Monday, August 27, 2018

Astros Farm Report: 8/27

Let's catch up on all the latest happenings in the Astros system...

WISHING A VERY HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO ...

Brett Adcock - May 2018
Photo by Jayne Hansen

8/28: LHP Brett Adcock (23)
8/28: RHP Will Harris (34)
8/31: RHP Ronel Blanco (25)

ROSTER MOVES/TRANSACTIONS

8/26: RHP Ernesto Jaquez assigned to Tri-City from the GCL (Jaquez has allowed three earned runs in 53 innings this season between the DSL and the GCL)
8/24: OF Jake Marisnick sent to Fresno on rehab assignment
8/24: 1B Taylor Jones assigned to Corpus Christi from Fresno
8/24: OF Carlos Diaz placed on the restricted list (suspended 56 games for testing positive for a PED)
8/23: LHP Carlos Hiraldo assigned to Quad Cities from Tri-City
8/23: RHP Manny Ramirez assigned to Tri-City from the GCL
8/23: RHP Jose Bravo assigned to Tri-City from the GCL
8/23: SS/2B Deury Carraso assigned to Tri-City from the GCL
8/22: RHP Brock Dykxhoorn assigned to Fresno from Corpus Christi
8/22: C Brian McCann sent to Corpus Christi on rehab assignment
8/22: RHP Chris Devenski sent to Corpus Christi on rehab assignment
8/22: RHP Brendan Feldmann assigned to Buies Creek from Quad Cities
8/21: C Orlando Marquez assigned to Tri-City from Buies Creek
8/21: 1B Colton Shaver assigned to Buies Creek from Quad Cities
8/21: SS Trey Dawson assigned to Quad Cities from Tri-City
8/21: RHP Framber Valdez (Fresno) called up to Houston
8/21: LHP Cionel Perez optioned to Fresno
8/21: OF Kyle Tucker optioned to Fresno

ASTROS MILB DISABLED LIST

8/22: SS Antonio Nunez (Fresno) placed on the 7-day DL
8/15: C Ruben Castro (Quad Cities) placed on the 7-day DL
8/9: RHP Jairo Solis (Quad Cities) placed on the 7-day DL
6/19: OF Drew Ferguson (Fresno) placed on the 7-day DL (hand; on rehab assignment)
6/13: RHP Hunter Martin (Tri-City) placed on the 60-day DL
6/1: LHP Yeremi Ceballos (DSL) placed on the 60-day DL
6/1: RHP Carlos Quintero (DSL) placed on the 60-day DL
5/4: RHP Francis Martes (Fresno) placed on the 7-day DL; had TJ surgery 8/15
5/3+/-: RHP Gerardo Bojorquez had TJ surgery per Instagram post
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 (later confirmed that it was TJ surgery)
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; now on a rehab assignment)
4/5: RHP Ángel Heredia (Corpus Christi) placed on the 7-day DL (Instagram post in early August showed him as having had surgery)
4/5: RHP Nick Hernandez (Corpus Christi) placed on the 7-day DL (Tommy John)

ASTROS MILB RESTRICTED LIST

8/24: OF Carlos Diaz placed on the restricted list (suspended 56 games for testing positive for a PED)
Note that a 56 game suspension in short season ball will effectively wipe out Diaz's 2019 season. I would not be surprised to see the 14th round 2017 pick released by the Astros this offseason.
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.

ASTROS MILB STANDINGS
Up and down arrows represent increase/decrease in win percentage since the prior post. No arrow means that the win percentage remains unchanged.

FRESNO (Pacific Coast League) - ADVANCED TO POSTSEASON
🠉1st 77-55 .583 -.-GB W2

The Grizzlies eliminated Reno over the weekend to clinch the PCL Pacific Northern division title. They will face El Paso (San Diego) in the best-of-five PCL Pacific Conference Championship which will start next Wednesday, 9/5. Games 1 and 2 will be in El Paso. Fresno will host Games 3, 4 and 5 (if all are necessary). With eight games left in the regular season, Fresno will get a sneak preview of the Conference finals when they host El Paso for three games starting Tuesday.

The winners of the Pacific Conference Championship series will face the winner of the American Conference starting 9/11 in a best-of-five series. Memphis (Cardinals) will face off vs. TBD, likely the Oklahoma City Dodgers, for the American Conference title starting 9/5 as well.

CORPUS CHRISTI (Texas League) - ADVANCED TO POSTSEASON
🠋1st 79-51 .608 -.-GB W2 (overall)
1st 36-25 .590 -.-GB W2 (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 maintain a four-and-a-half game lead over Frisco in the second half with 8 games left to play in the regular season, four of those at Frisco. If Frisco manages to win the second half title, they will be the Hooks opponents for a best-of-five series starting Wednesday, 9/5 in Corpus Christi. If Frisco fails to win the second half (and Corpus Christi clinches both halves of the season), the Hooks will face the San Antonio Missions as the team with the second best record in the South Division in 2018. The Hooks will face the Missions for four of the remaining eight regular season games.

In the North Division, the Arkansas Travelers will face TBD (likely to be the Tulsa Drillers). The Texas League Championship (also a best-of-five) will start 9/11 at the South Division winner.

BUIES CREEK (Carolina League) - ADVANCED TO POSTSEASON
🠉2nd 74-55 .574 4.5GB W1 (overall)
2nd 37-23 .617 1.0GB W1 (second half)
2nd 37-32 .536 3.5GB L1 (first half)

Buies Creek also clinched a playoff berth over the weekend. What remains to be seen is whether the team will enter the playoffs as a wild card or as the second half winner. Trailing the Winston-Salem Dash by only one game in the second half, they will have eight games in which to overtake Winston-Salem for the second half crown in the Southern Division. None of their remaining games are against the Dash.

Under either scenario, the best-of-five playoff games for the Southern Division will start with games one and two played on Buies Creek turf with the remaining three (if all are necessary) being played in Winston-Salem. The Potomac Nationals will face TBD (likely the Lynchburg Hillcats for the Northern Division Title. The two division winners will face off starting 9/11 at the winner of the Southern Division.

QUAD CITIES (Midwest League) - ADVANCED TO PLAYOFFS
🠋2nd 75-58 .564 0.5GB L1 (overall)
3rd 35-28 .556 5.0GB 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. They will play Peoria for a best-of-three division quarterfinals series starting 9/5 at Peoria with games 2 and 3 at Quad Cities. The winner of the first half Western Division quarterfinals will face the winner of the second half Western Division quarterfinals (teams TBD) for a best-of-three Division Championship. The same procedures will apply in the Eastern Division. The two Division winners will face off in a best-of-five for the LCS.

Quad Cities has seven games remaining in the regular season, and they will be hosting Peoria for a division quarterfinals preview the final three games of the season.

