Wednesday, August 30, 2017

Some More Harvey Thoughts

At last. After nearly five consecutive days of endless rain, Hurricane/Tropical Storm Harvey has finally made his exit from the Greater Houston area. I'm fortunate that my family and I sustained minimal losses from Harvey, but withstanding the storm does not mean that everything will instantaneously return to normal.

For many along the Texas coast, their perception of "normal" has been shattered and for them, there is a very real possibility that it may never be repaired. This is only the beginning of a long and arduous healing process. With that being said, the images I have seen this weekend of first responders working round the clock to coordinate rescue and evacuation efforts and the influx of volunteers from Texas and the nation lending a helping hand to these efforts truly give me hope.

Now, the rebuilding process begins and we all have a part to play in it. Not just in Houston, but all along the Texas coast as well. Houston may get the headlines because of its status as the 4th-largest city in the United States, but towns such as Rockport, Refugio, Corpus Christi, and Victoria all bore the brunt of Harvey's fury. As Texans, we look out for our own. Please, don't forget the communities of the Coastal Bend.

There are many, many opportunities to contribute financially toward the Harvey recovery. And if you wish to volunteer, here are several Texas organizations that you can contact. This recovery will take a long time so do what you can, give what you can.

Astros Farm Report: 8-30

For obvious reasons, those of us in Houston haven't been overly focused on baseball the past few days, but I think it's important to start bringing back my little piece of normal to the equation. My heart breaks for my City and the people in it who have lost so much and I will do what I can to help over the next weeks, months and years. And that starts with this tiny step towards normal.

There are many, many opportunities to contribute financially toward the Harvey recovery. And if you wish to volunteer, here are several Texas organizations that you can contact. This recovery will take a long time so do what you can, give what you can.

ROSTER MOVES/TRANSACTIONS

8-29: C Carlos Canelon assigned to Tri-City from Corpus Christi
8-28: RHP Kevin Comer placed on the 7-day DL
8-27: RHP James Hoyt optioned to Fresno from Houston
8-27: 1B Troy Sieber placed on the Quad Cities 7-day DL
8-26: C Eduardo de Oleo assigned to Corpus Christi from Fresno
8-25: OF Carlos Machado assigned to Greeneville from the GCL
8-25: RHP Cristofer Melendez (DSL) released
8-24: LHP Tony Sipp sent to Fresno for a rehab assignment
8-24: RHP Michael Feliz sent to Fresno for a rehab assignment
8-24: SS Carlos Correa sent to Fresno for a rehab assignment
8-24: RHP Will Harris sent to Fresno on a rehab assignment
8-24: RHP Lance McCullers sent to Fresno on a rehab assignment
8-24: C Juan Centeno optioned to Fresno from Houston
8-24: RHP Cesar Rosado (Quad Cities) activated from the DL
8-23: RHP Angel Heredia (Corpus Christi) sent to Tri-City for a rehab assignment
8-23: 2B Nick Tanielu (Corpus Christi) sent to the GCL for a rehab assignment
8-22: OF Myles Straw assigned to Corpus Christi from Buies Creek
8-22: Ronnie Dawson assigned to Buies Creek from Quad Cities
8-22: RHP Dustin Hunt (Quad Cities) released
8-22: SS/2B Cody Bohanek assigned to Quad Cities from Greeneville
8-22: OF J.J. Matijevic assigned to Quad Cities from Tri-City

A complete(ish) list of August transactions/roster moves to date can be found here.

STANDINGS

Collectively, all of the Astros MiLB affiliates combined went 25-35 over the last week, but several are still in the postseason hunt (at least theoretically).  Fresno has gone 3-4 since the last update and are clinging to any postseason hopes by a thread as they trail Reno (D'Backs) by three and a half games with only six games to play (all road games against .500+ teams) while all of Reno's remaining games are against a sub-.500 team. Not impossible, but increasingly unlikely. Corpus Christi is in even worse shape; with another six days in the season, it will only take one Hooks loss or one Missions win to officially eliminate them from the postseason. After going 3-4 over their last seven games, Buies Creek is still in the driver's seat as they lead Down East (Rangers) by four games with six games left on the schedule. But to make things interesting, their final four games are against Down East. Quad Cities (4-3 in their last seven games) first clinched a playoff berth and then clinched the division and home field advantage since my last update. The Banditos will have the luxury of getting their squad ready for the playoffs with six games still to play in the regular season.

On the short season side, Tri-City didn't benefit from a schedule that saw them playing 10 games in eight days; their 2-8 record over that time frame dropped them to third place with nine games left on the regular season schedule. A lot of things will have to go right for the ValleyCats if they wish to extend their season beyond September 7th. Greeneville can't catch the division leader, but they don't have to since both the first and second place teams advance to the postseason. They are currently tied with Johnson City with two games left to play. Johnson City is coming off a five-game losing streak and is hosting the East Division leader for their final two games while Greeneville (3-5 over their last eight) is on the road playing the Princeton Rays (29-36) who are on a four-game win streak. In the event of a tie between Greeneville and Johnson City, Greeneville owns the season series between the two teams and will advance. The GCL (2-3 since last report) have officially been eliminated from the post season and will be playing their final game of the season on Saturday. The two DSL teams ended their seasons on Saturday.

PACIFIC COAST LEAGUE/PACIFIC NORTHERN DIVISION
AAA Fresno 2nd 74-62 .544 3.5GB L2

TEXAS LEAGUE/SOUTH DIVISION
AA Corpus 3rd 61-70 .466 13.0GB W3 (Overall)
AA Corpus 3rd 27-34 .443 6.0GB W3 (Second Half)

CAROLINA LEAGUE/SOUTHERN DIVISION
HiA Buies Creek 1st 73-60 .549 -.-GB W2 (Overall)
HiA Buies Creek 1st 36-27 .571 -.-GB W2 (Second Half)

MIDWEST LEAGUE/WESTERN DIVISION
LoA Quad Cities 1st 78-54 .591 -.-GB L1 (Overall)
LoA Quad Cities 1st 41-23 .641 -.-GB L1 (Second Half)

NEW YORK-PENN LEAGUE/STEDLER DIVISION
SSA Tri-City 3rd 32-35 .478 5.5GB L1

APPALACHIAN LEAGUE/WEST DIVISION
Rk+ Greeneville 3rd 33-32 .508 6.5GB L1

GULF COAST LEAGUE/EAST DIVISION (ELIMINATED FROM POSTSEASON)
Rk GCL Astros 3rd 25-25 .500 6.5GB L1

DOMINICAN SUMMER LEAGUE/NORTH DIVISION (ELIMINATED FROM POSTSEASON/SEASON OVER)
FRk DSL Orange 7th 27-44 .380 16.5GB W2

DOMINICAN SUMMER LEAGUE/NORTHWEST DIVISION (ELIMINATED FROM POSTSEASON/SEASON OVER)
FRk DSL Blue 5th 38-33 .535 9.0GB W1

Tuesday, August 29, 2017

Harvey Update

Four days later and it's still raining. Much lighter now in my part of town, but the constant threat has taken its toll. I'm very, very lucky because I've ONLY gotten about 30 inches of rain in my neighborhood so far. Wrap your head around that. 30 inches is good news. And it's still raining. And the water is still rising. And the water being released at the reservoirs and dams out west is still headed our way. I think I'll be fine, but I'm an emotional wreck right now from lack of sleep and the worry for myself and for my family, friends and community. Three nights in the dark with no power didn't help -- feeling disconnected and isolated and alone and vulnerable. And that's with only very, very minor damage to my home. Take what I'm feeling -- the anxiety, the stress, the fear -- and multiply that by 1000 times and that might approach what thousands of people in Houston are going through. Many of them have lost everything. And it's still raining.

