Saturday, August 31, 2013

Astros Minor League Recaps

Friday's Games

-Jayne has already posted her daily, updated look at the playoff situation for the minor league affiliates here.

Greeneville Astros 0, Danville Braves 2
Greeneville was two-hit, shut out by Danville in the last game of their regular season, Friday. The game was a pitchers' duel until the ninth inning, however. Jose Montero started things off on the mound and, aside from issuing a walk in the third inning, retired every other batter in order through his four innings of work, striking out five. Montero was followed by Christian Garcia for the next four frames. Garcia gave up a couple hits and walked three, allowing no runs as he struck out four. It wasn't until the ninth, with Ryan Connolly (1-2) pitching, that either team scored. Connolly allowed a pair of runs on three hits. Christian Moronta (1X4 SO) and Luis Reynoso (1X3 SO) had the only hits for the Astros.  

Vermont Lake Monsters 9, Tri-City Valley Cats 6
Despite scoring first, the Valley Cats fell behind after giving up three runs in both the third and fourth innings and never quite caught up on Friday. Troy Scribner (1-2) was the second of five pitchers in the game for Tri-City, entering in the third to replace starter Tanner Bushue (2IP 2H ER 2BB 2K), who had already issued a walk to the first batter of the inning. Scribner pitched just two innings of his own and recorded the loss, allowing five runs on five hits, walking two and striking out four. Ronnie Mitchell (2X3 RBI) and Conrad Gregor (2X4 2RBI BB) both had two hit games at the plate.  

Quad Cities River Bandits 6, Wisconsin Timber Rattlers 0
The River Bandits shutout Wisconsin for a series sweep in their last away game of the regular season. Zach Morton took the hill first and through four, allowed three hits, all singles, walked one and struck out another. Mitchell Lambson (8-3) pitched the next three innings and notched the win. Lambson recorded one hit, one walk and K-ed three during his outing. Teoscar Hernandez and Carlos Correa both went two-for-four at the plate. Hernandez scored a couple of runs and Correa finished with three RBI, including knocking in two runs in the four-run fourth inning.

Lancaster JetHawks 3, Rancho Cucamonga Quakes 2 (11)
The JetHawks saw this game tied in the ninth inning and won it in the 11th after a Chris Epps sac' fly scored Andrew Aplin. Brady Rodgers started on the bump and through six innings allowed a pair of hits (HR), one run and one walk as he K-ed nine, including the last three he faced. Kenny Long (2-0) picked up the win, pitching the final two frames. Long gave up a hit and a pair of walks in that time. Jesse Wierzbicki (2X5 RBI), MP Cokinos (2X5 SO) and Delino DeShields (2X4 3B BB SO) each had two hits in the game. Wierzbicki knocked in the second run of the game in the second inning with an RBI single. The first run was scored in the second as well and came when Joe Sclafani crossed the plate after a wild pitch.

Corpus Christi Hooks 1, Frisco Rough Riders 3
The Hooks were shutout until the ninth inning Friday when they scored their only run of the game. Matt Duffy drew a bases loaded walk, forcing Erik Castro (2X4 R) across the plate. Starting pitcher, Nick Tropeano (7-10) threw five innings, recording seven hits, three runs, two walks and six strikeouts. Trope' would take the loss. Michael Foltynewicz, Luis Cruz and Cameron Lamb each threw a scoreless inning to close out the game. Folty' pitched a perfect sixth. Preston Tucker picked up the only Hooks extra base hit of the day, with a double in the second inning. Tucker finished one-for-two at the plate with a pair of walks.  

Memphis Redbirds 4, Oklahoma City RedHawks 0
Oklahoma City was shutout by Memphis on Friday. Jake Buchanan (5-5) pitched the first six and two-thirds, tallying the loss. Buchanan was charged with three runs on eight hits and struck out six. Reymin Guduan finished the game on the mound, adding another run on a hit, walking three and striking out four of his own. Marc Krauss was the only RedHawk with multiple hits in the game, finishing two-for-four with a double. George Springer stole second in the fifth inning, moving his totals towards the 40/40 mark to 37/44.

Player of the Day: Chris Epps takes the cake today for his extra inning sac' fly that scored the winning run yesterday. Carlos Correa also earns a nod with his three RBI performance.


Pitcher of the Day: Brady Rodgers is definitely getting a share of the pie here today for his dominating performance on the mound, Friday. Nick Tropeano gets a share as well. Trope's six strikeouts yesterday pushed him to 130 on the season and he currently leads all Texas League pitchers in that category. 

Astros Minor League Playoff Picture - 8/31 Update

Today's Playoff Action
Greeneville will take on the Kingsport Mets for the first game in a best-of-three tonight starting at 6:00 CST at home.

Note on Regular Season Games
The DSL and GCL are both finished for the year. Greeneville finished the regular season last night and starts the playoffs tonight. Oklahoma City, Corpus Christi, Lancaster and Quad Cities all play three more regular season games with their final game on Monday. Tri-City plays five more regular season games with their final game on Wednesday.

Oklahoma City - In Playoffs (Won Division)
Oklahoma City was the fourth Astros minor league affiliate to make the playoffs and will host the American Northern Division winner at home on Wednesday, September 4th and Thursday, September 5th to start a best of five series. Omaha and Memphis are currently tied for the lead in that division, three games in front of the Iowa Cubs who are on the brink of elimination. The RedHawks play three more against Memphis at home.

Corpus Christi - In Playoffs (Won first half; tied for lead in second half)
The Hooks are in the playoffs by virtue of winning the first half of the season. The schedule for the first four games has already been set with the first two against San Antonio at home on Wednesday, September 4th and Thursday, September 5th and the next two at San Antonio on that Friday and Saturday. The Hooks host the Missions for the final three games of the season starting Saturday. The Hooks and Missions both lost on Friday, keeping the Hooks in a tie with that team in their quest for a second half title. The Hooks lead the Missions by three and a half games for the season.

Lancaster - In Playoffs (Won first half and second half)
The JetHawks are also in the playoffs by virtue of winning the first half and have clinched the second half title as well. The schedule for the first four games has been set with Lancaster playing at home on Saturday, September 7th and Sunday, September 8th (and will be attended by yours truly) and on the road the following Monday and Tuesday. What is still to be determined is the JetHawks opponent. They will play the winner of a mini-series between the #2 and #3 seeds. Inland Empire has clinched one of the mini-series playoff berths. The second team is still to be determined.

Quad Cities - In Playoffs
Quad Cities became the third Astros minor league affiliate to clinch a playoff spot with Sunday's win over Burlington. The first playoff game is scheduled for September 4th at Modern Woodmen Park against Cedar Rapids. The best of three series will then move to Cedar Rapids starting Thursday.

Tri-City
The ValleyCats are making this difficult. After another loss on Friday, the Tri-City squad is now on a four-game losing streak while Lowell has won four in a row and has climbed to a half game behind the division-leading 'Cats. As a reminder, only the division winners in the three divisions and one wild card make the playoffs. Their record puts them in second place for the wild card berth, a half game back, should they fall out of first place in the division. The 'Cats magic number stubbornly remains at 5 with 5 games left to play. They will play two on the road against Lowell starting tonight.

