Texas League update

Published on May 5, 2008 under Texas League (TL1) News Release

NORTH NOTES

Arkansas Travelers

(Los Angeles Angels)

12-18, Third Place, North Division

April 28...Arkansas dropped their fourth straight game to Northwest Arkansas by a 6-5 score. Corey Smith drilled a two-run homer and Jordan Czarniecki added a solo blast in the losing cause.

April 29... Led by starter Robert Mosebach's seven shutout innings, the Travelers got past Tulsa 4-2. The right-hander improved to 3-1 after holding the Drillers to six hits and two walks, while fanning six. During a three-hit game, Ben Johnson homered for the fourth time this year. In a perfect night at the plate, Jordan Czarniecki hammered two doubles and drew two walks.

April 30...Arkansas lost a hard-fought, 1-0 pitchers duel to Tulsa, in a game where both teams managed only a pair of hits. Travelers starter Dan Denham took the loss despite tossing eight innings of one-hit ball and not allowing an earned run. He fanned seven and walked two. Despite an 0.39 earned run average this season, the right-hander has a 1-3 record. With 10,007 fans in attendance, Dickey-Stephens Park drew the largest crowd in it's two-season history, breaking the previous record of 9,099 set during the inaugural game played in April of 2007.

May 1...Led by Fernando Rodriguez's admirable pitching performance, Arkansas squeaked out a 2-1 win over Tulsa. Rodriguez earned his first win of the season after surrendering just one run, four hits and two walks over six innings of work. Notching his fourth save, Kevin Jepsen racked up two strikeouts in a scoreless ninth. After the Angels promoted former Texas Leaguer Nick Adenhart to the big- club, Travs reliever David Austen was assigned to Triple-A Salt Lake.

May 2...With the Travs down by one run in the 10th inning, shortstop Hainley Statia lined a two-out, two-run double to right to give Arkansas an 8-7 win over Tulsa in 10 innings. The Travelers pounded 16 hits, led by a 4-for-6 showing by center fielder Coby Smith. Smith also stole his sixth base and drove in two. Adam Morrissey and Jordan Czarniecki contributed with three hits each. Four Travelers relievers (Bill Edwards, Doug Brandt, Stephen Marek and Francisco Rodriguez) combined to allow only two hits and zero earned runs in 5.1 innings of work.

May 3...Arkansas hammered Springfield 10-4, compiling 17 hits and four homers in the winning effort. Third baseman Adam Morrissey (3-for-4) cracked two homers, scored three times and knocked in three. Like Morrissey, Ben Johnson racked up both three hits and three RBIs. Johnson also drilled a two-run dinger (5) in the third. Allowing two earned runs in six innings, starter Anthony Ortega got the win, improving his record to 3-2.

May 4...Shortstop Hainley Statia connected on his first homer of the season in the Travs 8-3 loss to Springfield. With a two-run double in the third, Ben Johnson upped his team leading RBI total to 24.

Northwest Arkansas Naturals

(Kansas City Royals)

14-16, T-First, North Division

April 28...Northwest Arkansas defeated Arkansas 6-5 to complete a four-game sweep. Juan Richardson had a perfect night at the plate with a hit and four walks in five times up. Greg Atencio fanned four Travelers in two scoreless innings of relief.

April 29...The Naturals saw their four-game winning streak come to an end with a 5-4 loss to Springfield. Trailing 3-1, Kila Kaaihue gave the Naturals a 4-3 lead in the sixth with a three-run homer. The home run vaulted Kaaihue to the top of the Texas League leader board with seven round-trippers.

April 30....Northwest Arkansas rode four home runs and another strong outing from Carlos Rosa to defeat Springfield 11-6. Lowering his earned run average to 1.32, Rosa (3-2) blanked the Cardinals over six innings of work. He walked none, gave up just four hits and struck out seven. Marc Maddox, Brian McFall and Cody Clark, the seven, eight and nine batters, each had multiple-hit games in the Naturals rout. McFall finished the night with two homers and six RBIs, which included a grand slam in the sixth. Not known for his power, Ovandy Suero went 3-for-5 and clubbed his first dinger of the season.

May 1...With a 9-6 victory over Springfield, Northwest Arkansas won their sixth game in their last seven contests, tying the Cardinals for first place in the North Division at 12-15. Down 3-2 in the top of the seventh, a six-run inning by the Naturals propelled them into an 8-3 lead. Mario Lisson connected on a grand slam that inning, finishing the night with five RBIs. Sinkerballer Julio Pimentel notched his second win of the season, after allowing just four hits, one walk and two earned runs in seven frames. The Naturals placed right-hander Patrick Green on the disabled list. After registering a microscopic 0.69 earned run average in nine games, Dewon Lowery was promoted to Triple-A Omaha. RHP Chris Hayes was brought up from Single-A Wilmington to fill the roster opening.