TRI-CITY (New York-Penn League)
🠉1st 38-29 .567 -.-GB W1

Tri-City is the only Astros minor league team whose postseason fate has yet to be sealed. They are currently four-and-a-half games in front of second place Vermont and five games ahead of third place Lowell (with Connecticut nine games back and on the verge of elimination). With eight games left to play in the regular season, Tri-City will play their last six games against Tri-City (3 games) and Vermont (3 games) on the road.

The postseason format is a best-of-three Semi-Finals and a best-of-three LCS which I will flesh out more in next week's Farm Report.

GCL ASTROS (Gulf Coast League) - SEASON OVER
🠋2nd 27-28 .491 12.5 L2

DSL ASTROS (Dominican Summer League Northwest) - SEASON OVER
🠋6th 30-41 .423 21.0GB L3

NEWS AND LINKS

J.D. Davis earned PCL Player of the Week honors last week (Wonder who it will be this week? See below)

If you haven't been paying attention, the USA Women's team is doing quite nicely in the Women's Baseball World Cup (although I'm not sure anyone can beat the Japanese!).

Jim Bowden ($) gives the Astros farm system a B+ after the trade deadline.

The bad Beer puns continue as Seth makes his way up the MiLB ladder.

Kyle Tucker is kicking butts and taking names. (In his five games since being optioned to AAA, he is hitting .560/.593/1.280/1.873 with six home runs and 13 RBI.

Just love this ode to Extended Spring Training ...

Quad Cities breaks a minor league record (and they still have a few games to go!)

And in case you missed any of these, here are my interviews from this season:

OF Alex McKenna (Tri-City, since promoted to Quad Cities)
RHP Peter Solomon (Quad Cities, since promoted to Buies Creek)
OF Seth Beer (Quad Cities, since promoted to Buies Creek)
RHP Jairo Solis and C Ruben Castro (Quad Cities)
RHP Corbin Martin (Corpus Christi)
3B Abraham Toro (Corpus Christi)
RHP Trent Thornton (Fresno)
OF Chas McCormick (Buies Creek, since promoted to Corpus Christi)
OF J.J. Matijevic (Buies Creek)
RHP Brandon Bielak (Buies Creek, since promoted to Corpus Christi)
LHP Brett Adcock (Buies Creek, since promoted to Corpus Christi)
SS Alex De Goti (Corpus Christi, since promoted to Fresno)
1B Taylor Jones (Corpus Christi, since promoted to Fresno)
RHP Brock Dykxhoorn (Corpus Christi, since promoted to Fresno)

Wednesday, August 22, 2018

Astros Minor League Recaps

Results for Tuesday, August 21, 2018

Needed a little time off, but I'm back in the saddle. Sort of.

How did the Astros' Class A clubs fare in their battles with their counterparts from the Brewers?

Fresno 9, Sacramento 2

W- Rogelio Armenteros (8-1)
L- Daniel Camarena (0-8)

Fresno home runs: Jack Mayfield (15, solo in 1st), J.D. Davis (16, 3-run in 3rd)

The Grizzlies stormed out to a 7-0 lead and cruised to the win against their rivals from Northern California.

Jack Mayfield got things started when he smacked a homer in the 1st inning. Fresno got three in the 2nd on a couple of sac flies from Garrett Stubbs and Alex De Goti and an RBI single from Myles Straw and J.D. Davis added three more when he whacked a home run in the 3rd inning. In the 6th, Stubbs scored on a botched force out attempt and A.J. Reed drove in the final run of the evening with a sac fly.

Everyone in the lineup recorded a hit; J.D. led the way with a 3-4 night. Stubbs and Yordan Alvarez had two hits apiece.

Rogelio Armenteros went 5.2 innings and allowed two runs on four hits, one of which was a solo homer, walked five, and struck out seven. Riley Ferrell was the first man out of the Grizzlies bullpen and he threw 2.1 scoreless innings, allowing a hit and fanning four. Matt Ramsey struck out one in a 1-2-3 9th.

This California rivalry continues at 7:05 Pacific.

Midland 3, Corpus Christi 2 in 10 innings

W- Corey Walter (3-6)
L- Justin Ferrell (6-2, 7-2 season)
S- Kyle Finnegan (10)

CC home runs: None.

The Hounds scored one in the 8th to tie and nipped the Hooks with a run in the first extra frame.

Both Corpus Christi runs came in the 5th on a pair of doubles from Josh Rojas and Lorenzo Quintana. Rojas and Chas McCormick both went 2-4.

Akeem Bostick allowed a run on three hits, walked two, and struck out five in five innings. Brandon Bailey went four innings and the one run he allowed came on a homer in the 8th inning that tied the game at 2. Bailey allowed one other hit, walked one, and struck out three. Justin Ferrell came on for the 10th and allowed what turned out to be the winning run on a single, walked one, and got two outs in the inning, one via strikeout. Kit Scheetz got the last out of the 10th.

Brock Dykxhoorn will face Brian Howard in game two of this series. First pitch is at 7:05.

Buies Creek 5, Carolina 4 in 10 innings


W- Colin McKee (3-1, 6-2 season)
L- Daniel Brown (6-4)

BC home runs: Colton Shaver (1, 16 season; 2-run in 4th)

Buies Creek saw a 4-0 lead vanish but they managed to walk off with the victory in the first extra frame.

J.B. Bukauskas allowed two hits, walked four, and struck out seven over five shutout innings. Although he tied a season-high in walks issued, he's really done well to save what was on the verge of becoming a lost year. Carlos Sanabria was the first man out of the Carolina Stros' bullpen and he allowed three runs on four hits (two-run homer), walked two, and struck out one in two innings. The one run that Colin McKee allowed in his three innings of work came on a homer; he allowed two other hits, walked one, and fanned six.

Bryan de la Cruz opened the scoring when he ripped a two-run double in the 1st inning. Buies Creek got two more on the board in the 4th when Colton Shaver launched a home run. Carlos Canelón started the 10th inning in scoring position and advanced on a sac bunt from Jake Meyers, who reached anyway thanks to an error. One batter later, J.J. Matijevic won the game with a base hit that brought Canelón in with the winning run. Matijevic went 2-4 on the night and Shaver finished 2-3 in his first Carolina League game.

The Carolina Stros and Mudcats will wrap up this series at 6:00 Eastern.

Quad Cities 6, Wisconsin 1

W- Luis Garcia (6-2)
L- Nelson Hernandez (10-10)

QC home runs: Mike Papierski (5, 2-run in 3rd)

An early outburst and some stellar pitching got the Banditos the W.

