TL1 Corpus Christi Hooks

Game Notes, July 5 - Corpus Christi at NW Arkansas

Published on July 5, 2011 under Texas League (TL1)
Corpus Christi Hooks News Release


Corpus Christi (5-6, 30-51) @ NW Arkansas (3-8, 38-40)

Jeff Bianchi delivered a bases-loaded, two-out single in the bottom of the seventh to plate a pair of runners - the difference in last night's 5-3 win for the Naturals. Two walks and a throwing error by reliever Arcenio Leon set the stage for Bianchi, whose single was the only hit in the decisive frame.

The Hooks, now 2-3 on this road trip, were unable to hold an early 2-0 lead. Xavier Cedeno turned in another quality start (6 IP, 3 ER) but received nothing in return - resigned to his seventh no-decision in his last eight starts. Left fielder J.D. Martinez had a 2-for-3 night with a homer and two runs. Martinez has homered in the first two games of this series and carries an eight-game hitting streak into tonight's action.

Tonight's Matchup:

RHP Jonnathan Aristil (3-6, 5.88) vs. LHP Chris Dwyer (2-8, 6.16)

Aristil, obtained by the Astros in December along with LHP Wes Musick in the deal that sent RHP Matt Lindstrom to Colorado, makes his 17th appearance and 16th start for the Hooks. He's coming off a sharp outing in the opening game of this road trip Thursday at Tulsa. Aristil held the Drillers to one unearned run on two hits over five innings. He did not issue a walk and struck out four, leaving with a 2-1 lead. The Hooks lost the game 4-3. The effort was a nice bounce back from his two previous starts, both at home, in which he went 0-1 with a 12.91 ERA. Though his numbers this year are better overall at home, Aristil has been tough in his last three road appearances (1-1, 0.69 ERA). The Dominican native is tied for the league lead in walks allowed (43 - with tonight's opponent Chris Dwyer), is fifth in home runs allowed (14) and tied for fourth in strikeouts (75). Originally signed by the Rockies as a non-drafted free agent in July of 2003, the former infielder was converted to pitching while with the DSL Rockies early in 2006.

· Won his only start vs. NW Arkansas on April 19 at home (6.2-6-2-2-4-6)

· Only runs he allowed in that start were solo home runs by Christian Colon and Mario Lisson

· His 14 HRs allowed have accounted for 23 of the 54 runs he's given up this year (only 1 HR allowed in his last 5 appearances, 4 starts)

Dwyer, a non-roster invitee to Royals Spring Training, makes his 16th start this season and his third against the Hooks. Thursday to open this home stand against San Antonio, Dwyer got roasted by the Missions, charged with seven earned runs on five hits and four walks in only an inning and two-thirds. And, despite two good road starts prior to Thursday's effort, Dwyer is 0-3 in his last three starts with a 6.40 ERA. A fourth-round pick of Kansas City in the 2009 draft out of Clemson University, Dwyer split his time last year between Wilmington in the Carolina League and Northwest Arkansas. In four starts with the Naturals, he went 2-1 with a 3.06 ERA. Both of his wins came against the Hooks in early July, and in those two starts Dwyer allowed just one run over 11 innings (0.82 ERA).

· In his 2 April starts this year against the Hooks went 1-0 with a 4.82 ERA

· Tossed 6 innings of shutout ball with a season-high 9 Ks to beat Tulsa here June 15

· Pegged by Baseball America as the eighth-best prospect in the KC system and as having the best curveball in the organization

League honors

Texas League president Tom Kayser announced yesterday that LHP Xavier Cedeno was this past week's TL Pitcher of the Week, while left fielder J.D. Martinez was selected as the circuit's Batter of the Week.

Cedeno was accorded the honor for his effort last Monday (June 27) against Frisco at Whataburger Field. Cedeno set a new Hooks franchise record with 14 strikeouts, accomplishing the feat in 6.2 innings. The southpaw fanned the first nine RoughRiders and allowed just one hit without issuing a walk. He had a perfect game through 5.2 innings - a bid that was spoiled by a Guilder Rodriguez single in the sixth.

