What the Heck, Bobby?: Astros Minor League Recaps

Results for Sunday, July 8, 2018

Fresno is off until Thursday

The 2018 Triple-A All-Star Game, which pits the Pacific Coast League against the International League, will take place on Wednesday in Columbus, Ohio. J.D. Davis, A.J. Reed, Garrett Stubbs, and Grizzlies pitching Coach Dyar Miller will represent Fresno in the Pacific Coast League delegation.

Corpus Christi 9, Northwest Arkansas 2

W- Ryan Hartman (7-2)
L- Foster Griffin (3-11)
S- Cionel Perez (1)

CC home runs: Alex De Goti (9, solo in 6th)

This game was delayed because of this:

Bees wanted a front row seat to the game today @MiLB pic.twitter.com/UoXTz4jrsi
— Carmen Benedetti (@Carmatron32) July 8, 2018

Yeah, bees could pose a problem. After a 27-minute delay, the bees were extracted from what looks like the first base side dugout without incident.

Ryan Hartman was on the hook for a loss until Abraham Toro saved him from this fate by clearing the bases with a double to put Corpus in the lead. Hartman allowed two runs on five hits (solo homer) and struck out seven in his five innings of work. Cionel Perez shut it down in the last four innings, allowing two hits and striking out eight.

Corpus fell behind 2-0 and then finished the game on a 9-0 run that started with Toro's bases-clearing double in the 5th inning that put them on the board and in the lead. Alex De Goti whacked a solo homer in the 6th. Stephen Wrenn reached on an error to start the 7th and then stole second. He moved to third on Josh Rojas' base hit and scored on a Randy César single. Toro smacked an RBI double to bring Rojas in; César got thrown out at the plate. The Hooks tacked on three more in the 8th as Aníbal Sierra scored on an error while Wrenn was stealing second. Chas McCormick, who came on in the top half of the 8th as a defensive sub, added an RBI single, and Ryne Birk drove in the last run of the night in painful fashion as he got plunked with the bases loaded.

Toro finished 2-2 and drew three walks to reach in all five of his plate appearances. Birk was the only Hooks position player to go hitless but he still recorded an RBI. Wrenn stole two bases (26) and scored three runs. Rojas and Sierra scored two runs apiece, and De Goti has a new career high in home runs.

Akeem Bostick will take on Arnaldo Hernandez in the series finale. First pitch is at 7:05.

Buies Creek 8, Myrtle Beach 7 in 10 innings

W- Yohan Ramirez (1-0, 6-7 season)
L- Casey Bloomquist (2-3)

BC home runs: None.

The Carolina Stros took the series finale in thrilling fashion and ended up taking four of five from the Pelicans. Buies Creek scored a run in the 8th to tie the game to finally claw back from an early 3-0 hole. It looked as if the comeback would end up in vain as Myrtle Beach scored a couple in the first extra frame to re-take the lead, but the Carolina Stros just kept at it.

Cristian Javier went three innings and allowed three runs (one earned) on two hits, walked two, and struck out three. Gabriel Valdez was the first man out of the bullpen and went 3.1 innings, allowing two runs (one inherited runner charged to him), on four hits (solo homer), walked one, and struck out two. Colin McKee was next and he technically did have a scoreless outing, although he allowed one of the runners he inherited from Valdez to score. In 1.2 innings, McKee allowed two hits, walked one, and struck out two. Yohan Ramirez allowed two runs (one earned) on four hits, walked one, and fanned three. Javier became the second pitcher in the system to reach the 100-strikeout mark for the season after Josh James.

Ronnie Dawson ripped a two-run double in the 4th to put Buies Creek on the board. He then stole third and scored on a Bryan de la Cruz single. Myrtle Beach got a run in the top of the 5th to go back in front but the Carolina Stros kept pace as Corey Julks smacked an RBI double in the bottom half. Julks walked to lead off the 8th. He then stole second and scored the tying run on a double from Osvaldo Duarte. Buies Creek won it with three in the 10th without making an out.

Chuckie Robinson started the inning in scoring position and came home on a base hit from Jonathan Arauz, who moved to second on a wild pitch. Julks joined him on the bases by drawing a walk, and Jake Meyers sent everyone home happy with a two-run double to win it. Arauz (2B, RBI, 2 R), Julks (2B, RBI, 2 R, 2 SB), and Dawson (2B, 2 RBI, R) all finished with two hits on the afternoon. Julks, Meyers, and Dawson also took part in some petty larceny on the bases. Julks swiped two; he's got ten with Buies Creek and 24 on the year. Dawson now has 24 as well, and Meyers' first stolen base in the Carolina League gives him 14 on the season.