Luis Garcia went five innings and allowed a run on two hits, walked one, and struck out four. Humberto Castellanos and Parker Mushinski finished it off with two scoreless innings apiece. Castellanos fanned four in a perfect outing and Mushinski struck out five, working around a couple of errors to finish off the game.

Quad Cities loaded the bases to lead off the 2nd inning and got two runs out of it thanks to an error. Marty Costes was able to reach and the gaffe allowed Alfredo Angarita and Miguelangel Sierra to score. Sierra hit a two-run single in the 3rd and one batter later, Mike Papierski smacked a home run. Sierra finished 3-4 and scored twice, while Jonathan Lacroix went 2-3 with a run scored.

César Rosado will start the middle game of this series. He'll take on Scott Sunitsch at 7:05.

Tri-City 5, Brooklyn 2

W- Shawn Dubin (2-1)
L- Jose Butto (1-1)
S- Luis de Paula (3)

TC home runs: Drew Ferguson (1, 3 season; 2-run in 2nd), Michael Wielansky (2, solo in 4th)

A fast start allowed the ValleyCats to get the win. This victory allows them to keep their one-game lead over Lowell in the NYPL's Stedler division.

Brett Daniels started things off by walking one and striking out three over four no-hit innings. Shawn Dubin was next and he allowed a run on three hits, walked three, and struck out five in his three innings of work. Mark Moclair and Luis de Paula both pitched an inning. Moclair allowed an unearned run on an errant pickoff throw in the 8th but was able to limit the damage. He came on for the 9th but he allowed a single to the leadoff man and walked the next batter, so Luis de Paula was summoned to close it out, which he did without any serious hiccups. De Paula got a force out, a line drive out, and a flyout to finish the game.

Enmanuel Valdez doubled with one out in the 1st and moved to third on a wild pitch. Two batters later, Carlos Machado brought him in with a single. Nathan Perry led off the 2nd with a double and scored as Andy Piñeda took his place at second base. Piñeda stole third and scored on Drew Ferguson's homer. Michael Wielansky whacked a solo homer in the 4th inning. Valdez, Machado, and Alex Holderbach all finished 2-4 on the night.

Tri-City and Brooklyn will finish up this series at 7:00 Eastern.

GCL Astros 7, GCL Nationals 0

W- Angel Macuare (4-3)
L- Luis Reyes (0-1)

GCL home runs: Freúdis Nova (6, solo in 9th)

The Palm Beach Stros blanked their complex mates on Tuesday.

Julio Robaina and Angel Macuare both threw four shutout innings in this one. Robaina allowed a hit, walked one, and struck out two, while Macuare allowed four hits, walked one, and struck out two. Jervic Chavez completed the shutout, working around a hit batter to do so.

Yeuris Ramirez opened the scoring with an RBI single in the 1st. Yorbin Ceuta smacked an RBI triple in the 2nd and scored on a sac fly from Juan Ramirez. Andrés Santana ripped an RBI double in the 3rd inning and added a sac fly in the 5th. Wilyer Abreu reached on an error and advanced to second base to lead off the 6th and scored on a Rhandall Sanchez single. Freúdis Nova capped off the day by whacking a solo homer in the 9th inning. Juan, Yeuris, Freúdis, Sanchez, and Ceuta all finished with two hits on the afternoon.

DSL Astros 5, DSL Marlins 2

W- Antonio Placencia (1-0)
L- Yoilan Quinonez (1-2)
S- Flaer Gonzalez (3)

DSL home runs: None.

The Academy seized control with three runs in the 8th to break a 2-2 tie.

Heitor Tokar and Jose Antonio Hernandez started things off with three innings apiece. Tokar allowed two runs (one earned) on three hits, walked one, and struck out four, while Hernandez allowed two hits, walked one, and struck out eight in a scoreless outing. Antonio Placencia won his pro debut as he allowed a hit and struck out one in two scoreless innings, and Flaer Gonzalez allowed a hit and struck out two in the 9th to close things out.

Franklin Pinto singled to lead off the game and scored the first run of the game on an error that allowed Victor Mascai to reach. Jeury Castillo scored in the 6th on a force out. Enmanuel Morillo put the Academy in front when he cleared the bases with a double in the 8th inning.

Tuesday's Stars

All photos are from Jayne unless stated otherwise.

DSL Astros bullpen: 6 IP, 4 H, BB, 11 K
Jose Antonio Hernandez: 3 IP, 2 H, BB, 8 K
Antonio Placencia: W (1-0), 2 IP, H, K
Flaer Gonzalez: Save (3), IP, H, 2 K

Julio Robaina, RHP, GCL Astros: 4 IP, H, BB, 2 K
Angel Macuare, RHP, GCL Astros: W (4-3), 4 IP, 4 H, BB, 2 K

Photo uploaded by Oz Ocampo
Freúdis Nova, IF, GCL Astros
2-5, solo HR (6), 2 R

Quad Cities River Bandits pitchers: W 6-1 @ Wisconsin
9 IP, 2 H, ER, BB, 13 K
Luis Garcia: W (6-2), 5 IP, 2 H, ER, BB, 4 K
 Humberto Castellanos: 2 IP, 4 K
Parker Mushinski: 2 IP, 5 K; faced two batters over the minimum due to two errors

Miguelangel Sierra, IF, Quad Cities
3-4, 2B, 2 RBI, 2 R

Brett Daniels, RHP, Tri-City
4 IP, BB, 3 K

Colton Shaver, IF, Buies Creek
2-3, 2-R HR (1, 16 season) in Carolina League debut

J.B. Bukauskas, RHP, and Colin McKee, RHP, Buies Creek
Bukauskas: 5 IP, 2 H, 4 BB, 7 K
McKee: W (3-1, 6-2 season), 3 IP, 3 H (solo HR allowed), ER, BB, 6 K

Akeem Bostick, RHP, Corpus Christi
5 IP, 3 H, ER, 2 BB, 5 K

J.D. Davis, 3B, Fresno
3-4, 3-R HR (16), 2 R

Riley Ferrell, RHP, Fresno
2.1 IP, H, 4 K

Tuesday, August 21, 2018

Astros Farm Report: 8/21

Let's catch up on all the latest happenings in the Astros system...

WISHING A VERY HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO ...