Martinez was named Batter of the Week after collecting hits in all five games during the period (June 27-July 3). Martinez had a 10-for-21 week with 3 doubles, 1 triple, 1 HR, 5 runs and 8 RBIs. He went 6-for-12 during the week with runners in scoring position, collecting RBIs in all five games.

Cedeno becomes the second Hooks pitcher this year to receive the recognition. LHP Dallas Keuchel has been so honored twice this season. Martinez is the second position player for the Hooks to get the offensive acclaim. Brandon Wikoff was singled out during the third week of the season.

Offense stays steady

Despite last night's loss, the Hooks stretched their string of consecutive games scoring at least three runs to 17. Corpus Christi has tallied 93 runs over the last 17 games for an average of 5.47 runs per game. The Hooks have hit 18 HRs in that time and have homered in each of the last four games (6 HRs).

Defensive struggles continue

Last night's seventh-inning miscue by Leon was Corpus Christi's only error of the night, but it allowed two unearned runs to cross home plate - the difference in the game. The Hooks have committed errors in six straight games, racking up 13 errors in the process. The Hooks had committed 62 errors in their first 75 games this season.

Despite the recent downturn, the Hooks rank fourth in the league in team defense with an overall fielding percentage of .976, with 75 total errors in 81 games.

Pitching Rotation vs. Tulsa

Thursday: RHP Josh Sullivan (2-7, 6.27) vs. RHP Ross Seaton (4-5, 5.62)

Friday: RHP Dan Houston (2-0, 2.25) vs. RHP Erick Abreu (4-2, 4.68)

Saturday: RHP Cory Riordan (1-8, 5.56) vs. LHP Dallas Keuchel (7-6, 2.62)

HOOKS PLAYER NOTES

Jose Altuve

· Leads all full-season minor leagues with his .391 batting average (133x340)

· Is 6-22 this road trip with 2 doubles, 1 HR, 4 runs and 4 RBIs

· Hits in 9 of 11 this half, 16-45 with 2 doubles, 1 HR, 8 runs and 5 RBIs

· Has 17 multi-hit games w/ the Hooks

· In 52 games w/Lancaster batted .408-5-34 and was leading the Cal League in hits (87) and triples (7) at the time of his promotion

· Was named Lancaster's offensive player of the month for May (.388-3-22, 7 SB)

· Batting .363(37-102) vs. RHP; .360(9-25) vs. LHP; .343(12-35) w/RISP

· Has 50 PO, 69 A, 3 E (Fielding pct. of .975)

Emerson Frostad

· Returned to club Friday from AAA Oklahoma City

· Played in just one game for OKC (June 26 at RR), going 1-for-3 with 1 walk

· Signed by the Astros as a free agent June 1

· In 15 games with the Lancaster Barnstormers was batting .280-2-11

· Hits in 6 of his last 7 games, 11-28 with 1 double, 1 triple, 1 HR, 5 runs and 2 RBIs

· Has thrown out 6 of 17 (35.3%) would-be base stealers

· Played parts of 4 seasons (07-10) w/ Frisco, hit .257(253x985) w/ 27 HRs, 131 RBIs

Jon Gaston

· Active since June 24 - was on the temporarily inactive list twice in June

· Has 5-game hit streak, 6-21 with 1 double, 1 triple, 3 runs and 3 RBIs

· Hits in 11 of his last 12 games, 15-49 with 1 double, 1 triple, 2 HRs, 8 runs and 9 RBIs

· Batting .253(45-178) vs. RHP; .206(13-63) vs. LHP; .203(16-79) w/RISP

Jacob Goebbert

· Has 5-game hit streak, 7-19 with 2 doubles, 1 triple, 2 runs and 4 RBIs

· Hits in 13 of the last 15 games, 19-61 with 6 doubles, 1 triple, 1 HR, 7 runs and 7 RBIs

· Has 18 multi-hit games

· Batting .315(46-146) vs. RHP; .279(12-43) vs. LHP; .396(21-53) w/RISP

J.D. Martinez

· Has 8-game hit streak, 15-32 with 3 doubles, 1 triple, 4 HRs, 9 runs and 12 RBIs

