Texas League Newsletter

Transcription

1 Texas League Newsletter Vol. XX, No. 4 April 23-29, 2012

2 John Klein: April shows Drillers have wealth of talent By John Klein/Tulsa World Senior Sports Columnist 4/30/12 Three future major league stars played for Tulsa the last time the Drillers were this good in April. The 1989 Drillers won 16 games in April with a team that included future stars Sammy Sosa, Juan Gonzalez and Dean Palmer. The current Drillers passed that record with victory No. 17 on Sunday at ONEOK Field. Those three guys from 1989 are pretty electric names, said Jeff Bridich, the senior director of player development for the Colorado Rockies. Needless to say, we d be very excited if this current team produced some players of that caliber. That would be a nice collection of players and we would be very excited at the major league level. They ll have a chance to add another April victory in an 11:05 a.m. Monday game at ONEOK, the final game of what has been a very successful eight-game homestand. Tulsa is absolutely on fire. The Drillers have won 11 of their 13 home games this season including six of the seven games in this homestand. The level of play, combined with the continued popularity of the 3-year-old ONEOK Field, has helped fuel a fantastic start for the Drillers on the field and in attendance. Tulsa had two sellouts over the weekend and, if the weather cooperates, it expects another near sellout Monday morning. What fans saw in the first month of the season is the best team in the Texas League and one of the best in recent Tulsa history. The Drillers own a five-game lead in the Texas League s North Division. Whether the hot streak continues or not is anyone s guess. However, the quick start has created a buzz among Tulsa baseball fans and has sparked interest at the major league level in Denver. For full article, go to:

3 Family Man By Matt Rogers / Corpus Christi Hooks 04/26/2012 Brandon Barnes is all about family. His idea of a perfect day? "Waking up to my daughter, hearing her say da-da and seeing the smile on her face. Watching her play with her toys and cherishing every moment with her and having fun. "Coming to the ballpark and doing what I love to do every day. Having my family here to support me. Winning a game and going home with my family." Wife Shawn and infant girl Kenadie help keep Barnes grounded here and now. For as long as Barnes can remember, grandfather Frank Corcoran has been there for him. "I started skateboarding when I was four and stayed with it until I was 17 or 18," Barnes recalled. "My grandfather hated it. He gave me an ultimatum: 'I'll give you a new bat if you'll give up your skateboard.'" That sounds more like an offer. Either way, it was accepted. "My grandfather is my guardian angel. He's always wanted each of his grandkids to know he loves us." Corcoran sacrificially loves Brandon, his siblings and cousins. Frank and grandmother Mary recently visited Corpus Christi from California. Eight years ago, Barnes helped the family patriarch understand the magnitude of God's ultimate sacrifice and Corcoran found a personal relationship with Jesus Christ. "There was nothing better I could give him," Barnes reflected. Brandon Barnes is all about family. He's most proud of his membership in the family of God. So, how does the reigning two-time Texas League player of the week and circuit leader in batting average (.394), RBIs (19), hits (26), doubles (13), extra-base hits (17), total bases (51), slugging percentage (.773) and runs scored (16) use faith in everyday life? For full article, go to: _t482&fext=.jsp&sid=t482

4 George Frazier watches Parker Frazier pitch in Drillers loss By Barry Lewis/Tulsa World 4/26/12 Colorado Rockies television announcer and former major league reliever George Frazier had a chance to see his son, Parker, pitch with the Tulsa Drillers for the first time on Wednesday afternoon. "It was great getting to watch him," George Frazier said. "I've seen him make steady improvement. The biggest thing I've seen from him in the past year-and-a-half is his maturity." Parker Frazier, a Bishop Kelley graduate, turned in his fourth consecutive solid start to open the 2012 season, but came away with a 2-0 loss to the Arkansas Travelers before 3,876 fans at ONEOK Field. Tulsa (13-6) had won seven in a row at home since losing their opener. The Drillers, whose overall fourgame winning streak was snapped, lead second-place Arkansas (9-10) by four games in the Texas League's North Division. Frazier (1-2), a right-hander whose ERA is 2.52, allowed two runs and four hits, walked one and struck out four in his longest outing - seven innings. "I threw well," he said. "The other team capitalized on my mistakes. I gave up a leadoff walk and they did their job to get the guy in. I made a great pitch (an inside fastball) on the guy who hit the home run, but he made a good swing so all I can do is tip my cap." Frazier was referring to Roberto Lopez's seventh-inning leadoff homer that was originally ruled foul, but after all the umpires met, the call was changed and the ball was ruled to have gone inside the left-field foul pole. Drillers manager Duane Espy did not disagree with the decision. Arkansas' other run came in the third inning as Rian Kiniry drew a leadoff walk and Angel Castillo singled him to second. Carlos Ramirez's bunt advanced the runners to second and third;. Kiniry scored on Matt Long's grounder. Frazier had made one other start at ONEOK Field. "I had family and friends watching, which was nice," Frazier said. "Some skipped worked to be here. My dad saw me five or six times last year in Modesto." For full article, go to: N677876

5 Converted starters seeing success Springfield's Fornataro, Butler thriving in bullpen Written by Harrison Keegan 4/23/12 Springfield Cardinals right-hander Eric Fornataro used to hate it when the bullpen phone rang. It meant he, then a starting pitcher, was losing his touch and may soon be asked to take a seat in the dugout. These days, his ears perk up when manager Mike Shildt makes the call because it means Fornataro, who has shifted to the bullpen after starting 52 games the past two seasons, gets to go to work. I love it, Fornataro said of his new role. I didn t think I would like it at first, but I think my arm adjusted pretty fast. Fornataro and another junior college draftee, Keith Butler, have been stellar out of the bullpen for the Cardinals. The right-handed duo has combined to allow only two runs in 18 innings this season. In fact, Fornataro s success is more than noteworthy. The Cardinals see a higher-profile role down the road. He s got the stuff to pitch at the end of the game, Shlidt told the News-Leader on opening day. We re hopeful that, as we move forward, he can get to that later-inning situation and we can create some opportunities for him. He s a big strong kid, durable body. He could continue to start but he s really best suited, with his stuff, for the pen. The other night he was (mph) with a good breaking ball as an out-pitch. He s just going to have to learn how to come out of the pen. Shildt said the hardest acclimation for a pitcher transitioning from starter to reliever is the game-day preparation. While starters have the luxury of knowing exactly when they ll pitch, relievers have only a few minutes to get ready when the bullpen phone rings. Fornataro is making that adjustment, Shildt said. Fornataro, who was also a full-time starter at Miami-Dade (Fla.) Junior College, said instead of worrying about his specific preparation measures, he has simply tried to develop a reliever s mentality. For full article, go to:

6 Naturals' Myers keeps on rolling By Robert Emrich / Special to MLB.com 04/27/2012 To say that Wil Myers is miles ahead of where he was last year at this time is an understatement. The Royals' No. 2 prospect was 3-for-4 with a homer and two runs scored as Northwest Arkansas beat Springfield, 6-3, on Thursday. Myers, who finished a triple shy of the cycle, hit a solo homer over the left-field wall in the third inning. After doubling in the fifth, he singled and scored on Mario Lisson's RBI two-bagger in the seventh. "I feel pretty good at the plate," Myers said. "At the beginning of the year, I was pulling on some balls. Now I'm trying to stay to the center of the field and it's paying off for me." Myers homered for the second straight game and has a hit in 17 of the 18 games he's played this season. The 2009 third-round pick is batting.342 with six homers and 14 RBIs for the Naturals. Contrast that with his numbers from 2011, when he slugged eight homers and drove in 49 runs the entire season. "I definitely learned a lot from my 2011 season," Myers said. "I learned how to deal with failure and what to do when that happens. Last season was the best as far as learning curve. It was big." Myers credits a stint in the prospect-laden Arizona Fall League for helping to prepare him for this season. The North Carolina native batted.360 with a OPS in 23 games for Surprise and was named to the Rising Stars Game. For full article, go to: ilb

7 Texas notes: Olt knows about change By Todd Traub / Special to MLB.com 04/24/2012 Mike Olt may entertain himself with a few windups and pitches while he shags balls during batting practice, but don't read anything into it. The Frisco third baseman isn't considering a move to the mound. He's got enough to think about already. "I can't pitch," Olt said. "No way. Just having fun." Olt entered the season as the Texas Rangers' No. 3 prospect after moving to third base from shortstop, his position at the University of Connecticut. He has also, at the Rangers' urging, tried a little first base and outfield. When you're trying to crack the roster of a World Series contender, you're open to new ideas. "We did a little bit of first base in Spring Training," Olt said. "I just have to get more comfortable over there. They want me to do a little bit of outfield, but with the team we have up there, they're so talented in every spot, I'm just trying to become more versatile so if they need me in a certain spot I'm ready. I told them whatever they need, I'm willing to try." For now Olt is happy to log his time at third, even if the Rangers have Adrian Beltre signed at the position through And who knows? Third may be exactly where Olt winds up. "You've got to get used to hard-hit balls," Olt said of the hot corner. "It's more of a reaction spot. I always thought I had pretty good reactions, so that's what made that transition [from shortstop] really easy." Wherever he is penciled in, Olt hopes this will be his first full pro season after a broken collarbone limited him to 69 games at Class A Advanced Myrtle Beach last year. He was a first-round pick out of Connecticut in 2010, signing for $717,300. After hitting.293 with nine home runs and 43 RBIs at short-season Spokane, Olt was on his way to an MVP-quality season at Myrtle Beach, with 14 home runs and 42 RBIs, before a home-plate collision just before the All-Star break cost him the rest of his year. For full article, go to: ilb

8 Melville Improving NATURALS PITCHER WORKING WAY INTO ROYALS UNIFORM By Paul Nielsen/NWA Online 4/24/12 SPRINGDALE To some outside the organization, prospect Tim Melville s expected journey to Kansas City has been a slow one. Taken in the fourth round of the 2008 draft, Melville was once ranked as the No. 5 prospect in the Royals farm system by Baseball America. He has slipped each year and currently is ranked No. 19 after spending the last two seasons at Class A-Advanced Wilmington. Melville earned a promotion to Double-A Northwest Arkansas this season and at just 22-years-old the 6- foot-4, 227 pound right-hander still has the full confidence of Royals officials. Melville didn t give up an earned run his first two starts with the Naturals but gave up eight hits and eight runs in 1 2/3 innings of work in a loss to Arkansas last weekend. I m still getting used to the competition, but I know if I go out there and use my stuff, it will be a good season, Melville said. The hitters will really ambush you and they are not afraid to go after you. Melville s stuff includes a fastball in the low 90s and a curveball that is considered a plus pitch. His changeup has also improved. Melville had command issues during in 2010 (2-12, 4.97 ERA) season but his walk-to-strikeout ratio improved in 2011 (11-10, 4.32 ERA). Not all players fly through the farm system and Kansas City assistant general manager J.J. Picollo said he expects Melville to continue to work his way into a Royals uniform. It s been good progress and he is getting things ironed out, Picollo said. We think we are seeing a more aggressive style of pitching, he is getting after hitters. His ability to get in the strike zone early in the count has really improved. You see outings out of him where you say, there is a Major League pitcher. Those outings are more consistent. Melville is part of a Naturals rotation that is heavy on prospects, and is expected to carry the team to a fifth-straight Texas League playoff berth. Jake Odorizzi (4th), Chris Dwyer (9th) and Noel Arguelles (17th) join Melville among the top 20 prospects in the farm system. For full article, go to:

9 Player of the Week, April OF Wil Myers, Northwest Arkansas Naturals.500 AVG (11-for-22), 8 runs, 6 RBI, 2 HR, 4 2Bs, 6 Extra base hits,.577 OBP,.955 slugging percentage Wil Myers earned Texas League Player of the Week honors after an impressive week in which he hit safely in all six games he played, helping to lead a resurgent Northwest Arkansas Naturals squad to wins in each of the six games in which he played. For the week Myers finished 11-for-22, with two homers, six RBI and eight runs scored. Myers, who begin the year with a 13-game hit streak, continues to pile up the numbers in For the season, he ranks in the league's top-five in runs (t-3rd with 17), hits ( t-4th with 28), doubles (t-4th with 8), homers (t-2nd with 6), total bases (t-4th with 54), slugging (3rd.684), average (2nd.354) and OPS (2nd 1.097). This past week in Northwest Arkansas' four-game sweep of Springfield, Myers was particularly productive as he went 8-for-16 with two home runs, six RBI, seven runs scored, while adding two steals for good measure. Selected by Kansas City in the third round of the 2009 draft out of Wesleyan Christian Academy in High Point, N.C. Prior to this year, Myers best professional season was in 2010, when he split time at two A- level Royal affiliates in Burlington (MW) and Wilmington (CAR) to hit.315 with 14 homers, 83 RBI and 70 runs scored in 126 games played. Entering the 2012 season, Myers was ranked as the #19 prospect in all of baseball according to MLB.com.

10 Pitcher of the Week, April RHP Dan Houston, Tulsa Drillers 2-0(W-L), 0.64 ERA, 14 innings pitched, 1 earned run, 6 hits, 12 strikeouts, 3 walks, opponents AVG-.122 Dan Houston earned Pitcher of the Week honors after two stellar starts this past week for the first-place Tulsa Drillers. In winning both starts, Houston allowed just one earned run in 14 innings pitched. For the season, Houston ranks in the top-five in the Texas League in wins (t-3rd with 3), innings pitched (t-4 with 30) and WHIP (5th at 1.07). In his first start of the week, a 2-1 win over the Travelers, Houston held Arkansas scoreless over eight innings, allowing just one unearned run on two hits while striking out seven. Five days later he won again after tossing six innings of one-run, four-hit ball in a 3-2 win over Springfield. Houston was selected by Colorado in the seventh round of the 2008 First-Year Player Draft out of Boston College and has spent his entire professional career in the Rockies organization. After a disappointing 2010 season in Modesto (High-A), he bounced back in 2011, splitting time between Modesto and Tulsa, finishing the year with a combined record of 11-5 with a 3.36 ERA in 26 starts, while being named to the California League All-Star team.