Austin Hansen - July 2018
Photo by Jayne Hansen

8/21: OF Derek Fisher (25)
8/24: RHP Alex House (22)
8/25: RHP Austin Hansen (22)

ROSTER MOVES/TRANSACTIONS

8/21: 2B Jose Altuve (Houston) expected to be activated from the DL
8/21: OF Kyle Tucker optioned to Fresno
8/20: RHP Matt Ruppenthal (Quad Cities) sent on a rehab assignment to Tri-City (expected to be activated from the DL 8/22)
8/19: 2B Jose Altuve (Houston) sent to Fresno on a rehab assignment
8/18: 1B Luis Encarnacion assigned to Tri-City from Corpus Christi
8/18: 3B Randy Cesar activated from the 7-day DL
8/18: RHP Antonio Placencia assigned to the DSL Astros (19-year old Dominican signed 8/17)
8/17: OF Drew Ferguson (Fresno) sent to Tri-City on a rehab assignment
8/17: RHP J.P. France assigned to Quad Cities from Tri-City
8/16: OF Derek Fisher optioned to Fresno
8/16: C Brian McCann (Houston) sent to Fresno on a rehab assignment
8/16: OF Alex McKenna assigned to Quad Cities from Tri-City
8/16: OF Logan Mattix assigned to Tri-City from Quad Cities
8/16: RHP Jose Alberto Rivera assigned to Tri-City from the GCL
8/15: 2B Alfredo Angarita assigned to Quad Cities from Fresno
8/15: RHP Matt Ruppenthal (Quad Cities) sent on a rehab assignment to GCL
8/14: RHP Chris Devenski (Houston) sent to Fresno on a rehab assignment
8/14: RHP Forrest Whitley (Corpus Christi) activated from the DL (had been on DL since 7/11)

ASTROS MILB DISABLED LIST

8/15: C Ruben Castro (Quad Cities) placed on the 7-day DL
8/9: RHP Jairo Solis (Quad Cities) placed on the 7-day DL
6/19: OF Drew Ferguson (Fresno) placed on the 7-day DL (hand; on rehab assignment)
6/13: RHP Hunter Martin (Tri-City) placed on the 60-day DL
6/1: LHP Yeremi Ceballos (DSL) placed on the 60-day DL
6/1: RHP Carlos Quintero (DSL) placed on the 60-day DL
5/4: RHP Francis Martes (Fresno) placed on the 7-day DL; had TJ surgery 8/15
5/3+/-: RHP Gerardo Bojorquez had TJ surgery per Instagram post
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 (later confirmed that it was TJ surgery)
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; now on a rehab assignment)
4/5: RHP Ángel Heredia (Corpus Christi) placed on the 7-day DL (Instagram post in early August showed him as having had surgery)
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.

ASTROS MILB STANDINGS
Up and down arrows represent increase/decrease in win percentage since the prior post. No arrow means that the win percentage remains unchanged.

FRESNO (Pacific Coast League)
🠋1st 72-54 .571 -.-GB L1

The Grizzlies currently lead Reno by seven games in the PCL Pacific Northern division. Fresno has 14 games remaining in the season, none of those against Reno.

CORPUS CHRISTI (Texas League)
1st 76-48 .613 -.-GB L2 (overall)
1st 33-22 .600 -.-GB L2 (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 currently have increased their second half lead over Frisco to four and a half games with 14 games left to play in the regular season.

BUIES CREEK (Carolina League)
🠉2nd 70-53 .569 5.0GB L1 (overall)
2nd 33-21 .611 1.5GB L1 (second half)
2nd 37-32 .536 3.5GB L1 (first half)

Buies Creek trails the 1st place Winston-Salem team by one-and-a-half games with 14 games left to play. The Astros will host Winston-Salem for three of those games. Buies Creek is well poised for a playoff berth since the second place team will advance to the playoffs if Winston-Salem, the first half winner, also wins the second half. Considering that the third place team is eight games behind Buies Creek, they should make the playoffs barring a total collapse.

QUAD CITIES (Midwest League)
2nd 72-55 .567 2.0GB W2 (overall)
4th 32-25 .561 3.0GB W2 (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. They currently trail Cedar Rapids by three games, Peoria by two games and Beloit by .003 percentage points in the second half with 13 games left to play in the regular season.

TRI-CITY (New York-Penn League)
🠋1st 34-27 .557 -.-GB W1

Tri-City leads Lowell by one-and-a-half games in the New York-Penn League Stedler division with 14 games left to play. The ValleyCats will face Lowell on the road in three of those games.

GCL ASTROS (Gulf Coast League)
🠋2nd 26-26 .500 10.0 L3

The Astros were eliminated from postseason play. They currently have four games remaining in their season.

DSL ASTROS (Dominican Summer League Northwest)
🠋6th 28-38 .424 18.0GB L1

The Astros have been eliminated and have five games remaining.

NEWS AND LINKS

Fresno OF Drew Ferguson revisits his first steps as a pro.

Josh Rojas of the Hooks may not be the fastest baserunner in the Astros system, but he may be the smartest.

J.D. Davis makes his case for getting back to Houston.

A great post on long-time Astros minor league manager Rodney Linares.

And in case you missed any of these, here are my interviews from this season:

OF Alex McKenna (Tri-City, since promoted to Quad Cities)
RHP Peter Solomon (Quad Cities, since promoted to Buies Creek)
OF Seth Beer (Quad Cities, since promoted to Buies Creek)
RHP Jairo Solis and C Ruben Castro (Quad Cities)
RHP Corbin Martin (Corpus Christi)
3B Abraham Toro (Corpus Christi)
RHP Trent Thornton (Fresno)
OF Chas McCormick (Buies Creek, since promoted to Corpus Christi)
OF J.J. Matijevic (Buies Creek)
RHP Brandon Bielak (Buies Creek, since promoted to Corpus Christi)
LHP Brett Adcock (Buies Creek, since promoted to Corpus Christi)
SS Alex De Goti (Corpus Christi, since promoted to Fresno)
1B Taylor Jones (Corpus Christi, since promoted to Fresno)
RHP Brock Dykxhoorn (Corpus Christi, since promoted to Fresno)

Tuesday, August 14, 2018

Astros Farm Report: 8/14

Let's catch up on all the latest happenings in the Astros system...

WISHING A VERY HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO ...

Alex De Goti - July 2018
Photo by Jayne Hansen

8/14: C Jonarkys López (17)
8/16: RHP Peter Solomon (22)
8/18: C Evan Gattis (32)
8/19: SS Alex De Goti (24)

ROSTER MOVES/TRANSACTIONS

8/11: OF Kyle Tucker (Fresno) recalled to Houston
8/11: 1B Luis Encarnacion assigned to Corpus Christi from Tri-City
8/11: RHP Alfredi Jimenez assigned to the GCL from the DSL
8/11: RHP Alex Blano (DSL) released (signed July 2017 out of the Dominican Republic for $10,000)
8/10: 3B/1B J.D. Davis optioned to Fresno
8/10: 2B Alfredo Angarita assigned to Fresno from Quad Cities
8/10: LHP Tim Hardy assigned to Tri-City from Quad Cities
8/9: RHP Carlos Sierra activated from the Corpus Christi DL (on DL since 7/11)
8/9: LHP Tim Hardy assigned to Quad Cities from Tri-City
8/8: LHP Framber Valdez assigned to Fresno from Corpus Christi
8/8: C Cesar Salazar assigned to Quad Cities from Tri-City
8/8: C Nathan Perry assigned to Tri-City from the GCL
8/7: LHP Buddy Boshers (Fresno) claimed off waivers by the Pirates
8/7: RHP Brandon Bailey assigned to Corpus Christi from Buies Creek
8/6: OF Derek Fisher (Fresno) recalled to Houston
8/6: RHP Ralph Garza assigned to Fresno from Corpus Christi
8/6: RHP Layne Henderson assigned to Tri-City from the GCL
8/4: SS Alex De Goti assigned to Fresno from Corpus Christi
8/3: LHP Cionel Perez (Fresno) recalled to Houston

