Results tagged ‘ Michael Choice ’
Saturday, May 18th: Aliotti’s 3 HRs Help Hand Hounds Victory, while Cats & Snappers Win and Ports Lose in Extras
A’s Farmhand Of The Day
Midland RockHounds’ First Baseman Anthony Aliotti (3 Home Runs / 8 RBIs)
PACIFIC COAST LEAGUE (Triple-A)
Oklahoma City RedHawks 3
Sacramento River Cats 6
WP – Billings 4-2 / 4.97
Farmhand Of The Game:
Pitcher Bruce Billings
(7 IP / 3 H / 0 ER / 1 BB / 8 K / Win)
Sacramento benefited from another fine pitching performance on Saturday. This time it came courtesy of RHP Bruce Billings, who allowed just 3 hits and struck out 8 over 7 scoreless innings to earn his 4th win, while RHP Evan Scribner got the final 4 outs to post his 1st save. Michael Taylor, playing in center field, had a pair of hits, while catcher Stephen Vogt, first baseman Scott Moore, second baseman Grant Green and right fielder Michael Choice each drove in a run for the River Cats. With Choice recently getting starts in right field, one has to wonder if the A’s might be prepping him just in case right fielder Josh Reddick’s absence lingers for too long. FormerRiver Cats pitcher Brad Peacock will be returning to the Raley Field mound to face his former team on Sunday when he gets the nod for Oklahoma.
If you’d like to see A’s prospects like Michael Choice, Shane Peterson, Grant Green, Jemile Weeks, Dan Otero, Pedro Figueroa and more in action, you can check out Nathaniel Stoltz’s videos from the River Cats’ recent series in Nashville here.
Monday, May 13th: Billings Leads Cats to Victory while Snappers Win a Tight One, Hounds Fall and Ports Drop 6th Straight
A’s Farmhand Of The Day
Sacramento River Cats’ Pitcher Bruce Billings (6 IP / 4 H / 1 ER / 2 BB / 8 K / Win)
PACIFIC COAST LEAGUE (Triple-A)
Sacramento River Cats 8
Nashville Sounds 4
WP – Billings 3-2 / 6.10
Farmhand Of The Game:
Pitcher Bruce Billings
(6 IP / 4 H / 1 ER / 2 BB / 8 K / Win)
Starter Bruce Billings had a solid outing for Sacramento on Monday, allowing 3 runs, just 1 earned, on 4 hits while striking out 8 to earn his 3rd win. Designated hitter Grant Green had 2 hits, including a double, and drove in 2 runs. Center fielder Michael Choice also collected a pair of hits, and left fielder Scott Moore drove in a pair of runs. Shortstop Hiro Nakajima doubled and drove in a run, but his throwing error in the bottom of the 3rd inning led to 2 unearned runs.
Sunday, May 12th: Werner Wins 3rd for Cats while Ports Get No-Hit, Snappers Pitchers Get Pounded and Anderson Gets Rocked in Rehab Start for Hounds
A’s Farmhand Of The Day
Sacramento River Cats’ Pitcher Andrew Werner (6 IP / 5 H / 2 ER / 2 BB / 6 K)
PACIFIC COAST LEAGUE (Triple-A)
Sacramento River Cats 6
Nashville Sounds 5
WP – Werner 3-5 / 7.80
HR – Choice (8), Barfield (1)
Farmhand Of The Game:
Pitcher Andrew Werner
(6 IP / 5 H / 2 ER / 2 BB / 6 K / Win)
Starter Andrew Werner had a solid outing on Sunday, allowing 2 runs and striking out 6 over 6 innings to earn his 3rd win, while RHP Dan Otero got the final 3 outs for his 9th save. Center fielder Michael Choice homered in his second straight game, while right fielder Jeremy Barfield hit his 1st home run for Sacramento.
