What the Heck, Bobby?: Astros Minor League Recaps

Results for Thursday, April 20, 2017

Another organization sweep!

Fresno 10, Las Vegas 3

W- Edison Frias (1-1)
L- Wilfredo Boscan (0-1)
S- Tyson Perez (1)

Fresno home runs: None.

The Grizz stormed out of the gate with 5 in the 1st and used a 4-run 8th inning to remove any remaining doubts regarding the outcome of this game.

Edison Frias turned in 5 innings, allowing 2 runs on 4 hits (solo homer), walking 2, and striking out 5. Ryan Thompson and Tyson Perez finished off the game by throwing 2 innings apiece. The one run Thompson allowed came on a solo homer from Jayce Boyd in the 7th; he allowed one other hit and struck out 3.

All 5 Fresno runs in the opening inning came with two outs. A.J. Reed opened the scoring with an RBI single, and then Preston Tucker and Teoscar Hernandez loaded the bases with singles of their own. Colin Moran and Jon Kemmer followed with 2-run singles. Reed added an RBI single in the 2nd. In the 8th, Juan Centeno ripped an RBI triple, Tyler White lashed an RBI double, and Reed capped off the night with another RBI single, his third hit of the game.

Big Tuck (R, BB) and D.J. Fisher (2 R, SB [2]) both went 3-4; Tucker extended his hitting streak to 11 games. The bottom third of the order (Moran, Kemmer, Centeno) combined to go 6-12 (they all went 2-4) with 5 RBI (Moran and Kemmer 2 each, Centeno 1) and 3 runs scored.

The Grizzlies and 51s will wrap up their series tonight at 7:05 Pacific. Brian Holmes faces Adam Wilk.

Corpus Christi 7, Frisco 6 in 11 innings

W- Michael Freeman (2-0)
L- Nick Gardewine (0-1)
S- Jacob Dorris (1)

CC home runs: Alejandro Garcia (3, 3-run in 3rd), J.D. Davis (3, solo in 11th)

J.D. Davis only had one hit, but it proved to be the difference in the first skirmish involving the Astros and Rangers organizations in 2017.

Alejandro Garcia put the Hooks on the board first when he launched a 3-run homer in the 3rd inning. He's matched his home run total from 2016 in 13 games. However, the Riders took the lead thanks to a 4-run 4th inning. Jack Mayfield led off the 6th with a walk, advanced to 3rd on a Jamie Ritchie double, and scored the tying run when Bryan Muñiz legged out an infield single.

Corpus thought that they had a chance to go for the win when they scored a couple of runs in the top of the 9th to regain the lead. Garcia got plunked with the bases loaded to bring in the go-ahead run, and Mayfield walked Ramon Laureano home. However, Frisco scored two of their own in the bottom of the 9th to force extra innings. After both sides went scoreless in the 10th, Davis greeted new Frisco pitcher Nick Gardewine with a 1-out solo home run.

Garcia finished 3-5 and also stole his 2nd base of the season. Ritchie (2 2B) and Jon Singleton (2B) both went 2-5.

Kent Emanuel allowed 4 runs on 7 hits (2-run homer), walked 1, and struck out 7 in 4 innings of work. Eric Peterson, Riley Ferrell, and Michael Freeman followed with 2 innings each out of the bullpen. Peterson was first; he allowed a hit and struck out 1. Ferrell allowed 2 hits, walked 1, and struck out 2, and Freeman allowed the tying runs, both of which were unearned, on a groundout and a double in the 9th. The double was the only hit that he surrendered; he also walked 3 and struck out 1. Freeman also managed to get himself out of a bases-loaded jam to end the 10th. Jacob Dorris threw a 1-2-3 11th to get the save.

Josh James gets the start in game 2. He'll take on Reed Garrett at 7:05.

Buies Creek 14, Carolina 1

W- Franklin Perez (2-0)
L- Cody Ponce (2-1)
S- Matt Bower (1)

BC home runs: None.

Franklin Perez was fantastic and the Buies Creek offense went on a rampage.

Perez allowed just two hits and struck out 7 over 5 shutout innings. Matt Bower finished the game and allowed a run on 3 hits, walked 1, and struck out 5 in the final 4 innings.

Anthony Hermelyn doubled to lead off the 2nd inning and scored on a single from Anibal Sierra. The real fun started in the 3rd inning.

Myles Straw kicked things off with a single, and then Dex McCall moved him over to 3rd base with a single to bring up Ryne Birk, who ripped a 2-run triple. Hermelyn joined him on the bases by drawing a walk. The Astros put up 7 runs in the inning, 5 of which came with two outs. Osvaldo Duarte proceeded to lace an RBI single, and then Sierra got plunked to load the bases. Hermelyn scored on an error that allowed Jason Martin to reach. Straw smacked a 2-run double in his second plate appearance of the evening, and Kyle Tucker, who was the first casualty of the inning, drove in the final run of the frame with a single. Duarte hit an RBI groundout in the 4th inning.

Buies put up 4 more in the 5th as Birk and Hermelyn drew bases-loaded walks and Duarte smacked a 2-run double. Little Tuck capped off the onslaught with an RBI double in the 6th. Everyone in the lineup recorded a hit; the Astros scored all 14 of their runs without hitting a home run.

In game 2 of this series, Yoanys Quiala will go up against Marcos Diplan. First pitch is at 7:00 Eastern.

Quad Cities 8, Clinton 2

W- Carson LaRue (1-0)
L- Tim Viehoff (0-1)

QC home runs: Stephen Wrenn (3, 2-run in 8th), Jake Rogers (2, solo in 8th)

The Banditos have launched 14 home runs in their last 4 games and this show of force has vaulted them to the top of Minor League Baseball in that category.

For those keeping tabs, 21 homers for @QCRiverBandits on the year now. Two ahead of Omaha and three up on Memphis for the @MiLB lead
— Jake Levy (@JakeLevyVoice) April 21, 2017

Clinton got on the board first with a run in the 2nd, but Quad Cities hit back with 3 runs in the bottom of the inning. Chuckie Robinson ripped a 2-run double to put the Bandits in front, and he came around to score on a Marcos Almonte single. Spencer Johnson hit a 2-run single in the 5th to push the lead to 5-1, and the Bandits capped off another win with some fireworks. Stephen Wrenn clubbed a 2-run homer in the 8th and Jake Rogers smacked a solo shot for their final run of the evening.

The top third of the Quad Cities lineup (Wrenn, Alex De Goti, and Rogers) all had two hits on the evening. Wrenn stole a base (4), while Rogers scored twice. Rodrigo Ayarza went 3-4 with a double and scored a run.

Carson LaRue went 5 innings and allowed a run on 3 hits, walked 2, and struck out 4. Dustin Hunt tagged in for 3 scoreless innings, allowing a hit and striking out 1. Derick Velazquez pitched the 9th and allowed an unearned run on a single and struck out 1.

Brett Adcock will start game 2 of this series. He'll face Nick Wells at 6:35.

Thursday's Stars

All photos are from Jayne unless stated otherwise.