What the Heck, Bobby?: Astros Minor League Recaps

Results for Monday, April 8, 2019

Round Rock 5, New Orleans 4

W- Rogelio Armenteros (1-0)
L- Alex Meyer (0-1)
S- Brendan McCurry (1)

RR home runs: Kyle Tucker (1, 2-run in 4th), Myles Straw (1, 2-run in 5th), Jack Mayfield (2, solo in 5th)

The Express smacked three home runs and then hung on to take their first series of the 2019 season.

Rogelio Armenteros allowed a run on a solo homer, two other hits, and struck out five in 5.1 innings. Ralph Garza Jr. was the first man out of the Round Rock bullpen and he allowed three runs on five hits (two solo homers), walked one, and struck out two in 2.2 innings. Brendan McCurry got the final four outs of the game, striking out one.

Kyle Tucker opened the scoring with a two-run home run in the 4th. One inning later, Myles Straw launched a two-run homer of his own and Jack Mayfield clubbed a solo homer. Straw and Mayfield both finished with two hits on the afternoon.

Round Rock will kick off a three-game series against Nashville at 7:05. The Sounds are now a Rangers affiliate so this will be the first iteration of the Lone Star Series in the PCL. Forrest Whitley will make his first start of 2019 and he'll go up against Taylor Hearn.

Frisco 11, Corpus Christi 2

W- Edgar Arredondo (1-0)
L- J.B. Bukauskas (0-1)

CC home runs: Chuckie Robinson (1, 2-run in 7th)

Round 1 of the Lone Star Series in the Texas League went to Frisco as the Hooks were doomed by four errors in this game.

Chuckie Robinson's two-run homer in the 7th represented the only Corpus scoring play.

J.B. Bukauskas struggled and I think it's for the best if I left it at that. Tanner Duncan was the first man out of the Hooks bullpen and he allowed an unearned run, four hits, and walked one in 1.1 innings. Brandon Bielak pitched the last four innings and allowed a run on a homer, one other hit, walked one, and struck out one.

José Hernandez-Urquidy takes on Pedro Payano in game two of this series. First pitch is at 7:05.

Fayetteville 8, Frederick 5 in 12 innings

W- Hunter Martin (1-0)
L- Travis Seabrooke (0-1)

Fayetteville home runs: Colton Shaver (1, solo in 5th)

The Woodpeckers nearly squandered a bases-loaded, no out situation in the top of the 12th but they pulled themselves together to seize control of the game, scoring four runs to break a 4-4 tie.

Colton Shaver put Fayetteville on the board by smacking a home run to start the 5th inning. Seth Beer tied the game at 2 in the 6th inning with an RBI single. Jake Meyers ripped an RBI double in the 8th and then grounded into a force out in the 10th that allowed Chandler Taylor to score. Unfortunately, the Keys scored in their half of the 10th, so we continued on...

Neither team scored in the 11th inning. Shaver started the top of the 12th in scoring position, and then Michael Papierski and Chandler Taylor both drew walks to load the bases. Jonathan Arauz hit into a force out that erased Shaver at home and Miguelangel Sierra struck out to jeopardize the potential rally. Meyers came up next and he fought back from an 0-2 count to draw a walk to bring Papierski in with the go-ahead run. Corey Julks followed with a two-run single and Beer capped off the rally with an RBI single.

Beer was the only player in the Fayetteville lineup to finish with more than one hit. Taylor struck out in both of his official at-bats, but he also drew three walks and scored twice. Meyers drove in two, walked twice, and scored twice. Julks' two-run single in his final plate appearance of the evening certainly lessened the sting of having to wear the golden sombrero.

Peter Solomon went 4.2 innings in his season debut and he allowed two runs on six hits (solo homer), walked one, and struck out 11. Tommy DeJuneas was next and he allowed a run on a wild pitch, a hit, walked two, and struck out four in 2.1 innings of work. Leovanny Rodriguez followed with two scoreless, allowing a hit, walking two, and striking out three.

Hunter Martin got the win in his first appearance in over a year and a half; his last appearance was August 30, 2017, with Tri-City before he succumbed to what I presume was Tommy John surgery, which resulted in him missing the 2018 season. In three innings, Martin allowed two unearned runs (he worked all three extra innings) on a single in the 10th and a sac fly in the 12th, walked one, and struck out one.

Bryan Abreu will make his 2019 debut tonight at 7:00 Eastern and he'll go up against Brennan Hanifee.

Quad Cities 6, Clinton 5 in 10 innings

W- Willy Collado (1-0)
L- C.J. Carter (0-1)

QC home runs: Enmanuel Valdez (1, 2-run in 7th)

The Banditos opened a new series by getting back in the win column.

Trey Dawson drew a one-out walk in the 3rd, stole his way to third base, and scored Quad Cities' first run on an error that allowed Jeremy Peña to reach. Peña was awarded second base and scored when Enmanuel Valdez ripped a double. Jonathan Lacroix hit an RBI single in the 6th that tied the game at 3 and one inning later, Valdez whacked a two-run homer to put the River Bandits in front. Lacroix started the 10th in scoring position and he wound up scoring the deciding run when Peña drew a bases-loaded walk.

Valdez had his best performance of the young season with his RBI double and two-run homer. He might be the youngest player on the Quad Cities roster but he's hit third in every game that he's played this season and has responded well to this assignment. The real mission for him is trying to maintain a level of consistently good play throughout his first shot at full-season baseball. César Salazar, Scott Schreiber, and Andy Piñeda also finished with two hits on the evening.

Luis Garcia went four innings and allowed three runs on four hits (2-run homer), walked three, and struck out seven. Mark Moclair threw 3.1 innings and allowed two runs, a hit, walked three, and struck out seven. Both of the runs that were charged to him were inherited runners that scored. Willy Collado pitched 2.2 innings and while he didn't allow any runs of his own, he allowed a two-run double in the 8th that tied the game and the runs got charged to Moclair's account. Collado struck out three during his stint on the mound.

Austin Hansen takes on Chris Vallimont in game two of this series. First pitch is at 6:30.

Monday's Stars

All photos are from Jayne unless stated otherwise.