ASTROS MILB DISABLED LIST

8/9: RHP Jairo Solis (Quad Cities) placed on the 7-day DL
7/11: RHP Forrest Whitley (Corpus Christi) placed on the 7-day DL (expected to be activated 8/14)
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
5/4: RHP Francis Martes (Fresno) placed on the 7-day DL (on rehab assignment)
5/3+/-: RHP Gerardo Bojorquez had TJ surgery per Instagram post
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 (later confirmed that it was TJ surgery)
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 (Instagram post in early August showed him as having had surgery)
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.

MISSING IN ACTION

Now that all of the short season teams have started playing, I've gone through my records and the following players all show as "active" on MiLB, but they haven't played yet this season. If anyone has any info on the following players, please let me know.

RHP Hunter Martin
LHP Javier Navas - made his first appearance of the season for the GCL team 7/16, released 7/17
RHP Kyle Serrano - made his first appearance of the season for the GCL team 7/6

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

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

FRESNO (Pacific Coast League)
🠉1st 69-55 .575 -.-GB W2

The Grizzlies currently lead Reno by seven games in the PCL Pacific Northern division. Fresno has 19 games remaining in the season, none of those against Reno.

CORPUS CHRISTI (Texas League)
🠋1st 73-46 .613 -.-GB W2 (overall)
1st 30-20 .600 -.-GB W2 (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 currently have a two-game lead over Frisco in the second half with 20 games left to play in the regular season.

BUIES CREEK (Carolina League)
🠉2nd 66-51 .564 5.5GB L1 (overall)
2nd 29-19 .604 2.0GB L1 (second half)
2nd 37-32 .536 3.5GB L1 (first half)

Buies Creek trails the 1st place Winston-Salem team by 2 games with 19 games left to play. The Astros will host Winston-Salem for six of those games.

QUAD CITIES (Midwest League)
🠉2nd 68-52 .567 2.0GB W2 (overall)
4th 28-22 .560 3.0GB W2 (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. They currently trail Peoria and Cedar Rapids by three games and Beloit by a half game in the second half with 20 games left to play.

TRI-CITY (New York-Penn League)
🠉1st 32-23 .582 -.-GB W2

Tri-City leads Lowell by two-and-a-half games in the New York-Penn League Stedler division with 20 games left to play. The ValleyCats will face Lowell on the road in six of those games.

GCL ASTROS (Gulf Coast League)
🠉2nd 25-22 .532 6.5GB L1

With nine games remaining in the season, the Astros trail the Cardinals. Their elimination number is currently 4.

DSL ASTROS (Dominican Summer League Northwest)
🠋6th 26-35 .426 17.0GB L3

With 11 games remaining in their season, the DSL team has been eliminated from the postseason.

NEWS AND LINKS

OF Ronnie Dawson is getting off to a hot start in his time with Corpus Christi, earning Texas League Player of the Week honors for last week.

A nice profile from Quad-City Times writer Steve Batterson on RHP Bryan Abreu.

MiLB.com has this piece on Astros 2018 4th round pick Alex McKenna (see my interview with him below as well).

McKenna and two other Astros 2018 draft picks will appear in the New York-Penn League All-Star team tonight in State College, Pennsylvania.

From The Athletic ($), is domestic violence the new market inefficiency?

And in case you missed any of these, here are my interviews from this season:

OF Alex McKenna (Tri-City)
RHP Peter Solomon (Quad Cities, since promoted to Buies Creek)
OF Seth Beer (Quad Cities, since promoted to Buies Creek)
RHP Jairo Solis and C Ruben Castro (Quad Cities)
RHP Corbin Martin (Corpus Christi)
3B Abraham Toro (Corpus Christi)
RHP Trent Thornton (Fresno)
OF Chas McCormick (Buies Creek, since promoted to Corpus Christi)
OF J.J. Matijevic (Buies Creek)
RHP Brandon Bielak (Buies Creek, since promoted to Corpus Christi)
LHP Brett Adcock (Buies Creek, since promoted to Corpus Christi)
SS Alex De Goti (Corpus Christi)
1B Taylor Jones (Corpus Christi, since promoted to Fresno)
RHP Brock Dykxhoorn (Corpus Christi, since promoted to Fresno)

Astros Minor League Recaps

Results for Monday, August 13, 2018

Quiet start to the work week....

Fresno 4, Las Vegas 0

W- Kent Emanuel (5-2)
L- P.J. Conlon (3-8)

Fresno home runs: None.

The Grizzlies started off a new series on the right foot by posting a shutout. Rodney Linares, unfortunately, had his night end early when he got tossed in the 5th for arguing over whether Christian Colon got hit by a pitch.

Kent Emanuel has gotten himself back in the saddle since rejoining the rotation. He allowed three hits, walked two, and struck out eight over six shutout innings. Dean Deetz was the first man out of the Fresno bullpen and allowed a hit, walked one, and struck out four in two scoreless. Riley Ferrell completed the shutout by striking Colon out to end the game. He also issued a walk.

Taylor Jones opened the scoring with an RBI infield single in the 4th. One batter later, Alex De Goti hit an RBI... infield double. Patrick Kivlehan, who was at third for Vegas, fielded the ball, so I'm assuming that it did not make it to the outfield. Myles Straw led off the 5th with a double and Yordan Alvarez brought him in with a double. Jamie Ritchie singled and Jones walked to start the 6th and they both advanced on a wild pitch. De Goti walked to load the bases for Alfredo Angarita, who hit a sac fly. Ritchie finished 2-4 with a double and scored twice; he was the only man on either side to finish with a multi-hit game.

Fresno and Las Vegas will continue this series at 7:05 Pacific. Since it's Tuesday, the Grizzlies will be doing business as the Fresno Tacos.

Corpus Christi was off

Forrest Whitley will make his first appearance since coming off the disabled list in the first game of a three-game set in Tulsa at 7:05. He will be opposed by Justin DeFratus.