I love my City. I've lived here for 36 years now. Like many, I came here to take advantage of the opportunities and never planned to stay. But then I fell in love with this hot, sprawling, traffic-ridden, artistic, innovative, entrepreneurial, eclectic melting-pot of humanity. Yes, I'm an accidental Houstonian, but it is my City now and it will survive this and be the better for it all. But the recovery is going to take years. Please consider giving whatever you can to The American Red Cross because they will be helping with the immediate needs of the citizens of Houston and the whole area. In addition, if you are able to get to shelters near you, they need clothing of all sizes. There will be many, many, many other chances to help both physically and monetarily as we work to get through this all. Thank you for your continued prayers and thoughts for all who have been affected. We're aren't out of the woods on this situation yet, but we're HOUSTRONG! Please take care of yourself and know that you aren't alone.

Friday, August 25, 2017

Hurricane Harvey

Because of the impending rains expected in Houston over the next several days, I don't know when we'll get posts up. Honestly, I'm more interested in seeing everyone I know in Houston and in Corpus stay safe, dry and well than I am in posting about baseball right now.

With that said, I conducted interviews with Kyle Tucker, Myles Straw and Forrest Whitley on my trip to Corpus earlier this week and I will get those up as soon as the situation allows. In the meantime, enjoy some of the photos I took. It was really a great trip and I enjoyed getting to know a few of the players just a little bit better!

Stay safe, everybody!

Astros Minor League Recaps

Results for Thursday, August 24, 2017

Fresno 10, Tacoma 1

W- David Martinez (7-11)
L- Christian Bergman (9-4)

Fresno home runs: None.

On a special Taco Thursday, Fresno dominated Tacoma in all facets of the game and cruised to the win.

David Martinez allowed one run on a solo homer, one other hit, walked 2, and struck out 10 in 7 innings of work. Dayan Diaz allowed a hit and struck out 1 over the final 2 innings.

A.J. Reed opened the scoring with an RBI single in the 1st inning. The Tacos busted this one wide open with a pair of 4-run innings. They put up 4 in the 2nd thanks to Alejandro Garcia's 2-run double; he and Rico Noel scored on an error on a botched force out attempt.

Drew Ferguson walked to lead off the 3rd inning. He stole 2nd, advanced to 3rd base on a balk, and scored on an error that allowed Garrett Stubbs to reach. Stubbs scored when Tony Kemp grounded into a force out. Carlos Correa hit an RBI single and Kemp scored on an error. Correa drove in the final run of the night with a sac fly in the 5th.

Kemp, Ferguson, Stubbs, Garcia, and Noel all scored twice. Noel went 3-4 with a double, while Reed finished 2-5 on the night.

Lance McCullers makes his first rehab start at 7:05 Pacific.

Corpus Christi's doubleheader with Midland was canceled
Due to the threat of Hurricane Harvey. These were supposed to be the last two games between the Hooks and Hounds, so they won't be made up this year.

Corpus is in San Antonio for 4 starting tonight at 7:05 and Josh James is scheduled to take on Enyel De Los Santos. The Missions had a Pat Green post-game concert on the docket, but that's been nixed. The game is still set to go on, but this is most likely going to change.

Lynchburg 5, Buies Creek 1

W- Aaron Civale (10-2)
L- Ryan Hartman (2-5, 5-6 season)

BC home runs: Jake Rogers (11, 17 season; solo in 2nd)

The Hillcats took control by scoring twice in the 7th and the 8th.

Jake Rogers smacked a homer to start the bottom of the 2nd for the only Buies Creek run of the evening. Randy César finished 2-4.

Hector Perez only allowed one run on a solo homer and one other hit. Unfortunately, he only lasted 3.2 innings because he issued 7 walks and struck out 4. Sean Stutzman was the first man out of the Carolina Stros bullpen and struck out 2 over 1.1 innings. Ryan Hartman tagged in for 3 innings and allowed 4 runs (3 earned) on 5 hits (2-run homer) and struck out 4. Erasmo Pinales struck out 2 in a 1-2-3 9th.

Matt Bower will start the first game in a 3-game weekend set in Winston-Salem. He'll face A.J. Puckett at 7:00 Eastern.

Quad Cities 5, Beloit 2

W- Robert Corniel (1-0)
L- Seth Martinez (4-9)

QC home runs: None.

The Banditos are playoff-bound!

César Rosado allowed 2 hits, walked 1, and struck out 2 over 2.1 scoreless innings. Devon Carr was the first man out of the Quad Cities bullpen and went 3.2 innings, allowing 2 runs, both of which were inherited runners that were charged to him, on 3 hits, walked 3, and struck out 3.

Josh Rojas opened the scoring with a 2-run single in the 3rd inning. Ray Henderson hit an RBI single in the 4th. Daz Cameron and Chas McCormick ripped RBI doubles in the 7th and the 8th, respectively. McCormick went 3-4 at the plate and also had an outfield assist. Cody Bohanek went 2-3 and scored twice.

Quad Cities is back home to start a 4-game series with Cedar Rapids. Nathan Thompson will face Charlie Barnes at 6:35.

Connecticut 2, Tri-City 1

W- Ken Figueroa (2-1)
L- Ben Smith (6-3)

TC home runs: None.

The Tigers got a pair off Ben Smith in the 6th to take the finale of this series.

Leovanny Rodriguez allowed 3 hits and struck out 8 over 5 shutout innings. Smith allowed the 2 runs on 2 hits, walked 1, and struck out 3 in the last 3 innings.

Miguelangel Sierra finished 2-4; he led off the 5th with a triple and scored Tri-City's only run on a Jake Meyers double. Bryan De La Cruz (2B) and Gabriel Bracamonte both finished 2-5.

The ValleyCats will start a 3-game series with Lowell tonight at 7:00 Eastern.

Johnson City 3, Greeneville 2

W- Jacob Patterson (1-1)
L- Maikel Sepulveda (0-2, 4-5 season)

Greeneville home runs: None.

The Appy Astros scored a run in the 9th to take a 2-1 lead... and then they got stunned at the end with a walk-off homer.

