Astros Minor League Playoff Recaps

For complete playoff schedules, results and probable pitchers, go here.

Wednesday's Games

Inland Empire over Lancaster 4-3 in 15 innings
At approximtely 2:36 a.m. CST, the JetHawks season came to an end. It wasn't a happy ending. The team had ample opportunity to win it. A clutch hit. A key strikeout. A timely walk. A cleanly caught ball. That's all it would have taken, but in the end, the JetHawks didn't take advantage of multiple opportunities. Neither did Inland Empire, but the 66ers ultimately outlasted the 'Hawks.

For the most part, the pitching held. Although the JetHawks allowed 22 hits, Inland Empire only came around to score four times. I can't possibly go through the lines for all eight pitchers so take a look:

Inland Empire scored their first run in the second inning and Lancaster didn't match that run until the sixth when M.P. Cokinos drove in Carlos Perdomo with an RBI single. They added on two more in the seventh on RBI singles from Delino DeShields and Perdomo. Up 3-2 in the ninth, the team was one out away from advancing to the finals when Travis Ballew gave up a run-scoring single to tie it up. The JetHawks had many opportunities, but none were so obvious as having the bases loaded with no outs in both the 13th and 14th innings and not being able to get a run across. To compound matters, DeShields made a huge base-running mistake as he tried to tag up on a shallow foul ball and was out at home by a mile in the 14th. I'm not hanging the loss on DeShields by any means. It was a team loss. But that one play seemed to epitomize everything that had gone wrong in the game and, before you knew it, the 5:31 marathon was over. And so was the JetHawks season.

Quad Cities over South Bend 3-2

Chris Devenski got the start and the win in Game 1 of the Championship Finals. He allowed two runs on six hits while striking out nine. He didn't walk a batter. Patrick Christensen and Andrew Walter each allowed a hit in relief, but kept South Bend in check. Quad Cities scored first in the third inning on a Danry Vasquez bases-loaded walk, but quickly fell behind as South Bend countered with a two-run home run off Devenski in the fourth. Jordan Scott tied it up in the seventh inning with his first home run since June 2012, and Rio Ruiz singled in the go ahead run in the eighth. Carlos Correa went two-for-three with a walk.

Tri-City over State College 5-4

Tri-City took the early lead in Game 2 of the three-game Championship Series on a Conrad Gregor (3x4 BB 2RBI 2R) solo homer in the second and added on a four-spot in the top of the sixth on five hits, three of them doubles from Jack Mayfield (2x4 2-2B R), Jon Kemmer (2x4 2B RBI R) and Ronnie Mitchell (1x4 2B 2RBI), giving them a 5-0 lead. Michael Feliz got the start and cruised through the first five innings, but struggled in the sixth. A hit batter and a Tyler White fielding error didn't help and Feliz ended the night having gone five and two-thirds innings and allowing four runs (two earned) on five hits and three walks. He struck out five. Feliz was followed by a scoreless outing from Tyler Brunnemann. Gonzalo pitched the final two frames to convert his third save of the post-season. James Ramsay went two-for-five; Brian Holberton was two-for-five and scored a run; and Chan Moon went two-for-four with a triple. The series is now tied at one each.

Player of the Day: Conrad Gregor set the tone for Tri-City with his home run in the second and his RBI single in the sixth.

Pitchers of the Day: Chris Devenski and Gonzalo Sanudo each deserve a shoutout for helping their clubs on Wednesday as they pursue a ring.