Wednesday, May 31, 2017

Astros Minor League Recaps

Results for Tuesday, May 30, 2017

Fresno 8, Albuquerque 2

W- Mike Hauschild (1-1)
L- Matt Flemer (2-4)

Fresno home runs: Preston Tucker 2 (10; solo in 2nd, 2-run in 8th), D.J. Fisher (13, 2-run in 1st)

Fresno won a Taco Tuesday game for the first time this season as Preston Tucker bludgeoned the 'Topes with a pair of homers.

I'm not what sure what the Rangers did to Mike Hauschild while he was there, but he hasn't had the greatest start to his 2017. He did turn in his best outing of the season on Tuesday, however, going 6 innings and allowing 2 runs on 5 hits, walking 3, and striking out 3. Kevin Comer, Dayan Diaz, and Tyson Perez all threw a scoreless inning out of the bullpen. Comer was first and worked around a couple of hits and got a strikeout in the 7th. Diaz and Perez both allowed a hit and struck out 1 in the 8th and the 9th, respectively.

D.J. Fisher's 2-run blast in the 1st put the Tacos on the board first. This was his third consecutive game with a homer. The elder Tucker clubbed a solo shot in the 2nd inning. Tony Kemp hit an RBI single in the 5th and added an RBI triple to his ledger in the 7th. One batter later, he trotted home on Tyler White's single. Tucker capped off the evening by whacking a 2-run homer in the 8th.

Kemp went 3-4 and finished a home run shy of the cycle. Tucker's two hits were both homers, and Juan Centeno also had two hits in his return to Fresno.

The Grizzlies have today off. They'll start a 4-game series with Tacoma on Thursday.

Springfield 4, Corpus Christi 3

W- Kevin Herget (1-2)
L- Jacob Dorris (1-1)

CC home runs: J.D. Davis (12, solo in 6th)

The Hooks kicked off this roadtrip by walking off with a loss in the Ozarks. 

Jack Mayfield opened the scoring with an RBI double in the 2nd inning. Later in the frame, Drew Ferguson drove in a run in painful fashion when he got plunked with the bases loaded. J.D. Davis smacked a solo homer in the 6th. Mayfield (2B, RBI) and Garrett Stubbs both finished 2-4. In their Texas League debuts, Kyle Tucker went 1-4 and Jason Martin was 0-2 with a walk.

Kent Emanuel went 5 innings and allowed 2 runs on 7 hits (solo homer) and struck out 3. Alex Winkelman was the first man out of the Corpus bullpen and allowed a run on 2 hits, walked 2, and struck out 2 in 2 innings. The Cardinals got the winning run off Jacob Dorris with a swinging-bunt RBI single with 2 outs in the bottom of the 9th. Dorris allowed one other hit and struck out 1 in 1.2 innings.

Game 2 of this series has Rogelio Armenteros facing Dakota Hudson at 6:30.

Buies Creek was off

The Carolina Stros are back home and they will begin a 4-game series with Carolina tonight at 7:00 Eastern.

Quad Cities 8, Cedar Rapids 2

W- Carlos Sanabria (1-2)
L- Eduardo Del Rosario (4-3)

QC home runs: None.

The Banditos pounded out 16 hits while Carlos Sanabria flirted with a perfect game.

Sanabria was perfect through 6 and ultimately went 6.2 innings. The two runs he allowed came on a homer hit by Jermaine Palacios in the 7th inning. The three hits he allowed all occurred to lead off the inning. He also walked 1 and struck out 7. Abdiel Saldaña retired all four Cedar Rapids hitters he faced, striking out one of them, and Lucas Williams worked around a hit to throw a scoreless 9th, striking out 1.

Yordan Alvarez scored the first run of the evening when Marcos Almonte drove him in with a single in the opening frame. Osvaldo Duarte chipped in with an RBI single in the 4th, and then Quad Cities blew this one wide open with 4 in the 5th.

Chuckie Robinson led off the big 5th with a single, advanced to 2nd on a sac bunt from Almonte, and scored on a Ronnie Dawson double. Dawson advanced to 3rd on a Wander Franco groundout, then Daz Cameron walked and stole 2nd. Taylor Jones came through with a 2-run single which prompted the Kernels to make a pitching change. Jones advanced to 2nd on a wild pitch and Duarte greeted the new Cedar Rapids pitcher with an RBI double. Almonte ripped an RBI double in the 6th and Robinson scored the final Quad Cities run of the game on Franco's groundout.

Dawson and Alvarez both finished with 3 hits and 2 runs scored. Duarte and Almonte both had 2 hits and drove in 2. Robinson also finished with 2 hits on the night; he scored twice and walked twice.

The Banditos and Kernels will continue their series at 6:35. Neither team has announced their starters for this game, so I'm assuming (probably incorrectly) that Quad Cities has a pending transaction.

Tuesday's Stars

All photos are from Jayne unless stated otherwise.

What on earth is happening here.
Tony Kemp (seated), 2B, Fresno
3-4, 2B, 3B, 2 RBI, 2 R; finished HR shy of cycle

Photo by Bryan Green
Carlos Sanabria, RHP, Quad Cities
6.2 IP, 3 H (2-R HR allowed), 2 ER, BB, 7 K
Perfect through 6 innings

Yordan Alvarez's and Marcos Almonte's photos taken by Rich Guill
Ronnie Dawson, OF, Yordan Alvarez, 1B, and Marcos Almonte, UTIL, Quad Cities
Dawson: 3-5, 2B, RBI, 2 R
Alvarez: 3-4, 2B, 2 R, BB
Almonte: 2-4, 2B, 2 RBI

Preston Tucker, OF, Fresno
2-4, 2 HR (10), 3 RBI

Mike Hauschild, RHP, Fresno
W (1-1), 6 IP, 5 H, 2 ER, 3 BB, 3 K

Astros MiLB Roster Moves/Transactions

Lots of moves in the Astros system as some players retire and others get booted up to the next level ...

ROSTER MOVES/TRANSACTIONS

Note: The Astros have been moving players back and forth to either Tri-City or Extended Spring Training as a means of managing their rosters. I won't be including those moves in this list if I believe that they are only being made on paper for roster management.

I'm back from vacation and there's a lot of catching up to do on the transaction front. In case you missed last week's moves, Dustin recapped them in the last Astros Farm Report.