Juan Piñeda went 3-4 with an RBI single in the 8th that put Greeneville on the board. Oscar Campos put them in front in the 9th with a sac fly that turned into an inning-ending double play. Roman Garcia went 2-4 and scored on the sac fly.

Yhoan Acosta and Francisco Villegas pitched 3 scoreless innings apiece; Acosta struck out 4 in a perfect outing, while Villegas allowed 2 hits, walked 1, and struck out 2. Maikel Sepulveda allowed a 2-run homer with 2 outs in the bottom of the 9th. In 2.2 innings, he allowed 3 runs on 4 hits and struck out 3.

Jheyson Caraballo faces Franyel Casadilla at 7:00 Eastern.

DSL Athletics 8, DSL Astros Blue 3

W- Manuel Manzanillo (3-3)
L- Luis Garcia (1-1)

Blue home runs: None.

Wilyer Abreu scored on an error in the 4th inning. Ronaldo Urdaneta finished 2-4 with a 2-run triple in the 7th inning.

Luis Garcia went 4 innings and allowed 2 runs (1 earned) on 4 hits (solo homer), walked 1, and struck out 6. Diosmerky Taveras allowed 2 runs on 2 hits, walked 2, and struck out 1 in 2 innings, and Oscar Severino allowed 4 runs on 5 hits, walked 3, and struck out 3 in 3 innings.

DSL Rangers1 8, DSL Astros Orange 6

W- Jeifry Nuñez (3-1)
L- Jesús Bernaez (2-6)

Orange home runs: None.

Team Orange scored 4 in the 5th to tie the game at 5, but the Rangers regained control.

Fildex Perfecto drove in 3 with a groundout in the 5th and a 2-run triple in the 6th. Gerry Castillo and Sean Mendoza both had 2 hits and an RBI.

Mauricio Santana allowed a run on a triple, walked 2, and struck out 1 in the 1st inning. Miguel Matos allowed 4 runs (2 earned) on 7 hits, walked 1, and struck out 4 in 4 innings, and Jesús Bernaez allowed 3 runs on 4 hits, walked 3, and struck out 4 in 3 innings of work.

Thursday's Stars

All photos are from Jayne unless stated otherwise.

Photo by Bryan Green
Leovanny Rodriguez, RHP, Tri-City
5 IP, 3 H, 8 K

Chas McCormick, OF, Quad Cities
3-4, 2B, RBI, R

Dayan Diaz's photo taken by Bryan Green.
Fresno Grizzlies (dba Fresno Tacos) pitchers: W 10-1 vs. Tacoma
9 IP, 3 H (solo HR allowed), ER, 2 BB, 11 K
David Martinez: W (7-11), 7 IP, 2 H (solo HR allowed), ER, 2 BB, 10 K
Dayan Diaz: 2 IP, H, K

Photo by Bryan Green
Juan Piñeda, IF, Greeneville
3-4, RBI

Rico Noel's photo is his mugshot on MiLB.com.
A.J. Reed, 1B, and Rico Noel, OF, Fresno
Reed: 2-5, RBI
Noel: 3-4, 2B, 2 R

Thursday, August 24, 2017

Astros Minor League Recaps

Results for Wednesday, August 23, 2017

Fresno was off

The Grizzlies welcome the Tacoma Rainiers to Chukchansi Park for their final home series of the 2017 season. David Martinez takes the mound in game 1, which starts at 7:05 Pacific.

Midland 8, Corpus Christi 4

W- Heath Fillmyer (10-4)
L- Framber Valdez (4-5, 6-8 season)

CC home runs: Ramon Laureano 2 (9; solo in 6th, solo in 8th), Kyle Tucker (13, 22 season; solo in 4th)

The Hooks launched 3 homers, but they were all solo shots... they probably needed some more firepower in this one.

Ramon Laureano went 2-4 and launched two solo shots in the 6th and the 8th inning. Kyle Tucker smacked one in the 4th. Myles Straw went 2-4 with an RBI single in the 5th and stole a base, his first at the AA level. Straw now has 37 stolen bases this year.

Framber Valdez went 4.2 innings and allowed 3 runs on 8 hits (2-run homer), walked 2, and struck out 5. Ralph Garza Jr. allowed 4 runs on 3 hits and walked 3 in an inning of work. Nick Hernandez allowed one hit, a solo homer, in his 2.1 innings. Hernandez also walked 2 and struck out 4. Ryan Thompson worked around a hit to throw a scoreless 9th, striking out 1.

Forrest Whitley takes on Casey Meisner at 7:05.

Buies Creek 7, Lynchburg 3

W- Abdiel Saldaña (1-0, 6-2 season)
L- Sean Brady (1-1)

BC home runs: None.

The Carolina Stros snapped their 4-game slide on Tuesday by scoring the last 7 runs of this game in response to a 3-run homer from the Hillcats in the top of the 1st inning.

Brett Adcock went 4 innings and Lynchburg's one scoring play was that homer. He went 4 innings and allowed one other hit, walked 3, and struck out 4. Kevin Hill struck out 1 in a 1-2-3 5th to bridge the gap to Abdiel Saldaña, who shut it down over the last 4 innings by walking 1 and striking out 5.

Buies Creek put up 4 in the bottom of the 1st thanks to a 2-run double from Randy César and a 2-run single from Anthony Hermelyn. César lashed another double in the 3rd and ended up scoring on an error that allowed Taylor Jones to reach. Alex De Goti doubled to lead off the 6th and came home on a sac fly from Ronnie Dawson. Jones capped off the evening with a sac fly in the 7th that scored César, who went 3-4 on the night. Yordan Alvarez went 2-4 and scored a run.

Hector Perez will start the series finale. First pitch is at 7:00 Eastern.

Beloit 3, Quad Cities 0

W- Zack Erwin (6-4)
L- Ronel Blanco (5-4, 5-5 season)

QC home runs: None.

For the first time since May 17, 2014, Quad Cities failed to record a hit in a baseball game.

Daz Cameron and Luis Payano both drew a walk.

Ronel Blanco allowed an unearned run on 2 hits, walked 5, and struck out 1 in 4.2 innings. Patrick Sandoval went 3.1 innings and allowed 2 runs on 3 hits, walked 1, and struck out 4.

The Banditos and Snappers meet for the final time in 2017 at 7:00.

Connecticut 5, Tri-City 2


W- Oswaldo Castillo (2-2)
L- Carlos Hiraldo (1-5)
S- Drew Carlton (7)

TC home runs: None.

The ValleyCats were done in by 4 errors on Tuesday.

Jake Meyers went 2-3 and scored both Tri-City runs, coming home on a Gabriel Bracamonte infield single in the 6th and again in the 8th on J.J. Matijevic's single.

Carlos Hiraldo went 4.1 innings and allowed 4 unearned runs (1 inherited runner charged to him) on 6 hits and struck out 7. Tyler Ivey was the first man out of the Tri-City bullpen and allowed a run on 3 hits while striking out 5 in 3.1 innings of work. Luis Ramirez got the last out of the 8th.