11 North Division Notes 4/23-4/29 Arkansas Travelers Los Angeles Angels Affiliate This Week: 2-5; Overall Record: rd Place North Division Monday, April 23: L, Tulsa (10 innings) Arkansas saw its season-high five-game win streak snapped in a heart-breaking 7-6 extra-inning loss at Tulsa. Trailing 4-0 in the fifth, the Travelers got on the board when designated hitter Casey Haerther led off the inning with a solo homer to left, cutting the deficit to three. The following inning Arkansas sliced the Tulsa lead to one on solo homers by Matt Long and Jean Segura. After falling behind 6-3 in the sixth, the Travelers rallied again, scoring three runs in the seventh, highlighted by three consecutive doubles by Angel Castillo, Rian Kiniry and Long. Long finished the game 3-for-4 with two RBI and a walk. Reliever Matt Oye (1-1) took the loss after allowing a run on four hits in an inning and two-thirds. Tuesday, April 24: L, Tulsa In a 2-1loss, the Travelers dropped their second straight one-run contest to the Drillers in the second game of a fourgame series in Tulsa. Arkansas starter Ariel Pena (1-1) pitched well but took the loss after allowing two runs on five hits in six and two-thirds innings. Pena fanned eight Tulsa batters, ranking him seventh in the league in strikeouts on the season with 25. The Travelers had no answers for the Driller pitching combo of Dan Houston and Josh Sullivan, managing just two hits and scoring their only run of the game in the fourth thanks to an error. Wednesday, April 25: W, Tulsa The long and powerful arm of right fielder Angel Castillo saved the day for the Travelers in a 2-0 win over the streaking first-place Drillers Wednesday afternoon at ONEOK field. Tulsa, having won four games in a row, was threatening in the first with two on and only one out. Drillers first baseman Ben Paulsen hit a rocket to deep right, but Castillo reached over the wall and gathered in the drive, robbing Paulsen of a three-run homer. After heaving a sigh of relief, Eddie McKiernan, making a spot start for the Travelers, would get out of the inning without damage. McKiernan (1-0) tossed five scoreless innings to earn the win and combined with three Travelers relievers for a sixhitter. In the sixth, Castillo would gun Drillers third baseman Nolan Arenado at the plate, erasing another Tulsa scoring chance. Arkansas got on the board in the third on a run-scoring groundout by second baseman Matt Long and added their final run in the seventh when Roberto Lopez led off the inning with a solo homer to left. Matt Oye pitched a scoreless ninth for his third save of the season. Thursday, April 26: L, Tulsa Before a Thursday night crowd of 4,964 at ONEOK Field, the Travelers wasted an early two-run lead, dropping the series finale to the Drillers 5-3. Arkansas took their only lead of the game in the second when first baseman Casey Haerther's two-run blast to right put the Travs up 2-0. Trailing 4-2 in the sixth, Arkansas had a golden chance to have a big inning when a Darwin Perez one-out solo homer, was followed by two singles and a walk to load the bases. However, Drillers reliever Mike Marbry got Haerther to pop out in foul territory and third baseman Renny Osuna to strike out, ending the Travelers last threat of the game. Arkansas starter Orangel Arenas (1-2) took the loss

12 after allowing four runs (one earned) on six hits in six innings. Two Travelers errors led to three unearned runs in the contest. Friday, April 27: L, NW Arkansas Arkansas failed to hold an early lead, dropping their second straight game to division-rival Northwest Arkansas 8-3. The Travelers scored all their runs in the second inning to take an early 3-0 lead. Catcher Alberto Rosario s sacrifice fly plated the first run, followed later in the inning by run-scoring singles by Rian Kiniry and Matt Long. After cruising for the first three innings, Travelers starter and loser Greg Smith (2-1) ran into big trouble in the fourth, serving up a grand slam to the Naturals Carlos Testa, while allowing five runs total in the inning. For the game, Smith allowed seven runs on nine hits in seven and a third innings. Former Traveler Mike Trout has been promoted to the Angels, following the release of Bobby Abreu. Trout, who will join the team Saturday and be available to play Sunday, will get the chance to play every day in the outfield for Anaheim, according to media reports. This season in 20 games for Triple-A Salt Lake City, Trout was hitting.403 with 10 extra-base hits and 13 runs batted in. Saturday, April 28: L, NW Arkansas In losing their third straight game, the Travelers blew an early two-run lead, then fell to the Naturals 4-3. Left fielder Matt Long got the Travelers off to a good start when he led off the game with a home run to right field and a few batters later Adam Heether s RBI-single made the score 2-0. Trailing 3-2 in the sixth, the Travelers would score their final run of the game on a Rian Kiniry sacrifice fly that tied the score. Starter AJ Schugel (0-3) took the loss after allowing four runs (three earned) on nine hits in five and two-thirds innings. Arkansas had 11 hits in the contest but left seven men on base and committed three errors in the field. Sunday, April 29: W, NW Arkansas Arkansas used a five-run ninth to pull away from Northwest Arkansas in a 9-3 win Sunday afternoon. The Travelers, who never trailed in the contest, entered the ninth inning with a 4-1 lead and immediately loaded the bases with nobody out. Second baseman Darwin Perez hit a sacrifice fly to push the lead to four, an intentional walk and a wild pitch followed the Perez hit, making the score 6-1. After the third intentional walk of the inning, Casey Haerther's two-run single plated two more. Winding up the outburst, Renny Osuna singled home Roberto Lopez with the fifth and final run of the inning. Starter John Hellweg, who did not factor into the decision, tossed four innings of one-run, five-hit ball. Reliever Mike Piazza (1-0) earned the win in relief after striking out two in two scoreless innings. Northwest Arkansas Naturals Kansas City Royals Affiliate This Week: 6-1; Overall Record: nd Place North Division Monday, April 23: W, 5-0 vs. Springfield Desperate for a win, Northwest Arkansas received a brilliant performance from starter Jake Odorizzi in a 5-0 win over Springfield. In the winning effort, Odorizzi (2-1) snapped the Naturals' four-game skid after tossing seven shutout innings and striking out a franchise-record. Reliever Patrick Keating picked up his fourth save of 2012 after tossing two scoreless and hitless innings. Cleanup hitter John Whittleman opened the game's scoring in the third with a two-run double to center. The score would remain 2-0 until the eighth when the Naturals tacked on three