David Paulino - April 2016
Photo by Jayne Hansen

5-31: IF Alex De Goti assigned to Buies Creek from Quad Cities
5-31: IF Rodrigo Ayarza assigned to Buies Creek from Quad Cities
5-31: LHP Ryan Hartman assigned to Buies Creek from Quad Cities
5-31: SS Jonathan Arauz activated from the restricted list and assigned to Quad Cities
5-31: RHP Yohan Ramirez assigned to Quad Cities from Extended Spring Training
5-30: RHP David Paulino recalled to Houston
5-30: RHP Jordan Jankowski optioned to Fresno (called up on 5-28)
5-30: RHP Ryan Thompson assigned to Corpus Christi from Fresno
5-30: RHP Dean Deetz assigned to Fresno from Corpus Christi (Check out my recent interview with Deetz here.)
5-30: OF Alejandro Garcia assigned to Fresno from Corpus Christi
5-30: LHP Albert Minnis (Corpus Christi) retired
5-30: OF Jason Martin assigned to Corpus Christi from Buies Creek
5-30: OF Kyle Tucker assigned to Corpus Christi from Buies Creek
5-30: OF Stephen Wrenn assigned to Buies Creek from Quad Cities
5-30: 2B Arturo Michelena assigned to Corpus Christi from Buies Creek
5-29: LHP Ashur Tolliver placed on the Fresno 7-day DL (retroactive to 5-27)
5-29: RHP Brendan McCurry assigned to Fresno (from the restricted list)
5-28: OF Bobby Boyd (Corpus Christi) retired
5-28: SS Mott Hyde (Corpus Christi) retired - confirmed earlier reports
5-28: RHP Dean Deetz activated from the Corpus Christi 7-day DL
5-27: C Juan Centeno optioned to Fresno
5-27: RHP Jordan Jankowski optioned to Fresno
5-26: SS Alex DeGoti activated from the Quad Cities 7-day DL

Tuesday, May 30, 2017

Astros Minor League Recaps

Results for Monday, May 29, 2017

Sweep!



Fresno 10, Albuquerque 3

W- Trent Thornton (2-2, 3-4 season)
L- Barry Enright (2-1)

Fresno home runs: A.J. Reed (7, 2-run in 5th), D.J. Fisher (12, 3-run in 8th)

Trent Thornton shackled the 'Topes and the offense pounded out 15 hits in a Memorial Day romp.

Thornton allowed just 1 run on 2 hits, walked 1, and struck out 3 in 6 innings of work. Reymin Guduan allowed a run on a double, walked 1, and struck out 1 in the 7th, and Brendan McCurry pitched the final 2 innings, allowing a solo homer to Jordan Patterson in the 9th. McCurry also allowed 3 other hits, walked 1, and struck out 2 in his season debut. He had to sit out the first 50 games of the year after a positive test for methamphetamine in the off-season.

Teoscar Hernandez put Fresno on the board with an RBI single in the 3rd. Colin Moran and A.J. Reed followed with RBI singles of their own, and Preston Tucker added a sacrifice fly. Reed whacked a 2-run homer in the 5th. Jon Kemmer and Tony Kemp both walked to lead off the 8th. Kemmer then stole 2nd and scored on an error following a Tyler White single. One batter later, D.J. Fisher sent one off the batter's eye for a 3-run home run.

Fisher reached in all five of his plate appearances on the evening, going 3-3 with a couple of walks and a couple of runs scored. His 12 homers tops the system. Teoscar (RBI, R) and Moran (RBI, 2 R) also finished with 3 hits on the evening. Reed (2-R HR, 3 RBI) and Kemp (2 R) had 2 hits apiece.

Fresno and Albuquerque will wrap up their series at 6:35 Pacific as Mike Hauschild goes up against Matt Flemer.

Corpus Christi was off

Kent Emanuel gets the start for the Hooks as they kick off a 3-game series in Springfield tonight at 6:30.

Buies Creek 13, Frederick 4

W- Justin Ferrell (4-3)
L- Cristian Alvarado (2-6)

BC home runs: Ryne Birk (5, 3-run in 2nd), Kyle Tucker (9, solo in 6th)

The Carolina Stros earned the split with a 13-run, 17-hit assault in the finale. They outscored the Keys 13-2 the rest of the way after falling behind 2-0 after the opening inning.

Franklin Perez went 3.1 innings and allowed 2 runs (both in the 1st) on 2 hits, walked 3, and struck out 3. Sebastian Kessay was the first man out of the Buies Creek bullpen, and the two runs he allowed in his 1.1 innings came on a homer hit by Yermin Mercedes in the 5th. Kessay also allowed 2 other hits and struck out 2. Justin Ferrell allowed 4 hits and struck out 4 over 3.1 scoreless, and Nick Hernandez got a strikeout in a 1-2-3 9th.

Buies Creek scored 4 runs in the 2nd, all with 2 outs in the inning. Jason Martin ripped an RBI double and Ryne Birk followed by launching a 3-run homer. Pat Porter smacked an RBI double in the 3rd and came around to score on Arturo Michelena's single. Jake Rogers hit a sac fly in the 4th and Kyle Tucker cranked a solo shot in the 6th. In the 7th, Anthony Hermelyn drew a bases-loaded walk and Rogers ripped a 2-run double. Michelena capped it off in the 9th with a 2-run single.

Rogers (2B, 3 RBI) and Porter (2B, RBI) both finished the day with 3 hits and 2 runs scored. Martin (2B, RBI, 2 R), Birk (3-R HR, 2 R, SB), Little Tuck (solo HR, 2 R, 2 BB, SB), Michelena (3 RBI), and Anibal Sierra (2 R) all finished with 2 hits. Hermelyn drew 3 walks.

Buies Creek is back home and they have today off. They'll start a 4-game series with Carolina tomorrow.

Quad Cities 7, Beloit 3

W- Ronel Blanco (1-0, 1-1 season)
L- Matt Milburn (2-4)

QC home runs: Chuckie Robinson 2 (4; solo in 2nd, 2-run in 4th), Wander Franco (2, solo in 2nd), Carmen Benedetti (1, solo in 7th)

After Beloit battered them with three homers on Sunday, the Banditos returned the favor on Memorial Day.

Yordan Alvarez opened the scoring with an RBI single in the 1st and Carmen Benedetti scored another run when Rodrigo Ayarza grounded into a double play later in the frame. Chuckie Robinson turned in his first multi-homer game as a pro: he and Wander Franco hit back-to-back solo shots in the 2nd, and then he smacked a 2-run homer in the 4th. Benedetti hit a solo shot in the 7th for the final Quad Cities run; he and Robinson both had two hits on the evening.

Forrest Whitley went 3 innings and allowed 2 runs on 3 hits, walked 2, and struck out 1. Ronel Blanco and Kevin Hill picked him up out of the bullpen and combined to allow just one run the rest of the way. Blanco went 4 innings and allowed that one run on a solo homer hit by Kyle Nowlin in the 7th. He also allowed 3 other hits and struck out 6. Hill allowed a hit, walked 1, and fanned 3 over 2 scoreless to finish the game.

Quad Cities will start a 3-game series in Cedar Rapids tonight at 6:35. It's a pretty big series in store for the Banditos as they sit 3 games behind the division-leading Kernels.

Monday's Stars

All photos are from Jayne unless stated otherwise.