The ValleyCats and Tigers will conclude their series at 7:05 Eastern.

Greeneville 4, Johnson City 1

W- Jairo Solis (1-1, 3-2 season)
L- Alvaro Seijas (4-2)
S- Tim Hardy (1)

Greeneville home runs: None.

The Appy Astros opened up a crucial series with a victory thanks to some fine pitching.

Jairo Solis won his first Appy League start by allowing an unearned run on 3 hits, walking 1, and striking out 6 in 5 innings of work. Tim Hardy allowed 2 hits and fanned 8 over the final 4 innings to earn the save.

Greeneville scored twice in the 3rd on a Gilberto Celestino RBI single and a Roman Garcia sac fly and did so again in the 7th when Wilson Amador ripped an RBI double and came around to score on a single from Juan Piñeda. Amador went 2-3 and was the only player on either side to finish with a multi-hit game.

GCL Mets 3, GCL Astros 2 in 10 innings

W- Luis Mateo (1-3)
L- Brendan Feldmann (1-1)

GCL home runs: None.

The Palm Beach Stros scored twice in the opening frame... but that was all they could muster up on offense.

Hector Martinez and Angel Tejeda both drew bases-loaded walks in the 1st inning. Carlos Machado finished 2-4 and scored one of the runs.

Nivaldo Rodriguez went 4 innings and allowed 2 runs on 4 hits, walked 2, and struck out 7. Devin Raftery was the first man out of the bullpen, allowing a hit and striking out 5 in 3 innings. Brendan Feldmann pitched 2.1 innings and allowed the winning run (which was unearned) on 2 hits and struck out 4.

DSL Athletics 7, DSL Astros Blue 2

W- Eliel Ramirez (3-1)
L- Jean Reyes (0-2)
S- Carlos Sanchez (4)

Blue home runs: None.

Kendy Moya went 2-4. Rhandall Sanchez and Leonardo Gonzalez scored on wild pitches in the 5th inning.

Jean Reyes pitched 2 innings and allowed 2 runs on 2 hits, walked 4, and struck out 2. Jervic Chavez allowed 3 runs on 3 hits, walked 4, and struck out 1 in 4 innings, and Christopher Javier allowed 2 runs (1 earned) on 2 hits, walked 2, and struck out 1 in 2 innings.

DSL Rangers1 5, DSL Astros Orange 4

W- Domingo Peña (1-0)
L- Jose Alberto Rivera (2-3)
S- Ediberto Encarnacion (2)

Orange home runs: None.

Both teams scored 4 runs in the 6th... but the Rangers also scored a run in the 4th.

Gerry Castillo and Renaigel Martis hit RBI singles in the 6th and they both scored on Sean Mendoza's single. Michael Garcia went 2-4.

Jose Alberto Rivera allowed a solo homer, which was the only hit he allowed in 3.2 innings. He also walked 2 and fanned 5. Christian Mejias allowed 4 runs on 6 hits (3-run homer), walked 3, and struck out 5. Yulian Frontado allowed a hit, walked 1, and struck out 1 over 2 innings.

Wednesday's Stars

All photos are from Jayne unless stated otherwise.

Abdiel Saldaña, RHP, Buies Creek
W (1-0, 6-2 season), 4 IP, BB, 5 K

Randy César, 3B, Buies Creek
3-4, 2 2B, 2 RBI, 3 R

This is his mugshot on MiLB.com.
Devin Raftery, RHP, GCL Astros
3 IP, H, 5 K

This is Tim Hardy's mugshot on MiLB.com.
Greeneville Astros pitchers: W 4-1 @ Johnson City
9 IP, 5 H, unearned run, BB, 14 K
Jairo Solis (not pictured): W (1-1, 3-2 season), 5 IP, 3 H, unearned run, BB, 6 K
Tim Hardy: Save (1), 4 IP, 2 H, 8 K

This is his mugshot on MiLB.com.
Jake Meyers, OF, Tri-City
2-3, 2B, 2 R; scored both of Tri-City's runs

Corpus Christi Hooks outfielders
Ramon Laureano: 2-4, 2 solo HR (9)
Myles Straw: 2-4, RBI, SB (1, 37 season)
Kyle Tucker: Solo HR (13, 22 season)

Wednesday, August 23, 2017

Astros Minor League Recaps

Results for Tuesday, August 22, 2017

Let's... finish up a game and play another in Connecticut!

Reno 3, Fresno 1

W- Jared Miller (3-2)
L- Reymin Guduan (5-6)
S- Silvino Bracho (6)

Fresno home runs: None.

The Aces stunned the Grizzlies with 3 runs in the 7th.

Tony Kemp went 2-4 and drove in Fresno's only run with an RBI single in the 5th.

Mike Hauschild allowed 3 hits, walked 7, and struck out 4 over 5 shutout innings. Kevin Comer worked around a couple of hits to throw a scoreless 6th, striking out 2. Reno got to Reymin Guduan and Jumbo Diaz after stretch time. Guduan only recorded one out, allowing 2 runs on a homer and one other hit. Diaz got the last two outs of the 7th, but not before allowing a run on 2 hits. Jacob Dorris threw a 1-2-3 9th, striking out 1.

The Grizzlies have Wednesday off. They'll welcome Tacoma to Chukchansi Park for their final home series of the 2017 season beginning Thursday.

Corpus Christi 5, Midland 1

W- Yoanys Quiala (3-4, 8-5 season)
L- Grant Holmes (10-12)

CC home runs: Ramon Laureano (7, 2-run in 4th), Kyle Tucker (12, 21 season; 2-run in 5th)

The Hooks launched a pair of 2-run shots to top the RockHounds on Tuesday.

Corpus also played host to some rehabbing Astros as they look to get back to full strength for September. Tony Sipp, Will Harris, and Michael Feliz all started off with a scoreless inning. Sipp walked 1 and struck out 2 in the 1st inning, Harris threw a 1-2-3 2nd and got two groundouts and a strikeout. Feliz worked around a walk to throw a scoreless 3rd, striking out 1. He walked Jorge Mateo, who got caught stealing to end the inning.

Yoanys Quiala followed with 5 innings and allowed a run on a solo homer, 5 other hits, and walked 1. Riley Ferrell struck out 1 in a 1-2-3 9th inning.

Ryne Birk opened the scoring with an RBI single in the 2nd inning. Ramon Laureano smacked a 2-run homer in the 4th and Kyle Tucker whacked one of his own in the 5th. Laureano finished 2-3 and scored twice. Evan Gattis caught 7 innings; at the plate, he walked twice and scored a run.

Framber Valdez faces Heath Fillmyer at 7:05.

Lynchburg 6, Buies Creek 3

W- Dominic DeMasi (6-3)
L- Elieser Hernandez (4-4, 5-4 season)

BC home runs: Randy César (3, 6 season; solo in 8th)

The Carolina Stros fell behind early and couldn't quite recover.