Greeneville - In Playoffs
Greeneville was the fifth Astros affiliate to make the playoffs, and it is the first time Greeneville has been in the playoffs since 2004. They finished their season last night with a 38-30 record, second in their division. They will face the Division winning Kingsport Mets in a best of three series starting tonight at home. The final two (if necessary) games will be played on the road on Sunday and Monday.

GCL Astros - Eliminated
The GCL club has been eliminated from playoff contention. They ended the season with a 27-33 record and are the only Astros affiliate that ended the 2013 season with a losing record.

DSL Astros - Eliminated
The DSL team was also eliminated from contention. They ended their season on Saturday with another win to cap off a four-game win streak and a 39-31 record for the season.

Bonus Tweet of the Day


Sorry heine!!!!
Embedded image permalink

Happy Birthday - 8/31

C Marlon Avea (20)
From Nicaragua, Marlon was signed by the Astros as a NDFA in 2010 and played his third season this year in the DSL. Over 52 games, he hit .225/.353/.324. Against lefties, he hit a brisk .339/.431/.429. He caught 44 of 90 would-be base stealers, a 49% caught stealing rate.

One former Astro with a birthday today ~

RHP Tom Dukes (71)
Dukes came to Houston via a trade with Atlanta prior to the 1967 season. In 60 appearances out of the bullpen in 1967 and 1968, he was 2-4 with a 4.60 ERA and a 1.651 WHIP. He was subsequently picked up by the Padres in the 1968 expansion draft.

Tweets of the Day


What are these water droplet things falling from the sky?


Oh my goodness!!! It's raining!! What the heck is going on here


Well it rained for 5 min.. Back to reality

Friday, August 30, 2013

Astros Minor League Roster Moves

I have gotten way behind on reporting the minor league roster moves. These are all the ones that I've found dating back to 8/24 (except for temporary inactive list moves), but including the news of today's suspensions for violations of drug policy. Any moves prior to today are noted with the effective date of the move.

Oklahoma City
LHP Reymin Guduan assigned from the GCL to Oklahoma City
2B Ruben Sosa activated from the DL

Corpus Christi
OF Domingo Santana activated from the DL (8-28)
LHP Alex Sogard placed on the 7-day DL (8-28)
C Ryan McCurdy placed on the DL (8-29)
C Brett Clements assigned from the GCL to CC (8-29)

Lancaster
OF Dan Gulbransen placed on the 7-day DL (8-24)
C Ricky Gingras assigned from Greeneville to Lancaster (8-25)

Quad Cities
LHP J.D. Osborne assigned from Tri-City to Quad Cities (8-29)

Tri-City
RHP Andrew Thurman placed on the 7-day DL (8-28)
RHP Tanner Bushue activated from the DL (8-28)
RHP Justin Hess assigned from the GCL to Tri-City (8-28)
LHP Albert Minnis placed on the 7-day DL (8-28)
RHP Chris Munnelly assigned from Greeneville to Tri-City (8-29)
*OF D'Andre Toney placed on the restricted list for violation of drug policy (amphetamine)
*1B Michael Martinez placed on the restricted list for violation of drug policy (amphetamine)

Greeneville
RHP Joe Musgrove assigned from the GCL to Greeneville (8-29)
SS Luis Reynoso assigned from the GCL to Greeneville
RHP Erick Gonzalez assigned from the GCL to Greeneville

GCL
*SS Jose Fernandez placed on the restricted list for violation of drug policy (amphetamine)

*Reported by Brian McTaggart this afternoon

Astros Minor League Recaps

Thursday's Games

The latest update on the playoff situation is here.

Oklahoma City over Nashville 5-4 in 14 innings
Bobby Doran tossed the first five and two-thirds innings and allowed three runs on seven hits and a walk while striking out four. He was followed by five and a third scoreless innings from Pat Urckfitz, Jose Cisnero and Jorge de Leon. Jason Stoffel allowed one run in the top of the 12th, but the RedHawks came back to re-knot the game in the bottom of the frame. Stoffel went on to put up zeroes in the 13th and 14th and was rewarded with the win when Jose Martinez (3x7) hit a walk-off double to end the marathon. Way back in the fourth inning, George Springer scored the first run on a passed ball, and Japhet Amador scored the second on a Che-Hsuan Lin sac fly. Another run came across in the eighth on a Springer RBI single. Although Springer went three-for-six with an RBI and scored twice, he did not add any home runs or stolen bases to his totals. Currently at 37/43, he has four more games in which to gain entrance to the 40/40 club.

Corpus Christi over Frisco 6-2
R.J. Alaniz (6IP 4H 2R 3BB 3SO) allowed the only two Frisco runs in the second and improved his record to 8-9. He was followed by two picture perfect innings from Andrew Robinson. Jonas Dufek allowed no hits in the ninth, but finally allowed his first walk since his promotion to AA (while lowering his ERA to 0.56). Michael Burgess hit a lead-off double and was driven in by Ronald Torreyes (3x4 R) for the first Hooks run in the second. Torreyes doubled in another run in the fourth. The Hooks put up a crooked number in the fifth, scoring three on RBI singles from Matt Duffy and Jio Mier. The final run came in the sixth on an RBI double from Kike Hernandez. Jonathan Meyer went four-for-five and scored a run.

Lake Elsinore over Lancaster 11-9
Kyle Smith got hit hard. He was charged with seven runs on six hits (three home runs) and two walks in only two official innings of work (he pitched to three batters in the third without recording an out). Blair Walters and Tyson Perez let four more runs score over the next four innings. Jordan Jankowski did a great job pitching the final three and halting the parade of Storm runners from crossing the plate. Carlos Perdomo did his best to keep the 'Hawks in the game as he went three-for-four with a walk, three doubles, four RBI and scored twice. Nolan Fontana was also three-for-four with an RBI, a stolen base and a run scored. Fontana drew his 101st and 102nd walks of the season as well. Delino DeShields was one-for-five with a walk, two RBI and two runs scored. DeShields also stole his 50th base of the season. Joe Sclafani hit his 27th double of the season.

Quad Cities over Wisconsin 6-3
Joe Bircher (3.2 7H 3R/2ER 3BB 2SO) got the start and was followed by Jamaine Cotton who pitched four strong innings of relief for the win. Patrick Christensen got his first save for Quad Cities. Rio Ruiz (3x4) singled in two runs in the first and one in the third to go with a Danry Vasquez RBI double in the latter frame. Roberto Pena (2x4) doubled in the final two runs in the ninth. Austin Elkins went two-for-three with a walk and scored twice.

Vermont over Tri-City 8-3 in 7 innings (Game 1)
Evan Grills took the loss, allowing six runs on seven hits in only one and two-thirds innings. Justin Hess got the final out of the second, but then struggled as he pitched to five batters in the third without recording an out and allowed two additional runs to score. Zach Dando righted the ship with four scoreless innings. Conrad Gregor went three-for-three with a ground rule double RBI, and Brett Booth went two-for-three with an RBI.