Saturday, May 11th: Sonny Gray Slings 6 Shutout Innings in River Cats Win while Top Prospects Russell & Ynoa Impress for Ports & Snappers
A’s Farmhand Of The Day
Sacramento River Cats’ Pitcher Sonny Gray (6 IP / 3 H / 0 ER / 5 BB / 8 K / Win)
PACIFIC COAST LEAGUE (Triple-A)
Sacramento River Cats 5
Nashville Sounds 2
WP – Gray 4-1 / 2.19
HR – Choice (7)
Farmhand Of The Game:
Pitcher Sonny Gray
(6 IP / 3 H / 0 ER / 5 BB / 8 K / Win)
RHP Sonny Gray had another strong start on Saturday, this time in front of a hometown crowd in Nashville, the city where he was born and where he starred for Vanderbilt University before being drafted by the A’s. Gray tossed 6 scoreless innings to earn his 4th win and lower his ERA to 2.19. Left fielder Scott Moore collected 3 hits, including a pair of doubles, while center fielder Michael Choice slugged his 7th home run and drove in 3 runs for the River Cats. If you missed it earlier this week, be sure to check out our interview with Michael Choice here. And you can see our interview with today’s winning pitcher Sonny Gray here.
TEXAS LEAGUE (Double-A)
GAME #1
Midland RockHounds 6
San Antonio Missions 2
WP – Smith 4-3 / 2.09
Farmhand Of The Game:
Pitcher Murphy Smith
(5 IP / 7 H / 2 ER / 2 BB / 2 K / Win)
Starter Murphy Smith allowed 2 runs in 5 innings to earn his 4th win, while RHP Paul Smyth tossed 2 scoreless innings in relief to pick up the save. First baseman Anthony Aliotti and outfielder Chad Oberacker had 2 hits apiece, and shortstop Dusty Coleman and outfielder Jake Goebbert each drove in a pair of runs for the RockHounds.
GAME #2
Midland RockHounds 5
San Antonio Missions 6
LP – DeMark 0-1 / 3.27
HR – Goebbert (4), Oberacker (1)
Farmhand Of The Game:
Outfielder Jake Goebbert
(Home Run)
Starter Josh Bowman allowed 5 runs, just 1 earned, over 5 innings of work. The 4 unearned runs came after shortstop Dusty Coleman’s throwing error in the bottom of the 2nd inning. Outfielder Chad Oberacker homered in the top of the 1st inning to put Midland on the board, while outfielder Jake Goebbert’s home run tied the game in the 5th, but RHP Mike DeMark surrendered a run in the 6th to take the loss. With outfielder Jeremy Barfield’s elevation to Sacramento, outfielder Josh Whitaker was promoted to Midland and, while serving as the designated hitter, drove in a run on a sacrifice fly in his debut with the RockHounds. He’ll be joined there by A’s starter Brett Anderson, who is set to begin a rehab assignment with Midland.
CALIFORNIA LEAGUE (High-A)
Stockton Ports 6
Lancaster JetHawks 10
LP – Joseph 3-2 / 6.35
HR – Russell (3)
Farmhand Of The Game:
Shortstop Addison Russell
(Home Run / 3 RBIs)
RHP Drew Granier allowed 3 runs while striking out 5 over 6 innings of work and left the game with the lead, but RHP Jonathan Joseph gave up 5 runs in the bottom of the 8th inning to take the loss. Shortstop Addison Russell homered for the second straight night and drove in 3 runs for the Ports. In other news, with RHP Pedro Vidal’s promotion to Sacramento, RHP Brett Hunter has been added to the Ports’ roster from extended spring training.
MIDWEST LEAGUE (Class-A)
Cedar Rapids Kernels 2
Beloit Snappers 3
WP – Dull 1-1 / 1.88
HR – Dixon (4)
Farmhand Of The Game:
Pitcher Michael Ynoa
(4 IP / 3 H / 1 ER / 0 BB / 7 K)
Starter Michael Ynoa gave up just 1 run while walking none and striking out 7 in 4 innings of work on Saturday, while RHP Andres Avila followed up by allowing 1 run in 4 innings of relief. Outfielder Rashun Dixon hit his 4th home run in his last 5 games to put Beloit on the board in the 2nd inning. And in the bottom of the 9th with the Snappers down by a run, designated hitter Chad Lewis doubled in a pair of runs to make a winner of RHP Ryan Dull who’d tossed 1 scoreless inning of relief.
Sunday’s Games:
Sacramento @ Nashville – 12:05pm PT
Midland @ San Antonio – 12:05pm PT / 2:05pm CT
Stockton @ Lancaster – 2:00pm PT
Cedar Rapids @ Beloit – Noon PT / 2:00pm CT
Be sure to like A’s Farm’s page on Facebook and follow us on Twitter @AthleticsFarm to keep up with all the news down on the farm!
