What the Heck, Bobby?: Astros Minor League Recaps

Results for Saturday, August 19, 2017

Could Team Orange get their doubleheader in without any weather issues?

Reno 4, Fresno 1

W- Kaleb Fleck (2-2)
L- Trent Thornton (6-4, 7-6 season)
S- Erik Davis (3)

Fresno home runs: None.

The Aces struck first in a crucial series featuring the top two teams in the PCL's Pacific Northern division.

Trent Thornton took the loss despite a solid outing; he allowed 2 runs (1 earned) on 2 hits (solo homer), walked 2, and struck out 8 in 6 innings of work. Jacob Dorris and Kevin Comer both pitched an inning out of the bullpen; Dorris allowed a 2-run homer to Evan Marzilli and struck out 1 in the 7th, while Comer allowed a hit and fanned 1 in a scoreless 8th inning.

Tony Kemp went 2-5 and scored the only Fresno run on a Preston Tucker groundout in the 3rd. Colin Walsh had the only other hit for the Grizzlies.

Kent Emanuel faces Matt Koch at 1:05 Pacific.

Springfield 12, Corpus Christi 5

W- Corey Littrell (1-2)
L- Josh James (4-6)

CC home runs: Ryne Birk (4, 12 season; solo in 4th)

The Cardinals stormed out of the gate with 5 in the 1st and left Corpus in the dust.

Josh James failed to get out of the 1st inning, and I think I'll leave it at that. Nick Hernandez was the first man out of the Hooks bullpen and went 3.1 innings, allowing 2 runs on 2 hits, walking 2, and striking out 1. Alex Winkelman was next, and he allowed 5 runs (4 earned, 1 inherited runner charged to him) on 7 hits, walked 3, and struck out 5 in 3.2 innings. Ralph Garza Jr. got the final out of the 8th, but not before he issued a bases-loaded walk that allowed one of the runners he inherited from Winkelman to score.

Corpus scored twice in the 2nd as Ramon Laureano hit an RBI single and Jason Martin stole home. Ryne Birk led off the 4th inning with a homer, and then Tony Nuñez followed with a double and moved to 3rd on an error. He scored on a Laureano triple. Laureano trotted home on a Kyle Tucker double. He (3B, 2 RBI, R, SB) and Nuñez (2B, 2 R) both finished with 3 hits on the night. Birk and Jamie Ritchie had 2 hits apiece.

The Hooks and Cardinals will wrap up the series at 2:10 as Akeem Bostick takes on Austin Gomber.

Down East 5, Buies Creek 1

W- Brett Martin (2-8)
L- Jorge Alcala (4-5, 6-5 season)

BC home runs: Randy César (2, 5 season; solo in 6th)

Jorge Alcala was knocked around by the Wood Ducks once again; he gave up 4 runs in his previous outing, which also came against Down East. This time around, he allowed 5.

Alcala allowed 7 hits (solo homer), walked 1, and struck out 2. Matt Bower stopped the bleeding with 4 scoreless innings, allowing 2 hits and striking out 7.

Randy César homered to start the 6th, which was Buies Creek's only scoring play. Yordan Alvarez doubled twice; he now has 4 consecutive 2-hit games.

Carson LaRue goes up against Kyle Cody in the series finale. First pitch is at 2:00 Eastern.

Wisconsin 8, Quad Cities 5

W- Daniel Brown (5-3)
L- Dustin Hunt (0-7)

QC home runs: None.

The Banditos managed to tie the game at 2 with a run in the top of the 7th, but the Rattlers quickly regained control with a run of their own in the bottom of the 7th and then they blew this game open with 5 in the 8th.

Daz Cameron smacked a triple with one out in the 2nd inning and scored the first run of the game when Josh Rojas grounded out. Luis Payano drew a one-out walk in the 7th and scored what was the tying run when Kristian Trompiz ripped a double. As mentioned above, Wisconsin quickly untied the game and seized all the momentum. Quad Cities did pull 3 runs back in the top of the 9th as Payano scored on a Ronnie Dawson double and a couple of errors allowed Dawson and Chuckie Robinson to score. Wander Franco finished 2-4, while Payano scored twice.

Nathan Thompson went 5 innings and the two runs he allowed both came on solo homers. He allowed two other hits and struck out a career-high 8 batters during his time on the mound. The Timber Rattlers ran roughshod on Dustin Hunt in his 2.2 innings; he allowed 6 runs on 7 hits, walked 3, and struck out 5. Devon Carr recorded the final out of the 8th inning.

Kit Scheetz gets the start in game 3. He'll take on Victor Diaz at 1:05.

Tri-City 4, Brooklyn 1

W- Matt Ruppenthal (2-1)
L- Luis De Los Santos (0-5)

TC home runs: Bryan de la Cruz (1, 2 season; solo in 1st)

The ValleyCats got themselves back above the .500 mark with a win to start this series.

Leovanny Rodriguez allowed 4 hits, walked 3, and struck out 4 over 4 scoreless innings. Diogenes Almengo went 2 innings and allowed the only Brooklyn run on 2 hits and walked 2. Matt Ruppenthal pitched the final 3 innings, allowing 4 hits while striking out 3.

