Friday, June 29, 2018

Astros Minor League Recaps

Results for Thursday, June 28, 2018

It hasn't been the greatest day for me and I haven't slept well in a long, long, time... so I'll keep it short here.

Fresno 12, El Paso 4

W- Mike Hauschild (6-6)
L- Colin Rea (1-1)

Fresno home runs: Kyle Tucker (13, solo in 1st), Taylor Jones (1, 13 season; 2-run in 1st), D.J. Fisher (4, 2-run in 3rd), Jon Kemmer (11, 3-run in 7th)

The Grizzlies pounded the Chihuahuas to the tune of four home runs to avoid the sweep. Everyone recorded a hit and no one struck out. Seriously.

What a week for Taylor Jones. He earns Texas League All-Star Game MVP honors on Tuesday and then goes 3-5 with a two-run home run in his Triple-A debut on Thursday.



Mike Hauschild allowed two runs on five hits, walked three, and struck out five in 5.1 innings. Reymin Guduan was the first man out of the Fresno bullpen and turned in 1.2 perfect innings, striking out one. Riley Ferrell got the 8th inning for his AAA debut and allowed two runs on two hits, walked one, and struck out one. James Hoyt got three groundouts to retire the side in order in the 9th.

The Grizzlies are in Sacramento this weekend for four. Trent Thornton will start the opener; first pitch is at 7:05 Pacific.

Arkansas 2, Corpus Christi 0

W- Spencer Herrmann (4-4)
L- Jorge Alcala (1-1, 2-5 season)
S- Matt Festa (9)

CC home runs: None.

The Hooks got blanked in the first game of their tour of Arkansas.

On the bright side, Randy César extended his hitting streak to 42 games with a double in the opening inning. He finished 3-4 on the evening.

Jorge Alcala pitched decently but had no choice but to take the loss. He allowed two runs on five hits, walked two, and struck out five in 5.1 innings of work. Justin Ferrell and Erasmo Pinales pitched 1.1 scoreless innings apiece; Ferrell allowed three hits, walked two, and struck out one. Pinales retired all four Travelers he faced, striking out one.

Akeem Bostick will take on Nathan Bannister in game two of this series. First pitch is at 7:10.

Buies Creek 5, Myrtle Beach 0

W- Carson LaRue (4-4)
L- Erick Leal (0-1)

BC home runs: None.

It's been a pretty solid week in South Carolina for Buies Creek.

Carson LaRue, Tyler Ivey, and Ronel Blanco combined to keep the Pelicans off the scoreboard. LaRue allowed four hits, walked one, and struck out three over five innings. Ivey allowed a hit and fanned five in three innings, and Blanco worked around a couple of hits and a walk in the 9th to complete the shutout.

Osvaldo Duarte opened the scoring with an RBI triple in the 1st and scored on Cody Bohanek's single. Carlos Canelón ripped an RBI double in the 6th and scored on a Jake Meyers single. Meyers scored the final run of the night on an error in the 9th. Duarte and Corey Julks both finished with two hits on the night.

Abdiel Saldaña will take the mound as the Carolina Stros look for the sweep. He'll face Cory Abbott at 7:05 Eastern.

Kane County 5, Quad Cities 2

W- Jeff Bain (7-2)
L- Yohan Ramirez (5-7)

QC home runs: None.

The Banditos won 10-6 in the hit column. Unfortunately, this does not determine the winner of a baseball game.

Seth Beer went 2-4 with an RBI single in his Quad Cities debut. Ruben Castro went 2-4 with a couple of doubles; the second one came in the 9th and resulted in a run, but he was thrown out at third to end the game. Miguelangel Sierra went 3-4. Logan Mattix finished 2-3 with a double and scored on Castro's double.

Yohan Ramirez went four innings and allowed three runs on three hits, two of which were solo homers. He also walked three and struck out five. Dariel Aquino pitched the 5th and the two runs he allowed came on a homer hit by Ernie de la Trinidad. Aquino allowed one other hit and struck out the side. Jairo Solís allowed a hit, walked three, and struck out three in three innings.

Enoli Paredes goes up against Jhoan Duran in game two. First pitch is at 6:30.

Hudson Valley 3, Tri-City 1

W- Paul Campbell (2-0)
L- Mark Moclair (0-1)
S- B.J. Myers (1)

TC home runs: None.

The ValleyCats' bats went MIA as the Renegades took the first game of this series.

Austin Dennis singled with one out in the 7th and scored Tri-City's only run on a balk. Jeremy Peña hit a double to lead off the 4th, an inning in which the ValleyCats left the bases loaded.

Tim Hardy went two innings and allowed a hit, walked one, and struck out one. Mark Moclair allowed two runs, a hit, walked two, and struck out one in the 3rd. The one run that Nivaldo Rodriguez allowed in his 3.2 innings came on a homer hit by Chris Betts. Nivaldo allowed two other hits, walked one, and struck out four. Carlos Hiraldo followed with 2.1 scoreless, allowing a hit, walking two, and striking out two.

The ValleyCats and Renegades continue their series at 7:00 Eastern.

GCL Mets 10, GCL Astros 3

W- Oscar Rojas (1-1)
L- Jose Bravo (0-1)
S- Marcos Correa (1)

GCL home runs: None.

Deury Carrasco was one of the few bright spots on what was an otherwise rough afternoon for the Palm Beach Stros as he went 2-4 with an RBI triple in the 9th and stole a couple of bases, his first two of the season.

Jose Bravo and Layne Henderson both labored through two innings. Miguel Figueroa and Bryan Solano fared better during their stints on the mound; Figueroa allowed an unearned run on two hits, walked one, and struck out three in 2.2 innings, and Solano retired all four Mets he faced, striking out three of them.

DSL Red Sox1 11, DSL Astros 4

W- Yoelvis Guedez (1-2)
L- Fabricio Reina (1-3)

DSL home runs: None.

The Red Sox buried the Astros with an eight-run 6th inning.

Yimmi Cortabarria went 2-4 with an RBI single in the 8th. Valente Bellozo allowed just one hit, walked two, and struck out three over five shutout frames.

I gotta get to work now.

Thursday, June 28, 2018

Getting to Know Astros/Grizzlies RHP Trent Thornton

I first crossed paths with Fresno Grizzlies RHP Trent Thornton when he was playing in High A Lancaster in June 2016. I didn't have the opportunity to talk with him during that trip, but I figured that I would run into him again sooner rather than later. Little did I know that it would take two more years before I would finally have the chance to get to know him a little bit better.

Trent Thornton - June 2018
Photo by Jayne Hansen

Thornton has flown somewhat under the radar since he was drafted in the 5th round in 2015 out of the University of North Carolina, but has flirted with Astros top 30 prospect lists from time to time. His 2017 season with his first taste of AAA was a mixed bag, but he is working to put those struggles behind him in 2018. Thus far this season, Thornton has a 3.01 ERA and a 1.005 WHIP in 13 games (12 starts), improving to a 2.33 ERA and 0.926 WHIP in his four starts in June.

I was in attendance for his June 16th start in which he took a no-hitter seven and two-thirds innings against Round Rock, ultimately allowing one hit over eight innings. I asked him when he realized that he had a no-hitter going. Thornton said, "It's in the back of your mind the whole time, but it's not something you openly talk about. When I come in and sit in the dugout, people don't normally really talk to me because I'm kind of in my own zone. After I got through the seventh, I was like kind of thinking a little bit more about it, getting pretty close."

Thornton continued, "Two outs in the 8th and their catcher had just popped out and he ran behind the mound and said, 'Man, you're locked in. You're dominant tonight. Good luck.' And the next batter, I get 0-2 and leave a breaking ball up, ground ball through the hole and that was that. I'm not going to say he jinxed me, but luck kind of ran out there. It was fun because I started getting a little goose bumps on the mound, a little adrenaline, because it was four outs away and that's the closest I've been since (my freshman year in college). That was a lot of fun. Wish I could have finished the job, but I'm just happy our team won."