Catching Up With: A’s Prospect Michael Choice
by James Ham / A’s Farm Correspondent
Sacramento River Cats hitting coach Greg Sparks has had his paws on the A’s future center fielder Michael Choice ever since Oakland selected him with the 10th pick in the 2010 MLB Amateur Draft.
Before becoming the hitting coach in Sacramento last season, Sparks spent eight seasons as the organization’s minor league roving hitting instructor. If there is anyone who knows Choice’s game, it’s Sparks.
“He’s an electric kid,” Sparks told Athletics Farm before Sunday’s game. “As a hitting coordinator, I had him out of the draft. I’ve been around him quite a bit. It’s nice to see the adjustments he’s made since the day he signed. He had a lot of movement; a unique approach to baseball when he first signed and to see that calm down and for him to become the hitter he is now is very good. Nice adjustments.”
The road hasn’t been all smooth sailing for the A’s outfield prospect. After a tremendous 2011 season at Class A Stockton, where he put up a stat line of .285/.376/.542 with 30 home runs and 82 RBI, Choice struggled.
At the Double-A level last season, Choice posted a line of .287/.356/.423, while hitting just 10 home runs and driving in 58. The batting average stayed steady, but the move to Midland of the Texas League seemed to overwhelm the highly touted prospect.
“For me, the biggest jump and the toughest thing for hitters to do is to go from A-ball to Double-A,” Sparks added. “He made some nice adjustments (in the Texas League).”
Midland all seems like a distant memory now. Choice took the rough season in stride and is now flourishing in Sacramento through the early part of this season.
“Every level brings a different challenge, you know, having to adjust,” Choice said before Sunday’s loss to the Las Vegas 51s. “Basically along the way, I’ve done a lot of adjusting with mechanics and that type of thing, but starting out this year, it’s the first year that I’ve been able to just focus on the mental part of hitting and not focus so much on what I’m doing physically in the box.”
Choice is locked in right now in Sacramento. The 23-year-old out of the University of Texas at Arlington has improved his plate discipline, striking out 25 times and drawing 19 walks in his first 135 at bats at the Triple-A level. He has a career-best .422 on base percentage and after Sunday’s loss, he is batting .309 with a .949 OPS.
Plate discipline isn’t the only thing that is improving for Choice, his power numbers are returning as well. After hitting 10 home runs in 402 plate appearances last season, Choice has six in just 110 official at bats this year. While others were concerned with the power drop off, Choice was confident that he would get his stroke back.
“Basically, I just try not to worry about hitting for power and just (focus on) being a good hitter and the power will come later,” Choice said.
The power will come and so will the accolades. At 6-foot, 215-pounds, Choice looks more like an NFL running back than a 5-tool baseball player. And with the A’s sitting on a $7.5 million team option for 33-year-old starting center fielder, Coco Crisp, for next season, there may be a changing of the guard coming.
Choice has nothing but respect for Crisp, who has manned the cavernous Coliseum outfield for the last three seasons. In fact, he spent a lot of time watching the 12-year veteran during spring training, trying to glean even the smallest morsel of information.
“Coco is one of the best out there,” Choice said of the A’s starting center fielder. “I watched him in spring training, watched his routine. You don’t see that many veteran guys like him that still shag hard in BP and continue to get reads and he does that. That’s why he’s one of the best out there.”
While there aren’t any plans to shuttle Choice to the big leagues right now, his time is coming. The A’s will most likely wait as long as possible before calling up one of their best minor league hitting prospects. But when the call comes, expect Choice to be ready to take his spot between Yoenis Cespedes and Josh Reddick in the Oakland outfield.
James Ham is known for his work covering the Sacramento Kings for Cowbell Kingdom. You can follow him on Twitter @James_Ham.
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Be sure to like A’s Farm’s page on Facebook and follow us on Twitter @AthleticsFarm to keep up with all the news down on the farm!
Sunday, May 5th: Hounds & Ports Win while Cats Fall and Ynoa Looks Sharp in Snappers Loss
A’s Farmhand Of The Day
Midland RockHounds’ RHP Murphy Smith (7 IP / 5 H / 1 ER / 2 BB / 4 K)
PACIFIC COAST LEAGUE (Triple-A)
Las Vegas 51s 6
Sacramento River Cats 2
LP – Chavez 2-2 / 2.70
HR – Horton (1)
Farmhand Of The Game:
Third Baseman Josh Horton
(Home Run / 2 RBIs)
Starter Jesse Chavez allowed 4 runs, 2 earned, on 8 hits over 6 2/3 innings to take the loss on Sunday. Third baseman Josh Horton had 2 hits, including a 2-run homer in the 7th inning to account for all of the River Cats’ scoring on the day, while outfielder Michael Choice and designated hitter Ryan Ortiz collected a pair of hits apiece. Shortstop Hiro Nakajima missed his second straight game after his debut on Friday and will be reevaluated in Oakland on Monday.
