Astros Minor League Recaps

Results for Wednesday, May 21, 2014

Oklahoma City 6, New Orleans 1

W- Paul Clemens (2-0)
L- Bryan Evans (4-3)

OKC home runs: None.

OKC Matinee Magic is real, guys. Asher Wojciechowski made his return to baseball after spending the first 7 weeks of the season on the shelf. He had been in Kissimmee, working his way back from a lat strain he suffered in February.

Wojo went 4 innings in his season debut and allowed a run on 4 hits, walked 1, and struck out 5. Despite issuing 8 walks on the afternoon, the RedHawks still managed to hold New Orleans to 1 run.

Bobby Doran tagged in for the 5th, and he worked around a single and 2 walks to throw a scoreless frame. The bases were not loaded on Doran; Jordany Valdespin, who walked to begin the inning, was caught stealing 2nd. Paul Clemens got 2 quick outs in the 6th, but all of a sudden, a double from Jake Marisnick, a "plunking" of Matt Angle (even Angle thought he wasn't hit by that pitch), and a Valdespin walk loaded the bases. Clemens was able to escape unscathed when he struck out Josh Rodriguez to end the inning. The 7th turned out to be less harrowing for Clemens; he did walk Kyle Jensen, but got an inning-ending double play. Clemens allowed a hit, walked 2, and struck out 3 in those 2 innings. Chia-Jen Lo also had to extricate himself from a bases-loaded situation in the 8th. He worked around a single, 2 walks, and a wild pitch to put up a zero on the scoreboard, and struck out Juan Diaz for the first out of the inning. Kevin Chapman walked Mark Canha to open the 9th, but nothing happened. He retired the next 3, even with Canha moving to 2nd on defensive indifference.

OKC kicked off the scoring with a pair in the 3rd. Adron Chambers laid down a bunt single and on the ensuing error, Andy Simunic scored the first run of the day. Domingo Santana added an RBI groundout later in the inning. Simunic added an RBI single in the 4th. In the 5th, Ronald Torreyes reached on an error that allowed Jon Singleton to score; Torreyes was credited with an RBI on the play. Santana scored on a wild pitch, and Jonathan Meyer brought home the final run of the day with a sac fly. Kiké Hernandez went 1-3 with 2 runs scored; he's now on an 8-game hitting streak. Meyer was the only RedHawk with a multi-hit day, going 2-3 with a double. Santana and Erik Castro drew 2 walks apiece.

The series finale features Nick Tropeano on the mound for OKC. He'll be taking on Andrew Heaney, the 9th overall pick in 2012 who will be making his AAA debut. First pitch is at 7:05.

Corpus Christi 7, Arkansas 2

W- Tommy Shirley (5-2)
L- Kramer Sneed (4-4)

CC home runs: Preston Tucker (10, solo in 9th), René Garcia (3, 2-run in 2nd)

The Hooks kicked off the series with a dominating victory; Tommy Shirley rendered the Travelers offense useless, and the Hooks offense backed him up with a big 5th inning.

Shirley, whose 1.51 ERA and 47 strikeouts both rank 2nd in the Texas League, threw 6 shutout innings and allowed a hit and struck out 5. He didn't issue a walk, but he did hit a batter. Alex Sogard was the first man out; he threw 2 innings and allowed 2 runs (1 earned) on 2 hits (solo homer), walked 1, and struck out 2. Andrew Robinson brought it home as he worked around 2 hits to throw a scoreless 9th, striking out 2.

The Hooks only scored in 3 innings, but they put up a crooked number in 2 of them. René Garcia finished 2-5 and opened the scoring with his 2-run shot (3) in the 2nd inning. They put up 4 in the 5th, which proved to be the decisive inning. Nolan Fontana ripped a 2-run double, and Preston Tucker and M.P. Cokinos chipped in with RBI singles. Tucker provided the cherry with a solo shot (10) in the 9th, his 4th blast in his last 5 games.

In game 2 of this series, Kyle Smith will face Drew Rucinski at 7:10.

Bakersfield 5, Lancaster 4 in 10 innings

W- Carlos Gonzalez (2-0)
L- Juan Minaya (0-1)

Lancaster home runs: Carlos Correa (3, solo in 1st)

The JetHawks walked off with the loss after Seth Mejias-Brean took Juan Minaya deep with 1 out in the bottom of the 10th. Lancaster had a 3-1 lead after the 3rd inning, but they were outscored 4-1 the rest of the way.

Correa's blast in the 1st was his first homer since April 16. In the 3rd, Tony Kemp drew a walk, then stole 2nd (19). He'd come home on a Teoscar Hernandez triple, and Correa brought Hernandez home with a single. Jordan Scott broke a 3-3 tie with an RBI double in the 7th. Correa and Hernandez both finished 2-5 with a run scored.

Kyle Westwood pitched 5 innings and allowed 3 runs on 7 hits, walked 3, and struck out 4. Gonzalo Sañudo allowed a run on 4 hits, walked 1, and struck out 1 over 4 innings. Juan Minaya struck out Kyle Waldrop to begin the 10th, but Mejias-Brean took him deep to win it for Bako.

In the series finale, Kent Emanuel will face Mike Dennhardt. First pitch is at 7:30 Pacific. And, that'll be the last time that the JetHawks will start at 9:30 here in Houston. The next trip to Bakersfield has 3 9:15 games with a 2:00 game sandwiched in between.

Quad Cities 4, Burlington 4 in the 7th inning

This game was suspended when Modern Woodmen Park lost power before the 7th inning. It will be completed at a later date. The next meeting between these two teams will be a 3-game series beginning on Sunday in Burlington.

What's happened so far?

The Bandits have rallied from a 4-0 deficit by scoring 4 unanswered. Ronnie Mitchell went deep (2) to begin the bottom of the 3rd, which put QC on the board, down 4-1. After Brian Holberton hit a 2-out double in the 4th, he came home on a Brett Phillips double. Phillips brought Holberton home again on a sac fly in the 6th, and later in the inning, Thomas Lindauer tied the game with an RBI single. Holberton and Lindauer are currently 2-3.

Kevin Comer made his first start of the season; he went 5 innings and allowed 4 runs on 8 hits while striking out 3. Albert Minnis pitched a 1-2-3 6th, getting 3 groundouts.

The River Bandits will begin a 3-game set with Cedar Rapids beginning tonight at 7:00. Hopefully, power in the park will be restored well before gametime. Chris Lee will face Aaron Slegers in the opener.

There will not be a Three Stars segment until this slate of games is completed.