May 2...In the Naturals 7-3 loss to Springfield, starter Rowdy Hardy allowed one earned run, five hits and one walk in 5.2 innings pitched. Off the field, the Naturals activated infielder Irving Falu from the disabled list.

May 3...Northwest Arkansas prevailed 7-5 over Tulsa, moving into a first place tie with Springfield at 13-16. Kila Kaaihue (8) and Mario Lisson (3) hit consecutive solo home runs in the seventh for the Naturals. Starter Dusty Hughes improved to 2-2 after holding the Drillers to two runs over 5.2 innings.

May 4...Backed by nine scoreless frames from Blake Johnson and Roman Colon, the Naturals shutout the Drillers 1-0. Over six innings of work, Johnson (2-2) gave up six walks, walked none and struck out seven, a season-high. In a relief appearance reminiscent of Goose Gossage, Colon tossed three innings of two-hit relief to notch his first save.

Springfield Cardinals

(St. Louis Cardinals)

14-16, T-First Place, North Division

April 28... Luke Gossett's solo dinger in the fifth inning broke a 5-5 tied and wound up being the difference in Springfield's 6-5 win over Tulsa. With two more hits in four at-bats, Shane Robinson raised his batting average to a league-leading .423. Home plate umpire Kellen Levy enforced a rare call on Jon Jay during the sixth inning. Jay singled in the sixth, but Levy called him out for illegal contact, since he made contact with the pitch while standing out of the back of the batters box.

April 29...The Cardinals prevailed 5-4 over Northwest Arkansas, winning their sixth straight game. In the bottom of the ninth, Shane Robinson brought home Mark Shorey from third with a game-ending sacrifice fly. Leading off the inning, Shorey cracked a double and advanced to third on a sacrifice bunt by Tyler Greene. Greene had tied the game at 4-4 in the seventh with a solo homer. P.J. Walters hurled eight and 2/3 innings, scattering four hits and two walks. The 6-foot-4 right-hander retired the first 14 batters he faced and wound up striking out nine. St. Louis promoted catcher Bryan Anderson to Triple-A Memphis. He batted .388 with two homers and 14 RBIs with Springfield. Catcher Matt Pagnozzi was subsequently reassigned from Memphis.

April 30...Second baseman Casey Rowlett had two homers and four RBIs in Springfield's 11-6 loss to Northwest Arkansas. The second baseman racked up three hits and raised his average to .444. In the loss, Shane Robinson and Matt Pagnozzi added solo homers for Cards.

May 1... During a 9-6 Springfield loss to Northwest Arkansas. Jon Jay extended his hitting streak to 12 games with 3-for-4 evening. Jay and Allen Craig, the number two and three hitters in the lineup, knocked-in five of the Cardinals six runs and also had five of the team's nine hits. Craig drilled a two-run dinger in the first, his third of 2008. Fernando Salas, the former Mexican Leaguer, struck out three through one and 2/3 hitless innings of relief.

May 2...Springfield's four-run seventh inning propelled the Cardinals to a 7-3 victory over Northwest Arkansas. Trailing 3-2, Springfield's Matt Pagnozzi hit a solo blast to tie the contest and Allen Craig delivered a three-run dinger later in the seventh inning. Craig went 3-for-4 and scored twice. Starter Jaime Garcia, who did not factor in the decision, surrendered one run in six innings of work. The Cards placed starting pitcher Adam Ottavino (shoulder) on the disabled list and promoted right-hander Marco Gonzalez from advanced Class-A Palm Beach.

May 3...In Springfield's 10-4 loss to Arkansas, designated hitter Mark Shorey (3-for-4) had three RBIs and a double. The Cardinals also announced southpaw Jaime Garcia was promoted to Triple-A Memphis. In 35 innings pitched, Garcia went 3-2, registered a 2.06 earned run average and fanned a league high 41 batters.

May 4...Springfield defeated Arkansas 8-3, led by leadoff hitter Brandon Yarbrough's three runs scored and 2-for-4 performance at the plate. In the win, shortstop Tyler Greene also cracked his fourth dinger of the season. After P.J. Walters was called up to Triple-A Memphis for a spot start, Springfield brought up right-hander Tyler Herron from Single-A Palm Beach to fill-in on Sunday. Herron, the Cardinals 2005 first round supplemental selection, hurled 3.2 innings and allowed three runs in his Double-A debut.