TEXAS LEAGUE (Double-A)
Frisco RoughRiders 4
Midland RockHounds 5
WP – Newby 1-3 / 2.20
HR – Barfield (6)
Farmhand Of The Game:
Pitcher Murphy Smith
(7 IP / 5 H / 1 ER / 2 BB / 4 K)
Starter Murphy Smith had another solid start on Sunday, allowing 3 runs, just 1 earned, on 5 hits over 7 innings. The right-hander was set to earn the win until Frisco scored a run off RHP Kyler Newby in the 8th inning. But outfielder Chad Oberacker drove in shortstop Dusty Coleman in the bottom of the 9th to allow Newby to pick up his 1st win of the season. Outfielder Jeremy Barfield clubbed a 3-run homer to put Midland on the board in the 1st.
CALIFORNIA LEAGUE (High-A)
Visalia Rawhide 1
Stockton Ports 7
WP – Walz 3-0 / 4.76
Farmhand Of The Game:
Shortstop Wade Kirkland
(Double / 2 RBIs)
After being demoted from Midland, RHP Sergio Perez allowed just 1 hit over 3 scoreless innings in his first start for Stockton on Sunday. LHP Omar Duran contributed 3 perfect innings in relief, while RHP T.J. Walz struck out 3 in 2 scoreless innings to pick his 3rd win. Shortstop Wade Kirkland and outfielder Dusty Robinson each had 2 hits and drove in a pair of runs. And catcher Phil Pohl, making his debut for Stockton, had a pair of hits and a pair of walks to reach base in his first 4 plate appearances for the Ports.
MIDWEST LEAGUE (Class-A)
Beloit Snappers 4
Lansing Lugnuts 5
LP – Healy 0-1 / 2.25
Farmhand Of The Game:
Pitcher Michael Ynoa
(4 IP / 3 H / 0 ER / 0 BB / 4 K)
Starter Michael Ynoa had his most impressive outing yet for Beloit, allowing 3 hits while walking none and striking out 4 over 4 scoreless innings of work on Sunday. In his first appearance with Beloit since being demoted from Stockton, RHP Andres Avila gave up 2 runs on 5 hits in 3 innings of relief, and RHP Tucker Healy took the loss after allowing 3 unearned runs to score in the bottom of the 8th inning. Third baseman Renato Nunez, who made 3 errors on Saturday, made a pair of errors in the 8th on Sunday to now give him a total of 9 on the season. And shortstop Daniel Robertson continued his hot hitting, collecting 3 more hits to raise his average to .448.
Monday’s Games:
Las Vegas @ Sacramento – 7:05pm PT
Frisco @ Midland – 4:30pm PT / 6:30pm CT
Visalia @ Stockton – 7:05pm PT
Beloit @ Lansing – 4:05pm PT / 6:05pm CT
Be sure to like A’s Farm’s page on Facebook and follow us on Twitter @AthleticsFarm to keep up with all the news down on the farm!
Friday, May 3rd: Billings & Bacus Pitch Cats & Snappers to Victory while Hounds & Ports Fall
A’s Farmhand Of The Day
Sacramento River Cats’ Pitcher Bruce Billings (6 2/3 IP / 3 H / 0 ER / 1 BB / 8 K / Win)
PACIFIC COAST LEAGUE (Triple-A)
Las Vegas 51s 0
Sacramento River Cats 3
WP – Billings 2-1 / 6.64
HR – Choice (6)
Farmhand Of The Game:
Pitcher Bruce Billings
(6 2/3 IP / 3 H / 0 ER / 1 BB / 8 K / Win)
Starter Bruce Billings had his second straight impressive outing for Sacramento, allowing just 3 hits and striking out 8 in 6 2/3 scoreless innings to earn his 2nd win, while RHP Dan Otero got the final 3 outs for his 7th save. Outfielder Michael Choice had 3 hits, including his 6th home run. Outfielder Shane Peterson collected 3 hits as well, and shortstop Hiro Nakajima, appearing in his first rehab game with the River Cats, went 2 for 4 with an RBI double and made an error in the field.