· Hits in 20 of the last 22 games, 33-87 with 5 doubles, 1 triple, 5 HRs, 18 runs and 19 RBIs

· Has 6-game RBI streak (9 RBIs)

· Named the TL's Batter of the Week June 27-July 3 (10-21 w/3 doubles, 1 triple, 1 HR, 5 runs and 8 RBIs in 5 games)

· Has 21 multi-hit games (5 straight; 7-12 in Tulsa series)

· Has hitting streaks this season of 12 games (June 11-22) and 11 games (April 7-18)

· Established a club-record nine-game RBI streak (April 11-21) with 14 RBIs

· Batting .339(59-174) vs. RHP; .324(22-68) vs. LHP; .377(29-77) w/RISP

· Houston's Minor League Player of the Year in 2010 (.341-18-89, 5 SBs)

Jimmy Paredes

· Is 6-19 this road trip with 1 double, 1 HR, 3 runs and 2 RBIs

· Is 8-39(.205) this half with 1 double, 2 HRs, 6 runs and 4 RBIs

· Ranked third in the TL in steals (24)

· Has 22 multi-hit games, including two 4-hit games

· Batting .268(56-209) vs. RHP; .273(21-77) vs. LHP; .280(21-75) w/RISP

· Has 99 PO, 146 A, 14 E (Fielding pct. of .946)

· Hit .287-8-65 last year with Charleston and Lexington, ranking third in the South Atlantic League with 50 stolen bases

T.J. Steele

· Is 2-12 this road trip with 2 runs and 7 Ks

· Has single-season career highs in games (77), at-bats (289) and steals (15)

· Batting .179(37-208) vs. RHP; .284(23-81) vs. LHP; .195(17-87) w/RISP

· In his first three pro seasons hit .281-10-79 in 157 games; his playing time hampered by a variety of injuries

Jose Vallejo

· Joined Hooks June 8 from AAA Oklahoma City

· In 37 games with the RedHawks batted .209(19x91) with 1 double, 2 HRs, 7 RBIs and 1 SB

· Is 1-19 in his last 10 games with 1 run and 1 RBI

· In 34 games last year with the Hooks hit .111-0-2 with 1 SB

· Acquired by the Astros along with RHP Matt Nevarez in the deal that sent C Ivan Rodriguez to Texas in August of 2009

Jimmy VanOstrand

· Is 2-14 this road trip with 1 run and 3 RBIs

· Has 12 RBIs in his last 14 games

· Leads team with 23 multi-hit games

· Named CC's May offensive player of the month (.310-1-12, .393 OBP, .833 OPS)

· Is Corpus Christi's all-time franchise leader with 155 RBIs

· Batting .297(58-195) vs. RHP; .278(20-72) vs. LHP; .256(20-78) w/RISP

Jonathan Villar

· Hits in 3 of 4 games this trip, 5-18 with 1 double, 4 runs and 1 RBI

· Injured his right ankle in 2nd inning June 24...missed 3 games

· In 47 games with Lancaster hit .259-4-26 with 20 stolen bases

· Batting .288(19-66) as a right-handed hitter; .232(48-207) as a lefty hitter

· Has 34 PO, 63 A, 9 E (Fielding pct. of .915)

· Rated as Astros #3 prospect entering the 2011 season by Baseball America

Chris Wallace

· Joined club June 23 from Lexington in the South Atlantic League

· Has 8-game hit streak, 10-29 with 2 HRs, 5 runs and 9 RBIs

· In 66 games with the Legends hit .285 (69x242) with 16 doubles, 3 triples, 14 HRs, 37 runs and 49 RBIs

· Went 1-for-2 with a double to help the South defeat the North 6-3 in the South Atlantic League All-Star Game June 21

· Named the SAL's Batter of the Week April 7-17 (.444-5-17 in 10 games)

· In just his second year of pro ball...last year split his time between Greeneville (.310-8-32) and Tri-City (.250-2-8), hitting .293 overall