Tulsa Drillers

(Colorado Rockies)

11-19, Fourth Place, North Division

April 28...In Tulsa's 6-5 loss to Springfield, third baseman Jeff Dragicveivich went 2-for-4 with a homer (3) and two RBIs. Second baseman Eric Young Jr. will miss approximately six weeks after fracturing the hamate bone in his left hand. Infielder Tony Blanco was called up from Single-A Modesto to fill the void on the roster.

April 29...The Drillers could not come up with clutch hits in a 4-2 loss to Arkansas. The Drillers tallied ten hits, but left 12 runners on-base and went 1-for-8 with men in scoring position. Left fielder Matt Miller went 4-for-5 at the dish, raising his average to .358. Starting pitcher Tomas Santiago kept Tulsa in the game by limiting the Travs to two runs over six innings pitched.

April 30...Scoring on a balk in the fourth, Tulsa edged Arkansas 1-0 in a pitchers duel where each team had just two hits. Getting his first win of the season, Alan Johnson hurled seven and 1/3 shutout innings. He limited the Travelers lineup to two hits and two walks. Matt Miller led off the fourth inning, reaching second on an error by Arkansas third baseman Corey Smith. A passed ball moved Miller to third. He eventually scored on a balk by Travelers starter Dan Denham.

May 1...With a 2-1 loss to Arkansas, Tulsa dropped the sixth of their last seven games. Through six innings, starter Brandon Hynick fanned six and held the Travelers to two runs on seven hits and a walk. The Drillers failed to muster an extra-base hit over the last 25 innings versus the Travs.

May 2...In ten innings, the Drillers lost to the Travelers 8-7. Former big-leaguer Tony Blanco (3-for-5) drove in five of Tulsa's seven runs. Corey Wimberly, Dexter Fowler and Matt Miller each scored a pair of runs in the losing effort.

May 3... Tony Blanco batted 3-for-4 and had two RBIs in Tulsa's 7-5 loss at Northwest Arkansas. The ex-Washington National has seven RBIs in the last two games. Dane Sardinha contributed with his first round-tripper of the 2008 campaign. At 11-18, Tulsa is only two games out of first despite dropping eight of their last nine contests.

May 4... Although they outhit Northwest Arkansas 8-to-4, the Drillers could not get on a run on the board in a 1-0 loss to the Naturals. The Drillers finished the day batting 0-for-8 with runners in scoring position. In seven innings pitched, Puerto Rican starter Tomas Santiago limited the Naturals to one run and three hits.

SOUTH NOTES

Corpus Christi Hooks

(Houston Astros)

16-14, Third Place, South Division

April 28...Mitch Einertson clubbed a pair of two-run homers in Corpus Christi's 8-5 win at Frisco. The Hooks center fielder boosted his home run total to four and his four RBIs increased his season tally to 14. Prolonging his hit streak to 17 games, Tommy Manzella singled in the first and scored on Richie Paz's triple, which gave the Hooks an early 1-0 lead. The win gave the Hooks their third win against the 'Riders in the four-game set.

April 29...Corpus Christi lost a tight 4-3 game to Midland, as the Hooks could only come up with one extra-base hit. Third baseman Chris Johnson, who went 3-for-4 in the game, tallied the Hooks only extra-base knock, a double in the ninth inning. Tommy Manzella hit safely in his 18th consecutive game.

April 30...Despite accumulating eight hits and seven walks, Corpus Christi did not make a game of their 11-4 loss to Midland. With an RBI single in the seventh, Tommy Manzella extended his hit streak to 19 games. He's tied with teammate Richie Paz for the team lead in RBIs with 17.

May 1...In the Hooks 6-5 loss to the RockHounds, shortstop Tommy Manzella lengthened his hit streak to 20 games with a double hit to right. Right fielder Ray Sadler (2-for-4) clubbed a two-run triple and scored twice.

May 2...The Hooks scored six unanswered runs in the final three innings on the way to a 9-7 win over Midland. Right fielder Mitch Einertson, who had three RBIs, ended the game by making a spectacular leaping grab at the outfield fence to smother the RockHounds bases loaded rally. Providing two big hits in the comeback, Eli Iorg socked a solo homer (4) in the seventh and singled in the Hooks initial run during a three-run eighth. Ray Sadler drove in the go-ahead run by pulling a double down the left-field line. Tommy Manzella's 20 game hitting streak came to an end after he failed to garner a hit in three official at-bats. Infielder Richie Paz, who was leading the Texas League with a .516 on-base percentage, was promoted to Triple-A Round Rock. The Astros replaced Paz with infielder Wladimir Sutil from high Single-A Salem.

May 3...Corpus Christi fell 4-3 to San Antonio, handing starter Chance Douglass a tough luck no-decision. Douglass held the Missions to two runs in eight innings pitched and walked none. With his brilliant outing, the right-hander lowered his earned run average to 2.94. With 15 career victories for the Hooks, Douglass is currently tied with ex-Hook pitcher Josh Miller for most wins in Corpus Christi history.