Follow the Buies Creek Astros on Twitter @bcreekastros
Buies Creek Astros 
W 13-4 @ Frederick
13 R, 17 H, E
Ryne Birk: 2-6, 3-R HR (5), SB (5)
Kyle Tucker: 2-4, solo HR (9), 2 R
Jake Rogers: 3-4, 2B, 3 RBI, 2 R
Pat Porter: 3-5, 2B, RBI, 2 R
Arturo Michelena: 2-5, 3 RBI
Justin Ferrell: W (4-3), 3.1 IP, 4 H, 4 K

Chuckie Robinson, C, and Carmen Benedetti, 1B/OF, Quad Cities
Robinson: 2-3, 2 HR (4), 3 RBI; 1st career multi-HR game
Benedetti: 2-4, 2B, solo HR (1), 2 R

Quad Cities River Bandits bullpen
6 IP, 5 H (solo HR allowed), ER, BB, 9 K
Ronel Blanco (not pictured): W (1-0, 1-1 season), 4 IP, 4 H (solo HR allowed), ER, 6 K
Kevin Hill (above): 2 IP, H, BB, 3 K

Trent Thornton, RHP, Fresno
W (2-2, 3-4 season), 6 IP, 2 H, ER, BB, 3 K

Derek Fisher, OF, A.J. Reed, 1B, Teoscar Hernandez, OF, and Colin Moran, 3B, Fresno
Fisher: 3-3, 3-R HR (12), 2 R, 2 BB
Reed: 2-5, 2-R HR (7), 3 RBI
Hernandez: 3-5, RBI, R
Moran: 3-5, RBI, 2 R

Monday, May 29, 2017

My First Minor League Baseball Game

On Sunday, I went down to Corpus Christi to watch the Hooks take on the Tulsa Drillers at Whataburger Field. I had originally intended to get some lunch and watch the Astros at home, but after I got my food I suddenly had an urge to make the drive down to Corpus. I don't know how that thought emerged, but before I knew it, I was passing through Edna, Victoria, and points in between on my way to the Coastal Bend.

Dean Deetz got the start and showed why A.J. Hinch mentioned him as someone who could help the Astros in some form this season. Tulsa did get to him for a few runs early but he showed legit swing-and-miss stuff with 9 strikeouts in his five innings of work.

The bullpen finished with 4 scoreless innings. Sean Stutzman started the year as a fill-in in Fresno and acquitted himself well, but he's turned himself into a key piece of the Corpus bullpen. He doesn't have eye-popping stuff, but he just gets the job done. Riley Ferrell is having a bit of an up-and-down season, but it is worth remembering that he's working his way back from a procedure to remove an aneurysm from his throwing shoulder. Ferrell has been thought of as someone who could become an asset in the Astros bullpen with his fastball-slider combo and as he continues to progress to full health, his numbers and stuff should see an uptick.

It was a tough night for the offense as they couldn't get much off of Tulsa starter Walker Buehler, who imposed his will with an upper-90s fastball. Jack Mayfield did take him deep in the 5th for a solo homer that turned out to be Corpus Christi's only run of the evening. Despite the tough night, the Hooks still threatened. Bryan Muñiz singled and Kristian Trompiz drew a walk to lead off the 8th inning. Drew Ferguson stepped up and just missed tying the game with a 2-run double before he got plunked to load the bases. Trompiz made a few nice plays in the field.

But alas... the Hooks couldn't cash in on a golden opportunity. Alejandro Garcia singled to bring the tying run to the plate in the 9th, but he was left there to end the night. And so, the Corpus Christi Hooks fell 3-1 to the Tulsa Drillers on the Sunday before Memorial Day.

I've read my fair share of stories from Jayne and others about the Minor League Baseball experience, but I never had the opportunity to witness it firsthand until Sunday evening. It was a packed house on Sunday and it was a day before a holiday, so naturally, there was a buzz about the stadium throughout the night.

Whataburger Field is a top-notch facility and I stand by my statement that it is one of the most picturesque venues in all of Minor League Baseball. I'll definitely make some more trips down to Corpus Christi in the future; obviously, I'll have to plan them out. I know for sure that I'll be back when Kyle Tucker gets the call, though.

But... even on a completely unscheduled trip, I had plenty of fun. The folks in the Coastal Bend have really embraced the Hooks as an integral part of their community and I'm glad I had a chance to partake in the festivities.

So, in closing... I'd like to leave you with a few shots and videos I took during the game. I've also put some of them on Instagram but for whatever reason, I can't get an embed code for my own Instagram posts. What?





Astros Minor League Recaps

Results for Sunday, May 28, 2017

Fresno 7, Albuquerque 0

W- David Martinez (2-6)
L- Ryan Carpenter (2-4)

Fresno home runs: A.J. Reed (6, solo in 5th), D.J. Fisher (11, 2-run in 6th), Max Stassi (3, 2-run in 7th), Preston Tucker (8, 2-run in 8th)

There was no scoring in the first four innings, but the Grizzlies changed that in a hurry when they homered in each of the next four frames. On the mound, three pitchers combined to throw a four-hit shutout.

David Martinez started it off with 7 shutout innings, allowing 2 hits, walking 4, and striking out 8. Kevin Comer and Tyson Perez both threw an inning to complete the shutout. Comer walked 1 and struck out 1 in the 8th, and Perez worked around a couple of hits in the 9th to finish off the game.

A.J. Reed broke a 0-0 tie in the 5th with a solo home run. D.J. Fisher smacked a 2-run homer in the 6th, and Max Stassi and Preston Tucker followed suit in the 7th and the 8th, respectively. Fisher finished 2-4 and also hit a double. Reed scored twice.

The Grizzlies and Isotopes will continue their series at 4:05 Pacific as David Paulino takes on Barry Enright.

Tulsa 3, Corpus Christi 1

W- Walker Buehler (1-0)
L- Dean Deetz (4-2)
S- Shea Spitzbarth (1)

CC home runs: Jack Mayfield (3, 4 season; solo in 5th)

Well, I ended up watching a loss in my first minor league baseball game. I really enjoyed the atmosphere, though.

Corpus was foiled in their bid to sweep the series, but they ended up taking 2 of 3 from Springfield and the Drillers on this homestand. This was a night dominated by the pitchers; both staffs combined to strike out 28 while the Drillers issued the only two walks of the evening.

The Hooks were held in check by Tulsa's pitchers and yet... they still weren't totally out of it. Unfortunately, they squandered a bases-loaded, no out situation in the 8th. Drew Ferguson just missed getting a game-tying 2-run double; the ball was just foul down the left-field line. He eventually got plunked to load 'em up. Alejandro Garcia singled in the 9th to bring the tying run up to the plate, but again, nothing came of that.

Jack Mayfield launched a solo homer in the 5th for the only Corpus run. Ferguson's double to lead off the 6th was their only other extra-base hit.

