TL1 Corpus Christi Hooks

Game Notes, June 3 - Springfield at Corpus Christi

Published on June 3, 2011 under Texas League (TL1)
Corpus Christi Hooks News Release


Springfield (24-27) @ Corpus Christi (19-33)

The Cardinals took the Hooks to the woodshed last night, 9-1. Michael Blazek allowed just one run through seven innings to pick up his sixth win this season. He matched his season high with eight strikeouts. Eric Duncan's three-run home run in the sixth blew the game open, giving the Cardinals a 5-0 lead. Tommy Pham and Matt Adams each added two hits and two RBIs for the Cardinals, who pulled to within three games of first-place Tulsa in the Texas League North first-half standings.

Jacob Goebbert had a 3-for-4 night with Corpus Christi's lone RBI. Goebbert has hit safely in four straight. J.D. Martinez was the only other Hook to have a multi-hit game, going 2-for-4. The Hooks have dropped seven of their last nine, while the Cardinals have won seven of their last 10.

Tonight's Matchup:

RHP Shelby Miller (2-3, 2.89 w/Palm Beach) vs. RHP Ross Seaton (2-2, 5.15)

Miller, a first-round pick (19th overall) of the Cardinals in 2009 out of Brownwood (TX) High School, makes his Double-A debut here tonight in his home state. Miller was promoted to Springfield from Advanced-A Palm Beach of the Florida State League, where in nine starts he was 2-3 with a 2.89 ERA, with 81 strikeouts in 53.0 innings. Miller exits the FSL as the league leader in strikeouts and SO/9 IP ratio (13.75) for starting pitchers. He also ranks second in the circuit among starters in batting average against (.204). In his last five starts with Palm Beach, Miller was 2-1 with a 2.32 ERA, holding opponents to two or fewer runs in each outing. Miller was honored as the Cardinals 2010 Minor League Pitcher of the Year for his efforts with Quad Cities in the Midwest League, where in 24 starts he went 7-5 with a 3.62 ERA, with 140 strikeouts in 104.1 innings.

· Fanned a season-high 12 batters in his most recent start last Friday vs. Lakeland (7.0-3-1-1-1-12)

· Rated by Baseball America as the #1 prospect in the St. Louis system; also as having the "Best Fastball" in the organization

· Was 10-2 with a 1.90 ERA with 153 Ks in 77.0 IP his senior year at Brownwood HS

Seaton, a third-round selection of the Astros in the 2008 draft out of Second Baptist High School in Houston, makes his 11th start this year and his first against the Cardinals. Last Saturday at Arkansas, Seaton held the Travelers to three unearned runs on three hits and three walks over seven innings. He did not figure in the decision, as Arkansas rallied for a 5-4 win in 10 innings. Seaton has put together back-to-back quality starts, going 1-0 with a 1.26 ERA in his last two outings. Saturday's performance was his fifth quality start this season. The right-hander spent all of last year with Lancaster in the California League, where he tied for the league lead in starts (28) and was Lancaster's leader in innings pitched (146.1).

· Showed improvement from April (1-0, 5.85, .333 avg. against) to May (1-2, 4.78, .268 avg. against)

· Was Lancaster's pitcher of the month last July, going 2-1 with a 4.67 ERA

· In 2009 with Lexington, went 8-10 with a 3.29 ERA in 24 starts

Astros announce May players

The Houston Astros Player Development Department has announced its players of the month for May for each of its four full-season affiliates. Here in Corpus Christi, the honors go to LHP Xavier Cedeno, 1B Jimmy VanOstrand and infielder Brandon Wikoff.

In five May starts, Cedeno went 2-1 with a 2.94 ERA, with 30 strikeouts in 33.2 innings. He held the opposition to a .211 batting average (26 hits). For the year, Cedeno has been tough on left-handed hitters, holding them to a .239 average and posting 25 strikeouts in 67 at-bats.

VanOstrand was tabbed as the offensive player of the month. In 27 May games, VanOstrand batted .310 (31x100) with 8 doubles, 1 triple, 1 HR, 11 runs and 12 RBIs. He also drew 14 walks to post an OBP of .393 and an .833 OPS.

Wikoff was selected as the club's defensive player of the month. In 17 games split between 2B (4), SS (6) and 3B (7), Wikoff posted 15 put-outs, 48 assists and 1 error for a fielding percentage of .984. For the year, Wikoff has 28 put-outs, 75 assists and 2 errors to check in with a .981 fielding percentage. He has also been a part of nine double plays.