Buies Creek was off

The Carolina Stros will start a three-game series with Winston-Salem at 6:00. Peter Solomon is listed as the starter for this game, but I don't know if that's correct since he pitched on Sunday in a game that ended up getting canceled.

Quad Cities 3, Cedar Rapids 0

W- Chad Donato (3-0, 6-0 season)
L- Edwar Colina (6-4)
S- Tanner Duncan (5, 6 season)

QC home runs: César Salazar (1, solo in 6th)

The Banditos kept the Kernels off the board for the second straight night.

After both teams combined to put up ten zeroes on the scoreboard, César Salazar launched the first home run of his pro career in the 6th inning to open up the scoring. Quad Cities got a couple of crucial insurance runs in the final inning as Salazar singled to lead off the inning and advanced to second on a wild pitch. Marty Costes brought him in with a base hit and Jonathan Lacroix capped off the evening with a triple that scored Costes. Salazar finished 2-4 on the evening.

This time, Chad Donato and Tanner Duncan put up nine zeroes on the board. Donato allowed two hits, walked one, and struck out five over seven shutout frames and on the day after his birthday, Duncan completed the shutout by allowing two hits, walking one, and striking out four in the final two innings.

The Banditos and Kernels will wrap up this series at 6:35.

Tri-City was off

The New York-Penn League All-Star game will take place on Tuesday in State College, Pennsylvania. Tri-City will be represented by Jeremy Peña, Alex McKenna, and Austin Hansen.

The ValleyCats will return to action on Wednesday when they start a quick two-game series with Connecticut.

GCL Cardinals 4, GCL Astros 1

W- Chris Hunt (4-0)
L- Elián Rodriguez (1-2)
S- Edgar Escobar (7)

GCL home runs: None.

Four pitchers threw two innings apiece. Two of them allowed runs and the other two did not.

Elián Rodriguez allowed two runs on two hits, one of which was a solo homer, and struck out three. Bryan Solano allowed a hit and struck out two. Jose Alberto Rivera allowed a two-run home run in the 6th, one other hit, and struck out two. Ernesto Jaquez allowed two hits and fanned one.

Nerio Rodriguez scored the Palm Beach Stros' only run of the day on a Yorbin Ceuta groundout in the 7th inning. Carlos Diaz finished 2-4.

DSL Athletics 1, DSL Astros 0

W- César Diaz (2-0)
L- Jherson Pereira (0-2)
S- Manuel Manzanillo (2)

DSL home runs: None.

The Academy got held to a pair of singles and were kept off the board. Jose Mendoza and Carlos Hurtado had the two hits.

Jojanse Torres allowed three hits, walked two, and struck out four over five shutout innings and Jherson Pereira allowed the one run, which was unearned, on three hits, walked one, and struck out four.

Monday's Stars

All photos are from Jayne unless stated otherwise.

Jojanse Torres, RHP, DSL Astros: 5 IP, 3 H, 2 BB, 4 K

Quad Cities River Bandits pitchers: W 3-0 @ Cedar Rapids
9 IP, 4 H, 2 BB, 8 K
Chad Donato: W (3-0, 6-0 season), 7 IP, 2 H, BB, 5 K
Tanner Duncan: Save (5, 6 season), 2 IP, 2 H, BB, 3 K

César Salazar, C, Quad Cities
2-4, solo HR (1), 2 R; first career home run

Jamie Ritchie, C, Fresno
2-4, 2B, 2 R

Fresno Grizzlies pitchers: W 4-0 vs. Las Vegas
9 IP, 4 H, 4 BB, 13 K
Kent Emanuel: W (5-2), 6 IP, 3 H, 2 BB, 8 K
Dean Deetz: 2 IP, H, BB, 4 K
Riley Ferrell: IP, BB, K

Monday, August 13, 2018

Astros Minor League Recaps

Results for Sunday, August 12, 2018

Fresno 9, Albuquerque 4

W- Josh James (6-4)
L- Peter Lambert (2-4)

Fresno home runs: Yordan Alvarez (7, 19 season; solo in 2nd), J.D. Davis (9, 2-run in 5th)

The Grizzlies earned the split by scoring in five straight innings.

Josh James went 5.2 innings and allowed three runs on four hits (two-run homer), walked two, and struck out six. Matt Ramsey allowed a hit and struck out two over 2.1 scoreless, and Brendan McCurry allowed a run on two hits and struck out one in the 9th.

Yordan Alvarez opened the scoring when he smacked a homer in the 2nd inning. Garrett Stubbs ripped a two-run double in the 3rd and came around to score on A.J. Reed's single. Alvarez walked to lead off the 4th and scored on a double from Taylor Jones. J.D. Davis launched a two-run homer in the 5th, and finally in the 6th, Alex De Goti ripped an RBI double and stole home. Alvarez, Jones, and De Goti all finished with two hits; Alvarez and De Goti both scored two runs. Myles Straw stole two bases, giving him 23 with Fresno and 58 on the year.

Fresno will begin a three-game series with Las Vegas at 7:05 Pacific.

Corpus Christi 6, Springfield 1

W- Akeem Bostick (2-4)
L- Anthony Shew (6-7)

CC home runs: Abraham Toro (2, 16 season; 2-run in 1st)

The Hooks got out to a quick start and kept the Cardinals in check to take the finale and the series.

Abraham Toro opened the scoring when he launched a two-run homer in the opening frame. He then added an RBI single to his ledger in the 3rd inning. Corpus struck for three more runs in the 5th when Carmen Benedetti hit an RBI single and Josh Rojas drove in two with a base hit. Toro and Stephen Wrenn both finished 2-4; Benedetti and Ronnie Dawson scored two runs apiece.

Akeem Bostick went five innings and allowed a run on two hits, walked two, and struck out four. Ryan Hartman tagged in to throw three scoreless innings, allowing two hits and fanning four. Carlos Sierra struck out one in a 1-2-3 9th.

Corpus Christi has Monday off. They'll start a three-game set in Tulsa on Tuesday.

Buies Creek and Frederick was cancelled

Due to rain. This game will not be made up as it was the final regular-season meeting between both clubs. Corey Julks had homered and Buies Creek was leading 2-1 in the 3rd inning before play was halted.

The Carolina Stros will have Monday off. They will welcome the Winston-Salem Dash to Campbell University for three beginning Tuesday.

Quad Cities 5, Cedar Rapids 0

W- Edgardo Sandoval (1-1)
L- Jhoan Duran (6-5)
QC home runs: Scott Schreiber (4, solo in 2nd), Colton Shaver (14, 2-run in 5th)

The Banditos got a career night from Edgardo Sandoval as he, Parker Mushinski, and Willy Collado joined forces to hold the Kernels to just three hits on Sunday.

