Wednesday, August 31, 2016

Astros Minor League Recaps

Results for Tuesday, August 30, 2016

Tacoma 5, Fresno 3

W- David Rollins (5-0)
L- Jandel Gustave (3-3)
S- Andrew Kittredge (6)

Fresno home runs: Danny Worth (11, solo in 4th), Nolan Fontana (3, solo in 5th)

The Grizzlies tied the game at 3 in the top of the 8th.... only to see the Rainiers re-take the lead following Mike Freeman's 2-run homer off of Jandel Gustave in the bottom of the inning.

Danny Worth put Fresno on the board with a solo homer in the 4th, and Nolan Fontana led off the 5th with a home run. In the 8th, Colin Moran hit an RBI single that tied the game at that point. D.J. Fisher finished 3-4 with a double and stole a base (2, 25 season).

César Valdez went 7 innings and allowed 3 runs on 8 hits (solo homer) and struck out 3. Jandel Gustave walked 1, struck out 1, and allowed the go-ahead 2-run homer in the 8th, which was the only hit that he allowed in the inning.

Brady Rodgers will start game 2 of this series. He'll face Joe Wieland at 7:05 Pacific.

Corpus Christi 6, Frisco 5

W- Eric Peterson (5-3, 6-3 season)
L- Ariel Jurado (1-3)

CC home runs: None.

The Hooks edged the Riders on Tuesday, scoring a run in the top of the 9th to break a 5-5 tie.

Bobby Boyd tripled to lead off the game and opened the scoring on a Preston Tucker groundout. In the 3rd, Boyd hit an RBI double, and Corpus got two more RBI doubles in the 4th from James Ramsay and Roberto Peña, who drove in 2. Peña, whose 3 hits were all doubles, hit another one in the top of the 9th, advanced to 3rd on a groundout, and scored the go-ahead run on a Nick Tanielu single. Boyd, Tanielu, Ramon Laureano, and Conrad Gregor all finished with 2 hits on the evening.

Cy Sneed had a bare minimum quality start, allowing 10 hits and striking out 6. Michael Freeman came on for the 7th but failed to retire any of the 3 batters he faced; Freeman allowed 2 runs (1 inherited runner charged to him) on 2 hits and hit a batter. Eric Peterson took ownership of the final 3 innings. He allowed a sac fly to the first man he faced, which allowed one of the two runners he inherited from Freeman to score, but nothing more after that. Peterson allowed a hit, walked 1, and struck out 1.

Trent Thornton will start game 2 of this series. He'll take on Scott Carroll at 7:05.

Lancaster 5, Rancho Cucamonga 4

W- Chris Murphy (1-1, 6-8 season)
L- Kevin Brown (0-1)
S- Andrew Thome (3, 7 season)

Lancaster home runs: Jason Martin 2 (22; 2-run in 2nd, solo in 4th)

The JetHawks were doubled up in the hit column (12-6), but they won in the column that matters...

Johnny Sewald led off the bottom of the 1st with a double, advanced to 3rd on a wild pitch, and opened the scoring on a Kyle Tucker groundout. Trent Woodward led off the 2nd with a double, and Jason Martin followed by launching his first home run of the night. Martin whacked his second homer, a solo shot in the 4th inning that put Lancaster up 4-3. Rancho tied the game with a run in the 7th, but Sewald came through with what turned out to be the game-winner, an RBI single in the 8th.

Sewald (2B, RBI, R), Woodward (2B, R), and Martin (2 HR) all finished with 2 hits in the game.

Josh James went 5.1 innings and allowed 3 runs on 8 hits, walked 1, and struck out 7. Alex Winkelman came out for an inning of work; he got the final two outs of the 6th and the first out of the 7th. He had an inherited runner charged to him, allowed 2 hits and struck out 1. Chris Murphy allowed a hit and struck out 1 in 1.2 innings, and Andrew Thome worked around a hit to close out the win, striking out 1.

Akeem Bostick will start game 2 of this series. First pitch is at 6:35 Pacific.

Quad Cities was off

The River Bandits will kick off their final home series of 2016 against Kane County tonight at 7. Framber Valdez will face Emilio Vargas

Vermont 7, Tri-City 1

W- Brandon Bailey (2-1)
L- Austin Nicely (5-4)

TC home runs: None.

The ValleyCats were dominated on Tuesday; they were held to just 2 hits in the game. Miguelangel Sierra scored the only Tri-City run on an error in the 2nd inning. Bryan De La Cruz and Marcos Almonte had the hits, which were both singles.

Austin Nicely allowed 5 runs on 4 hits (solo homer), walked 5, and struck out 1. Howie Brey was the first man out, and he walked 2 and struck out 1 in 1.2 innings. Ryan Hartman pitched the final 4 innings and allowed 2 runs on 3 hits (solo homer) and struck out 4.

Tri-City and Vermont will wrap up their series at 7:05 Eastern.

Greeneville 10, Elizabethton 8

W- Devon Carr (3-3)
L- Colton Davis (0-2)
S- Lucas Williams (1)

Greeneville home runs: Luis Payano (6, solo in 7th)

The Twins scored 3 in the bottom of the 8th to take a 4-3 lead, but the Appy Astros put up 7 in the top of the 9th to take the lead and withstood a furious rally in the bottom of the 9th to escape with the win.

Frankeny Fernandez got plunked with one out in the 1st. He then stole his way to 3rd and scored the first run of the game on a sac fly from Ray Henderson. Abraham Toro tripled in the 4th and scored on a Carlos Machado groundout, and Luis Payano smacked a solo homer in the 7th.

Machado was the first man to reach in the huge 9th inning; he drew a one-out walk, then advanced to 3rd on a single from Reiny Beltre. Payano was hit by a pitch to load the bases, which prompted a pitching change. Stijn van der Meer promptly put Greeneville back in front with a 2-run double. Fernandez was intentionally walked to re-load the bases, but Henderson made the Twins regret that decision with a 2-run single. Toro added a 2-run single of his own, and Machado drove in Greeneville's final run of the evening with an RBI single in his second plate appearance of the inning.

Toro (3B, 2 RBI, 2 R) and Machado (RBI, R) had 3 hits apiece, while van der Meer was 2-5 out of the leadoff spot.

Cristian Javier went 5 innings and allowed a run on a single, walked 3, and struck out 4. Ben Smith was the first man out of the Greeneville bullpen, and in 2.2 innings, he allowed 3 runs (1 inherited runner charged to him), an RBI single, walked 4, and struck out 4. Devon Carr got the final out of the 8th and the first two outs of the 9th; he allowed a grand slam to Caleb Hamilton in the 9th. Lucas Williams recorded the final out of the game.

Juan Robles will start game 2 of this series. He'll face Domenick Carlini at 7:00 Eastern.

GCL Mets 7, GCL Astros 2

W- Nicolas Debora (4-2)
L- Felipe Tejada (1-1, 2-1 season)
S- Enmanuel Berihuete (1)

GCL home runs: None.

Wander Franco went 2-3 with a double and scored the Kissimmee Stros' first run on an Orlando Marquez sac fly in the 7th. He drew a base-loaded walk in the 8th to bring in their other run. César Rosado hit a batter and struck out 4 over the first 2 innings.

Tuesday's Stars

Abraham Toro-Hernandez, 3B, Greeneville
3-5, 3B, 2 RBI, 2 R

Roberto Peña, C, Corpus Christi
3-4, 3 2B, 2 RBI, 2 R

Jason Martin, OF, Lancaster
2-3, 2 HR (22), 3 RBI

Cristian Javier, RHP, Greeneville
5 IP, H, ER, 3 BB, 4 K

Tuesday, August 30, 2016

Astros Minor League Recaps

Results for Monday, August 29, 2016

Fresno 5, Tacoma 1

W- Mike Hauschild (9-10)
L- Zach Lee (7-13)

Fresno home runs: None.

The Grizzlies started off their final roadtrip of the season on a winning note.

Mike Hauschild allowed 5 hits, walked 3, and struck out 4 over 5 shutout innings. Albert Minnis and Jordan Jankowski both pitched 2 innings out of the Fresno bullpen. Minnis allowed Tacoma's only run on 2 hits and walked 1, while Jankowski walked 1 and struck out 4.