Uncle Fester part 2

Springfield first baseman Matt Adams has Corpus Christi's number. Period. With a 2-for-4 effort last night that included two RBIs, Adams is now 11-for-15 (.733) against Hooks pitching this year with 3 doubles, 1 HR and 5 RBIs.

Adams currently ranks third in the league in hitting (.348). He is tied for the league lead in HRs (14) and RBIs (46). He is also the TL leader in slugging percentage (.668).

No soup for you

And for our purposes here, soup means extra bases. Corpus Christi cleanup hitter J.D. Martinez continues to get his hits. In 11 games since his return from the disabled list, Martinez is batting .313 (10x32) with 8 walks and 2 RBIs. All 10 of those hits have been singles. In fact, J.D.'s last 13 hits have been singles.

J.D.'s last extra-base hit was his grand slam home run May 2 vs. Frisco. His last double was the day before (May 1), also against the RoughRiders.

"Blown up, Sir!"

With all due respect to Sergeant Hulka of "Stripes" fame, we impart the following statistic. Last night's result marked the ninth time this season the Hooks have been beaten by 7 or more runs. It was only the third such loss at home. Those nine losses have come at the hands of Springfield (2), Northwest Arkansas (1), Frisco (3) and San Antonio (3).

Pitching Rotation vs. Arkansas

Saturday: RHP Orangel Arenas (5-2, 3.55) vs. LHP Dallas Keuchel (3-4, 3.04)

Sunday: LHP Andrew Taylor (2-2, 3.93) vs. RHP Erick Abreu (1-0, 3.20)

Monday: RHP Matt Shoemaker (3-1, 2.59) vs. LHP Xavier Cedeno (4-4, 3.73)

HOOKS PLAYER NOTES

Jose Altuve

· Leads the minor leagues with his .414 batting average

· In 52 games w/Lancaster was hitting .408-5-34 and was leading the Cal League in hits (87) and triples (7)

· Has hits in 14 of his last 15 games, 33-62(.532) with 2 doubles, 3 triples, 3 HRs, 13 runs and 14 RBIs

· Is 7-for-12 in his last 3 games with a double, 2 HRs and 8 RBIs

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

Jacob Goebbert

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

· Has 4-game hit streak, 7-14 with 2 doubles, 2 runs and 2 RBIs

· Has hits in 11 of the last 13 games, 17-45 with 3 doubles, 1 triple, 2 HRs, 8 runs and 8 RBIs

· Batting .319(22-69) vs. RHP; .313(5-16) vs. LHP; .414(12-29) 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

· Is 7-27 in his last 9 games with 3 doubles, 1 HR, 2 runs and 6 RBIs

· Batting .130(12-92) vs. RHP; .158(6-38) vs. LHP; .229(8-35) w/RISP

· Has thrown out 6 of 34 (17.6%) would-be base stealers

· Was a combined .273-9-51 in 103 games last year with Lancaster and Corpus Christi

J.D. Martinez

· Hooks are 2-14 with Martinez out of the lineup

· Is 10-32 with 8 walks and 2 RBIs in 11 games (9 starts) since his return from the DL

· Has hits in 30 of 38 games; has 11 multi-hit games

· Opened season with an 11-game hitting streak (15x42)

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

· Batting .360(32-89) vs. RHP; .279(12-43) vs. LHP; .417(15-36) w/RISP

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

Jimmy Paredes

· Has 6-game hit streak, 9-28 with 5 doubles, 3 runs and 2 RBIs

· Has hits in 12 of his last 15 games, 20-67 with 8 doubles, 8 runs and 5 RBIs

· Leads league in steals (20)

· Batting .270(33-122) vs. RHP; .265(13-49) vs. LHP; .286(14-49) w/RISP

· Has 70 PO, 92 A, 9 E (Fielding pct. of .947)

