CORPUS CHRISTI - Hooks left fielder Seth Beer broke a 1-1 tie in the seventh inning Thursday with a three-run homer to lead his team to a 5-3 win over the Northwest Arkansas Naturals at Whataburger Field.Beer took the 2-2 fastball from Emilio Ogando (L, 1-1) and crushed it 373
CORPUS CHRISTI - Hooks left fielder Seth Beer broke a 1-1 tie in the seventh inning Thursday with a three-run homer to lead his team to a 5-3 win over the Northwest Arkansas Naturals at Whataburger Field.
Beer took the 2-2 fastball from Emilio Ogando (L, 1-1) and crushed it 373 feet to right at 106 mph off the bat. It was his 13th blast at the Double-A level and 22nd overall in 2019.
Anibal Sierra provided insurance with a solo shot (5) in the eighth off Andrew Beckwith. Erasmo Pinales worked 2.0 innings to secure the save (1).
J.B. Bukauskas provided another quality start for the Hooks, his second consecutive 6.0-inning, one-run outing. The Astros' No. 5 prospect according to MLB.com allowed seven hits and two walks while striking out nine.
NW Arkansas loaded the bases with no outs against Bukauskas in the second, but the righty struck out Freddy Fermin and got D.J. Burt to ground into a 1-2-3 double play to avoid damage. Fermin later deposited Kort Peterson with an RBI-double in the fourth.
The Hooks got the run back in the bottom of that frame when, with two outs, Chuckie Robinson and Sierra hit back-to-back doubles against Naturals starter Gerson Garabito. Garabito also allowed one run over 6.0 innings, fanning seven with a walk and three hit batters.
Tanner Duncan, who worked a clean seventh inning with a punchout, picked up his first Double-A win.
Corpus Christi opens a four-game wraparound series with the Springfield Cardinals for the Hooks' Christmas in July celebration Friday. Cristian Javier (4-3, 2.49) gets the start for the Hooks against lefty Evan Kruczynski (2-5, 6.64). The first 2,000 fans in attendance will receive Hooks Christmas socks, while all can enjoy riding down a snow hill on the berm.