TEXAS LEAGUE (Double-A)
Midland RockHounds 4
Corpus Christi Hooks 10
LP – Bowman 2-1 / 5.02
Farmhand Of The Game:
Catcher Beau Taylor
(3 for 4 / 2 RBIs)
Starter Josh Bowman had a rough outing for the RockHounds, allowing 7 runs in just 4 innings to take the loss. Catcher Beau Taylor collected 3 hits and drove in a pair of runs, while first baseman Anthony Aliotti and shortstop Dusty Coleman both doubled for the RockHounds.
CALIFORNIA LEAGUE (High-A)
Visalia Rawhide 6
Stockton Ports 3
LP – Joseph 3-1 / 4.30
HR – Delgado (3)
Farmhand Of The Game:
Pitcher Deyvi Jimenez
(5 IP / 3 H / 1 ER / 4 BB / 5 K)
Starter Deyvi Jimenez had a solid outing for Stockton, allowing just 1 run on 3 hits while striking out 5 in 5 innings of work and left the game with a 2-run lead. But RHP Jonathan Joseph, who’s been dependable all season, surrendered 5 runs in the top of the 8th inning to take the loss. Catcher Ryan Delgado clubbed his 3rd home run, while outfielder Josh Whitaker collected 2 hits, including a double, and drove in a pair of runs for the Ports.
MIDWEST LEAGUE (Class-A)
Beloit Snappers 5
Great Lakes Loons 3
WP – Bacus 3-0 / 3.60
Farmhand Of The Game:
Pitcher Dakota Bacus
(4 IP / 2 H / 0 ER / 0 BB / 3 K / Win)
Starter Austin House allowed 3 runs, just 2 earned, in 5 innings of work, while RHP Dakota Bacus came on and gave up just 2 hits in 4 scoreless innings to earn his 3rd win. Shortstop Daniel Robertson doubled in a pair of runs, including the winning run, in the 9th inning for the Snappers.
Saturday’s Games:
Las Vegas @ Sacramento – 7:05pm PT
Frisco @ Midland – 5:00pm PT / 7:00pm CT
Visalia @ Stockton – 7:05pm PT
Beloit @ Lansing – 4:05pm PT / 6:05pm CT
Be sure to like A’s Farm’s page on Facebook and follow us on Twitter @AthleticsFarm to keep up with all the news down on the farm!
Wednesday, May 1st: Gray’s Complete Game Victory for Cats Leads Quartet of Quality Starts on Wednesday
A’s Farmhand Of The Day
Sacramento River Cats’ Pitcher Sonny Gray (9 IP / 4 H / 1 ER / 2 BB / 6 K / Win / CG)
PACIFIC COAST LEAGUE (Triple-A)
Sacramento River Cats 4
Fresno Grizzlies 1
WP – Gray 3-1 / 2.61
HR – Choice (5), Peterson (1)
Farmhand Of The Game:
Pitcher Sonny Gray
(9 IP / 4 H / 1 ER / 2 BB / 6 K / Win / CG)
The A’s 2011 1st-round draft pick, RHP Sonny Gray, had his most impressive performance of the season for Sacramento, allowing just 1 run on 4 hits while going the distance to earn the complete game victory on Wednesday. Outfielder Michael Choice hit his 5th home run, a solo shot, and designated hitter Shane Peterson hit a 2-run homer, his 1st, to drive in the go-ahead run for the River Cats. With Coco Crisp going on the disabled list, catcher Luke Montz was recalled by the A’s, and catcher Ryan Ortiz was promoted to Sacramento from Stockton.
TEXAS LEAGUE (Double-A)
Midland RockHounds 2
Corpus Christi Hooks 3
LP – Newby 0-3 / 2.51
Farmhand Of The Game:
Pitcher Zach Neal
(7 IP / 6 H / 1 ER / 2 BB / 7 K)
Starter Zach Neal had another solid outing for the RockHounds, allowing just 1 run while striking out 7 over 7 innings of work. The game ultimately went to extra innings, where RHP Kyler Newby gave up 2 runs, 1 earned, to take the loss. Third baseman Jefry Marte had a pair of hits and drove in a run, while first baseman Anthony Aliotti collected 3 hits to raise his average to a nifty .350.