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

Andy Simunic

· Is 3-36 in his last 13 games with 4 runs and 2 RBIs

· Went 2-10 on road trip with 2 runs

· In 3 games w/ Oklahoma City went 1-for-5 with 1 HBP and 1 run

· Batting .167(10-60) vs. RHP; .280(7-25) vs. LHP; .115(3-26) w/RISP

· Hit .293-3-43 with 17 SBs last year between Lexington and Lancaster

T.J. Steele

· Is 7-46 in the last 14 games with 1 double, 5 runs, 5 RBIs and 11 Ks

· Is 4-10 in the last 3 games with 1 HBP and 1 run

· Batting .209(28-134) vs. RHP; .310(18-58) vs. LHP; .262(16-61) w/RISP

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

Wladimir Sutil

· Went 3-12 in Arkansas series with 1 double, 1 run and 2 RBIs

· Named Corpus Christi's offensive and defensive player of the month in April

· Hit safely in first 16 games of the season (.418, 28x67); longest streak in TL in '11

· Batting .246(29-118) vs. RHP; .411(23-56) vs. LHP; .303(10-33) w/RISP

· Has 57 PO, 140 A, 5 E (Fielding pct. of .975)

· Was a combined .262-1-29 with 23 SBs last year with Corpus Christi and Round Rock

Jimmy VanOstrand

· Is 0-11 in his last 3 games with 1 walk and 1 run

· Is 1-19 in his last 5 home games with 1 walk and 1 run

· 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 139 RBIs

· Batting .304(41-135) vs. RHP; .180(9-50) vs. LHP; .241(13-54) w/RISP

Jonathan Villar

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

· Has hits in 10 of his last 13 games, 16-56(.286) with 4 doubles, 1 triple, 4 HRs, 12 runs and 10 RBIs

· Batting .349(15-43) as a right-handed hitter; .236(33-140) as a lefty hitter

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

· In 2010 was a combined .260-5-55 with 45 stolen bases between Lakewood and Lancaster

Brandon Wikoff

· Has hits in 12 of his last 15 games, 18-50 with 6 walks, 2 doubles, 7 runs and 7 RBIs

· 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 15 multi-hit games to lead club, including two 4-hit games

· %2 }'bsp; Batting .393(33-84) vs. RHP; .433(13-30) vs. LHP; .464(13-28) w/RISP

· Last year with Lancaster hit .257-0-27 with 40 runs in 113 games

BULLPEN REPORT

Starters: 13-20, 5.09 ERA, 282.2 IP, 34 HR, 104 BB, 199 K, .276 AVG

Relievers: 6-13, 5.67 ERA, 174.2 IP, 20 HR, 105 BB, 157 K, .287 AVG

Erick Abreu

· Made spot start Monday at Arkansas: 5.0 IP, 2 H, 1 BB, 2 K...50 of 70 pitches for strikes

· Yielded 3 runs on 4 hits in 1.2 innings May 27 at Springfield

· Had not yielded a run in prior 6 appearances (6 IP), striking out 6 against 1 walk

· Walked 3 batters against 10 Ks in first 6 outings (1 ER, 9.2 IP)

· This marks his 3rd stint with CC in 2011

· Achieved 500th career strikeout May 8 at Omaha

· Has yielded 7 ER over 4.1 innings (4 games) with the RedHawks

· Last season, moved permanently to the Hooks rotation August 11 and started his final six appearances...won four straight starts (August 16-September 1) for his four victories of the year, posting a 1.07 ERA in those four games...earned TL Pitcher of the Week Honors (August 16-22) and CC Player of the Month honors for August

Kyle Greenwalt

· Last appearance: Craved out a scorless frame last night, yielding just a hit in the 9th

· Made first relief appearance Monday 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

· Has surrendered 31 ER and 37 H, 7 HR over last 20.1 IP

· 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

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

Sammy Gervacio

· Last appearance: Blew the save Wednesday night, yielding an unearned on a sacrifice fly...picked up the win after Villar's walk-off homer in the ninth

· Touched for a run on 2 hits over 2 innigs May 28 at Arkansas

· Made his 2011 May 25, blanking the Cards in the 8th.