Sandoval allowed three hits, walked one, and struck out a career-high 11 over six shutout innings. Mushinski struck out three over two perfect frames, and Collado completed the shutout by striking out one in a 1-2-3 9th inning.

Scott Schreiber whacked a solo homer to open the scoring in the 2nd inning. He then drew a one-out walk in the 5th inning, stole second, advanced to third on the errant throw down, and scored on a Logan Mattix sac fly. One batter later, Colton Shaver smacked a two-run home run. Rúben Castro singled to start the 8th, advanced to third on a bad pickoff throw, and scored the final run of the evening on a wild pitch. Castro finished 3-4 on the night and was the only man on either side to finish with a multi-hit game.

Bryan Abreu will take on Edwar Colina as the series shifts to Cedar Rapids. First pitch is at 6:35.

Tri-City 7, Vermont 3

W- Cody Deason (1-0)
L- Adam Reuss (3-2)

TC home runs: Enmanuel Valdez (6, solo in 1st), Austin Dennis (1, solo in 8th)

The ValleyCats scored a run in each of the first three innings and then as they held on to a one-run lead, they busted out for three runs in the 7th.

Enmanuel Valdez wasted little time in getting things started as he homered to start the game. Michael Wielansky kept the 2nd inning alive with a base hit; he then stole second and scored on a single from Ramiro Rodriguez, who got thrown out at second to end the inning. Valdez led off the 3rd with a single and scored when Austin Dennis grounded into a double play.

Nathan Perry drew a walk to lead off the 7th and Andy Piñeda joined him on the bases following a single. Wielansky flew out, but Ramiro delivered the big blow with a two-run triple. Alex McKenna brought Rodriguez in with a double. Dennis smacked a solo homer in the 8th, the first of his pro career. He ended up getting a tremendous reception upon his return to the dugout:
R.J. Freure started things off with three scoreless innings. He allowed two hits, walked two, and struck out three. Layne Henderson was the first man out of the Tri-City bullpen and allowed two runs on a wild pitch and a sac fly, a single, walked two, and struck out one in 1.2 innings. Cody Deason was next and he allowed a run on four hits and fanned four in 2.1 innings. J.P. France allowed two hits and struck out four in the last two innings.

The 2018 New York-Penn League All-Star Game will take place on Tuesday at Medlar Field in State College, Pennsylvania, the home of the State College Spikes and Penn State baseball. Austin Hansen, Alex McKenna, and Jeremy Peña will represent the ValleyCats.

GCL Astros 3, GCL Mets 2 in 10 innings

W- Jervic Chavez (1-1)
L- Miguel Ramirez (0-1)

GCL home runs: None.

The Palm Beach Stros walked off with a win on Sunday.

Jayson Schroeder and Manny Ramirez both threw three innings. Schroeder allowed a run on a sac fly, a single, walked two, and struck out five, while Manny allowed an unearned run when he threw the ball away on a pickoff attempt. He allowed one hit, walked three, and struck out five. Miguel Figueroa walked three and struck out two over 2.1 no-hit innings, and Jervic Chavez issued a walk in 1.2 innings of work.

Freudis Nova reached on an error and Wilyer Abreu smacked a ground-rule double to start the 2nd. Yeuris Ramirez brought them both in with a single. Abreu started the 10th in scoring position and Yeuris was given a free pass to first base. They both ended up pulling off a double steal and then Rhandall Sanchez was intentionally walked to load the bases. The Palm Beach Stros were on the verge of squandering this opportunity after Hector Martinez went down on strikes and Nerio Rodriguez grounded into a force out, but Carlos Diaz won the game by drawing a walk.

Sunday's Stars

All photos are from Jayne unless stated otherwise.

Jayson Schroeder, RHP, GCL Astros: 3 IP, H, ER, 2 BB, 5 K
Manny Ramirez, RHP, GCL Astros: 3 IP, H, unearned run, 3 BB, 5 K

Enmanuel Valdez, IF, Alex McKenna, OF, and Ramiro Rodriguez, OF, Tri-City
Valdez: 2-5, solo HR (6), 2 R
McKenna: 4-5, 2 2B, RBI
Rodriguez: 2-3, 3B, 3 RBI, R

Quad Cities River Bandits pitchers: W 5-0 vs. Cedar Rapids
9 IP, 3 H, BB, 15 K
Edgardo Sandoval: W (1-1), 6 IP, 3 H, BB, career-high 11 K
Parker Mushinski: 2 IP, 3 K
Willy Collado: IP, K

Abraham Toro, 3B, Corpus Christi
2-4, 2-R HR (2, 16 season), 3 RBI

Corpus Christi Hooks pitchers: W 6-1 vs. Springfield
9 IP, 4 H, ER, 2 BB, 9 K
Akeem Bostick: W (2-4), 5 IP, 2 H, ER, 2 BB, 4 K
Ryan Hartman: 3 IP, 2 H, 4 K
Carlos Sierra: IP, K

Taylor Jones, 1B, Yordan Alvarez, LF/1B, and Alex De Goti, IF, Fresno
Jones: 2-4, 2 2B, RBI, R
Alvarez: 2-3, solo HR (7, 19 season), 2 R
De Goti: 2-4, 2 2B, RBI, 2 R, SB (1, 6 season)

Photo by Bryan Green
Matt Ramsey, RHP, Fresno
2.1 IP, H, 2 K

Sunday, August 12, 2018

Astros Minor League Recaps

Results for Saturday, August 11, 2018

Sorry, I've been out of pocket these past few days because I got buried by work.

Albuquerque 10, Fresno 0

W- Brooks Pounders (1-3)
L- Trent Thornton (8-8)

Fresno home runs: None.

Yeah, I'd rather not touch this one.

On the bright side, the Grizzlies did not end up getting no-hit as Garrett Stubbs doubled to lead off the bottom of the 9th.

Fresno and Albuquerque will conclude this series at 5:05 Pacific.

Corpus Christi 6, Springfield 2

W- Corbin Martin (7-2, 9-2 season)
L- Genesis Cabrera (0-1)
S- Alex Winkelman (4)

CC home runs: Ronnie Dawson (3, 13 season; solo in 1st)

The Hooks got a huge night at the plate from Ronnie Dawson and Corbin Martin continues to truck along with another nice outing.

Martin allowed two runs on four hits, walked one, and struck out eight in his six innings of work. Kit Scheetz was the first man out of the Corpus bullpen and he turned in two no-hit innings, walking two and striking out two. Alex Winkelman worked around a hit to close out the game.

Dawson started things off with a homer to lead off the 1st inning. The Hooks got two in the 2nd inning thanks to RBI doubles from Aníbal Sierra and Dawson. Dawson singled with one out in the 4th and moved up on a base hit from Stephen Wrenn. They both advanced on a balk and Carmen Benedetti hit a sac fly to bring Dawson in. Chas McCormick led off the 8th with a walk and scored the final run of the evening when Lorenzo Quintana ripped a double. Dawson finished 4-5 on the night while Sierra and Abraham Toro both had two hits apiece.

