Minor League Baseball Update: Ramos makes shift from reliever to starter at Round Rock
The following are updates on local baseball players at the minor league level.
Cesar Ramos (La Crescenta resident) Round Rock Express pitcher: Ramos, who was a reliever with the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim last season, is now a starter with the Express. In the minors for the first time since 2012, when he was with the Durham Bulls, Ramos has made two appearances.
In his latest outing Wednesday against the host Omaha Storm Chasers, Ramos struggled. Ramos went 4 1/3 innings, giving up four runs (all earned) and six hits in a 6-4 loss. He struck out six and walked one after making 79 pitches.
Ramos, 31, tossed three scoreless innings Friday against the Iowa Cubs. The Long Beach State product struck out two, walked one and allowed one hit in Round Rock’s 4-3 road victory. He made 34 pitches, 22 for strikes.
Ramos is 0-1 with a 4.91 earned-run average.
Round Rock, the triple-A affiliate of the Texas Rangers, is 5-2 in the Pacific Coast League’s American Southern Division.
Ryan Sherriff (Glendale Community College, 2011) Memphis Redbirds pitcher: Sherriff is looking to stay healthy after missing part of last season because of an injury. The left-hander has gotten off to an excellent start with Memphis, the triple-A affiliate of the St. Louis Cardinals.
Sherriff, a former All-Western State Conference selection, has begun the campaign without allowing a run in his first three appearances. In that stretch as a middle reliever, he’s struck out four and walked two in 3 1/3 innings.
On Wednesday against the Oklahoma City Dodgers, Sheriff struck out one and walked two in 1 1/3 innings. Round Rock picked up an 8-1 home victory.
Sherriff, 25, was most impressive in his first appearance Friday against the visiting Colorado Springs Sky Sox. Assigned the task of protecting a 2-1 lead entering the sixth inning, Sherriff stepped up and got two fly balls and a strikeout on 18 pitches. He threw 12 pitches for strikes and gave up a single in a 2-1 win.
On Sunday against Colorado Springs, Sheriff tossed two scoreless innings. He allowed one hit and struck out two. He made 25 pitches, including 20 for strikes, in a 6-4 loss.
Through Wednesday, the Redbirds are 3-4 and in third place in the Pacific Coast League’s American Southern Division.
Alonzo Gonzalez (Glendale Community College, 2012) pitcher, Dunedin Blue Jays: The left-hander has been effective early on for Dunedin, the class-A affiliate of the Toronto Blue Jays in the Florida State League. The former All-Western State Conference honoree hasn’t allowed a run in his first two appearances and has struck out five spanning five innings.
Gonzalez, a reliever, turned in a good effort Tuesday against the host St. Lucie Mets. Gonzalez, 24, struck out two and walked two in a 1-0 defeat. He pitched the sixth and seventh innings. Gonzalez made 29 pitches, 16 for strikes.
In his first outing Friday on the road against the Clearwater Threshers, Gonzalez struck out two and yielded three walks. He didn’t factor in the decision, throwing 50 pitches.
Dunedin was 3-4 in the league’s North Division through Wednesday.
