Astros Minor League Recaps

Friday's Games

Kingsport Mets 6, Greeneville Astros 2
Greeneville didn't score outside of the third inning on Friday, allowing Kingsport to creep back and take the win in the final innings. Chris Lee pitched first for Greeneville and through four frames, allowed a run on four hits, four walks and struck out a trio. Lee pitched to two batters in the fifth before being replaced by Chris Munnelly, who threw the next three innings. Munnelly kept his scoreless and hitless, walking one, striking out five and retiring the last seven he faced in order. Krishawn Holley (3-2) picked up a loss and his third blown save after giving up five runs (3ER) on five hits and a walk through the final two innings. The Astros collected just four hits in this game and both of their runs scored when Chase McDonald (1X4 2B 2RBI 2SO) doubled in the third inning, marking his 21st and 22nd RBIs.

GCL Braves 5, GCL Astros 4 (7) -Game 1

This was the first of two games the GCL Astros played on Friday. Francis Ramirez (0-1) was on the mound first and picked up the loss after facing 19 batters in the first three and two-thirds innings. Ramirez recorded five runs, four hits, four walks and struck out four. In the fifth inning Luis Reynoso (1X2 R 2RBI BB) singled and drove in two runs with his only hit of the game. Jose Solano went two-for-three, scored a run and hit a double.

GCL Braves 2, GCL Astros 5 (7) -Game 2

The Astros scored four runs in the sixth to come back and split the doubleheader in this game. Zachary Dando pitched the first four innings, allowing two runs on two hits, walking two and striking out three. Juan Santos (2-1) closed the game out from there and took the win, keeping his frames scoreless, Santos allowed a pair of hits and struck out the same. Mesac Laguna (1X3 R 2B 2RBI SO) began the comeback in the sixth inning when he hit a double that brought home Jose Solano and Yonathan Mejia. Solano (2X2 2R 2B BB) and Mejia (2X3 R 2B) both had two hits in the game and all three players doubled.  

DSL Astros 0, DSL Red Sox 2

The DSL Astros had five hits and zero runs on Friday, getting shut out for their third loss in a row. Gerardo Juarez (2-3) picked up his third loss, working the first five innings and giving up two runs on five hits as he K-ed two. Brauly Mejia was the only Astro to hit more than once in the game, finishing two-for-four at the plate with a pair of strikeouts.

Jamestown Jammers 4, Tri-City Valley Cats 10

The Valley Cats didn't score first, but they scored more, hitting three homers in their fifth win in a row. Tyler White (2X5 2R HR 2RBI) hit a two-run homer in the third inning, his first as a member of Tri-City. Michael Martinez and Jack Mayfield both homered in the seventh inning, Martinez's (1X3 R HR 3RBI BB SO) was a three-run bomb and Mayfield's (3X4 3R 2,2B HR 2RBI SO) was a solo shot. Conrad Gregor hit three-for-five in the game with a double, run scored and walk. Chris Cotton started things off on the hill and through four frames allowed two runs on nine hits, walked one and struck out two. Charles Basford (2-0) followed Cotton and picked up the win, recording a run on a pair of hits and one K.

Clinton LumberKings 3, Quad Cities River Bandits 7

The River Bandits scored all seven of their runs by the fourth inning and rode them to the win at home on Friday. Chris Devenski (2-2) pitched the first six frames, allowing three runs on 11 hits and a walk while striking out five batters and earning the win. Jamaine Cotton picked up his second save after finishing out the game with a nearly perfect last three innings, striking out 1 (Cotton faced 9 batters, but hit one with a pitch in the seventh). Tony Kemp (2X4 2R HR 2RBI SO) hit a two-run homer in the fourth inning and one batter later Carlos Correa (1X3 R HR RBI) swatted a solo long ball of his own, ending Quad Cities scoring in the game. Correa also stole a base Friday, his ninth.

Lancaster JetHawks 8, High Desert Mavericks 30

Lancaster had a rough day on the road, Friday. After the first two innings the JetHawks were down 19 runs and they closed the game 22 runs down. Starting pitcher Mike Hauschild (1-2), who took the loss, worked just two outs into the game and faced 12 batters, allowing 10 runs, (5ER). Blair Walters followed Hauschild for two outs and faced 12 batters of his own good for another ten runs, all earned. All together, Lancaster pitchers allowed five homeruns in the game, good for 12 runs, including a grand slam in the first inning. Here is a look at the pitching box before we go any further to help make sense of it:

 Delino DeShields homered on the first pitch of the game and finished two-for-four at the plate with two runs scored, the homer, three RBI and walk. Andrew Aplin went just one-for-four in the game with a walk and strikeout, but hit a big three-run homer in the third inning. Aplin finished with four RBI and is now four shy of 100. Brandon Meredith went two-for-four, swatting his 20th double of the season, scoring a run, adding an RBI and  drawing a walk.

Arkansas Travelers 2, Corpus Christi Hooks 3 (11)

Corpus Christi tied the game in the ninth and won in it extras on a bases loaded walk. After a Jonathan Meyer single to start the 11th, Matt Duffy reached on a throwing error and Erik Castro was intentionally walked to load the bases. Michael Burgess, who entered to pinch hit for Drew Muren, then worked a full count and drew a walk to push across the winning run. Ross Seaton tossed the first six and two-thirds frames, giving up two runs on seven hits and a walk while K-ing a trio. Jonas Dufek (3-0) earned the win after pitching the 10th and 11th, allowing only two hits and striking out four. Raoul Torrez (1X2 R HR RBI) began the Hooks comeback in the seventh with two-out solo shot. Max Stassi was the only player with multiple hits, batting two-for-five with a strikeout.     

Oklahoma City RedHawks 6, Las Vegas 51s 4

The RedHawks were outhit by Las Vegas eight to six, but won by two runs anyway on Friday—thanks in part to a George Springer (1X2 2R HR 3RBI 2BB) two-run knock in the fifth inning. Bobby Doran threw the first five innings and picked up the win. Doran allowed all three of his runs in the first inning and after that kept his shift scoreless, tallying six hits, two walks and three Ks. Hector Ambriz earned his second save after working the ninth, giving up a solo homer before striking out the last batter of the game. Jose Martinez batted two-for-four in the game and along with Trevor Crowe (2X5 R SO), recorded one of two multi-hit performances for Oklahoma City. Springer also swiped a bag in the game.

Player of the Day: George Springer wins it today, no contest. Friday Springer became the first minor league player since the 2009 season to record 30 steals and 30 home runs when he hit his two-run shot in the fifth.   

Andrew Aplin also earned a mention with his four RBI last night, edging him closer to 100 on the season. Wow.

Pitcher of the Day: Jamaine Cotton and Chris Munnelly are sharing the honors today. Cotton was nearly perfect in his outing Friday and Munnelly dominated. Great games, guys.