Dean Deetz went 5 innings and allowed 3 runs on 6 hits (2-run homer) and struck out 9. Sean Stutzman and Riley Ferrell combined to throw 4 scoreless out of the bullpen; Stutzman allowed 3 hits and fanned 4 over 2.2 innings, while Ferrell threw 1.1 perfect innings, striking out 2.

The Hooks have Memorial Day off. They'll begin a 3-game series in Springfield on Tuesday.

Buies Creek 4, Frederick 0

W- Hector Perez (3-2, 4-3 season)
L- Reid Love (1-1)

BC home runs: None.

After issuing 9 walks in his first three Carolina League appearances (9.2 IP), Hector Perez has issued just one in his next three, spanning 17.2 innings. On Sunday, he and Carlos Sierra combined on a 2-hit shutout. With this win, the Astros organization also went 2-0 against the Orioles on Sunday.

Perez allowed just one hit and struck out 9 in 6.2 innings. Sierra finished it off by allowing a hit and striking out 1 over the final 2.1 innings. The 9 strikeouts tie a career-high for Perez; he also struck out 9 for Quad Cities on August 13 last year.

Anibal Sierra opened the scoring with a 2-run single in the 5th inning. Pat Porter, who scored one of those runs, added an RBI single in the 6th, and Ryne Birk ripped an RBI double in the 7th for Buies Creek's final run. Birk finished 3-5 on the evening, while Porter and Jake Rogers had two hits apiece.

Franklin Perez will start the series finale and he'll face Cristian Alvarado. First pitch is at 2:00 Eastern.

Beloit 7, Quad Cities 5

W- Ty Damron (3-4)
L- Salvador Montaño (0-1)
S- Sam Sheehan (1)

QC home runs: None.

The Banditos fought back to try and erase a 7-2 deficit but couldn't complete the task. The Snappers got to Quad Cities' pitching staff for 3 homers on Sunday.

Cionel Perez went 5 innings and allowed 2 runs on 4 hits (solo homer), walked 3, and struck out 7. Salvador Montaño allowed a walk and one hit in the 6th, but that one hit was a 2-run homer to Miguel Mercedes that put Beloit in front. Gabriel Valdez pitched the final 3 innings and allowed 3 runs on 3 hits (solo homer), walked 1, and struck out 2.

Daz Cameron singled to lead off the bottom of the 1st, advanced to 3rd on an Alex De Goti single, and scored the first run of the game on a single from Marcos Almonte. De Goti moved to 3rd on a double play and then stole home. Unfortunately, Quad Cities was held off the scoreboard until the 7th, when Chuckie Robinson ripped a 2-run double. Osvaldo Duarte hit an RBI single in the 8th. Almonte and Robinson finished with 2 hits apiece.

Forrest Whitley will start the finale and he'll take on Matt Milburn at 5:15.

Sunday's Stars

All photos are from Jayne unless stated otherwise.

Fresno Grizzlies pitchers
W 7-0 vs. Albuquerque
9 IP, 4 H, 5 BB, 9 K
David Martinez: W (2-6), 7 IP, 2 H, 4 BB, 8 K
 Kevin Comer: IP, BB, K
Tyson Perez: IP, 2 H

Derek Fisher, OF, Fresno
2-4, 2B, 2-R HR (11)

Buies Creek Astros pitchers
W 4-0 @ Frederick
9 IP, 2 H, 10 K
Hector Perez: W (3-2, 4-3 season), 6.2 IP, H, 9 K (tied career-high)
Carlos Sierra: 2.1 IP, H, K
Perez has 22 strikeouts and 1 walk in his last 17.2 innings pitched.

Ryne Birk, 2B, and Pat Porter, 1B/OF, Buies Creek
Birk: 3-5, 2B, RBI, R
Porter: 2-3, 2B, RBI, R

Corpus Christi Hooks bullpen
4 IP, 3 H, 6 K
Sean Stutzman: 2.2 IP, 3 H, 4 K
Riley Ferrell: 1.1 IP, 2 K

Chuckie Robinson, C, Quad Cities
2-4, 2B, 2 RBI

Sunday, May 28, 2017

Astros Minor League Recaps

Results for Saturday, May 27, 2017

Albuquerque 11, Fresno 6

W- Sam Moll (1-2)
L- Casey Coleman (2-3)

Fresno home runs: None.

Fresno jumped out to an early 5-2 lead but Albuquerque finished this one on a 9-1 run.

Casey Coleman went 6.2 innings and allowed 7 runs (6 earned) on 6 hits (3-run homer), walked 2, and struck out 9. The 4 runs that Brian Holmes allowed in his 1.2 innings came on an 8th-inning grand slam from Rafael Ynoa. Holmes allowed 3 other hits, walked 2, and struck out 1. Ryan Thompson got the final two outs of the 9th without incident.

Teoscar Hernandez opened the scoring with an RBI double in the 1st inning and Colin Moran followed with a 2-run single. Reid Brignac hit an RBI single in the 3rd, and D.J. Fisher smacked an RBI double in the 6th. Fisher finished 3-5, while Moran, Brignac, and Preston Tucker all finished with 2 hits apiece.

David Martinez will take on Ryan Carpenter in game 2 of this series. First pitch is at 1:05 Pacific.

Corpus Christi 1, Tulsa 0

W- Akeem Bostick (2-1, 4-2 season)
L- Josh Sborz (1-3)
S- Kyle Smith (2)

CC home runs: None.

The Hooks were outhit 10-4. Usually, that doesn't bode well for a team when they get outhit by that margin, but Corpus managed to score the only run of the game.

Drew Ferguson's 23-game hitting streak fell by the wayside, but he scored only run of the evening when Jon Singleton drew a bases-loaded walk in the 3rd inning. Trent Woodward's double was Corpus Christi's only extra-base hit.

Akeem Bostick allowed 7 hits and fanned 3 in 5 innings and Kyle Smith completed the shutout, allowing 3 hits and striking out 7 over the final 4 innings.

Dean Deetz would have started the series finale, but he was placed on the DL on Tuesday. His replacement will go up against Walker Buehler at 6:05.

Frederick 6, Buies Creek 0

W- Luis Gonzalez (1-0)
L- Framber Valdez (0-3)

BC home runs: None.

Buies Creek's bats went quiet on Saturday night; all they could muster up on offense was a double from Dex McCall and a Randy César single. They managed to walk 7 times against Frederick starter Ofelky Peralta but couldn't take advantage of the free baserunners.

Framber Valdez went 4.2 innings and allowed 6 runs (2 inherited runners charged to him) on 5 hits (2-run homer), walked 2, and struck out 4. Ralph Garza Jr. didn't allow any runs of his own in 3.1 innings, but the two runners he inherited from Valdez both scored. Garza allowed 2 hits, walked 2, and struck out 4.