CALIFORNIA LEAGUE (High-A)
Rancho Cucamonga Quakes 1
Stockton Ports 2
WP – Granier 3-2 / 2.81
Farmhand Of The Game:
Pitcher Drew Granier
(7 IP / 5 H / 1 ER / 2 BB / 5 K / Win)
Starter Drew Granier delivered another strong outing for Stockton on Wednesday, allowing just 1 run on 5 hits to earn his 3rd win, while RHP Seth Frankoff tossed 2 perfect innings in relief to pick up his 1st save. The Ports managed just 3 hits in the game, a pair of singles from outfielders Bobby Crocker and Myrio Richard and an RBI-triple off the bat of hot-hitting second baseman Antonio Lamas.
MIDWEST LEAGUE (Class-A)
Beloit Snappers 2
Great LakesLoons 3
LP – Tyson 1-1 / 8.10
Farmhand Of The Game:
Pitcher Seth Streich
(6 IP / 1 H / 1 ER / 1 BB / 7 K)
Starter Seth Streich had one of his best outings of the season for the Snappers, allowing 1 run on just 1 hit over 6 innings of work on Wednesday. RHP Tyler Vail surrendered the tying run in the bottom of the 8th inning to send the game to extra innings, and RHP Drew Tyson gave up a run in the 10th to take the loss. Catcher Bruce Maxwell collected 4 hits, including 2 doubles, and drove in a run for the Snappers.
Thursday’s Games:
Sacramento @ Fresno – 7:05pm PT
Midland @ Corpus Christi – 5:05pm PT / 7:05pm CT
Rancho Cucamonga @ Stockton – 7:05pm PT
Beloit @ Great Lakes – 4:05pm PT / 6:05pm CT
Be sure to like A’s Farm’s page on Facebook and follow us on Twitter @AthleticsFarm to keep up with all the news down on the farm!
Tuesday, April 23rd: Cats, Hounds & Ports All Fall on Tuesday
A’s Farmhand Of The Day
Midland RockHounds’ Outfielder Jake Goebbert (HR, 2 Doubles, 2 RBIs)
PACIFIC COAST LEAGUE (Triple-A)
Reno Aces 6
Sacramento River Cats 2
LP – Thomas 0-2 / 3.32
Farmhand Of The Game:
Pitcher Justin Thomas
(7 IP / 6 H / 2 ER / 0 BB / 6 K)
LHP Justin Thomas had his best start yet for the River Cats, allowing 2 earned runs while striking out 6 over 7 innings, but he still ended up taking the loss on Tuesday. RHP Evan Scribner came on to give up 3 runs in 1 inning of relief in his first appearance since being optioned back to Sacramento. The River Cats managed just 3 hits in the game, one apiece from second baseman Grant Green and outfielders Michael Choice and Tyler Ladendorf.
TEXAS LEAGUE (Double-A)
Corpus Christi Hooks 7
Midland RockHounds 6
LP – Smyth 2-1 / 3.29
HR – Goebbert (3)
Farmhand Of The Game:
Outfielder Jake Goebbert
(Home Run, 2 Doubles, 2 RBIs)
Starter Josh Bowman allowed 3 runs in 5 innings of work for Midland on Tuesday. Outfielder Jake Goebbert homered, had 2 doubles, drove in 2 runs and scored the tying run in the bottom of the 9th inning for the RockHounds. But RHP Paul Smyth surrendered a run in the top of the 10th to take the loss.
CALIFORNIA LEAGUE (High-A)
Stockton Ports 1
Visalia Rawhide 12
LP – Peters 2-1 / 6.86
HR – Crocker (2)
Farmhand Of The Game:
Outfielder Bobby Crocker
(Home Run)
Starter Tanner Peters had his roughest outing so far this season for the Ports, allowing 8 runs on 10 hits over just 2 2/3 innings to take the loss. RHP Max Perlman tossed 2 1/3 scoreless innings of relief in his season debut for Stockton. Outfielder Bobby Crocker hit his 2nd home run to account for the Ports’ only run of the game, while shortstop Addison Russell went 2-for-4 with a double.
MIDWEST LEAGUE (Class-A)
Beloit Snappers
Clinton LumberKings
(POSTPONED)
Wednesday’s Games:
Corpus Christi @ Midland – 4:30pm PT / 6:30pm CT
Stockton @ Visalia – 1:00pm PT
Be sure to like A’s Farm’s page on Facebook and follow us on Twitter @AthleticsFarm to keep up with all the news down on the farm!
