Astros Minor League Recaps

Wednesday's Games

Here is the latest update on the playoff picture.

Nashville over Oklahoma City 6-1
Asher Wojciechowski (4.2IP 6H 3R 2BB 4SO) got the start and the loss. Three more runs scored against Hector Ambriz and Wade LeBlanc in their outings while Rhiner Cruz pitched a scoreless ninth. The only RedHawks run scored in the fourth as Brandon Laird came home on a wild pitch. Of the six hits collected by Oklahoma City, a Jose Martinez double was the only extra-base hit. George Springer had a well-deserved night off. He is still at 37/43 in his quest to join the 40/40 club.

Frisco over Corpus Christi 10-6
Kyle Hallock allowed two runs via the long ball in the first and another three run homer in the second without recording an out and his night was done. Carlos Quevedo tossed five hitless innings, walking three and striking out four. Matt Heidenreich came into the game in the seventh and allowed five runs, including a walk-off grand slam in the ninth. Ouch. The Hooks scored three in the first on back-to-back home runs from Kike Hernandez (1x4 2RBI) and Erik Castro (2x4 2R); and Ronald Torreyes singled in one in the second. The final two runs came in the third on a Domingo Santana two-run home run in his first game since coming off the DL. Matt Duffy and Drew Muren both doubled in the game. Mike Foltynewicz was originally scheduled to start last night. It was later announced that he would pitch one inning. I haven't seen any information as to why he was scratched completely.

Lancaster over Lake Elsinore 4-3
Lancaster cruised to their 80th win of the season, something that hasn't been achieved by a JetHawks team since 2007. I can't help but notice that during the current homestand (in which the 'Hawks have won 5 of 6), the pitching has been quite good. They are averaging 2.5 runs allowed over those six games, a very nice accomplishment at the extremely hitter-friendly Hangar.

Mike Hauschild got the start and allowed two runs on nine hits over six innings. He got 11 groundouts to one flyout. He was followed by two scoreless innings from Michael Dimock (who has only allowed one run in his last seven appearances). Kenny Long allowed one unearned run (Sclafani throwing error) in the ninth. Long has only allowed one earned run in his last seven appearances as well. Travis Ballew (two runs allowed in his last seven) got the final two outs to earn his 21st save of the season. Carlos Perdomo (2x4 2R) and M.P. Cokinos (3x3 2B BB 2RBI) each singled in a run in the first, and Joe Sclafani drove in one in the fourth. A Cokinos RBI double in the eighth accounted for the final 'Hawks run. Jesse Wierzbicki also doubled in the game. Delino DeShields swiped his 48th and 49th bags of the season.

Quad Cities over Wisconsin 4-2
Chris Devenski (6IP 4H 1R 1BB 2SO) put up a solid start and came away with the win. Richard Rodriguez allowed the second Wisconsin run to score in the seventh, but Mitch Lambson and Andrew Walter were perfect in the final two frames. Quad Cities got started late, but got on the board with a three-spot in the sixth as Danry Vasquez tripled in two runs and was brought home on a Rio Ruiz single. Tony Kemp scored from second on a force attempt and throwing error in the eighth for the final Bandits run. Jordan Scott went two-for-four in the game.

Brooklyn over Tri-City 1-0
It was a pitchers' duel in Brooklyn as the two teams combined to allow only five hits and one walk on the night. Unfortunately, the 'Cats were on the wrong side of the duel and a Chan Moon single in the sixth and a Ronnie Mitchell walk in the ninth was all the action that Tri-City saw. Kyle Westwood pitched a brilliant six innings himself, allowing only one unearned run on four hits with one strikeout and was followed by two no-hit innings from Troy Scribner. Scribner struck out three.

Danville over Greeneville 5-2
Enderson Franco (5IP 4H 3R/2ER 2BB SO HR) took the loss and was followed by Ryan Connolly who allowed another two runs (one earned) to score in his two innings. Gerardo Ramirez and Chris Munnelly each pitched a scoreless frame. Tanner Mathis (3x4) doubled and later scored in the first for one run, but the Astros didn't see the run column again until the eighth when Thomas Lindauer reached on a error, advanced to second on a wild pitch, advanced to third on a Mathis single and scored on a Brett Phillips sac fly.

GCL Astros over GCL Yankees2 5-0
Gerardo Juarez (3IP 1H 3BB 6SO) in only his second appearance for the GCL Astros after his promotion from the Dominican Summer League combined with Erick Gonzalez (4IP 1H 4SO) and Brandon Culbreth (1H 1BB 3SO) to shutout the Yankees squad on three hits. It was Culbreth's first appearance since July 18th. The Astros were held to one hit through the first five, but a Luis Reynoso (2x4 2R) triple followed by a Yonathan Mejia (2x3 2B BB R) single got them on the board in the sixth. They put up another four runs in the eighth on five hits, including a two-RBI single from Jacob Nottingham.

Player of the Day: M.P. Cokinos had what was for him a bit of a slump in July in which he hit .264/.328/.446. He has heated up considerably in August and has hit .429/.442/.524 in his last 10 games. That's just what I want to see ... Cokinos coming in to the playoffs next week with a hot bat.

Pitcher of the Day: The GCL crew of Gerardo Juarez, Erick Gonzalez and Brandon Culbreth deserve the honors for their three-hit shutout, which also brought a three-game losing streak to an end. Honorable mention goes to Carlos Quevedo for a terrific long relief outing for the Hooks.