Astros Minor League Recaps

Monday's Games - It was a system sweep as Houston and all four full-season minor league teams won.

Oklahoma City over Iowa 4-3
Ross Seaton went five and a third to earn the win. He was charged with all three Cubs runs with one of the runs coming across under Alex Sogard's watch on a sac fly before Sogard, Rhiner Cruz and Jose Valdez shut it down for a scoreless final three and a third innings. The RedHawks got all the offense they needed in the third inning as four runs came across. Jake Elmore pushed across one run on a bases loaded walk and two more scored on a Brett Wallace single and a throwing error. The final run scored as Fernando Martinez grounded into a double play. Cody Clark and Andy Simunic were both two-for-four with a run scored.

Corpus Christi over Arkansas 14-4
Corpus Christi came from behind, first taking the lead, then playing add-on and then simply piling on in a lop-sided win over Arkansas. Nick Tropeano got his first win of the season, pitching five innings and allowing four runs on eight hits and two walks while striking out three. Bobby Doran pitched a beautiful final four innings allowing only two hits and no walks. He struck out two. The Hooks were down 4-1 going into the bottom of the third, having scored one on a Michael Burgess home run, before adding on four in the frame by way of back-to-back home runs from George Springer (3x6 2HR 5RBI) and Domingo Santana (4x5 2B HR 3R SB), and Burgess' second home run of the day, scoring Erik Castro who had doubled in front of him. Two more runs came across in the fourth on a Castro single, making the lead 7-4. And then the fifth happened. Yes, Springer hit his second home run of the game, a grand slam. And Jonathan Meyer doubled in a run before the final two runs scored on a wild pitch and a fielding error, respectively. Rene Garcia was two-for-five with a walk and scored two runs.

Lancaster over Rancho Cucamonga 6-4
Aaron West dominated in his first appearance since coming off the DL, allowing only one walk in the first and a single to lead off the fifth. He struck out four. He was followed with two and two-thirds innings from Blair Walters. Walters gave up three runs on two hits and three walks, with one of those hits being a three-run home run. Travis Ballew came in to finish things up and convert his ninth save of the season despite allowing a solo home run in the ninth. Rancho Cucamonga shut down Lancaster's offense through the first four innings as well, allowing only one single (and three walks) through the first four frames, but the 'Hawks got on the board in the fifth on a Joe Sclafani two-run double. Three more scored in the eighth thanks to RBI singles from Raoul Torrez (3x4 R) and Delino DeShields (along with a couple of Rancho errors), and one last insurance run came across in the ninth on a Preston Tucker single. DeShields was four-for-four with a walk and scored a run. Preston Tucker and Andrew Aplin now have 11-game and 7-game hitting streaks, respectively.

Quad Cities over Clinton 11-4
The River Bandits led this one from the first inning on. With 16 total hits, every starter collected at least one hit. Vincent Velasquez collected his fourth run of the season, allowing three runs on six hits and two walks in five innings and was followed by Jamaine Cotton who allowed one run across in his three innings of work. John Neely pitched a scoreless ninth. Quad Cities got on the board with one in the first on a Miles Hamblin (2x4 BB 2RBI 2R) home run and added another in the third. A pair of runs came in the fifth on a Carlos Correa (3x5 4RBI 2R) RBI double and a Hamblin single, and Correa drove in two more in the sixth. Jobduan Morales (3x5 2RBI) added on another run in the seventh on an RBI double to make it 7-4. Then the Bandits put the game out of reach with four more runs in the eighth. Austin Elkins was three-for-six and scored a run. Jordan Scott walked three times and scored three times.

Player of the Day: George Springer gets the honors for his two home run, five RBI outing and Michael Burgess gets honorable mention for his two home run, three RBI outing.

Pitcher of the Day: Welcome back, Mr. West!!! Four no-hit innings and five innings of one-hit ball on your first day back from the DL is not too shabby.