L. J. Hoes, 2010 Topps Pro Debut #373

L. J. Hoes is not having much success in Houston this year, but he did have an enjoyable game last night. The 24-year-old outfielder, traded from the O's to the Astros last summer for Bud Norris, is batting .178/.235/.308 in 40 games in 2014. However, "Little Jerome" started in left field last night as the 'Stros visited Oakland. He went hitless in his first four trips to the plate, but delivered a solo home run off of Fernando Abad with one out in the 12th inning to account for the winning run in a 3-2 Houston victory. As luck would have it, yesterday was Hoes' mother's birthday. The outfielder spoke to his mom before the game, and revealed that Gale Hoes had told him to hit a homer for her. She clearly expected the best from her son, who hadn't gone deep since May 13, and that's just what she got. Such a good kid.

L. J. Hoes, 2013 Panini Prizm #279

Opening Week scheduling quirks left me without an O's game to watch last night, so I settled for some former Orioles beating the tar out of the Yankees.

The Bronx Bombers were in Houston to take on the lowly Astros, but the hosts flipped the script for one night. Scott Feldman, who gave the Birds 15 fair-to-middlin' starts after a midseason trade from the Cubs in 2013, assumed his mantle as the Astros' would-be ace when he signed a three-year deal in the offseason. He stayed on top of the Yanks for 6.2 scoreless innings, with two New York singles accounting for the only hits against him. Meanwhile the unheralded Houston lineup battered a newly-svelte CC Sabathia for four first-inning runs and six runs total, with L. J. Hoes' second career home run accounting for one of the tallies. The Yankees tried to make it interesting with a pair of eighth-inning runs, but stout ex-Baltimore reliever Matt Albers slammed the door with a scoreless ninth, pitching around a Kelly Johnson double to the gap. The 6-2 final, combined with Toronto's 4-2 victory over the Rays, gave the Orioles sole possession of first place in the hardscrabble American League East. That's a pretty good day off, in my book.

L. J. Hoes, 2013 Topps #148

L. J. Hoes' Orioles career lasted three games and four hitless at-bats. The Washington, D. C. native and lifelong O's fan was traded to the Astros this afternoon for Bud Norris. I'm still not used to the Birds being a buyer in July, but I'm feeling pretty good about a starting rotation consisting of Wei-Yin Chen, Chris Tillman, Miguel Gonzalez, Scott Feldman, and Norris...tonight's Gonzalez implosion notwithstanding.