Vermont over Tri-City 4-0 in 7 innings (Game 2)
Kevin Comer (4.2IP 5H 3R 2BB 7SO) took the loss. The fourth Vermont run came against Chris Munnelly in the seventh. The 'Cats were held to five hits with Ryan Dineen having the only multi-hit game, including a double. Conrad Gregor also doubled in the game.

Danville over Greeneville 3-2 in 10 innings
See Appy Astros Eyewitness account here.

GCL Yankees2 over GCL Astros 5-2
Agapito Barrios (4IP 6H 4R/0ER 2BB 1SO) got the start and the loss. He wasn't helped by the five Astros errors in the game. Jorge Perez tossed three scoreless, and Juan Santos allowed the final run in the eighth. The Astros got one in the third on a Yonathan Mejia sac fly scoring Luis de la Rosa and one in the seventh as Hector Roa scored from third on a ground out. Alex Gonzalez went two-for-four and Luis Reynoso had the only extra-base hit, a double.

Player of the Game: Carlos Perdomo did his best to keep Lancaster in the game last night. Perdomo is hitting .457/.512/.543 over his last 10 games. Rio Ruiz gets honorable mention for his three RBI night.

Pitchers of the Game: I'm going to award the honors to both Jordan Jankowski and Jamaine Cotton. Jankowski did his best to give Lancaster the opportunity to come back and Cotton really stretched it out with four terrific innings of relief to get a well-deserved win.

Astros Minor League Playoff Picture - August 30th Update

Note on Regular Season Games
The DSL and GCL are both finished for the year. Greeneville has one more regular season game. Oklahoma City, Corpus Christi, Lancaster and Quad Cities all play four more regular season games with their final game on Monday. Tri-City plays six more regular season games with their final game on Wednesday.

Oklahoma City - In Playoffs (Won Division)
Oklahoma City clinched the division title on Tuesday night and popped the bubbly. They are also the fourth Astros minor league affiliate to make the playoffs and will host the American Northern Division winner at home on Wednesday, September 4th and Thursday, September 5th to start a best of five series. Omaha and Memphis are currently tied for the lead in that division, two games in front of the Iowa Cubs. The RedHawks will be hosting Memphis for a four-game series starting on Friday.

Corpus Christi - In Playoffs (Won first half; tied for lead in second half)
The Hooks are in the playoffs by virtue of winning the first half of the season. The schedule for the first four games has already been set with the first two against San Antonio at home on Wednesday, September 4th and Thursday, September 5th and the next two at San Antonio on that Friday and Saturday. The Hooks host the Missions for the final three games of the season starting Saturday. With the Hooks win and the Missions loss on Thursday, the Hooks went back into a tie with San Antonio for first place in the second half, and are still very much in the hunt for a second half title to go with their first half title. The Hooks lead the Missions by three and a half games for the season.

Lancaster - In Playoffs (Won first half and second half)
The JetHawks are also in the playoffs by virtue of winning the first half and have clinched the second half title as well. The schedule for the first four games has been set with Lancaster playing at home on Saturday, September 7th and Sunday, September 8th (and will be attended by yours truly) and on the road the following Monday and Tuesday. What is still to be determined is the JetHawks opponent. They will play the winner of a mini-series between the #2 and #3 seeds.

Quad Cities - In Playoffs
Quad Cities became the third Astros minor league affiliate to clinch a playoff spot with Sunday's win over Burlington. The first playoff game is scheduled for September 4th at Modern Woodmen Park against Cedar Rapids. The best of three series will then move to Cedar Rapids starting Thursday.

Tri-City
The ValleyCats did not help their cause on Thursday as they dropped a double-header while Lowell won their game. The 'Cats magic number remains at 5 with 6 games left to play. They are currently in first place, one and a half games ahead of second place Lowell. The 'Cats play two on the road against Lowell over the weekend.

Greeneville - In Playoffs
With only one game left in their season, the Greeneville Astros backed in to a playoff berth last night on a loss from Elizabethton. They are the fifth Astros affiliate to make the playoffs, and it is the first time Greeneville has been in the playoffs since 2004. With the Astros losing and Kingsport winning on Thursday, Kingsport won the Division title with the Astros one and a half games back. Greeneville will play one more regular season game tonight and then will face the Kingsport Mets in a best of three series starting Saturday at home. The final two (if necessary) games will be played on the road.

GCL Astros - Eliminated
The GCL club has been eliminated from playoff contention. They are 27-32 with one game left. They are the only Astros affiliate that will end the 2013 season with a losing record.

DSL Astros - Eliminated
The DSL team was also eliminated from contention. They ended their season on Saturday with another win to cap off a four-game win streak and a 39-31 record for the season.

Happy Birthday - 8/30

Happy Birthday to ~

RHP Juan Santos (18)
Drafted in the 39th round in 2013 out of Arlington Country Day School in Jacksonville, Florida, Santos spent his first professional season with the Gulf Coast League Astros. In 18 appearances out of the bullpen, he was 2-3 with a 3.96 ERA and a 1.320 WHIP.

Tweet of the Day


Appy league playoffs berth

Thursday, August 29, 2013

An Interview with Greeneville Astros Manager Josh Bonifay

Earlier this month, I had a chance to sit down and talk with Greeneville Astros Manager Josh Bonifay. I first talked to Bonifay last year when he was the hitting coach for the Lexington Legends (and where he earned an All-Star nod as a coach). Our first conversation went well despite the fact that the Southern gentleman in him (born in Georgia, schooling and permanent home in North Carolina) insisted on ma'aming me and making me feel ancient.

I was impressed with the detail in which he described the various player's strengths and weaknesses in the batter's box. That detailed approach certainly has helped the first year Manager as his new team is on the cusp of earning a playoff berth under his direction and has earned him Manager of the Year honors in the Appalachian League.

Josh Bonifay (R) - August 2013
Photo by Jayne Hansen

After getting Bonifay's take on various players to use in my interviews and write-ups, I turned the conversation to him and his experience as a first year manager. Here is what he had to say, edited for brevity and clarity ~

Managing Philosophy
"You can see all that new gray hair coming in just this year but it’s been a lot of fun. I love doing it. I wouldn’t trade it for the world. I love being a part of the kids' lives. I want [them] to be true professionals. [That’s] what I really talk about. I want them to do the right things. I want them to respect the game of baseball. I want them to be a true professional. And I just want them to conduct themselves the way they should. I want to be involved in the community. We do a lot of community stuff here. I want them to be clean-shaven. I want them to learn that people respect people who do their job the right way; people respect people who take the time to clean up the dugout while we’re on the road. They respect that. And if they respect you, in life you’re going to be successful. And that’s what I want from them. I want them to get better on the field, and believe me we do a lot of work to get better on the field. I just want them to be good people too. I want them to understand that not everybody’s going to be a big-league baseball player, not everybody’s going to be a professional athlete their whole lives, but if they know how to be on time, if they know how to do things the right way, when they leave and go to a real job, nobody has to teach them how to do that anymore, and they’re successful in life. They know how to grind. They know how to get things done and work ethic. All those little things I love to teach, I love to talk about. You just want to be an impact on the kids' lives and I was fortunate to have a lot of coaches that took time for me and that made that a big priority, to be a good person, to be a good baseball player, just be a true professional is what I call it."

