Hooks sink in for first Corpus Christi no-hitter
For the first time since the franchise relocated to the Gulf Coast of Texas, the Corpus Christi Hooks checked off their first no-hitter in 19 seasons. On the shoulders of Astros prospects Jake Bloss and Cesar Gomez, the Double-A affiliate blanked the San Antonio Missions in a 3-0 win at
For the first time since the franchise relocated to the Gulf Coast of Texas, the Corpus Christi Hooks checked off their first no-hitter in 19 seasons. On the shoulders of Astros prospects Jake Bloss and Cesar Gomez, the Double-A affiliate blanked the San Antonio Missions in a 3-0 win at Nelson Wolff Stadium.
"Honestly, nobody said a word about it the entire game," Hooks pitching coach Sean Buchanan said. "You look up at the scoreboard, and you start to see more and more zeroes after that second column in from the runs on the home team side hasn't moved yet."
Bloss -- Houston’s No. 10 prospect -- walked two batters in his first two frames before a pair of defensive web gems locked him into shutdown mode.
In the second inning, Astros No. 6 prospect Zach Cole made a Superman-like catch in left field, scampering to his right for a diving grab. An inning later, the organization's top prospect, Jacob Melton, mirrored the heroics with his own diving grab in center field.
"Those were two unbelievable plays," Buchanan said. "Those two guys bailed us out, kept it alive."
With the catches coming so early in the game, a no-hitter wasn't on the minds of the team or coaching staff. But they did stave off early hit bids for San Antonio, building momentum for the remainder of the contest.
Bloss allowed just one more baserunner after Melton's catch and navigated 6 1/3 innings with six strikeouts and three walks. The righty worked his second-longest start at Double-A this season on 82 pitches, 52 of which went for strikes.
📩 CLICK HERE TO SUBSCRIBE TO BEN'S BIZ
Gomez entered a clean slate in the seventh with one out and pitched perfectly for the remainder of the game. The 25-year-old righty retired all eight batters he faced, striking out three and securing the final out on a ground ball to the right side.
Striking out the first two batters of the eighth inning on six pitches, Gomez instilled confidence in Buchanan that a no-hitter was obtainable.
"I personally started to think, 'Oh boy, if he is this dialed in tonight, I don't think there's anybody that can hit him,'" Buchanan said. "'And we're already at this point in the game, he's going to have enough bullets to get this thing done.'"
Buchanan -- in his first season coaching Gomez -- didn't get within 30 feet of his reliever the entire game. The veteran Double-A reliever took stake in the end of the dugout and kept to himself.
"He is a fiery competitor, so you probably want to stay out of his way regardless," Buchanan said. "But especially in that situation and how well he's been throwing the baseball, it was definitely stay out of his way and let him finish this."
Gomez -- a 2020 undrafted signee by the Astros -- managed to earn his second save of the season and lowered his ERA to 1.29 and WHIP to 0.82 in 28 innings for the Hooks this season.
"It's pretty ridiculous what he's done this season," Buchanan said. "He's reinvented himself. There were some struggles at times, as he got to the higher levels last year, especially. There's been some mechanical changes. There's been some changes to his pitch arsenal, and all the credit goes to him and his ability to adapt and to put himself in the best position to be successful."
Polar opposite of Gomez, Buchanan was constantly having conversation with Bloss. Given where his starting pitcher stands in his development, Buchanan believes their dialogue in between every inning only betters the right-hander's attack plan and how to approach hitters.
"It was not a situation where, 'Hey, the guy's throwing a no-hitter, you can't talk to him,'" Buchanan said. "We wanted Jake dialed in and on script and on plan as much as possible, so the dialogue with him was constant throughout the game."
Bloss’ no-hit bid furthered a dominant stretch since his May 3 promotion to Double-A, when he became the first Astros’ 2023 draftee to reach the level. The third-rounder dropped his ERA to 1.61 in 44 2/3 frames.
"You never go into a game, thinking, 'Hey, we are going to throw a no-hitter tonight,'" Buchanan said. "It's always about 'How well can I execute? How well can I follow the gameplan? What can I do to punch guys out and give my team a chance to win?' So that's always the goal, and I think a night like tonight, it just helps give us clues on how to do it more."