The Astros and Keys continue their series at 6:00 Eastern as Hector Perez goes up against Reid Love.

Quad Cities 3, Beloit 1

W- Carson LaRue (6-1)
L- Brendan Butler (1-3)
S- Erasmo Pinales (3)

QC home runs: None.

Carson LaRue had another fine start and Yordan Alvarez remains on fire since joining the Banditos.

LaRue allowed a run on 2 hits, walked 2, and struck out 5 in 7 innings of work. Erasmo Pinales finished it off by allowing 2 hits and striking out 2 over 2 scoreless.

Alvarez ripped two RBI doubles; he opened the scoring in the 1st with the first one and smacked another in the 3rd inning. Alex De Goti brought him in following his first RBI double. Wander Franco went 2-4 with a double and a stolen base.

Cionel Perez threw 7 no-hit innings his last time out; what does he have for a follow-up performance? He'll take on Ty Damron at 5:15.

Saturday's Stars

All photos are from Jayne unless stated otherwise.

Corpus Christi Hooks pitchers
W 1-0 vs. Tulsa
9 IP, 10 H, 10 K
Akeem Bostick: W (2-1, 4-2 season), 5 IP, 7 H, 3 K
Kyle Smith: Save (2), 4 IP, 3 H, 7 K

Quad Cities River Bandits pitchers
W 3-1 vs. Beloit
9 IP, 4 H, ER, 2 BB, 7 K
Carson LaRue: W (6-1), 7 IP, 2 H, ER, 2 BB, 5 K
Erasmo Pinales: Save (3), 2 IP, 2 H, 2 K

Photo source unknown
Yordan Alvarez, 1B, Quad Cities
2-4, 2 2B, RBI, 2 R

Derek Fisher, OF, Fresno
3-5, RBI, SB (9)

Saturday, May 27, 2017

Astros Minor League Recaps

Results for Friday, May 26, 2017

Fresno 8, Tacoma 7 in 10 innings

W- Dayan Diaz (3-0)
L- Nick Hagadone (2-2)
S- Reymin Guduan (1)

Fresno home runs: Jon Kemmer (5, solo in 5th), Tony Kemp (1, 2-run in 5th), Colin Moran (8, 2-run in 10th)

The Grizzlies earned the split in the Pacific Northwest with an extra-inning victory.

Francis Martes hasn't had the most stellar start to his season but this outing looks to be a step in the right direction. He went 5.2 innings and allowed 2 runs (1 earned) on 6 hits (solo homer), walked 1, and struck out 9. Martes hit 98 MPH on his final pitch of the night. Ashur Tolliver got the final out of the 6th and the first out of the 7th, but he allowed 3 runs (1 inherited runner charged to him) on 3 hits, walked 1, and struck out 1.

Dayan Diaz was next: he didn't allow a run of his own in 2.2 innings, but he did allow the runner he inherited from Tolliver to score, which tied the game at 5. Diaz also allowed 2 hits, walked 1, and struck out 3. Aaron West came on for the 10th but allowed 2 runs (1 inherited runner charged to him) on 4 hits and failed to record an out. Reymin Guduan took ownership of the 10th and got a double play (that resulted in one of West's runners scoring) and struck out Leonys Martín to end the game.

Jon Kemmer put Fresno on the board with a solo shot in the 5th inning and Tony Kemp chipped in with a 2-run blast to put them in front. Kemp added a 2-run double to his ledger in the 7th. Fresno broke a 5-5 tie in the first extra frame as Colin Moran launched a 2-run homer and Kemmer added an RBI double to his line.

Kemmer finished 3-4 on the evening. Kemp (2B, 2-R HR, 4 RBI, R), Moran (2-R HR), Reid Brignac, and D.J. Fisher (SB, R) all had two hits in the game. Max Stassi went 0-2 but walked twice and scored twice.

Fresno is back home and they are rolling out the welcome mat for Albuquerque. Casey Coleman will get the start against Jeff Hoffman. First pitch is at 7:05.

Corpus Christi 10, Tulsa 7

W- Cy Sneed (3-4)
L- Andrew Sopko (0-4)

CC home runs: J.D. Davis (11, 3-run in 2nd)

The Hooks stormed out to a 7-2 lead and staved off a Tulsa uprising in the late innings to come out victorious.

Brock Dykxhoorn and Cy Sneed both pitched 4 innings and they both allowed 3 runs. Dykxhoorn allowed 7 hits, walked 1, and struck out 3, while Sneed allowed 3 hits, walked 1, and fanned 6. Andrew Thome allowed a run on 2 hits and struck out 1 in the 9th.

Jon Singleton smacked an RBI double in the 1st inning to put Corpus on the board. Ramon Laureano followed by reaching on an error that allowed Garrett Stubbs to score; he was credited with an RBI on the play. Singleton put the Hooks in front when he scored on a wild pitch while Laureano stole 2nd. Laureano ended up at 3rd and scored on a Jamie Ritchie sac fly. J.D. Davis whacked a 3-run homer in the 2nd, his system-leading 11th of the year. Laureano ripped an RBI double in the 7th and Singleton added a 2-run single to his ledger in the 8th.

Singleton (2B, 3 RBI, 2 R) and Drew Ferguson (2 R, BB, SB) both finished with 3 hits and 2 runs scored; Ferguson extended his hitting streak to 23 games. Stubbs walked 4 times and scored 3 runs.

Akeem Bostick gets the start in game 2 of this series. He'll face Josh Sborz at 7:05.

Frederick 9, Buies Creek 5

W- Mike Burke (1-0)
L- Matt Bower (2-2)

BC home runs: Ryne Birk (4, 2-run in 7th)

The Astros got torched by a 3-homer performance from Frederick's Ryan Mountcastle on Friday night.

Jake Rogers put Buies Creek on the board with a 2-run double in the 3rd inning. Spencer Johnson hit an RBI single in the 4th, and Ryne Birk smacked a 2-run homer in the 7th. Rogers went 2-3 on the night.

Matt Bower got knocked around in his 4.2 innings. I think some things are better left unsaid. Devon Carr issued a walk and got the final out of the 5th. Yoanys Quiala pitched the final 3 innings and the one hit he allowed was a solo homer to Mountcastle, his third of the night. He also walked 1 and struck out 1.

Game 2 of this series starts at 5:00 Eastern as Framber Valdez takes on Ofelky Peralta.

Beloit 6, Quad Cities 3 in 11 innings

W- Yordys Alejo (1-1)
L- Kevin Hill (1-1)

QC home runs: None.

Both teams scored a run in the first extra frame, but the Snappers seized control with 3 in the top of the 11th.

In his first game since coming off the disabled list, Alex De Goti went 2-5 with an RBI double in the 4th inning. Yordan Alvarez also turned in a 2-hit night; one of those two hits was an RBI single in the 5th. He walked to lead off the bottom of the 10th and scored on an Osvaldo Duarte double. Duarte's two hits were both doubles. Stephen Wrenn also went 2-4 out of the leadoff spot.