· Joined the Hooks from extended spring training after rehabbing surgery on right shoulder

· Was 0-0 with a 3.48 ERA in 7 games with the Express last season

· Went 0-1 with a 12.27 ERA in 6 appearances with the 2010 Astros

· Pitched for the Hooks in 2007 and 2008

· In 13 relief appearances in 2007, Gervacio went 3-2 with a 1.99 ERA

· In 47 relief outings in 2008, was 2-5 with 5 saves and a 4.13 ERA, with 82 strikeouts in 65.1 innings

· Tabbed by Baseball America as the Astros No.4 prospect entering the 2010 season

Arcenio Leon

· Last appearance: Rocked for 3 R on 3 H in the 8th last night, striking out 2

· Walked 2 and allowed a run in an inning Monday at Arkansas

· Has walked a batter in all but 3 of his outings this year

· 15 free passes, 4 WP in last 8 appearances (11 IP, 8.18 ERA), throwing 117 of 227 pitches for strikes

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

· Features a groundout to air out ratio of 3.25

· 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)

Blake King

· Last appearance: Yielded a 2-run homer to Alex Castellanos in the 7th inning Wednesday night

· Tossed a shutout frame, fanning 3 against 1 walk May 27 at Springfield in Hooks debut

· 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

· Has issued a combined 24 walks against 20 strikeouts in 2011

· 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

Matt Nevarez

· Last appearance: Tagged for 3 ER, recording one out Monday at Arkansas...walked 2 and hit a batter

· 8 ER over last 5.1 innings (5 appearances): 8 BB and 8 K, tossing 83 of 138 pitches for strikes

· Tossed 2.1 scoreless frames to open season (1 BB, 3 K)

· Resided on the inactive list until April 23

· Multiple stints on the DL last season, but yielded 3 runs over his final 13 appearances for a 1.84 ERA

· Traded from Texas along with a player to be named (Jose Vallejo) in the 2009 deal that sent catcher Pudge Rodriguez to the Rangers...originally selected in the 10th rd. of the 2005 draft

Patrick Urckfitz

· Last appearance: Tossed 1.1 innings of shutout relief Wednesday night, fanning 2 while walking 1

· Recorded 1 out and yielded a run May 28 at Arkansas, walking 2 (1 IBB)

· Yielded 2 R in 2/3 IP May 26 at Springfield

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

· Did not yield an ER from May 13-21(4 app): 6 K, 2 BB, 7.1 IP...recorded a win and save during span

· 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

Shane Wolf

· Last appearance: Allowed 1 run on 1 hit over 2 frames last night, striking out a batter

· Tagged for 6 runs on eight hits, including 3 HRs, over 4 frames May 25 at Springfield

· 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

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Game Notes, June 3, 2011 Springfield (24-27) @ Corpus Christi (19-33)

The Cardinals took the Hooks to the woodshed last night, 9-1. Michael Blazek allowed just one run through seven innings to pick up his sixth win this season. He matched his season high with eight strikeouts. Eric Duncan's three-run home run in the sixth blew the game open, giving the Cardinals a 5-0 lead. Tommy Pham and Matt Adams each added two hits and two RBIs for the Cardinals, who pulled to within three games of first-place Tulsa in the Texas League North first-half standings.

Jacob Goebbert had a 3-for-4 night with Corpus Christi's lone RBI. Goebbert has hit safely in four straight. J.D. Martinez was the only other Hook to have a multi-hit game, going 2-for-4. The Hooks have dropped seven of their last nine, while the Cardinals have won seven of their last 10.

Tonight's Matchup:

RHP Shelby Miller (2-3, 2.89 w/Palm Beach) vs. RHP Ross Seaton (2-2, 5.15)

Miller, a first-round pick (19th overall) of the Cardinals in 2009 out of Brownwood (TX) High School, makes his Double-A debut here tonight in his home state. Miller was promoted to Springfield from Advanced-A Palm Beach of the Florida State League, where in nine starts he was 2-3 with a 2.89 ERA, with 81 strikeouts in 53.0 innings. Miller exits the FSL as the league leader in strikeouts and SO/9 IP ratio (13.75) for starting pitchers. He also ranks second in the circuit among starters in batting average against (.204). In his last five starts with Palm Beach, Miller was 2-1 with a 2.32 ERA, holding opponents to two or fewer runs in each outing. Miller was honored as the Cardinals 2010 Minor League Pitcher of the Year for his efforts with Quad Cities in the Midwest League, where in 24 starts he went 7-5 with a 3.62 ERA, with 140 strikeouts in 104.1 innings.

