TL1 Corpus Christi Hooks

Game Notes, June 27 - Frisco at Corpus Christi

Published on June 27, 2011 under Texas League (TL1)
Corpus Christi Hooks News Release


Frisco (1-4, 41-34) @ Corpus Christi (3-2, 28-47)

If you weren't here last night, you missed a good one. Left-hander Robbie Erlin set a Frisco franchise record with 14 strikeouts in six and two-thirds innings - and did not get a decision. That's because T.J. Steele, with one out in the bottom of the ninth, drilled a line-drive, two-run home run off the metal fence above the left field wall to give the Hooks a 4-3, walk-off win over the RoughRiders.

Steele's heroics gave the Hooks their second walk-off victory this season - and both have come courtesy of the long ball. Jonathan Villar clubbed a solo shot in his Hooks debut June 1 to beat Springfield 6-5. Tonight's game concludes this 12-game home stand - the longest of the season for the Hooks. They could wrap it up with their first series sweep of the year.

Tonight's Matchup:

RHP Joe Wieland (6-3, 2.10 w/Myrtle Beach) vs. LHP Xavier Cedeno (4-5, 3.81)

Wieland, a fourth-round pick of the Rangers in 2008 out of Bishop Manogue High School in Reno, Nevada, makes his AA debut here tonight for Frisco. In 14 games and 13 starts this season for the Myrtle Beach Pelicans in the Carolina League, Wieland is 6-3 with a 2.10 ERA, with - and this is not a misprint - 4 walks and 96 strikeouts in 85.2 innings. He currently leads the CL in WHIP (0.96) and ranks second in the circuit in ERA and innings pitched. Wieland last took the mound June 21 as the starting pitcher for the Carolina League All-Stars in their matchup against the California League All-Stars at Modesto's John Thurman Field. Wieland retired the three batters he faced, striking out one, on six total pitches. All six pitches were strikes. His last regular-season action came in a June 17 win over Frederick.

· In his last 11 starts, covering 73.2 innings, has issued just 1 walk (79 Ks)

· Has held opponents to two or fewer runs in 10 of his 13 starts (no runs on 4 occasions)

· Tabbed by Baseball America as the #22 prospect in the Rangers farm system

Cedeno, a free-agent signee of the Astros in December, makes his 16th start this season and his fifth against the Riders. Wednesday against San Antonio, Cedeno gave up five runs on four hits and five walks over five frames in a 5-3 loss. The big blow in that game was Jaff Decker's grand slam home run in the third. The next batter, James Darnell, also homered, accounting for the only home runs allowed by Cedeno in his last six starts. Over his last three starts, Cedeno is 0-1 with a 5.06 ERA. Cedeno leads the league in strikeouts (79) and ranks third in innings pitched (87.1) and eighth in ERA (3.81).

· In 4 starts vs. Frisco is 2-0 with a 1.88 ERA, with 3 walks and 21 Ks in 24.0 IP

· Has a 2.12 GO/AO ratio

· Is 3-2 with a 3.22 ERA in 8 home starts (1-3, 4.62, 7 road starts)

Erlin the Magician

Frisco's starter pulled a rabbit out of his hat last night in the form of 14 strikeouts in 6.2 innings (or 20 outs). Erlin's 14 strikeouts is not only a Frisco franchise record, but it's also the most strikeouts by one pitcher in a game involving the Hooks.

Mitch Talbot, now with the Cleveland Indians, holds the Hooks single-game mark with 12 strikeouts. Talbot set that record during seven innings of shutout work in a June 22, 2006 win over Arkansas at Whataburger Field. Mat Latos, now with the San Diego Padres, held the previous high for strikeouts by an opponent. Latos fanned 12 Hooks over 5.1 innings in a June 15, 2009 start at Wolff Municipal Stadium. In that game, Latos was perfect through four innings, striking out nine. He ended up being the losing pitcher that night.

15 Ks not the most

Hooks hitters struck out a total of 15 times last night. That's not a record this season. The high-water mark for strikeouts by the Hooks in one game this year is 16 - and it's happened twice (June 6 vs. Arkansas and June 18 vs. Frisco). Hooks hitters have fanned 12 or more times in seven games this season.

Three-homer game

The Hooks have now gone back-to-back games hitting three home runs, giving the team three such games this season. Corpus Christi has seven HRs this series and 12 HRs this home stand.

Three in a row

The Hooks have now won three in a row for the third time this season. The other two occasions were May 2-4 and May 20-22. The Hooks are the only team in the Texas League this season that has yet to string together four consecutive wins.