· A 16th-round pick of the Astros last year out of the University of Houston

· In 4 seasons with the Cougars hit .291-20-96 over 162 games and was picked All-Conference USA Second Team in 2009 (junior year)

Brandon Wikoff

· Is 1-11 this road trip with 3 runs

· Went 12-53(.226) in June with 2 runs and 1 RBI

· Named the TL's Batter of the Week April 25-May 1 (.600, 18x30)

· Named CC's May defensive player of the month (15 PO, 48 A, 1 E, .984 FP)

· Hit first career HR April 27 at Midland in his 657th pro at-bat

· Has 17 multi-hit games, including two 4-hit games

· Batting .351(46-131) vs. RHP; .317(13-41) vs. LHP; .405(15-37) w/RISP

· Has 41 PO, 112 A, 4 E (Fielding pct. of .975)

BULLPEN REPORT

Starters: 22-30, 4.85 ERA, 445.0 IP, 56 HR, 156 BB, 341 K, .268 AVG

Relievers: 8-21, 5.07 ERA, 273.1 IP, 26 HR, 157 BB, 245 K, .270 AVG

Kyle Greenwalt

· Last appearance: Spun three shutout innings Friday night to notch his second save: 0 H, 0 BB, 1 K

· Retired the only batter he faced last Thursday

· Allowed just 1 H in the 8th June 25 vs. Frisco

· Shut down SA over 2 frames June 22, allowing a hit while fanning 3

· Yielded Mike Bianucci's game-winning 3-run homer in the 13th inning June 18 prior to 2 scoreless IP

· 7 of his last 8 appearances have been of the scoreless variety (12.1 IP, 9 K, 2 BB)

· Made first relief appearance May 30 at Ark...tagged with the loss, allowing 3 runs on 2 hits in 1.0 IP

· Went 2-5 with a 9.31 ERA in 9 starts...yielded 8 HR, walked 12 and fanned 28 in 38.2 IP

· Tagged for 31 ER over 6 outings in May, issuing 10 walks and 17 strikeouts in 19.1 innings

· Led the JetHawks in wins and ranked second in starts (27) and innings pitched (136.2) last season

· Went 2-0 with a 2.35 ERA in 5 starts for the Peoria Javelinas this past fall

· Greeneville's MVP in 2008 (6-4, 3.14 ERA), posting the second-best overall ERA (3.01) in the system

Brad James

· Allowed 2 runs on 3 hits and 2 walks without recording an out Saturday night at Tulsa

· Joined CC on Tuesday from Tri-City

· Was 1-0 for the ValleyCats with a 3.18 ERA in 5 appearances...3 BBs and 8 Ks over 5.2 IP

· Had shoulder surgery in 2009 and missed all of last season

· Played portions of 3 seasons for the Hooks (2007-09): 9-21, 5.92 ERA in 50 games and 48 starts

· Is 2nd in franchise history with 48 starts and third all-time in innings pitched (247.2 IP)

· A TL All-Star in 2008, missed most of the 2nd half due to back problems

· Tied for 2nd among Astros farmhands with 10 wins and ranked 2nd in ERA (3.03) in 2007

Blake King

· Last appearance: Held the Drillers to 1 hit over 2.2 IP Saturday night, striking out 2

· Worked a shutout frame Thursday night

· Tossed 1.2 scoreless innings last Sunday vs. Frisco, walking 1 and fanning 1

· Has yielded 1 run over last 7 appearances (11.1 IP, 10 Ks, 4 BB)

· Yielded 4 runs in first four appearances (3.2 IP), walking 7 against 5 Ks

· Claimed off waivers from the Cardinals on May 26

· Was 2-0 with a 11.08 ERA in 15 games at Memphis / Yielded 2 runs on in 1.1 IP with Springfield

· Rated by BA as having the best slider in the St. Louis system in 2010

· Went 4-3 with a 2.91 ERA at Springfield last season, tossed 84 Ks over 68.0 IP - 11.2 strikeouts per nine innings - one of the highest ratios in the minors