As Thornton walked off the mound that night, I noticed him venting some of the frustration into his glove. "Yeah, I wasn't too happy just because the guy was 0-2 and it's so easy to make a better pitch than what I did. I left a breaking ball right down the middle and I paid for it." As a consolation prize, Thornton did earn the Pacific Coast League Pitcher of the Week honors for that week however.

Thornton credits the great defense behind him with helping him get deep into the no-hit bid. "I had some tremendous defense behind me and a little bit of luck. You've got to have a little bit of both," said Thornton. In particular, Thornton thanked newly promoted teammate Myles Straw for a couple of great centerfield catches that helped him out. "That's the first time I'd ever played with him on a team. That guy, he can do it all. He can hit. He can throw. He plays hard every single time and as a pitcher, you can't ask a guy to do anymore than that."

Grizzlies Pitching Coach Dyar Miller credits Thornton's improvement in 2018 more to his ability to make mental adjustments, putting both the good and bad behind him and moving on to the next pitch and the next game, than any physical adjustment. Thornton agreed that he has made strides in his mental game, "For me, last year it was more of a focus and execution thing where I never really had a problem throwing strikes or commanding my pitches. It was just whether it was a quality strike or a quality ball. And for this year, Fed (Grizzlies Catcher Tim Federowicz) has really helped me out a lot with the focus of executing each pitch no matter the count, no matter the hitter. I've been able to be a little more consistent with that which has helped my success a little bit this year."

Grizzlies skipper Rodney Linares credits Thornton's improvement to something else, "He's pitching better after I gave him that haircut!" Linares thought Thornton looked just a little too straight-laced earlier this season (see the tweet below) and decided, "We had to do something!"
All kidding aside, the first thing you notice about Thornton when he is on the mound is not his haircut. It's his leg kick.

Trent Thornton - June 2018
Photo by Jayne Hansen

Of the leg kick, Thornton told me, "I've always done that my whole entire life. It's really helped with my rhythm and timing of everything and adds a little deceptiveness. For probably about a half a season last year, I kind of took it away and had a very generic leg lift and I saw that it messed up my timing and rhythm and my stuff wasn't quite as sharp. Towards the end, probably the last third, of the season, I started messing around with it in the bullpen again and Dyar was like, 'Man, your stuff looks really good. Stick with that.' And I basically went back to my old ways and it's been working again for me."

Miller agreed that Thornton has improved since re-committing to the high leg kick, "I think it's just a matter of rhythm and timing. Everybody is unique. He's unique." Of his overall delivery, Miller said, "I'm sure some coaches and scouts look at him and say that's the worst arm action of anybody I've ever seen. And it is a typical bad arm action. But he's like double-jointed. He's completely different. You can't put him in a normal category. He's very flexible. So that's why his arm goes way back and as far as I know, he's never had any injuries, never missed a start. He's been pretty solid. He's a little different bird with his physical make-up and mentality. I think he's going to get a chance to pitch in the big leagues."

I looked back at Thornton's career starts and it appears that he may have missed one start two years ago, but he has indeed managed to stay healthy despite a delivery that many early scouting reports found awkward and high effort. "I've always prided myself on flexibility. I stretch all the time and take pride in being able to move my body in ways that most people can't. It's just kind of my own individual thing that helps me be me," said Thornton.

The most surprising thing I learned about Thornton is that, unlike so many other baseball players I know, he is most decidedly NOT addicted to video games. "Actually, I don't play video games at all. I've always been an outside guy, growing up, playing everything with my buddies and my dad -- baseball, basketball, football, golf. I love fishing, frisbee golf. I definitely think I'm more of an outside type person. I don't really like playing video games that much." Aside from that, Thornton is very close with his family, including two younger sisters, back in Charlotte, North Carolina. Thornton was able to show off for his parents whose visit to see him corresponded with his no-hit bid, making their visit even more special for all of them.

As far as what has changed most for him in the four years since he was drafted, he said, "Baseball-wise, just the knowledge of the game, being able to play with some older guys that have so much to provide you and knowledge to give you. (That's) really helped me in the sense of becoming better each day even if it's something little like this year in my first big league spring training. I didn't even have to talk to some of the veteran guys. I could just overhear what they were saying which was so beneficial for me."

Thornton left me with some final words, "It's been a fun ride so far and hopefully it's just beginning." Considering the depth of the Astros system, Thornton's ride may still have a few twists and turns ahead, but everything that makes him unique points to that ride being far from over.

Thank you for your time, Trent, and best of luck as your career continues to unfold.

Astros Minor League Recaps

Results for Wednesday, June 27, 2018

El Paso 5, Fresno 4

W- Luis Perdomo (6-2)
L- Cy Sneed (7-4)
S- Phil Maton (1)

Fresno home runs: Garrett Stubbs (2, solo in 2nd)

The Grizzlies allowed the Chihuahuas to score in one inning. Unfortunately, El Paso put up more runs in that one inning than the Grizzlies did in the four innings in which they scored.

Myles Straw singled to lead off the game and scored the first run on a Tim Federowicz groundout. Garrett Stubbs smacked a homer to lead off the 2nd inning. Straw tripled to start the 3rd and scored on a double from Kyle Tucker. Jon Kemmer hit an RBI infield single in the 9th that cut Fresno's deficit to one run, but Jack Mayfield was stranded at third to end the night. Straw and D.J. Fisher both finished 2-4 on the evening. Straw also stole his 42nd base of the season.

Cy Sneed racked up the strikeouts just like he did in his previous outing, but El Paso got all five of their runs off of him in the 4th inning. Sneed ultimately threw five innings and allowed nine hits, walked one, and struck out nine. Dean Deetz allowed a hit and struck out four over two scoreless innings, and Brendan McCurry worked around a base hit to throw a scoreless 8th.

Mike Hauschild will take the mound as the Grizzlies look to avoid a sweep. He'll take on Colin Rea at 7:05 Mountain.

Corpus Christi was off

The Hooks will begin the post-All-Star portion of their schedule with a three-game series against Arkansas at 7:10. Jorge Alcala will get the start in game one.

Buies Creek 7, Myrtle Beach 3

W- Cristian Javier (3-0, 5-2 season)
L- Alex Lange (4-5)

BC home runs: Abraham Toro (12, 3-run in 5th)

Cristian Javier dominated once again and the Carolina Stros clinched a series win.

Javier allowed four hits, walked one and struck out eight over seven shutout innings. Adam Bleday pitched a scoreless 8th, but the Pelicans got to him in the 9th for three runs. Two of the runs were earned; two were inherited runners that were charged to him. Bleday allowed a hit, walked two, and struck out one. Colin McKee walked two and got the final two outs of the game via the strikeout.

Osvaldo Duarte led off the 2nd with a double and scored the first run of the evening on a wild pitch. Chuckie Robinson added an RBI single later in the frame. Robinson singled to lead off the 5th and scored on a sac fly from Jake Meyers. Two batters later, Abraham Toro delivered the big blow of the game in the form of a three-run homer. Duarte led off the 8th with another double and scored Buies Creek's final run of the night when Corey Julks ripped a double. Julks finished 3-4 with a run scored and a stolen base (4, 18 season). Duarte and Robinson finished with two hits apiece.

Game four of this series will start at 7:05 Eastern.

Quad Cities 6, Wisconsin 3

W- César Rosado (4-2)
L- Dylan File (5-4)
S- Humberto Castellanos (2, 3 season)

QC home runs: Miguelangel Sierra (6, solo in 1st)

The Banditos avoided the sweep by doubling up the Timber Rattlers. Wisconsin scored three in the top of the 6th to take the lead, but Quad Cities responded with four of their own in the bottom half to regain control.

Miguelangel Sierra smacked a solo homer in the 1st to open the scoring. Colton Shaver doubled to start the 2nd and Chandler Taylor followed by bringing him in with a single. Sierra started the 6th with a base hit and scored on David Hensley's triple. Hensley wound up scoring on a wild pitch. Mike Papierski added to the lead with a two-run single. He, Shaver, and Sierra all finished with two hits on the day.

César Rosado turned in a bare minimum quality start; the three runs he allowed came on a couple of homers in the 6th. Rosado fared well despite the tough end to his evening; those were the only two extra-base hits he allowed in his outing. He allowed four other hits, walked one, and struck out nine. Humberto Castellanos allowed a hit, walked one, and struck out three over the final three innings to earn the save.

