Game Notes, April 28 at Frisco
Published on April 28, 2012 under Texas League (TL1)
Corpus Christi Hooks News Release
Corpus Christi (11-10) @ Frisco (13-8)
We turn to Mark Knopfler for inspiration in trying to briefly encapsulate what happened last night to the Hooks. We think he said it best:
"Sometimes you're the windshield...sometimes you're the bug."
Frisco captured the opening game of this series 12-0, so it shouldn't take much to surmise which role the Hooks played. Justin Grimm scattered four hits over six shutout innings to get the win, while Chad Bell tossed three innings of perfect relief for a superfluous save. Chris McGuiness and Jared Prince provided three-run home runs. Ryan Strausborger also knocked in three runs for the RoughRiders, who have opened the two series between these clubs with wins by scores of 10-0 and 12-0.
Tonight's Matchup:
RHP Ross Seaton (0-2, 5.40) vs. RHP Carlos Pimentel (2-0, 0.00)
Seaton, a third-round selection of the Astros in the 2008 draft, makes his fifth start of the season and his fourth for the Hooks. Last Sunday, Seaton got the call to Oklahoma City to fill in for Paul Clemens and so made his AAA debut. While he carried a shutout into the fourth against Albuquerque, things fell apart in what turned out to be a six-run frame for the Isotopes. Seaton finished with six runs allowed, five earned, on seven hits and a pair of walks over 4.2 innings. He did not get a decision in a game won by Albuquerque 11-10 in 14 innings. Seaton last pitched for the Hooks at Tulsa April 17 (7.0-6-4-4-2-4, L). Seaton led the Hooks and the Texas League with 28 starts last season, posting the second-highest single-season total in team history. A valedictorian at Houston's Second Baptist High School his senior year, Seaton has not missed a turn in the rotation since July of 2009 when he pitched for Lexington - a span of 67 starts.
- With the Hooks this year has thrown 68 percent of his pitches for strikes
- Was the Texas League's Pitcher of the Week twice last season
- With Lexington in 2009 went 8-10 with a 3.29 ERA - the fifth-best ERA in the Astros system
Pimentel, signed by the Rangers as a non-drafted free agent in July of 2006, makes his sixth appearance and second start for the RoughRiders. Here Monday against San Antonio, Pimentel tossed five shutout innings in his first start of the year, earning the win in a 2-1 result against the Missions. He allowed just two hits while striking out four. A starter for the bulk of his six-year pro career, Pimentel has been nearly unhittable this season, holding Texas League batters to a paltry .100 average. He does not rank among the overall league leaders, only because he is just shy of the minimum number of innings needed to qualify. Pimentel does rank, however, among the league's relievers in SO/9 IP ratio (13.94, 1st) and fewest base runners/9 IP ratio (6.97, 3rd).
- Has not allowed a run of any kind this season, and has allowed just 5 hits in 15.1 innings
- Tossed three innings of shutout relief at Whataburger Field April 19 (1 hit, 1 walk, 3 Ks)
- In 28 games and 26 starts last year for Frisco was 7-9 with a 4.74 ERA
Roster flurry
The Astros made a number of moves today throughout the system, and here's how it affects the Hooks. LHP Brett Oberholtzer and RHP Adalberto Flores have been reassigned to AAA Oklahoma City. Oberholtzer is expected to slot into Jordan Lyles' position in the RedHawks rotation after Lyles received the call to Houston in the wake of Kyle Weiland being placed on the 15-day disabled list.
Also today, RHP Josh Zeid has been activated from the disabled list and LHP Alex Sogard has been reassigned from Lancaster to Corpus Christi. Zeid has been on the DL since April 14 and last appeared in a game April 13 at Northwest Arkansas. Sogard, not expected to arrive until sometime during tonight's game, is 0-2 with a 2.81 ERA in six relief appearances this season for the JetHawks.
Singleton continues streak
The Hooks managed just four hits last night, and 1B Jon Singleton had two of them. Singleton has now hit safely in nine straight games and is batting .441 (15x34) during the streak with 3 doubles, 1 triple, 3 HRs, 8 runs and 9 RBIs. Picked pre-season by Baseball America as the top prospect in the Astros system, Singleton has also hit safely in 17 of his last 18 games, batting .415 (27x65) in that stretch.
Bodie milestone watch
Manager Keith Bodie is 3 wins away from milestone win number 1,000 in his pro career. In this his 16th season as a manager in the minor leagues, Bodie enters play today with a career regular-season record of 997-935 (.516 winning percentage). Adding this season to his four years at the helm with Wichita, Bodie's managerial record in the Texas League stands at 317-257.