The Down East Wood Ducks will be Buies Creeks' guests this week as the latest iteration of the Lone Star Series in North Carolina kicks off on Monday at 6:00 Eastern

Quad Cities 5, Burlington 0

W- Leovanny Rodriguez (4-1)
L- Jose Soriano (0-3)
S- Brendan Feldmann (4, 5 season)

QC home runs: None.

The Banditos fulfilled two of the three true outcomes of baseball with 12 walks and 15 strikeouts. They did not hit a home run, however. They also went 1-17 with runners in scoring position and left 17 men on base. They still got the win behind fine outings on the mound from Leovanny Rodriguez and Brendan Feldmann. In the end, it doesn't really matter how a team arrives at a win as long as they get the win.

For the third straight game, a Quad Cities starter recorded a new career high in strikeouts. This time, it was Leovanny's turn to accomplish this feat as he allowed three hits, walked one, and struck out ten over 5.2 shutout innings. For Leovanny, this game marked the first time in his career that he recorded double-digit strikeouts. Brendan Feldmann completed the shutout by allowing a couple of hits, walking one, and striking out four in 3.1 innings of work.

Quad Cities had the bases loaded with one out in the 1st... and came up empty. However... Seth Beer was able to open up the scoring with an RBI single in the 2nd, an inning in which they loaded the bases once again. But... all they could get out of that situation was one run, which came when Marty Costes got plunked, allowing Mike Papierski to score. They loaded the bases yet again in the third inning and got one more run out of it when Chandler Taylor scored on an Alfredo Angarita groundout.

The Banditos loaded the bases for a fourth time in the 5th inning and got one run out of that situation as Costes drew a walk to bring Papierski in. David Hensley drew a walk with one out in the 8th and scored the final run of the night on a Jonathan Lacroix triple. Lacroix and Beer both finished with three hits apiece on the night. Papierski and Miguelangel Sierra both walked three times. Costes drove in two runs without recording an official at-bat; he walked twice and got plunked twice in his four trips to the plate.

The Banditos and the Bees will wrap up this series tonight at 6:35 as Jairo Solís faces Denny Brady.

Tri-City 7, Aberdeen 3

W- Mark Moclair (1-2)
L- Hector Guance (1-4)

TC home runs: Enmanuel Valdez (4, 2-run in 3rd), Ramiro Rodriguez (1, solo in 3rd)

The ValleyCats broke this one open with a four-run third, aided by a couple of home runs.

Gilberto Celestino singled to lead off the 3rd inning and then stole second. Enmanuel Valdez followed by smacking a two-run homer to open the scoring. Austin Dennis kept things moving by drawing a walk, stealing second, and advancing to third on a wild pitch. He wound up scoring on a sac fly from Juan Piñeda. One batter later, Ramiro Rodriguez launched his first home run of the season, a solo shot that gave Tri-City a 4-0 lead. The ValleyCats added three more in the 8th when Celestino drew a bases-loaded walk and a botched force out attempt allowed Oscar Campos and Trey Dawson to score. Celestino went 3-4 with a couple of stolen bases, giving him 12 on the year. The ValleyCats went 5-6 on stolen base attempts in this game. Valdez finished 2-5.

Jose Luis Hernandez continued his rehab by allowing a run on five hits and striking out two in 3.2 innings. Mark Moclair was the first man out of the Tri-City bullpen and threw 2.1 perfect innings, striking out six of the seven Ironbirds he faced. Luis de Paula tagged in for two scoreless innings, walking two and striking out two. Aberdeen spoiled the shutout with a two-run homer off Hansel Paulino in the 9th. Paulino allowed two hits, walked one, and struck out the side.

The ValleyCats will be looking for a sweep first thing in the morning. First pitch is at 11:00 AM Eastern.

GCL Astros 3, GCL Mets 0

W- Elián Rodriguez (1-1)
L- Michel Otanez (0-3)
S- Julio Robaina (1)

GCL home runs: None.

Both teams recorded four hits on the afternoon, but the Astros scored all the runs.

Edgardo Sandoval, Elián Rodriguez, and Julio Robaina pitched three innings apiece and kept the Mets off the board. Sandoval allowed three hits and fanned five, Rodriguez allowed a hit, walked two, and struck out one, and Robaina walked two and struck out two to complete the shutout.

Ronaldo Urdaneta reached on an error in the opening inning and after stealing second, he scored on a single from Nerio Rodriguez. Urdaneta scored two of the Palm Beach Stros' three runs on Sunday; he scored again on a Deury Carrasco single. Carrasco wound up advancing on an errant pickoff throw and scored on a single from Nathan Perry.

Sunday's Stars

All photos are from Jayne unless stated otherwise.