Yohan Ramirez will start the opener of a four-game series in Kane County. He'll take on Jeff Bain at 6:30.

Tri-City was off

The ValleyCats will start a three-game series with Hudson Valley tonight at 7:00 Eastern.

GCL Astros 6, GCL Nationals 0

W- Joey Gonzalez (1-1)
L- Fausto Segura (1-1)

GCL home runs: Freudis Nova (2, 3-run in 8th)

The Palm Beach Stros decided to break the monotony of a 0-0 game by erupting for six runs in the bottom of the 8th inning.

Five pitchers combined to hold the Nationals to three hits on the day. Edgardo Sandoval allowed a hit and struck out one in two innings. Fredy Medina walked one and struck out four in his three innings of work. Christian Mejias allowed a hit, walked one, and struck out two in two innings. Joey Gonzalez allowed a hit, walked one, and struck out the side in the 8th, and Jervic Chavez struck out two in a 1-2-3 9th.

Freudis Nova broke the tie in the 8th by launching a three-run home run. Yeuris Ramirez smacked a two-run triple and scored the final run of the day on a Nathan Perry groundout.

DSL Astros 9, DSL Braves 7

W- Ricardo León (1-0)
L- Estarlin Rodriguez (0-4)
S- Diosmerky Taveras (1)

DSL home runs: Victor Mascai (4, solo in 8th)

Victor Mascai's homer in the 8th gave the Academy a crucial insurance run as they swept the Braves. Mascai went 2-4 and his other hit was an RBI double in the 6th inning. Javier Bermúdez went 2-3, scored three runs, and stole a base, his second of the year. Jose Alvarez also went 2-3 and hit an RBI double in the 6th and scored on Mascai's double afterwards. Yimmi Cortabarria drew a bases-loaded walk in the 3rd and scored on a groundout from Jeury Castillo.

Jojanse Torres threw three scoreless innings in his pro debut, allowing two hits and striking out six. Ricardo León walked three and allowed an unearned run in the 4th inning. Jairo Lopez bore the brunt of a Braves attack as he allowed six runs (four earned, one inherited runner charged to him) on five hits, walked one, and struck out three in 2.2 innings. Ronny Garcia allowed a hit and got the final out of the 7th. Diosmerky Taveras pitched two scoreless to get the save, allowing two hits, walking one, and striking out four.

Wednesday's Stars

All photos are from Jayne unless stated otherwise.
Photographer unknown, picture provided to Baseball Brazil
Victor Mascai, OF/1B, DSL Astros
2-4, 2B, solo HR (4), 2 RBI, 2 R
Jojanse Torres (not pictured), RHP, DSL Astros
3 IP, 2 H, 6 K

GCL Astros pitchers: W 6-0 vs. GCL Nationals
9 IP, 3 H, 3 BB, 12 K
Edgardo Sandoval: 2 IP, H, K
Fredy Medina: 3 IP, BB, 4 K
Christian Mejias: 2 IP, H, BB, 2 K
Joey Gonzalez: W (1-1), IP, H, BB, 3 K
Jervic Chavez: IP, 2 K
Freudis Nova, SS: 2-4, 3-R HR (2)

Myles Straw, OF, Fresno
2-4, 3B, 2 R, SB (8, 42 season)

Dean Deetz, RHP, Fresno
2 IP, H, 4 K

This is his mugshot on MiLB.com.
Corey Julks, OF, Buies Creek
3-4, 2B, RBI, R, SB (4, 18 season)

Cristian Javier, RHP. Buies Creek
W (3-0, 5-2 season), 7 IP., 4 H, BB, 8 K

This is his mugshot on MiLB.com.
Humberto Castellanos, RHP, Quad Cities
Save (2, 3 season), 3 IP, H, BB, 3 K

Photo by Bryan Green
Miguelangel Sierra, IF, Quad Cities
2-4, solo HR (6), 2 R

Wednesday, June 27, 2018

Astros Minor League Recaps

Results for Tuesday, June 26, 2018

Let's play two in Myrtle Beach!

El Paso 9, Fresno 5

W- Kyle McGrath (3-2)
L- Brock Dykxhoorn (2-1, 4-1 season)

Fresno home runs: Kyle Tucker (12, solo in 1st), Nick Tanielu (2, 6 season; 3-run in 2nd)

The Grizzlies got out to a quick 4-0 lead as Kyle Tucker and Nick Tanielu both homered for the second consecutive evening, but the Chihuahuas bit back ferociously and mauled them with a six-run 3rd and a three-run 4th to take control.

Tucker's solo shot opened the scoring. One inning later, Tanielu whacked a three-run homer. Tim Federowicz ripped an RBI double in the 5th, one of two doubles that he recorded on the night. Federowicz was the only man in the Fresno lineup to record a multi-hit game.

No Fresno pitcher threw three innings in this one. Brock Dykxhoorn went 2.1 innings and allowed six runs on seven hits (two-run homer), walked one, and struck out two. Ralph Garza Jr. was the first man out of the bullpen and he allowed three runs on three hits, walked one, and struck out two in 2.2 innings. Buddy Boshers allowed three hits and fanned five in two scoreless innings of work, and Reymin Guduan worked around a couple of walks to throw a scoreless 8th, striking out two.

What will Cy Sneed have up his sleeve after the best start of his professional career? He'll get the start in game four of this series. First pitch is at 7:05 Mountain.

Texas League All-Star Game

The 82nd Texas League All-Star Game ended in a 2-2 tie. No, seriously. Nine innings was not enough to determine a winner, so they went to a home run derby. Again, I'm not joking.

Randy César went 0-2 with a strikeout, but fortunately for him, this exhibition game does not snap his 41-game hitting streak. Josh Rojas and Alex De Goti both came on in the 6th inning; Rojas took over in left field for Josh Naylor and De Goti took César's place at third. Rojas went 0-2 with a strikeout and De Goti lined out to third and drew a walk. Taylor Jones got the start at first base and went 2-4 with a double in the game. He also hit the winning home run in the sudden-death home run derby...
...and was named MVP of the game.


The Hooks pitchers all got an inning of work in this game. Ryan Hartman was the second pitcher to appear for the South Division and he worked around a hit to throw a scoreless 2nd, striking out two. Corbin Martin threw a 1-2-3 4th inning. Framber Valdez came on for Martin in the 5th and allowed a hit and fanned two in a scoreless outing. Cionel Perez struck out one in a 1-2-3 7th.

The Corpus Christi Hooks will spend Wednesday on the road as they get set to start their tour of Arkansas. They will play three against the Arkansas Travelers beginning on Thursday.

Game 1: Buies Creek 4, Myrtle Beach 2

W- Brett Adcock (4-3)
L- Tyson Miller (6-6)
S- Jesús Balaguer (1)

BC home runs: None.

Buies Creek only scored in one inning, but it was enough for them to get the victory in game one of this twinbill.

All four of the Carolina Stros' runs in game one came in the 4th inning as Cody Bohanek opened the scoring with an RBI single. Bryan de la Cruz hit into a force out attempt that was botched, allowing Osvaldo Duarte to come home with another run. One batter later, Jake Adams ripped a two-run double. Corey Julks and Duarte finished with two hits apiece.

Brady Rodgers allowed four hits and struck out two over three scoreless innings. Brett Adcock's command and control completely deserted him; he allowed two runs (one inherited runner charged to him) and walked six in 1.2 innings. Jesús Balaguer pitched the final 2.1 innings and allowed an RBI double that allowed one of Adcock's runners to score, walked two, and struck out two.

How would the Carolina Stros fare in the nightcap?

Game 2: Buies Creek 6, Myrtle Beach 0

W- Hector Perez (3-2)
L- Bryan Hudson (4-7)

BC home runs: None.

The Carolina Stros got the doubleheader sweep as Hector Perez pitched in every inning in a baseball game for the first time in his professional career in game two. Okay, it was a seven-inning game, but it still goes in the books as a complete game.

Perez allowed seven hits and struck out eight as he went the distance. All but one of the hits he gave up were singles.

