What the Heck, Bobby?: Astros Minor League Recaps

Results for Saturday, May 3, 2014

Stache power!!!

Omaha 4, Oklahoma City 2

W- John Lamb (1-5)
L- Bobby Doran (0-2)
S- Buddy Baumann (1)

OKC home runs: Jonathan Meyer (2, solo in 2nd)

The RedHawks doubled up the Storm Chasers in the hit column..... but the Storm Chasers doubled up the RedHawks in the run column.

Jonathan Meyer opened up the scoring in the 2nd inning with his 2nd home run of the season, and Enrique Hernandez went 3-4 with an RBI double in the 6th. Robbie Grossman was also 3-4 on the evening, while Domingo Santana and Andy Simunic chipped in 2 hits apiece.

Bobby Doran went 5 innings and allowed 3 runs (all in the 3rd) on 2 hits, walked 4, and struck out 3. Rhiner Cruz worked around a hit to strike out 2 in a scoreless 6th. Chia- Jen Lo gave up a run on 3 hits in the 7th, and Kevin Chapman walked 1 and fanned 2 as he threw a scoreless 8th.

In game 3 of this series, Rudy Owens will face off against Sugar Ray Marimon at 2:05.

Corpus Christi 4, San Antonio 1

W- Luis Cruz (3-2)
L- James Needy (0-3)
S- Jordan Jankowski (1)

CC home runs: Matt Duffy (3, solo in 6th)

Looks like Jayne's invoking of Cher paid off, as Corpus snapped that 4-game skid. They got some fine pitching and scored the game's final 4 runs after San Antonio broke the scoreless tie in the 5th. It's like she's some sort of prospect whisperer or something.

Luis Cruz issued 4 walks in his 5 innings, but he did a masterful job of extracting himself from a couple of jams in this one. In the 3rd, the Missions loaded the bases on him with a single and 2 walks. Cruz didn't help himself either by uncorking a wild pitch earlier in the frame. However, he averted disaster with the ol' 1-5 inning-ending double play as he got Jason Hagerty to hit a liner right back to him, and then he tossed it to Matt Duffy at 3rd to double up Bridger Hunt. Cruz would strike out Hunt with runners on 2nd and 3rd to end the 4th inning.

So, that was a rather eventful 5 innings for Cruz, but he only allowed a run on a sac fly in the 5th and gave up 5 hits, walked 4, and struck out 6. The final 4 innings were not as eventful for Jordan Jankowski; he proceeded to shut San Antonio down to end it, allowing a hit, walking 2, and striking out 5.

The Missions might've scored first, but the Hooks seized control with 3 in the bottom of the 5th inning. Jio Mier led off the inning with a double and was on his way to 3rd on a wild pitch, but he ended up tying the game as Austin Hedges, the Padres' top prospect and probably the top catcher prospect in baseball, threw the ball away. Tyler Heineman and René Garcia followed that up with a single and a double, respectively. Nolan Fontana came through with 2 outs as he laced a Needy pitch into right to bring both catchers home. Matt Duffy hit a 1-out solo shot (3) in the 6th, and Jankowski did the rest. Fontana and Garcia had 2-hit nights.

Today in game 2 of this 4-game set, Kyle Smith will be making his AA debut. He will be taking on TBA at 1:10; the Hooks' game notes from last night lists Devin Jones as San Antonio's starter for today.

San Jose 5, Lancaster 4

W- Chris Stratton (2-3)
L- Kyle Westwood (1-3)
S- Steven Okert (6)

Lancaster home runs: Rio Ruiz (2, solo in 6th), Teoscar Hernandez (3, solo in 8th)

A crooked number (3-run 5th) turned out to be the difference for San Jose in this one. The JetHawks had something brewing in the 9th, but Carlos Correa struck out to end the game. He didn't shy away from that in the postgame, and didn't make any excuses either.

Correa: " “You’re trying to help your team and come through in that situation but stuff happens." #JetHawks #Astros
— Eric Smith (@Eric_L_Smith) May 4, 2014

Correa, who's been DHing this series, kicked things off in the 1st with an RBI single. Rio went solo (2) with 2 outs in the 6th. Carlos Perdomo led off the 7th with a triple and scored on a Jake Rodriguez groundout, and Teoscar Hernandez led off the bottom of the 8th with a homer (3). Hernandez hit the wall hard after getting off to such a tremendous start; hopefully these last 2 games are signs of him righting the ship. Not long after Teoscar's blast, Ruiz hit a double, but was thrown out at home on a fielder's choice; he would've been the tying run. Tony Kemp, Rio, and Perdomo had 2 hits each.

Kyle Westwood went 5 innings and allowed 4 runs on 7 hits (solo homer), walked 1, and struck out 3. What I did like from his outing was that he induced 10 groundouts to 1 flyout. Westwood is now flirting with a 3 groundout/airout ratio (it's currently 2.95). Vince Velasquez tagged in to throw 2 scoreless, allowing a hit and striking out 3. Tyson Perez pitched the final 2 innings and gave up a run on 2 hits, walked 1, and struck out 1.

Kent Emanuel will make his Lancaster debut today; he'll take on Kendry Flores at 2:00 Pacific.

Beloit 5, Quad Cities 3

W- Kyle Finnegan (2-1)
L- Edison Frias (0-1)
S- Andres Avila (2)

QC home runs: None.

A pair of Snappers homers in the 4th did the River Bandits in.

Edison Frias got the start in his season debut and went 4 innings, allowing 4 runs on 5 hits (2 homers) and walking 1. Zach Morton was the first man out of the bullpen and allowed a run on 2 hits and struck out 2 in 3.1 innings. Morton's run was an inherited runner that was charged to him. Albert Minnis got the final 2 outs in the 8th and allowed 2 hits while striking out 1.

Tanner Mathis doubled to lead off the 3rd, advanced to 3rd base on a sac bunt, and scored on James Ramsay's sac fly. Brett Phillips added a sac fly in the 7th, and Conrad Gregor scored on a Ronnie Mitchell GIDP in the 8th. Mathis hit 3 doubles, which represented half of QC's hits. His other 2 came in the 7th, and with 1 out in the 9th; he was stranded there to end the game.

In the rubber game of this series, Adrian Houser will face Junior Mendez at 2:00.

Three Stars: Position Players

3.