Astros Minor League Recaps

Sunday's Games

Quad Cities over Kane County 3-1 in 13 innings
With Saturday's extra inning affair, that's 24 innings of baseball in less than 24 hours as Quad Cities completed a four-game sweep of Kane County to start the season. Brian Holmes got the start and allowed a very stingy two hits and no walks with one strikeout over five. He was followed by Jordan Jankowski as his tandem partner. Much as I reported yesterday about Mike Hauschild, Jankowski was used exclusively out of the bullpen last season so I wasn't necessarily expecting him to be used as a starter. Jankowski allowed the one Kane County run on four hits and a walk with one strikeout in three and two-thirds innings. John Neely and Cameron Lamb combined for scoreless relief, with Lamb getting the win. The River Bandits were held to six hits, but three of those were for extra bases including a triple from CF Teoscar Hernandez who went on to score the go-ahead run in the 13th on a wild pitch. DH Chase Davidson and C Jobduan Morales (2-for-5, RBI) both doubled in the game.

Lancaster over High Desert 10-4
This game was closer than it sounds until the JetHawks blew it open in a 5-run bottom of the eighth in which the team hit for the cycle with singles from LF Preston Tucker (2-for-4, HR, 3RBI, 2R), RF Drew Muren (2-for-4, HR, 2RBI, 2R) and SS Nolan Fontana (2-for-3, 2B, 2BB, 3R); an RBI double from CF Andrew Aplin (3-for-5, 2B, 2RBI); an RBI triple from 3B Matt Duffy; and a two-run home run from 1B Rafy Valenzuela, his first of the season. It was a wild one with the wind blowing out at 33 mph, making it an adventure for the outfielders and playing a factor in the three home runs and three triples hit in the game although Andrew Aplin and Drew Muren both managed to record outfield assists. Starter Aaron West allowed four runs on eight hits and a walk while striking out five in his four and a third innings while his tandem partner Luis Cruz pitched four scoreless frames with two hits, two walks and six strikeouts.

Corpus Christi over Tulsa 3-2
Starter R.J. Alaniz allowed the only two Tulsa runs and their only walk in his three and two-thirds innings while Matt Heidenreich, his tandem partner, had an excellent two-hit, three-strikeout outing and was rewarded with the win. Heidenreich was sandwiched by perfect innings from Jorge de Leon and Jason Stoffel (S, 2). 2B Kiké Hernandez' first home run of the season barely cleared the wall, but it still counts. Kiké went 3-for-4 with two RBI, including an RBI double in the eighth that proved to be the game winner. 3B Jonathan Meyer is also having a great start to his season, going 2-for-4 with two doubles and scoring a run. CF George Springer (1-for-3, BB) and C Carlos Perez (2-for-4) also doubled.

Oklahoma City over Memphis 14-10 in 11 innings
Brett Oberholtzer was his own worst enemy in his first start of the season as his two errors and hit batter came back to bite him as he gave up seven runs (three earned) in four and a third innings. Kevin Chapman allowed two of Oberholtzer's runners to score. I'm assuming that Kyle Hallock was intended to be the second half of the tandem, but he only made it through one and a third innings and was charged with two runs as Jose Valdez allowed both of Hallock's runners to score. 2B-3B Jake Elmore led the hit parade, going 5-for-6 with a walk, a two-run home run, three RBI and three runs scored. 1B Marc Krauss hit a solo shot and walked three times, and DH Trevor Crowe banged out a three-run bomb to put the game out of reach in the top of the 11th. 3B-1B Brandon Laird was 3-for-7 with a double and two RBI. CF Robbie Grossman (2-for-4, RBI, 3BB, 3R), RF Jimmy Paredes (3-6, RBI, R), and LF Che-Hsuan Lin (0-for-3, 2BB, 2RBI, 2R, 2SB) also had very good games. On a side note, Ruben Sosa, a 22-year old 2B/LF who has never played above Low A, was assigned to Oklahoma City. He came in to pinch run in the ninth in his first game at OKC, scored a run, stayed in to play second base and hit a double in his one at bat. One final note - Jonathan Villar has yet to collect his first hit of the season.

Player of the Day: How can you not award player of the day honors to a guy who goes 5-for-6 with a walk and a two-run bomb? Jake Elmore, come on down.

Pitchers of the Day: It's another tie. Brian Holmes started off the new season with an excellent outing and gets extra brownie points from me for issuing zero free passes. Luis Cruz did just that. He cruised through four innings with his six strikeouts serving as exclamation points for his outing.