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July 10, 2006 - Texas League (TL1) News Release


Arkansas Travelers (Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim)

Second Half: 8-9, Last Week: 4-3

[July 4 vs. Tulsa] The Travs scored four runs in the first inning to jump out early in their 7-3 win over Tulsa. Matt Brown struck the big blow in the inning, a three-run homer to right field. They widened their lead to 7-0 after scoring three more in the fifth inning. Starter Nick Green allowed two runs over 6 2/3 innings to pick up a win and increase his record to 3-1. [July 5 at Wichita] Jose Arredondo pitched the first complete game of his career in a 1-0 Arkansas win. What makes the feat impressive is that it was a shutout, and it was his Double-A debut. Arredondo allowed just five hits and two walks while striking out eight. The lone run for either team in the two hour, eight minute game came from Dwaine Bacon. After Bacon singled to lead the inning off, Eric Rodland sacrificed Bacon to second. After stealing third base, he came home to score on a two-out error, which proved to be the game-winner[July 7 at Wichita] Three Travs hit three home runs, but it wasn't enough, as they fell to Wichita 9-8 in 11 innings. Brandon Wood and Terry Evans, who are both among the Minor League leaders in home runs, each went deep for Arkansas. Aaron Peel also added a two-run homer. All nine starters had a hit, and seven of nine scored at least one run. [July 8 at Wichita] The Travs rallied for three runs in the top of the ninth inning to defeat the Wranglers 5-4. With one out, Matt Brown tripled down the right-field line. The next batter Terry Evans struck out, but reached base on a passed ball, which scored Brown from third. After Greg Porter followed with a single, Bobby Wilson capped the big inning with a double to center field, scoring Porter and Evans. It was his second double of the game.

Player Notes:

Pitcher Jose Arredondo was added to the Travs roster this week. The converted shortstop is in his second full professional season in the United States. In 15 starts with High-A Rancho Cucamonga, Arredondo posted a 2.30 ERA with 115 strikeouts in 90 innings pitched. He won his Texas League debut with a complete game shutout over Wichita.

Corpus Christi Hooks (Houston Astros)

Second Half: 13-4, Last Week: 5-2

[July 3 at Midland] Josh Bonifay went 4-for-4 with a double and three RBI in a 5-4 win over Midland. 17 of his 47 RBI this season have come off of 'Hounds pitchers. Walter Young, J.R. House and Hunter Pence each recorded two hits. Mitch Talbot recorded his fifth consecutive win after allowing just two runs on five hits over seven innings while striking out eight. Paul Estrada tossed a perfect ninth inning to pick up his fourth save of the season. [July 4 at Midland] Another fine start by Chance Douglass led to another Corpus Christi win, 2-0. Over seven innings, Douglass blanked the 'Hounds on five hits and three walks, striking out eight. Josh Anderson drove in the only two runs of the game on an eighth inning, two-out, two-strike single. For the second night in a row, Paul Estrada pitched a perfect ninth inning for a save. [Juy 5 vs. Frisco] Josh Bonifay's eighth inning solo homerun proved to be the game-winner and gave the Hooks their final 4-3 score. The homer was his 13th of the season and ninth at home. Wade Miller allowed three runs over seven innings in his start, but got a no decision. Aaron Williams picked up the win after tossing 1 2/3 scoreless innings, striking out two. [July 7 vs. Frisco] The Hooks downed the 'Riders 7-6 in an exciting game. After Frisco tied the score at 6-6 with three runs in the eighth inning, the game was pushed into extras. In the tenth inning the Hooks managed three consecutive singles to start the inning, including the game winner by Mark Saccomanno to score Josh Bonifay. Walter Young and Josh Anderson each homered in the game. David Rollandini picked up his first win of the season after tossing a perfect top of the tenth. [July 9 vs. Frisco] Another exciting game at Whataburger Field ended in a walk-off. This time Mark Saccomanno smashed a two-run homer in the bottom of the tenth inning to give the Hooks a 4-2 win. Jorge Cortes also went deep, his fifth of the season, which highlighted his 3-for-5 night at the plate. Starter Chance Douglass kept the Hooks in the game by tossing seven fantastic innings. He allowed just one run on seven hits and two walks while striking out seven. David Rollandini picked up the win after tossing 1 2/3 shutout innings of relief.