13 runs big insurance runs. A solo homer by Sharlon Schoop and a two-run double by Julio Rodriguez pushed the lead to five, producing the final margin. Tuesday, April 24: W, 7-6 vs. Springfield (13 innings) In the longest game ever at Arvest Ballpark, Christian Colon's game-winning single in the 13th inning lifted the Naturals to a thrilling 7-6 win over the Cardinals. The game lasted four hours and 23-minutes, surpassing the previous longest game (in terms of time) in the park's history of four hours and 20-minutes set in 2008, ironically, also against Springfield. The Naturals displayed tremendous resilience, twice overcoming four-run deficits to extend the game to extra innings. Trailing 6-2 in the seventh, the Naturals stroked five hits and took advantage of Springfield's inept defense (three of team's five errors were committed in the seventh) to plate four, tying the score at six. The game remained tied until the 13th, when with two outs and designated hitter Carlos Testa on third base, Colon laced a single up the middle, scoring Testa and ending the marathon. Colon was 4-for-7 in the contest with a double, triple and 2 runs batted in. Blaine Hardy (1-0) earned the win in relief after tossing three and a third shutout innings, allowing just one hit and striking out a batter. The Naturals parent club, the Kansas City Royals announced on Monday that right-handed starter Felipe Paulino will begin a rehab assignment with the Northwest Arkansas Naturals on Wednesday. In another move, the Naturals have activated infielder Mario Lisson, placing catcher Ben Theriot on the disabled list (retroactive to 4/22) to make room. Wednesday, April 25: W, 10-6 vs. Springfield A seven-run fourth inning keyed Northwest Arkansas's 10-6 win over Springfield in front of a season-high crowd of 7,064 at Arvest Ballpark Wednesday afternoon. The Naturals, who have taken the first three games of their fourgame series with the Cardinals, sent 11 batters to the plate in the fourth, an inning that included a pair of two-run homers by Wil Myers and Yem Prades. Myers finished the game 2-for-4 with three runs batted in. First baseman John Whittleman added a solo homer in the sixth, his fourth of the seaason, extending the lead to 10-4 and capping the Naturals scoring. In his first rehab start with the Naturals, Kansas City's Felipe Paulino struck out eight while allowing three runs on four hits over four innings. Reliever Buddy Baumann (2-0) followed Paulino, tossing two and a third innings of one-run, four-hit ball to earn the win. Brendan Lafferty fired an inning and two-thirds scoreless innings to close the game and earn his first save of the season. Thursday, April 26: W, 6-3 vs. Springfield The Naturals completed a four game sweep of the Cardinals, their first series sweep of 2012, with a 6-3 win Thursday night powered, once again, by Wil Myers. Myers hit his sixth homer of the season in the third inning, his second in as many nights, finishing the contest 3-for-4 with a double and two runs scored and a triple shy of a cycle. Leadoff hitter Rey Navarro also had three hits for the Naturals, while Mario Lisson went 2-for-4, both doubles, with three runs batted in. The Naturals collected 13 hits in a game in which they never trailed after striking for three runs in the first, highlighted by a two-run double by Lisson. Northwest Arkansas starter Justin Marks (1-1) rebounded from consecutive rough starts (12 runs in 7.2 innings) to earn the win, allowing just two funs on four hits in six innings. The bullpen duo of Bryan Paukovits and Patrick Keating closed the game for the Naturals, combining to toss three scoreless innings, striking out five and allowing just one hit. Keating struck out the side in the ninth, earning his fifth save and placing him in a three-way tie for most saves in the league. After the sweep of Springfield, Northwest Arkansas is now tied for second place in the North Division with a 9-11 record. Friday, April 27: W, 8-3 vs. Arkansas Carlos Testa s big night rallied the Naturals to an 8-3 win over the Travelers Friday night in Springdale. Trailing 3-0 in the fourth, the Naturals exploded for five runs, highlighted by a two-out grand slam to center by Testa, that gave the Naturals a 5-3 lead. In the eighth, Testa delivered key insurances runs with a two-run triple, capping the game s scoring. Testa entered the game with just three RBI, but finished his breakout night 2-for-4 with six runs driven in. Starter Tim Melville (1-1) earned his first victory at the Double-A level after allowing three runs on four hits with four strikeouts. Reliever Elisaul Pimentel followed with three scoreless and hitless innings of relief before Kendal Volz closed out the game in the ninth. With the win, Northwest Arkansas has now won a season-high five straight games, improving their record to on the season and moving them to second place in the North Division. Saturday, April 28: W, 4-3 vs. Arkansas Before a crowd of 5,819 at Arvest Ballpark, the Naturals winning streak reached six games after rallying to take a 4-3 win from the Travelers. Winning starter Chris Dwyer (1-3) settled down after a rocky start to earn his first win of the season, allowing three runs on nine hits in six and two-thirds innings. Dwyer gave up two runs in the first

14 inning, but the Naturals got one back in the second when left fielder Paulo Orlando s sacrifice fly cut the deficit to one, then drew even in the fourth with another sacrifice fly, this time by Carlos Testa. The Naturals took their first lead the following inning when John Whittleman s double scored Wil Myers making the score 3-2. With the game tied at three in the sixth, left fielder Paulo Orlando drove in the game-winning run when he lined a single to center that brough home Yem Prades from second base. Northwest Arkansas reliever Blaine Hardy earned his second save after closing the game with two and a third scoreless innings. Sunday, April 29: L, 9-3 vs. Arkansas The Naturals bullpen unraveled late in a 9-3 loss to the Travelers, ending their season-best six-game win streak. Starter and loser Jake Odorizzi (2-2) struck out four and allowed three runs on five hits in six innings. Down 4-1 in the ninth, Northwest Arkansas reliever Buddy Baumann entered the game and immediately ran into trouble. In recording just one out, Baumann allowed four runs (three earned) on one hit and two walks, putting the game out of reach for the home club. The Naturals scored two in the ninth on a John Whittleman sacrifice fly and a Yem Prades single to cap scoring. With nine hits in the game, the Naturals had their chances but left 12 men on base. Shortstop Christian Colon had the Naturals best day in the losing cause, going 2-for-2 with three walks and a run scored. Springfield Cardinals St. Louis Cardinals Affiliate This Week: 0-7; Overall Record: th Place North Division Monday, April 23: L, NW Arkansas Springfield's offense came up small as they dropped their series opening game with Northwest Arkansas 5-0 Monday night in Springdale. While losing their third straight contest, the Cardinal batters managed just four hits and left six men on base, going 0-for-8 with runners in scoring position. With little offensive help, starter John Gast (3-1) lost his first game of the season, after allowing just two runs on eight hits in six innings. Through four starts on the year, Gast leads the Texas League in innings pitched (26.1) and his tied for third in strikeouts (25). Tuesday, April 24: L, NW Arkansas (13 innings) In their first extra-inning game of the season, the Cardinals wasted multiple leads taking a tough 7-6 loss to the Naturals at Arvest Ballpark. Springfield jumped out to a quick 3-0 lead in the first, scoring on consecutive runscoring hits by Xavier Scruggs (double), Jake Shaffer (single) and Kyle Conley (single). The Cardinals wasted two different four-run leads, the second blown lead occurring in the seventh when they committed three of their franchise record five errors, leading to the four Northwest Arkansas runs that tied the score at six. Starter Trevor Rosenthal did not factor into the decision, but pitched effectively, striking out six, while allowing two runs (one earned) on five hits in five and two-thirds innings. Reliever Sam Freeman (0-2) surrendered the game-winning single to take the loss, the Cardinals' season-high fourth in a row. Second baseman Kolten Wong went 3-for-5 with a homer and two stolen bases. Former Cardinals pitcher Shelby Miller won his second straight start Tuesday, striking out six in five scoreless innings for Triple-A Memphis in a 4-0 victory at Iowa. Wednesday, April 25: L, NW Arkansas The Cardinals could not overcome a disastrous fourth inning Wednesday afternoon, falling 10-6 and dropping their third in a row to the Naturals. Heading into the fourth, the Cardinals had built a 3-2 lead on a RBI-double from Jake Shaffer in the first and a Oscar Taveras two-run homer in the third. Springfield starter Michael Blazek (0-2) continued his 2012 struggles, allowing seven runs in the fourth before being removed following the inning. In total, Blazek allowed nine runs (all earned) on eight hits while walking four, raising his league-worst ERA to Although the Cardinals collected 10 hits, they squandered those opportunities by leaving nine men on base, while