Being a New Manager
"I love it. I love it. The challenge is just understanding what all goes into it. My other thing [hitting coach] was watch video, look at numbers, see counts, see what they can hit, see what they can’t hit, what we need to work on mechanically. Now it’s just where do we need to be on bunt plays? Where do we need to be on defense? Watch the whole field. Is this guy getting ready on time? Is he moving with two strikes? Are we throwing through? Do I need somebody hot [to] pitch? Do we want to pinch hit? Where is our pitching staff? Do we have a bullpen? Is our bullpen available tonight?"

Managing Rookie Level Baseball
"That’s the beauty about minor league baseball, in my opinion. You’re going to make errors. We’re going to mess up. I’m going to mess up as manager. You’re going to make mistakes. And we’re all going to learn from it. These players have all the tools. If they learn, one day it clicks, and then they're in the big leagues. And you’re like, 'Gosh, I was with that dude a couple years ago and now he’s making 10 mill a year.'"

Working Close to His Home in Charlotte
"Love being close to home. My wife is [a physical therapist] in Charlotte and it’s been awesome [since she can set her own schedule and visit often]. I have a real good support group my first year. My wife’s here. I’ve got a lot of support, a lot of love from her, a lot of love from her family, a lot of love from my family and they’re all close. I love that."

>>>>>>><<<<<<<

I will leave you with a mental image I have of Josh from the trip. Early work and BP under his direction were extremely organized and efficient. There was no wasted time, effort or energy. One day when I was observing, the field drills were done and it was time for BP. Josh trotted over to the BP cage, grabbed it, dug in his heels and was quickly dragging it into place. Another staff member started to pull the L-screen in front of Josh, but I heard someone tell him, "Let him go. He will run you right over with that thing." Nobody should get in the way, either, of his desire to develop these players into men, first and foremost, and then into major league ballplayers.

Thank you for your time and insight, Josh. The best of luck to you in guiding your team to the playoffs!

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.

Astros Minor League Playoff Picture - 8/29 Update

Oklahoma City - In Playoffs (Won Division)
Oklahoma City clinched the division title on Tuesday night and popped the bubbly. They are also the fourth Astros minor league affiliate to make the playoffs and will host the American Northern Division winner at home on Wednesday, September 4th and Thursday, September 5th to start a best of five series. Omaha currently leads that division, one game in front of Memphis and three games in front of the Iowa Cubs who are making a late push. The RedHawks will be hosting Memphis for a four-game series starting on Friday.

Corpus Christi - In Playoffs (Won first half; one game behind in second half)
The Hooks are in the playoffs by virtue of winning the first half of the season. The schedule for the first four games has already been set with the first two against San Antonio at home on Wednesday, September 4th and Thursday, September 5th and the next two at San Antonio on that Friday and Saturday. The Hooks host the Missions for the final three games of the season starting Saturday. With both the Hooks and Missions losing on Wednesday, the Hooks didn't lose any ground in the second half standings. They are still in second place, one game behind San Antonio in their quest for a second half title. The Hooks lead the Missions by two and a half games for the season.

Lancaster - In Playoffs (Won first half and second half)
The JetHawks are also in the playoffs by virtue of winning the first half and have clinched the second half title as well. The schedule for the first four games has been set with Lancaster playing at home on Saturday, September 7th and Sunday, September 8th (and will be attended by yours truly) and on the road the following Monday and Tuesday. What is still to be determined is the JetHawks opponent. They will play the winner of a mini-series between the #2 and #3 seeds.

Quad Cities - In Playoffs
Quad Cities became the third Astros minor league affiliate to clinch a playoff spot with Sunday's win over Burlington. The first playoff game is scheduled for September 4th at Modern Woodmen Park against Cedar Rapids. The best of three series will then move to Cedar Rapids starting Thursday.

Tri-City
The ValleyCats' loss on Wednesday and Lowell's win kept the 'Cats magic number at 5 with 8 games left to play. They are currently in first place, three games ahead of second place Lowell. The 'Cats play two on the road against Lowell over the weekend. They play a doubleheader today and could really help their cause with a pair of wins.

Greeneville
The Astros need to be in first or second place in their division to make the playoffs. They dropped to second place, a half game behind Kingsport, with the loss on Wednesday. Greeneville can clinch a playoff spot if they win one of their two remaining games or if third place Elizabethton loses one of their two. The Division title is still a possibility, but Greeneville really has to win tonight. Otherwise, they will have to rely on Kingsport to lose both of their remaining games to even have a chance.

GCL Astros - Eliminated
The GCL club has been eliminated from playoff contention. They are 27-32 with one game left. They are the only Astros affiliate that will end the 2013 season with a losing record.

DSL Astros - Eliminated
The DSL team was also eliminated from contention. They ended their season on Saturday with another win to cap off a four-game win streak and a 39-31 record for the season.

Happy Birthday - 8/29

Happy Birthday to ~

RHP Alex White (25)
Originally drafted by Cleveland in the first round in 2009, White came to Houston as a part of the December 2012 trade with the Rockies (along with Alex Gillingham) for Wilton Lopez and Jose Monzon. White had Tommy John surgery in April and is presumably living on Weiland Island with the other injured and rehabbing players whose names are never spoken aloud by the Astros front office.

Former Astros with birthdays today ~

RHP Roy Oswalt (36)
Drafted by Houston in the 23rd round in 1996, Oswalt pitched for Houston from 2001 until he was traded to Philadelphia for J.A. Happ, Jonathan Villar and Anthony Gose (flipped for Brett Wallace) in July 2010. In 303 games (291 starts), he was 143-82 with a 3.24 ERA and a 1.196 WHIP. He came in second in Rookie of the Year voting in 2001 to some guy named Pujols. He was a three-time All-Star for Houston and the NLCS MVP in 2005 when he went 2-0 with a 1.29 ERA and a 0.857 WHIP. He is currently in the Rockies organization.

OF Dave Nicholson (74)
Nicholson came to Houston in a trade with the White Sox prior to the 1966 season. In 100 games for the Astros, he hit .246/.356/.411.

LHP Dan Schneider (71)
Obtained in a trade with Atlanta in October 1966, Schneider played in 54 games for Houston in 1967 and in six games for Houston in 1969 with a 6.00 ERA and a 1.800 WHIP.

Tweet of the Day


There are two available AC settings in any given hotel: Antarctic chill and or Saharan summer.

Wednesday, August 28, 2013

Astros Minor League Recaps

Tuesday's Games

Here is the latest on the playoff picture.

