Game Notes, May 14 at San Antonio
Published on May 14, 2012 under Texas League (TL1)
Corpus Christi Hooks News Release
Corpus Christi (15-21) @ San Antonio (16-20)
The Hooks open an eight-game road trip with the first in a four-game series tonight in San Antonio. Yesterday, Astros top prospects Jonathan Singleton and Jarred Cosart led the charge in Corpus Christi's 7-3 topping of Frisco. Singleton went 2-for-3 with a home run and four RBIs while Cosart held the RoughRiders to two runs on seven hits and a pair of walks over 6.1 innings. Both of Cosart's wins this season have come against Frisco and the league's top pitcher, Justin Grimm.
The Hooks ride in to San Antone having won three of their last five. The Missions, on the other hand, just swept Midland in a four-game set here at Wolff Municipal Stadium and have won seven of their last eight and eight of their last 10.
Tonight's Matchup:
RHP Ross Seaton (2-3, 4.35) vs. RHP Keyvius Sampson (2-2, 5.85)
Seaton, a third-round selection of the Astros in the 2008 draft, makes his seventh start for the Hooks and his second against the Missions. Last Tuesday at Whataburger Field, Seaton turned in his best start of the year, holding the Missions to a run on four hits over seven innings in Corpus Christi's 17-3 rout. Despite a sluggish outing May 3 at Midland, Seaton is 2-1 with a 3.38 ERA in three starts since his return from AAA Oklahoma City. 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 70 starts.
- Has a 1.56 GO/AO ratio after 6 starts
- Is 1-2 with a 5.68 ERA in 4 road starts (1-1, 2.25 ERA in 2 home starts)
- Made AAA debut with OKC April 22 vs. Albuquerque (4.2-7-6-5-2-1, ND)
Sampson, a fourth-round pick of the Padres in 2009 out of Ocala Forest High School in Florida, makes his eighth start this season and his second against the Hooks. Going up against Seaton last Tuesday, Sampson had his worst outing of the year, charged with nine runs, eight earned, on five hits and five walks in just 2.2 innings for his second loss. His season's ERA ballooned from 3.94 to today's 5.85. Despite the poor showing, Sampson has not allowed more than six hits in any of his starts this year and is holding Texas League hitters to a .220 average. Selected as San Diego's Minor League Pitcher of the Year last season, Sampson went 12-3 with a 2.90 ERA in 24 starts for Fort Wayne in the Midwest League.
- Faring much better at home (1-0, 1.86 ERA, 2 starts) than he is on the road (1-2, 7.54 ERA, 5 starts)
- Last year ranked first in the Padres system in Ks (143), tied for first in wins and finished second in ERA
- In 10 starts with Eugene in 2010 was 3-3 with a 3.56 ERA
Not a fun place
The House of Konerko and Gagne and many others, better known as "The Wolff," or Wolff Municipal Stadium, has been nothing but a nightmare for the Hooks. Last year, the Hooks did not win a game here. The record was 0-14.
Corpus Christi's last win in San Antonio came on August 30, 2010, in the final meeting of that season between the two clubs at Wolff Municipal. The Hooks won that night 4-2 after an impressive start by Bubbie Buzachero, who allowed just three hits and struck out five over 5.0 shutout frames. Matt Nevarez picked up the win in relief while Evan Englebrook collected the save. Former Hook Tyler Lumsden suffered the loss.
Jeff Keppinger, on rehab from Houston, was Corpus Christi's second baseman. J.D. Martinez started in right. Corpus Christi's RBIs were provided by Freddy Parejo, Jon Gaston, Jose Vallejo and David Cook. That was a long time ago.
Lifetime, the Hooks are 31-65 at Wolff Municipal and 1-0 at V.J. Keefe.
Ruby away
Hooks pitching coach Gary Ruby has been granted some time off for personal leave. He's expected to return to the club later this half. Filling in for Ruby on an interim basis is Rick Aponte, who is scheduled to be the pitching coach for Tri-City later this year when that Short-Season Class A club begins play in June. A former bullpen coach for the Washington Nationals, Aponte has recently been the pitching coach for Greeneville (2011) and Lexington (2010) in the Astros system.
Aponte is slated to be with the Hooks through the end of this series at San Antonio.
Also here tonight from Houston is Director of Player Development Fred Nelson and Senior Advisor Matt Galante.
Good run for pitchers
Hooks hurlers have put together a nice little run here over the last three games. In taking two of the last three from first-place Frisco, Hooks pitchers are 2-1 with a 2.10 ERA, with seven earned runs allowed over 30.0 innings. The starters in the last three games (Brett Oberholtzer, 7.0 IP; Jake Buchanan, 7.2 IP; Jarred Cosart, 6.1 IP) have all gone beyond six innings.
