Round Rock:
The Express got rained out and their flight got canceled. They were like many other travelers impacted by American Airlines wiring inspections. So, the AAA boys got reminded of life at the lower levels with an 830 mile bus ride from Omaha.
We had to make a decision to just get on the bus,” said Express chief executive Reid Ryan.
The Austin Paper this morning has a story about Lance Niekro and growing up in the Astros’ clubhouse.
Reid Ryan recalled that Niekro, who had a surprisingly deep voice for a 6-year-old, once hunted down his father in the clubhouse. The young Niekro was on a mission to warn his dad to eat the clubhouse spread because mom was cooking meatloaf at home.
“Every time I look at Lance, I get a smile on my face,” Ryan said. “I think it would be a real neat story if he made it back to the big leagues.”
Corpus Christi
If the chicks who dig the long ball were at the game last night, they were happy because all the runs scored were the result of homers thanks to a 27 MPH wind blowing out to center. However, the Hooks didn’t win the the home run derby. All 3 of the Drillers HR were hit off Brian Bogusevic. Iorg and Sutton homered for the Hooks both have been impressive at the plate to begin the season.
Drew Sutton, who has a hit in all six games he has started, ripped his first home run of the season, a two-run shot in the third that drove in Kazuo Matsui. That brought the Hooks within 3-2. Eli Iorg’s solo homer, his first, accounted for Corpus Christi’s final run. Iorg has hit safely in six of seven games.
Iorg also struck out for the first time this season giving him 1 K in 27 AB. Kaz Matsui went 2 -4 in his rehab start, hitting 2 more doubles.
Salem
After back to back last at bat wins, the Avs lost a late one last night. Wilmington scored 4 in the 9th for a 5-4 win. Polin Trinidad had another solid start, allowing 1 run off 5 hits in 5 innings. The Av’s pitching and defense fell apart in the 9th. Here is how the local paper described it:
Dominguez came in to close out the game in the ninth, but instead allowed a leadoff single and followed it with a walk. A wild pitch put the runners at second and third, and then, Wilver Perez — Wednesday’s losing pitcher and Thursday’s DH — hit a grounder to Sutil at short.
Sutil made the scoop, but his throw was low and bounced past first baseman Ori. One run scored and Perez went to second on the error.
The next batter, Josh Johnson tripled to the gap in left-center field, bringing Anthony Seratelli and pinch-runner Jarrod Dyson home to tie the score with still no outs in the inning.
Jeff Howell’s single to left brought the winning run to the plate.
Sutil took the loss hard:
“When you don’t feel comfortable with yourself … ” Sutil started. “When you don’t have security, that’s when it [errors] happens. … I’m not hitting good. Maybe it’s the problem. I’m thinking too much about hitting when I’m on defense.”
Lexington
The Legends had visitors from Houston arrive yesterday. A bunch of them:
Tom Wiedenbauer, minor-league field coordinator, was joined by pitching coordinator Britt Burns, hitting coordinator Orv Franchuk and Matt Galante, an infield instructor and special assistant to the general manager.
And they got to see first hand what Manager Greg Langbehn has been fussing about in the Legends 5-2 loss to Greenville. Langbehn on this team last night.
“But the bottom line is we competed for one inning and that’s not good enough. They need to figure out, to learn, how to compete every night for all nine innings. Right now, we’re just not doing it.”….”it just wasn’t a good night,” Langbehn said. “We get to come back tomorrow and try to get better. That’s all we can do. It’s early. We’ve just got to try to figure out a way to be more consistent and keep competing.”
Craig Corrado is off to an impressive start this season hitting .429 and has stolen 4 bases. He has yet to be caught stealing in his pro career (14 out of 14).