Buies Creek scored three in the 1st and three more in the 4th. Abraham Toro scored the first run on a wild pitch and Bryan de la Cruz tacked on a two-run single. All three Buies Creek runs in the 4th came on another wild pitch and an error: De La Cruz, Carlos Canelón, and Jonathan Arauz all scored on some shambolic pitching and defense from the Pelicans. Jake Meyers, Cody Bohanek, and Duarte all finished with two hits in the second game.

Cristian Javier will face Alex Lange in game three of this series. First pitch is at 7:05 Eastern.

Wisconsin 5, Quad Cities 0

W- Christian Taugner (3-6)
L- Leovanny Rodriguez (2-1)

QC home runs: None.

The Banditos got shackled once again on Tuesday.

David Hensley hit a double. Scott Schreiber, and Marty Costes had the other two Quad Cities hits.

Leovanny Rodriguez went six innings and allowed five runs on five hits (two-run homer), walked two, and struck out seven. Carlos Sanabria walked one and struck out three over 1.2 scoreless, and Brendan Feldmann allowed a hit and struck out two in 1.1 innings of work.

Quad Cities will look to avoid the sweep and get on the scoreboard in this series; they haven't scored in 24 innings. First pitch is at 6:35.

Staten Island 2, Tri-City 0

W- Nolan Martinez (1-0)
L- Hansel Paulino (0-1)
S- Reiver Sanmartin (1)

TC home runs: None.

Two runs were scored in this game. Unfortunately, they did not belong to the ValleyCats, and as a result, they were foiled in their bid to sweep the Baby Bombers. They had runners on second and third with one out in the 9th but couldn't get any of them across.

Jeremy Peña and Trey Dawson both finished 2-4 on the evening.

Jose Luis Hernandez allowed three hits and struck out four over 2.2 scoreless innings. Hansel Paulino was the first man out of the Tri-City bullpen and went 3.1 innings, allowing two runs on five hits, walking one, and striking out three. Riley Cabral and Juan Pablo Lopez both threw scoreless innings; Cabral allowed a hit, issued a walk, and struck out the side in the 7th, while Lopez allowed a hit and fanned one in the 8th.

The ValleyCats have Wednesday off as they travel back upstate. They'll start a three-game set with Hudson Valley on Thursday.

GCL Marlins 8, GCL Astros 7

W- Julio Frias (1-1)
L- Elian Rodriguez (0-1)
S- Tanner Andrews (1)

GCL home runs: None.

The Palm Beach Stros scored five in the 8th to cut the deficit to one run, but they couldn't get that tying run across.

Elian Rodriguez went 2.1 innings and allowed six runs (five earned, one inherited runner charged to him) on four hits, walked three, and struck out three. Jonathan Bermúdez made his pro debut as the first man out of the GCLstros bullpen and allowed an unearned run of his own on four hits in 1.2 innings. Manny Ramirez allowed a run on three hits, walked one, and struck out five in four innings, and Freylin Garcia struck out one in a 1-2-3 9th inning.

Patrick Mathis put the Palm Beach Stros on the board with an RBI double in the 1st and scored on a single from Yeuris Ramirez. All five of the GCLstros' runs in the 8th came with two outs in the inning. Nerio Rodriguez hit a two-run single and Yorbin Ceuta followed with an RBI base hit of his own. Sean Mendoza drew a bases-loaded walk and Freudis Nova legged out an infield single to score another run. Nerio and Mathis both finished with two hits on the afternoon.

DSL Astros 6, DSL Braves 5

W- Wender Oberto (1-1)
L- Jose Olague (1-1)
S- Flaer Gonzalez (2)

DSL home runs: Yimmi Cortabarria (1, solo in 2nd)

The Academy held the Braves to three hits but still had to hang on for the win.

Yimmi Cortabarria smacked a homer to lead off the 2nd inning. Marco van der Wijst scored on a wild pitch later on. Abraham Castillo hit an RBI single in the 3rd, and the Academy got two more in the 4th on a sac fly from Jeury Castillo and an error that allowed Yefri Carrillo to score. Carrillo scored again on a Carlos Hurtado groundout in the 6th. Cortabarria and van der Wijst finished with two hits apiece.

Heitor Tokar plunked two guys and struck out six over four scoreless innings. The two hit batters and a balk were pretty much the only things that went wrong for him on Tuesday. Jose Betances worked around a walk to throw a scoreless 5th. Wender Oberto tagged in for three innings and allowed three runs on three hits, walked four, and struck out two. Jeremy Molero got two outs in the 9th, one via strikeout, but he also issued a couple of walks, hit a couple of guys, and allowed two unearned runs on a wild pitch. One of the HBPs came with the bases loaded. Flaer Gonzalez got the last out of the game without incident.

Tuesday's Stars

All photos are from Jayne unless stated otherwise.

Yimmi Cortabarria, OF, DSL Astros: 2-3, solo HR (1)

Nerio Rodriguez, C, GCL Astros: 2-3, 2 RBI, R
Manny Ramirez, RHP, GCL Astros: 4 IP, 3 H, ER, BB, 5 K

Photographer unknown, picture provided to Baseball Brazil
Heitor Tokar, RHP, DSL Astros
4 IP, 6 K

Taylor Jones, 1B, Corpus Christi
2-4, 2B, MVP of Texas League All-Star Game

Corbin Martin's photo is his mugshot on MiLB.com.
Texas League All-Star pitchers: Ryan Hartman, Corbin Martin, Framber Valdez, and Cionel Perez
Hartman: IP, H, 2 K
Martin: IP; 2 groundouts, 1 flyball out
Valdez: IP, H, 2 K
Perez: IP, K

Hector Perez, RHP, Buies Creek
CG, 7 H, 8 K in game two of doubleheader

Brady Rodgers, RHP, Buies Creek (on rehab)
3 IP, 4 H, 2 K in game one of doubleheader

Osvaldo Duarte, UTIL, Buies Creek
2-3, 2B, R in game one of doubleheader
2-3, R in game two of doubleheader

This is his mugshot on MiLB.com.
Buddy Boshers, LHP, Fresno
2 IP, 3 H, 5 K

Tuesday, June 26, 2018

Astros Minor League Recaps

Results for Monday, June 25, 2018

El Paso 7, Fresno 5

W- Brett Kennedy (5-0)
L- Josh James (2-3)
S- Brad Wieck (1)

Fresno home runs: Nick Tanielu (1, 5 season; 2-run in 5th), Kyle Tucker (11, solo in 6th)

The Grizzlies tied the game at 4 with a couple of runs in the 4th and the 5th... but the Chihuahuas regained control with two runs of their own in the bottom of the 5th and were able to hold Fresno off.

Fresno got on the board in the 4th thanks to a couple of run-scoring groundouts hit by J.D. Davis and A.J. Reed. Nick Tanielu smacked a two-run homer in the 5th that tied the game and Kyle Tucker, who extended his hitting streak to 14 games, launched a solo shot to begin the 6th. Little Tuck finished 2-3 and scored twice.

Josh James became the first pitcher in the system to strike out 100 batters, but he also hit his first bump since being promoted. In 4.2 innings, James allowed six runs (two inherited runners charged to him) on seven hits (two-run homer), walked three, and struck out six. Kent Emanuel got the last out of the 5th and the first out of the 6th and allowed a run, which was an inherited runner that was charged to him, on three hits. Andrew Thome allowed two hits in 1.2 innings and James Hoyt worked around a hit to throw a scoreless 8th.

Brock Dykxhoorn will start game two of this five-game set at 7:05 Mountain.

Corpus Christi will resume play on Thursday

When they start a three game series in Little Rock against the Arkansas Travelers.

The Texas League All-Star Game will take place tonight in Midland. The Hooks will be represented by Taylor Jones, Randy César, Cionel Perez, Corbin Martin, Josh Rojas, Ryan Hartman, Framber Valdez, and Alex De Goti.

Buies Creek and Myrtle Beach was postponed

Due to inclement weather. A doubleheader is scheduled for tonight with game one starting at 5:05 Eastern. Game two will start 30 minutes following the conclusion of the first game.

Wisconsin 9, Quad Cities 0

W- Bowden Francis (4-4)
L- Parker Mushinski (3-2)

QC home runs: None.