Oklahoma City over Nashville 5-4
The RedHawks got to pop the bubbly on Tuesday night at home as they clinched both a playoff berth and a division title. Eric Berger (5IP 2H 1R BB 4SO) was terrific in his spot start, allowing only a solo home run, and was rewarded with the win. Jose Cisnero (1IP 2H 2R BB 2SO) and Jason Stoffel (2IP 2H 1R 2SO) made things a little too interesting, but Wade LeBlanc and Jorge de Leon combined in a perfect ninth to preserve the one run lead. George Springer (2x3 BB) got the scoring started in the fourth as he led off with a triple and scored on a Brandon Laird (2x4 R) single. A Carlos Perez bases-loaded walk and a Marc Krauss sac fly brought home two more runs in the frame. One more scored in the fifth on a Japhet Amador (3x4 R) RBI single. Jimmy Paredes scored the final run in the seventh as he singled, stole second, and advanced to third and scored on a pair of ground outs.

Frisco over Corpus Christi 5-1
David Rollins (7H 3R/2ER BB 5SO HR) tossed the first six innings and took the loss. He was followed by a perfect seventh from Cameron Lamb, but T.J. Geith allowed two runs on three hits in the ninth. The Hooks were held to three hits, including an RBI double in the first from Erik Castro. Ronald Torreyes went two-for-four and scored the lone Hooks run.

Lancaster over Lake Elsinore 7-2
Aaron West (5IP 8H 2R 9SO) improved his record to 9-8 for the season with the win. He was followed by two scoreless innings from Tommy Shirley and one each from Gera Sanchez and Travis Ballew. The JetHawks did the bulk of their scoring in the first inning, chasing out Lake Elsinore starter Justin Hancock after only two-thirds of an inning. Four singles (including a Joe Sclafani two-RBI single), three walks, a stolen base, wild pitch and a fielding error gave the 'Hawks a 5-0 lead in the first. RBI singles in the fifth and eighth from Chris Epps (1x3 BB 2RBI) and Carlos Perdomo accounted for the final two runs. M.P. Cokinos went three-for-four and scored two runs.

Quad Cities over Burlington 6-5
Daniel Minor got the start, allowing four runs on eight hits and a walk while striking out three over four innings. Juan Minaya threw the next four innings and got the win. The only run Minaya allowed was a solo home run (one of only two hits) as he struck out the side in three of his four innings, for a total of nine strikeouts. Andrew Walter got his first save for Quad Cities with a perfect ninth. In the first inning, Tony Kemp took one for the team and got on base on a hit by pitch and was followed by a Austin Elkins walk and a Teoscar Hernandez (2x4 2B 2R) single. Rio Ruiz (3x4) then proceeded to knock out the first grand slam of his career to put four on the board. Ruiz drove in another run in the third on an RBI single. The final run came in the fourth as Jobduan Morales hit a lead-off triple and then scored on a Jordan Scott sac fly.

Tri-City over Brooklyn 5-3 in 16 innings
Michael Feliz got the start, allowing two runs on six hits and a walk with eight strikeouts over five innings and was followed by two scoreless innings from Tyler Brunnemann. J.D. Osborne allowed the tying run across in the eighth and was charged with the blown save. Charles Basford (3.2IP 3BB 5SO), Krishawn Holley (3IP 3H 2BB SO) and Gonzalo Sanudo (1IP 3SO) provided scoreless relief. Holley got the win and Sanudo his sixth save for Tri-City. The 'Cats scored three in the fourth on a Tyler White solo homer, a Ronnie Mitchell (3x7) RBI double and a Chan Moon sac fly scoring Jon Kemmer. They didn't hit the run column again until the top of the 16th when this happened:

Tri-City Top of the 16th
  • Anthony Chavez remains in the game as the designated hitter.
  • Jack Mayfield walks.
  • Tyler White hit by pitch. Jack Mayfield to 2nd.
  • Conrad Gregor out on a sacrifice bunt, pitcher Cristian Chivilli to first baseman Alex Sanchez. Jack Mayfield to 3rd. Tyler White to 2nd.
  • Offensive Substitution: Pinch-hitter Adam Nelubowich replaces D'Andre Toney.
  • Adam Nelubowich out on a sacrifice fly to left fielder Jared King. Jack Mayfield scores. Tyler White to 3rd.
  • Jon Kemmer singles on a line drive to center fielder Jonathan Clark. Tyler White scores.
  • Ronnie Mitchell pops out to third baseman Juan Carlos Gamboa in foul territory.
Greeneville over Bluefield 2-1
Francis Ramirez pitched the first four and two-thirds innings, allowing only one unearned run on two hits while striking out seven. Sebastian Kessay, Jose Montero and Jordan Mills kept Bluefield from scoring the rest of the way. Greeneville scored one in the fourth on a Juan Santana RBI double. In the eighth, Marc Wik (2x3 2B BB 2R) walked, advanced to second on a balk, advanced to third on a wild pitch and then scored on an Alfredo Gonzalez single.

GCL Astros over GCL Tigers 13-2
Reymin Guduan (5IP 3H 0R BB 4SO) gave the Astros a good start and Brett Clements gave them a good finish, but in between Javier Lozano, Samil de los Santos and Devonte German all struggled. If you insist on looking, here's the full boxscore. Back-to-back doubles from Luis Reynoso (2x3 BB) and Jose Fernandez (2x4) in the third led to the first Astros run. Reynoso also scored in the sixth on a Jacob Nottingham sac fly.

Player of the Day: Rio Ruiz' first career grand slam and five RBI day definitely qualifies him to be Player of the Day. In his last 10 games, he is hitting .342/.390/.684.

Pitcher of the Day: Juan Minaya gets the nod today. Nine strikeouts, seven of them swinging, in four innings? Wow!

Astros Minor League Playoff Picture - 8/28

Oklahoma City - In Playoffs (Won Division)
Oklahoma City clinched the division title on Tuesday night and popped the bubbly. They are also the fourth Astros minor league affiliate to make the playoffs and will host the American Northern Division winner at home on Wednesday, September 4th and Thursday, September 5th to start a best of five series. Omaha currently leads that division, one game in front of Memphis. The RedHawks will be hosting Memphis for a four-game series starting on Friday.

Corpus Christi - In Playoffs (Won first half; tied for lead in second half)
The Hooks are in the playoffs by virtue of winning the first half of the season. The schedule for the first four games has already been set with the first two against San Antonio at home on Wednesday, September 4th and Thursday, September 5th and the next two at San Antonio on that Friday and Saturday. The Hooks host the Missions for the final three games of the season starting Saturday. With Tuesday's loss, the Hooks are now back in second place, one game behind San Antonio in their quest for a second half title. The Hooks lead the Missions by two and a half games for the season.

Lancaster - In Playoffs (Won first half and second half)
The JetHawks are also in the playoffs by virtue of winning the first half and have clinched the second half title as well. The schedule for the first four games has been set with Lancaster playing at home on Saturday, September 7th and Sunday, September 8th (and will be attended by yours truly) and on the road the following Monday and Tuesday. What is still to be determined is the JetHawks opponent. They will play the winner of a mini-series between the #2 and #3 seeds.

Quad Cities - In Playoffs
Quad Cities became the third Astros minor league affiliate to clinch a playoff spot with Sunday's win over Burlington. The first playoff game is scheduled for September 4th at Modern Woodmen Park against Cedar Rapids. The best of three series will then move to Cedar Rapids starting Thursday.