D.J. Fisher led off the game with a double and scored the first run of the evening on a Danny Worth double. Colin Moran followed with a single that brought in Worth. In the 2nd inning, Jon Kemmer hit an RBI single and Nolan Fontana added a sacrifice fly. Fisher hit another double in the 4th that allowed Fontana to score. Fontana led the way in the hit column on Monday, going 3-4 with 2 runs scored and a stolen base. Fisher (2 2B, RBI, R), Moran, and Tyler Heineman all finished with 2 hits in the game.

In game 2 of this series, César Valdez will face Sam Gaviglio. First pitch is at 7:05 Pacific.

San Antonio 6, Corpus Christi 3

W- Seth Simmons (3-3)
L- Kent Emanuel (5-4)
S- Jake Smith (1)

CC home runs: Drew Ferguson (2, 16 season; solo in 1st)

Both teams had three innings in which they scored a run, but the difference here was a 3-run 2nd inning from the Missions.

Drew Ferguson led off the bottom of the 1st with a home run. Bobby Boyd drew a one-out walk in the 4th, stole his way to 3rd, and scored on a sac fly from Mott Hyde. Boyd tripled to lead off the 7th inning and scored on a Nick Tanielu single. With the two stolen bases, Boyd now has 37 on the season.

Kent Emanuel went 5 innings and allowed 5 runs (4 earned) on 7 hits, walked 3, and struck out 1. Kyle Smith was the first man out of the Corpus bullpen, and in 3 innings, he allowed an unearned run on 2 hits, walked 1, and struck out 3. Jacob Dorris struck out the side in order in the 9th inning.

The Hooks will finish the regular season on the road. Cy Sneed will start the first of a 4-game series in Frisco against a rehabbing Colby Lewis. First pitch is at 7:05.

Lancaster was off

The JetHawks will begin a 3-game series with Rancho Cucamonga tonight at 6:35 Pacific.

Quad Cities 2, Wisconsin 1 in 10 innings

W- Adam Whitt (4-6)
L- Miguel Sanchez (1-1)

QC home runs: None.

The Banditos walked off in the first extra frame to snap their 9-game losing streak.

Bobby Wernes led off the bottom of the 1st with a double and scored the first run of the game on a single from Dex McCall. The Rattlers scored a run in the top of the 2nd to tie the game, and that was where it stood until the 10th inning. McCall was involved in both of Quad Cities' scoring plays; he led off the 10th with a single and scored the winning run on a single from Hector Roa. Wernes finished 3-4 out of the leadoff spot, while McCall, Roa, and Arturo Michelena all had 2 hits in the game.

Matt Bower went 5.1 innings and allowed a run on 5 hits, walked 2, and struck out 6. Sebastian Kessay allowed 2 hits, walked 1, and struck out 3 over 2.2 scoreless, and Adam Whitt struck out 2 over 2 perfect innings.

The River Bandits have today off. Their final home series will be 3 games against Kane County starting tomorrow at 7:00. Framber Valdez will face Emilio Vargas.

Tri-City 3, Vermont 0

W- Dustin Hunt (1-1)
L- Dakota Chalmers (5-3)
S- Abdiel Saldaña (1, 2 season)

TC home runs: None.

There was only one inning in which runs were scored, and the ValleyCats did all of it.

All three Tri-City runs came in the 3rd inning: Ronnie Dawson ripped a 2-run double, and he came around to score on a single from Taylor Jones. Carmen Benedetti finished 2-3.

Meanwhile on the mound... Carlos Sanabria, Dustin Hunt, and Abdiel Saldaña collaborated on the shutout effort. Sanabria allowed 3 hits, walked 3, and struck out 6 in his 4 innings. Hunt walked 2 and struck out 2 in 2 innings, and Saldaña allowed 2 hits, walked 1, and struck out 4 over the final 3 innings.

Austin Nicely will start game 2 of this series. He'll face Logan Shore at 7:05 Eastern.

Greeneville 2, Elizabethton 1

W- Ricardo Castro (3-2)
L- Clark Beeker (0-1)
S- Dariel Aquino (1, 4 season)

Greeneville home runs: Ray Henderson (3, solo in 1st)

The Appy Astros salvaged a game from this series with a strong showing on the mound.

Ray Henderson opened the scoring with a solo homer in the 1st, and after the Twins tied the game in the 4th, Jonathan Matute re-established Greeneville's advantage with an RBI single in the 4th.

Lupe Chavez and Ricardo Castro started it off with 4 strong innings apiece. Chavez allowed Elizabethton's only run on a groundout in the 4th, a hit, walked 3, and struck out 6. Castro allowed a hit, walked 3, and struck out 4. Dariel Aquino walked 1 and struck out 1 in a scoreless 9th to get the save.

Greeneville will finish up its season with a 3-game series in Elizabethton. Cristian Javier will face Alex Schick at 7:00 Eastern.

Monday's Stars


From top: Guadalupe Chavez, Ricardo Castro, and Dariel Aquino, RHPs, Greeneville
Chavez: 4 IP, H, ER, 3 BB, 6 K
Castro: W (3-2), 4 IP, H, 3 BB, 4 K
Aquino: Save (1, 4 season), IP, BB, K

From top: Carlos Sanabria, Dustin Hunt, and Abdiel Saldaña, RHPs, Tri-City
Photos of Sanabria of Saldaña were taken by Bryan Green.
Sanabria: 4 IP, 3 H, 3 BB, 6 K
Hunt: W (1-1), 2 IP, 2 BB, 2 K
Saldaña: Save (1, 2 season), 3 IP, 2 H, BB, 4 K



Photo by Rich Guill
Hector Roa, OF, Quad Cities
2-5, walk-off RBI single in 10th inning

Matt Bower, LHP, Quad Cities
5.1 IP, 5 H, ER, 2 BB, 6 K

Derek Fisher, OF, Fresno
2-5, 2 2B, RBI, R

Mike Hauschild, RHP, Fresno
W (9-10), 5 IP, 5 H, 3 BB, 4 K

Monday, August 29, 2016

Astros Minor League Recaps

Results for Sunday, August 28, 2016

Sacramento 8, Fresno 6

W- Matt Reynolds (1-0)
L- Aaron West (0-2, 5-4 season)
S- Jean Machi (12)

Fresno home runs: Max Stassi (7, 3-run in 2nd)

The Grizzlies coughed up a 6-1 lead in their final home game of the season.

Max Stassi opened up the scoring with his 3-run home run in the 2nd inning. Fresno scored their other 3 runs in the 4th inning on a pair of RBI singles from Alejandro Garcia and Stassi, and Andrew Aplin scored on a wild pitch. Danny Worth went 3-4 with 2 doubles and 2 runs scored, and Garcia (RBI, 2 R) and Stassi (HR, 4 RBI) had 2 hits apiece.

Keegan Yuhl went 5.1 innings and allowed 6 runs (1 inherited runner charged to him) on 9 hits (2-runs and a solo homer) and struck out 8. Aaron West got the final two outs of the 6th via strikeout, but he allowed 2 runs, one of which was charged to Yuhl and allowed Sacramento to take the lead, on 2 hits and walked 1. Brendan McCurry allowed 2 hits in a scoreless 7th, Kevin Chapman came on for the 8th and an error resulted in an unearned run. He allowed a hit and walked 2 in the inning. James Hoyt walked 1 and struck out 1 in a scoreless 9th.

The Grizzlies will close out the 2016 season with a roadtrip. Brady Rodgers will start the first of a 4-game series in Tacoma at 7:05 Pacific.

Corpus Christi 6, San Antonio 0

W- Dean Deetz (1-0, 7-5 season)
L- Daniel McCutchen (1-1)

CC home runs: J.D. Davis (21, solo in 2nd), Chase McDonald (17, solo in 5th)

Dean Deetz emerged victorious in his Texas League debut, joining forces with Ryan Deemes and Kevin Comer to toss a shutout.

Deetz allowed 6 hits and struck out 9 in 6 innings of work. Deemes allowed 2 hits and struck out 2 in 2 scoreless, and Comer allowed a hit, walked 1, and struck out 1 in the 9th.