The Banditos fell behind 7-0 after four innings and went down quietly in this one.

David Hensley and Logan Mattix had two hits apiece. All seven Quad Cities hits were singles; Alfredo Angarita, Jonathan Lacroix, and Ruben Castro had one apiece.

Parker Mushinski and Dariel Aquino... had tough nights and I'll just leave it at that. Peter Solomon was on the verge of throwing four scoreless... until Chandler Taylor lost a fly ball in the lights and it resulted in a two-run double. Solomon made it through four and allowed six hits, walked two, and struck out six. Tanner Duncan struck out two in a 1-2-3 9th.

Leovanny Rodriguez will take on Christian Taugner in game two of this series. First pitch is at 6:35.

Tri-City 5, Staten Island 1

W- Chad Donato (3-0)
L- Drew Finley (0-2)
S- Luis de Paula (1)

TC home runs: None.

The ValleyCats scratched a couple of runs across and got some crucial insurance runs to earn a series victory.

Chad Donato threw five shutout innings, allowing four hits, walking one, and striking out five. Devin Conn and Luis de Paula threw two innings apiece. Conn struck out one over two hitless innings, and de Paula allowed a run on two hits and struck out four.

Michael Wielansky and Juan Piñeda kept the 6th inning alive by drawing walks and Austin Dennis opened the scoring with an RBI single. Oscar Campos added an RBI single in the 7th. He then smacked a two-run double in the 9th and scored the final run of the evening on a Gilberto Celestino base hit. Dennis, Celestino, and Campos all finished with two hits on the evening.

The ValleyCats will look for the sweep at 7:00 Eastern.

DSL Athletics 3, DSL Astros 2

W- Carlos Sanchez (2-0)
L- Jherson Pereira (0-1)

DSL home runs: None.

The A's scored three in the 9th to walk off with the win.

Victor Mascai tripled to lead off the 5th and scored the first run of the day on a Javier Bermúdez single. Yefri Carrillo reached on a fielder's choice in the 6th, advanced to third on a Jeury Castillo double, and scored on another fielder's choice. Mascai went 2-4 on the day.

Jose Antonio Hernandez allowed two hits and walked one in a scoreless 1st inning. Alfredi Jimenez and Franny Cobos followed with three scoreless innings apiece. Jimenez allowed a hit and fanned five, while Cobos allowed two hits and struck out four. Jherson Pereira allowed all three runs in the 9th... after he left the game. Two of them were earned; he allowed two hits, walked one, and struck out one. Ronny Garcia only got one out in the 9th and could not keep the A's off the board.

Monday's Stars

All photos are from Jayne unless stated otherwise.

Alfredi Jimenez, RHP, DSL Astros: 3 IP, H, 5 K
Franny Cobos, RHP, DSL Astros: 3 IP, 2 H, 4 K

This is his mugshot on MiLB.com.
Chad Donato, RHP, Tri-City
W (3-0), 5 IP, 4 H, BB, 5 K

Gilberto Celestino's photo taken by Bryan Green.
Austin Dennis' photo is his mugshot on MiLB.com.
Oscar Campos, C, Austin Dennis, OF, and Gilberto Celestino, OF, Tri-City
Campos: 2-3, 2B, 3 RBI, R
Dennis: 2-3, 2B, RBI, R
Celestino: 2-5, RBI

Kyle Tucker, OF, Fresno
2-3, solo HR (11), 2 R; 14-game hitting streak

Monday, June 25, 2018

Astros Farm Report: 6/25

Catching you up on the latest Astros MiLB news ...

WISHING A VERY HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO

Yordan Álvarez - April 2018
Photo by Jayne Hansen

6/26: RHP Ryan Thompson (26)
6/27: OF/1B Yordan Álvarez (21)
6/30: RHP Rogelio Armenteros (24)
6/30: UTIL Josh Rojas (24)

ROSTER MOVES/TRANSACTIONS

As of this morning, 27 of the 40 draft picks for 2018 have signed according to the Astros website (all of the top 13 and 27 of the top 31).

6/24: LHP Chris Nunn (Fresno) released (drafted in the minor league phase of the Rule 5 draft 12/17)
6/24: RHP Kevin Hill (Corpus Christi) released (2016 25th round pick out of the University of South Alabama)
6/24: OF Luis Payano (Buies Creek) released (signed out of the Dominican Republic in July 2012 for $500,000)
6/24: RHP Juan Robles (Tri-City) released (signed July 2014 out of Mexico)
6/24: OF Bryan de la Cruz assigned to Buies Creek from Quad Cities
6/24: RHP Carlos Sierra (Corpus Christi) activated from the DL (on since 6/7)
6/23: RHP Brady Rodgers sent to Buies Creek for a rehab assignment (started rehab assignment with Tri-City 6/20)
6/23: RHP Layne Henderson (30th round) assigned to the GCL
6/23: OF Carmen Benedetti (Corpus Christi) activated from the DL (on since 5/27)
6/22: RHP Edgardo Sandoval sent to the GCL for a rehab assignment (last pitched 5/3/17 for Quad Cities)
6/22: RHP Jayson Schroeder (2nd round pick) signed
6/22: OF Alex McKenna (4th round pick) signed/assigned to Tri-City 6/23
6/21: RHP Jose Luis Hernández sent to Tri-City on a rehab assignment (last pitched in September 2016 for the High A Lancaster team)
6/21: RHP Mark Moclair (12th round) assigned to Tri-City
6/21: RHP Kevin Hill (Corpus Christi) activated from the DL (on since 5/8)
6/20: RHP Dean Deetz assigned to Corpus Christi from Quad Cities
6/19: RHP Miguel Figueroa (24th round pick) signed/assigned to the GCL on 6/24
6/19: RHP Brett Conine (11th round pick) signed
6/19: RHP R.J. Freure (6th round pick) signed
6/19: RHP Joey Gonzalez (28th round pick) signed/assigned to GCL 6/22
6/19: LHP Jonathan Bermudez (23rd round pick) signed
6/19: OF Scott Schreiber (9th round pick) signed/assigned to Quad Cities 6/21
6/19: LHP Reymin Guduan optioned to Fresno
6/19: RHP Christian Mejias assigned to the GCL from the DSL
6/19: LHP Ricardo Leon assigned to the DSL
6/18: OF Patrick Mathis (Buies Creek) sent to the GCL for a rehab assignment (last played 4/9/18)
6/18: 1B Roman Garcia (Quad Cities) released (19th round pick 2017 out of San Diego University)
6/18: 3B Joe Perez assigned to the GCL Astros from extended spring training (2nd round pick from 2017 who had TJ surgery in 6/17 making his professional debut)
6/18: LHP Daniel Bello assigned to the GCL Astros from extended spring training
6/18: LHP Julio Robaina assigned to the GCL Astros from extended spring training
6/18: OF Juan Ramirez assigned to the GCL Astros from extended spring training

ASTROS MILB DISABLED LIST

6/23: C Eduardo de Oleo (Corpus Christi) placed on the 7-day DL
6/19: OF Drew Ferguson (Fresno) placed on the 7-day DL (hand)
6/1: LHP Yeremi Ceballos (DSL) placed on the 60-day DL
6/1: RHP Carlos Quintero (DSL) placed on the 60-day DL
5/29: RHP Matt Ramsey (Fresno) placed on the 7-day DL
5/26: RHP David Paulino (Fresno) placed on the 7-day DL (retroactive to the 25th)
5/4: RHP Francis Martes (Fresno) placed on the 7-day DL
5/3+/-: RHP Gerardo Bojorquez had TJ surgery per Instagram post
4/26: RHP J.B. Bukauskas (Quad Cities) placed on the 7-day DL
4/5: RHP Ryan Thompson assigned to Fresno (starting the season on the 7-day DL); according to Instagram Ryan has had surgery, but I don't know whether or not it was TJ
4/5: RHP Matt Ruppenthal assigned to Quad Cities (starting the season on the 7-day DL; according to Instagram, Ruppenthal had elbow surgery to transpose the ulnar nerve in early April and started to throw mid-June)
4/5: RHP Ángel Heredia (Corpus Christi) placed on the 7-day DL
4/5: RHP Nick Hernandez (Corpus Christi) placed on the 7-day DL (Tommy John)

ASTROS MILB RESTRICTED LIST

6/22: RHP Yoanys Quiala placed on the restricted list (80 game suspension for performance-enhancing substance); Quiala won't be eligible to play again until approximately mid-April of 2019.