Pitching Rotation at San Antonio
Tuesday: RHP Jose Cisnero (2-3, 4.99) vs. LHP Andrew Werner (0-4, 4.59)
Wednesday: LHP Brett Oberholtzer (1-2, 5.56) vs. RHP Hayden Beard (2-3, 7.39)
Thursday: RHP Jake Buchanan (1-2, 4.75) vs. LHP Robbie Erlin (2-1, 2.67)
HOOKS PLAYER NOTES
Brandon Barnes
- Hits in 4 of the last 6 games, 7-21 with 6 walks, 3 doubles, 4 runs and 2 RBIs
- Leads TL in doubles (17)
- Corpus Christi's offensive player of the month in April (.353-4-21, 22 games)
- 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 .303(27-89) vs. RHP; .342(13-38) vs. LHP; .306(11-36) w/RISP
Jay Fernandez
- Was 2-6 in home stand with 1 walk, 1 HBP, 1 double, 1 HR, 1 run and 2 RBIs
- Has a career caught-stealing percentage of 40.0 (165 of 412)
- In 8 seasons in the Mariners and Twins systems hit .244-16-162 in 439 games
Jacob Goebbert
- Went 2-12 in Frisco series with 1 triple and 1 RBI
- His walk-off, 3-run HR April 9 the first walk-off HR in his pro career
- Named Texas League Co-Player of the Week (April 5-15), hit .429
- Batting .233(20-86) vs. RHP; .333(10-30) vs. LHP; .357(10-28) w/RISP
Kody Hinze
- Went 2-12 in Frisco series with 2 walks
- Does not have an RBI in his last 10 games (last RBI May 1 at Midland)
- Batting .258(16-62) at home; .171(7-41) on the road
- Batting .211(15-71) vs. RHP; .250(8-32) vs. LHP; .138(4-29) w/RISP
- Ranked 4th last year in the minors in walks (94) and 15th in OPS (.961)
Jordan Kreke
- Hits in 5 of his last 6 games, 5-14 with 1 double and 3 runs
- Played 1B May 1 for the first time in his career (replaced Singleton)
- Has 134 career games at 3B, 126 at 2B and 49 at SS
- Originally a 13th-round pick of the Braves in 2009
Jose Martinez
- Hits in 6 of the last 7 games, 12-28 with 3 walks, 3 doubles, 1 HR, 5 runs and 5 RBIs
- Went 5-14 in Frisco series with 3 walks, 2 doubles, 1 HR, 4 runs and 2 RBIs
- CC's defensive player of the month in April (47 PO, 56 A, 0 E)
- Batting .276(24-87) vs. RHP; .387(12-31) vs. LHP; .424(14-33) w/RISP
- Played just 6 games in the three-year period 2009-11
Ryan McCurdy
- Was 5-18 in home stand with 1 double, 1 triple, 2 runs and 1 RBI
- Had played just 2 games w/ Lancaster this season, was 2-3 with 1 HBP
- Played 53 games in 2 seasons (2010-11), hitting .285-0-18 in 130 at-bats
- Signed by Houston as a non-drafted free agent in June of 2010...played at Duke
Andy Simunic
- Went 1-9 in Frisco series with 1 RBI
- 4-RBI night April 21 his first since July 29 last season
- Batting .308(20-65) vs. RHP; .111(2-18) vs. LHP; .217(5-23) w/RISP
- Played every position in the field last year except catcher and 1B
- In five pro seasons has bounced into just 11 DPs in 1,330 plate appearances
Jon Singleton
- Hits in 3 of the last 5 games, 4-16 with 7 walks, 2 HRs, 5 runs and 5 RBIs
- Knocked in 4 runs yesterday - his second 4-RBI game this season
- Last year hit .298-13-63 in 128 games with Clearwater and Lancaster
- Batting .355(27-76) vs. RHP; .189(7-37) vs. LHP; .333(9-27) w/RISP
- Has started 23 games at 1B; 8 games in LF
- Ranked by Baseball America as the top prospect in the Astros system
T.J. Steele
- Clubbed CC's first pinch-hit HR of the season April 29 at Frisco
- Went 0-9 in home stand with 1 sac bunt
- Batting .167(6-36) vs. RHP; .087(2-23) vs. LHP; .211(4-19) w/RISP
- Ranks fourth on the Hooks all-time stolen base chart with 30
J.C. Thompson
- Third-inning single Saturday night his first hit since April 30
- Went 1-7 in home stand with 1 run
- 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
- Went 3-13 in Frisco series with 1 double, 1 run and 1 RBI
- Hits in 3 of the last 5 games, 4-18 with 1 double, 1 run and 4 RBIs
- Third in the league with 12 stolen bases
- Batting .207(17-82) vs. RHP; .256(11-43) vs. LHP; .273(9-33) w/RISP
- Ranked by Baseball America as the No. 4 prospect in the Astros system
Austin Wates
- Hits in 4 of the last 5 games, 8-24 with 1 triple and 6 runs
- Tied for second in the league in hits (44)
- Batting .311(32-103) vs. RHP; .279(12-43) vs. LHP; .355(11-31) 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 May 14, 2012
- Missions Game Suspended, Will Be Completed Tomorrow - San Antonio Missions
- Cardinals Hold on to 3-2 Win in 11 Innings - Springfield Cardinals
- Hounds Find Way Home - Frisco RoughRiders
- Myers Powers Naturals to Win - Northwest Arkansas Naturals
- Naturals Strike Early to Beat Drillers - Tulsa Drillers
- Game Notes, May 14 at San Antonio - Corpus Christi Hooks
- Ethan Hollingsworth Joins Naturals - Northwest Arkansas Naturals
- Naturals Ticket Fundraisers on Record Pace - Northwest Arkansas Naturals
- Chris Dwyer Named Texas League Pitcher of the Week - Northwest Arkansas Naturals
- Cody Decker Named Texas League Player of the Week - San Antonio Missions
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