J.D. Davis led off the bottom of the 2nd with a home run that put Corpus on the board first. Chase McDonald also led off an inning with a home run; he launched his in the 5th. An error in the 6th allowed Davis and Nick Tanielu to score. Drew Ferguson, who reached on the play (which was scored a fielder's choice) and advanced to 2nd on the error, came around to score on a single from McDonald. Davis scored the final run of the evening on an error in the 8th that allowed James Ramsay to reach. Davis (2B, solo HR, 3 R), McDonald (solo HR, 2 RBI), and Mott Hyde all finished with 2 hits in the game.

In the series finale, Kent Emanuel will take on Seth Simmons. First pitch is at 7:05. This will be the final game at Whataburger Field in the 2016 regular season.

Modesto 3, Lancaster 2 in 11 innings

W- Troy Neiman (7-4)
L- Alex Winkelman (0-5, 5-7 season)

Lancaster home runs: None.

The JetHawks scored a run in each of the first two innings, and then they were held off the scoreboard for the rest of the night and ended up walking off with a loss in their final road game of the regular season.

Trent Woodward ripped an RBI double in the 1st inning to open the scoring, and Keach Ballard hit an RBI single in the 2nd to bring in the other Lancaster run. Woodward went 2-4 on the night.

Scott Weathersby went 4 innings and allowed 2 runs on 4 hits, walked 2, and struck out 2. Kevin McCanna tagged in to throw 4.2 scoreless, allowing 4 hits, walking 2, and striking out 6. The Nuts scored the winning run with an RBI single off of Alex Winkelman with one out in the 11th. This was the only hit that Winkelman allowed in his 1.2 innings, and he issued 2 walks, one of which was intentional.

After a day off, the JetHawks will begin their final homestand of the season with 3 games against Rancho Cucamonga starting Tuesday and 4 with Inland Empire beginning on Friday.

Wisconsin 6, Quad Cities 3

W- Alex Farina (5-2)
L- Tyler Britton (0-1, 3-3 season)

QC home runs: None.

Both teams finished with 7 hits in the game, but the Banditos lost in the column that counts. They have dropped 9 consecutive games.

Both teams scored 2 runs in the 1st inning; Quad Cities' 2 came in the form of a 2-run double from Dex McCall, who finished 3-4 and was a home run short of the cycle. He tripled to lead off the 8th and scored on a Hector Roa single. Kristian Trompiz finished 2-3 and walked twice.

In his Quad Cities debut, Tyler Britton allowed 3 runs on 4 hits, walked 4, and struck out 1. Carlos Sierra was the first man out of the Quad Cities bullpen, and he allowed 3 runs (2 earned) on 3 hits (2-run homer), walked 1, and struck out 7. Justin Ferrell struck out 2 over 2 perfect innings.

The Banditos will look to stop their slide as Matt Bower takes the mound. He'll face Miguel Diaz at 7:00.

Lowell 9, Tri-City 6

W- Kevin Steen (3-4)
L- Kevin Hill (1-4)

TC home runs: Taylor Jones (7, 3-run in 4th), Rodrigo Ayarza (2, solo in 5th)

And now, the ValleyCats have been pushed to the brink. One more loss, and they will be eliminated from playoff contention in the New York-Penn League.

Taylor Jones put Tri-City on the board with a 3-run homer in the 4th inning, and Rodrigo Ayarza whacked a solo shot in the 5th. Ronnie Dawson smacked an RBI double in the 9th and came around to score on a single from Jones, who finished 3-5 on the night along with Carmen Benedetti, who hit 2 doubles. Dawson and Brauly Mejia both finished with 2 hits and 2 runs scored.

Kevin Hill went 3 innings and allowed 5 runs on 6 hits (3-run homer), walked 2, and struck out 1. Salvador Montaño allowed 3 runs, a hit, and walked 7 in 2 innings, and Sean Stutzman allowed a run on 2 hits and struck out 3 in 4 innings.

Carlos Sanabria will start the first of a 3-game series in Vermont. He'll take on Dakota Chalmers at 7:05 Eastern.

Elizabethton 8, Greeneville 7

W- Quin Grogan (2-2)
L- Reggie Johnson (3-3)

Greeneville home runs: Luis Payano (5, solo in 2nd)

The Twins scored 2 in the top of the 9th to take the lead. The Appy Astros ended up stranding the tying run on 1st base, and with the loss, they have been eliminated from playoff contention.

Chaz Pal opened the scoring with a 2-run double in the 1st inning, and Luis Payano launched a solo homer in the 2nd. Jonathan Matute scored in the 5th when Ruben Castro hit into a fielder's choice,

After Elizabethton scored two in the top of the 7th to take a 6-4 lead, Greeneville responded with 3 in the bottom of the inning to regain the lead. Jonathan Arauz walked to lead it off, and Castro joined him on the bases after getting plunked. Abraham Toro hit into a force out attempt that was botched, which allowed Arauz to score. Reiny Beltre hit an RBI groundout, and Toro wound up scoring on a wild pitch. Payano went 2-4, while Arauz scored twice.

Forrest Whitley went 3 innings and allowed a run on a single, walked 1, and struck out 6. Colin McKee allowed a solo home run to Amaurys Minier and walked 1 in the 4th inning. Luis Ramirez and Carlos Hiraldo both pitched 2 innings; Ramirez allowed 2 runs on 2 hits and struck out 3, and Hiraldo allowed 3 runs (1 inherited runner charged to him) on 2 hits, walked 2, and struck out 2. Reggie Johnson took ownership of the 9th, and the runner that he inherited from Hiraldo scored, in addition to a run of his own. Johnson allowed 3 hits and struck out 2 in the inning.

In the series finale, Lupe Chavez will face Clark Beeker at 7:00 Eastern.

Sunday's Stars


Forrest Whitley, RHP, Greeneville
3 IP, H, ER, BB, 6 K

Luis Payano, OF, Greeneville
2-4, 3B, solo HR (5)

From top: Dean Deetz, Ryan Deemes, and Kevin Comer, RHPs, Corpus Christi
Deetz: W (1-0, 7-5 season), 6 IP, 6 H, 9 K
Deemes: 2 IP, 2 H, 2 K
Comer: IP, H, BB, K

Max Stassi, C, Fresno
2-4, 3-R HR (7), 4 RBI

Danny Worth, IF, Fresno
3-4, 2 2B, 2 R

Taylor Jones, 1B, Tri-City
3-5, 3-R HR (7), 4 RBI

Kevin McCanna, RHP, Lancaster
4.2 IP, 4 H, 2 BB, 6 K

Dexture McCall, 1B, Quad Cities
3-4, 2B, 3B, 2 RBI, R; finished HR shy of cycle

Sunday, August 28, 2016

Astros Minor League Recaps

Results for Saturday, August 27, 2016

Fresno 6, Sacramento 2

W- Evan Grills (1-1, 9-7 season)
L- Matt Cain (1-1)

Fresno home runs: Colin Moran (10, solo in 5th)

The Grizzlies went off on Matt Cain by scoring 5 runs in the 3rd inning.

Evan Grills was excellent in his 6.2 innings; he allowed 5 hits, walked 1, and struck out 8. Mac Williamson spoiled the shutout with a 2-run homer off of Jordan Jankowski in the 8th. Jankowski allowed 2 other hits, walked 1, and struck out 3 in 1.1 innings, and Jandel Gustave walked 2 in a scoreless 9th.

Andrew Aplin led off the big 3rd inning with a double, advanced to 3rd on a bunt single from Nolan Fontana, and scored the first run of the night on a Tyler White single. Jon Kemmer smacked an RBI double, and although White was thrown out at home when Alejandro Garcia grounded into a fielder's choice, Colin Moran was able to come through with an RBI single, and Garcia scored on an error that allowed Jon Singleton to reach. Max Stassi brought in the 5th and final run of the inning with an RBI single. Moran, who finished 3-4, led off the 5th with a homer for the final Fresno run. White went 2-5 out of the leadoff spot.

Keegan Yuhl will start the Grizzlies' final home game of 2016. He'll face Clayton Blackburn at 5:05 Pacific.

Corpus Christi 5, San Antonio 1

W- Rogelio Armenteros (2-0, 8-6 season)
L- Kyle Lloyd (6-7)
S- Ryan Thompson (3, 5 season)

CC home runs: None.