15 hitting just 1-for-10 with runners in scoring position. Shaffer had a team-high three hits and was one of three (Taveras and Kyle Conley) Cardinal batters with two runs driven in. Both of Conley's RBI were via solo homers, one in the sixth and one in the eighth. Thursday, April 26: L, NW Arkansas The suddenly reeling Cardinals failed to avoid a sweep in Springdale, dropping the four-game series finale to the Naturals 6-3. In what was their season-high sixth straight loss, the Cardinals fell behind 3-0 early in a game they never led. In the fifth, trailing by four, Springfield would get on the board with two runs, slicing the deficit in half on a Jose Garcia sacrifice fly and Kolten Wong RBI-groundout, but there the rally stalled. Down 6-2 in the eighth, center fielder Oscar Taveras hit his team-leading fifth homer, a solo shot that capped the game's scoring. The Cardinals managed just five hits in the contest, going 0-for-4 with runners in scoring position. Starter and loser Tyler Lyons (0-3) allowed five runs on 10 hits in five and a third innings. Friday, April 27: L, Tulsa A four-run sixth inning prevented Springfield from ending their six-game losing streak and resulted in a 5-1 loss to Tulsa in the opening game of a four-game series. The Cardinals scored their only runs in the second when starter Scott Gorgen helped his own cause with a run-scoring single that gave Springfield their only lead of the game. Gorgen (0-2) pitched effectively until the sixth, when Tulsa took the lead for good with four runs. In his five and two-thirds innings of work, Gorgen allowed five runs (four earned) on nine hits. The Cardinals managed just seven hits in the contest, two each from Kolten Wang and Audry Perez. Saturday, April 28: L, Tulsa Springfield s comeback bid fell short in Tulsa Saturday night, extending their league-high losing streak to eight games after a 3-2 loss to the Drillers. Trailing 3-0 in the eighth, the Cardinals sliced the lead to one when Kolten Wong's RBI-force out and Kyle Conley s single made the score 3-2. After Conley's base hit, the Cardinals had a runner on third with two outs, but right fielder Rainel Rosario struck out to end Springfield's final threat of the contest. In the much anticipated pitching duel with Tulsa s Edwar Cabrera, Springfield s John Gast (3-2) came up on the losing end after allowing three runs on five hits in five innings. Sunday, April 29: L, Tulsa Another chance for Springfield to end their losing streak fell short in a 3-2 loss in Tulsa. The Cardinals, who lost 3-2 to the Drillers on the previous night, have now lost a league-high nine straight games. This loss was their fourth one-run loss in the current futility stretch. After five scoreless innings, Springfield took their only lead of the game in the sixth on right fielder Kyle Conley's solo homer. Trailing 3-1 in the eighth, Oscar Taveras added a solo homer of his own, producing Springfield's final run. The Cardinals put two runners on in the ninth with two outs, but Taveras flied out to left to end the game. Conley and third baseman Niko Vasquez led the Cards with two hits apiece. Starter Trevor Rosenthal (1-3) despite walking a season-high six batters, tossed five scoreless innings before running into trouble in the sixth. With one out, Rosenthal was removed up 1-0 but with the bases loaded. Eric Fornataro entered and allowed all three runners to score, which tagged the loss to Rosenthal. Tulsa Drillers Colorado Rockies Affiliate This Week: 6-1; Overall Record: st Place North Division Monday, April 23: W, 7-6 vs. Arkansas (10 innings) In the opening game of a four-game series at ONEOK Field, center fielder Mike Mitchell delivered a clutch game-

16 winning single in the 10th inning, giving Tulsa a thrilling 7-6 win over Arkansas. After failing to get a hit in his first five at-bats, Mitchell came up to bat with two outs and two on in the 10th and lined a single to center that scored Angelys Nina with the winning run. The Drillers raked 14 of the game's 24 hits, three each from Josh Rutledge and Kiel Roling. Tulsa took the game's first lead in the third, scoring three runs capped off by third baseman Nolan Arenado's RBI-double to right. Roling's run-scoring double the following inning pushed the lead to 4-0, the Drillers largest lead of the game, before the Travelers mounted their comeback. Reigning Texas League pitcher of the week Edwar Cabrera, who did not factor into the decision, allowed three runs on five hits while striking out six in six innings. All three of the runs scored against Cabrera on the night were solo homers. Incredibly in 26 innings pitched (four starts) this season Cabrera has allowed only six earned runs, all on solo home runs. Coty Woods (1-0) got the win in relief after tossing a scoreless 10th inning, fanning two. Tuesday, April 24: W, 2-1 vs. Arkansas In a pitcher's duel before a crowd of 5,463 at ONEOK Field, Tulsa pitchers Dan Houston and Josh Sullivan combined for a two-hitter, lifting the Drillers to a 2-1 win over the Travelers. Entering the game with a 6.19 ERA through three starts, Houston (2-2) tossed a gem, striking out seven while allowing just one unearned run on two hits in eight innings. Houston, along with closer Josh Sullivan, who worked a perfect ninth for his fourth save, combined to retire the final 17 Arkansas hitters of the game. The Drillers won even though the offense were held to just six hits in the contest, two each by first baseman Kiel Roling and shortstop Warren Schaeffer. Schaeffer, who entered the game with just one hit on the season in 15 at-bats (.067), delivered a tie-breaking single in the seventh that helped the Drillers win their fourth straight game. With only eight combined hits, Tuesday's game took a mere two hours and 12-minutes to play. Wednesday, April 25: L, 2-0 vs. Arkansas Despite a strong performance by starter and Tulsa native Parker Frazier, the Drillers dropped a hard-luck 2-0 contest to the Travelers, ending their four-game winning streak. Parker (1-2), in defeat, fanned four in seven innings, allowing just two runs on four hits. In a game where runs were at a premium, first baseman Ben Paulsen nearly gave Tulsa a three-run first-inning lead, but his long fly ball to right was caught over the wall by Arkansas' Angel Castillo. The Drillers wasted another scoring chance in the sixth when third baseman Nolan Arenado tried to tag from third on a fly ball to right, but was gunned out at the plate by Castillo. Tulsa managed just six hits in the contest, only one of which going for extra bases. Even with the loss, the Drillers still lead Arkansas by four games for first place in the North Division with a Texas League-best 13-6 record. Thursday, April 26: W, 5-3 vs. Arkansas A strong effort by the bullpen lifted Tulsa to a 5-3 win over Arkansas, concluding the series in which the Drillers won three of four games. Drillers starter Nick Schmidt (1-0) allowed three runs on six hits while striking out six, but left the game in the sixth after loading the bases with one out. Mike Marbry came in and induced a pop out and a strike out to end the inning and preserve Schmidt's first win of the season. In his two and two-thirds inning appearance, Marbry allowed just one hit and struck out a pair. Josh Sullivan worked a perfect ninth, collecting his fifth save of the season. Center fielder Mike Mitchell and catcher Lars Davis led the Driller offense with two hits each. Angelys Nina went 1-for-4 with two runs driven in. Friday, April 27: W, 5-1 vs. Springfield In front of the second sellout crowd of the season at ONEOK Field, Tulsa rode the arm of Joe Gardner to a 5-1 win over Springfield. Making his fourth start of the season, Gardner (1-0) earned his first win after striking out five and allowing just one run on five hits in six innings. Relievers Cory Riordan, Royce Ring and Coty Woods each tossed scoreless innings to wrap Tulsa's league-best 15th win of the season. First baseman Ben Paulsen was the star offensively for the Drillers, tying the score in the second with a solo homer to right and leading off Tulsa's four-run sixth inning with a double. The big hit of the sixth was a two-run ground-rule double by Kiel Roling that extended Tulsa's lead to 4-1. Shortstop Josh Rutledge followed with a single, plating Roling and capping the game's scoring. With the win, Tulsa remained in first place in the North Division by five games over Northwest Arkansas. Saturday, April 28: W, 3-2 vs. Springfield The bat of right fielder Kent Matthes and the arm of starter Edwar Cabrera helped Tulsa continue their winning ways, as the Drillers took an early lead before holding on to defeat Springfield 3-2. The Drillers jumped out to a 2-0 lead in the second on a two-run line-drive homer to left by Matthes. Matthes, who drove in all three Tulsa runs, would add a solo homer in the fourth to cap the Drillers scoring. Cabrera (3-1) continued his outstanding season,