Kenny Van Doren is a contributor for MiLB.com.
Sky Carp comeback falls just short
BELOIT – The Sky Carp came up just short of their third straight series victory Sunday afternoon, falling 6-5 to the Cedar Rapids Kernels. A fantastic Mother’s Day crowd at sun-splashed ABC Supply Stadium watched the Carp nearly rally from a 5-1 deficit to defeat the Kernels. Cedar Rapids plated
15-hit attack paces Sky Carp win
BELOIT – The Sky Carp won their third game in a row in front of another outstanding crowd at ABC Supply Stadium, winning 8-5 over the Cedar Rapids Kernels. The Carp trailed 3-1 heading into the bottom of the fifth when they parlayed four hits into three runs to take
White dominates in front of huge crowd
BELOIT – It was a festive evening at ABC Supply Stadium, and the Sky Carp lived up to exciting atmosphere with an 8-4 win Friday night. With new member of the ownership group Lance Leipold looking on, the Carp scored five runs in the first inning to take immediate control
Ignoffo hits two grand slams in 14-5 victory
BELOIT – Ryan Ignoffo put on a historic performance Thursday night at ABC Supply Stadium. The Sky Carp catcher hit grand slams in back-to-back at bats late in the Carp’s 14-5 victory over the Kernels, finishing the contest with eight runs batted in and giving the home fans a memory
Sky Carp fall 6-5 on Education Day
BELOIT – A jubilant Education Day crowd of 2,090 saw the Sky Carp come up just short Wednesday afternoon as they fell 6-5 to Cedar Rapids. It looked to be a long afternoon when the Carp fell behind 5-2, but the home team made a spirited comeback. Jay Beshears hit
Sky Carp drop series opener 8-0
BELOIT – The Sky Carp picked up plenty of hits on a picture perfect Tuesday evening at ABC Supply Stadium. Their issue in an 8-0 defeat to Cedar Rapids was what to do with them. The Carp and the visiting Kernels each finished with nine hits, but four Sky Carp
Songs Over the Stateline: A Live Concert Adventure for Beloit Sky Carp Fans
Curtain Call & Laughter: A Unique Theatre & Comedy Guide for Beloit Sky Carp Fans Nestled along the Rock River in southern Wisconsin, the city of Beloit is more than just home to the Beloit Sky Carp—it’s also a community filled with artistic appreciation, theatrical gems, and great comedy. Whether
Sky Carp take series with 11-7 victory
PEORIA, Ill. – The Sky Carp capped off a terrific series and an outstanding road trip with a 11-7 victory Sunday afternoon over the Peoria Chiefs. The win gave them a 4-2 series win over the Chiefs, and ended the longest road trip of the season for the team with
Sky Carp drop second straight to Chiefs
PEORIA, Ill. – The Sky Carp dropped their second straight game Saturday evening in Peoria, falling 6-2 to the Chiefs. The Chiefs got off to a quick start against Sky Carp starting pitcher Jake Brooks, plating three first-inning runs. As they have this entire road trip, the Carp again fought
Sky Carp-Chiefs postponed
PEORIA, Ill. – The Sky Carp’s bid for their seventh straight victory will have to wait another day. The Sky Carp and the Peoria Chiefs were postponed due to rain Thursday night. The game will be made up as part of a doubleheader on Friday. The first of two seven-inning
Late surge makes it 5 in a row for the Carp
PEORIA, Ill. – The Sky Carp didn’t let a change of venue or an early start get in the way of their fifth consecutive victory Tuesday afternoon. The Carp rallied from a 9-4 deficit to record a wild 13-9 win over Peoria to extend their winning streak and move to
Carp pitching shines again in 5-2 win
Carp pitching shines again in 5-2 win Written by Josh Flickinger SOUTH BEND, Ind. – The Sky Carp recorded their second straight victory Friday night, taking down the South Bend Cubs 5-2. For the second straight night, it was the Carp pitching staff that stood out the most. A trio
Sky Carp hold Cubs to one hit