Akeem Bostick will start the series finale and he'll take on Anthony Shew at 2:05.

Frederick 2, Buies Creek 1 in 10 innings

W- Tyler Erwin (4-3)
L- Tommy DeJuneas (0-2, 2-4 season)

BC home runs: None.

The Keys pushed their leadoff runner across in the first extra frame and walked off with a win.

Abdiel Saldaña went five innings and allowed an unearned run on four hits while striking out three. Carson LaRue did not allow a hit in four innings; he walked one and struck out three. Tommy DeJuneas got two strikeouts in the 10th but he also allowed the winning run on two hits.

Jake Meyers drove in Buies Creek's only run with a single in the 3rd inning.

Peter Solomon will face Michael Baumann in the final game of this series. First pitch is at 2:00 Eastern.

Cedar Rapids 9, Quad Cities 6

W- Jordan Balazovic (6-3)
L- Leovanny Rodriguez (4-5)
S- Calvin Faucher (3)

QC home runs: Colton Shaver (13, solo in 6th), Mike Papierski (4, solo in 9th)

An 8-0 deficit proved to be too much for the Banditos to overcome.

Quad Cities scored two runs in each of the innings in which they scored. Miguelangel Sierra ripped a two-run double in the 5th to put them on the board. Colton Shaver led off the 6th with a homer. Jonathan Lacroix got thrown out at third trying to turn a double into a triple, but David Hensley kept things going with a base hit. He moved to third on a single from Chandler Taylor and scored on Sierra's sac fly. Mike Papierski launched a home run to start the 9th and Hensley hit an RBI single with two outs in the inning. Papierski, Hensley, Taylor, and Logan Mattix all finished with two hits on the evening.

Leovanny Rodriguez labored through four innings as he allowed five runs on nine hits (solo and two-run homers) and struck out four. Tim Hardy received a rude welcome to the Midwest League as he allowed four runs on six hits (two-run homer) while striking out three in 1.2 innings. Brendan Feldmann restored some semblance of order to this game from the Banditos' standpoint, but the damage was done. Feldmann allowed a hit, walked two, and struck out four over 2.1 scoreless innings and Humberto Castellanos escaped a bases-loaded predicament in the 9th; he allowed two hits, walked one, and struck out one.

Edgardo Sandoval goes up against Jhoan Duran at 5:15.

Tri-City 8, Vermont 5

W- Felipe Tejada (4-3)
L- Jeferson Mejía (1-1)
S- Austin Hansen (2)

TC home runs: Oscar Campos (2, solo in 5th)

After a topsy-turvy start to this game, the ValleyCats were able to seize control.

Juan Pablo Lopez only recorded two outs in the 1st. He allowed three unearned runs on three hits and struck out one. Jacob Billingsley was the first man out of the Tri-City bullpen and went 2.2 innings, allowing two runs, one of which was an inherited runner that was charged to him, on six hits and struck out four. Felipe Tejada struck out six over 4.2 near-perfect innings; he allowed one of Billingsley's runners to score on a sac fly and also plunked another man. Austin Hansen walked one and struck out one in the 9th.

Trey Dawson opened the scoring with an RBI single in the 1st and he came around to score on a single from Alex Holderbach. Juan Piñeda reached on an error to lead off the 2nd and scored on a Carlos Machado groundout. Oscar Campos hit an RBI single in the 3rd and then whacked a solo homer with two outs in the 5th that tied the game at 5. Piñeda kept the line moving with a base hit and he scored the go-ahead run on a Ramiro Rodriguez double. Holderbach smacked a two-run triple in the 6th and very nearly turned into a three-run inside-the-park homer... but he got thrown out at the plate to end the inning. Holderbach (3B, 3 RBI), Campos (solo HR, 2 RBI), Rodriguez (2 2B, RBI), and Enmanuel Valdez (2B) all had two hits in this game. Austin Dennis scored twice and stole a couple of bases, giving him 14 on the season.

The ValleyCats will conclude this brief two-game set at 5:05 Eastern. After this contest, they'll have a break for the New York-Penn League All-Star game.

GCL Nationals 3, GCL Astros 0

W- Ryan Williamson (1-0)
L- Jose Bravo (2-4)
S- Alfonso Hernandez (2)

GCL home runs: None.

The Palm Beach Stros were blanked by their complex mates.

Ronaldo Urdaneta went 2-4 with a double; Rhandall Sanchez's double was the GCL Astros' only other hit.

Jose Bravo went five innings and allowed two runs on seven hits and struck out three; both of the runs he allowed came in the 1st. Angel Macuare pitched the last three innings and allowed a run on two hits and struck out four.

DSL Rays1 9, DSL Astros 1

W- Daniel Santana (3-1)
L- Fabricio Reina (3-6)
S- Carlos Garcia (5)

DSL home runs: None.

The Rays scored four in the 1st and buried the Astros with five more in the final inning.

Jonarkys Lopez doubled in the 6th and scored the Academy's only run on a sac fly from Javier Bermúdez.

Jeremy Molero walked two and struck out two over 1.2 innings; he allowed a runner that he inherited from Fabricio Reina to score. Franny Cobos allowed three hits and struck out one over five scoreless.

Saturday's Stars

All photos are from Jayne unless stated otherwise.

Franny Cobos, RHP, DSL Astros: 5 IP, 3 H, K
Angel Macuare, RHP, GCL Astros: 3 IP, 2 H, ER, 4 K

Ronnie Dawson, OF, Corpus Christi
4-5, 2B, solo HR (3, 13 season), 2 RBI, 2 R

Corpus Christi Hooks pitchers: W 5-2 vs. Springfield
9 IP, 5 H, 2 ER, 3 BB, 10 K
Corbin Martin: W (7-2, 9-2 season), 6 IP, 4 H, 2 ER, BB, 8 K
Kit Scheetz: 2 IP, 2 BB, 2 K
Alex Winkelman: Save (4), IP, H

Abdiel Saldaña, RHP, and Carson LaRue, RHP, Buies Creek
Saldaña: 5 IP, 4 H, unearned run, 3 K
LaRue: 4 IP, BB, 3 K

Tri-City ValleyCats bullpen
5.2 IP, BB, 7 K
Felipe Tejada: W (4-3), 4.2 IP, 6 K
Austin Hansen: Save (2), IP, BB, K

Oscar Campos, C, and Alex Holderbach, C, Tri-City
Campos: 2-4, solo HR (2), 2 RBI
Holderbach: 2-5, 3B, 3 RBI