17 striking out seven while allowing just two hits over seven shutout innings to earn the win. In five starts this season Cabrera has allowed a mere six runs in a league-best 33 innings. Coty Woods struck out two in the ninth for his fourth save of the year. Tulsa has now won three games in a row and improved their record to a league-best 16-6, five games ahead of Northwest Arkansas in the North Division. Sunday, April 29: W, 3-2 vs. Springfield Tulsa starter Dan Houston was sharp, again, in a 3-2 win over Springfield. Houston (3-2) earned his second win of the week after striking out five while allowing just one run on four hits in six innings. Houston was coming off eight shutout innings against Arkansas earlier in the week. The Drillers scored all three of their runs for the game in the sixth. Catcher Lars Davis tied the game at one with a single to left and pinch-hitter Kiel Roling delivered the eventual game-winning two-run single two batters later. Josh Sullivan earned his league-leading sixth save of the season after striking out two in a scoreless ninth. The Drillers record improved to 17-6, their best April record in the team's 36-season history. South Division Notes 4/23-4/29 Corpus Christi Hooks Houston Astros Affiliate This Week: 4-3; Overall Record T-2nd Place South Division Monday, April 23: W, 9-3 vs. Midland In the opening game of a four-game series with Midland, the Corpus Christi offense remained in a grove, extending their win streak to four games with a 9-3 win at Whataburger Field. After being named Texas League Player of the Week for the second consecutive week, center fielder Brandon Barnes continued his torrid start blasting his fourth

18 homer of the season, finishing the contest with four RBI. With the Hooks leading 4-1 in the seventh, Barnes lined a three-run homer to left that increased the Hooks lead to six and put the game out of reach. Corpus Christi racked up 13 hits in the contest, with five different batters recording two hits. Hooks starter Erick Abreu pitched four solid innings, striking out five while allowing just one run on five hits, but did not factor into the decision. Henry Villar (2-2) picked up the win in relief after a four-inning appearance. Tuesday, April 24: W, 8-2 vs. Midland Jonathan Singleton put on a power-hitting clinic in an 8-2 win over the RockHounds Tuesday night, that extended the Hooks win streak to a season-high five games. Singleton, the Astros #1 prospect according to Baseball America, fell a double short of the first cycle in Hooks history, going 4-for-4 with two homers, a triple and four RBI. Even though wind gusts at Whataburger Field were blowing heavily to left field, all three of Singleton's extra-base hits were launched to either center or right. The two-homer game was the third already in Singleton's young career and the first with the Hooks. Corpus Christi pounded out 10 hits in the contest to support winning starter Jose Cisnero (2-1) who did his part by striking out 12 batters in just five innings. Third baseman Andrew Simunic also homered, a two-run blast in the seventh, extending his hit streak to seven games. Singleton's hot bad has produced 11 hits in 23 at-bats over his last six games during which he has homered three times and driven in 11. Wednesday, April 25: L, 9-3 vs. Midland On a windy night at Whataburger Field, trying for their first six-game winning streak since 2007, the Hooks saw their five-game win streak blow away with a 9-3 loss the RockHounds. Starter Brett Oberholtzer (1-1) could not follow up his brilliant performance last Friday versus Frisco (seven shutout innings), taking the loss after allowing seven runs on 11 hits (six extra-base) in five and one-third innings. Despite falling behind quickly (4-0 after one) the Hooks had their chances, but left runners on base in each of the first five innings, finally scoring in the sixth on a two-run homer by catcher Chris Wallace that cut their deficit to 7-2. The only other Corpus Christi run also came via the long ball when first baseman Kody Hinze hit a solo shot in the eighth. Andrew Simunic's seven-game hit streak came to an end, but Jonathan Singleton extended his own streak to seven. Austin Wates swiped three bases in the contest, one shy of the club-record. As a team the Hooks finished with five steals in the game, also one shy of the franchise-mark set in 2008 against Springfield. Thursday, April 26: W, 5-4 vs. Midland Designated hitter Kody Hinze's tie-breaking solo homer in the seventh lifted the Hooks to a 5-4 win over the RockHounds in Thursday's four-game series finale. The win capped a an eight-game homestand in which the Hooks went 6-2 to pull within a game of first in the South Division standings. Hinze, who had earlier tied the game at four in the fifth with a RBI-double, finished the game 2-for-5 with a run scored and two RBIs. In another well-balanced offensive attack, Corpus Christi totaled 12 hits, with Jonathan Singleton (eight), Austin Wates (seven), Jake Goebbert (six) and Hinze (six) all extending hitting streaks. Starter Jake Buchanan, who did not factor into the decision, allowed four runs (three earned) on eight hits in six and two-thirds innings. Kevin Chapman (1-1) picked up the win in relief, while Jason Stoffel notched his second save of the season. Hooks manager Keith Bodie is now just three wins shy of 1,000 for his career. Bodie has a career record of , which includes a mark in the Texas League. Friday, April 27: L, Frisco Corpus Christi s four-game trip to Frisco got off to a rough start in a 12-0 blowout loss Friday night. The Hooks were undone by a six-run RoughRiders fifth inning that pushed a three-run deficit to nine. Corpus Christi had no answers for Frisco starter Justin Grimm, managing just four hits in the contest. Jonathan Singleton had half of the hits to improve his average to.375 on the year. Starter Jarred Cosart (1-1), who had beaten the RoughRiders in his last start on Friday, took the loss this time around after allowing five runs on three hits while walking six in just four innings. Corpus Christi pitchers allowed 12 runs on 12 hits, issued nine walks and uncorked three wild pitches in the game. Saturday, April 28: W, Frisco The Hooks responded to Friday night s blowout loss in Frisco with a convincing 10-1 triumph over the RoughRiders. The Hooks took an early lead before blowing the game open late with four runs in the seventh and three more in the ninth. Left fielder Austin Wates had a monster day at the plate in the contest, going 4-for-6 with a homer and five runs batted in, while Brandon Barnes, Jose Martinez and Chris Wallace added two hits apiece.