· Fanned a season-high 12 batters in his most recent start last Friday vs. Lakeland (7.0-3-1-1-1-12)

· Rated by Baseball America as the #1 prospect in the St. Louis system; also as having the "Best Fastball" in the organization

· Was 10-2 with a 1.90 ERA with 153 Ks in 77.0 IP his senior year at Brownwood HS

Seaton, a third-round selection of the Astros in the 2008 draft out of Second Baptist High School in Houston, makes his 11th start this year and his first against the Cardinals. Last Saturday at Arkansas, Seaton held the Travelers to three unearned runs on three hits and three walks over seven innings. He did not figure in the decision, as Arkansas rallied for a 5-4 win in 10 innings. Seaton has put together back-to-back quality starts, going 1-0 with a 1.26 ERA in his last two outings. Saturday's performance was his fifth quality start this season. The right-hander spent all of last year with Lancaster in the California League, where he tied for the league lead in starts (28) and was Lancaster's leader in innings pitched (146.1).

· Showed improvement from April (1-0, 5.85, .333 avg. against) to May (1-2, 4.78, .268 avg. against)

· Was Lancaster's pitcher of the month last July, going 2-1 with a 4.67 ERA

· In 2009 with Lexington, went 8-10 with a 3.29 ERA in 24 starts

Astros announce May players

The Houston Astros Player Development Department has announced its players of the month for May for each of its four full-season affiliates. Here in Corpus Christi, the honors go to LHP Xavier Cedeno, 1B Jimmy VanOstrand and infielder Brandon Wikoff.

In five May starts, Cedeno went 2-1 with a 2.94 ERA, with 30 strikeouts in 33.2 innings. He held the opposition to a .211 batting average (26 hits). For the year, Cedeno has been tough on left-handed hitters, holding them to a .239 average and posting 25 strikeouts in 67 at-bats.

VanOstrand was tabbed as the offensive player of the month. In 27 May games, VanOstrand batted .310 (31x100) with 8 doubles, 1 triple, 1 HR, 11 runs and 12 RBIs. He also drew 14 walks to post an OBP of .393 and an .833 OPS.

Wikoff was selected as the club's defensive player of the month. In 17 games split between 2B (4), SS (6) and 3B (7), Wikoff posted 15 put-outs, 48 assists and 1 error for a fielding percentage of .984. For the year, Wikoff has 28 put-outs, 75 assists and 2 errors to check in with a .981 fielding percentage. He has also been a part of nine double plays.

Uncle Fester part 2

Springfield first baseman Matt Adams has Corpus Christi's number. Period. With a 2-for-4 effort last night that included two RBIs, Adams is now 11-for-15 (.733) against Hooks pitching this year with 3 doubles, 1 HR and 5 RBIs.

Adams currently ranks third in the league in hitting (.348). He is tied for the league lead in HRs (14) and RBIs (46). He is also the TL leader in slugging percentage (.668).

No soup for you

And for our purposes here, soup means extra bases. Corpus Christi cleanup hitter J.D. Martinez continues to get his hits. In 11 games since his return from the disabled list, Martinez is batting .313 (10x32) with 8 walks and 2 RBIs. All 10 of those hits have been singles. In fact, J.D.'s last 13 hits have been singles.

J.D.'s last extra-base hit was his grand slam home run May 2 vs. Frisco. His last double was the day before (May 1), also against the RoughRiders.

"Blown up, Sir!"

With all due respect to Sergeant Hulka of "Stripes" fame, we impart the following statistic. Last night's result marked the ninth time this season the Hooks have been beaten by 7 or more runs. It was only the third such loss at home. Those nine losses have come at the hands of Springfield (2), Northwest Arkansas (1), Frisco (3) and San Antonio (3).

Pitching Rotation vs. Arkansas

Saturday: RHP Orangel Arenas (5-2, 3.55) vs. LHP Dallas Keuchel (3-4, 3.04)

Sunday: LHP Andrew Taylor (2-2, 3.93) vs. RHP Erick Abreu (1-0, 3.20)

Monday: RHP Matt Shoemaker (3-1, 2.59) vs. LHP Xavier Cedeno (4-4, 3.73)

HOOKS PLAYER NOTES

Jose Altuve

· Leads the minor leagues with his .414 batting average

· In 52 games w/Lancaster was hitting .408-5-34 and was leading the Cal League in hits (87) and triples (7)

· Has hits in 14 of his last 15 games, 33-62(.532) with 2 doubles, 3 triples, 3 HRs, 13 runs and 14 RBIs