May 4...Chris Johnson (two-run) and Lou Santangelo (solo) connected on back-to-back homers during the Hooks 5-3 loss to San Antonio. Second baseman Drew Sutton had three hits in the late afternoon contest. With the loss, Corpus Christi has dropped five out of their last six.

Frisco RoughRiders

(Texas Rangers)

21-8, First Place, South Division

April 28...Frisco had their offensive moments, but came up short in an 8-5 loss to Corpus Christi. At the plate, catcher Max Ramirez (3-for-4) hit two doubles, while Stephen Murphy and Ben Harrison each had a solo homer, a stolen base and a multiple-hit game. The Rangers promoted outfielder John Mayberry, Jr. to Triple-A Oklahoma. Through 82 at-bats with Frisco, the Rangers 2005 first rounder hit .268 with four home runs and 13 RBIs.

April 29... Anchored by Ben Harrison's 4-for-5 performance, Frisco topped San Antonio 11-9 in a slugfest. The former Florida Gator cracked two doubles, scored three times and racked up four RBIs off of Missions pitching. Third baseman Emerson Frostad (3-for-5), who slugged a two-run homer, contributing to Frisco's 15-hit outburst. Infielder Corey Ragsdale was activated from the disabled list.

April 30...Scoring two runs in the top of the 10th, Frisco took their fifth game in five meetings with the Missions beating San Antonio 6-4. Tied at 4-4 in the 10th, Stephen Murphy doubled in Corey Ragsdale to bring in the go-ahead run. Chris Davis followed by driving in Max Ramirez on a sacrifice fly. Frisco prevailed over San Antonio despite being out hit by the Missions 10-7. Brian Gordon hurled 2.1 scoreless innings and earned his first win of the season.

May 1... Backed by an eight-run second inning in which Frisco sent 13 hitters to the plate, the RoughRiders defeated the Missions 12-10. On a night when Frisco piled up 11 hits and 11 walks, Chris Davis shined by slugging a three-run homer to right in the second. His seventh homer of the season tied Northwest Arkansas' Kila Kaaihue for the league lead. The Longview, TX native scored three runs on the night, collected four RBIs and finished the game going 3-for-5, lifting his average to .320.

May 2...Second baseman Stephen Murphy slugged two homers and compiled seven RBIs in Frisco's 14-10 victory over San Antonio. Murphy scored three times and lifted his season average to .357 after a 3-for-6 evening. Chris Davis and Emerson Frostad both clubbed solo homers in the RoughRiders 17 hit night. In their four game sweep of the Missions, Frisco scored 43 runs and tallied 50 hits.

May 3...The RoughRiders won their fifth straight beating Midland for a 3-2 victory in ten innings. Stephen Murphy drove in the winning run with a two-out, bases-loaded ground out. In a rehab start, Texas Rangers starter Kason Gabbard hurled four frames of one-hit ball, allowing only one run, while striking out six. Ben Harrison and Chris Davis belted solo homers to give the 'Riders their only runs before extra-innings. Davis' blast was his ninth of the year, which leads the Texas League. To promote breast cancer awareness, Frisco donned pink uniforms.

May 4...In Frisco's 10-6 loss versus Midland, catcher Max Ramirez went 3-for-5, with a homer (7) and a double. He also was credited with a pair of RBIs and runs scored. Ben Harrison also homered (4) for the second consecutive game. The 'Riders matched the RockHounds with 11 hits, but sealed their fate by batting just 1-for-8 with runners in scoring position.

Midland RockHounds

(Oakland Athletics)

17-13, Second Place, South Division

April 28...A nine-run fourth inning propelled Midland to a 12-3 victory over San Antonio. The RockHounds sent 14 batters to the plate in the big inning. Catcher Anthony Recker scored twice in the inning after hitting a single and double, and Tommy Everidge hit his fourth homer of the year. Midland's top five hitters in their order (Todd Donovan, Cliff Pennington, Jesus Guzman, Jon Zeringue, Joe Gaetti) each had multiple-hit games. During a three-hit night, Pennington scored four times and stole his fifth base of the year. In seven innings, starter James Simmons (2-1) held the Missions to one run on six hits and no walks, while fanning seven.

April 29...Midland squeaked by Corpus Christi 4-3, thanks to a go-ahead, opposite-field, solo home run by Jesus Guzman. Tied at 3-3 in the bottom of the seventh, Guzman's sixth homer of the season sailed over the fence in the right-field corner, giving Midland a permanent lead. The two-time Texas League Player of the Week went 2-for-4 and scored twice. After hitting .350 through five games with the RockHounds, outfielder Joe Gaetti was called up to Triple-A Sacramento.

