Astros Minor League Recaps

Monday's Games

Oklahoma City over Albuquerque 8-4
Jarred Cosart (5H 5BB 6SO) got the start and only lasted four and a third innings. He was charged with four runs, two of which came across under reliever Eric Berger's watch. Josh Zeid, Alex Sogard and Jose Valdez  combined for three and a third scoreless innings. The RedHawks put up two in the first and two in the fourth before taking the lead once and for all on a two-RBI single from Fernando Martinez in the sixth. Jake Elmore (2x4 BB 2R) and Robbie Grossman padded the lead with sac fly RBIs in the seventh and ninth. Andy Simunic was three-for-four with a walk and scored a run; Jonathan Villar was two-for-four with an RBI and a run scored; and Carlos Perez was three-for-five with a double and a run.

Corpus Christi - Off Day

Stockton over Lancaster 4-2
All good things must come to an end and such was the case with Preston Tucker's 17-game hitting streak. The good news is that Nolan Fontana is back off the DL and hit a double in his first game back. Starter Luis Cruz (4H 1BB 7SO) had a rocky start, hitting the first batter he faced and then having a questionable balk called on him, setting up the one run he allowed in the first. Cruz then settled in nicely until the fifth when three additional runs came across and he was pulled with two outs. Jonas Dufek got the final out in the fifth and then gave way to three hitless scoreless innings from Kyle Hallock. The 'Hawks didn't hit the run column until the eighth inning when Matt Duffy (3x3 2B) scored on a Delino DeShields (2x4) double, and DeShields subsequently scored on an Andrew Aplin ground out.

Quad Cities over Beloit 2-1
Colton Cain pitched five strong innings, allowing one run on four hits and a walk while striking out four. His tandem partner, Mike Hauschild (3H 0BB 3SO) pitched four shutout innings for the win. Quad Cities didn't score until the sixth when a Rio Ruiz sac fly scored Jon Singleton (1x3 2B BB), a theme repeated in the eighth when Ruiz singled in Jon Singleton for the second run of the game.

DSL Astros over DSL Mariners 3-2
Juan Hernandez got the start and went five innings allowing two runs (one earned) on four hits and a walk while striking out four. Junior Garcia and Angel Heredia (W, 1-0) provided scoreless relief. The Astros scored late with two in the seventh and one in the ninth. Luis Payano was two-for-three with two walks, an RBI, a stolen base and a run scored; and Brauly Mejia went two-for-four.

Player of the Day: I need to send Rio Ruiz a little WTHB love. He certainly had a tough start to his season, but he has been slowly but surely coming around at the plate. In his last five games, he is hitting .350 with five RBI.

Pitcher of the Day: Mike Hauschild has quietly gone about having a nice season as he cruised to his fourth win on Monday. Three of his four wins have come in his last five appearances, during which time he has a 1.58 ERA and a 0.838 WHIP.