San Antonio lineup had at least three hits, while Jose Lopez and John Lindsey each had four. Every Missions hitter had at least one hit and scored a run, while Lopez led in run production, knocking in five. Even light hitting utility player Tim Merritt got into the swing of things, reaching base five times in six plate appearances, going 3-for-4 with a double, two walks and four RBI's.

August 9, 1978...A scratch single by catcher Terry Stupy with one out in the ninth inning was the only hit allowed by San Antonio's Mark Nipp, as he led the Dodgers past El Paso 1-0. Stupy's hit had bounced off Nipp's leg and was retrieved by third baseman Mike Zouras. Unfortunately, his throw to first base was too late to preserve the no-hit bid. Nipp completed the one-hitter without walking a batter and striking out 17.

August 10, 1967...A pair of sluggers led Austin to a 15-8 wipeout of visiting Dallas-Fort Worth. Center fielder Cito Gaston starred for the Braves, stroking a single, triple and two home runs. All of which produced six RBI's. Clean-up hitter Dave Nicholson chimed in with three hits, including a pair of two-run homers.

August 11, 1958...A rough first inning cost San Antonio starter Jim Archer a win in an otherwise stellar outing. Pitching a complete game, during which he struck out 16, Archer struggled in the opening frame, allowing three runs on three hits, three walks and a wild pitch. Though he allowed just two more walks, five hits and a pair of runs over the final eight innings, he was saddled with Missions 5-3 loss to Fort Worth.

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Texas League Stories from August 4, 2008


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