Elieser Hernandez allowed 5 runs on 6 hits and struck out 9 in 6 innings. Carlos Sierra allowed a run on a sac fly, a double, walked 1, and struck out 4 in his 3 innings.

Jake Rogers tripled to lead off the 2nd and scored on a Carmen Benedetti groundout. Rogers added an RBI single to his ledger in the 3rd, and Randy César launched a solo homer in the 8th. Rogers, Taylor Jones, and Ronnie Dawson all finished with 2 hits on the night. Dawson was making his Carolina League debut.

Brett Adcock takes on Sean Brady in game 2. First pitch is at 7:00 Eastern.

Quad Cities 4, Beloit 1


W- Salvador Montaño (7-3)
L- Sam Sheehan (3-2)

QC home runs: Abraham Toro-Hernandez (8, 14 season; solo in 8th)

The Banditos got a solid night from their pitchers to take the first game of this series. With this victory, Quad Cities' magic number is now down to 2.

Carlos Sanabria went 5.2 innings and allowed an unearned run on 6 hits, walked 2, and struck out 8. Salvador Montaño shut it down by allowing 2 hits and striking out 7 over the last 3.1 innings.

Josh Rojas put Quad Cities on the board with an RBI single in the 4th. Rojas scored the go-ahead run on a passed ball in the 7th and Wander Franco, who was hitting at the time, extended the lead with an RBI single. Abraham Toro-Hernandez launched a homer to start off the 8th.

Ronel Blanco goes up against Zack Erwin in game 2. First pitch is at 7:00.

From June 30: Connecticut 2, Tri-City 1

W- Burris Warner (1-0)
L- Diogenes Almengo (0-2)

TC home runs: None.

The Tigers scored the only two runs of the game after play resumed.

Carlos Hiraldo and Corbin Martin both threw 4 innings; Hiraldo did that almost 2 months ago and allowed 2 hits while striking out 4. Martin came on after play resumed and allowed a run on 4 hits, walked 1, and struck out 4. Diogenes Almengo allowed a single in the 9th and an error allowed the runner to advance to 3rd, and then a sac fly allowed the runner to score; the run was unearned.

Kristian Trompiz's RBI single in the 4th inning back on June 30 turned out to be Tri-City's only scoring play.

Connecticut 1, Tri-City 0

W- Dean Aldridge (1-0)
L- Colin McKee (1-4)
S- Drew Carlton (6)

TC home runs: None.

Both teams had 3 hits, but the Tigers had the only run.

Bryan De La Cruz, Gabriel Bracamonte, and Kyle Davis all singled.

Brandon Bielak allowed 2 hits and struck out 3 over 4 scoreless innings, while Colin McKee allowed the only run on a single, walked 1, and struck out 4 in 2 innings. The run was unearned.

Game 2 of this series begins at 7:05 Eastern.

Bristol 7, Greeneville 3

W- Max Kranick (1-0)
L- Humberto Castellanos (4-1, 6-1 season)
S- Alex Manasa (1)

Greeneville home runs: Brody Westmoreland (8, solo in 2nd)

The Appy Astros suffered a costly series loss to the Appalachian League's worst team.

Brody Westmoreland smacked a solo homer in the 2nd inning. Gilberto Celestino hit an RBI single in the 3rd and it turned into a Little League home run thanks to an error. Celestino and Westmoreland both went 2-4.

Chad Donato allowed 3 runs (2 earned) on 5 hits, walked 2, and struck out a career-high 9 in 3.2 innings. Juan Corniel was the first man out of the Greeneville bullpen and allowed a hit, walked 1, and struck out 4 in 2.1 innings. Humberto Castellanos allowed 4 runs on 5 hits, walked 2, and struck out 2 in 2 innings, and Noel Pinto threw a 1-2-3 9th, striking out 1.

Greeneville will begin what is probably their biggest series of the season in Johnson City; the Cardinals are currently two games ahead of the Appy Astros in the standings. Remember... in the Appalachian League, the top two teams in each division are the playoff teams. Jairo Solis takes on Alvaro Seijas in game 1. First pitch is at 7:00 Eastern.

DSL Astros Blue 8, DSL Royals 3

W- Flaer Gonzalez (3-1)
L- Carlos Sanchez (1-1)

Blue home runs: None.

Team Blue and the Royals scored in the same number of innings, but the Blue team's three crooked numbers topped the Royals' single tallies.

Angel Macuare struck out 4 over 3 perfect innings. Manny Ramirez, Flaer Gonzalez, and Jonger Ochoa all pitched 2 innings; Ramirez was first, and he allowed 2 runs on 3 hits, walked 1, and struck out 2. Gonzalez followed by allowing a hit, walking 1, and striking out 1. Ochoa allowed a run on 3 hits and fanned 1.

There weren't really any offensive standouts, but Leonardo Gonzalez did reach in all four of his plate appearances, finishing 2-2 with a couple of walks, one of which came with the bases loaded in the 7th inning.

DSL Pirates 6, DSL Astros Orange 5 in 10 innings

W- Wilmer Contreras (5-1)
L- Cristofer Melendez (0-3)

Orange home runs: None.

The Orange team scored a run in the 8th to tie the game at 3, but the Pirates regained control in the first extra frame. Team Orange managed to cut the deficit to one run... but no cigar.

Renaigel Martis hit an RBI single in the 3rd. Euclides Chavez tripled in the 4th and ended up scoring on a wild pitch. Gerry Castillo hit an infield single and an error on the play allowed Kelvin Perez to score. Perez started the 10th in scoring position and scored on another error that allowed Deury Carrasco to reach. Carrasco scored on a sac fly from Castillo.

Carlos Perdomo went 3 innings and allowed 2 runs on 3 hits, walked 4, and struck out 4. Ronny Garcia technically struck out the side in the 4th, but one of his victims managed to reach base safely. He also induced a groundout. Asael Uribe followed with 4 innings and allowed a run on 3 hits, walked 4, and struck out 6. Cristofer Melendez threw 2 innings and allowed 3 runs (2 earned) on 2 hits, walked 2, and struck out 1.

Tuesday's Stars

All photos are from Jayne unless stated otherwise.