19 Starter Ross Seaton allowed one run on six hits in six innings to earn his first win of the year. Kevin Chapman had an impressive relief outing, striking out four in two scoreless and hitless innings. Sunday, April 29: L, Frisco A rare rough outing by Hooks starter Jose Cisnero resulted in a 10-3 loss to the RoughRiders on Sunday. Cisnero (2-2) took the loss after allowing six runs on 11 hits in four innings. In his first four starts of 2012, Cisnero had given up a total of just four earned runs in 19.2 innings. The Hooks offense managed just seven hits in the game, with no batter in the lineup having more than one hit. Corpus Christi took their only lead of the game in the first when Brandon Barnes singled home Austin Wates. Their second run came in the fourth when third baseman Andrew Simunic's RBI single tied the score at two. By the time pinch-hitter T.J. Steele hit a solo homer in the eighth producing Corpus Christi's final run, the game was well out of reach. Frisco RoughRiders Texas Rangers Affiliate This Week: 5-2; Overall Record st Place South Division Monday, April 23: W, 2-1 vs. San Antonio Five shutout innings by spot starter Carlos Pimentel helped lift Frisco to a 2-1 win over San Antonio Monday night at Dr. Pepper Ballpark. Filling in for Miguel De Los Santos, Pimentil (2-0) earned the win after allowed just two hits and struck out four, snapping the RoughRiders three-game losing streak in the process. Frisco scored the game's first run in the third when catcher Jose Felix's sacrifice fly brought home Leury Garcia, who had tripled. The RoughRiders lead the Texas League with 11 triples on the season. In the fourth, first baseman Chris McGuiness drove in what would be the game-winning run with a clutch two-out, run-scoring single that gave Frisco a 2-0 lead. After giving up a solo homer in the ninth, Johan Yan settled down to record his league-leading fifth save. Tuesday, April 24: W, 7-2 vs. San Antonio In a 7-2 win, the RoughRiders capitalized on shaky San Antonio defense and starter Barret Loux's right arm to win their second straight over the Missions. Loux (4-0) became the first Texas League pitcher to win four games on the season after striking out five while allowing just one run on six hits in six innings of work. The RoughRiders jumped all over Missions starter Andrew Werner (0-3) in the first inning for three runs, highlighted by first baseman Mike Olt's 5th homer of the season, a two-run shot that started the scoring. In the third, Frisco took advantage of an error, one of three San Antonio miscues in the game, at the start of the frame, scoring twice and pushing the RoughRiders lead to 5-1. Ryan Strausborger, Jared Prince and Jose Felix each had two of Frisco's 11 hits in the contest. With his run-scoring single in the third, second baseman Leury Garcia extended his league-leading hit streak to eight games. Wednesday, April 25: L, 6-5 vs. San Antonio (11 innings) Down one in the ninth, the RoughRiders rallied to tie the game before eventually losing to the Missions 6-5 in 11 innings. Frisco jumped out to an early three-run lead in the first on RBI-singles from Jurickson Profar, Brad Hawpe and Leury Garcia. With the hit, Garcia extended his hit streak to a league-leading nine games. After San Antonio rallied to tie the score at three, designated hitter Jared Prince's tie-breaking single to center in the third put Frisco back up 4-3. With the RoughRiders trailing by a run in the ninth and down to their final out, Mike Olt kept the game going by working a walk. Hawpe's clutch double to center scored Olt and sent the game to extras, but it was the last Frisco run of the contest. The RoughRiders got two-hit games from four different hitters (Hawpe, Profar,

20 Ryan Strausborger and Garcia) and stole five bags in the contest. In his seven-inning start, Frisco's Jacob Brigham struck out six and allowed four runs on seven hits, but did not factor into the decision. Corey Young (0-1) took the loss after allowing a tie-breaking single by San Antonio's Jeudy Valdez in the eleventh. Thursday, April 26: W, 6-5 vs. San Antonio (13 innings) A night after losing 6-5 to San Antonio in extra innings, Frisco flipped the script, winning a 6-5 extra-inning game of their own over the Missions Thursday night at Dr. Pepper Ballpark. Center fielder Engel Beltre got the RoughRiders out to an early 2-0 lead, connecting on run-scoring singles in both the first and third innings. After the Missions scored four times in the sixth to take a 4-2 lead, the RoughRiders answered in their half, tying the score on a solo homer by Chris McGuiness and a Jose Felix sacrifice fly. Frisco took the lead back in the eighth when right fielder Jared Prince drove in Alex Buchholz from third with a line-drive single to center, but San Antonio tied the game in the ninth to force extras. The game remained tied until the 13th inning when Guilder Rodriquez lined a game-wining single to center ending the longest game of the season (four hours and 26-minutes). Starter Tim Murphy, who had struggled in his previous three starts (11 runs in 10 innings), had his finest outing of the season tossing five scoreless innings allowing just one hit and fanning four. Wilfredo Boscan (1-0) picked up the win in relief after pitching three scoreless innings, allowing four hits and striking out three to close out the game for the RoughRiders. Leury Garcia was the only RoughRider batter who failed to get a hit, ending his hit streak at nine games. Frisco stroked 15 hits in the contest, led by Prince who was 3-for-4 with a double and Ryan Strausborger, Jurickson Profar, Engel Beltre and McGuiness who each had a pair. Friday, April 27: W, 12-0 vs. Corpus Christi Before another Dr. Pepper Ballpark crowd of over 10,000, Frisco opened their four-game series with Corpus Christi with a dominating 12-0 rout. The RoughRiders took a 2-0 lead in the first on a two-run single by left fielder Ryan Strausborger. After pushing their lead to three in the fourth, Frisco broke the game open with a six-run fifth, highlighted by a three-run homer by Chris McGuiness. The RoughRiders belted 12 hits in the contest, three each from Strausborger and second baseman Guilder Rodriguez. The fourth-through-sixth spots in the lineup supplied the bulk of the run production as Strausborger, McGuiness and Jard Prince each had three runs batted in. After losing to the Hooks in his last start, Justin Grimm (4-1) struck out nine in six scoreless innings, earning his fourth victory of the season. Chad Bell followed with three scoreless innings of his own, allowing no hits and striking out four, earning his first save of the season. Saturday, April 28: L, 10-1 vs. Corpus Christi A night after routing the Hooks, the RoughRiders were on the other end of a blowout Saturday night in a 10-1 loss to Corpus Christi. Frisco managed just six hits in the contest and scored their only run in the third on a Jurickson Profar RBI single. First baseman Chris McGuiness was the only RoughRider with more than one hit, finishing his night 2-for-4 with a pair of singles. Starter Carlos Pimentel (2-1) took the loss after allowing three runs on seven hits with five walks in four and two-thirds innings. Frisco s bullpen unraveled in the seventh, allowing four runs that increased the Corpus Christi lead to 7-1. Sunday, April 29: W, 10-3 vs. Corpus Christi In a series that has seen some lopsided scores, the middle of the Frisco lineup paved the way to an easy 10-3 win over Corpus Christi. The RoughRider hitters batting third-through-seventh in the lineup each had three hits of Frisco's 17 hits in the game. Frisco broke open a one-run contest in the fifth, scoring four times, keyed by a two-run homer by Ryan Strausborger. Mike Olt, Brad Hawpe, Strausborger and Jared Prince each had at least two RBI in the contest. Starter Barret Loux (5-0) became the first Texas League pitcher to five wins after striking out eight while allowing two runs on six hits in six innings.