I will be keeping track of all the releases, retirements, trades and signings for the 2018 season here.

TWEET OF THE WEEK
SHORT SEASON TEAM EARLY STANDOUTS

The Astros three short season teams have really just gotten started, but let's look at a few selected players who are getting off to really good starts (teeny tiny sample size alert!!) ...

Tri-City

OF/1B Seth Beer: .333/.476/.758 in 9 games
2B Enmanuel Valdez: .324/.439/.765 in 9 games
OF Gilberto Celestino: .292/.400/.333 in 8 games

RHP Chad Donato: 0.00 ERA/0.545 WHIP in 2 games (11.0 IP)
RHP Bryan Abreu: 1.13 ERA/1.000 WHIP in 2 games (8.0 IP)
RHP Luis Garcia: 0.00 ERA/1.050 WHIP in 3 games (6.2 IP)

Gulf Coast League

C Nerio Rodriguez: .444/.545/.667 in 5 games
C Nathan Perry: .375/.500/.750 in 5 games
OF Wilyer Abreu: .375/.400/.417 in 6 games
OF Hector Martinez: .313/.450/.313 in 6 games

LHP Daniel Bello: 1.50 ERA/1.000 WHIP in 2 games (6 IP)
(Only 2 pitchers have pitched more than 4.1 innings so not much to go on yet)

Dominican Summer League

C Jose Álvarez: .314/.415/.314 in 13 games
C Carlos Hurtado: .300/.371/.567 in 12 games
UTIL Jeury Castillo: .297/.381/.324 in 12 games
OF Yefri Carrillo: 267/.362/.467 in 16 games
1B Victor Mascai: .250/.307/.441 in 18 games

RHP Ernesto Jaquez: 0.56 ERA/0.625 WHIP in 4 games (16 IP)
RHP Heitor Tokar: 0.59 ERA/0.587 WHIP in 4 games (15.1 IP)
RHP Jairo Lopez: 0.69 ERA/0.615 WHIP in 4 games (13 IP)
RHP Franny Cobos: 1.69 ERA/0.469 WHIP in 3 games (10.2 IP)

Also, RHP Christian Mejias had a 0.00 ERA and a 0.667 WHIP in 3 games (9.0 IP) prior to being promoted to the GCL where he didn't fare quite so well in his first appearance at the new level.

ASTROS MILB STANDINGS
Up and down arrows represent increase/decrease in win percentage over the prior week.

FRESNO (Pacific Coast League)
🠉1st 46-29 .613 -.-GB W1

CORPUS CHRISTI (Texas League)
🠉1st 48-27 .640 -.-GB L1 (overall)
1st 5-1 .833 -.-GB L1 (second half)
1st 43-26 .623 -.-GB W5 (first half division winner)

The Hooks have made the playoffs as the first half winners of the Texas League South Division. They put together a 10-game win streak prior to Sunday night's loss.

BUIES CREEK (Carolina League)
🠋2nd 39-34 .534 4.5GB L1 (overall)
T2nd 2-2 .500 1.0GB L1 (second half)
2nd 37-32 .536 3.5GB L1 (first half)

QUAD CITIES (Midwest League)
🠋3rd 41-33 .554 2.0GB L1 (overall)
T5th 1-3 .250 3.0GB L1 (second half)
1st 40-30 .571 -.-GB W6 (first half division winner)

The River Bandits have made the playoffs as the first half winners of the Midwest League Western Division.

TRI-CITY (New York-Penn League)
🠉1st 6-4 .600 -.-GB W2

GCL ASTROS (Gulf Coast League)
5th 1-5 .167 4.5GB L3

DSL ASTROS (Dominican Summer League Northwest)
🠉8th 5-14 .263 10.0GB W1

ASTROS MILB ALL-STARS

FRESNO

Fan voting has now closed for the AAA All-Star game which will take place on July 11th in Columbus, Ohio. Rosters have not yet been announced.

CORPUS CHRISTI

The Texas League All-Star game will be held June 26th in Midland. Seven Hooks players were originally selected to participate:

1B Taylor Jones
3B Randy Cesar
OF Myles Straw (since promoted to Fresno)
OF Josh Rojas
LHP Cionel Perez
LHP Ryan Hartman
RHP Corbin Martin
LHP Framber Valdez and Alex De Goti were subsequently added to the roster.

BUIES CREEK

The Carolina League All-Star game was held on Tuesday, June 19th in Zebulon, North Carolina with Buies Creek sending the following players:

LHP Brett Adcock
RHP Brandon Bielak
OF Ronnie Dawson
DH Abraham Toro

Here is Dustin's recap on the game in case you missed it

The South topped the North by a final score of 7-6.

Abraham Toro started the game as the DH for the South team and then moved into the field to play third. He finished 2-4 and scored a run. Ronnie Dawson came on in the 6th to play left field and smacked an RBI ground-rule double in the bottom of the inning.

Brett Adcock worked around a walk to throw a scoreless 3rd inning, striking out one. Brandon Bielak allowed a hit, walked one in a scoreless 6th inning... and got the win.

QUAD CITIES

The Midwest League All-Star game was held on Tuesday, June 19th in Lansing, Michigan. Quad Cities was represented by the following players:

LHP Patrick Sandoval
LHP Parker Mushinski
RHP Peter Solomon
RHP Yohan Ramirez
OF Bryan de la Cruz
RHP Carlos Sanabria (late addition)

Here is Dustin's recap of that game:

The East beat the West 3-2 in ten innings.

Bryan de la Cruz replaced Demi Orimoloye in left field in the 5th inning and played the rest of the game, striking out in both of his trips to the plate.

Patrick Sandoval got the start for the West team and allowed a run on two hits. Parker Mushinski allowed a solo homer to Jared Walker in the 5th, which was one of the two hits that he allowed in the inning. Peter Solomon got two outs in the 7th; he allowed a hit and struck out one. Carlos Sanabria got a pop out and a strikeout in the 10th before getting replaced... and then the leadoff runner scored on a single to win the game for the East.

NEWS AND LINKS

The social media post for the new draft picks has been updated to denote those players who have officially signed.

Randy Cesar is ridiculous ... in a good way.

Like the country itself, the game needs immigrants to thrive.

Sam Dykstra weighs in on Fresno OF Myles Straw.

And in case you missed any of these, here are my recent interviews:

OF Chas McCormick (Buies Creek, since promoted to Corpus Christi)
OF J.J. Matijevic (Buies Creek)
RHP Brandon Bielak (Buies Creek)
LHP Brett Adcock (Buies Creek)
SS Alex De Goti (Corpus Christi)
1B Taylor Jones (Corpus Christi)
RHP Brock Dykxhoorn (Corpus Christi, since promoted to Fresno)

Astros Minor League Recaps

Results for Sunday, June 24, 2018

Fresno was off

The Grizzlies will start a four-game series in El Paso at 7:05 Mountain. Josh James will be on the mound for Fresno.

Frisco 9, Corpus Christi 4

W- Pedro Payano (3-6)
L- Forrest Whitley (0-1)

CC home runs: Randy César (9, solo in 6th)

The wheels fell off for the Blue Ghosts in the 5th as Frisco scored five to break a 3-3 tie. This loss snapped Corpus Christi's 10-game winning streak.

Forrest Whitley hit his first speed bump of the year as he allowed seven runs (three inherited runners charged to him) on five hits (two-run homer), walked three, and struck out six in 4.1 innings. Kit Scheetz and Dean Deetz threw 1.2 innings apiece. Scheetz could not get Whitley out of the 5th without any more damage inflicted and he also allowed a run of his own on three hits and struck out three. Deetz allowed a hit and struck out three in a scoreless outing. Carlos Sierra allowed an unearned run when he hit Josh Morgan with the bases loaded in the 9th. He also allowed a single, walked one, and struck out one.