Bullpen string continues

Corpus Christi's bullpen had some tenuous moments last night, as the RoughRiders stranded six runners over the final three innings. But, Blake King and Arcenio Leon held the line, combining for three shutout frames. In five games this half, Hooks relievers have not allowed a run over 18 and two-thirds innings. Seven different relievers have contributed to the streak.

Pitching Rotation at Tulsa

Thursday: RHP Jonnathan Aristil (3-6, 6.29) vs. RHP Rob Scahill (5-5, 4.63)

Friday: RHP Ross Seaton (3-5, 5.70) vs. RHP Josh Sullivan (2-6, 6.78)

Saturday: RHP Erick Abreu (4-1, 3.90) vs. RHP Dan Houston (1-0, 0.00)

HOOKS PLAYER NOTES

Jose Altuve

· Leads all full-season minor leagues with his .395 batting average (124x314)

· Hits in 20 of the last 21 games, 31-86 with 7 doubles, 3 triples, 2 HRs, 11 runs and 14 RBIs

· Has 5-game hit streak, 7-19 with 2 runs

· Has 13 multi-hit games w/ the Hooks

· In 52 games w/Lancaster was hitting .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 .354(28-79) vs. RHP; .409(9-22) vs. LHP; .357(10-28) w/RISP

· Has 42 PO, 59 A, 1 E (Fielding pct. of .990)

· In 2010 combined to hit .301-15-67 with 42 steals between Lexington and Lancaster

Jon Gaston

· Came off the temporarily inactive list Friday - 2nd time this month

· Has 6-game hit streak, 9-24 with 2 HRs, 5 runs and 6 RBIs

· Has hits in 9 of his last 12 games, 15-43 with 1 double, 2 HRs, 5 runs and 8 RBIs

· Batting .255(40-157) vs. RHP; .203(12-59) vs. LHP; .200(14-70) w/RISP

Jacob Goebbert

· Joined club May 6 from Lancaster, where he was batting .260-5-18 in 26 games

· Hits in 8 of the last 9 games, 12-38 with 4 doubles, 1 HR, 5 runs and 3 RBIs

· Hits in 10 of the last 13 games, 15-51 with 5 doubles, 1 HR, 6 runs and 3 RBIs

· Batting .323(41-127) vs. RHP; .256(10-39) vs. LHP; .383(18-47) w/RISP

· Spent all of 2010 with Lexington, batted .291-10-98 with 14 steals in 135 games

· A 13th-round pick of the Astros in 2009 out of Northwestern University

Federico Hernandez

· Was only gone from the club for two days

· Played in just one game for Lancaster, Thursday at Rancho Cucamonga (0-1)

· Is 0-6 this home stand with 5 walks, 3 Ks and 1 RBI

· Batting .143(16-112) vs. RHP; .140(6-43) vs. LHP; .190(8-42) w/RISP

· Has thrown out 8 of 40 (20.0%) would-be base stealers

J.D. Martinez

· Voted onto the South Division All-Star team as a starting outfielder

· Hits in 14 of the last 16 games, 21-63 with 2 doubles, 3 HRs, 11 runs and 10 RBIs

· Has 16 multi-hit games

· 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 .325(50-154) vs. RHP; .297(19-64) vs. LHP; .354(23-65) w/RISP

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

Jimmy Paredes

· Is 0-8 in the last 2 games; 1-11 this series with 1 walk and 2 runs

· Is 2-16 this half with 1 HR, 3 runs and 2 RBIs

· Added to TL South All-Star team as a replacement for Vince Belnome (SA)

· Ranked third in the TL lead in steals (24)

· Has 20 multi-hit games, including two 4-hit games

· Batting .275(52-189) vs. RHP; .257(19-74) vs. LHP; .282(20-71) w/RISP

· Has 89 PO, 133 A, 11 E (Fielding pct. of .953)

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

T.J. Steele

· Has 6-game hit streak, 7-23 with 1 HR, 3 runs and 2 RBIs

· Walk-off home run last night his first HR since June 9 at Midland

· Has single-season career highs in games (73), at-bats (273) and steals (14)

· Batting .187(36-193) vs. RHP; .275(22-80) vs. LHP; .205(17-83) 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 was batting .209(19x91) with 1 double, 2 HRs, 7 RBIs and 1 SB