Rogelio Armenteros shined on the mound once again, and he and Ryan Thompson shackled the Missions offense. Meanwhile, the difference in this game was a 4-run 4th inning in the Hooks' favor.

Armenteros went 6 innings, and the one run he allowed came off a solo homer hit by Luis Tejada to begin the 5th. He allowed 5 other hits, walked 1, and struck out 5. Thompson walked 1 and struck out 1 over the final 3 innings.

Nick Tanielu led off the 4th with a double and scored the first run of the night when Preston Tucker followed with a single. Tucker wound up scoring on an error that allowed Conrad Gregor to reach. Drew Ferguson and James Ramsay drove in runs with a single and a groundout, respectively. Ferguson hit a one-out double in the 6th and advanced to 3rd on an error. Ramsay brought him home with a sac fly. Tucker and Ferguson had 2 hits apiece.

Dean Deetz will make his Corpus debut tonight. He'll face Daniel McCutchen at 6:05.

Modesto 8, Lancaster 6

W- Logan Cozart (2-5)
L- Chris Murphy (0-1, 5-8 season)
S- Luis Niebla (16)

Lancaster home runs: Jason Martin (20, solo in 2nd)

This game was tied at 4 after the 4th inning, but the Nuts seized control with 3 runs in the 8th.

Aaron Mizell doubled in the 1st and put Lancaster on the board first by scoring on a passed ball. Jason Martin smacked a solo homer with two outs in the 2nd inning. Both teams scored 2 runs in the 4th; Jamie Ritchie smoked an RBI double and Osvaldo Duarte had a sac fly for the JetHawks. Trent Woodward scored on a botched force out attempt in the 8th, and Bryan Muñiz scored on a wild pitch in the 9th. Muñiz, Woodward, and Ritchie all had 2 hits on the night.

Albert Abreu went 4 innings and allowed 4 runs on 5 hits, walked 4, and struck out 4. Ralph Garza Jr. was the first man out of the Lancaster bullpen; he went 3 innings and allowed a run on 2 hits, walked 3, and struck out 4. Chris Murphy allowed 3 runs on 4 hits in the 8th.

Scott Weathersby will start the series finale, and he'll take on former Texas Longhorn Parker French at 6:05 Pacific.

Wisconsin 3, Quad Cities 2

W- Jordan Desguin (1-1)
L- Yoanys Quiala (2-11)
S- Nate Griep (22)

QC home runs: Spencer Johnson (2, 10 season; solo in 5th)

The River Bandits have scored just 12 runs during their 8-game losing streak.

Spencer Johnson put Quad Cities on the board with by leading off the 5th inning with a homer, and Pat Porter hit an RBI double in the 6th inning. Dex McCall was thrown out at the plate trying to score the tying run.

Yoanys Quiala went 7 innings and allowed 3 runs on 4 hits (2-run homer), walked 2, and struck out 4. Zac Person walked 2 and struck out 3 over 1.2 scoreless innings, and David Schmidt got a groudout to record the final out of the 9th inning.

Tyler Britton will make his Quad Cities debut today, and he'll face Jake Drossner at 1:15.

Lowell 5, Tri-City 1

W- Daniel Zandona (5-2)
L- Angelo Serrano (0-2, 1-3 season)

TC home runs: Alex De Goti (2, solo in 9th)

All of the scoring in this game was done in the 9th inning. Unfortunately, the Spinners had the more productive half of the 9th inning.

Alex De Goti's homer in the 9th spoiled Lowell's shutout bid. Bryan De La Cruz finished 2-3.

Edgardo Sandoval went 5 innings and allowed 2 hits, walked 3, and struck out 4. Makay Nelson was the first man out, and in 2.2 innings, he allowed a hit, walked 4, and struck out 3. Angelo Serrano pitched 1.1 innings and allowed 5 runs (4 earned) on 5 hits (2-run homer) and walked 1.

Kevin Hill will start the series finale. First pitch is at 5:00 Eastern.

Elizabethton 1, Greeneville 0

W- Tyler Wells (5-2)
L- Patrick Sandoval (2-3)
S- Patrick McGuff (9)

Greeneville home runs: None.

There was one run in this game... and it did not belong to Greeneville. And now, the Appy Astros are on the brink. As Jayne mentioned in today's Farm Report, they'll have to win out to make the playoffs.

Abraham Toro hit a double and stole a base, his 2nd of the season.

Patrick Sandoval went 5 innings and allowed the only run of the game on 4 hits, walked 2, and struck out 4. Diogenes Almengo walked 1 and struck out 4 over the final 4 innings.

In game 2 of this series, Forrest Whitley will take on Ryan Mason. First pitch is at 6:00 Eastern.

GCL Cardinals 5, GCL Astros 1

W- Franyel Casadilla (5-2)
L- Leovanny Rodriguez (2-6, 3-6 season)

GCL home runs: None.

The Cardinals jumped out to a 5-0 lead after the 2nd inning and the Kissimmee Stros couldn't respond.

Gilberto Celestino's sac fly in the 3rd was their only scoring play.

Leovanny Rodriguez allowed 5 runs on 7 hits and struck out 3 over 1.2 innings. Enoli Paredes allowed a hit and struck out 7 over 3.1 innings in relief. Saul Martinez walked 1 and struck out 1 in a scoreless 6th. Bryan Abreu was next, and he struck out 2 over 2.1 perfect innings. Manuel Gonzalez recorded the final 2 outs of the 9th via strikeout.

From August 10: DSL Astros Blue 4, DSL Dodgers2 3 in 14 innings

W- Robert Corniel (1-1)
L- Leowis Blanco (2-2)

Blue home runs: Anibal Sierra (2, 3-run in 4th)

The Blue team got outhit 15-6 and walked off with the win.

Anibal Sierra's 3-run homer came all the way back on August 10. Nestor Tejada won the game with an RBI single in the 14th.

Yulian Frontado pitched 3 innings after play resumed and allowed a run on 4 hits, walked 1, and struck out 1. Yeremi Ceballos allowed a hit, walked 2, and struck out 8 over 5 scoreless. Robert Corniel allowed 3 hits and walked 1 over 2 innings.

Saturday's Stars

Yeremi Ceballos, RHP, DSL Astros Blue: 5 IP, H, 2 BB, 8 K

Photo from MiLB.com
Diogenes Almengo, RHP, Greeneville
4 IP, BB, 4 K

Rogelio Armenteros and Ryan Thompson, RHPs, Corpus Christi
Armenteros: W (2-0, 8-6 season), 6 IP, 6 H (solo HR allowed), ER, BB, 5 K
Thompson: Save (3, 5 season), 3 IP, BB, K

Edgardo Sandoval, RHP, Tri-City
5 IP, 2 H, 3 BB, 4 K

Evan Grills, LHP, Fresno
W (1-1, 9-7 season), 6.2 IP, 5 H, BB, 8 K

Colin Moran, 3B, Fresno
3-4, solo HR (10), 2 RBI, 2 R

Photo by Bryan Green
Enoli Paredes, RHP, GCL Astros
3.1 IP, H, 7 K

Astros Farm Report: 8-28

A fat lady update on the Astros MiLB playoff hopes, but first things first ...

WISHING A VERY HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO

8-28: LHP Brett Adcock (21)
8-28: RHP Will Harris (32)
8-30: RHP Juan Santos (21)
8-31: LHP Francisco Villegas (19)
8-31: C Marlon Avea (23)
8-31: RHP Ronel Blanco (23)
9-3: C Brandon Benavente (19)
9-4: RHP Pat Neshek (36)
9-4: IF Nick Tanielu (24)
9-5: OF Jason Martin (21)

Jason Martin - June 2016
Photo by Jayne Hansen

ROSTER MOVES/TRANSACTIONS

The moves have finally slowed down to a trickle after the recent rush of end-of-season promotions.

8-27: RHP Tyler Britton assigned from Tri-City to Quad Cities
8-27: RHP Franklin Perez placed on the Quad Cities 7-day DL retroactive to 8-25
8-25: RHP Juan Robles assigned from the GCL to Greeneville

STANDINGS/PLAYOFF PICTURE

Let's check in on the Fat Lady Status for each of the Astros minor league clubs.

