Astros Minor League Recaps

Results for Thursday, May 7, 2015

It was a fine night for pitching in the system...

Fresno 8, El Paso 4

W- Jordan Jankowski (3-0)
L- Robbie Erlin (4-2)
S- Tyson Perez (1, 2 season)

Fresno home runs: None.

The Grizz earned the split as they busted out for 5 runs in the 3rd to take a 6-2 lead. El Paso got 2 runs back in the top of the 9th, but the 6-run lead was a comfortable enough cushion.

Jon Singleton put Fresno on the board with a sac fly in the 2nd, which tied the game at 1. The bottom of the 3rd kicked off with Joe Sclafani reaching on an error. He made his way around the bases with a couple of productive outs, and scored on an infield single by Alex Presley. All 5 Fresno runs in the inning came with 2 outs. Domingo Santana followed by drawing a walk. The two of them would score on a 2-error play from Brett Wallace as Jon Singleton advanced to 3rd. Matt Dominguez and Max Stassi closed out the inning as they both hit RBI singles. Sclafani hit an RBI single in the 6th, and he also scored on a Nolan Fontana triple in the 8th. Presley was the only player in the Fresno lineup to record more than one hit. They capitalized on 4 Chihuahuas errors.

Luis Cruz went 4.2 innings and allowed 2 runs (1 earned) on 7 hits, walked 2, and struck out 5. Jordan Jankowski threw 1.1 hitless innings, walking 3 and striking out 3. In his AAA debut, Jonas Dufek threw a 1-2-3 7th, striking out 1. Jason Stoffel came on for the 8th inning and also set El Paso down in order with 2 flyouts and a groundball out. James Hoyt got 2 outs in the 9th, but he allowed 2 runs on 3 hits and walked 2. The 2nd walk loaded the bases. So, Tyson Perez was summoned to extricate the Grizzlies from a bases-loaded, 2 out situation, which he successfully did by getting Rymer Liriano to ground out to end the game.

Brady Rodgers will be on the mound tonight as the Grizz welcome Tacoma to Chukchansi Park for a 4-game set. First pitch is at 7:05 Pacific.

Corpus Christi 3, Midland 1

W- Lance McCullers (2-1)
L- Nate Long (0-2)
S- Jandel Gustave (1)

CC home runs: Carlos Correa (7, solo in 1st)

The Astros' first two selections in the 2012 draft took center stage on the mound and at the plate.

Lance McCullers fought off spells of wildness (he uncorked a wild pitch and hit a batter) and rendered the Midland offense useless in his 5 shutout innings; he allowed 3 hits, walked 3, and struck out 9. McCullers is one of 3 Texas League pitchers who qualify for the league's ERA title with an ERA under 1.

The RockHounds spoiled the shutout when they got a run on a single off of Mitch Lambson in the 8th inning. That run was charged to Angel Báez, who walked the run-scorer, Matt Olson, to begin the inning. Báez, who was the first Corpus reliever to appear, went 2.2 innings and allowed a double in the 7th inning, walked 1, and struck out 2. Lambson only faced one batter, Jaycob Brugman, who hit the RBI single for Midland's only run. Travis Ballew got Ryon Healy to fly out to end the 8th inning. Jandel Gustave closed it out with a 1-2-3 9th, getting a lineout and 2 groundouts.

Mr. Correa (pretty weird to address him as Mister, considering that he's 2 years younger than me). He's pretty good, I suppose. All he did in this game was serve as the Hooks offense. He opened up the scoring with a solo blast in the 1st, his 7th of the season, added a 2-run double in the 5th, and continued his streak of perfection on the basepaths with a stolen base in the 7th. Carlos Correa is now 14-14 on stolen base attempts this season.

The Hooks look to finish this homestand with a sweep tonight as Aaron West takes on Tim Atherton. First pitch is at 7:05.

Lancaster 2, Stockton 0

W- Brian Holmes (2-1)
L- Dylan Covey (2-3)
S- Frederick Tiburcio (2)

Lancaster home runs: J.D. Davis (4, 2-run in 3rd)

After getting smashed by a combined score of 19-3 in the first 2 games of this series, the JetHawks rallied to split with the Ports by smashing them 20-4 over the final 2 games. In this one, 3 JetHawks pitchers combined on a 3-hit shutout. JetHawks commentator Jason Schwartz also noted that this was the 300th career win for Lancaster skipper Omar Lopez. Congratulations, Mr. Lopez!

In a game largely dominated by pitching, J.D. Davis' 2-run shot in the 3rd inning that constituted all the scoring proved to be the difference. A.J. Reed finished 2-4 with a double, and Jose Fernandez hit a single in the 2nd inning to extend his hitting streak to 16 games.

Brian Holmes tossed a gem, allowing just 2 hits, walking 1, and striking out 10 over 6 shutout innings. His 38 strikeouts lead the system, and he recorded the first double-digit strikeout start in the system this season. Chris Cotton was the first man out of the bullpen, and all he did was allow a hit and strike out 5 in 2.2 scoreless frames. Frederick Tiburcio came on with 2 outs in the bottom of the 9th and issued a walk to the first man he faced, but nothing came of the BB as he induced a force out to end the game.

The JetHawks are back home tonight, and they will be starting a weekend series with Lake Elsinore. Game 1 will take place at 6:30 Pacific; Zach Morton will take on Ronald Herrera.

Quad Cities 4, Wisconsin 1

W- Chris Lee (2-2)
L- Cy Sneed (1-3)
S- Kevin Comer (1)

QC home runs: None.

9 in a row for the River Bandits! They are maintaining their 1 run allowed per game average during the streak.

Chris Lee allowed a solo homer to Brandon Diaz with 1 out in the 1st, but after that, he and Kevin Comer shackled the Wisconsin offense. He went 5 innings and allowed 2 singles to go with the homer, walked 2, and struck out 3. Kevin Comer shut it down in his 4 innings; he allowed 3 hits, walked 1, and struck out 9; he struck out the side in the final 3 innings of the game.

The Banditos mounted a quick response to the 1st-inning homer by taking the lead in the bottom of the 1st. They got a pair of RBI singles from Jake Nottingham and Alex Hernandez. Jason Martin added an RBI double in the 7th, and Nottingham added a second RBI single in the 8th inning. He and D.J. Fisher (2B, R) finished 2-4.

The series continues tonight at 7. The River Bandits have yet to announce a starter for this game.