Dustin Hunt went 4 innings and allowed a run on 4 hits, walked 1, and struck out 4. Abdiel Saldaña and Lucas Williams followed with 3 innings apiece out of the Banditos bullpen. Saldaña allowed a run on 3 hits, walked 2, and struck out 2, while Williams allowed a run on 2 hits, walked 1, and struck out 1. Beloit got to Kevin Hill for 3 runs on 4 hits in the 11th inning.

The series continues at 6:35 as Carson LaRue faces Brendan Butler.

Friday's Stars

All photos are from Jayne unless stated otherwise.

Francis Martes, RHP, Fresno
5.2 IP, 6 H (solo HR allowed), 2 R (1 ER), BB, 9 K

Jon Kemmer, OF, Tony Kemp, 2B, and Colin Moran, 3B, Fresno
Kemmer: 3-4, 2B, solo HR (5), 2 RBI
Kemp: 2-4, 2B, 2-R HR (1), 4 RBI
Moran: 2-5, go-ahead 2-R HR (8) in 10th inning

Jon Singleton, 1B, and Drew Ferguson, OF, Corpus Christi
Singleton: 3-5, 2B, 3 RBI, 2 R
Ferguson: 3-4, 2B, BB, 2 R
Ferguson is currently on a 23-game hitting streak.

Osvaldo Duarte, UTIL, Quad Cities
2-4, 2 2B, RBI

Friday, May 26, 2017

Astros Minor League Recaps

Results for Thursday, May 25, 2017

Let's play two in Buies Creek for real this time!

Fresno 5, Tacoma 2

W- Tyson Perez (1-0)
L- Ryan Kelly (0-1)
S- Kevin Comer (1, 2 season)

Fresno home runs: Preston Tucker (7, 2-run in 5th)

Both teams put up crooked numbers in the innings which they scored. The Grizzlies put up one more.

Preston Tucker put Fresno on the board first when he smacked a 2-run shot in the 5th inning. Tacoma got a pair in the 6th to tie, but the Grizz had the final say in this one with a 3-run 8th inning.

Max Stassi doubled to lead off the 8th and Tony Kemp joined him on the bases by drawing a walk. Kemp was forced out at 2nd base but Tyler White beat the double play and advanced to 2nd on a D.J. Fisher groundout. Teoscar Hernandez got a free pass to 1st to set up a force at any base, but Colin Moran burned the Rainiers with a 2-run single to put Fresno in front. A.J. Reed went 2-4 and brought Teoscar home with a single to tack on some insurance.

Mike Hauschild went 5.2 innings and allowed 2 runs (both of which were inherited runners charged to him) on 5 hits, walked 4, and struck out 5. Tyson Perez came out to try to extract Hauschild from a bases-loaded predicament, but he was greeted with a 2-run single immediately after coming on. Perez went 1.1 innings and allowed one other hit and struck out 1. Kevin Comer allowed a hit and fanned 3 in 2 scoreless innings to earn the save.

Francis Martes gets the start in the series finale. First pitch is at 7:05 Pacific.

Corpus Christi 4, Springfield 3 in 10 innings

W- Jacob Dorris (1-0)
L- Kevin Herget (0-2)

CC home runs: None.

The Hooks tied the game in the bottom of the 9th and walked off with the win and the series in the first extra frame. Neither team posted a crooked number, so Corpus won by scoring in more innings.

Drew Ferguson went 2-6 and opened the scoring with an RBI infield single in the 5th inning. Ramon Laureano also had a two-hit night and he too hit an RBI single that came in the 7th. Jack Mayfield walked in the tying run with two outs in the bottom of the 9th. Tony Nuñez walked to lead off the 9th, advanced to 2nd on a Garrett Stubbs bunt single, and scored the winning run on a Kristian Trompiz single. Stubbs finished 3-5 with a double and a run scored and Trent Woodward went 2-4.

Rogelio Armenteros allowed 4 hits, walked 1, and struck out 8 over 5.2 shutout frames. Albert Minnis got the final out of the 6th and the first out in the 7th and allowed a run (unearned) on a wild pitch, a single, and struck out 1. Riley Ferrell followed with 1.2 innings; he allowed a run on 2 hits and fanned 2. Jacob Dorris pitched 2 innings and allowed a run on a force out, walked 1, and struck out 1.

Tonight, the Hooks welcome Tulsa to Whataburger Field. Brock Dykxhoorn goes first and he'll go up against Andrew Sopko at 7:05.

Game 1: Salem 5, Buies Creek 4

W- Dedgar Jimenez (5-1)
L- Brett Adcock (1-2, 2-2 season)
S- Trevor Kelley (3)

BC home runs: Jake Rogers (3, 9 season; solo in 5th)

Buies Creek's comeback bid fell one run short.

Jake Rogers led off the 5th with a solo homer. Ryne Birk followed with a double then advanced to 3rd thanks to an error on the play. He would score on an Anthony Hermelyn groundout. Arturo Michelena hit a 2-run single in the 7th to cut the deficit to one run, but that was as close as they could get. Birk finished 2-3 and scored twice.

Brett Adcock pitched 5 innings and allowed 5 runs on 7 hits (solo and 3-run homers), walked 2, and struck out 5. Cristian Javier made his season debut as the first man out of the Buies Creek bullpen and in 1.2 innings, he walked 3 and also struck out 3. Nick Hernandez got the final out of the 7th inning.

Would game 2 have a better result for the Astros?

Game 2: Salem 5, Buies Creek 1

W- Daniel Gonzalez (1-0)
L- Jorge Alcala (1-1, 3-1 season)
S- Gerson Bautista (2)

BC home runs: None.

The Red Sox swept the twinbill to come out on top in the battle of the Carolina League's best.

Anibal Sierra spoiled the shutout with an RBI single in the 7th inning. Pat Porter's double was the Astros' only extra-base hit in game 2.

Jorge Alcala went 3.2 innings and allowed 3 runs (2 earned, 1 inherited runner charged to him) on 5 hits, walked 2, and struck out 5. Howie Brey pitched the final 3.1 innings and the one hit he allowed was a 2-run homer hit by Chad de la Guerra in the 7th inning. He also walked 2 and struck out 3.

Buies Creek is on the road again. Matt Bower will start the first of a 4-game series against the Frederick Keys (Orioles). He'll face Brian Gonzalez at 7:00 Eastern.

Quad Cities 4, Peoria 0

W- Enoli Paredes (1-3)
L- Bryan Dobzanski (0-4)
S- Ryan Hartman (1)

QC home runs: Osvaldo Duarte (3, solo in 2nd)

Osvaldo Duarte took another step towards righting the ship following a rough start in the Carolina League, while Enoli Paredes and Ryan Hartman joined forces to keep the Chiefs off the scoreboard.