SOUTH BEND, Ind. – One infield single. That’s all the South Bend Cubs could muster in the Sky Carp’s 3-0 victory Thursday night in South Bend. The Cubs were held hitless by a trio of Carp hurlers before Cristian Hernandez, working against new pitcher Will Kempner, led off the ninth
Carp fall 8-5 for 2nd straight night
SOUTH BEND, Ind. – The Sky Carp couldn’t overcome a disastrous start Wednesday night. Despite a spirited rally, the Carp fell to South Bend 8-5 for the second straight night. The Cubs plated six runs (five earned) in the bottom of the first against Sky Carp starter Noble Meyer. They
Sky Carp drop opener to Cubs
BELOIT WI– The Sky Carp got a boost from its struggling offense, but had a tough night on the mound in an 8-5 loss to South Bend Tuesday night. The Carp scored all five of its runs via the longball. Ryan Ignoffo staked the team to a 3-0 lead with
Sky Carp, Bandits suspended in 4th
BELOIT, Wis. – Sunday’s game between the Sky Carp and the River Bandits was suspended with the River Bandits leading 3-0 in the bottom of the fourth inning. The game will be picked up from the point it left off on Tuesday, May 20 at 6:05 p.m. The game will
River Bandits stay hot, beat Carp 7-1
BELOIT, Wis. – The Sky Carp’s offensive malaise continued Saturday afternoon in a 7-1 loss to Quad Cities. The River Bandits scored a run in the first inning, then took control of the contest with four runs in the fourth inning to break open a 2-1 game. It was the
Late runs fuel River Bandits win
BELOIT, Wis. – The Supper Clubbers have one significant thing in common with their Sky Carp brethren: They sure can strike out the opposition. The Sky Carp, taking over their Friday night identity as the Supper Clubbers, struck out 17 River Bandits in an 8-0 loss at ABC Supply Stadium.
Sky Carp fan 20 in 3-0 loss
Sky Carp fan 20 in 3-0 loss Written by Josh Flickinger BELOIT, Wis. – The Sky Carp didn’t come away with the victory Thursday night, but they did come away with a rather remarkable performance. While falling 3-0 to the visiting Quad Cities River Bandits, the Sky Carp pitching staff
Strong pitching leads Carp to win
BELOIT, Wis. – An outstanding pitching performance on a sunny Wednesday afternoon marked Education Day a grand success at ABC Supply Stadium. The Sky Carp allowed just three hits in a 5-1 victory before an active crowd of students. The Carp took a 1-0 lead in the fourth inning when
Late inning runs send Carp to defeat
BELOIT, Wis. – The Quad Cities River Bandits broke open a pitcher’s duel on Tuesday afternoon, scoring a run in the eighth inning and three more in the ninth to capture the series opener 4-0. The game, played before an enthusiastic crowd of high school students on hand for Business
Spirited Sky Carp rally falls short
CEDAR RAPIDS, Iowa – The Sky Carp dug themselves a deep hole Sunday afternoon, and nearly rallied for an improbable victory before falling 10-7 to Cedar Rapids in the series finale. Sky Carp starter Jake Brooks recorded just two outs while allowing seven runs to get the game off to
Sky Carp drop second straight to Kernels
Carp drop second straight to Kernels Written by Josh Flickinger CEDAR RAPIDS, Iowa – The Cedar Rapids Kernels rallied from an early 3-1 deficit to defeat the Sky Carp 7-4 Saturday afternoon. The Carp trailed 1-0 in the second inning when Eric Rataczak cracked a three-run homer, his first of
Late runs lead Kernels over Carp
Kernels plate two late runs to beat Carp Written by Josh Flickinger CEDAR RAPIDS, Iowa – Despite a valiant mid-game rally, the Sky Carp fell 6-4 to the Cedar Rapids Kernels Friday night. The loss evened the series at two games each, with a pair of matinees to decide the
Sky Carp flex muscle in 8-7 win
Sky Carp flex muscle in 8-7 win Written by Josh Flickinger CEDAR RAPIDS, Iowa – The Sky Carp had their second consecutive big night offensively on the way to an 8-7 victory over Cedar Rapids Thursday night. The win was the Carp’s second in three games in the series and