After Whitley got tagged for a two-run homer in the opening frame, Corpus got the runs back on a pair of RBI doubles from Taylor Jones and Josh Rojas in the 2nd inning. Randy César extended the hitting streak to 41 games when he led off the 4th with a double. He moved to third on a deep flyball out from Yordan Alvarez and scored on a sac fly from Jones. César whacked a solo homer in the 6th. He and Jones finished with two hits apiece.

The 82nd edition of the Texas League All-Star Game will take place on Tuesday in Midland. Corpus Christi will be represented by Taylor Jones, Randy César, Corbin Martin, Ryan Hartman, Josh Rojas, Cionel Perez, Framber Valdez, and Alex De Goti, who was just added to the roster. Myles Straw was also selected, but he will not be taking part since he's been promoted to Fresno.

The Hooks will return to action on Thursday when they embark on their second and final tour of Arkansas in 2018.

Carolina 4, Buies Creek 3

W- Cameron Roegner (7-3)
L- Brandon Bailey (2-8)
S- Luke Barker (7)

BC home runs: Ronnie Dawson (8, solo in 7th)

The Carolina Stros allowed the Mudcats to score in just one inning. Unfortunately, that one inning was enough for the Mudcats to earn the series split.

The Brandons took the mound for Buies Creek in this one. Brandon Bailey went five innings and allowed four runs (all in the 2nd) on nine hits (solo homer), walked two, and struck out five. Brandon Bielak pitched three scoreless innings, allowing four hits and striking out two.

Chuckie Robinson put the Carolina Stros on the board with an RBI single in the 4th inning. Ronnie Dawson ripped an RBI double in the 5th and launched a solo homer in the 7th inning. They, along with Abraham Toro and Cody Bohanek, finished with two hits on the day. Dawson also stole a base, his 23rd of the season.

Buies Creek will start a five-game in Myrtle Beach tonight at 7:05 Eastern.

Beloit 8, Quad Cities 2

W- Jared Poche (3-5)
L- Carlos Sanabria (1-1)

QC home runs: None.

The Snappers went nuts on the Banditos' bullpen on Sunday.

Alfredo Angarita ripped a two-run double in the 3rd to score the only two Quad Cities runs in this game.

Enoli Paredes threw 4.2 scoreless innings to start, allowing three hits, walking three, and striking out five. Carlos Sanabria and Willy Collado had tough days at the office. Brendan Feldmann restored some semblance of order by throwing two scoreless innings, allowing two hits, walking one, and striking out one.

Quad Cities will start a three-game series with Wisconsin at 6:35. Parker Mushinski is slated to start the opener and he'll face Bowden Francis.

Tri-City 5, Staten Island 2

W- Felipe Tejada (1-1)
L- Abel Duarte (0-1)
S- Humberto Castellanos (1, 2 season)

TC home runs: Seth Beer (4, solo in 8th)


The ValleyCats' offense came alive in the late innings as they snatched a series-opening victory in the Forgotten Borough.

Jeremy Peña and Gilberto Celestino started the 7th by reaching on an error and getting plunked, respectively. One batter later, Juan Piñeda brought them both in with a double that tied the game at 2. Piñeda wound up scoring the go-ahead run when Alex Holderbach grounded into a double play. Tri-City got some insurance in the 8th as Seth Beer led it off with a homer. Two batters later, Luis Encarnación doubled. He moved to third on a Peña single and scored the final run of the evening on a sac fly from Celestino. Beer finished 2-3 and was the only person on either side to have more than one hit in this game.

Luis Garcia did not allow a hit in his three innings of work; he walked two and struck out five. Shawn Dubin was the first man out of the Tri-City bullpen and allowed two runs (one inherited runner charged to him) on two hits (solo homer), walked one, and struck out two in 1.2 innings. Felipe Tejada was next; he allowed one of Dubin's runners to score and also allowed two hits, walked one, and struck out five in 3.1 innings. Ian Hardman got two outs in the 9th but also loaded the bases on a hit and a couple of walks. Humberto Castellanos got that elusive final out with a strikeout and got Hardman out of a potentially disastrous situation.

Game two of this series is scheduled to start at 7:00 Eastern.

GCL Cardinals 7, GCL Astros 4

W- Diego Cordero (2-0)
L- Miguel Figueroa (0-1)
S- Perry DellaValle (1)

GCL home runs: Yeuris Ramirez (1, solo in 2nd)

The Palm Beach Stros tied the game with a run in the 6th... only to see the Cardinals retake the lead with three of their own in the 6th.

Yeuris Ramirez smacked a solo homer in the 2nd and Hector Martinez added an RBI single in the 3rd. Martinez singled with one out in the 6th and was able to scamper home on Yeuris' triple. They both finished with two hits on the day.

Jose Alberto Rivera went 4.2 innings and allowed three runs on seven hits, walked three, and struck out five. Miguel Figueroa would probably also like a mulligan on his pro debut. Joey Gonzalez and Layne Henderson, his draftmates, got knocked around in their debuts and unfortunately, Figueroa continued the trend. Angel Macuare allowed an unearned run, a hit, and struck out three in 2.1 innings.

Sunday's Stars

All photos are from Jayne unless stated otherwise.

Yeuris Ramirez, IF, GCL Astros: 2-4, 3B, solo HR (1), 2 RBI

Randy César, 3B, and Taylor Jones, 1B, Corpus Christi
César: 2-4, 2B, solo HR (9); 41-game hitting streak
Jones: 2-3, 2B, 2 RBI, R

Dean Deetz, RHP, Corpus Christi
1.2 IP, H, 3 K

This is his mugshot on MiLB.com.
Seth Beer, LF/1B/DH, Tri-City
2-3, solo HR (4)

This is his mugshot on MiLB.com.
Luis Garcia, RHP, Tri-City
3 IP, 2 BB, 5 K

Ronnie Dawson, OF, Buies Creek
2-4, 2B, solo HR (8), 2 RBI, SB (23)

Brandon Bielak, RHP, Buies Creek
3 IP, 4 H, 2 K
Photo by Rich Guill
Enoli Paredes, RHP, Quad Cities
4.2 IP, 3 H, 3 BB, 5 K 

Sunday, June 24, 2018

Astros Minor League Recaps

Results for Saturday, June 23, 2018

Let's play two in Fresno!

Game 1: Albuquerque 3, Fresno 2

W- Shane Broyles (3-1)
L- Trent Thornton (5-5)
S- Scott Oberg (3)

Fresno home runs: None.

The Isotopes scored the last three runs of game one to come out on top.

Both Grizzlies runs in game one came in the 2nd inning. Tim Federowicz scored on an error following a Jon Kemmer single. Kemmer, who made it all the way to third, scored on a single from Jack Mayfield, who finished 2-3. Myles Straw also went 2-3 in the first game.

Trent Thornton turned in a bare minimum quality start, allowing seven hits (solo homer), walking two, and striking out two. Buddy Boshers loaded the bases in the 7th with a walk and a couple of hits but got himself out of the inning without suffering any damage. He struck out one.

Game 2: Fresno 2, Albuquerque 1

W- Brendan McCurry (3-2)
L- Scott McGough (6-2)

Fresno home runs: None.

The Grizzlies walked off with the win in game two to force a split in the twinbill.

Rogelio Armenteros went six innings and the one hit he allowed was a solo homer hit by Ryan McMahon. He walked two and struck out nine. Brendan McCurry worked around a hit to throw a scoreless 7th, striking out one.

Kyle Tucker doubled with one out in the 1st and scored on an error that allowed A.J. Reed to reach. He finished 2-4; his second hit was a walk-off RBI single in the 7th.

The Grizzlies have Sunday off. Josh James will start the first game in a four-game set in El Paso on Monday.

Corpus Christi 4, Frisco 3

W- Alex Winkelman (4-2)
L- Jonathan Hernandez (0-3)
S- Erasmo Pinales (3)

CC home runs: Yordan Alvarez (10, solo in 3rd)

Both teams had six hits in this game, but the Blue Ghosts had more in the column that matters most.