Tri-City
The ValleyCats have two ways to make it to the playoffs. They are currently in first place, four games ahead of second place Lowell with 9 games left to play. The magic number to eliminate Lowell is 5. If they fall out of first place, they could potentially earn a wild card berth. Their current record ties them for a wild card if they weren't winning their division. The 'Cats play two on the road against Lowell over the weekend.

Greeneville
The Astros need to be in first or second place in their division to make the playoffs. They are currently in first place, a half game ahead of Kingsport, two and a half games ahead of third place Elizabethton and three games ahead of fourth place Johnson City with three games left to play. All of the teams in the division won on Tuesday. Greeneville can clinch one of the two playoff spots tonight with a win, but the Division title is still up for grabs.

GCL Astros - Eliminated
The GCL club has been eliminated from playoff contention. They are 26-32 with two games left. They are the only Astros affiliate that will end the 2013 season with a losing record.

DSL Astros - Eliminated
The DSL team was also eliminated from contention. They ended their season on Saturday with another win to cap off a four-game win streak and a 39-31 record for the season.

Happy Birthday - 8/28

Happy Birthday to ~

3B Matt Dominguez (24)
A first round pick by the Marlins in 2007, Dominguez came to Houston along with LHP Rob Rasmussen in the July 2012 trade for Carlos Lee. In 125 games with Houston this season, Dominguez is hitting .240/.278/.415 with 20 doubles, 19 home runs and 66 RBI.

Tweets of the Day


Sanudo with a 1-2-3 16th inning, 'Cats win 5-3!


Never want to chart a game that long again..

Tuesday, August 27, 2013

An Interview with Corpus Christi RHP Jonas Dufek

[UPDATE: It was just announced today that Jonas Dufek will be one of the Astros minor leaguers who have been picked to play in the Arizona Fall League.]

I've been watching RHP Jonas Dufek since I saw him last year pitching in the starting rotation for Class A Lexington. The 2011 ninth round pick out of Creighton University certainly stands out in a crowd, at 6'5" 215#, but his stats never quite stood out in the increasingly crowded ranks of Astros minor league starting pitchers.

Then at the beginning of the 2013 season, Dufek was moved to the bullpen. After struggling a bit to start the season in the very hitter-friendly confines of The Hangar in Lancaster, Dufek settled in nicely putting up a 0.95 ERA and a 1.263 WHIP from June through his promotion to Corpus toward the end of July. During those final 16 games, he walked only nine batters while striking out 27 in 25+ innings.

Fast forward to today. In Dufek's first 11 appearances out of the Hooks bullpen, he is 6-0 with three saves, a 0.55 ERA and a 0.735 WHIP. He has allowed only one run in 16 and a third innings. He has struck out 17 batters and has yet to walk a batter. I think it's safe to say that Dufek's stats now definitely stand out from the crowd.

Jonas Dufek - June 2013 in Lancaster
Photo by Jayne Hansen

I have spoken to Jonas a few times, but I caught up with him via email for this interview. Here is what he had to say ~

WTH: You spent your first two seasons as a starter and got converted to the bullpen this year. Do you feel like that is a good fit for you?

JD: Moving into the bullpen this year took a little time getting used to, but now that I am comfortable with it I feel like it was a good move for me. I feel like the move has allowed me to pitch more off of my slider since I don’t have to worry about facing the batters more than once a game, compared to when I was a starter.

WTH: Everyone knows that Lancaster and High Desert in the California League are notoriously hitter-friendly ballparks. Tell me a little about the experience pitching there and what you learned from it.

JD: Pitching in Lancaster and the California League isn’t the easiest on pitchers, but it does really make you focus on each one of your pitches and to not take a batter off. Hitters can easily hurt you on mistakes and pitches you don’t locate, but the main takeaway I learned was that if you execute your pitches you can pitch anywhere.

WTH: How does pitching in the Texas League compare to pitching in the California League?

JD: The Texas league is more of a pitcher friendly league than the California league, but the higher level of competition is noticeable. The hitters are more disciplined around the plate and have a better ability to lay off of pitches out of the strike zone. One of the benefits to the Texas league for me is the humidity. Growing up and always playing in humid areas, the dry desert of California made it hard to get good grips on the ball sometimes. After playing in Corpus for a month, I can tell I don’t have to worry about that anymore.

WTH: At the risk of jinxing you, you have been lights out in your outings since the promotion and have yet to walk a batter. To what do you attribute your early success in the league?

JD: I really have just focused on going out, throwing quality pitches in the strike zone and not giving anything free to the hitters. When you come out of the bullpen you might only be in there for an out or two so you really have to focus and make those couple of batters count. Of course, working with catchers like Max Stassi, Ryan McCurdy and Cody Clark have helped me make the transition since each of them are so solid behind the plate.

WTH: Tell me a little about your pitch repertoire.

JD: Well my pitches are a four seam and two seam fastball, a slider and a change up. Since coming out of the bullpen I have really worked off my fastball and slider but still mix in a couple change ups. My slider has really been my go to pitch and I feel comfortable throwing it in any count for a strike.

WTH: What have you accomplished so far this year and what do you still need to work on?

JD: One of my biggest accomplishments has just been adjusting to being a reliever. The early part of the season I was still trying to figure out a role, and then as the year went on I was really able to settle into a groove. Pitching coach Donnie Alexander was a big help in adjusting but some of the best advice came from the guys in the bullpen. They talked with me about past experiences and just getting the right mind set for coming into the later innings of the game.

WTH: What fellow Astros pitcher you've seen over the last three years has a pitch you'd like to steal?

JD: I would love to have Nick Tropeano's change up. The pitch just bottoms out and is so hard for hitters to pick up. I’ve watched him for three years now and his change up has worked against every level.

WTH: What Astros hitter would you least like to face?

JDMatt Duffy. I have faced Duffy one time in spring training and he roped a double off the wall the first pitch I threw him. But really it’s because he is such a complete hitter and always has a solid approach every at bat. I’ve seen him be an all-star three years in a row now and his abilities have just gotten better every year.

WTH: Is there a player in the Astros system that you like to just sit back and watch pitch/play?

JD: Ryan McCurdy. I have played on and off with McCurdy every one of my pro seasons and he is one of the most consistent guys I know. He works extremely hard on and off the field and never takes a play off. He’s also one of my favorite catchers to pitch to just because of his intelligence behind the plate and effort he gives you on every pitch.

WTH: Who on the JetHawks or Hooks teams can really make you laugh?

JD: Both the teams have had great guys on it, but spending most of the games in the bullpen I would say any of the relief pitchers. Ballew, Dimock, Lamb, Geith, Walters… the list goes on. It has been a fun season with these guys and they are always cracking jokes with each other.

WTH: What would you do if you couldn't play baseball?

JD: Hopefully something outdoors. Being in a cubicle 40 hours a week isn’t what I picture doing for a career. Maybe something like a park ranger for a national park or somewhere along those lines.

WTH: Tell me something about yourself that most people don't know and might be surprised to hear.

JD: I love to go hiking in the mountains and every fall after the offseason I have gone to Colorado to hike. It’s really peaceful and a great way to unwind after a long season.