Angel Macuare, RHP, DSL Astros Blue: 3 IP, 4 K; perfect outing
Leonardo Gonzalez, OF, DSL Astros Blue: 2-2, RBI, R, 2 BB

Ramon Laureano, OF, Corpus Christi
2-3, 2-R HR (7), 2 R

Quad Cities River Bandits pitchers: W 4-1 @ Beloit
9 IP, 8 H, unearned run, 2 BB, 15 K
Carlos Sanabria: 5.2 IP, 6 H, unearned run, 2 BB, 8 K
Salvador Montaño: W (7-3), 3.1 IP, 2 H, 7 K

Yoanys Quiala, RHP, Corpus Christi
W (3-4, 8-5 season), 5 IP, 6 H (solo HR allowed), ER, BB

Carlos Sierra, RHP, Buies Creek
3 IP, H, ER, BB, 4 K

This is his mugshot on MiLB.com.
Brandon Bielak, RHP, Tri-City
4 IP, 2 H, 3 K

This is his mugshot on MiLB.com.
Juan Corniel, RHP, Greeneville
2.1 IP, H, BB, 4 K

Both photos taken by Bryan Green.
Brody Westmoreland, 1B/3B, and Gilberto Celestino, OF, Greeneville
Westmoreland: 2-4, solo HR (8)
Celestino: 2-4, RBI; Little League HR (also scored on error following RBI single)

Tuesday, August 22, 2017

Astros Farm Report: 8-22

The roster moves are slowing down and the playoff pictures are solidifying ...

ROSTER MOVES/TRANSACTIONS

8-22: C Evan GattisRHP Will Harris and LHP Tony Sipp scheduled for rehab assignments in Corpus Christi
8-21: SS Juan Pineda assigned to Greeneville from the GCL
8-20: RHP Jordan Jankowski claimed off waivers by the Dodgers
8-19: SS Reid Brignac (Fresno) activated from the DL
8-19: RHP Dustin Hunt assigned to Quad Cities from Tri-City
8-18: C Jose Carrillo assigned to the GCL from the DSL
8-18: OF Ramiro Rodriguez assigned to the GCL from the DSL
8-18: OF Jonathan Lacroix placed on the GCL 7-day DL
8-15: RHP Yoanys Quiala (Corpus Christi) activated from the suspended list
8-15: C Eduardo de Oleo assigned to Fresno from Buies Creek (had been on rehab assignment at GCL)

A complete(ish) list of August transactions/roster moves to date can be found here.

STANDINGS

Collectively, it was not a good week for the farm system as all of the Astros MiLB affiliates combined went 21-35 over the last week.  Fresno's 2-5 week has them in second place only one game behind Reno (D'Backs) who they will play for the final time this season later today. Corpus Christi's 1-5 week left them in the same position as they were in last week, but with fewer games left to play, seven games back with an elimination number of nine doesn't leave them with much margin for error. Despite their 1-5 week, Buies Creek still retains a four and a half game lead over Down East (Rangers). Quad Cities was the only full season team to put up a winning week. Their 5-2 record has padded their lead to seven games over second place Peoria (Cardinals).

On the short season side, Tri-City's 3-2 week was enough to retain second place in the division, but they fell a game and a half further behind first place Vermont (A's). The ValleyCats will face Vermont for three more games the last week of the season. Greeneville dropped from a second place tie to third place with their 3-3 week. They have 10 games remaining with six of those against the first and second place teams. The GCL Astros were hurt the worst by their sub-par week (1-5), dropping to fourth place in their division; with a dwindling number of games, their elimination number is now at 7. The two DSL teams were both eliminated from postseason contention this past week with the Orange team going 1-6 and the Blue team going 4-2.

PACIFIC COAST LEAGUE/PACIFIC NORTHERN DIVISION
AAA Fresno 2nd 71-58 .550 1.0GB W1

TEXAS LEAGUE/SOUTH DIVISION
AA Corpus 3rd 57-68 .456 14.0GB L2 (Overall)
AA Corpus 3rd 23-32 .418 7.0GB L2 (Second Half)

CAROLINA LEAGUE/SOUTHERN DIVISION
HiA Buies Creek 1st 70-56 .556 -.-GB L4 (Overall)
HiA Buies Creek 1st 33-23 .589 -.-GB L4 (Second Half)

MIDWEST LEAGUE/WESTERN DIVISION
LoA Quad Cities 1st 74-51 .592 -.-GB W2 (Overall)
LoA Quad Cities 1st 37-20 .649 -.-GB W2 (Second Half)

NEW YORK-PENN LEAGUE/STEDLER DIVISION
SSA Tri-City 2nd 30-27 .526 2.0GB W3

APPALACHIAN LEAGUE/WEST DIVISION
Rk+ Greeneville 3rd 30-27 .526 4.5GB W1

GULF COAST LEAGUE/EAST DIVISION
Rk GCL Astros 4th 23-22 .511 4.5GB L2

DOMINICAN SUMMER LEAGUE/NORTH DIVISION (ELIMINATED FROM POSTSEASON)
FRk DSL Orange 8th 25-41 .379 14.5GB W1

DOMINICAN SUMMER LEAGUE/NORTHWEST DIVISION (ELIMINATED FROM POSTSEASON)
FRk DSL Blue 4th 36-30 .545 8.0GB W3

NEWS AND LINKS

I posted some additional thoughts and fun pictures from my trip to Quad Cities here.

A fun look at how a few MiLB teams celebrated the solar eclipse.

A great post about how former Astro Teoscar Hernandez is working to make his mark with a new team. h/t Astros County


Quad Cities C Chuckie Robinson is a postseason All-Star in the Midwest League.

Astros Minor League Recaps

Results for Monday, August 21, 2017

Fresno 16, Reno 2

W- Cy Sneed (1-0, 10-5 season)
L- Anthony Banda (7-7)

Fresno home runs: A.J. Reed 2 (28; 2-run in 3rd, 3-run in 9th), Tyler White (24, solo in 9th)

The Grizzlies got on the board in this series by demolishing the Aces.


Cy Sneed shook off a 2-run homer in the 1st to got 7 innings. He allowed 3 other hits, walked 1, and struck out 6 during his time on the mound. Dean Deetz walked 1 and struck out 5 over the last 2 innings.

Fresno will look to draw even with Reno in the standings as they conclude this series at 7:05 Pacific. Mike Hauschild takes on Eric Jokisch.

Corpus Christi was off

The Hooks will start a 4-game series with Midland tonight at 7:05. Yoanys Quiala takes on Grant Holmes.

Buies Creek was off

The Carolina Stros are back at Campbell, where they'll start a 3-game series against Lynchburg at 7:00 Eastern. Elieser Hernandez will face Dominic DeMasi.

Quad Cities 8, Wisconsin 7

W- Yohan Ramirez (4-5)
L- Carlos Herrera (2-2)
S- Jesús Balaguer (1, 4 season)

QC home runs: Abraham Toro-Hernandez (7, 13 season; solo in 3rd), Daz Cameron (14, 2-run in 4th)

The Banditos hung on in order to get a road series win even though they nearly squandered an 8-1 lead in the finale.

Yohan Ramirez went 5 innings and allowed 4 runs on 3 hits (solo and 2-run homers), walked 3, and struck out 3. Lucas Williams was the first man out of the Quad Cities bullpen and allowed 2 runs (1 earned) on 3 hits, walked 1, and struck out 3. Jesús Balaguer pitched the last 2.2 innings to get the save, allowing a run on 2 hits, walking 1, and striking out 4.

