Astros Minor League Recaps

Friday's Games

Pulaski Mariners, Greeneville Astros - suspended until today due to rain

GCL Tigers 2, GCL Astros 1  

The Astros only allowed three hits in this matchup and still went on to lose despite more than doubling their opponent's hit output (7). Austin Nicely started and through the first three gave up a run on one hit and a walk. Troy Scribner (5-2) followed Nicely, recording a run on two hits over the next five innings, while striking out half a dozen. Scribner took the loss. Luis De La Rosa hit two-for-three in the game and Jose Fernandez went nothing-for-two, but drew two walks.

DSL Royals 5, DSL Astros 1

The DSL Astros shut out the DSL Royals yesterday until the seventh inning, when one run scored for the tie. An inning later in the ninth, Carlos Vazquez (1-1), one of three pitchers in the inning, recorded four runs and picked up the loss. Juan Hernandez threw the first two and two-thirds, keeping them hitless and scoreless, while walking five and striking out two. Victor Mesa came on to pitch in the sixth and allowed the tying run in the seventh on a walk, wild pitch and a single. Mesa left with a blown save, four hits, a run, a walk and two Ks in his outing. Vazquez tallied his four runs through two outs in the ninth and left having allowed a hit and four walks. The DSL Astros had two players with multi-hit games, Hector Roa and Jean Estrella. Roa went two-for-three with a walk and Estrella went two-for-four.

Tri-City Valley Cats 3, Vermont Lake Monsters 5
The Valley Cats fell behind early and never quite recovered in this one. Starter Kevin Comer (2-3) lasted just an out into the third, allowing all five runs on six hits and striking out one for the loss. Evan Grills would pitch the last four innings for Tri-City, giving up only three hits and striking out six—including the first two and last two batters he faced. Conrad Gregor hit three-for-five in the game with a strikeout. Jon Kemmer and Ryan Dineen both batted two-for-four. Kemmer also scored a run, had an RBI and struck out twice.  

Quad Cities River Bandits 1, Burlington Bees 0
The River Bandits only needed one run on Friday as they two-hit, shut out the Bees on the road behind dominant pitching by starter Vincent Velasquez (7-4). Velasquez pitched seven innings, recording just two hits and striking out seven. Jordan Jankowski followed with a perfect inning in the eighth (2 K) and Juan Minaya picked up his fourth save after working the hitless ninth (although he did walk two), striking out three. Teoscar Hernandez went two-for-four at the plate (SO) and scored the winning run in the eighth. After advancing on a wild pitch Hernandez was brought around by Austin Elkins' (1X4, SB) only hit of the day, an RBI single.

Lancaster JetHawks 2, Rancho Cucamonga Quakes 1 (10)
The JetHawks didn't score until the seventh, but were able to ride some very solid pitching into the 10th inning Friday before Chris Epps hit a go-ahead homer that would win the game. Mike Hauschild pitched the first six and a third, allowing a run, five hits and striking out seven before making way for Blair Walters, who would pick up the win. Walters (5-1) worked through the ninth, facing the minimum and striking out four, including the last three he faced, to force extras. Kenny Long picked up save number four after striking out the last batter of the game. Lancaster tied things up in the seventh when Carlos Perdomo (1X4 2B RBI) doubled to score Joe Sclafani (0X4 R). Epps (1X4 R HR RBI 3SO) hit his go-ahead, solo shot with one out in the 10th—his 13th long ball of the year. Delino DeShields was the only Lancaster player with multiple hits in the game, finishing two-for-four with a double and a stolen base.  

Corpus Christi Hooks 12, Midland RockHounds 6 (7)

In the first game of the double header Friday the Hooks jumped out to an early lead and by the fourth inning had scored four runs. Nick Tropeano (5-7) threw all but the last inning, earning the win after allowing five runs on six hits, walking a pair and striking out six. Theron Geith worked one out in the seventh and added another run on three hits. The Hooks had 15 hits in this seven inning game and three were homers (Stassi, Santana, Tucker). Three guys had three hits, two had two hits apiece and Domingo Santana topped them all with three RBI. Here's the box to make sense of it:

Corpus Christi Hooks 2, Midland RockHounds 0 (7)
In the second game of the day, the Hooks shut out the RockHounds to claim the double header with authority. Brady Rodgers was called up from Lancaster for a spot start and pitched five innings in his debut. Rodgers (1-0) allowed five hits and not much else, striking out six to take the win. Pat Urckfitz gave up a hit and struck out two in the seventh, earning him his sixth save of the season. Kiké Hernandez (2X3), Ronald Torreyes (2X4 2SO) and Zach Johnson (2X3) all had two hits in this game. Hernandez also swiped a bag.     

Iowa Cubs 6, Oklahoma City RedHawks 10
The RedHawks had eight on the board before the Cubs were able to answer back Friday. Wade LeBlanc (2-1) pitched the first five and earned the win, allowing three runs on five hits while walking four during his shift. Alex Sogard followed for and inning and two-thirds, allowing three more runs on four hits, striking out one. Oklahoma City had a ton of hits on Friday and Robbie Grossman and Jose Martinez led the charge with three apiece. Grossman stole a base to boot and the second inning, in which the RedHawks scored six runs, saw the opposing manager and hitting coach ejected as OKC hit around the order. Here's the box:

Player of the Day: Chris Epps takes the cake today for his go-ahead homer in the 10th inning yesterday. What better way to support his pitchers for their superb outings than to blast one into the cheap seats and secure the win?

Pitcher of the Day: There were several good pitching performances yesterday, but Vincent Velasquez was a head above everyone. He not only threw a career-high seven innings and was a huge part of that magnificent shut out, but he also retired the first twelve batters he faced in order. Put simply, Velasquez was on fire yesterday.  

Brady Rodgers also earned a shout out for his call-up, spot start in Corpus. He came out and dominated, earning a win as part of another shutout and struck out six. Rodgers threw 88 pitches in his five innings and 65 of them were strikes—impressive.