Stars of the Day: May 14

Wow.   Oklahoma was off, so there were only three games but the array of stars from yesterday was astounding.

Trey Hodges (5-2;  3.40) was the beneficiary as the big red train from Frisco got back on track and rolled through Midland with an 11-5 victory, improving to 25-13 and increasing their lead in the Texas League South to 4.5 games.

A rehabbing Luis Mendoza got the start and allowed a run on two hits and two walks in 1.1 frames before turning it over to Hodges who posted the victory after limiting the RockHounds to a run on three hits and four walks over the next 5.2 innings.

Shortstop Elvis Andrus (.281 / .337 / .333)  set the table with a huge game from the top of the order going 3-4 with two doubles, a walk, three stolen bases and three  run scored.   Andrus came into the game hitting  .171 / .171 / .244  from the one hole.

Chris Davis (.322 / .365 / .575) ended a nine game homerless streak with his league-leading 10th bomb of the year and added his seventh double of the year in a 2-5 outing.  

Both Ben Harrison (.333 / .426 / .615), and Max Ramirez (.383 / .453 / .672) went 2-4 with a pair of RBIs.  Harrison hit his sixth homer of the year while Ramirez executed on a sac fly opportunity.

Finally,  Steve Murphy (.313 / .250 / .510) turned in another strong outing, going 2-3 with a sac fly, driving in two and scoring twice.

In Bakersfield -- where the 25-15 Blaze have won nine of their last ten -- big Tommy Hunter (5-4;  3.55)  continued to build his case for a ticket to Frisco with eight strong innings, holding High Desert to two runs on six hits and no walks, punching out eight.   The University of Alabama alum  is averaging better than seven innings per outing over his last five starts.   He leads the league in innings pitched (58.1) and has a stellar 50 / 8 K/BB ratio.

Jose Vallejo (.282 / .341 / .429) continues to emerge from a two-week megaslump, going 3-4 with a double, a walk, two RBIs, his 15th and 16th stolen bases of the year and two runs scored.

Julio Borbon (.321 / .374 / .418) went 2-5 from the top of the order, stole his 16th bag of the year and scored a run.   Johnny Whittleman (.285 / .404 / .460) doubled and executed on a sac fly in a 1-3 outing to drive in one.