Player Notes:

Jorge Cortes had his 27-game hitting streak, the longest in Hooks' franchise history and longest in the minors this season, snapped on July 3 against Midland. Cortes did manage a walk in the first inning to keep his 51-game on-base streak intact. That streak came to an end when Cortes ran up against a white-hot Thomas Diamond with Frisco. Diamond allowed Cortes to step to the plate just three times, and the game ended with the left fielder on-deck. His on-base streak halted at 55 games, with hits in 48 of those.

In the Hooks' four-game series against Midland, Josh Bonifay was 6-for-11 with three RBI, and Ben Zobrist 8-for-20 with a double and three triples.

Juan Gutierrez landed on the disabled list due to a tired arm. Manager Dave Clark told the Corpus Christi Caller-Times that the injury is "nothing to be alarmed about." Josh Muecke was activated from the DL to take his roster spot, and Blake Allen will temporarily took his spot in the starting rotation. On July 7, Allen was released from the team, and finished the season with a 4-2 record and a 4.15 ERA. Chad Reineke takes Blake's spot on the roster after being promoted from Single-A Salem. He will start Tuesday.

Frisco RoughRiders (Texas Rangers)

Second Half: 6-11, Last Week: 3-4

[July 3 vs. San Antonio] Kevin Richardson went deep twice in Frisco's 7-4 win over San Antonio, his ninth and tenth of the season. Jim Fasano and Like Grayson were each 2-for-3 with a double and a run scored. Frisco also got solid pitching from Thomas Diamond, who allowed two earned runs over five innings pitched, striking out nine. Michael Bumstead relieved Diamond and tossed three perfect innings of relief, striking out four. [July 6 at Corpus Christi] Kevin Mahar went 2-for-4 a grand slam in Frisco's 12-5 thrashing of Corpus Christi. Kevin Richardson went 2-for-3 with a double, a home run and three runs scored. The 'Riders bullpen was dominant, allowing just one hit over seven shutout innings, striking out eight. Michael Bumstead tossed three perfect innings of relief, striking out five. Steven Rowe got the win after throwing three shutout innings of his own. [July 8 at Corpus Christi] It takes a great game to shut down the Corpus Christi lineup, and that's just what Thomas Diamond did in his 4-0 complete game shutout win over the Hooks. He struck out seven hitters while allowing just five hits and a walk. The win improved his record to 8-4 and dropped his ERA to 3.93. Kevin Mahar went 3-for-5 with a double and a triple to lead the offense. Adam Morrissey and Jake Blalock each added two hits.

Player Notes:

Ruddy Yan joined Frisco on July 7 from Oklahoma. The outfielder has already doubled and stolen two bases in his four games with the club.

Midland RockHounds (Oakland Athletics)

Second Half: 8-9, Last Week: 3-4

[July 5 at San Antonio] The 'Hounds were held scoreless until the eighth inning, when Matt Allegra hit a two-out double to score Vasili Spanos from first base. Kevin Melillo followed with a pinch-hit two-run home run give Midland a 3-1 lead. San Antonio would push across one more in the ninth, but the RockHounds held on for a 3-2 win. Brad Ziegler allowed just one run over seven innings pitched on six hits and two walks. He picked up the win to increase his record to 7-4 and lower his ERA to 3.06, third among active Texas League pitchers. [July 6 at San Antonio] Brad Knox tossed seven shutout innings in the 'Hounds 1-0 win over San Antonio. He allowed just two hits and four walks while striking out three. Connor Robertson and Marcus McBeth each tossed a scoreless inning of relief, with McBeth picking up his eighth save of the year. The only offense for either side came when Kevin Melillo doubled home Travis Buck in the seventh inning.