· Is 7-for-12 in his last 3 games with a double, 2 HRs and 8 RBIs

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

Jacob Goebbert

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

· Has 4-game hit streak, 7-14 with 2 doubles, 2 runs and 2 RBIs

· Has hits in 11 of the last 13 games, 17-45 with 3 doubles, 1 triple, 2 HRs, 8 runs and 8 RBIs

· Batting .319(22-69) vs. RHP; .313(5-16) vs. LHP; .414(12-29) 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

· Is 7-27 in his last 9 games with 3 doubles, 1 HR, 2 runs and 6 RBIs

· Batting .130(12-92) vs. RHP; .158(6-38) vs. LHP; .229(8-35) w/RISP

· Has thrown out 6 of 34 (17.6%) would-be base stealers

· Was a combined .273-9-51 in 103 games last year with Lancaster and Corpus Christi

J.D. Martinez

· Hooks are 2-14 with Martinez out of the lineup

· Is 10-32 with 8 walks and 2 RBIs in 11 games (9 starts) since his return from the DL

· Has hits in 30 of 38 games; has 11 multi-hit games

· Opened season with an 11-game hitting streak (15x42)

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

· Batting .360(32-89) vs. RHP; .279(12-43) vs. LHP; .417(15-36) w/RISP

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

Jimmy Paredes

· Has 6-game hit streak, 9-28 with 5 doubles, 3 runs and 2 RBIs

· Has hits in 12 of his last 15 games, 20-67 with 8 doubles, 8 runs and 5 RBIs

· Leads league in steals (20)

· Batting .270(33-122) vs. RHP; .265(13-49) vs. LHP; .286(14-49) w/RISP

· Has 70 PO, 92 A, 9 E (Fielding pct. of .947)

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

Andy Simunic

· Is 3-36 in his last 13 games with 4 runs and 2 RBIs

· Went 2-10 on road trip with 2 runs

· In 3 games w/ Oklahoma City went 1-for-5 with 1 HBP and 1 run

· Batting .167(10-60) vs. RHP; .280(7-25) vs. LHP; .115(3-26) w/RISP

· Hit .293-3-43 with 17 SBs last year between Lexington and Lancaster

T.J. Steele

· Is 7-46 in the last 14 games with 1 double, 5 runs, 5 RBIs and 11 Ks

· Is 4-10 in the last 3 games with 1 HBP and 1 run

· Batting .209(28-134) vs. RHP; .310(18-58) vs. LHP; .262(16-61) w/RISP

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

Wladimir Sutil

· Went 3-12 in Arkansas series with 1 double, 1 run and 2 RBIs

· Named Corpus Christi's offensive and defensive player of the month in April

· Hit safely in first 16 games of the season (.418, 28x67); longest streak in TL in '11

· Batting .246(29-118) vs. RHP; .411(23-56) vs. LHP; .303(10-33) w/RISP

· Has 57 PO, 140 A, 5 E (Fielding pct. of .975)

· Was a combined .262-1-29 with 23 SBs last year with Corpus Christi and Round Rock

Jimmy VanOstrand

· Is 0-11 in his last 3 games with 1 walk and 1 run

· Is 1-19 in his last 5 home games with 1 walk and 1 run

· 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 139 RBIs

· Batting .304(41-135) vs. RHP; .180(9-50) vs. LHP; .241(13-54) w/RISP

Jonathan Villar

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

· Has hits in 10 of his last 13 games, 16-56(.286) with 4 doubles, 1 triple, 4 HRs, 12 runs and 10 RBIs

· Batting .349(15-43) as a right-handed hitter; .236(33-140) as a lefty hitter

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

· In 2010 was a combined .260-5-55 with 45 stolen bases between Lakewood and Lancaster

Brandon Wikoff

· Has hits in 12 of his last 15 games, 18-50 with 6 walks, 2 doubles, 7 runs and 7 RBIs

· 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 15 multi-hit games to lead club, including two 4-hit games

· %2 }'bsp; Batting .393(33-84) vs. RHP; .433(13-30) vs. LHP; .464(13-28) w/RISP

· Last year with Lancaster hit .257-0-27 with 40 runs in 113 games

BULLPEN REPORT

Starters: 13-20, 5.09 ERA, 282.2 IP, 34 HR, 104 BB, 199 K, .276 AVG

Relievers: 6-13, 5.67 ERA, 174.2 IP, 20 HR, 105 BB, 157 K, .287 AVG

Erick Abreu

· Made spot start Monday at Arkansas: 5.0 IP, 2 H, 1 BB, 2 K...50 of 70 pitches for strikes

