Wind-Blown Beach Ball
Published on July 23, 2015 under Texas League (TL1)
Midland RockHounds News Release
The Corpus Christi Hooks used three home runs and a five-run eighth inning, highlighted by a "duck snort" triple, for a 9-4 win over the RockHounds Wednesday night at Whataburger Field. The win gave the first half South Division champs a split of the four-game series and dropped the 'Hounds a half-game behind the Frisco RoughRiders in the second half race.
The clubs combined to hit four home runs in the series finale, each pushed (to varying degrees) by a strong wind reaching 30 mile per hour and pushing to left field. The first two, from Corpus Christi's Teoscar Hernandez (solo in the first inning) and Jon Kemmer (with a man on in the second), gave the Hooks a 3-0 lead. The 'Hounds sliced the margin to 3-2 on Jaycob Brugman's two-run drive to left in the fourth.
A.J. Reed's fourth-inning triple to right-center was followed by a sacrifice fly to right (hit as hard as any of the home runs and perhaps kept in the ballpark by the wind) off the bat of Colin Moran. The RockHounds cut the lead back to one on Rangel Ravelo's fifth-inning RBI double, and denied a Hooks scoring threat in the sixth when, with the bases loaded and two out, catcher Nick Rickles picked Kemmer off first base.
The Hooks loaded the bases on three walks (the last intentional) against reliever Jonathan Joseph in the eighth. Andres Avila replaced Joseph and struck out pinch-hitter Conrad Gregor, but Chan Jong Moon tripled down the left field line. The soft, spinning flair landed just inside the foul line, and kicked toward the left field corner, clearing the bases. Brett Phillips followed with a two-run home run to left to cap the scoring.
The RockHounds
... are 16-10 in the second half and 51-45 overall (after twice reaching a season-best seven games over .500) ... split the four-game series with the Hooks ... are 7-13 in the season series with Corpus Christi (4-8 at Whataburger Field and 3-5 at home) ... are 29-17 at Security Bank Ballpark and 22-28 on the road ... are 32-28 vs. the South Division and 19-17 vs. the North.
- Texas League South: The RockHounds dropped a half-game behind Frisco (16-9) following the RoughRiders' 6-5 come-from-behind win at San Antonio. Corpus Christi (13-13) is three-and-a-half games behind the Riders and San Antonio (10-16) trails Frisco by six-and-a-half.
Kibbles & Bits
STAT OF THE DAY: Although there is a long way to go in the second half of the Texas League season (44 games), it's worth pointing out that the half-game in the (North and South) second half pennant races will probably not go away. Frisco and Northwest Arkansas were rained out during their final series of the season, with one game unable to have been made up.
- Chad Pinder (1-for-4) extended his hit streak to 16 games, now tied for the second-longest streak in the league this season. Chad is hitting .377 (26-69) in the 16-gamer, which is two games shy of an 18-game streak by the Springfield Cardinals Mike Ohlman (May 26-June 21).
- Renato Nuñez (1-for-3, walk, run) has hit in seven straight games (12-for-29, .414) and is hitting .330 (35-for-106) in his last 23 games. Despite joining the club May 3 out of extended spring training (strained calf), his 14 home runs trail the league's (three) co-leaders by just one.
- Ryon Healy (2-for-4) has hit in five straight games (9-23, .391) and has hits in 8-of-his-last-10 games (15-for-39, .385).
Texas League Stories from July 23, 2015
- Arkansas Takes Opener from Drillers - Tulsa Drillers
- Naturals Stunned in Springfield - Northwest Arkansas Naturals
- Riders Take Down Hooks Behind Three Homers - Frisco RoughRiders
- Top Prospect RHP Alex Reyes and St. Louis RHP Jordan Walden Joining Springfield Today - Springfield Cardinals
- Homestand 8: Don't Blink - Corpus Christi Hooks
- Hooks, Naturals Shifted Back to Whataburger Field - Corpus Christi Hooks
- Jeff Jarrett's Global Force Wrestling Coming to Wolff Stadium - San Antonio Missions
- Wind-Blown Beach Ball - Midland RockHounds
- Travs Fall in 10th One-Run Game in Last 11 - Arkansas Travelers
- Cardinals Top Travelers, 2-1, for Series Win in Arkansas - Springfield Cardinals
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