Pitching Rotation at Frisco
Sunday: RHP Jose Cisnero (2-1, 1.83) vs. RHP Barret Loux (4-0, 1.25)
Monday: RHP Erick Abreu (2-0, 5.50) vs. RHP Jake Brigham (1-1, 4.01)
HOOKS PLAYER NOTES
Brandon Barnes
- Has RBIs in 5 of his last 7 games (10 RBIs in his last 7)
- Hits in 6 of his last 8 games, 10-30 with 5 doubles, 3 HRs, 6 runs and 10 RBIs
- Leads TL doubles (14), extra-base hits (18) and slugging percentage (.716) and is tied for the league lead in RBIs (19) and hits (27)
- Named Texas League Co-Player of the Week (April 5-15), hit .432
- Names Texas League Player of the Week (April 16-22), hit .391
- Batting .354(17-48) vs. RHP; .385(10-26) vs. LHP; .333(7-21) w/RISP
Jay Fernandez
- Went 1-7 on home stand
- Has a career caught-stealing percentage of 40.2 (164 of 408)
- In 8 seasons in the Mariners and Twins systems hit .244-16-162 in 439 games
- Signed by the Astros as a free agent in January, 2012
Jacob Goebbert
- His walk-off, 3-run HR April 9 the first walk-off HR in his 4-year pro career
- Has 6-game hits streak, 7-23 with 2 doubles, 3 runs and 3 RBIs
- Named Texas League Co-Player of the Week (April 5-15), hit .429
- Batting .262(11-42) vs. RHP; .400(8-20) vs. LHP; .571(8-14) w/RISP
Kody Hinze
- Hits in 6 of the last 7 games, 9-26 with 4 walks, 2 doubles, 2 HRs, 3 runs and 5 RBIs
- Batting .237(9-38) vs. RHP; .348(8-23) vs. LHP; .143(3-21) w/RISP
- Ranked 4th last year in the minors in walks (94) and 15th in OPS (.961)
Jordan Kreke
- Went 2-for-3 with a double Monday night for his second 2-hit game of the season
- Has played 306 games in four pro seasons
- Has 131 career games at 3B, 126 at 2B and 49 at SS
- Signed by the Astros as a free agent in January, 2012...originally a 13th-round pick of the Braves in 2009
Jose Martinez
- Is 2-12 in the last 4 games with 3 walks and 2 runs
- No RBIs in his last 9 games
- Batting .213(10-47) vs. RHP; .350(7-20) vs. LHP; .474(9-19) w/RISP
- Played just 6 games in the three-year period 2009-11
- Last full season was 2008 with Springfield (.253-8-67 in 127 games)
Andy Simunic
- Hits in 8 of his last 9 games, 13-28 with 2 doubles, 1 HR, 6 runs and 7 RBIs
- 4-RBI night Saturday night his first since July 29 last season when he hit a grand slam for Lancaster at San Jose
- Batting .400(12-30) vs. RHP; .333(2-6) vs. LHP; .364(4-11) w/RISP
- Played every position in the field last year except catcher and 1B
- In five pro seasons has bounced into just 10 DPs in 1,278 plate appearances
Jon Singleton
- Has 9-game hit streak, 15-34 with 3 doubles, 1 triple, 3 HRs, 8 runs and 9 RBIs
- Hits in 17 of his last 18, 27-65 with 7 doubles, 2 triples, 3 HRs, 15 runs and 13 RBIs
- Last year hit .298-13-63 in 128 games with Clearwater and Lancaster
- Hit all 13 of his home runs last season off RHP
- Batting .467(21-45) vs. RHP; .222(6-27) vs. LHP; .438(7-16) w/RISP
- Has started 13 games at 1B; 6 games in LF
- Ranked by Baseball America as the top prospect in the Astros system
T.J. Steele
- Went 1-3 last night to snap 0-18 skid
- Batting .185(5-27) vs. RHP; .067(1-15) vs. LHP; .267(4-15) w/RISP
- Ranks fourth on the Hooks all-time stolen base chart with 30
J.C. Thompson
- Is 0-11 in his last 4 games
- Hit .273-10-46 in 87 games last year with Lancaster and CC
- Batted .440-10-62 in 59 games with Western Oklahoma State College in 2009
Jonathan Villar
- Hits in 5 of the last 7 games, 8-26 with 1 triple, 4 runs and 4 RBIs
- Leads the league with 10 stolen bases
- Batting .200(10-50) vs. RHP; .200(6-30) vs. LHP; .250(5-20) w/RISP
- Ranked by Baseball America as the No. 4 prospect in the Astros system
Chris Wallace
- Hits in 2 of the last 3 games, 2-10 with 1 HR, 2 runs and 3 RBIs
- Batting .219(7-32) vs. RHP; .150(3-20) vs. LHP; .222(4-18) w/RISP
- His HR (20) and RBI (78) totals ranked third among Houston farmhands last year
- Only Hook to club two grand slams last season (July 3 and July 12)
Austin Wates
- Hits in 7 of the last 8 games, 11-35 with 1 double, 6 runs and 2 RBIs
- Batting .333(18-54) vs. RHP; .321(9-28) vs. LHP; .421(8-19) w/RISP
- Hit .300-6-75 with 26 stolen bases in 132 games last year with Lancaster
- Named Lancaster's MVP, led the JetHawks in 8 statistical categories
Texas League Stories from April 28, 2012
- Travs Continue Slide on the Road - Arkansas Travelers
- Matthes Powers Drillers Victory - Tulsa Drillers
- Naturals Win Sixth Straight to Even Record - Northwest Arkansas Naturals
- Cardinals' Comeback Falls Short, Lose 3-2 - Springfield Cardinals
- Game Notes, April 28 at Frisco - Corpus Christi Hooks
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