April 30...The RockHounds pounded the Hooks 11-4, scoring all of their runs between the fourth and seventh innings. During that four-inning stretch, 25 RockHounds came to the plate. Todd Donovan and Cliff Pennington, Midland's number one and two hitters, collectively had four hits, scored six runs and had five stolen bases. With a 3-for-5 performance, Jesus Guzman raised his batting average to a Texas League best .422 mark, while racking up three RBIs. Guzman is batting .607 (17-for-28) with 14 RBIs through his first six contests against the Hooks. Blanking the Hooks over five innings, right-hander Henry Rodriguez picked up his first Double-A victory in his third start with Midland. After six appearances with Triple-A Sacramento, reliever Jesus Silva was reassigned to Midland.

May 1...The RockHounds won their fourth straight game, a 6-5 victory over the Hooks. First baseman Tommy Everidge went 2-for-3, with a home run (5), a double and four RBIs. Not factoring in the decision, staritng pitcher Vince Mazzaro struck out a season high 11 batters in six and 2/3 innings. He surrendered two runs on six hits and a walk before being relieved.

May 2...Jon Zeringue hit for the cycle in Midland's 9-7 loss to Corpus Christi. Zeringue (4-for-5) doubled in the second, pulled a solo homer down the left-field line in the fourth, tripled to center in the sixth and singled in his final at-bat during the ninth. The former Arizona farmhand finished the night with a pair of RBIs and two runs scored. Prior to Zeringue's achievement, San Antonio's Will Venable was the last Texas Leaguer to hit for the cycle, doing so on May 30 of last year. Outfielder Aaron Cunningham joined the club from Extended Spring Training where he was rehabbing a fractured wrist.

May 3...Midland lost 3-2 in 10 innings at Frisco, as their batters could only muster six hits all night. The RockHounds batters wound up hitting 1-for-13 with runners in scoring position during the loss. Starting pitcher James Simmons threw seven innings of two-hit ball, while fanning six RoughRiders. He walked two and he also got docked for two runs, raising his earned run average to 1.45.

May 4...Midland surged to a 10-6 victory over Frisco behind Anthony Recker's seventh inning grand slam. Recker's blast to left field highlighted a five-run rally that began with two-outs, with the RockHounds trailing 5-4. Todd Donovan, Jon Zeringue and Aaron Cunningham each had two hits, two runs and a stolen base for the RockHounds.

San Antonio Missions

(San Diego Padres)

14-15, Fourth Place, South Division

April 28...With a two-hit game, Brett Dowdy extended his hitting streak to 21 games in San Antonio's 12-3 loss to Midland. In order to rest the Missions bullpen, utility infielder Ray Chang was summoned to the mound in the eighth and worked a scoreless inning.

April 29...San Antonio got outslugged in an 11-9 loss to Frisco. Seth Johnson and Craig Cooper both had three hits, leading the charge in the Missions' 13 hit night. Johnston scored twice and ripped two doubles, while Cooper had two RBIs. Brett Dowdy's fourth inning single extended his hitting streak to 22 games.

April 30...In 10-innings, the Missions fell to the RoughRiders 6-4. Missions starter Will Inman was perfect through the first four and 2/3 innings and cruised into the top of the seventh with a 3-0 shutout. Despite having given up only three hits and a walk, Inman was charged for four runs in his 6.2 innings of work. Craig Cooper (4-for-4) and Jose Lobaton (3-for-4) combined for seven of the Missions' 10 hits. Brett Dowdy walked and scored, but could not come up with a hit, putting an end to his 22-game hitting streak.

May 1...The Missions lost 12-10 to the RoughRiders, after having been down 11-1. In the bottom of the ninth, Craig Cooper smoked a bases loaded triple to cut the deficit to two. The Notre Dame alumnus finished the game going 3-for-5, with five RBIs, while raising his batting average to .333. Going 4-for-5, Chad Huffman scored three times and drove-in two. The Padres promoted outfielder Peter Ciofrone to Triple-A Portland, and called up outfielder Mike Baxter from Single-A Lake Elsinore.

May 2...Despite tallying 14 hits, San Antonio came up short, losing a 14-10 slugfest to Frisco. Enjoying a perfect day at the plate, leadoff hitter Drew Macias went 3-for-3 and walked twice in five plate appearances. Macias and number-two batter Brett Dowdy both scored three times. Dowdy and Chad Huffman each had three-hits a piece. In his Missions debut, Mike Baxter clubbed two doubles during a 2-for-5 night.