>>>>>>><<<<<<<

Well, there you have it. I would like to add that, on a personal level, I have really enjoyed talking with Jonas. We share some Midwestern roots as his home in Nebraska is only a couple hours away from my hometown in South Dakota. He is down-to-earth, exceedingly polite and just an all-around nice guy, all of which I would expect from a fellow Midwesterner. (And maybe hearkening from the flat plains of the Midwest explains our mutual love of hiking as well!)

Thank you for your time, Jonas, and the best of luck as the Hooks head into the playoffs next week!

Astros Minor League Recaps

Monday's Games

For the latest update on the playoff picture, go here.

Nashville over Oklahoma City 6-3
Ross Seaton (4.1IP 9H 4R 2BB 4SO HR) took the loss and was followed by scoreless relief from Rhiner Cruz and Pat Urckfitz. Hector Ambriz allowed the final two runs across in the ninth. The RedHawks first run came in the fourth on a Jon Singleton (2x3 2BB 3RBI) RBI single. They didn't score again until the bottom of the ninth when Singleton drove in a pair. Jose Martinez was two-for-five with a double and a run scored, and Japhet Amador was two-for-five as well. George Springer went two-for-four with a walk, stolen base and run scored. He is now 37/43 in his quest to join the 40/40 club.

Corpus Christi over San Antonio 5-0
Luis Cruz, in only his second AA start, pitched a complete game shutout, allowing only two hits and one walk. He struck out 14 batters. Wow! Another newcomer to the team, Leo Heras (3x5 2B HR 4RBI 2R), made his presence known with a three-run home run in the third to get the Hooks on the board. RBI singles from Preston Tucker (2x4) in the eighth and from Heras in the ninth accounted for the final two runs. Erik Castro went two-for-four with two doubles, and Matt Duffy was also two-for-four and scored two runs.

Rancho Cucamonga over Lancaster 4-1
Vincent Velasquez was charged with the loss as he allowed four runs on five hits and four walks. He struck out seven in his five innings of work. Tyson Perez and Jordan Jankowski kept the Quakes from scoring again, but the 'Hawks bats were quiet as they only managed five singles and a Chris Epps double in the second. Epps went on to score on a Jesse Wierzbicki single and a throwing error. Carlos Perdomo was three-for-three and drew a walk.

Burlington over Quad Cities 3-2 in 10 innings
Quad Cities had a 1-0 shutout going from the second inning until the ninth, thanks to six excellent innings from Josh Hader (4H 0BB 6SO) and two scoreless frames from Zach Morton. The lone run allowed by Morton came in the bottom of the ninth and caused him to be charged with a blown save. Rio Ruiz singled in a run in the second and the Bandits didn't score again until the top of the 10th when Austin Elkins drove in Ruiz with an RBI double. Unfortunately, in the bottom of the frame, Patrick Christensen should have been out of it with a save, but between a wild pitch and a throwing error on a strikeout that should have been the third out, the inning continued and he allowed the Bees to come back for a walk-off win.

Brooklyn over Tri-City 8-1
Adrian Houser had a bad day at the office. In only one and a third innings, he was charged with six runs (three earned) on six hits and two hit batters. Randall Fant followed and allowed two of Houser's runners to score and one of his own before settling in nicely until the seventh inning when he was charged with another run. Zach Dando pitched a scoreless eighth. The only 'Cats run came across in the fifth as Jack Mayfield scored from third on a wild pitch. Tri-City was held to six singles in the game; Mayfield had two of them.

Greeneville over Bluefield 3-2
Nothing like winning two in a row against the team with the best record in the Appy League to get you just that much closer to a playoff berth, and winning it in walk-off fashion! Frederick Tiburcio (5.2IP 5H BB 6SO) gave up the only two Bluefield runs in the sixth and was followed by three and a third scoreless innings from Austin Chrismon. Thomas Lindauer (2x3 BB 2R) scored the first Astros run in the third and drove in the next one in the fourth, so it was only appropriate that he would score the winning run in the bottom of the ninth from second on a ground out and throwing error. Tanner Mathis went two-for-four; Brett Phillips and Brian Holberton both doubled in the game. Phillips is back in the line-up for the first time since August 8th. It will be invaluable to have him in the line-up for the playoff push.

GCL Tigers over GCL Astros 9-1
Joe Musgrove stretched it out to six innings in his latest start and was very effective, allowing only one run on four hits and two walks while striking out four. Unfortunately, the wheels came off the bus in the seventh for Juan Santos and Robert Corniel as eight runs (five earned) scored against the two pitchers in the inning. Jorge Perez allowed a walk, but nothing else in the eighth. The Astros were held to three hits, two of them from Yonathan Mejia who doubled in the second, and then singled and scored on a Jacob Nottingham double in the fourth.

Player of the Day: Leo Heras, come on down! Heras is hitting .412/.500/.824 in his first four games since joining the Hooks from the Mexican League.

Pitcher of the Day: For once, the choice is a no-brainer. Luis Cruz tosses a complete game shutout in only his second start since his promotion to AA. Wrap your head around that. I can't say I'm terribly surprised though. Cruz was, after all, one of the two pitchers that threw a combined no-hitter in May for Lancaster.

Astros Minor League Playoff Picture - 8/27 Update

Oklahoma City
Oklahoma City is currently in first place with a magic number of two to eliminate Albuquerque and clinch the division. They have 7 games left to play. The magic number to eliminate Round Rock now stands at one. Albuquerque and Round Rock play again tonight. If Round Rock beats Albuquerque and Oklahoma City wins its game against Nashville, Oklahoma City will clinch tonight. Otherwise, it can't happen until Wednesday. Despite Nashville having the worst record in the Pacific Coast League and the RedHawks having the best home record in the league, the RedHawks lost to Nashville at home last night.

Corpus Christi - In Playoffs (Won first half; tied for lead in second half)
The Hooks are in the playoffs by virtue of winning the first half of the season. The schedule for the first four games has already been set with the first two against San Antonio at home on Wednesday, September 4th and Thursday, September 5th and the next two at San Antonio on that Friday and Saturday. The Hooks play the Missions three more times over their last 7 games. With Monday's win against the Missions, the Hooks moved into a tie with them for the second half title. The Hooks lead the Missions by three and a half games for the season.

Lancaster - In Playoffs (Won first half and second half)
The JetHawks are also in the playoffs by virtue of winning the first half and have clinched the second half title as well. The schedule for the first four games has been set with Lancaster playing at home on Saturday, September 7th and Sunday, September 8th (and will be attended by yours truly) and on the road the following Monday and Tuesday. What is still to be determined is the JetHawks opponent. They will play the winner of a mini-series between the #2 and #3 seeds.

Quad Cities - In Playoffs
Quad Cities became the third Astros minor league affiliate to clinch a playoff spot with Sunday's win over Burlington. The first playoff game is scheduled for September 4th at Modern Woodmen Park against either Beloit or Cedar Rapids.