Player Notes:

Entering the five-game set against San Antonio, the RockHounds had only been out-walked by their opponent in 21 of 82 games this season. The Missions out-walked the 'Hounds in the first three games of the series, the first such streak against Midland this season. They lead all other teams in the League with 355 free passes.

San Antonio Missions (Seattle Mariners)

Second Half: 10-7, Last Week: 2-5

[July 6 vs. Midland] Despite a great pitching performance by Travis Blackley, the Missions fell 1-0 to the Midland. Blackley allowed just one run on seven hits over eight innings, striking out seven, but took the loss to fall to 6-6. Mike Wilson had the only multi-hit game for San Antonio, two singles, while Marshall Hubbard reached base twice on walks. [July 7 vs. Midland] The Missions entered the ninth inning down 3-2. Sebastian Boucher led the inning off with a single to left field. He advanced to second on a bunt, then to third on a wild pitch. Another wild pitch would bring him home to tie the game. Later in the inning with two outs, the Missions strung together three consecutive singles, including a game-winner by Jason Bourgeois to pull out a 4-3 win. Chad Fillinger picked up the win for the Missions after tossing two perfect innings of relief. [July 9 vs. Midland] Ozzie Navarro provided heroics for the Missions on Sunday night, shooting a walk-off single down the left-field line to push across a run and give the Missions a 5-4 win. Midland and San Antonio each scored a run in the ninth inning to force the game into extras. The 1-2-3 hitters for San Antonio, Sebastian Boucher, Navarro, and Jason Bourgeois combined to go 7-15 with four runs scored, four RBI and two walks. Travis Chick made his debut for the Missions after coming over in a trade for Eddie Guardado. Chick lasted 5 2/3 innings and allowed two runs on three hits and six walks.

Player Notes:

On July 4th Erick Monzon was called up to Triple-A Tacoma, while Kevin Reynolds rejoined the team from Single-A Inland Empire. Monzon hit .266 in 124 at-bats for the Missions.

Two players who were with San Antonio last week are now in the Major Leagues. Luis Oliveros and Mark Lowe each got the call this week. Oliveros has yet to play in a game, but Lowe saw some action on the 7th. He tossed the ninth inning of Seattle's 6-1 loss to Detroit. After Lowe allowed the first three runners to reach base on a single, a double, and a hit batsman, he struck out Placido Polanco, got Ivan Rodriguez to ground into a fielder's choice, and struck out Magglio Ordonez to escape harm.

The Mariners swapped reliever Eddie Guardado to the Reds for starting pitcher Travis Chick, who joined the Missions this week. This is the third time Chick has been traded since being drafted in 2002. In Double-A Chattanooga this season, Chick was 4-5 with a 4.61 ERA.

Springfield Cardinals (St. Louis Cardinals)

Second Half: 7-10, Last Week: 5-2

[July 5 at Tulsa] The Cards battled back and forth with the Drillers and trailed 4-3 entering the fifth inning. In that frame they scored four runs on three hits and two walks. They would add another run in the eighth to give them their final margin of 8-4. Nick Stavinoha and Dan Moylan each went 2-for-5 with a double, while Cody Haerther walked four times. [July 6 at Tulsa] Springfield made it two in a row over the Drillers after a strong start by Mike Parisi led the Cards to a 2-1 win. Parisi allowed just one run on five hits and one walk over seven innings. In his first appearance with the Cards, reliever Jose Garcia tossed a scoreless ninth, while Cory Doyne retired the three batters he faced in the ninth inning to pick up his fourth save of the year. Mike McCoy tallied two of Springfield's four hits, including a double and an RBI. Shaun Boyd scored both runs for the Cards from the leadoff spot. [July 8 at Tulsa] In his first start with the Cards, Eric Haberer allowed just one run over six innings to lead the Cards to a 7-2 win. He allowed five hits and three walks while striking out three batters. Mike McCoy powered the offense by going 2-for-3 with three-run home run and four RBI. Kevin Richardson also played well, going 3-for-5 with a double. [July 9 at Tulsa] The Cards completed the sweep on Tulsa, finishing the series with an 8-5 win. Reid Gorecki, who has been spent the first two weeks of the second half on the disabled list, came off the bench to hit a two-run single to break a 5-5 tie. Cody Haerther went 3-for-3 with a walk and four runs scored in the win.

