Astros’ Minors: Hook’s pitchers dominate, Wrenn adds spark

In this week’s Astros’ AA report, Colin McKee, Justin Ferrell, and recently activated Layne Henderson headline what was a productive week for the Hooks.

For weeks on end, the Astros‘ AA  affiliate Corpus Christi Hook’s offense has been the heavy hitters (pun-intended) for these reports. However, it was the pitching staff that finessed their way into the spotlight. So lets jump right into it.

Pitcher of the Week: Colin McKee – (RHP)

No stranger to these lists, Colin McKee makes this the fourth appearance in six articles written about the Hooks. Since the last installment, McKee has found himself converting high-pressure situations and leaving multiple hitters in the dust. Since May 28th, McKee has seen his ERA drop from 1.98 to 1.82. Through 4.2 innings, he has struck out two, given up only two hits and converted a crucial save situation that positioned the Hooks in first place of the division.

McKee’s season totals now run up to 29.2 innings pitched, 43 strikeouts on 23 walks, and converting all four of his save opportunities. Hitters are averaging a paltry .135 against him.

Hitter of the Week: Stephen Wrenn – (OF)

After making his presence felt in early April, Wrenn has fallen on some hard times lately in May. However, he got back on the horse and broke out of his slump, collecting four multi-hit games in his last 10. In that time frame, Wrenn has seen his average rise from .258 to a more fitting .282.

He was also instrumental in keeping the Hooks in games by setting the table, scoring three runs and stealing three bags to position himself in scoring position.

Debut of the Week: Layne Henderson – (RHP)

Speaking about Layne Henderson, he was recently activated off the Texas League IL and made his Hooks debut on May 25th. There he would clean up a nasty outing and would go on to pitch two scoreless innings.

Through three games this season, Henderson has gone 4.2 innings giving up only four hits and striking out two. Look for him to be a constant fixture out of the Hooks bullpen.

Honorable Mention: Joshua Rojas – (2B) (Now with the Round Rock Express)

Rojas continued knocking the cover off the ball this past week. Only because he is now in Triple-A, Rojas is an honorable mention. The model of consistency, Rojas finished off a solid week last week going deep six times for the Hooks. This warranted a call-up to Triple-A Round Rock. Starting off this week extended his hitting streak to nine games, and has double-digit hits in two of those games.

Rojas’ stats on this year are stellar, and for a multi-faceted defensive genius like him, this is a solid resume to continually add to. Over his past 10 games, Rojas is hitting .429 with three stolen bases, 10 runs scored and six RBIs to boot.

The Hooks finished off a solid week and now see themselves sitting a half game behind the Frisco RoughRiders again. The Hooks continue their 7-day homestand with three more games against the Midland RockHounds and Amarillo Sod Poodles. We will see if they can finally propel themselves into first place next Tuesday.

Overall Record: 30-27
Upcoming Schedule: Midland RockHounds June 4th-5th, Amarillo Sod Poodles June 6th-9th