Tri-City
The ValleyCats have two ways to make it to the playoffs. They are currently in first place, four games ahead of second place Lowell with 10 games left to play. The magic number to eliminate Lowell is 6 (1 to eliminate Connecticut). If they fall out of first place, they could potentially earn a wild card berth. Their current record puts them in second place for a wild card if they weren't winning their division. They lost their first game last night after having won five games in a row and have two games left to play against Lowell. Lowell has lost four in a row.

Greeneville
The Astros need to be in first or second place in their division to make the playoffs. They are currently in first place, a half game ahead of Kingsport, two and a half games ahead of third place Elizabethton and three games ahead of fourth place Johnson City with four games left to play. All of the teams in the divsision won on Monday. The magic number to eliminate Elizabethton is three, four for Johnson City. Greeneville can clinch one of the two playoff spots as early as tonight if they win and both Elizabethton and Johnson City lose.

GCL Astros - Eliminated
The GCL club has been eliminated from playoff contention. They are 26-31 with three games left. They are the only Astros affiliate that will end the 2013 season with a losing record.

DSL Astros - Eliminated
The DSL team was also eliminated from contention. They ended their season on Saturday with another win to cap off a four-game win streak and a 39-31 record for the season.

Happy Birthday - 8/27

Happy Birthday to ~

RHP Nick Tropeano (23)
Drafted in the fifth round in 2011 out of Stony Brook (NY), Tropeano is in his first season with Corpus Christi this year. In 27 games (19 starts), he is 7-9 with a 4.06 ERA and a 1.321 WHIP. He has walked 37 batters over 128+ innings and struck out 124.

Former Astros with birthdays today ~

RHP Jim York (66)
A 16th round pick by the Royals in 1969, York came to Houston in a trade with Kansas City prior to the 1972 season. In 114 games with the Astros from 1972 to 1975, he was 9-11 with a 4.19 ERA and a 1.646 WHIP.

C Ed Herrmann (67)
Obtained in a trade with the California Angels in June of 1976, Herrmann was with the Astros until he went to the Expos in June of 1978. In 151 games with the Astros, he hit .227/.293/.288. He was an All-Star for the White Sox in 1974.

3B David Gus "Buddy" Bell (62)
Originally drafted by Cleveland in the 16th round in 1969, Bell came to Houston in a June 1988 trade with the Reds and played for the Astros the remainder of that season. In 74 games, he was .253/.301/.375. In all, he played for four teams over a span of 18 seasons and won six Golden Gloves, a Silver Slugger and five All-Star nods.

RHP Mike Maddux (52)
A fifth round pick by the Phillies in 1982, Maddux came to Houston as a free agent in 2000 at the end of his career. In 21 games, he was 2-2 with a 6.26 ERA and a 1.573 WHIP. The well-traveled Maddux played for nine different teams in his 15-year major league career.

Tweet of the Day


When the lady at the front desk of a hotel tells you "it's just fleas, not bed bugs" in your third room of the summer hahahaha

Monday, August 26, 2013

The Dominican Summer League Astros Season in Review

The DSL season is over and what an improvement over last year! Let's look at how their season compares to 2012.

2012 Win Percentage - .319
2013 Win Percentage - .557

2012 Runs Scored - Runs Allowed = Run Differential - 254 - 383 = (129)
2013 Runs Scored - Runs Allowed = Run Differential - 270 - 230 = 40

2012 Team ERA & WHIP - 4.19 & 1.494
2013 Team ERA & WHIP - 2.35 & 1.127

2012 Team Batting Line - .215/.301/.285
2013 Team Batting Line - .231/.317/.313

The offense was still a bit lackluster, but that pitching? Wow! Let's look at the offense first, though. Out of 35 teams, the DSL Astros ranked 20th in batting average, 27th in on-base percentage and 19th in slugging percentage. They ranked 29th in drawing walks (bad) and 29th in striking out (good). But even though the team numbers weren't at the top offensively, there were a few standouts on the team.

2B Jean Estrella ranked 19th in the league in batting average with a .341 mark. He also led the DSL Astros in batting average and in on-base percentage (.380) for those with significant playing time. It is small wonder that the Astros promoted him to the Gulf Coast League recently so that he can get his feet wet before next season. And did I mention that Estrella doesn't turn 18 until next April? Yeah.

CF Luis Payano also provided some excitement for the DSL team. Although, he only had a .226 batting average, he ranked high on the team in terms of slugging percentage. Payano led the team in doubles with 13, and also had three triples and three home runs, and was the RBI leader on the team. Payano was also second on the team in stolen bases and ranked 19th in the league in runs scored. He won't turn 18 until next May.

1B/OF Hector Roa led the team with a .423 slugging percentage and seven home runs. He also hit 11 doubles and three triples in his 56 games. Roa was also recently promoted to the GCL. He will be 19 in March.

C Marlon Avea and C Brian Pena tied for the second highest on-base percentage on the team behind Jean Estrella and both showed good defensive skills as well with Avea catching 44 of 90 (49%) would be base-stealers and Pena catching 27 of 61 (44%). Avea will turn 20 in August and Pena turned 19 in June.

Now, for that pitching ... the team ranked second out of 35 teams in ERA (2.35) and WHIP (1.127). They were sixth in the league in strikeouts and 21st in issuing free passes. And there were several pitchers on the team that bear watching going forward.

RHP Harold Arauz was 17th in the league in ERA (1.91) and second in WHIP with a very stingy 0.894 mark. Opposing batters only hit .195 against him. He walked 12 batters while striking out 43 in his 66 innings. He just turned 18 in May.

LHP Edwin Villarroel, who also turned 18 in May, had a 2.51 ERA and a 1.144 WHIP in his 14 starts. He walked 14 and struck out 44 in 64+ innings.

RHP Elieser Hernandez fell just short of the innings requirement to be a league leader. Had he not, his 1.26 ERA would rank third in the league and his 0.994 WHIP would rank eighth. He walked 21 and struck out 46 in 57+ innings, and batters only hit .184 against him. Hernandez also turned 18 in May. In addition, 20-year old RHP Gerardo Juarez put up a 1.86 ERA in 53+ innings, and a WHIP of 0.884 that would have ranked him second in the league if he had enough innings to qualify. Juarez was also promoted to the GCL recently.

RHP Angel Heredia was tied for third in the league in saves with 13. He sported a 1.18 ERA and a 1.211 WHIP and a 46:15 SO:BB ratio. Rounding out the bullpen were RHP Yonquelys Martinez (1.74 ERA/.0839 WHIP in 19 appearances), LHP Cristhopher Santamaria (0.73 ERA/0.730 WHIP in 15 appearances) and relative newcomer LHP Starlyng Sanchez (1.12 ERA/1.000 WHIP in 8 appearances) with particularly good seasons. Santamaria is yet another young player who won't turn 18 until next June.

In addition to those named, there were another five pitchers with a 3.00 ERA or lower and four of those five had WHIP's topping out at 1.108. That's impressive to say the least!

All in all, the Astros front office has to be happy with the improvements to the DSL team over last season. Long-time Astros Pitching Coach Rick Aponte certainly seems to have made an impact with the young staff in his first season back with the DSL in several years.