AAA Fresno 3rd 69-65 .515 6.0GB W1

Fresno has not yet been eliminated thanks to a 4-game losing streak from the first place Tacoma (Mariners) team, but it is the second place Reno (Diamondbacks) team that has benefited most as they have won four in a row and now lag Tacoma by only 2-1/2 games. With an elimination number of four, Fresno has nine remaining games; four of those games are on the road against Tacoma.

FAT LADY STATUS: The fat lady has finished her vocal warmups and is approaching the stage.

***

AA Corpus Christi 1st 79-52 .603 0.0GB W2 (Overall)
2nd half: 3rd 32-29 .525 7.0GB W2
(Clinched playoff berth by winning first half)

The Hooks continue to play well down the stretch and recently took three out of four games against their likely first round playoff opponent Midland (A's). There are 9 games remaining in the regular season. The playoffs are slated to start in Corpus Christi on Wednesday, September 7th.

FAT LADY STATUS: With the Hooks guaranteed a first round playoff berth, the fat lady isn't even in the building.

***

A+ Lancaster 3rd 72-60 .545 5.0GB L3 (Overall)
2nd half: 1st 37-25 .597 0.0GB L3

The JetHawks are threatening to snatch defeat from the jaws of victory, taking a comfortable 5-game lead and reducing it to a 3-game lead over two teams, High Desert (Rangers) and Rancho Cucamonga (Dodgers). Lake Elsinore (Padres) is four games behind. Lancaster will play one more game on the road against the 55-77 Modesto Nuts and then will have an off-day on Monday before they host Rancho Cucamonga for three games. The final four games will be at home against the 46-86 Inland Empire 66ers.

FAT LADY STATUS: The fat lady just entered the building. The 'Hawks need to hide the keys to her dressing room!

***

A- Quad Cities 6th 58-73 .443 23.5GB L8 (Overall)
2nd half: 6th 27-35 .435 16.0GB L8
ELIMINATED

The River Bandits have eight games left in the season. One can only hope that those eight games go a little better than the last eight.

FAT LADY STATUS: The aria is mercifully at an end.

***

SSA Tri-City 3rd 34-33 .507 7.0GB L2

The ValleyCats have gone 3-7 in their last 10 and are on the brink of elimination. With nine games remaining in the season, their elimination number is three. If they don't win against the first place Lowell Red Sox in their final game against that team today, that number will be reduced to one.

FAT LADY STATUS: As Yogi said, "It ain't over 'til it's over," but the fat lady is about to make her entrance.

***

Rk+ Greeneville 3rd 30-33 .476 7.0GB L1

With five games left in the season, all of which are against second place Elizabethton (Twins), the Appy Astros elimination number is down to one. They have to win every single remaining game to advance to the playoffs.

FAT LADY STATUS: All the Astros can hope for is that the fat lady develops a sudden case of laryngitis because she is on stage and about to sing.

***


The fat lady has finished her aria, taken her bows, been given her roses and is now enjoying a post-performance repast for these teams.

Rk- GCL 5th 21-30 .412 10.0GB L1
ELIMINATED

There are 5 games remaining in their season.

FRk DSL Blue 3rd 42-23 .646 6.5GB W1
ELIMINATED/SEASON OVER

FRk DSL Orange 4th 31-37 .456 16.0GB W2
ELIMINATED/SEASON OVER

Saturday, August 27, 2016

Astros Minor League Recaps

Results for Friday, August 26, 2016

Sacramento 3, Fresno 0

W- Ty Blach (14-7)
L- David Paulino (0-2, 5-4 season)
S- Steven Okert (3)

Fresno home runs: None.

The Grizzlies were kept off the scoreboard on Friday night. Three of their 5 hits were doubles; Jon Kemmer, Alejandro Garcia, and Jack Mayfield had the two-baggers.

David Paulino went 5 innings and allowed 3 runs (2 earned) on 7 hits, walked 2, and struck out 8. Brendan McCurry and Kevin Chapman followed with 2 scoreless innings apiece; McCurry allowed 2 hits and struck out 3, while Chapman allowed a hit and struck out 1.

Evan Grills will start game 4 of this series. Word on the street is that Matt Cain will make a rehab start for Sacramento. First pitch is at 7:05 Pacific.

Corpus Christi 7, Midland 0

W- Francis Martes (9-5)
L- Brandon Mann (2-3)

CC home runs: Drew Ferguson (1, 15 season; 2-run in 6th), J.D. Davis (20, 2-run in 7th)

Drew Ferguson broke a scoreless tie in the 6th, the Hooks poured it on in the 7th, and Francis Martes and Eric Peterson shut down the Midland offense. Martes allowed 3 hits, walked 1, and struck out 4 over 7 shutout innings, and Peterson finished it off by striking out 4 over 2 perfect frames.

Ferguson finished 3-4, and his two-run homer in the 6th accounted for the game's first two runs. Mott Hyde got hit by a pitch to lead off the 7th, and he eventually scored on an error following a Tony Nuñez bunt single. Nick Tanielu added a 2-run single, and J.D. Davis capped off the evening by launching a 2-run home run, his 20th blast of the season. Nuñez (2 BB, R, SB) and Davis had 2 hits apiece.

Tonight, the Hooks will begin their final home series of the season, a 3-game set with San Antonio. Rogelio Armenteros will face Kyle Lloyd at 7:00.

Modesto 4, Lancaster 2

W- Ryan Castellani (7-8)
L- Elieser Hernandez (2-5, 6-8 season)
S- Troy Neiman (2)

Lancaster home runs: Trent Woodward (6, 7 season; solo in 8th)

The Nuts had more two-run innings than the JetHawks, so naturally, they won this game.

Lancaster's two-run inning was the 8th: Trent Woodward led off the inning with a homer, and Jason Martin hit a sac fly. Woodward finished 2-3 on the night.

Elieser Hernandez went 5 innings and allowed 4 runs on 5 hits, walked 3, and struck out 3. Andrew Thome allowed a hit, walked 2, and struck out 4 over the final 3 innings.

In game 2 of this series, Albert Abreu will face Colin Welmon. First pitch is at 7:05 Pacific.

Wisconsin 2, Quad Cities 1

W- Miguel Sanchez (1-0)
L- Nick Hernandez (0-1, 1-2 season)

QC home runs: None.

The Banditos' offensive woes continued, and the Rattlers nipped them with a two-out RBI single in the top of the 9th.

Bobby Wernes had 2 of the 3 River Bandits in this game; he doubled to lead off the bottom of the 1st, and his RBI single was the Banditos' only scoring play. The other hit was a single from Dex McCall.

Enrique Chavez allowed a run on 2 hits, walked 1, and struck out 3 over 7 strong innings. Wisconsin got the go-ahead run off of Nick Hernandez, who went 2 innings and allowed 3 hits, walked 2, and struck out 2.

Yoanys Quiala will start game 2 of this series. He'll face Jordan Desguin at 6:00.

Lowell 5, Tri-City 4

W- Pat Goetze (4-1)
L- Devin Raftery (0-1, 3-1 season)
S- Jordan Weems (1)

TC home runs: None.

The ValleyCats tied the game at 3 in the 8th .... only to see Lowell SS C.J. Chatham put the Spinners back in front with a 2-run homer in the top of the 9th. TC managed to pull a run back in the 9th, but they stranded the tying run on 2nd to end the game.

Tyler Wolfe scored the first run of the evening on an error in the 3rd that allowed Carmen Benedetti to reach. Kevin Martir hit an RBI single in the 6th, and he added a sac fly to his ledger in the 8th inning, and Benedetti hit a sac fly to bring the ValleyCats to within a run. Wolfe and Ronnie Dawson scored 2 runs apiece. Dawson and Rodrigo Ayarza both went 2-5, while Taylor Jones finished 3-4.

Jorge Alcala pitched 4 innings and allowed 3 runs on 8 hits (2-run homer), walked 2, and struck out 2. Erasmo Pinales tagged in to throw 3 scoreless innings, walking 1 and striking out 4. Devin Raftery pitched 2 innings, and the two runs he allowed came on Chatham's 2nd home run of the game. He allowed one other hit, walked 1, and struck out 4.

Edgardo Sandoval starts game 2 of this series. First pitch is at 7:00 Eastern.

