Minor League Recap: Games of May 18, 2014

AAA Oklahoma City RedHawks: 2-1 loss to Nashville (MIL)

-> Enrique Hernandez: 2-for-3, 2B, 2 SB
-> Adron Chambers: 1-for-4, SB, R
-> Robbie Grossman: 1-for-4
-> Carlos Perez: 0-for-2, BB, SB
-> Domingo Santana: 0-for-4, RBI

SP Michael Foltynewicz: 6.0 IP, 2 ER, 3 H, 2 BB, 7 K (loss)
RP Jason Stoffel: 2.0 IP, 0 ER, 1 H, 1 BB, 1 K

Not much to talk about with the offense, obviously. Just a bad day for the position players. I will note that Singleton had the day off today, so you don't think he took an 0-for or whatever.

Folty gives you your AAA highlight today though. I would call this his second-best start of the year after that big 12 strikeout game. Nice to see strikeouts here as well, but the one walk every three innings is what I'm liking more, honestly. Command is the last hurdle with him, after all. He's allowed nine total earned runs over his last seven outings.

AA Corpus Christi Hooks: 8-2 loss to Midland (OAK)

-> Andrew Aplin: 2-for-4
-> Preston Tucker: 1-for-3, BB, solo HR
-> Nolan Fontana: 1-for-3, BB
-> Telvin Nash: 1-for-4, solo HR
-> Rene Garcia: 1-for-4, 2B
-> Joe Sclafani: 1-for-4
-> Jiovanni Mier: 1-for-4

SP Mike Hauschild: 7.0 IP, 1 ER, 3 H, 1 BB, 8 K
RP Travis Ballew: 0.1 IP, 5 ER, 4 H, 1 BB, 1 K (blown save, loss)
RP Jorge De Leon: 1.2 IP, 2 ER, 2 H, 0 BB, 0 K

The starting pitcher went seven strong innings and left with the 2-1 lead, despite the offense not being able to do much. Then the bullpen came in and melted down; a seven run eighth inning.

Sound familiar? Gosh.

Despite all that, some highlights in this game are there to make you feel better. Hauschild is the obvious one; his first start in AA was five shutout innings, and now this. That's a 0.75 ERA, 0.75 BB/9 and 8.25 K/9 so far after the big jump. Couldn't ask for much more.

So, clearly Preston Tucker is a TCB fan. We wonder where the power has gone, and he hits a homer in three straight games. He now has nine, which is good for third place all alone in the Texas League. Thanks for stopping by, Preston. Best of luck, bro. Say "hi" to Thomas Shirley for us, we all love him now.

And oh, look, another multi-hit game for Aplin. His average was kind of mediocre last season in such a friendly California League environment, and he started this season very slowly in that regard, so I was really questioning his pure hit tool. He's certainly flashing that ability now. He's up to .310 with a .430 OBP on the season now.

A+ Lancaster JetHawks: 9-8 loss to Rancho Cucamonga (LAD)

-> Jordan Scott: 3-for-3, 2B, RBI, R
-> Carlos Perdomo: 2-for-4, RBI, R
-> Teoscar Hernandez: 2-for-5, HR, 2 R, 3 RBI
-> Rio Ruiz: 1-for-5, 2B, R
-> Danry Vasquez: 1-for-5, RBI, R
-> Bobby Borchering: 1-for-5
-> Jobduan Morales: 0-for-4, BB, 2 R

SP Chris Devenski: 3.0 IP, 5 ER, 7 H, 1 BB, 5 K
RP Juan Minaya: 2.0 IP, 2 ER, 2 H, 0 BB, 1 K
RP Josh Hader: 4.0 IP, 1 ER, 4 H, 2 BB, 9 K
RP Tyson Perez: 0.0 IP, 1 R (0 ER), 2 H, 0 BB, 0 K (loss)

Heartbreaker here. RC was up 7-1 after four innings before Lancaster rallied back, scoring three in the fifth, one in the eighth and then three in the ninth to take an 8-7 lead. RC plated a run in the bottom of the ninth to tie it and send it to extras, and then walked it off in the eleventh inning. Ouch.