Bryan de la Cruz led off the bottom of the 1st with a homer that opened the scoring. Adrian Tovalin hit a 2-run single in the 3rd. De La Cruz, who finished 2-4, scored the first run of the game... and he scored the last run of the game when he came home on a single from Miguelangel Sierra in the 7th inning.

Alex House goes up against Jose Geraldo at 5:00 Eastern.

Pulaski 11, Greeneville 3

W- Gilmael Troya (4-2)
L- Maikel Sepulveda (0-1, 4-4 season)

Greeneville home runs: Roman Garcia (7, 2-run in 4th)

The Appy Astros had a rough day in the field and on the mound.

Roman Garcia was one of the few bright spots on offense as he whacked a 2-run homer in the 4th inning. Frankeny Fernandez went 2-4 and ripped an RBI double in the 8th. Oscar Campos also went 2-4 with a double.

Maikel Sepulveda went 3 innings, allowing 4 runs (3 earned) on 6 hits, walking 1, and striking out 2. Noel Pinto was the first man out of the Greeneville bullpen and allowed 2 runs (1 earned) on 2 hits, walked 1, and struck out 1 in the 4th. Francisco Villegas came out for the 5th, but he only got two outs in the inning, one via strikeout. On the other hand, he allowed 5 runs, all unearned, a grand slam, and walked 4. Willy Collado stopped the bleeding by allowing 2 hits and striking out 5 over 3.1 scoreless innings.

Greeneville starts a 3-game series with Bristol at 6:00 Eastern.

GCL Nationals 4, GCL Astros 0

W- Nelson Galindez (2-2)
L- Freylin Garcia (0-2, 1-7 season)

GCL home runs: None.

How does a team win a game where they have more errors than runs scored? By holding their opponent to zero runs.

All the Palm Beach Stros got on offense were singles from Juan Piñeda, Jose Carrillo, and Ramiro Rodriguez.

Freylin Garcia pitched alright, although he had to take a loss. He allowed 2 runs on 5 hits, walked 2, and struck out 5 in 5 innings of work. Saul Martinez allowed 2 runs on 5 hits and walked 2 in 2 innings, and Chauncey Nuñez walked 1 and struck out 1 in a scoreless 8th.

DSL Astros Blue 4, DSL Rays1 2

W- Angel Ortega (3-2)
L- Jeremy Galan (3-1)
S- Christopher Javier (4)

Blue home runs: None.

Team Blue snatched the win in this game by scoring twice in each of the final two innings.

Ronaldo Urdaneta put the Blue team in the board and in front with a 2-run single in the 8th. Rhandall Sanchez ripped a double to lead off the 9th and Wilyer Abreu joined him on the bases after getting plunked. Sanchez ended up scoring on a wild pitch and Abreu scored on a Leonardo Gonzalez groundout.

Bryan Solano allowed 3 hits, walked 1, and struck out 4 over 5 shutout frames. Angel Ortega went 3.2 innings and allowed 2 runs (1 earned) on 2 hits, walked 5, and struck out 4. Christopher Javier came on with 2 runners on in the bottom of the 9th, but he induced a force out to end it.

Game 1: DSL Rays2 2, DSL Astros Orange 1

W- Emilio Alfonzo (5-0)
L- Jesus Bernaez (2-5)
S- Rodolfo Sanchez (4)

Orange home runs: None.

Team Orange almost stole game 1, but they left two runners on scoring position to end it.

Sean Mendoza's RBI single in the bottom of the 7th was their only hit.

Jesús Bernaez went 4 innings and allowed an unearned run on 3 hits, walked 2, and struck out 1. An error following a force out in the 2nd inning resulted in the run. Miguel Matos allowed an unearned run, walked 3, and struck out 1 in 3 innings. Another error in the 5th resulted in the other Rays run.

Game 2: DSL Rays2 4, DSL Astros Orange 2 in 8 innings

W- Dauris Lopez (2-4)
L- Luis De Paula (2-1)
S- Ender Cespedes (2)

Orange home runs: None.

Team Orange actually got no-hit in game 2, but they somehow managed to push a couple of runs across.

Deury Carrasco walked with 2 outs in the 1st and scored by stealing his way around the bases. Euclides Chavez scored on an error that allowed Carrasco to reach in the 8th. Carrasco now has 29 stolen bases on the season.

Elian Rodriguez allowed a run on 4 hits, walked 5, and struck out 2 in 3.1 innings. Ronny Garcia got the last two outs of the 4th, one via strikeout. Fabricio Reina and Luis De Paula threw 2 innings apiece; Reina allowed a hit, walked 2, and struck out 3, while De Paula allowed 3 runs (2 earned) on 2 hits, walked 3, and struck out 2.

Saturday's Stars

All photos are from Jayne unless stated otherwise.

Bryan Solano, RHP, DSL Astros Blue: 5 IP, 3 H, BB, 4 K