Greeneville 4, Danville 0

W- Jorge Guzman (1-3, 2-4 season)
L- Jhon Martinez (4-5)
S- Juan Robles (1)

Greeneville home runs: None.

The Appy Astros kept themselves alive in the playoff chase by taking 2 of 3 from the Braves.

Jorge Guzman and Juan Robles joined forces to keep Danville off the board; Guzman allowed a hit, walked 1, and struck out 7 over 5 innings, and Robles pitched the final 4 innings, allowing 4 hits and fanning 4.

Ruben Castro led off the 3rd with a single and scored the first run of the game on an error following a Frankeny Fernandez sacrifice bunt. Castro scored another run off another error in the 5th inning; this miscue came off a single from Abraham Toro. Not long after, Fernandez scored on a balk. Troy Sieber doubled to lead off the 8th and came around to score on a Carlos Machado single. Toro, Machado, Castro, and Stijn van der Meer all finished 2-4.

Tonight, the Appy Astros will begin a series with the team directly above them in the Appalachian League West standings, Elizabethton. Patrick Sandoval will get the start, and he'll take on Tyler Wells at 6:00 Eastern.

GCL Astros 2, GCL Marlins 0

W- Yohan Ramirez (1-0, 2-1 season)
L- Bryan Morris (0-1)
S- Josue Uribe (1)

GCL home runs: None.

The Kissimmee Stros scored 2 runs in the 1st, which turned out to be enough for them to get the win.

Ronel Blanco and Yohan Ramirez were the first 2 pitchers for the GCL club, and they were making their US debuts. Blanco allowed a hit and struck out 3 in 3 innings of work, and Ramirez went 2 innings, allowing 3 hits, walking 1, and striking out 2. Gabriel Valdez allowed a hit and struck out 3 over 3 scoreless, and Josue Uribe walked 1 and struck out 2 in the 9th to get the save.

Wander Franco opened the scoring with an RBI single, and Jose Benjamin grounded into a force out that allowed Ronny Jimenez to score. Jimenez and Randy Vasquez both finished 2-4.

DSL Astros Orange 5, DSL Rangers2 3

W- Christian Mejias (1-0)
L- Miguel Medrano (0-1)
S- Diosward Gonzalez (1)

Orange home runs: None.

The Orange team got a pair of runs in the 6th to break a 3-3 tie.

Euclides Chavez scored the first run of the game in the 2nd inning on an error following a Kelvin Perez single. The Orange team got two runs in the 3rd on a pair of RBI singles from Jose Abel Hernandez and Chavez. Jose Carrillo scored the go-ahead run on a balk in the 6th, and Samir Caraballo, who was at the plate at the time, added an RBI single. Caraballo, Chavez, Carrillo, and Hector Martinez all had 2 hits on the day.

Gerardo Bojorquez went 3 innings and allowed 3 runs on 5 hits (2 solo homers), walked 1, and struck out 2. Christian Mejias allowed a hit, walked 1, and struck out 1 over 2 scoreless, and Diosward Gonzalez allowed 2 hits, walked 1, and struck out 6 over 4 scoreless for the save.

Friday's Stars

Diosward Gonzalez, RHP, DSL Astros Orange: Save (1), 4 IP, 2 H, BB, 6 K

Francis Martes and Eric Peterson, RHPs, Corpus Christi
Martes: W (9-5), 7 IP, 3 H, BB, 4 K
Peterson: 2 IP, 4 K

Drew Ferguson, OF, Corpus Christi
3-4, 2-R HR (1, 15 season)
J.D. Davis, 3B, Corpus Christi
2-4. 2B, 2-R HR (20)

Andrew Thome, RHP, Lancaster
3 IP, H, 2 BB, 4 K

Enrique Chavez, RHP, Quad Cities
7 IP, 2 H, ER, BB, 3 K

Erasmo Pinales, RHP, Tri-City
3 IP, BB, 4 K

Photos by Bryan Green
Jorge Guzman and Juan Robles, RHPs, Greeneville
Guzman: W (1-3, 2-4 season), 5 IP, H, BB, 7K
Robles: Save (1), 4 IP, 4 H, 4 K

Friday, August 26, 2016

Astros Minor League Recaps

Results for Thursday, August 26, 2016

Sacramento 12, Fresno 10

W- Joan Gregorio (5-8)
L- Eury De La Rosa (0-2)
S- Tyler Rogers (1)

Fresno home runs: Jon Singleton (19, solo in 2nd), Tyler White (13, solo in 3rd), Danny Worth (10, solo in 4th), D.J. Fisher (4, 20 season; 3-run in 9th)

The Grizzlies nearly came back in a game that they trailed 6-0 after 1.5 innings and 12-4 heading into the 9th, but the 9th inning rally fell just short.

Jon Singleton put Fresno on the board with a solo homer in the 2nd inning. Tyler White and Danny Worth also launched solo homers in the 3rd and the 4th, respectively. D.J. Fisher hit a sac fly in the 6th and added an RBI single to his ledger in the 8th.

Two walks and an error loaded the bases for Colin Moran in the 9th inning, and he came through with a 2-run single. Singleton grounded into a force out that erased Moran from the basepaths, but he was able to reach and advanced to 2nd on defensive indifference. Fisher whacked a 3-run home run to cut the deficit to 2 runs, but one batter later, Jack Mayfield grounded out to end the game.

Fisher (3-R HR, 5 RBI), Worth (solo HR, 2 R), and Jon Kemmer (2 2B, 2 R) all finished with 2 hits in the game, while Moran went 3-5 with the 2-run single and scored a run.

Eury De La Rosa went 1.1 innings and allowed 5 runs (3 inherited runners charged to him) on 4 hits and walked 1. Chris Cotton was the first man out of the Fresno bullpen, and he was out there the longest. In 2.2 innings, he allowed 3 runs (2 earned) on 5 hits (2-run homer) and walked 2. Aaron West allowed 2 runs on 3 hits and struck out 2 in the 5th. Albert Minnis was next, and he recorded a strikeout over 2 perfect innings. Reymin Guduan pitched the 8th inning and allowed 2 runs on 3 hits (solo homer), walked 2, and struck out 2, and Jandel Gustave retired the side in order in the 9th inning; he got 3 groundball outs.

David Paulino will start game 3 of this series. He'll take on Ty Blach at 7:05 Pacific.

Midland 5, Corpus Christi 2 in 11 innings

W- Jake Sanchez (7-5)
L- Kyle Smith (3-7)
S- Lou Trivino (1)

CC home runs: J.D. Davis (19, solo in 2nd)

The Hooks stayed alive by scoring a run in the bottom of the 10th to tie the game, but the Hounds quickly broke the tie with 3 in the top of the 11th, and Corpus couldn't mount a response.

J.D. Davis opened the scoring with a solo home run in the 2nd inning. Drew Ferguson led off the 10th with a double and scored the other Hooks run on an error following a fielder's choice hit by James Ramsay. Davis and Ferguson had two hits apiece in this game.

Trent Thornton went 7 innings, and the one run he allowed came on a solo home run hit by J.P. Sportman in the 4th inning. He allowed 4 other hits and struck out 7. Michael Freeman got a strikeout in a 1-2-3 8th inning. Kyle Smith pitched 2+ innings and allowed 4 runs (2 inherited runners charged to him) on 4 hits (solo homer in 10th) and struck out 4. Jacob Dorris took ownership of the 11th, and while he struck out 2 and did not allow any runs of his own, the two runners that he inherited from Smith both scored on a double, which was the only hit that he allowed.

In the series finale, Francis Martes will face Brandon Mann. First pitch is at 7:05.

High Desert 6, Lancaster 2

W- Matt Milroy (3-0)
L- Alex Winkelman (0-4, 5-6 season)

Lancaster home runs: Osvaldo Duarte (6, 9 season; 2-run in 1st)

The JetHawks had a nice start, but they were kept off the scoreboard for the final 8 innings.

Osvaldo Duarte's 2-run homer in the 1st was Lancaster's only scoring play and their only extra-base hit of the game. Trent Woodward finished 2-3.

Brock Dykxhoorn went 6 innings, and the 2 runs he allowed came on a homer hit by Jose Cardona. He allowed 4 other hits, walked 1, and struck out 5. Alex Winkelman pitched 2 innings and allowed 4 runs (all in the 8th) on 3 hits, walked 3, and struck out 1. Scott Weathersby walked 1 and struck out 1 in a scoreless 9th.

