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Astros’ Hooks Looking for Answers to Inconsistent Play

By Matthew Bartlett |
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 The Astros’ Double-A Hooks can’t seem to find their groove in the second half of the Texas League season.

It was an up and down week for the Hooks, going 3-4 against Springfield and Tulsa. They are 5-5 in their last ten games and have struggled to put the hitting and pitching together on the same night. Perhaps the most notable happening for Corpus Christi this week was Morgan Ensberg stepping in to manage his first minor league game on Wednesday – a 7-5 Hooks win.

Following the trade of Alfredo Gonzalez to the White Sox, the Hooks found their replacement behind the dish in Garrett Stubbs, formerly of the Lancaster Jethawks. Catcher Marion Avea was assigned to Lancaster in a corresponding roster move. Also joining Stubbs in Corpus Christi are RHP Scott Weathersby from Lancaster and former Hook Chris Cotton from Fresno.  Michael Freeman and Chan-Jong Moon were placed on the seven-day disabled list to make room. Weathersby was reassigned to Lancaster when Freeman came off the disabled list on Friday.

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Game Results

Monday: Tulsa L 2-10

Tuesday: Tulsa, L 6-14

Wednesday: @ Springfield W 7-5

Thursday: @ Springfield W 4-3

Friday: @ Springfield L 5-14

Saturday: @ Tulsa W 7-6

Sunday: @ Tulsa L 6-7

Second Half Record: 9-8, 2nd in the South Division, three games behind Midland.

Next: Offense

Offense

It didn’t take newcomer Garrett Stubbs long to find success at the Double-A level. Stubbs drove in an RBI in his first at-bat with the Hooks and went on to pick up four RBIs this week while hitting .357 in four games. Any reliable production from the catcher’s spot will be a plus for Corpus Christi, which hasn’t had the luxury of having an everyday grinder behind the plate. To this point catching duties have been split between Roberto Pena (.234 season average), Marlon Avea (.000 season average), and Trent Woodward (.250 season average).

Related Story: Corpus Christi Player Spotlight: Garrett Stubbs

Also heating up is outfielder Danry Vasquez, surging in his return to the lineup following the injury. Vasquez has now hit five doubles in his first ten games back in the lineup and continues to be the most consistent player in the Hooks offense, leading the team in hits this week (eight) while posting a .400 on-base percentage.

In the boom or bust category sits Jack Mayfield, who had six hits and five strikeouts this week in 22 at bats. Of those six hits, four were home runs and one was a double. All told, Mayfield was responsible for nine RBI. Mayfield has taken over the shortstop position from Astros top prospect Alex Bregman. Those are some big shoes to fill, but he’s off to a decent start with a .273/.273/.864 slash line so far at Corpus Christi.

Next: Pitching and Defense

Defense and Pitching

For what it’s worth, Mayfield did commit three errors in the field this week, half of the Hooks seven defensive miscues over the seven-game span. The pitching was just as uninspiring getting rocked this week to the tune of 59 runs in 61 innings. Notable exceptions was a brilliant performance from Francis Martes and a decent start from Edison Frias.

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Martes has maintained better than eight strikeouts per nine innings with seven punchouts in six innings of one-run ball in Thursday’s 4-3 victory over the Springfield Cardinals. Martes has struck out at least five batters in six of his last seven outings. He is 3-1 in that span.

Frias worked six innings on July 4th, allowing no earned runs and six hits in a losing effort. Frias committed a throwing error in a three-run fifth inning, resulting in three unearned runs before the inning came to a close. Frias had another throwing error on a pickoff attempt in the fourth. On the mound Frias looked sharp, facing no more than four batters in every inning except the aforementioned fifth inning in which he allowed three hits and walked one.

Unfortunately, the usually reliable Hooks pitching staff went downhill from there. Evan Grills allowed 11 runs in 5 innings, and every pitcher that came into the game for Corpus Christi allowed at least two runs except Chris Cotton, who worked an inning and a third, allowing one hit and one walk. Their pitching staff posted a 7.08 ERA for the week. They will try and turn things around next week with series against Frisco and Midland.

***Stats from MILB.com***

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