May 3...The Missions rallied to score one run in eighth and two in the ninth to squeak past Corpus Christi 4-3. Ray Chang and Brett Dowdy both had three-hit games, helping San Antonio end their five-game losing streak. The bullpen trio of Jonathan Ellis, Neil Jamison and Edwin Moreno slammed the door on the Hooks offense by finishing the game with 3.1 no-hit innings.

May 4...Center fielder Drew Macias homered, doubled and scored twice to lead San Antonio past Corpus Christi 4-3. For the second straight game, Brett Dowdy chipped in with a three-hit game. He also swiped his fourth base of 2008. Entering the game with the bases loaded, fireman Edwin Moreno induced Lou Santangelo to ground into an inning ending double play. Moreno picked up his eighth save after hurling 1.2 scoreless frames and striking out two.

PLAYER OF THE WEEK

Max Ramirez - Frisco

7 G, 29 AB, 16 H, .552 AVG, 1 HR, 7 RBI, 5 H, 4 2B, .606 OBP, .862 SLG

In a torrid week of hitting, catcher Max Ramirez hit safely in every one of the seven RoughRiders contests. During his hot week, he tallied six multiple-hit games and he also had three hits on three separate occasions. Batting 16-for-29 (.552), Ramirez lifted his batting average from .324 to.390 in a week's time.

During a May 4 performance versus Midland, Ramirez ripped three hits, including a homer, a double, scored twice and added pair of RBIs.

Among batters with over 20 plate appearances, Ramirez led the circuit in batting average (.552), on-base percentage (.606), and tied teammate Ben Harrison for first in slugging percentage (.862). The Venezuelan also compiled the most hits with 16 and tied two others for first with six extra-base hits.

Through the games of May 4, Ramirez ranks first in the Texas League in both batting average (.390) and slugging percentage (.700). Between Single-A clubs Kinston and Bakersfield last season, the 23-year-old batted .304 with 16 homers and 82 RBIs.

The Texas Rangers acquired Ramirez along with four other prospects in the July 2007 deadline deal that sent Mark Teixeira to the Atlanta Braves. The 5-foot-11, 170 pounder plays in the organization with the deepest catching situation in baseball, but he's so skilled as a hitter that he'll make it to The Show regardless of where he plays.

PITCHER OF THE WEEK

James Simmons - Midland

1 W, 1.93 ERA, 14.0 IP, 8 H, 2 BB, 3 ER, 13 K

Prior to April 28, James Simmons had never thrown seven innings in a single start. One week later, he has two seven inning starts under his belt, both of which are arguably the finest games of his young career. On April 28, Simmons earned his second win of the season after holding San Antonio to six hits, no walks and one run over seven innings pitched. He struck out seven in Midland's 12-3 rout of the Missions. Although he didn't factor in the decision, the 21-year-old pitched better in his second start on May 3 by hurling seven frames of two-hit ball versus Frisco. He struck out six and limited the league's highest scoring offense to only two runs.

During the week of April 28-to-May 4, Simmons led all Texas League hurlers with 14.0 innings pitched and 13 strikeouts, while recording a 1.93 earned run average in his two starts. Opposing batters could only muster eight hits and two walks against the right-hander

In 31 innings pitched this season, Simmons has posted a 1.45 earned run average, which ranks second in the Texas League. In the 2007 First-Year Player Draft, the Oakland Athletics selected Simmons with their first round pick out of UC Riverside. To the limit the wear on his arm, the Athletics moved him to the bullpen last summer to ease him gently against professional competition. This year Simmons is back in the rotation and he's yet to give up more than two runs in any of his six starts.

ALUMNI REPORT

Through games of April 21-27

ARKANSAS TRAVELERS

Albuquerque 3B Dallas McPherson ('03-'04) had four homers and eight RBIs in a 10-game span while batting .273 (9-for-33)...Salt Lake Bees OF Terry Evans ('06) sported a .452 average (14-for-31) over his last seven games...3B Freddy Sandoval ('07) batted .355 (11-for-31) with two homers and 10 RBIs in seven games with the Bees...Bees 2B Sean Rodriguez ('07) had one hit in his last 19 at-bats (.053) over seven games.

CORPUS CHRISTI HOOKS

3B Mark Saccomanno ('05-'06) hit .355 (11-for-31) with three homers and 11 RBIs in a nine-game span...RHP Joshua Miller ('05-'07) gave up runs in each of his three relief appearances to begin the season before moving into the Express rotation April 21. In two starts, hoever, Miller has flourished, going 2-0 with a 0.71 ERA. The 29-year-old threw six shutout innings to help the Express beat Memphis on April 21. This past Thursday he allowed only one run on nine hits in 6.2 innings and earned the victory as Round Rock defeated Tucson. Miller is used to swtiching between the bullpen and rotation, having split time in every season since spending his first three pro seasons pitching almost exclusively in relief.