Saturday, April 20th: Cats, Hounds & Ports All Win on Saturday while Snappers Sweep A Pair
A’s Farmhand Of The Day
Midland RockHounds’ RHP Murphy Smith (6 1/3 IP / 7 H / 1 ER / 1 BB / 6 K / Win)
PACIFIC COAST LEAGUE (Triple-A)
Reno Aces 4
Sacramento River Cats 6
WP – Figueroa 1-0 / 9.39
HR – Vogt (5)
Farmhand Of The Game:
Pitcher Travis Banwart
(3 2/3 IP / 3 H / 1 ER / 1 BB / 3 K)
With Jesse Chavez’s recall by the A’s, RHP Travis Banwart got the surprise start on Saturday, his first of the season for the River Cats, and he ended up holding Reno to just 1 run over 3 2/3 innings of work. LHP Pedro Figueroa followed up by giving up 2 runs over 2 1/3 innings, but still picked up the win, while RHP Dan Otero got the final 3 outs for his 3rd save. Catcher Stephen Vogt hit his 5th home run, and first baseman Daric Barton and outfielder Michael Choice both doubled and drove in a run for the River Cats.
TEXAS LEAGUE (Double-A)
Midland RockHounds 4
San Antonio Missions 1
WP – Smith 2-2 / 2.78
Farmhand Of The Game:
Pitcher Murphy Smith
(6 1/3 IP / 7 H / 1 ER / 1 BB / 6 K / Win)
Starter Murphy Smith had an impressive outing on Saturday, allowing just 1 run while striking out 6 over 6 1/3 innings to earn his 2nd win. RHP Paul Smyth came on to strike out 3 over 1 2/3 innings of scoreless relief, and RHP Kyler Newby got the final 3 outs for his 3rd save. Outfielder D’Arby Myers had 2 hits, including a double, drove in a run and stole his 4th base for the RockHounds.
CALIFORNIA LEAGUE (High-A)
Modesto Nuts 2
Stockton Ports 5
WP – Hassebrock 1-1 / 6.88
HR – Muncy (8)
Farmhand Of The Game:
Designated Hitter Max Muncy
(Home Run / 2 RBIs)
Starter Blake Hassebrock allowed 2 runs over 5 1/3 innings to earn his 1st win of the season on Saturday. RHP Seth Frankoff followed up with 1 2/3 innings of scoreless relief, and RHP Jose Macias held Modesto scoreless over the final 2 innings to pick up his 2nd save. Hot-hitting first baseman Max Muncy, serving as the designated hitter for the night, his his 8th home run to put the Ports on the board in the 4th inning and drove in the go-ahead run on a sacrifice fly in the 5th.
MIDWEST LEAGUE (Class-A)
GAME #1
Beloit Snappers 7
Burlington Bees 3
WP – Tyson 1-0 / 0.00
HR – Nunez (3)
Farmhand Of The Game:
Third Baseman Renato Nunez
(Home Run / Double / 3 RBIs)
Third baseman Renato Nunez continued his hot hitting of late, collecting 3 hits, including a home run and a double, and driving in 3 runs in the first game of Beloit’s doubleheader on Saturday. Starter Seth Streich allowed 3 runs over 4 1/3 innings for the Snappers, but RHP Drew Tyson came on to toss 2 2/3 innings of scoreless relief to earn the win in his first appearance of the season.
GAME #2
Beloit Snappers 6
Burlington Bees 1
WP – De Young 1-0 / 3.09
Farmhand Of The Game:
Designated Hitter Aaron Shipman
(Triple / 2 RBIs)
Starter Vince Voiro struck out 6 over 3 2/3 scoreless innings, and RHP Derek De Young followed up by striking out 6 and allowing 1 run over 3 1/3 innings to pick up the win in Saturday’s second game for the Snappers. Designated hitter Aaron Shipman tripled in 2 runs in the top of the 5th inning to give Beloit the lead, which they never relinquished, and first baseman Matt Olson and third baseman Jacob Tanis each drove in a pair of runs for the Snappers.
Sunday’s Games:
Reno @ Sacramento – 5:05pm PT
Midland @ San Antonio – 12:05pm PT / 2:05pm CT
Modesto @ Stockton – 2:09pm PT
Beloit @ Clinton – Noon PT / 2:00pm CT
Be sure to like A’s Farm’s page on Facebook and follow us on Twitter @AthleticsFarm to keep up with all the news down on the farm!