Ronnie Dawson put Quad Cities on the board and in the lead with a 2-run single in the 2nd. They got 2 more in the inning on a Chuckie Robinson RBI single and an RBI double from Troy Sieber. Abraham Toro-Hernandez launched a solo homer in the 3rd, and then in the 4th, Sieber added an RBI single to his ledger and scored on Daz Cameron's 2-run blast. Sieber (2B, RBI, R) and Robinson (2B, RBI, 2 R, SB) both finished with 2 hits on the day. Dawson stole 2 bases (17), while Robinson's stolen base gives him 7 on the year.

Quad Cities' final tour of Wisconsin in 2017 concludes with a 3-game series in Beloit that begins at 7:00. Carlos Sanabria will start game 1 and he'll go up against Matt Milburn.

Tri-City 10, Brooklyn 6

W- Ben Smith (6-2)
L- Joe Napolitano (0-2)

TC home runs: Colton Shaver 2 (4, 10 season; solo in 2nd, walk-off grand slam in 9th), Mike Papierski (3, solo in 4th), J.J. Matijevic (6, 2-run in 7th)

Colton Shaver has two career grand slams, and they're both walk-offs. He clubbed one to beat Staten Island in his first game as a ValleyCat back on July 27, and on Monday, he completed a Tri-City comeback by launching another one.

Shaver also opened the scoring with a solo shot in the 2nd inning. Mike Papierski launched a solo homer of his own in the 4th. Kyle Davis hit an RBI single in the 6th and J.J. Matijevic whacked a 2-run homer in the 7th.

Bryan De La Cruz ripped a one-out double in the bottom of the 9th and Matijevic joined him on the bases after getting a free pass to first base. Gabriel Bracamonte went down on strikes for the 2nd out, but De La Cruz scored the tying run on an error that allowed Adrian Tovalin to reach; Tovalin was credited with an RBI on the play.

With Papierski at the plate, Matijevic stole 3rd and Tovalin took 2nd on defensive indifference. Papierski eventually drew a walk to load the bases for Shaver, who decided that extra innings would not be required to determine the winner of this game. De La Cruz (2B, R, SB) also finished with 2 hits on the night alongside Shaver.

Adam Bleday and Juan Robles both pitched 4 innings. Bleday allowed 4 runs on 7 hits, walked 3, and struck out 2, while Robles allowed 2 runs (1 earned) on 3 hits (solo homer), walked 1, and struck out 5. Ben Smith worked around a walk to throw a scoreless 9th.

Tri-City will head to Connecticut to start a new series. The first order of business for both teams, however, is completing a game from June 30 that was suspended due to rain. The ValleyCats were leading 1-0 heading into the 5th inning.

Corbin Martin will start the regularly scheduled game, which will be a 7-inning contest.

Greeneville 16, Bristol 0

W- Hansel Paulino (4-1)
L- Hunter Stratton (0-2)

Greeneville home runs: Brody Westmoreland (7, 3-run in 8th), Patrick Mathis (3, 2-run in 8th)

The Appy Astros administered a severe beatdown on Monday night.


Meanwhile, on the mound, Hansel Paulino, Gerardo Bojorquez, and Dariel Aquino kept Bristol off the scoreboard. Paulino allowed 7 hits, walked 1, and struck out 5 in his 5 innings of work. Bojorquez followed with 3 innings, allowing a hit and striking out 3, and Aquino worked around a hit in the 9th to complete the shutout.

Chad Donato takes the hill for the series finale. First pitch is at 7:00 Eastern.

GCL Marlins 4, GCL Astros 0

W- Karl Craigie (3-0)
L- Javier Navas (1-2)

GCL home runs: None.

The Palm Beach Stros got held off the scoreboard on Monday.

Alfredo Angarita went 2-3 with a double.

Javier Navas went 2 innings and allowed 3 runs on 5 hits, walked 1, and struck out 1. Austin Kerns struck out 2 in a 1-2-3 3rd inning. Angel Heredia followed with 2 scoreless; he walked 1 and struck out 1. Tanner Duncan, Brendan Feldmann, and Carlos Pimentel all pitched an inning; Duncan allowed an unearned run on a groundout and a double in the 6th. Feldmann allowed a hit and struck out 1 in the 7th, and Pimentel worked around a hit to throw a scoreless 8th.

DSL Astros Blue 3, DSL Royals 2

W- Antonio Pujols (4-2)
L- Angel Zerpa (3-4)
S- Diosmerky Taveras (1)

Blue home runs: None.

Samir Caraballo and Kendy Moya both had 2 hits apiece in this game. Yorbin Ceuta opened the scoring with an RBI single in the 3rd inning and Ronaldo Urdaneta followed by hitting a sac fly. Nerio Rodriguez's sac fly in the bottom of the 7th put Team Blue back in front after the Royals had tied it in the top half.

Jose Antonio Hernandez allowed a run on a sac fly, a single, and struck out 3 in 4 innings. Angel Matos struck out 2 in a 1-2-3 5th. Antonio Pujols followed with 3 innings, allowing a run on 6 hits and striking out 3. Diosmerky Taveras got three groundball outs in the 9th to get the save.

DSL Astros Orange 2, DSL Pirates 1

W- Hecduar Barcenas (1-1)
L- Luis Arrieta (2-1)
S- Wender Oberto (1)

Orange home runs: None.

Deury Carrasco went 2-4 and opened up the scoring with an RBI single in the 6th. He also stole a base (30) and scored on an RBI double from Marco van der Wijst in the 9th. Van Der Wijst finished 3-4, while Renaigel Martis also had 3 hits on the day.

Fredy Medina allowed 2 hits, walked 3, and struck out 4 over 4 scoreless. Hecduar Barcenas walked 1 and struck out 3 in 2 scoreless innings of relief, and Wender Oberto threw the last 3 innings, allowing a run on 2 hits, walking 4, and striking out 6.

Monday's Stars

All photos are from Jayne unless stated otherwise.