On the bright side, Hernandez is on a nice little run; he has three straight two hit games, and is hitting .341/.426/.561 with two long balls during his last ten games. Unfortunately he's also fanned 17 times during that span. His strikeout rate is up to 28.4% now.

Yeah, and that Hader kid. Nine strikeouts in four innings. No biggie. His strikeout rate is now sitting at 11.39 K/9; by comparison, teammate and fellow wunderKind, Lance McCullers the Second, has a 10.53 K/9. Command still needs work; in fact, it's taken a turn for the worse in recent starts. Hader's walk rate for his first six outings was a sparkling 1.90, but it's been 5.68 during his last four games. The 3.59 BB/9 overall looks solid, but it's definitely been trending the wrong way.

Danry Vasquez is...well, showing some life, I'll say it that way. He's up to .257/.327/.382 on the season, and with 15 walks and 27 strikeouts in 39 games, you could seem him improve even more before long. It's important to note that he turned just 20 years old this January, and is a good bit younger than his average competition, much like Correa and Ruiz and Hader.

Jordan Scott, I won't let you break my heart again, even if you are hitting like... .500/.556/.781 over your last ten games? Whoa. Only three strikeouts in those ten games. And...and power too!

...no...no don't believe again. I don't want to believe again......

A- Quad Cities River Bandits: 10-3 win over Kane County (CHC)

-> Brian Holberton: 5-for-5, CYCLE, 2B, 3B, HR, 2 R, 5 RBI
-> Jack Mayfield: 3-for-5, SB, RBI, 3 R
-> COnrad Gregor: 3-for-5, RBI, 3 R
-> Brett Booth: 2-for-5, R
-> Ronnie Mitchell: 1-for-3
-> Brett Phillips: 1-for-4, BB, R
-> Tyler White: 1-for-4, RBI
-> Chan Moon: 1-for-5

SP Jandel Gustave: 5.0 IP, 1 ER, 3 H, 0 BB, 0 K (win)
RP Michael Feliz: 3.1 IP, 2 ER, 4 H, 0 BB, 2 K (hold)
RP Albert Minnis: 0.2 IP, 0 ER, 0 H, 0 BB, 0 K

Brian Holberton, have a day, son! The order was double, homer, single, triple, single; the homer was a two-run shot. Holberton has 14 hits in his last eight games. Are we liking this guy yet? Three bombs, a triple and seven doubles in just 23 total games, while striking out just ten times. As a catcher. Yes please.

Gustave with another nice outing. A shocking lack of strikeouts, given his stuff, but the zero walks is too nice to complain about anything else. Just to remind you, his career BB/9 prior to this season was 8.97. This year? 2.64 per nine. I don't think I've ever seen a turn around like that.

Phillips watch: hitting .296/.376/.444 with five doubles, five triples and a pair of taters. Strikeouts have been on the rise, but they're still within reasonable margins (31 in 39 games). Walks have disappeared though; he's drawn just four free passes in 16 games this month, after walking 14 times in 23 games in April.

Three more singles for Gregor...

Tomorrow's Scheduled Starters

AAA: Brett Oberholtzer vs. TBD
AA: TBD (Luis Cruz? Colton Cain?) vs. Chris Jensen
A+: TBD (Kyle Westwood, I believe) vs. Fabio Martinez
A-: TBD (Houser and Comer?) vs. Elliot Morris

As you can see, yeah, no idea who all is starting tomorrow, mostly. It's Kyle Westwood's turn in Lancaster, but his rotation mate Velasquez is still sidelined, so unless he's returning tomorrow, they may ask for Westwood to try to soak up an extra inning or two and then go sort of standard bullpen usage after that.

Edison Frias is actually the starter in QC who hasn't pitched in the longest time (since May 13), but Comer and Houser are a tandem pairing and they're on the standard three days rest, so I'm guessing them. Don't be shocked to see Frias instead though, who knows?