Player Notes:

Reid Gorecki was taken off the disabled list on July 3rd, but catcher Gabe Johnson was placed on it due to a sprained left wrist. Gorecki has not played since mid-June because of a bruised right heel.

Coming into the July 5th game, Cody Haerther hadn't walked in 29 consecutive games. He broke that streak in a big way, going 0-1 with four walks and two runs scored.

In the middle of a breakout year in which he is currently second in all of the Minor Leagues in homeruns with 22, Terry Evans was traded to the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim for Jeff Weaver on July 5. Evans stays in the Texas League, but shifts over and will play for Arkansas. Former Traveler and brother of Jeff, Jared Weaver, will take his brother's place in the Angels' rotation. Taking Evans' spot on the roster is Jose Garcia, 26 year-old relief pitcher called up from Single-A Palm Beach. Garcia's stay was brief though, as he was sent back down on the 7th when Eric Haberer was promoted from Palm Beach. Garcia pitched in just one game with the Cards, tossing a scoreless inning of relief.

Tulsa Drillers (Colorado Rockies)

Second Half: 6-11, Last Week: 1-6

[July 3 at Arkansas] Seth Smith went 4-for-5 with a double as Tulsa downed Arkansas 9-4. Joe Koshansky hit a three-run home run and drove in four total runs in the game. Joe Gaetti reached base four times as he doubled, singled and walked twice. Steven Register picked up the win after tossing six innings, allowing three runs on four hits while striking out five. [July 6 vs. Springfield] Tulsa got a great pitching performance by Enmanuel Ulloa, but fell to Springfield, 2-1. Over seven innings he allowed two runs (one earned) on four hits and no walks while striking out six. Jordan Czarniecki went 2-for-4 with a double and the only RBI for the Drillers. Seth Smith also doubled.

Player Notes:

Third baseman Ian Stewart missed games on July 3-5 due to a sore foot, but was back in the lineup on July 6. In that game he went 1-for-3 with a walk.

Despite a solid season and a 4.22 overall ERA, Marc Kaiser seems to find trouble in the fifth inning. In 17 starts he given up 18 of his 51 earned runs in the fifth frame.

Wichita Wranglers (Kansas City Royals)

Second Half: 10-7, Last Week: 4-3

[July 3 at Springfield] Zack Greinke finally got back on track and tossed a complete-game two-hitter, striking out 12 in Wichita's 8-1 win over Springfield. He gave up just one run which came on a walk followed by a triple to lead-of the ninth inning. The right-hander responded by striking out the next three batters to end the game. He threw 108 pitches in the game, 79 of those for strikes, including first-pitch strikes to 28 of 31 batters that he faced. Chris Lubanski went 3-for-5 with a solo home run and two runs driven in. Dee Brown also homered, a two-run shot in the sixth inning. [July 5 vs. Arkansas] Junior Herndon allowed just one unearned run over eight innings, but got tagged with a loss, 1-0. He gave up just six hits and no walks while striking out two. Mitch Maier was the only hitter on either side to have two hits, both singles. [July 6 vs. Arkansas] The Wrangers' continued their second-half success against the Travs with a 10-8 win, and did so in exciting fashion. After trailing most of the game, Wichita cut the Travs' lead down to one-run after Chris Lubanski hit a two-run double in the eighth inning. Still down one run in the ninth inning with two on and two outs, Adam Keim clubbed a pitch over the leftfield wall for a three-run walk-off home run. Upon reaching home plate, Keim was mobbed by his teammates in celebration. [July 7 vs. Arkansas] For the second night in a row the Travs won in walk-off fashion. In the bottom of the 11th inning with runners on first and third, Billy Butler hit a slow-roller up the middle to score Angel Sanchez from third base. It was one of three games decided by a walk-off hit in the League that night. Mitch Maier went 3-for-4 with a home run and four RBI in the game, while Angel Sanchez went 4-for-5 with a double and two runs scored. Gabe DeHoyos tossed three scoreless innings of relief to pick up the win, his first of the season.