Tonight, the JetHawks will begin a 3-game weekend series in Modesto. Elieser Hernandez will face Ryan Castellani at 7:05 Pacific.

Cedar Rapids 12, Quad Cities 2

W- Lachlan Wells (6-3)
L- Hector Perez (2-1, 4-1 season)

QC home runs: None.

The Banditos were swept out of Cedar Rapids to finish up a disastrous series. They were outscored 21-4 in this series and head back home on a 6-game losing streak.

Kristian Trompiz scored Quad Cities' first run on a wild pitch in the 8th, and Jake Rogers ripped an RBI double in the 9th inning, Hector Roa went 2-4; he doubled and scored on Rogers' hit.

Hector Perez went 3.1 innings and allowed 7 runs (4 earned, 3 inherited runners charged to him) on 5 hits, walked 4, and struck out 5. Adam Whitt was the first man out; he pitched 2.2 innings and allowed 5 runs (3 earned, 1 inherited runner charged to him) on 6 hits, walked 1, and struck out 3. Sebastian Kessay allowed a hit and struck out 3; he inherited 2 runners from Whitt, and one of them scored.

Enrique Chavez will start the first of a 4-game series with Wisconsin at 7:00. He'll be opposed by Jordan Yamamoto.

Tri-City 4, Auburn 3

W- Howie Brey (1-1)
L- Carlos Acevedo (2-4)
S- Austin Nicely (1)

TC home runs: None.

The ValleyCats picked up a crucial series win to give them some momentum for the home stretch.

Ryan Hartman pitched 4 scoreless innings, allowing a hit and striking out 1. Howie Brey allowed a run on 2 hits and struck out 1 in the 5th inning, and Austin Nicely pitched the final 4 innings, allowing 2 runs on 6 hits (solo homer), walking 1, and striking out 1.

Rodrigo Ayarza singled to lead off the 4th and scored the first run of the game on a double from Carmen Benedetti. Ronnie Dawson brought Benedetti home with an RBI single. Benedetti added an RBI single to his ledger in the 5th, and Ayarza hit an RBI single in the 7th. Benedetti (2B, 2 RBI, R) and Marcos Almonte (SB) both finished 2-5, while Ayarza went 3-5 with 2 stolen bases (2). Almonte now has 5 stolen bases with Tri-City and 13 on the season.

Tonight, Tri-City will begin a 3-game series with Lowell at 7:00 Eastern. Jorge Alcala will make his Tri-City debut, and he'll take on Darwinzon Hernandez.

Greeneville 10, Danville 5

W- Devon Carr (2-3)
L- Jeremy Walker (3-2)

Greeneville home runs: Frankeny Fernandez (4, solo in 7th)

A 6-run 4th inning propelled the Appy Astros to the win on Thursday.

Stijn van der Meer singled to lead off the bottom of the 1st, advanced to 2nd on a passed ball, and scored the first run of the evening on a double from Abraham Toro. Troy Sieber followed with an RBI double of his own.

Carlos Machado led off the big 4th inning with a single, and Chaz Pal joined him on the bases with a single. Oscar Campos laid down a sacrifice bunt to move them over, and Machado ended up scoring on a wild pitch. Pal moved to 3rd and came home on a van der Meer single. Van der Meer stole 2nd, and Frankeny Fernandez joined him on the bases after getting plunked. Fernandez got forced out, but Toro took his spot, and Sieber drew a walk to load the bases for Reiny Beltre, who promptly cleared them with a triple. Toro added a sac fly to his line in the 5th, and Fernandez whacked a solo homer in the 7th inning.

Van der Meer (RBI, 2 R, SB), Toro (2B, 2 RBI, 2 R, SB), Sieber (2 2B, RBI, 2 R), and Machado (R, SB) all finished with 2 hits in the game.

Ben Smith went 2 innings and allowed a run on a pop-fly single, walked 3, and struck out 1. Devon Carr followed by striking out 3 over 3 perfect innings. Cristian Javier allowed a run on a sac fly in the 6th, walked 2, and struck out 2; one of his strikeout victims reached base. Dariel Aquino got the final out of the 6th with a strikeout and pitched the 7th inning, where he allowed 2 runs (1 earned) on 2 hits and walked 2. Lucas Williams pitched the final 2 innings and allowed a run on 3 hits.

In the series finale, Jorge Guzman will face Jhon Martinez. First pitch is at 7:00 Eastern.

GCL Mets 5, GCL Astros 2

W- Nicolas Debora (5-2)
L- César Rosado (3-3, 3-4 season)

GCL home runs: None.

The Mets took control with a 3-run 6th inning.

Jose Benjamin opened the scoring with an RBI double in the 4th inning. Nestor Muriel hit an RBI groundout in the 9th for the other GCL Astros run. Gilberto Celestino finished 2-3 with a run scored and 3 stolen bases (6, 15 season). Benjamin also had 2 hits, and he stole 2 bases on the day, giving him 5 with the Kissimmee Stros and 13 on the season.

Felipe Tejada walked 2 and struck out 2 over 3 scoreless innings. César Rosado also pitched 3 innings, but he allowed 3 runs on 3 hits, walked 2, and struck out 2. Hansel Paulino allowed a run on 2 hits in 2 innings, and Ian Hardman allowed a run on 2 hits and struck out 2 in the 9th.

Thursday's Stars

Jose Benjamin, OF, GCL Astros: 2-4, 2B, RBI, 2 SB (5, 13 season)

Carmen Benedetti, 1B/OF, Tri-City
2-5, 2B, 2 RBI, R

Rodrigo Ayarza, UTIL, Tri-City
3-5, RBI, R, 2 SB (2)

Ryan Hartman, LHP, Tri-City
4 IP, 2 H, K

Photo from MiLB.com
Abraham Toro-Hernandez, 3B, Greeneville
2-4, 2B, 2 RBI, 2 R, SB (1)

Photo from MiLB.com
Devon Carr, LHP, Greeneville
W (2-3), 3 IP, 3 K

Trent Thornton, RHP, Corpus Christi
7 IP, 5 H (solo HR allowed), ER, 7 K

Colin Moran, 3B, Fresno
3-5, 2 RBI, R

Derek Fisher, OF, Fresno
2-3, 3-R HR (4, 20 season), 5 RBI

Thursday, August 25, 2016

Astros Minor League Recaps

Results for Wednesday, August 24, 2016

Let's play two in Lancaster!

Fresno 1, Sacramento 0

W- César Valdez (12-1)
L- Chris Stratton (11-6)
S- James Hoyt (29)

Fresno home runs: None.

There was only one run in this game, and it belonged to Fresno. Meanwhile, César Valdez and James Hoyt dominated on the mound, so one run turned out to be enough for the Grizzlies to get the win.

Danny Worth hit a one-out double in the 2nd inning and came around to score on a single from D.J. Fisher. Jack Mayfield's single in the 5th inning was the Grizzlies' third and final hit of the evening. Worth's double was the only extra-base hit for either side.

Valdez allowed 5 hits, walked 1, and struck out 12 over 8 shutout innings, and Hoyt finished it off by striking out the side in order in the 9th inning.

Eury De La Rosa will start game 2 of this 5-game series. He'll face Joan Gregorio at 7:05 Pacific.

Corpus Christi 4, Midland 1

W- Cy Sneed (6-5)
L- Ben Bracewell (7-3)
S- Kevin Comer (1, 4 season)

CC home runs: None.

The Hooks kept the Midland offense in check for a second straight night.

Cy Sneed turned in 6.2 solid innings; the one run he allowed came on a solo home run hit by Yairo Muñoz in the 5th. Sneed allowed two other hits and struck out 4. Kevin Comer pitched the final 2.1 innings to get the save, allowing a hit, walking 1, and striking out 2.

Garrett Stubbs reached base safely in all 4 of his plate appearances; he went 3-3 with a walk and scored 3 of the Hooks' 4 runs in this game. He did not score the first run of the game; that honor went to Mott Hyde, who led off the 3rd with a double and scored on a Preston Tucker sac fly. Stubbs followed with a triple and came home on a double from J.D. Davis. Stubbs hit a one-out single in the 5th, stole 2nd, and scored on a Ramon Laureano double. He scored the final run of the evening on a Conrad Gregor single in the 7th. Laureano finished 3-4, while Davis and Hyde both finished 2-4.