Paredes pitched 5 innings and allowed 2 hits, walked 1, and struck out 5, while Hartman finished it off by allowing 4 hits and striking out 5 in 4 innings of work.

The Banditos scored a pair in the opening frame off a bases-loaded situation and didn't need a hit to do so: Marcos Almonte walked in Stephen Wrenn and one batter later, Ronnie Dawson got plunked, which allowed Carmen Benedetti to score. Osvaldo Duarte launched a homer to lead off the 2nd and added an RBI single to his ledger in the 3rd. Duarte, Wrenn, Rodrigo Ayarza, and Yordan Alvarez finished with two hits apiece.

Quad Cities welcomes the Beloit Snappers to Modern Woodmen Park for the weekend. Dustin Hunt starts game 1 and he'll go up against Brendan Butler at 6:35.

Thursday's Stars

All photos are from Jayne unless stated otherwise.

Enoli Paredes' photo taken by Bryan Green
Quad Cities River Bandits pitchers
W 4-0 vs. Peoria
9 IP, 6 H, BB, 10 K
Enoli Paredes: W (1-3), 5 IP, 2 H, BB, 5 K
Ryan Hartman: Save (1), 4 IP, 4 H, 5 K

Photo by Bryan Green
Osvaldo Duarte, UTIL, Quad Cities
2-4, solo HR (3), 2 RBI

Rogelio Armenteros, RHP, Corpus Christi
5.2 IP, 4 H, BB, 8 K

Drew Ferguson, OF, and Kristian Trompiz, IF, Corpus Christi
Ferguson: 2-6, RBI; 22-game hitting streak
Trompiz: Walk-off RBI single in 10th

Kevin Comer, RHP, Fresno
Save (1, 2 season), 2 IP, H, 3 K

Thursday, May 25, 2017

Astros Farm Report: 5-25

How has the Houston Astros minor league system fared over the last week? Wondering who's been on the move? Well, the Astros Farm Report has you covered.

STANDINGS

The Astros' four full-season affiliates have held steady since we last checked up on where they stand in their respective leagues, going 13-14 over the last week.

Fresno is still in 3rd, but they are in serious danger of being left far behind by Tacoma and Reno. Now, the Grizz are fighting with Sacramento to stay out of the cellar. On the flip side, Corpus Christi is gaining some ground with a 5-2 week; their 10-game losing streak is slowly becoming a distant memory. They've managed to gain a little ground on San Antonio. Buies Creek is still topping the Carolina League's Southern Division, while Quad Cities is back at .500 and still within striking distance of Kane County and Cedar Rapids in their division.

AAA Fresno t-3rd 18-29 .400 12.5GB L3
AA Corpus 3rd 23-23 .500 3.0GB W1
HiA Buies Creek 1st 28-18 .609 0.0GB W1
LoA Quad Cities 3rd 22-22 .500 3.0GB L1

ROSTER MOVES/TRANSACTIONS

Note: The Astros have been moving players back and forth to either Tri-City or Extended Spring Training as a means of managing their rosters. I won't be including those moves in this list if I believe that they are only being made on paper for roster management.

Jordan Jankowski - August 2012
Photo by Jayne Hansen

Plenty of movement within the system over the last seven days, especially as the Astros try to get through this week without Dallas Keuchel and Brian McCann in the fold; the two of them are currently on the shelf; Keuchel has a pinched nerve in his neck, while McCann is on the 7-day concussion DL.

Jordan Jankowski and Juan Centeno had their contracts selected from AAA Fresno and they've both appeared for the Astros in their current series against Detroit.

On behalf of WTHB, I would like to send my best wishes to Andrew Aplin, who was designated for assignment and then traded to Seattle. His DFA was the corresponding move to allow the Astros to place Jordan Jankowski on the 40-man roster, which is now full.

Per the most recent installment of Baseball America's Minor League TransactionsC Christian Correa and OF Johnny Sewald were released, presumably between the previous Farm Report and this edition.

Correa signed as an undrafted free agent out of Nicholls State in 2015, while Sewald was drafted in the 14th round that year out of Arizona State. Correa has since signed with the Kansas City T-Bones of the American Association, joining former Astros farmhand Chase McDonald on the club.

Best of luck to Christian and Johnny on their future endeavors.

5-25: RHP Cristian Javier assigned to Buies Creek from Extended Spring Training
5-24: OF Andrew Aplin traded to Mariners for PTBNL or cash
5-23: RHP Yohan Ramirez assigned to Corpus Christi from Buies Creek
5-23: LHP Alex Winkelman assigned to Corpus Christi from Buies Creek
5-23: RHP Dean Deetz placed on the Corpus Christi 7-day DL
5-23: 1B Jon Singleton (currently with Corpus) placed on suspended list (Activated 5-25)
5-23: RHP Josh James (currently with Corpus) placed on suspended list  (Activated 5-25)
5-22: Houston Astros selected the contract of RHP Jordan Jankowski from Fresno and added him to the 40-man roster (#40 on 40-man roster)
5-22: OF Andrew Aplin designated for assignment
5-21: Houston Astros optioned LHP Ashur Tolliver to Fresno (recalled to Houston 5-20)
5-21: Houston Astros selected the contract of C Juan Centeno from Fresno and added him to the 40-man roster (#39 on 40-man roster)
5-21: C Eduardo de Oleo assigned to Fresno from Buies Creek
5-21: RHP Ryan Thompson assigned to Fresno from Corpus Christi
5-21: RHP Akeem Bostick activated from the Corpus Christi 7-Day DL
5-19: RHP Mike Hauschild activated from temporarily inactive list
5-18: IF Jack Mayfield assigned to Corpus Christi from Fresno

In addition, these players are known to be on the DL:

RHP Angel Heredia (60-day DL)
RHP Jose Luis Hernandez
RHP Brady Rodgers (TJ Surgery 5-2; out for season)
2B Nick Tanielu (60-day DL)
RHP Andrew Walter

IN CASE YOU MISSED IT

Jordan Jankowski made his Major League debut on Wednesday. Video below is from Matt Young of the Houston Chronicle.

Don't forget to check out Jayne's recent interviews with:
Hooks RHP Dean Deetz
Hooks OF Drew Ferguson
Hooks 3B J.D. Davis
Hooks LHP Mike Freeman
Hooks RHP Akeem Bostick

Also... I'm dusting off Jayne's interviews with Jordan Jankowski from 2012 and a follow-up in 2014.

Astros Minor League Recaps

Results for Wednesday, May 24, 2017

Let's play two in Corpus Christi! Let's also try to play two in Buies Creek!