Stephen Wrenn hit a one-out infield single in the 1st, advanced to third on an error following a Randy César infield single, and scored the first run of the evening on a Yordan Alvarez groundout. That infield hit for César extended his hitting streak to 40 games. Corpus loaded the bases with two outs in the 2nd and got a couple of runs out of it thanks to a Ryne Birk RBI single and a steal of home from Aníbal Sierra. Alvarez smacked a solo homer in the 3rd inning.

Akeem Bostick went 4.1 innings and allowed two runs, one of which was an inherited runner that was charged to him, four hits, walked three, and struck out two. Alex Winkelman tagged in for 3.1 innings and allowed a run of his own on two hits and struck out three. Erasmo Pinales struck out three of the four Roughriders hitters he faced to get his third save of the season.

The Blue Ghosts will look to sweep the series as they send Forrest Whitley to the mound. He'll face Pedro Payano at 6:05.

Buies Creek 7, Carolina 3

W- Abdiel Saldaña (6-0)
L- Victor Diaz (3-5)

BC home runs: J.J. Matijevic (7, 10 season; solo in 3rd), Abraham Toro (11, solo in 3rd), Jonathan Arauz (2, 6 season; solo in 4th), Corey Julks (1, 5 season; solo in 5th)

The Carolina Stros provided some fireworks on Saturday as they sent four balls out of the park. The team that has won in each game of this series has scored seven runs in the games they've won.

Abdiel Saldaña went five innings and allowed three runs on six hits, walked two, and struck out a career-high nine batters. Ronel Blanco allowed two hits, walked one, and fanned four in three scoreless innings of work, and Gabriel Valdez worked around a walk to throw a scoreless 9th, striking out one.

Buies Creek loaded the bases with one out in the 2nd inning but all they could get out of it was a Jake Meyers sac fly. J.J. Matijevic and Abraham Toro launched homers to start the 3rd. Ronnie Dawson followed with a single... but he got thrown out trying to stretch it into a double. Jake Adams singled and lumbered home on a triple from Corey Julks. Jonathan Arauz led off the 4th with a homer and Julks smacked a solo homer in the 5th. The four home run hitters along with Adams all finished with two hits on the evening.

Brandon Bailey will take on Cam Roegner in the series finale. First pitch is at 2:00 Eastern.

Quad Cities 6, Beloit 2

W- Patrick Sandoval (7-1)
L- Mitchell Jordan (3-2)
S- Brendan Feldmann (2, 3 season)

QC home runs: Miguelangel Sierra (5, solo in 1st), Chandler Taylor (1, 2-run in 2nd)

The Banditos entered the win column for the first time in the second half.

From looking at Patrick Sandoval's numbers for the season, you probably would not have guessed that he had an outing in which he allowed ten runs. On Saturday, he allowed three hits, walked one, and struck out five over seven shutout innings. Tanner Duncan threw a scoreless 8th and got two outs in the 9th, but that final out proved to be just out of his reach. In 1.2 innings, Duncan allowed a couple of unearned runs, a triple, walked three, and struck out four. Brendan Feldmann came on and got that final out to secure the win.

Miguelangel Sierra opened the scoring by smacking a solo homer in the 1st. Chandler Taylor whacked his first home run as a professional in the 2nd, driving in two in the process. Alfredo Angarita hit an RBI single in the 4th, although he was thrown out at second to end the inning. Taylor added an RBI double to his ledger in the 8th and scored on Angarita's second RBI base hit of the evening. Angarita and Taylor finished with three hits apiece, while Sierra and Scott Schreiber had two each.

Enoli Paredes will take on Jared Poche in the series finale. First pitch is at 5:15.

Tri-City 8, Lowell 2

W- Bryan Abreu (2-0)
L- Hunter Haworth (0-1)

TC home runs: Seth Beer 2 (3; 2-run in 1st, 2-run in 6th)

Beer bombs were had by all. It was only fitting that the ValleyCats were having "WWE Night" at the ballpark.


Seth Beer smacked his first two-run homer of the night to open the scoring in the 1st. Tri-City got two more in the opening frame on an RBI single from Ramiro Rodriguez and when Michael Wielansky scored on a double play. Rodriguez hit another RBI single in the 3rd and Beer sent his second two-run homer out of the park in the 6th inning. Rodriguez singled to lead off the 7th. He then stole second, advanced to third on a balk, and scored the final run of the evening when Carlos Machado grounded into a force out.

Beer and Rodriguez both finished with three hits. Both of Enmanuel Valdez's hits in this game were doubles. Of the 11 hits that Valdez recorded this season, nine have gone for extra bases. Wielansky went 0-2, but he drew three walks and scored twice.

The two runs that Nivaldo Rodriguez allowed in his three innings came on a home run. Nivaldo also allowed two other hits and struck out three. Riley Cabral worked around a walk to throw a scoreless 4th, striking out one. Bryan Abreu walked three and struck out five over three scoreless, and Austin Hansen threw two perfect innings to close it out, striking out two.

Tri-City will make the journey to Staten Island to take on the Yankees. Luis Garcia will get the start in game one, which kicks off at 4:00 Eastern.

GCL Mets 12, GCL Astros 3 in 5.1 innings

W- Malky Mena (1-0)
L- Julio Robaina (0-1)

GCL home runs: Freudis Nova (1, 3-run in 5th)

This game was called with one out in the 6th due to rain.

Freudis Nova's three-run homer in the 5th was the Palm Beach Stros' only scoring play. César Cortez went 2-3 in the shortened game.

Julio Robaina's second career appearance... did not go well. Neither did Layne Henderson's pro debut. Daniel Bello restored a little order to the game with four solid innings, allowing a run on five htis, walking one, and striking out seven.

DSL Astros 4, DSL Athletics 2 in 6 innings

W- Ernesto Jaquez (1-0)
L- Edwin Rojas (0-1)

DSL home runs: Victor Mascai (3, 2-run in 4th)

This game was also called due to rain. The Academy only had two hits, but they scored more, which last I checked, determines the winner of a baseball game.

Javier Bermudez scored on a wild pitch and Yimmi Cortabarria scored on a Ricardo Toro groundout in the 2nd, and Victor Mascai smacked a two-run homer in the 4th.

Jojanse Torres allowed a run on four hits and struck out two in two innings and Ernesto Jaquez threw four perfect innings, striking out six.

Saturday's Stars

All photos are from Jayne unless stated otherwise.

Ernesto Jaquez, RHP, DSL Astros: W (1-0), 4 IP, 6 K; perfect outing


These are their mugshots on MiLB.com.
Seth Beer, LF/1B, and Ramiro Rodriguez, OF, Tri-City
Beer: 3-4, 2 2-R HR (3)
Rodriguez: 3-3, 2 RBI, R, SB (1)

This is Bryan Abreu's mugshot on MiLB.com. Riley Cabral and Austin Hansen not pictured.
Tri-City ValleyCats bullpen
6 IP, 4 BB, 8 K
Riley Cabral: IP, BB, K
Bryan Abreu: W (2-0), 3 IP, 3 BB, 5 K
Austin Hansen: 2 IP, 2 K; perfect outing

Rogelio Armenteros, RHP, Fresno
6 IP, H (solo HR), ER, 2 BB, 9 K in game 2 of doubleheader

Chandler Taylor not pictured
Alfredo Angarita, 2B, and Chandler Taylor, OF, Quad Cities
Angarita: 3-5, 2 RBI
Taylor: 3-4, 2B, 2-R HR (1), 3 RBI, 2 R

Patrick Sandoval, LHP, Quad Cities
W (7-1), 7 IP, 3 H, BB, 5 K

Corey Julks' photo is his mugshot on MiLB.com.
Abraham Toro, 3B, J.J. Matijevic, LF, Jonathan Arauz, IF, and Corey Julks, OF, Buies Creek
Toro: 2-3, solo HR (11), 2 RBI
Matijevic: 2-3, 2B, solo HR (7, 10 season), SB (5, 8 season)
Arauz: 2-4, solo HR (2, 6 season)
Julks: 2-5, 3B, solo HR (1, 5 season), 2 RBI

Ronel Blanco, RHP, Buies Creek
3 IP, 2 H, BB, 4 K