In game 3 of this series, Trent Thornton will face Daniel Gossett. First pitch is at 7:05.

Game 1: High Desert 14, Lancaster 4

W- Nick Gardewine (5-1)
L- Akeem Bostick (4-3, 5-4 season)

Lancaster home runs: Jamie Ritchie (7, 2-run in 4th), Kyle Tucker (1, 7 season; 2-run in 7th)

The Mavericks turned the first game of the doubleheader into a laugher by scoring 9 runs in the final two innings.

All 4 Lancaster runs scored off a pair of 2-run homers from Jamie Ritchie and Kyle Tucker. Johnny Sewald, Osvaldo Duarte, Bryan Muñiz, and Little Tuck all finished with 2 hits in game 1.

Akeem Bostick went 5 innings and allowed 8 runs (6 earned, 1 inherited runner charged to him) on 7 hits (solo homer) and walked 3. Juan Carlos Santos and Chris Murphy made their Lancaster debuts; Santos allowed 6 runs (2 earned, 3 inherited runners charged to him) on 4 hits, walked 1, and struck out 2 in 1.1 innings, and Murphy got the final two outs of the 7th, allowing a hit and striking out 1.

Would there be a more positive result in game 2 for Lancaster?

Game 2: Lancaster 2, High Desert 0

W- Jose Luis Hernandez (3-3, 6-5 season)
L- David Ledbetter (6-9)

Lancaster home runs: Bryan Muñiz (13, solo in 2nd), Johnny Sewald (6, 7 season; solo in 3rd)

After getting smacked in the final two innings of game 1, the JetHawks had the last laugh as they held the Mavs off the board in game 2 to earn the split. Jose Luis Hernandez went the distance, allowing 7 hits and striking out 6.

Lancaster only had 4 hits in game 2, but 2 of them resulted in runs. Muñiz's homer led off the 2nd inning, and Sewald launched a solo shot of his own in the 3rd. Ritchie went 2-3.

In the series finale, Brock Dykxhoorn will face Jeffrey Springs. First pitch is at 6:35 Pacific.

Cedar Rapids 3, Quad Cities 0

W- Michael Cederoth (4-0)
L- Framber Valdez (1-2, 4-3 season)
S- Tom Hackimer (4)

QC home runs: None.

The Banditos have dropped 5 in a row; they've scored just 2 runs in their series with the Kernels, and they got blanked on Wednesday.

Stephen Wrenn and Hector Roa both doubled; those were the only two Quad Cities hits in this game.

Framber Valdez went 6 innings and allowed 2 runs on 4 hits and struck out 6. David Schmidt allowed a run on 4 hits and struck out 1 over the final 2 innings.

Hector Perez will get the start as the Banditos look to avoid the sweep. He'll take on Lachlan Wells at 6:35.

Tri-City 5, Auburn 4 in 12 innings

W- Carlos Sanabria (1-0, 2-2 season)
L- Brayan Serrata (0-1)

TC home runs: Ronnie Dawson (7, solo in 2nd), Connor Goedert (1, 6 season; solo in 2nd)

Auburn forced extra innings by erasing a 3-0 deficit, but the ValleyCats regained their advantage in the 12th and held off one final rally from the Doubledays to escape with the win.

Ronnie Dawson and Connor Goedert opened up the scoring with back-to-back solo home runs in the 2nd inning. Dawson, who went 4-5 on the evening, added an RBI single to his ledger in the 9th that pushed Tri-City's lead to 3-0.

Alex De Goti reached on an error with one out in the top of the 12th and he was able to advance to 2nd on the miscue. Another error allowed Marcos Almonte to reach. Miguelangel Sierra got plunked to load the bases, and a wild pitch resulted in De Goti dashing home with the go-ahead run. Bryan De La Cruz, who was at the plate at the time, hit a groundout that brought in another run in the form of Almonte.

Abdiel Saldaña allowed 4 hits and struck out 5 over 5 shutout innings. Sean Stutzman was the first man out of the Tri-City bullpen, and he walked 1 and struck out 1 in a scoreless 6th. Dustin Hunt went 2+ innings and allowed 3 runs (2 earned, 2 inherited runners charged to him) on 3 hits, walked 3, and struck out 1; he came on for the 9th but failed to record an out in the inning.

Carlos Sanabria couldn't hold the lead in the 9th; the runners he inherited from Hunt scored on a sac fly and an error. However, he made up for it with a fine showing in extra innings. He did run into some trouble in the 12th, but he pulled himself together to secure the win for the ValleyCats. In 4 innings, Sanabria allowed a run on a sac fly, 2 hits, and struck out 3. The sac fly and the hits all came in the 12th.

Ryan Hartman will start the series finale. First pitch is at 7:05 Eastern.

Danville 4, Greeneville 0

W- Joey Wentz (1-3)
L- Ricardo Castro (2-2)

Greeneville home runs: None.

The Appy Astros had 7 hits in this game but no runs to show for it. Carlos Machado went 2-4 and stole a base (3, 7 season).

Ricardo Castro went 5 innings and allowed 4 runs (2 earned) on 5 hits, walked 1, and struck out 4. In his Greeneville debut, Lupe Chavez allowed 3 hits, walked 2, and struck out 4 in 3.2 scoreless, and Luis Ramirez got the final out of the 9th with a strikeout.

Ben Smith will start game 2 of this series. He'll face Jeremy Walker at 7:00 Eastern.

DSL Astros

The Blue team's game with the Marlins was suspended after the 3rd inning, with the Marlins leading 2-1. Ronny Rafael ripped an RBI double in the 2nd inning for the Blue team's only run so far. Carlos Perdomo allowed 2 runs on 4 hits, walked 2, and struck out 2 in 3 innings of work.

Meanwhile, the Orange team topped the Red Sox 2 by a score of 9-5.

W- Nivaldo Rodriguez (1-0)
L- Andres Jimenez (1-3)
S- Gabriel Pirela (3)

Orange home runs: Yordan Alvarez (1, solo in 4th)

Yordan Alvarez reached base in all 5 of his plate appearances, going 2-2 with an RBI single in the 3rd, a solo home run in the 4th, 3 walks, and 2 runs scored. Renaigel Martis hit an RBI double in the 2nd inning. Yeuris Ramirez and Ramiro Rodriguez scored 2 runs apiece. Kendy Moya hit an RBI single in the 4th and drove in another run with a groundout in the 7th.

Freylin Garcia went 3 innings and allowed 2 runs on 5 hits and walked 1. Nivaldo Rodriguez pitched 2 scoreless innings, allowing a hit, walking 2, and striking out 3. Kilvio Peralta got 2 outs in the 6th via the strikeout and allowed 3 runs (2 inherited runners charged to him) on 2 hits and walked 2. Gabriel Pirela allowed 2 hits, walked 1, and struck out 2 in 2.1 innings.

Wednesday's Stars



Video from Baseball America
Yordan Alvarez, 1B, DSL Astros Orange
2-2, solo HR (1), 2 RBI, 3 BB, 2 R

Ronnie Dawson, OF, Tri-City
4-5, 2B, solo HR (7), 2 RBI, SB (11)

Photo by Bryan Green
Abdiel Saldaña, RHP, Tri-City
5 IP, 4 H, 5 K

Photo by Bryan Green
Carlos Sanabria, RHP, Tri-City
W (1-0, 2-2 season), 4 IP, 2 H, ER, 3 K

Jose Luis Hernandez, RHP, Lancaster
W (3-3, 6-5 season), CG, 6 H, 7 K in game 2 of doubleheader

Photo by Tammy Tucker
Cy Sneed, RHP, Corpus Christi
W (6-5), 6.2 IP, 3 H (solo HR allowed), ER, 4 K

Garrett Stubbs, C, Corpus Christi
3-3, 3B, 3 R; scored 3 of Corpus Christi's 4 runs

César Valdez, RHP, Fresno
W (12-1), 8 IP, 5 H, BB, 12 K

James Hoyt, RHP, Fresno
Save (29), IP, 3 K