Astros Minor League Recaps

Saturday’s Games 

Beloit Snappers 5, Quad Cities River Bandits 3

The River Bandits were poised for victory before entering the eighth frame on Saturday. After that point however, Quad Cities would see three different pitchers and an accumulation of five runs, pushing them behind for the loss. Vincent Velasquez started on the mound and through five, gave up just three hits, two walks and struck out five. Velasquez was replaced by Jamaine Cotton (H, 1) in the sixth, who gave up one hit through the seventh, but found a little trouble to start the eighth and left before recording any outs, leaving three base runners. Cotton ended up with two runs (0ER) on two hits, a walk and a K. Mitchell Lambson took the hill next for two outs and recorded a hit and a walk while picking up his fourth hold before being replaced by John Neely to end the eighth. Neely (1-2) went on to pick up his first blown save and the loss after giving up three runs on four hits in the ninth. At the plate, bats were hushed. but the River Bandits did rack up four stolen bases in the game-Ariel Ovando, Austin Elkins, Jesse Wierzbicki and Terrell Joyce each stole one. Teoscar Hernandez hit one-for-five with an RBI triple, marking his fourth, three-bagger of the year. Hernandez leads the team in that category.

Lancaster JetHawks 4, Visalia Rawhide 8

This was another game Saturday that saw a later inning comeback, this time resulting in a JetHawks loss. Things started strong for Lancaster however; starting pitcher Thomas Shirley threw four innings and struck out nine while allowing two runs on five hits and a pair of walks. Blair Walters (3-1) took the helm in the sixth frame and ended up with three runs (1ER) on five hits with a couple of walks. Walters also picked up the loss and his first blown save. Theron Geith took the mound to finish out the match and added three more runs on three hits, a walk and struck out one. The JetHawks tallied four hits (and 5BB) in the game and three of those were for extra bases. MP Cokinos (1X2 R 2B 2BB) and Delino DeShields (1X3 2B BB) both hit doubles while Brandon Meredith (1X2 R HR 4RBI) clubbed a two-out, three-run homer in the fourth. 

Corpus Christi Hooks 4, Midland RockHounds 12

Corpus fell behind early here and couldn't manage to get back into contention. Nick Tropeano (0-3) pitched the first three and two thirds and found some trouble early, taking the loss. For his shift, Trope' was charged with seven runs on seven hits while walking three and striking out the same. Bobby Doran took the hill next and through two more innings of work, recorded another four runs on three hits, a walk and K-ed 3. Kenny Long was the last pitcher in the game for the Hooks and he allowed a run on three hits with a walk and strikeout. Every Hooks pitcher gave up a homerun in the game (all to the same player, Anthony Aliotti). Domingo Santana ( 3X5 2B 2RBI 2SO) and Kiké Hernandez (3X5 R RBI SO) both had three-for-five nights at the plate with extra base hits. The duo accounted for six of the Hooks' nine hits on Saturday and three of the four runs.

Oklahoma City RedHawks 3, Sacramento River Cats 6

One big inning secured the fate of Oklahoma City on Saturday. The RedHawks did not get on the scoreboard until the eighth inning and by then it proved to be too late. Jarred Cosart (4-1) was on the hill to start the game and the first four innings went by with little issue. After entering the fifth frame though, things began to unravel and after recording one out Cosart left the game with three runs on four hits, three walks and four Ks. Josh Zeid came in for the final two outs of the inning and allowed three runs of his own on two hits and a walk. Brett Wallace tried to get Oklahoma City back in the match in the eighth frame, hitting his sixth homer of the season-a two-out, three-run shot. Wallace finished at the plate batting two-for-four with a double and the homer, run scored and three RBI. Fernando Martinez also hit two-for-four on Saturday with one strikeout.

Player of the Day: Brandon Meredith and Brett Wallace are going to have to split the lauding today. These two account for seven RBI and a pair of homers on Saturday and not only that, single-handedly knocked in every run for their teams. Great games, guys.

Pitcher of the Day: Thomas Shirley may not have gotten a win or even been on the winning team yesterday, but the guy still performed like a winner, striking out nine over four innings. That's remarkable. Vincent Velasquez also deserves a mention here for his stalwart five innings at home yesterday.