Astros Minor League Recaps

Results for Tuesday, April 29, 2014

Let's play 2 in Davenport! Never mind.

Oklahoma City 2, Round Rock 0

W- Rhiner Cruz (1-0)
L- Justin Germano (1-3)
S- Josh Zeid (3)

OKC home runs: Gregorio Petit (2, 2-run in 1st)

This game lasted 2 hours and 7 minutes. This was the shortest OKC game since the 2012 season finale: September 3, 2012. The RedHawks topped Round Rock 1-0 that day in 2 hours, 2 minutes.

Well, there you have it. All the offense in this game came off the bat of Gregorio Petit in the 1st inning. That blast would also be the only OKC hit until the 6th, when Ronald Torreyes singled. Max Stassi had the other RedHawks hit, a single in the 7th.

The pitching staff combined on a 4-hitter. Mike Foltynewicz pitched 4 innings and allowed 2 hits, walked 4, and struck out 3. Rhiner Cruz threw 2 scoreless and allowed 2 hits while striking out 3. Chia-Jen Lo struck out 2 over 2 perfect frames, and Josh Zeid finished it with a 1-2-3 9th.

Jake Buchanan will face Ryan Feierabend in game 3 of this series. First pitch is at 7:05. The tandem system in OKC is now in a holding pattern, per Brian McTaggart.

Luhnow said OKC going with six-man rotation now that Seaton and Harrell out. Will go back to tandem starters later.
— Brian McTaggart (@brianmctaggart) April 29, 2014

OKC rotation: Owens, Foltynewicz, Buchanan, Tropeano, Martinez and Doran.
— Brian McTaggart (@brianmctaggart) April 29, 2014

Midland 9, Corpus Christi 8

W- Jesus Castillo (1-0)
L- Jorge De Leon (1-2)

CC home runs: Chris Epps (2, 3-run in 2nd)

The Hooks coughed up a 7-1 lead and wound up walking off with the loss after the RockHounds put up 4 in the bottom of the 9th.

7 of the 8 Corpus runs came in the 2nd inning. Tyler Heineman began the assault with a bases-clearing double. Chris Epps then clubbed a 3-run homer (2), and Matt Duffy added an RBI double. Andrew Aplin went 2-5 with an RBI single in the 9th, but was thrown out trying to stretch it into a double. Matt Duffy and M.P. Cokinos both finished 2-4, and everyone in the lineup scored a run except for Joe Sclafani, who was 0-2 with 3 walks.

Matt Heidenreich allowed 2 runs (1 earned) on a force out and a sac fly, a hit, walked 6, and struck out 2 in 4.2 innings of work. Jordan Jankowski went 1.1 innings and gave up 3 runs on 4 hits, walked 1, and struck out 3. Travis Ballew was the only Hooks pitcher with a scoreless outing, as he allowed 2 hits, walked 2, and struck out 1 over 2 innings. Jorge De Leon blew it.

Game 2 will feature Tommy Shirley as he faces Drew Granier at 11:00 A.M. Is the tandem system also on hold in Corpus?

Lancaster 5, High Desert 3

W- Lance McCullers (1-1)
L- Scott DeCecco (1-2)
S- Jamaine Cotton (3)

Lancaster home runs: Brandon Meredith (5, solo in 8th)

Before the game, a players-only meeting was held. According to Eric Smith, although no one discussed what was said behind closed doors, it seems that the purpose was to let some frustration go. The venting looked like it had a positive effect, as the JetHawks snapped a 3-game losing streak. Lance McCullers rendered the High Desert offense useless, and now they're in a 3-way tie with the Mavericks and Lake Elsinore at the top of the Cal League South division.

The JetHawks struck out 17 batters, which tied a team record set back in 1997, when they were a Mariners affiliate. McCullers tossed 5 shutout innings and allowed 3 hits, walked 1, and struck out a career-high 10. Kyle Smith allowed 3 runs (1 earned) on 6 hits (solo homer) and struck out 7 in 3.2 innings. Jamaine Cotton got D.J. Peterson to fly out for the final out of the game.

The Lancaster offense finally cracked Scott DeCecco, who had really shackled them in his first 2 appearances. Brandon Meredith went 3-4; he singled to lead off the bottom of the 4th and scored the first run of the night on Dan Gulbransen's double. Gulbransen would score on a Carlos Perdomo sac fly, and Ruben Sosa added an RBI single to wrap up the scoring in the 4th. Perdomo, who went 2-3, scored on a force out that was hit by Jake Rodriguez in the 6th, and Meredith hit a solo shot (5) in the 8th. Rodriguez finished 2-4 with a run scored and was credited with an RBI on his force out in the 6th.

Josh Hader and Chris Devenski will face Dylan Unsworth in game 3 of this series. First pitch is at 6:30 Pacific.

Quad Cities and Clinton was rained out, again

Due to wet grounds. They'll play two doubleheaders; 2 games tonight and 2 games on Thursday. Kent Emanuel (game 1) and Jandel Gustave (game 2) will be the pitchers for tonight. Emanuel will face Eddie Campbell and Gustave is taking on Tommy Burns. First pitch of game 1 will be at 6:00.


Three Stars: Position Players

3. ALL THE OFFENSE

Gregorio Petit, SS, Oklahoma City
1-3, 2-R HR (2) in 1st

2. They only had 1 hit apiece, but they sure made 'em count.

Chris Epps, OF, Corpus Christi

As the DH: 3-R HR (2) in the 2nd

4 of Epps' 7 hits have gone for extra bases. He's sporting an .848 OPS despite only hitting .206 through his first 10 games with the Hooks.

Tyler Heineman, C, Corpus Christi
1-3, 3-R 2B in 2nd, R

1.

Brandon Meredith, OF/1B, Lancaster
3-4, solo HR (5), 2 R

Three Stars: Pitchers

Hmm.... shutout, or team record?

2.

Lance McCullers

W (1-1), 5 IP, 3 H, BB, 10 K

Kyle Smith

3.2 IP, 6 H (solo HR), 3 R (1 earned), 7 K

Jamaine Cotton

Save (3); Recorded final out of the game

Cotton only needed to get one out, but his role was just as big as McCullers' and Smith's. Also, if a team's pitchers all performed well, then it would make sense to include all of them, right?

1. OKC shutout wins.

Mike Foltynewicz

4 IP, 2 H, 4 BB, 3 K

Rhiner Cruz

W (1-0), 2 IP, 2 H, 3 K

Chia-Jen Lo

2 IP, 2 K

Josh Zeid
Save (3), IP