Fredy Medina, RHP, DSL Astros Orange: 4 IP, 2 H, 3 BB, 4 K
Jose Antonio Hernandez, RHP, DSL Astros Blue: 4 IP, H, ER, 3 K

Marco van der Wijst, IF, DSL Astros Orange: 3-4, 2B, RBI
Deury Carrasco, IF, DSL Astros Orange: 2-4, RBI, R, SB (30)

Greeneville Astros: W 16-0 vs. Bristol
Offense: 16 R, 13 H
Pitching: 9 IP, 9 H, BB, 8 K
Patrick Mathis: 4-4, 2-R HR (3), 3 R
Brody Westmoreland: 3-R HR (7)
Joan Mauricio: 2-3, 3 RBI, R
Gilberto Celestino: 2-4, 2B, 3 RBI
Hansel Paulino: W (4-1), 5 IP, 7 H, BB, 5 K
Gerardo Bojorquez: 3 IP, H, 3 K
Dariel Aquino: IP, H

Fresno Grizzlies: W 16-2 @ Reno
Offense: 16 R, 18 H
Pitching: 9 IP, 4 H (2-R HR allowed), 2 ER, 2 BB, 11 K
Cy Sneed: W (1-0, 10-5 season), 7 IP, 4 H (2-R HR allowed), 2 ER, BB, 6 K
Dean Deetz: 2 IP, BB, 5 K
A.J. Reed: 3-5, 2 HR (28), 6 RBI
Tyler White: 2-3, solo HR (24), 3 RBI, 2 R
Garrett Stubbs: 3-4, 3 RBI, R
Jack Mayfield: 3-5, 2 2B, 5 R

This is his mugshot on MiLB.com.
Colton Shaver, 1B, Tri-City
2-5, 2 HR (4, 10 season), 5 RBI; walk-off grand slam in 9th

Chuckie Robinson, C, and Troy Sieber, 1B, Quad Cities
Robinson: 2-5, 2B, RBI, 2 R, SB (7)
Sieber: 2-4, 2B, 2 RBI, R

Monday, August 21, 2017

Quad Cities Final Thoughts

Every time I take a minor league trip, I collect odds and ends that don't make it into any of my interviews, plus I take a TON of pictures. So consider this a wrap-up of my July trip to Quad Cities.

ODDS AND ENDS

I was already impressed with what I saw from RHP Robert Corniel, and then his teammate Patrick Sandoval heaped praise on Corniel's fastball, so I asked Quad Cities Manager Russ Steinhorn to weigh in on the 22-year old righty who is in his third season following Tommy John surgery. Steinhorn told me, "He was with me down in the Dominican last year all season and he definitely grew up last year a lot. We saw a lot of flashes of him having success with some good stuff. And then they gave him a chance to come to the States this year for extended and I guess he just took in all the information and worked hard with those guys down there. It just shows that if you perform and you get better, then you're going to get your opportunities and he's taken advantage of them along the way and he's just trying to take advantage of them here."

And of skinny lefty bullpen arm Salvador Montano, Steinhorn said, "He's really turned the corner. Last year wasn't a great year for him. I know he had some difficult conversations in Spring Trainig and Extended. A light bulb turned off and that's been it. It's been great to see that. He had an outing where (in the first half), he came in out of the bullpen with bases loaded and no outs. We're up by one ... on the road ... in the ninth ... and he struck out the side. And that's all you need for your confidence and he's been rolling. He's putting in the work everyday. He's got a great personality."

On RHP Yohan Ramirez: "He got a little stint in Corpus just to fill in and threw like 6 shutout innings. [Close. He allowed one run in 4.2 IP.]  He's got electric stuff. That's a guy to keep an eye on. He was up to 98 or 99. He's always in the dugout even when he's not playing, trying to root his teammates on," said Steinhorn. He went on to say that Ramirez reminds him of Jandel Gustave since he throws hard and has a good slider. "They kind of have the same build and quick arm. We'll see where it takes him. He's another guy to be excited about."

If you missed any of my interviews from the trip, you can find them here:
Marcos Almonte and Abdiel Saldana
Russ Steinhorn

I'm not sure why, but Ronnie Dawson's interview didn't get a lot of clicks and it should have. Not only is he having a fine season (.272/.362/.440 with 23 doubles, four triples, 14 home runs, 80 runs scored, 60 RBI and 15 stolen bases overall and .313/.407/.508 since June 1st), he is also a team leader, universally respected by his teammates and coaches. He is a good student of the game with a great personality.

Another interview that you may have missed was the one that I did with Russ Steinhorn. We spoke about his time managing in the Dominican last season and how that experience is really helping as the contingent of Latin players assembled by Oz Ocampo and his team are starting to work their way up through the system. That was one thing that impressed me about the team. There is a heavy Latin presence with over half of the team hailing from places other than the U.S., but there is still great comaraderie among the players. I've seen that more and more through the past few years, and I will credit the Astros for working to bridge both the language and cultural gaps.

There was an amazing amount of talent on that team. As many interviews as I did, I could have done more. I didn't interview Carmen Benedetti, but only because I interviewed him last year in Tri-City. Not only was Benedetti having a great season at the plate with Quad Cities (.332/.446/.465 in 69 games) prior to his early August promotion, he also impressed with his play in the field. With nine outfield assists to his name for the season (six of those from right field), it is no wonder that I overheard one of the Great Lakes pitchers comment, "That kid's got the best arm I've ever seen."

Similarly, I talked to Chuckie Robinson at Tri-City last year; otherwise, he would have been on my short list to talk with. As impressed as I was with Robinson when I saw him last year, I am doubly impressed with him now, not only for his bat (.291/.347/.488 in 96 games with Quad Cities), but also with his talents behind the dish. He is a pitching coach's dream with his ability to handle a pitching staff and a manager's dream with his 45% caught stealing rate. Plus, I personally liked that he walked up to Tracy Chapman's "Give Me One Reason." One final tidbit about Robinson -- both he and teammate Troy Sieber went to bat without batting gloves. There's something appealing to me about that.

But, honestly, every single player on the team stood out in one way or another. It was an impressive group and I think they've got a really good opportunity in the postseason. I will be pulling for each and every one of them.

And one final note about the trip: Jake Levy (media relations and broadcaster extraordinaire) and Rich Guill (photographer extraordinaire) were both so warm and welcoming. It is a pleasure to "do business" with them.

PHOTOS

When I was finishing up my interview with Russ Steinhorn, I commented on how hard I was trying to make sure that the Latin players who didn't understand English as well as others would know where they could find the pictures I took of them during the trip. I do use the photos for the blog, but honestly, I also take them so that the players can share them with family and friends. That has become equally important to me over the years.

And I know that the players appreciate it. When I see a player from a prior trip, I almost always get a smile and a warm greeting as I did from Cristian Javier in Quad Cities. When he saw me, he didn't say a word, he just smiled, walked over and shook my hand. When I told Russ that, he replied, "Sometimes it's hard on them. It's a long season. They love the support when they're so far away from their families. Sometimes they may not feel it as much as they need it, and to get it definitely puts a smile on their face." And that put a smile on my face.

For all of the photos I took on the trip, you can go to my flickr account here. Here are a few of my favorites.

Osvaldo Duarte, Gabriel Bracamonte and Josh Rojas
checking the forecast

Chuckie Robinson framed by a double rainbow

Marcos Almonte and Ronnie Dawson talking shop

Lucas Williams "Field of Dreams" photo

Chas McCormick and the bridge

Salvador Montano ...

... and his skinny legs!

Ronel Blanco autographing Montano's jersey

Carlos Sanabria warming up

Ronel Blanco

Troy Sieber and Kristian Trompiz

Chas McCormick headed to first

Cristian Javier

And a few more great faces ...
Marcos Almonte

Cesar Rosado

Cristian Javier

Ronnie Dawson

Patrick Sandoval

Yohan Ramirez

THE END