· Held the opposition to a .171 batting average, tops among Texas League relievers

Arcenio Leon

· Last appearance: (0.2 IP, 2 UR) Committed a throwing error and yielded 1 hit and 2 walks last night

· Earned his first victory June 26, holding the ‚¬ËœRiders to 1 hit over 1.1 IP

· Has not surrendered an earned run in last 7 appearances, fanning 11 while walking 5 over 8.0 IP

· Struck out 4 over 2 scoreless IP June 23 vs. the Missions, notching his first save

· 17 free passes, 4 WP in 9 game stretch from May 2 to June 8 (12 IP, 6.75 ERA), throwing 124 of 245 pitches for strikes

· Did not allow an ER thru first 7 outings (11 IP)

· Features a groundout to air out ratio of 2.06

· Would have ranked fifth among relievers in the South Atlantic League last season with a .201 opponents' batting average, but fell two frames shy of the league qualifier

· Made his AA debut w/ Hooks July 19 and limited opponents to 2 ER in first 6 app. (2.16 ERA)

Mike Perconte

· Last appearance: Tagged for 6 runs on 7 hits (3 HRs) in 1 IP Saturday

· Surrendered the lead Monday night in the 8th on a 2-run double by Guilder Rodriguez

· Also faced former club June 24, notching a scoreless 7th (1 H, 1 K)

· Released by Texas on Sunday and signed by the Astros on Wednesday

· 3-0 with a 5.40 ERA in 19 appearances for Frisco, 28 Ks, 15 BBs over 28.1 IP

· Surrendered a grand slam to J.D. Martinez on May 2 (6 R, 2.1 IP) at Whataburger Field

· Released by the Cubs after spring training

· 5-2 with a 3.71 ERA and 7 saves (10 chances) in 48 appearances for Daytona last season

· Entered 2011 with a 12-6 career record and 4.02 ERA in 3 seasons: 207 K, 79 BB over 208.1 IP

· Originally acquired by Chicago as a non-drafted FA in 2008 out of Murray State

· Father, Jack, played 6 seasons in the majors at 2B with the Dodgers, Indians, Mariners & White Sox

Patrick Urckfitz

· Last appearance: Struck out 2 and allowed just 1 hit over 2.0 IP Sunday night

· Walked 3 & hit a batter last Thursday, yielding 3 runs while recording 2 outs in loss

· Broke a string of 5 consecutive scoreless appearances (6.2 IP)

· Had yielded 11 ER and 16 H 5.2 IP at OKC before being reassigned to CC June 26

· 14 of 23 appearances have been of the scoreless variety

· Yielded just 1 earned run in first 7 appearances (10.2 IP)

· Shifted to Lancaster's rotation full-time in early July last season to gain more innings

· Led the JetHawks in strikeouts (103) and tied for fourth in victories (5)

· In 2009, ranked second in the Astros organization with 14 saves

Henry Villar

· Last appearance: Worked 1.1 scoreless innings last night, walking 1 and fanning 1

· Stuck out the first two in the 9th Saturday but yielded a 2-run HR to Ben Paulsen

· Saddled with the loss Monday night after 6 Frisco singles led to 4 runs in the 9th inning

· Broke a string of 7 (8.0 IP) consecutive scoreless outings to open 2011 tenure with CC

· Had faced 3 over the minimum, throwing 73 of 103 pitches for strikes

· Went 2-1 with a 6.81 ERA in 10 appearances (7 starts) at Oklahoma City

· Allowed 4 runs and 10 walks against 2 strikeouts over 6.1 innings as a RedHawk reliever

· Made his big-league debut last season as a September call-up, yielding 3 ER in 6 IP

· Was 4-7 with a 4.15 ERA for the 2010 Hooks, appearing in 25 of 36 games out of the bullpen

· Won Corpus Christi's pitcher of the month honors for April, allowing 1 ER in 12.2 IP

· For his career, has struck out 343 batters while walking 93 over 372.1 innings entering the 2011 season

Check out the Corpus Christi Hooks Statistics

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