Tacoma 5, Fresno 3

W- Kyle Hunter (2-0)
L- Kevin Comer (1-1)
S- Jean Machi (5)

Fresno home runs: Tyler White (4, 2-run in 1st)

The Rainiers got a pair of runs in the late innings to take this one.

Tyler White launched a 2-run homer in the 1st to put Fresno on the board first. Colin Moran drove in the other Grizzlies run with a sac fly in the 3rd. White finished 3-3 on the day, while Tony Kemp went 2-4 with a double, a stolen base (8), and scored two of Fresno's three runs.

Trent Thornton went 4 innings and allowed 3 runs (2 earned, 2 inherited runners charged to him) on 6 hits, walked 1, and struck out 3. Aaron West was the first man out of the Grizzlies bullpen and allowed 3 hits in 1.1 innings. Reymin Guduan got the final two outs of the 6th and the first out of the 7th, retiring one via strikeout. Kevin Comer got the last two outs of the 7th, but the one run he allowed came on a homer from Tyler O'Neill that gave Tacoma the lead. He allowed one other hit and struck out 1. Dayan Diaz allowed a run on 2 hits, walked 1, and struck out 1 in the 8th.

Mike Hauschild will face Andrew Moore in game 3 of this series. First pitch is at 7:05 Pacific.

Game 1: Springfield 3, Corpus Christi 2 in 8 innings

W- Landon Beck (1-0)
L- Andrew Thome (3-2, 3-3 season)
S- Kevin Herget (4)

CC home runs: Drew Ferguson (5, solo in 3rd)

The Cardinals got to Andrew Thome late to snatch the win in the first game of the twinbill.

In his Texas League debut, Alex Winkelman went 6 innings and allowed a run on 9 hits (all singles) and struck out 5. Thome allowed 2 runs on 5 hits (solo homer) and struck out 1 in 2 innings.

Drew Ferguson scored both of Corpus Christi's runs in game 1. He extended his hitting streak to 20 games with a solo homer in the 3rd inning. J.D. Davis hit an RBI single in the 5th inning to bring him in. Jamie Ritchie went 2-3.

Would the second game bear a more positive result?

Game 2: Corpus Christi 5, Springfield 2


W- Sean Stutzman (1-0)
L- Blake McKnight (1-4)

CC home runs: None.

Corpus got an excellent spot start from Yohan Ramirez as they earned the split in the nightcap

The one run that Ramirez allowed in his 4.2 innings was a solo homer from Alex Mejia in the 5th. He also allowed 2 other hits, walked 1, and struck out 8. Sean Stutzman took over for the final 2.1 innings, and he too allowed a solo homer; Oscar Mercado took him deep in the 7th. Stutzman allowed one other hit and struck out 3.

Trent Woodward opened the scoring with an RBI single in the 1st. Garrett Stubbs chipped in with a 2-run single in the 2nd, and Ferguson delivered a 2-run single of his own in the 6th. Bobby Boyd went 3-3 with a couple of doubles and scored twice. Ferguson extended his hitting streak to 21 by finishing 2-3 and scoring twice. Stubbs went 2-4, and Jack Mayfield scored the other Corpus run.

The series concludes at 7:05 as Rogelio Armenteros takes on Dakota Hudson.

Buies Creek 8, Salem 3 in 5 innings

W- Sebastian Kessay (4-1)
L- Daniel McGrath (0-4)

BC home runs: Jake Rogers 2 (2, 8 season; solo in 2nd, solo in 5th)

This game was called due to lightning, which also wiped out the second game of the doubleheader. Fortunately for the Carolina Stros, they made it through 5 innings, so this game goes into the record books as a win.

Jason Martin ripped a triple in the 1st and scored the first run of the afternoon when Kyle Tucker beat a double play attempt. Little Tuck ended up scoring when Spencer Johnson got caught stealing 2nd and held out long enough for Tucker to scamper home.

Jake Rogers smacked his first homer of the day in the 2nd inning. Later in the frame, Randy César came through with the bases loaded, hitting a 2-run single. An error on the play allowed Myles Straw to score. Pat Porter hit an RBI single in the 3rd, and Rogers launched his second homer of the game in the 5th inning. He finished 3-3 on the evening while Straw went 2-2.

In his first appearance since coming off the DL, Franklin Perez allowed 3 runs (1 inherited runner charged to him) on 3 hits and struck out 3 in 2.1 innings. Sebastian Kessay allowed 2 hits, walked 2, and struck out 2 in 2.2 scoreless innings to get the win.

The Astros and Red Sox will conclude this series with a doubleheader. Game 1 starts at 1:00 Eastern.

Peoria 7, Quad Cities 4

W- Yeison Medina (1-0)
L- Carlos Sanabria (0-1)
S- Eric Carter (4)

QC home runs: None.

The Banditos put up a crooked number in the 2nd to open the scoring, but the Chiefs hit back with 5 in the 5th to turn the tables.

Taylor Jones opened the scoring with an RBI double in the 2nd. One batter later, Osvaldo Duarte smacked a 2-run double. Marcos Almonte, who scored the first run of the evening, hit an RBI single in the 5th for one of his four hits on the night.

Carlos Sanabria went 4.1 innings and allowed 5 runs (3 inherited runners charged to him) on 3 hits, walked 4, and struck out 2. Forrest Whitley made his first relief appearance of the season and his first task was to get Sanabria out of a bases-loaded quagmire. Unfortunately, all three runners scored. Whitley went 2.2 innings and allowed a run of his own on 4 hits, walked 3, and struck out 4. Ronel Blanco pitched the final two innings and allowed a run on 3 hits, walked 1, and struck out 1.

Enoli Paredes gets the start as Quad Cities wraps up this series. He'll go up against Bryan Dobzanski at 6:35.

Wednesday's Stars

All photos are from Jayne unless stated otherwise.

Jake Rogers, C, Buies Creek
3-3, 2B, 2 solo HR (2; 8 season)

Tyler White, IF, and Tony Kemp, 2B, Fresno
White: 3-3, 2-R HR (4)
Kemp: 2-4, 2B, 2 R, SB (8)

Alex Winkelman, LHP, Yohan Ramirez, RHP, and Sean Stutzman, LHP, Corpus Christi
Winkelman: 6 IP, 9 H (all singles), ER, 5 K in game 1 of doubleheader
Ramirez (not pictured): 4.2 IP, 3 H (solo HR allowed), ER, BB, 8 K in game 2 of doubleheader
Stutzman: W (1-0), 2.1 IP, 2 H (solo HR allowed), ER, 3 K in game 2 of doubleheader

Drew Ferguson, OF, Corpus Christi
1-2, solo HR (5), 2 R, 2 BB in game 1 of doubleheader
2-3, 2 RBI, 2 R, BB in game 2 of doubleheader
Currently on 21-game hitting streak

Photo by Bryan Green
Marcos Almonte, UTIL, Quad Cities
4-5, RBI, R
3rd consecutive multi-hit game