FRISCO ROUGHRIDERS

Triple-A Memphis RHP Kelvin Jimenez ('04-'05) pitched seven innings over his last five appearances without allowing a run, earning one victory in that span...Oklahoma Redhawks OF John Mayberry, Jr. had 10 hits in 16 at-bats (.625) over four games...RHP Doug Mathis ('07) has led the way, going 4-0 with a 3.82 EA in his first six starts with the Redhawks...RHP Frank Francisco ('03-'06), who converted all five of his save chances with Oklahoma, was called up to the Major Leagues...RHP R.A. Dickey ('04) has been a workhorse for the Tacoma Rainiers. In two starts since being sent down from the Mariners, he has thrown a total of 13.1 innings, giving up five earned runs. However, the veteran knuckleballers has two losses to show for his efforts. Last Sunday against Tucson, he allowed four runs--two earned--in seven innings, but the Rainiers were shutout, 4-0. Five days later against Oklahoma, he lasted 6.1 innings, allowing three runs, but Tacoma was shut out again, 6-0. In Dickey's four Triple-A starts, the Rainiers have scored six runs--including five in his lone win on April 9...Double-A Huntsville LHP Sam Narron ('04) had a perfect game through two outs in the eighth inning, retiring 23 batters, before settling for two-hit complete game (3-1) in a 9-1 victory at Mississippi. Diory Hernandez broke up the perfect game with a triple. Narron, 26, retired 11 batters on two pitches or fewer and had two outs on ground balls. The outing lowered his ERA to 3.24.

MIDLAND ROCKHOUNDS

Triple-A Sacramento 2B Kevin Melillo ('05-'06) hit .378 (14-for-37) with two homers and seven RBIs over a nine-game span...C Landon Powell ('06-'07) had struggled at the plate this season, hitting just .200 through Saturday. He hasn't had trouble with this power stroke, though, hitting five homers runs in a six-game span to give him six this year with Sacramento. Powell hit a grand slam in an eight-run eighth inning in the Rivers Cats' 16-8 victory over Colorado Springs on April 26, and the 26-year-old switch hitter also hit two home runs -- one of them from each side of the plate -- and drove in four runs in a 5-3 victory over Omaha on Thursday. Powell has a .580 slugging percentage and 13 RBIs in 16 games

SAN ANTONIO MISSIONS

C Nick Hundley ('07) had two hits in 24 at-bats (.083) over seven games with Triple-A Portland...West Tennessee OF Michael Wilson ('06) was 3-for-27 before making his first homer a grand slam. He later had a two-hit game with another home run...RHP Rich Dorman ('04-'05), of the West Tennessee Diamond Jaxx, improved to 3-1 while lowering his ERA to 2.25.

SPRINGFIELD CARDINALS

Memphis Redbirds OF Nick Stavinoha ('06) hit .483 (14-for-29) with seven runs scored in an eight game span...OF Colby Rasmus ('07), of Memphis, had five hits in 31 at-bats (.161) over 10 games. ....Redbirds RHP Blake Hawksworth ('06) gave up eight runs in five innings against Salt Lake on Thursday, dropping him to 0-4 on the season. What's more, he fell to 0-9 at AutoZone Park since joining the Redbirds for the 2007 season, according to the Memphis Commercial Appeal. The 25-year-old Canadian has not found much success in any park this season, giving up at least five runs in all but one outing this season, but his best start--no runs on two hits over six innings against Round Rock on April 20--came on the road..Salt Lake OF Terry Evans ('06) sported a .452 average (14-for-31) over his last seven games.

TULSA DRILLERS

RHP Greg Reynolds ('07), the Rockies' first-round draft pick in 2006, has enjoyed a successful start to th season with the Colorado Springs Sky Sox. He earned his first victory last Sunday, allowing two runs over eight innings against Sacramento. He had a 1-2 record and 5.17 ERA through six starts, though most of the damage came in two rough starts to begin the season, in which he allowed a total of 12 earned runs. Take away those two starts, and the 22-year-old has a 2.45 ERA. Reynolds is in his first season in Triple-A after going 4-1 with a 1.42 ERA in eight starts for Double-A Tulsa in 2007. He underwent shoulder surgery in the offseason...New Orleans 3B Fernando Tatis ('97) has hit .167 (5-for-30) in his last nine games......Triple-A Leigh Valley 1B Andy Tracy ('03) has hit a home run in four of his last 7 games. In addition, he has reached base safely in his last nine games and hit safely in seven of his last 8 games...Montgomery SS Ronnie Merrill ('03), hitting .311, had a 4-for-4 game that included a double and a triple.