Player Notes:

Ryan Braun, who had been on the disabled list since June 28, came off earlier this week. To make room on the roster, the Wranglers released reliever Derrick DePriest, who was 0-4 with a 7.01 ERA in 24 games.

PLAYER OF THE WEEK

Mitch Maier, Wichita Wranglers

.385, 10-26, 2 HR, 8 RBI, 10 R

For the second time this season, Wichita's Mitch Maier takes home Player of the Week honors. His two best games came on consecutive nights. On the 7th against Arkansas, he went 3-for-5 with a home run and four runs driven in. He was a key part in keeping the game close so the Wranglers could win it in extra-innings. On the 8th he again homered and had three hits.

After becoming the University of Toldeo's all-time leading hitter with a .414 average, Maier was selected by the Royals in the first-round of the 2003 draft, and has hit the ball well in all stops of his professional career. He carries a .297 career average coming into the season, and continues to hit in the Texas League. Maier started his 2006 campaign with home runs in consecutive nights, going deep on April 6th and 7th. His 10 home runs this year are the most he has hit for one team as a professional, topping the eight he hit with High Desert last season.

PITCHER OF THE WEEK

Jose Arredondo, Arkansas Travelers

9 IP, 5 H, 0 R, 2 BB, 8 K, Win

After tossing a complete-game shutout win in his Texas League debut, it was hard to deny the Pitcher of the Week award to Jose Arredondo. On July 5th against the Wranglers, he limited hitters to just five hits and two walks while striking out eight hitters. He didn't allow a hit until two outs in the fifth inning, and allowed just one extra-base hit in the game. His performance was especially important, because the Arkansas was also stymied in the 1-0 win.

Arredondo was signed as a free agent out of his native Dominican Republic as a shortstop. After struggling on the offensive side, he put his strong arm to good use and converted to a pitcher. The hard-throwing right-hander posted a 2.30 ERA in 15 starts with Single-A Rancho Cucamonga this year. He struck out an amazing 115 batters in 90 innings, while allowing just 35 walks. He was added to the Angels 40-man roster this off-season, and he is rewarding his club for their confidence in him.

This Week in Texas League History

July 10, 1928 Waco lost to San Antonio 13-5, but not because of a lack of effort by rightfielder George Blackerby. The Waco slugger was a perfect 5-for-5 with a homer, stolen base and three runs scored in the lopsided loss to the Bears.

July 11, 1968 Amarillo catcher Jose Morales picked off five Shreveport runners, saving his club from an even worse defeat. Shreveport pounded 18 hits and battered the Giants 13-4.

July 12, 1930 Wichita Falls ripped Beaumont pitchers for 19 hits on the way to a 16-5 win. Catcher Roxy Crouch and left fielder Jack Kloza each had five RBI in the game. Crouch's grand slam in the sixth inning sealed the win for the Spudders.

July 13, 1958 Corpus Christi set a season high for the league by exploding for a 26-3 win over Austin in the nightcap of a double header. The game was so one-sided that right-handed hitting Giants outfielder Erik Rodin batted left-handed on his last three trips to the plate and stroked a triple and two doubles in three at-bats. Slugger Mike Lutz had a double, two home runs and a game-leading five RBI in the blowout.

July 14, 1934 In an ugly first inning, Oklahoma City used just six hits to score eleven runs on the way to a 20-11 win over Galveston. The Indians received twelve walks in the game to go along with their fifteen hits. Catcher Tank Horton led the Oklahoma City offense with four RBIs and a 4-for-5 performance at the plate.

July 15, 1979 Mel Barrow hit a seventh inning home run to complete the cycle as he led Tulsa to an 11-6 win at Tulsa. Barrow had five RBI in the win.

July 16, 1998 Wichita's Mark Quinn brought out his power stroke as he rapped out three doubles and a home run in four trips to the plate. The Wranglers accounted for 18 hits and spanked Arkansas 11-2.

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