21 Midland RockHounds Oakland Athletics Affiliate This Week: 3-4; Overall Record T-2nd Place South Division Monday, April 23: L, Corpus Christi The start of Midland's four-game series at Corpus Christi got off to a rocky start in a 9-3 loss to the Hooks Monday night. In the contest, the RockHounds went 1-for-8 with runners in scoring position, left nine men on the bases and committed two errors. Although starter Daniel Straily (0-2) continued his strikeout binge by fanning eight, he took the loss after allowing five runs (two earned) on seven hits in six and a third innings. Straily has a league-leading 31 strikeouts in 22.2 innings pitched this season. After hitting his first two homers of the season the game before in San Antonio, designated hitter Michael Spina went deep again, pounding a two-run shot in the eighth that closed the RockHounds within four. Outfielders Michael Choice and Shane Peterson led Midland with two hits each. Tuesday, April 24: L, Corpus Christi Midland could not contain Corpus Christi's Jonathan Singleton in an 8-2 loss Tuesday night at Whataburger Field. Singleton torched RockHounds pitching for four hits, including two homers. The RockHounds have been outscored 17-5 in their first two games this series against the Hooks. Midland starter Sonny Gray was unable to build off of his brilliant start (one run in seven innings) in San Antonio last Thursday, taking the loss after allowing five runs on seven hits in six innings. Center fielder Michael Choice was the only RockHounds hitter with more than one hit, going 2-for-4 with an RBI-double in the fifth, cutting the Hooks lead to one at 3-2, the closest Midland would get. Wednesday, April 25: W, Corpus Christi After dropping the first two games of their series at Corpus Christi, the RockHounds clubbed their way to a convincing 9-3 over the Hooks. The Hooks scored four in the first and led by as many as seven runs in a game in which they smashed 15 hits, getting two-hit games from seven different batters. Nine of the 15 hits went for extra bases, including a solo homer by Jeremy Barfield in the fourth and a two-run home run by Josh Horton in the ninth. The remaining seven extra-base hits were doubles with the RockHounds getting two each from Tyler Ladendorf and Shane Peterson, while Barfield and Horton led Midland with three RBI each. Winning starter Murphy Smith (3-0) allowed just two runs on six hits in six innings. Shawn Haviland pitched the final three innings, allowing a run on two hits, to pick up his second save of the season. Thursday, April 26: L, Corpus Christi The RockHounds lost a back-and-forth 5-4 decision to the Hooks in the four-game series finale at Corpus Christi. Trailing 3-0 in the third, Midland began their comeback attempt with a Tyler Ladendorf run-scoring single that cut the Corpus Christi lead to two. The following inning saw the RockHounds strike for three runs on a RBI-single from Leonardo Gil and a two-run base knock by Ryan Lipkin that gave Midland their only lead of the game. Starter Gary Daley could not hold the lead and was removed with one out in the fifth after giving up four runs on eight hits. Reliever James Simmons was charged with the loss after allowing a run on three hits in two and two-thirds. The RockHounds wasted a fine game from first baseman Anthony Aliotti, who finished 3-for-4 with two runs scored. Friday, April 27: W, 7-4 vs. San Antonio In the first game of an eight-game homestand, Midland used a strong offensive start to beat San Antonio 7-4. The RockHounds scored all seven of their runs in the first three innings, with most of the damage coming in a four-run

22 third when first baseman Michael Spina cleared the bases with a grand slam to left. Spina, who has struggled mightily at the plate this year (.096 average), has none-the-less had productive at-bats versus the Missions. Last Sunday in San Antonio Spina had two home runs and six RBI and on Friday night he was 2-for-4 with a homer, 4 RBI and two runs scored. The early offense was plenty for winning RockHounds starter A.J. Griffin (2-0) who allowed three runs on four hits in six and two-thirds innings. After the Missions sent the tying run to the plate with two outs in the ninth, Jonathan Ortiz entered the game to record the final out, striking out Bryan Altman, gaining his third save of the season. Saturday, April 28: L, 9-6 vs. San Antonio Midland saw a five-run lead go out the window in a disappointing 9-6 loss to San Antonio Saturday night. The RockHounds exploded for five runs in the fourth, scoring on a walk, a two-run double by shortstop Dusty Coleman and a two-run single by left fielder Conner Crumbliss, taking a 5-0 lead. However, by the time they scored their six and final run in the sixth on a Tyler Ladendorf RBI-groundout, they were already trailing. Starter Daniel Straily tossed four shutout innings before getting into trouble in both the fifth and sixth innings, but left the game with the lead and did not factor into the decision. Straily struck out four, but allowed five runs on eight hits in five and a third innings. The loss went to A.J. Huttenlocker (0-2) after the reliever allowed three runs (two earned) on three hits, while failing to record an out. Sunday, April 29: W, 7-5 vs. San Antonio A day after blowing a big lead to the Missions, the RockHounds played the comeback kids, scoring seven runs in their final two at-bats, taking a satisfying 7-5 decision. Trailing 5-0, Midland started their comeback in the seventh when shortstop Dusty Coleman's two-run homer to right got the RockHounds on the board. The RockHounds to took the lead when they followed that effort with a five-run eighth in which they stroked six singles and sent 11 batters to the plate. In the game, Midland racked up 16 hits, of which three each came from outfielders Michael Choice and Conner Crumbliss. All spots in the order were clicking as the last two hitters in the lineup, catcher Ryan Lipkin and Coleman combined to go 4-for-7, each scoring twice and driving in a pair. James Simmons (1-2) earned the win in relief of starter Sonny Gray after allowing a run in two innings of work. Gray allowed four runs on seven hits with four strikeouts and four walks in his six innings. Jonathan Ortiz fanned two in a scoreless ninth to notch his fourth save. San Antonio Missions San Diego Padres Affiliate This Week: 2-5; Overall Record th Place South Division Monday, April 23: L, Frisco In the opening game of a four-game series, Nate Freiman's league-leading seventh home run was not enough as San Antonio fell to Frisco 2-1. Despite collecting just four hits in the contest, the Missions appeared to have some late life in the ninth With two outs, Freiman's solo shot to left was followed by Cody Decker reaching on a fielding error by Frisco's Jurickson Profar, but designated hitter Jason Hagerty followed with a groundout to second, ending the game. Despite receiving the loss, starter Keyvius Sampson (1-1) pitched six strong innings, allowing just two runs on three hits while matching a season-high with six strikeouts. The Missions were 0-for-9 with runners in scoring position and left five men on base in the game.