OTHER TEXAS LEAGUE ALUMNI

Omaha Royals 3B Mike Aviles (Wichita '05) batted .419 (18-for-43) with four home runs, 10 RBIs and 12 runs scored over his last 10 games...OF Shane Costa (Wichita '05) had three homers and 12 RBIs in a 10-game span while batting .268 (11-for-41) for Omaha...Omaha 1B Mike Stodolka (Wichita '05, '07) had one hit in 14 at-bats (.071) over his last five games...Tacoma OF Mike Kinkade (El Paso '97) hit .167 (5-for-30) over his last seven games...Tucson 3B Jamie D'Antona (El Paso '04) had a .538 average (21-for-39) over his last 10 games...During Louisville's 4-3 win over Richmond in 18 innings, Bats 1B Kevin Barker (El Paso '97-98) was on the mound in the 17th inning, making his fifth career pitching appearance and first since 2005 (New Hampshire)...Norfolk OF Luis Terrero (El Paso '01-'02) has hit safely in each of his last six games, hitting .455 (10-22) with a homer and six RBI over that stretch. Terrero has hit .342 on the season, and that average is tops among Orioles minor leagues and 3rd in the International League. Terrero leads the club with 27 hits this season, and his .441 on-base percentage ranks 4th in the IL. With a hit tonight, Terrero would match Norfolk's season-high hitting streak, set by Oscar Salazar (Wichita '03) during the first seven games of the season.

This Week in Texas League

History

May 5, 1917 Tossing the second Texas League one-hitter of the day, Dallas hurler Sam Lewis led his club to a 4-0 win over Houston. The only hit allowed by Lewis was a third inning single by Houston lead-off hitter Edson Hemingway. San Antonio's Jake May and Mike Flanagan had combined to one-hit Fort Worth that same afternoon, winning 1-0.

May 6, 1959 Pinch-hitting, Corpus Christi manager Ray Murray ignited a 10-run rally in the seventh inning of a 12-8 win over Austin when he doubled in the first two runs of the inning. Murray and Charlie Dees both made two pinch-hitting appearances in the frame. Murray walked in his second time up, while Dees singled twice, driving in three runs.

May 7, 1898 Houston used 20 hits and took advantage of 10 San Antonio errors to craft a one-sided, 22-4 win over the Gentlemen. Frank Badger led the Houston offense with a 4-for-5 effort that included a triple and a home run.

May 8, 1929 San Antonio battered five Wichita Falls pitchers for 20 hits on the way to a 19-9 win over the Spudders. Shortstop Lloyd Flippen wielded the big stick for the Indians, going 4-for-6, with a double and four runs scored.

May 9, 1970 Dallas-Fort Worth starter Dyar Miller, a former weak hitting catcher, fired a seven-inning no-hitter versus Amarillo. Miller helped himself at the plate, too, driving in three runs with a homer and a single in the 10-0 win over the Giants.

May 10, 1909 Right-handed pitcher Bob Harmon of the Shreveport Pirates pitched a 6-0, no-hit win over the Galveston Sandcrabs. The Pirates scored all their runs in the sixth inning, the big blow coming off the bat of second baseman Carlos Smith, who stroked a two-run double. Just weeks later, Harmon was purchased by the St, Louis Cardinals, immediately beginning what would become a nine-year Major League career.

May 11, 2003 In a game at San Antonio, shortstop Mike Rouse homered twice during Midland's eight-run outburst in the second inning. Rouse led off the inning with a solo home run, then closed the scoring in the canto with a three run shot. Rouse, who gathered five RBI's in all, helped lead the RockHounds to a 12-8 win over the Missions.

May 12, 2002 Arkansas newcomer Kenny James, who had been released by the Toronto Blue Jays just a week earlier, drove in a career high seven runs, helping power the Travelers over Tulsa 14-6. James used a bases loaded walk, a two-run double and a grand slam to amass his RBI total.

Texas League Stories from May 5, 2008

• Manzella, Iorg Lift Hooks Past Missions - Corpus Christi Hooks
• Rauschenberger and Cards Beat Travs 4-1 - Arkansas Travelers
• RoughRiders edge Hounds 8-5 - Frisco RoughRiders
• Naturals Cash in on Seventh Straight at Arvest - Northwest Arkansas Naturals
• Cards Win Second Straight, Home Tuesday at 12:10pm - Springfield Cardinals
• Drillers Drop Another Close One - Tulsa Drillers
• Texas League update - TL1
• Former Hog Jess Todd to Pitch Against Naturals Wednesday - Northwest Arkansas Naturals
• Simmons Takes Home Pitcher Of The Week Award - Midland RockHounds
• Vote Hooks for Affordable Family Entertainment - Corpus Christi Hooks
• Drillers Return Home Wednesday - Tulsa Drillers

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