· Yielded 3 runs on 4 hits in 1.2 innings May 27 at Springfield

· Had not yielded a run in prior 6 appearances (6 IP), striking out 6 against 1 walk

· Walked 3 batters against 10 Ks in first 6 outings (1 ER, 9.2 IP)

· This marks his 3rd stint with CC in 2011

· Achieved 500th career strikeout May 8 at Omaha

· Has yielded 7 ER over 4.1 innings (4 games) with the RedHawks

· Last season, moved permanently to the Hooks rotation August 11 and started his final six appearances...won four straight starts (August 16-September 1) for his four victories of the year, posting a 1.07 ERA in those four games...earned TL Pitcher of the Week Honors (August 16-22) and CC Player of the Month honors for August

Kyle Greenwalt

· Last appearance: Craved out a scorless frame last night, yielding just a hit in the 9th

· Made first relief appearance Monday 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

· Has surrendered 31 ER and 37 H, 7 HR over last 20.1 IP

· 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

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

Sammy Gervacio

· Last appearance: Blew the save Wednesday night, yielding an unearned on a sacrifice fly...picked up the win after Villar's walk-off homer in the ninth

· Touched for a run on 2 hits over 2 innigs May 28 at Arkansas

· Made his 2011 May 25, blanking the Cards in the 8th.

· Joined the Hooks from extended spring training after rehabbing surgery on right shoulder

· Was 0-0 with a 3.48 ERA in 7 games with the Express last season

· Went 0-1 with a 12.27 ERA in 6 appearances with the 2010 Astros

· Pitched for the Hooks in 2007 and 2008

· In 13 relief appearances in 2007, Gervacio went 3-2 with a 1.99 ERA

· In 47 relief outings in 2008, was 2-5 with 5 saves and a 4.13 ERA, with 82 strikeouts in 65.1 innings

· Tabbed by Baseball America as the Astros No.4 prospect entering the 2010 season

Arcenio Leon

· Last appearance: Rocked for 3 R on 3 H in the 8th last night, striking out 2

· Walked 2 and allowed a run in an inning Monday at Arkansas

· Has walked a batter in all but 3 of his outings this year

· 15 free passes, 4 WP in last 8 appearances (11 IP, 8.18 ERA), throwing 117 of 227 pitches for strikes

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

· Features a groundout to air out ratio of 3.25

· 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)

Blake King

· Last appearance: Yielded a 2-run homer to Alex Castellanos in the 7th inning Wednesday night

· Tossed a shutout frame, fanning 3 against 1 walk May 27 at Springfield in Hooks debut

· 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

· Has issued a combined 24 walks against 20 strikeouts in 2011

· 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

Matt Nevarez

· Last appearance: Tagged for 3 ER, recording one out Monday at Arkansas...walked 2 and hit a batter

· 8 ER over last 5.1 innings (5 appearances): 8 BB and 8 K, tossing 83 of 138 pitches for strikes

· Tossed 2.1 scoreless frames to open season (1 BB, 3 K)

· Resided on the inactive list until April 23

· Multiple stints on the DL last season, but yielded 3 runs over his final 13 appearances for a 1.84 ERA

· Traded from Texas along with a player to be named (Jose Vallejo) in the 2009 deal that sent catcher Pudge Rodriguez to the Rangers...originally selected in the 10th rd. of the 2005 draft

Patrick Urckfitz

· Last appearance: Tossed 1.1 innings of shutout relief Wednesday night, fanning 2 while walking 1

· Recorded 1 out and yielded a run May 28 at Arkansas, walking 2 (1 IBB)

· Yielded 2 R in 2/3 IP May 26 at Springfield

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

· Did not yield an ER from May 13-21(4 app): 6 K, 2 BB, 7.1 IP...recorded a win and save during span

· 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

Shane Wolf

· Last appearance: Allowed 1 run on 1 hit over 2 frames last night, striking out a batter

· Tagged for 6 runs on eight hits, including 3 HRs, over 4 frames May 25 at Springfield

· 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 pi

Check out the Corpus Christi Hooks Statistics

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Texas League Stories from June 3, 2011


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