· Is 1-18 in his last 9 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

· Hits in 7 of his last 10 games, 13-30 with 2 doubles, 2 HRs, 4 runs and 9 RBIs

· In his last 8 games vs. Frisco at Whataburger Field is 14-26 with 1 double, 2 HRs, 8 runs and 8 RBIs

· Leads team with 22 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 152 RBIs

· Batting .306(55-180) vs. RHP; .275(19-69) vs. LHP; .250(18-72) w/RISP

Jonathan Villar

· Is 1-10 this half

· Injured his right ankle in 2nd inning Friday night; status is day-to-day

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

· Batting .292(19-65) as a right-handed hitter; .226(43-190) as a lefty hitter

· Has 29 PO, 46 A, 7 E (Fielding pct. of .915)

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

Chris Wallace

· Joined club Thursday from Lexington in the South Atlantic League

· 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 Tuesday night's South Atlantic League All-Star Game

· On April 17 at Asheville went 5-for-6 with 3 HRs and 9 RBIs (Lexington won 18-9)

· 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 2-9 this series with 1 walk and 1 sac bunt

· Is 9-43(.209) 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 16 multi-hit games, including two 4-hit games

· Batting .359(42-117) vs. RHP; .333(13-39) vs. LHP; .417(15-36) w/RISP

BULLPEN REPORT

Starters: 20-29, 4.96 ERA, 412.0 IP, 53 HR, 149 BB, 308 K, .271 AVG

Relievers: 8-18, 4.76 ERA, 255.1 IP, 22 HR, 145 BB, 230 K, .265 AVG

Kyle Greenwalt

· Last appearance: Allowed just 1 H in the 8th Saturday night

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

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

· 5 of his last 6 appearances have been of the scoreless variety (9 IP, 8 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

Blake King

· Last appearance: Tossed 1.2 scoreless innings last night, walking 1 and fanning 1

· Blanked the Missions in the 8th last Thursday

· Has yielded 1 run over last 5 appearances (7.2 IP, 7 Ks, 3 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: Earned his first victory last night, holding the ‚¬ËœRiders to 1 hit over 1.1 IP

· Has not surrendered a run in last 4 appearances, fanning 9 while walking 2 over 5.1 IP

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

· Has walked a batter in 15 of his 25 games this year

· 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: Faced former club Friday night, notching a scoreless 7th (1 H, 1 K)

· (2.0 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 1 K) June 16 at WF as a member of the RoughRiders

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

· Tagged for 3 ER in a 1/3 inning at Midland

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

· 12 of his 20 appearances have been of the scoreless variety

· 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: Worked 1.1 IP for the RedHawks on Saturday: 2 R on 5 H at Round Rock

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

· Not charged with a run in last 5 appearances (6.2 IP) or in 16 of his 22 outings this season for CC

· Recorded club's 1st multi-frame save May 21 against Midland: 2 BBs, 3 Ks, 2 IP

· 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)

· For the season, averaged 8.78 strikeouts per nine innings and 3.24 Ks for every walk.

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

Henry Villar

· Last appearance: Fashioned a perfect ninth Saturday night

· Needed 8 pitches to dispatch Frisco in the ninth Friday night, recording his first save

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

· 2011 Hooks debut June 13 at SA

· Back from being placed on the disabled list with shoulder fatigue May 22

· 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

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

· Struck out 109 batters and walked 18 in 90.0 IP for Lexington in 2009

Shane Wolf

· Last appearance: Held the Missions to 3 hits over 3.2 innings Thursday night

· Tossed 2 shutout IP before back-to-back 2Bs led to a pair of runs in the 8th Tuesday

· Activated from disabled list June 20

· Tagged for 2 runs on 1 hit and 3 walks in 2/3 of an inning June 12 at The Wolff before going on DL

· Has allowed 6 ER in last 6 outings (10 IP)

· Was 1-2 with a 6.00 ERA in 8 May appearances, fanning 13 against 6 walks over 21.0 IP

· Made spot start for Keuchel May 7 at The Wolff: 3 ER, 9 H, 1 BB, 3K 5.0 IP

· (4.2 IP, 2 H, 3 ER, 1 BB, 4 K) Entered May 2 in 3rd after Keuchel collided with 3B Flores on a pop up...yielded a 3-run homer to Frisco's Mike Bianucci but retired next 14 batters to earn the victory

· Finished 2010 second on the JetHawks in victories (7) and fourth in innings pitched (108.2)

· Shifted to the bullpen in early July and went 3-0 with a 2.81 ERA over 15 appearances...struck out 27 and walked 5 in 32 relief innings

Check out the Corpus Christi Hooks Statistics

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